You know, it's harder to build a box than it might seem

We had to replace our refrigerator and stove about a year ago. Before we could put the new refrigerator in, we had to tear out the cabinets that were above the stove and refrigerator. The new refrigerator was so tall it wouldn't fit under the cabinets that were already up there. For the last year, the space above the stove and refrigerator has been empty and barren and ugly, and we've had boxes that have moved from room to room that held the small appliances that we'd stored up there.

Our kitchen and dining room are really small. Actually, I suppose the dining room isn't all that small, but the kitchen is tiny. The stove and dishwasher are on opposite sides of the kitchen, but they can't be opened at the same time, because there's not quite enough clearance. Given that the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher take up floor space, we have are sorely lacking base cabinets.

We have the one under the sink with extra storage to the right of it, but the only way it's accessible, is if we pull stuff out of the cabinet under the sink. I finally put an under the bed storage box in there and filled it with quart and pint canning jars, so I can pull it out when I need to get to them, but they're also not something I use much. It's a good storage area for stuff that's not needed often, but that's about all it's good for.

To the left of the sink, we have a skinny little door where we can slide cookie sheets, but that's about it. However, on the other side of the peninsula that contains the dishwasher and this little door, is the dining room. And there are two doors that open to the storage area that is to the left of the sink, but they're in the dining room. And while it's nice that we have access to the storage, it's inconvenient that we can't use access it from the kitchen and that it's basically just for storage and not for functional use.

We don't have much for upper cabinets either. We have one double cabinet over the dishwasher, a double to the left of the sink, and a single and a half to the right of the sink. So even though the cabinets over the stove and refrigerator were only half the height of the other upper cabinets, they were vital to the kitchen, and let's just say it's been a really long year without them!

When replaced the stove and refrigerator a year ago, we also bought four 1"x12"x6' pine shelves to make into cubbies to put above the appliances for a replacement solution. We went out and boughtt baskets to put in the cubbies, and I even began painting the shelving. Then everything sat. For a year.

Today, The Hubster and I finally got the cubbies made. And it was hard to think straight enough to figure out how to cut things just right and assemble it, so the baskets would fit properly and it would fit above the refrigerator. Now that we've done it once, we'd be able to do it again without as much trouble. It would be on the verge of easy, even. Today? Notsomuch. They definitely make it seem a heck of a lot easier on TV than it was for us, but we did eventually get it.

I'm going to get the painting finished on the cubbies this week and we'll hopefully be able to get them installed next weekend.

I can't wait. It's been a really long year!