Phew!

I have to admit that I am excited for June to come to an end, only because I am maxed out right now! We’ve had a whirlwind month that included a bridal shower, bachelor party, wedding, kitchen remodel, work conference, graduate school, and work. I have to say I am looking forward to a quiet July filled with studying for my comprehensive exam, going to work, and watching movies on the weekend. It may sound boring to you, but I’ve got to recharge for an eventful August.

I’ve stopped with the projects until comps are done, but I am itching to start meddling with fabric again!

The Best Summer Idea So Far

Iced Tea from a Jar

I am very excited because, thanks to this Angry Chicken blog post, I am  drinking great homemade iced tea! I’ve been buying my iced tea at Trader Joe’s lately because I am not very good at remembering to make sun tea or plan ahead, but this jar idea is so easy that I had to try it. Now I am hooked! All you have to do is brew a strong tea in a  mason jar, chill it, and pour a small amount into a glass and fill the rest with water and ice. I’ve brewed Red Zinger and a black peppermint tea as the pilot products. So good.

Transitions

It’s been quite a week, with many major transitions happening to people I know. I wanted to take the time to recognize them.

First, congratulations are in order to my cousin, Danielle, and her husband, Hamid. They welcomed their baby girl, Laila, on Thursday. I wish them the best of luck as they begin their lives as parents.

Second, Steve and I spent a wonderful long weekend in north Jersey, celebrating the marriage of our friends, Sam and Charissa. The wedding was a lot of fun: they were the perfect bride and groom. It was great to reconnect with Steve’s high school buddies and spend some time catching up with the happenings in their lives.

Finally, a more somber note. My mentor, Laura, is facing a difficult transition. One of her best friends of more than thirty years is losing her battle with cancer. I am keeping Marilyn and her family in my thoughts right now.

With these transitions, I find myself humble on this peaceful and warm summer night. Life is humbling and awe inspiring, and I feel lucky to have this time to reflect on the good and the bad that come our way.

Away We Go!

We’re travelling to north Jersey today to celebrate friends Sam and Charissa at their wedding. Congrats to them!

Officially Officialled Out

Despite the “summer” label that we’ve officially accepted  on the calendar, it’s not feeling like summer. I find myself strung to “official” commitments coming up, and it’s making me a little crazy! I’ve been called in for federal jury duty next week, which requires at least two days of my time, and I’ve been flitting around trying to get all of my official paperwork in for my graduate program’s comprehensive exam and my subsequent graduation . And with my comp exam date fast approaching, I’ve got to get down to business and study.

I hate to sound so cranky, and there are some really fun things coming up too. First, we’ve got a fantastic wedding this Friday, and I am super excited about the Fourth of July fireworks. I love the Fourth and look forward to it every year. I’ll make sure to post some happy posts on these exciting events in spite of my summer drudgery.

I have the color wheel quilt, patchwork table runners, and other projects taunting me as well! But I’ve promised myself that I will not dive into fun  stuff until after July 10.

A New Breakfast Treat!

When we were in Minneapolis last month, we encountered a great new breakfast food: the Danish Æbleskiver. These little round fruit-filled (or, in Steve’s case, chocolate-filled) pancakes are delicious! My mom found a pan to make the pancakes and sent it to us this week. To commemorate our kitchen project being finished, we decided to make these for a Friday morning breakfast. We filled them with chocolate chips and blueberry catsup. Yum yum!

Kitchen Conquered!

We’ve conquered the kitchen . . . finally!

Last night, after three weeks of hard work in the kitchen and a few months of thinking about the project, we finally assembled our “modern country” kitchen and reveled in the finished product. Though at times the project appeared to be impossible, we finished the darn thing.

Despite sore backs, tens of trips to home depot, and some serious cursing, we couldn’t be happier with the project. We gained good lighting, a new floor, a new faucet, a dishwasher, and a butcher-block kitchen island. Gone are the ugly vinyl floor, vertical blinds, and the dish rack!

So, to get on with it all, here are some pics of the kitchen before , during, and after our project. I wish the pictures did the space better justice!

BEFORE (a few incarnations: first when we bought the place, then soon after we moved in, and then last year)

Before We Moved In

Our First Go-round In the Kitchen

Last Summer: We Brightened Up the Walls

DURING

Last Week's Chaos!

Abe and the Old Floor

Kitchen Packed into Living Room

New Floor!

Napoleon Checking the Floors

AFTER (the current kitchen)

Our New Island

No More Vertical Blinds!

The Bar Area

Roosters, Decorative Tile, and a New Faucet, Oh My!

When Will We Be Done?

I am starting to realize that any time you refresh your kitchen, there are going to be some headaches in the process.

We’re still waiting for the floors to be finished. We were supposed to have them installed early yesterday, but our installer did not arrive to our house until 6 p.m. yesterday. Needless to say, we asked him to stop working at 9 p.m. to avoid some serious neighbor resentment.

So, hopefully, by noon today, the floors will be done. Then I can hop along to work and Steve and I can put everything back in its place this evening. We’ve got a hectic weekend, with me attending a conference and Steve throwing a fabulous bachelor party for his friend who is getting married next Friday.There’s not going to be a lot of relaxing until after July 11, which is the day I take the comprehensive exam for my master’s degree.

Looking forward to posting finished kitchen pictures by Saturday!

Kitchen Project, Part 4

We’ve almost reached the end.

Thanks to Steve’s amazing drive and work ethic, we’re about to finish our kitchen project tomorrow. We’re having floors installed in our kitchen and powder room and should be assembling the place by tomorrow evening.

I am so happy the end of the road is near!

In other project news, I had fun machine quilting the happy table runner this weekend, and I am now excited to take on the color wheel quilt. However, I have to wait until after my comprehensive exam for my master’s degree. It’s time to put away the fun stuff and get down to business. I am really happy with how the table runner turned out and excited that I actually finished a project in a week’s time. Yay to not biting off more than I can chew!

We’re Cooking!

The First Meal with the Island

Surprise! More Napkins

Though I said there would be no final pics until we’re finished with the kitchen, I couldn’t help but post a few pics of our new kitchen island/breakfast bar. Steve and I cooked dinner last night and breakfast this morning in our kitchen, which was very, very exciting. So, we’ll have to rip everything apart one last time next week to have the floors installed, but this weekend is humming along smoothly.

A few other things:

• I am quilting the happy table runner, my first legitimate machine quilting project. So far, things are going along great!
• I bought lots of Amy Butler fabric yesterday to make some of the table runners featured on her new software.
• The wedding season kicks off for me officially today: I’ll be heading to a bridal shower in the next few hours. We have three weddings this summer and I am really looking forward to all of them! It’s also fun to be an “old married person,” since Steve and I look like experts on marriage to our engaged friends.
• Oh, and school is in session. I have been avoiding studying for comps or my class, but tomorrow I’ll have to start getting organized. In one month, I’ll be taking comps.