Back to School

I met one of my best friends 10 years ago when we were in College together.  No doubt, we were the worst students in the class - we were more interested in gossiping about our classmates and making fun of our annoying teachers.  We spent more time at the pub than we did doing homework, but needless to say, it was a blast and one of the most memorable times in my life. 

We were chatting on the phone this summer and she said "let's do it again"!!!!

So here we are today, in week 2 of our new class.  It's simply Floral Design, but there was no way the 2 of us, in the same class, would be successful at anything more complicated!!  It's a 10 week certificate course at Mohawk college in Hamilton, and it can lead to an actual diploma if we continue and complete another 5 certificates. 

I must say, I am thoroughly enjoying myself. Getting out of the house for a few hours every Tuesday night is much needed in my life right now and there are plenty of odd balls in my class to gossip about later. heehee.

Each week, we have to complete an arrangement, so I thought I'd share them on my blog. 
Here's my first one.  No laughing.  I got 20/25.... unfortunately, so did my BF - I was really hoping to kick her ass!!!!!!!!

Construction Begins...

Ohhhhhh, I am so excited.  Finally I am seeing progress on the new house.  I am certainly a little concerned with the November 30th deadline, but apparently he hasn't missed a deadline yet.... we'll see!

This is our street.  It's a court, so there won't be much traffic.  Can you see the pumpkin patch?!?!

Our lot.  It looks so dinky. That's our backyard for the next 2 years or so.  Then, they will start building some more houses behind us.  Luckily, the lot behind us is pie shaped, and majority of the houses are bungalows, so lack of privacy isn't as much of an issue as it was in our old hood in the 'burbs. 

This is a better view of the court.  There will be nothing built between the yellow hydrant and the pumpkin patch.  It's all green space.  Perfect, pure, beautiful country green space.

Our front view.  There will be another house directly in front of us, but again, noting to the left of the hydrant and beyond. 

"Rental" exterior

any cheap suggestions???

I'm thinking about just painting the front door, but what colour???

The Shit hole - wooops, I mean Rental!

(Some names in this post may be changed to protect their disgusting habits)
 
So, here we are in the "rental property".  I usually call it the "shit hole", but to remain optimistic, I'll refer to it as the "rental" for now. 

Here's the coles note version of how we came across this place.  The "Williams" decided to make an attractive offer on our farm, conditional on them selling their house in Jarvis.  We accepted, and found a beautiful home in Waterford to buy.  We wanted to rush our deal and get a closing date of August 30th, in order to get in the new house, just in time for school.  So, we decided to scoop up the "Williams" home in Jarvis in order to close our deal and also buy the home in Waterford.  The Jarvis home would be a great rental property and hopefully bring in some money.  So, the circle of deals was done...... until, the 48th hour when the house in Waterford fell through.

You see, the Waterford house already had a conditional offer - conditional on this other couple selling their crap farm house that had already been on the market for 2 years.  Sure enough, they went back on their word and forked up the dough to buy the Waterford house.  How they are floating 2 houses right now is beyond me, but whatever.  They are jerks.  They said they'd give us the house,and then they went back on their word, basically screwing us.

Slav, the owner of the Waterford house, just happened to be the owner/builder of Landstar Homes.  He felt so bad that our deal went sour, that he offered to built us a house in the new subdivision adjacent to the one his house was in.  But, it wouldn't be ready until November 30th.  We were forced to proceed with the deal with the "Williams" and here we are.  We switched homes.  I am sure the "Williams" are just delighted to move from this shit hole into my precious farm house, but me - not so happy.

This place needs some serious TLC.  Although this is a fair size and has huge potential, the "Williams" just didn't take care of it.  It's dirty and needs some serious love.

Did you follow that whole story???

I'm hoping to dump just $2000 into a cosmetic face lift and get this place either rented or sold once we move out.  Between my, my Mom and Mom-in-law's basement, I know I can dress it up nice.   But the DIY projects I have planned, are already proving to be more difficult and costly than I imagined.

We just tried to rip off the shower door - replace it with a fancy shower curtain, and half the tiles fell off because they were full of mold.  Eeeeeesh.  This is going to be quite the challenge house.

But I'M UP FOR IT!!!! stayed tuned!!!!

Exterior Stone

This morning I made the trip to Patene in Brantford (www.patene.com) to pick out the exterior stone, brick and roof for the new house.  I had a great salesman named Peter to give me a hand.  I had the poor guy dragging samples all over the showroom to make sure I made the right choice.

I absolutely did not want anything too bland.  I am not a fan of houses that have the same colour everything - all gray brick, stone, roof, etc...  Everything had to match the copper window roof, but too matchy, matchy.... I wanted something with a bit of contrast, and something that no one else has... But, I don't want my house to stick out.  (My Mom bugs me all the time - "you get mad when some one comments on your new hair cut, but if they don't say anything, you get mad as well"...bahahah, that's me!)

Anyway, I spent hours last night looking through photos for inspiration.  I picked out a beautful Cultured Stone Country Ledgestone, but of course Peter tells me it's an upgrade and will set me back at least $5-10k.  No thanks. 

I ended up choosing a beautiful Lafitt stone in a new colour called "Berkley Brown".  A Paisley brick in "Old Ashfield", and a Timberline shingle in "Barkwood".

The brick was an upgrade, but I convinced him to just give it to me!!!

The final samples.

Lafitt stone in "Berkley Brown"

Example of Lafitt Stone.  Not my colour though!!

Another example of Lafitt Stone.

 

 

And one more!

Timberline shingle in "Barkwood"

Example of the "Barkwood" shingle

Can you imagine all of this with carriage style garage doors, copper window roof and a bold colour front door.  ohhh, I can't wait!!

My new obsession

Olioborad.com

I can't stop!

Here's my new kitchen idea.

For My Mom

How many years has it been, and the room still isn't quite finished!  So, I made this for my mom.

Love you...

It's been a long weekend

I know, this has nothing to do with home decor!  But, I've had a tough week filled with emotional drama, and sometimes I just need an outlet.  Surprisingly, blogging has provided that for me.
I hate it when people do this to me and my loved ones.... so, if I ever do it to you, I promise to not take offense when you point it out.

________________________________________

Mind Your Own Business

Donnie V. Rader

One of the commands of God that we sometimes act as if we haven't read is the one that tells us to mind our own business. The text says, "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you" (1 Thess. 4:11, emphasis mine DVR, NKJV). Yes, the Bible actually tells us to mind our own business! Thus, we need to consider some ways we sometimes violate this instruction and just how serious that is. It Is a Sin Remember that sin is a violation of the law of God (1 In. 3:4). Since the law of God tells us to mind our own business and not another's (1 Thess. 4:11), then it would be a sin to behave contrary. In the second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul stated that there were some in the church who were "busybodies" (2 Thess. 3:11). A busybody is one who is not busied in his own business, but over busied in that of others' (Vines). If he did not cease his practice, he was to be disfellowshiped (2 Thess. 3:6-15). That tells how serious being a busybody (minding the business of other people) can be. God said such a one is "disorderly." How We Are Sometimes Guilty 1. In our conversation. Quite often we find ourselves talking about other people, the decisions they make, their money, the things they do, what they buy and what we think about all of that. It may be that the things we talk about are personal which should not be of any concern to us. Some take it on themselves to meddle by thinking they must tell others exactly what they think about their life decisions or how they handle their money or children. We sometimes ask questions about things that are none of our business. We sometimes ask about conversations that do not concern us. 2. In family relationships. It is very easy for parents to mind the business of their children who are married and have families of their own. Some parents treat their grown children as if they were still kids, telling them what to do. When parents feel that they have to make critical comments on their grown children's money, looks, clothes and children they are minding business that is not theirs. Why is it that some parents feel that they need hold the reigns on their adult children and meddle in their affairs? Some are failing to recognize that a new family has been established and God has established the husband as the head of that family (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31). Some Questions to Ask Yourself Before we get too carried away asking questions, telling what we know or passing on our advice let us ask ourselves the following questions:  (1) Is this really any of my business?  (2) Have I been invited into this matter?  (3) Will my action of asking or telling possibly do more harm than good?  (4) Will others think that I am minding other people's business?

Botanical Prints

 I love the look of multiple prints on a wall to form a gallery.  My favourite are botanical prints.  The best part of this project, is that it is cheap and fairly easy to accomplish.  There are a few great places online that you can find printable prints for F-R-E-E!!!

Try these:
New York Public Library Digital Gallery
www.VintagePrintable.com
www.Botanicus.org
Add these to some nice Ikea frames, and you are good to go!!!

Fabric-aholic!

If you know me even just a little bit, you'll know that I am absolutely addicted to fabric.  I love experimenting with beautiful patterns, bold colours, and fabrics that you think don't match, but actually do!!!

My Grandmother is a seamstress, a quite successful one, I must say.  She lives about 18 hours away in Thunder Bay, so I grew up not really having her in my life.  But somehow, her love for sewing was passed down to me.  It kills me everyday having her so far away, because I would just love to spend hours with her and absorb all of her knowledge.  Maybe one day, when the kids are older, I'll sneak away for a few days and sit at Marka's sewing machine with her.... hummmm, one day.

I buy majority of my fabric online.  Sure, it's great going through a fabric store and being able to touch and feel the fabrics, but it's tough to find exactly what your looking for, and when you do, you'll pay big for it.  Shopping online allows you to get exactly what you want, and you can always find a great deal!

A few tips for ordering online:

• Always be sure to read the description closely.  It will tell you the weight, content, width, and pattern repeat of the fabric.  You don't want to try and reupholster your chairs with a poly/lycra fabric!!!
• If you are ordering a designer fabric, google it!  You'll be surprised what kind of pictures you find.  You'll be able to see other people's projects using the same fabric, and get a better idea of what you are ordering.
• Always buy your fabric before your paint.  Paint comes in thousands of colours, but your favourite fabric, only comes in one!
• If you find something you love in a fabric store, write it down and search for it online.  Chances are, you'll find it a heck of a lot cheaper.
• Ask lots of questions.  Many website offer live, online help.  Ask whatever you like. 
• Order samples before you commit.  Lots of places offer free or low cost samples.
• Always make sure they ship to Canada (or your area!) and don't be intimidated by shipping charges.  Sometimes a site will charge you a HUGE shipping fee, but that doesn't mean it still isn't a great deal.  I ordered my bedroom windows panels online, and I paid $80 shipping.  Crazy, I know.  But the curtains were so dirt cheap, that it was still a steal.  I couldn't have made them for that cheap.

Here are my two favourite on line shops!!!

 www.designerfabrics.ca
This is an actually store located in Toronto.  It's always on the show "Design Inc." .  The best part about this site, is that you can actually borrow samples.  You pay $6 shipping, and you can borrow up to 8 samples at a time.

www.fabric.com
My #1 go-to fabric site.  They have the best designer home decor fabric.  Amy Butler, Premier Prints, Waverly, and my favourite Robert Allen.  The site also features a great tool...The Design Wall.  A great way to organize your choices.

Who knew picking out exterior windows would be so difficult!

When I met with my builder last week, one of the last things we picked out were the exterior windows.  I was in such a hurry - I had already been there for 3 hours, and my poor in-laws, who were watching the kiddies, were late for an appointment.

Anyway, Slav, my builder, blurts out "what colour do you want the grids".  What?  I dunno?  "Beige".... I'm playing it safe... and he says "Prairie Style, right?".  I respond "Yeah!", like I know what I am talking about.  What the 'h' is "Prairie style"...whatever.

Over the next day or two, I was literally losing sleep over these stupid windows.  My house is planed out to a T in my mind, and I can't have some dumb exterior windows throw a kink in my plans.  So, I email my agent just to be sure on my selections... the next day, my builder is on the phone and he explains to me that the grids will be white on the inside and beige on the outside.  Everything matches the trim.  That's just how it goes.  Great!  I'm thinking to myself "Those window people really are smart"!!!!  BUT, then he says, in his deep, ukie accent, "You want Prairie, not square".  Baaaaa, F-words, that prairie thing again.  I take a chance and say YES!!!

So, here I am, googling "Prairie Style Exterior Windows", and what do you know.... I LOVE it!

These windows are so HOT right now!!!  It seems like all of the new custom homes have this style grid and I must say, I don't blame them.  It’s surprising what a difference a window style can make on the overall appearance and function of a home. Prairie style windows are like a breath of fresh air and give a nice view. They have a dramatic impact on the exterior as well as a clear view from inside.

I am very happy with my choice!

Shopping in my PJs

My most favourite time of the month is when I open up my mailbox and see my monthly magazines in the mail.  Today, I got my Country Living magaizne.  I poured a glass of wine, took the kids outside and relaxed.  I'll read every page and sticky note any page that has an interesting webiste.  Once the kids are in bed, I'll pour another glass and visit each and every interesting webiste.  If I have another glass, I may order a few too many things, so I try and keep it light!

www.homerlaughlin.com

The most beautiful, colourful kitchen pieces that will compliment any one's country kitchen.  Read the company's history...it is so intriguing!  I heard of this company many years ago, and to see it again in a magazine this month, makes me believe even more, that timeless pieces really are timeless.  

www.charlesprogers.com

I had a brass bed growing up.  I remember my mom picking it out of someone's garbage or some random garage sale when I was really little.  It sat in my basement for years until my mom some how got inspired to bring it back to life.  I remember her scrubbing it for hours on end...with toothbrushes and tiny cloths.  It was my bed for many years, and I have no idea what happened to it.  I'm not a fan of brass beds, but something about them brings me back to my pre-teen years.  Maybe I'll get one for Grace one day.

This site has the most beautiful beds.  Not sure I would ever order one because they cost a fortune, but it's a great resource for some inspiration.

www.blisslivinghome.com

I love stumbling across websites that have completely unique pieces.  Stuff you'll never find in stores and that will have people asking "where did you get that".  I found this website eons ago in Real Simple magazine.  I have yet to order anything, since I am as frugal as they come, but I am always clicking on the "outlet" section.  P.S. Don't forget to request a catalogue!

www.thelifeofryley.com

I have this ongoing list in my email called "XMas Gifts"... It's a list of gift ideas I come across throughout the year.  I know, I'm weird.... But you'll be jealous once December 1st comes around and you have no idea what to get anyone!!!  Anyway, I just added this website to my list for a certain someone that just happens to love their pooch as much as I do!   A tree stump dog dish...How cute?!?!?

www.mirrormate.com

I think this is just a genius idea.  Take a plain, old mirror and give it life.... a customized life to say the least!  Since I have been married, I have moved 7 times (the new house will be my 8th).... and in that time I have collected quite a few ugly, staple bathroom mirrors.  I've never been able to say goodbye to them, and they have always just sat in my closet.  Now I have a way to dress them up and make them my own.  I am very excited to use this site once I move in.

www.pearlriver.com

Feel like shopping in China Town, but not willing to make the trip to NYC?  This is the site.  The shipping is a little sketchy here, but you will not find more beautiful Chinese print fabrics any where else. 


Happy Shopping!!!