Kitchen Update with Orange Added

Hello Everyone!

Just finished adding a few more touches to the kitchen.  Someone commented the other day about seeing where the orange will come into my kitchen.  Here are a few pictures of where the orange will be. I'm not done yet so there will be more to share later. We still haven't had time to get the tile back splash done but it is still on the "to-do" list. Maybe next week.

This is a shelf I built to hang my purse on when I come home from shopping. I used to put it on my kitchen desk but we did away with that so this is it's new home. I'm loving it!

New picture frame and towels.

Towel again and bowl for onions and potatoes.

I had this in my kitchen before but I'm still loving the colors and it seemed to go well with the new kitchen so it stayed.

That's all for now. Stay tuned as we get more done a little bit at a time. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Coincidental Funny

Hello Everyone!

Just thought I'd share a little funny with you today. Let me set the stage.  Today was town day. You know, the guitar lessons for the son, piano lessons for the daughter, shopping here, return there, etc. Well, it has been very busy lately besides and the laundry has been lucky to get done. The folding and ironing, not so lucky. This morning, I was running late and dumped two loads of laundry on my bed to be folded later. While in town, I bought a sign for a friend's birthday; something he is always saying.  I set it on the bed when I got home and moved on to putting away the rest of my purchases. When I came back in my room. I had to laugh at the vision and thought behind this picture.

Some days, it just is what it is! Hope you all saw the irony in this like I did and got a laugh out of it.
So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Today my baby is 11!

Hello Everyone!

Well, today my baby is 11. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. By the end of summer, I will also have an official teenager; as my son is turning 13. It just seems like yesterday when I was bringing them home from the hospital.

I was going to show a baby picture and then a now picture of my daughter.  However, I would have to find the baby picture I wanted and then scan it into my computer. Being as I have company right now, I decided to just show a couple that I already have on my computer. I was teasing her last night and told her she was born before the digital age. Which, of course, isn't true but it was definitely before I jumped on the digital camera bandwagon. I think she was 3 or 4 before I converted to digital. Anyway, here are a few pics from last year's birthday and then this year's.

One of my favorites from last year.

This was one of my favorites.

The look on her face says, "Are we done yet?" Just kidding. She is actually a willing model when I need one. I do a lot of practice on her. My son is a whole other story. I warned him the other day that I was going to take his b-day pics soon and he just groaned, "Do we have to?"

I love my baby girl and am looking forward to watching her grow and mature. Like every parent-child relationship, we have our struggles but overall we are pretty close. I see traces of me in her, some bad (Uggh!) and some good (Yeah!).

Those of you with young children enjoy your time and don't do the, "I can't wait until" scenarios because it all goes so fast. Before you know it they will be hitting teenage years and then poof, they'll be gone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLIE GIRL!

So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

PS. I'll get back with you on more kitchen updates next week. I've been doing a little spray painting on projects and a little shopping at my favorite store, Hobby Lobby! :-)

Kitchen Update and Partial Reveal

Hello Everyone!

So have you been waiting with great anticipation the final kitchen reveal? Weeell, I can't quite end your anxiety over the matter. (Like you were really that stressed over it.) Anyway, like most DIY projects, and major ones at that, the time schedule doesn't always match what you would like. We did get most of the project done over the weekend. The cabinets did come home on Monday. However, the countertop trim hasn't come in yet, not all the doors were hung (lack of proper hardware), more trim pieces need to be installed and the tile work has to be done. So, it has taken longer than I wanted we anticipated. But that's ok! I am lovin' what I have so far.  I'm especially lovin' the fact that my cabinets are full again and that all that stuff isn't all over the rest of the house like these pictures show.

Stuff all over the living room.

Dirty dishes in the bathroom. Ugh!

Here are a few pictures of the work in process when the cabinets came back.

Just had to throw that on the wall. Who knows when these cabinets will come out again.

Cabinets coming back in the house by my nephew, the cabinet builder, and his little helper.

All the drawers and doors.

These were installed in an evening.

Got to make sure it is level.

This was Tuesday, the second night of installation. Counter tops and trim work done this evening. Don't know if you can see it very well but I just love the look on my hubby's face. It's kind of a "Hmm, I wonder if that is on straight." Or something like that.

Now this was this evening. If you see the white at the bottom by the counter, that will be covered when we tile. Also, I haven't put any of the outlet covers back on because they also will be surrounded by tile. Countertops are still awaiting their trim pieces.  I found out today that they won't be in until probably Wednesday of next week. Boo!

Here my paint looks a little more true to color.  It is a greenish blue. In some of the install pictures it looks baby blue. I am going to accent with orange and yellow. I'll show more of that as we get things finished up.

So there you have it, a little sneak peak at the final project as it gets closer to being final. Does that even make sense?  Oh well, you know what I mean. So what do you think so far? It is a whole lot brighter than my previous kitchen.  I loved the other but was looking forward to a brighter more cheery look. I better sign off for now. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Kitchen Update

Hello Everyone!

Just a quick update with no pictures.  Boring I know but I'm too busy to get the pictures uploaded right now. Anyway, painting is done, cabinets were done on Sunday, and they are coming home! Yay!
Some are going to be installed tonight and the rest tomorrow night. I am so excited!  I can't wait to put everything away. Hopefully, I will have pictures up and a post ready by Wed. or Thurs. so stay tuned.

Until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Kitchen Demolition Has Started

Hello Everyone!

Just thought I'd jump in this morning to show the start of the demolition. Yesterday, a friend came over and we emptied out the rest of my kitchen cabinets. Last night, the take-out crew arrived. Here are a few pics from the removal process.  They were going just lickety-split and I had to rush to get in some picture taking. Hence, not the best quality on some of these pictures.

Empty cabinets ready for removal.

Hubby started working on unhooking the sink, garbage disposal, dish washer, etc.

Cabinet man arrived. (Our nephew)

 Have to interject a funny here. When Brian walked in the door, he announced, in a different voice, that we had been selected to have our kitchen featured in the newest home magazine and that he was here to take pictures. Ha Ha! I told him that I thought we had been selected for an Extreme Make-over and that is why he was here!

His wife helped with removing drawer glides and hardware.

Everyone helping to haul them out.

Had to catch this one behind the stove.  This shows that my kitchen has been painted 3 times. First white, then a pale yellow and then the moss green color. Today, I am adding the 4th color. Yay!

All gone!

 A person can sure hide a lot of stuff in cabinets. I really do use most of this but I look at it and wonder, "Do I really?"

Kitchen stuff to living room.

It's a good thing this is coming together in a weekend or so.  I would go nuts with all this stuff everywhere. Excuse me, not go; already am going nuts! Ahh, but the reward at the end will be worth it!

Well, that is it for now. Time to go find my painting supplies and get busy! I'll keep ya posted as the adventure continues. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

My lot in life

Hello Everyone!

I have discovered that it is my lot in life to always be served a bent fork. You think I'm joking right? Ok, maybe not every time but it seems like every time.  It has become a joke in our family that when we go to restaurants I have to check my fork.  I almost always have the one with a bent tine. And you know, they just don't eat the same. It's hard to relish a creamy piece of cheesecake when one tine is not even and pushing on your lips differently than the others. Now granted that I don't hardly ever order cheesecake but I think you get the idea. Well, the other day, the kids and I went to Wendy's for lunch.  I ordered a salad. You have to have a fork for a salad, right? Yep, you guessed it. A plastic fork with a bent tine. Yes, my lot in life.

Can you tell the second from the right is lower than all the rest?

There seems to be this conspiracy towards me. I can hear it now. "Hey, Sam! Here comes that lady again. Get the bent fork!" Will I survive this plot against me? Yeah, probably. Just make sure if I come to your house for dinner that you don't give me a fork with a bent tine.  I want to enjoy your cheesecake to the fullest!

So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Kitchen re-do starting

Hello Everyone!

It has begun. I had a friend come over last Saturday and help me take all the doors off of my cabinets in the kitchen. My kitchen looks terrible right now. It is amazing how much we hide behind closed doors, literally.

I can't wait to get this project done. My nephew is coming Thursday to uninstall my cabinets to take to his shop. He is going to fix a few things, change a few things and give them a fresh coat of white lacquer. While they are out, I am going to paint the walls. Then, they will come back in on Monday or Tuesday with new counter tops. Wednesday, my hubby has off and we are hoping to install the tile back splash.  Thursday, I will grout the tile and hopefully by Friday I will be adding decorative touches. But you know how plans can change. This is all best case scenario but I'm counting on a few delays. Does that sound negative? You know the glass have empty instead of half full kind of thing? Well, I'm not trying to sound negative.  I've just been around construction situations too much not to expect some kind of delays.  However, I am hopeful that by the next weekend we will have a new kitchen! My daughter's birthday is that weekend so it would be fun to serve her her birthday breakfast in a new kitchen. I'll keep you all posted on our progress. ;) So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Mom & Daughter Trip to Kansas City

Hello Everyone!

Well, it is getting close to kitchen tear-out time. This Thursday to be exact. Then I get to attack the walls and get everything clean so the cabinets can come back in with their nice new coat of paint. But that is not what this post is supposed to be about so I'll get to the point.

We had been talking about taking this trip for a while. My daughter's birthday is next week so we decided to just go ahead and do it. My sis-in-law and her daughter went with me and my daughter to Kansas City for the day.  It is about a two hour drive from where we live. There are several stores there that we don't have here. Both of our daughters are into American Girl dolls so that was the first stop after lunch. (This is a picture heavy post so beware.)

We started out at Five Guys burger place.  We had never been there before and I had heard they were the best so we decided to give it a go.  It was very yummy but we sure could have split the fries at least 4 ways instead of just two. It was very conveniently located next to the American Girl Store.

This isn't the greatest picture.  My daughter was having a hard time getting my camera to work right for her.  I think the problem was the light shining in the window behind us.

After we had our fill, we headed next door.

The girl's needed to put their drinks away and get their dolls out to take with them.

Here is my niece getting a star sticker from one of the employees.  My daughter decided she was a little too old for stickers, I think, as she declined when the salesgirl asked her if she wanted one.

Checking out some of the displays.

My daughter had birthday money to spend so she decided on getting a matching shirt for herself and her doll.  This is her watching the sales lady making them.

Girls with their "loot".

Next, we did some big girl shopping and went here.

Such a fun store.  I got a few things but forgot to take pictures.  I'll have to share later on one of my kitchen posts.

After Crate&Barrel, we headed out to find Costco. We only have a Sam's club and there were several things that Costco has that I was wanting. I was hoping they would give me a day pass. Well, it didn't work out that way.  They wanted me to sign up for a membership.  I'm sorry but I'm not going to drive 2 hours often enough to get a membership. Well, while we were asking directions to our next stop, a lady and her two daughters walked out and they had one of the items in their cart that I was wanting.  I told my daughter, "Hey Allie. Look, they got some of those chips we were wanting." Well, the lady heard me and turned and asked me about whether I liked them and that she was trying them out and so forth.  Anyway, we struck up a conversation and I told her about wanting to shop and not being able to. She was so sweet and said she would go in and buy me some. So I gave her money and she went back in and bought me two bags.  I stood out front and visited with her daughters.  I thought that was just the nicest thing.  I wanted a couple of other things but I wasn't about to give her my shopping list. ;) I was just grateful to get one of my items. So to the unknown lady in Kansas City, "Thank You!" She probably will never see this but you just never know.

After getting directions from a Costco employee while waiting for my chip purchase to be made, we went here. One of my all time favorite places to shop.  I'm sad that we don't have one closer.

My niece had fun shopping with her kid size cart.

Then we headed off to the Plaza.  This is an outdoor shopping area that has all kinds of fun stores.  There are several blocks of shops and restaurants.  Most of them are your more high-end stores so it was mostly window shopping for us.  We actually didn't have a whole lot of time left so we only went to Pottery Barn Kids and Williams-Sonoma.

This was a funny picture because my sis-in-law had kept telling her daughter not to touch things in the stores and she asked, "Can this be something I can touch, Mommy?" We were at Pottery Barn Kids and they had a fun little tea set for the kids to check out. Of course Mommy finally said yes.

This is the girls pretending they were having a tea party.

And another.  It was so cute.

Well, that was about it.  We also stopped in at a Whole Foods store to check it out but decided we would rather shop at Trader Joe's; so much cheaper! It was a long day but fun to be together with just us and our girls. So have any of you had any fun Mom/Daughter outings? Do share. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane