Choosing A New Kitchen Counter top

 

I have not fallen off the face of blogland world, but I have been busy lately with a couple of things.

First, like most of you I have been taking down Christmas, but this year’s take down is a bit different for me.

I am bound, and determined to purge, and get more organized with my decorations.

On the fringe of this activity is to get the garage cleaned out, and organized. A big job that has needed to be done for longer than I like to admit.

This is going to be a long process but a worthwhile one so wish me luck, I need it!!

I get to get a new kitchen sink and counter top in my kitchen!!

This is something I have waited for a very long time.

I am a very patient person when it comes to waiting for what I want. 

I would rather wait than just get something during the interim. I have found that temporary becomes permanent in my life. LOL

This is what my kitchen counter looks like now……

This tile is 34 years old and has held up beautifully. I have been known to not use a cutting board for cutting a lemon for my tea, or an apple, or an orange on the tile. 

It is a working kitchen, one where we hang out. It has a nice sized breakfast bar area where we eat some meals, the kiddos do crafts, and I set up a buffet here when we have company. 

My little kitchen is a true workhorse.

I now have a chance to make some changes to the counter, sink and faucet. 

In my mind it was always going to be between two products:

Carrara Marble or Tile

I have Carrara marble on my entry hall floor..

I also have it in my guest bathroom…..

 I am very aware of the maintenance, and the beauty of this stone.

It meets all of my criteria except for one….

FUNCTIONAL/PRACTICAL

I would have to be more careful with how I use my counters.

 

I am not afraid of it showing some wear and tear, but I am leery of having to think about my counters every time I go to cut a lemon or an apple. 

I don’t want my guest to feel like they have to be super careful in my kitchen either.

So, I began the hunt for an alternative for a solid surface other than the tile.

I have read so much information my head is spinning. The three top contenders seem to be a quartz products.

I have all three of these products on site……

This image is on the right side of my kitchen sink.

I compared each quartz product to the Carrara marble.

The Lagoon has the least amount of veining and has a bit more depth to it. I can see into the color, it is not flat looking to my eye.

Probably the closest as far as the veining but much darker background, more on the beige side.

The cambria is the lightest background and is a beautiful product, but it has more of a man made look to my eye.

None of the above are perfect as far as the color of the background so that made me do a bit more investigating. 

I have only looked on line up to this point, but now it is time to do a bit of field work. This is going to take a bit longer than I thought!

I am not in a hurry. I have waited for several years for this opportunity, and I don’t take it lightly that we can do this now. 

I feel very fortunate to be able to even be doing it at all. This will be the last counter top I get in this home so I am going to take my time.

I am going to look at a larger slab of this material. I am also going to see if I can find some quartzite that looks white enough for me.

Quartzite is not to be confused with Quartz. Quartzite is made by Mother nature and is extremely hard…..

Quartzie is the rock form of the mineral quartz. It is a hard stone, registering 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Other attributes that make it a good stone for crafting projects are its density, strength, weather resistance and low porosity.

I have read that there are some Quartzite products in the white family. Now it is time for me to get on the phone and find some local stone yards that might have a slab.

I have also read about Vermont Danby Marble and it is suppose to be a very hard marble and it can be repaired by the homeowner if it gets stained or etched. More on that later.

I feel like I am back working for a client again, but this time the client is ME (she is my hardest client to work for, ever!)

Wish me luck!! I have a lot of leg work and phone work ahead of me.

If any of you have experience with any of the above products please leave a comment!

 

 

 

My WORD and PHRASE For 2014

 

Each year I have a word or a phrase that comes to me in my quiet alone time. 

This year is no different so I thought I would share with you what they are....

When I think of balance in my life I think of the physical, mental, and spiritual sides. Without balance in all three aspects I do not run smoothly.

Balance is hard for women. We have so many people, and things wanting our attention at any given moment it is hard to find the time to balance things equally.

I would imagine if we made a chart for just one week and divided the day up into 12-14 hours days we would find where we spend the most of our time, and the least of our time. 

This is a good way to see what areas we need to address. Not earth chattering, or scientific but it will be a process any individual can do.

This particular phrase has been on my mind for quite awhile. In observing blogland, and society as a whole I think there is more seeking of new and more, than realizing we have enough, and enjoying what we do have.  I love that old saying, “Bloom where you are planted!”

I am not saying never seek to improve oneself, or your surroundings, but I would love to see more of us realize how blessed we are and enjoy what we have.

Sometimes we think by constantly changing, or buying new things our world will be better. I am old enough now that I can tell you, it has to start within.

Joy and contentment are not brought on my things, but by true inner piece. Maybe if we spent more time on that we would spend less time seeking, and more time realizing. 

I don’t make resolutions but I do think about my life as a whole, and look at the areas I personally need to improve. I will have to say with a grin, they are usually the same things every year!

Do you have a word or phrase for this New Year 2014?

 

 

 

A New Skin care Product That Is A Keeper!

When it comes to skincare our requirements change over time. With each decade there seems to be a new change in our skin.

Dry skin has always been a problem for me, but as I have aged I am finding it harder, and harder to find a product that makes a difference in my skin.

Until I found this new product…….

You can find it HERE!

What it did for my skin:

I saw an immediate softening of lines and wrinkles. It was if they had been plumped up.

My skin looked more radiant and felt smoother.

At first I was skeptical, thinking it was all in my head. After several applications I was more than convinced.

My Mom was visiting so I had her try it. She is 82 so her wrinkles are a bit deeper than mine, but even she was amazed at how it plumped her wrinkles and fine lines. She ordered it!

Next my DIL who has gorgeous skin, but is just now seeing some signs of aging (trust me only she can see them), But after her trying it once she was equally amazed. She said it was like Botox in a bottle.

I kid you not this stuff is amazing. I tried a less expensive brand, and did not get the same results.

So I went to Dremu’s website, and ordered it. You can get it in three different sizes so you won’t have to invest too much money.

You can thank me later!!

This stuff is amazing!!

This post is my own personal opinion, I was not paid to write this post. I truly LOVE this product. I will only share products that are tried and true on my blog.