We are starting our renovation on the 29th. The contractor wanted to start after Thanksgiving and we said no. Even though the demo isn't for another week, the days during December have been filled with counter top shopping, and lots of added running around. I hope I'm making good decisions because there are so many other things to think about at this time of year. Good luck with your project.

Still waiting on backsplash tile (hopefully it will arrive today) and the installer promised to get it in by Christmas if it arrives today. We would do it ourselves, but we are just so dang tired from all the work we have been doing ourselves. I still have a lot of Christmas-y things to get done, too!!

We are not renovating....we are building. This house is a DIY project that has been dragging on for years now.....and we are SO close to the end. I will cook Christmas dinner in my new house. There will still be some unfinished details (and no master bedroom yet...it is still bare stud walls), but one bedroom and bath along with the rest of the house is done....or will be in time for Christmas.

That's nice that you can cook Christmas dinner in your home, Ccoombs. We were hoping to have our families over for this Christmas, but given that we don't have a kitchen table or chairs it just won't be possible!! That's been the hardest thing, not being able to entertain family and friends. I miss having people over...soon enough I guess.

We started on the 15th of November and it has made for a very busy holiday season. Some things are getting delayed because of the holiday. Just found out cab company is on vacation till after the new year, so install will have to wait a bit. I debated waiting till after christmas to start, but I think most of it will be done mid to late Jan.

I should be using this time to wrap and shop for presents, but most of it is used researching range hoods, sinks and faucets!! All these decisions can be overwhelming.

Redroze, you and I must be in about the same stage. I am waiting on our range to be installed (today or tomorrow, likely tomorrow). We are in the last few days of the reno with the exception of a few small items--some decorative mesh still to come for the open faced cabinets, some trim to be finished, etc. We have been doing this since mid August and we are finally down to the nitty gritty although when the granite was installed last Friday night (yeah, mental note everyone--don't let 4 twenty something guys come install your granite on a Friday evening!!!) We had so many issues with the granite--never got a price list of all the green granites we were looking at so had no way to judge what was low, medium, high, ultra high, etc so went to granite yard 12 times (!!) to see granite--some of which the only available slabs were stuck in the middle of a bunch of slabs, in which case you had to have it lifted so you go get someone, get the machine, etc and then the slab would be from a different lot and look totally different, dimly lit warehouse, etc. Anyway, finally decided on the granite then they were going to come one week, then the next, then last Friday morning...and they show up at 4:30PM on Friday. Left a total mess of our house, had several errors--with two apronfront sinks installed improperly, neither were square with the granite, then they also didn't set properly out from the cabinets, the side pieces around the stove weren't cut the right measurement and also one side was set crooked and the other side was flush on one part and not flush at the back.....another piece was not level under the cabinets which came down to the counter. Just mistake after mistake. Luckily, they came back to make it right and we are either ordering a new slab of granite for the island (if we can get one that big and the right color OR we are having a new sink made to accomodate for them cutting the granite too much and not setting the bigger one properly....) UGH!!! Lighting goes in today, backsplash is being grouted. We were hoping to be done by Halloween but here it is Christmas. I've been through this before so I had my doubts, but now we are just so ready to be done so we can have some kind of semblance of a life again. I hope to post pics in the next few days. We are waiting on barstools to be delivered, had been agonizing over kitchen table and chairs and finally just picked what we liked best as we are worn out from searching high and low for everything!!

Also, redroze, you must be Canadian (where we just moved from--we're American though!) as you were mentioning Boxing Day. Are you from Alberta-since you have "rose" in your name?

Still renovating. We started in early October - was supposed to be done mid-November, but due to screw-ups with the cabinets, it looks like it's going to be more like mid-January. Right now I'm waiting for the countertop guy to show up to re-template the side of the kitchen where the cabinets were reinstalled - he's supposed to be here between 9 and 11. (Thank goodness I have a job where my boss doesn't blink when I tell him I'm going to be late - again!)

Redroze, I don't have a table or chairs yet either. I am renting some folding chairs and I am using 6' folding tables with pretty table cloths on them. I am hoping to get the couch and some other livingroom furniture moved in before christmas. I am just REALLY determined that I WILL have christmas in this new house!! That has been my goal for the last 18 months. I work full time on a real (paying) job, then come home and work in the new house until bedtime. Right now, I am working on trim. I can't move the bedroom furniture until I am finished with baseboards. And I can't finish baseboards until I finish hanging the doors on the bedroom closets and trimming them. My pantry door still has not arrived so I can't finish trim in the kitchen yet. Christmas is one week from today.....and let me tell you, it will be a BUSY BUSY week!! Christmas shopping?? what's that?? I haven't even started yet!

Cindy

Wow now I don't feel so bad. I took off work today to get some Christmas
shopping done because I too have been busy researching kitchen stuff and
not anything else! I told my family that everyone was getting a "new kitchen" for
Christmas this year.
My guy is trying to get me functional for Christmas, I told him I didn't want any
shortcuts to do it but he is giving it a shot. I did a Thanksgiving dinner in the
middle of it, but I was hoping to be cooking for Christmas.
I have hosted Christmas Eve for my large family for 30 years...it will happen
one way or another!
Cheers to the season to all!
vic

Mine was supposed to be done end of October. Then Thanksgiving. Then "we have to be out of here at Christmas so you know it'll be done by then." Guess what? They want to come the week after Christmas to "finish up."

I feel like Murphy Brown with Eldon.

redrose, when did your reno start? it seems like you should be done by now!!!!!!!!!! it is really quite amazing how the kitchen reno process can overtake your life, and interests. i asked my husband for new everyday dinnerware from crate and barrel for christmas!!!! of course, i had to get it before christmas so i could use if FOR christmas. it was worth it though!!!!

i've been thinking, once finished with the reno, we should have a recipe post. i can only log on to the kitchen forum for so long. where do i go next??????

Last year I was in the midst of renovating during the holidays. Although the kitchen was functional at Christmas, there were no doors on the cabinets, no hood so no light over the stove, no backsplash, and the refrigerator was in the hallway outside the kitchen.

We are still redoing our kitchen and family room and it's been 6 months! We were hoping to be done by Christmas, but with some hic-cups (leak in master bath) and other things, we won't be done. It's a bummer since 3 of our four kids and significant others will all be here with expectations of the new space! But, things could be worse... my husband is employed, we are fortunate to be able to do a remodel in the first place, it has caused me to put a limit on my Christmas shopping (DH is VERY happy about that), we like our GC, we live in California where the weather ain't bad etc. etc. So, I am not complaining. Next year we will have a kitchen! Hang in there!

We are nearing the end. Expect to be finished beginning of January. Little details left, beverage fridge, 1 piece of crown molding, prep sink faucet and disposal, covers for radiators, copper inserts for dish hutch, more I'm sure. Painter is here now paining and on the day after Christmas we need to take down our tree and move all furniture from family room and living room in to our new space so those floors can be refinished. We'll head up to CT the the kids on Saturday morning to visit the in-laws and head back on Tuesday to spend one more night in a hotel. Both DH and I know that 3 nights in close quarters with his parents is our limit, so the one night in the hotel is a sanity saver. Then off to pick up doggies from the kennel and home to (hopefully) dry floors.

We did order a custom 56 inch square farm table that I'm hoping is ready by early Jan. so we can start using the kitchen for real.

When Erma Bombeck was dying, she said that she regretted that she did not have people over because she was worried about the stains on the couch. Remember, people do not come to see your house, they come to see you. So, if necessary, rent folding tables and chairs and be festive-- everything does not need to be perfect.

p.s.-- if people see stains on the couch or something similar, they may secretly feel superior that they do not live like that, so you are doing them a favor by making them feel better about their lot in life.

That's a good holiday reminder Morton. things don't have to be perfect. Spending time with family and friends is what is important. And as I look around at all the little things that will not be finished, I remind myself that after living in a falling-down 1986 single wide trailer for all these years during my build that none of it matters. Not the least little bit. I will be in the new house, with all the little issues and bugs that need to be worked out and rejoycing that we all get to spend another holiday together, complete with a little construction dust, rented chairs and folding tables.

Ohhhh you're gonna feel good after reading this...

This will be my third Christmas in remodel zone. The first year we'd demo'd but out contractor (number one) broke his back and couldn't start. We'd just spent 6 weeks in Cincinnati hospital (I received all our our bids there via fax...all the nurses were in on the remodel LOL). The next year, last, we were not living in the house anymore, but had just purchased a dump...umm town home, nearby but had to spend 3 months back east at Hopkins. Since I was out of town, contractor number 3, took that time to screw off and not work on the house.

We had Christmas in late February after we returned home, in the dump. Ever try to find even a fake christmas tree after christmas? :oP I made one out of willow branches LOL

So now it's Christmas three and we're back in the house, but it's not finished. We're having dinner here with some friends as we normally do. I don't care if it's finished or not at this point. I didn't drag out all of the christmas stuff and probably won't. I purcased a decorated tree at a charity auction and our son loves it, so we'll make due with that...I just have to find stockings (I get jewelrey in my stocking so I MUST find it LOL).

It is hard to concentrate on the holidays when you're in remodel hell...I know :) But try have have fun...we had some out of town folks over when we weren't living here. We set up saw horses and threw a door over them, then used a new painters cloth tarp as a table cloth. We had candles (no chandelier at the time) which we set on top of pint paint jars. We got out the versace china and hada very elegant dinner in the dining room and everyone had a blast.

Reading this certainly makes me feel better.

We did the demo in October. We are mostly DIY but with electricians and plumbers helping with the hard stuff. We managed to move out of our temporary (unheated) kitchen last week but we are by no means finished. The stove won't be here til January (which means no heating til January) we have no hot water, temporary wiring all over the place and random holes in the walls.

But I am having Christmas in my kitchen, I will cover the wires with tinsel, cover the unfinished walls with a swathe of material and light some candles.

I've done no shopping yet for presents (I don't think the children will accept a new cooker hood!) as the renovation has eaten up all my time and energy (not to mention all my money)

But we will play games with the children, drink wine with our friends, and thank God we are healthy with a roof over our heads.

We started early September and hope to finish by late February. We initially thought we would be finished by early December (silly us). We expanded the kitchen by closing in the screened porch and opened up the kitchen to the family room. We also added a mud room giving us direct access from the garage to the kitchen without having to step foot into the sacred man cave. The hardwood is going in right now and should be finished early next week.

IÂve been making Christmas candy (turtles, peanut butter cups, coconut balls, loaded caramel apples, etc) with only a microwave and hot plate, all in the aforementioned man cave (in which I do not always feel entirely welcome LOL! ;-)

I mostly lurk here but I would like to say IÂm so very grateful to have found this site. It has been absolutely invaluable. Having said that, I sometimes believe ignorance is bliss, as IÂm finding the more information you are armed with, the more you generally spend!

Happy holidays everyone!

Glad to hear that others are being "flexible" as I tell my family right now. We will not have a functional kitchen, but I have been promised a sink w/running water -- yippee! Still dining in the basement w/frig and micro. I cordoned off a corner of the the family room and threatened my contractors w/bodily harm if they touched that area -- we put a tree w/lights there, not sure if we can find any ornaments or not, but my boys have made some that are just wonderful and those may be all we do. Everyone has a bed to sleep in and we have a roof over our heads -- they repaired the heat today, so we will be warm. I took this morning to do some shopping so not feeling quite as panicked as I was yesterday. Everyone has something at this point.

Soapstone scheduled for install on Fri., tweeking to cabinets to be done Monday, floors still need to be stained and finished, appliances installed and final painting in there. Island and baking are marble won't go in until after Xmas. Master bath counter needs to be installed and plumbing made functional in there. Then rest of floors on main level cleaned and waxed, upstairs cleaned and furniture re-arranged one last time and I am hopeful that by February we can empty the storage POD in the front yard, send everyone home and have our house to ourselves!

I cannot wait to actually cook again! Not sure I would ever be saying that, but have REALLY missed making our meals........

We're renovating through December, but then again, we're going to hit every season in renovation by the time this is over (if it's ever over...) It's hard to believe, but the back of the house was torn off (kitchen and both bathrooms) in June...in some ways the time has flown but in other ways I feel as if we have been renovating forever. I've almost forgotten what it's like to live in a normal house, and sometimes I forget what the goal is. For instance, the other night I went down to our basement to brush teeth and use the bathroom as usual before bed. When I came upstairs I used the new backstairs we've put in our kitchen to get to the second floor. There is no rail yet, and it was dark . I thought to myself, "It will be so nice when the renovation is done and I will have a hand rail and a light fixture on the landing; it will make going upstairs to bed after brushing my teeth so much easier." I completely forgot that when the new renovation is done, I won't be using a bathroom in the basement to get ready for bed anymore - I'll actually have a master bath - for the first time in my life! It will definitely all be worth it. But it's really amazing what you get used to.

We are so close to the finish and have been using our kitchen for months, but I guess we're still renovating. Our soapstone is now in our driveway(truck made it up the hill yesterday), but will have to wait until after this next snowstorm(supposed to be 10" starting overnight) to be installed. We're DIY and the slab that goes on the peninsula will take 4 heavily muscled guys to move into place. That'll take time, beer, and a couple of london broils to happen.

The UPS guy commented that our kids were getting a ton of gifts, after dropping off two boxes. He's been averaging a couple of boxes each week. I smiled all of those boxes belong to the kitchen.

Well lessee...

Our remodel started December 22nd of last year. We are almost completely DIY and are learning as we go. This has meant lots and lots of re-do's and stalls. Combine that with Hubby's Mom, Dad and disabled brother having major medical issues which has sucked up lots of Hubby's time (he's their health care advocate/shuttle service/etc.) and my being sued by a former house mate in another state (we just found out last week that we WON, BTW!) requiring multiple multi-day trips and lots and lots of time spent compiling the necessary data. So yeah, slow going.

Right now the cab boxes/frames are done, the drawer boxes are (mostly) built and installed, the dishwasher and sink are in and functional and the hardwood floors are installed. Main lighting is also mostly done. Stove is here but not installed.

What is left to do:
sand and re-finish the floors (we still have to decide on stain/finish)
rebuild cabinet above stove to accommodate Velos
build doors and drawer fronts, finish and install
move pot filler plumbing and electrical outlet, then install stove
get granite backsplash made and installed
toe kicks and quarter round

"Bonus" projects (ones that are on the list to do but not necessary for a functional kitchen)
build and install open shelf/display piece beside sink
re-build blind corner base cab and pan cab
fix framing for overhead light
get and install Velos

I think that's it. I was really hoping that the kitchen would be functional (at least getting the stove installed) before the one year mark but life has yet again interfered and Hubby is having to focus on other things for now.

Then once the kitchen is done there's the rest of the house to do...

Needless to say the holidays have taken a major back seat. We bought one of those rosemary "Christmas trees" last weekend bu as of now it's just sitting in the corner.

Our demo starts Tuesday. It was supposed to start right after Thanksgiving, so I figured we'd have "Christmas Lite" and really scaled back on my decorating. I also figured this would be a kitchen-less Christmas, so I didn't plan to do any baking. Starting Saturday, since I still had my kitchen, I decided to make up for lost time and I've been steadily baking. I keep thinking about how this will be the last time I'll have to do my baking in such a horrible space. It should make me really happy, but for some reason, it makes me a little sad, too! (Not sad enough to change anything, though!) ;o)

Back to my gingersnaps...

Redroze,

Do you have outdoor or picnic tables you can use?

Our 'kitchen' table for 11 years was a 'temporary' plastic (Nice plastic though) table. My sewing table is also a wooden picnic table covered with thick plastic. I don't see them anymore- it wasn't until my daughter said that we were the only family with patio furniture inside the house, that I realized that perhaps temporary had gone on too long. Oh well- just think of the money I saved! Now, my expensive custom made maple table and chairs doesn't seem like such a splurge!!!

Unfortunately, we are still renovating- bet we'll be chasing Igloochic's record next Xmas- but that will be kitchen #2, and the bathrooms, this frikken kitchen had better be done by then. Still have back of peninsula, crown molding, glass inserts (though reading above posts, maybe I could do mesh or tin or copper...), toe kicks, and of course, back splash to do. This year, we have hardwood floors instead of plywood and even bought a 'temporary' (have to be afraid of how long temporary seems to last in this house) mantle off of Craig's List so that we had a real place to hang stockings!

Whoa, there's a lot of you out there! I thought I was all alone. =) I feel so much better now.

Pix - What an exciting way to start 2009. Countertop shopping was my FAVOURITE PART. Just looking at all of those pretty stones, and the possibilites....

David and others Christmas shopping - DH and I did well today on the shopping. One more day and then we're done!

Southern - Yes, we are probably in the same stages. I've never seen you post here...we demo-d in May, so we're about three months behind you. You'll see that the backsplash makes such a huge difference. I am from Canada, but from Toronto. Red is my favourite colour...Roze (with a Z) is my grandmother's name.

Cindy - You are one busy lady!!! I have enormous respect for the DIY-ers. Hang in there!

Happy holidays to you too, Vic!

Beccamj - I hear you...we were supposed to be done in July, then September, then November, now before New Year's... Delays, delays, delays... Our friends and coworkers keep asking, "is the kitchen done yet??"

Gglks - We demo'd in mid-May. Our first hardwood staining was wrong, so we had to wait two months to get another set of guys in and restain, then move out again since the fumes were bad. The staining fiasco caused all these delays. The guys are quick and do a good job...it's just that they were doing our house in the evenings whenever they could fit it in, since they had other renos they were working on. ARGH. I know, I can't find another forum quite like the GW Kitchens forum. We definitely should demand a recipes forum, love that idea!!! I suggest you stay on, you can pass on a lot of knowledge from your reno which the beautiful results that you ended up with.

Morton - Very wise words. I know, it's always felt like we wanted to wait so people get the "end" result...and I've always worried that people would judge seeing a half-done kitchen, like "they spent so many months on THAT???" But the people who love us understand. The only reason why I can't do Christmas dinner is WE DON'T HAVE OUR WALL OVEN INSTALLED YET. Argh, well that and the fact that we don't have a kitchen table and chairs. We wouldn't be able to entertain all our family, although we have a table that seats 6 in the dining room. So functionally, it just wouldn't work.

Rae - We just wouldn't be able to entertain our entire family using our table. We have a card table that seats 4 but it is low, and we have a 6-seater table in the dining room. Not enough space for our whole family, unfortunately. I love your stockings, they are adorable!!! And the tin soldiers are so great...

Igloo - Oh my goodness, I don't know how you do it. I've found it emotionally exhausting to live in a half state. Well, not true...I'm good about 80% of the time, but the rest of the time i Just want things DONE. I am the same as you, we didn't bother buying Christmas stuff (we didn't have any the 3 years we've lived here)...at least we can go to our family's homes and enjoy there.

Count me in. Last weekend we baked several 100 dozen christmas cookies without a sink and using cardboard boxes as a makeshift island. Washed all the cookie prep stuff in the bathtub. But this week we have cabs, granite, and just today--drum roll please---a sink!! I never knew how much I loved a kitchen sink.

We did put up our trees, but only about half the ornaments--the good glass ones stayed packed. We bought drop clothes and now wrap them up toga-style while the contractors are here to keep the dust at bay. Speaking of togas--I say we charter a plane to someplace warm---Anyone up for the Bahamas or the Carribean???

Happy Holidays to everyone. You've helped me keep my sanity thru all of this. and Igloochic, I think you win the perseverence award. I thought 6 months of this was too much to bear, but your story definitely takes the prize.

{{!gwi}}

'nuff said.

Please add me to the mix.

I too hope all your holidays are happy and our projects will be finished soon.

I have cabinets as of today. Counter templating is on Tues and I either approve the template on the slab before Christmas, the 24th or the day after, the 26th. No appliances yet although I have my granite sink in the box still.

Don't have a pantry door for my reach-in pantry or shelves for that matter. The electrical on the Island has no cut out in the cabinet yet and the lighting is atrocious.

So we'll be going to the cousins for Christmas Dinner. I can't wait until next year though when we can invite the family to our house.

Yep.

On our "to do" list before the floor is refinished the week of 1/5:

-finish trim on cabinets
-do trimwork around back of island and paint it
-install two pocket doors in the pantries
-do trimwork around pantry doors and paint
-replace baseboards throughout first floor after floors are done in Jan, and paint them (we're going wider)
-install toekicks after floor is done
-install island pendants and chandelier in breakfast - they are on back order
-choose and install a backsplash - I'm so confused on this one!!!

So, our kitchen is usable for Christmas, but we'll be working right through the holidays, with just time off to celebrate meaning of Christmas (and eat a lot, lol!).

kakirby, I like minimal but you may have gone a little too far.

My Mom is at week 8 of her 6 week kitchen renovation and, as of Wednesday, she has countertops but still no sink. Not looking like she will see any further progress until after Christmas at this point but everything seems set to go (everything is has been delivered) for early January.

I don't live there so it usually isn't me who is inconvenienced day to day but I always house sit over Christmas so I will get a little taste of the sorrows of living with no kitchen (but the joys of a full cable package). It is usually nice to have a decent size kitchen to stretch out in and do a little cooking but not this year. Lots of little DIY jobs to do so I'll be busy enough.

I have been accessory shopping which has been a bit more fun that fretting about being over budget and behind schedule. I got a 15"x11" version of this today:

I got it in the Natural Richlite (has some colours from the mosaic backsplash in it)with cute brown silicone feet to keep it from slipping and scratching. Not a bargain but not everything can be.

I wish you all a speedy conclusions and great outcomes to your renovations.

We're in the midst of a new build and supposed to be hosting the family Christmas dinner this year.
Ha!
Here's a pic of my pantry/refrigerator wall as of today....

{{!gwi}}

Yes, that's a bathtub in the middle of my kitchen!

Dawn

Well, after 2 full years of fits and starts (including installing 3/4" of a kitchen with Ikea cabs and then changing my mind and starting all over again from scratch), I finally began demo on my "real kitchen" this past September. As late as 2 weeks ago, I would have thought I'd be finished by Christmas. And, indeed, I'm pretty darn close. But, some of my outstanding issues and one pretty major setback recently suffered makes me think I won't be able to claim a fully completed kitchen until March or April!

And you know what? There are days I feel I'll be lucky if this kitchen is done by the spring of '09. Heck, sometimes I feel like I've fallen into some kind of parallel universe where I have been consigned to doing a kitchen reno that never ends! OTOH, not only is it true that I've come a long way since 2006, but also, like Redroze says, it's nice to learn I'm not alone! I also have faith that. . . one day, I really will have a kitchen to add to the FKB! :) In the meantime, it's comforting and exciting to see each other's progress as well as to salivate over the truly splendid kitchens we TKOers end up producing -- no matter how long or short the process.

Happy holidays everybody!

I can identify with beccamj, too, as well as the rest of you! We were originally supposed to be done in September, but the county put us back 2 months waiting for permits. Contractor said they'd try for Halloween, then the schedule was before Thanksgiving, then right after Thanksgiving. But finally (today!) it is done! Well, there is always a punchlist, the painter needs to touch up, the toilet paper holders weren't delivered yet. But we're moving in tomorrow :-) Weather permitting, but I am allowing myself to believe we'll be there for Christmas.

Dawn, we were supposed to host the family Thanksgiving dinner, we weren't quite as mid-construction as you are, though! We ended up having Thanksgiving elsewhere, but my daughter was baptized that weekend so we had people over to the mostly finished house for a little gathering afterward. It actually worked out well - people got to see the house, but since it wasn't finished there was no expectation that it would be furnished, decorated, or anything like that.

Let's see...where am I tonight? Just called the cabinet maker and left a message (as I got NO call today and it's 10pm) asking what time they think the counter will arrive tomorrow? Of course I took off from work so I am REALLY hoping the counter IS coming tomorrow!

The cabinets are mostly done (although I don't like how the doors fit on two and have ordered replacements - but that won't happen until January I would think). Hoping the carpenters show up tomorrow with the counter people and finish all the little detail moldings here and there. Trim around the window would be nice. Wishful thinking?

The electrician was here last night late (he was sick last week) but still couldn't finish everything. The hood and microwave work! One flourescent ceiling fixture is a funny bluish color though (now I know what the person was talking about who posted they hate theirs). But the other ONE that is working is a nice warm yellow???

If we get a counter and sink before Christmas that would be good. Don't suppose a backsplash is possible at this point. (Do tilers work Christmas Eve? LOL!) Actually my company is coming Christmas Eve ready or not. What the heck - they can all "imagine" what it will look like finished. :D

SO - do I wrap presents or sew curtains? what do you think?

We're not really having to deal with reno messes since we're building and living elsewhere, but we're in the thick of things. And I have lived through the longest masterbath reno so know how difficult that can be. It sounds like the contractors won't be doing much from christmas to new years. maybe that'll give me enough time to make some of my remaining decisions :) good luck to everyone

I'm up to my neck in it as well. Was really hoping to be in for Christmas (especially the wife) but since so much of the help I'm getting is from friends and family I don't feel right pushing hard for it. Hopefully, a few more weeks and at least we'll be in (finished? -- is it ever finished?).

Gosh yes. December, January, February ... you name it and we're renovating. Sixteen years and going strong! We're finally moving toward the rewarding part of the kitchen. Then on to another room.

Redroze,

It's never ending and we started a year ago. Kitchen backsplash, painting of moulding trim, curtains, lighting room fixtures still need to be selected. Our house has great bones but nothing was done to it which is a good thing. We got it under asking price in our preferred neighbourhood in the hot market of 2007. But we've burned through our reno budget and have decided NOT to use credit. So we're taking our time.

Doors have been replaced, pocket doors handles installed....I've been living with masonite board covering the ugly gap that was our coal burning fireplace. We just had our gas insert installed last week - love it - but my BF now needs to build the mantle (and he did an incredible amount of work installing the new hearth and getting the old fireplace cavity ready for the insert.)

I'm planning spending my Christmas break painting - finally settled on LR and master bedroom colours:) Takes awhile..

Redroze - even with our unfinished state we still had our big bash in summer and we still have get togethers with friends and family.

We, too, want to replace our current DR table with a bigger one, but decided to spend money finishing our fireplace first, for greater impact. It didn't stop us from hosting a large Thanksgiving dinner - my BF BUILT a rough table to attach to our current one, and we just hid it under a large table cloth and used folding chairs for the extra chairs!

Still renovating. We didn't touch the kitchen in this phase of the reno because we were doing the parlor/living room and bedroom floors, planning to have DH's family and my family come for Christmas. Dust started flying on July 1 and we're not CLOSE to being done - latest projected finish date is March 1, originally we were supposed to be in punch-list mode on December 1.

Because the house is such a mess (one barely functioning bathroom, top floor still down to the studs), we can't even have anyone over for the holidays. Had we known this would drag on, we would have included the kitchen reno in this phase and been ready to host Xmas 2009 next year. Oh well...

Wow, after reading everyone else's postings, I feel like a real wimp! We demo'd the kitchen about mid-Nov and expect to be done mid-Feb sometime and are not doing any of it ourselves. It's just DH, DS, the dog and me and I still have not found time for any cookie baking, Christmas decorating (well,I bought a Costco wreath and poinsettia for the porch)or even menu planning. Friends did invite us over for Christmas dinner which is a very nice development but I still have to figure out something "a little special" for Christmas Eve that can be done in the microwave-centered temp kitch of which I am already sick and tired....February seems like a long time away. But after reading how well everyone above is doing, I'm giving myself an attitude adjustment today and going to find a bit of Christmas cheer...just the thought of the end product should do it. And my DS did volunteer to draw a green tree to hang in the living room...it will be a Christmas to remember! And we'll have lots to toast on New Year's Eve, won't we? :-)

Redroze, I have people who don't ask because thy just assumed it was done months ago. What could they still be working on? LOL

Igloochic, that actually made me feel worse. You are a masochist! :P

Caryscott, you're right that accessory shopping is a good stress reliever for kitchen renos. It's a small and relatively inexpensive thing that you have control over...unlike the kitchen reno! I like that gripper cutting board a lot.

Dawn - Nice bathtub. Just tell your family you have enough seating for four...if they like a cold porcelain seat, that is! =)

Martha - I'm also looking forward to the day I end up in the FKB. It will mark the end of a fun and challenging 9 months (assuming we get our kitchen chairs in March).

Clax - What better way to spend the holidays than to do work on the house ?? We're painting our spindles today...should be FUN. Joking aside, the stairs look worlds different from the golden oak hardwood that we had for years.

Gail - Yes, you need to suffer like all of us!!! I hope your reno stays on schedule and you have a wonderful kitchen you can share with all of us, so we have hope we can finish someday too!!

Here's my view of the world today. At least my cabinets match the snow...

They're supposed to finish up our kitchen today (wall oven, repair toekicks, add filler above crown) but given the weather in Toronto, doesn't seem likely...oh well. Let it snow...

Started on Nov 11...ETC...Mar 11...

keeping a photo blog called "A Wolf Among the Chickens", a day in the life of a remodel. i was supposed to be a simple kitchen remodel, but after plans were drawn and finalized...it turned out to be a little more. take a look at the blog...i'll update here as much as possible.

Making room for .....

a 48" SZ...48" Wolf(hence the name of the blog) a 10 foot by 5 foot island, that will hold a wine fridge, dW drawers..fridge drawers, a drawer MW, 20" silgranite prep sink, plus storage. I'll post a floor layout asap.

here's the link to my blog

http://wolfamongthechickens.blogspot.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: a day in the life of a kitchen remodel.