Showing posts with label kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kitchen. Show all posts

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Everything...Including the Kitchen Sink

We usually use the word 'but' when we are referring to the kitchen sink.
I can tell you that this idiom has rolled off my tongue many times over the years.


It is Sunday afternoon and I have just finished washing a few dirty dishes by hand.
It is a dreary, rainy day but even the view of the soggy backyard delighted me as I ponder about...
...the kitchen sink.

Does that ever happen to you?
Something sparks a memory or an idea and you know just have to go write it down or you'll forget.
As I filled the sink with the warm, soapy water and began washing the few dishes,
I realized for maybe the first time how enjoyable it actually was.

Am I losing my mind or what??

Oh no...don't even think about asking me to give up my dishwasher.
I waited almost half my life to be blessed with one and I'm not turning loose of it now!
Seriously, I can't even tell you why this feeling came over me all of a sudden.

Here of late, the window over the kitchen sink and the kitchen sink, itself, has been in my thoughts.
I am referring to this in general terms, not necessarily just about mine here at home.
It may have been triggered by this post by Roxy a couple of weeks ago.
She talked about washing dishes and how her kitchen sink and the window above
was her secret place where she prays, thinks and plans her day.
If you haven't read it or aren't familiar with Roxy, you may want to go read it.

Her post got me to reminiscing about when I was a little girl (and also as a big girl)...
and the feeling of comfort I would get when I'd see even the shape of Mom's head,
let alone her face, through the kitchen window as I'd be walking up the sidewalk
coming home from school every day.
There she'd be every afternoon, standing at the kitchen sink as she was preparing dinner.
(actually, it was called supper at my house)
I could count on it.
~
When I think of the kitchen sink, it represents so many things.
It was my first bathtub, even though I don't remember it...


...but pictures don't lie :)

 The kitchen sink would later become a place where three sisters (at times all five of us)
would stand and harmonize to "The Tennessee Waltz" or a favorite Lennon Sisters ballad...
while one washed, one dried and the other(s) put the dishes away.

It represents a broken ring finger where a couple of teenage girls got a little too rambunctious
as they were cleaning up after supper one summer evening.
Flinging one drop of water led to another and another, then to a half a glass...
...and the fight was on!
A trip to the emergency room and a few hours later, the verdict was in...broken.
Dear sister Barbara had to do my dishes for the next six weeks!
I had lost the battle but won the war :)

Years later after I had moved far away from home,
I can close my eyes and I still see the scene playing in my mind...
we'd be coming home for a visit and almost without fail,
there was that same familiar shadow behind the glass as we pulled into the driveway.

The memories are priceless to me.
Thank you again, Roxy for this lovely post of yours.
~
I think these sudden thoughts about the kitchen sink have been reinforced by some recent ponderings.
We have actually been making progress towards planning the farmhouse in Tennessee.
I am currently working on a document for our builder, detailing what we want in our home.
Can you believe it?
Here are a few ideas that we're looking at...





We'll see...they can be very expensive.
To say I'm getting excited would be an understatement.
All things in God's perfect timing.
~
So as I stood there this afternoon with my hands in that warm, soapy water,
I realized that the kitchen sink represented a lot of different things to me.
It isn't just a receptacle that holds water or a place to peel potatoes.


All of a sudden my kitchen sink is overflowing with many things...
sometimes it's dirty dishes, other times it's sweet memories from days gone by.

What does your kitchen sink hold?

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Paint is GOOD


So this cute little sign came across my facebook page the other day.
Knowing what my next project at hand was going to be, I thought how appropriate!
~
When I last posted, I was about to embark on a journey.
A journey to a "new" kitchen, so to speak...
...and the dreaded, yet oh-so-exciting road ahead.
Let us first take a peek at what once was.



This was my kitchen about a year ago.
(please excuse that glaring light in the ceiling, if you will)



Actually, I had removed all of the fruity things and replaced them with a few roostery things
when I brought all of my chickens home to roost after selling Ray's Roost,
our beloved cabin in Virginia last September.
(Man, that was a lot of roosts in one sentence!)
~ 
So many of you have wondered how my cabinet painting has turned out.
Let me just say that this Nuvo Cabinet Paint by Giani has really impressed me so far.
It went on smoooooth like butta and dried (quite quickly I might add)
to a silky satin finish.

{It seems to be really hard to get good photos in here without a flash
so I apologize for the quality of some of these.}


By the time you paint your first coat on the area you are working on,
it's ready for the second coat...not even tacky.
My goal for last Friday was to get this part of the "L" completed of this L-shaped kitchen...


...and I reached that goal.
I removed all hinges, numbered them relating to the doors in the proper order,
and spray painted them along with the screw heads (I stuck them all down into cardboard)
with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint.
I had already replaced the knobs when I painted the counter tops so no update needed there.


BUT...I had to have these new cup drawer pulls!
I really like them a lot and just had to try them on as soon as the paint was dry.
Now, please don't go looking at that ugly green tile floor.
It was already ugly and worn out and the new paint just made it scream...
..."HEY, LOOK AT ME!
I'M UGLY, GREEN AND WORN OUT...
LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!!"

Oh well, I'll only have to live with it for a couple more months...
...new wood flooring will be a much welcomed replacement!
~
So now...........drumroll please............
da-da-da-da-da-da-dummmm....


I am a happy woman...
...tired...but happy.



I am amazed at the brightness.
It's like someone put a 300 watt light bulb in the ceiling fixture.


It also makes that old almond colored stove that came with this 30 year old house,
look pretty ratty too.
It's a great reason to go out and get that new black smooth top I've been wanting :)


Oh, and I do need to tell you that I hit one small road block on my journey.
I ran out of paint...right before I got to those final two little tiny cabinets above the fridge...
wouldn't you just know it?
I didn't realize until later that I didn't need to apply the paint so liberally...
...oh well, another quart is on the way to finish the job and have some to spare for touch-ups.
~
So there you have it.
I really do think change is good...
...and you can really change things with paint.
Therefore, paint is...yes...GOOD!




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Friday, May 22, 2015

Well...here goes nothing!

  
So the Memorial Day weekend is upon us.
It looks as if I won't be chickening out.


The cabinets have been scrubbed and prepared...


...the paint has been opened and stirred...


...and I am hoping that Coconut Espresso will look as good as it should taste.


Pray for me.
I'll need it.
I'll keep you posted :)

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Painted Counter Tops

Well, here it is May of 2015 and I am just now...finally...getting this post published!
This is an old DIY project from way back in 2009...or was it 2010?
 Let me check my Facebook page...it was actually 2010...so back in 2010,
I got to where I just couldn't stand these ugly butcher block-ish laminate counter tops.
Not. One. More. Day.


The bathrooms were just as ugly with a boring white laminate.
Here is the main bath in the hallway.


I had heard of products that you could use to paint counter tops but was always skeptical. After checking out our local Lowe's I saw they had a few products but was not impressed...with the price or the sample of the end results they supplied. So I started checking the internet and that's where I found GianiGranite. (And just so you know, I am doing this post totally on my own...Giani did not pay me anything or ask me to advertise for them. They have no idea who Debby Ray is as far as I know!)
 I can't tell you how many testimonials I read on several different websites that were so favorable along with photos of the finished product.  I decided this would be the product for me and I ordered 2 sets...one in Bombay Black and one in Chocolate Brown. If you click on the link to the website, you will see that there is a wide array of colors to choose from.

The price was also right...each kit was $49.95 and I needed two. New counter tops for a hundred bucks? You bet! I will say that due to the popularity of this product, the price has gone up a bit. I just checked on Amazon and the price for a kit is now around $70. I ordered this from the Giani website five years ago, quite possibly when they were first marketing this product. Oh well...it's still a reasonable price to pay for new counter tops!

****************** 
Preparation is key!
I purchased a heavy duty cleaner and scrubbed the heck out of those old ugly counter tops.
Masking everything off is always the most time consuming step, but oh so necessary.
******************
The kits contain elements for 3 basic steps:
1. Roll on the black primer coat with the little roller that is provided. You will need to let this dry several hours, preferably overnight. One coat does the job.


2. Next you decide on the look you want to achieve. Each kit contains 3 colors of mineral paints that you sponge on, sponge included. The three colors included were silver, copper and white. A black piece of poster board is also included in each kit for you to experiment on first! Once you decide on the look you want, let the fun begin. The lighter color is generally sponged on first, then adding the other two to enhance it. You are the artist here. Work on about a 24" area at a time, blending each area as you go so as not to see lines of demarcation anywhere. Most of us have probably done a sponge painting technique on something or other so just have fun with your design.


3. The last step is applying the shiny acrylic finish. This is also applied with the roller that is provided and a smaller brush to get into the corners and detailed areas. It has been so long that I don't remember if it is just one coat or two (very good directions and a DVD are included) but I do know that you do not want to use too much or it will dry with a milky appearance...especially on the very dark colored kits.



I also did the hall bathroom's vanity using the Chocolate Brown kit.
 I was very impressed with these color combinations...
...the three colors of the mineral paints included were gold, copper and dark bown.
 The base of all both of these kits were the flat back, pictured above.


As you can see, it has a brilliant shine! It's probably a good thing that I postponed publishing this to be able to tell you how it has held up. It has now been five years and let me just say, I have been amazed! Now, the kitchen counter gets more wear and tear of course and you will not want to set hot pans or dishes directly on it...nor will you want to leave standing water or moisture it on it for long. It will create a temporary milky spot but nothing more than wiping it dry is needed and it will disappear in a matter of a minute or two.


Here are photos showing more detail of the granite look on both countops.
I do apologize for the qualityof the photo...as you can see, it was dark outside...
...but notice the shine still?
Five years later, it's still there!


Below is the counter top after I gave the back splash a faux "punched tin" makeover,
also an older project from a couple of years ago.
You can read about it here.


I am just so glad to finally get this post published!
 

My next project will be HUGE and I keep putting it off!
Giani now makes a cabinet paint that I have researched and finally purchased.
The kit has been sitting in the closet for a few months now as I work up my nerve.
The paint is a soft white...
...and with the new hard woods floors I will be gettiing soon, it should look really good!
I have a four-day weekend coming soon on Memorial Day weekend.
The hubby will be working the whole time...
...hmmm...
...will I be able to fianlly get my nerve up??
If I do and it turns out good, you'll certainly know about it, won't you?

Monday, July 22, 2013

"Punched Tin" Backsplash

Hello, my friends!
Today I am digging deep down into the archives to share this again.
This is a post from 2013 and I'm linking to Stephanie's Roses of Inspiration.
There have been a few changes in decor since I posted this,
but in a few few weeks, I will be .....(drumroll please)....
...PAINTING MY CABINETS!
~
Please pray for me!
Hopefully the next photos of my kitchen will reveal lovely white cabinets!
 
Stay tuned...
 

I have always loved the look of old fashioned punched tin. I didn't know where I would get my hands on anything that would even come close except for those panels you can buy at Lowe's. I actually bought a piece to try it but it was going to be pain to cut and I would need quite a few pieces to go all the way around my counters. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm all about getting it done...as cheap as possible...and these pieces were about $20 a sheet. Well, while I was looking around at Lowe's the same day I returned that sheet I had purchased, I found this textured wallpaper. The whole roll was less than one sheet of that! Sorry, I don't have a picture of the unpainted roll...it's just...white.


It is a thick, embossed white wallpaper which comes in several patterns...and then I got a brilliant idea...spray paint, one my favorite things. First of all, I cut all the pieces that I needed, took them outside and gave them each a few coats...the more you spray, the shinier it will become. It actually dried pretty fast and then I glued it to the backsplash with wallpaper paste.


I was really very pleased with the results!


My next challenge is to give it and "older" look somehow...maybe I will try a little antiquing finish of some sort. Hmm...some Old English maybe? I'll let you know!


Thanks for stopping by!

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