Canadian Pride...Happy Canada Day!!

By sheer good luck, we ended up in Canada when we emigrated from Northern Ireland over thirty years ago. It could have been Australia or South Africa, but Canada accepted us first. I will never forget stepping off the airplane in Moncton, New Brunswick and having a small Canadian flag thrust into my hand by a virtual stranger - albeit a kindly aunt - and despite being so young, I was struck by the enormity of change I felt encroaching upon my insulated, young world. I remember little else of the actual journey to a foreign country, but I remember quite a bit about those early days when all seemed confusing and strange. I remember smells distinctly, and June bugs; and my unaccustomed immune system reacted badly to all the mosquito bites.

I didn't like the early days at all...I longed to be in our own home, and not staying with family I knew little of. I wanted a sense of normalcy, and I happily found it when we finally settled in Saint John, New Brunswick where I grew to adulthood and my family still resides.

This country is breathtaking in its beauty, and the freedoms afforded us are ones I don't take for granted. Nowhere is completely safe, but I feel as protected in this place I live as I could ever hope to be.

I am proud to call this country home...

The Best of Design Inc.

Sarah Richardson (in white), and her team of designers.

For those of you who are unfamiliar (gasp!) with Sarah Richardson and her talented team on the hit HGTV series, Design Inc., I thought I`d give you a Cole`s Notes version of the unparalleled talent that Ms. Richardson possesses. I remember fantasizing once, that if I was ever to win the lottery, I`d pay Sarah to be part of her team (unpaid, of course) and intern with her and her crew. Just imagine what you`d learn under the tutelage of someone like her! The only thing that would beat that in my opinion, is to work with Matthew Mead. Oh, and if you aren`t sure who he is, well...just plug his name into my blog search and you`ll be barraged with heaps of posts about him. Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows I`m not kidding! Right??

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Here is a sampling of the best of Design Inc. and the team...in my opinion, at least:

Best laundry room:

Best commercial space (and use of chandeliers): Mr. GreenJeans...Toronto, OntarioBest use of "white", in all its shades:Best use of colour in a room:paint colour above plate rail: Teresa`s Green: Farrow and Ball

paint colour below picture rail: Cooking Apple Green: Farrow and Ball

Designing Woman?

Well, I think I've just heard it all. I opened up my Saturday newspaper to the lifestyles section and saw the latest celebrity indulgence announced: Cindy Crawford has just brought her furniture line to Canada via The Brick. Now, perhaps I have been under a rock, but Cindy Crawford is a furniture designer?? Blecch!! Sure, she is beautiful, a great model, and a savvy business woman (with her own skin care line and exercise videos, among other endeavours), but come on...she suddenly knows enough to design furniture?? I think not. I was okay with her attaching her name to a variety of child related accessories and furniture, because she obviously has experience as a mother (she actually really gained my admiration after birthing both her chidren at home). But this endeavour leaves me cold.

Cindy's kid's furniture line...

Why don't we just call it as it is. Cindy obviously has a team of real furniture designers and thus we should refrain from deeming her an actual furniture designer. Apparently, she "plays an active role in suggesting and approving designs". According to Cindy, taking the leap from model to designer was, "...not a natural jump. Obviously everybody has a home and I've always spent time decorating mine -- especially when you travel a lot, your home is really your refuge. And a couple of my homes had been photographed for Architectural Digest over the years," she explains. Yeah, yeah...and there was no interior designer behind those homes?

I know I sound cranky, but I am growing weary of overpaid and over-valued celebrities being paid exhorbitant amounts of money to lend their name to everyday products. Sure, it is the nature of the beast; but aren't we getting tired of lining these people's pockets, when they are largely just figure heads? Isn't it enough that we pay to go see their movies or purchase the magazines they are featured in? Honestly, there is a difference between Martha Stewart developing a furniture line and Cindy Crawford. In my opinion, this reeks of the Kathie Lee Gifford clothing debacle of the nineties... What is your take on celebrities being dubbed "Jacks of all trades"?? Does their endorsement "up" the desirability level in your eyes of certain products??

Easy and Cheap Wall Decorating

Don't just decorate your walls with only a goal of filling up space in mind, instead map out a plan. Consider which wall in a room is the focal point, and focus on hanging related art in that area. There are many options as far at what you can hang, such as prints, plates, clocks, rugs, quilts or items that you make. It is best to focus on maintaining a theme.

For those who aren't sure how to arrange the pictures and don't want to have to use trial and error to decide, there is an easy way to save your walls the extra holes. Try tracing the pictures you want to hang onto pieces of construction paper and cutting the paper to size. Then, you can hang these pieces of paper on your walls using painter's tape until you are happy with the arrangement. Then, you can install the necessary hardware directly over the paper, and rip the paper off after you're ready to hang the actual picture. If you have several pictures that are the same size and you either don't have a frame, or you just want to dress up the picture even more, you can create a background frame. This is done by taping off an area on the wall where you are going to hang the picture, and painting the area a darker shade of your wall color. Make sure the area you paint is at least a few inches larger than your art on all sides. You can make this fake frame more detailed by making it two dimensional with other fake frames within your frame in different shades of the color scheme you're using.

If you have frames for all of your pictures, but they are different colors and sizes, you can paint them all the same color to tie them all together.

Stencils can be used to design your walls, usually these are used around windows or doors. Simple wooden blocks can be attached to walls to be used as picture, pottery, or candle holders. You can also paint wooden blocks with words or quotes to hang on the walls.

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A "Summer's Here" Pool Party...

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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Next up: my son's pool party for the very same reason!!

Time to Decorate Your Porch

Now that Summer is underway it is a perfect time to decorate outside, if you haven't already. If you have a porch by your home entrance, it is the first thing visitors see. Since visitors often wait a few moments for you to answer the door, they really have a chance to look around. It is fun and easy to make your porch more attractive and add a personal touch.

First of all it is best to clean your patio completely so you have a blank slate to work with. Make sure you get your windows and even shine your doorknob. Then, remove everything you had on your porch before. This way, it will be easier to see what space you have available and come up with a vision.

Next, you get to pick the style you want to go for. This should be a style that you feel comfortable with, that really makes your porch feel like yours. It is best to choose a theme and stick with it in all of the decorations you choose.

The doormat that you pick is more important than you may think! I know I always look at the doormat while I wait to enter a person's home, so, make sure you clean or buy a new mat if yours starts to look old. You could even choose a rug to use as a doormat if you have a larger porch. Make sure your rug fits with the theme you have selected for your porch.

If you have the space on your patio for furniture there are lots of options. You can choose cozy wicker furniture with cushions for relaxing a reading or talking. Or, if you think you might use your porch to entertain, you may want to choose a table with extra seating.

The last thing to consider are fun extra touches like pillows, plants, wind chimes, candles, vases and more. Beware of creating a cluttered look. Stick to the decorations that enhance the theme you chose, instead of detracting from it.
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Marvelous mudroom lockers!

I just had to do it. Considering it is one of the top google searches that lead new people to my blog - running head to head with those googling Matthew Mead, robin's egg blue, and re-doing campers - I felt it was time to deliver some more photos of mudroom lockers. It goes without saying I have shown my own mudroom locker photos more than enough. Still, for those who are new to my blog, I dutifully offer them up again:

...made by my hubby!

I love the functionality of those lockers more than it is reasonable to love any inanimate object. But, with three busy kids and a husband who works in the woods (read: muddy work boots and jackets humming of the essence of wild raisin - sooo not nice), I really need the containment of disorder that my serviceable mudroom offers me. With easy to reach hooks and baskets, things actually get hung up and placed in their rightful home.

For those of you dreaming of adding mudroom lockers to your own home, by all means go ahead and take the plunge if at all possible. You will never regret it; and you, too, can join the leagues of homeowners seeking "a place for everything, and everything in its place!" Take inspiration from the following photos, and enlist a handy person in your life (perhaps it's you!), and just do it!!

The following are all photos from Better Homes and Gardens.com :





Well, there you have it. If you can't find a style of locker here that you like, perhaps you are seeking the traditional metal lockers of our youth. Try scouting around your local schools for cast-offs, and certainly attend any sales that feature discards from school closures and/or tear downs. Your local flea markets might yield some vintage varieties as well, so put your feelers out! I will also feature some great photos soon of alternative ways to carve out a mudroom space... without actually having to build a whole new home! Yep, just call me your ``go to gal`` for mudroom ideas and inspiration!!

Oh happy day!!

photo: Country Home magazine. Styled by Matthew Mead

Monday was a good day.

A very good day...

And not for any big reason. Just a whole lot of little ones.

It is hot. Finally! which means one thing: my pool is finally going to heat up a bit!! We do not have a pool heater (too expensive), and I do not have it in me to wrestle with a solar blanket at the end of the day. So, heat is good.

I went to Halifax. Halifax is our nearest big city. Not only did I get to go, but I went with one of my dearest friends, who makes me laugh out loud more than I can count. A comfy ride, good laughs, a perfect cup of coffee, and life is good.

We shopped. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to put the life back in me and give me that dose of kryptonite that only a good day's shopping can bring!!

Bargains aplenty...$10 bathing suits for Sophie at Old Navy (when you have a pool and a little girl, you need a lot of bathing suits!). I also got a few little things for the money pit/play house. I found the most adorable birdhouse that looks old and quirky and it made my heart sing when I laid eyes on it!

My kids. I especially enjoyed them today. The main reason for going to Halifax was to keep an extra eye on my son while he swam during his class trip. Water slides and deep water require a mother's extra attention. Later, he told me he was glad I came...not embarrassed like some of the other kids whose mums were also there.

Girl time. Sophie and I went with a good friend and her daughters to see the graduating high school kids in their prom attire. They call it the "Grand March", and it was so much fun to see all the beautiful dresses and kids. It brought back memories of my own prom. I hope those kids enjoy the lives that are stretched out in front of them. If they only knew how quickly time will pass. On a funny note, I was surprised at how little the dresses have changed since my own graduation! Indeed. my 20 year high-school reunion is coming up this summer. I am not going. Strangely enough, as sentimental as I am, I don't look back. Reunions mean very little to me...

Our air conditioner. My over-worked hubby was making noises about not being able to get around to installing it until the weekend. Well, that wouldn't do. Everyone knows I am as unbearable as the heat when I get too hot. I don't like to sweat. Period. It's gross. So, like any impatient woman would do, I wrestled that 4oo lb (or so it seemed) air conditioner into the window myself! Well, that's a bit of a lie, of course. At the last moment, before I dropped the stupid/wonderful thing on the floor, my husband swept in and saved the day, my back, and the floor! Men...who needs them!?!

Ice cream and McDonald french fries. Yep, I ate both today. My shopping trips don't typically allow much time for leisurely lunches. Hot summer nights watching pretty,young, thin girls parade by you in beautiful dresses leads to deep sighs of self-pity; and ice cream seems like an ironic, yet somehow fitting, remedy. Which brings me to the end of all the goodness. I guess I had better run a good distance tomorrow. As if that will make any difference...!

The all work and no Playhouse...

No...this is not Sophie's playhouse. But it is pretty, isn't it?!

I never met a home improvement project I didn't like. Well, okay...that's a bit of a stretch, of course, but I do love having a project on the go. Saturday was a good day...a fruitful day from an accomplishment point of view. You see, work continues on "The Money Pit", aka Sophie's playhouse. It had been at a bit of a standstill as we picked ourselves up and dusted ourselves off from a few back to back hits to the money belt. In the course of two weeks, we had to fork over a lot of money to repair our damaged garage door (my husband's doing...pheww!), his truck's broken windshield, and our one-year old pool pump breaking. We have definitely been having a string of bad luck from a breakage point of view, but we take it in stride seeing that no bones are broken, and everything is fixable. Still, major repairs and the costs they incur still hurt and set us back considerably...

So, after a construction lull, we are back at it: building what we can with the lumber we have on hand, painting the interior of the little playhouse, and trying to finish the inside for her, so she can finally play in her long-promised little cottage. Being the world's sloppiest painter, I usually have a little more wastage than the average shmuck; so, off to the paint store I go today to get more. I have about 60% of it painted, so today should find the job completed. My husband made the most adorable counter area for her little kitchen...greatly exceeding my expectations for it!! I am so thankful for his carpentry skills; and his desire to do things right makes for a well-built project each and every time. I also lucked out and got a used crib mattress for the day bed he built for it. I picked up pretty bedding for the bed when I visited Bangor last month, so we are almost there... for the interior anyway. Next weekend will see the cladding of the exterior with clapboards (and, thus, more painting for me), and then we will add the window boxes that Sophie planted a while back, and the other accessories for the exterior.

I will show you photos as soon as it is complete and I look forward to seeing our little girl playing house and hosting her little friends. Perhaps a little house-warming tea party will be in order? She can invite me and her daddy. After all, we deserve to get a little "return on investment"!! We've sacrificed enough Saturdays to even warrant a cookie!!

The ever changing mantel...

Kari and Kijsa are doing a fun post about how to decorate your mantel. They have invited others to show how they adorn theirs, so I thought I'd show a few photos of mine...as it looks throughout the seasons. I love changing my mantel-scape, and it is a great way to give a nod to the changing seasons and shake up the feel of your room...without moving any furniture!!

The first photo shows my mantel at Easter, two ways:

Then comes summer...

Bet you can't guess what comes next? You're right! Fall!! Remember my blue pumpkin (a real one simply spray-painted and glittered...)?

Oh, and now it's Hallowe'en:

And you guessed right! Christmas rounds out the lot!

Showing me up!!

photo source: msnbc.com

Oh yeah. So, just in case I figured I had done something herculean by running just over three miles after four months of training, this woman had to go and trump my miniscule achievement big time!! Yeah, that's right! It seems this woman (who looks just way too good to have six babies this age) apparently gave birth to sextuplets, nearly died doing so, and vowed (after several months of bed rest) that she would run a marathon by her children's first birthday!!

Oyyy...that she did; and considering she probably was able to train for only slightly longer than me, she managed to run an entire marathon, with her adorable babies there to meet her at the finish line!! The power of a woman...So check out the story for yourself, and for those of us who say we don't have the time to exercise...well, that excuse fall short right about now, doesn't it??

I salute this woman and am so happy she is healthy and able to achieve such an incredible goal. That said, I suddenly find myself, and my balloon, quickly deflating with rather a pitiful hiss. I think I need a drink...or a rather large piece of cake!! Yeah, that's the spirit!!

The Kitchen Pantry...

photo: Country Living

The kitchen pantry has made a huge comeback in today's modern kitchens and has enjoyed a revival for those of us possessing, or pining for, a "kitchen of yesteryear". For some, adding a kitchen pantry stems from sheer necessity: larger and simply more small appliances have invaded our kitchens, and the huge bulk purchases of paper towels and flour that we stock up on take over the recesses of our cabinets like "space invaders" of our own time. Adding a pantry makes perfect sense in our modern world and serves multiple functions for today's busy families.

Of course, aesthetics often factor into the design equation for homeowners wishing to create pretty pantries...pantries that not only serve as a space for our food wares, but also as the perfect spot to showcase our collections of dishware, glasses, and teacups.

photo source: Flikr.com

We have even tossed out the ever-so-sensible Tupperware and plastic storage containers - partly out of fear of leaching chemicals into our foods; and partly because...well... plastic really isn't all that pretty!

Indeed, we are resurrecting the gool ol' Mason jars...giving them orderly tags...even embellishing them with fabric scraps to dignify their metal lids! In fact, it is this need for order in every aspect of our home that has led to the streamlining of our pantries into areas that we now want to show off! We are unveiling our pantries for all to see, using pretty wooden screen or glass doors to enclose their goods.

photo: Country Living

Shelves are often lined with delicate papers in pleasing patterns...perhaps even pom pom fringe or lace trim tacked to their edges! Pantries are no longer the utilitarian closets they once were. Just as we are taught to organize every space in our home, we are also being inspired to do so in an eye-catching way!

photography: Jean Allsopp

For those of us without such grand aspirations, our pantries are left hidden...stuffed full of actual necessities. With today's rising food costs, some are returning to our grandmother's ideals of maintaining a well-stocked pantry "just in case." Pantries like this are oblivious to the need for beauty. It is more about how much is in there rather than how pretty it looks. Either way, I am happy the pantry is experiencing this revival. I have had pantries of both kinds in previous homes, but presently have neither. Which means one of two things: I either finally have ample cabinet space for my food and appliances, or I need to stock up!!

What about you? Tell me about your pantry...

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I love this idea of using a vintage apron to use in your pantry for storage of recipe cards, twine, elastic bands, etc.

photo: Country Home

Pantries are a great spot to store those large bags of pet food. I also love this idea of incorporating a "pet pantry" of sorts into your cabinetry for easy access to your pet's feeding needs.

photography (above and below) Emily Milton Redfield

This is a very common, and more modern, approach to the old-fashioned pantry: organized, and out of sight/out of mind!!

The pantry below was obviously well-planned and incorporated into the design of the kitchen. It is also imminently do-able for anyone with a little extra space at their ready in a pre-existing kitchen.

photographer: John O'Hagan

Aahh...I would love to have a pantry like this! A well-stocked pantry means less last-minute trips to the grocery store!

Front door statements...

photo: Dave Foster

What colour is your front door and what does it say about you? Do you love the colour, or have you never really given it much thought? Perhaps you haven't painted it yet, leaving it the factory finish it came with, or purchased the home and have never personalized the shade to suit your taste.

Well, we've all heard the theory that exterior accent colours are like mascara and lipstick for our homes. Well, it is true, even though a bit cliche. Colour is, however, one of the easiest ways to add curb appeal to our homes and, luckily, the least expensive way. Some homeowners go the safe route and paint their front door a colour that blends in with their siding colour. They prefer the less is more route, and are quite confident that visitors will be astute enough to find their way to the right door.

photo: landstil.com

Others opt to swath their door with a more vibrant shade of colour. They want their door to stand out, POP if you will, and love the welcoming jolt of colour and unexpected surprise such a choice provides. My own father insists that every white house should have a black roof and a red door...no wishy-washy statements for him. Now, no one would ever dub hime the decorating sort, but to him a red door symbolizes welcome, much like the esteemed pineapple...or welcome mat.

photo: www.countryliving.com

For me, I have no hard and fast rules. I do know, however, that the right paint colour on exterior doors and trims does a house proud. It entails striking the right balance of colour and restraint...a decision that is not always immediate. Another rule of thumb I go by is to be very careful selecting the garage door colour. If you have a red door, perhaps a red garage door is not the colour direction that will best suit your home. Enlist the opinion of friends with good taste, try out the handy computer programs that enable you to "visualize" the colour choices before you paint, and/or seek out the opinion of a professional...be it a painter or decorator/designer. Personally, I think that if you are simply painting a front door, you can glean plenty of savvy assistance simply by driving around other neighbourhoods and taking note of what you like (and maybe even snapping some photos?), and combing through decor magazines for design inspiration.

Keep in mind, it is only paint; it doesn't have to be permanent. That said, if you are 100% certain you are happy with your colour selection, taking your doors to an auto detailer to professionally spray them will be some of the best money you will ever spend. Not only will you get a durable surface in any sheen you desire, but you won't have to do it yourself!!