Saddle up to the bar lil' filly

So about a year or so ago, I got this *brilliant* idea. You see, I have a pretty large dining room. No, I can't seat 28 people in here, but in relation to the other rooms in the house, it's just as large. Considering that my favorite place in the world to eat is on the couch, it seemed like such a huge waste of space.

Gene's "brilliant idea" was to take the living room and make it into a sitting room, and the dining room would become the room where the TV was. I thought this plan equally as ignorant since we'd still have a room we barely used - especially considering we see the electrician more than some of our family.

Just making an observation.

So my brilliant plan was to make the dining room more multipurpose than it was. For starters, the window someday will come out, and a large sliding glass door will exit into our outdoor kitchen.

No lie. Me? I want a friggin outdoor kitchen.
I used to hate the outdoors.
and cooking.

And now I want to cook. out. doors.
Yeah, it boggles my mind too.

In the dining room, one wall is a large expanse of just nothingness, so I got to thinking, that it would be nice to have a library space there. A place to put some of my books (I got rid of 90% during the move), some of my favorite knicky knacks, artwork we've collected and storage underneath for large things like roasters and my collection of 1400 hand stitched tablecloths that I NEVER USE.

It was then I realized that we could put granite on the counter a nice space in the middle with a beveled mirror and include a "bar" area too filled with some of the beautiful crystal pieces we've collected over the past several years.

And booze. Top shelf stuff.

Gene was totally game on.

Then this winter, we happened to stop in to pick up a cabinet or 2 when we bought our fridge. You see, we had to completely resize one part of the kitchen to make that behemoth fit. And dammit, it was GOING TO FIT.

It just so happened that the day we got there, all cabinets were 20% off.

We came home, remeasured and went back to buy everything we need. We sat them in place, stood back and smiled then proceeded to start sitting crap on it. Ahhh... horizontal spaces we love you so much.

Since Gene is currently off work due to his surgery (he's becoming an innie again in case you were wondering), I made a master list. He's *really happy* about it too. (that's sarcasm if you didn't pick up on it).

I figure if he can't lift 20 pounds, I've got about 40 jobs that need doing that involve a paint brush that weighs around 4 ounces.

On that list, that I strategically placed on the couch, next to the remote, was "stain cabinets". Staining is a suck job. Trust me on this. Your hands are sticky, it makes a huge mess, get it someplace you don't want it and your wife will nag you for weeks (my brand new cooler), and to top it all off, it stinks!

This winter we took a stab at it, and when we realized it sucked, well, we quit. I sat patiently with 2 stained cabinets and 3 unstained for 6 months. Not cool.

So when Gene was least expecting it, when he sat down to watch War of the Worlds for the 928th time, his hand brushed a notepad on it's way to the remote. "What's this? I see my name.... it's a ... it's.... a honey do list!! ARRGHHHHHH!"

So yesterday, he suited up with rubber gloves, 2 cans of stain and I sent him out to stink up the outdoors and kill some of the ozone layer.

Success!

It's a disaster zone at the moment. Everything I've carefully jammed in the drawers over the past 6 months had to come out and it's just e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. Don't mention all the stuff that we've been listing on etsy, and ebay, and for the new etsy shop.

Calgon!
Yes, calgon, where are our passports?

It's a pretty color.. no?

It takes 2 layers of stain, and no matter what you do, it seems one gets a little more sun than the next one so it's been a difficult process. It's meant to match my island, which is about that color, with black granite top. BTW, black granite is a PITA to keep cat hair off of, especially when a rogue mostly white cat sits on it secretly at night.

So when my mother-in-law told Gene they were coming for a visit tomorrow, he took a look across the room and took a big gulp. So I'm not seeing my mom-n'nem tomorrow. That's next week. However, it has given my husband the fire to get this project to the level of "acceptable in many circles".

What circles those are I don't know? Hobos? People that live in storm drains? Chickens?
(HEY! Chickens are people too!)