The Kitchen Demolition

So, before I can rightly post about the kitchen renovation I feel that I must share some of the before pics as well as some of the demolition pics ...

Before:


It's hard to understand just how inefficient this kitchen is from the photos ... but, trust me, it is.





I will not be sad to see these cabinets and drawers go ... though, some of them will be repurposed in other parts of the house (storage room and maybe the garage). And the beadboard: buh-bye beadboard!!!


Have you ever taken a sledgehammer to a wall? Wow, what a great feeling ... just don't miss or hit the studs too hard. ;)





This will be the pass-through/breakfast bar area ... you can see clear through the dining room and into the living room. This alone makes the kitchen livable.





The big hole in the wall from the other side ... new cabinets will go on the bottom and then a new countertop will finish off the breakfast bar area. Yay - more storage AND more counter space!


Next up: Add the header and jack studs in that big hole so we can take out the normal studs. Then: pick new cabinets, countertops and floors ... lots to do!!

The List of Things To Do

It's already the middle of January and I'm just getting around to making my list of the 'major' things to do for 2009. Let me start off by saying that I love lists ... love, love, love, love them!! I make at least one a day ... sometimes way more than that depending on how many times I need to change course. ;) I prefer to use scraps of paper for these lists ... finding these all over the house when I do the weekly clean-up is pretty funny but it also saves a bit of paper - who needs to use a new piece for something that is just going to get scratched out (and possibly lost)?? However, you'd think I'd be better about keeping track of my beloved lists!

A list for me is more like an announcement to the universe of the things I want to do. The more I vocalize these things, the better chance they have of actually getting done. ;)

So, the list for 2009:

1. Do more yoga and lose a few pounds/inches. Lucky for me, I was gifted a series of yoga classes at a local studio!
2. Eat less. (easier said than done when you live with an amateur chef.)
3. Travel! On the agenda this year: New Mexico, Minnesota, Colorado, Utah and the Bahamas.
4. Increase the size of the organic vegetable garden and therefore have a larger harvest. We're still debating adding a second plot but it might be that this year we just increase the size of the original garden.
5. Renovate the kitchen - as eco-friendly as possible. We already have the recycled tiles for the backspash and are probably going with the eco-friendly recycled glass countertops. Cabinets and floors are up for discussion still.
6. Get educated on how to start an animal sanctuary. The Utah trip will take me to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for this very purpose!
7. Write more blogs. ;)