Just a quick update and storm news

We had a terrible storm on wednesday of this week . They say it wasn't a Tornado but you would not know it from all the damage. 

 This used to be a 50ft evergreen....and now it is just a wall of dirt and roots.  The top part is now in my neighbours lawn instead...not much good horizontal

 This is whats left of the neighbour across the streets tree that landed in my front yard...and took out my internet for 4 days.. I was lucky though lots of homes where damaged but luckily no one was hurt in the storm.

 And here's an update on my kitchen.  I have this pantry underneath my stairs that I have never been able to figure out how to close in.  Its not all that pretty to look at from the kitchen table.

 So  I bought a curtain rod from the dollar store for 1.25 and put it up. Then I took the rest of my drop cloth that I had left over from the dishwasher cover up that I made and had my daughter Jaclyn sew me a hem for the top.

 The pictures don't do it justice but it actually looks a lot better now...

I have a new project coming up...that involves a post, a stake, a hook and a hose so stay tuned I hope to have it done by next weekend...I just need my daughters boyfriend to help me.  Till next time Frances

just some updates and a few purchases of mine

My son bought me this lamp a few years ago for christmas. I had it in my bedroom when my furniture was all very traditional.  It fit in well. But I just happened to stop in at the Stretch Thrift Store...where by the way I NEVER seem to find anything good. (makes me wonder why I keep going). Anyhow for one whole dollar I managed to pick up a new shade.

The picture makes it look crooked but its not. I just love it and for a dollar who can complain. I am wondering if I should paint the base of the lamp or just leave it as is. What do you think?

 I was also across the boarder in Wilson NY last weekend and picked up some stuff from HomeGoods.  I love it there. I know HomeSense is owned by the same company but the selection and prices are sooooo much better stateside. This little lamp was cute..kind of kitchy but I like it and it was only 20 dollars.

 I loved this beach sign and it is perfect on this wall because it does in fact....point to the beach.

 This sailboar I acutally picked up in Jacksons Point at Apples of Gold. Sometimes I find the most interesting stuff there.

I needed to put back the summer in my living room and I realised the top of my armoire needed some work. The glass vase with the starfish looked good.....but

 I think the lantern and some beachy embellishments on the basketts looked good.

 Still a little sparce so I added the star. I may put the star on a box so that it will sit higher. And I need to find something to put in my lantern..something blue I think,,,maybe a candle I dont know yet. No big rush, not like its like summer around here anyway with all the rain. I cant even cut my grass and the outside looks awful.

Moved my white wicker chair back in...not sure I will use the white slipcover again this year.  I have been contemplating buying a new couch..but we will see about that. Anyway as always its a process that never seems to have an ending...Hopefully tomorrow I can get my sunroom put in order as I hear Saturday is going to be a beautiful day....Yes hopefully lots of garage sailing in my future....Till Next Time, Frances

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