From Kitchen Drawers To Painted Doors

That mountain of kitchen purchases did not unpack and wash itself. So…bright and early next morning Sarah and I unpacked ALL of our purchases.

Our recycle bin was sure put to good use that day, and we kept the old dishwasher running for hours. (Our new appliances would be added much later in our OBX makeover.)

Meemaw’s Kitchen Magic

You all know by now the kitchen IS my Happy Place. So arranging all of our purchases was like putting together a large jigsaw puzzle. Sarah cut shelf liners while I played in all my glory! And in the end, everything looked fantastic. Just imagine renting our house and finding drawers and cupboards filled with beautiful contents like these!

I think my silverware drawer is now a thing of beauty! And wine lovers will be happy to find everything they need to easily open a bottle and store the leftovers. (But who ever has leftover wine?)

Magical Memories for sure!

Waiting…For Nick!

While we worked, we also kept an eye on the clock since Nick was scheduled to arrive later that day. He and Sarah were about to switch places for the week. Nick was making the twelve hour drive from their Indiana home, and Sarah would be returning her rental car and flying back to Indy from Norfolk the next day. So those two would have just a few precious hours together in Corolla to finalize the makeover game plan. And all three of us couldn’t wait to show Nick HIS new house since he had yet to lay eyes on it!  Peepaw couldn’t resist the opportunity to head out to the street to watch for Nick to arrive.

And FINALLY!!!

We were SO glad to welcome him to our happy chaos.

He briefly toured the house with Sarah and then promptly got to work. (Like father like son.)

They quickly unloaded the trailer containing furniture and all the new Smart TVs.

Peepaw and I both insisted our kids go out for a celebratory dinner. But they opted to order pizza for all of us and to just keep working. (Their eyes were on the prize for sure.)

Get To Work!

Early the next morning Sarah and Nick walked to the beach to watch the sunrise together before she headed to Norfolk for the trip back home. Then Nick and Peepaw began their FIRST eight day stint of hard work that stretched late into each night. It didn’t take long to turn the third floor kitchen and family room into a total work zone. 

Nick carefully mounted all the new TV’s throughout the house. 

Then he joined Peepaw for the painting marathon taking place throughout the entire house.

Every surface in that three story house was getting a new coat of paint. No doubt Peepaw is NOT afraid of heights, although I wish he would keep his feet on the ground these days! (He’s no spring chicken, but I can’t convince HIM of that!)

The only doors that were not removed for painting were the elevator doors since they are extremely heavy.

I even jumped into the makeover.  (Sort of.)

But MY skills are NOT up to the standards expected by my husband and son. 

I was tasked with some non-messy jobs from there on out. Like counting every single outlet and switch plate in the entire house since every single one of them was being upgraded and replaced!

I soon decided I would spend most of MY time in the kitchen…and at the grocery store. There is no better way to help hard working folks than to keep their bellies full of the foods they love.

Soup’s On! 

Those chilly Outer Banks early Spring days were the perfect time to whip up pots of soup that could be eaten whenever the guys reached stopping points in their work. And Nick was quick to request one of his favorites I make often. My Broccoli Cheese Soup.

Every day that newly equipped kitchen was put to the test. I whipped up many hearty meals like my Penne Pasta With Sausage, Asparagus and Mushrooms

And check out this Friday lunch of homemade Clam Chowder and Cornbread.

We did head out for several quick evening meals, but the guys really hated to stop working and clean up to head out. So I was glad to do my part to make sure they didn’t have to.

Now…About Those Doors

As we approached the end of Nick’s week long stay it was time to attack one of the biggest makeover challenges. It was time to tackle all of those heavy wooden doors Peepaw had already hauled down the three flights of stairs to the first floor game room. He had also removed all the hardware to prepare them for Nick’s arrival with the paint sprayer.

Nick had devised a plan to turn the car port into a paint shop. The guys enclosed the area in plastic and covered the cement floor too. Then they mounted the doors in a zig-zag pattern after sanding each one of them. 

I was exhausted just watching the prep work! But those doors were finally ready to paint.

Nick donned his head to toe paint suit, respirator and goggles to get to work. What an amazing process! It took most of a day, as you might imagine.

Once all the doors had been carefully painted and dried they were moved back into the house to cure fully.  (Peepaw would remount them later.)

When that huge project was successfully completed Nick finally sat down to relish his view and enjoy a cold beer. And boy, had he earned it!

But the clock was still ticking, and soon it was time to return the car port to it’s original state.

From Finished Doors To A Kitchen Reward

That HUGE job had been the main focus of Nick’s first trip to the OBX. So I decided it was time to reward those hard working guys with a steak. Or several!

It’s safe to say they enjoyed the fruits of MY labor.

Yes, our fruitful time with Nick was winding down. We had filled one dumpster…and had ordered another!

But before Nick left that morning he allowed himself five minutes to try out the brand new video game that had been delivered earlier that week. (Yes. You read that right. Only five minutes.)

We hated to see him leave that morning to begin the long drive home to Indy. As parents we NEVER quit worrying about our kids as we watch them drive away…no matter how old they are. 

But there was much more work to do, so I said a silent prayer for his safe travels and we headed back inside. Because Peepaw knew exactly what he was ready to tackle next. He remounted all those beautifully painted doors.

Plus he reinstalled all the hardware that goes with them.

So from golden sunrises over the Atlantic…

To stunning sunsets over Currituck Sound…

Our Crow’s Nest was the perfect place to count our blessings.

Every single day of our OBX makeover.

And we weren’t finished yet. Not by a long shot.