back splash ... done!

We bought and installed the back splash this past weekend. It looks wonderful. We decided to go with a beige 6 inch tile in a "cement block" like stack. Kevin also grouted it, wired up the pot rack, and wired all the outlets along the countertop. A really cool detail that we added was around the window. We bought blue slate and framed in the window. It is very unique and we love it. I added a few new pictures to the album as well.

Another on going project that I forgot to mention is that we are filling in our back yard with dirt. Kevin got 50 loads of dirt and dumped them in the back yard in an effort to fill in a large hole. He is trying to ready the back yard for the kids' baseball practice some day. Now his favorite thing to do is level the dirt with the tractor. I got this cute picture of him and Mia working on it. He plans on finishing that this week and seeding it. We also got the front garden weeded and some new mulch today. It was a very productive weekend for the Mesnicks!

By the way, does anyone think "the tractor is sexy?"!!!

Our countertops are in!

First off, let me scold myself, "bad blogger, bad blogger, bad blogger!"
Okay now I feel better, sorry for the lack of posts. It is unbelievable how fast the last month has flown by. It seems like yesterday I was counting down the days to my cousin Lindsey's weddding, and now it was here and gone (and beautiful by the way) and we are excitedly preparing for Meg's wedding in August.
With that said, I HAVE COUNTERTOPS, A WORKING SINK AND A DISHWASHER! It is amazing how your life changes. When I was 24, I loved the sound of my wedding song, when I was 27, I listened to the beautiful hum of my children sleeping. But none of those sounds compare with the gentle hum of a dishwasher after washing our dishes in a pedestal sink for 3 months. When I came home from shoprite yesterday, I thought I died and went to heaven! I could have slept on the tile listening to the water softly washing away the dirty dishes. I HATE to do dishes. If there was a stronger word for hate, then I would use it. I would rather scrub the bathroom than do dishes, go figure. I load everything into the dishwasher. This morning, I happily unloaded it and boy were the dishes clean!
Now about our countertop, it is gorgeous! It was worth the grief with the company. By grief I mean their time management. Here is the short version of the story. On April 23, they came and did the template. They were suppose to be here between 8 and 11 in the morning. Three phone calls later, they were here about 3. Two weeks later, we are waiting to hear about our slab. When you order granite, you are suppose to go look over your slab for any imperfections. So Kevin calls them and asks what is going on. He finds out that they "don't have our piece yet." Mind you we paid them in full in February, $3000. We feel they should have gotten our piece in when they did the template, they know what the next step is. So Kevin calls them back gives them some grief and "poof", our slab will be there the next day. (I think they just didn't want to do it right away and put us on the back burner). So we make arrangements to go look at our slab. Here is the second problem, the company is located in Waterbury, CT. For my southern relatives, that is about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. away. So we load up the babies (Mia was running a fever that day) and truck our SUV to CT, with gas prices now over the $4.00 mark! We look at the piece, looks good, and we make the date for it to be installed. The date is May 19th. They are once again suppose to be here between 8 and 11 (why they tell us that is beyond me because once again the place is 2 1/2 to 3 hours away). I call at 10:30 to find out when they will be here, and the guy hasn't even left yet. But I am assured he will be here by noon (miraculous because once again the place is 2 1/2 to 3 hrs away). I call at 2, and finally talk to the general manager, who tells me the guy didn't leave until 12:30 (but assured me he would be here by noon, go figure again!). Needless to say, he was here at 3:30 (as Kevin was getting home from work), and the countertop is beautiful. It seems to go on for miles. The color works perfectly with the color of the cabinets and floor tile. As soon as I remember to buy batteries for my camera, I will put up some pictures. We hope to do the backsplash this weekend, and then we are officially almost there.
I hope this makes up for the lack of posts over the last month. I promise to attempt to be better at it. If anyone wants to pose some cool topics, we can start a running dialogue between what I write and the comments. It can be kitchen/house related or not.

How about this for starters...
Our country is in a "mortgage crisis" right now. What are your views regarding why, and do you think the government should be bailing people out?

Here is mine and Kevin's point of view. We think it is from all of the people who have to have their 3500 square foot colonials and aren't happy with a modest house. When Kevin and I were approved for our mortgage, we were approved for $315,000, and that was 4 years ago, when we were making about $85,000 combined. We opted to go for a $200,000 mortgage instead, because for $315,000, we would have been "mortgaged up to our eye brows" literally. Don't get me wrong, that I didn't find the huge colonials gorgeous. But aside from the mortage, there is the cost to heat and cool the house, and furnish it, and worst of all, the taxes. In the state of NY, our taxes are ludicrous. For our 1200 square foot house and 1/3 acre, we pay $4850 a year. That is $400 a month! Now imagine the tax bill on a $315,000 house. My point with this is, even though the bank told us we could have a bigger house, logic took over, and we bought a house that fit our needs, that we liked, and more importantly could afford. We also have a mortgage that leaves room to do renovations like our kitchen. We knew we could turn this house into exactly what we want.
Did people really not think through the additional costs associated with buying a huge house? Should our government bail them out for their mistake, or in my opinion, their selfishness? And what about these shoddy mortgage companies? Why the heck would you ever buy a house with an interest rate that is higher than a credit card? Again, is it the need to buy the house beyond your means when the bank says "no"?

Let me conclude, by not wanting to offend anyone (I don't think this blog opinion applies to anyone who I directly know, it is more a stereotype and forgive me if my stereotype is wrong). I think the large houses are beautiful. I would never knock anyone for what they do have, and for the people that can afford them, or the people who save their money and buy their dream house, power to you! But for the others who buy them to "keep up with the Joneses", is it worth working 3 jobs to pay your mortgage? Do you ever get to enjoy the house? I would love to hear some opinions! Plus lets shout out about our beautiful homes! I will post the first comment!

Here's to our beautiful and modest homes ...

Before you read below, let me clarify...

I reread my post a couple of times and I don't want it taken the wrong way. I can handle an opposing opinion or a difference of opinion. In fact, I love dynamic discussions. The negativity I write of is the kind that takes "the wind out of your sails". It is the comments that are said when you are so excited and then BAM, they make you feel like a deflated balloon. The comments that are said purposely to "bring you down" because as I have learned, happiness does make some people uncomfortable.
Nobody that has posted on this blog has ever made me feel like that. In fact, quite the opposite, you make me feel good about our decisions and for that I am truly appreciative. I only use this blog as a sounding off point sometimes!
I love you all! I can't wait to see my southern family next week!

The cabinets are in!!!! (Make sure you check the renovation album!)

Kev, Ant and Pat got all the cabinets installed on Wednesday and Thursday nights. They look FANTASTIC. I am so flippin' excited, it isn't funny! The boys worked so well together and no matter what they say, I think they enjoyed the bonding time! (And the multiple 12 packs that were drank didn't hurt their spirits!)

As with any project that is done, there are always the "parade rainers" who have to throw in some negative opinions. A few of the ones I got were, "wood on the ceiling will make the ceiling feel lower" and "the room looks big now but when the cabinets go in, it will shrink right up" and "if you paint with two colors you have to make sure the corners are perfect or it won't look right". Well guess what, the ceiling is gorgeous and people cannot stop raving about it, the cabinets are in and they actually make the room seem bigger, and we are putting moldling down the corners so you won't see where the paint meets! The opinion you felt that you had to put in was worthless! And don't get me wrong, thinking that everyone has to like what we did. I am not delirious. I know that Kevin and I have taste that is very different from others. People don't have to like what we did. I just want people to appreciate all the hard work that went into this. If you don't like it, that is fine, but don't try to bring us down. I really feel that the negative attitude people possess comes from one of the following sources- insecurity, low self-esteem or envy (or maybe the three go hand in hand, if you possess one, you possess them all). I only say this from experience. I remember as a child feeling very insecure and I felt like I had to offer others a negative opinion because I was jealous of something they did or had. (To anyone I might have done this too, I am truly sorry, especially to you Meg, I think you took the bulk of it.) Now that I feel secure in who I am and our personal taste, I feel like have to be a personal cheerleader for everyone. I also have learned to love and appreciate what people do to their homes. There are so many factors that go into each decision. By the time something is picked out, you have hours labored into that thought. It is like a personal attack to hear a negative opinion, and it makes the hours that went into the decision feel very wasted. I have to love this blog because everyone who posts on here is so positive and I truly appreciate it. You all are my cheerleaders and I love you!

Our next step is the countertops. They are coming to do the template on the 23rd. We didn't think the cabinets would be in before Sunday and we are leaving for Florida on Tuesday (YES!), so we made the appt. for the day after we get back. And the fridge is out of the living room! My house is starting to feel normal again!

If you have been following this blog from the beginning, you will appreciate the pictures in the album of the man-cave! I think Kevin's breathing is reminiscent of preparing to dive into cold water every time he opens the door! I am sure the boxes will all be gone by Sunday!

Here is to positive opinions, a kitchen that looks like a kitchen, and LOTS of cardboard...

"They have arrived..."

The cabinets and appliances are here. I am so excited. The boys should have the cabinets installed by Sunday. We are already using our new refrigerator. The stainless steel adds a touch of class to our "redneck" living room. It is also so quiet. And since it doesn't blow out cold air from the bottom, I can once again play with the babies on the floor.
This is just so cool!

"what does it mean to be odd?"

odd -
-adjective
1. differing in nature from what is ordinary, usual, or expected
2. singular or peculiar in a strange or eccentric way
3. fantastic; bizarre

I have tried to think of a word that defines me as a person. So I looked up various words. I found that I am best defined by the word "odd". And I don't feel it is not in a bad way. I am actually feeling very proud to be defined as "odd". The word had multiple definitions, however, I think the first three define me perfectly.
The reason I feel the need to type this is because people really don't get me. I think that I am so different from most people in what makes me happy. The sad part is that it does make me the outcast in most conversations and situations. I have spent so many years feeling sad about my differences. It has made me feel like I don't fit in. There have been so many times in my life that I have tried to alter things about myself to try to fit in. At times in my life, I hid behind a mask of make-up and fake hair and fake nails. I altered my physical appearance to fit in and it didn't make me any happier on the inside. I went through the grunge phase (now called "emo") where I had a black light and screaming music and dark clothes. It didn't make me fit in. I wasted money on physical possessions to make me a part of a group. It left me broke, which further depressed me. I was medicated for depression because I couldn't find the root of my sadness. The doctoral solution was to keep adding more and more pills but it never fixed what was underneath. It was a band-aid to a festering wound.

My only life regret is that it took so long to figure this out.

Here is what I have found that has led me to a state of internal peace...it is the simple things in life.
I love to be outdoors.
I love the smell of fresh air, cut grass, fresh rain, sea water, and baby's skin.
I love to look at nature.
--------The other day, Kevin and I took the kids on a hike around the bashakill wetlands. We stopped and overlooked the bashakill and I found myself so thankful for being alive. There was this beautiful white tree that Kevin and I are still talking about. It was about 30 feet tall with the most beautiful white pattern on it where the bark had been stripped away. I can't fully explain how wonderful it felt that I could stop and enjoy it.
I am a person who does "stop and smell the coffee".
I love babies, children, teenagers, adults, and old people.
I love to smile and laugh.
I love to read.
I love animals, especially dogs and horses.
I love that when an emergency arises, I am calm and know what to do.
I love to look at pick-up trucks.
I like the sound of a diesel engine.
I love catfish fishing.
I love to eat meat, fish and seafood.
I love sushi and kashi.
I love the feel of aching muscles because I have physically pushed myself.
I love that Kevin is my best friend, and not someone I need to impress.
--------
I know it sounds strange but these are the things that really make me happy. Kevin and I and the kids had a wonderful day yesterday. We went grocery shopping, picked up sushi, watched parts of the Lord of the Rings, took the kids to the park to play, and then went hiking with the kids and Hank. We saw another beautiful tree. We looked at and discussed the pattern of barnwood on old barns. We discussed the amazing history that is related to the construction of the old D&H canal. This really made me happy. To people that I know, this probably sounds stupid and boring, but it made me feel happy and alive.

To all my special people, I am always available for a walk and a talk...

Waiting for the cabinets!

The tile is officially done. It just needs to be washed a few more times to remove the residual grout. It looks awesome. We decided not to do the border because most of it would have been covered by cabinets, a table and possibly a hutch. It would have been pretty expensive for something that wouldn't be seen. We could have tried to put it in half of the room but our measurements would have had to be spot on. We have noticed throughout all of our renovations that our house is crooked. This "crookedness" would have to be taken into account during the tiling process and it would have made a big job even bigger.
Our next step is cabinets. They were shipped from the manufacturer on Monday. I am waiting for the distributor to call to set up a delivery date. It is throwing off our schedule because Kevin had planned on installing them this weekend. If they are not delivered then he can't install them. So I am watching the phone willing it to ring! Our new appliances are suppose to be delivered on Saturday as well. We are getting a stainless steel whirlpool "suite". The suite package includes a new fridge, stove, dishwasher, and micro hood. As soon as they are up and running I have to say "farewell" to my living room refrigerator. Actually it will be more like "get the heck out and don't let the door hit you in your plug on the way out". Needless to say, I will not miss the 21 year old refrigerator whose ice tastes like garlic and is extremely loud at times and not energy efficient. That brings another thought to mind. Isn't it amazing that it has lasted this long and still keeps the food very cold in the fridge section and doesn't have a spot of frozen ice in the freezer. Things were made to last better in the past. My bro-in-law Anthony, who sells these appliances along with designing kitchens, says they are not made to last anymore because people are constantly wanting to upgrade to new. If they were built to last longer they would cost more money and that would deter people from buying. Do you know what else Anthony told me ... that the average kitchen is redone about every 17 years. I think we are going to grow old with this one Ant! The prospect of doing this again in 17 years doesn't appeal to me right now. I will let you know how I feel about this when I am 45 (that will be 17 years!).
I said awhile back that I would revisit the subject of cooking our meals. Well I still don't mind the actual cooking part. However, I HATE to wash dishes. I would rather scrub the toilet. In my kitchen EVERYTHING goes in the dishwasher. Thank goodness for paper plates, cups, and bowls. Oh and another fabulous invention is the liners for the crock pot. All I have to do is rinse it out and wash it lightly after we use it. And we are thankful to have a grill to use too. Another awesome invention is these marinades by McCormick seasonings. They are called "grill mates" and we LOVE them. They sell them by the chili seasoning packets. You buy the grill mates packet and mix it with oil, vinegar, and water. It is the best marinade that I have ever had. We have used it on salmon, tilapia, and chicken. I mix it up in the morning, leave the meat in the marinade in a ziplock bag all day and then grill it. Yummy! I highly suggest trying them. Let me know what you think if you do.
At the risk of this blog becoming ridiculously boring, I have a funny story to tell. Yesterday, little Kevin had a blow out poop. It went out his diaper and up has back. So, I started to run the bath water for him and went to undress him. Mia loves water and while the water is running into the tub, she will reach over and play in it. She also has a terrible habit of throwing whatever she can get her hands on into the water (ie. towels, washcloths, cups, rubbermaid containers). So as I am undressing little Kev, I hear a loud splash. I am thinking she threw Kevin's knee pads, that he wears to work on the floor, in the tub because they were in the bathroom, along with the sponges we were using the clean the floor. So I scoop up a naked Kevin and go running to the bathroom. Well, there in the middle of the tub, sits little Mia, pajamas and diaper and all. I couldn't yell at her because she looked so innocent (like everyone takes a bath fully dressed). I left the room with naked Kevin and laughed as hard as I could in the hall where she couldn't see me. Then, I ran for my camera because this is a moment I don't want to forget. So here is one of the pictures I took. I then washed Kev and drained the water, left Mia in the empty tub (I am a paranoid mother about kids and water) then went back and stripped her and washed her. It was one of those moments! From now on, when the bath water is running, the door will be closed. I really didn't think she would be able to climb over the side but she did. Thankfully she didn't get hurt in the process. And here is the unforgettable picture!


Here is to cabinets coming in and clean kids ...

Tile floor- check- well almost!

Yesterday, my Mom watched the kids so Kevin and I could tile the floor in the new kitchen. It actually turned out to be fun. It was hard work. A lot of kneeling and carrying heavy boxes of tile, but looking at it now it looks great. We ran into one little flaw, we ran out of mortar, so today we are going to Lowes to buy another bag of mortar and the grout. There is only one small section that needs to be done, maybe about 20 tiles. I will post a picture when we finish that small section.
Overall, I was really proud how Kevin and I worked together. When we first bought our house, he didn't really let me do too much. His perfectionist personality drove him towards doing everything and I would stand and watch and be really bored or go out and get coffee or a snack. Boy has he changed. I was involved in almost every aspect of tiling the floor. The time flew by. I layed tile, applied the spacers, moved and opened the heavy boxes of tile, prepped the floor before we put down the mortar, sponged off the areas where the mortar got on the tile, and more. The only thing I didn't do was mix the mortar and actually spread the mortar, which was fine by me because I constantly had something to do. I worked really hard and Kevin gave me a few compliments. He said he was "very happy to have me helping" and "the job went really fast because I was there." It made me feel really good about myself.
Today, I am reminded of how much I miss working out. I have that familiar ache in my muscles. I love this feeling. It lets me know that I used my muscles enough to make a difference but not too much where I would have injured myself. When I would go to the gym 5 days a week before work, I would work specific muscle groups at a time, so the next day I would have this stretching type of ache in that muscle group. It always felt good and I do miss it.
Back to the floor, we didn't do the pattern that we thought we might in the beginning. We did the whole floor in the Katanga Copper tile. We decided with the wainscotting it might be too busy. Plus a large part of the detail would have been covered by the cabinets and table.
Now onto the table. I found a corner bench style table that I love. It is around $1000. Is this a good or bad price for a dining room table? If I could prompt a poll: please in the comment section, tell me how much you spent on a dining room table. To comment without an account, just click the button that says anonymous. You can leave your name in the post section. I would really appreciate it. Remember that our previous table cost less than $200 so we are pretty clueless as to what they cost. We are looking at one that can seat 8 people.
Another toot on my own horn, last week we didn't eat out once. I managed to make every meal at home. I used my crock pot and grill. We had steak, chicken, meatballs, soup and sandwiches, and a night at my parents and a night at my in-laws. So as a reward, tonight we are going out to buy groceries and then we are getting sushi! Yay- don't be jealous Meg!
Here is to progress being made and sushi ...

"Lights-Check" "Primer-Check" "Paint-Check"

Kevin went back to work on Monday, so progress has been slower, but still ongoing. On Monday, after work, Kevin installed the recessed cans. On Tuesday, he put the last coat of spackle on the walls. On Wednesday, he sanded the spackle and then we painted. I emphasize "we" because I actually helped. My Mom watched the kids for 2 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, so I could help Kevin. I did the cutting in part and Kevin "rolled the shit out of it" (an actual quote from him). I am THRILLED with the wall color. It is something that people will either love or hate. I love bold, bright or dark colors. I am not a pastel person at all. Not that I don't like it in other people's homes, I just don't like it in mine. My living room walls I hate because they are too bland. (Someone once told me to pick the color you like on the color wheel and buy the color in a shade lighter, usually the color above it. We followed this advice for the living room-the first room we painted- and I hate it. Why would you not buy the color that you love in the first place?) Kevin had to trust me on the paint color for the kitchen because I could tell he didn't like the samples. He won't admit it, but he does know I was right.

We decided to do 2 complimentary colors. The side walls are a color called "light copper". It has hints of peach and yellow, basically what it is called, it is a light copper. The back wall and parts of the front wall are "dusted bronze". It has hints of orange and copper. Together they look fantastic. Again, the pictures do not do it justice. It gives the walls a very "southwestern" feel.

To finish the walls, there will be wood wainscoting around the bottom (we weren't lazy and didn't finish painting to the floor). There will be crown molding at the top (which is why we didn't risk painting very close to the wood on the ceiling). In the corners, there will be a wood strip going down. We didn't want to try to paint the corners too close and have it look sloppy rather than finished.

I think instead of the traditional dining room table, we are going to do a corner nook with benches. It is very "Montana cabin" but I love it. It will balance the room with the peninsula and door on the other side. Again, a lot of people will say "eww" but I can see it in my head and I know that we will love it.

I think it is funny that people come to our house and they do comment on the wall colors. They always say something like "I prefer light colors in my house, but I love yours". I can see behind their eyes they are wishing that they could try it. I think they are afraid to take the risk. It is only paint. A good coat of primer will cover it if you don't like it. I also think the older style of thinking is that a dark color will make the room look "smaller". I think if you accessorize the room with light accents like curtains, furniture, etc. that it doesn't make the room look smaller, in fact it compliments well and you notice the accessories more.

Hey Trish- I should apply my house coloring skills to my wardrobe right? I am so afraid to take a risk with my clothes, but will take the risk with my house. With clothes, I could decide not to wear them, but my house can't be balled up in a drawer! Go Figure?

I promise to buy some outfits with color to wear to Florida. (Aunt Chris-we are not sure if the project will be done by the time we come down, but you are right, we need the vacation). Any fashion tips, outfits, or store recommendations are appreciated!

In the meantime, I will try to apply my painting taste to my clothes and will try to keep you posted on what I buy. Here's to Emily actually opening her wallet and buying clothes!

Aunt Patty and Meg- I will try not to "choke" again ...

Here you can see the primed walls and the new recessed cans.

My "hot mama in the kitchen" paint job!

"When it rains, it pours!"

My poor Kevin! He has worked in the kitchen every day, morning til night, since last Saturday. It has been one thing after another coming up and disrupting him. I wrote about the walls and how he removed them and the electrical because of the crappy job that was done in the first place. Well since then, he hasn't been able to install the recessed cans because we are still waiting for them in the mail. The wires are run and ready so all that is left is to actually install the cans and fixtures. We ordered them on the 3rd and they are coming on Monday the 17th. Not too big of a deal because Kevin can get those in quickly at night after work. We thought they would be here sometime this past week but the company we ordered from uses something slower than "snail mail" (if you can believe that).
Then, Kevin decided to removed the two layers of crappy vinyl stick on tiles because if he tiled over them, there would be a slope in the floor. As he was doing this, he got to the area by the sliding door and found the floor rotted through. Luckily, he got a hold of Pat and they are fixing it today. However, he can't tile until the floor is fixed. To fix the floor, they had to remove the sliding glass door and rip down the deck. Both projects we were going to do, but not until after we finished the kitchen. So on Friday Kevin ripped down the deck. It was a good thing he did because he found that the previous owners never cemented the posts to the deck. They were just stuck in the ground and not even far enough to be a good support. We were very lucky that the deck was never used by more than 1 or 2 people at a time or it could have collapsed.
So the deck is gone and Kevin goes to buy a new door. We decided on beautiful french doors. Well, once again, issues. Our door is 5 feet by 8 feet. Kevin went to 4 places, and they only stock doors in the size 6 feet by 8 feet. We have to special order a door and wait for it to come in. So today, they are fixing the floor, taking down the door, and then they have to reinstall the old door until the new one comes in.
Pat is going to build us a new deck in the spring. I would love to have a "Florida room" like Aunt Leanne and Richard put on their house, but I think to ask for it now might push Kevin over the edge. After he discovered the rotted floor that had vinyl tile stuck on it to conceal it, I had to go buy him a 12 pack of Coors. After 4 or 5 beers, he was relaxed enough to go to bed.
In between the floor issues, Kevin redid the heating system for the kitchen. He pulled out the baseboard heating and is going to install heaters under the cabinets, where they won't be seen. To do this, he had to reroute the heating system in the basement. While doing this, he discovered that the circulator was bad on the system, which is why our home always seems to be cold. So he redid that too. Basically, we now have a new heating system, new floor, new walls, and a new ceiling. Kevin's favorite show is "Holmes on Holmes" and Mike Holmes motto is fix it once, fix it right. I only wish that the previous home owners had watched the show instead of doing their ghetto fixes.
By the time this project is done, I will show Kevin this blog and we will chuckle about all the things that "popped" up while in the process.
So...
To my Kevin- "when it rains...it pours, but after the rain is when the rainbow appears, and you can always hear the birds singing"

Here is to rainbows and birds ...

"I hear Kevin cutting into walls now which means he is onto the electrical part of the project."

Remember this quote from the other day? Well, was I in for a shock. I was in the bedroom with the kids, they were napping and I typing. I heard the walls being cut so I assumed he was cutting in new electrical boxes. I walked out of the bedroom after finishing my post, and the walls were GONE! I stood there in shock for a minute. Kevin noticed my shock and broke the silence with a "hello, Emily" and I said, "what happened?" I should have known that my perfectionist husband wouldn't settle for someone else's electrical work or shoddy sheetrock job. He decided to rip the sheetrock off the walls and redo the entire electric for the room. I asked him, "why we bought a used house?" We should have built our own, because half of the walls have been redone with new sheetrock. If we ever decide to sell this house, the new owners would be getting a practically new house not a 20+ year old house.

With my dream kitchen going in, I don't think we will ever leave this house. Maybe in our retirement years we will buy a piece of property and build a log cabin. If we keep renovating our house in the style we love, it will be a log cabin on the inside and a modern ranch on the outside. (Speaking of cabin, how is Aunt Chris doing on hers? She has a gorgeous piece of land!)

I knew that I couldn't tell this story without pictures so here they are!

Here's to new walls in my new kitchen ...

If your refrigerator is in your living room...you might be a redneck.

Last night we moved the refrigerator into the living room. Kev and I had a chuckle as we stood at the open fridge, him drinking soda from the bottle and me pouring a glass of soy milk, wondering what the people driving by must think of us.(You have a perfect view of the fridge from the road through the living room windows.)

Our new ceiling is up and it is gorgeous. (check the album out) It really gives the "Montana cabin" look that we are going for. The cabinets are ripped out and the nasty dishwasher and sink are gone. Kevin is working on ripping up the old floor right now and then he is onto the electricity. He took a few days off from work this week to get a good jump on the project. Work has been pretty slow so it is not a big deal right now.

The electric plan for the kitchen changed a little. I am going to have three recessed cans over the countertop and two centered in the kitchen area, a fixture over the sink, a lighted pot rack over the peninsula, and a light fixture over the dining room table. It is really going to be something when he finishes.

I hear Kevin cutting into walls now which means he is onto the electrical part of the project. I have to once again count my blessings for his ability to put outlets and switches wherever it is convenient. We were able to move the fridge, microwave, and coffee maker into the living room because Kevin ran a new circuit last night. I didn't know what he was doing but within 15 minutes we had a new circuit box with 4 outlets to plug everything into. If he didn't do that we would have blown the circuit.

Aside from dust, we are doing pretty well. We had sandwiches and salad last night. We are putting chicken on the grill tonight and having it over a salad. We both have cereal for breakfast. Before Kev goes to the gym at 4:00 am, he has 4 egg whites on rye bread that he can cook in the microwave. We are lucky with Mia, she will eat anything we give her.

So it isn't too bad yet. I think I am still in the "honeymoon" phase of the project. I plan on revisiting this subject in about 3 weeks and seeing if I am still this content.

Until then ...

And so it begins ...

Our kitchen remodel has started. We ate our last meal at our little table (we bought this four person table at Kmart for $179 when we first moved in together in the Spring of 2002) on Monday. Since Kevin finished prepping the wood for the ceiling, it was all moved upstairs. Mia thinks it is really fun to sit on the pile of wood. We started taking some of our things downstairs (Kevin cleared a shelf for everything because we wouldn't want to mess up the "man cave" -see post below if you don't understand!) and putting some of the things we will still use in Little Kevin's room. Kevin ripped out one cabinet and the pantry. He removed the ceiling fan and lined the ceiling studs with blue chalk lines. He may start installing the wood tonight. His timeline for this weekend is to get the ceiling installed on Saturday and the electric done on Sunday. He has to rewire the entire kitchen because the outlets are not GFI protected. Also, since we are adding a lot of counterspace, the electric code says that outlets have to be available every four feet of countertop so we will have outlets on the peninsula too. ( I added a few more pics of the before to the kitchen album)

Our hall bathroom is now fully functional. We decorated it with a beach/shell theme. I don't think the pictures do it justice because I find it to be absolutely adorable. (I added some new pics to the bathroom album)

There is a show on TLC called "moving up". It follows homeowners who sell their house. And at the end of the show, the original owners come back and make comments on what the new owners did to the house. I would be absolutely devestated if anyone were to come in and make a negative comment about the work we have done. Not only have we made changes, but our heart and soul was poured into every decision, along with a ton of elbow grease and sweat on Kevin's part.

The only room I am not overly proud of is the living room because it never fully came together like the other rooms, and needs a real theme to it. We also want to change our bedroom furniture and decor but do like the color of the walls and molding. When we finally undertake our master bedroom decor, we want to make it like a log cabin retreat complete with a log bed and furniture! That is another story worth waiting for!
As I lose more and more pieces to my kitchen, I would love some good and healthy crock pot recipes! That is where I will be doing my cooking until the end of the remodel when our stainless steel appliances are put in their places. Our goal is to have the entire remodel done by summer. If you drink, say a toast to the Mesnick's and our wishful thinking ...

A work in progress...

I am typing while both of my kids nap. I have the gentle humming of a power drill in the background and Alan Jackson on TV! Life is good!

Kevin and I and the kids just got back from a very successful shopping trip to Home Goods. We bought all of the decorations and finishing touches for the new hall bathroom. I can't wait to see it complete. Hence, the noise of the power drill.

Since the kitchen is our next undertaking, here is the plan. Thanks to my awesome future brother-in-law Anthony, we have a new design for our kitchen. (Ant is a kitchen designer for Lowes and he is AMAZING at what he does!) The design is perfect and completely functional, there is no wasted space. We have the typical 10 X10 kitchen right now. But that will change. We are extending the cabinets down the wall and adding a peninsula and a message center. The peninsula will have an overhang for bar stools to sit at and eat. I copied some pictures off of the Lowes website to show you the decisions we have made so far.

Our cabinets are from Shenandoah and they are a maple spice color with a mocha glaze on them.

We decided to go with the square door style not the cathedral style shown in the picture below.

We are using a square tile for the backsplash. This one is very close to what we are using.

And my favorite part, the granite countertop. Anthony designed the kitchen to have 55 square feet of countertop. No longer will people be bumping butts while preparing a meal or preparing for a party. The color we chose is called Baltic Brown.

For the floor we are going with 2 shades of tile from Lowes. The following picture is what we plan on doing. It is from the Lowes website and is the exact color and style that we are buying.

What has been done so far:

Kevin spent time yesterday and today putting two coats of clear lacquer on ceder wood planks. We plan on putting them up on the ceiling. For the walls, we may do natural wood wainscotting with a dark tan/maize paint color above it.

I am leaving the electrical design up to Kevin, the electrician. So far this is what he has told me. We are putting recessed cans spaced over the countertop. Over the peninsula we will hang a lighted pot rack. Over the dining room table, we will have some type of decorative light fixture. Over the sink I think he said something about hanging pendulum lights. And spaced out throughout the whole room he is going to put up "uplights".

Overall, the kitchen will have a very western/cabin look. We are very happy with our decisions. As we move along I will post pictures. I also hope to have up some updated pictures of the hallway bathroom tonight or tomorrow!

The Basement or should I say "The Man Cave"

Let me start with the room I am not suppose to go into ... "the man cave".

Our full unfinished basement has been turned into a ping pong arena that would make the creators of "Balls of Fury" jealous. Kevin made and painted the table with Kris and Dan. He wired and installed lights over the table. Every Saturday we have "family night" with my side of the family and they have some pretty intense games. Patrick has even gotten into it. For the people not playing, they have a "lounge" complete with a love seat, recliner, rug, TV and video game console. Kevin also installed a chin up bar to go along with our Chuck Norris Total Gym. There is also a wood stove down there for heat. The boys all enjoy "starting the fire" and "putting another log on it". I think it has something to do with the torch involved in the process.

When we first moved into the house, Kevin built the largest workbench ever! He has completed many projects at that bench. He also has had a lot of fun with Kris and Dan there. They have had contests to see who can build the best pine wood derby car, the bridge that can hold the most weight, an egg protector for eggs to be dropped from our roof, as well as school projects. Kevin also built shelves, because God forbid I have rubbermaid tubs sitting around the basement. Silly me, I thought the basement was for storage - the boys (Kev, Kris and Dan) tell me I am just a woman with a small brain and I wouldn't know the real purpose of a basement! The only time I am allowed down there is to do laundry (which I did get a new washer and dryer a year and a half ago).

I irritate Kevin by tossing the recyclable bottles from the top step to the basement and then setting Hank loose on them! Hank has fun and I don't always have time to run down the steps with two babies upstairs! Oops, I made the mistake again thinking it was just a basement!

All joking aside, Kevin has saved us a lot of money by making things for our house down there. When you look at the pictures of our completed rooms, he made all the moldings from knotty pine boards that he routered and painted. In both of the kids rooms, he made the chair rail from knotty pine boards, and wainscotting from pine wall planks. These completed materials cost a fortune at lowes or home depot and we wouldn't have been able to fit them in our budget. He has a tile saw so that he can do all the tile for our house. He made window ledges for the windows so at Christmas we can have electric candles in every window.

I could go on and on about his talents. I am so lucky to have him. My Dad told me once (in a rare moment when I forgot and needed to be reminded) that you don't always find someone as talented as Kevin is with working with his hands. Kevin is a "catch".

So I guess I will end by counting my blessings for my husband's talents and being thankful that my teenage brothers would rather be in my "man cave" than out on the street or drinking at parties.