The last time I was this excited over something it was covered in gravy.
Here's your first glimpse of me in my new kitchen.
The October issue of Canadian Living magazine is on stands now! And if it's not where you are in Canada it will be in the next day or two. I know. It's September. Early September at that. But that's the way magazine work and since it gives us all a chance to see my kitchen in print a month earlier than I thought I'm O.K. with it.
And yes. That is my dear little Cuddles sharing the spotlight with me. When Cuddles came close to dying a few weeks ago I thought … I won't even be able to open the magazine. It would be too much to bear. But that little Cuddles made it through her mystery illness and lived to see her magazine debut.
To recap:
In March of 2013 I decided to rip up my horrific kitchen floor and install VCT tiles. Black and white check. While the floor was up, I decided it would be stupid not to install heated floors while I was at it. With such a good lookin' floor I was suddenly embarrassed about my sink. Why had I never noticed the horror that was my sink? I should get a new sink. That one from Ikea with the apron front.
Only the sink didn't fit because my counters weren't deep enough. I could maybe get new counters to accommodate the new sink so as not to embarrass my floors. Floors are very sensitive that way. Everyone knows that.
Cut to a year later, my entire kitchen is ripped out, a new ceiling is going in, cupboards are being hoisted over fences, the fella has left and I'm pooping in a bucket.
WTF?
How did THIS happen?
I'll tell you how it happened. I'm like you, you're like me, we're all nuts. And that's O.K. That's how it goes in this world and the people who aren't nuts are boring.
I lived through a kitchen renovation and even though people told me I was going to forget all about how gross it was once I had my new kitchen I didn't believe them. In fact I pretty much silently cursed those people until I started cursing them out loud. With big, new curse words that only a kitchen renovation can pull out of you. But they were right. I don't remember any of the pain and every time I walk into my kitchen I still gasp and sigh and smile. Then I cook something and leave the dishes to clean up in a week or so.
When I realized this tiny little kitchen update was actually going to turn into a full blown renovation I emailed someone I knew at Canadian Living. Brett Walther was someone who I worked with when a different magazine shot my house a few years ago. I told him what I was doing and asked if he'd be interested in featuring it in the magazine.
He said yes. I said good. He told me I couldn't show my kitchen until it was released in the magazine, I said bad. But agreed, because I could understand his point. Canadian Living wanted the big reveal to be in their magazine. Who could blame them. The only problem was I couldn't take any pictures, or do any posts or videos that revealed my kitchen for a year. A YEAR.
That year is up. I still can't show you my kitchen but I CAN soon because the Canadian Living article is out now.
Paula Smith
I lurv gravy! Lurv, lurv, lurv it!!!! My gravy story goes like this....my family and I were visiting with my grandparents for a holiday dinner of turkey, GRAVY, and all the yumminess that goes along with it. My sister, who was five at the time, insisted she required no assistance to pass the very full, very hot gravy boat along to our uncle. Well, the gravy didn't make the transfer as smoothly as she had intended landing on my grandma's brand new, celery green dining room carpet. The family (and I mean ALL the family) still talk about the great gravy incident of 1977! Gravy is some serious business with my people. BTW my sister is now 42 and finally finds the story funny; however, that took a long, long time.
Nancy Blue Moon
Oh course I love gravy that's why I'm fat...now give me the magazine!!!!!
Nancy Blue Moon
oh yeah..you and cuddles look quite lovely my dear..you should have put pearls on her..
Celeste
Gotta love ya. That sounds exactly like me!
Ellen P
Yes. .. Love gravy, but mostly I love roasted chicken or turkey gravy... only the homemade kind. I am actually quote good at making gravy, which has amazed many friends over the years.
Karen Cumming
So one Christmas, I was slaving away in my 1950's era kitchen, cranking out turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy - the whole nine yards. Thought I'd make the gravy EXTRA SMOOTH by pouring it into my handy dandy blender... which I did. Trouble is, I didn't hold my hand down on the lid to make sure it stayed there. Ten seconds later - yes, it can happen that fast ;-) - gravy was in EVERY CREVICE OF MY KITCHEN, including all over my Pug, Oliver. And then, it was Oliver - I mean all over - ME. Yowsa.
I re-named my kitchen "Gravy-ty" after the Sandra Bullock movie.
Debbie
Gravy is a lot like bacon......everything is better with it!
Jamie Lynn
mmmm...graaaavy...*drool* (a la Homer Simpson). I can't think of any particular gravy stories. The kind I like best though is country gravy or chicken gravy or whatever you call it. White gravy. I put it on all the things. That stuff could make a flip flop taste good (though I haven't yet tested that theory).
I certainly hope that if I don't win a copy of the mag that you will be able to show us pics on the blog eventually? Please don't make me drive all the way to Canada to buy a magazine but I totally will because I'm dyyyyying to see the whole kitchen!
You and Cuddles look super cute in the pic you posted! Love your dress! And really, really glad to hear that Cuddles is doing better. I never thought I'd cry reading about a sick chicken on a blog, but there's a first time for everything.
Pat
Yes, I like gravy. With all due respect to Cuddles and company, here's a gravy story...in the good old 60s and 70s, my mother in law used to make chicken giblets in gravy and serve them to her bro in law who swore he would never in his life eat chicken giblets. He loved that gravy which she told him contained mushrooms and NOT chicken gilblets. My husband, then a kid, says they used to laugh everytime this uncle came to visit and gobbled up the "mushroom" gravy which he raved about. Never told him he was eating chicken giblets.
You look lovely on that mag. cover.
Auntiepatch
My mother was the gravy queen. Chicken gravy on mashed potatoes, pepper gravy on steak, tomato gravy on Salisbury steak, and country style on anything. She was known for her gravy and she always put whatever gravy we were eating on the dogs' food. They had the glossiest coats you ever saw. And they always had a smile on their faces. Just like us!
Dieu
I don't really care for gravy. It's not something I grew up with, coming from a family that was more stir-fry than pot roast...
Dana
I love gravy, especially the vegan gravy from the Naam restaurant in Vancouver. Damn, now I want poutine!
Debbie from Illinois
Yup, I love gravy! When I was a newlywed I made roast beef for dinner and I used a jar of gravy with some of the pan drippings mixed in. My husband was really impressed because he said it was better than his mom's. It was too funny.
Vanessa Gillespie
Growing up the only time we had gravy was at Thanksgiving. But when I grew up, I married a man from the Midwest. I had to learn how to make gravy, from scratch. I'll admit it took some time to master. But it is awesome!
Laurie
Certain kinds of gravy, yes.
Kailee H.
Um I'm currently stuffing my face with fries dipped in gravy... How serendipitous!
Jessica Rippy
Love some good 'ole Southern gravy!! And would love a copy of Canadian Living!
Alicia
I like gravy. Not country gravy though...it looks gross to me and I can't do it.
My dad always tells a story of his younger sister (my Aunt Patty) asking for gravy in the following manner: "Gots any gravy, please?" when she was little. That's my only gravy story except that I'm pretty good at making gravy.
Jordan Lodoen
I love gravy! I especially love gravy when I lick it out of my moustache later in the evening.
P.s. I am not an old man, I am a gay, 31 year old man with a beard. For the record.
michele
gay man is fine with me.
I was just grateful that you did not "PS" that you are a woman!!!
Pat
Licking gravy out of your moustache later is better than pooping in a bucket. WTF indeed. Did she explain that? I missed why she slipped that in there. Canadian Living pissed me off a couple of years ago when then screwed up my subscription, so I have been ignoring the mountain of mail from them with subscription deals. BUT FOR KAREN I'll make the trek to Shopper's DM and buy a copy. 'Cause we love her.
Monica
Mmmmmm, gravy!
Missnicoleo
My boyfriend loves gravy so I bought him gravy candy canes for Christmas. They really tasted exactly like gravy. It was beyond gross.
Dani
Yes, I love gravy -- my preference is Pepper Gravy!
Pamela
Yes... White gravy over scrambled eggs and biscuits.