Reeeally Delayed Gratification ~ Kitchen Renovation

So long 11-12 year old "temporary" kitchen.
About 11-12 years ago, I was going through a pretty rough patch of life.
Without going into great detail,
I will just say that a functioning kitchen wasn't all that high on the priority list.

(Closest thing to a before pix - we were excited to get moving on it.)

Imagine. . . me. . . a kitchen not on the priority list!
That should give you some inkling as to the severity of it.
Well, of course, time and God tend to take care of things accordingly.
Life is !Much! better now:)
However, for the past 11-12 years, I have lived with a kitchen
that was made up of the very cheapest chain building store counter top
cut to "kinda" suffice for two sections of cabinets.
This cheapo counter top was warped and not even fastened down
so it rocked if you were trying to cut at one end of the counter.
The sink was an old one full of chips, scratches, stains, and even a little rust.
But that didn't matter, because it was "just temporary."
Bahahaha! Oh the beauty of it all.

(In progress - sorry it's blurry, 
but we finished around the bottom of the cupboards as well.)
Over the past two(?) weeks, we have been in the process of getting the old, partial, warped counter top and sink out which was rather easy under the circumstances described above, and finishing the kitchen properly.
This is also why there hasn't been a post for the past week or so.
We both work full time so we've been doing this in the evenings - after work.
Right in the middle of it we also had an out of town memorial to attend
so that just made it take a little longer.

(A little closer)

Here's the other side of the kitchen.  Believe it or not this is actually better than it was at one point.  And yep, that dog just slept right through it all.

(Almost there.)
I can't tell you how appreciative I am of a real kitchen.

 The actual countertop.

Even with dishes drying in the sink and the kettle on the stove :)

We have made-do a long time.
I think the pictures say it sufficiently.
I am aware that different folks like different styles, and maybe our tastes
aren't trendy by today's standards, but we are loving it!
I am loving the clean factor.
I can wipe up the counters and sink and they actually look clean.
Wow!

PS~ I'm a cast iron sorta gal.
Also, if you've never used them, I love flour sack dish towels.
I mention it, because during the holidays, I was visiting with my cousin
and she asked if I had ever used them.
Of course I have, had, and do.
She had only recently discovered them which surprised me 
as she spends a little time in the kitchen.
I'm a little spoiled (eh hem, I mean loved:) My mom likes to embroider on them and crochet around the edges so I usually receive them as gifts.
They do work just as well without the embroidery and crochet though.