Kitchen Remodel has Begun!

Although the bathroom isn't quite finished, we went ahead and started the kitchen anyway. We are waiting for a part to come in so we can connect the toilet, and then we just need to hand the shower door, the room doors, and move in the washer/dryer. Then Lloyd and I have to paint the trim, etc. So, while we are waiting on the part, the contractor started the kitchen. He removed the old counter tops (adios 70's yellow Formica!) and found that the wood under part of it was rotten (ew!) so this is how my kitchen looked yesterday:

We also discovered that instead of a tile back splash or something like that, they used the same yellow Formica all the way up the wall behind the cabinets. So, in order to remove it, they would have had to remove all of the cabinets. LL and I decided that once those cabinets are down, they are NOT going back up! And since we don't have the money right now for a total kitchen makeover (I watch HGTV's "Spice Up my Kitchen" and almost have a heart attack--$20,000 for cabinets?!?) we decided to just use our new counter top as back splash, too. Not my very first choice, but it will still be a HUGE improvement when it is all said and done. Here is what it looked like this afternoon:

Also, I had to make the tough decision to not keep my stove centered under my gigantic 70's (but newly repainted) hood... it looked best aesthetically centered (and yes I am just slightly OCD about certain things...) but there wasn't enough usable space on either side for cabinets, so I had to choose to move the stove to one side and have a cabinet built in:

My dishwasher also has a home now, and a spot for counter top! It also has a shelf build-in, since it is not as wide as the fridge that used to be there. There will also be a shelf for the microwave above the dishwasher.

One downside to the kitchen construction is that the adhesive for the counter tops smells awful, so I haven't been spending much time at my house. This has been good for my socialization, however. Tuesday I hung out with my good friend Lacosta and her kids (very excited to be living near her again!), and yesterday and today I have been spending quality time with Taryn and my cute nephew and niece. Tomorrow is a very important day--the first day of spring! And do you know what that means? FREE ITALIAN ICE AT RITAS! YAY! I know, I know, I am a full-blown addict, but I am sooo excited to be living near Rita's again. And, it doesn't have to be unhealthy--sure, a gelati isn't great for you, but the regular Italian Ice is fat free, and now they are offering sugar-free flavors, too. (I have yet to try these but I may need to switch to fat free/sugar free before too long!) Anyway, it will probably be a Reitz Family Event, at least for quite a few of us. Other than that, not too much is new. Lloyd is enjoying his externship in Western PA, and I am trying to convince him to come home for this weekend, since he is living in a hotel and eating out every night. I am not sure I have convinced him to drive here and back, but I still have tomorrow to work on him. I'll keep you posted. :o)