One Complete Project.. the Kitchen

We always have several projects in progress at once at the abode.  One, however, that we have officially denoted as "complete" is our kitchen reno!  The kitchen was "under construction" for two whole years - ever since we bought our place until just before our wedding this past October!  Our "to do list" consisted of, and was completed in the following order:

1) Replace the ugly light in the kitchen

2) Add under cabinet lighting (I call it our "mood lighting")

3) Expand our work space (it is t-i-n-y) 

4) Replace the vinyl flooring

5) Install Crown Molding

6) Install Light over extended workspace

7) New Appliances

8) New Countertops/Sink

9) New Backsplash

10) Repaint (there isn't a pic of this below... I should take one) 

We did every single item ourselves - installed tile, crown molding, lights, ripped out coutertops and old appliances, cut and installed the granite, installed appliances, installed backsplash, and of course, paint.  It was frustrating at times (i.e. when we had to cut our old dishwasher in half with a saw to get it out before we could install the new one), but definitely rewarding, and super cheap!  Yippee!

A glimpse at the kitchen's progress in pictures... love it!  Info on how we completed everything is sure to follow in the future:

Kitchen when we bought it ,, blah

New Lighting, Flooring, Crown Molding, and Extended Workspace (on right)

Extended Workspace (fits perfect), and light above (the crabs have been relocated to a better spot)

Removing old countertops

Installing granite

Installing Granite

New Appliances (Grouper checking it out)

New appliances (see cement board on back wall ready for new backsplash)

Installing Glass Tile backsplash

All done! (except for fresh coat of paint .. see the ceiling .. which is done now)

All done!

All done! (well, except for outlet covers which are installed now)

I love the combo of rustic and shiny!

Now, we technically still have a couple of items I would like to complete - like giving the cabinets a nice refresher.  We want to keep the natural wood look but it needs a new coat of stain and sealer.  Also, we want to add door pulls and concealed hinges.  Small beans though compared to the other items.

"Officially Wolf"

You heard that right... it is "official"... I now have the last name of Wolf!  Yay, jump up and down and twirl around.  Making it official requires taking time during your work day, nonetheless, to head to the Social Security Office and the DMV.  It took over a month to do this because, well it requires taking time off work.  So, I sent a "meeting invite" to my boss and fellow colleagues letting them know that I was carving 2 hours out of this past Wednesday to get this done - that's how we do stuff on my busy project, if you are on vacay/take a morning off/etc you send meeting invite so it pops up and lets you know when someone is out for the day eliminating all ensuing freak-outs.

Armed with every piece of documentation I could possibly need - i.e. Marriage License, Passport, Driver's License, Social Security Card, proof of where I love (i.e. a bill) - I headed to these places.  Honestly, it was easier than I thought!  That may have something to do with the fact that it was pouring down rain the day I did this and other people probably didn't want to venture out in the rain.  But the DMV only needed my old driver's license and a marriage certificate!  Crazy huh .. cause all my other visits to the DMV typically require you to provide you identity with 5 different things.  Same thing with the Social Security Office! 

On a side note, the Superintendent on my project was joking with me that he ran into Hubs at a Monthly Meeting (yes, Hubs and I work for the same company) and the two of them were joking about my "identity crisis".  See, I was going by Wolf and signing as Wolf but I was still a Stephens, very confusing haha.  I guess Hubs and "my Supe" (construction term short for Superintendent on your project)were saying that if I would just make "it official" it would make life easy, and Hubs added that he would be happy too!  Ironically, it was the same day I went and did all this (was he not listening to me haha). 

Anywho, I am now tackling everything else that needs to be changed - stuff at work, bank accounts / credit cards, and insurance stuff is next.

Engagement Photos - Fells Point

Mud Puddles

If you live in the DC area, you know all about the rain the Tuesday and Wednesday.  Rain all day means nights with our Labrador are tons of fun.  Grouper (that's his name) has tons of energy by the time we get home and absolutely l-o-v-e-s to:
1) be outside
2) swim (his name is fitting)
3) play in rain/snow/any precipitation at any temperature
4) play in mud puddles.

Yeah, he isn't like any other dog I have ever owned, or for the most part, those that I know - He loves rain and runs outside like a crazy man and makes a bee-line for the first mud puddle he can find.  He is working on 2 in the park behind our house right now.  So after splashing around in puddles and chasing balls for a good 20 minutes, he usually ends up looking like this......haha.

Mr. Grouper in all his Glory

It takes a large bath towel to get all that mud off him (we would give him a bath, but he would end up having 15 baths a month at his rate :) )

On the subject of Grouper...

Here are other pics of him enjoying life... tuff life he has

And here he is enjoying a snow blizzard...

Painted Blue

Friday night I came home from work in the mood to … paint!  I wasn’t ready to kick my shoes off and relax (supposedly I have a hard time relaxing) so I completed the first coat of the Gentle Tide paint color in our Master Bedroom.  Sunday morning I cut-in around all the trim.  It definitely needs another coat – if you look really close you can see some yellow peeping through, but for now it works.  Plus I still have to do the other room.  Hubs and I love it - he was kind of worried this color would make the room look dark (he has nightmares from the gray paint of days past) but his first words when he saw it was “I like it”.  Success in my book!

Below is what it looks like now with our new paint!

This is what it looked like last week.

And this is what it looked like with our original paint color (yeah.. it has come a long way)

Redecorating with Wedding Items

This week I was going to write about selecting your wedding location, but this past weekend was a huge success in completing items on our ‘to-do’ list, so I feel compelled to share!  So, if you don’t (already) know, I was quite the DIYer on the wedding front.  My crafty side combined with the fact that I am cheap lead to making lots of items for our wedding or purchasing them on sale.   All those successes mean that I don’t want to part with them.  I have plans to sell a few items, but otherwise I want to keep them and use them.  So, I had to figure out how I could use these items to decorate our tiny space without it looking excessive – i.e. we don’t have space for the 1000 candles and jars we purchased on sale (ok 1000 is an exaggeration). 

Some of the items have been scattered about the house, but this weekend I took (2) of the (3) chalk boards I made for the wedding and were sitting in the ‘other room’ and hung them up! 

The trash can is in front of these chalkboards (see below), but I figure it isn't that big of a deal - plus I can write a nice little 'honey take out the trash' next to it :)

They even have the same writing from our wedding on them… I guess I should wash that off tonight.   To hang them we bought double stick tape, slapped some on the back and pushed those babies on the wall.  At first I was going to hang them like a picture, but Hubs was right on with using double stick tape – it gives it a nice flush/flat look.

Let's Go Hokies

Today is the ACC Championship game!  VT vs Clemson.  Hubs and I will most definitely be spending our evening cheering on our favorite team and alma mater - Go VT!

VT Opening - Enter Sandman Gives me chills every time!

I Cry Every Time!

... Because of Parenthood.  This show is one of our faves and it is saved on our DVR for viewing each week.  How it gets me crying each week .. I have no idea.  But it is always successful in getting me to shed a few tears - joy, sadness, frustration.  You  name it, that show has it!  And, I would say I am "in the middle" when it comes to emotional stuff - if something is moving I am bound to cry, but I just don't break out in tears for nothing. 

And, Hubs was the one that actually found this show.  While he was on a horrible night and weekend work schedule he found some shows to watch and occupy him during the day in the middle of the week.  The 'on demand' section was great for random viewing.  He was resting up and finishing a marathon viewing session of Parenthood's First Season when I came home from work   I jumped in to watch and have been hooked since then!  It is Fabulous :)