Photo Challenge. Red- Linky Tool Fixed!

The challenge this week was red.  I tried to get photos that really spotlighted RED.

I am off to Montreal this weekend so next weeks challenge is going to be

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT.

Montreal has lots of lovely architecture I can photograph and I am really looking forward to seeing yours.

Click below to enter a link to your blog.

Reno Dust in My Soup and Forgotten Parcels-Reno Day 6

I was the perfect client today, doing what Mike Holmes tells you never to do.  Feed your contractor and his assistant.  Mike claims coffee and tea is a good thing, but when you start with lunch and baked goods in the morning, you begin to lose the balance, plus, if you greet them with cinnamon buns in the morning of day 6, then on days 7, 8, 9........then start looking for them.  So when they arrived to piping hot tea and cinnamon buns, I am setting the precedent for tomorrow when there won't be any.  See, already agreeing with Mike.  I will post my cinnamon bun recipe later on, as I make it with pizza dough (I cheat and buy it from the deli), and they are better than Cinnabon as they haven't got shortening, just butter and brown sugar and raisins.  Tutorial to Follow.

Anyway I was feeling sick and miserable today, so I made myself tomato and basil soup with some of the last Ontario tomatoes and the measly remaining basil from the garden.  Last week Jacqueline from

Beauty in the Ordinary posted this magnificently easy bread recipe that I have made at least 5 times.  I sprinkle it with wheat germ and it bakes into a gorgeous crust.  So the fellas got a hot lunch and my house is covered in drywall dust and little bits of insulation from an attic crawl to see why the bedroom is so cold.  So when you spend the morning in the attic I figure you deserve hot soup and crusty bread for lunch.

The electrician arrives tomorrow and we marked out the exact positioning of the pot lights and sconces.  Simon asked about my bedroom sconces, and I had forgotten them really.  I located the box and was so excited to see them again. 

 I had forgotten how lovely they were. 

They were $40.00 a pair from my favorite shop up north.

The wall between the bathroom and the bedroom is up (well the studs).

Plumbing got roughed in yesterday and the toilet moved.

This will have a pocket door with frosted glass. 

And this is what is taking so much time.  The horrible popcorn ceiling is getting covered with bead board.  Then a 5 inch wide x 1" deep beam (trim piece) will cover the seams and edges shaker style, with a pot light in the middle of each of the 6 sections. With a 6" crown molding that will line up with the build in closets.  It took all morning to finalise the 6 sections as the ceiling joists have to be taken into account for the light boxes.  Like a very bad designer, I drew it on a large post it with no dimensions.  But I like to work it out in the room better.  I know in my head what I want, and Simon does a pretty good job in reading my "head" plans. 

So amidst the chaos of the reno, I keep peeking at these and I can picture them in my lovely new room, and suddenly I don't care if there is dust in my soup.

My Basement Reno-2 years after the fact.

Yesterday, I made hubby take this large table down to the basement, and I realised that I have never posted pictures of the basement reno we did two years ago.   This was part of our house that we never ventured into, except to do laundry.  My then 21 year old daughter would throw in her laundry and run upstairs as if the bogey man lived there. 

 It was that bad. It was the home of the washing machine and the kitty litter.

A landscaping issue forced water into one of the windows when it rained.  Fortunately the original builder had made a severe incline in the floor to the drain (35 bags of self levening cement to fix it) and it mostly flowed right into it.  Once the foundation was exposed, cracks were evident and had to be repaired, as did the landscape grading.  The 6 inch high windows which no longer met building code were replaced with 24" windows with large window wells with French Drains.   Inadequate insulation and a lousy dropped ceiling made this room dark and cold. We also added pot lights.

This was once my dining table.  It pulls apart and I made 2 enormous leaves from plywood and could seat 10 people. I purchased these 2 cane chairs from My Back Shed in Oakville and the owner Lisa, recovered them for me in this spotty linen/chenille Robert Allen fabric.  The empty plaster frame with the ratty string is my idea of art, but people can't resist the "who stole your Mona Lisa?" jokes. 

 This area was originally going to house a wet bar, however the budget was so far over due to the water, drains and cracks, we nixed it in favour of this old cabinet also from My Back Shed, painted black.  (Benjamin Moore ready mix black, pearl finish).  The walls are Ballet White by Benjamin Moore.  All trim Oxford white.  Ceiling Cloud White.

That chair in the corner was a decorating mistake that I had to own as it was far to deep for the clients room I purchased it for.  I opted for a velvet sofa and a linen armchair (not visible) from a local manufacturer Gresham House.  The ottoman is Pottery Barn and is a little lopsided.(I should have returned it).  I usually have a larger rug here, but I took in a stray dog and he peed on it, so it is at the cleaners. 

This table I bought from Craigslist for $110.00.  It is the heaviest thing and quite lovely, except you have to sit on the side with the drop down leaf, as the drawers are so deep you can't get your legs under.  It was in the kitchen until yesterday and this space was empty. No art.  Nothing but a blank wall. We hauled it down and I dressed the space with bits I had lying around. 

I decided to make an art wall, the center being this metal cow sign with a cow that came from a dairy farm in Ontario.  It has marks in it that look like someone used it for BB gun practice.

Top left is a photo my brother look in Botswana of 2 boys wrapped in blankets with their donkey and below is my daughters grade 3 art piece of an African woman. To the left is a little woven straw puse from Chile.  Under the self indulgent "C" are my Lebanese prayer beads from my friend Leena.  You can see the post I did on prayer beads HERE

They weigh a ton and are so beautiful. 

The fireplace was originally going to be an old reclaimed one, but it looked odd so I sold it.

I opted for a very simple boxed in look that one day I will clad in a horizontal marble of some kind, but it's not on my priority list.  I added a sparkly sconces on each side. From Home Depot.

We solved the issue of the support beams by encasing them in two pillars that also house the heating vents.  (Simon (contractor) is brilliant). 

The large piece of art with the man and lady is a batik brought from India by my other brother. 

 It took me 20 years to frame it.

    I got this laminate flooring from Home Depot on clearance for 99 cents a square foot and I love it. I had to get it from 3 different locations to find enough.

 This was a three month reno. When you uncover existing floors, walls etc, you find problems.  In this case lots of them.  We did have to consult with engineers when needed, but when you have foundation cracks and water coming in, you have to do it right.

Later this week I will post the bathroom/laundry room we added, but I need to fold the laundry before I shoot it.

Photo Challenge-Food

Hi Evryone.

This weeks challenge is food.  You may have discovered that photographing food is not as easy as it looks.  I saw a program once on food styling.  It is amazing how food stylists have to spritz and polish and prep to get food to look it's best.

Here are some shots of food that I have taken. 

A homemade lemon loaf 

A loaf of bread

Buttermilk Biscuits

Shiny Pearls 

Corn Bread

The Challenge for next Friday is RED,

Photograph something that illustrates nicely the color red.  Red can be peeking out, so subtle it is barely noticed, or blaring at you. 

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Master Bedroom/Bathroom Reno Day 2

Yesterday was day 2 of the Reno.   Half the day was spent mapping out the exact positioning of the electrical, and also the layout of the beadborad ceiling and tray ceiling trims.

While, I could have done this on the plans, I prefer to do it right on site, walls down and contractor there to bounce ideas off.  We taped out the bed on the floor, night tables, dresser and then decided on the maximum width for the built in closets and how many rows of hanging bars, shelves etc we would have.

then, we marked where every plug and switch would go and the height and how many outlets we need. My biggest peeve is builders who put electrical sockets behind the bed or area clearly earmarked for a large piece of furniture.  Unless you can use a flat plug, it forces the furniture to sit almost 2 inches from the wall. 

 The plumbing fixtures arrived in time for the plumber who does the rough in on Monday. 

Checking the boxes, we discovered one of the taps and the shower pressure valve kit is brushed instead of polished nickel.  Which means it had to be re-ordered and will delay the plumber on Monday.

And, now the wall is open, we noticed this morning, water running down the plumbing stack where the sink drain vents outside.  It was raining this morning and obviously water is getting in.

For people who wonder why construction always runs over schedule and over budget, this is why.  There is always a hitch.  Something arrives wrong or gets delayed.  Now it seems the flooring may be back ordered. Plus we need to find out where the water is coming from and fix it.  Always plan for the unexpected.  You will always need extra $.

As a designer, these are things that eat up your billable hours.  It is essential that your contractor inform you of everything he finds along the way.  You then need to find a solution, present it to the client and bascially collect more money.  Also you need to physically inspect every package for accuracy.  The worst scenario would be the plumber opening all the boxes and installing the wrong fixtures.  Once the pipes are soldered and installed, it becomes an expensive mistake to correct.  So if you discover an error, you have to call and have it corrected, rebox the item, send it back and then re-receive the new fixture and deliver it to the site.  Multiply this by several mistakes and you can have a problem. 

The good news here is, I am the client and the deliveries are coming here. 

Before.  Wall in place.

Gone.



The world will be watching and praying for the Miners in Chile tonight.

I have been absolutely gripped by the story of the trapped miners in Chile.

I have been reading about the psychological challenges they will face ascending from over 60 days underground.  They have received counselling from a psychiatrist who supports NASA astronauts.

This evening a capsule will be inserted into a shaft and begin the extraction of 33 men.  A trip taking about 30 minutes.  The men could suffer clots, panic and even heart failure.  They are each allowed to see and visit with 2 family members when the arrive at the top, while being whisked away for medical treatment.

In a very disciplined attempt to keep the rescued men from being overwhelmed by media, there are strictly enforced media restrictions. 

The world will be watching and praying for these men tonight in what will be a riveting rescue.

It will be one time I won`t mind getting up with Gracie at 5 am (Valium not working).

God be with you tonight Miners of Chile.

Bathroom/Bedroom Reno Before-The Ugly Truth.

If you want my advice, your master bedroom should be the first room you tackle after the kitchen and main bath.  It should be practical and organized and romantic.

Most people, I find leave it to the last.  The kids can have spectacular rooms with fresh linens and paint, but the master bedroom can be a dungeon. 

Our master bedroom and bathroom was so awful that we moved out of it into one of the other rooms.  What was going to be a reno 3 years ago is just about to happen.  This photo above is the walk in closet. 

And this treat is the adjoining bathroom still sporting it's 1980's Peachy glory. 

I do have a gorgeous tufted linen headboard that will be the focal point of this room.  This is what was left after the kids moved out, and what has become the unattractive guest room.

The floors will stay.  The "popcorn" stucco ceiling-(a Canadian home builders special) will be covered with beadboard and trim to make a subtle tray ceiling. 

The closet and the bathroom are side by side.  The wall in the middle right about where that crucifix from my Mother in Law (I fear not having it hanging) is coming out. Right where this crucifix is, will be the new opening with a sliding pocket door with frosted glass.

The plan is a freestanding tub on the left.  Porcelain sink in the middle, situated so the sight line from the bedroom is smack in middle of it with a mirror above.  Toilet to the right.

Carrera marble subway tile and a basket weave carrera and black marble floor. 

 His Nibs lost out on a separate shower stall here as it would crowd the space and require the toilet to be moved way across the room, and it just wasn't going to give me the long, simple room I wanted.  He has a great shower elsewhere.

In lieu if the closet, there will be 2 built in wardrobes on either side of the bathroom door where the existing doors now are.

I am most excited.  I love tearing apart the house.  We have a great contractor who does a meticulous job, who is not afraid.  I will post the progress as we go. 



Thanksgiving 2010

The dinner table.  A small crowd this year.

We always have people for dinner that aren't with their families for the occasion. One year we had 2 randoms that my brother met in Africa.  We've had kids who couldn't go home for Christmas.

My father used to call them my "Waifs and Strays"

This year we had my neighbor Evelyn and my daugher's friend Ivana.

I scrounged flowers from the garden for the centerpiece.

I love having both my kids under the same roof and seeing them miss each other and spend time together.

I love hearing them raiding the fridge at 2 in the morning and having their friends over and catching up with their lives.

They waited all day for this loaf of bread to rise and be ready to eat.

And my sweet momma who loves to sit and listen to the chatter and the kids stories. Like the one about my nieces tattoo and the hungover tatto artist.  She treasures every moment out of the nursing home and loves a home cooked dinner.  She sits at the head of the table and has a full view of everyone.  She doesn't say much over dinner, but takes it all in.  I catch her out of the corner of my eye laughing and chuckling over the dinner table tales.  These are the occasions that bring her joy. 

My new (old) butter dish.

I hope eveyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  Today we are cleaning up the mess (and the martini glasses) and preparing for tomorrow morning when the bedroom and bathroom reno begin.

Junk Drawer

Yep, I could try and fool you all and tell you that I am so organized and careful and Type A, that I don't really have a junk drawer.  That all my drawers look like this (although when I bought all this old silver bit my bit, Mr. Raz would always ask what I wanted with all that junk.)

But if I did tell you that, I would be a liar.

Because I have several. 3 in the kitchen alone. But it's not really junk.  It's all needed.

Although His Nibs has a couple of tool boxes, his tools don't know where he keeps them, so I designated this drawer in the kitchen table for his BITS.  Note the unopened pack of thimbles???????

This is the real junk drawer.  Odd lightbulbs, napkin rings that haven't made it back to the proper drawer in the dining room, birthday candles, and a Body Butter.  Because you may need it in the kitchen. 

And this is what I call junk, but really is all the necessary stuff that gets tangled and messy if it isn't coralled in some way.  Here I keep my mums old can opener (that thing right at the front next to the mini melon baller), cookie cutters (I have never made dog cookies, so why the bone shaped cutters), And in every junk drawer in Canada there's Canadian Tire money (cash back money from big hardware sotre)

A little pin from the UK.

And a yellow life saver from the 1980's.

Next week.  Our challenge is FOOD.

Photograph food.  How easy is that?

It's not White.........Girls Bedroom

I just finished a room for a client with 5 kids.  After doing a number of rooms that were predominantly White and Shabby Chic, I must say it is nice to get away from that for a bit. This client hates painted wood, preferring medium dark woods such as oak.

 With a live in nanny and all those kids, it means no guest room.  However, now that 3 of the kids are at university, my client wanted to give one of the girls rooms a makeover so it can double as a guest room.  She called me five weeks ago and said it had to be finished by October 7th.  It is Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and the kids are coming home, so we wanted it ready to surprise her.

I ordered the bed from a big company (CSN stores ) thats ships to Canada and has great prices, plus free delivery, as well as the night stands and double dresser.  All the linens are from Pine Cone Hill from my shop, and the rug is Dash and Albert.  My client prefers more traditional rugs, however, I wanted to keep it young and fresh, so we opted for this lovely striped cotton rug.

 We saved money on the lamps $79.99 each with linen shades.

A mix of stripes and flowers and a blue silk pillow for a little punch. 

Although you can't see the color of the drapes, they are a petite cream and cinnamon stripe with a cozy interlining and a contemporary box pleated top.

There is a foot board, however, the proper rails for the frame were shipped to the wrong address, so I had to use a borrowed frame for the weekend and hope to attach the footboard by Monday.

This is the perfect client.  She hires a decorator because she wants to save time, and wants me to deal with the headaches, (and there's always something) deliveries and drapery installer etc.  She only wants a couple of decisions, so I narrow things down to 2 and she picks.  Fast.  She also doesn't mind spending money on good quality.  I save money on the smaller, less important bits for her.

The daughter needs to add her bits, so we left the walls blank and she can add her touch to it when she comes home.

Plus she is a psychologist, so I can run things by her........