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.
Amy W.
I adore gravy.
Erin
A big thumbs up for the gravy! And for the recovery of Cuddles! And for your kitchen! Keep up the fabulous work :)
Sarah Schuerhoff
I LOOOOOVE gravy, and the first time I made it was probably some of the best gravy I've ever had. I'll explain, because that sounds kinda arrogant but it's not you'll understand after I tell the story. It was about 7 years ago for the first Thanksgiving dinner that I ever cooked. Our kitchen was tiny, and I mean extremely tiny, so I resolved with my then and current boyfriend that I would have to do everything but clean up afterwards because there just wasn't enough room for both of us in there. Unfortunately we didn't have a dishwasher either, so I had to clean as I cooked and it was absolutely crazy. By the time I took the turkey out of the oven, I was feeling like you were feeling while your kitchen was under construction. The turkey was out and cooling and everything else was finishing up cooking, so I hadn't gotten to taste much of anything after hours of cooking. I was tired and worried and stressing out because I didn't know if any of was going to come out right, and then I tasted my gravy. I tell you, I was so hungry by that point that that gravy tasted like the best thing I had ever eaten! Luckily the next thing to be done was the mashed potatoes, so I immediately made a little snack for myself and avoided a horrible case of hangry-ness. Anyway, I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner every year since then, and it's always pretty damn tasty, but there won't be any gravy as good as the gravy I made that day.
Tricia Rose
You look chic and adorable! I agree though that Cuddles should have worn pearls.
mary
ohhh my..... I luuuuvvv gravy....especially on mashed potatoes loaded with garlic! What a happy picture of you and Cuddles! Hope I win :D
Nancy
I like gravy! I LOVE gravy. Biscuits and sausage gravy. yuuuummmmmmm. Not always, though. When I was a kid my dad ate his eggs over easy on top of biscuits and gravy. When the yolks were broken it looked just awful and I was always admonishing him when he served up my plate on all occasions, "Don't mix it, Daddy!" Ewwww, the sight of those eggs still makes my toes curl. You look lovely in the pic but, hate to say, Cuddles has upstaged you. Again.
marijean
Love gravy, although we d0n't have it very often. My husband sprinkles sugar over his ! Yuk, what is that about ?
Shirlee Hogan
of course I have a gravy story: 'good gravy' is my favorite saying ......nowadays it could be gg.
Erin
I'm definitely pro-gravy.
I'm also pro-this photo of you and Cuddles (and the kitchen, naturally). Loving it!
Debbie
White wine gravy, over chicken, with roasted veggies and perfectly cooked rice. With mushrooms, freshly sliced, not pre-sliced, in the gravy. It is 4 am, I am still awake and now I want white wine gravy with mushrooms. I also want a copy of Canadian Living Magazine so I can see your kitchen. I also want to pin the photo of Cuddles to the wall so I can walk by it and say how cute she is. In my 4am exhausted funk, I am so happy that Cuddles made it through her mystery disease. I'm going to sleep now with visions of Canadian Living dancing in my head.
Dahn
LOVED the article in Canadian Living. My favorite is your "cuisine art" . I wont give away the surprise but thing not on the hook made me laugh.
I love, love LOVE your fridge. wow. Me want right now..
Congrats on the awesome kitchen. Seeing the before and after pictures really showed the difference. It is amazing that you did it yourself. Very nice job. :-)
Mary Beth
Beef gravy on my French fries -- and I cannot wait to see your kitchen!!!
Darcy
Actually you and Cuddles compliment that beautiful kitchen. You have given me some great ideas for the renovation of our motorhome!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!! And I love sausage gravy and biscuits!
Sharon
I detest gravy...BUT...pick me...pick me...pick me!
Deb Miller
Being a Southern (Alabama) girl, I absolutely LOVE GRAVY! But, although I'm a Southern girl, I DONT live tomato gravy, which is as Southern as grits, which I do love. Anyway, what I really, really LOVE is that photo of you and the beautiful Cuddles. And I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that dress yours wearing in the photo! Lookin' good, you two! Oh, and the kitchen, too!
Ellen
Ok Karen......... here's my story. I have a Cuddles (named Sourdough), who I carry to bed each night....long story. I have a dress very similar to the dress you are wearing on the cover. Let me add, you look extremely attractive. I could take a picture of me, wearing my dress, holding Sourdough.... on my gravy stained counter top and we would almost be twinsies (my hair is white).
Well, not even close but I'm trying here to win a magazine. I want that magazine. And a gravy stained counter top is the closest I get to eating gravy. AND my kitchen will be in the movie now called Consumed........ so I think I deserve a magazine. I mean, I let them film LOTS of scenes in my house out of the goodness of my heart. Thank you! That's all I have to say.
Jane
Poutine…gotta have ketchup with it!
If Cuddles needs a holiday we have a super cute chicken hotel with an organic winery around the corner. Lots of friendly chick's roaming around. Congrats, can't wait to see your kitchen…we have just started pricing out ours..oh my!!
Candra Taylor
Gravy is the best! And by the way, you look amazing in this photo!
bethann
You sound positively giddy! And well you should. If I looked half as spectacular as you, with or without Miss Cuddles, I would be giddy too!
Your kitchen is fabulous. A great place to make gravy. While I love gravy... my half-new kitchen still has a says to go. My project also started with a new floor and snowballed from there. The working-half of the kitchen is finally finished after leaving no surface untouched... down to the studs touched. The desk-side of the kitchen is waiting for it bank account to recover.
But I can still make gravy!!
barbee
Even I couldn't get through all these comments but here's my gravy story. At the mere mention of gravy, my father-in-Al, would say "Scram gravy that ain't wavy!" We still don't know exactly what it means but one Christmas all the siblings received gravy bowls with the phrase lettered around the rim. Ali's gone now, so I hope it brings a smile whenever they use them. It would certainly bring a smile to my face to receive a magazine!