Fridge ✓; cooktop ✓

Discovering a frozen watermelon in the fridge this fine morning was good enough reason to finally purchase a few more appliances.  Fridge had been acting up for a while, but I was holding out, waiting for the tile to be laid. After having my appliance picks sitting in storage the shopping cart for MONTHS, I am soon, one less frozen and soured fruit away from an accessorized kitchen.


I had tried buying the fridge a few months ago too, when I discovered a state wide rebate program. 350$ rebate for a new Tier III energy saver fridge. The fridge I have wanted IS a Tier III energy saver, but while I went home to confirm one last time that the measurements would work, 10,000 other people went and bought a Tier III appliance. The 3.5 million dollar program SOLD OUT IN A DAY. Nuts!

But this morning, with a frozen watermelon in one hand and a few more days to wait for the tile to be laid, I decided to buy now and take the 15% discount AND two 40$ rebates being offered, one that would end today. There was no ifs about my selection; I have been eying this sweet bottom drawer freezer, for sometime.  Although the kitchen is not ready, there is room in my living room for a fridge along with the oven that has been sitting there for a few months.

And the cooktop, well that was in the shopping cart too and is now on its way! When my contractor/electrician had come a few months ago, we discovered a gas line led directly below where I wanted to relocate my cook area. Perfect. Gas cooktop was my preference but I wasn't going to extremes to make that happen. And then I discovered a GLASS on GAS cooktop, and fell off my chair. Sleek and cool and clean.  I had called into Ikea to make sure their cabinets could handle other appliances, compared the instructions versus Framtid stove versus the cooktop and it should all fit together. Ikeas appliances, although funny names, are made by Whirlpool and so is the cooktop I ordered, so that should make for a seamless fit.

A round up of kitchen things stored throughout my house, everywhere BUT in the kitchen:

Tile ✓ - a 12x18 Daltile, Asian black porcelain.
Chosen for its size and price. I originally wanted 6x6 slate, but was tiring myself out and didn't want to spend a minute more thinking about flooring. Found this and decided a LARGER size would work great. Weight of porcelain and hopefully ease of installing it were huge factors. 

Oven ✓ - 30" Framtid, Ikea
Chosen for its KNOBS!!!!! I didnt want an electronic panel.

Cabinets ✓ (50%) - white birch, Ikea. 
Drawn to Ikea for its varied sizes, widths, options, $$ AND able to create layout first and then select drawer front rather then having to choose a drawer front first and then see if it has the cabinets you need (ugh), will not mention that big box store, I like them for other things.

Fridge ✓ - Maytag Ecoconserve, 18 cubic feet.
How could I NOT choose this sweet Fridge. Chosen for its extra SUPER ECOCONSERVE POWERS!!! And lower pull out drawer freezer. And reversible door. And perfect size for my kitchen. I'll being taking advantage of the reversible door and swinging out to the left.

Cooktop ✓ -  30" Whirlpool Gold, Glass on Gas. 
Need I say more. Actually, I was fusing about the knob placement, hope I get used to that. And the empty space in the middle, but that should be useful for a jar of wooden spoon. I do like the simmer burner AND the POWER burners, cast iron grates and ease of sliding pot full of goodness across the seamless grates


Got everything. Yep, everything but the kitchen sink.

Backyard update

Defeated not, I took advantage of a non-scheduled evening last night; darted over to Lowes for some landscaping purchases.  After failed attempts on the weekend (including research, farmers markets and other landscaping options) and not wanting to wait a minute longer, I chose the other route, buying what was available and what was instantly pleasing and would hopefully create a layered green corner.

Our picks, maybe not all so green, but colour is always good.

Motivated and started digging, things are coming together.

Some WIP, and current comparison pictures...the entire back of the house last fall, building the pea gravel patio

Sept 2011

Oct 2011

In the above pictures you can see a huge "bad" maple tree.  Mid-snowless winter, I called up a stump crusher to remove the bad tree and clump, opening up the north side of house.

Jan 2012

Jan 2012

Added a "Parisian Balcony" and slide in March.

March 2012

The past few weeks work has been focused on that stumpless corner and opening (will have to take a full rear house picture). I planted some bleeding hearts and lily of the valley on the north side of house, beyond the temporary gate. Placed a couple huge stepping stones under the temporary gate. I need a few more large stones, which will lead into the dry stream bed.  And last night, the shade tree (for the bleeding hearts)  and shrubs for the layered corner.

May 2012

I also picked up a rose for another corner of the house. Last year there was a dead rotted bush, Stump Crusher cleared that out too.

There is still lots to do, including calling in stump crusher again (a few clumps growing in the side fence), replacing fence and most pressing, getting a new spade ...

I survived a scratch to my collar bone. Luckily the shovel didn't snap into my face. The other plants, hopefully will survive a few days in their pots.

Oriental poppy

I see this beautiful flower all around my neighbourhood. I had guess it was some kind of poppy but couldn't match it to anything online. Last night, on our landscaping run (will post shortly), we swung by this corner, shot a picture and took it to the professionals. Discovered its name, Perennial Oriental Poppy, which they did not carry, but advised us to go back to the corner and scoop some seeds. Isn't it beautiful!

Moseying along

Things are quiet, but not idle over here.  Amidst the creative process of kitchen renovation and putting the house together.  WAITING for the rebuild to take place and am SO anxious to do some organizing and decorating, but am somehow paralyzed at tackling any other room until some progress happens in the kitchen.  Ready to display my plates and other objects, pretty things to catch my eye while glancing around ... will be a nice change from seeing holes in the walls and dark, dirty looking sub-floors.

Pie plate via Anthropologie

 Ready to buy and spruce up the hard labor with pleasantries but stopping myself just before the send button. Thank goodness for online window shopping and bookmarking

Butterfly chairs via gardeners.com

Amidst the creative process; the waiting and working and planning while things fall into place. Yesterday I was nodding in agreement while reading a post on the The Improvised Life blog. The middle of the project, before things fall into place.  I am there. I have been there. This is real. A year long kitchen renovation.

slow and steady, actually, too slow, but where is all my energy.

The tile arrived last week and we carried the thirteen boxes into the living room. The contractor went on a holiday and will be working with me as soon as he returns!  While the kitchen waits, I worked in the backyard. Hauled a few buckets of pea gravel, filling in around the stones.


Sorting stones and testing water flow in the dry stream bed.

Online research and deciding on some plants and trees and shrubs for landscaping, then driving around and not able to find them.  Picked up a few organic tomato plants and mushroom compost and planted them near the random chamomile. Some progress; some thwarted plans and more research to do.

 In some ways this is my pace, slow and steady. And it is a good time to have this moseying pace as we are busy with BBQ's and extra curricular activities ending and beginning, our crossover season. Violin and swimming ending, Baseball and soccer starting.  I suppose I should appreciate this renovation pace at the moment. Lay down and enjoy the warmth.

enjoying the warmth from the stones

Baby style - Mixing patterns

Lucy comes to work with me on Mondays. Mid morning we take a walk around the neighbourhood. Its mighty hot out today, but that allowed us to try out a new, light weight and sweet outfit. A mix match from H&M. Vertical and horizontal striped blouse in the girls section and circle patterned bloomers in the baby section. (Yea, she is petite.)
 

She has a new to her favourite toy, like a purse, carrying it everywhere she goes. I wont go into details on how she acquired it as I wasn't there, but I hear there was lots of screaming, tears and broken hearts. However, she clearly loves this raggedy, floppy bear as she cares for it ... feeding it, wrapping it in blankets, napping it, walking it and bringing an extra sou sou (pacifier/binky) for it. And, protecting it from the paparazzi.

Shirt: H&M - toddler section
Bloomers - H&M baby section
Sandals - OshKosh

Accessories: Raggedy Bear, stolen from a baby!!!

Violin concert

Squinting, as we moved out of the shaded area for a picture; reluctantly posing and going to concert.

Beautiful evening sunlight, beautiful boy.

Etude, single and double bowing.

Groovy twinkle, in C

Back home and relaxed.

Dressed up, picture op.

xxoo

Tile, ahoy

Thirteen boxes and a pallet landed in my driveway yesterday afternoon. Let the kitchen rebuilding begin!

Weekend bits

 

Childhood memories Chinook Cres, circa 1972, fondly remembering tiny blue flowers dangling like a bell, growing along side our house and fixing up the seldom visited far side of house.  I cannot locate that exact flower; it wasn't Virginia Blue Bells nor Lily of the Valley. Perhaps the Canterbury Bell Flower, but I recall the flower being a paler shade of blue. I settled on white Bleeding Hearts and the rare pink Lily of the Valley.  The soil was perfect for these flowers as they do best in shade and mulch. This area was where the stump crusher took care of a bad tree and left the root to rot. If its too late this spring for blooms, I least I FINALLY got them in for the next year!

I need one more large stone, for the last step. Eventually an arbor, climbing vines and a skinny tall cedar tree to provide more shade for the little, soon-to-be, bell flowers. For now, I will plant some Morning Glories to decorate the chain link pole.

Revisiting my bucket carting pea gravel of yesteryear ... I had two garbage cans of pea gravel left over from last falls pea gravel patio. Using this to fill in between the temporary stone patio behind the slide. Made a bit of progress this weekend.

And a Sunday morning outing,
 
Sweet toddlerhood, oblivious to any tension, enjoyed the walk stroll around Green Lakes, and as the loop ended the boys' enthusiasm picked up, but the silent tension following me, I couldn't get further away. Trying to deflect those angry vibes, crossed arms, following 8 feet behind us. I didnt know what his issue was, but ugh, shake it off. I couldn't wait to be back home where it was bound to be more relaxed.  By the time we got to the beach, Lucy, skipping and twirling across the empty warm sand, the boy lit up at the site of the challenge course. We were happier, at least the three of us.

Back home we built a chimney smoking grill and then borrowed the neighbours  lawn mower and cut the hay field backyard.  WOW.  The ease of using the gas powered lawn mower was freeing, and  enjoyable and rewarding. The backyard had over grown as my reel mower sat in the garage, waiting to get sharpened and I knew by the time I got a chance to get it to the knife sharpener, the grass would be unmanageable for a reel. Been there done that.  A last attempt to control the growth, I lugged out the weed whacker, filled it with mixed gas and discovered a hole in the gas tank! The squirrels had gnawed on it all winter, siphoning some gas to eat????.  Maybe a blessing.  Fifteen minutes with the borrowed mower, I learned that my time and energy are priorities and its time I trade in the reel mower for a gas, or perhaps a battery operated mower.   Adios my beloved reel mower, owned and loved and well used for 7 years.

My mom arriving shortly after, we were able to sit and relax and eat our first outdoor grilled burgers. My son, a chef in training, he made the patties and did the flipping.