Kitchen Counters - part 1

In my last post I shared that to hire someone to do our kitchen counters it would have cost $1700. Originally we were going to put butcher-block counters in, but after reading some testimonials from people who have butcher block counters, I didn't think I would be happy with it. My dad had some large pieces of Corian that he wasn't using so he offered them to us for our kitchen. I like the look of Corian so we decided to go with that. So, the $1700 was for installation only - not including materials.

Because we are trying to do this kitchen on the tightest budget possible - we decided to tackle this project ourselves. Before beginning, Mark watched lots of You Tube videos on how to install Corian. This project was intimidating at best. When we mentioned to people that we are installing this ourselves they looked at us like we are crazy. Maybe we are.

Here is the Corian after cutting the various pieces to size and laying on the cabinets to check for fit.  

Here is Mark cutting the hole for the sink.

When you cut Corian it makes a lot of white plastic dust particles. It is a messy job.

Here he is cutting the holes for the faucet. 

Here is where our undermount sink will sit when it is installed.

This is just the first part of the project. To finish, the Corian will need to be glued at the seems, sanded and polished and affixed to the cabinets.

A rough estimate of how much it cost us to install this product ourselves: $600 - This includes having to buy all of the tools that were needed to cut, sand, glue & finish the job. This also includes the cost of a Stainless Steel under mount sink & a new faucet.

Total Savings: $1100

In many cases it is well worth it to hire a professional to do a project that you are unable to do yourself. But there are times when it pays to do it yourself...to take a risk and try your skills. When you complete a project such as this, you feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride knowing that you did it with your own 2 hands.

KayteeJane

Recent Happenings

As usual, life is very full around here. I apologize for not posting this past week. Here are some of the happenings that have been going on.

Kitchen progress…

Here is what it looks like now.

We are slowly progressing towards the finish line. The hard thing about this particular project is we are doing EVERYTHING ourselves. And when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything. We were going to hire someone to install our countertops, but when the bid came in at $1700, we decided to once again, do it ourselves.

Mark built shelves to hold our dishes and my mountain of “collectibles”. Next we need to paint the shelves, finish the counter top, install the sink & faucet, install the oven and then we will be finished. 

Can I get a Hallelujah! Amen.

Some creative time…

I hosted a baby shower in my home and these were the favors that we gave out. A card with seeds and a plant marker inside.

I have always wanted a tree branch in a pot. Years ago I saw the idea in Martha’s mag to be used as an egg tree in the spring. Each year I look for the perfect tree branch and each year I have trouble finding one I like. Well this year I was successful. Here it is in use holding the cards/favors.

Next I will decorate it with eggs for Easter. The possibilities are endless.

More Craigslist…

I swear, Mark is better at “junking” than I am. If you all only knew him way back when. :) On Sunday evening he just up and left the house with only an “I’ll be back” as an explanation. Later when he returned, this was on the porch. It is a metal garden cart from the 1950’s. It is in perfect shape. He paid $10. We plan to put it in our yard to hold flowers in the summer and pumpkins in the fall.

And finally, you just have to smile..

I caught my daughter reading on the couch one night. I guess high-heels are in style no matter what you do. :)

Until we meet again,

KayteeJane

Craigslist Freebie

Mark found this on Craigslist today. It was free. An old built-in kitchen cabinet from a home built in 1928.

These doors attach to the front. A brass latch and two porcelain knobs are the hardware.

We plan to fix this baby up. Some additional pieces of trim will be added. The bottom of the cabinet will be cut and leveled and I will be painting it for sure. What color would you paint it? I was thinking maybe a robin's egg blue or another pastel...or maybe a sunny yellow like the cute cabinet they show on the intro to the show Cash and Cari  (a new favorite).

Not sure if I will keep it. I may fix it up and sell it. I'm already maxed out with lots of furniture and little space. However, I do have a soft spot for old cabinets.

I'll keep you posted as this project progresses. Please let me know your ideas and thoughts. Have you ever scored something cool for free on Craigslist?

Until next time,

KayteeJane 

Vintage Post Cards

I like to collect old post cards and display them around my house as mini works of art. They are great reminders of days gone by...when a beautiful card with a handwritten sentiment would be brought to your doorstep. I can only imagine the excitement the recipient must have felt upon receiving such a card.

Here are some that I’ve collected over the years.

Local post cards:

These 2 cards were probably sold in my hometown back in the 1900’s. They were printed in Germany and have embossed flowers and glitter. One is postmarked 1909 and the other is postmarked 1908. I bought mine on ebay.

Want an interesting memento from your hometown? Do a search on ebay using your town name. It is interesting to see what you find.

Another ebay find. This picture post card is from the elementary school that I attended as a child. No, I didn’t attend there at the time this pic was takenJ. This building has since been converted into an apartment building.

Another Local Card found on "the bay" – This one shows an illustration of a church which still stands in town and is now the church my family and I attend. Back then it was The Presbyterian Church of Oakmont. Now it is Riverside Community Church. On the back side it reads “Printed for the 5-10-25 cents store, Oakmont PA.”

Embroidery Post Cards

These cards feature embroidery on fabric mounted inside a paper frame.

This one reads “To My Dear Mother” and has a liftable flap.

On the back side is a handwritten note from a son to his mother. (Love his penmanship!) "Do not worry. I am all O.K. But I got very seasick comming across. With Love, Your son."

Wonder where he was "coming across" from? The post mark is gone on this card so we can only speculate. Maybe he was a veteran from a foreign war?

Love birds stitched on thin, translucent fabric.

Birthday and Congratulations Greetings sent via post card.

A card sent to a Sunday school student.

I bought this card as a souvenir from a trip to London 10 years ago. I don’t have dogs but thought these 2 faces were hard to resist.

I love what is printed on the front. It says: Watching and Waiting For You! That is how I feel about each and every visitor that stops by my blog. I'm watching and waiting for you too.

Thanks for allowing me to share some of my collections. This blog is my modern-day post card of sorts, addressed to your door.

On the back I've written…

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you soon.

Love,

KayteeJane



Picture Jars

Here is an idea I saw in a magazine.

I thought it was cute so I tried it with some of my own pictures.

Find some vintage glass canning jars.

For one of the jars I used a flower frog to hold the photograph up inside the jar.

In the other jar I didn’t need to put anything inside because the photo was large enough to stand inside the jar without help.

This jar holds a picture of my grandmother Hulda and her sister Martha.

This jar holds a picture of my dad when he was a boy and in a band.

Sitting proudly on display - out of a box and out where all can see and admire.

Until Tomorrow,

KayteeJane

Update: I received a question in my comments asking where I got the jars. I bought these jars at an estate auction last summer. At the auction there were several boxes of canning jars up for bid. Before the auction started, I looked through most of the boxes and there was only one box with vintage jars. When the time came to bid on the boxes, I had to "fight" to get the box of vintage jars against an Amish man who was also buying canning jars. He was buying all types of jars and didn't seem to care if they were vintage or not. Fortunately for me, I was the victor of the box of old jars- at a steep $4 for the entire box :) - Since that time I have seen similar jars in antique stores. They are usually very affordable. I liked these because the glass was clear and the jars have unique shapes. The other jars that I have left will probably be used in my kitchen to store dry goods.

Thanks for the great question!

Vocabulary Cards

I found these cards at an estate sale.

Since I like vintage ephemera and paper stuff I bought them.

Inside the box there are 100s of small cards - each with a different word.

Not sure what age/grade these were geared for.

I decided to take them out of their box and display them on a glass dish on the coffee table. I think they make interesting conversation. These would be fun to have out at a party to start discussions - especially when the word has a funny definition or is outdated to our current vocabulary.

What neat conversation pieces do you have around your house?

Leave me a comment to let me know.

KayteeJane

Hello Again...

Hello Friends,

Sorry I haven’t posted for several days.

Life has been crazy lately…I’m sure you understand.

Wanted to share some photos of some crafts I made this past week.

I am involved in women’s ministry at my church with a group of ladies called “Girlfriends”. This past weekend we attended a women’s retreat. I made these ribbons to give to the women there to remind them (and us all) that we all have gifts to share and that we are all GIFTED in one way or another.

The ribbons are supposed to look like old-fashioned trophy ribbons –like the kind you would get at the county fair. I made them with strips of fabric ripped from an old white sheet. They are a tad bit floppy, but I wanted to try making them out of fabric instead of satin ribbon. I stamped the word GIFTED using alphabet stamps.

The picture came from The Graphics Fairy. This is a great resource for vintage graphics to use in your art.

These totes were given away for a raffle prize. I just love me a good raffle sometimes – don’t you? I made them using a YUDU machine. My dad bought me one last fall. It is pretty fun. The plain cotton totes were only $1 each at Pat Catans craft store. These would make great party favors for a child’s party. Buy the totes and some fabric markers and let the kids design their own totes and then take them home.

To those ladies that I met at the retreat, please don’t be strangers.

I loved meeting you all.

To everyone…remember, you are gifted in one way or another!

Don’t you forget it!

KayteeJane