My Office area

Yes it was a year ago feb that I started my office room. Before that it was just a catch all for junk but since it is on the first floor of my house and open to other rooms I knew I had to do something with it. The Ikea bookcase is the best thing I have bought so far. I love it. But as you can see it was a tad messy to say the least

I would love to be the kind of person that can do both form and function. but alas that is just not me. So I organized everything I need and tried my best to make it look good while still having it work for me.

The walls are just white primer, I really have to get this room painted soon.

Here is my bulletin board that I made with some hellp from a friend.  I was at Ikea and they had a metal board for writing on.  So I just took a piece of plywood and tripled the size of the 1 board. The middle piece I upholstered with some material (crap I have little shells to put on there to make it look better) oh well next post. and the last third I put some cork. I took everything off it so you could see how it looked. Normall it is full of all kinds of things. It is on the wall right beside my desk so it is easy to glance at should I need too.

 I sitll need a chair for my desk. I was using my white wicker chair but it is really not very good as a desk chair. Hopefully I will find one soon.



And here is a sneak peek at my sunroom..Yikkess what a mess. I have a tendency to just store stuff here all winter as it is out of the way.  This is it actuallly cleaned up a bit. I did have my christmas tree in here but moved it to the garage finally.

 I am only posting these pictures in the hopes that it will shame me to actually get it all put together. This is the may 24 weekend so I will probablly get around to it since I will not be in New York City this year. I went twice last year and even though I have gone every year for I don't know how many on may 24 this year I thought it would be fun to stay home.....It's not even the weekend and I am already bored. What do people do on long weekends at home..... Well I am about to find out....stay tuned...haha  

Till Next Time,  Frances

It's Springtime, supposedly. Time to start to plant my urns.

I took all the christmas greens out and they looked so bare.

 I picked up some fake pussywillow branches from Dollarama $1.00 cant beat that , and they will last longer than the real ones that tend to bloom soon after you cut them I notice.

 Picked up a couple of pots of Daffodils and a tray of assorted pansy's in spring like colours.

 I know they say "more is less" but when it comes to flowers I think the opposite is true.

I added my pussy willows and I think it looks quite springy too me. It has been a slow start to spring in these parts.

Here they are both done.  I think I like them and they should fill out soon as they are calling for rain for the next 2 weeks.....figures...now I know why people go south in the spring....the wait is horrendous. 
Till next time, Frances

Kitchen Cover Up

Here is the space in my Kitchen where the dishwasher should be.  Because this is a house we intend to flip (eventually) I never installed a dishwasher. I keep my garbage can and recycling bins here. It is very ugly and ruins the look of the kitchen.

I went to the hardware store and I picked up this curtain rod for 4 bucks...pretty cheap.

I got the boy to help me to put in the hangers as I couldnt turn them as much as I should

 Perfect and so simple.

 I had previously purchased a canvas drop cloth to use for...something I wasn't quite sure yet what..but I cut a piece 1 1/2 the width of the opening.. I just hung the cloth over the rod for now..till I can get my daughter to sew it for me..I have no talent in that direction sadly.

It turned out pretty awesome I think...at least I dont have to look at the garbage cans any longer..

Till next time...Frances

Photo Gallery of my kids

I was shopping at the Superstore the other day and found these picture frames on sale for 8.94 each.

They  are quite large 11X14

 I have always wanted to do a gallery wall of pictures of my kids so I thought this would look good at a price that I could afford.
I went to the Zehrs and had a few pictures enlarged to 8X10. They are pretty much my favorite pictures of each of my kids.  It was quite cheap...13 dollars for 4 of them not too shabby.

 The first one is of my oldest daughter Rox-Anne.. She turned 30 this year.. This picture is from a few years ago when we went out on my friends old wood boat for the day.. Rox-Anne is channeling her inner Jackie O..haha.

 This is my oldest son Phil he is 28. This is all of our favorite picture of Phil...He is 14  maybe 15 here. I always wonder what he is thinking here..haha best not to know I suppose.

 This  picture is my youngest daughter Jaclyn she is 24.  This picture is a few years old. My son Phil's girlfriend Krystal took this picture..she is a professional photographer and does an awesome job..I am hoping to eventually get her to take pictures of all my kids and grandkids...She takes our yearly family portrait that I started this blog with. I will get my daughter Rox-Anne to put a link on here to her blog and website...cause I have no clue how to do that...This is a favorite one of Jaclyn.

 This one is my baby boy Aidan..He is about 2 maybe 3 here....He is almost 16 now.  He picked this picture himself he likes the thumbs up sign...It is a cutie as is he...

 Here they all are lined up on the floor as I have to put wire on the frames to hang them. And I was thinking how am I ever gonna get them to all line up...okay good luck with that.  I also havn't figured our where I want to hang them ...I will think about that tomorrow as the sun has gone down,  I hope they line up even...I can already tell its gonna be fun  not!!!!!
I must admit I sure do have a good looking bunch of kids.....Till next time  Frances

Pottery Barn egg knock off

Have you seen these eggs from Pottery Barn?




 
I

I bought these eggs at  dollarama 5/1.00

And my friend Chrissy had these stamps from her scrapbooking days. I painted the eggs with a soft ivory folk art paint I bought from Michaels (which by the way was no easy task) the painting not the buying...that was no problem haha. and put black ribbon hangers instead of the blue. 

I had the yellow flowers so I put them in a flower bin with some newspaper to keep them steady.



I think they turned out not too bad don't you?



I will say that it was not easy to get them to face the front. I hung them on the branches and then stamped them.
It didnt turn out to be as easy as I thought it would be but a cute project just the same.
I have them in my front mud room so you can see them when you come in the door.
I am so glad easter is so late this year as if gives me time to do all kinds of projects I would not do if it where at the end of march.
Hope you like them
for now have a good day
Frances

Easter Place Card Pottery Barn Knockoff...sorta.

At least it is my version of the pottery barn ones..

This is the Pottery Barn version I thought I would be able to copy for my Easter table.

I went to Dollarama and bought a few things.

These peat pots fit the bill

And these sprays with eggs on them...some green and some blue

some moss

I took some paper clips and hot glued them to the back of the pots.

Then I filled the pots with a paper towel so I would not use up all my moss. Not to worry it didnt end up using all that much anyway.

These birds nests where on the sprays so I thought I would make place card holders with them too. I can use them when I have a fancy lunch at my table in the sunroom.

I glued them all together and I came up with my version,,,I'm sure they will look awesome at Easter..I will be sure to take some pictures then....

And yes I know my after pictures are at the beginning of this post and if anyone knows how to move them Please let me know because I have no clue whatsoever

Till next time....

As you can see I did manage to move the pictures...maybe if I posted more I would be able to figure it out easier...because I still don't know how I managed it...haha oh well this is supposed to be fun  right?

Sewing Machine Table

I bought this little table a couple of summers ago at a garage sale..I have always wanted one with a old iron sewing machine base like this.

The top was so ugly I have been on the lookout for a new one ever since.

I found this old bread board in one of my favorite stores  Cobblestones in Baldwin  and knew it was just what I was looking for

Off with the old top...and on with the new

I think it looks just perfect now...just need some new things to put on top.

These are my new rain boots I bought from Giant Tiger.  Scottie dogs naturally.

Then I thought well I don't really want to wear them at work and in the Garden they will get too dirty...

Problem solved. Now I have two pairs   and I love them both....Till next time...when I will have a Easter Place card  al la Pottery Barn Knockoff to show you...have a good one Frances