0 The Kitchen Facelift - Stage Two

Stage two of the kitchen facelift began yesterday.

Since the new stove is finally here and waiting to be delivered, the cabinet where it will live had to be removed. So Ryan the Contractor is back!

The hard part was seeing the yellow subway tile go.

It will be replaced with white subway tile. Believe me, if I could have, I would have saved it and bought more to fill this wall, but the company went out of business and there is no more of it anywhere.

I'm saving this cabinet for a future project, yet to be determined!

Here is what it looks like now. The floor will be patched today.

The wall will be tiled to the floor and the range will fill this entire alcove.

The double ovens that no longer work, also came out. A cabinet maker will fill this space with shelves and double doors. Hopefully, it will look like it was always there.

I'm so excited to get the stove and see this project through.

It began in October with the countertops. Stage three will be painting the cabinets.

I'm already thinking outside the box about a color instead of painting them white.

We'll see....

0 Let The Adventure Begin

The newlyweds left Monday for a most excellent adventure in Hawaii!

Three months on the big island, wwoofing for Hawaiian Island Retreat, an eco lodge that is completely off the grid.

What is wwoofing, you ask? Wwoofing stands for World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

For three months, they work and learn about organic farming in exchange for room and board and meals. The Hawaiian Island Retreat has 50 acres and produce all the food that they serve to their guests. Ashley hopes to be able to cook as well as garden...

This looks like paradise! Totally secluded, off the grid, Hawaii at its finest.

No wonder this eco lodge is perfect for yoga retreats and spa vacations.

It is in harmony with nature.

" Every night stars filled the sky. No humming power lines. No street lamps. Just velvet night and the brilliance of a multitude of stars."

The rooms are beautiful. This is the "honeymoon suite!"

No, the newlyweds are not staying here, but rather in a yert!

The yerts are an option for guests if they choose a more economical, in tune with nature kind of stay.

Basically, a yert is just a canvas tent. These yerts look quite luxurious and come with a bathroom, thank you very much!

Oh, to be young again!

If I were, I would definitely want to wwoof in Hawaii!

Check out the Wwoof USA website for more info.

For more about Hawaii Island Retreat, their website offers a ton of information.

Ashley promises to blog and tweet about their experience, so be sure to visit her blog, Tourshi to follow along. Or follow her on Twitter here.

And if you decide to book a stay there, say hi to my kids!