Kitchen Island

Okay, so remember our kitchen before????

There, in the middle, is Rainman's skinny little dresser trying hard to work as an island.....

And then, wonderful, fabulous, Mark gave me a temporary island to try out?

And, now, my actual island.....even though it is still a bit of a work in progress...because I still need to paint the bottom.  But, look!

Isn't it fantastic?  

I was originally just wanting plain boards and a pseudo-butcher block look. As Mark and got to talking though, I explained that Rainman (despite there being cutting boards available any direction you turn in the kitchen) still continues to cut on the countertops....including his old dresser/island.  That lead us to conversations about having to sand and seal the wood top a few times a year.

Well, I am sorry, but my plate of noodles doesn't not have room for one more noodle that has to remember to sand and seal the island....and allow it time to dry before people start using it again.

So, Mark went to the store, planning to research sealants that I wouldn't have to do so often and found.....floor tiles.....that look like wood!

Yes......these are porcelain floor tiles!

He mounted them without grout lines and just did a bead of silicone in between the planks so there won't be any damage if liquid leaks between.

We can put hot pans right on them and even  cut on these (yes, hard on knives....but Rainman doesn't know where my good knives are).

It looks and feels fabulous.  Even though it looks rough, like weathered wood....it is smooth.  Crazy.

I painted the trim around the edge a grey that I thought blended pretty well with the top, so it doesn't look like it is floor tiles mounted in a case.

Now, I just need to figure out what color I want to paint the bottom.  But, I suppose I need to figure out what I want to do about the cupboards......first

I am still thinking something like this....for the island....and maybe the cupboards too.


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By the way, have you heard about the "Chip It" thingie available from Sherwin Williams?  After you download the app (like you do when you want to pin things on Pinterest), if you see a picture you like, you "Chip It" and it does those nifty little things, on the side, that tell you approximate paint colors for what you are seeing in the picture.

Anyway, I obviously went with a different island top than this warm wood one (that was more my original thinking for the fake butcher block)....so, does that change my look?

Or, here is a softer colored island that I like too.


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But, this one has the white marble top.

Any opinions?

I want bright and fun.....and, sort of Scandinavian.....sort of like this one.  I couldn't find pictures of these on-line, so, I went old-school and took a picture of a magazine for your viewing pleasure.

I love this look.  Happy. Bright.  Fun.  But, do I want green cabinets for the rest of my life?  I would take that stove for life though.....

In my inspiration pictures, I am just a bit afraid of too much white.  I want it to be bright and happy and sunny, but not....blinding. I don't want it to get outdated.  I want to be able to change things when the mood strikes (we all know my mood will change)......and I don't necessarily want to have to paint EVERYTHING all over again.

I also have decided that I do want to go ahead and do something with my backsplash.

Right now, it is just a sheet of laminate countertop material on the wall.  SUPER easy to wipe down and keep clean.....but it is creamy/beige and boring.

So, do I put in a colorful backsplash with my white cabinets?  Will that get old and go out of style quickly?



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I am getting happier and happier with my kitchen changes, but still have a ways to go.

Anyone want to share their opinion?  Ideas?  Pinterest pages that I MUST go look at?

The Whole Spaghetti and Waffle Thing

Have any of you read the book, Men are Life Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti?

I haven't read it, but I have a few friends who have and they have explained it to me......(I'm not a doctor, but I play one on T.V.  )

In case you have never heard of it and have no idea what I am talking about, here is a video clip that explains the concept by the authors, Bill and Pam Farrel.

It is true.

Rainman and I are so different.

We have trouble talking to each other....without one of us getting frustrated, or, let's be honest here....angry.

Rainman thinks of one thing at a time.  He does one thing at a time.  One little waffle square at a time.  You know?

I don't do that.

I can't do that.

I have got noodles all over the place.  (Sometimes literally with the little people I live with! )

I usually do a pretty good job multi-tasking and keeping track of all of my noodles.

Lately though, I have been longing to be a waffle....even if it is only for a little while.

My problem is that I have so many things(noodles) to think about and try to accomplish that I am not getting any of them done.

Right now, I am trying to:

• Plan for school (starting next Monday) 
• Find all the books/supplies needed for next Monday (I know they are here somewhere....)
• Support A-girl (she started a more traditional school this week with D-man)
• Get my bookkeeping work done for the company I work for
• Type up the invoice for D-man's lawn mowing business (I know....he should do it himself, huh?)
• Try to come up with a MicroBusiness or two for myself 
• Decide whether or not having a renter in our basement apartment will be a good thing or a bad thing (Anyone know of a nice little old lady looking for a new home?  Does she like kids?)
• Try to pick and settle on a paint color for my kitchen cabinets....island....various furniture pieces
• Try to commit and actually hammer a nail into the wall and hang stuff up around here
• Organize my living room in a way that doesn't have it overflowing with furniture and bookshelves, but has the things I need nearby
• Figure out how to give my bedroom a makeover without spending a ton of money.  Romantic or cute? 
• Keep things clean
• Restart past chore systems, so I am not the only one keeping things clean
• Remember to mop the bathroom floor
• Eat my new way, which has been great - but requires lots of planning and thinking ahead (Trim Healthy Mama)
• Read  Insurgent  and Fault in our Stars.....plus many, many other Non-fiction selections that are waiting for me
• Remember to pull weeds and trim bushes (or assign that to someone)
• Learn new songs for praise team
• Use products and remember to take notes for writing reviews on them
• Keep track of my review deadlines
• Wonder if my friend, Sherri, is having a great trip to see her family
• Be Samson, and get started writing a book (which I think will just be a compilation of things I have learned in life.....mistakes I have made.....stuff that works for our family.....funny stories from my blog)
• Decide if the above book makes sense and if anyone would actually read it (should I care?)
• Figure out how to update the cover picture on my blog
• Try to remember to get my kids to pose in front of our fridge at the new house
• Organize our craft/sewing room so it makes sense and we can easily find/see all our fabrics and yarn
• Remember to do laundry (before I walk into my bedroom at night and see the pile that I have meant to wash for the last 2 days)
• Not to get too tied up in my lists and my computer that I forget to just love on my kids and play a round of Old Maid when they ask me to
• Not miss my family too much(visits are bittersweet and I just got back from seeing them all)
• Tell the lady from A Love Beyond Borders that we just can't afford to adopt those 3 sweet little girls....
• To figure out a way for us to adopt those 3 sweet little girls
• Research whether A-girl's fruit sensitivity is actual an fructose allergy
• Decide whether to intervene in the current sibling fight I hear in the basement
• Try to work on all the things the financial planner told us to work on, so Rainman can actually retire someday
• Schedule eye appointments for Rainman, D-man, and A-man (who has been getting headaches)
• Get physicals for Rainman and I scheduled so we can get our reward from our HSA account....I think I have until September 1st....oh, that is almost here, isn't it?
• Figure out a way for my waffle hubby to understand me better....and vice versa.....

So, you get it now, right?

I just want to go paint my kitchen cupboards.....without thinking about the 50 other things touching my noodle.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to read a book.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to teach my kids.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to write a book.

Who am I kidding?

That would drive me crazy.  I actually can't even imagine living like that.

It is just frustrating right now because I feel like I am thinking about so many things and trying to make decisions about so many things....that I am actually accomplishing.....nothing.

I just need to use one of these little noodle portion thingies.....

(I will take the little man sized portion, please)  Image courtesy of Reykjavik Cornerstore

.....and just try to handle those noodles on my plate before going back for seconds...or I turn into this....

College.....Boo!

We decided to take a friend's advice and start touring and thinking about colleges during the summer between D-man's sophomore and junior year.

He has been getting college flyers since 7th or 8th grade, so we figured it was about time....but didn't really know where to start.

Then, we got an actual invitation to a private touring event at a college that he was interested in, but thought was a pipe dream.

So, we went for it.

I am depressed now.

For a few reasons.

This one.......

(Can't you just see his college man strut?)

My baby is walking away from meeeeeee!

You know what I mean.....I was initially excited for him, the campus was really pretty, the tour guides looked wholesome and friendly.  Then,  I was lagging behind him on our way back to the car, because of this staircase.....

(My 2 handsome nerds.  Love them!)

 .....when I looked up and saw him....just casually walking away......sigh....

The other reason I am a tidbit depressed?

$$$$$$$$$$$$

We have never had plans to pay for our child's college education.  We have told all the kids that they will need to work hard, try to get scholarships, and be creative to pay for school.

Oh, and not to just go to college because that is what all the other kids are doing.  I firmly believe that you don't necessarily need a 4 year degree to get an amazing, fulfilling job.  Tech schools are awesome.  Other, non-traditional schooling and training options are awesome too.





I went to traditional college for nursing, but dropped out before I was done.....combination of no money....and getting a C in chemistry (which to me, a former straight A student - meant I was an idiot and shouldn't even consider being a nurse!)

While I was still in high school, I went to night school at a local community college and  received certification as a Nursing Assistant (quick program....good money).  Later, in my mid-20's I went to night school (working full-time) and received certification as a Massage Therapist (relatively quick program.....great money) It was a job I loved....and was good at, but it is also a job that is very hard (physically) to do 40 hours a week.

I  also worked, for years, as an Executive Assistant.....you know, the fancy (makes me feel a little more important) word for Secretary.  No, it doesn't have a lot of social cache or give you a sense of importance. But, I was awesome at it......if I do say so, myself.    I made good money.  It wasn't hard on me physically.  I rarely brought the stress of my day home with me.  I was necessary.

On the other hand, Rainman has his master's degree and is a fancy schmancy scientist....but, many times he has said that of the 2 of us, I have the most marketable skill set.  He may be able to find a handful of higher paying jobs......but, I have lots and lots of options for good paying jobs....if that makes any sense?!?!

Our hope for our kids when it comes to their schooling, is that we can help them out once in awhile....as a bonus.....but not be a blank check....or debit/credit card for their hopes and dreams.  You know?

This particular college kept talking about what a great deal they were and the amazing value you were getting at their school compared to others.

But, my little heart skipped a beat when I saw the actual pricing....

$23,000

Seriously?!?!?

D-man better start writing essays and entering scholarship contests now!  He is really smart, but so are a lot of other kids.  You know?

Right now, he is thinking about becoming a Pharmacist.

Anyone have any leads on scholarships or contests?  Good schools in Georgia that may be cheaper than $23,000 a year???

Please let me know in the comments section.  We have a little bit of time since, thanks to my friend, Jayne, my eyes were opened to the realities of higher education earlier, rather than later.

And, this was just our first visit....it was a big school....smaller schools will be better....right?   Right????