Take a Bow Tuesday...

It's back!

Well, as long as I can keep my act together, that is!

Either way, I have some friends I want to share with you and some great ideas I have tucked in my future feature file. So...here they are:

Check out The Cottage at Wit's End for a great kitchen make-over. Read along about the journey, and check out these before and afters:

Next up is my fellow Canadian, Grace of Sense and Simplicity. She is a relatively new blogger who has learned the ropes quickly and well. Check out her budget wise decorating, delicious recipes and welcoming writing. Just look at this cozy nook in her home!

Oh, and tell her I sent you!

Another Canadian blogger, Holly from Life in the Fun Lane has the most gorgeous bedroom I've seen in a long time! Don't take my word for it...head on over!!!

Speaking of bedrooms, to see the most breath-taking little girl's bedroom visit Maria at Dreamy Whites. White and powder pink...heavenly!

And finally: because Easter is right around the corner (and I still haven't decorated!), check out this great round-up of Easter projects from Rachel at One Pretty Thing!

Now, on that note....I'm off to decorate. Sophie will put me in a headlock if I don't!!!

A Give-away and Getting Back to an Old Friend...

Head over to Holiday with Matthew Mead  to find out how you can win the opportunity to have your blog or online shop mentioned in the magazine. Holiday with Matthew Mead is a "book-azine" celebrating and offering inspiration for the Christmas holiday season. To be released in October 2010, Holiday is offered via online orders only - in limited quantities - and will not be sold on newsstands. But, by simply following the BUY HOLIDAY MAGAZINE link below their banner, you can reserve your own copy of this beautiful magazine, with guaranteed delivery of the magazine straight to your mailbox! Holiday with Matthew Mead is 144 pages of holiday inspiration with well-known and admired designers, bloggers and top-notch features, printed on beautiful paper and not drowning in ads!

Now, head on over  for your chance to win!

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Now, back to my regular programming on Tuesday, with a return of my Take A Bow Tuesday Feature! I have some new friends to share with you!!

Looking ahead to a very special HOLIDAY!

My friend, Matthew Mead, is an expert at celebrating the holidays and bringing out the beauty of the seasons. Back in 2006, Matthew - as a style editor with Country Home magazine - launched his first issue of Holiday with Matthew Mead via Meredith Publishing. However, as many other projects, commitments and books filled his schedule, Holiday got put on the back burner. Still, Matthew always dreamed of bringing it back to his readers and bringing his focus back to his love of the holidays and sharing the many creative ideas that occupy imagination.

Over the years and following the success of Flea Market Style, Matthew's fans wrote many letters and emails asking him to bring back Holiday and all its goodness.

And he listened.

I am happy and proud to announce that Holiday with Matthew Mead is coming back for Holiday 2010. I will be involved as a contributing editor and will help Matthew and Jenny in their quest to bring you a magazine that has been lovingly conceived and will be sold online via our new website - and limited quantities will be sold and delivered straight to your mailbox this October. So, head on over to Holiday with Matthew Mead.com and learn how Matthew wants to include YOU (and a chance to have your home featured in the magazine!)and discover our very special guests/features (hint: a very famous and much-loved blogger who has survived a life-threatening experience and is working hard to regain her life as a busy wife and mother).

Head on over and see what all of the fuss is about. Discover what Holiday 2010 entails and how you can get one without the usual seek and search. Who knows, perhaps you will even find yourself in the pages of the magazine!

At the Office...

I mentioned recently that my husband is building me a desk from which to work. Well, it is built and awaiting the stroke of the paintbrush, wielded by me. I have yet to decide on a col-uh, and he shakes his head that I don't "just hurry up and pick." He is not getting my real dilemma: that I am not sure where to place said

desk - a place where I will be out of sight/out of mind while I work.

Because you see, every square inch of my house is being used, and it's not getting any bigger. So, I will continue the search for the perfect colour and the imperfect spot for my new, lovingly made desk.

And as lucky as I am, I can't help but drool over these little office spaces:

(I love this chair):

Love the girlyness of this one:

Can you imagine having your desk in front of a window like this?

(all images, House to Home.com)

Rest assured, my "office"will look nothing like these!!

In fact, it will probably be more like this guy`s office:

(Les Nessman, WKRP)

What about you; have you your own work space at home?

Bite Your Tongue!

During my semi-restful week off with my children, during which we mostly stayed close to home and enjoyed glorious spring-like weather, I took some time and read some brain candy.

One really stellar bit of knowledge-sharing I discovered, whilst engaged in this reading pursuit, was this comment from Gisele Bundchen (super-model, wife of Tom Brady, genetically blessed):

"I think a lot of people get pregnant and decide they can turn into garbage disposals. I was mindful about what I ate, and I gained only 30 pounds."

(can you say smugly annoying?)

I guess those who gain more are just slobs.

Because, come on, she must know what she is talking about, right? Kind of like this supermodel who is a furniture designer, apparently.

Lessons learned:

1. supermodels bring out the snark in me (can't imagine why?)

2. my time is much better spent reading real books and BLOGS

3. You can't blame the need to "lose a few" on birthing children who are now 9 years old.

What?

Who said that?

Brothers and Sisters...

If you haven't already seen this, it is a great video to celebrate our similarities and differences as Canadians and Americans (disclaimer: some would say we are all Americans, given that we are North Americans...I'm not so picky...!)

A Glimpse ahead to Summer...

After a week of gorgeous spring weather, I was inspired to jump ahead to summer and share this post from the summer of 2008. Dream along with me!

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Summer pool parties...what could be more fun? Throw in some grilled hotdogs, fruit punch, crunchy potato chips, and a yummy ice cream dessert, and you have all the fixings to ensure your pool party is a hit with the younger crowd! As I did last summer, I hosted an "end of school" pool party for Sophie and a few of her school mates. I vowed to keep it easy and stress-free (for me), and kept the food simple and the guest list small. I had picked up some great party suppplies a while back at a dollar store in a neighbouring community, and the pink flamingo theme inspired me to have another pool party to kick-start summer.

Sophie licking her lips at the thoughts of that first bite...

Using pretty flip-flop invitations (Sophie loves delivering invitations!), we set about planning the party the night before. I thawed some frozen punch and took another trip to the Dollar Store to get the supplies I needed to make these pretty flower pot ice-cream cakes. I saw the idea on The Pioneer Woman's website, and decided to give them a try. If you want the recipe, click on the link and it will take you there. Basically, it involves cutting out poundcake using a circular cookie cutter, placing said pound cake in the bottom of each pot:...spooning in some softened ice-cream (I used French Vanilla), then a couple of gummy worms, some more ice-cream, and...this is the important part...placing a straw down through the layers (centered, of course). Then freeze over night, and in the morning spoon some Oreo cookie crumbs over the top for the "dirt". To finish, trim the straws to "soil" level, place a flower (real or faux) into the straw and voila! Perfect, ice-creamy, easy individual desserts that every child will love!

Love them they did...once I was able to convince then that the dirt wasn't real! So... lots of swimming, junk food, and a pretty dessert is all it takes to plan and execute a great party for little girls!! A good time was had by all!

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When I was young and foolish...

Originally posted in February 2009, this post serves as a reminder that I really have gotten wiser with age!!

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Check out this flower pot cake I made many years ago for a fundraising cake-walk. My boys were not yet in school, so where I found the time or pateince to attempt this, I'll never know. Apparently, I was channelling my inner Martha, or something like that...

I do remember the process of making this masterpiece, however. The daisy petals were flattened, sliced jumbo marshmallows with orange gumdrop centers; the hyacinths were made of (food-coloured) puffed wheat (assembled like Rice Krispy squares), and the tulips were fruit roll-ups wrapped around a marshmallow, and snipped with scissors to mimic the tulips petals. The actual cake was baked in a clay pot, removed, and then iced in clay-coloured icing (tricky getting just the right colour...). I recall the cake being very tipsy, and probably too soft, as the flowers were threatening to topple over and out of the cake. Although I was mighty proud of this creation (proud enough to snap a photo, apparently), I think it sold for a measly $15.00.

Slap!

What an insult!

And I even made a little ladybug out of a red M&M, studded with melted chocolate polka-dots for authenticity!

Some people know nothing.

But I am much wiser now. In fact, I have chocolate chip muffins baking at this moment.

Courtesy of Quaker Oats...

Martha Stewart has indeed left the building...

...or I'm older and wiser!!

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Although I was dumb enough to try these.

How Low can I go with No-Sew?

Another March Break re-post...I hope you don't mind!!

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photo: creme de la creme interiors

My desire to putter about my home, dreaming up new projects and improvements, can lead to the occasional teasing from my friends and they sometimes revert to the old stand-by: dubbing me "Martha" (which, depending on the delivery, may or may not be considered a compliment). I can take a joke, however, and calling me "Martha" is a joke indeed. For the record, I refuse to iron, truly do not enjoy baking, and am most inept at sewing. I do own a sewing machine, but it sits in my lonely craft area, collecting dust. I can sew a straight line with it, but always seem to get the thread tangled up in the machine and end up muttering unpleasantries under my breath. My lack of sewing skills does not deter me, however, when faced with a project, and I instead quietly whip out my glue gun for sewing projects that require only the weakest of bonds...

I have, however, sunk to a new low...

I have been eyeing my porch swing for a while now, with plans to pretty it up. I have had a new seat cushion for it for some time now, but hesitated to use it until I could figure out a way to add a skirt to the seat without resorting to sewing. I also had a pretty watery green and brown toile window valance that I had picked up a while ago at a bed and bath shop, and had not found the ideal spot to hang it. Voila: I decided to use it as the new skirt for my swing! In a stroke of dumb luck, I had also stumbled upon a tension curtain rod in my garage while tidying it recently. It, too, had no intended purpose; so I decided to test my theory that it could be pressed into service as a way to skirt my swing!!

Guess what? It worked!! With the skirt in place, I simply set my new seat cushion on top - thus preventing the potential discomfort of the rod - and added a spare pillow to the mix. Now, I happily have a comfortable and pretty porch swing - again, using things I had lying forlornly around the house!

porch swing: before...

and after!!

Our Little Garden...

Because we are enjoying March Break, this is a repost...originally posted in July 2008.
But before reading it, check out this article over at Style at Home.com where I give my two cents worth about 2010 design trends and dos and don'ts (for what that's worth!).

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I have mentioned before that I have a small garden, but I am prepared to squeeze out every inch of usable space from it. I certainly don't have a green thumb, but it isn't black, either. I love combing the garden centers for pretty flowers to plant in my garden, and I love the planning process each spring.

While I admire those who have a meticulously planned garden, I prefer cottage style planting for my own home. I love meandering paths through a garden that seems more lovingly planted than methodically planted. I guess there are two types of gardeners: those who turn around, throw tulip bulbs over their shoulder and plant them where they land, and those who lay them out, colour-coded of course, and plant them in planned clusters. Neither is right nor wrong - but they are inherently different.
I enjoy looking out my window and seeing lush plantings of "old-school" plants: peonies, stock, astilbe, black-eyed susans, sweet william, and, of course, daisies. I love tall plants intermingled with lower ones, and I don't want my garden to look like it was planted according to a map. I think I have achieved a more relaxed garden, and I look forward to adding to it, and cultivating its "free spirit".

What kind of gardener are you?

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This is the old buggy I "stole" from the dump on my "dump date" with the handyman awhile back. It was rusty and dirty, so I painted it this lovely aqua shade using spray paint, of course. I planted it with flowers, and it sits outside Sophie's playhouse.

The Perfect Easter Basket...

This week finds my offspring home for their March Break, and thus I am taking a little break of my own. My blog will be re-posts this week, beginning with today's offering, originally posted in March 2008...

As a child, I always dreamed of waking up to a beautiful Easter basket, filled with a pink bunny, delicate chocolate eggs and bunny peeking out of paper Easter grass. Some of my friends were "spoiled" (to me) enough to have been given a pretty new dress and shoes, and headed off to church in their Easter finery, with jelly beans still stuck in their teeth. Now, I know that is not what Easter is all about, but I still wanted that perfect Easter basket anyway...

I grew up in a house with six children. There was not the money for such luxuries; and although my sweet mum always created a lovely Christmas for us, other holidays usually slipped by without a lot of fuss. Often, we would get one of those chocolate bunnies in the plastic bag (usually for $1.44) and, if we were in Zellers when the lady who wrote your name on the 88 cent eggs was there, we would cue in line to get our names "painted" on in a sickly-sweet, white icing. As a child, I was never a huge fan of chocolate, especially the "cheap" kind as my sister and I call it. We were indeed chocolate snobs, she a fan of rich, dark chocolate...me, solely a fan of Cadbury's milk chocolate. You see, our dear Auntie Jean and Uncle Jimmy had spoiled us for the good stuff by bringing us over chocolate from Ireland (our birthplace). They would bring large boxes of Cadbury Flake bars and dole them out equally between all of us children. For our mother, they would bring her beloved Fry's Cream bars (***see description below), which she would hide from our greedy fingers and enjoy while reading a good Catherine Cookson book late at night. Needless to say, my refined taste buds despised the cheap chocolate of my childhood Easter bunnies, and I eventually gave up and started requesting white chocolate bunnies or even yogourt as a teen (which was quite a luxury back then!).

Spring 1968...my mum and siblings with my beloved Aunt and Uncle...I am still just a twinkle in someone's eye as the saying goes...

One of my favourite Easter memories was the year we boiled up some eggs, dyed them, and rolled them down the small hill on our country property. I remember wishing that I actually liked eggs, because they looked so pretty and I longed to be able to eat one. I do not remember ever doing that before or after, so it sticks out in my mind as special Easter activity.

Decorating eggs...now a yearly tradition.

Fast forward to today, and I enjoy all the pretty traditions associated with Easter. I love putting together a beautiful basket for each child, but deplore the idea of making it into another holiday with the magnitude of Christmas. I remember being in a Walmart store when my children were small and spying a mum with a cart filled with large gifts that she was "putting on lay-away for Easter." I couldn't believe the elaborate nature of the gifts and wished someone would relieve her of this misconception that children need to be over-indulged in this way. I like to give my children small seasonally appropriate gifts for Easter, more as a celebration of spring than anything else.


When my sons were small, I always included a new ball cap, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and perhaps a new pail and shovel for the beach. For my daughter, I usually get her some new sandals or flip flops, a skipping rope, chalk, sunhat, and usually a cheap, but cuddly small bunny as she loves such things. My wistful inner child usually ends up buying her a pretty, new Easter dress to wear to church, despite the weather usually being too unseasonable for such wear...And of course, I buy Cadbury's chocolate eggs and bunnies for my children, as even they don't like the packaged cars and kittens made of the "cheap chocolate". Such snobs are we...!!!

***Fry's Cream is a chocolate bar made by Cadbury's. It consists of a fondant centre wrapped in dark chocolate, and is available in plain, peppermint and orange versions. Fry's Chocolate Cream is one of the oldest chocolate bars, launched in 1866.

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On a related note, I remember as a young girl, new to Canada, going on a car drive with my family and stopping for gas. My siblings and I were allowed to go into the store and pick out a treat. Knowing my love of pink, you can only imagine my thrill at spying a pink chocolate bar by the name of "the Pink Panther Bar". I will never forget its pink, creamy goodness with a sweet strawberry flavour and a perfect embossed pink panther that I discovered as I peeled back the wrapper. I remember carefully licking it, so as to preserve that pretty image for as long as I could. I have never tasted anything as good, and I doubt I ever will, as I imagine it would taste sickly sweet to my more adult taste buds, now. Aah...memories!!

Sarah's World...

Tuesday night saw the return of Sarah's House, an HGTV series featuring much loved (and my favourite)Canadian designer Sarah Richardson buying, renovating, and tricking out (Design Inc. style) a previously loved, but seen better days home in her native Ontario. This season finds her traipsing through the mud in her designer Wellies with her talented, trusty sidekick, Tommy. Ever the city boy, Tommy can barely hide his disdain for the country setting of the pad Sarah picked up for the bargain price of $500,000. Not to worry, she is merely sinking another $600,000 to bring it up to a standard even (adorable city slicker)Tommy could appreciate.

Now, lest you think I am slamming the show, I can assure you watching Sarah and Tommy work their incredible design magic on such a charming old farm house is a guilty pleasure I won't soon give up. Sarah is the BEST, hands down! But that said, with a value of 1.1 million before realtor fees and star power is added in, Sarah's house has a price tag that surely alienates the average viewer. Sarah's Houses just aren't homes any of us common peasants can even begin to dream about. So sad...

Indeed, as her brilliant star burns brighter, Sarah's House is clear evidence that not only is her talent out of the stratosphere, but also that she, herself, is living in a completely different world than the rest of her viewers.

Think Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous meets The Simple Life.

It's that kind of reality TV show, with a whole lot of pretty thrown in.

~Sigh~

Kinda makes me want to do a High/Low post about how to get a similar look on a real person's budget.

Hmmmm....... 

Wanna watch the first episode?

You know you do!

Click here to be inspired, and a little depressed...

(And here is the schedule of episodes)

My BlogSpot...

I'd really like to show it to you, but it is a changeable location depending on my mood. The handyman noticed that one day, and decided I needed a new desk area from which to work. I have several writing projects on the go and truly need a more professional place to work from than my kitchen table or counter. I have even been known to work from the living room sofa, which we all know doesn't spur the most creative thoughts, especially when a good program comes on the television.

Can you say distraction??

The great thing about working from home is that you get to work from home: you can wear slob clothes if you want, drink all the coffee you like, and don't have to go out and scrape off a frozen windshield first thing in the morning.

.

The bad thing about working from home is that you are working from home: you wear slob clothes too often; are faced with all of the family distractions and housework staring at you and pulling you away from your work; the fridge is too nearby; and people feel like it is no big deal to interrupt you at any given time to help them find their keys or make them a sandwich. Still, I know when I have a good thing going on...

While I have had a few decorating clients that I have been focusing on recently, soon I am going to have to focus almost solely on my writing jobs. Soooo, I really need that new desk!!

The handyman has a plan in mind and wants it to be reflective of the style of my kitchen island, since my desk will be situated not too far from it (I can't do the basement office thing anymore, either...it's too depressing).

I have my eye on a fancy new chair for it, with comfort and looks in mind, and now am faced with the big debate:

What colour should I paint my desk??

Any ideas??

The handyman is rooting for black with a wooden top; Sophie thinks it should be pink; and I am inching towards choosing a really sunny, vibrant yellow, just to offset all of the cool shades of blue in here.

(not really a desk, I know)

What do you think? Where on the colour wheel should I head??

More than Words...

(photo: source unknown)

Isn't that just the most wonderful perch from which to beckon spring?

Nesting Antiques...in my neck of the woods!

Nesting antiques, located in Great Village, Nova Scotia is my favourite antiquing haunt and I am proud to say it is just 45 minutes or so from my home. I discovered this little gem quite by chance, but I was instantly besotted with the charming way its owner, Rhenore Collins, artfully displays her wares and we soon became friends due to my frequent visits. When I mentioned I'd like to bring an editor friend (Matthew Mead) to check out the shop, I am sure she was thinking I was pulling her leg.

But I just knew Matthew and Jenny would love the shop as much as I do. Sure enough, they swooped in and shot many of Rhenore's beautiful vignettes; and while just a few photos made their way into the pages of Flea Market Style, I wanted to give you a closer look at what makes Nesting Antiques such a must-visit location if you ever visit my beautiful province.

NESTING ANTIQUES

Housed in the Old Feed Store at Great Village.

Address: 8726 Hwy #2 Great Village, NS B0M 1L0

Directions: Take Hwy 104 to exit 10 to Rte 4, 4 kms to Hwy 2. Located on Hwy 2 in Great Village. Map

Your Host(s): Rhenore Collins

Phone: 902-957-1313

Stock: Priimitives, furniture, baskets, hooked rugs ... and much more.

Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday, 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm.

Terms: Cash

Enjoy the tour!

Rhenore's favourite corner of her shop (and mine!), these shelves feature a rotating collection of objets trouvé:

Theses next photos are Rhenore's special "above the shop" rooms, where she stores her favourite treasures. Only very special visitors get invited up there, and guess what? I am one of those! Indeed, Matthew, Jenny and I sweltered in the oppressive heat this summer to capture some great shots of this wonderful space, while Rhenore lugged cold water up and down the stairs to us.

Rhenore's artist's corner, where she vows to try her hand at painting:

This corner holds a funny memory for me. Matthew, Jenny and I laughed and laughed as they tried to capture a "natural" shot of me for the magazine. :

I am not remotely photogenic, so they took about thirty shots before they settled on this one:

Can you tell Matthew was making me play peek-a-boo to try to make me laugh?

Thanks, Rhenore, for allowing us to photograph your lovely shop on the warmest day of the summer!!!