Saturday, April 4, 2009

My new Sink & an Award!

Jon asked what I wanted for my birthday. I thought and thought about it, but nothing really came to mind.

There's no new (or old) kitchen gadget that I'm dying to have. (at least I can't think of one!)

Then it came to me. We often talk about home improvements... and often never get around to actually 'doing' them.

I want a new stove... but I just don't see that happening this year. Mine works fine. Even the clock that we had taped over with camouflage colored duct tape works! It's been covered for YEARS. The tape didn't look camo-y any more, so I peeled it off and was going to replace it with a nice fresh black piece of Gorilla Tape. I peeled it off... and the clock continued to flash... Jon pressed the button... it kinda looked like it was going to work. So I set the time. It's been working just fine for a week... the timer even works too!

See... 46 seconds left on something I was baking!
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So there's even less reason to replace my 'working just fine' stove... even though I want a much bigger one, that doesn't require me to lay on the floor to broil.

Anyway... back to my birthday present. We had a crappy washing machine set-up. My washer is in the utility room (connected to the kitchen and the main entrance to our house) and drains into a big plastic, scratched, stained, old, crappy utility sink.

I was thinking that I'd like to replace it with a beautiful new stainless steel utility sink. Then I started shopping around... they cost OVER $1000!!! Yeah... I don't want one that bad.

Then I started thinking... can't we just drain the washer into an actual drain and eliminate the utility sink all together?

But even though it was old and ugly... I did use it for things other than draining the washer. I washed my huge pans in it. Jon cleans his carboys for beer brewing in it. It makes a super handy cooler for a party... just put the stopper in the drain, fill with ice and add beer.

I didn't want to lose all of that functionality.

Maybe I could change my kitchen sink? That's it. I had a 33 inch double bowl stainless steel sink. A pretty standard size I think. But I have a lot of pans that were extremely difficult to wash in the small basins.

I found a very affordable 33 inch, single basin, stainless steel sink. And it's almost 2 inches deeper than the double basin sink I had!

I told Jon that I wanted a new kitchen sink for my birthday... and that I wanted the washer to drain into a drain, so we could get rid of the eye-sore of a utility sink that greeted people as they entered our house.

He thought that I would rather have something for 'me'. But for as much time as I spend in the kitchen and utility room, this is for me!

I even told him that it didn't even need to be completed by my birthday (this coming Wednesday), as long as it was definitely a plan and definitely going to happen.

He said no problem!

He meant it! My new sink has been installed for over a week now! It's two inches deeper and I have a tall goose-neck faucet so there is more space to get big things under the faucet. It's a single bowl and it easily accommodates all of my biggest pans. My washer now drains into a drain. The utility sink is outside. I may make it into a planter. AND he got an under-sink filter to replace the PUR filter I had on my old faucet! (the water filter is being installed this weekend, so the PUR filter is still there)

My new sink!
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It's HUGE!!

I put a pint sized mason jar in it for perspective.
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Yay!! Happy Birthday to ME!

Thanks Baby!!

Jon isn't the only one I need to thank...

Heather over at girlichef honored me with this cool award!

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FRIENDS... comes with the following description to be added & passed along: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.” It also says : "Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

And without further adieu... 8 bloggers that I am certain you will love as much as I do!

Michele at My Italian Grandmother

Nenita at Passion in the Kitchen

Debbie at mocha me

Bob at Cooking Stuff

Shane at Culinary Alchemy

Sarah at Mom on the Run

Melissa at Alosha's Kitchen

Dajana at Baker's Corner... somewhere in my kitchen







12 comments:

Bob said...

Yay new sink! I want a new one too, but since I'm renting it's never going to happen. It's hard enough to get my useless landlord to replace things that are broken, let alone stuff that still works like it's supposed to (even if it does suck).

Thanks for the award! :)

Donna-FFW said...

HAPPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Love your sink!! Congrats on your award. You deserve it!! Have a great day!!

Heather S-G said...

Congrats & Happy Birthday to you! Hope you have a great weekend :)

Dragon said...

Now that is a sink, Baby! Happy Birthday, my friend. :)

noble pig said...

Nothing makes me happier than a new kitchen ANYTHING!

And Happy Birthday.

tamilyn said...

Congrats on your well deserved award! I love the sink. I have the same problem with the big roasters, etc. I asked for one too when we got a new faucet, but the answer was "when we replace the countertops we will replace the sink". Maybe a blazing hot pan scorching the countertop is in my future......


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Mom on the Run said...

Happy Birthday! I love that you wanted a kitchen sink for your birthday. I got a food processor :) It is all about food accessibility for me.

Thank you so much for the award. You are truly a blog inspiration to me :)

Tangled Noodle said...

Congratulations on your award and happy birthday! That sink is enormous!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! Lovin' that big shiny sink girl, now that's some kitchen BLING! Congrats on the award too :)

Melissa said...

I was so happy for your huge sink and your birthday and then you go and give me an award too. You're the best! That made my day Spryte, thank you.

Glad your oven is till working alright too - I know I value my timer heavily.

Melissa said...

Reading through the description again under the award made me smile. I actually really do aim to make connections and not just blog for comments. Thanks again.

Spryte said...

Sorry it's taken me even longer than usual to reply... I've been under the weather for a week.

Bob... you are very welcome!!

Thanks Donna!!

Thanks Heather!!

It sure is! Thanks Dragon!

Cathy thanks and a new sink really is awesome!!

tamilyn... I got the counter reason too... but it was immediately dismissed!

Sarah... you totally deserve it! I won a KA Food Processor in February... I can't wait for it to arrive!

Thanks Tangled!

Thanks DD!!

Melissa you totally deserve it!!