Crafty Idea

Many years and many many kilometers with just a few countries, towns and places thrown in, from which we have amassed a small plethora of fridge magnets.

Now said magnets to date have made rather colourful residence on our fridge fairly masking the door from view. 
Unfortunately as it would be our fridge reached the end of its useful working life in our kitchen through no fault or failure on its behalf but rather due to the utter ineptitude of our kitchen renovators who thoroughly stuffed up their measurements leaving the space for said fridge utterly to small to accommodate it (see my blog entry Caveat Emptor)

An so it came to pass the fridge magnets when removed from the old fridge which incidentally was white had caused quite a bit of damage to its surface leaving rather unsightly black marks all over it and Pam decided that the brand new sparkly silver fridge which had by now taken up residence in the kitchen was not going to be the location of the previously mentioned fridge magnets.

A fair amount of time passed with the magnets languishing in a box in a cupboard while we racked our collective creative brain cells to come up with an solution as to their new location.
Gluing them to wood... nah.... taking a metal shelf from a steel cabinet and hanging it on the wall .... nah...... and then while wandering around our local builder warehouse I inquired of the staff if they perchance could possible be the purveyors of sheet steel.... Yes they were and yes we became the proud owners of a LARGE piece of galvanized steel sheet.

The steel was taken home and two pieces of 140 x 70 cm delicately / surgically cut out with an angle grinder.
These pieces were then taken to a local picture framer and a frame chosen to finally complete a suitable location for the fridge magnets to take up residence.
The now named Magnet Frames are hanging rather nicely in our kitchen and scullery.

Kitchen Frame

Scullery Frame

Caveat Emptor.......*

Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the kitchen, and just when I thought I could put this blogging episode to bed.......

Was that a bit of an acrimonious telephonic discussion to be heard between client and owner of the kitchen supplier, where there rather strong words flung from both sides ... yes I dare say STRONG WORDS (read rather bad loud language).

And was it heard that said client must now accept that the supplier while giving a product that is to say sub-standard and we must accept it....... correct ..... indeed yes!

The fridge does not fit because the kitchen supplier measured wrong will the kitchen supplier give at least the amount in the form of a discount to the effect of at least the difference between full list price and their cost of the new fridge that has to be purchased due to the significant fault on behalf of the kitchen supplier ..... HELL NO!!! 

His solution is to cut down the size of the existing drawers and cupboards to almost dwarf size so that the current fridge can be accommodated, now let me back track a bit at this stage, during a face to face discussion the kitchen supplier agreed that cutting down the size of the drawers and cupboards would look rather ridiculous, however when in the safety of his office and over a telephone call suddenly he takes an about turn and says that the cut down is the only real option or we can purchase a new fridge THROUGH HIM ( I think not, wouldn’t trust him to boil me an egg out of it) and he would give it to us at cost - now excuse me, maybe I am not being very bright - but at cost means it is still going to COST me something....... I have to cough up more money ..... does he suffer NOOO!!!!!!

It was then agreed that we would meet on site, Saturday Morning 9 o'clock, does he turn up ....NO the gutless wimp / owner sends the designer who screwed up in the first place to face the music, or rather the wrath of the client.

Anyhow to cut a rather long now boring story down, there was a great weeping and gnashing of teeth over much of the kitchen - over the rest of the house it was however fine and mild.

Unacceptable Joins in the wood

Unacceptable Joins in the wood

Unacceptable cracks in the wood

Marked up faults for suppliers attention

Marked up faults for suppliers attention 

Marked up faults for suppliers attention 

There were numerous other faults with the work carried out, makes one want to go all medieval; build a pyre with the wood from the kitchen, tie the suppliers to a stake in the center of the pyre coat them in tar and sulphur and set them on fire, then I could distribute marshmallows on sticks to the by now cheering crowd (there is always a cheering crowd...... with marshmallows).

So the saga continues with four doors and two drawer fronts back at the factory to be repaired /remade - haven’t a clue which wouldn’t trust a word they tell me, the number of times the various doors have been returned beggars belief, last time five went back, this time six.

Abracadabra  *POOF* Doors gone

It has also been brought to my attention that during our absence; Mr. Goat on doing a small reconnaissance was horrified and perplexed as to the continuing incompetence of a so-called kitchen designer, a situation I am sure will continue for a while to come.

Mr. Goat takes a stroll to see what the commotion was all about

And into the kitchen I go

"WT% ....where have the doors gone:

"Lets see the Scullery"

"OMG Here too!!!"

"Shoo they put the freezer where the fridge was.....where I nearly was!!"

*Caveat Emptor..... Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor