Winding Down to Summer...

I have noticed that some of you are witnessing the end of the school year already. In Canada, we have a fairly predictable school year from province to province, and we see classes finish by the end of June. There are some other predictable events for me that occur before all that happens. First, is the nightly pinging of June bugs as they bang against the windows, seeking the light within. I remember my first encounter with them, after emigrating from Ireland (where they did not exist): five years old and a huge droning bug, with very sticky legs, stuck in my hair instilled a life-long fear of them that still exists within me.

As I dug in the garden the other day, I noticed the telltale larvae of future June bugs, just waiting to wake up and make me fearful of stepping out my door at night throughout June. I stifled a gag and quickly dusted my self off, in hasty pursuit of more pleasant tasks. June, for me, is also hallmarked by frequent trips to the garden centers. Let loose in a garden center, I am like the proverbial kid in a candy shop. Heady from the fragrant scents wafting about me and the colourful play before me, I quickly fill my cart with pots and pots of flowers. I have tried starting flowers from seed before, but it is not for me. Always one to enjoy immediate results, I love the instant gratification and reward of planting glorious colour in my garden and reaping the benefits of an instant garden.

Another June celebration is the first picnic of the season. My favourite thing to do is to pack up a lunch of my kids' favourites and surprise them with either a quick lunchtime picnic, or a more drawn out afternoon picnic where they can skip afternoon classes and I enjoy hero status for the day. I always pack up a blanket, a frisbee or kites, and a flask of lemonade or punch. It is one of the best ways to enjoy an afternoon in the outdoors, and for very little money.

My schedule ( and the weather) hasn't allowed it yet, but with June beckoning, I plan to head off happily and "pick" some flowers, scoop up my girlie (and maybe the boys, if they're game) and head to the beach or a favourite lookoff to break in my new/old retro picnic cooler ($3 at a thrift shop). Oh, and neither one involves being outside at night, so I won't have to extract any June bugs from my hair!!

What does June mean to you?

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All images (except the June bug!): Toast.co.uk

No More Followers?

Take that Blogger!!!

After days of frustration, and numerous difficulties with accessing my own blog, I learned that it is a Blogger problem. Every time I'd try to get on my own (and some of yours!), I'd get an "Operation Aborted" message. Aaargh!!

A temporary solution, apparently, is to remove the Followers gadget, which I have since done. But , does this mean I will lose all of my followers, and when I add the gadget again later, will you all be gone? Is there anyone who can answer this question? Of course, if you are having trouble accessing my blog, then you probably can't even read this post...!!!

Please let me know, via email or a comment, if you have had difficulty reading my blog, and most importantly, if you still are, despite my action.

Does anyone know if Typepad or Wordpress is more fool proof? I know Typepad blogs load incredibly slow for me and that tends to deter me...

Should I make the switch??

Swing On By...

photo: Rodney Smith

There are many reasons I'd like to live in the country. I have written of them before, in fact; but the reality is that I will not be living in the country anytime soon, nor am I sure it will ever be the best choice for us anyway. Still, I have my reasons. Big yards - with ample room for vegetable gardens, a pool, playhouse, tree house, room to raise chickens, and a barn to house barn cats. I would wish for apple trees, picnic spots, and a little pond my kids could skate on in the winter. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?

Still, there is one more reason: I would want a swing. Now, I realize you don't need to live in the country to have a swing set (although our present lot doesn't afford the space), and we do have our porch swing - which sees lots of use - but I want a swing like this:

photo: Katrin Cargill.com

Or maybe a tire swing, which I could strategically settle myself upon, fling my head back and, throwing caution to the wind, let my hair graze the worn, dusty ground as I swing.

The memories of doing that as a school girl come flooding back even as I picture it. I distinctly remember the dizzying feeling as the tire would swing round and round, and my head would spin even more if I closed my eyes. I would marvel at how the backs of my eyelids appeared bright red as the sun shone through them, and I felt as if I didn't have a care in the world. It leaves me wondering if I could still summon that same, carefree feeling.

I remember teaching my children to pump their legs, ever hopeful that I wouldn't be forever beckoned to "Push me, Mummy," when I longed to just chat with the other mums at the playground, or read a few pages from a book while sitting on the deck at home. I now know that those are days I sometimes miss; but I know they are days I will return to and appreciate more when my own children share their young with me some day.

Each spring I prowl around my little yard looking for a potential spot to hang a swing for our daughter, hoping one surfaced like some forgotten new planting. I want to have another look at a little girl swinging happily, head thrown back...hair sweeping the ground.

Back out I go to search for a magical beanstalk...

Hooked on Lemonade Stands

Haven't we all set up a lemonade stand as children, hoping to make enough money to buy a treat from the ice-cream man who rolled into our neighbourhood to our c omplete delight? I admit I didn't engage in too many attempts at this early form of entreneurship, but I did try my hand at it. Often, I wouldn't pick my times well, or I'd be sabotaged by a neighbourhood girl who had a prettier stand. I'd be left with warm Tang or too sweet lemonade (with the odd tiny fly floating in it) and sticky cups I had to then wash (we never seemed to have disposable cups). Still, it was fun while it lasted and nothing beat hearing the clink of a few coins in my can when I'd manage a sale. All this ended when we moved to the country/sticks, where a girl could burn to a crisp waiting for a car to go by...

A couple of summers ago, a friend brought me back to those memories with a simple phone call. She called to tell me she had found a beautiful lemonade stand for me to give to my daughter. Her little girls often set up a makeshift stand, as they have prime real-estate for lemonade sales. She let me know she was buying one for her girls, and it was crafted in a TIKI style!! Well, el pronto, I told her to fire one in her car for me!! When she brought it to me, it was better than I had ever imagined a lemonade stand could possibly be. Visions of Sophie and her friends selling lemonade to the construction workers nearby -we live in a developing subdivision- popped into my mind and all the money we (oops, I mean she) could make!!

I'd love to show you a photo of it, and I will..once we have our inaugural sale of the season! For now, I'll just leave you with visions of lemonade stands that, with all their beauty, would guarantee big lemonade sales!! Why don't you and your little one(s) set up a stand yourself. Just for goodness sake, don't embarrass yourself by getting caught with your hands in the money jar...or flirting with the male customers! Oh, and buy some disposable cups...and another thing...you would look very pretty if you threw on one of those vintage aprons! Just make sure someone takes a picture...it would make a great scrap-booking page!!!

Now, check out Julia's Hooked on Fridays party for more fun posts!

Ruffles...the more the better!

I love, love, love ruffles. Like the potato chips of the same name, one ruffle is never enough. So here are some of the finest ruffles I have seen in a long time:

both images, above: Martha Stewart.com

photo source: Paul Costello.net

I have wanted this shower curtain ($120) forever.

Because Anthropologie is nowhere near me, I decided to check out this almost identical shower curtain at Target

Lo and behold, they were all out, but I did pick up this one, from the Shabby Chic collection at Target (both cost $27). Yes, I settled, but what's a girl on a budget to do?

Of course, I love this one, too, but it is a steeper $140 (again, via Anthropologie).

If I had this, I would so pull a Scarlett O'Hara and make it into a dress!!

Bringing Pretty back...in a different way.

As a big fan of America's Next Top Model (it makes me feel smart, and matronly), I settle in each Wednesday evening - glass(es) of wine in hand - and engage in pageant style critiquing and soothe my senses with the show's perfect blend of fashion and brain candy. I perked up immediately, however, during the "go-see" episode when I saw beautiful gauzy gowns waft by as the contestants strutted their stuff.

Ruffles. Voluminous layers. Pale pink and white.

I was suddenly paying serious attention...

The designer in question, Cris Barros, is my new fashion design hero. I know nothing of her, but I have to like her. She somehow has survived the silly need to create uber-cool, but infinitely unwearable couture for her fashion shows (found here at her website, and here). Beyond pretty herself (see above), she knows that pretty is good, real good, and her designs are flying off the shelves in Brazil and internationally. Having switched out my magazine obsession from fashion to parenting to interior design and decorating, I am out of the fashion loop...big time. Still, Cris Barros has unwittingly comforted me with the notion that pretty will always be in fashion. Now, if only I were rich and thin and could get to Brazil!

Because I am neither, I did a little searching for some dresses that appeal to me in a similar way. My brother is getting married this summer so I am on the hunt for a pretty, but unfussy dress to wear to it. The bride is German, and will be wearing a dirndl, so white is actually an option, as long as it isn't too bridal. I am thinking fresh, pretty and some seriously SJP/Carrie Bradshaw shoes:

(shoes, Christian Louboutin)

(yellow shoes: Oscar de la Renta).

I would have to change out those heels, though. My wine doesn't require a corkscrew...

In case you noticed, most of these items are big-ticket designer labels, so I am on a mission to find a beautiful dress and shoes in my price range...Payless anyone?? The Gap? Old Navy?

As for dresses, this is what I have found thus far:

1.

(dress, by Elyna.)

Skip the tights, of course!

2.

(dress: Roksanda Ilincic)

3.
(dress: Marc Jacobs)

4.

(black dress by: Jodi Arnold)

I love the ruffles on this one, though it might get me kicked out... :

(dress: J. Crew)

Seeing as I love beachy style, my eyes were drawn to this one. It kind of reflects where I live, coastal Nova Scotia. It is a strong contender. Fashion forward, yet traditional...

Hah!

Whether you were recoiling in horror at my bad taste, or laughing - knowing my penchant for irony - separates those who are new here and those who know me well.

Were you worried?

Turning Blue...

(Above photo: source unknown)

I have never been one to become fixated on a colour or colour scheme. Yet slowly, ever so slowly, shades of blue have infiltrated nearly each and every one of the rooms in my home. Although I don't set out to continue to expand on this palette, I find myself naturally gravitating to objects and fabrics in shades of aqua, especially when it is paired with orange, bright yellow, or reds. Try as I might, I have never been able to fully embrace bold colour in my own home, instead seeking out quieter colour - perhaps to balance out the tempo of our family life. The right colour calms me, just as zestier shades energize me. I believe the colours we choose to dress ourselves in and adorn our homes with tells a lot about us. Lucky for you, I'm not so deep as to attempt that self-analysis. Because really, does it matter why I love watery blues so much? I think these photos provide reason enough...!

source: pietboon.com

source: windsorsmith.com

source: katrincargill.com

photographer: Jean Allsopp


Has your colour crush remained the same?

Every Rose has its Thorns...

So, you want some answers...?

Well, as promised, I will reveal where I got my beloved, blue bookcase.

But not yet.

First, I have to show you them (yes, I got two!) in my living room. Aren't they beeuutifulll???

Most of you guessed wrong (although you know me well...you guessed right on my having bought it for a bargain!), and I am surprised that more of you didn't recognize them from a very common, popular bargain shop. Where are all my fellow bargain hunters??

For the grand total of $60, I got, not one, but two gorgeous bookcases!! I have placed them on each side of my fireplace, and have yet to properly deck them out with accessories. I will play around until I find just the right pieces, but you get the picture...

Thank you Christmas Tree Shop!!!!

(I am now predicting a mass of you will head out and get yourself one!!)

Love a bargain?

Yes. Yes, I do...

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Now, on to the questions about the little house we renovated:

Q. What colour did you use in the master bedroom?

A. I used my all-time favourite colour, Silver Sage, by Restoration Hardware. Except you just know I didn't splash out for RH paint, don't you? If you want to read how I get fancy paint colours on a dime, go here(scroll down to the fourth question). If you want some more of my painting tips, read this.

Q. What colour is the smallest bedroom?
A. This room is the same colour I used in Sophie's room:

Benjamin Moore's Icy Moon Drops: 2056-70

Q. Did you rip up the tile floors (in the before photo, above) to replace them with wood?

A. Yep, or at least my husband did! They were cracked in a couple of spots and also felt dirty, so he installed laminate. They are so much nicer, now!

Q. What colour is the paint you used in the mudroom/the stairway landing?

A. The paint above the beadboard in the mudroom, the front entry and stairway/landing, and the bathroom are all Benjamin Moore's Natural Linen CC-90.

Q. Where did you get the pendant lights in the kitchen?

A. The above light was purchased at Ikea (it is called the Ottava), and was $30. The little spotlight was purchased at Kent (a Canadian building supply store) and was ~ $35. It also has a nautical look to it.

Q. Is the chalk board something you bought?

A. No. I painted the chalk board paint directly onto the door, and my husband framed it in. It is the easiest, most economical way to get yourself a chalkboard.


Q. What kind of paint did you use to paint the black stairs?

A. I used oil based semi-gloss paint, and it was a bugger to get off my hands!!

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Q. How did you do the numbers?

A. The numbers are the super cheap/super easy address numbers you buy for your house. They are vinyl, and cost 55 cents each. They are so easy to work with, and can be removed if the buyer isn't into that sort of thing...can you imagine?!

And finally, where did I come up with the title for this post?

When we began the renovation process, not only was the little house very dirty, but it also housed some serious irony. This rose hung in the window of the (now) laundry area, and for some reason we didn't take it down until the very end. Many times I'd go to remove it, but it soon became a symbol of the little house itself: old, crusty, no longer loved, and in need of some resurrecting. So, we worked our magic; and when I finally tackled cleaning that window, I tossed that faded rose out. That's right: I did not keep it...I'm not that sentimental!

Name That Table...

Okay, this was my favourite purchase, hands down, from my trip to Maine. I was immediately drawn to its colour (a glorious robin's egg blue!), its functionality, and, most importantly, the beautiful detailing and style. Now, I thought I'd let you take a guess at where I might have found it. Unfortunately there is no prize involved, (I spent all my money shopping!!), but I thought it might be fun to hear your guesses on the source and the price.

Wanna play along?

I thought we'd do it multiple choice style: Where do you think I found this delicate beauty?

a) Maine Cottage

b) a humble antique/thrift shop

c) Pottery Barn

d) other

Any guesses on price?

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Check Thursday's post for the answer to this question, and all of your questions about the little house we renovated.

Doing Our Part...

Well, our annual Mother's Day trip to Bangor/Augusta, Maine with my female kin was a rousing success. We laughed as we crossed the border when the American border guard instructed us to "spend lots, our economy needs it!" Did I ever tell you I come from a very obedient family?

Me and my much-loved Mum:

My sister-in law and sister:

My mum and sisters-in-law:

We all look quite innocent, don't we?

How it all added up:

One: One minivan

+

Two: Number of minivans we should have had

+

Four: Number of great meals where calories were not counted.

+

Five: Five women, on a mission to get away and have good, clean fun!

+

Twenty-five: number of outfits tried on in Kohl's

+

countless laughs

+

Eleven: number of stores we spent our money in.

=

...our contribution to boosting the American economy!!

After all, everyone knows you don't want to mess with border guards...!!

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Happy Mother's Day, one and all!!!