Fine Things and Big Dreams

2011-03-23T04:24:00.000-07:00

Love the kitchen utensils in the champagne bucket....

Photo by Angus Fergusson, spotted in Chatelaine

2011-03-22T17:54:00.001-07:00

PB hates it when I do this. I typically make a big deal about how we should NOT exchange gifts for our birthdays. How there is nothing I want. Nothing at all. Let's save our money I say. And then 22 minutes later I say...oh..well...I mean, I guess I sorta want a zester. But that's only $10....and then the next thing PB knows I've posted something I want for my birthday on this blog and typically it does NOT cost $10.

Case in point. I really want this print by Christian Chaize. Really want it. It can be bought here for $50.

You see my mum got PB and I this fabulous piece by Glyn Satterley for Christmas.

And we love it. I now feel I need to create a whole art wall to incorporate this on. That I need more art. I always need more art. Honestly, thank goodness for PB otherwise I would be a homeless person who carries around sacks full of gorgeous pieces of art. I just feel art, art you really fall in love with and desire, and not just art you pick up at Homesense because you need to fill a wall takes a house from a home, and says so much about the home owners. Like the print by Glyn Satterley; it speaks to PB's love of golf, his home country of Scotland, our mutual love of animals, and my appreciation for quirkiness (cows on a golf course?? I love.)

2011-03-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

There's way too much pattern for my comfort level in this living room, but I'm drooling over those drapes. I'm such a sucker for the peacock motif.

Photo from Style at Home, Photography by Virginia MacDonald

2011-03-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Isn't this kitchen spotted in House and Home beautiful? I'd die for a kitchen that big, room for an island that substantial. I'd love to have a new island that incorporated lots of room for all my cookbooks.

Photo: Stacy Brandford

Its Starting To Feel...

2011-03-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

A LITTLE like Spring. A little bit. Its sunny and going to be above 0 degrees today. We still have about five feet of snow that needs to beat it, but I'll take the sunshine.

Such a lovely springy room. Wallpaper by Thibaut. Picture spotted on HouseandHome.

Bad News...

2011-03-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Big Bad Effing news in fact. Made a mammoth discovery this morning while doing a little research on vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. You know what's NOT vegetarian in all cases? Any guesses?

Wine.

That's right, apparently A LOT of wineries use fish stomachs and animal products (is there anything gelatin is not in?) in the production and filtration of their wine. And by A LOT, I mean just about every winery I've heard of. And while we haven't committed to an entirely vegan lifestyle yet, simply a vegetarian lifestyle, the thought of by products of animal slaughter really really kills my good vino induced mood. We were already contemplating switching entirely to organic wine, (well I was, PB did a little price comparison and stated he was a-ok with $7.99 Barefoot still) and preferable drinking "local" and now I have another criteria to add to the mix. Picking a wine just got a whole lot harder.

Good news? Moet is veg friendly. So that's awesome, because we drink A LOT of Moet. (I jest...)

Better news? My favorite beer is veg friendly. And its beginning to feel a lot like beer season.

In the meantime, I'm taking on the very important and time consuming task of cross referencing New Brunswick Liquor's product listing and the list of veg friendly wines found on my new go to website Barnivore.

Dreaming Of...

2011-03-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Builtins

Picture from Lonny

Lovely Dining Room

2011-03-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

From HouseandHome

What's New...

2011-03-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

A few updates from our home.

1. Jack had all his teeth removed three weeks ago to combat the rare autoimmune disease he was battling, and is doing MUCH better now.

2. I'm still hobbling around and according to physio will be for another couple of weeks. News to which PB responded with "REALLY? TWO. MORE. WEEKS? REALLY?"

3. Weekend in Alberta was fabulous, and included a beautiful wedding. You know what's neither fabulous or beautiful? Being a wedding guest on crutches. You know what's even less fun on crutches? The Toronto Airport.

4. Our power bill last month was $550 which led PB to weep and rant about how we're bound for bankruptcy and go full on obsessive on discovering what's wrong with our super high efficient heat pump system. After taking every step that google recommended, he admitted defeat yesterday and called a repair man. System is busted, but the good news is, PB didn't break it (which he admitted to me after the repair man left was a real concern since he "may" have thought he damaged the heat pump when he "may" have been "banging" ice off it. Repair guy will be back when he's less busy and in the meantime PB suggested I bundle up because I'm forbidden from turning the heat up since the system is not running efficiently and bankruptcy is a most certain consequence of me touching the thermostat. Good times ladies and gentlemen, good. times.

5. In an effort to avoid the above mentioned bankruptcy, we're now making our own wine, and not in the way we have the last three kits which involved having WineExperts make it and we bottle it. Nope, this time we're making it right on our kitchen counter top. I'm sure some people would be bothered by the fact that their kitchen smells like a winery, but not surprisingly, we're unfussed. Further, some might think I'd be put out by a massive white bucket sitting on my island for a month, but you know, when you detest your kitchen as much as me, a bucket of wine is certainly not something you worry about.

And lastly, I have a new favourite cookbook. Clean Food by Terry Walters. Great vegan food organized seasonally so you're eating food when its best served, in season.

New Favorite Kitchen

2011-03-10T11:57:00.001-08:00

Love everything about this kitchen from ElleDecor. The rustic island, the natural stone floors, the professional range, the stainless steel farmhouse sink. Sigh. Need. New. Kitchen.

Alberta Bound

2011-03-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

We're pretty excited to be Alberta Bound again...at least for a weekend. One of our best friends is getting married on Saturday, so off we go, busted leg and all!

Photo from here

Day Dreaming...

2011-03-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

While PB snowblows ANOTHER foot of snow (over 14 feet of snow this year..don't believe me? Look up Moncton....) out of our yard, I sit here dreaming of what summer might hold for us.

Some biking perhaps - if I can ever bend my knee again that is (photo from here)

Excited to see all my plants that were planted last year return (I'm sure it will look similar to this...found here)

Can't wait to get out of sweatpants and parkas and into something more like this

Eating many more of these

And...PB and I are kinda toying with the idea of adding some more critters to our family...

Photo from here

Disaster...

2011-02-21T15:31:00.001-08:00

Sunday afternoon, while at a Yoga class with PB, while attempting to nail an eagle pose (see above), I blew out my knee. As in my knee cap went to the side of my leg, I crashed to the floor, an ambulance was called and I spent an unreasonably long time waiting for someone to put my damn knee cap back into place, despite desperate delusional pleas to put the knee back in place to PB, the yoga instructor, the EMTs, an elderly fire fighter and two nurses. When an ortho doctor finally leisurely strolled in, straightened my leg and forced my knee cap back into its rightful place, I couldn't have been happier despite the sadistic pain that went along with it.

I'm disappointed, frustrated, in pain and already bored. My leg is the size of an elephant leg. And its only day one. Of what could be a six to eight week recovery. At least a week or two before I'm walking again. Probably two months before I'm back to yoga and working out. But hell, at this point I'd just be happy to be able to get to the fridge without being in near tears.

On the plus side, PB, who has had his own knee issues and understands the pain all too well, has performed reasonably well as nurse. I got granola in bed this morning, and he tolerated my back seat baking while he baked me my new favorite vegan brownies. However that could have something to do with him shipping out tomorrow for business in Toronto, and my mum shipping in to hold down the fort while I'm laid up.

Anywho, that's whats new and exciting over here. Hopefully your weekend was much less eventful!!

Love This..

2011-02-16T03:38:00.000-08:00

Thinking sliding barn door might be just the ticket for our ensuite...

Over at HouseTweaking they have a great DIY, now I just need a barn to salvage boards from...

Spotted on Poppytalk

2011-02-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

I have a ski bunny bestie. Said bestie recently made the bold statement that she wasn't interested in a wedding, simply a marriage. I promptly advised that some of us get married just for the wedding. ( I Jest. Jeeze) I wonder if said bestie's wedding planner sister is aware of her sister's feelings on weddings?

Nonetheless, when I cam across these photos from Alison Events, I though, if there was ever a wedding to change this bestie's mind, this is it.

How. Gorgeous.

New Addition

2011-02-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, PB made me think I knew what he was getting me for Valentine's day. And because the gift I thought he was getting me didn't seem so much like a gift for me as much as it seemed like a gift for him, I decided not to get him anything for Valentine's Day.

Imagine my gilt when I opened this yesterday...

Shit.

Its the Scottish Gaelic Love Print from LittleMinchArt.

A perfect addition to my love wall.

Ignore the Christmas Tree.

Big Fine Changes

2011-02-15T16:06:00.001-08:00

We've been pretty preoccupied around our house. Not with paint brushes, or furniture shopping or tile jobs. Nope, these changes are a lot more important to us, and are turning out to make a much bigger difference to us than a new paint color ever did.

Post Christmas/Pre New Years, PB and I had a pretty serious (and probably hungover) conversation about how, well, shit we were feeling. We'd had a pretty tough year, moving across the country, leaving our friends, our home, jobs we loved, to a city where we knew no one, to unpredictable jobs and to a new way of life. And to be honest, it was looking to us like it might not have been the best decision we ever made. But we're big kids. We'd made our bed and by god we were going to sleep in it. But we did decide we had to stop wallowing in said bed, and in particular, stop sulking in said bed, watching too much shit tv, eating too much crap food and drinking too much homebrew.

Enter a rather rash decision on December 29th to start Dr. Joshi's 21 day detox (no gluten, no wheat, no fruit, no meat, no dairy, no sugar, no caffeine, no booze) on January 1. We figured that at the very least we could take better control of our diet, our fitness and our overall health which we vainly hoped would translate to better overall balance and happiness (and at the very least would distract us from our pity party - or...give us something new to pity ourselves over). But the 21 day detox is old news now. We did it, it went shockingly great, we felt tonnes better but more importantly, it prompted us to have some serious (sober) conversations about related topics.

Enter the big fine changes I was alluding to.

WE'RE BECOMING DIRTY HIPPIES!!

Ok. Well, I'm not wearing patchouli oil YET, but being us, we've taken on good health like we would any other project, reading, research, watching of documentaries and the reading of many, many blogs and have concluded that we're going to be making some big decisions. Most shockingly, you'll note that I've not one time said "I". I've said "we". PB and I. In agreement. Without me threatening to adopt more dogs.

After our research and reading (which perhaps I'll give more detail on later), I've decided to return to a vegetarian diet, and PB is going to join me 99% of the time (and yes, this is on his own free will). PB may occasional enjoy local, humanely raised, grass fed, pasture raised meat, in support of local non-factory farmers when he can be confident of the origin of the meat, but we've both decided that we don't want anything to do with factory farming, or processed over preserved foods, or refined sugars, but want to eat whole foods, that give us the energy that we never believed we would have. I've given up diet coke, PB is off coffee (I was never a coffee drinker) and we wouldn't dream of bringing refined carbs in our home again. No fear...while I've suggested we buy Organic wine, I've made no suggestions that we abstain from the sweet wonderful nectar of grapes. PB likewise, finds nothing about Scottish produced whiskey offensive to his new lifestyle :)

In addition to our diet changes, we've really reinvested in our fitness. While we both USED TO BE (you know...if you haven't so much as jogged in 3.5 years, you can't really say you "run" anymore...) fit nuts, over the past three years we've relied on daily dog walks (which admittedly, are not the full body work out they once were..yea leash training!) to keep semi-fit. We can't believe how much better we're feeling since challenging ourselves again.

Of course, this new lifestyle is likely to going to spill over into other aspects of our lives, certain aspects that relate directly to the typical content of this blog. And while I thought about not sharing these new developments in our lives on this blog, I futher thought; what the hell, its my blog and quite frankly, I'm more excited about these changes then I have been about curtains or countertops in quite some time.

I by no means have any intention of becoming a food or exercise blogger, please, this is not the place I wish to remind myself how much the hot intense core yoga class kicked my ass, but it may be a place where I can share great finds as I try to figure out how to embrace this new lifestyle in all aspects of our life such as; how the hell am I going to correlate my love of riding boots with my disgust and horror of cow slaughter? And what great products out there are vegan, hippie friendly? And can we find a hair gel that properly tames PB's fro that hasn't been tested on animals?

And once I've discovered every vegan blog out there, I can return to pretty living rooms. Pretty living rooms that are leather free..wink.

Ps. Picture is from here...certainly not of us. Yet. While I am TOTALLY in love with my new yoga class, PB is worried its a bit froofy...unlike the Jillian Michael's DVD he's currently in love with (and kicking his/our ass(es)).

It won't change my mind on the color green..

2011-02-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

But I like it. Not in my house. I'm anti green. But the wall paper on the ceiling? Swoon.

From HouseBeautiful

Shut. Your. Mouth.

2011-02-11T04:50:00.000-08:00

ANTHROPOLOGY IS DOING WEDDINGS???

If there was ever a reason to divorce PB and do it all over again....

Check out these gorgeous gowns from BHLD. The online shop launches Valentines Day. The line by Anthropology will carry gowns, party dresses, etc and they're stunning. Stunning.

Spotted on A Cup of Jo. Very jealous that Jo and some girlfriends got to play dress up with the new dresses. Pictures from A Cup of Jo

Unbelievable Skil Chalets

2011-02-07T04:19:00.000-08:00

PB and I used to have heated arguments over imaginary lotto wins (really, this might have been understandable if we even BOUGHT a ticket, but we took it to the next hypothetical level) and whether we would buy a cottage on the water (my wish) or a chalet in the mountains (PB's wish).

These gorgeous ski "chalets" from Architectural Digest make a solid argument.

With regards to who won our hypothetical arguments...we'd usually just tack on an extra 10 million to our win so we could both have what we wanted :)

PS. Architectural Digest is now led by the previous editor of Elle Decor. Word is, its about to get a whole lot more exciting!

A Non-White Kitchen? Shocker.

2011-02-03T16:12:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty committed to the idea of a white kitchen, but this, I like. Style at Home is declaring this the new country. This is a country I can get behind.

Pretty

2011-02-03T04:17:00.001-08:00

Napkins from Anthropologie

Winter Cabin

2011-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

All this snow is making me wish for a little hideaway in the mountains, like this gorgeous little number from CountryLiving.

New Favorite Kitchen

2011-02-02T03:14:00.000-08:00

From HighGlossMagazine, spotted on LiveCreatingYourself

Vintage Wine

2011-02-01T04:09:00.000-08:00

And not the kind that PB gets worked up about the price of.

Here are some photos spotted on ApartmentTherapy of Benjamin Moores' new paint color vintage wine in action.

Love the dining room photo. Love it.

Equestrian Chic from Style at Home

2011-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

From Style at Home

Sarah 101

2011-01-31T03:59:00.001-08:00

Are you watching Sarah Richardson's new show, Sarah 101?

While I like the format of the show, I miss discussion of budgets. I'm always interested in conversations on how to make decisions as to where to spend money, and where not to. Also, holy color! Sarah's really embracing color and pattern now eh? And you know me, I'm a little color phobic. I just don't feel these new Sarah rooms have the timeless feel of the Sarah rooms back in the Design Inc. days. Just my take. I'm boring though.

If Nothing Else Would Bring Me Back

2011-01-30T08:16:00.001-08:00

There were camera issues, time issues, overall apathy issues, envy issues and uninspiration issues, but then there was this. The kitchen of William Sonoma's Celia Tejada. This is a kitchen I could cook up a six course meal in. Marble with red and black accents? Perfection.

From ElleDecor

2010-12-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

While searching Etsy for Burberryesq pet collars, I stumbled on this.....

I'm not going to say this is cuter than a lab puppy in a burberryesq collar, but its pretty damn cute.

From ToSweetPeaFromMe

All Things Sparkly

2010-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Love me some sparkle during the Holidays. Here's some sparkle done fabulously from StyleAtHome

We Tried...

2010-12-08T05:43:00.000-08:00

We tried to incorporate a color into our home that wasn't red, black, white or brown. We tried green. We lived with green for about six months, and then one day, I admitted I hated it. You see, you have to be careful admitting to PB that you make decorating mistakes especially if you've spent any money at all on said mistake. Luckily for me, I'd only spent about $10 on discount fabric to make some green pillows so my admission was only met with approximately one groan and eye roll.

I took away the green pillows, added back my red pillows, throws, and changed out my art for black and white photography (my comfort zone) and it was amazing what a relief we felt. Honestly, both of us. PB actually said "oh, wow...much better". We admitted that red, black and white are just who we are. Why fight it?

Of course, the family room currently looks like Santa's elves got sauced off the nog and went nuts in my house, but I'd thought I'd share our small changes before showing you the Christmas insanity.

A Few New Favorites...

2010-12-08T05:17:00.000-08:00

Time to share a few treasures I've found on Etsy recently...

A Monogramed Soy Wax Candle (and you can pick your own scent!) $15

Vintage Inspired Food Rationaling Typography Poster $15

Seedbombs! ($7.95 - but sadly this store does not ship to Canada...but you can also get them at Anthropologie)

A very daper Tartan Collar and Leash set ($62)

Large Leather Tote ($100! A fraction of the price of designer!)

Happy December 1st!

2010-12-01T06:16:00.001-08:00

*** UPDATE - Wheatons in Moncton and Fredericton carry Aspen Spices - Crisis Averted***

Today is the first day that PB officially allows me to decorate the inside of the house, but I'm facing a small crisis.

I can't find my favorite mulling spices. Their website is no help. I can't decorate without my favorite mulled wine. Full. On. Panic.

If there are any New Brunswick readers out there that know where I can get Aspen Mulling Spices (they come in a little milk carton) please let me know. This may make or break my Christmas.

I Love...

2010-11-29T05:51:00.001-08:00

Advent Calendars. Growing up, we had a great big felt tree advent calendar that hung in the hallway. Mum had made it when we were kids. We didn't even get daily treats, we just got to take one of the tree's "decorations" out of pocket that coordinated with the day and Velcro it to the tree, and we lived for it. Each year my brother and I alternated who got to hang the first ornament and who got to hang the star on Christmas Eve.

One year we made an advent tree for our family pup Maggie. Each day instead of sticking on an ornament she got a biscuit. Maggie lived for that tree. Some days Maggie ate all 24 of her biscuits...she didn't really grasp the ritual.

When I was away at University in Alberta, mum sent out an advent calendar for my roomie and I to share, and even sent the treats to stuff it. That advent calendar later became a victim of Molly's first year...better known as the year we lost 1/5 of our Christmas ornaments, a computer power cord, a pair of kilt shoes, 5 pairs of flip flops and a good few years off our lives. I've never replaced our advent calendar. I'm a failure as a wife and mother...and I only have 2 days to remedy this! Eeek.

Love this advent calendar from Nuvonva

and this one from thedoghouse

and this one from Willowcreeksigns

2010-11-29T04:48:00.000-08:00

I finished up our outdoor decorating this weekend...ooohhhh...its starting to feel a lot like Christmas!

Online Shopping

2010-11-25T04:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of doing my Christmas shopping online, especially now that my shopping options are drastically reduced since moving from Calgary to Moncton. I have a few reasons for loving online shopping, better deals, better selection, lower taxes, lack of duty in many cases, no need to struggle to find parking, no need to put on boots and schlep through malls, no need to be annoyed by the sheer volume of teenagers in malls and finally, receipts are emailed right to my inbox and I don't have to try and remember where I put them. Oh, and with the fabulous exchange rate right now, its a no brainer.

I just discovered two more websites that make online shopping even more fun.

Freeshipping.ca

Retailmenot.com

Also, if you're an airmile or aeroplan collector, don't forget to shop through their shops (airmileshops.ca or aeroplan estore) to get miles while shopping at your favorite stores!

And one more tip - "like" your favorite stores on facebook - they often post discount and coupon cods on their facebook pages!

One Month and Counting...

2010-11-25T04:32:00.000-08:00

Oh Happy Day. My favorite month of the year!

Pic from SouthernLiving

I have a new Love...

2010-11-24T06:49:00.001-08:00

PB and I had a good run, but lately, he has suffered a dramatic decline in his usefulness.

Allow me to introduce you to my new love

The Sureline Edge Like Pro tool.

Yesterday, I decided I was going to take advantage of my slow time at work and do some decorating. First up, my god awful entry way. So I decided I would inform PB via email that I was going to start painting. (I learned a long time ago that there are two things PB should always be advised of via email - DIY home improvements and new pet additions). That way, I only have to image PB's exasperation as opposed to have it articulated to me! However, when he got home last night, after a seven minute inspection to see if he could find fault (he did, three tiny faults) he declared himself impressed despite the teeny tiny faults and was so impressed, he suggested perhaps I take my painting show on the road...you know...maybe a little part time job to fund my own projects. Silly PB.

But yesterday I tackled the easy walls. Today I had to tackle the two story wall. NEVER EASY. Having made a total mess of the two story entry way in our last house, I went in search of a better solution for around the ceiling. The stairs prevented me from climbing a ladder to tape the ceiling like I was doing on the main floor. So what to do. Enter inspiration at 8:45pm last night at Wal-Mart. The SureLine Edger. I was dubious. I thought no way, just another gadget.

Well it is a gadget, the best gadget in the whole world. And it only cost $5.97, and it hooked to my pole and did around the ceiling and doors PERFECTLY. So perfectly, I got excited and did another wall where I had not taped around the doors. NO PROBLEM. I have NOT been this excited in a VERY. VERY long time. This is life changing. NO. MORE. TAPING. And..PB is NOT going to find faults tonight!!

Everyone on my list may be getting one for Christmas. (I'm sure my brother is already excited!)

Beautiful Photography

2010-11-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

By Alysia Cotter Photography

Spotted on Poppytalk Handmade

Ps. I further spotted on Poppytalk's blog that Alysia Cotter is offering a special Black Friday promotion - check it out here

Good. But Not Amazing.

2010-11-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

I got really, really really excited about the combination of two of my favorite types of cake by President's Choice.

It's alright...but its not amazing. Sigh.

2010-11-19T05:28:00.000-08:00

I think I may want to get my outdoor Christmas decorating finished up this weekend. While the lights are hung, its time to start my greenery. And we're due our first bout of snow this morning, which will help to Christmas everything up a bit.

Here's a little inspiration from Canadian House and Home

Guess What's Comming to Canada...

2010-11-18T07:09:00.000-08:00

Click here

2010-11-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this kitchen is Ikea?

Spotted here

The Case for Wish Lists...

2010-11-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

Many adults have a hard time letting people know what they'd actually like for Christmas. Where's the good in that? No matter how many times we have the conversation with friends and family that we "don't need anything", or "let's scale back" - presents are still exchanged. My argument is the in the age of "scaling back" its even more important that the money being spent is being spent on things people actually want/need.

Yes, in an ideal world, we'd all know our love ones so well we could pick gifts that are not only meaningful and useful but also loved and everyone is happy because its a great surprise. But come on, PB has enough argyle sweaters to prove clearly, what I think he needs is very different from what he thinks he needs.

I have two new favorite tools - the Amazon.com Universal Wish List feature! and Chapters Indigo Wish List. They're awesome. With the Amazon Universal Wish list and a few clicks of a button, you can add any item, from any site on the internet to your wishlist, that anyone can access (provided they have your personal email). I've been after PB to get to work on his for weeks now, but apparently "he doesn't have as much time to waste fantasy shopping as I do". Sigh. I'm just making sayin...unless I'm informed differently, I feel like PB

and the dogs could us some matching argyle...)

The Chapters Wish List is also searchable by anyone, provided they have your personal email. Its not only awesome for the gift giver, its awesome for the reader to keep track of all the books they'd like to read.

Letters to Santa PB

2010-11-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

Dear PB,

I know I know. You got me a winter coat the last three Christmas' running. I know you can't find any room in the coat closet for any of your coats. I know you think I have enough coats. But a gal can never have enough coats or jeans. And camel is super hot this year. Super super. AND this coat is on sale. Its a sign.

Wool blend funnel neck coat in camel $109 - The Gap

2010-11-17T03:47:00.000-08:00

Even though it's feeling a lot more like Christmas out west than it is out here on the east coast, in my heart, its Christmas time. PB won't let me decorate the house yet, but PB can't stop me from enjoying Christmas in blogland.

From HouseandHome

The Age Old Question..

2010-11-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

Kids or no kids at a wedding?

I'm childless...you can probably guess what I think. However, at our wedding, we chose to feed the kids their own special dinner during the cocktail hour, but their special table wasn't nearly this cute or fun.

from here

Tis The Season...

2010-11-15T03:27:00.001-08:00

For the ultimate marriage tester...the hanging of exterior Christmas lights. In past years, I've allowed myself to be convinced roof lights were simply impossible, dangerous even. This year, with the help of extremely nice mid November weather, I wasn't listening to any excuses.

Although we have no intention of being those people and lightin' the place up before December, we couldn't help but take a peak last night and its beyond exciting. Maybe our best exterior ever? (Well...after last year where PB made the executive decision to alternate green wired lights with white wired lights all along the garage...it wouldn't take much)

Now if only they could invent some lights that are truly invisible during the daytime.

If I Was a Rich Girl...

2010-11-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

I'd extend my Christmas craziness to the bedrooms. Pottery Barn has the loveliest Holiday bedding, but alas, not a rich girl, or a girl who's husband would tolerate transforming EVERY room in our house for Chrimbo.

2010-11-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

We've had the worst week. The worst. Last Friday, during a routine dental cleaning (PB would argue there's nothing routine about forking out for dental cleanings for cats) for Jack (our cat), the vet discovered a tumor in his throat. We were told that in her 23 years of vet practice, she'd never seen an oral tumor that was not malignant. Also, there was no wonderfully effective treatment for this type of cancer in cats. In fact, there were no options for treatment at all.

It was a pretty brutal blow to both PB and I.

We decided to bring Jack home until we had an absolute confirmation via the biopsy, give him a really good week that was to include as many bags of treats as he wanted, as many cuddles as he could stand and we'd prepare ourselves for goodbye.

All week long we've spoiled Jack rotten. He's gone through 3 bags of treats. We essentially followed him around ensuring every time he sat or laid anywhere he had a pillow and blanket to keep him comfy. I might have whispered in his ear how much we loved him 58 389 times.

Yesterday, I got a call from the vet.

Jack's tumor was not malignant. In fact, it wasn't a tumor at all. He has an autoimmune disorder and while normally that would be bad news to a pet owner, in comparison to the previous diagnosis, we feel like we've won the lottery. Autoimmune disorders can be treated. Jack has once again defied the odds.

We've never been so happy. We're very, very unimaginably grateful. A scare like this puts things right in perspective for a person.

Jack on the other hand has no idea what all the fuss has been about, but he is pissed that the all you can eat buffet has come to an end.

Happy Weekend! Give you love one's a hug.

2010-11-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

Now that Halloween is over, we can focus on the important stuff. Christmas.

Pic from HouseandHome

When One Thing Leads to Another...

2010-10-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

I finished the painting of my chairs. Next up, staining my table a darker color. Still impressed by my $50 deal! While examining pictures to ensure the size is right for the space, I noted a few other things about the view from my front door.

1. The pictures on either side of the door should match, or at least be symetrical.

2. I think maybe some window panels on either side of the door might give it a bit more oomph. Or maybe I just really need to add some thicker molding around the door.

3. I need a lighting fixture to go above the new table.

PB will not be impressed that our bargain has led to a new list of needs.

Ps. I cropped the little bit you could see of my entry way right out of this picture. There is too much shame to even post it. Frankly I struggled to even post this. Hummm...maybe a dirty dog bed doesn't need to be amongst the first things a guest sees either.

2010-10-27T04:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful House Tour from Southern Living

Love This..

2010-10-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

Love this "Porchscape" (is porchscape a word?) from Twig and Thistle, designed for the BHG Contest. Click here to read all about it.

Big Dreams

2010-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I sincerely doubt I'll ever be in a position that I could spend $8000 on a fridge, but if I ever was...this would be the fridge. J'aime.

From Electrolux

Amazing Make-Over

2010-10-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the amazing make over that takes this blah basic staircase to ohlala. All DIY. Bless her patience.

I'm especially thrilled to see that the dark stairs don't look horrific with the blonde floors...hummmm.

Read all about her incredible transformation here

French Charm in Toronto

2010-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Toronto Home featured in StyleatHome

Window Treatments for French Patio Doors

2010-10-25T05:54:00.001-07:00

Have had a request for some ideas for window treatments for french patio doors. Maybe I'm not a great one to ask, since I've done nothing with mine over the last eight months, but after a quick search I'm feeling slightly more inspired.

So I've determined the traditional solution is horrible old vertical blinds. Blah.

A slightly better solution if you like the ease of vertical blinds but agree they can appear a bit busy and 1992, is the new panel track system from Levelor.

My favorite is the classic drape panels on either side of the doors. That would be the direction I'd go in.

This would be a great solution until I can afford to replace my doors for true french doors, (only one of my doors open, the other door doesn't move), like these from Lynda Reeve's kitchen renovation

2010-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Adorable dog accessories from BlueBlood

Rustic Kitchens from Elle Decor

2010-10-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

Fab Find..

2010-10-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Not.One.Cent week has gone to hell. But how were we to know that there would be such fabulous deals on Kijiji this week? Plus I had a special envelope full of money left over from the sale of some of our old furniture on kijiji...so when I found a solid wood table, plus five solid wood chairs for $50, I couldn't say no. Plus we've been on the look out for a table for our family room/kitchen empty hole for awhile.

Turns out it was the Ikea Stornas (luckily, there are a few other people in Moncton that have moved from Calgary with Ikea furniture!!). Great basic solid wood table, clean lines, heavy as hell, and ripe for an update.

Now I'm just debating how to update it, whether to sand it down and darken the stain, or lighten the stain, or paint it white, or just paint the legs...decisions decisions. Here are some of my inspiration...

A Better After

2010-10-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

I captured a photo of our home on a beautiful fall day, and its made for a much better after photo!

And as an ugly little reminder of how far we've come with practically no budget...

DIY Pumpkin Decorating

2010-10-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving with my family in the metropolis of Perth-Andover, my home town. Mum had whipped up a little DIY project to decorate our Thanksgiving table. And while under appreciated by the boys, excited me thoroughly.

Mum said the project was easier than expected, simply carve out the top like you would a big pumpkin, and scoop out enough of the baby pumpkin to accommodate a tea light. Throw in some pressed leaves from your own backyard and voila.

Decorating with Pumpkins

2010-10-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big Thanksgiving/Halloween decorator. I use up all of PB's patience for seasonal decorating at Christmas. But if this wasn't "not.one.cent" week - these images would drive me to go on the hunt for some more pumpkins.

Christopher Peacock's Gorgeous Kitchen

2010-10-20T05:28:00.001-07:00

I especially like the open shelving around the stove, perfect for storing spices, oils, and other crucial ingredients.

From Traditional Home

2010-10-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

So "Yea" (insert sad little voice), the oven could be fixed. For $130. Which is obviously less than a new oven. Lucky us. Sigh. Oh well, in the exciting few minutes when Larry the appliance guy thought it "might" be the control panel, in which case the fix would be more like $500, and the point at which things would have got exciting (meaning shopping would become necessary), I began searching for appliances at the best prices. PB asked if I had checked Ebay. Now being someone who prides themselves on expertise on online shopping, I was surprised that PB thought of something that I hadn't.

Turns out Ebay has a pleth of appliance options that can be delivered to Canada, at amazing prices. Normally I'd save ebay for denim and trainer purchases, and wouldn't have considered it for something so big (or...that required installation, warranties, etc). Would it be crazy to order an appliance off Ebay?

Picture of The Princess Margaret Showhome

You Learn Something New Everyday...

2010-10-18T09:59:00.001-07:00

Last night I learned you can bake a casserole on a BBQ. In October. How did I learn that you might be asking yourself. Well allow me to rant, cough, I mean..elaborate.

Last night, PB and I, after several minutes of moaning about our Visa bill following our trip to Scotland and Spain last month, boldly challenged ourselves to spend not. one. cent. this week. That means no bottles of wine, no mid week runs to the grocery stores, no lunches out, no movie rentals, not. one. cent. Just for one week. We decided that since we have a full fridge, full gas tanks, and a full work calendar this week, (but sadly, an empty wine cellar - yes, you now understand why this seemed so daunting) we were up to the challenge. We had literally JUST shook on "Not. One. Cent." week when I went to the oven to turn it on to bake my fully assembled Greek Spanakopita pie when I noted the oven wasn't working. No amount of swearing, manual reading or googling would fix the issue.

This was obviously a crisis on several fronts, one, I had a fully assembled casserole and no way to cook it. Two, this was don't spend a cent week. Three - no wine.

Turns out, you can cook a casserole on the BBQ (but use a baking stone like this, not a Pyrex which apparently will break).

Further, I was/am convinced that a higher power was sending me a sign that I was put on this earth to benefit the retail sector, not to save money. PB disagreed, he feels this was sent to us as a challenge, not a sign. I further disagreed explaining that me and higher powers had already concluded I was no good at budgeting challenges.

A repair man has been called. "Not. One. Cent" week may be about to become "the week we spontaneously bought new appliances". Poor PB. He was in such a good mood for about 32 seconds last night!

Gratuitous hot kitchen picture from Elle Decor

If I Ever Build Again...

2010-10-18T04:26:00.001-07:00

It will include a dog room. Like this one from last month's House and Home. Not that my dogs typically sleep in a room by themselves...but it would be nice to have somewhere comfy for them to hang out when they're fresh from the swamp.

Serious Curb Appeal Upgrade

2010-10-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this bungalow makeover from Southern Living

And after...

Kinda Insider News..

2010-10-08T09:01:00.001-07:00

Further to the Earth Shattering Wall Street Times Target coming to Canada article; PB works for one of Target's main competitors. He obviously works for the Canadian division. I have allusions that he's kinda a big deal, only two degrees removed from as big a deal as you can get if you're a pharmacist that works for an International retailer that offers low prices so you can live better. Usually his (in my mind) big deal status grants us no useful information. However....that changed this week while he was at meetings at their Head Office. PB and I aren't really phone people. We don't check in when we travel. I don't get calls to say good night and I don't get calls to assure me he's still alive. Occasionally we might text during Modern Family to share our amusement but that's pretty much the extent of our communication when he or I travel.

So needless to say I was surprised to see a message from him in the middle of the afternoon two days ago. No greetings, no small talk, just one very, very exciting message. "Target aims to open 200 stores across Canada in the next 10 years". Apparently the big retail world is all a flutter over this possible competition. My response - can you get a job with them instead for the discount? Obviously.

Yummmmm....

2010-10-08T08:58:00.001-07:00

Mark McEwan's Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. From House and Home. Fabulous.

Pleasepleaseplease..

2010-10-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Target? Marshalls? JCrew? Please please please be expanding into Canada...pretty please before 2015!!

How Things Change...

2010-10-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

There was a time in the not so distant past, a past that included going places that required heels and my feet were immune to cold and wet and pain that I would have coveted these shoes. Hard.

Somehow, around the time that I crossed the mid-twenties threshold, adopted two dogs that prefer walks through wet, cold swampy conditions and married a man with a VERY low tolerance for whimpers associated with foot pain, I suddenly started coveting shoes that would keep my feet dry and warm, and would enable me to stay pain free, regardless of how far I was forced to walk.

I love these Quoddy, handmade in Maine booties so much. AND...they're guaranteed for life, you can keep sending them back to have them resoled and what not. That's pretty awesome.

Hot shoes and Adorable comfy booties both available here. Where else?

Fall Decorating from Martha

2010-10-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

From Martha Stewart.com

Oh Target....

2010-10-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

You can do no wrong.

Library Style Storage

How an Editor Lives..

2010-10-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

House and Home has a great gallery of Suzanne Dimma's (Editor in Chief - Canadian House and Home) homes. I especially enjoy watching how her home and decorating styles changed when she and her now husband shacked up.

Shacking up totally shakes up a gal's decorating style. Not only does one have to figure out what to do with the always "lovely" furniture that comes with said boy (in my case, a condo full of furniture borrowed from someone's 1976 camper van), figure out how to sneak the occasional floral motif into the home and determine how to justify more than two pillows on the bed, one must also (especially so in my case) develop keen negotiation skills when it comes to new home decor purchases.

Before/After

2010-10-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

I know its been awhile. Again. I know I make promises I don't keep. I'm a terrible blogger. But I have a new mantra. Just like if you don't have anything nice to say, you're not to say anything at all, I'm now following the belief that if you don't have anything good to blog, don't blog anything at all.

And life has been dull. Maybe it was receiving my first Christmas themed magazine Friday, but I feel reinspired now. As such, I tackled repainting a dresser I got for a whopping $10 last month!

What a difference a coat (or three) of white paint makes.

Next up - styling it. But I was taking such flack for lack of blog posts I couldn't wait to get this up.

PS. The best instructions I've come across for painting furniture are from Bryn, I follow her directions right down to the poly.

First Impressions

2010-09-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have the blandest entry way ever. Seriously. I don't want to show you a picture. I've done not one thing to improve it. Not entirely true, the last owners left a dingy dirty mat they probably just put out for the movers and I'm ashamed to say I left it for a good five months before I changed it for a boring beige mat.

Here are some entry ways from House Beautiful that inspire me to do something...anything.

2010-09-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

My grandparents had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, and they're keen to share. Mom arrived with a whole bag full for me on Saturday, and this morning, I took advantage of a crappy rainy morning to make some of Giada's Marinara sauce.

It smells so good I almost want to change my mind and not freeze it right away....

Love this "Good Thing"

2010-09-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

From Martha. Of course.

PB and I war over his tendency to leave the plastic bottle of Wal-Mart brand dish washing liquid on the counter - when I would prefer it to be placed out of sight under the sink. He questions the logic of this...after all, he uses it everyday and we don't have guests everyday. I usually point out his preference is that I vacuum everyday despite the fact the floor gets dirty everyday and we don't have guests everyday...and so on until the bottle of wine is empty.

Could this be the solution? I could deal with this, and then PB would have his dish soap handy (yes, PB is the dishwasher ,in additional to the ACTUAL dishwasher, give me toilets over dishes any day to scrub). I've seen bottles just like this at HomeSense for peanuts (and PB..by peanuts I mean $7.99 so no, not your definition of peanuts..)

From 30 Degrees to 10...

2010-09-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

When we left for vacation, we could barely hack the heat, but we've returned to an entirely different climate. It makes me want to ditch my still blooming front porch flowers and substitute in some mums and pumpkins. On this morning's walk, I adoringly admired one of our neighbours front porch Autumn display and PB sneered and said it was hardly time for that yet. Not sure if that's because pumpkins are averaging about $3 each or because PB can't hack that summer is over. I'll just have to ease him into it.

Picture above is from StyleatHome - I used to have lanterns...but PB, unbeknown to me deemed them unworthy of moving and I believe they were left sitting on our deck in Calgary. Sigh.

Summer 2010 Goal

2010-09-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Our one goal for summer 2010 was to improve the curb appeal of our home. After hours of back breaking labour by yours truly, and a little help from my in-laws, we've certainly improved things. Am I done? Of course not...

The biggest bouts of work were the flower beds and path, for which we were quoted $6000, but which we were able to achieve for about $600. More details to follow.

I'm Back...

2010-09-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

What a month August was. We had PB's parents over from Scotland for three weeks, we had a trip to Prince Edward Island, we headed over to Scotland for a wedding here, flew down to Barcelona for some r&r and sightseeing and back to London for a night with some dear friends.

Life is just about back to normal, laundry done, groceries bought, work emails slogged through. God the first few days back from holidays are depressing. What I would give to be back on our hotel's rooftop terraza reading and drinking in the sunshine.

Alas...reality calls.

Anywho, back on the blog bandwagon. Thanks for checking back in.

StyleAtHome

2010-08-25T04:49:00.000-07:00

I think StyleatHome magazine might be putting an increased amount of pics on their website. Woohooo. Check out this gorgeous home of tv host and lifestyle blogger Karen Bertelson.

Assigned Seating...

2010-08-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

You'd think it would only be a problem for large families. Not so. Last weekend while visiting family, my 26 year old brother removed PB from what he felt was "his chair" at the dinner table. True enough, our small family of four have had exactly the same seats around Mum and Dad's dinner table for 28 years. Poor PB naively thought he could just pick any old seat.

This is a very cute solution. From Traditional Home

New Fav Foodie Blog

2010-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new fav food blog. The Bitten Word has a great concept - putting food magazines to use. Plus their food photography is gorg. The sign of good food photography? They leave me starving.

How did they catch my attention? Please,10 Second Sangria. They had me at ten...

Fruity (and Veggy) Weddings

2010-08-10T05:00:00.001-07:00

While searching for sweet (literally) centerpiece ideas for a friend I kept coming across fruit and veg ideas. I like.

Now, while I love the Tuscan inspired table (tomatoes and breadsticks), I would probably prefer this for a dinner party over a wedding...I mean, hey, maybe my wedding guests were rowdier than most, but I fear tomatoes might have been a disaster long about 11:00pm. Come to think of it...not sure they'd be appropriate for any of our dinner parties either....

From Martha Stewart.

High/Low From Style at Home

2010-08-10T04:21:00.001-07:00

Every month Style At Home magazine does a High/Low feature. I'm often a little dubious...I mean, isn't over $3000 for a dressing room vignette (the LOW) a bit ridiculous? None the less, I enjoy reading through them for inspiration for truly low lows.

Check out these versions of a gorgeous studio...

Can you spot the high? The low? Check it out here.

Tommy on Facebook

2010-08-09T05:11:00.001-07:00

Tommy Smythe (as in Sarah's sidekick) has hit facebook and he's posting some photos are rooms that he's done, some that I for one had not seen before. For instance, we've all seen this GORGEOUS kitchen. How excited was I to see it from a few different angles!

A Modern Girl's Room

2010-08-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

If all goes well with negotiations, my sister and brother in law will be in a new home by September. This room would become my niece's bedroom.

My sister in law wrote this morning looking for advice on furniture for the room, pointing me in the direction of Next.

I went in search of an inspiration picture and found this room, very cute, very similar in terms of wallpaper, wall color, floor color.

Based on this inspiration, I've suggested they invest in a cute daybed (the Gracie daybed from Next), and some great pink accessories. I'd also simply spray paint that great chandelier white, and throw up some white drapes. Oh how I wish I was there to go shopping with them!

2010-08-05T05:58:00.001-07:00

Relaxed bedrooms from LivingEtc

2010-08-04T08:09:00.001-07:00

My favorite anniversary card so far. PB and I have never aspired to be any more than this!

Kitchen Storage

2010-08-04T03:35:00.000-07:00

Some great kitchen storage ideas from Traditional Home

Three Years Ago Today...

2010-08-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

I was having the best day of my life.

Happy Anniversary PB.

2010-08-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

There a few things I love more than a gorgeous wet bar with wine displayed this lovely. Sigh.

from Traditional Home

Steven Gambrel

2010-08-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

I could spend hours going through Steven Gambrel's portfolio, recently featured on Canadian House and Home.

Anniversary Gifting

2010-07-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

PB has learned to Google. Who knows where this will lead. Yesterday I got a call from him, he was very proud to inform me that the traditional gift for a third anniversary is leather, and the modern gift is crystal; did I have a preference?

Augh. Leather or crystal? Tough year. Looks like I'll have to wait till the 5th anniversary (wood) to get my floor to ceiling built in bookcases and our 7th (copper) to get a set of copper pots and pans. Oh well...at least there's incentive to hang in there (I kid, I kid...)

Anywho, after some brainstorming, I've come up with some leather and crystal ideas. Yes, they're female oriented. I have however already come up with a gift for PB so in order to avoid giving it away, no boy oriented gifts. Perhaps after the anniversary.

Cristal champagne, Crystal Bowl, Vinturi Aerator, Sipping Glasses

Hobo Bag, Timberland Lucille Boot, Steamline Luggage, French Leather wing chair

2010-07-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

Another before and after brought to you by the magic of spray paint.

I picked up a lovely pair of brass and dusty rose table lamps for $10 (total) on kijiji. Now, as much as I've been wanting to incorporate more brass and dusty rose into our home, I decided instead to give them a bit of a face lift. Using some spray paint I had laying around, and some fab shades from Homesense that were only $14 each, I've got myself some new bedside lamps. .

God I love spray paint.

2010-07-29T06:20:00.001-07:00

Some eye candy from our favorite, Canadian House and Home

2010-07-28T05:47:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous Fashions from Emersonmade