Fell off the map...

To all my avid readers out there... sorry I fell off the grid for awhile, I kind of forgot I had a blog! Not really, but it's been long enough since I wrote. In the last month we have been busy tearing down wallpaper, painting, replacing light fixtures, cleaning up the yard, organizing, and getting the kitchen ready for it's overhaul. We've decided to replace the appliances and get new countertops which will change the location of the stove. Where the stove is currently really breaks up my functional counter space, so by moving it to a different location, we are hoping to reclaim some of the counter space. Unfortunately (like almost all remodels) it is turning out to be a minor nightmare. So about 4 weeks ago I went to Lowes, talked to an "appliance specialist" and ordered a slide in gas stove and a downdraft to go behind it. (we are moving the stove into our bar so can't have a traditional vent over top) Well.... 7-10 days later my appliances arrive... yay! Well, the guy who is doing our construction starts to go to work and then realizes that these 2 appliances won't work together... the slide-in stove was the exact depth of the counter, leaving no room for the downdraft behind it. SO after a lot of debate and trying to zig when we thought we were going to zag, I return to Lowes, order a cooktop and a wall oven, and ask them to pick up the slide-in stove on Monday.... Problem solved right?
On Sunday, when our construction guy is trying to measure things out, he takes the downdraft out of the box only to discover (drum roll please) that it doesn't have a blower! In other words, nothing to suck the air down!!! Are you kidding me?!?! So not only did the guy at Lowes sell me 2 appliances that can't work together, he sold me a downdraft with no blower... SIGH. So I return to Lowes, tell them to order me one WITH a blower and to pick up the other one when they come get the stove. Well.... that was over 2 weeks ago and my new appliances are still not here and not expected to be here until Thursday or Friday (so they say). In the mean time we have our construction guy on hold and our new granite on hold... all ready to go, but nothing can be finished until my stupid appliances show up! UGH!!! I know that in the end it will look really good but in the mean time I'm so frustrated!
In other news.... hmmmm.... I'm still in school :0) Only 4 more weeks of these classes, then I get to do an independent study in pediatrics and then my 6 month internship! Can you believe I'm so close? I can't! Here are some pictures of the kitchen in progress, and the finished living room and dining room. Enjoy!