Did I say it was time for some serious blogging?  I meant PAINTING.  Turns out I couldn't resist my Pinterest pins on my KitchenReDo board any longer and gave in.  Many teachers out there will understand and sympathize.  There is a small, very small, window of opportunity to begin (and sometimes finish) home improvement projects on a teacher's calendar.  You see, there is about a two or three week period of time between the end of summer school and the start of school supply sales that I usually tackle a time consuming project that couldn't be done otherwise.  To prove my point, you will find proof below of several summer projects that I have engaged in over the course of the last three years or so.  We absolutely love our 100-year-old house and wouldn't think of living anywhere else.  However, we can live without wall-to-wall carpeting, industrial ceilings and archaic range hoods.

It's fun to note that it is usually during these times that we eat more take-out and frozen pizzas than any other time of the year.  Not that I am known for my culinary expertise (see below) but when I am in the middle of a project I don't stop to make food.  Thank goodness my two kids are old enough to not only make themselves cereal or a PB&J, but the 13 y.o. has recently learned how to broil hamburgers in the oven.  SCORE!

Now, for a trip down memory lane...

In 2010, my husband came home from work on a sunny summer day to find that I had ripped out the carpet on the stairs.

The carpet was about 28 years old and from the pictures it was still in "decent" condition but it was gray carpet.  We have two kids and a five-year-old Viszla.  This was not going to remain gray for long.

This is before I tackled the refinishing.

In 2012, I ripped up the carpet on our first floor to reveal hardwoods in need of refinishing.  Have I refinished them yet?  Nope.  Only had time to rip out the carpet, scrape the boards below, wash them and put it all back together.  Then it was time to shop for pencils!
 

Two years after the steps, I finally decided to yank the carpet in the foyer, living room and dining room.

After the carpet was removed we discovered some awful tiles that had to be scraped off.  Don't look at the floor begging to be refinished.  Look only at the stairs.  Aren't they pretty?

In 2011, I removed an ugly ceiling in our office to reveal wooden boards that I was not courageous enough to remove so I just painted them a pretty green.  By the time I put it all back together it was time to start shopping back-to-school sales and I didn't have time to install a new light fixture.  Three years later we are still operating with a plug-in lamp. 
 

Ugly industrial ceiling had to go!

Still not the prettiest but a lot less commercial. 

Of course most people choose this sweet spot in the summer calendar to VACATION, but not me!  My poor family will never know the true meaning of summer vacation... 


Anyway, fast forward to 2013.  I started taking the kitchen cabinet doors off on Monday and my (sweet, adorable, super patient and tolerant) husband was putting them back up on Friday night.  He texted me pictures of the final look while I was at the big box store picking out wall colors and I made the paint worker man look through the "before and afters" on my phone.  He was thrilled, I'm sure...

Now please understand that the yellow cabinets are the "after." 

AFTER                                                                                BEFORE

The cupboards were in great condition but needed a facelift.  I was very, very scared to tackle this project.  In fact, as my daughter and I were walking into the home improvement store I asked her, "Do you think I can do this?"  She was surprised by my hesitancy but assured me it would be no problem.  I was envious of her 10-year-old optimism but in the end it turned out better than I could have hoped for.  Technically we are still not done as we have tile for the backsplash that is waiting to be installed.  I'll be sure to post pictures when that is finished.  

AFTER                                                                                  BEFORE

The appliances will slowly be converted to shiny new stainless steel as we can afford it.  For now, we are thrilled with the new range hood.  The kitchen was last remodeled in 1979 but the range hood was the only appliance that hadn't been updated in the last 34 years. 

AFTER                                                                            BEFORE

I thought that with a new look I would like to cook but alas, that is not the case.  However, it makes drinking a glass of wine while watching the hubby cook much more enjoyable!

Watch for more kitchen pictures to come.  (I'll try to make sure they're not so blurry.) We still have to decide on window treatments but since it took me over a year to decide to take the plunge on THIS massive project and two months to choose a color, I predict window treatments and wall decor around Thanksgiving break.  


Now, it's time to go hit some school supply sales!!!  Eek!  I can't wait!  I ♥ stacking looseleaf paper in my cart next to stacks and stacks of spirals.  By the way, how come kids don't call them spirals anymore?  The first time I ask them to "Take out your spiral" they look at me like I just arrived here from another planet.  I have to clarify, "Your NOTEBOOK.  Take out your notebook!" lol

Hopefully my next post will have something to do with teaching... :)


RW&BT