Sneak Peek!

Ok - so besides the fact that I did not have internet last week from Sunday to Friday, unless I went to Panera or my parents house, my laptop has also decided to be a jerk.  I've had it for 2 years and never had a problem with it.  About a month ago I downloaded stupid Internet Explorer 9 and it's hated me ever since.  I even tried deleting that...didnt help.  It's slow as molasses!  I've taken out a ton of programs I dont use, deleted videos I dont want, emptied every piece of trash I can find, and ran software for malware (and then deleted the software) and nothing has helped.  It makes me hate my life in that girly dramatic, everything-is-working-against me way. 

So, with that rant out of the way...all that is to say I can't blog as much as I like because I dont have the means to:(  I dont have the patience to blog from my Iphone, and Dave & I decided against getting an Ipad so that we can save more for Europe.  I would've loved to have blogged every day last week when I was off, but life had other plans for me! LOL.

I am so terribly exhausted tonight - I've been going non stop since this morning.  It was our first day back from break, which is blowing my mind because - where did break go?  Did I have one?  I've promised myself tons of rest and relaxation this weekend because even though I planned to over break, I didn't.  I am terrible at doing nothing!  I think you can totally tell I am tired right now because I am whining, ha!  Sorry about that!!!  I do have happy news too!!

My kitchen is a dream.  It's beautiful.  It's not done though, I have quite a bit more to do - but it's liveable and adorable and I just have to share!!

First...some before pictures:

Here are my colors...

Is that really my kitchen?  Its so...so...EW!!

EW squared...

The brown of these cabinets makes me want to vomit!

Setting up for painting and general life halting house work!

Cleaning these cabinets out was gross!!!

Let's get on to the good stuff shall we?  We started working on the kitchen officially almost 2 weeks ago - I started planning the update out, buying things I needed, and started prepping and cleaning 2 Thursdays ago...12 days later, well...it's not completely done but like I said, it's totally liveable!



Drum roll......

Look at that!!!  LOOK AT IT!!!  OMG!!! 

I designed, built and stained those open shelves...I love them.  I want to stare at them all day!

Close up...I stained them Golden Oak, which goes just beautifully with the yellow and the white and the oil rubbed bronze hardware...and will hopefully match our butcher block counters when we get them.  If they don't, I'll just restain them, but that might make me cry because I love them so much!

These pictures I took earlier tonight, I had to move the coffee machine because that outlet on the right doesn't work.  A few of my outlets don't work now - I turned off all the breakers when I was take the plates off and painting around the outlets, just to be safe, and after I turned the breakers back I had a problem - I have to figure that one out!

Isn't it so lovely?  Ignore the awful counters, and the white appliances, that will all change soon..

Ahhhhh, lovely.  What a difference the hardware makes too.  I was so nervous about adding the handles and knobs...it really wasn't that hard!  Replacing the hinges was super easy too!

See that Italian water fountain hanging there? I bought that baby at Goodwill last summer with mom, for $1.  Score!  It is perfect!  Don't mind the blue background on my menu planner - I am changing that.  But I did paint the frame aubergine purple, it is lovely with the yellow!!  I also spray painted my utensil holder the same color.  Work with what ya got!!  Spray paint is da bomb;)

So pretty!!!  I wish I had my stainless steel stuff now, but I am imagining it there!  I am currently purusing Etsy for some Tuscan artwork to go above the stove...and I have a small white shelf to install about the microwave where I will place my herbs in galvanized planters.

A few from the family room.  Oh and FYI we are getting stools to set at this little ledge here (where the pasta is sitting).  Eventually, when we get our counter tops, that ledge will come out a little further for extra seating; a sweet little breakfast bar!  I want to put something up on the soffits as well, I am thinking letters that spell out CUCINA, Italian for Kitchen.  The little cabinets for above the fridge are still drying:)

A shot of the sink and cabs underneath, don't mind the dirty dishes...at least most of them are done now.  You should have seen this place a few days ago - it was a tornado aftermath!

Let's see my favorite shot again....

I want to make out with those shelves.  And the color yellow.  And the cabinets.  LOL!  I am proud of what we have done...I worked myself to death over the last week, but it was so worth it.  Totally!  Just look at our kitchen!  It looks like a completely new room?!?!  It looks bigger too!

Ok, I have to go to bed!!  Oh, but guess what we did in honor of finishing most of the hard work?  That's right, we bought our airplane tickets to Europe - BAM!  Germany, France, and Italy - here we come!!! Night!!