Favourite Places

The living room corner where you'll find me every night from 8-11 pm. The pictures aren't straight (they never are) and the kids jump on the couch (when I'm not looking) and I have more magazines than any one person needs.

These are the pictures I bought a couple of weeks ago. I purchased the frames from Target and Mr. A hung them up... It was a miracle. The mirror on the wall was one I was given by my uncle. A neighbour of his was going to throw it out! It was a very burnished gold but I had some handy dandy silver paint and a little kids paint brush. Now it's practically perfect for the space (meaning: it was free!).

The King Size bed! Yahoo. The bedroom is almost done. I'd like to rip up the rug and as you can tell I need a bedskirt. No one likes to look at a box spring... Remember I sleep here and I don't have a degree in photography (I have a little Kodak) so the pictures not perfect and neither is the room. I actually use the Jergens every night(and morning - keep moisturized!) and I always have to have a water glass (or two) beside my bed. I don't iron my sheets 'cause the kids jump on them too. I don't like things matchy-matchy either - just simple. I'm like that...

This is my husbands night stand (notice the water glass). The basket holds the phone, change from his pocket and a pen. The brown bin underneath holds all his other junk (magazines, magazines, and the other odd articles he might have). The photo above is a copy of our wedding invitation a friend had framed for us when we got married. It's yellowed and looks a bit 'off' but we can't pitch it - you know why...

Just another Day.

I've spent the whole day (most of it anyway) organizing and rearranging and spring cleaning. I'm tired. I'm sick of it already and it looks like I've done nothing. I've finally put some of those writing things up that I bought 4 years ago, when I lived in Colorado. Yah, now you can find them everywhere and they cost 1/3 of what I paid. Darn it. I could have been the first on the wagon but instead I was the last. Happens all the time. I dusted my bedroom - which was kinda gross... ick.... lots and lots of dust... ewww....

What started all this cleaning - the sun? the fact that it's Saturday? an "I'm done with all this clutter" attitude? No. I was online the other day and happened upon Etsy. I've been on Etsy many times but often I get so overwhelmed with everything and I usually end up logging off. This time however, through some sort of maneuvering I happened upon a page by Happy Life Prints. I love their little prints. Simply Adorable!
I bought this one and another that says, "You make me happy when skies are grey". One day I may even frame them (frame not included) and put them on the wall. One day...

No time for that.

I do realize that it is now Wednesday and I haven't posted my Monday shopping receipt. I apologize. I hang my head in shame (I've been doing that a lot lately). Here's the thing, I didn't take a picture and there might be a few items that I'm not sure I want you to know about (by 'you' I mean the people who 'happen' upon this blog). So, if you must know. If you're chomping on the bit and just can't go another day without knowing how much I spent on things I didn't really need, the total was $73.31. But I did by wine and chips at World Market not 24 hours later and that was 30 bucks. There, that's done, lets move on shall we?

The reason I've been busy is because I'm starting that Spring Cleaning thing. The sun was shining and the birds were twittering and I got my butt off the couch! An amazing thing on its own no? I've also started doing the little things I had put off - getting a lamp for the living room, hanging pictures, vacuuming... One step at a time. I made headway yesterday and aside from a coffee table (highly overrated right?) and the molding that we keep saying we're going to do, I think I've finished with the living room. Today I'm going to tackle the carpet on the stairs. It's an irritating job. It involves removing staples and nails from wood. Blech.

Oh, and the trees are starting to bud here. I woke to a booger nose. You're excited to know that aren't you? Last year was perhaps the worst allergies I've EVER had. I'm not over estimating either. It was HORRIBLE! I even stopped drinking for a while and thought about locking myself in a bubble. I'm going to start with the allergy medicine now in hopes I nip this is the bud (no pun intended). Say a prayer for me.

Blech.

No, the cupboard isn't removed yet. No, the dresser isn't done yet. No, the chair is not done; nor is the desk. Did I tell you our neighbour gave us a piano? It needs to be oiled and tuned and well, put together. Not done. The hole in the ceiling where the plumber 'fixed' our shower? Not sealed yet.

So what have I been doing? I scrubbed the toilets today. I scraped miles of dried soap off the 3 bathroom sinks. I did the dishes - lots and lots of dishes - and now you can't tell because we ate one meal and the sink is full! I worked in the garden. I played hockey. I went and bought cleaning supplies and new sheets from Target.

A whole day has passed - a whole week has passed - a whole summer has passed - and not one of the things on my list is done. I'm irritated. Can you tell????

That certain somewhere.

I'd like to think that we all have a place where we feel safe and relaxed. It could be your home, your car, your parents house or even an underground tunnel of some sort (in which case you really should talk to someone 'cause I don't think that's normal...). For me, that place is Camp. It's not my camp - it's my husbands or rather, his families. They've always had one but alas, I have not. It's not until I married Mr. A that I really started going up there and I have to say it seems like I always have.

Let me explain what Camp is. It's not your typical tent, lean-to or cottage. It's more like one of the cottages that your grandparents had. It's made out of logs. It has a wood stove and before the recently added 'New Camp' it was pretty darn rustic (no, thankfully you didn't have to pee outside - phew, I really dislike that and probably wouldn't go). Now, the 'New Camp' is a little less rustic but it still has the wood stove and it's still made of logs but it's updated with actual furniture and an Ecotoilet. It has a sauna and carpeting. It's practically a penthouse in Manhattan.... okay, not really...

Camp is a place where you wear plaid, flannel jackets when it gets cold (like in August). You have to cut wood and carry your garbage to the boat to take across and hopefully one of your friends has room in their town collection for it, if not you have to go stealth and put it into a city garbage can. Camp is a place where you eat bacon dipped in flour and drink the best ever camp coffee. Camp is a place where you go to bed smelling like sweat, bug spray and sunscreen. Camp is a place where you loose your highlights and your hair looks greasy all the time - because it is - so you have to just throw a hat on! Camp is a place where your kids don't run around like little crazy people because they're too busy going on adventures to see what they can see - and you don't have to go because it's camp and there's no one else around for miles!

You get dirty and you smell and you don't care. You sleep like you've never slept before and you have the best time just being. Lucky for me I had a few days at camp this summer. We've decided that next summer we're going for a couple of weeks. We physically work harder there than we do at home but we stress less and enjoy life more. I know summer here is almost over and I'm okay with that; I'll be anxiously awaiting next summer and a trip to the lake.

Watch out Jolly Green Giant!

This picture is for R - don't laugh, I literally threw some watermelon seeds on the garden about 2 months ago and voila! Watermelons, just like that! Sorry....

Some Lilac saplings that I dug out of the side garden and behind them the Corkscrew Willow... The White Pine was planted at Christmas and seems to be taking. Hurray!

The "Shade" Garden. I took the Hostas from beside my door and replanted them here. I'm hoping they'll take off and fill in the space. I also planted a bunch of different ferns and some Lily of the Valley (understated yet beautiful - it's my birth month flower).

The newly planted Vegetable Garden. Rows upon rows of future salads! I'm even hoping to pull a broccoli or cauliflower out of there... Here's hoping!

I spent the weekend (mostly Saturday) attacking my gardens. It was freakin' fabulous. There was dirt and worms and manure and plants everywhere! Did I say it was freakin' fabulous??!!! I started around 10 am by visiting the amazing Worthington Plant Fest. If you didn't go, you should have (unless you live far, far away then I kinda get it...). The prices on trees was cheap, cheap, cheap and it was great to talk to some knowledgeable individuals - not that I don't get a chuckle out of the 20 year old at Lowe's that reads the labels and tells me exactly what they have written there - and the range of plants was..., well, freakin' fabulous!

Anyway, I had to call my husband and ask him to tote the wagon down for me (we live within walking distance) so I could lug all the trees home. I am the proud new owner of a corkscrew willow (I've always wanted one - did you know they grow like crazy??), a high bush blueberry (called E!) and a lovely, lovely Japanese Maple (*sigh*). I also bought a huge number (lost count and A shook his head repeatedly) of shade plants to put in the 'patio' area outside. They are all planted, fertilized and watered. A job well done if I don't say so myself.

Now, I just have the side area to fill in (possibly with native plants - stuff that drags the butterflies by my house) and some herbs. I can hardly wait! I've got a coupon for Oakland Nurseries... ooh, they are going to love me!!! And who knows, by August it could be a virtual forest out there. I'm dying to get a pear tree for the backyard as well...maybe a cherry tree... hmm.....

I want. I want. I want.

A simple arbor. Same old. Same old. Still lovely though no? You can find it at http://www.simplyarbors.com/ This is actually the one I envisioned at the start of the garden path (pictures of it are still in my head and awfully hard to transfer to the computer). I'd like to put a climber on the left hand side of it and then the vegetable garden is going to be on the right. I'm hoping it's going to tie the yard into the outdoor sitting area - eventually we'll actually get a patio set so we can sit out there... *sigh*

I like this one. It's simple yet elegant... Okay, I don't really like it but I love the house and I love the beach and I love the water... If I can have all the rest of it then I'll take the arbor too. Just in case you like it, you can buy it at: http://www.newenglandarbors.com/products/arbors.asp

Alright, this is nice. It's plain and made of cedar. I can't find anything wrong with it and nothing I absolutely love about it. I think it would work in my yard and would look lovely with a Clematis growing all over it. Lovely pink flowers everywhere... Find this one here.

When I move to England and live next to the Queens castle in Windsor I'm going to get this arbor. I think it'll work in jolly old England or New Hampshire. I'm pretty sure it won't work in Ohio. When I look like at this one I feel like I should be walking through it to get to a state fair or something. "Come one, come all, see The Amazing Bearded Lady!"

If you're more adventurous (or handy) than either I or my husband (he's very smart...) there's even instructions online (the Internet is so full of surprises) and you could build your own! There's a novel idea. I think that it would be even cooler if you could whip one up from stuff you happen to have laying around. This lady made an arbor out of a kids swing set - now that's handy! If you do make one - post a picture alright? I'd love to see it and I'm always into stealing someone else's ideas!!!!

My New Garden!

I think I'm getting old. No, I'm pretty darn sure I'm getting old - and not in age per se, but in body. I finally got around to digging an area for my garden (it's Spring here) and now, my hands hurt, my back hurts, my arms hurt... ack! I have to admit I'm pretty darn proud of myself and my little garden. In my mind it's going to be wonderful - reality might be a whole different thing....

I'm imagining a trellis at the end of the sitting area and then stones following along the garden (like the illustration - I'm so talented...). My idea is to bring the backyard together so it flows together and looks more like an actual garden. Right now I find it just a little too choppy. I'd like to put a rhododendron to the left of the trellis (at the end of the bricks) and then the garden itself will be a mixture of herbs, veggies and flowers - an all-purpose garden. It's not a large area so I have to make due with what I've got.

The next couple of days will be me trying to break up that dirt - I have a lovely neighbour that has a rotary tiller and I thought I would bribe her into letting me use it (oh, so cunning...) and possibly adding some manure or something to try to get it nourished before I plant. I'm not all together sure about time lines or anything so if anyone (R????) has any ideas or information it would be much appreciated. I'm a trial and error kind of gal and so far it's worked out...

Oh, by the way, I bought the primer for my desk so perhaps I'll actually get that finished this weekend too! I'm just full of energy.

You say 178?

This summer we purchased our first home! (Happy Dance)

I love it! I do! I can see us owning this home for the next 30 years or more. The problem arises when you put two non-handy people in a house that needs a little work and will continually need work. Nothing major - currently the walls are intact and the roof is still on. It's an older home, not old, just older and as with all new homeowners there are little things that we'd like to change to make the house our home. And how do you do that when the thought of ripping something up makes you nervous? And on top of that how can you read blogs like D16 or Haus Maus and not want to make a difference? Something lighter perhaps, with a splash of colour?

So, we're doing a little at a time and doing our best to make some sort of change. The rugs are still there, there's no new furniture and we still have some sort of pink flowered wallpaper at the front door. Perhaps this summer? Any suggestions?

Our List (Dream/To Do):

• rip up rugs in family room, ensuite bathroom and bedrooms
• paint, paint and paint some more
• fix shower (what is up with that drain?! ohh, that's another post)
• peel that stuff off the bathtub (did the old owners paint the tub?!)
• replace the storm pipes (all the ice this winter caused them to come tumbling down)
• move the washer and dryer in the basement and rip up the rug (see a theme here?)
• fix the shelves in the livingroom (they're nice just not what I want...)
• paint.....