Still plugging along

So, we've been using our kitchen relatively normally for a week now and I must say it's been SO NICE! I can't say it's done, but it's close. I can cook normally and clean up completely, but I still can't put all our stuff away. The pantry isn't finished yet so the dining room table remains pushed into the corner, draped with a protective white shower curtain and covered with things that have yet to find a home, but need to be used regularly. Four boxes still wait in the shadows to have their contents unpacked and redistributed. And we keep having this conversation:

"Hey, have you seen the_____?"
"Look in the boxes in the dining room!"
"Ugh, never mind!"

So, I'm waiting for the pantry to be done so I can get my highly-skilled organized friend in here to help me put stuff in sensible, efficient, easily accessible places. In the meantime I keep trying to take care of little decorative items here and there. Like the valances and sink skirt! Mom got them done in record time and they're perfect!

You can't tell in the picture, but the fabric is red ticking and sets off all the colors perfectly! I love how it works with the berry vine patter of the paper, the green of the cabinets and the white of the sink surround and dishwasher! I have enough fabric left over to make basket liners for the baskets going in the shelving units on each side of Mrs. C, but I have yet to find the baskets!

Today, The Viking got the inside of the pantry mudded and finished most of the odds and ends of trim that were left. Now we just need to sand and paint the pantry, then build the shelves. That's going to be a bit tricky as we had to build around the original chimney, which was much faster and more cost-effective than pulling the wall down and tearing it out! But we put our heads together, made a few sketches and came up with a plan that will utilize the space as best we can.

Every once a while I go a little spazzy and fuss over things like, "Dog food! The dog food! Did we set aside a place to store the DOG FOOD???" But I think it's just the stress of the whole thing getting to me, don't you? The dog food will be fine!

The good news is when we have my family over for My Boy's birthday in two weeks, we'll be able to welcome them into a kitchen we can be proud of, instead of ashamed of! The birthday party has provided us with a goal: to have the kitchen AND dining room back in presentable form in time for our family to gather. And the way The Viking works, I know it will be done so I'm very excited about it! We kept telling everyone at Christmas, "NEXT TIME you all are here, we'll have our new kitchen!"

Okay, dinner has dinged so I have to go play mother! More exciting updates to come!