New Art Project.

I ordered a tiny set of sealing wax candles

and a box of seals with a wooden handle.

The box is very plain, so I have decided

to create a nice little art project using

mixed media items to cover the box up.

I'll post pictures once the project is done.

~ Chy

Tiny Pumpkins.

 

Tiny pumpkins at the base of the fireplace,

brightening the hearth and gracing our home.

~ Chy

Fall Mantel.

Finally had a few moments yesterday to dig up the

Fall decorations and start making our cottage cozy.

Sorry for the shadows. Still figuring out how to take

great pictures. But here is our Fall Mantel for 2019.

~ Chy

Real Life.

Actually this doesn't show the true picture of real

life as I only took the "after" shot! Before this area

looked so tidy, it had a number of medications by

the lamp, bread in bags, some tea cups and a towel.

I try to keep everything so tidy but every once in a

while, life slips and something is out of place. All

better now and hopefully this corner will stay nice

and tidy. For now, real life. Until it's messy again.

~ Chy

Federal Election.

It's that time again in Canada. The treed boulevards

are suddenly covered in bright Election signs, the tv

commercials will soon start and the lively debates are

well underway. Yes, it is now Federal Election time in

Canada. The call came a few weeks ago and we go

to the polls on October 21, 2019 to vote in the current

Prime Minister, or a new one, as well as the Members

of Parliament who will represent all the communities

across this vast land. An exciting time but also a bit

stressful as we all figure out the very best candidates.

~ Chy

Sunday Night.

Last night, someone down the road disrupted our quiet Saturday night by shooting off fireworks. Then the music started. It's unusual to hear outside noises inside our house but the fireworks were loud. And the music increased in volume over time. We ignored it, knowing it wouldn't last all night. Eventually, we trekked off to bed as Saturday had been a busy work day (kids grief class and then individual counselling sessions) and we both soon fell fast asleep.

However, it wasn't long before the music was thumping and thumping and there didn't seem to be an end to it! I did think about calling the non~emergency number for the RCMP but I couldn't figure out if the music was in our subdivision or out on the Range Road. And I also kept thinking it would just stop in time. Maybe a neighbor would call. So I wouldn't have to be "that neighbor!" Finally, at 4:00 a.m., I couldn't handle it anymore and went and stood out on our back deck. It was hard to figure out the direction. It was beyond our one neighbor but again, I couldn't figure out from where. So off I trekked back to bed, reading for a while and tossing and turning. Around 4:40, suddenly, it stopped! I'm not sure if someone else finally called in or if the party broke up or if the individual(s) finally got tired but the silence was heaven! Off to sleep I went, at least for a bit.

Our painters came back this morning to finish the garage so I was up early to shower and let them in. Dh has a nasty bronchial cold, so I made him some warm cinnamon raisin toast and then settled down to create our Fall Home Task Binder. Once I had our tasks laid out in the binder, I then took a bit of time to mark some items off by tackling them while dh had a long, hot shower. I started the laundry, cleaned out the laundry room, re~organized inside the cabinets inside, then the closet in that small room, put the garbage and recycling together to take down the lane for pick up tomorrow, tidied up from breakfast and put the dishes in the dishwasher, tidied the bathroom and wiped down all surfaces, folded my mom's laundry to go to her care home tomorrow, folded our laundry, cleaned out the fridge (wiped it all down as well), swept and vacuumed, cleaned the furnace humidifier, soaking the pad, then once the painters were done in the early afternoon, we headed in to town to get groceries, then home to put them away and while dh took a break, we watched "Escape to the Country" while I dug out the Fall decorations and starting making our home feel warm and cozy. Dh put the fireplace on and the rest of the afternoon was spent writing on our laptops, watching our show and staying cozy while the wind howled. 

I made dinner (wow!) and then we finished decorating, tidied the kitchen and ran the dishwasher, put 2 more loads of laundry in (all done now), and settled down to watched 2 shows. Everything is done now, we're ready for a busy week and to end our weekend, we're going to watch the 1st episode of Season 1 of Downton Abbey. Yup, we're just a bit behind but now that the movie is out, we thought it was time to jump in and see what all the fuss is about! Hope you had a great weekend and are ready for your week too. 

~ Chy

Flower Frame.

Can you spot THE sweetest picture in the entire world? Yup, there it is, between my angel bear and my gramma pillow. The tiny little waif in the picture reminds me of a photo I recall seeing of Queen Elizabeth, when she was a little princess before her father died and she became the head of the Commonwealth. It also reminds me of my gramma and even my mom as a young child. Precious and so very tiny.

When we first found this frame at the antique mall, I was confused by the back. I asked at the front desk and discovered that it's not just a picture frame but also a holder for flowers, fresh or fake. Instantly, I knew I HAD to buy it. Thankfully, it was in budget. And now I'm just waiting for my Hydrangea's to blossom so I can cut some and place them in this special and unique frame to dry. I keep changing my mind about where I'd like to hang it. Many, many choices in this house! I'll post once it's found it's home AND there are pretty pinky green Hydrangea's drying in it. 

After a week at home, I returned to work this week. Still struggling with energy, or lack of it. The drive on any other day is not an issue but when I'm not 100%, it feels like it takes forever. I pretty much came home each day and had a nap. Not a bad thing at all, just very, very frustrating.

Today, we're waiting to see if the predicted snow will arrive. Our weather is currently affecting the last stages of our garage makeover. It's a just a bit too humid, so everything is taking longer to dry. And then at night, it's super cold. Next week is supposed to get nice and warm, with sunny days and higher temps, so I hope this means we'll get to have the painters finish and then we can start moving everything back inside and set up the workshop. Almost there ....

~ Chy

Up High.

This potted plant was tiny when I first

placed it up on this shelf in our kitchen

nook. Now, with daily sun (except when

it rains!), it has truly grown substantially!

~ Chy

Window Wreath.

The wreath we hung on the new shutters in

the kitchen nook always makes me smile!

~ Chy

Tiny Blossoms.

I was sure this tiny plant was at the end of

it's life but it's suddenly gained blossoms!

Pretty pinks and vibrant, healthy green

stems. So happy it's doing much better.

~ Chy

Potted Blooms.

Another example of fabric flowers in

our kitchen. Blooms in a purple pot!

~ Chy

Pussy Willows.

I gathered some pussy willows in the

Spring and they are still hanging on in

this vintage jar from the antique mall.

Love the Fall leaves in the background!

~ Chy

Fabric Flowers.

A vibrant purple fabric bouquet sitting

on our piano in the formal dining room.

Placed in a vintage bottle I found at the

charity shop one day, these fabric flowers

add some extra color to our celebration

dinner space. Bright and very cheerful!

~ Chy

Tiny Roses.

I have a combination of both live and

fabric flowers around our little cottage.

One of my favorites is this bouquet of

pink fabric roses, with a light green bow.

I found these at our local charity shop

one day and quickly put them in my

basket ~ they remind me of several

bouquets of pink roses I've received.

~ Chy

Tears and Vines.

A pot of baby tears, with a basket of

trailing vines on the bottom. Love both!

~ Chy

China Doll.

A sweet China Doll plant, too delicate for

my noisy work, so I brought it home. I love

the name as our 2nd dd's name is Chynna!

She has often been called "our china doll!"

~ Chy

Bag of Herbs.

A little bag of fabric herbs sitting by

the AGA in the kitchen. Love these!

~ Chy

Suntanning Fern.

Although the last few days have been

cold and rainy (again!), we did have

an hour of sun the other day. And my

fern literally reached for the sunshine!

~ Chy

Self Care Time.

Everyone needs a little time for themselves.

This is where I'm at this week but am very

busy right now, carving out time is proving

to be a bit impossible. Tonight maybe!!

~ Chy

Wallpaper Saga.

After 4 days of sun and warm, warm weather, it started to rain, AGAIN, last night! Now we're in for 4 days of rainy weather. At least Mother Nature is generous and gives equal amounts of both the good and the bad! I'd prefer more good.

The "wallpaper saga" that begin almost 2 years ago is almost done. And it looks like it will turn out in our favor, thankfully. Here is our story: after years of having just painted walls, we decided that we wanted to wallpaper one room in our new home and we chose the 1/2 bath on the main floor. Small room with super tall ceilings, and it seemed too echoey and not warm and welcoming ~ if a bathroom can be considered welcoming! We spent quite a bit of time finding THE PERFECT pattern, then headed to the store with our measurements in hand. Dh had for a time in our early years worked for said shop, so he knew how to measure for wallpaper and even gave a generous amount of space for the matching process. We were told at the local store to head in to the Big City as they were "not comfortable" ordering themselves and wanted the "wallpaper expert" at the one location to take this on. Fair enough. Feeling confident all would be well with the "wallpaper expert" we headed in to town. He worked on the measurements, gave us the results and I asked for more just to be sure. That was my gut speaking. However, he insisted he knew exactly how much we needed with the match and we'd still have some left over. After a bit discussion, we agreed. I was still hesitant but hey, he's the "wallpaper expert." We headed home to wait for our order.

Two weeks later and the call came. We picked up our order on the way home from an event and the next day, I happily started to wallpaper. All was well until we realized as we were half way done the 3rd wall that we were going to be short. I knew it! Always, always trust your gut!! So we phoned the "wallpaper expert" and he was not as friendly the 2nd time around. We drove in to the Big City to meet him and he was gruff and blamed us for providing him with inaccurate measurements. In fact, we had inflated the measurements so we'd end up with more than enough and also had asked to order another double roll and he refused, so now we're short! And the wallpaper sale (50% off) was over. I expected to be able to order at the sale price, without the additional shipping cost, as it was his error, not ours. But he argued and argued and argued, so we left. The next day, I called the main office, who called him and then we had to go in to order what we needed. They arranged a time to meet with him and we were promised not only the 50% sale but also no additional shipping and the same lot number so the paper matches. We arrived at designated time, only to find out the the "wallpaper expert" had "stepped away" for the afternoon. Hmmm. Thankfully he had left very detailed instructions for his staff and in a short time, we were done and on our way home. End of the dilemma, right? Nope!

Two weeks later, said paper comes in. I start to finish up the last bits as I had now joined a "6 week room makeover" and was running out of time! A short time later, I called out to my dh to come and see what I thought I was seeing. The pattern was correct, matching was going really well BUT the paper was darker than the original. He suggested it was too wet to make a call just yet and to give it a few days to dry. We did but days later, it was still too dark. Called back the store and got the "wallpaper expert" who claimed he did order the same lot number and blamed me for my hanging skills. I hung up! The next day, I called the head office and they asked me to send in my concerns via email. I received a note that a "ticket" had been opened and my dilemma would soon be solved. For months, there was a note here and there but nothing. It seemed to have gotten passed from individual to individual, department to department. I sent in photos as requested, invited them to our home, did everything we could think of. Last week, I had had enough of apologizing to guests for the unfinished bathroom. And wrote a strong letter, with a sentence at the end stating that my only recourse at this point was to share our wallpaper sage on Social Media. That was the trick. The next morning, I had a flurry of emails from the company and then a very lovely call from the new store manager, who was not there when this all occurred the first time. She was horrified that this had gone on for this long. She shared with me in her second call that the "wallpaper expert" had been let go for his lack of "expertise" and that the lot number he promised was the same was in fact a different number. I was so worried that the paper we took so long to find would no longer be available but she found it in the States and promptly ordered what we needed plus an extra double row for good measure. And she assured me the lot number was identical for all the rolls. No charge to use, with an estimated arrival of about 2 weeks. I am beyond relieved we will finally have the paper we wanted, with more than we needed for matching, all the same lot  number, with no additional charges. Soon our wallpaper saga will be done and we can finally enjoy this tiny room in the little house in the big woods. I'm glad we didn't have to use Social Media as I really never want to be "that guy" but glad in the end it worked to get this saga done and over with. I'll post pics once the room is completed ~ before and after. 

Have you ever had a saga like this?

How did you get it resolved?

~ Chy

Fall Mums.

I have since we moved in to this sweet

little house in the big woods bought at

least two pots of Fall mums each year.

And always lovely ones from Costco.

But this year, all they had was mixed blooms in

very, very large pots. Way too big for my taste

and not my colors. I found these by accident at

a local discount store where I don't shop at all.

Daughter had to one in to pick up something,

so I tagged along and next thing I know, there

were two "just the right size" pots of Fall mums.

And such a sweet color. Best part? They were

just $7 each and blooming so nicely. Love!

~ Chy

Sunny Morning.

I love when we come downstairs in the morning how bright the nook is, even with the new shutters. The extra shutter just hanging out there still needs to be attached to the french door going out to the deck but a piece of hardware was missing. I need to get the install guy back as Thanksgiving is fast approaching! Can't wait until the windows we are doing this year are done. It's a slow process but looks so good! And keeps out the bright sun really well when we need a bit of darkness. Just the right amount.

All week, I've had a nasty bronchial infection. Not the best timing as we have a very large community event on Sunday. Thankfully, without knowing I would be so ill, we did a ton of work a head of time. Other than a few names to print and laminate, a couple of thank you cards to add to the pile and a decision on what to bring for our lunch potluck before the event starts, we're ready! Oh and load the  bins and the sound system in to the car will be our last task today. Later, after kids class and dinner. I have a interview with a local tv station but that will be done by phone and then they plan to send out a crew tomorrow to tape some footage for the news. Thankful for media coverage as it's not a cause that many people wish to talk about or think about but for those of us that live this every day, it needs discussion, compassion and understanding. And that's what our event is all about. What we need is nice weather and so far, it's looking really lovely for tomorrow. Sunny and 22 degrees Celcius. Fingers crossed for a beautiful day that will include both tears and laughter, love and hope, and sweet harp music. Wish us well that families leave feeling comforted and supported on their journey. That's our hope and goal.

~ Chy

Changing Colors.

Every day, we see more and more change. Even

every hour it seems. Love our beautiful Fall.

Tiny but finally blooming Hydrangea's

in the front garden. My favorite colors.

Our Hosta has done so well again

this year. Healthy and hardy and big!

The side garden is south of the house and really

golden. I love all our green but this is pretty too.

~ Chy

Sizzling Shrimp.

And now my favorite dinner ~ a new

experience as well. With sesame sauce!

~ Chy

New Addiction.

I have been introduced to a no caffeine

caramel frothy drink. My new addiction!

~ Chy

Garage Progress ....

More progress. The storage bin is now

full, donations have been donated and

the bits we couldn't keep were put in

the garbage bin we rented. All set now!

Contractors arrived bright and early today

and worked almost until 6 p.m. They will

be back tomorrow, so I'll work from home,

which is good, as I know have a cold ....

~ Chy

Sunset Corners.

I love coming around the corner into

the living room and seeing the sunset

in the corners. Somehow, this is HOME

to me. Quiet, serene and so welcoming.

Across the hall in the dining room, the

light is coming through the sidelights

of the front door. In a few minutes, this

changes to coming through the dining

room windows. It's like the world is

just waiting for Sunday dinner! Love!!

~ Chy

Garage Project ....

We work hard to keep our house neat

and tidy. A place for most things we own.

But our garage is another story. We have

had a struggle since we moved in with

"stuff" and it's really gotten to us. So

much stress trying to manage all of it.

Part of it is from when our son moved

back to Alberta, lots is when my mom

moved in to care and the rest is ours.

This is real life and it's hard! This week,

we had a storage unit dropped off and

after these pictures were taken, we began

the long task of sorting, purging and

storing. We're about half done and after

work today, we'll finish up the last bit.

Then on Monday, our contractor and

his crew will arrive to mud, sand, prime

and then paint the walls, and texture the

ceiling. We'll then spend the next week or

so unloading the items we will be keeping

and put this space back in order and in

good use, instead of just storage. The end

where you see the big window will be 

our wood finishing workshop. So very

excited to finally get the dream garage

that we envisioned when we moved in!

~ Chy

New Classrooms.

Our Hospice is now under construction and

we are all moved in to a temporary location.

This week, we were invited to look at the

configuration of cabinetry for our brand

new classrooms. It was fun to see what the

designer has proposed and to dream a bit!

Now I'm making lists of what needs to go in to

these cabinets so we have enough for all our

art supplies and our curriculum. Many things

to think about and plan. Thankful for this time.

~ Chy

A Month Behind.

 

I LOVE the British Edition of Country Living each

month. But always so frustrated that even though

the other publications I like to buy are typically on

the stand the month before, this one is truly always at

least a whole month behind. The August 2019 edition

is finally in the store and I'm happy to be cozied up

and reading it tonight. But it's a bit weird to read

about Summer when the leaves are falling to the

ground outside right now. Fall has arrived in our

little forest but I still enjoy the charm of this edition. 

~ Chy

Fall Garden.

Across from the mulched beds, our

tiny Secret Garden. Very lush this year.

But now a shade of Fall has appeared.

Loving the new colors and the brightness.

Our sweet bench and the pot we filled

this year with pretty annuals. And a

new addition to the garden  .... a wishing

ball on a concrete stand. No wishes yet!

A path through the trees. The deer often

walk around this area. Love they have a

path or two to follow as they wander. I

wonder if they love Fall as much as we do.

~ Chy

Mulched Beds.

Our tiny Hydrangea's. I hope in time

they will grow large and lush. In time.

Our Hosta is doing really well. Loving

the bright green with the ivory edges.

Lavender that hasn't bloomed yet but

growing well and so healthy and green.

Loving that the mulch has taken care of the

endless weeding. So far, so good. Love it!

~ Chy