Woodlawn

Woodlawn // kitchen update + lists

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Oh, people. I think I may have just completed my most overwhelming, crazy week ever. Not only was this the week we flew in Dan's amazingly talented carpenter-brother for a week of hard-core kitchen bootcamp, it was also the week I started a new job with BabyCenter, had vets coming to our house for every species of animal, dentist appointments for all my girls, and began to really feel the stress (and my unpreparedness) about the fact that I have two plump sheep in the barn who could quite possibly give birth at the end of the month, just as we are getting ready to move. 

If stress burned calories, I'd be set. 

But, you know I'll look back on all this some day and laugh, right? And I'll have great stories, right? And it's all worth it, right? Saturday night, Dan sat, exhausted, at the dinner table after working since the wee hours that morning and said "you know what, I changed my mind, I don't want to move." (For the record, he'd had wine, but no coffee yet, and he had to go back for another several hours of work before he could collapse into bed.) 

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But, we are moving people. And we'll get past this and it will be worth it, at some point. I'm just having to keep my eyes focused on that tiny bit of light at the end of a very long, uphill, in a snowstorm-tunnel that we're walking through right now. 

There are much worse things to have overwhelming your life. I'm not losing sight of that.

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Moving on….phew! So, we made progress this week! 

The kitchen cabinets FINALLY arrived on Friday, the absolute last day they could arrive without Dan's brother's trip out to help being a total bust. (Martha Stewart would not be pleased with the disorganization of "her cabinet makers".) 

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Water lines and electricity were moved and added. 

Floors were finished. 

Late nights were pulled. 

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Counter tops were installed.

Sinks were found in the discount bin (yay!) and installed.

Lunches and coffees and mid-morning breadkfast sandwiches were carted back and forth.

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Meals were eaten on top of washers and dryers and sitting on steps and five gallon buckets. 

Yesterday morning after Dan dropped his brother off at the airport, we all met back at the house. And our tiny crew of workers broke down boxes and swept sawdust and opened and closed the refrigerator door a bajillion times and got pretty geeked out over crushed ice. 

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We're moving forward. The press is on. The kitchen isn't finished, but it looks like a kitchen! Once the kitchen is finished the next big hurdle is bathrooms. God love 'em, not a single bathroom works completely. We will have to shower in one, go the bathroom in another, and wash hands in the kitchen sink. 

But hey, I've lived a long time with my shower that requires a wrench to turn it on and another tool to adjust the temperature. I can live with this for awhile, too. 

More soon, my friends. And most importantly, thanks for following along and letting me unload my overwhelming moments.

Untitled

Oh, people. I think I may have just completed my most overwhelming, crazy week ever. Not only was this the week we flew in Dan’s amazingly talented carpenter-brother for a week of hard-core kitchen bootcamp, it was also the week I started a new job with BabyCenter, had vets coming to our house for every species of animal, dentist appointments for all my girls, and began to really feel the stress (and my unpreparedness) about the fact that I have two plump sheep in the barn who could quite possibly give birth at the end of the month, just as we are getting ready to move. 

 

If stress burned calories, I’d be set. 

 

But, you know I’ll look back on all this some day and laugh, right? And I’ll have great stories, right? And it’s all worth it, right? Saturday night, Dan sat, exhausted, at the dinner table after working since the wee hours that morning and said “you know what, I changed my mind, I don’t want to move.” (For the record, he’d had wine, but no coffee yet, and he had to go back for another several hours of work before he could collapse into bed.) 

Untitled

But, we are moving people. And we’ll get past this and it will be worth it, at some point. I’m just having to keep my eyes focused on that tiny bit of light at the end of a very long, uphill, in a snowstorm-tunnel that we’re walking through right now. 

 

There are much worse things to have overwhelming your life. I’m not losing sight of that.

DSC_0005

Moving on….phew! So, we made progress this week! 

 

The kitchen cabinets FINALLY arrived on Friday, the absolute last day they could arrive without Dan’s brother’s trip out to help being a total bust. (Martha Stewart would not be pleased with the disorganization of “her cabinet makers”.) 

DSC_0008

Water lines and electricity were moved and added. 

 

Floors were finished. 

 

Late nights were pulled. 

DSC_0010

Counter tops were installed. We’d already reserved a section of the counter top for a electronic appliance, and thought that the best convection toaster oven that we’d set our sight on years ago made the perfect fit.

 

Sinks were found in the discount bin (yay!) and installed.

 

Lunches and coffees and mid-morning breadkfast sandwiches were carted back and forth.

DSC_0012

Meals were eaten on top of washers and dryers and sitting on steps and five gallon buckets. 

 

Yesterday morning after Dan dropped his brother off at the airport, we all met back at the house. And our tiny crew of workers broke down boxes and swept sawdust and opened and closed the refrigerator door a bajillion times and got pretty geeked out over crushed ice. 

DSC_0003

We’re moving forward. The press is on. The kitchen isn’t finished, but it looks like a kitchen! Once the kitchen is finished the next big hurdle is bathrooms. God love ’em, not a single bathroom works completely. We will have to shower in one, go the bathroom in another, and wash hands in the kitchen sink. 

 

But hey, I’ve lived a long time with my shower that requires a wrench to turn it on and another tool to adjust the temperature. I can live with this for awhile, too. 

 

More soon, my friends. And most importantly, thanks for following along and letting me unload my overwhelming moments.

19 comments on “Woodlawn // kitchen update + lists”

  1. Seriously, I’m just impressed that you’re really doing this. It’s so easy to talk and dream about doing home renovations, but actually doing them always seems completely overwhelming. We’re moving soon to our first house in the country, and while it’s functional, there are some things we want to change about it once we move in. I will keep your ongoing home-renovation saga in mind as inspiration so we don’t get too comfortable just making it work and actually make it what we want. Thank you for sharing your journey!

  2. The kitchen looks fantastic and moving is always incredibly stressful… especially when renovations are involved. But like you said, ‘this too shall pass’, and the pain will become a distant memory and you will be making beautiful memories in your beautiful new house with your beautiful family.

    Thank you for sharing your journey… hang in there!

  3. It looks amazing! These little glimpses make me want to see a tour of the whole house! Did you paint the trim & walls in the rooms or was it already those colors? I seriously love it….

  4. Oh dear. Just remember this: chances are ever in your favor that those ewes will know exactly (and far better than you) what to do when their times come. And it will all be fine. And there will be lambs, the very best stress-reliever EVER. Mmmmn. Lambs. Eyes on the prize, Molly!

  5. I love your crew at work! When we bought our first very own house (in our 40 s with 4 teens) there was a lot of work that needed doing and my own crew were set to work sanding, painting, stripping wall paper, pulling down ceilings and walls etc. The sense of ownership they feel about that house is lovely.

    And as for stresses, yes I know all about that too ( having been diagnosed with cancer 3 days after my husband lost his job = no medical insurance). Find what works to make you sleep as that’s half the battle. For me it was audiobooks….turned my mind off when I went to sleep.

    I cant wait to see more of your lovely new home and I hope we will see some lamb photos too!

  6. it’s gonna be amazing. it already is! and it’s worth every single bump in the road and stressful day! it will make you appreciate it in the end even MORE! i lived without a shower AND a tub for almost a year. you can do it! i also lived without a real kitchen for a year! what an amazing place! xo

  7. Molly, it is AMAZING. I get the work — I truly do! When we moved into our house, we had 5 windows out (hello, blue tarps!). We lived in a construction zone for a good long while. Your house has HOME written all over it. Keep on, keeping on! xo

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