Empowered ~ It Ain't Pretty~

Empowerment.
My "Word of 2010".
I have been complaining and whining about my living space for about 2 years now. The renovations are killing me...Specifically, the Turtle pace of these renovations is killing me.
I would estimate about one thing a month, for the last 4 years, has been getting completed. If that. There is a new, beautiful grooved wooden ceiling in the living room, new flooring in the three rooms of my main floor, new windows, new doors, new walls...It's the little finishing things that are not getting done. So my living room is a storage shed for the tools, wood, tiles, drawers, trims, etc. that are required to do the finish work.
No one, who knows how to do this work, seems to understand the turmoil and anguish this space is causing me. I feel as though I can't do anything until it is finished, livable...So, since I am the only one who knows how badly this is affecting my mental health, I guess I have to figure out how to do the work. MYSELF. :/
I decided to start in the kitchen since it is the hub of my happiness (unhappiness). I am pretty tired of having no sinks. Yep. No sink, kitchen or bathroom, for 2 years. I fill a dish pan with water from the bath faucet to wash up after meals.

I chose to use tiles for the counter top because of the unusual shape of the base cabinet. The base cabinet was salvaged from a renovated commercial space, it was next to the dumpster outside...We cut and added until it was what I wanted. Originally white I am painting it charcoal...

Grouted with Epoxy Grout because it is very stain resistant. It will dry to deeper gray than pictured...

Repairing holes...Any carpenters out there can just hold their comments to themselves. This worked fine, thank you very much! ;)

After I had the tiles and finishing strip put on I realized I didn't come over far enough, the fan above should be about center, so I had to pull tiles and the strip off before they set...As you can see around the electrical boxes the tiles wouldn't fit whole. Out with the wet saw...

Incredibly messy, wet, gross, and dangerous! I am drooling in the second photo, my mouth is full of tile dust and particles. My face was/is full of tiny abrasions from the flying debris.
Wear safety glasses!!

The tiles were delicious though! :)

I am painting the insides and drawers, second coat tonight. Notice the cabinet legs? Trailer ball hitches! I am gong to put a curtain (some cool vintage fabric?) in the large space because I can't find the doors to fit right now.

Being empowered isn't pretty but it sure beats the alternative. I am doing one thing a day until this whole space is finished, beautiful, mine...
Stay tuned for more...

Just Do It!
xoxox