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

CHANGE

Some one, very wise, once said that the only constant in life is change. I'm sure someone wise said it because I know I didn't make that one up! They were right. o.k. maybe Bru doesn't change too much.

I went back to work yesterday, WOW, what a change. I thought all Great Clips were pretty much the same...nope. The people I'm working with are all really nice and all really good stylists! but things are done very differently here. I guess I'll get used to it.

The sunsets here are amazing! I feel so blessed to be able to see things like this now, Portland was just too gray for sunsets like this. Seeing stars almost every night, and the beautiful sunrises. I hope I never get to a point where I don't notice those!



 Nick is back in the dirt...swearing...changing the shocks on our little truck. He just can't seem to stay out of the dirt. Well, it's his own fault for sitting in Portland wishing he could dig and get back to puttering in a yard. Be careful what you wish for.

There have been lots of changes inside the house, the library finally has book cases and a real grown up love seat! We were able to find two rustic cases at one of our favorite junk shops here in town. Just a few more pieces of furniture, another dresser and a night stand, maybe a few lamps, and a ton of fabric so that everything will work together and the big house will be done!

I think I'll go make some pizza dough for dinner... maybe take a nap with Bru...I don't know...it's Sunday...and I have a big week ahead of me...and I think rest is in order...things that make me happy will only be allowed to occupy my time today!

Hope your day is full of beauty, love, peace and fun!

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!!

RETHINKING SPACE

I woke up this morning to watch the sunrise. I'm probably going to make my Dad choke but, I love mornings! While I was out there, shivering, I did a little thinking. Will spring ever really get here? How do you know that when you close the fridge door the light goes out? If I cut up one of those apples and treat it like a baked apple and spoon it over ice cream...? What color should I paint the trim on the house? You know those stream of consciousness thinking sessions, or as I like to think of them, Winnie the Pooh times.

Guess that's what I was doing really, dreaming about my day, thinking about all of the things I want to get done this week, I want to get a few more rocks done. Ms. Jane asked me what I was going to do with my rocks...put them in my garden. O.k. so I only painted this one purple and then decoupaged some K&Co. cardstock things on it (I must have really liked this pack...I bought two!) and waiting for the Mod Podge to dry. Not sure it will hold up in the garden if it rains but...well...the garden is where rocks live.

I was talking to Ms. Jane the other day about my kitchen, my tiny, little kitchen. If you were wondering why there aren't any pictures of the whole kitchen, it's because it's so small that you can't get the right angle to fit the whole thing in, I've been trying. Having a tiny space doesn't mean you can't have cute things around, it just means that if it's not functional it needs to occupy non-functional space. I need flowers so, an old juice glass, some silk flowers and that un-usable two inches between the stove and the sink. That space that isn't even big enough for the dish soap.

Nick's giant hole just keeps growing! He is now down 39 inches and it's 18-20 feet long. About every three feet he runs into pipes going to who knows where. Bruno thinks the trench project sucks! Brunotopia is now an obstacle course, good for playing Evel Knievel or WWI medic jumping the trenches, not so good for napping in the sun spots. He has also started trying to convince me that Bilbo Baggins has been squatting in the Quonset hut.

Well, time to start my day.
Hope yours is bright and sunny and beautiful!

OLD HOUSES, BAD PLUMBING AND TO MANY THINGS TO DO

My poor Nick. He woke up yesterday thinking that most of his big projects were finished. The fence is all done, he has a compost bin, Larry, Mo and Curly seem happy with the home he built for them. Just one more trip to Home Depot for new supply lines for the kitchen sink...famous last thoughts. Thank God we have a bathroom in the Quonset! The water in the big house has been turned off most of the last three days, but I think he has it figured out. I really hope so, he has been working so hard that his hands are ripped to shreds. This is the last big, nasty thing to do for now, after this I'm going to sweetly ask him to stop for a while and let his hands heal!

Speaking of projects...no sooner do I finish one...I add four or five more! My new project is to get rid of these horrible knobs in the kitchen!

Of course, after that, there's a dresser to re finish, a floral sofa that's the wrong colors and a wing back chair that needs help.



Some day soon I hope I'll wake up and think to myself, "Gee, this place looks great!" Until then I'll just keep adding to my to do list, at least I'm able to cross a few things off every day!

Have a beautiful day!

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!!!

BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE

We're in our new home, it's been a week today. When I look around and see the things we've done to turn it into a home, I think, wow, we've done soooo much, then I look around again and think, what have we been doing for the last week!

That "couch" and coffee table are about our only furniture at this point (we do have a bed) and trying to put things away is hard. I've been busy making curtains for every window, that's really eaten up a big chunk of my time and Nick, bless his heart (southern translation...he aint to bright) has been outside fixing the fence, and playing with shiny things.

I won't bore anyone with all the before pictures. This is the only room that is really "finished", it's the entry way. these built in shelves are just one of the things that make this house so special. I finally have a place for all my treasures...yes I'm still looking for more! even though the shelves are pretty full.

This has been my little roost since we moved in...sewing hell. Yes that stack of fabric is all of my curtains...I finally, today, got the last curtain hung.

This is the dinning room curtain, my Mom was such an amazing seamstress, decorator and was so meticulous. Those are big shoes to fill, but I'm trying! I was thinking I was done sewing for a while but no...now I'm thinking about making a stuffed chicken for the kitchen and even our Christmas stockings!

I'm feeling really guilty doing this instead of unpacking or painting my spice rack or...where to start. I'll put more of the after pictures up here tomorrow, or maybe later tonight, after we get home from the auction! Have a beautiful day and remember to tell those special people in your life how much they mean to you!

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.