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Sunday, February 11, 2007

COUNTERTOP!

Yes! The countertop is IN!

Thursday afternoon, The Viking called from work to tell me the countertop would be dropped off the next day sometime between 9:00 and 12:00!

Friday, The Viking worked from home to be present for the dropoff. I went to the gym and to Target and came back an hour later to find THIS:



In my excitement I dropped my bags on the floor and ran over to the counter with a squeal! It's so beautiful! And clean-looking! And wooden! I couldn't believe it looked better in real life than it had in my day dreams!

The Viking was happy too, and already at work prepping and sealing:
That's a piece of the backsplash in his hand.

After a few moments of admiring the new addition, I had to leave for an impromptu overnight trip with my mom, sister and aunt, so I snapped a few pics of the room to show off and ran out the door.

Roughly 24 hours later, I arrived back home to find THIS:


He'd installed the backsplash, the sink and faucet, painted the shelving units flanking Mrs. C., replaced the trim and window sill and finished the ceiling and crown molding. Every time I think it just can't look any more beautiful than it does, he finishes another little job and I'm blown away again. I keep wandering into the kitchen at night, just to admire it!

He's hooking up the sink, disposal and dishwasher tomorrow (after he takes My Boy to the Monster Truck Jam over in Philly as an early birthday surprise)! That means I can start cleaning up and moving all the stuff that's been crowding the dining room back into the kitchen! And I'll be able to cook normally again this week! I cannot wait for that!

Of course, there are still other things that need to be done, such as the inside of the pantry, the doors for the cupboard above the microwave, and the coat closet between the dishwasher and the kitchen door. I also have to get floor mats, two stools and a few other sundries, as well as make the valances and curtain for under the sink. We'll still be chipping away at stuff for several weeks yet, but as of the start of the work week, we'll be cooking, eating and washing as normal once again!

I can't wait to have our first dinner guests; I've already starting agonizing over the guest list!

Okay, off to bed for me. G'night!

4 comments:

Poppy said...

It looks great! Your excitement literally jumps off the page as one is reading along!

Here's to enjoying many wonderful home cooked meals from your new kitchen~

Kim @ Twice Remembered said...

Oh, it just looks amazing! I am so envious over that wooden countertop! It's absolutely gorgeous - and the sink pedestal and faucet and cabinet color - everything is just perfect!

Do you mind me asking where you bought your countertop? We already bought our laminate and wil be installing it later on, but I'd so love to have real wood one day!

Pippajo said...

Poppy, thank you for the kind comments and well wishes. It's always nice to hear our hard work being admired.

Kim, you know, everyone said we were crazy to go with butcher block for the counters. They said it would warp and get cuts in it and look cheap. But it certainly does not look cheap, it's specially treated to protect it from moisture, and as for cut marks, that's what a cutting board is for.

We got ours through our next door neighbor who has run a cabinetry and countertop business from his home for over 30 years. Unfortunately, our neighbor filed for bankruptcy shortly after our order was placed, but was kind enough to act as go-between for us and his distributor so the order could still be filled.

I can't give you the distributor's name as they only worked with us because of the unusual situation and our connection to our neighbor who was, apparently, a very good customer. But I can tell you they also distribute to Lowe's, at least the ones in this area. I have no idea if the company is regional or national.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. But thanks for stopping by and adding me to your blog list! You probably have no idea how much your own projects have inspired me! I'm going to be posting a few of my own bargain finds in my next post!

morninglorycottage said...

Your kitchen looks great! Thanks for letting us read your blog. It even looks eerily like the kitchen remodel we just finished. I pointed out to the rest of the family that I wasn't crazy wanting green cupboards, which they had all been skeptical about. I love your sink and sink base. It's gorgeous. It is wonderful to have everything out of the boxes too, isn't it! Just finished our last ones this past weekend. Good luck with the rest of your kitchen.9888888888888888888888888888888888888