Before and After, Part One.

I've always wanted to live next to a park. 

In Michigan, I'd daydream with Steve, 

"Look at all the space!  Think of the games! You don't have to mow it!"

He agreed and we put on our list of pies in the sky.

A few years later in Idaho we'd frequent our park right around the corner- 

and I'd daydream, once again, about only having to walk across the street versus around the corner and down a couple blocks. 

In Louisiana, we had the park/school right across the street- and it was divine.  

What the house didn't have (disposal, dishwasher, countertops, and grass, to name a few...) was made up for by the location.

We'd eat dinner at 5:07 and be out riding bikes by 5:29.

Or swinging. Or sliding. 

Or playing basketball. 

When we moved to Utah- I didn't think it could/would happen again. 

But it did. 

I was so caught up in a zillion other details, I didn't even see the park next door.

I walked through the house three times before making the decision to purchase the property- 

and it wasn't until after we moved in that I actually realized:
We'd found ourself a Pie in the Sky.

(Handed to us from Heaven above.)

It took a lot of work to get it, and patience too,

but we're so darn grateful to have it.

(Here's Part One of the Before and After.)

"The Before..."

"The After..."

I decided to go white.  Originally I was going to go all white- including the appliances, but at the last minute I decided to go stainless- and I'm glad I did.  White appliances would have been too white... 

But speaking of white? Those cupboards have three different coats of two different primers, two thick coats of white paint and one coat of a polyurethane finish.  I added the new hardware and hinges after realizing just how well fingerprints show on a fresh white background.  But I'm glad I did.  It added a lot to the kitchen- and it was the easiest part of the whole job.

The refrigerator?  Was another story.  I measured the space and measured the refrigerator- and it seemed like it would fit, but when we got it in the space- it just didn't.  Luckily we have a friend (sent from Heaven above) who knocked out the wall behind it and built another one so we could push it back almost four inches.  Thankfully it wasn't too complicated. It only took three sheets of wallboard, eleven two-by-fours, two buckets of mud, one roll of tape, lots of sanding, two coats of both primer and paint... lots of people...

...and now we have a cozy refrigerator cave.

We're so happy with the end results, and even happier that it's all over. 

...Mostly over...

Now I just need to sand and paint the chairs

and caulk the baseboards...