Little Boxes

Remember the 1962 song written by Melvina Reynolds, "Little Boxes"? That's what today's kitchen remodeling picture reminded me of -

"Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same."

Melvina was writing about the conformity of the American "establishment" when she wrote this song. When I was looking at the new wall, I was thinking about the symmetry of the 2 x 4's. Each section of the kitchen remodel is unique and presents its own challenges. This most recently tackled wall is no different.

The rooms and walls in older houses are not exactly square and plumb. The years of settling of the foundation and the weight of walls, roofs and weather can cause a house to change from its original perfection. Clintonville homes are known for their handcrafted walls, ceilings and room additions. At sometime since 1948 our kitchen has had additional space added to it. That addition is posing some challenges for the walls and (in a later post I'm sure I'll be talking about the ceiling!)

I'm thankful for the years of experience Larry has working on Clintonville homes. Their idiosyncrasies have become his passion and at times his frustration, but, he has always come out the winner. And, he won with this wall as well. Boards, wires, electrical boxes and insulation complete the "behind the scenes" work. Once the cement board is applied, no one will see the challenges of the now straight and plumb wall (except for maybe in Larry's mind's-eye.)

The Month In Review

It's seems like things are going slowly until you take the time to review what's really happened - here's a pictorial review and quick summary of the past few weeks:

Drywall and plaster removed from west walls; electric wires going to "nowhere" removed; soffet added to west wall(for glass cabinets); gas line moved from west wall to north wall; art show courtesy of granddaughter; confused dog (where's my food going to be tomorrow?); air holes to the outside walls patched with foam (warmer now); rerouting of the cold air-return and heat registers; wiring added for microwave; other wires rerouted.

It's the attention to detail that happens now before there is no chance to turn back. Thanks Larry for being so thorough during this stage of the process. You rock!

Twisting and Turning

The photo attached here may not look like much to you, but believe me, it represents a full day of hard work. Much of the time the pipes and wires below the floor boards represent much more work than meets the eye. It's like a cut or scrape that you get that hurts like heck, but should really look worse than it does. Know what I'm talking about?

With our new kitchen drawings, Larry knew that he would need to move the gas line for the stove and the furnace pipes that allowed the cold air-return to work properly. A full day of cutting metal, bending pipe and boring holes in joists would be necessary to create the end result.

Reconfiguring any room in a house creates opportunities for change. Some change is expected and others, not so much. There can be surprises at every turn. One thing is for sure - you'd better think ahead before cutting, bending and scraping, because once it's done, you may not have a chance for a 'do over'.

Our lives at times are much like the details not far below the surface of our kitchen floor boards. Our stomachs twist and turn as we deal with difficult friends, jobs or family members. To keep from giving into their madness, we reconfigure our boundaries, letting them know that we can't give in or the other things that plug into our lives will not work properly. Psalm 56:5 says, "All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me."

Some days are just tough and the only way we can survive is to rip into the floorboards of our lives and reconfigure the way we've been doing things. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same things in the same way and expecting new results. My kitchen is not going to change until we ripped up some floor boards and reconfigured some pipes and duct work.

What about you? Are there some emotions beneath your surface that need some twisting and turning? I know it hurts like heck, but maybe the result of your changed life will be as beautiful as the end result of the kitchen I'm expecting!

Thanksgiving 'Round the Ole Card Table

What does one do when one has a torn-out kitchen during the holiday? One adapts, and adapt we did! This year we didn't invite folks over for a big spread. This year, no children or grandchildren at our festivities (just wait until next year when the kitchen is finished and I put the guilt trip on everyone to be at the table). In the meantime, put a table cloth on the card table, pull up some chairs and dig in!

Many of us have the tendency to wait until everything is perfect. You know how it goes: "We'll have Sam and Julie over when we get our new furniture" or "next year when our outdoor BBQ is finished, we'll have a party", and my favorite, "we'll start entertaining when everything in our house is perfect". STOP!!!! Life is never perfect and our houses are never perfect, and God knows, our lives and families are never perfect.

Don't miss out on the Kodak moments, work with what you have. Stop using your messes as an excuse for not doing something for your family or others. Show some transparency and vulnerability. You might just make a friend in the process and find out that others have messes in their lives too! I'm not saying stop trying for perfection, but what I am saying is don't miss out on precious moments while you're on the road to creating something better.

Did we celebrate the "perfect" Thanksgiving? Well, maybe it didn't have all of the bells and whistles that Martha Stewart adds to her celebrations, but it was pretty darn close to as perfect a day as you can get!

P.S. For those of you following this blog, life is about to get crazier as deer season wraps up and construction continues.

Damaged!

Most of us take life too seriously - I know that most days I do. Sometimes we just need a child's perspective to keep us centered and focused.

In walks Braxtyn. "So, what do you think of our kitchen since last time you were here?" I asked. Thoughtfully with her finger on the side of her cheek she replies, "Well, it, it looks damaged!" A child's commentary on our kitchen renovation!

It wasn't much later that our granddaughter found the damaged kitchen to be her personal, private playground. Armed with a purple, red and black sharpies, she transformed the damaged walls of our kitchen into a vast canvas. I reminded her that you must have special permission to write on walls, and today I was granting that special permission.

How often do you grant yourself special permission to rethink the damaged days of your life? Is it possible that if you armed yourself with some colorful ideas you could turn the too serious days into something new and innovative? Don't get stuck looking at things in the same old way. Give yourself special permission to create something new from something that's been damaged.

How Much Do You Really Need?

I've begun to adapt to our "missing" kitchen. It's amazing to me how little you can get along with when it's taken away or torn out. As of today, I still have my sink, dishwasher and stove built in. However, Larry informs me not to get too used to it because soon I'll be washing dishes in the slop sink, and cooking in the basement.

Today has me thinking about the blessings we have in America. Even if we are struggling to get by each day because of the current economy, we still have so much more than the rest of the world. We have water, running water - many countries struggle to have one well in their villages. We have electricity - most of the world still uses kerosene and firesides to produce the light they need after dark. We have gas to cook with - most of the women around the world still use cook stoves and open fires to cook their meals. Yes, we are blessed.

I'm thankful to live in a place where I can work and bring in a good income. I'm thankful to live in a community that is safe and beautiful. I'm thankful for the warmth and food produced in my house. Today, I'm even thankful for a disorganized way of cooking and cleaning. Today I am content to live with what is available to me.

What about you?

Swept Away

Are there days when you want to sweep life under the rug? Many days life becomes too overwhelming. Maybe it's the kids getting on your nerves or your job isn't going as planned. Maybe your house is disorganized and you don't know where to start to put things back in order. Or maybe, you are trying to pick up the pieces of a broken relationship.

Brooms, like the one featured in the picture here, have a rich history. Flat brooms made of broom corn were first crafted by the Shakers during the 19th century. Baseball fans bring brooms to the World Series to taunt the losing team. The military often tied brooms to the front of their tanks, ships or jeeps showing that they had swept away the enemy. And, of course we can't forget the place brooms have in witchcraft and Halloween celebrations.

Brooms and sweepers have been essential in the daily clean-up of our kitchen demolition. Without them our house would be covered with a haze of dust and small chunks of tile, wood, drywall and insulation.

Daily clean-up is also essential in our hearts and minds. If we don't sweep away the hurt of yesterday, we'll be covered in a haze of disappointment and grudges. As we continue to tear down the kitchen and clean away the debrie, it becomes a constant reminder that sweeping away daily unmet expectations keeps me from becoming Peanut's character, Pig-Pen, a revolving, dust storm of hurt and regret.

Don't sweep your unmet expectations and hurts under the rug. Bring them into the light, sweep them into the dustpan and trash them forever. It's really where they've belonged all along.

What the Heck?!!!!

Ever hear some news that is surprisingly shocking or see something you weren't anticipating? Remember the feeling of awe or fright as you gathered your emotions? I do.

I love treasure hunts, the thrill of opening an old trunk or cabinet drawer and finding something unexpected. When you open the lid or drawer you find something of great value or nothing at all - it's usually a "shake of the dice" which one you will get.

Last week while tearing out the kitchen floor cabinets the return air vent was exposed. Low and behold we found a mess of balls and other toys left behind by our beloved white boxer Lily. What was she thinking as she squirreled away her special toys? You've gotta wonder "what were you thinking old girl" as she forced those toys into the vent? I wonder if she ever looked for them again, or just plain forget she had buried them there?

Life can be that way at times. You go looking for hidden treasure only to find nothing at all. Or, perhaps the buried treasure follows you and when you open it once again, you find only disappointment. Digging around the hidden places of our minds or hearts can bring a lot of forgotten emotion. Be sure you have an idea of what you're getting into - if you don't, you might find lots of dust, old utensils and some old toys that are no longer worth the price you originally paid for them.

hi·er·o·glyph·ics

Hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal - "designating or pertaining to a pictographic script, particularly that of the ancient Egyptians, in which many of the symbols are conventionalized, recognizable pictures of the things represented." (dictionary.com)

Wires & studs, drywall & 2x4s - where are they, where should they be, and how will they affect the final outcome? It takes lots of thought to make decisions about lighting, appliances and accessories. And, it takes a plan.

I love Larry's sketches on the wall - everyday they change. Such attention to detail. The thing I love best about his work. Do you think the ancient Egyptians had such attention to detail? They must have for their monuments to last for thousands of years. We're not building a monument of mortar and stone, but a place of warmth and caring.

The kitchen is always the hub of the family. Build large, inviting family rooms and decks and such - friends and family always navigates back to the kitchen. Our desire is to build a place where future generations can laugh heartily and eat scrumptous food - a place that years from now will be remembered fondly - a place full of laughter and love.

Hieroglyphics? Ancient man has nothing on this modern man of mine!

The Upper Crust

"The upper crust" is an English-language idiom that refers to a society's social or economic elites. It is derived from the housekeeping practices of the pre-industrialization British gentry, whose servants baked bread for the household but were permitted to eat only the pan-scorched bottom portion, with the unblackened "upper crust" being reserved for the landowning family"(Wikipedia).

Today, some of the upper cabinets came down. Before we can bake bread and Larry's famous cinnamon rolls again, we must remove the old and replace with the new. It's interesting how much man relies on hard work and good food.

What kinds of things do you bake in your kitchen? Can you easily find all of the utensils, bowls and ingredients you need to do the job? Just like a recipe a kitchen comes together, one ingredient at a time. What are some of the ingredients you left out when you remodeled or updated your kitchen, or what are some of the things you wish you had in your kitchen today to make food preparation a bit easier?

Today's "comment" space is dedicated to you. Share you ideas for what makes or breaks a kitchen.

The Wish List

Be careful what you wish for can certainly apply to the kitchen remodel. As I've dreamed about building my dream kitchen, I've collected articles from newspapers, magazines, the web and TV programs like "This Old House", "Flip This House", "Flip That House", "DIY" and the list goes on and on. Cute ideas, beautiful ideas, practical ideas, crazy ideas, impossible ideas!

Wishes come with a price tag. Be responsible and practical, settle on a budget for your remodel. Adding a little extra here and there can make a big impact on your budget. Take lighting for instance...did you know that light fixtures can cost you anywhere from $12 to $1200 (even more than that if you want to go that expensive)?

Adding trim to your cupboards costs extra, the type of ceiling you plan to install can cost extra. Even shelving that you add to a pantry can raise the amount of your budget by more than you expect.

I'm pretty much a practical gal. You won't see me shopping the specialty "cook type" stores. If I need a utensil, I'll go to Kohls or Walmart. If I need a new small appliance, you'll probably find me shopping the same stores. Think about how you work in your kitchen, how you entertain, and what's really necessary.

What I'm enjoying most about this journey is the simplicity in which I will approach my new kitchen - less is more. Packing away the old kitchen taught me that I really don't need all of the things I had hidden away in the drawers and cupboards.

Wishes can come true and wishes keep our minds fresh and our daydreams alive. But, wishes can get us into trouble and give us things that later we wish we had the cash we'd spent and the desire to rearrange or remodel in a much simpler way. Later will be too late. Think now about what you really "need" and enjoy watching the rest on HGTV.

There's Just Something About Demolition

The feel of the hammer hitting walls, tiles crashing to the floor, wall being exposed in their natural state. Layers of paint and wallpaper - yellow, green, blue & orange.

I used to the love the TV show, "If Walls Could Talk". If our kitchen walls could talk, they'd be telling the story of three families who've lived in our 1948 Cape Cod. The first family not as fortunate as us to have the kitchen space we've enjoyed these past 32 years. Their kitchen was much like the kitchen rendering that I included in my very first post. The second family added on the structure we have today, and us, well, we're gutting it all to make our own signature.

My friend Marie asked me this past week if I felt spiritually refreshed with all of the old going away and the new coming. What a great metaphor for life. We often have to destroy the things of the past in order to experience the new. Marie, I think you're on to something.

Today's picture shows some bare walls - a fresh pallet and new designs to add. It's an exciting journey to wipe the slate clean and add fresh touches. Guess all of this talk about demolition is making me a bit philosophical this morning.

It's a Saturday - what can you get rid of today that will lighten your load or give you a fresh perspective today? Hope it doesn't involve hammers and crashing tiles, but it just might!

Eve of Destruction

Even though Barry McGuire's 1960s protest song, "Eve of Destruction" was banned from many American radio stations, it still became a major hit.

Well, speaking of major hits, the kitchen took one for the team yesterday, without any protest from me! It's interesting what can happen in just nine hours. I went to work in corporate America as usual. Larry did what he has a tremendous talent for - beautification! But, like most things in life, something has to be destroyed before it can return as beautiful.

Before we can put our new ceiling in, he needed to remove the ceiling beams, ceiling trim and oak shelves around the soffit (which by the way, I've always loved). He'll also need to extend the soffit for placement of the new cupboards. Sounds easy enough, and to look at the pictures, it seems easy, but you gotta remember that we live in a house where craftsmen build things to last for 100's of years.

Coming home after a "hard day at the office" was exciting. Seeing the beginning of the destruction meant that my new kitchen is a reality! Seriously, I can live with the mess (which by the way is minimal when Larry is crew chief - I'd hire him just for the fact that he cleans up at the end of every day of work), in order to have what I know will be a beautiful kitchen. So, beautiful in fact, that I just hope my girlfriends aren't so jealous of the results that they stop talking to me!

It's 6 a.m. the day after destruction - curious to see what day two will bring?

Where are we Putting the Kitchen?

When you're tearing out (or should I say gutting) your kitchen, you gotta have somewhere to cook. You gotta have somewhere to put the frig. (thank you Larry for my new pantry where I can at least store the food.)

Why not the formal dining room or a portion of your living room? With the removal of dining room table chairs and a push of the dining room table and buffet table to the long wall - you have a makeshift kitchen. All you need is a microwave, a toaster oven, and crock pot, a coffee station and an electric skillet and you have all of the conveniences of home (besides, I've already named at least four items the pioneer woman never had!) We do have a Huntsmen stove in the basement family room, so I'm sure we'll be cooking some soup on the stove at some point before the new room is completed.

And, like the pioneer women, I'm going to need to haul water, or haul dishes to the water. I'm not a fan of washing dishes in the bathroom, so Larry has hooked up a slop sink in the basement laundry room for us to wash dishes. I have an idea that over the course of the next few months, paper and Styrofoam (don't freak out, those of you who worry about the landfills) will be common stock in our house. I already hate washing dishes and I'll hate it even more if I have to carry dishes hither and yon.

I'm having a hard time writing this post, especially since I'm already dreading cooking with small appliances and hauling water. We may be eating out more often than we do now, but I'd rather spend the money on new things for my kitchen, rather than eating out.

Don't worry, I'll have more tales for your to read, some exciting, some mundane, but all an adventure through the joys of a kitchen remodel! You just never know what makes it to the "Best Seller List" these days!

Packing Up the Kitchen

I've spent the past several weekends packing up the kitchen. You'd think it would be an easy task - just get some boxes and begin loading them. Well, that is if you aren't a frustrated perfectionist who has to do every task she undertakes, with perfection!

I decided to pack it right. You know, only keep those things you think will come back into the kitchen after the remodel?

For over eight years now, Larry and I have been working toward our retirement. Scaling down, saving up. The Kidney Foundation loves us. We get a call from them once a month to donate unused or slightly used household appliances, clothing and furniture. Every month we donate faithfully a box or a bag of that "thing" we are no longer using. We lived in our house for 32 years now. That's a lot of accumulated "things".

Less I digress...so, I decided to use the Clean Sweep method - Save, Toss, Sell. The things I think will go back into the kitchen, I wrap in newspaper and place in the first box; the things that are broken or unusable, I trash; and the things that I don't want any more, but still hold value, I sell.

Most of you can see where I'm going with this. It's a taxing job to fill boxes and carry them to the basement for future use; fill the 30 gallon trash bin before pick up day; and list your good stuff on Craig's list.

We're now down to the minimum. We cook with less utensils; eat with far fewer, and still the kitchen looks full. I'm convinced that the papers on the table and the food and dishes on the counter multiply while we are sleeping.

I fear by now that I've lost your attention as you read my "Dear Diary" so I'll stop my ramblings long enough to tell you that the "Save, Toss, Sell" method really does work - it just takes time. Word to the wise: don't think that a major remodel like this will be done in your time frame, it will probably take you longer than you anticipated. Be patient with your self: do what you can do with the strength and energy that you have. Be realistic about your future: what do you really NEED to get the job done? And, lastly: don't beat up on yourself if you fail to meet your own self-imposed deadlines.

Next time: Setting up the make-shift kitchen.

The Elements

Lots of thought goes into designing a kitchen. You'd think it would be easy to decide on counter tops and floors, cabinets and lighting - but it isn't. Take into consideration that two people will be living and working in the kitchen; one very talented with design, and the other, well, I'm just okay!

Where do you start? With the ceiling? We are thinking tin. The floor? Probably cork. What about the cabinets? Is hickory warmer than maple? An L-shape or a triangle work space. Who's using the kitchen? Appliances, what color do we want this time around? Garbage disposal or not? Double sink or not? Hardware or not?

All of these decisions take time and money. Don't even start a project like this until you have considered the cost. Do your research. Talk to others who have done similar projects. Make sure you can trust your suppliers. Use the Internet, the local newspaper and word of mouth.

Also consider how tearing out your kitchen will affect your household. More on that later as I talk about packing up your collections and creating a kitchen space while under construction.

The Before Pictures - Oct. 2011

Before the Destruction

What's a remodel without before and after pictures? Our kitchen was updated about 12 yrs. ago with new white Formica counter tops and beautifully designed diamond pattern back splash, and oh yeah, don't forget the paint and carpet. But, our cabinets are circa 1960's. A sliding glass door replaced the double kitchen window about 11 yrs. ago.Last winter Larry added our new pantry which has helped so much. Used to have to straddle the basement steps to reach for things. Now, it's convenient and located in the kitchen.

Those are the things that have been added since we moved into the house in 1979. However, we guess that somewhere along the way, the size of the kitchen doubled with the back of the house being extended. Probably sometime between 1959 and 1963. Check the next post for some more "before" pictures.

The Day I've Been Waiting For!

Finally, my dream kitchen, being built by my dream contractor, Larry!

This blog will chronicle our kitchen remodel with all of its excitement and opportunities. Mostly it will be a pictorial view of what's to come, and a way for me to continue sharpening my writing skills - ha.

Follow me on our journey as we personally manuever our way through kitchen remodeling!

I've spent a lot of years dreaming and planning for a total kitchen makeover for our 1948 house. As much as I'd like to have a "period" kitchen, I don't think I would enjoy the counter-tops and cabinets of 1948. So, we've decided to take all of the elements of kitchen design throughout the years and create our own unique design.

Follow us on our journey as we take on the next big and hopefully final full-blown project for our house. Fasten your seat-belts!