We began our home renovations about three years ago. Eager to get started, my hubby Dave convinced me moving to Montana in late November was the 'right' thing to do. I thought different!!! But, I agreed and packed up our belongings, making two trips from central California to northwestern Montana in a week (that's another hub all by itself :-)!!! Within a week of our arrival, it began to snow, and that it did non-stop until April! During the demolition, we lived in our 35 foot fifth wheel, and that too, is a whole other hub!!

For an entire year we worked solely on demolition!! Our home, a small cottage, built about turn of century, is one of the old homesteads here in town. It was built in a time when land was being homesteaded by hard working miners. It may be small, but it needed complete renovations top to bottom, inside and out and that took time....lots of time!!!

We received many unsolicited suggestions to completely demolish it to the ground and set up a modular home; luckily Dave and I follow our own hearts and took all of them with a grain of salt! From the time we first stepped foot on to our property, we could feel the positive energy and knew we were 'home'. We could see the potential others could not. We knew we could make the old, tattered, neglected house into our "home sweet home".

Now, those same people are in awe of what we have accomplished and how completely different our cozy little cottage looks today. We have drive by's, people who pull up out front or into our newly graveled driveway, just to tell us how incredible the transformation is. I must admit, it makes both of us feel good!

One of my favorite changes, has been our little kitchen! Isn't there a saying, "the kitchen is the heart of the home?" It certainly is in our little cottage.

Even though Dave has been a mechanic by trade for over 30 years, his carpentry skills are unmatched by most men. I come up with an idea, or see something in my favorite magazines, i.e., Country Living, Country Sampler, Cottage Living and within a day or two, "BAM" he brings it to me, better than that shown in the print I shared with him!!! I call him my 'little carpenter', but he really is my 'big teddy bear carpenter', as you can see by my photos :-).

Our new little kitchen consists of old and new; we try to recycle as much as possible and that includes furniture and wood products of all kinds! Old man Ted was the second owner of our property and lived here for many, many years. His way of life was primitive and simple, the way we strive to live each day these days. He was 94 when he passed on and lived a frugal life, it was obvious to us the first time we toured our little home.

He cooked on an old stove, which also was his only heat source. Here in Montana subzero temps during winter is a common occurrence; we can only imagine how it must have felt to Ted with three feet of snow outside and only a cook stove to keep him warm.

The first thing I wanted to change in the kitchen was the window which would be above the sink. I am a wee 5'1" and the old, shattered window was way above my range of sight. I stood before it while Dave whipped out the tape measure and black marker. He wanted to make sure, I could stand at the sink and easily peer out at the beautiful mountains that lay before me. And, he did! Now doing dishes, washing my hands or watering my plants is a pleasure because my view is one most people would die for!

As we ripped away at the old walls and greasy, blackened cabinets the vision of our new little kitchen began to come together. I wanted white, white, white.... this little house had been so dark for so many years, it cried out for light, light, light. Ted was a gunsmith and did most of his work inside the house instead of in the barn or other outbuildings, thus leaving a film of dark grease and grime throughout.

Despite the grease layers everywhere, we kept all the old wood and stacked it in the old barn, to be used later somewhere around the farm. Within a few months, it was put to good use; my honey cleaned, sanded and rip cut beautiful pickets from the old boards and made four 'shabby chic' arbors and entry gates!!! I was thrilled to say the least!!!

At two local auctions we happily attended weekly, we were lucky to outbid a determined local and win our butcher block island. After doing a little research on line, I found a similar island to cost between $500-800: we paid a mere $60!!!!! I sanded and painted it, while Dave wired it with electrical power and it now stands like a little attentive soldier ... ready at any moment to take on the task at hand!

One of my dear girl friends contributed to our renovation, by giving us an antique steel sink cabinet from the 1940's!! We were absolutely thrilled about this 'retro' gift!!! Between this and the island our kitchen really started to take on the look of an authentic "country kitchen!"

We did break down and purchased new unfinished oak cabinets from Lowe's. We loved how the fresh white paint looked on everything thus far, so I sanded, painted and Dave mounted them; within a few hours I filled them with plates, bowls, glasses and can goods. I dreamt of this moment for many months and it was finally time to start using them; some simple dream eh!? Ah, the simple life! :-)

No more cob webs, gritty dust balls, greasy, black walls and floors; no more broken windows. No more chipped paint, no more dark room. With our new thermal pane windows and doors, we welcomed the sunlight in each day! Our little kitchen was coming along and we could smile knowing all our hard work was beginning to pay off.

We had to purchase all new appliances, because there were none. Old man Ted kept his food cold in an old ice box and used snow piles out back as secondary storage during long, cold Montana winters.

He lived a simple life, in our simple, tiny little cottage. Ted was a tough old coot!! And, we know he would be happy to see the wonderful changes, made with blood, sweat and tears, we have completed thus far!! I do so love my little kitchen! Now, on to the bathroom!!