I was going to title this “One of those weeks…”, but I realize that I pretty much have started all my posts like that recently.
Well, there is a reason for that. 2012 has started with a bit of a bumpy ride.
And, that continued this week, as Bri and I finalized our plans to renovate our kitchen (on a tight budget!), we woke up on thursday to a thud, thump, pop, pop, thud as our boiler decided to die.
The boiler is original to the house (1965) and if you would have asked me to place a price tag on it for a yard sale, I probably would have started with about $5. It’s an ugly old box, with lots of pipes, buttons and gadgets attached to it. I certainly doesn’t look like it should have a price tag similar to that of a kitchen renovation.
The good news is that we don’t actually have to replace the entire thing, but between the parts and labor, it’s going to take a significant portion of the budget that we had set aside for our Spring kitchen reno.
So, Friday night (after a HORRIBLE @#$&ing week at the office…) and, after some tears and wine, my incredibly kind, loving and patient husband took his stressed out, horribly upset and crying wife to IKEA to figure out some temporary updates to the kitchen.
So, I present to you, my “I want to reno the kitchen, but have to put all the money towards a boiler instead” kitchen update:
BEFORE
(I couldn’t get the damn dog out of the picture… he’d wait until he heard the whirl of the camera and run to the middle of the floor… you win some, you lose some)
AFTER
Mer’s World Cheap/Quick Kitchen Reno Details
To Do:
1) Analyze the space and figure out what you use the most and what you don’t.
2) Eliminate the elements that you don’t use- furniture, books, appliances, knick knacks, etc. Don’t hold back! Think about donating some of the items to charity organizations or selling on Craigslist, eBay, etc.
3) Clean. Everything. Get as much stuff out of the room/area as possible and clean everything.
To Buy:
1) IKEA Stenstorp Kitchen Island, $379
2) IKEA Ingolf Bar Stool, $59.99
3) New throw rugs (from IKEA and basement 
), $5.99-$29.99
What do you think? Like it? I was really pleased with the way it looks! It opens up the space, gives us a place to eat/prep/sit/drink wine and it feels much lighter in there without the big rug. And, it buys us some time to recover from the boiler blowup of 2012.
Entryway Update
BEFORE
AFTER
This was a really easy update! I love the idea of repurposing pieces of furniture that are versatile and multi-functional. This was the table that you see featured above in the kitchen ‘before’ picture. It was tucked away under the window, and rarely got used, except as a dumping ground for mail, veggies/fruits and cat butts to chase birds in the backyard.
I’m going to reuse the desk upstairs, so I moved it away (and took a large trash bag to dispose of all the contents, clutter)! I used the dropleaf table to provide a ‘landing zone’ as you come into the house. I’m going to keep my eyes open (around my house!) for a small basket for keys, cell phones, etc. For now, the lovely Waterford crystal bowl (wedding gift!) will work just fine!
I actually think it opens the space up and it makes it feel a little more formal, since it’s tied to our living room and blends more with the furniture that is there.
I treated my stress this week with lots of needlepoint. And, simple needlepoint. Back to the basics with the basketweave and simple silk fibers. This is a Nutcracker star by Shelly Tribbey, stitched using Vineyard silks. I’m going to finish it to be a star tree topper for Christmas next year.
I figured that the Nutrcracker topper will go perfectly with my new Nutcracker suite of ornaments. I’m starting with the Rat King. This has special meaning, since I danced in a production of the Nutcracker for many years and one of my favorite parts was adapting the Rat King to the ‘Rat Queen’. I’m going to follow some of Anne’s stitch guide (found finished on her website here), but will also chart my own adaptations as well!
And, I found a great new set of magnets. Perfect for stitching on frames and in great patterns and fun designs.
Also, an update on ‘Yoga Girl’. She is almost finished! WOOHOO!
I finally got her yoga mat finished (Woven stitch, can’t remember the fiber used!).
And, finished her ‘blinging’ yoga pants with a beaded belt. Don’t the bead colors play off all the other colors in a fun, sparkly way? I love the look!
Since my bad week has leaked into the weekend, with this post taking more than an hour to prep between internet uploads and crashing browsers, I’m going to grab another cup of coffee, download some Whitney Houston onto my iPod and fit in a little workout. Then, it’s back to the couch for stitching and a LOST marathon. We are just about to finish Season 3 and I am on the edge of my seat!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Be sure and drop me a line if you have any other quick kitchen updates, or you want to share boiler horror stories!
XO, Mer
