Play With Your Own Toys!

This past week I was doing up a parcel headed for a gal in Australia.  I've made some great friends through blogging and she is one of them.  Let's call her Candy. As I was putting things in the box I remembered something else I had for her.

During our many email conversations, Candy wanted to know all about the dreaded moose.  She wanted to know how big they were, if I had ever seen one, etc.  While #2 and I were out shopping I came upon a moose Christmas ornament.  I thought Candy would get a kick out of it so I bought it for her.

When I showed it to Hubby he thought it was a reindeer, not a moose. " Oh, yes it is." I affirmed. " There were reindeer there too.  This is definitely a moose."  Hubby proceeded to hang the moose up on the pot rack.  He's artsy that way.  I left it there because then I would know where it was, I reasoned.

Back to the parcel packing. Here's what happened:

Where's the moose? I asked, looking up at the pot rack.

Ah, I broke it.  Shame faced, from his comfy chair.

You what?  I sputtered.

I broke it.

You did not. Now, where is it?

I broke it, I said.

You're just teasing. Now, where is it?

No, I really did break it.

How did you do that?  I kept my head down.  I was trying not to laugh.

Well, I had the fly swatter out the other day and I clipped the antler on the moose and it broke off.  I tried two types of glue but it just won't stick.

I burst out laughing.  Now what am I gonna do?

I'll get another type of glue and try to fix it.

I'm not going to send her a broken moose!

Well, get her another one.

I can't.  I bought it in Maine.  I confess.  It was an American moose.  Well, actually a Chinese moose.  So there you have it.  No moose for Candy. From the Land Down Under.   I'm thinking of sending Hubby to her instead.

Do I Know You?

Some of the bloggers I read have mentioned how embarrassed they are when someone they actually know reads their blog. Count me in!  It feels like my mother reading my diary as a teenager. It's not as if I was lying or being misleading in any way. I don't know why. It just feels weird.  I don't tell anyone in the real world I have a blog.  I did when I first started but as I kept on writing I didn't want anyone that I actually knew reading this silliness.

However, like all rules, there is an exception.  That would be my hubby's cousin.  We only meet up once a year, if that, and I would like to claim her and her sister as my own flesh and blood. Usually, the few times we do meet  it's because of a death in the family and that's no fun.
So, the most recent meeting was at the funeral for my hubby's sister-in-law. Cousin told me she loves reading my blog and gets a kick out of my many visits to Homesense.  She told me she was at a fea market this summer and saw a blue and white plate she wanted to buy.  Her husband asked her why she wanted it as she had no blue and white.  Cousin told him it was for me because she could tell from my blog that I loved blue and white dishes.  How lovely and thoughtful is that!  Here it is:

She noticed that I didn't have a square plate so she got this for me!  It is about eight inches square and very heavy.  I love it!

So cousin, you can read my blog anytime but just don't tell anyone else about it okay?! Unless they want to send gifts of course.

How does everyone else feel about people they know in real life reading their blog?

Thursday Brain Dump

We have only one child that comes to our door for trick or treat.  So why do I buy 50 treats? Every year? I don't know why.

I had to carry Emma around all day yesterday.  I don't know why.

Last week, I had to put another quilt on the bed.  Last night I had to take it off.  I don't know why.

I enjoy reading sad books.  I don't know why.

My brain dump is just plain depressing.  I must go eat some more halloween treats.

It's a Matter of Opinion

I realize there are a lot of people who don't appreciate care for homes built in the late 1700s or early 1800s.  That's okay by me.  However, when you do live in one of these homes would you feel a duty to preserve the integrity of the period?

Look at this dear little family.  They live in a 1760s Vermont farmhouse.  Let's go inside:

Uh, what colour is that mantel?!

The lovely old horizontal wainscoting (I have some myself) and the windows, all the woodwork is yellow!!!

I would need sunglasses to work in that kitchen.  Seriously.

The soft furnishings are lovely.  But in this type of home?

I am shocked and appalled by the colour of that wood work.  Shocked and appalled I tell you.

How about you, Gentle Readers?  Is this all right with you or should the colour and furnishings be more in keeping with the age and style of the house?  Inquiring minds want to know.

All photos were taken from the October 2010 issue of Country Living. Perhaps they were just dressing up the house for halloween?

Better and Better

This week just keeps getting better and better!  It's only Monday, my bush is burning, I got a new follower, and I just got an email from Linda MacDonald.  She is a fellow Maritimer and she is also a contributing editor for Holiday with Matthew Mead and Flea Market Style magazines. I was chosen in a random draw for ordering the magazine.
 I just won a $50.00 gift card to Anthropolgie!!!!

Will it be in Canadian funds or American?

Will I have to go back to New York to shop there?

Will my gift card just cover the shipping?

I think I need some more drawer pulls like the one above, for example.

To go along with these ones I bought whilst in New York:

Photo by Moi

I sure hope my gift card works in Canada.

It's Burning!!!! Two Items of Business.

Gentle Readers,

Don't call the fire department, but my burning bush decided to burn this year!

Remember this sad looking specimen?

Look at her now!  I think she finally heard my threats.

I would also like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers during this sad time.  I am so grateful for my friends here in blog land.

It has come to my attention that I have lost a follower.  This distresses me greatly, because I have no self esteem. Sniff.

Sad News

Gentle Readers,
I'm not going to be posting for a few days as Hubby's sister-in-law passed away late Sunday evening.

Crafty Friday

Since it's pouring rain and not a great day for taking pictures, I decided to share with you a craft!  I saw this Martha Stewart kit many moons ago at Michaels.  I thought they were so pretty but the price was too much for my pocket book.

Some time after that, when I went back to the store, there was the kit, on sale!  I bought the it, went home and made some pom poms.

Aren't they pretty? I only made two and mine were pink.  Then I saw them on blogs all over the internet.  They were shown in nurseries, little girls' bedrooms and wedding decor.

Since I had none of these things going on, they sat around for months.  This past August I was invited to a wedding shower.  Since I'm by nature a procrastinator, I waited until the last minute to wrap the shower gift.  Not being able to find enough ribbon in my neat and tidy Studio, I put a tissue pom pom on top of the gift.

Hubby chortled when he saw it.  "That flower is bigger than the box"  Hmph.  I carried on.  I picked up #1 to take to the shower with me.  She chortled too!  I carried on.  Upon arriving at said wedding shower, every single person there loved my tissue flower!  Everyone wanted to know how I made it!

So that is my handy dandy craft for today.  Now, I just have one more pom pom to get rid of.  Anyone having a wedding or baby shower?  Anyone?  Please?

 

Behind Closed Doors

For those of you who have read my blog for some time, you know that it's the little things that make me happy.  Remember my yellow pot?  Now fabric storage in laundry baskets may be perfect for some but not for me.  It does not make me happy.  It irritates me beyond.  So, last Friday hubby and I bought the perfect affordable solution. Voila!

It's from Black and Decker, it cost $89.00 at our local Canadian Tire store and it works for me.(for now)  The shaker style doors are a nice touch, don't you think? This baby is being assembled upstairs and will take up residence in the hall where no one will see it. I can't wait to get all that fabric out of my Studio!

The Remains of the Day

The plate in the right foreground is not mine!

Tout fini.

Only in Canada, eh?

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadian cohorts.  Have a great weekend!

It Has Come to This...

                                  First furnace fuel fill up for Fall.   Phooey.

The Fire is Out

Gentle Readers,

Those of you in the more Autumnal climes will recognize this lovely shrub:

The Burning Bush.

Not this one:

This one:

This is what my burning bush looks like every year.

Sad, but true.  Every year as Spring and Summer skip merrily on their way I always think that at least I'll have my burning bush to look at in the Fall. But it Never.Burns.
Each Fall I threaten to uproot the thing and pitch it as it is taking up valuable real estate space in my garden but then every Spring I relent and give it ONE.MORE.CHANCE.
So if any of my faithful readers has some advice on how to get my bush to burn I'll be forever grateful.

I'll leave you with a sweeter image.  These are my nasturtiums growing up my fading honeysuckle vine.

Thankfully somebodything is still burning brightly around here!

Autumn Flavour

One of the best things that Fall brings are the apples!

Do you like apple crisp or apple pie?

Decisions, decisions.