Savvy Homegirl

Merry Christmas... and hello out there!

2011-12-22T14:05:00.001-05:00

It's funny how now that I've found myself with a day off, and literally no work in sight for at least a week, I suddenly have time to blog. All morning as I've tinkered about my house, I have been thinking about the blog posts I'd like to write. Perhaps, I should use the next week to blog profusely, ensuring I have more content in 2012. For any readers who decided to stop by again, it has been nearly six months since I last posted. I promise I haven't just ignored you, I have also ignored my house. The bright spot is I have tried to focus on spending as much time with family and friends as I could, considering I spent the past 2 months traveling.

I did think it was worth sharing a few updates on my house.

Since my last post about the craft room, it is well on its way to being complete. The ceiling repair is nearly complete. We wallpapered two walls. I hung curtains, which not only match the wallpaper perfectly, but were a great clear-out deal at Wal-Mart (only $10 each)! We only have the floor left to finish. I do solemnly promise, I will post a finished photo.

Rearranged my living room into separate 'living spaces' for watching TV and eating. With the craft room / office nearing completion, I no longer needed to use my table as a desk, and we have actually ate at the table. Shocking!

Harvested a huge tomato crop. So large, I had to buy additional canning jars for all the tomato sauce and salsa I made in September! At one point, I worried about what I would do with all of it, but there are only a few jars left!

A perfect tomato from my garden. Mmmm.

Rows of freshly-canned tomato sauce and salsa.

My most recent addition was new couches! I wrestled with the decision to buy new living room furniture most of the year, but common sense finally won out. Cats + new, leather furniture = disaster. With Christmas around the corner, there were several listings for like-new sofas on Kijiji, and we picked up these barely-used, comfy, brown couches for only $300! Now, if only I could replace the chair my cats have claimed ownership over!

The cats favourite spot to watch the world go by.

Finally, you won't see these photos anywhere else, but I even managed to get my house decorated for Christmas. Returning home from travel, with only two weeks to go before December 25, I hauled out the totes of decorations and 'decked' the fireplace, front door and put up the tree. Undoubtedly, I'll be spending some time over the holidays catching up with bloggers and checking out your decorations, but for today, I have to get back to the baking. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and should you not hear from me again for some time, best wishes in 2012!

- Savvy Homegirl

More Craft Room Inspiration

2011-08-30T17:34:00.000-04:00

The craft room project is back on and actually making progress. I realize I haven't posted in months, but since there were readers possibly interested in seeing how this turns out, I thought I would come back to the "Homegirl" blog with a couple of posts. I've been over here for the past few months.

We finished the dryway, and after LOTS of sanding, we could not get the main wall smooth. It was just a hopeless case, and it was a real testament to why dry-walling in older homes is so complicated. I knew we were doomed to fail when my neighbour commented most people drywall over plaster, rather than try to match them. We were already too ambitious at this point though and had the drywall and mud on the wall.

I have to give bf props, because he did do a good job in the closet. You can't even tell there was a wall removed. The problem area is on the main wall though, so I've decided to finish this wall with wallpaper.
It sounds very much like a botched-DIY fix, and well.. it is.

Nevertheless, I feel like there is light now, and this project will be finished afterall. I'm already dreaming of all the turquoise and off-white accents. I would love to pick out a classic, country wallpaper like this pattern below, but I keep telling myself to stick to neutrals. While I may love it, future home owners may not.

Photo: House of Turquoise

Speaking of love, I came across House of Turquoise while searching for decorating, specifically wallpaper, inspiration. I am in love with this blog. Check out the beautiful turquoise shutters and doors featured today.

Reminds me of Young House Love's turquoise built-in shelves in their dining room.

April Showers Bring May... Showers?!

2011-05-20T08:49:00.000-04:00

Rain, rain and more rain. That has been the story for five days now in Southern Ontario. The forecast is even bleaker. We're all wagering on the one nice day predicted for this weekend, before the storms and rain move in again. If the weather was depressing last month, now it's downright frustrating. I'm planning a 'staycation' to plant my garden this weekend. I have to remind myself it's the holiday weekend, because the weather would have me believe it is only April 12.
Honestly though, I have so much to do, I doubt I'll get it all finished. One good day is just not enough.

That's it for my weather rant for now. I got my camera back, so I wanted to share a few more pictures from our crazy wind storm. Amazingly, much of the debris and mess was gone from around the city last week already.

Three big pines in front of this apartment building were uprooted.

Trees snapped in half like this one, were common all over the region.

Big, old trees took down hydro lines, landed on cars and homes.

A Gift From Enbridge? The Taps Program

2011-05-14T14:00:00.000-04:00

I responded to a knock at the door this week to find a man holding a cardboard box and a clipboard. My eyes immediately went to the name tag pinned on his pocket, and I prepared to ask him to leave. Then, he introduced himself as an Enbridge employee. I had thought he was an energy marketer. Gas prices had just shot up from 1.34 to 1.41 in my town after all, and poor, unsuspecting consumers were ripe to be ripped off further.

He quickly proceeded to explain he had been hired for the Enbridge TAPS program, and he had some free gifts for being an Enbridge customer. He handed me four compact florescent light bulbs and two aerators (one for the bathroom tap and one for the kitchen). I was still skeptical. Why was I getting this for free? What does he really want?

Next, he pulled out a water-saving shower head, but asked if he could install it. Um, I hesitated. It's not every day someone comes to your door, asking if they can stand in your shower. He insisted he had to install it. It was his job. I agreed, and 2 minutes later I had a new shower head.

I was still perplexed after he left though. Since when do gas companies give their customers anything free? Did they overcharge me somewhere, and this is their way of making it up? What kind of a tax break are they getting for doing this? Obviously, he had to install the shower head to guarantee it got used.

Regardless, I replaced a few old light bulbs with the new this morning and put the aerator on the bathroom tap. It reduces my water use from 7.5 gpm to 1.5 gpm. Not huge savings. According to the program card, it's about $122 in gas (to heat the water) and water savings / year, if I also installed the kitchen aerator. The light bulbs account for a $21 savings. Not a fortune, but still $143 I could put toward a new TV, garden plants, or decorating my craft room!

Did anyone else have someone from Enbridge TAPS come by? Did you take their offer? Anyone know what their motivation is behind TAPS?

Spring Has {finally} Sprung

2011-05-09T19:54:00.000-04:00

Bf continues to insist this spring is not 'late'. Rather it's just about on-time, and the last few years, spring was early. OK. Good luck telling the farmers that though. <- I keep that comment to myself, because he is well aware how the farmers feel.

It seemed like the rain would never end, but we finally got almost an entire weekend of sunny weather. Aside from a splash of rain Friday evening, I spent most of the weekend outside either in my yard or enjoying Mother's Day lunch. Not only do I have a burn to prove it, but my yard is finally starting to look like I love it again.

My tulips have mostly popped up, and I realized they look better in clusters than planted individually.

Bf cut the grass for me. I think my backyard was at least 8 inches long in places, so he had to leave it as long as the lawn mower would let him. It was still a slow-go at times. It looks so much better now that it's cut though. Bf, you rock.

Funny enough, it was only a few minutes after he fired up the lawn mower and headed to the backyard, and my next-door neighbour did the same. They both puttered back and forth across the yards, and all-of-a-sudden, I felt like I was living in The Sims. Especially, since there did not appear to be any real pattern for my neighbour. I always wondered why the Sims people only cut 3 or 4 random strips. Maybe, they were modeled after my neighbour.

I finished laying the patio stones along the side flowerbed. In an effort to stop the erosion of soil under my downspout, I assembled a rock garden. I'm looking forward to seeing how this works next time it rains. I have decided to try a clematis on this side of the house also, as it gets so hot and dry, I don't know what else to plant.

Survived the Wind Storm

2011-05-03T00:09:00.000-04:00

My neighbour finally had power restored to his house today. It was cut on Thursday, when the wind storm that came through our city knocked both our lines down. Thankfully, mine was put back up.

In the big scheme of things, we were really quite lucky. Our region was ravaged with destruction, yet it paled in comparison to the devastation Alabama faced only a day earlier. Nevertheless, my city declared a State of Emergency at one point, and some homes are still waiting for power. Winds up to 124 km/h at times blasted our region, uprooting huge trees all over the city and crashing down on homes, power lines and roads. Several people lost shingles, or worse yet, most of their roof.

I felt a little strange taking pictures of some of the destruction, but it's something I've never seen before. Of course, I left my camera at a friend's house this weekend, so I can't share. I promise I'll post as soon as I get it back.

I did get this photo from a friend. It was too wild to not share. It almost makes you think the picture is sideways. That's the hydro line holding the tree up. This would've been considered only medium priority likely, if that gives you an indication of what the rest of the damage looked like. Yikes.

I wanted to get this post up, but come back later this week. I promise I'll add more pictures. We lost two older men here. As tragic as their deaths were, they seem eerily similar to what you might imagine could happen in a tornado. All I could think about last week were the families that experienced any of the 312 tornadoes that hit the U.S. last week.

Spring Time = Cake Pop Time!

2011-04-26T22:20:00.001-04:00

Spring has been desperately trying to force it's way into my neighborhood lately. You would never know if you looked at a weather forecast, but the sun has managed to poke through at least once a day, the past two days, and with it, my energy is increasing! You won't find me running marathons, but I have been accomplishing more in my evenings. I even tackled cake pops again!

You'll recall I last made cake pops over a year ago. They were cute. They were also a ton of work.

When bf got me Bakerella's book for Christmas, I was genuinely excited to try them again. For a little while anyway. Then, work and life and all-around-being-lazy-with-my-free-time set in. For the past three months, I've flipped through the book, awed by the cool creations, yet daunted by the work.

Until this week.

With a little help from bf, I whipped up a partial batch of Cupcake Bites (think Cake Pop, without the stick) for my Girl Guides. You can find Bakerella's directions here.

Not bad for only my second try, if I do say so myself!

I wanted a Girl Guide theme, so I used blue and white M&M's with sprinkle stems to make a trefoil.

I made a special one for bf. Can you find it?

He deserved a thank you kiss for his epic cake-baking skills. Funny, he also picked up this jar of icing for me...

Some of Bakerella's tips that really helped this time around:

Make a small batch. It's manageable and more fun. BF made 2 batches of cake mix, so I had an extra-thick cake. I used 3/8 of the cake and made 18 bites. Mine were on the slightly large side, so you can estimate 1/4 cake = 12 bites/pops.
Use cake mix and pre-made icing. I NEVER use store-bought mixes, but it was just downright easier.
Use lots of candy melts. Last time, I didn't have enough and I had trouble dipping. You can always save extra and reuse later.
Wash and dry your hands often while rolling the balls. They stay together nicer.
Have everything set out before you start. Isn't this the golden rule in the kitchen? It's necessary for cake pops/bites. Once the candy is melted, you want to dip. Once you dip, it dries fast. Your M&M's and sprinkles have to go on right away or the candy will be hard.

One day later... only one little guy left! YUM!

I Was the Girl That Bought a Playbook This Morning

2011-04-19T18:31:00.001-04:00

SURPRISE!

I bought a Blackberry Playbook today!

Isn't it pretty inside its box! I like the blue!

There's even 'no brainer' instructions.

I got to step 3 and now I'm waiting for it to download 750 MB of updates. Yes, 750 MB on a 16 GB machine! Yikes! I hope this is doesn't preface what my Playbook experience is going to be like.

As it would've seemed this morning, I appear to be the only person that bought one. I should have taken pictures. Imagine if you will, when I pre-ordered my Playbook on Saturday, the sales associate assured me this would guarantee I don't need to stand in line when they open at 7 AM. "Perfect," I think. "I can pick it up before work." I roll in at 7:15AM this morning to a parking lot more deserted than a school yard in July.

No line. In fact, 2 sales associates actually came outside to greet me with open arms. Oh wait, no, they were having a cigarette. It was like a dream walking into the store. All the red-clad reps waiting in a line at the door. "Are you here for a Playbook?"

I actually felt slightly pathetic for them. Then, I felt pathetic for myself. Am I the only person that wanted this thing I was willing to come at 7? Where were the door crashers? I got back in my car, and thought, where is the hype? I heard all about the date the iPad 2 was released? Nobody mentioned the Playbook once.

Turns out some TV crews even went out to stores to find they were empty. Look at this, 3 people?

The only story I could find about lineups on Google was from the Waterloo Record - RIM's hometown. I'm guessing this isn't the welcome RIM was hoping for. With their tight-lipped updates and the official announcement of it's release date 2 weeks ago, my gut tells me they were hoping for more excited customers.

Regardless, I'm excited! The updates are done, so I'm going to go PLAY!

It's Almost Here!

2011-04-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

~~1 day~~

12 HOURS!!

It's almost here! Can you guess? Check back tomorrow morning and I'll reveal the surprise. I am so giddy, I feel like a child at Christmas waiting for St. Nick to come. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep tonight!

Wordless Wednesday - All You Need is Cheese

2011-03-30T16:32:00.000-04:00

Vacation property a la Kate Winslet-style

2011-03-25T16:26:00.000-04:00

First, I'm looking for a cottage rental on Manitoulin Island. Anyone know someone?

Some might not even know where that is. This should help.

That's the 31st largest island in Canada, according to Wikipedia. Largest in the great lakes with a booming population of 12,600. Actually far bigger than I expected. But I digress. If you know someone who has a brother / sister / stepdaughter / uncle with a cottage, let me know!

It was while searching for a cottage that my mind starting wandering toward 'house swap' websites. After quickly realizing no remote, island cottage was going to be found, I couldn't help but see what else was out there. Naturally, I went right to England to see if all the homes looks like Kate's quaint little, country cottage in "The Holiday", and I did come across this gem!

Photo: HomeExchange.com

What about this super cute place on the Avon River?

Photo: HomeExchange.com

BF and I have been talking about taking a trip, so I was starting to contemplate the house swap concept, when one glaring item came to mind. Could I get a swap with my house? It's cute, but what do I have to offer?

Near wine country (by Canadian standards)
Big semi-private backyard, deck and hammock (soon)
Good neighborhood

That was all I could come up with. Who wants to vacation on a busy street in the 'burbs afterall? It's not even quiet.

It would never hurt to post though, right? It would also be a good motivator - get my house up to 'swappable' standards. Then, I realized BF's place would be even better- in the country, backing onto a woodlot and large river, overlooking rolling fields. All that's missing is a deck and a couple of big, comfy chairs. This might be even better motivation to get his house in 'swappable' condition!

I may be dreaming, but what a great way to vacation, don't you know? Has anyone done a house swap or know someone who has? Any recommendations or insight?

Bad Blogger Girl

2011-03-22T22:29:00.001-04:00

One month + 2 days.

Question: The length of time between my last 2 posts.

It certainly didn't take long to come up short on my goal of posting 2-3 times per week. I missed the bloggy world, unfortunately, I'm a full-time working girl and only a part-time blogger. Not only has life taken over lately, but there has also been very little of interest to post about in the past few weeks. I've commented to bf multiple times about getting the craft room done, but truth be told, unless I were to work on it during the wee hours of the morning, it is going to be yet another month before it's complete. I did sand some drywall last night.

Funny enough, after I started writing this, I cruised my blogroll and came across Amanda's post from last week, Rut. Check out the comments... We could start a support group for bloggers sitting on the sidelines these days! The farmer in me thinks it's the weather. It has been a long winter afterall.

I don't usually post comments I make elsewhere, but this time they sum up what I have left to say.

Savvy Homegirl Says:

Wow, I was going to say I’m ‘totally with you’, then I saw all these comments. Perhaps, it’s the time of year? We’re all blogged out, needing a break?

I have to agree with Babs too though. Quality over quantity. We can’t all be Young House Love, completely dedicated to home projects and blogging. I have a full-time job that pays me for being at work, traveling, putting in copious hours of overtime (well, maybe they don’t pay for that, but still). When I hit a rut, I find when I do pull back out and start writing again, I have some (hopefully) worthwhile and interesting posts.

Hopefully you agree on the last point!

Never Too Soon For Spring Cleaning!

2011-03-18T00:58:00.004-04:00

The time change has brought with it more energy than I imagined. Or maybe it's the unseasonably warm weather? Either way, I tackled the most massive spring cleaning job I've ever tonight. I wish I'd taken pictures.

Our Girl Guide group meets at a hall downtown, and over the past few months our 'supplies' have reproduced grown from a cabinet-full to multiple cupboards, boxes, bins and plastic bags overflowing across our storage room. Now that the former Guider's basement has been unloaded into our storage room, we were finally fed up with the mess and decided it was time to do something about it.

It wasn't quite this bad, but every week when we walked into the room, we felt like it might as well have been.

Photo: Ed's Project Bike Blog

It was more like this:

Photo: X-tropia

Our storage room would be Blue Raddish Girl's dream. Oodles of boxes of wooden craft cutouts, pipe cleaners, silk flowers, ribbon, lace, beads, Popsicle sticks (4 boxes to be exact) boxes and bags of felt, foam and 3 bins of crayons. It looked like White Rose had dropped by with a truckload when they were going out of business. In fact, we are fairly certain something like that went down.

We tried to document as much as we could. Our goal is to not buy another craft supply for our unit. We should be okay. Yep, that's FIMO at the bottom. That clay you cooked in the oven to make beads! Do you know what else we found? Gimp. Apparently, it's not called that anymore though. Too politically incorrect. Sheesh!

Pipecleaners - red, neutrals, sparkly,

Fake flowers - pink, white

Wooden craft pieces, clothespins (dollpins)

Corks

Popsickle sticks - large, coloured and small

Tin lids

Barettes, porcelin faces

Beads

Pom poms

Sequins

Googly eyes

Film canisters

Easter egg dying kit

Balloons

Photo matting frames

Doilies

Ribbon

Foam letters, confetti

Scrap paper, construction paper

Clothespins

Stickers

Plasticine

Silk flowers

Paper bags - brown, white with handles

Red twisted paper

Cotton batting

Plastic Bottles (Bracelets)

Pringles containers

Walnut shells

Straw hats and lace

Felt

Foam, felt, paper

Seam binding

Yarn

Drinking straws

Cotton balls

Trillium SWAP kits

Be Prepared Kit

6 SWAPs - don’t know what they are

Parafin wax - 1 box

Crayons - 3 tubs

Coffee filters

FIMO

We actually didn't throw out as much as we expected, but we still left with 2 bags of garbage, 1 recycling bin of cans and bottles, a couple boxes of paper and cardboard and a few boxes still to sort. It took 4 hours, but now we have a cupboard of craft supplies, labelled and accessible to our girls. We have hula hoops and balls where they can reach them (rather than buried under a mountain of boxes that was certainly a liability) and a cupboard of "Guider Only" material. Oh, and we can also see the floor again!

Perhaps, I'll take an 'after' shot next week to brag a little...

{Dream} Home

2011-02-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

I suspect it had to do with Hip House Girl's post about a church house, but I had a strange dream last night.

I dreamt I had, let's say, come into possession of a house. I don't know how. That's one of those irrelevant details in dreams. The house was a split level, with a few bedrooms. One of them was at the very top of the house, completely staged by the previous owner and never used.

What I recall most about this house was the basement bedroom. In my dream, it was my parents' basement, but in this house that now belonged to me. You know how those things happen in dreams. It had the exact same cement steps as my parents' basement. It also had the cold feeling typical of farmhouse basements. Instead of the stone and plastered foundation, also typical of farmhouses, my dream basement bedroom had a brick-like stone wall.

It sort of looked like this:

Courtesy of Country Living via Candace Rose

But a little rougher, like this:

Courtesy of GREAT INTERIOR DESIGN

Or this:

Courtesy of TripAdvisor - yes, TripAdvisor

In one corner, next to the bed, there was a fireplace and across from the bed, there was a TV. It was actually quite similar to a hotel room; perhaps, reflective of the too much time spent in them?

The floor was old cement, except for the more recently poured steps, which I previously mentioned. I'd decided in my dream to tile the floor and steps with ceramic tile. I imagined in my dream, it would turn out like this:

Courtesy Aerials Home Construction

There you have it. Not enough time spent in my house lately, reading blogs before bed, and I'm dreaming about renovating a basement room in a home I don't own. It gave me a great excuse to blog today though! Does anyone else have dreams about renovating that are this vivid?

Seriously Jonesing for Soda

2011-02-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

That's right- soda. Not to be confused with Jones Soda, but good ol' bubbly, carbonated water.

I was cruising through Shoppers Drug Mart, when I was overtook by nostalgia. All thanks to this sleek bottle of 'carbonated spring water' on the shelf. The next thing I knew, I was gladly handing over 1.99 per bottle for nothing more than bubbly water.

Isn't it beautiful?

This isn't a new fad for me. I've had on and off ~~cravings~~ (can you call them that) thirsts for carbonated water since college days. I blame the origin on a three-month exchange to Europe in high school. If you've been to Europe, you understand the value of water. It always comes in a bottle, and it's just as likely to be carbonated as not. The brand I recall being purchased in our household came in a 1L bottle (roughly) and the name was in red font. I was more fond of Rosport Bleu, which was sold in restaurants. To this day, I still have an empty bottle I brought home as a souvenir.

I love the small luxury of having glass bottles of carbonated water in my fridge. The thought of cracking them open and pouring a fizzy glass with a splash of lime is bliss. It never occurred to me before now, I could create this luxury for myself. You can buy a machine for this, can't you?

So, I did a little research.

SodaStream Shop - This one kept popping up; not only in paid search, but also in the various organic search results. It also had several positive comments. $99 - 239 for the machine. Gas refills range from $19.99 - 34.99 (depending on if you keep or exchange container). Glass bottles are available for $17.99, but only compatible with top 2 models. Free shipping in Canada, but returning gas 'carbonators' is at own expense.

Homemade device - This is where my brother would use the term 'gerry-rig'. This looks a little complex.. a CO2 tank! That seems much more intense than a cartridge system. Where would I put it?! http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Soda-Water-%26-Home-Carbonation---Pays-For-Itsel/

Strangely, I couldn't find many other products, but perhaps I didn't look hard enough. Does anyone else make carbonated water at home?

Dreamin' Red & White

2011-02-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

There was no shortage of excitement a few weeks ago when Target announced they were coming to Canada. It only seemed appropriate then, when popping in to pick up some toiletries during a recent work trip, I would browse some of the home decor aisles of Tar-jay.

Here's a few items that had me longing the stores 'north-of-the-border' debut was sooner, rather than later.

Oh, blue and silver. Ohh ahhh.. How much I'd love to purchase this whole collection.

Here's a close up of those blue and white vases. I love cobalt blue!

These wall accents are so sweet. They remind me of IKEA's dandelion-fluff-style light.

Look at this dishware! I sense a soft spot for retro colour schemes, as evidenced by the bright blue and orange flowers on this plate. Maybe it was the lime, green flowered panelling in the farmhouse I grew up in? See the blue and brown plate? I bought dipping bowls in this style. If I didn't have a plane to catch home, I would have bought a whole set!

Last, but not least, who DOESN'T love a giant container of cheese puffs!!

Photo Gallery Wall

2011-01-29T15:52:00.000-05:00

I can not believe how little time it took to feel completely overwhelmed and exhausted again. I thought the calm feeling would extend a little further into the month after Christmas break. I thought wrong. The past two weeks I feel I have been as busy as ever.

I do have some updates for you! Remember I said I had a few 'gimme's on my list? Adding more photos to my 'gallery wall' was one of them. I had plenty of great photos, but I hadn't got around to framing and hanging them. Luckily, I had a chance to pick up some frames from the dollar store before I got too busy again. A few hooks later, and they were ready to hang. Hope you've had a little more time to relax than I have!

Here was the 'gallery wall' before:

Here is the updated wall today. I added 8-10 more photos.

Wordless Wednesday - Why is it so cold in here?

2011-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Appliance Overload?

2011-01-18T08:36:00.000-05:00

Can you have too many appliances on your counter?

I'm not really one of those people who has to have an empty counter. For me, convenience is more important than clean lines and a stylish kitchen. The appliances I use regularly need to be close at hand, otherwise, it just takes me that much longer and I don't like that.

However, over Christmas, I acquired several more appliances.

I finally bought a new toaster. My old one had spent the past 8 1/2 years with me, since I moved out of my parent's home and into my university dorm to be exact. (Shhh, don't tell the rez police. It could have started a fire.) It was a $10, 2-slice special. It still worked, but I was ready for something new. I used a Christmas gift card and upgraded to a sleek, silver 4-slice model from Black and Decker.

My brother's GF also gave me a used breadmaker, because I'd commented I wanted one. Her grandma, "a hoarder of good things", had 3. I have already made a loaf of bread and pizza dough 4 times in it.

The dilemma? My "appliance corner" was already crowded. As you may have noticed in this photo:

Despite the crowding, the small toaster fit on the stove, and I could leave my coffee maker, kettle and George Foreman grill on the counter, without interfering with my workspace or the tool turnabout.

Not so much now. The toaster is now twice as big and doesn't fit on the stove, and the breadmaker takes up the entire corner. Only the kettle and George Foreman fit well in my cupboards, but I use them more than the breadmaker. What to do?! Is it too much if every one of these guys stays on my counter?

One More Resolution

2011-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

I need to add one more resolution to this list - Fix the labels on my blog.

When I started blogging, I didn't understand how labels worked, so I would tag a post with five or six. Now, I have this whackpile of labels, that no one would ever want to look at. I've added them to my sidebar, as a constant reminder to tidy these up. Hopefully, if I do a few every day, they'll be cleaned up in no time!

There is Hope Again

2011-01-15T16:30:00.002-05:00

I have faith again. After some hairy drywalling two weeks ago (I promised a post, and I'm assured it's coming), I am again hopeful I will get this embarrassing slow, and not-so-big, project finally done.

You see, I have been faced with the dilemma that the new drywall is not flush with the old plaster. There were multiple reasons for this, which I'm not getting into here, but I had a gap of about 1/4" on part of the wall and ceiling, as you can see here. In case you're wondering - the drywall on the right is not attached, but leaning against the wall. We didn't attach it paper-side out, as it might appear.

BF and I tried to patch with joint compound. It cracked:

Of course, it cracked! I read all over the Internet we needed to do thin coats, so as we gooped on the compound to plug the holes, I secretly wondered if it was a bad idea. I went to bed that night and had nightmares I would never get this drywall finished.

Determined to make progress, I went in search of drywall mud this morning, and I discovered this product at Canadian Tire - LePage Polyfilla BIG.

I read the label and the "product comparison chart" attached to the shelf, and realized this might be what I was looking for. Ignoring the price tag ($22.49 for a 5.5L pail!), I bought two pails. After all, I wasn't making another trip back to Canadian Tire if one wasn't enough, and I headed home.

The product looks like marshmallow puff. You know, the stuff in the little, blue jar.

What the fluff? Yes, it was just as light and fluffy-looking.

I also bought a mud pan with scrapers on the sides. For only $5, it made the job not only easier, but tidier. I poured the fluff in the pan and set to work with my 8" drywall knife. I am almost doubtful, it worked so well. As I slapped it on and scraped away the excess, I found myself really enjoying the work, and the more I did, the more confident I felt. My faith in myself to get this done has been restored! Now when I walk in the room, I am encouraged by how bright and open it is... I see the light!

More and more, this project was starting to feel like a really badly botched, DIY attempt. Has any other DIY-ers felt that way or completely wondered how you ever thought you could tackle a project on your own?

Fabulous Friend Friday

2011-01-14T17:24:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to come up with a catchy name to share some of my friends' great makeovers and living spaces, and "Fabulous Friend Friday" was the best I could come up with. If anyone has more creative suggestions, I'll gladly take them. I'll post any day of the week too, not just Friday!

My friend Erin rents this uber-cute little house. It's one of those bungalows that looks like a square from the outside. Perhaps, you know what I mean? Anyway, she has a cute sitting room, kitchen and this lovely, little bathroom. It's not huge, but she's done a spectacular job decorating it. It has this comfortable, "at home" feel with the lace and pink-flowered shower curtain. The walls are white tile, and the door (not seen) and window frame are this beautiful, dark hardwood. Yes, that is pink tp!!

Check out the beautiful gold mirror she's used to add some metallic and less girly flair to the room. I love the shutter doors on her closet. If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for white cupboards. I only had my BB, otherwise I would've snapped a few more pics to give you the full flavour of the room.

Charming. Just plain charming, it is!

Happy Fabulous Friday to you!

Say It's So - Target is Coming to Canada!!

2011-01-13T20:13:00.000-05:00

Photo from Target Addict.

BF sent me a message tonight asking if I'd heard the news? It can't be, can it? After years of making Target a destination of choice, not just for myself but many Canadians who head across the border in search of selection and deals, Target is coming to Canada!!

That's right, my bloggy-friends south of the 49th, Target does not exist in Canada. {Insert shocked gasp here} We have a significantly less-popular, similar department store called Zellars. Personally, I like shopping at Zellars. I spent the majority of my life in towns where this was the ONLY department store. The stores were well looked after, clean and had great selection. Over the years, I came to realize that not all their stores are quite so nice. I have to admit, I am a little happy-sad. I was hoping Zellars was reinventing themselves as the hip, Canadian version of Target.

Not so. According to CTV.ca, Target purchased 220 Zellars locations and stores will start opening in 2013.

All this Savvy Homegirl has to say is "hurry up and get here"!! Just make sure you keep the awesome, discount Jules & Julia jewelry line carried by Zellars (that's my secret to great, value-priced accessories).

You never know what you'll find in a junk drawer (cupboard)

2011-01-09T20:32:00.000-05:00

I found it! Well, perhaps it found me. I have been looking for this drill charger for a year. That's TWELVE months! 12 months without a drill. Well, actually, it was 9 months, then bf was kind enough to lend me his. Regardless, what kind of Savvy Homegirl loses her drill charger and isn't in such dire need of finding it over the course of the 9 months its missing that she has to get another one?!

Obviously, one that is too busy to be very savvy about her home. I definitely could have used my drill on multiple occasions, but I managed with a screwdriver. I am SOOOOO happy it's back though! You know when you misplace something, you know it can not be far away, but you can not find it anywhere? I was going insane unable to locate this charger.

I was looking for this IKEA hook that Hip House Girl blogged about when I discovered the charger buried in my junk cupboard. {Eeek - yes, cupboard. See here for more.} Needless to say, I didn't find the hook. I needed my drill to screw it into the wall anyway. First things first! Ha!

Rake Leaves in the Fall? That's One Option...

2011-01-04T16:15:00.003-05:00

Back in late October, I spent the waning daylight hours after work one evening raking leaves. My neighbour was kind enough to lend me his leaf blower, making the job significantly easier, but after over an hour and 10 bags, I was out of light and bags.

Over the next two weeks, we had nasty, rainy and windy weather. The rest of my leaves fell and there was not a nice evening or day when I was home to finish raking. So, I didn't.

Another couple of windy days and some travel out of town, and I came home to this.

It doesn't look like much, but there was nearly 1 foot of leaves in front of my side door.

A tiny part of me felt a little guilty. All my neighbours, who had so nicely tidied their lawns for fall were being subjected to the migrant leaves from my lawn. Only a tiny bit, though. I wasn't going to rake them in the rain, after all.

Fast forward 6 more weeks. After a deep-freeze, snow, unseasonably warm weather, rain and then cold again, I finally got back out there on Monday and raked these suckers up. There is something wrong about raking leaves in January, in your winter coat and toque. I'm sure my neighbours had a good laugh, but nevertheless, the leaves are gone!

Craft Room Makeover - Floorplan

2011-01-02T22:29:00.001-05:00

Here is (finally) a (long, overdue) update on the craft room project.

We have nearly completed Mini-Project #2. The spikes are gone and we're progressing on the drywall. It only took three months to finally get back to it! The past few days haven't been without many learning opportunities either! Watch soon for a guest post, sharing all the ~~pain~~ fun of what we thought would be just a 'little drywall project'.

In the meantime, I've been playing around with Floorplanner.com with some craft room layouts. At first, I found this to be a fidgety program to work with, and I had trouble figuring out some of the features. I never loved geometry, however, and graph paper and I just don't get along, so I decided to try the program out again.

After some playing, here's what I've come up with, both with the 2D and 3D views.

Since my room is not very big, I plan to use the wall space next to the door for a large bookcase, for totes or books, then the old closet area will have a work bench, with shelves above for totes and craft supplies. A round table will give me room to work, from any side, and also act as a makeshift desk, if I feel like doing 'work'. I found I barely used this room as an office when it was set up as one, so I doubt this will be often anyway.

You can't see it in either image, but there is a screen in front of the patio door. There is a photo of Domino magazine's Style Director, Dara Caponigro's home office in the Domino book, in which she's used a folding screen next to a window. Seeing this, I realized this would be a great way to screen out the patio window, for a cozier room when I wished. There's more great suggestions for using a screen in this post at The Interior Perspective.

The day bed on the left is the IKEA single futon I currently have. It's similar to this one, currently available from IKEA, but mine is plain white.

I'd like to pull it out, and load it up with cushions, since it's impractical and uncomfortable to sit on as a chair. If this doesn't work, it will go to Kijiji, because it doesn't fit anywhere else in my house.

So, I'm curious. Any suggestions? Also, if you've done a floorplan before, what tools have you used?

Resolutions-smesolutions

2010-12-31T12:05:00.000-05:00

About now, I thought I'd be overloaded with 2011 New Years resolutions from the blogosphere. Funny enough, most of the bloggers I follow seem to be avoiding resolutions as devoutly as I am. I went back to last year, to find I didn't post any resolutions, but a decade in review instead. Maybe the fact I didn't make any, explains why I didn't get much done on the house.

I can't beat myself up too hard. I worked (at my paying job) too much this year. However, I did manage to put a garden in.

I redecorated my old bedroom in my parents' farmhouse.

Bought a car AND a lawn mower.

Canned for the first time - tomato sauce and (super yummy) salsa.

I thought about what I could do this year, instead of resolutions and all I could come up with was a year in review. Maybe post something of significance in every month of 2010. It should be easy. I feel 2010 was a great year. However, I don't want to bore you with minor details that have zero house relevance and may be truly, uninteresting to anyone but myself.

Instead, I'm going to post a "To-Do" list for 2011. You could call these resolutions, but no one keeps resolutions. Myself, included. I have had these things on my brain for a while, and in 2011, I want to get them done.

Open a tax--free savings account. Close my credit union account that is inconvenient and not generating any more interest than any other account would.
Blog more. 2-4x week, minimum.
Start running again.
Finish the craft room.
Organize all my craft stuff in the craft room.
Tidy up the backyard garden area.
Clean out the garage.
Clean out/organize the basement.
Paint the kitchen cupboards white.
Put some wall art in my bedroom.
Add to the living room photo gallery.

There you have it. It's not too long. There's a few "gimme's", that I can hopefully knock of fast and easy. Others will be a stretch.

Now, I'll leave you with a little sneak-peak of our New Year's Eve plans.

Happy New Year!!!

A Wonderfully, Happy, Christmas

2010-12-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

Last night, bf and I watched "Love Actually". It was the perfect 'end' so-to-speak to what was about as close to a perfect Christmas as you could get. Four days of lounging, family, turkey dinners and sweets, lots of sharing, gift-giving and of course, love. Wow, I sound so mushy.

"Love is all around us, c'mon and let it grow."

In 27 years, this Christmas ranked up there as being one of the best. We truly enjoyed every moment spent with our families. There was lots of catching up, lots of laughter and lots of moments we wished wouldn't end.

I spoiled everyone with gifts and didn't care what I received in return. I relished in the sheer joy of giving the people I love the most, gifts that made them really happy. I am blessed to have such wonderful family and good fortune to eat until our bellies are full. And in the true spirit of the season, I witnessed old quarrels forgiven and relationships mended.

Now, with all that mushiness, it seems so superficial to tell you about the wonderful gifts I received. I have to share though, because I have been unable to put these 2 amazing books down since the moment I ripped off the paper (or cereal box in the case of my sneaky cousin).

Bakerella's Cake Pops book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How thoughtful was bf? He knew I read her blog and have attempted these tasty treats occasionally. He was even aware that Bakerella was in Toronto doing signings earlier in December, but we were out of town. Even if I never muster the energy to tackle cake pops again (they are a lot of work), I love every bit of this book. It is jam-packed with tips, like why not try making 12 the first time, instead of 48! Don't try to dip frozen cake pops in candy. Wow, wish I'd seen both of those tips the first time!

Also, bf spoiled me with a hammock. In the summer, I was longing for a hammock for my backyard. Now I have one to hang from my tree!

Book # 2?

Domino Book of Decorating of course!

I love it. I love every bit of this book, and I could just flip through it for hours on end. If I weren't so scared to mess it up, I'd have dog-eared half the pages by now. I admit, I'm not even a talented decorator, but I marvel at how the books has captured hundreds of simple ideas and made them look House & Home-worthy. It will be a fixture on my coffee table, possibly forever.

I truly hope my readers had an joyous and wonderful Christmas too. Congrats to Micaela over at Five Blondes on her new, baby boy! What a perfect Christmas gift!

All I Want for Christmas

2010-12-24T08:33:00.002-05:00

1 most sleep and here's what I'm hoping will be under my tree tomorrow:

For my reading (and drooling) pleasure...

For the techie in me that hopes this savvy gadget will also improve my efficiency, not to mention keep me connected to the Internet ALL THE TIME...

For the Julia Child in me...

For the girl that dreams...

For the practical side (that's a humidifier)....

Wordless Wednesday: One of these things just didn't belong here

2010-12-22T19:07:00.000-05:00

Wreathed Up With You (and a random recipe)

2010-12-20T23:22:00.000-05:00

Check these out! After seeing my wreath, a co-worker was inspired to create her own beautiful creation. And not just one, but two!

She sent me these photos, and I had to share them with you. Aren't they beautiful?!

LOVE them!!

On a completely separate note, I've been trying to find THE recipe for cabbage & ramen noodle (aka Mr. Noodles) salad. Poor bf has been eating cabbage salad every night for dinner, but I finally found the right recipe tonight here. Actually, I should clarify, I was looking for the right dressing. The salad is pretty standard - cabbage, sunflower seeds and/or almonds, and Mr. Noodles. The key to the dressing is found in one of the comments on the recipe - rice wine vinegar and sesame oil and not too much sugar (you can always add more). YUM! Bf cleaned out the bowl!!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

2010-12-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how after 3 weeks away, a cinnamon candle, some pine boughs and a $12 artificial tree can put you right in the holiday spirit!

The first thing I did last week (after laundry) was pull out my Christmas totes and haul out the decorations. Strangely, it seemed there were more than I recalled putting away last year. I guess that's what happens when you scour the post-Christmas clear-out aisle.

I did not end up buying a tree four weeks ago as I'd once planned, and luckily so, because it turns out I bought one last year!!! For $12!!! What a deal!!

You can see, I even had help to assemble it.

I also acquired a lifetime supply of Christmas balls. But for these, I had a plan.

So, I set to work on a rainy day this past weekend (yes, I said rainy) putting up my little tree, stringing boughs along my mantle and decking the halls where they needed to be decked. My naked-looking home finally got a strand of lights on the front tree, and my mood started to feel all-the-more festive. Unable to meet up with my parents to do a little Santa-gift-handoff, bf even took it upon himself to assemble the little, pink "wagie" a.k.a. wagon, for my niece.

Meanwhile, I made good work of the Christmas balls I'd bought on clearance last Christmas. I saw a wreath in a magazine years back, made entirely of balls on a styrofoam ring. I filled a tub with balls, plugged in my glue gun and one "Home Alone" movie-later, I had a Christmas wreath for my door.

The best part? The balls reflect the lights outside, so while I may have fewer lights this year, my house still seems just as bright!

I'm Home (finally)!!

2010-12-09T20:43:00.001-05:00

I can not believe how long it's been! Did you miss me? I missed all of you! I have been traveling for the past three weeks for work. Typically, I find some time to blog on the road, but my schedule the past three weeks just did not allow it. I feel like I've missed so much in the blogosphere, because I haven't even kept up with my fav bloggers. Luckily, the weekend is right around the corner!

Here's a little snacklet of what I've been up to:

Kept warm under a foot of snow in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Enjoyed the view inside & out of the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C. I managed to bring the snow from Regina to Victoria, which doesn't typically get snow.

Random fact: REAL mozzarella cheese is made with water buffalo milk. This farm in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island is one of only a handful of farms in Canada.

Festival of Trees in the Fairmont Empress Hotel. What a festive place to hang out! There were some beautiful trees. The festival attracts people from the city to vote for their favourite and raises money for the Children's Hospital in Vancouver.

Wholly mammoth sighting at the Royal B.C. Museum.

Made a book.

Had the pleasure to hear Robert Herjavac, Hayley Wickenheiser, Darci Lang (excellent message) & Jim Craig (goalie of the 1980 U.S. Olympic "Miracle" hockey team) tell their stories. Photos courtesy of ABC Medianet and Canada Olympic Park.

Toured 4 John Deere factories in 2 days.

Experienced Austin, TX and all the nightlife it has to offer. Photo courtesy of Marriott Austin.

Finally, what's a Christmas "T" party with friends without a troll?!

"Do You Have an Infestation?" The lady asks.

2010-11-15T16:30:00.017-05:00

Let me assure you; you never want to be asked this question. I was faced with a horrible reality today, forced to answer that question not once, not even twice, but three times.
It started out when I told a co-worker I thought my cats had fleas.

"Do you have an infestation?" She asked.

I hadn't thought about it that way. I only really discovered the problem a few nights ago, and I thought it was manageable and I could treat my cats later in the week. Several discussions later, I was convinced I would have a home crawling with critters if I didn't attend to this immediately.

I proceeded to tell my boss I would be working from home for the afternoon. "My cats have fleas. I need to deal with it before my house is overrun." His response? When he stopped laughing, he agreed. "You don't want to bring them to work," he said.

So, I set out for home, stopping at a vet clinic along the way for 'over-the-counter' flea treatment.

"Do you have an infestation?" Asked the receptionist.

I explained my cats had fleas, and I wanted to deal with it now before it got out of control. Turns out 'over-the-counter' flea medication doesn't exist. You have to make an appointment, so they can prescribe it. PRESCIBE IT! Appointment?! I don't need a diagnosis here. I know they have fleas!! I saw one. It jumped on me! Sorry! I didn't warn you the gross part was coming.

I went to the pet store. After reading the label of every flea and tick product on the shelf, I asked an associate's opinion.

"Do you have an infestation?"

WHY DOES EVERYONE ASK THAT? I have fleas on my cats! I hope it's not an infestation, but they're there! They've likely left eggs and gross, little baby fleas all over! Okay, yes! I have an infestation! Are you happy now?! I have a disgusting, flea infestation thanks to my outdoors-loving cats and I've admitted it!!

Snap back out of my imaginary response. Yes, I guess I do. "You need to go to the vet and get a prescription for Advantage. It works far better than any product we have."

Right, I thought. I purchased some flea control shampoo, gels and headed out the door to spend the rest of the day vacuuming, bathing, washing linens, more vacuuming and more washing curtains. I then sprayed every unwashable surface with vinegar and water and sprinkled salt on my rug (both home remedies I saw online). I hope this temporary solution will indeed get most of the fleas, however I do have a backup plan I know will work if needed albeit a tad redneck.

Now, if only I'd taken some video of bathing the cats. You've never heard an animal make such a wretched noise!

Have you ever had to treat pets for fleas? Any suggestions?

WW Flub-up

2010-11-11T01:35:00.002-05:00

My blogging attempt is becoming poorer by the week. Yes, that's right; I used poorer as a word. Wordless Wednesday should be the easiest post ever. It's quite simple:

Find a photo.
Post it on Wednesday.

Helpful Tip #1: Make sure you schedule it for the correct date. Otherwise, you have "Wordless Some-Day-Next-Week".

Oops. It's up now. Only 1 hour late for Wednesdsay. Look down.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T09:35:00.000-05:00

Make Over My Kitchen? Yes, Please!

2010-11-08T21:31:00.001-05:00

I entered the Home Hardware Dream Kitchen Makeover this weekend. You may be familiar with the contest. Anna Olson has been promoting it on TV for weeks now.

I am not sure if I've staked my claim to Home Hardware in the past, but I prefer it over Home Depot. There is a convenience factor; there is a store around the corner. My store is definitely not a big box store. The selection is limited, but that doesn't bother me, because they're helpful. It's a novel concept. A DIY store that has knowledgeable people to assist.

Nothing drives me crazier than asking for an opinion or help and getting "I don't know." Even worse, is when you can see the associate is frantically looking for the information to appear out of the air, in order to provide what might, by some meager attempt, seem like advice. My questions aren't even hard! I'm only doing minor maintenance and repair. The Home Hardware folks have never let me down with their assistance.

Naturally, all this talk about helpful 'Home'owners has me thinking about the kitchen they could install for this homegirl. A little dreaming never hurts right?

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. I love white kitchens. I love these snazzy drawer organizers too. This would take care of the hideous mess of a spice cupboard I have today.

I would be more likely to choose the Stratford-style cabinets. This style has that cottage-like look I absolutely love.

Here's a similar style, a la Ikea. Oooohh and that sink...

I would opt for chalkboard paint on a pantry door, however, just to mix it up a little.

For my sink, I love this Moen faucet with the pull down wand and Granitek double sink.

How about this beautiful corner buffet from Home Furniture? Wouldn't it be beautiful, loaded with cobalt blue china? I guess it's extraneous I don't have a corner to put it in.

Or perhaps, this distressed buffet and a rustic brown harvest table? Home Furniture has some beautiful pieces. They have an exhibit at the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo every fall, and I usually have to stop myself from drooling on the kitchen sets!

Check out this set, saved in my 'Inspiration Binder' from their catalog a few years back. Mmmm. Love.

Now all I need is Home Hardware to pick my entry, and my sad kitchen can be transformed!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T16:28:00.000-04:00

The Bell Tolls - A Rant

2010-10-29T21:43:00.000-04:00

I finally told them off. I couldn't handle it anymore. It started with politely listening to their spiel, honestly interested in the deal they were offering. I would keenly ask questions and ask for time to consider the offer. After some consideration, I decided to stay with my current cable company. Afterall, I'm happy with their service and while Bell may have a great deal on the table today, would it really be worth the hassle to switch?

What ensued has been MONTHS of phone calls. At least weekly, at 6:30PM, they would call. Sometimes, they would call on Saturday mornings or afternoons. My politeness grew increasingly impatient. I started hanging up if there wasn't an immediate response. Then tonight, I (calmly) lost it.

6:28PM. Phone rings.
SH: Hello?
Pause. Consider hanging up.
SH: Hello.
Bell: Hello maam, my name is Peter. How are you tonight?
SH: I'm fine, but I'm not interested in talking. Click.

Wow! That felt good!!!!! I felt a tiny, surge of guilt next for hanging up. How rude, I thought. They probably talk about people like me at the call centre. What a bitch.

I went back to chopping lettuce for my salad.

6:35PM. Phone rings.
SH: Hello?
Pause. Hang up.
Did they call back to tell me how rude I was to hang up?

6:41PM. Phone rings.
SH: Pause. Hello?
Bell: Hello maam, my name is Ryan. How are you tonight.
SH: I'm fine. How are you?
Bell: Good maam. Thanks for asking. I'm calling on behalf of Bell Canada.
SH: I know you are. You just called me, and then you called 5 minutes before that. You call me every week. I'm not interested in talking. I'm not interested in whatever offer you have on right now, and I'm not interested in switching companies.
Bell: May I ask why you are not interested.
SH: I'm happy with my current company. I'm not interested in the hassle, and frankly, you call me every week despite the fact I've told you I'm not interested. Please take me off your call list and don't call me again.
Bell: Thank you maam.
Click.

Hopefully that's the end of that. Sorry about the rant.

Wordless Wednesday: Lantern Longing

2010-10-27T22:22:00.001-04:00

Photo Credit: Young House Love

Savvy Homegirl = Selling Homegirl?

2010-10-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

Much to my surprise, my recent interest in all things exterior seems to have raised some eyebrows around my neighbourhood. It did occur to me when I was sanding, scraping and painting, there were probably a few neighbours peering from behind their curtains with curiousity. At that point though, I thought they were probably ~~gawking~~ studying quizzically at my odd colour choice, which has absolutely grown on me, but is still very similar to the siding.

This past weekend, the weather finally cooperated (somewhat), I had some free time and bf's pressure washer to wash the siding. A few of you suggested waiting until spring, and I seriously considered. Afterall, this fall seems to be busier than any (note the lack of blogging as of late), but the grimy siding and bug guts were getting to me. Another winter of grimy siding would no doubt mean an even tougher cleaning job in the spring.

Mid-way through the task, my neighbour came over to ask if I was selling my house. Apparently, the painting and washing seemed out-of-ordinary. Despite what it seemed, I really just wanted things to look tidy again. Which, they do. Especially by the side door. Remember all those bugs? After a quick scrub, the siding looks white as snow. The neighbours might not notice, but I sure feel better coming home each night!

Can you tell the difference? Before:

After: Pay especially close attention to the top of the wall, near the overhang. That is not a shadow in top photo.

"That Was Easy"

2010-10-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

I recently received a Staples "easy button' as a gift. I find myself quoting it regularly. Not regularly enough unfortunately, but when it came time to complete my fall to-do list, here we go:

That was easy.

Almost, all done! A warm Sunday morning, a committed Sunday evening, and a sunny Saturday afternoon was all it took to knock most of these babies off the list.

~~Tidy front flowerbed, plant 1-2 mums~~
~~Paint exterior window frames and untreated wood~~
~~Clean behind stove~~
~~Wash kitchen floor~~
Wash siding

The only chore outstanding? Washing the siding. I don't know if I'll do this or not. For 2 reasons:

1) I think this would be WAY easier with a pressure washer, than a garden hose. I don't own a pressure washer and I don't plan to rent or buy one.

2) Does it make sense to do this now or should I just wait until spring.

Ultimately, one more good weekend and I could get this job done. By then, I'll also be raking leaves and cleaning out eaves troughs, so logically that would be a better time to wash my siding anyway. I have yet to clean out my eaves without getting yuck leaves all over the side of my house. It just hasn't happened. So, I guess I just added to my list, huh?

Here we go:

Wash siding
Clean eaves troughs
Rake leaves
Pull up dahlia bulbs
Plant & mulch mums

Now, for that nice weekend.....

Colour Me... Matching?

2010-10-11T18:22:00.002-04:00

One of the chores on my fall to-do list was painting the window trim outside my house. For some of my windows, this was a long-overdue task. It seems like the spare bedroom window frame has been peeling almost since the day I moved in.

We have had so much rain this fall, I was certain this was not going to get done. So, when the forecast looked to turn warm and sunny and Home Depot put a $7 rebate on gallons of paint, I skipped my way down to the store and picked up the paint. I eagerly awaited all week, brush in hand, for both the weather and my schedule to clear. Friday evening, I set to work with the scraper and sandpaper and Saturday, bf and I tackled the windows.

Here are a couple of 'before' pictures of the front of the house.

This first picture is from fall 2008.

Here is a close up of the window and door frames.

I had fretted only briefly over the paint colour. Almost a tint of the green, mossy colour on my doors, I was certain Lexington Park would look fabulous. We started to paint, and soon after, I stepped back to admire our work....

Fall 2010: After painting all the window and door frames.

'Oh... Gasp!' Were I think the words out of my mouth. The paint was almost the exact same colour as my siding. Although the colour above looks unfortunately close to the 'before' photo, I can assure you the paint is much lighter.

Bf likes it and thinks the house looks cleaner. I'm undecided. I love bright, bold colours, so I'm mildly taken aback by how much this colour blends into the siding. At the same time, I was tired of the sandy-brown colour that was there and just like the change.

What do you think?

When it stops raining (yes, it's raining again), I'll snap another from the same angle as the first and post it as well for a better comparison.

Buggy Anyone?

2010-10-08T07:10:00.000-04:00

Oh my bugs!! They are everywhere! And there are so many of them!!

Has anyone else noticed there to be significantly more bugs around this year? Is this just me? Perhaps, my house is abnormally attracting them this year?

I just can not believe the spider webs and bugs outside my door. I've swept these down nearly once a week now, and it seems like they are back the next day! I know they're not harming anything, and I'm not one of those 'ew, yuck, bugs' people, but honestly, they're starting to annoy me. Just. because. they're. there.

This is leading me to wonder if washing my siding is even worth the effort?

There's my bug rant.

Wordless Wednesday: Tucked-in Tomatoes

2010-10-06T19:08:00.000-04:00

Tomato Canning Adventures Continue!

2010-10-03T21:08:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, this post should be about my craft room reno, but we have reached a stalemate with the spikes, and my travel schedule the past 2 weeks. When I have had time at home, I've spent it experimenting with more canning recipes... all with tomatoes.

After my first adventure, I was committed to putting my new canner to more use. Not only that, but I was a little disappointed with the result; 3 cans of tomato sauce was NOT going to last the winter!

After a week of sunny weather, the tomatoes left in my garden still had not ripened, so I purchased half a bushel of roma tomatoes from a local farm market for $8. I immediately whipped up a batch of tomato sauce, using the same recipe as last time. My home once again filled with the sweet aroma of boiled tomatoes, cinnamon and nutmeg. A few hours later, and I had several quart jars of sauce.

A few days later, with the remaining tomatoes quickly being devoured by time and my cat (she ate at least a quart), I decided to try my own salsa. I know salsa is easy to make, but having never tried a canned salsa before, I wasn't sure how many jalepenos or hot peppers to use. Bf and I had picked up fresh, Ontario hot peppers when we bought the tomatoes, and now I had five at my disposal. Hold your giggle; I didn't use all 5! I snipped the tip off one, and deciding it was pleasantly warm, chopped it up and threw it in. A few slices of pickled jalepeno and my home was beginning to smell like the local Mexican cafe we love.

I cruised around the internet and ended up with a combination recipe from several websites.

Savvy Homegirl's Salsa Recipe
10lbs (approx) tomatoes
2 C green peppers
3 large onions
1 hot pepper
3 slices of jalepeno
3 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp chile pepper
5 garlic cloves minced or pressed
3/4 C vinegar

Boil the tomatoes until the skins split, then submerse in cold water and remove the skins. Puree half the tomatoes in a blender and heat in large stock pot on the stove. Chop remainder of tomatoes into quarters, sixths or eights depending on size. Finely chop remaining veggies, press garlic and add all veggies and spices to the pot. Add vinegar, stir and bring pot to a boil.

I know I could've got away without using my canner to seal my salsa jars, however the canner worked well to sterilize my jars before filling them. Especially since it seemed like I started the salsa while my dishwasher was mid-wash, and I had not thought to put the jars in it.

The result? 14 jars of salsa with just enough heat to spice up your nachos, but not enough to make you sweat. I also had just enough tomatoes left for a pot of homemade tomato soup. Paired with Sobey's new Swiss Multigrain Bread, and you have a scrumptious fall lunch!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T07:51:00.000-04:00

Living on a Prayer

2010-09-24T16:38:00.001-04:00

Thus far, this has been a beautiful, fall week. The weather has been warm and (mostly) sunny, and I love spending as much time as I can outside before the temperature turns cold for good. Well, not for good, but sometimes 6 months of winter in Canada feels like it's for good.
Anyway, despite the warm weather, this time of year always leads me to think of winter... which leads me to think of my furnace.

My furnace is old. I don't mean a little old. I mean call-the-museum-and-document-its- existence-for-the-archives OLD. It's nearly 40. In dog years, that's 280. Or something like that. Regardless, the life expectancy of a furnace purchased today is only about 30 years. Figures.

So, it's usually about this time of year I start to think about getting my furnace serviced, since I never got around to it in the spring. This leads me to wonder if this will be the year it quits. I also can't help but notice how many leaflets and advertisements there are out there for new heating and air conditioning units. What's a good deal? Should I buy now, and avoid the headache of it quitting mid-February when I'm out of town and it's -32? Do I want to drop $3000 on a new furnace right now?

Inevitably, the answer to the last question is always 'no', so I've never really investigated this any further. At the lunch table at work the other day, I mentioned this and there was unanimous agreement. "Don't replace it, if it's not broke." Makes sense. Nevertheless, my 'rainy day fund' is growing, and again this winter, I won't be touching it in case this is the year I need to make the call.

Has anyone else gone through this upgrade? What did it cost? Any recommendations?

Summer Turns to Fall

2010-09-21T08:06:00.003-04:00

It seems incredibly wrong I am blogging my bucket list wrap up, followed by my fall "to-do" list, yet absolutely appropriate for the first day of fall tomorrow. What happened to summer?

Anyway, I don't think I fared too poorly with my bucket list. I'm a little disappointed I didn't make it to the Elora Gorge, but I didn't drive by there near as often as in past summers either.

Go tubing down the Grand River and the Elora Gorge Next year maybe!

Get a hammock and put it in my backyard. Also didn't happen, but I'm ok with the money in my pocket, rather than my back yard. Nevertheless, I think bf did some secret hunting for one....

~~Go antiquing with my girlfriends~~

~~Lay on the beach for a day~~ We spent a good half-day laying in Lincoln Park when we were Chicago a few weeks ago. I'm taking that for the beach. There was one, close by, but the park was far warmer!
~~Go camping (in a tent~~ Brownie Camp counts, right?

Fall isn't the only season that crept up on me. Fall fair season was in full-gear, before I'd even realized I needed to at least find a prize list if I was to enter.

Enter crafts, baking and/or flowers in a local fall fair Next year, for sure!

~~Jet boat in the Niagara River~~
~~Stop at Grasshopper Imports on Hwy #6.~~

Knocked the next 2 off also while we were on holidays a few weeks ago; we hit up the Lincoln Park Zoo, then Duff's on the way home from the airport!

~~Go to the zoo~~
~~Go to Duff's for wings~~

Run a 10km race Maybe next year!

Bonus points:

Went to Ribfest and the Greek Festival. Both events I've wanted to attend since moving to the area, and I finally got the chance!

8/11 - Not bad, but I have always tried to aim for 80%, so I'll have to do better next year!

Next order of business, the fall "TO DO" list.

Tidy front flowerbed, plant 1-2 mums
Paint exterior window frames and untreated wood
Clean behind stove
Wash kitchen floor
Wash siding

It's not a big list, but let's keep in mind I am planning to have my craft room done by Christmas also! If I can get this all done, I'll feel more prepared for winter than I have since I moved into my home 3 years ago.

Savvy Homegirl's Canning Adventure - Tomato Sauce

2010-09-16T20:55:00.000-04:00

From the very begginning of spring, I planned to make tomato sauce with my garden tomatos. I love homemade tomato sauce, and putting this away for winter only made sense.

Since I've never canned, I checked out some recipes recommended for doing so. Secretly, I thought I'd be making a grand Bolognese, until I read it's better to limit the recipe to tomatos and spices, because other vegetables will alter the pH. I experimented with a few recipes, making a few small batches, before finding this super yummy recipe at Canadian Gardening.

It makes a HUGE batch, and I didn't have near enough tomatoes for the full recipe. I ended up quartering it, using fresh basil and parsley, and it turned out absolutely delish. I cooked the sauce on Sunday then put it in the fridge to can this week.

Despite getting home late from work, I was determined to can the sauce last night. Like I said, it wasn't a huge batch, and I only had about 3-4 pint jars worth to do. I didn't own a canner, but I thought for small jars, I could likely get away with using a stockpot on my stove.

This is where I wished had learned by now to do my research BEFORE I start a project, instead of simultaneously. With the sauce ~~reheating~~ reheated on the stove, my lids sitting in hot water in the sink and jars hot in the dishwasher, I turned my stockpot water on to boil and prepared to spoon my sauce into my jars.

Then I realized it. I didn't have a rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot. Did this matter? Do I need a rack? What if the jars sit on the bottom? I couldn't find a website advising a rack WASN'T needed, and I couldn't find anything to substitute for a rack. Panic set in. I turned all the burners off, grabbed my keys and headed to the only place I could think of that would have a rack at 9:30 PM. Wal-Mart. ick.

The whole drive to the store and back, a little voice repeatedly told me how stupid it was that I didn't do more research on this BEFORE starting the process (for a second time). Planning to just by a rack that could sit in the bottom of my pot, I ended up with an entire canner. At $16.97, I decided to go for it.

Arriving back home, I poured 4 inches of water in my new canner, put the glass jars back in hot water, pulled one out, dropped a 1 Tbsp of lemon juice in the jar and started spooning in the tomato sauce. At that point, I began questioning my IQ for a second time. The 'pop lids' were too big. I bought the size too big. I bought them Sunday! Why didn't I check this out before tonight?!

Thoroughly defeated, I put an old lid on one of the jars and put it in the freezer. I poured the remainder of the sauce back in my bowl and returned the bowl to the fridge. So now I have enough for 2 bottles of sauce. Yes, TWO. I bought a canner for 2 jars of tomato sauce. They're not even quart jars, they're pints. I think I'm going to have to make a lot more tomato sauce to justify this purchase.

Especially, since my mom told me after I could've heated up my jars, poured the hot sauce into them, put the seal on and it would've sealed on its own. Of course, your seals have to fit first... All my research also said NOT to do this, because you always run the risk of the jars spoiling if they're not sterilized or the food isn't hot enough.

So, for the second night in a row, I put my sauce back on the stove tonight to heat up. It was overkill, but I put the water canner on also, heated my jars in hot water in the sink, poured in my sauce, put the lids on and put them in the canner. They sealed in ten minutes. 2 jars in a 6-jar canner is totally overkill, but all in all, it was a good practice run for a bigger batch next time.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T06:58:00.002-04:00

Craft Room Makeover - The Project Plan

2010-09-10T21:26:00.001-04:00

I have begun. I started the craft room makeover before going on holidays. I even got a post up about it.

I decided, however, the only way I can ever hope to finish this whole big project is if I break it into manageable pieces. Small successes motivate bigger ambitions, right? Well, it sounds good to me anyway.

Enter, the "Mini-Projects", MP for short. I will procrastinate until Christmas, if I don't start making progress on this room. Not to mention, I have Girl Guide craft supplies, a sewing machine, scrapbook boxes and decor ideas all ready to move into a new home.

To the best of my knowledge, there is some sequential order required for the majority of the MPs. Otherwise, I would've painted the walls already and still not have the closet done.

~~MP #1 - Repair ceiling from leaking roof.~~
MP #2 - Remove 2x4's & spikes, drywall old closet.
MP #3 - Paint ceiling
MP #4 - Paint walls
MP #5 - Paint closet
MP #6 - Install closet shelving and work table
MP #7 - Layout furniture
MP #8 - Decorate
MP #9 - Move-in day
MP#10 - TIME TO GET MESSY!! Completion Goal: December 1, 2010

I have just eleven weeks to complete all nine mini-projects. This should easily be enough time, but I will have to commit to putting as much of my spare time into this as possible. Especially, since the fall is typically my busiest season at work, and I'll be busy with a new Girl Guide unit also.

MP #2 is definitely the hardest on this list. Who uses spikes like this to hold a couple 2x4's in place!!

With a couple good weekends ahead of me, I am aiming to have MP #2 complete by September 26. This will give me another month to paint, yet another to decorate and move everything back into the room. Hopefully, I'll also get to sorting and tossing also- why do I need old textbooks anyway?

I can feel the excitement already of sharing the finished room with you! I have so many ideas, I can barely contain them. Now, to just get started on that closet....

Vacation on a Semi-Budget

2010-09-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

After what seems like weeks of holidays, I am back. Wow! Amazing how your brain takes holiday literally, and shuts down to absolutely everything that resembles responsible work. House work. Pampered Chef work. Blog work. Work-work. If it didn't equal relaxing, and it involved a computer, I was nowhere to be found. Unfair for you, but it was an excellent refresher nonetheless. I spend so much time at my computer lately in the office, I was in serious need of recharge.

Recharge was exactly what I did with not one, but 2 holidays! Well, maybe it was more like 1 + 1/2 + a wedding. Nevertheless, I feel happier and I'm more focused.

I did feel a little bad about leaving you in the dark for over a week, so I copped the "Wordless Wednesday" idea from Hip House Girl last week and gave you a little sneak-peak to vacation #1.

Any guesses?

Here are a few more hints...

One more maybe....

Chicago is hands-down a beautiful city. Young and virtually first-timers (bf had visited once for a day), we easily navigated the transit system, took in the major landmarks and managed to find several vantage points for the beautiful skyline. We also managed to do it all on a pretty reasonable budget, which if we'd tried, we could've slimmed down even further.

Planning your own budget-friendly vacation? Check out these tips to make the most of your time and money!

Start with user-review travel websites. TripAdvisor has a Chicago City Guide, packed with user recommendations for hotels, food and attractions. It also has great tips for visiting, ie. wear good shoes. Budget-travellers will also appreciate their "Top Value" picks - 'a great deal for the price, as judged by millions of travellers'.
Flying? Check airline websites in the late evening for the best deals. I also read once that flights are cheapest on Tuesday. I don't know if it's true, but we did find a great Southwest deal on a Tuesday night. I also follow airlines on Twitter and check their recent tweets. Some, like Porter and Air Canada tweet discount codes for their followers.
Buy a transit pass. We paid $15 each for a 3-day pass in Chicago. At $2.75 per regular ride, we made this investment back within the first 24 hours, jumping on and off trains and buses to see the city.
If the city has a good transit system, consider staying further from downtown. Yes, we had a 20 minute train ride each morning, but we paid almost half of what we would have for a downtown hotel and the hotel shuttle picked us up from the train every evening.*
Bring a water bottle. We refilled ours at least 6 times a day, which not only kept us hydrated but left a few dollars for a cold beer every day!
Ask the locals. It's a no-brainer, but we scored an awesome view of the skyline and fireworks this way. We were also saved from the John Hancock Tower tourist trap and enjoyed the view over a cocktail in the 95th floor lounge instead!
Sign up for Groupon or Clickedon as soon as you know your destination. You never know what kind of deal you'll get. Also, many cities offer a 'city pass' of some type. For a cost, you gain discounted access to the main tourist spots.
Don't forget the Free! You don't have to spend money to have a good time. Parks, architecture, skylines - all free. We spent an entire afternoon lounging in a waterfront park. Chicago's free Lincoln Park Zoo is also totally worth a visit.

* Be sure to read several hotel reviews to be sure you know what you're booking if you do this. You usually get what you pay for in a hotel, so cheaper may not only mean away off the beaten path, but literally in the backwoods. Take the good, the bad and the downright ugly reviews into consideration. If the worst review is true will you still have a good time?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-01T22:51:00.000-04:00

MP #1: Repairing water-damaged drywall

2010-08-27T22:48:00.000-04:00

I officially started the craft room makeover. FINALLY. I've broken this entire daunting makeover into "Mini-Projects" (more to come later) and the first is done! One down, many more to go!

Mini-Project #1: Fix the ceiling drywall, damaged by the leaking roof last summer.

Water build-up from my leaking roof, eventually soaked
through my ceiling drywall, causing it to split on the seam
and fall in. There was a lot of loose drywall to scrape off
before I could begin the repair.

I'm embarrassed to admit it took me a year to fix this. May I never leave something this long again. I'm not sure why I put this off so long. It turned out to be low on the handyman-toughness scale. It was also low budget. Now, that it's done I feel all the more empowered to tackle dry-walling the closet. That will be Mini-Project #2.

The correct way to fix damaged drywall, if it has a hole in it, is to cut out around the hole, then fit it with a new piece cut to match.

Unfortunately, I didn't really have a hole, but I certainly had more than just a crack or peeling tape. I seriously doubted my dad's advice that putty alone would do the job. After some research though, I decided this was going to be the easiest solution. I set to work, gobbing on putty then scraping it smooth; the whole time envisioning myself on Canada's Worst Handyman. I have to admit it took 2 tries, gobbing and sanding to get a smooth finish, but I am happy with the final result! Here is the lowdown.

Tools Used:

Drywall putty
Drywall knife
Drywall tape
Exacto knife to cut old tape and new tape
Drywall sander & paper

Steps to Repair Damaged Drywall (Not a Hole)

Scrape, chip and sand off flaking and crumbling drywall around the hole. You need a 'clean' surface to work with. Wear eye protection also.
Use drywall knife to apply putty to the hole. Scrape excess off so surface is smooth.

You can see this is still a little rough and could use some smoothing out. An even layer of putty, dried and sanded and it looked much better!

Press tape into putty and smooth out any air bubbles. Make sure all sides of the tape are set into the putty.
Putty over the tape to hide and hold in place. Smooth and scrape off excess with putty knife. Ensure tape is entirely covered. Otherwise, you won't get a smooth surface when you sand because you'll be pulling up paper.
Feather putty around the edges of patching to 'blend' with existing surface.
Allow to dry overnight.
If your putty is thick and pretty rough, use coarser sandpaper to remove excess. Change to a finer paper to finish and smooth your work.
Clean up dust.
Prime or prepare for ceiling or wall finish (paint in this case).

Strike it from the List!

2010-08-22T08:47:00.001-04:00

It was a social outing with work colleagues, but this week I went on a Whirlpool JetBoat Ride down the Niagara River! It was excellent! It was also on my bucket list! Woo hoo!

One of my co-workers has worked for the Niagara-on-the-Lake company for several years, and he treated us to a great adventure on the river. Although it's perhaps not as well known for rapids as Ottawa, the Niagara River has some of the greatest rapids in North America, ranging all the way from a Class One in size (think of water flowing over a rock) to a Class Six (illegal for rafting). We experienced everyone on the Jetboat, including some amazing Class Five rapids. This trip is not for land-lubber. You will get wet, head to toe, soaking wet. We were warned before departing, it would be like jumping in a pool. There was no exaggeration to this statement.

I was a little anxious after a friend told me the Jetboat made her nauseous. Anticipation prevailed however; I have wanted to ride the Jetboat since I moved to this area. The boat is powered by 1500 hp and travels up the river about 60 mph, so the combination of speed, spray in your face and the exhilaration of the rapids removed any chance of feeling sick. I'm so glad I went and now, I can stroke that off my list!

How is your list coming? Are you going to get through everything you hoped this summer?

FreshCo Grocery Store Review

2010-08-17T17:41:00.005-04:00

a. This post is not about my house.
b. What else is new?
c. We all eat - so it's still relevant right?

I have heard the radio commercials for weeks, probably even months. "Discount done right." Honestly though, until the flyer showed up in my mailbox last week announcing the newly opened FreshCo in town, I had not paid much attention.

Lamely, I admit, the coupon for a free grocery bag drove me to the store. I have to admit though, as a discount shopper, I was a little intrigued by the thought of an abundant selection of fresh fruits & veggies, a bakery and deli. This didn't sound like your everyday No Frills.

The newest grocery banner under the Sobey's empire replaced the Price Chopper in my town. I shopped at Price Chopper once and decided not to ever again, so I was a little speculative entering the store. This was even before my Google research verified what I experienced firsthand- this is not a re-launched discount brand. FreshCo is a spanking new brand, and in my opinion, they're positioned to give all grocery stores a run for their money.

Buying Ontario and Canadian grown fruits and veggies is most important to me. Bins full of wonderful, Ontario watermelons and cabbages greeted me at the front door. Just inside, I was met with more bins of potatos, onions, peaches and more, all grown proudly in Ontario. Impressive, I thought. Furthermore, as I walked the remainder of the aisles, I was surprised amazed at how much domestic produce and meat was available for customers to purchase. Their selection might even send Galen Weston back to the countryside for more locally grown food.

You might be asking right about now- "But wait! How can you say you care about getting cheap food AND buying local. You're a bit of a hypocrite." I guess I don't disagree. I buy local/domestic to support our farmers, but I also have to mind my budget. I put Ontario/Canadian first and regardless of price, but if I can have both, why wouldn't I?

I steered pretty clear of the 'value items', which is grocery store code for the processed-high-margin-not-necessarily-healthy foods. I rarely go down these aisles anyway, unless for canned food or cereal, but I could see the bulk pallets proclaiming cheaper prices.

All-in-all, I was impressed. The store was clean. The associates friendly, although I didn't have any questions to really test out their service. The selection, pretty good. As Arnold put it "I will be back."

And if there are more people out there like me, I think they will be too.

Check out FreshCo's handy Pack-Your-Panty, Savvy Shopping Tips and Meet Their Growers on their
website.

True Love

2010-08-13T08:40:00.003-04:00

I have fallen in love. Dirty fingernails. Damp soil. A bucket of weeds. Bliss.

I think I always kind of knew, but I only truly realized this week. I love gardening.

I like cooking. I enjoy making a wonderful meal and eating it. I like blogging. I like crafting. I like renovating and decorating. But I LOVE gardening. I could spend a whole day pulling weeds, separating, transplanting, trimming and pruning. It never gets old. I never have to make myself do it. I never regret if I spend a little extra time.

Perhaps, it's because it's so relaxing. After a long week, it's calming to sit next to a flower bed and carefully tend to its habitants. Weeds only give me further reason to spend time in my garden. I actually find weeding therapeutic. If only it were as easy as a quick jerk of the hand to rid our lives of every small annoyance. I suppose that's a little deep though, huh?

There is a real sense of accomplishment though, as you watch a garden take shape. Not only that, but the satisfaction of seeing your work grow and come to life is unmatched for me. Maybe this is why I am continually adding to my garden. The first summer in my house, I watched my neighbours build flower bed after flower bed. I joked she could stop, her house looked great, but she went into further detail about her next plans.

Now, I understand her passion. For her, it was also therapeutic. For me, an escape from the deadlines, budgets, politics and obligations.

If you need me, I'll be in my garden.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

2010-08-10T22:32:00.000-04:00

First, I have to say I have a cold. A sore throat, stuffed up, cloudy-brained head cold in the summer. How crummy is that? The answer: Very.

I'm certain air conditioning is not helping it, so I've been turning it off and sleeping with my windows open. It's so humid though, I feel like the heavy air is crushing my brain even more! Ick!

Okay, let's get back on track, shall we?

Is it just me or does anyone else seem to have the next coming of the fruit flies going on in your kitchen right now? I've been taking out my garbage more often, keeping fruit and dirty dishes off the counter, and I still seem overrun by the little guys.

I have finally managed to wrestle back control of my kitchen counter this week after I discovered this tip in MaryJanesFarm magazine (a post in itself no less):

"To get rid of fruit flies, just place a small dish containing 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing liquid on your counter."

If you want to experience the definition of "white on rice", you need to try this in your own kitchen.

Like hypnosis, the fruit flies immediately started flying into the dish. I've emptied and refilled the dish daily, and by dinner there are always more who have succumbed. I certainly understand why the vinegar works. Every time I walk into the kitchen, I have to remind myself I DON'T have a rotting bowl of fruit on my counter. If I can smell it, I am sure it is even stronger for the flies and once they get in the dish, the dish soap makes it impossible to fly back out.

Slightly tragic? Yes, maybe. Fruit fly problem? Not anymore.

You can check out more organic home care solutions and more at Home Safe Home on MaryJanesFarm.

Roofing, Sunflowers and the Racing Summer Clock

2010-08-04T20:58:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's Wednesday night already! I posted last Thursday. Now it's August. This summer is flying by incredibly fast, and I'm starting to feel a little bummed I have barely made a dent in my bucket list.

3 for 11... not so good. Hopefully the balance of the summer is more about me and less about work.

My life has been engrossed in planning a major meeting for the past week. When I wasn't cropping photos on presentation slides last weekend, I was roofing. Yes, that is correct. My Grandma, brother and uncle's houses all need a new roof this year. In appreciation for my dad, brother and uncle helping replacing my roof last year, I felt personally obligated to pitch in. We had lots of bodies, but I helped where I could, scraping old shingles off the roof and picking up the stragglers that didn't make it into the dumpster.

It was brutally hot on the roof, and I was a little sore the next day, but all-in-all, it wasn't THAT bad. I enjoyed spending the time with my family, and when I couldn't be helpful on the roof, I weeded my Grandma's flower bed.

With my meeting wrapped up and now behind me, it felt strange to come home tonight and be able to spend my evening as I pleased. I picked three more giant zucchini out of my garden and plucked the ripe cherry tomatoes off my plant. I marveled at my tomato plants. I've never seen tomatoes so large, and they're loaded with fruit. In hindsight, I really only needed 2 of these plants. Looks like I'm going to be canning tomato sauce and salsa this year!

What I was also paranoid was Giant hogweed in my garden is actually a sunflower. Of course! The seeds from last year's plants easily could've ended up in the garden. Speaking of sunflowers though... this field has caused many drivers to pull over. 2 weeks ago, I caught it in full bloom. I love how I can't help but smile when I see sunflowers.

I have this plant/weed growing in my flower bed. It has clusters of waxy-looking white flowers that turn into a black berry. I have no idea what it is. Any ideas?

How to Save Money on Your Cable / Phone / Internet

2010-07-29T19:26:00.000-04:00

After 4 years, I finally entered the 21st Century with Digital Cable. Having never watched a lot of TV, I do realize I'm now paying a premium for a few channels. Some (including my conscience) might also suggest my disposable income would be better invested in a tax-free savings account or RRSP's. For now, I'm enjoying the luxary that is HGTV, Food Network and Discovery. That works for me.

I'm actually considering my digital as a free upgrade. Hence, the subject of this post.

My July bill was $30 more expensive with no service change. I was annoyed because I thought it was HST, then annoyed when I wasn't. What can I say? I wanted to blame HST.

Customer Service explained the promotional pricing I had expired. Oh right. I thought, A year ago, I called to cancel my TV and they discounted my rates so it was essentially free.

Coincidentally, Bell has been calling ~~harassing~~ me for several weeks. If you're not a Bell customer, you know what I'm talking about. They want me to 'come back to Bell' . My interest was piqued... except they failed to notice I never left. Not only have I never been a residential customer, but to this day, I am still a corporate wireless customer. I was never there, and yet, I have never left. Confused? I guess they are too.

Anyway, I managed to copy down the details of their deal and use some aggressive tactics of my own to buy some 'thinking time'. I relayed the offer back to my current company and noted that I expect the same pricing, if not better, if I keep my services and upgrade my cable. The rest is history. My bill is still higher than it was, but I had essentially been getting cable for free, so I am okay with the increase. Not to mention, I don't have to switch companies.

So, I've seen several bloggers cover this topic, and there are lots of good tips out there if you do a quick google search. Here's my advice:

1) JUST CALL.
Call Customer Service and explain your situation or what you want. Suggest you'll have to cancel your service(s) or you may switch to X Company. In my experience, providers can't stand the thought to lose you. Casually threatening to cancel or switching providers seems to open the doors for negotiation. What's the worse thing that can happen? They say no. If you have a better deal elsewhere, then say 'see ya'!

2) Don't get angry. Be nice. Avoid calling when the unexpected, hippo-sized bill comes. Wait a few days, so you can cool down and collect your thoughts. Then you can also decide what you actually want from the provider.

3) Do your research. What is everyone else offering? Are there other features you could use, which they may be able to add into your service for free. Again, it's about knowing what you want, before you call.

4) Pay attention to the fine print. How long is the contract? Is there a cancellation fee? If you switch companies, sometimes there are hidden installation costs or fees to keep your old number. Ask about these, and ask for them to be waived. Switching can be enough hassle; why pay for it?

5) Password protect your wireless router! This will ensure you pay just for YOUR use. A neighbour was using my wireless connection and the data charges were delayed by almost 2 months. By the time it showed up on my bill, I was on the third month of exceeding my bandwidth limit. I called my provider, and this was the first thing she suggested. I set up a password that evening, and I haven't had a problem since.

Good luck!

My House Tour is Updated!

2010-07-27T08:12:00.002-04:00

I dug up my photos from my home's MLS listing over the weekend, and I've loaded them onto my House Tour. Check out the blue wall that was in my living room. Is that an accent wall or what??!

I can't wait to get my craft room done, get the boxes out of the spare bedroom and post those photos. The little boy blue room is probably one of my proudest transformations. A little paint, some used furniture and cheap art has made it a lovely guestroom!

Enjoy!

Office / Craft Room Inspiration

2010-07-25T22:17:00.002-04:00

For the second time in six months, my office is empty again and ready to begin renovating / redecorating. I'm a tad embarrassed to admit I have not yet finished this project. Remember when I first mentioned it here?

Yikes...

In hindsight, I'm actually glad I didn't finish this project immediately after starting. I have come to realize I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with this room. I had intended to add a desk in the closet and leave the room as an office with a small bed if I needed space for company.

Since then, I've come to realize I'd benefit more from a craft room than an office. The likelihood I would sit at the desk and work is about one in twenty. This led me to wonder why I was going to invest money and time to makeover a room I would barely use. A craft room, on the other hand, would come in far more useful.

Currently, my craft projects end up spread across the kitchen counter, and I used to do my scrapbooking on my coffee table. I haven't scrapbooked in a year though, because I don't like getting everything out and having to pack it up again. It's one of those hobbies I enjoy in small doses, but having a space to spread everything out and leave it would be far more valuable in my house.

This led me to start hunting for some ideas...

I love the blue cabinet in this photo. The colour fits right in with palate I'm planning.

I have a large patio door to deal with in this room, and I couldn't help but notice the huge window in this room. I love how it drowns the room in natural light.

Then, I flipped through my collection of home magazines, and came across a "working den" in House and Home's March 2007 edition, very similar to the photo below from their website. I love the randomness of the round table. It would give me ample space and flexibility to do crafts or scrapbooking. The shelving also could put supplies close at hand, but out of the way.

So many options! I am getting closer to a plan though, and I have started some floorplans. I'm using floorplanner.com . With the exception of a hiccup placing windows and doors, it's been pretty intuitive. Look for some floorplan options soon!

In the meantime, does anyone else have craft room photos or tips to share?

A Wonderful Discovery

2010-07-21T20:25:00.000-04:00

While helping bf move into his new place last weekend, we came across the following, too wonderful not to share!!

Some of you may be thinking- 'That really is rough-looking'. You are correct. But........................
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THEY'RE MINIATURE SIZED!

It's a child's table and chair set. Or misplaced from the Mad Hatter's tea party. Either way, I don't need these for some time. I totally called them though.

Bf totally kept the haul in his basement a secret. I had no idea what treasures were held beneath the recently-renovated laminate on the main floor. Like this clock and side table.

This is a 'real' clock, complete with the clockworks inside, the face that opens and key to wind it. It seems as if it may even work. Doesn't the table look equally lovely?

We also pulled out chairs, shelving units and a worn, wash table screaming for some tee elle see (yes, another possible project). To think, only weeks ago, bf and I considered snatching up some chair cushions at GT Boutique for some Asian-inspired floor seating. Who knew there were at least half a dozen chairs in his basement, well matched to his kitchen table?

In addition to Christmas decorations, including an artificial tree, a basement of tired, old furniture is also sure to warrant a few 'unique' items. Like this creature....

It would appear this stool had a bad run-in with the abominal snowman and a staple gun. Pulling this stool out may actually have been a highlight for me, because it's just so ridiculous! I enjoyed a feel-good laugh at the blue fleece' expense.

Outfitting bf's house will be considerably easier now. I am excited to put Young House Love's window treatment advice to the test soon!

Meet My Twin, Check Out My House Tour

2010-07-18T23:13:00.001-04:00

This week, I came across my blogger 'twin'. You know how you see people from time to time, who could be a twin to someone you know? It was that kind of experience, but I was online. I was checking out Thrifty Little Blog's Home links and Hip House Girl caught my eye.

Whoa! I thought. Could this be? Are we blog twins? We have strangely similar blogs. And we both likely thought we were unique! Well, I did... kind of. Well, at least until I started blogging and realized there are hundreds of blogging homeowners out there.

Needless to say, HHG has inspired me to post my House Tour page. Why didn't I think of that?! It's a work in progress, not unlike my house. Unfortunately, my Macbook harddrive crashed 2 weeks ago, and I have lost several photos. Luckily, some of the oldies were backed up, and I'm pretty confident I can dig up the photos from my home's 2007 MLS listing. Some of the others will come as I get time to tidy and snap more in the coming weeks. Hopefully you'll get a reno'd office pic one day soon too. Hopefully.

I haven't included a yard timeline, because I plan to dedicate my yard a page all its own. It's changed more than anything in 2 1/2 years! Hmmm Maybe this should be Savvy Yardgirl!

I came across one more "Then & Now" photo for you to enjoy. Remember these two

They were so little back then!

"The times, they are a changing.."

The Cut Flower Garden

2010-07-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

I try to keep work out of my blog. For the most part, it's easy. By nature of what I do, however, there are times when there is a crossover. Like when I appear on the country's biggest morning show. Or when I can share travelling tips, because who doesn't want tips from a seasoned veteren? This is another one of those crossovers.
Our March Homestead magazine inspired my plant selection this year. The bright-coloured cover caught my attention in the office, and I brought a copy home to browse. I made my flower list based off the article's recommendations and my own personal quest to grow perennial Sweet Williams. As I added flowers to my flowerbeds, I looked for those which would not only add beauty to my yard, but also my home in a bouquet. I was lucky to already have wonderful cone flowers and lilies, so it's been easy to build on the existing perennials.

This is one of the first bouquets I picked. Lots of purples. Guess what the white flowers at the top left of the photo are? Not your typical perrenial...

They're ONIONS! I never pulled them out last year and they came back this year with vengeance. I can't eat that many green onions, so I left most of them to flower. They make great filler in a bouquet!

My sunflowers were also a surprise return to my flowerbed. In fact, I wasn't totally happy when they came up, because the dahlia I planted is now severely stunted in growth in the middle of a sunflower forest. They do make amazing bouquets when mixed with a few coneflowers and sedum!

I haven't yet been able to find the tall Sweet William variety that makes a great bouquet. When I worked in St. Jacob's, I used to drive by Mennonite farms, where you could buy cut bouquets of Sweet William for a couple dollars. Does anyone know what this variety is called? Maybe the Mennonites have cornered this market.

First Tie-Dye Adventures - The Reveal

2010-07-11T23:31:00.000-04:00

My follower, fellow tweep and real-life friend has been all about tie-dye lately. Purely by coincidence, but my rowing team has also discussed tie-dying our team shirts now for several weeks.

Well, I'd rather do than discuss, so I joined Alliebagel for a tie-dye session last week. Not bad for a first-timer, if I do say so myself.

In my past, I've used RIT dye (comes in a box you can buy at Wal-Mart or Zellars) in a pot of hot water on the stove. I have used this dye to colour Halloween costumes accessories in the past and it's very cheap and easy to use.

When tie-dying, this will dye your entire shirt, leaving the 'tied' parts white. It also stains VERY easily, so you will want to cover every surface and use a stainless steel pot and old spoons, for the same reason.

This time around, we used bottles of dye, which you can buy in tie-dye kits at Wal-Mart or Michael's. Overall, the experience was more fun. I had more control over the dye and a greater variety of colour with which to work. Following the directions in the kit, we wrapped our creations (some of which looked like giant donuts) in saran wrap to 'cure' overnight. A quick rinse in the morning, until the water ran clear, then washed in hot water and my inaugural tie-dye masterpieces are complete!!

Here's another closeup of the starburst (this is what the 'donut' shirt turned out like), and me sporting my oh-so-cool shirt!

Christmas in July

2010-07-07T20:09:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not quite but arn't these two cute? Bf suggested a trip to Value Village on the weekend, and I developed an immediately grew fond of these little salt & pepper shakers. For $3, they were mine! They're tacky, paint is chipped, and it's not the right season at all, but I couldn't leave them on the shelf. Besides, maybe they'll bring more Christmas-like weather to the area.

35 degree scorcher without humidex today. YIKES! My air conditioner is working overtime, and I fear it's only burning electricity. My house was 84 when I arrived home from work today and the thermastat is set to 80. I think I hear the money being withdrawn from my bank account now!

My poor plants are hurting too. I missed watering them last night, and my garden has wilted terribly. My once-vibrant cherry tomato is a hurting unit, and my flowers look so sad. [This is where I wish I had the talent to draw a cartoon flower with the most sorrowful sad-face you have ever seen.] I put a succulent outside on the weekend and also forgot sunscreen. It's burnt to a crisp. What's the verdict? Do you think it's dead?

Weekend Wrap Up

2010-07-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

First, a much delayed Happy Canada Day!! For those of you south of the border, Happy Fourth of July!

True, north, strong and free spirit means donning your red on Canada Day. My cherry tomato didn't miss a beat!

I hope you were able to spend as much time outside this past weekend as I did. Partly because you would not have missed my posts, but largely because the weather was pretty much perfect! With Canada Day on Thursday, I took vacation Friday for an extra-long, long weekend. With no special plans, I managed to get in all the little, summer luxaries I love; golf, a campfire, fireworks, relaxing with a cold drink and hanging by a pool made for a fulfilling, yet relaxing weekend.

I even squeezed some small (oh, so small!) chores in there! I tidied my basement, moved the boxes from my (hopefully, soon-to-be-reno'd) office, thoroughly vacuumed and weeded my garden. After two hot days, I broke down and turned on the A/C again today. I could tolerate the heat and sweat when I was cleaning and suncreen-sticky from being outside. Now, working on dinner for bf, it's not so cool (no pun intended), and I'm taking comfort over saving money. Of course, turning the A/C on means all my windows and screen doors are sealed up tight, which means Ferg & Penny no longer have free rein between the house and backyard. I caught someone longing to be back outside earlier today! Hope your holiday weekend was (is) super!

First Garden Harvest of 2010 - Spinach!

2010-06-28T19:11:00.000-04:00

Weeks of hot weather and ample rain has resulted in, albeit a weedy, but still very healthy-looking garden over at my house!

My tomatoes are huge and have resisted the bugs pretty well so far. A former boss was a tomoto farmer, and he once told me to clip off the bottom branches and the plant will focus on making more tomatos. I've been following his advice, and I'm looking forward to lots of flower buds soon! My cherry tomato is already full of flowers, so yummy tomatos are right around the corner!

I picked spinach for a chicken & spinach salad tonight. In fact, were it not for the avocado I threw in, my entire salad would have been Ontario-grown. Even the apricot-lemon dressing was made with local, apricot jam (an entertaining staple in my opinion). I seasoned the chicken with lemon-pepper before grilling, then tossed with spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion and avocado.

Normally, I would throw in seeds or cheese, but tonight I opted just for dressing and it was perfect! Give it a try if you're looking for a semi-sweet dressing for fresh greens.

Savvy's Lemon-Apricot Dressing
Serves 1. All measurements are approximate, so adjust to taste.
1 tbsp spoonful apricot jam (or jelly)
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
Salt & pepper
Lemon-pepper

Back to my garden. My potatos are a disappointment. Not one sprouted. I didn't expect all six to sprout, especially since a couple were "old". They had gone soft, but they still had eyes (those are the sprouts potatos grow when they're in your cupboard too long), so I thought it was worth a shot. All six rotted in the ground. Perhaps, it was too wet?

Since I have space, I may try to plant a fast-growing vegetable still, however it's getting pretty late in the season (and hot) to be planting. Anyone have any suggestions?

The SD Card I Thought I'd Lost

2010-06-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

So, my last post was far too serious and Debbie-downer. Undoubtedly, due to some delirium and lack of sleep. I need to redeem myself, and while equally random, this post is far lighter and a great Friday perk up!

Last week was like Christmas for me. I was certain I lost an SD card almost exactly one year ago. It had a variety of pictures on it, some important, others not so much. Nonetheless, I was frustrated. I looked everyone I could imagine, and I could not find it. Finally, I decided it was gone forever.

While emptying my laundry basket last week, imagine my surprise to see an SD card at the very bottom.

"It can't be," I thought, and shoved the card in my pocket. It had clearly gone through the wash at least once. I was sure, if it was even the lost card, then the data was likely damaged in the wash.

Not only was it the missing card, but all the pictures are fine!! Most were from last spring.. my seed-planting experiment (unsuccessful), Tim Hortons Brier, garden and a few from the farm. Here's a few.

Well, hello there.... how do you do?

Hard life when you're royalty.

Silly spring bunnies and Brownies!

Don't tell her she's on my blog....

Have a

F a b u l o u s F R i D a Y !!!

I Missed an Earthquake Today

2010-06-24T01:14:00.003-04:00

Thus far, my focus on Savvy Homegirl has been primarily tangible actions, items or results. With the exception of a handful of personal, random posts, I have paid particularly close attention to avoiding any philosophical, opinionated posts. I don't deem conversation I might have with close friends or coworkers fit for this space.

Until today.

I spend little time, if any at all, understanding conspiracy theories. Despite this, of the theories I'm aware of, I believe their basis lies in some truth. Some of which, serves to condemn the very industry within which I have spent my entire life. I'm not a hypocrite, just realistic. Ultimately, consumers 'choose their adventure' with the dollars they spend. There is a consequence to every choice we make. It's the butterfly effect. Post-recession, in the 'era of sobriety', as my advertising agency calls it, consumers will be more empowered to choose sustainably and change the future.

Or will we?

I missed an earthquake today. Possibly, and hopefully, the only earthquake I will ever experience in my lifetime. I was out of town and did not believe my co-worker when she emailed me. My first thought - an explosion or an act of terrorism (seriously, you'd think I was American - no offence intended). Human error or bad choices, but not an earthquake. We don't get earthquakes.

We are 2 days away from the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto. Toronto and the entire Southern Ontario border felt an earthquake today for the first time in 50+ years.
Chicago experienced such a drop in air pressure last week, windows blew out of buildings.
Saskatchewan has had the wettest spring also in 50+ years.
A volcano erupting for weeks on end shut down airspace.
Random areas of the U.S. are flooding and on one particular day this winter, 52 of 54 states recieved snow.
Hurricane severity is predicted to be higher than normal in 2010.

It is quite possible I pay more attention to world events now than in the past. Nevertheless, the strongest conspiracy theory in the world won't convince me when it comes to weather. BUT there is something going on with this planet and the atmosphere we live in. Something is re-aligning, and when I truly think about this, it scares me beyond belief. I suppose I could google it and learn what interpretations exist. There are likely all sorts of myths and extreme beliefs, not to mention pure scientific explanations. If this is the reality of the world we live in however, then we can not change this. We can only choose how we behave within it. Can we change our actions to counteract any of the above or is this fate 'mashing up' all Mother Nature's baggage on us at once. Only time will tell...

Summer Officially Has Arrived!

2010-06-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy first Day of S U M M E R !!!!!

In honour of the first day of summer, I'm sharing a few shots of my mother's flowers. I love my mom's knack to bunch of trays and fill her pots at random. They always turn out bright and cheery and full of variety! Here's a few on her front deck. On the right, one of her beautiful, red lilies.

It seems as if summer has been here for months already, so it's a little hard to believe today is only June 21. I've seen icky fog, had 2 sun burns and Toronto had the 2nd highest UV rating in history last week. Yes, seems like summer has been here for a while.

I have this theory; our Canadian seasons are shifting. We had really warm weather in May last year, then it was cold by July and August. I'm hoping my theory is incorrect, because I'm looking forward to at least 2 more months of this weather. I have a whole bucket list left!

I also didn't plant my garden soon enough! I'll have to snap some updates for you this week. I caged all my tomotos tonight, and my zuchinni and squash are huge. On the advice of my mother and recollection of the 'everlasting- zuchinni' of my childhood, I ripped out several plants this evening. One plant will bear several zuchinni, so I don't need 15. I also don't need it to take over my garden. My potatos still haven't sprouted. If I don't see anything this week, I may dig them up and plant more spinach or beans.

All my dahlia bulbs have sprouted. I have sunflowers galore from 2009, not to mention leftover onions which have now gone to flower!

I bought and planted my annuals just this weekend. I've been searching for Snapdragons and Sweet Willam (dianthus), and they must be early annuals, because all the garden centres here are sold out. I found them up north at Granny's, in Neustadt. If anyone knows the area, you know Granny's. It's been a fixture in the hamlet for as long as I remember. Every spring and summer, their back lot is full of flowers, and they had beautiful annuals. I grabbed a flat for $10!

Antiquing in South Bruce

2010-06-17T07:27:00.002-04:00

Strike one off the bucket list! Okay, I didn't exactly spend the day with my girlfriends, rather than my bf and a couple friends who were as enthusiastic about finding deals on great junk as I was, but who's counting anyway?!

We decided to explore South Bruce County on this treasure hunt, after determining the area perhaps had the most antique shops and flea markets of the area. Unfortunately, the listings weren't entirely accurate and we found some of the stores didn't even exist, or we couldn't find them. Nevertheless, we had a great day meandering the streets of Kincardine, Tiverton and Paisley. There were certainly some highlights:

Photo: TheSaltboxShoppe.com

The Plant Place and Salt Box Shoppe, Kincardine - We weren't even going to stop here originally, but this was my favourite of the day. The eclectic collection of rustic, handmade birdhouses and outdoor decor mixed with iron figurines and welded garden stakes was beyond charming. One of these bird houses is on my wish-list for next time!
Olde English, Tiverton - A random collection of antiques and collectibles, we had a good chuckle at the variety of salt and pepper shakers, and I thought the prices to be quite reasonable.
The Rare Bird, Elmwood - I have to admit, we didn't get to this gem on our day trip. Bf and I stopped the next day on our way back to the city. We were there an hour! It is jam-packed with collectibles including milk bottles, china, old toys, records, trading cards and vintage Coca-Cola items. I picked up 2 milk bottles and 2 cobalt blue china plates.

The owner explained to me why milk bottles are so rare - recycling companies would only take the bottles, when the industry went to bagged milk, if the glass was broken. Many dairies smashed all their bottles, so the few that are left will sometimes sell for over $1000 at auctions! My plates are circa 1850 and were only $5 each! They will never sell for more as they're quite chipped and cracked, but they will still make a lovely addition to my 'blue collection'.

If anything, this trip has piqued my curiosity and interest in antiquing even more! I've started a list of shoppes that I plan to visit before the summer is over, so you can expect more 'antique road shows' in the coming months!

Savvy Homegirl Goes Camping!

2010-06-13T22:34:00.002-04:00

"We are the Brownies! Mighty, mighty Brownies!"

Like being transported back in time, I spent this weekend reliving my childhood as I watched a handful of my Brownies develop their own childhood camp memories. It has been a long time since I sat around a campfire, singing songs like Herman the worm, Bug on the wall and Brown Squirrel. I watched the girls picking up the words and trying to keep up with the actions, and I was delighted in finding some of my personal favorites coming back to me. Our site had a good laugh when I got up to teach Three short-toothed buzzards, and I was amazed at almost one hundred girls weaving into and back out of a snail-shell spiral singing the most ridiculous Snail Song.

It was an exhausting weekend, no doubt, but it was totally worth it. Waking up to the birds above my tent (and the rain in the middle of the night), to boiling water for dishwashing, and even cleaning the lats (outhouses), I regained an appreciation for the Girl Guide program. What a truly awesome opportunity for these girls.

All this does not even begin to include the basic skills the program teaches girls, including the opportunity to be themselves. As a Guider, it is the coolest thing to watch your girls try and conquer new tasks. It's even more amazing to see their ideas form and creativity come out.

During the Muffin Man, the Brownies were busting out dance moves that had me in awe. Then at campfire, 3 girls offered to lead Princess Pat, a repeat song that was new to me, and I was amazed at their excitement and energy after 14 hours on-the-go and little sleep the night previous.

I watched a little Spark approach one of our leaders in a 'wide game' yesterday.

"Are you going to the party?" She asked the all-important question in this game.

"No," the leader replied.

To which the little spark, all 3 1/2 feet of her, dressed in her pink rain coat and rubber boots, peered up at the leader and with the most solemn voice, said "Oh, you weren't invited eh?" My face melted into a big smile, and I immediately loved this program even more.

Guiding celebrates 100 years in Canada this year, in 2010. It is humbling to think how long this program has been in existence and how little I have been involved in it, yet I feel this is about to change. In the fall, another leader and I will take over our own unit, which is very special to us but also to the history of Guiding in Canada. It's rare a worldwide program takes root in Canada so early in its existence, but Guides was started in Canada almost very shortly after launching officially in England.

The heritage aside, it's not surprising Guiding is bringing former Brownies and Guides back to the program as volunteers. How can you not enjoy campfire songs, crafts and games? We're just like the kids, except a little bigger with a little more responsibility. Why else would we wear the camp-hats and be just as passionate about hat-crafts?!

Interested a little more in Guides? Check out this cool photo project on what the girls are saying!

A Garden We Will Grow...

2010-06-09T07:44:00.001-04:00

High-ho the derry-oh, a garden we will grow!

Finally, here are some garden pics for you! I spent the long weekend in May planting my garden and flower beds. Here it is freshly planted.

I'm growing spinach, lettuce, squash, zuchinni, a few peas and beans (leftover from last year), tomatoes and peppers. See the left side of the photo? Those are marigolds coming up from last year.

Here is the garden 3 weeks later.

It's hard to see, but the marigolds are blooming. The zuchinni and squash are thriving and the lettuce is also up. My grandma starts tomatoes and peppers in a greenhouse every year, so I scored a few plants from her, then picked up a few mature plants at Canadian Tire. I should have tomatos in only a few weeks! So far, I haven't had much trouble with pests, only weeds. The creeping vine weed we have in my area takes over if you let it, and I pulled another pail-full from the garden on Sunday night.

Finally, I want to share a little dose of colour on another dreary day. My clamatis has been overflowing with blooms for over a month. I am pretty proud of this little guy. I planted it the first summer I was at my house, and today it brings a gorgeous splash of deep-purple to my deck. Enjoy!

Why I Want an iPad...

2010-06-07T23:02:00.000-04:00

I travel a lot. This explains my sometimes-abscence of posts. Afterall, it's hard to blog about your home, when you're not at it. Nevertheless, I manage to file away ideas and find snippets of time to hopefully keep you, my readers, interested and updated.

I haven't blogged much about travelling, although I often feel I should. As I come to know airport hubs like the back of my hand and pack a carry-on in 10 minutes, there is a constant dialogue in my brain I sometimes feel you would enjoy. And yes, I completely identify with George Clooney's character in "Up in the Air", and I only fly a fraction of what he does. P.S. He is 100% correct about checked baggage. You waste time (and it now money in much of the U.S.). Invest in a carry-on suitcase and save yourself the time. Upscale hotels are also a great source for quality, carry-on-sized toilettries! ;)

Interestingly enough, my most creative moments tend to occur on planes. Work-related or otherwise, there's something about being strapped into a 6ft space that puts my brain into overdrive. My best ideas have been dreamed up on a plane, and the intricate details thereafter usually come together 30,000 feet above. Because of this, it dawned on me today.

I need an iPad.

I'm not usually an early adopter of technology. I tend to "make do" with what I have, until I feel compelled enough or find enough 'reason' to purchase. My iPod, for example, is still a Generation II Nano (I have no idea what makes it different than the Gen 1) purchased at Costco close to six years ago. I bought it after wanting one for a few months but not wanting to part with the money. In fact, I still have it today, and I haven't felt the desire to upgrade to a newer model. I listen to music when I run or while I drive, and I have a laptop to watch movies, to which I rarely desire doing. I got a Blackberry a few months ago, so I can browse the internet (if I must) and tweet on-the-go.

What I can not do well with all this technology is capture any creative energy. Yes, it sounds a little artsy, but I have a notebook on hand just for this reason. Nevertheless, I enjoy typing more than scribbling. In addition to that, starting up and shutting down my laptop often feels cumbersome and time-consuming, especially on short, one-hour flights. Bringing my Macbook would be too heavy and buying a newer, lighter version is out of the question financially. BUT.. an iPad, this I could afford!

I recently ate dinner with a marketing manager I respect very much. Coincidentally, it was the same day the iPad was released in Canadian stores. He had gone out and bought one that very day. Like me, he hadn't the desire to get one when the hype first started. After using a family member's U.S.purchase, he was hooked. Interesting, I thought, this technology hooked a gen X'er like. that. "Maybe I need one." I immediately put the thought out of my head. No one NEEDS an iPad afterall, and certainly not me.

Yet, today I've all but convinced myself otherwise. One question will remain after I determine if I can actually afford an iPad. Will it let me type as I want to? Has anyone used one yet? What about email- do I need to sync it with my Blackberry? I would LOVE your comments on this!

Do Bees Burrow Nests? These ones do...

2010-06-03T10:42:00.000-04:00

Two years ago, I first noticed these perfectly round holes under the eaves of my garage. 'Strange place to drill a hole', was my first thought. Of course, there were ample discoveries that summer, which seemed strange. Then last spring, I discovered a pile of fine sawdust and realized the holes were multiplying. Soon after, I noticed the bees. Not only were there more in my backyard, but they seemed to hover close to the holes. Could it be? Were these seemingly harmless bumblebees creating this swiss cheese effect? It seemed to silly for me to believe, and I reminded myself repeatedly to do some reseach. Repeatedly, I forgot.

This morning, I discovered new sawdust. This time, it is on my front porch and sure enough, there are two new holes. Google was not to wait any longer and behold the answer: Carpenter bees. Bumble bees that burrow or tunnel nests into wood. Specifically, wood which has been unpainted, weathered or soft. All of which, apply to the 2x4's around my garage and front porch.

As I read this University of Kentucky article, you can image how visions of rotting lumber, followed by my house collapsing into itself fast appeared. Accepting what I had previously wanted to ignore, I have decided I need to make these guests know they are no longer welcome. They make a mess also. Pollen, sawdust, call it what you want.. this is still bee poop.

Enter: A new "to do" list
- Paint all exposed wood around the garage
- While I'm at it, I might as well paint the window frames
- Kill the bees
- Plug the holes

It really shouldn't be too bad getting rid of these bees. Of course, I have all the time in the world to commit to it! (sarcasm to the MAX here)!

A Week of Overload, Jerry McGuire-ish Proposals and Bank Blunders

2010-05-28T10:06:00.000-04:00

Where has this week gone? Until yesterday, mine was INTENSE. After arguably one of the most stressful days I've had on the job, I took off to the airport Wednesday evening to find myself running late, then flying thru mediocre turbulance, and finally with a massive paper cut on my 4th finger. Luckily, I don't use that finger anyway. Then last night, I had a near heart attack after discovering a bank blunder. It was sorted out, but I'll have to share more with you later.

I do have lots to share with you about my gardening and yard success last weekend, but I have not have a spare moment to do so. Picture will come soon, but in the meantime, here's a gorgeous bouquet to brighten your day! I discovered these in my room yesterday, courtesy of a very thoughtful bf who knew my week needed a bit of pick me up! How sweet eh?? Excuse my mushyness! :)

How I'm Celebrating Victoria Day.... Planting Flowers!

2010-05-24T09:50:00.000-04:00

I can not recall the last Victoria Day weekend we had weather this beautiful! All my Ontario readers out there will undoubtedly agree. Snow two weeks ago seemed all too normal, and I half expected a similar forecast for the long weekend. Finally, a May 2-4 weekend with the sun and heat it deserves!

This weekend was a garage sale shopper's dream. As I drove up to Bruce County Saturday morning, I could've allowed myself an extra 2 hours just to stop along the way. I hit the beach yesterday and marveled a little at the bikinis out in full [skin?] force. It is only May afterall, and it was foggy when we got there. I don't mean a little haze, but cold, damp fog rolling in off the lake. I felt like I was in Halifax. By 5, the sun had pushed through again and the lake was sparkling beneath it!

Back in the city, I awoke this morning to a clear, blue sky and a full agenda ahead. I'm planting my garden, finishing my flower beds and doing my planters (hopefully) today. Wish me luck and I can't wait to share my finished results!

For now, I saw this pic on theweathernetwork.com this morning, and it could have been the view from my bedroom window this morning.

Turns out, Lou Renzo from High View, West Virginia sees the same thing in the morning! If I had the talent, I would paint this for my bedroom wall, and every day would be bright blue and sunny skies! OK, enough cheese! My coffee is done and it's time to head to work! Have a great day.. if anyone is still inside reading this!

My Junk Drawer

2010-05-21T07:54:00.001-04:00

I forgot to post this photo earlier. This is the basket of clothes I purged from my wardrobe. Wow eh? They. are. crammed. in. there.

Now for chaos. This whole week I haven't been able to concentrate, and I've felt overwhelmed with life. Aspirations to at least get my house in order have been thus far, unsuccessful. You never see pictures of people's messes, only prim and proper sitting rooms and unbelievably tidy kitchens. Do people cook in those?? My friend has a house like that. She is a minimalist, however. Perhaps, all people with beautiful kitchens that land in magazines and are home crashed (Young House Love readers will get it) are minimalists.

I am not one. Blue Raddish piqued my curiousity to open my junk drawer. I was surprised to find it had all the things a junk drawer should- wire, tape, flash light, old batteries, scissors. Wait! That isn't a junk drawer... it's really more of a utility drawer. Then I realized, I have an entire junk room. To which I thought, I need to share that. I don't know why... but maybe there is someone else out there feeling totally unfocused and cluttered. Hopefully this tells you, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Remember the home office redo? Welll, this is still as far as I've got. No further than where I left it months ago. Stuff boxed up. Paint sitting in a plastic bag. Every once in a while, I move a 'pile' from the kitchen counter to the desk. Nasty.

Ahhh.. the kitchen counter. I can never keep this clean. I think that is because I treat it like my desk.

You'll enjoy this one also. Almost every pair of shoes has found it's way onto my floor. Cowboy boot??! I have worn them in 4 years! You don't even see the pair of slippers and 2 sets of flip flops beside me.

Once writing this, I remembered my junk cupboard also. I suppose this replaces my drawer. It is a corner cupboard, and the bottom shelf is currently propped up on a bag of flour. The rest holds craft supplies, light bulbs, caulking, and basially anything else I can't find a home for, including golf balls and old candle jars.

Spring Cleaning... My Wardrobe

2010-05-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I did the ultimate purge last week of my wardrobe. It was ruthless. Everything that hadn't been worn at least once in the past six months was gone. Even expensive pieces I'd previously refused to get rid of, because "I paid $50 for that shirt!" I had to get SOME wear out of it before it was fated for the Value Village box. Not surprisingly, if I didn't wear it immediately after I bought it, I never wore it.

It feels so good to find what I'm looking for when I get dressed in the morning. No more digging through overstuffed cupboards and forgetting about the clothes pushed to the back of the closet. There's also room now for a few new additions- I found some great steals at Marshall's the last couple times I've been in the U.S.

On top of that, I feel... lighter. There's so much clutter in my life, and while I enjoy organized chaos (ask my boss what my office looks like), it wears on me in my home. Dirty dishes, messy piles of 'stuff' and the massive disarray of clothing in my room. So, this purge, though small in comparison to the greater 'clutter', was somewhat therapeutic. Wow! How is that for some psych on your Thursday morning?!

Finally, I'm apparently not the only one who loves the space.

Car Wash Gone Bad

2010-05-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

I need to write this post. If only to laugh at myself and feel better in doing so. My brain is so scattered tonight, so hopefully a good post will focus all my energy and put me back on track.

I did an embarrassingly bad job washing my car today. I thought nothing of it, but when I stopped for groceries I cringed as I came around the side of the car. Wow! This is bad.

In the past, $3 in the DIY car wash bay would do it. I could rinse, soap, then rinse my car; all within the 4 minute window that $3 buys you. Black car, eh? I guess 4 minutes isn't going to cut it anymore!

This is further amplified by the fact I live between 2 obsessive compulsive car washers. Their cars glisten in their driveways and mock my Vibe. It must just make them cringe to see this mess!

Random Catch-All Post

2010-05-17T00:13:00.000-04:00

I have been so MIA this week. Not only online, but in mind as well. I was so wrapped up in work last week, by the time I had opportunity to blog I couldn't stand the thought of turning my computer on. A lot of couch-sitting, border-hop-shopping, and Pampered Cheffing followed.

Despite a hectic week and busy weekend, I did have a number of possible posts find their way into my brain. As often happens, unless I let these make their way onto my screen and out to you, these thoughts would bounce around in my head for the next week. Undoubtedly distracting me and causing the little 'guilt of not posting' seed to sprout.

Before I share a few of these random thoughts, I'm going to brag a little.

I'm officially a showcased artist!

Well, sort of...

You'll recall my painting experiment for my niece's nursery? They hung the letters on her wall! I'd love to share more of the bedroom, but you'll have to wait until I'm at the farm next. I'm sneaking these off Facebook. I think they turned out quite cute. Once you see the whole room, I think you'll agree it's as 'cute as a cupcake'!

Now, for the randomness...

I love great deals. I love deals so much, and I have become so accustomed to living life on a dime, I can no longer shop. I superanalyze every item and its price, trying to determine if it's truly as valuable as the tag claims. I bought a cardigan/shrug (you know those sweaters that hang down) for $7 a few weeks ago. I LOVE it. I wear it all the time. It was $7. How will anything compare? That is good value. This is the challenge I'm faced with EVERYTIME I go shopping now.

Speaking of great deals... I saved almost $10 at Shoppers Drug Mart last week, the clerk threw in a few samples, and I felt like the richest woman in the world when I left the store. I still spent 3X more than I originally planned, so I guess I didn't save at all.

I made an Inukshuk. I'm very proud of him, and I can't wait to share a photo with you. He deserves his own post though, so one day you'll get to see him.

Does everyone have an iPhone now? Remember when the Blackberry was cool? Do other Blackberry owners feel like iPhone owners go out of their way to 'SWIPE' their finger over their iPhone, just to show the rest of us poor, Blackberry-owning fools that we can't do that???!

Finally, airports are the BEST place to people watch.. FYI. No question.

A Home Fit for a Gnome

2010-05-12T17:47:00.000-04:00

I am guilty. I have a secret love. Some might find it slightly embarrassing. Others might raise their eyebrow and think "how tacky".

Nevertheless, I can hide it no more.

I like garden gnomes. I have refrained from giving in and buying one for my own yard, because I am holding out for a ceramic gnome. You never see them anymore, but you know the ones I mean. When you were growing up, there was always one lawn that was covered with them.

Meet "Slim".

Slim is the first gnome to make his home in my yard. I'll also admit, he's not ceramic. I am not holding it against him though, because my mom gave him to me last weekend. How sweet is that? She was at a garden centre and knew I had a little thing for gnomes. My mom isn't the kind of mom that is constantly buying stuff either, so I was even more delighted when she told me this little guy was for me.

He's no plastic flamingo, but I think he looks right at home with his solar lantern among the limestone rocks in front of my kitchen window. Wouldn't you agree? Do you have any tacky, outdoor decor fetishes?

New Camera! Canon Powershot SX120 IS

2010-05-09T13:58:00.003-04:00

My new camera has arrived! After finally making up my mind, my new camera arrived less than a week after ordering it with Air Miles. I was impressed. Gift cards ordered from Aeroplan have taken at least 4 weeks to arrive, so I was expecting to wait the same for the camera.

I read reviews on nearly every camera option Air Miles has, and I finally settled on the Canon Powershot SX120 IS. It has been on the market longer than some of the others, so it had more reviews and most were positive.

Upon recieving it, my initial impression was it was very light for a larger camera. It's certainly not slim enough to slip in my pocket. The flash needs to be manually lifted, which may or may not be frustrating. It has a large telescoping lens, which has given me problems on my last 2 Canons. However, I have also beat both of those cameras up pretty bad and I vow to take better care of this one.

Despite this, the SX120 takes the same SD Flash Cards and rechargeable batteries as my last camera. It also has a big viewing screen and picture quality with the 10x optical zoom and 10 MP so far has been good. I snapped a few this weekend to test it out.

I took this photo of my flowerbed while sitting on my deck, 50 feet away.

Here are 2 photos I took of the living room. The first with the flash off and the second with it on. I discovered the indoor mode on the camera after I took these, so I'm looking forward to trying it. Most of the photos I take for my blog are indoors, and I struggled to find the right lighting balance in the past.

I tried to take a photo of Penny and Fergie on Auto mode, but it didn't capture the movement well. It doesn't seem to have a mode to capture movement, but I don't think I ever used this mode on my old camera anyway.

Since arriving at the farm this weekend, I took several baby pictures on Auto, which turned out lovely with the flash. I didn't even use the face recognition feature, which I'm looking forward to. I do think a small, compact camera would have been nice also, but I might have sacrificed some quality. Overall, I am very happy with the camera so far. True, I didn't "pay"anything for it, so it's hard not to be happy. I'll let you know!

Handling the Friday Freak Outs

2010-05-06T16:46:00.001-04:00

Christina over at SFACG recently blogged about her hectic Fridays. I read her post while sitting in an airport, and I had to share some advice with her. This totally used to be me.

Last Friday afternoon, as I tidied up my desk, moved all the outstanding items to my Monday "to do" list and closed my Outlook, I realized I have done a pretty good job conquering the Friday freak out. Further encouraged by a coworker's compliment, maybe I have some advice to share here. Maybe there are more readers out there that find themselves overwhelmed with a week's worth of work on Friday afternoon.

Here are some of my weekday work habits to help avoid the Friday Freak Out!

1) Eat the Frog. This is the 2nd best advice my manager has ever given me. The best doesn't relate here. Eat the frog. It's quite simple, do the item you least want to do, first. By getting it out of the way, you'll be motivated to get the rest of your list done, and it won't be lingering in the back of your mind, distracting you- "I really need to do..." Simple Truths explains it much better than I can.

I can't find the original source for this gross picture, but it proves the point. “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
— Mark Twain

2) Prioritize. Look at your 'to do' list each morning. Physically circle or mentally note the top 2 items that you must get done. Then, do them and don't let yourself get distracted until they're complete. This leads to 3.

3) Schedule work time. If you must, block time on your own calendar, so colleagues can not schedule meetings and use that time to get your 'must do' work done. Forward your phone to voicemail and turn off your email notifications to remove the temptation to look at new messages coming in. This is your time to work.

4) Conquer your inbox. Better yet, take an email or work management course. I highly recommend David Allen's "Getting Things Done". Do you manage your email, or does it manage you? We have a joke around our company that we're email managers. In other words, we have so much information coming into our inboxes, it's hard to accomplish anything else. Maybe you're in a similar situation; you could spend an entire day in the office, doing nothing but email. But, what are you actually getting done? Everyone has different strategies and preferences, so take some courses or check out a book and see what works for you, then do it! It will be the best investment you make in personal time management.

5) Declutter. This is kind of related to the above. Despite what my coworkers would tell you and what my office looks like, I try very hard to 'declutter'. I try to get rid of the piles. Putting them away, even in a "To File" folder or tossing them in the recycling if they're outdated rids me of both physical and mental clutter. I enter handwritten phone messages into my Tasks @CALLS category. And before leaving each day, I try to capture all the lingering items floating around in my head into the appropriate categories. You can see how important Outlook Tasks are in my strategy, but if you're a notebook-person, that works too.

Again, these are just the thing I do to try to stay focused and stay on track during the week. What works best for you may be quite different, but the important thing is to find a strategy that works. Put it to the test and follow it. Just like exercise, if you stick with it and make it a habit, you'll feel much better. I guarantee your personal life will also benefit due to less work-related stress.