My cabinets look like they're tanorexic!

A nice kitchen was high on the priority list for a couple of reasons.  First, our townhouse had the TINIEST kitchen known to man, complete with particle board cabinets (all 4 of them).  Second, my mother's kitchen is gorgeous so I had high expectations. 

Then, I realized something...there is really no such thing as a nice kitchen in our price range.  Okay, let me rephrase that: there is no such thing as a gourmet kitchen that is going to meet my incredibly high (ie spoiled) standards.  The kitchens were nice, they were working.  What I wanted:

1. Size...lots of counter space and cabinets (that were preferably a nice dark walnut, or pretty antiqued white)!
2. Stainless steel appliances
3. Granite countertops (like I said, I am spoiled and naive)

What I got:

Okay, okay, its not "THAT" bad.  It is big and has lots of cabinet/countertop space.  But like I said before, I am spoiled and think that I have to have the best, even though I can't afford it. Plus, the oak cabients were ORANGE...like they've spend time with self-tanner gone wrong! and...Don't even get me started on the green/blue speckled laminet counter top. 

However, the house had way too many great things to pass up: crown molding, high ceilings, a fenced in backyard, nice big bedrooms, hardwood floors!  Plus, it was at the very low end of our budget.  So we decided that we would redo the kitchen. 

I was a lot (ie way too much) HGTV and I would like to know where these people get the extra money to renovate their house as soon as they move in.  We asked about borrowing more money (remember, the house was way below our budget), but were told no, not in this econony.  We both have great jobs, great credit scores, so I have no idea, but all I knew was that my dream kitchen was hardly going to happen.  I also knew that I could not live with those orange cabinets.  So we decided to paint them.  Ourselves. With no experience whatsoever in painting anything wood.

When I say we, I usually really mean "me" and hubs needs convincing.  It took him a lot of convincing.  He thought, we have solid wood cabinets that are in great condition.  Here's how the conversation went:

Me: I hate these cabinets, they are orange!

Hubs: They are not orange, they are real wood.  I don't understand, our last cabinets were particle board.

Me: Yeah, and these cabinets are ours...and I hate them, they are orange!

Hubs: We are not ripping down perfectly good cabinets.

Me: Okay, can we paint them white?

Hubs: That seems like a lot of work, plus I don't like white cabinets!

Me: What?! How can you not like white cabinets. (I am stubborn so now i REALLY want white cabinets)

Hubs: Okay, if you can find me a picture of a seaplane pulling a waterskiier for our house, I will help you paint the cabinets white.

Me: Okay, i'll just be on the internet  (I found the picture, and our first house compromise was born)!