Where There is a Will -- There's a Way!

I spent an afternoon at Lowe's. I looked at paint, flooring and counter tops as well as lighting. I went to the area where they have all of the cabinets and counter tops and asked some questions of the sales clerk-- er, designer. I told her I was on a budget and she began showing me some "less expensive" options. I gave her the linear dimensions of the counter top and she gave me an approximate price. Hmmm -- her price was higher than my entire budget. She must have seen my budget written all over my face, because suddenly, she was not so eager to help me find anything. I guessed I was not going to get new counter tops.

But heading through the paint department, I saw another option: Countertop Transformations™ by Rust-Oleum. I looked at the display and read the information on the box. Hmmm, maybe I could get new counter tops and new cabinets using Cabinet Transformations®, too!

Upon returning home, I got on to the internet and and went to the website to research the products. Rust-Oleum's website has product how-to videos and a "virtual kitchen" tool which allows you to mix and match cabinet and counter top color combinations until you find the one that is right for you. I found the combination that I liked and then made 5 different combinations and showed them all to my husband. Surprise, Surprise -- he picked the "right" combination!

I think that we will do the cabinets and counter tops before picking out all of the other colors for floors and back splash tile. Now I am getting excited!!!

Happy "Picking-out-all-your-colors"1

It's Not All About Knitting

I know that most of you think this is a knitting blog. It has only been a knitting blog because of late, knitting is all I have been blogging about. But if you read the title and sub-title of the blog at the top of the page, it is "Natterings Smatterings, Incessant chatter with insufficient knowledge on quilting, knitting, sewing, cooking and the like." Well, we are about to get started on "the like"!

I remember during the early 1990's going to home developments seeing models decorated like this and wishing my kitchen was as pretty.

You may recognize the large floral wallpaper boarders and golden oak cabinets as being classic 1990.










With the ever present coordinating plaid wallpaper...

carefully mingled with fruit or floral wallpaper. I think that this is supposed to be olive branches.

and the de rigueur vinyl flooring. Say 'good-bye' ugly kitchen flooring.









We don't have a large budget, but paint doesn't cost too much. The only large purchases will be the flooring and counter tops (maybe). I am going to research if it is better to just clean the cabinets and leave them as is or if painting will be OK.

This is the beginning of Project 2016 -- Florida or Bust. It ins't going to be easy getting an early 1990's house updated for a quick sale in the year 2016 on a really tight budget. But we have about 3 years, and if we don't go too trendy with colors and leave things like carpet until the last minute, we should be OK.

I will still be knitting. I can't work on the kitchen when I am on the train, but you will get a lot more like this over the next few weeks.

Happy "pulling-wallpaper-off-the-walls"!