In case you missed it I changed my dining room light last week, which I love but it is only candle lit and I was wanting more of a multi function space and electricity was the answer here is the post if you would like to see .
I was left with a lovely candle light fixture , where would it go? I got it on my 3oth birthday trip to Toronto with my husband a few years back so it does have sentimental attachment for me , I was not going to part with it .
I had thought of hanging it in our front room with its 16 foot ceilings , with an extension rope and pulley , but that had a few challenges and it was a back burner idea for sure .
I have always thought a light in our family room on the v-groove ceiling would look great ?
Would it be in the way ?, after all tv watching is a daily occurance, that tv of ours is above our fireplace and it still works just fine in fact the fixture is not in the way at all.
I worried that there may not be a joist right were I needed it , but there was , and I had a hefty hook just lying around , and if it didn't look right I could just fill the hole and touch up with paint, I never let the fear of holes stop me from trying new things.

Isn't it just right ? I can switch it out with my green lantern as I feel , it will also be a great space to hang decor for parties, what fun ...not to mention those occasional power outages.

Carpet issues and flesh wounds

{ I do notice how the nosing doesn't match the floors that was my first staining attempt many years back it will be fixed}

There is this little spot just outside the powder room that leads down to the basement , it has always had carpet , no biggy , but lately I have thought that's just not right, it should be wood ... Out is comes to get ready for change ...I found just the right oak flooring in the color I desire a dark chocolate shade with a satin finish , perfection, one box outta do it ? cross your fingers...

I have grand plans for next spring , as I am prepaired to sand down the living and dining room floors to deepen the stain and give them a fresher look ... they are looking a little rough around the edges if you know what I mean.

I am also ready to remove the runner , it is time for it to go , which will mean me sanding down the stairs and filling holes and repainting the treads and adding some extra trim work to the staircase, ? I think it sounds like a good idea, but bare stairs can be scary , when the girls were small it was there in case of falls , but they are big now ... my husband expressed his concerns , ok , I am open to new runner , a wool runner , it is just this synthetic one has seen better days.

Well this morning the house spoke to me , I was tired and trying to make my way down the stairs , when my feet came out from under me , now is that a sign or what ? I ended up obviously bruising my legs and hiney , and cut open a big chunk of my foot , twisting and bruising my wrist and palm of my hand , and that was with a runner , so its a no brainer the runner stays and gets replaced , I don't need to be hit over the head now do I ...I get it

embarrassed and sore

Memo board idea turns to peg board

That little chair is growing on me , I think that vintage print is kinda quirky , I used a third panel of Ikea clearance drapes I had to cover the closet door , I just am not ready to commit to a door style quite yet , this will do just fine and it looks good with that chair....

So the memo board turned into a peg board , I don't need another memo board , this will keep things easily with in reach , I feel so organized , it is so nice to see my things spread out in the open ...

These are all my favorite tools that I regularly use .

So if you come across a big empty frame grab it if its a good deal because chances are you will come up with a use for it , I'm sure.

I used hot glue and staples to hold it in place. I taped and the seam to cut it then removed the tape and hot glued the seam at the back to reinforce it .

Tools I used , staple gun , hot glue gun and jig saw.

I used a jig saw to cut the boards to size , this material is so easy to cut , I bought two small sheets instead of a big one , as it wouldn't have fit in my car and i didn't feel like waiting to get it cut , it cost $6.00 for both pieces of peg board.

While cleaning the basement I found a little treasure , this is a Kraft cream cheese form , I was given a few old boxes like this years ago , what a great spot to keep my chalk beside my chalkboard.

Trying a new shade of brown in a desperate attempt to cover my greys , and trying a new part , feels so strange to change my part, looks like I need to go spend some time filling in those skimpy eye brows of mine , a little lip gloss might serve me well also , geezzz!

Its getting chilly at night , my poor little dog was shivering , so out came the matching hoodies , Dolce runs away when I bring it out , but I know better , he needs to keep warn , Boston's bellies end up being bald after a couple of years so cold weather is not their friend.

you just see how happy he is , can't you ?

Sophie sitting on the "sophia" couch from Urban Barn , this is a great choice for our future lounge we have planned for the basement , we can build the room to fit this baby...

Aren't these such fun pillows...

Great Christmas ideas , hint hint...hubby

I love these little cube tables that double as small dog or cat houses , adorable...

I love this small wing chair in this brown linen , for around $600.00 it is a nice updated wing...

This was my fave , a numbered key holder , I am so mad it is blurry , I WANT THAT ...

I thought ya'll would just love this table with wheels...$200.00...

These fantastic mirrors , not that I need any more , but these are beauties ...

We had a girl day , went to the doctor, and not "bad" news but Sophie is still allergic to peanuts , but that is OK because we know how to deal with that , it was just worth checking it out ...we went shopping , as you could see , only bought a few little trinkets , went to a burger joint we had never before tried , a little grocery shopping and picked up Sophie a new pair of shoes for $4.94 and now home , some times a doctor appt is a good excuse for a day off with your mom ...

gonna go try and get rid of these little grey hairs that I am now so blessed to be getting , its hard to feel young when I see grey hairs on MY head...how can that be I still feel 25...

20%

There is a slim chance for a person to out grow a peanut / nut allergy , in case you are new my youngest has a peanut/ nut allergy , can't eat them , can't eat things with trace amounts , her first peanut ended up with paramedics at the house and resulted in the single most terrifying 7 minutes of my life, watching my almost 2 year old while she suffered a reaction to the dreaded peanut , watching her struggle , sweat , get confused , instant fatigue ,develop hives on her face and ram her hand down her throat in an attempt to try and get that one single peanut out of her body all while wondering if THIS was the moment , the moment that would take her ....such a horrible experience , I remember every second , the call to 911 , waiting and looking for help time crawled , checking on my baby to see if her throat was closing, watching things go badly, it was so awful.
But we have managed this allergy very well over the last 6 years , I am very conservative in this one aspect of my life ,this dedication has served us well, I do not take chances with what goes into her mouth , only when we have been out has she had another reaction or even a close call, thankfully all mild, compared to the first. It has been a long time since her last reaction , and after hearing my own doctor has outgrown his own nut allergy , for no apparent reason , I think it is time to check . There is only a 20% chance that one will out grow such an allergy , it is time to see if things have changed , that day is tomorrow we will go through skin testing and I would like her blood tested as well to see her numbers, wish us luck , it would be such a great day , and a changing day to quote good old Dr Phil....if the allergy was gone ...

I will let you know how things go , I will admit I am nervous .......we will deal with any outcome but are hoping for the best.

Work room progress

Ahh progress is good , nearing the finish line , need to finish the flooring , ceiling and trim , we have come a long way ...

A clean palette.

Before

I am looking forward to spending time in my space today.

Such a busy weekend de-dumping the basement

I found this great dresser on Kijiji for a song , I loved the configuration of drawers and the lines of this piece , especially the legs with wheels. The veneer is in rough shape so i just took my sander to it , and added some more character and then a coat of wax to buff it up, the drawers are so deep its great, it just needs new knobs. It is so easy to move with those wheels , right now it holds clothes but it may just make a great TV stand for the new in planning stage "lounge " for the kids in the basement but painted black. I had finally had it with our basement , it is mostly unfinished , well in fact none of it is finished completely at all , but it is time . We had quite a pile of rubbage collecting down there , it was over due for a major clean , my hubby admits he does not like manual labour , go figure ! , but I was able to get him to clean out the basement with some supervision from me of course , after all I knew what had to go , what had to stay , what went to charity , what could be sold , and what could be recycled , it wasn't all simply trash...which reminds me I need to make a trip to the guy who recycles building supplies tomorrow .

After cleaning the basement out my attention turned to finishing more of my "office/workroom" I installed some fire proof insulation and then today spent the day cladding one more wall, with the help of Sophie , my 8 yr old , we painted this wall in about 15 minutes flat , the help was great . The lights look great don't they , I couldn't wait to see them up , even though they are not wired in at all ...

I have been looking for a laundry tin for about 6 years now , I finally came across one at Winners a couple of weeks ago , I am not quite sure what to keep in it , but it is a nice prop.

I picked up this "as is " frame from Michael's a while ago , it was only $6.00 , I had no idea what I was going to make of it but I knew it would come in handy , well I am going to make it into a great memo board for over my desk area , I think in linen , and I am thinking I may paint the frame as well , a great project for this coming week.

This is what it looks like when it is slipcover washing day , normally they are not washed all in one day but would you believe that all three couches needed washing , a ravioli accident got the two in the family room , and this morning dog barf got the third sofa , what a drag.

I installed two white wooden curtain rods in the laundry area for air drying items , so useful , even for big items , I could have used a third today.

More workroom pics to share tomorrow...

I did a little photo shoot with the table set so that i could load my new dining room shots onto Houzz , I thought i would show them to you .

I am so glad I added that swinging door to this formerly doorless door way , I think it adds such character...

I think I will leave it dressed up for a little while , it won't get used tonight , it's finally Friday there will be some sort of take-out tonight .

Happy Friday

Mission accomplished

I thought I deserved some beautiful flowers for my newly brightened dining space , sometimes you just need to do these things for yourself , have you received flowers lately , why not treat yourself "well "?
I found out why I could kill the electricity , I have installed dozens of fixtures , I simply switch off the light switch , and have NEVER run into trouble until today , well it turns out I mixed up my switches , I had the up stairs hall light off , but it was the switch to the right of that one , my bad ! , it all makes sense now .... I may just try again , its just faster that way , can't give up after one electrocution now can I .

I took my friends advice and poured myself a glass of wine , that makes two lovely "girl" dinners in a row , my two girls and me , it would be nice to have my husband at dinner too but the timing just doesn't compute...maybe some day it will ?
We enjoyed conversation and laughter , it was very refreshing.

Installer be ware !

We saw a light fixture at a posh furniture store years back , it had little mirrors , so I went and got myself some circle mirrors and glued them into the metal roses , adding a little modern edge ...

I have never pulled away from installing lights , after all it is easy as long as you have the power turned off , well I will confess that today I may have earned some true fear when it comes to electrical , the problem was that this light has two switches and I thought both switches in the down position would OBVIOUSLY mean OFF ! wrong ! I found out the wrong way , got zapped , way ouch ! but I pushed on figured it out turned the switch, and yes I thought I had turned the breaker off , yes all but that one switch of course. So not one to give up I did end up installing my old light and it works , but look at this gaping hole I was left with , it's OK I have a plan...but first I will show you how it looks

Here is the before , a lovely fixture , heavy metal but it is only for candles , and although it is pretty and i do love it , I was craving light , like light bulb light . I removed the medalion , roses , what was I thinking ? it was 8 years ago people...

I have been searching for a new light but nothing has called to me yet , so I figured for now until I find the perfect light , these things take time , no need to rush , I would install my former bedroom light .

I would like it a little lower but the wired were trimmed because it was installed over my bed , this is as long as it can be, but i think it is cute, and most importantly it brings me light , lots of light .

I patched the holes and they look pretty good , doesn't matter though because I plan on adding tongue and groove paneling to this area shortly , like I did here.


I need to find some simple fabric to make some slips for the ladder back chairs , won't that be cute?

Sock Monkey

I love sock monkey's they are so cute , meet our one and only , well it's Sophie's , her Grandma made it for her , no socks were harmed .

How to customize kitchen drawers for next to nothing in less than an hour

Remove and clean the drawer , and get rid of any unnecessary items .

Cut simple pine or poplar to the lengths you want to fit the items going into that drawer , move them around as needed until you get the best layout.

I screwed these in from under neath , you can also use corner brackets , this way is easier and cheaper , I used 5/8 screws .

Leave some room for flexibility , I left room for parchment roll and more baggie space in the next zone if needed. Group like items together , I have a great spot for measuring tools which used to be all over the place , it was always annoying to try and find them, not now. I like to always keep the extra left overs from take out like straws and napkins why toss it when it can be used later? now they have a dedicated spot.

I kept this drawer simple , and flexible by not screwing these pieces in , to allow for adjustments .

There little organizers are from Ikea and started this whole organize the kitchen kick , they have a sweet pattern and are metal , I also screwed them in so they won't shift.

I am amazed at how much joy really organized spaces can make me , tidying only lasts so long , these spaces will last a life time.

Here is a better picture of me playing creepy headed lady for Halloween , so glad I gave it a go , it was lots of fun .

Its been a busy day , like always , I wish I had taken a picture of this drawer before , it was a mess , i had some left over MDF from my bathroom reno I knew it would make the perfect dividers for this drawer. I put the items in and measured out just the right pieces to fit , and attached them with corner braces and small screws , it fits even more than before now that it is organized , the organizing kick is contagious , it is spreading all over the house . I use Word to make the labels so that everyone will know where things fit best...

I am trying to decide whether or not to sell this chair ...?

Tried to find the home of this doggie , with the help of my sister in law ,I would have taken him in but my Moe wanted to eat him... he is at the local shelter , can you believe someone left him out and went to work .... apparently a common occurrence...I am sure he will find his way home...

Designed a laundry room cabinet layout for a client while Mason my sick girl rested, mostly she seems quite fine but she has got a sore throat and cough as well as a low fever ....popsicles , drinks , meds.....and mothers attention , so far so good ... lots of H1N1 going around only time will tell .

Happy Halloween

This is me , I wrapped my head in bandages and made my skin so pale with bloody patches , I had so much fun scaring people last night , I had a few bumps from climbing under the table time after time , but to see those faces do a double take , or looking just a little frightened it was all worth it , I got a few Ohhh's , it was so much fun really.

We had a ghoulish night, we spooked many all in good fun.

Mason was a zombie prom queen.

I moved our dining room into the front entry , decked it all out with rats and candles , and pumpkins.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween .

Quick and easy Halloween trick

Live head on table , oh my !

See how easy it is , I had a left over piece of beadboard , I cut a hole a little smaller than the large glass vase , pulled the table apart like you would if installing a leaf and taped on the board with the hole.

Then I covered it with a dark sheet , cut a hole voila there is the camouflage for the creepy table head.

SO what do you think , cool or what , I saw this idea on Regis and Kelly .

We are getting ready for Halloween

I got this big vampire bat , which the girls just loved , they are really into the scary decorating.

I found these great stickers on clearance , we can use them year after year.

How cute is this marshmallow Frankenstein, I couldn't believe how much detail went into this candy , all those details are royal icing , the hair the stitches , adorable.

I realized when tidying this room that my daughter needed some more storage , my girls love their hoodies.

I used a left over piece of wood from my porch makeover simply painted it and sanded it , I picked up some crystal knobs from Home Depot , I thought they would make nice hooks and they were less expensive than any of the hooks I like. I then painted Mason's name onto the board creating a simple row of hooks.

To attach the hooks to the wall I counter sunk holes in between the knobs and covered them with little birch discs to hide the screws and painted them to match. {to the left of the left knob}

I decided that Mason's cupboard could use some hooks for display , she can then hang out her outfits for a few days or just put together different looks.

The perfect spot to hang her costume for tomorrow , she is going to be a zombie prom queen . Fun!

Colorful Dining Room

I wanted to share with you this wonderful colorful dining room makeover at Little Green Book by Jenny, I hope it inspires you to go for color , look what it can do to a space. Click here for the full story.

I bring you cupakes

These are my cupcakes , simple orange and black , vanilla vanilla , as my family always prefers

Ok so they pale in comparison to these more creative cupcake creature's , oh well call me lazy or call me busy , I just made made 65 cupcakes ok , I can only do so much I've got lots of other things to do , maybe you have more time to be creative , so I bring you inspiration.

{Karen Tack}

I have been wanting this Cupcake Carrier , it is amazing how you can stack them , and the holes for the cupcakes are holes like in a cupcake pan making traveling with the cupcakes much easier ...

I was able to find it , after all the website was sold out ,lucky me .

I added orange food coloring to french vanilla cake mix.

Do you see who I see .

Small Kids Big Color Contest

I am pleased to announce that Sophie's Pink and Aqua room has been selected as an entry in the Small Kids Big Color Contest over at Ohdeedoh's website. It is being given 48 hours to get all of your thumbs up or it will lose this elimination process , so please go on over and vote vote vote , make sure to sign up , it's sister site is the great website Apartment Therapy , they always have great information and it is always a great stop .

Click here to vote for Sophie's room in the Ohdeedoh Small Kids Big Color Contest

Big thanks to Ohdeedoh for choosing our room .

Wednesday's are my busy days

This is a great tv stand , I wonder if it comes in the grey like the below piece.

I went over to Ikea today , I needed to pick up some more pillow forms , the feather ones , they are $6.99 each , no better price , so it's worth the drive. I found a few new pieces , this grey dresser is amazing , well under $200.00 , it even has a hidden interior drawer to keep change and jewelry, too cool .

Today is picture day , which means kids get up bright and early , oh my kids are good they do that everyday , well most days , they make their own lunches , I should be insulted , I guess I never gave them the snacks they wanted , boo hoo me huh!

This little one of mine is growing up in fast speed lately , look at this adorable dress , I found it at a thrift store , it is a size 1 , wow this is what a size 1 looks like . She was going into the city to the Orchestra earlier today , they were told to dress appropriately , I am so glad she doesn't mind getting dressed up .

I was also able to finish up the pink princess room I have been working on .

The pillows I made now have an awfully comfy home .

The perfect spot for princess gowns and crowns of course .

The smell of freshly baked cookies

I realized I had not baked a thing in months , it was time to make the family some fresh cookies , what could be better than chocolate chip .

I made a double batch .

This H1N1 flue is really giving me cause for concern , apparently the next street over has at least 6 kid down with this virus , it hard not to panic , I know some who have had it , and have done fine , but it is hard not to worry when they are reporting deaths left and right , it is terrible and heartbreaking to hear of kids dying especially .

So I hope you are well and keep well .

Chris

When you can't find , create

I am so in love with this rose bud fabric , so sweet and yet clean and fresh, I worked late yesterday in my workroom , making pillow covers and painting a little shelf that will be used for princess dresses and crowns , doesn't every girl need somewhere to keep her gowns and crowns organized?