WHAT A LIFE

Yum! Fresh strawberries! There's something about strawberries that says summer to me...here it is...mid March and the strawberries in the local Red Apple store are sweet and ripe...and large!

This was just an average sized berry! When I saw these at the market I knew that God loves me!!! Everybody sing...Jesus loves me this I know...look at how the berries glow.

I'm still walking to and from work, it's only 25 minutes, a lot better than the 50 minute bus ride in Portland, and I'm loosing some weight too.

This was the view going to work at 7:30 am yesterday. How beautiful is that? It's been cool and wet and overcast for the last 5 or 6 days here but it's still not as bad as Portland. At least the sun comes out for a little while every day. Coming home I got to see this...

Can you make out the snow capped mountains in the distance? Ontario is really surrounded by a ton of beauty, you just have to look out, not just straight ahead. On clear days this view is truly spectacular.

Nick built me this cabinet the other day, out of scraps of this and that. I love it! It gives me an extra 17 inches of counter space which I desperately need! The other counter is only 3 feet long! I think we will paint it to match the drawer pulls and really funk it up. I like that it looks really weathered.

Poor Nick, yes I had to say it again, the truck project has turned typically Nick and is not going well at all. In fact courtesy of the JERK at NAPA AUTO PARTS it could have killed us. The shocks went in in a wind storm, luckily no one named Dorothy landed a house on him, but it could have happened! Then he found a missing lug bolt...you have to disassemble the brake to fix that...and once that was done and the bolt was in, brakes bled etc. we went to run some errands. The brake fell apart!!! Why? because a guy at Napa told Nick he didn't need a spring (one that was on the brake when he took it apart) and Nick took him at his word. Lesson learned...not everyone here is a decent person! One of these days these older guys out here are going to figure out that people do look at reviews on line, and a bad review can in fact hurt your business.



Well, we've been in the house for one month, yesterday, and we still love it! Plumbing and all. We've made progress turning it from a rental house into a real home, and there are lots more changes coming. An old house is truly a labor of love. Speaking of love I just found out Ms. Jane will be here May 10th! I can't wait! Buno is beside himself! She doesn't know it yet but I just might have a project for her, one that will be a big part of our new home! TEE HEE!

Hope all is beautiful where you are-
xoxo

A SUNNY DAY FULL OF POSIBILITIES

Bru is not so patiently waiting for spring, like so many of us. Our dirt is still pretty frozen every morning, way to cold to put little seeds in the ground, so we're all staying busy indoors, or trying to. Bru is making sure everything is hunky dory on the couch, cushion tester it's an important job you know!

I decided to clean out my make up drawer, before you judge me, I am a licensed hair stylist, and these are a very important part of my job. How can I convince you how pretty you can be if I don't even try! Going back to work this weekend, I really didn't want the frustration of trying to find things.

We  went to K-mart and I found these great interlocking bins, 9 per package for $9.98! Now I can get ready for work in half the time!! Speaking of work...I haven't even worked a shift out there and already, I've gotten a promotion. I'll be making what I did in Portland and I'll be the "assistant manager". It's going to be more hours than I want, with the wedding looming large and the yard being what it is, what I really need is time! Money is good but time is better. Oh,well.

Nick went to the post office, and brought home a package form Ms. Jane!! I love presents!!! I knew she was sending it but I had no idea it would be this packed with goodies!

Wow, these napkins are just the right shade of blue for the bedroom, and there is a beautiful round tablecloth that matches. We need night stands, I'm thinking a couple of those cheap round decorator tables and this cloth and maybe one batten burg lace cloth. I might take a couple of the Napkins and make pillows for the bed. As I was enjoying the feel of all this fabric and all these fun new things I thought about a blog I was looking at yesterday. I wish I could remember who's blog it was, but this woman refers to her Mother-in-law as her Mother-in-love. I actually cried when I read that, because that what Ms. Jane is. My future Mother-in-love! Thank you for all the goodies! Bru was excited that she remembered to put something in there for him. Well, we're waiting for the water department to come tell us to start laying the pipe. I might have water before I have to start working!! YEA!

Have a beautiful day! I know I will!!

LIFE, MUSIC AND ROCKS

I should be glad all of this is happening now. It could be a week before my wedding! Now my reception in the back yard can be as beautiful as I hoped it will be, I hope.

My kitchen knobs are finally finished and on the cabinets! I think that once I make a few bright dish towels, and re-frame some art work I can call the kitchen finished! So that's two rooms done, the entry and the kitchen. Guess the next room will be the dinning room.

Having great taste and little money makes decorating a home a challenge. I just keep plugging away with what I have and keeping my eyes open for the things I want. I love this china hutch. The color of the wood is so warm, and it has the original glass knobs. I don't really like the stark white wall, not sure what the final solution will be. I keep looking to my fellow bloggers for inspiration. There is so much beauty out there.

Nick finally blessed our new home with music today! He pulled out his old Yamaha and played for about an hour, I can't even get upset that I was trying to take a nap when he did it, it was so nice to hear! Even with all the digging and his hands being so sore. I love when a house is full of love and music, it makes a house feel like home.

My rock painting project started today, finally. I only have a week of freedom from the job type work left. I start back to cutting hair next Saturday, so I want to get as many things done around here as I can.

Hope you all are having a beautiful Saturday, and thank you for spending part of it with me!

SUNNY DAYS AND COUNTRY DATES

AHHH...A nice sunny spot for the Bru! He loves hanging out in Brunotopia. Nick has been so busy trying to expand the boarders of Bruno's kingdom, and the army of one has succeeded!!

O.K. we know the place needs to be painted...and yes we have a plan...even if we don't get to the painting won't it be cute with window boxes across the front? Maybe one of my Mom's favorite flowers...nasty urchins...or as most of us call them nasturtiums.

The garage is my favorite building on the property. So rustic and charming, and it isn't ready to fall down like so many old out buildings you see! I am so blessed to have this place, and my two guys! I've only known two men besides Nick who are as hard working...my Daddy and my Ga'pop... Guess I have to add Nick's dad Lee to that list...we have a plumbing project to take care of today and I know Nick wishes his dad was here to help. Boy do we have a long list of projects for Lee when he gets here!!!!

I want to finish my spice rack project as well as my favorite clock. Hopefully we can go get at least one dresser so we can at least get our clothes put away--Nick was just putting things away in the fridge thinking how much he was hurting when he nailed his head on the fridge door! His comment? "Now I really hurt from the tips of my toes to the top of my head!". -We had a country date last night, we went to the auction preview, that was a bust, then we went to dinner which was not a bust! WINGERS, good food, good service, really a nice time, and with out the Bru! After dinner Nick really had something special for me...KMART! He really knows how to show a girl a good time!!

Well, I'm feeling guilty just sitting here doing this...guess I should put one last coat on the spice rack so I can get it hung up...then maybe organize the laundry! Have a great day!!!

INSIPRATION IN LIMBO

Today was our first day of rain, although I wouldn't call it rain, not by Portland standards. Just enough wet stuff to make things a little wet. The locals are baffled by,"all this rain" and the general consensus is,"at least it's not snowing".

Because it's "raining", and it's Saturday, and there isn't a lot to do, I've spent the majority of the day looking at blogs about home decorating and creativity. Trying to choose just one decorating style is hard for me, whimsical...romantic...shabby...chic...elegant...country...cottage...homespun...I like them all. If I can find a way to incorporate them all, and make it all Bruno and Nick proof, keep it affordable, sigh.

If I just knew for sure that we have our house. I have unfortunately fallen in love with this little place! A cute little farm house type with a Quonset hut in the back. The Quonset is a one bedroom apartment that, if we can afford not to rent it out we want to use as a guest house. The big house is really a one bedroom, although the Realtor calls it a 2/3 bedroom, one bath. One of the "bedrooms" is really a library, just off the living room with a great wooden accordion door to separate the two. The other is in the basement with window issues. I don't have any pictures of it yet, we have an appointment to have the heater inspected at 9:00 Monday, I'll take some then. This house, built in 1930, has beautiful, original woodwork, a built in china hutch and best of all, no one ever painted the wood!

Going from a 2 bedroom house, to a studio apartment, to a 2 bedroom house with a guest house is a challenge. We don't even have a proper bed! I have 3 dining tables, no sofas no comfy chairs. I was hoping to find great thrift stores here but they really aren't that terrific. We did find out about an auction every Tuesday night and I found a flower/gift/antique store. I guess I'm being a silly girl but I want our house to be beautiful for the wedding! I'm hoping to have our reception there!!

Oh, just ramblings tonight, I just really want to start decorating my house! Didn't I say that last night? I'm thinking of doing my bathroom in lavender and chocolate brown. Need to keep in mind that my Nicky is a man and pink and white and all frills might have a negative effect on him.

I found this table at the flower shop/antique store and love it. I have a table that I want to refinish and I think this might just be the ticket. Not the colors, or the sunflowers, but something like it. I want things brighter, more whimsical. Sort of a cross between Mary Englebrite and Susan Branch. I also found this headboard,

this is a great deal! I just hope it's there when we get the keys to the new house. I can already see Nick and Bruno all cuddled up in it while I get up to make the coffee. Another big SIGH.

Oh well, the soonest we'll know is Monday, until then I'll keep surfing and dreaming. I'll let you know the different blogs I love for inspiration over there on the side.