A whole House Remodel: Part Eight

With the cabinets installed and the stove hooked up, it was time to do the countertops. 

The cabinets came with counter tops but they were the wrong shape, one of them cracked and they were red, really red.

So after pricing out granite, marble, limestone and other options I decided on concrete.

Of course having someone professionally pour concrete countertops is almost as expensive as natural stone. So I did some research on techniques, weighed out my options, did a few test samples and decided to go with concrete forms from”Z concrete” The whole kit and all of the materials needed as well as equipment rental and tools came out to about 800$.

I built the frames over the counters during the week and my Brother helped me pour and smooth the concrete over a weekend.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

They turned out far from what would be considered perfect but in all honesty I am very happy with the results. They are well sealed and smooth, have a nice look to them and I like the color and pattern as well.

I also ordered a butcher’s block from John Boos’, side grain walnut, for the island. (sorry I don’t have a good pic)

Lastly I needed a backsplash, we decided on this small block glass tile all the way around. I really like the color and how it accents the kitchen.

Just a few more details to finish the kitchen.

Take the safety out of shaving

Last year Candace gave me a straight Razor, sharpening stone, leather strop, scuttle cup and a badger brush for my birthday. (And that sweet pipe but that’s a whole other post)

After quite a few months of practice I can now get the razor sharp enough to shave with and actually have a shave without cutting my face off!

Now that I’ve had some practice I’ll give the basic run down.

The most important thing to do is to get the razor really really sharp; razor sharp of course, and that takes practice. Make sure you can do that before you attempt any type of shaving. There are a lot of great tutorials and videos out there.

Next you will want to get used to holding the razor at the correct angle (about 20 degrees) and pulling perpendicularly without moving side to side.

As long as you move the razor in the right direction you won’t cut yourself, regardless of having the wrong angle or wrong amount of pressure.

The last and most important thing to do is get comfortable, the first few times you try to shave with a big flat knife you’ll be nervous as hell. Just get used to doing the easy parts for a while (like your cheeks) and get a feel for it.

I’d have a very hard time just describing what to do so here is a video. Also check out this website for more details. 

Good luck and enjoy shaving like the manliest of men!

A whole House Remodel: Part Seven

Ok, now that all of the framing and prep work was done I had to install a lot of drywall. 

I hate Drywall.

But with it finished I could put down the tile. I got all of this beautiful marble tile for 2$ a square foot! You can’t hardly find crappy ceramic tiles at that price, I just wish I’d bought more.

 

 

After that I test fit and then installed the cabinets. 

I got these from a kitchen installer that was going out of business, these cabinets were a floor model and I got all of them, the sink and the dishwasher for 2500. Not bad.

 

 

 

I also got diamond plate steel to make a better trap door and installed the stove.

A 1950’s original that still works like a champ, 50$

Next up, countertops.

Another Wedding!

If anyone was wondering what a plain stacked cake looks like with only buttercream frosting (NO fondant), here it is! The edges between the cakes are not super exact because you cover that with a cake trim. But you get the gist!

This cake was a strange wedding cake to say the least! The bottom tier was chocolate chocolate chip with bavarian cream filling, and the top two tiers were banana cake with ganache filling!

Each tier is supported with several dowel rods as well as a single dowel rod spanning the height of the cake itself. Each tier is also separated with waterproof plates. It was a lot of architecture, but with the heaviness of the banana cakes and the instability of the bottom tier, it was necessary.

In case you were wondering,  her toppers consist of the letters of their last name as well as a salt and pepper shaker. I’m not here to judge the toppers! I just make the cakes 😉

Black design work with purple buttercream swag designs!