Kitchen Update

Before. Note the missing cabinet door in the far corner by the window.

I picked the cabinets first.
Apparently I'm fond of light wood kitchens.

Then I picked the counter. I knew I wanted something
with a little more character than the plain ivory Corian, 
but I loved that  nearly indesructable Corian counter. 
I went with quartz. Apparently these drainage grooves are very European. 
La-di-dah. I just wanted to free up counter space.

My colors. I wanted to get rid of the tile and grout on the floor,
but also knew I didn't want hardwood since you step directly
into the kitchen from outside. I thought about trying to
add a mudroom, but instead I went with a vinyl plank floor
that is actually commercial grade with a lifetime warranty
in residential applications. The planks lock 
and it looks like hardwood, but is very soft on the feet.

Backsplash detail.
I'm not fond of the vast swaths of solid color of plain subway tiles,
but I knew I wanted a solid color with just a little visual interest.
This blue perfectly matches the flecks in the countertop. The grout is an epoxy-type that requires no sealing.
Only the wall behind the stovetop is on the diagonal. The sink backsplash and box window seat are straight..

The famous proposal.
She still loves you, man.

I had a very hard time finding them online when I was calling them handles.
They're knobs and pulls. Duh.

Now, the fun stuff.

Here's my pull-out pantry ... 

... and my broom closet! My brooms
have their very own space now.

The pantry and broom closet butt up against each other,
back to back. These tiny shelves  are perfect 
for the shot glass collection.

I kept my much-loved range, hood, oven and microwave. 
The microwave predates me, but man that thing is a monster,, and has
a convection feature. I put a warming drawer under the oven. 
The drawer has a slow-cooker feature, so you know I'll be trying a pulled pork in there soon.

I always wanted a french door refrigerator, but it couldn't go in its original spot because of the dining room wall, so I switched the oven and fridge locations.
The stovetop stayed where it was originally.

And what kitchen is complete without a pull-down, hidden knife rack? 
I never even knew I wanted one and now it's my favorite part of the kitchen.

Iceland, Part One

Iceland: Beautiful. Friendly. Rainy.

This sign greets visitors arriving at Keflavik International Airport,
about an hour outside Reykjavik. Words both wise and welcoming. 

Comprised of literally thousands of delicate layers, this formation reminded me of a fragile, sweet mille feuille.

From a little farther out, you see the basalt columns that formed naturally as the lava floes  spread and cooled and cracked  into their crystals.

 The photos above give a clearer view of the formation for sure, but I had to include this next view from a distance, for sheer scale. That tiny red dot at the cave entrance (center) is a person ...

Black Sands Beach was about a 2.5 hour drive from Reykjavik, outside Vik, on Iceland's south shore. I had decided early on that I'd stop at any information point/travellers' center/lookout that struck my fancy so the 2.5 hour drive ended up taking nearly 7, and I barely got there before sunset. I was particularly glad I was alone that day. If 96 and 98 had been with me, they surely would have smothered me in my sleep that night.

I drove past this memorial on one of the main highways several times before I finally stopped one day, expecting to maybe say a little prayer and be on my way. Sometimes I say a little prayer for people figuring even if I don't know their names, someone does. I was particularly touched by one of the markers: If you look closely you can see that one of the crosses has another, smaller, cross attached. I figured it was for a mother and child. I asked an Icelander learned the story. Roughly translated, 'These crosses are in memory of those who have died on [the road named] Sudurlandsvegur, between Reykjavik and Selfoss.' The memorial was erected in 2006 both as a way to remember the loss of life on the curvy road and to highlight for all the importance of maintaining the country's transportation infrastructure. I was very glad I stopped there and found this sweet, simple memorial.

This will probably come up in the Christmas Newsletter, but ...

... I just got back from Iceland. More to come. But here's a funny story.

I was at a souvenir place looking for a magnet for my fridge. (Also coming soon: new kitchen pictures, including black stainless appliances that hold magnets! Yay for black stainless!)

I digress. So, I'm at the souvenir place and find a couple of magnets I like. I particularly like the first one, because Mark Twain is supposed to have said this about New England first, I think, and it's kind of a mantra around here. It was also crazy true about the few days I was in Iceland.

I also liked one printed in Icelandic but I didn't know what it said. I didn't want to buy it if it said something raunchy so I brought it to the cashier and asked her to translate. She responded, "I don't speak Icelandic." So I replied, "That's okay. I'll find another person to ask," and took back the magnet.

"No, no, no!" she laughed, and said again, "'I don't speak Icelandic.' That's what it says!" 

It was a classic Laurel and Hardy and I fear I embarrassed all Americans with my ignorance because ég tala ekki íslensku.