If You Give a Girl a Kitchen...

 Have you all read the children's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?"  Well, we have pretty much been living a grown up version of this for the past 7 days, and for those of you who don't know the premise, it starts with something small, which very quickly snowballs from one thing to another, leading the main character of the story (me and my family) incredibly exhausted but very happy. 

The past week went a little something like this...

Last week, I spoke with the incredibly talented, beautiful, and lovely Sarah Winchester, from Sarah Winchester studios, who agreed to come and shoot our home on Wednesday the 19th.  That same week I wrote this post about how I was dying to do something with our kitchen cabinets, since the whole thing no longer went with the rest of our house. 

This is a picture from the morning of. 

On Thursday, I reached out to a few contractors who were available to paint the cabinets.  Early in the morning I spoke with one of them, and by noon the first coat of black paint was going up on the cabinets.  There is nothing like the thought of a professional photographer coming to your house, to really get the ball rolling, right? 

On Friday, I again met with our new contractor, after expediting the hardware, and both of us were concerned about how the finish on the cabinets was coming out.  I wanted a glossy black, and while they were definitely black, they weren't really drying right, nor was the paint sticking like it should. Late Friday night, we spoke about the project continuing through the weekend, and she mentioned that since they would still be doing the cabinets, if I really wanted the butcher block countertop of my dreams, this would be a great time to do it. 

Well, if you give a girl a new kitchen...

After a brief pow wow with my husband, we decided to go for it, and by Saturday evening our kitchen looked a little something like this. 

In the middle of the night, I woke up, and pondered whether we would have enough butcher block left over to also do the vanity in the boy's bathroom, which we have truly hated since day one.  Early Sunday, we touched base, and to my delight she said that "yes, it could be done! " Good bye horrible, horrible marble!  On Sunday, or Monday (at this point I was delirious) the countertops went on, and I tell you, they took my breath away they were so good.  For the boys vanity, I picked up a quart of Navy BEHR paint, and when I saw the final outcome, I gasped, stating that I would have chosen navy from the beginning (obviously, given my obsession) if I had known I was re-doing the countertops.  I guess the paint was going on so well, that she said if I wanted to go that route with the upstairs cabinets, this is absolutely something that can be done. OH MY GAWD, was the response I used. Oh, and at some point we also ordered a kitchen sink (it's all a blur.)

Here's a little preview of the boy's bathroom.

Tuesday, the cabinets were painted at her house.  At ours I laughed, I cried, I cleaned an entire apartment full of construction dust and debris, but dammit, I had stunning countertops. 

 On Wednesday, literally at the crack of dawn,  the cabinets were installed and the final touches were being put on as Sarah was walking in the door.  The hardware arrived a day late, leaving my sister and I to install it, which somehow us amateurs were able to do, and the rest, as they say is history. 

I'm not going to give away the full reveal (I know, such a tease) but here is a little peek at the final outcome. 

Just seeing this picture brings a tear to my eyes! This little (turned big) project really was the last piece in my 6 year renovation.  It's like what people say about the number of children they have, you only know you are done when you KNOW you are done.  I can unequivocally say there is not one thing I would change in my home, and I can only hope that we never move.  Every inch reflects my personality so perfectly and I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful that I get to call this my home.

Tonight, I get to cook in this kitchen for the first time, and I can tell you that nothing that could make me more excited!

So, so much more to come... stay tuned!