The Move and a Parrrr-tay

Hey guys - we did it!  We officially moved into the Ravenna House.

So naturally the place is in a state of disarray.

We've got boxes and boxes and more boxes in every nook and cranny. If you open a closet, out jumps baby toys and coats and rolls of toilet paper and clothes and cleaning supplies and towels and more toilet paper (I know! Why do we have so much toilet paper?).  The basement isn't even close to being finished so we're debating whether to put the elliptical in the living room or the our the hallway.  Garrett and I have approximately 0% of our clothes organized and only enough underwear to last a week.  And baby Wilder has a stroller parked next to his crib and cases of wine in his closet.  The only room that is even remotely organized is the kitchen.

And mind you, I didn't say organized.  I said remotely organized.  As in don't-open-any-of-the-drawers-or-cabinets-or-ask-me-where-the-crock-pot-is-because-I-have-no-idea kind of organized.

So you're probably thinking I spent the weekend unpacking those boxes and finding a spot for all of that toilet paper.

Nope.

I threw a parrrrr-tay.

Say what?

Yeah, a party.  I invited nine well dressed ladies over to sip champagne and play silly games and eat tiny cakes.  We celebrated bride-to-be Auntie Daynie with presents and cheese and stories of how everyone met their husbands (think seventh grade, already-been-chewed-gum, and a red tongue).  It was a wonderfully indulgent couple of hours away from hammers and paint brushes and overstuffed brown boxes.  The perfect way to break in the kitchen and make the Ravenna House feel a bit more like home.

I figure if our kitchen was ready for that then it's pretty much ready for a big ol' reveal here on the Grit and Polish.  So here it is.  The kitchen:

That's how it looked for the party with the table extended to fit everyone. But you probably noticed that the kitchen isn't finished yet.  We're missing the open shelves between the windows, the microwave is still sitting on the countertop, and the base molding under the cabinets is missing, but we're close.  And all in all, I'm really happy with it.  I love the overall aesthetic, the lighting, the marble countertops, the openness, the sink, and the little bench that you can't quite see behind the table but sits just below the window.  So far, I'm struggling with the amount of storage, but since we haven't really unpacked or finished organizing anything, I'll reserve my judgement for later.

Here's a look at that little bench:

Isn't it cute?  I really like the Moroccan-inspired fabric.  My mom found it at a local fabric shop so I don't have any details on it, but it's a nice heavy-weight upholstery fabric.  Garrett and I upholstered the bench ourselves using 3" foam and cotton batting over 1" plywood.  The edges turned out a little suspect - good enough for a bench that hides behind a table - but I wish we had read this post before we tackled the project.  Next time.

Here are a couple flower shots from the party.  Just because it's Spring...

What do you think?  Do you like the kitchen?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Friday everyone!  I better get back to that unpacking...

xoxo

p.s. this article is an oldie but a goodie about kids and food (can you tell it's been on my mind lately?)!

p.p.s.  here's a peak at the basement progress.  We're hoping to install the built-ins (a serious Craigslist deal) this weekend and then we're on to trim and paint!