Sunday, July 15, 2012

A Sneak peek and and a journey...

OK so for those of you loyal, dear friends that have been so sweet to hang in there with me during this monumental undertaking of a 6 month kitchen remodel I just want to say thank you! 


You have been so encouraging about all the chaos and mess and have waited patiently for the final reveal when we finally finished this "little face lift"...which will happen but not just yet until we have our "reveal party" with our best friends and neighbors in August...sorry :o)
However until then here's little sneak peek at a little eye candy! The "Blue light special" on the floor is the light that comes on and shines down on the floor to let me know my dishes are done! Amazing how such a little thing can thrill me but hey this has been a long road with this remodel...technology has come a long way in 20 years and it boggles my mind and tickles me pink, well OK make that blue!


The other thing that just makes me want to smile is the inside the dishwasher...OK so other than the blue light on my floor when the dishes are clean, when I open the door magic happens, two L.E.D. lights come on inside the machine so I can see what's in there or where to put a dish! Maybe this isn't new to anyone reading this but it is to me and I love it!

The picture below was taken without a flash and the lights dimmed in the kitchen, that's how bright it is inside...oh be still my beating heart, I love this!

Another wonderful thing that has happened as a result of this major undertaking is "purging" yes you read right..."purging". 
When I had to live like this for months in a very tiny laundry room it was sort of like living in a New York apartment or perhaps camping but never once did I use the word "fun" while living like this! 
However at the same time I was learning to "live without". There were many times I couldn't find something that was either packed in a box or just too difficult to get to so I had to either go without or think of another way to do something. Because of that, I learned something amazing about myself, I didn't need all that "stuff" anymore and the reality was it felt like "the stuff" was owning me instead of the other way around.


So for the past few weeks knowing I would be able to rearrange, reorganize and remove before putting anything away, I did! Whenever I went through a box or a pile I'd ask myself when the last time was it got used or more importantly "WHY" was I hanging onto this "thing". It was an amazing process both physically and emotionally. Sometimes the reasons I kept things was for sentimental reasons, like "somebody" gave me this as at my bridal shower 21 years ago or (fill in the blank) "I bought it because" again (fill in the blank). 
I was remembering the person or the event by the "things" I had in boxes not the beautiful memories associated with it. An example of this was an old and bent Spring form cheese cake pan. I'd shuffled it around for years because the person that gave it to me had since passed away and the pan reminded me of her...odd the things we do for comfort in life...


Now the end result is everything has a place and there is a place for everything. I have only one small pantry that is very well organized in pull out drawers by how the items are used and the rest of the cupboards and drawers have much the same story. As you can see from this pot cupboard my husband built, there isn't an inch of wasted space and everything has a home.


Gone are the cluttered cupboards that I had to shove things around in to get to. Gone are the old pots and pans, dishware and miscellaneous "things" in my house all donated to various charities and organizations.
And in its place...peace of mind and a beautiful, well thought out kitchen...

Wait till till you see because we're not in Kansas anymore and my kitchen doesn't look like this anymore!

Joining Susan from


14 comments:

  1. Oh my word, the pantry looks amazing. I am totally impressed. Can't wait to see more. Hugs, Marty

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  2. Oh my heart be still!!! You are such a tease!!! August... ugh.... :-) I am so happy for you and will be going through my own purging in September when Jemma goes to school full time. I can't wait to be organized! Terry, everything looks awesome and I am so happy it is all wrapping up beautifully for you!!

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  3. Oh Terry! It has all been worth it- Look how wonderfully everything is coming together. You have done a wonderful job on it. BEAUTIFUL!!!! xo Diana

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  4. I sure do know about the agony and the joy of a kitchen remodel and am so happy for you that you are now experiencing the joy part! Those teaser pics look great. Most important is the kitchen functions well for you. I'm sure the full reveal will be lovely.

    Robin
    happilyhomeafter.blogspot.com

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  5. We did the same in our last house--lived without a kitchen for a year because we were doing it all ourselves, as time and finances allowed. (We also had two high schoolers at the time...what were we thinking?) I know how excited I was when it all came together--can't wait to see it!

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    1. Kirby, sounds like a familiar situation, its amazing what you can do yourself isn't it, and its so worth its in the end!
      Thank for stopping by!

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  6. I am so envious of the pull outs, how much easier to get what you need. As with everyone else looking forward to the final "reveal."
    NVBonus Mom

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    1. Dear NVBonus mom, yes the pull outs are wonderful for this old gal!

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  7. Your comments about purging SO hit home. I'm using the theory, "If I have to wonder if I need it, I don't". It's so freeing to be able to find things after the purge! I wonder how smart we'll be after the next 50 years :)

    Joan

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    1. Yes Joan, this was so "freeing" to be able to do this except its created a monster, now I want to rid myself of anything I haven't used in the past week!

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  8. Marilyn - Portland Wedding Planner, Inc.Monday, July 16, 2012 1:04:00 PM

    Sooooo pretty, Terry ! You must be on Cloud 9 ! It's gorgeous ! That blue light is the coolest thing ! Congratulations on such a pretty kitchen. Your long wait was worth it, yes ? When is the big reveal ? Would love to see it in person !

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  9. Hey there Marilyn,
    Wonderful to see you here and thank you for the nice comments even though its just sneak peek! Well the big reveal is after August 25th...getting our schedules together with everyone was a bit of a challenge!
    Mark and I were just talking about getting together with you and Mark, we'll email and figure out a time!

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  10. AUGUST??? WILL THIS BE A INFORMAL, OR DRESS UP PARTY?
    MIL

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    1. Oh Dear MIL...you are so silly, its informal and fun by all means! :O)
      DIL

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