the doma diaries: kitchen progress

I've been absent for a while now.  Like, over a month.  Whoops!  I've been busy and uninspired to write.  I also need to change my blog around and I haven't felt like tackling that {major} project because HTML codes and stuff like that are way over my head.  I was also gone to Toronto for 10 days.  And then I had a two-week time period where my group of friends all came together for pool days, fun evenings, cookouts, and good times because Bert {remember Bert?  He lives in Japan.  More here.} flew halfway around the world to visit OK for the first time in two years.  So, while he was here, the twins {background here} came to town too. And Rose's boy Mattchik {my Ukrainian name for him} came too.   Excuses, excuses.

I also have another convenient excuse right now.  My brother is here!!!!!  I hadn't seen him in one year and eight months...LONG TIME.  Why's he here?  Because on Tuesday, he and I are getting in a rented mini-van and driving 1800 miles to New Hampshire...with all of his childhood things in tow.  Then I'll get to see Tina {sis-in-law} for the first time almost two years and Jill too!  Excited doesn't begin to cover it.  We're still working like mad people over at the new house...and I've been documenting things like crazy! Just not putting them on the blog.

Here's how the room was the last time you saw it.  

Before, the awkward peninsula/chimney only had electricity coming from the ceiling.  We needed it to come from the ground though...which meant that our contractor Rick had to get very handy!

First, he drilled a hole {probably 6"x 8"} in the FOUNDATION.  This is over on the left side of kitchen where the new hutch will go.

Then, he drilled another hole in the center of the kitchen.

See the PVC pipe?  Eventually, it made its way under the foundation {through good ol', red, Oklahoma dirt}.  

He then hooked the garden hose up to PVC pipe to flush out the remaining dirt and make way for electricity.  

These pics are making it look super easy...I'm going to go ahead and bank on the fact that this was not an easy-breezy part of the project :)

ta-da!  Electricity threaded through!

The last pic for tonight's post shows a preview of what the island will look like! Some of you may have seen it on facebook, but this will keep others curious!  Toodles :) 

the doma diaries: kitchen demolition!

I'm gearing up for the mission trip as I type this {doing laundry} but wanted to get in one more post before I leave tomorrow morning!  I mailed off more Peace Corps paperwork today...remember the application process and how it never ended?  Well, the COS process {close of service} is just as intense.  I'm super excited to leave tomorrow and get on the road.  But first...

It's time for some kitchen demo pics!  

Remember what the kitchen looked like before?  

the awkward brick column in the middle...housing the double oven.

and a cute little desk area {complete with locking medicine cabinet} 

and the really old {space-age} cooktop...

Time to say goodbye to the column!

The Jetson's called.  They'd like their oven back.

Doesn't it feel more open instantly?

If you look at the ceiling, you'll see two different types of texture where the brick column went up.  Very interesting...

This is Rick, the jolly green giant :)  He's the one doing all of this handy dandy construction/demolition work.

So. Old.

Remember the original cooktop?  I'll refresh your memory...

Before...

After! {a new slide-in range will go there, along with a hip new vent hood}

Before...

After! {notice the bottom part of the upper cabinetry}

Before...

After!

Ta da!

Time to go start packing now.  Good thing our luggage didn't have to be at the church today! :)  Not sure what internet will look like on the trip, but if there's time, I'll try to throw in a blog post or two.  Happy Wednesday!

the doma diaries: pops's study!

Happy Friday!!  A week from today, I will be in Chicago with the high school kiddos on our way to Toronto for the summer mission trip.  In preparation for the trip, I needed to get certified to drive one of the church mini-buses.  I've waited 10 years to be able to drive one of those babies (you have to be 25 years old) and the day finally came!  Scott took me out for a test drive...and it honestly wasn't that bad! 

stolen instagram photo

Let's get down to business though.  Next stop on the tour of the new house is my dad's study.  My dad has dreamed of having built-in bookshelves in his study for a long, long time.  That day is finally coming {soon} and we're all quite excited to see how they'll turn out.  

one of the front bedrooms--soon to be a Boomer Sooner Study!

other direction

the closet {which will also get special built-ins! more about that later...}

first order of business: take out the old carpet {the built-ins will be built directly on the floor and new carpet will go in around the built-ins}

sayonara! 

bez carpet {a little Russian for you today. I think you can figure out what it means...}

without carpet!

all sorts of secret messages were left for us...more about that later too :)

no more hanging rods!

That's all the sneak peak you're going to get today.  I also need to say hi to all of my friends at Camp HEAL {an HIV/AIDS educational youth summer camp in Ukraine}.  Hope y'all are soaking up the rays on the beach and teaching the kids lots of stuff.  Wish I were there with y'all :)

the doma diaries: the kitchen.

Hoping everyone had a lovely 4th yesterday :)  I've been slacking on the house front...so it's time for the tour that I promised you.  We'll start with the kitchen...because it's got the most work to be done.  You'll see why in a second...

This house is a little over 40 years old.  The kitchen is ORIGINAL.  We aren't sure if it may have been closed off at one point (because the ceiling has been redone and needs to be done redone again), but you'll see how dated it is now.  It's got great bones, she just needs a little facelift!

the kitchen and breakfast room

It's a little hard to get a good shot of the whole kitchen because it's quite large. And the above photo is the best shot overall I've got of the "before."  Whoops.  

You see the odd island/chimney in the middle?  It's coming out...

that desk area on the left is also coming out...

somebody tried to cutesy it up with a fun chandelier...I'll give them an E for effort!

the opposite side of the chimney

I feel like the oven belongs in Back to the Future...but you know that it was a prime machine back in the day.  

storage above the ovens

there was barely room to put a large pot on the back burners of the stove...maybe 12" of clearance under the microwave.  Definitely not to code...

don't you love the olive green countertops? :)  And matching sink.  I had that at my college house and oddly kind of liked it...but they'll be getting replaced in this house!

the curly-cues under the top cabinetry is also coming down...but all of the cabinets are staying.

Mom is excited for all of the storage in this kitchen.  Props to the original designers for the size!

So, that's most of the kitchen.  It's actually been massively overhauled already, so I guess I'll give you a peak to see what she looks like now.  Here she is before...

and here she is as she stands now!  Still more to come :)

I've got to get ready for the day now.  On today's agenda: learn how to drive a McFarlin mini-bus for the upcoming high school summer mission trip to Toronto.  I've waited 10 years to be able to drive one of those things...and the day has finally come!  

happy birthday, big brother :)

Since being home with my parents, I discovered a slew of old pics I scanned long ago onto the home computer.  So, that means all of you get a looksie at Jeremy growing up...and the evolution of his hair and wardrobe.  Maybe that should be a blog post in and of itself some day. Anywho...

happy #36 to the best big brother out there :)  

always exploring...from the get go.

4th of July baby at heart.  That must be where his love for fireworks {and all things fiery} comes from!

rockin' the mullet.  

Why yes, we're wearing matching Alabama shirts at Disney.  What's even better is Jeremy's pants...

one of my favorite pics of all time :)

those shorts...

another fave picture.

high-tops.

A Frost family favorite: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

one fish, two fish...

red fish, blue fish.

What other big brother would let me play beauty shop? :)

Frost Family Fun on the Farm

Still jealous that you got to go on the rope swing and I didn't...

Pretty sure I let you paddle the whole way back that day...

a really stellar haircut on both of us.

Apparently...some things,

Will never change.  

Hope your birthday is wonderful, Jeremy :)  Can't wait for our road trip in August!