Kitchen Reveal!

   It's been almost two months since my last post, and in that time, we finished renovating our new house and moved in! I am so thankful that we had family to take us in for a few months while we transitioned to our new place, but it has been wonderful to try to get back to some shred of normalcy.  C's commute is around 20 minutes, less than half of what it was when we first got here.  We're settled into our house, and it has been a challenge and a joy to unpack and decorate to make it a home.  I thought I would start the first of what will likely be many posts about how the house that we refer to as "The 717" has turned out by showing you the room that had the most dramatic (read: time, labor, and budget intensive) makeover, our kitchen!
   As always, let's go back to the beginning so we can all appreciate how far we came.  This is the kitchen as it looked on closing day:

   And here it is today, thanks to the hard work of my grandpa, my uncle, my father-in-law, and lots of other helping hands:

   This is the best shot of the new tile.  It's an 18" square tile, which my grandfather said he will likely never install again in his life.  Oops.  Our floor was pretty uneven, and it was apparently pretty tough to get the tiles level with the added size, although he admits that they look really good.  We picked a dark grey grout to pick up some of the tones in the tile.  The best part though, is that they have a bit of grit to them, so they aren't slick!  Yay!

   Excuse the yellowish photos.  My flash has been ornery lately, and we don't have Photoshop installed on the computer yet (Chris did an overhaul recently, another reason I haven't gotten these photos up sooner.)

   I absolutely love my kitchen.  It isn't at all what I had in mind on day one, but like many things, I think it turned out even better.  Soooo much hard work (not mine, as I said in my previous kitchen post) went into this room, and I can't imagine a better finished product.  Here are a few detail photos:

   We went with an off-white integrated sink because Lowe's was running a special on them the day I ordered.  They're typically a bit more because of the labor involved on the installation.  We also had a few things customized on the countertops.  Usually they come with a standard 4" vertical lip all the way around the countertop.  That would have left me with about two inches to paint between the lip and the serving bar you can see in this photo, so we asked that they extend the surface all the way up to the bar to prevent any moisture sneaking out from the sink. Sometimes I'm a little wild when I wash dishes, what can I say?

   Here you can see our pretty new appliances, and a good shot of the beadboard backsplash.  Some folks were worried that I wouldn't like that much white all together, but I love it.  It wipes off easily (I'm a wild cook too), it's a great backdrop for my accessories, and it adds a little bit of detail without busyness.  And raising the upper cabinets givens me good work space, allows room for a microwave, and makes the room feel so much taller, although I do have to tippy-toe to reach things on the top shelf.  Worth it.

   You already saw a photo with the dust-catcher decorative ledge knocked out, but now you can see it with the pendants hung.  So much more flattering for my pretty kitchen.

   Another look at those can lights, which make my kitchen SO bright and easy to work in, and the pendant hanging over the island.  No trace of the fluorescent light box that used to be there!



   Here's a closeup of the countertops.  They're a solid-surface countertop that we ordered from Lowe's while they were running a special.  I think they're trying to clear out a few colors because only selected colors were on sale.  Luckily, that happened to include the one we liked.  This photo is reading really brown, but they seem a little cooler in real life.  It's a taupey-grey with an ivory and a dark brown and maybe even a black speck in it.  I've only had them for a month, but they seem to clean easily and the color is forgiving of anything I missed.  (Not sure if that's good or bad...)

   This is crazy, but these cabinets are the most sentimental to me.  They hold my wedding china.  In five years of marriage, I have never had all of my china in a cabinet, ever.  It's lived under my bed, in my grandma's attic, a few place settings in a cabinet in one house we lived in, but never all of it in cabinets.  I cried when I put it all away.  It finally feels like I am settled, ready to live my life, not living a temporary life until we move somewhere else or until we buy a house.  This is my home.  This is where I belong.

As promised, the best source list that I can put together from my very poor memory:
Wall paint: Olympic Icon in Stormy Weather, satin finish
Cabinet paint: Olympic One in Off-White, semi-gloss finish
Appliances: Frigidaire, Gallery collection
Door knobs: Threshold, found here
Drawer pulls: Threshold, found here
Faucet: Glacier Bay Fairway faucet in Bronze
Countertops: Allen + Roth for Lowe's in Antiquity
Tile: For the life of me I can't remember, but I bought it at Mill Creek Flooring.
Light fixtures: Hampton Bay Somerset collection

If I forgot to source something that you're curious about, let me know.  

Bathroom Progress!

   It feels like progress in the house is slowing down.  In reality, there is much being done, but most of it requires some sort of previous experience or skillz that I don't possess, so there isn't a lot that I personally can do.  I plan to continue learning how to do things, but for the moment, I don't know how to change a faucet, etc.  Our focus in the past week or so has been in the hall bath, which serves as our guest bath and Abby Kate's bathroom.  This bathroom is good sized, has a linen closet, has two sink/vanity areas, and a separate shower and potty area, making it ideal for being shared by multiple people.  (Please note, there are no babies in the works.  Just reflecting on growing up sharing a bathroom with my Seester and mom.  Three women getting ready at the same time could have used a little more elbow room.) 

   In the theme of the kitchen update post, let's remember where we started, shall we? Hall bath, before:

Hall bath, before.

   Not offensive, just incredibly boring.  Okay, those light fixtures are a little offensive.  You can't see them for the glare of the lights, but they're those "Hollywood" style  fixtures that had been spray painted (I think) with that horrible faux-stone textured paint.  ::shudder::  Again, I don't like orangey-stained wood, but there's tons of storage in those cabinets.  The biggest problem in both this bathroom and in the master is this:

Two-toned tile in the master "throne room"--seriously?!?

   The tile is two different colors.  Remember the slick-as-snot tile that we ripped out of the kitchen?  It's ba-ack!  For some reason, the previous owners laid the matte gray/tan tile in the main parts of both bathrooms and in the hallway to the bedrooms, but left the shiny ivory stuff around the toilets in both bathrooms and in the laundry room (my dad says they were probably too lazy to pull out the toilet and do it right).  Again, places where there are bound to be dusty feet or water on the floor.  This sounds like a broken wrist waiting to happen, not to mention it looks terrible.  So out it came.  My dad did the majority of the busting out in the hall bath, after giving me a tutorial, and I chiseled it out of the master bath and most of the laundry room.  That is hard work, friends!  I got lucky because there had apparently been some previous water leaks on the floor in the master bath and in the laundry because after I finally got the first tile out (after 45 minutes of hammering), the rest came out in much larger pieces. 

   We found one box of the correct tile in the garage, which was enough to finish the hall bath.  I found a VERY close approximation elsewhere for the other rooms, and we decided to add a "decorative buffer" and roll with it:

New tile!

   Keep in mind that the new stuff (on the right of the photo) has a little "grout haze" still on it, and the old stuff (on the left) hasn't been cleaned in heaven only knows how long, contributing to the difference in color.  I promise it's the same tile.  I think it turned out great!  Here are a few other projects going on in the bath:

 

   

   BEADBOARD!!!  Mwahahaha!  You knew it would pop up again, didn't you?  My dad installed a four-foot paneling of beadboard both in the shower area and in the main part of the bathroom, and added that awesome chunky railing at the top.  (I would have LOVED to do beadboard about six feet high, more of a plate rail height, but that stuff ain't cheap.) It's painted the same creamy off-white as the rest of the trim in the house, and I absolutely love it.  I think it makes the whole bathroom.  And here's a shot of the last project underway in here:

Vanity in progress!

   Dad also built that corner cabinet (he's super handy like that) and is framing in the mirrors, essentially creating two mirrors instead of one big wrap-around one.  They were plenty big, so I wasn't worried about losing mirror space, and I think it totally classes up the joint, don't you?  The cabinets have been sanded down and are awaiting a couple of coats of a darker, richer stain.  That's my department!  I plan to add some oil-rubbed bronze hardware to the cabinets as well. 

   So there you have it!  One hall bathroom, getting its makeover.  We have done a few more things in here since these photos were taken, like paint and light fixtures, but I think I'll save it for the big reveal photos.  You know, leave you hanging just a little.  Make you want to come back for more (and bring your friends). So make sure you come back for more!

   What are your priorities for bathroom design?  Do you hate Hollywood lights too?  Share my obsession love of beadboard? 

Before my very eyes

   As excited as I am about our new-to-us house, being first time homeowners, remodeling and decorating, and all that goes with that, it's tough.  The house takes up so much of our time and attention. There was the packing and moving, the house hunting, and now the work.  It's been a huge answer to prayer, don't get me wrong.  I absolutely cannot wait to move in and settle into life here.  But I almost feel like I have missed the past four months of my baby's toddler's life. I try to stay engaged, I try to make sure that when we are together that it's quality time, I try not to just yell at her and her incredibly frustrating toddler tendencies, but it seems like I blinked and all of a sudden she's a little girl, not my squishy-cheeked snuggle baby.  I know that happens with all kids, but I have noticed it more recently.

Silly faces with her favorite Auntie, November 2013

   When she visited grandparents in November while I was recovering from surgery, she was a proficient but unsteady walker.  She said some words, but mostly pointed and babbled.  She would bang toys together and enjoy exploring brightly colored or musical toys, but they were all just sort of random objects. 

Enjoying snow for the first time (she was too little last year!), December 2013

   When we came home for Christmas, she would bear crawl on all fours over the threshold to the addition in my parents' house.  She had started to recognize that her toy dishes could be used for having "tea" with whoever was willing to make the right sound effects.  She enjoyed hiding in the little fabric playhouse that my mom made for her, but didn't get the "house" concept.

My serious little bookworm, February 2014

   Then one day I blinked.  She "reads" books for fun by herself.  And she has definite opinions on which book she does and does not want to read.  She cooks at her play kitchen with appropriate pans and utensils (usually) and feeds her babydoll and stuffed animals (and sometimes the dog, if she doesn't run away fast enough) her imaginary concoctions.  She rocks her baby and takes her for rides in the stroller, careful to put on a jacket before they go.  She takes her dishes into her playhouse, and sometimes a tiny chair, peeking out the window and giggling at us.

Swinging with Daddy, February 2014

   My tiny baby is now pretty good with a fork and spoon, generally choosing the right tool for the job at hand.  She wants her bites in a particular order, asks for her "pup" (AKA "cup") when she needs a drink, and loves to wash her hands and wipe up her messes.  She knows how to throw away trash, put clothes into the dryer, and help unload the dishwasher.  She runs everywhere she goes, can go up and down stairs faster than I can, and knows that a girl isn't dressed without shoes and a bow.  (Not sure where she learned that...)

My funny Valentine, in her first pigtails!

   Sweetest Abby Kate, although some most days we struggle with a clash of wills (yours vs. mine), and some days I think I'm going to leave you to your toddler tantrums and go to Sonic, I am so proud of how you are growing up.  It melts my heart when you say "please" and "thank you," when you blow kisses, and when you add you "amen!" to the end of our prayers. I love it when you sing "Jesus Loves Me" with me, and when you are concerned about other babies crying.  You seem like such a big girl walking into Big Church by yourself and helping us take the dog for a "wop," but even on our tough days, I can peek at you napping and remember that you're still my baby girl.

Kitchen Progress!

   I know you're just dying to hear all about my amazing renovation plans for our house, aren't you? Okay, okay, I'll indulge you.  ;)  (Thanks for putting up with me.)  We'll start with the room that has the most dramatic plans for change, the kitchen.  Remember what we started with:

   It's hard to tell from the photo, but the ceilings are REALLY high in the kitchen (and living room), which is awesome, but sort of dwarfs the kitchen as it previously stood.  The orangey stain is about my least favorite color of wood on the planet. Also note, there is no microwave.  Also note, the refrigerator is older than I am.  We won't talk about how old that might be.  The dishwasher, oven, and vent hood are original to the house, which was built in 1999 (par-tay!) so they aren't ancient, but are definitely tired.  I don't have photos of it, but the countertops are a grey-beige Formica type material that is cracking and peeling and bowing away from the walls, especially in places where it got wet.  And finally, the tile.  The color is not offensive.  There are a couple of cracked tiles in the corner by the sink--looks like the previous owners dropped a heavy pot or something.  The major problem with the tile is that it is a super high gloss shiny tile and it is SLICK. AS. SNOT. if it's wet or if you have dust on your shoes.  You know, like if you're coming in from the back yard (the door is in the dining area) or if you are a messy cook (I am). I have very nearly busted my can just about every time I'm in the house.  So here's where we are now:

   Pardon the mess, but so much better, right?  Here's a list of what has been accomplished in this picture so far:

• Upper cabinets were raised 6". This makes the kitchen feel taller, decreases the awkward space above the cabs, and allows us to install a microwave! They were so low before that there wasn't enough space between the stove and the upper cabinets for a microwave, thus only a vent hood.  
• Tile and countertops were removed.  (Duh.)  To be replaced soon.  The tile will likely go in next week, and I'm currently waiting on the countertop folks to schedule installation.  Hopefully end of next week.  
• Cabinets painted off-white.  (Also duh.)  I love white cabinets.  They feel so airy and clean and fresh to me.  I know it's a matter of preference, and lots of my family believes it is a sin to paint woodwork, but I LOVE IT.  We added some oil-rubbed bronze hardware to the cabs too.  There wasn't any before.  Call me lazy, but I like me a drawer pull.
• You can't see it in this pic very well, but see that lower cabinet in the left?  The one with the tiny tiny little door?  See all that space in that cabinet, going clear back to the corner?  Wasted.  Completely and utterly wasted.  The huge cabinet space was accessible only through that 6" wide door.  There's a shelf in there and everything, like it thinks it's usable space.  It's wrong.  So a hole was cut in the adjacent cabinet's left wall to access the space a little better.  It's still awkward and will still be tough to get stuff in and out, but it's a heck of a lot better.  
• The island has been moved in these photos, but it's going back where it was.  Just needed some elbow room.  

   Here's another "before" shot for you:

   So many things drove me nuts about this picture.  I hate that horizontal "decorative ledge."  What's the point?  It's like no one told the room not to wear horizontal stripes.  I need to get rid of the "boob light." You know, that little round flush mounted fixture over the sink?  I heard another blogger call them that once, and now I can't un-see it.  Therefore it must go.  You can also see that super-rad 80s/90s fluorescent light box peeking over the dust catcher ledge. Not my fave.  And last but not least, there was some pretty hideous wallpaper below the chair rail in the dining area.  And it was peeling off.  Classy.  Here's a refreshing "progress shot":

   Sorry for the blurry iphone pic.  But again, so much better, yes?

• No more dust catcher!  Such a tall svelte kitchen now!  
• No more light box!  Chris's dad installed some can lights in the ceiling for us, and it gives great light in there.  We are planning to hang a pendant over the island using the existing wiring.
• No more boob light!  Going to hang another pendant there over the sink using that wiring.
• You can get a glimpse of the pretty off-white painted beadboard that now resides beneath the chair rail.  (Warning: I have a beadboard problem.  You will get tired of hearing about all the places I'm putting beadboard.)
• You can't see in this photo, but scroll up to the "before" if you need to. There used to be two rows of tile on this side of the "bar" area.  I have no idea why.  It looked strange.  Luckily, the home-improvement force was with us, because we found two more boxes of the laminate flooring in the attic, so when the tile came up, the wood was extended all the way to the partial wall.  It looks awesome.  

   Clearly, there's still a lot to be done.  Paint on the walls, tile, countertops, and (spoiler!) shiny new appliances.  I'll do a full source list for anyone who cares when I post pics of the finished product.  And lest anyone think that I did anything in this kitchen other than write a check, I did not.  Not one thing.  We have some seriously talented and generous family members, y'all.  My grandpa and uncle are doing most of the work in the kitchen, from raising and painting the cabinets to removing the old tile and leveling the floor to installing beadboard and tile and a zillion little things along the way.  I'm over my head in gratitude and "I owe you's."  I'm putting in my sweat equity in other rooms of the house, but I had no part of the work in the kitchen.  And it's amazing. 

Changes at the Little Nest

   Another lapse in blogging.  At least this time I have a good reason.  I had my gallbladder removed in November, and while I was recovering from that little bit of fun, my sweet husband accepted a job in our home state!  We were, of course, overjoyed to be moving home, closer to family and familiar ways of life.  There were some pretty excited grandparents too.  However, that meant that we had to pack, move across country, and start a new job, all at the holidays.  It was fast and furious, but we have survived so far.  Chris's family has been very graciously housing us and the mess we create since just before Christmas. 
  
   We hunted and bought a house that splits the difference between where our parents live and where Chris's new job is, about 20 minutes away from each, and less than a mile from my Little Seester! (Sorry sis!) It's about 15 years old, which was perfect for us.  I didn't want a brand new house.  I wanted something that needed a little love.  Nothing major, mind you.  I'm not prepared to deal with structural problems.  Just a cosmetic makeover.  It's just what we were looking for: 3 bedrooms and a study, 2 full baths, a nice sized (but not massive) kitchen, 2 car garage.  It's in the exact location we wanted, between family and work like I mentioned, and in the best school districts we could find. 

   The only thing that isn't straight from our wish list is the backyard.  You'll see a photo in a bit, but the previous owners poured an enormous concrete slab in the already smallish yard for a basketball court, so there is barely any grass back there.  My family raved about what an amazing patio it would make, and they are correct, but I've had concrete.  I want grass for my baby to play in!  We have long term plans to remove part of the concrete, but that's a project for another day.  Without further ado, meet the Slightly Bigger Nest in the Much Smaller City:

The Slightly Bigger Nest

Front door/Entryway

 

 

Living room, view from the front door.  Nevermind my dad and the realtor.

View into dining area and kitchen

The eatin' spot

The cookin' spot

Master bedroom.  AMAZING window!

Master bath, complete with leopard print wallpaper and spider light fixture.  That open door you see goes into the closet, and the shower is behind that partial wall.

The back bedroom, which will be the playroom.

The "middle" bedroom.  This one will be Abby Kate's room.

Second bath, and a view of Chris's dad.  The doorway on the left goes into the shower and "throne room."

The back view.  Lots of concrete....

  
   So there you have it.  Keep in mind, these are the "before" pictures.  We (and our generous and talented families) have done a lot already, and have a few more projects to do before we officially move in.  We wanted to get things like flooring and painting done before moving our stuff in because it's so much easier to work without furniture.  The biggest project we have is the kitchen.  It's a near-complete overhaul.  I'll save the savory details for another post, but there's lots going down in the cookin' spot.  We're hoping to move in around the first part of March, if everything goes according to plan.  Cross your fingers!

   Anyone else move lately?  Planning some renovations?  Have pictures to share of completed projects?

Thoughts on Student Athletes

   Anyone who has known me for more than 2.5 seconds knows that I bleed orange.  As an Oklahoma State University alum, former member of the Cowboy Marching Band and Spirit Band, Homecoming Steering Committee member, athletic training major, and Zeta Tau Alpha alumna, I've been a part of just about every aspect of OSU.  My parents are alum, my sis is a double alum (bachelor's and master's degrees), my cousins are alum...I've grown up very orange.  Needless to say, I was very sad about the allegations made against the university and its personnel in the SI articles this week. 

Circa 2005, before I fully converted him. 

   I am not so blinded by orange as to think that every word is false.  I personally knew people (non-athletes) that were involved with less-than-honest academic dealings, smoked things they shouldn't, drank underage and to excess, had unsafe and indiscreet relationships with other students, and lots of other things stereotypical of "the college experience." I would expect no less than to see that same behavior within the student athlete population.  Do I think it's right?  Absolutely not.  Do I think it's their own fault?  Not entirely.  The sex, the drugs...that's your own stupid decisions.  If other people can choose not to, you can too.  Academics, on the other hand...

   As many folks much more qualified to speak than I have expressed, there are athletes on college campuses who, if not for a sport, would never even be able to dream about attending their school.  Their high school performances, for whatever reason, were not up to admission standards.  Their tests scores were not high enough to qualify.  Sometimes that means a kid was lazy in high school and ought to be embarrassed.  Sometimes that means that a 2.4 high school GPA was the best he could do with what he had to work with, and his sport was likely the only reason he hadn't already dropped out of the world of academia.  The SI articles allege that some of these athletes were even functionally illiterate.  This to me speaks less about a scandal and more about a grievous failure on the parts of both the NCAA and the colleges themselves. 

   To generalize, there are basically two kinds of student athletes: good players who love the game, have a good head on their shoulders, will play through their eligibility, get a degree, and move on to live a normal life, and exceptional talents who play college ball as a means to sharpen their skills and get noticed by the pros.  They have no intention of getting a degree, and some of them couldn't get admitted to a major university even if they wanted a degree. (Disclaimer: please don't hear me saying that all exceptional athletes are dumb as dirt.  I am not.) Holding these two athletes to the same standard of academic eligibility is essentially unfair.  Because exceptional talent increases your odds of winning, and increased winning brings in increased revenue, recruiting high-talent athletes makes school a LOT of money.  No one denies that.  And truly, is that a bad thing?  Unfortunately, this may come at the cost of a student.  If you recruit exceptional athletes who are not good students and who have no interest in being good students, you do them a disservice.  You have now dropped a guy who is potentially years behind his peers academically into a classroom that is being taught way above his head, and expecting him to perform at the level of his peers.  Then punishing him when he does not. 

   The way I see it, which is certainly only one perspective, if we want college sports to be held to a standard of rule-keeping and order, which I do, we have two options.   We can change the admission criteria for our student athletes, or we can change the expectations of our student athletes.  If we want college athletes to truly be student athletes, Mr. All-Arounds, I think that's a fine objective.  We need to raise the minimum academic requirements to allow these athletes on the team.  Recruit students who will actually be successful in college, not just on the field.  We also need to be ready for a decline in the level of athleticism we pay to watch.  If we want to watch the highest possible level of athletics at the college level, we need to change our expectations of student athletes and equip them with what will truly help them live a successful life. 

   What if that means we allow them to declare "Professional Athletics" as a course of study?  This would not result in any sort of academic degree, but it could be structured with classes that will give those athletes valuable life skills: public speaking, basic accounting, reading and negotiating contracts, academic remediation if necessary for general courses.  That way, they could be enrolled in classes that would benefit them, that they could be successful in, and that would give them a stepping stone to their next phase of life.  Student athletes who didn't want to go pro could still pursue any degree they choose on scholarship, and those who would have been successful in college under the current system would still be successful.  We just give an option to those who would not have been, other than academic dishonesty.

   This has gotten long, and probably a little ranty.  I see the current college sports situation sort of the way I see healthcare in America.  It's broken.  I don't know how to fix it, but if we want it to last much longer and to actually benefit people, it needs to change.

   What are your thoughts on the SI articles?  The NCAA?  Student athletes? 

   

Happy Fall, Y'all!

   Although the weather has been decidedly un-fall, I decided since Labor Day and come and gone, it is fall.  Fall, that magical time of year when I wear boots and scarves (sometimes regardless of the weather), watch more football than is healthy, and consume so much pumpkin I take on a fake-tan-orange glow.  I love it.  All the best things happen in fall.  State Fairs, college football, Thanksgiving, new school supplies, hearty warm dishes like stew and the aforementioned pumpkin, bonfires and hayrides, apple picking...need I go on?
 
   To celebrate the season, and to encourage it's swift arrival, I spend yesterday fall-izing the house.  That doesn't take long when your apartment is as small as mine.  I don't go all out, but a few changes here and there really go a long way to up the cozy factor.  Here are a few examples:

A collection of things for a centerpiece on the dining room table

I love the bumpy little gourds!  I buy real ones because I don't have storage for faux.

This $5 candle from Wal-Mart gives such a nice scent and glow to the space! It's Apple Cider scented.

Our favorite fall snack, candy corn and peanuts, looks so welcoming with some burlap and more gourds!

 

   In the living room, our rug and furniture are neutral enough to stay year-round.  I used to have a brown and blue patterned rug that I used for spring and summer, and a red rug that I used for fall and winter.  Since we invested in this "grown-up rug" as I call it, we use it year-round.  In spring and summer I have sort of grayed aqua blue silk-look curtains and pillows.  Now I've switched the curtains out in favor of these brown ones with a great nubby texture that just feel warmer, and the pillows are a red and brown plaid and mustard colored velvet.  In retrospect, I should have fluffed the couch cushions.  Oops.  I added a few yummy throws. switched the botanical prints on the adjacent wall (not shown) out for more fallish wildlife, and called it good. 

   I can't wait to make that first pot of stew, wear a scarf and boots without sweating (yeah, I already tried it), and continue rooting on my Cowboys this season!  Better start planning my Thanksgiving menu...

   Do you decorate seasonally?  Have a favorite season?  Get an orange glow too?  Let me know!