I enjoy your blog, especially the humor along with so much work done on your own. Keep updating it, sometimes I don't respond to all. But enjoy your life adventures. Hope others head on over there for upbeat moments.

Thank you!! It's been over a year in work and it has been a labor of love. I got a lot of ideas from garden webbers. The last thing to do is my flip up table. Hopefully this weekend. The grands keep asking me when I am going to finish it. Now they ask can they help to finish it Lol

Wow, what a difference! Is the U shape more functional? I really like your garden window. I remember you had quite a few obstacles to overcome for this remodel.

Has it already been a YEAR? Wow!

Congratulations on your new kitchen! It is so much more functional than before. I love your window! You must be so happy to be almost done!

Your creativity is fabulous. The screen door plate closet is particularly clever!

I think it looks awesome and so much more functional!

how do you like working in it? It's one of those neat 1 of a kind, owner personality embedded redos!

you had so much to work around and deal with in there!

can't wait to see the flip up / down table.

marti8a-the kitchen is much more functional for me. I finally have a true triangle layout and it feels so much safer to finally have a vent hood! Plus where the stove was at originally people kept accidentally hit the gas knobs and I was always smelling gas in the house. Now I do not have that problem having the stove out of the traffic path. My step dads wheel chair navigates in now without all the drama we had before navigating the kitchen. Having taken out that fuse box feels like luxury...like I have arrived LOL. Someone warned me how hard it is to clean the window having to crawl into it to clean it. I am at the point now where it has to be cleaned and I am dreading it. I wish there was a way to combat this as I love love love the window
shelayne- I knooooow right? Time has really flown by!! I thought the screen door on the shelves was an original idea but I found out that its not and then later I was going through my pins on pinterest and saw where I pinned someones pantry with a screen door a couple of years ago LOL I forgot. I have to go through my pins every once in a while
desetrsteph- yes it really is so much more functional and I love working in it. I find that I still do not have enough cabinets though. God if I my kitchen extended out 4 more feet it would make such a difference!!. The cabinets I put in had to be narrow and deep and as warned kind of hard to use. I had no choice though.. and really I have more than I started with. I am thinking I might need to do pull outs on the cabinets for ease of access and organization.
I am hoping the kitchen is not so one of a kind that if I decide to sell it will be a hindrance!! But I can't worry about that now. I decided to love it vs list it and loving it means making it my own!
I still have not gotten to the flip up table yet. I painted it and I want to put a pour on coat but they say that stuff has problems with bubbles. I think that is what is holding me back. I am scared of the bubbles LOL. I am so close to finishing....

creative and well thought out. you have loads of useful space now! I wanted to comment on cleaning the deep window over the sink. You can get squeegees with extendable handles. The ones I like have a sponge on one side and the squeegee on the other, like the ones you see at gas stations for cleaning wind shields. Take a microfiber cloth and put it over the head of the squeegee, securing it with a rubber band or elastic of some sort, and use that to scrub everything down. a tiny bit of dish detergent in the hottest water possible works well, as does plain old glass cleaner. Then use new clean microfiber cloths to dry and polish. If the shelf in the middle is removable it will make it much easier and you can get all but the tiniest details by manipulating the rag/squeegee into the corners and edges. It may take some practice, but you will get good at it in no time. I have been a cleaning lady by trade for the past 15 years and it has worked well for me unless there is lots of heavy nicotine or grease. Then using something like magic eraser first helps a lot. best wishes

Wow you hit it on the head. I purchases a long long handle with a microfiber cloth pad on the end...it's for truck drivers to reach their windows. I got it from the dollar store believe it or not. I was wondering how to dry the windows and for some reason a squeegee never crossed my mind. Thank you. I think I will blog about that this weekend! It is time to clean those bad boys ....thanks again. Do you use magic eraser for a lot of things? I would love to do a story on cleaning tips from an expert. I don't know why they can clean my hour in a few hours and the same job will take me days. I used to have my house cleaned and all she wanted was a magic eraser a bottle of Clorox clean up, a duster and dish liquid plus a bucket ,a mop and the vacuum. If you are interested in helping me with a story please let me know

now that's flattering! email me and i'll try to help. thanks!

I love all the pics! Hanging appliances under the counter are great space savers! I have a hanging microwave, can opener and coffee maker. Try to keep counters as clear as possible. I have a toaster and toaster oven out all the time. Got rid of my blender-DD "stole" it for her apartment. (I just *like* the way my toaster makes toast and English muffins)

"A while ago I had started on my kitchen that I thought would take a month MAX. LOL stupid me...it has taken over a year. "

it's taken me several yrs to move - and I'm still not all moved - lol!

Hi Miss Jay! I did check out your blog. You have a nice chatty style that is easy to read. I, too, prefer to do my shopping online. I like how your kitchen turned out, with all the cubby holes and little shelves for oils and spices and such. It is homey and comfortable. One question, do you have ventilation with the side windows in the garden window? It looks like you might. With the range hood fan on and those windows open, It could get a bit of a breezy flow going during cooler times. Otherwise, I would worry that your little kitchen would get stuffy.

I have admired your screen door plate rack since the first time I saw it. It is so pretty, so practical, and such an unexpected surprise when you see it there at the end of the hall. Your painting skills are to be admired, as well, shown by your three little monkeys on the table top and the Hamsa. Your home is alive with the warmth of your personality and your skills. Congratulations!

Thank you so very much! I have enjoyed the kitchen and yes the side windows do open but I would have to keep a ladder in the kitchen to reach the crank to open them. LOL the window is nice but as someone told me when I was in the planning stages the access to it is impractical. I wouldn't trade it for the world though.
Thank you on the plate pantry. I forget that I actually have plates in there sometimes and I stand in the kitchen asking myself if I even have plates LOL
I still have NOT finished the table top. Shame one me LOL

I am glad you enjoyed it though. I was losing hope that I could actually get a functional kitchen out of such a small space. I think it is 9x9 or something very close to that and it is broken up by doorways and windows. It was a real challenge.

Somewhere I saw a reference to something you made in the basement to ward off evil spirits but now I can't find it! Can you post a picture here or is there one on your blog somewhere? I need one of those!

What you are referring to is the Hamsa which is shown in the photo of my basement door above and looks like a hand with designs in it. A Hamsa represents blessings, power, and strength and is said to protect against the “evil eye”…a certain “look” that can cause bad luck for the person to whom it is directed (but not always intentionally). Envy can be a source of the evil eye. Jealousy can be a source of evil eye. Hate and discontent can also be a source. If you google Hamsa you will find many different photos and explanations..

Here is a link that might be useful: What wikipedia says about a Hamsa

I love it when a person with real grit will tackle a boring kitchen and make it their own which is what you did and did well. You should pat yourself on the back. I love a kitchen that looks like people really cook and enjoy, so many are for just looking. You're a one of a kind person and that's hard to come by. Love that you embrace all that appeals to you and please yourself. Those were some impressive moves you made with the stove etc. Did you do it alone? Kudos to you.

Thanks. Something else to add to my To Do List. I have to live forever.

Wow yayagal, thanks for that. I did the demo on the kitchen, restored the log wall made the recessed shelves the shelf by the vent hood, the vent hood, and the microwave shelf and designed the rest. I do love my kitchen..but I still wish it was bigger. @lov_mkitchen our work is NEVER done