White Wood : September 2007

Sunday, September 30, 2007

More great finds

This Saturday was the big Flamborough Antique Market out near Guelph Ontario, I made sure we made time in our busy schedule to drive an hour out of our way to stop by to see the wares, it is always fun, if even just to look and speak with the colorful vendors, I did find a nice side table for Sophie room, as her tiny table isn't big enough right now, this one was $55.00 one drawer and shelf as well as a generous top, it will take some elbow grease but will be very lovely after I am done with it. Todd picked up an old record player , a carrying crank type, it came with a old record as well,its so old fashioned. Todd's friend Todd came along as well, it was nice to have him with us for the day, all the way from Calgary.

I popped in a lumber store today , I just felt I had to stop by , for no real reason ,but found the round shutter, perfect for that spot I wanted to add a window to in my high ceiling area, this will do just fine, it was on clearance a wrong order so it was $30.00 and it is made of a foam so it is light but it looks like wood, it will be a breeze to install.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Oldies

Here is a little before post, the condition of the stairs as we moved into the house, I have had several questions regarding my stairs, so this is the way they started, it was a big job but well worth the effort, I love my painted stairs, I pulled hundreds of staples filled many gouges, and they are now far from perfect but lovely just the same.
I have shown many photos of my kitchen , I have done lots of work on it over the years, the cupboards were really ugly oak, which I chose with the intention to paint.This is a photo after I had painted and glazed the cupboards, which left the room dark and dreary, now I love my kitchen white bright and tiled, just as I could've dreamed it up.
I thought it would be fun to show you how it started many years ago.

Years later I added the panelling which has given the stairs a built in feel as opposed to the floating there look that they had, I love old homes especially the stair cases.

I wanted to show a photo of my old home, where I installed a transom window, or did I ??

The door and pass through opening were not even so I luckily found this transom at an antique market and it fit perfectly over the door way , the glass was textured and I painted the section behind blue to give the authentic look of a window, it was sad to leave it behind, I hope the new owner likes it as well.

These were the stairs before the runner was installed, a good 6 months, I also love the clean bare look of that but it was a bit slippy, and it was hard at times to see where one step started and the other began from the upper floor, one close call for me on those bare stairs. Look at my baby , she wasn't even two in that photo, with her little bob, boy if I could have frozen her at that age....Sophie .

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Halloween decor

While I have this opportunity to possibly make an impact at this time regarding Halloween fun and food safety issues, obviously Halloween is a strongly chocolate based holiday , which poses a real threat to those allergic to milk, nut/peanuts, perhaps when choosing candy choose peanut free selections, and ask the question to children or parents trick or treating???? are you allergic?, children will not offer this information to strangers . Last year several local families asked at the door, I was thrilled, while asking is great for families like mine it also draws awareness to the issue and that is always a good thing. If you can not find peanut free perhaps a stash of non-food treats from the dollar store to offer as a safe alternative for those allergic to milk or peanuts, as carrying these allergens can often pose a threat of reaction.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween.

How I would love to deck out my front porch in the manner as pottery barn kids has, magical.

I have come up with a great idea I can make that web out of electrical tape , as long as it doesn't rain.Won't that be fun.

These are my little ghosts, I made them many years ago, they are simply a square of felt head stuffed with a bit of cotton , neck tied tight and two stitched on x eyes, super simple, some years I have hung them from clear thread but with my candelabra that has the perfect perches they now stay there every year.

I especially love these scull candles they are so goolish

Monday, September 24, 2007

faucets

The top faucet will surely be for my powder room.

I thought it would be good to put all the faucets that I am considering together in a post , if you could be so kind to tell me which you like most.
I have both satin nickle and bronze in my bath so
i can go either way as far as finish ,
..vote 1-4 please.

Thank you for your votes I think its #4 in nickle finish.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Its been another busy weekend

6 cans of spray paint, 9 new pulls, 5 new handles, a couple of messy jobs put off for two or more years, finally complete , priceless.

I finally tackled the dining room chairs, after trying black then hand painting one white and not being happy, all it took was 4 cans of spray paint, two different shades of creamy whites and happiness, ok the basement is a disaster, from all the over spray but I will tackle that before the night is gone, well worth the mess, the chairs look near flawless, I love them , what was I waiting for?? Turns out a few simple changes and well a truck load of money and now I love my dining room, lets hope it wins me a place in the Canadian House and Home magazine contest.cross fingers...

This cabinet was handed down by my husbands mom a few years back , I had always thought it would look nice painted,so I did, I think it looks nice but the handles were so yucky, I finally found these cleaner lines bronze pulls and square knobs. I had sanded and distressed one door after it was painted but put off the messy task until yesterday , it was a huge mess but again worth the look. However we will reconfigure it to hold a 37" LCD screen tv when we save up for that of course.

Yesterday was my first class at COLLEGE , the first ever , I went straight to work as a nanny from high school, so I found time to take an auto cad class, it was fun, met some lovely women all with decor in common, the instructor asked us all to tell a bit about ourselves including what we would be doing normally on a Saturday morning. Me of course, I would be getting set for some big messy project and shopping at Home Depot. As you all know.

Hope you have had a wonderful weekend, the weather is beautiful, I am off to run more errands, and spend time with my girls. Ta ta...

Friday, September 21, 2007

Appliances.

I thought I would throw in this lovely pot to pretty up my post...aren't they pretty , I should've just bought one.

The drawer is a warming drawer!

I despise my fridge, the freezer is too small, the fridge magically freezes things on the top shelf, and its butt ugly, the side is scratched , and I hate it.

My stove is fine it works, I love the glass top, I would never use another kind of surface, I am messy , but hubby is even more messy, I love the look of gas but don't like gas in reality , the cleaning the mess. as well I tiled my back splash with a lovely feature set right over the stove with imported handmade tiles, which I love but can not enjoy fully as my stove panel is normally high.

These are the appliances my kitchen deserves, this Jenn Air fridge is less expensive than many stainless ones it also has concealed water dispenser inside and auto ice maker, I want white, if it is stainless it will be so obtrusive in the room, as well they are always black, what's up with that?I think the white version will blend seamlessly with my cupboards, but I would like my feature to be a stainless stove with my tile work and custom hood it will be right in place, as it has smooth top and a short back panel.

Do you have your dream appliances.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Getting set

I stopped by my local Michael's last night to see what Halloween treats I could find, I found these fun labels, what fun, I will find somewhere for those soon.As well I got my supplies to paint and glitter some phony pumpkins.

I also picked up these wire baskets from the Superstore this morning while on a shopping trip for bread to make into sandwiches since this morning I found myself without a lunch option for my girls. I have put my much loved Canadian House & Home magazines in them to which I always keep handy to refer to for fantastic ideas.

I have been playing today with a touch of free time, see this little table was given to me by my Father , which was given to him by my Mother in the divorce, it was blue and burgundy and it was the first thing I stripped , it was the table my baby Mason coloured at, ate from and talked on the phone to her Daddy so its a touch special to me, so I wanted to find somewhere for it , this is its third place , dining room no good, bedroom too cluttered, now I am trying it here, we'll see ...I think I need a couple of lidded baskets there for storage underneath.

I just wanted to show my dish cupboard ,it shows how I am a blue and green lover through and through, I love all of my dishes and glasses, the amber glasses where my Oma's and are very special to me , even though they might seem out of place they are not.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

I gave up sugar in my coffee years ago, but while I was a sugar user I came across this charming vintage sugar dispenser, it pours out a perfect teaspoon of sugar, don't you love that , why do we have those free pouring kinds, I love this.

Last year I bought this cute large ghost candle, this year I found her babies...cute.

I was feeling domestic yesterday and baked a lovely and moist banana bread , don't you love how they crack open, Divine.I should bake more.Linda I even wore my apron.

I wanted to show off my big deal of the day these cute tea towels which I destroy rapidly, these were dollar store finds.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Food allergy project

There is a 12 minute video at this link , feel free to watch and learn..thank you .

http://www.foodallergyproject.org/videopage.html

As a mom of a peanut allergic child I am touched to find this new organization , pushing to find a cure. There is a 12 minute video , it is very eye opening.

This is child, my child is sick everyday , because her immune system is not adequate to protect her from one simple food, something that came from the earth , something that should nourish her ,but it can kill her, I do everything I can do to prevent that , I want her to live a full long life, to do what ever it is that she chooses , I don't want anything to be stolen from her because of this challenge.
How can this be? There needs to be a cure.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Oh my aching back.

Not cute, funny the things you don't notice after a little while.

This is our new pet Mantis, he set up in my brackets right on the front steps and hasn't moved.

I decided to tackle some projects that have been dragging on , although I do find it easier to do big areas in sections, over time, better on budget and my body, it is such physical work, my knees are killing me. The trim that our house had was so skimpy we knew we , I , would always replace it with 6" trim, I had left two walls without for at least year if not longer, so this weekend I finished the main floor baseboards, as well as the lower portion of my big living room windows, as well a fresh coat of paint to all the recesses that will make 4 coats total, but it looks really good now.

this is the after.

The header above the door I had already tackled , I never REALLY liked it , so I ripped it apart and re-built it , now it is better, awkward though as it is shoved up against one wall, not the best thing to start with.

So one more big section for the main floor those high windows, at their highest point they are 13 feet high, fun huh?