Here's a little peek...

Some of you might be wondering what I've been doing since May. Yes, I just noticed I haven't added a new blog post since then. Well, here's a sneak peek of what we've been up to.

Starting with the new kitchen design as you can see below required not only cabinets but counters, flooring, sink, and appliances. This was quite a large project for me since I've never done anything like it before. There were many delays and obstacles throughout but I'm happy to say...this job is finished! Yay! Oh, and I absolutely love the finished product!

Here is a look at what the upper cabinets look like. They are constructed of maple and stain finished in hazelnut. They really are beautiful cabinets. I had no idea that there would be crown molding at the top until they were installed. What a lovely added feature, don't you think?

Almost everything under the counter top is drawers. These drawers are solid, dove-tailed, and have a self glide system. The drawer pulls are brushed nickle with a slim rope edge...just enough to give a very slight Southwest charm. You can also see some of the counter top and flooring in this image. Since the cabinets are light, we decided on a darker stone finished tile and counter.

Here you can see the earth-tone carpet which ties in with the masculine earth-tones of the kitchen. There are flecks of burgundy, dark green, and dark brown to spice it up just a bit. And...our new reclining sofa which my grandson told me to purchase. Little to say, he didn't have to tell me that twice although it took me two trips to the furniture store to decide for sure. It really does look great on the new carpet. Can you tell I'm trying to ward off others from enjoying the comfort of the sofa? Or did you just miss that snake curled up on the corner? Oh, don't worry! It's not real! LOL

Ok, so now it's time to go outdoors, don't ya know? It's mid summer and the garden isn't finished yet. It was about time we did something about that so first we found some lovely hanging baskets. My daughter actually found these for under six dollars and believe me...they are huge! What a deal! I found one for under six dollars too but she beat my deal by 49 cents.

It was also time to start filling some of the deck planters. We found a few unusual plants at the nursery and added them to our better deals from the local stores that were closing out their garden centers. I just can't pass up the few plants that need a bit of TLC...ever. I think everything deserves a home, don't you? So here are a few of the many planters we filled.

Now then...it was time to clean up and fill the largest garden, which I call my kitchen garden, since I can view it from the kitchen. The first pic shows the placement of the plants while the second shows them all planted. I can hardly wait to see how they will all merge together in time.

From back to front there are hydrangeas, asters, zinnias, Martha Washington's, and geraniums. On the right, there are two wooden planters housing miniature dahlias. The large blueish green plant on the right is a well established sedum. Not sure if the birds like the bird bath or not. There haven't been many around due to my lack of feeding them. Perhaps the flowers and the new bird seed will coax some of them back.

The large projects are finished. It's summer and it's time to have a little fun. Although we always ask for warm and sunny for an outdoor party, you never know what you might get so we set up our mosquito-proof gazebo just in case it should rain. It also provides a great place for all the food. Well, it can't be a fiesta without food, right? And there will be plenty of table space for the enchiladas, chimichangas, taquitos, chili, chips and dips (SW, of course) And the margaritas! Ole'! So now all that's left to do is decorate for the Fiesta! We have red hot chili lights, a glittery red chili to cover the outdoor light, some umbrella lighting, sombreros to wear for fun, and some decorations for inside the house.

Here are some of the decorations set up in the house. Beautiful flowers from my son-in-law, a miniature pinata, some maracas, and the ceramic sombrero to hold the salt for the margaritas.
It getting closer to Fiesta day. Now it's time to start cooking.

Unfortunately, this image did not turn out well. The dancers didn't have time to flatten completely by the time I took this picture...but I'm sure you get the idea, si?

I do hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek into the festivities going on here. It has been quite a journey for us and I am ever so thankful this part is finished. I will be even more thankful when the remaining rooms are done and I can return to my art therapy. I sure miss that as well as all of you amazing creators out there. Hope you all had a terrific weekend!