Some Basic Housekeeping

I've been thinking about all of the projects that need to be done around here. My list is becoming quite extensive. We finished our addition to our home five years ago (hard to believe). Immediately after that, all of our attention, time, and funds went towards Lucie's adoption. That took two years. Two weeks after we returned home from China, my honey received a call to serve as the Bishop of our ward. That was the icing on the cake. All home improvement projects were completely relegated to the back burner. But, we can't ignore them anymore. The yard...the house...it's all screaming for some attention. The time has come my friends.

So, I need your help. I want to re-do my cabinetry. I have loved the oak, but they are looking really worn and dated. Replacing them is out of the question. So, we are turning to our favorite bottle of elbow grease. I am trying to decide whether to paint or just sand, stain, and refinish. I am leaning toward painting. But, we don't have the funds to hire it done, so this is a serious DIY project. Have any of you done this? Any tips and tricks? The problem comes in deciding the color. What's your favorite? Do you like pristine white cabinetry? Antique White maybe? Black? Red? Blue? Yellow?  Green? Do you like the worn antique look? You know, a little battered and worn? UGGH! There's too many options. We need to make it work with the furniture, flooring, and decor we already have. Unfortunately, I am on a pretty tight budget.

I have been messing around with my photoshop this week. I took an old photo of the kitchen and have been "painting" the cabinets different colors to see what I like. I will post them soon, so you can vote. In the meantime, leave me some comments and let me know what you would do.