It's Friday...Love & Cook With Abandon!

Kitchen remodel update:

Thursday (yesterday) they installed the granite.

This was the POP I've been most excited about.

No two pieces of granite are ever the same,

and granite outside in natural light in a shipping yard

looks different than when it's installed.

I think I heard a bit of a drum roll in my head

as I turned the door knob and walked into the house

upon my arrival home from work yesterday...

Ta-da!

The color is PERFECT!

Just what I was hoping for.

(Note the missing cabinet above the frig)

 I couldn't wait to place the backsplash samples against the granite...

Just as I was hoping.

The reflections from the light and the granite

help to highlight the stainless steel tiles in the backsplash

adding a luster and wow factor to the stone.

(I got my stone!  Yay!)

 

The color theme:

tans & caramel & grays & stainless steel

I found these awesome mercury glass Christmas ornaments yesterday.

They're kitchen-bound for the holidays!

And the ecru and charcoal towels?  Had to have them.

(though I can't COOK with abandon ... YET!)

I've planned for touches of copper to be the pop,

and BINGO -- found this great frame at Home Goods for $4.99!

I spied this piece of wall art on clearance at Home Goods several months ago.

Its metallics go PERFECTLY with the colors in our new kitchen.

Gray.  Pewter/Silver.  Tan.

I think I'm gonna go with these natural matchstick blinds 

to let in as much light as possible, even when they're closed.

The steal of the day?  I found this charcoal and tan rug on clearance 

-- where else? --

at Home Goods for $69!!!

The colors are PERFECT.  And the Ikat design adds a hint of edginess.

Not another day ... couldn't resist going ahead and filling the lighted cabinet 

with some autumn flourishes.

Today they will add the bronze sink fixtures,

hook up the dishwasher and sink,

hook up the plumbing to the refrigerator,

and install the stove.

Then that crew exits, and the floor crew will arrive and finish up 

the final coats on the hardwood.

No walking on the floors tonight!

We're still waiting on the surround panels for the frig from the cabinet people.  The ones that were ordered originally were not deep enough.

Once they arrive and are installed,

the final cabinet above the frig will be installed.

And the final touch?

My stone & stainless backsplash!

Just a little bit excited here.

(And I've lost another pound!  Yay me!)

It's Friday, and it looks like it will be a perfect evening

for a fire on the patio.

There will be wine.

There will be music.

AWESOME MUSIC

Time to unplug!

the end is in sight

It's Good! Can You See It? It's Good!

Stripped...then the first coats of poly over the new finish

Loving the darker finish.

Two more coats to go!

Before

Before

It's getting there!

Waiting on the granite installation,

then the oven,

the sink, and

the backsplash.

So.  While remodeling our kitchen,

we've removed a small pantry

to help streamline our kitchen

making it more linear.

I've considered salvaging the door to the pantry

to use for wall art

hmmm....??

I've been researching and digging,

Houzz,

Pinterest,

magazines...

contemplating

weighing options

and I'm thinking about doing a wet-distress
painted finish over this oak door

give it some age and character

switch out the brass hardware for wrought iron

a bold hint of age.
Character.

So I may have to tackle this in steps.

I'd even thought about maybe a little crackling

on parts of the finish.

And while browsing,

I found this video.

Within the first 20 seconds or so, I'm laughing out loud.
(Just watching her mouth!)

Oh, how I needed this laugh.

I'm tired of camping in a tiny room.

Washing dishes in the garage.

This dust...the mess...I'm so over it!

But it's winding down.
And a new kitchen is on the horizon!

It's GOOD!

(But I'm not going with turquoise.  Or red.  Nah-uh!)

Do You Taste That?

;

You read things now and then

and they just take your breath away.

You stop what you're doing

and it's as if the CLEAR button

has been pushed in your brain

and all 

you can think about

are the words upon the page

and how

they

arrest

you.

Fun Times in The City

We left town mid morning on Friday,

arriving at our first destination near Chambersburg, PA,

meeting for dinner with a group of friends 

at their favorite hangout, Norland's Pub.

We decided to to simplify things, we ordered a gazillion 

of their infamous wings, a fews pizzas, 

and -- of course -- beer!

After a good night's rest at a local motel,

we headed further north to one of the her sister's homes

in Stroudsburg, PA.

We gathered and laughed and celebrated family & friends

as we feasted on her DELICIOUS homemade pasta.

At 4:00 p.m. we began getting dressed for the party. 

 Back porch view

from her home where we spent the weekend

Beautiful!

 Our limos arrive at 5:00 p.m. 

 Two limos

Nine couples

A tunnel shot out the rearview

 Hanging out the window, I'd snap shot after shot of cityscapes,

everyone concerned I'd either drop the camera

or fall out of the window.

Me?  Nah!

We disembark. 

 

 

Janet's iconic hat was passed around all evening.
My turn!  I insist on modeling it on the ride home.

With the Same Passion

It's Saturday - How 'bout some Coltrane?

I could listen over

and over

and over

and over

and over

and over

and over

and over.

Slow Progress Is Better Than No Progress

View of the kitchen

standing in the family room

I thought I'd track the progress of the kitchen remodel from day to day with photos.  This is how it looked Monday evening, the first day they began construction/demolition.  All cabinets removed, pantry removed, crap exposed.  I haven't taken many more photos, because frankly, there would not be a huge difference to be seen.  But there IS still progress.  It's what's going on "under cover," the little stuff, the details that take time but don't get noticed.  Wiring, and rewiring.  Relocating plumbing.  Relocating air vents.  

Progress would probably be more noticeable UNDER the house than IN the house.  

So I come home anxiously each day from work, hoping to see progress.  And though it's there, it's not as obvious as one would hope to see.  Sometimes progress can be slow.  But without those details taken care of first, the fruition of the big picture could not take place.

We spent Wednesday night taking up the carpeting in the family room that connects to the kitchen, rolling it up and storing it in the garage -- to use in the living room where the carpet there needs updated.  We then had to rip up and haul away the padding, followed by painstakingly (slow progress) pulling staples out of the subfloor with needle-nosed pliers, preparing it for the laying of the new wood floor boards.  And that will take place today!  So when I get home today, I'll see wood floors in the family room where there once was carpeting.  Big visible progress!  And at some point they'll strip all the existing wood floors in the downstairs, then stain everything with the first coat.  Followed by cabinet installation -- all big, noticeable changes.  It's a process.  It takes time.

Back in late August I set a goal to lose ten pounds by October 11th for a cocktail party that we'll be attending in Manhattan, celebrating the recent wedding of our friends' oldest son and his wife.  They were married in The Caribbean about a month ago, and decided to postpone their reception and have it instead in Manhattan where they reside.  Well, I'm not gonna make that ten-pound goal by next Friday when we leave.  As of today, I'm down 5 lbs.  Slow progress?  Yes.  But better than no progress.  

I suppose there were a few "rough patch" days when I lost focus a bit, could have tried harder.  I wasn't 100% every day, 24 hours a day.  No.  I wasn't.  But I made progress, and that's what's most important.  And maybe, if I DO GIVE 100% between now and next Friday, I can probably drop another pound of fat, which in the big scheme of things may not sound like a lot, but one pound actually does make a difference when you're close to goal.  

While shopping for their wedding gift the other day, I spied a cute little black cocktail dress hanging on an end cap of dresses that had been marked down.  It was sleeveless, the left shoulder a narrow strap with little black sequins.  Classy, sexy, and all black.  LOVE.  I grabbed that baby off the rack, praying it was my size -- and it WAS!  I raced to the dressing room, slipped it on, and it wowed me instantly.  Thrilled!  It was the perfect dress for the occasion and at a FANTASTIC price.  I already have the shoes, the jewelry, and after my manicure next Thursday, I'll be all set.

I've been to the gym twice this week, and I'll have another leg day -- my big day -- tomorrow.   In addition, two mornings this week of outside cardio -- running.  One morning, it was just steady jogging, and this morning it was hill sprints for HIIT cardio, following by power walking all the way back to the house.  The morning sky was a watercolor canvas of melons and bright blues as I was finishing up. It felt good to breathe, to witness the beauty of a new day while clearing my mind and challenging my body. 

Assuming I fail to drop another pound between now and next Friday, I'll not be terribly disappointed.  I won't give up.  I still want to drop those extra five pounds.  But I need a timeline to make it a concrete goal.  So now my goal is to lose five pounds between now and Thanksgiving.  That's very doable -- measurable progress in reasonable time.  I will then have arrived at my goal weight.  The big picture.  I can do this.  I'm on my way ...