February Reading.

I've got a bunch of books on order from

our local library but so far, just one has

come in. "Inside the Dream Palace" is

the history of the Chelsea in New York.

A great read and one that intrigues me

as our eldest daughter is named "Chelsea".

Favorite Window.

Our house has 44 windows but this one

that is the window in our mudroom is my

favorite. It's long and narrow, just perfect

for growing tiny plans and letting in light.

Decorating Journey.

We've waited so long to finally be

able to truly decorate our new home.

Now that everything is mainly

unpacked, setting up is the fun part.

Guest Bedroom Style.

It's been a lot of fun setting up our very

first guest bedroom in our new house. 

Prior to this move, our house was always

filled with kids and guests. So we had no

extra room to house anyone who needed

a place to lay their weary head. Only a

few friends and family have had a chance

to sleep over so far, but the initial feedback

is very positive, too date. The big test

will be if my brother ever comes out to

visit us. He'a big guy and definitely not

into Teddy Bears, flowers and vintage items.

House Bookcase.

We gifted this to our community preschool

a few years ago but it's now back in our home,

tucked into a corner of our guest bedroom.

Holds many special tiny and sweet treasures.

Do you have a special spot for your treasures?

Do you have a collection or two on display?

Teddy Theme.

Our guest room is starting to take shape.

Soft colors with vintage linens and

all over, these sweet little bears. A

very Teddy theme throughout. So cute!

Before Sunrise ....

.... out our bedroom window. Peaceful

but so chilly in the early morning light.

Online Party.

My dear friend launched an online

ordering party as a fundraiser for

her daughter's class to go on a trip

together. I was very happy to help

and ordered a new commercial grade

whisk, a jar of cheese, chives and

bacon mix, a jar of creamy dill

popcorn seasoning and 3 packs of

mac and cheese mix. Can't wait for

my order to arrive. There's a few

other items I'd love to order but

will need to save up for those. Yum!

A New Treasure.

I had time between appointments the other day and

went out to get a nice hot chocolate. Cold, blustery

and even a bit rainy, so my body was feeling chilled.

On the way back to our centre, I stopped at our

local charity shop to look for a crochet hook and

some wool for a crochet lesson I was going to take.

No hooks that day and the wool was not to my liking.

But look what I found! A brand new wallet for me.

My old one, also bought at the shop and in brand

new condition, has become quite tattered over time.

This one is bigger and totally brand new (the tag

was still attached). The name on it is "Anna Sui."

I looked the name up and it's a designer and her creations

are not cheap. But I scored this lovely baby, with sweet

colors and tons of storage for my various cards and

receipts for a very tidy $6. Worth 10 times that. Happy!

Do you find items you didn't know you needed at times?

Have you found any great frugal treasures lately?

Egg Cooler.

 Eggs area a favorite food item around

our house. We love eggs in sandwiches ....

And in salads. So I was pretty excited to find a

sweet little egg cooler at Michael's this week. 

Best part? On sale of course! Regular price was

just under $8 but I paid just under $4. Half off.

A couple of eggs went in to my salad at lunch and

the rest back in the fridge for egg salad sandwiches

the next day. No more trying to get them to fit into

a bowl without hitting each other as they roll around. 

And no more leaving them sitting in an icy bowl

of water. Now I just put them in their little cooler

and set them in the fridge for a short time and

ta da .... perfect eggs! Great price, lovely idea.

Snow Surprise.

We went to bed last night with mud all

around our landscape. Rain lightly fell.

But look what we woke up to this morning!

Yup, snow. It was almost all gone with our

very warm, sunny days. At some point

overnight though, winter came back ....

Emerging Art.

Now that the final coat of paint has

been added to our walls for most of

the house, we're slowly hanging our

art. I was so excited to find this tiny

vintage floral picture for our music

room. It fits really nicely with the

vintage lamp on our Victrola. We

are having so much fun decorating

our new home. It's been a very long

journey but so worth the big wait.

Our Valentine's.

A busy day with classes and commitments.

But we still managed to share gifts and love.

And sweet sugar cookies, decorated with

icing and sprinkles. The best kind of day.

Festive Statement.

My course is being held in a historic

building that was a grain mill years

ago. I love how the centre is now full

of unique businesses with an eclectic

feel to the space. The decorating is

incredible and this box of greens and

candles is one of my favorite. On the

coffee table in front of the fireplace, it

takes up a good chunk of space but it

does make a lovely festive statement.

Challenges.

I'm taking a fascinating course right now.

On Tuesday, in our notes was this great

quote from our instructor. After this past

difficult year, I'm thankful for a timely

offer of new education and the wisdom of

a very talented facilitator and mentor. A

true gift in the midst of adversity that

has been part of my every day life all year.

New Grandbaby.

That growl is quite sweet! Meet Ben Solo,

our latest and greatest grandbaby. Just 2

 months old, he is fierce and very sweet, all

wrapped up in a tiny body. Cuddly and cute.

Re Purposing.

We've had a lot of fun over the last few years hunting for treasures to fill our new house. Some have been absolutely perfect and some have needed some "tweaking" to make them perfect. And some have come to us as donations from others. We have an old radio just like the one above, without the interior components. When it was given to us, my first thought was to turn it in to a book case. My dh's first thought was to chop it in to firewood! He collects old radios but had no interest in one that didn't have the "guts" inside. But guess who won? Yup, I did. And then when we were out shopping one afternoon, we stopped in at the Antique Mall and look what we came across .... this very lovely re purposed old radio unit, chalk painted a soft white. I love the look and hope we can make this work. Now he's all interested in seeing what we can do with the "freebie" we received. A new project to work on together, now that we're both on the same page. 

Have you been gifted furniture that you've re purposed?

Would you paint over an old piece of furniture?

Making Sense.

Dear friends. I'm trying, trying so very hard to make sense of all that has happened since January 20th. But the craziness of the last few weeks is starting to wear on all of us and I can't sleep. Eating is far from my thoughts. And relaxing? Out of the question. Key on my mind is why anyone thought that the individual in power (I won't even attempt to place his name on my blog) would be a great leader. I realize that the other options weren't top notch either but really?? Really?? What were those who voted for him thinking? I wish I could meet someone who did vote for him, someone who could clearly explain to me the thought process that went in to placing an X beside his name. I wish I could meet someone who could share their joy and satisfaction in knowing they can sleep at night because their vote was, in their eyes, successful. I wish I could meet someone who can eat without feeling sick and relax, content in the leadership in place. It just doesn't make sense to me ....

There are protests around the world. And yet, I have not seen one "rally" showcasing how excited voters are now that their choice is in power. Is anyone wishing they had voted the other way? Is anyone ashamed of their choice? Or heartbroken now that the true picture is being revealed? Is there anyone out there who regrets placing their X in the box? I can't imagine what that must feel like, just like I can't imagine what it feels like for anyone who was truly enamored and is so giddy with pride now. It boggles my mind and daily, I try to make sense of it all.

The only thing that I can see that has come out of all of this mess, this chaos, this uncertainty, is the power of the people pulling together. Even in my country, far north of the political dissention, has stepped up to show our support. Solidarity reigns and in the end, will win. Maybe it will be the best thing of all, even only the end result could be an impeachment so he can't go further with his plans for destruction in his quest for ultimate power.

Dear friends, in all of this, I am filled with pride that the world has spoken, the people have not backed down, that protests have been, for the most part, peaceful, that each baby step has purpose and that we are all in this together. Even though we don't live in the U.S., we can and will be greatly affected by this one individual's actions, as will all of our vast world. We need to continue to pick up our placards, craft our words, wear our pink hats and march for each other and those who will come after we are all dust in the wind. This is critical and history making. The only hope we have now is that this solidarity will overcome the monster that lurks and plans. Stay strong my friends, for you are important, you matter, we care and we will not let him win! 

Stepping down from my soap box. Wishing you a beautiful Sunday, with blessings for a sunny day, an appetite to replenish body and soul, and a good night's sleep to begin our week once again. 

X Chy

Peaceful Protesting.

Solidarity and peace as our community protests

the recent decisions of the leader of the U.S. He may

actually think he is winning but in reality, the world is

coming together against him. Peaceful protesting!

Bliss Victoria.

I've always loved the "Victoria" magazines and was excited to see this first issue of "Bliss Victoria" in our library. Because it was brand new, I couldn't check it out as all new issues of any magazine our library carries must stay in the special vinyl holder for the first month it's on sale. Then it goes out into the circulation. I flipped through this for a moment and then quickly put it back before I looked at too many sweet and vintage things. 

An hour later, I was in the grocery store picking up a few items and walked past the magazine rack. And guess what my little eyes spotted? This very issue. Into my basket it went (after checking through at least 10 of them to make sure I had the perfect one!) without hesitation. After a busy, long day, I was happy to finally curl up on the couch in front of the fire and totally immerse myself in this lovely publication. In case you weren't sure, those are scrumptious cookies on the front cover. Yum!

Do you treat yourself to the occasional magazine?

If so, do you have any favorites that you love?