Chris here, just chiming in as this newest in our ever lengthening list of house projects moves along. Many folks would have started with the kitchen instead of waiting so long to fix up what is of course the center of the household, but one thing after another made us delay getting moving with "the big one".

For one thing, a while back MB found online a reality TV show in search of awful kitchens, whose colorful owners would in theory illuminate for the cameras the tackiness or downright horror of their space in entertaining/humiliating fashion. We were so ready for that possibility, of course we applied for an open spot, with snapshots and snappy bios etc. The reward for enduring minor instant fame was to be a remodeled cucina, sounds wonderful as long as you can put up with the kooky aesthetic of the doubtless photogenic designer... Anyway, never heard from them, but the lingering potential of a call from TV heaven made an excellent excuse for not doing anything.

Other excuses piled on as well, but the happy coincidence of what looked like a GREAT contractor coupled with a teensy increase in available funds made us jump right long about now.

We are not doing anything major in structural terms... although we probably should. We are replacing cabinets, counter and floor and that's about it.

So there you are, as you and we shall see...