Sun

Where pedestrians, cyclists and turtles have the right of way and DQ is open year round.

While I wait for the chalkboard paint sliding door to properly cure, we went south for some Vitamin D.

La Toilette

After the baseboards and trim were installed last week, I was tasked with a painting job. Not my favourite task, as I've complained before. But when FUN is involved, that amps up the motivation and determination.  Fun?.

Base boards and trim, finishing touches. ooh la la

And today, while all the stars and moons were aligned for precise painting and Lucy was at daycare, I was able to crack open the chalkboard paint and finally get at it.  And since the baseboards and trim are kind of in the way, they some of them got a couple of coats of primer too.  Should give me some motivation to finish them, later on.

If you zoom in one may notice I didn't bother painting the edge around the door. And its quite obvious my focus stopped right at the corner where sliding door meets french door. And the baseboards in the bathroom, they were ignored too.  And company, the cat trying to get to the sink to drink her water. And later in the day, when I gambled a third coat with a present Lucy. Well, it all worked out.

The door. The sliding door is a perfect place for a chalkboard.  And it looks great. One thin coat of primer, 3 coats of black chalkboard paint.  And three days for curing (so says this brand) and then I can scribble La Toilette on the master piece, lest any one is looking or wondering.  And my first attempt at a chalkboard painted wall at the bottom of the stairs can become a new creation.


Wall paint: White Dove by Benjamin Moore
Baseboard and trim: Kilz2 latex primer; 2 coats
Door: Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint.

Two little pictures

Back in October I won a giveaway; an assortment of gifts from Robin Street Market. I gave the really cool cufflinks to my brother, and kept the tea towel, the artsy blue bird card and other items.  Using a sewing pin, I stuck artsy blue bird card on the wall in the half bath.  FINALLY I found and bought a square frame for it. Not that square frames are unique, but one has to first know the dimensions and then also take the time too look. A friend's artist mother painted the rabbit and gave that to Lucy for Christmas. So up it went, under the blue bird.

The frames were meant to hang centered on top of each other, but it didn't work out that way. Since they are almost aligned on the left side, which lines up with the window frame, they are staying as is.  With a little art finally added to the half bath, this project is almost complete....well, almost being the key word. I still have to paint the baseboard (installed on thursday), chalkboard paint the sliding door (bought the paint yesterday!) and take out that horrendous medicine cabinet (still looking for a replacement). And swap out the sink for something narrower (maybe this one).

Chugga chugga

I want to move on from yesterdays PINK theme, but I've got nothing!

Or maybe I do... The other day Lucy put together a train. Her own idea and creation. I just helped tie the yarn. It looked so fun that her brother tried to join in and help, but she wanted none of it.  Passengers, tight corners, long hauls and a lot of choo chooing. Her "alphabet train".

 Happy weekend!

Pink

I sense a little pink in the air, so here we go.   This is last years easy heart cutout construction paper cards we made for my sons class. This year, we bought the drugstore kind. And a bag of chocolate kisses and strawberries to pass out. They are happy, I'm happy.  

For some family love, we thought of going to a fondue restaurant but that doesn't fit in with the 5 day cleanse I am in the middle of (Day 2: going good, besides the cleanse concoction, just licking spoons). We thought of taking the kids to a self-serve yogurt shoppe; one dollop of yogurt, 2 pounds of candy topping. The ambiance would be festive and they would be happy.  BUT then I saw this...

I love candy. I love cake.  Yummy.  So we made it.

Mine is pales compared to the one in the link, but it was fun and still yummy!

Time is of essence, so I just bought a box of cake mix and a tub of pink frosting and the candy hearts. After all, I can't eat it, and the kids will like it just the same.  At least I get to lick the spoons. And forks. And plates.

While we are on the pink topic, these sheets.  LOVE THEM, WANT THEM. I was recently reminded of them. Had an opportunity to sleep in them a few years ago @ an airbnb rental. The bed was divine; I pulled back the fitted sheet to find the label and see what I needed to do to recreate the scene in my own room.  How did I forget! Maybe I couldn't decided between the the rosewater vs. dove gray. Or maybe I was uncommitted to the king size bed and wanted to downsize to queen? Whatever, the sheets are back on my wishlist.

Task light

Once upon a time I had an idea for the kitchen lighting. That failed. I re-thought the lighting and was inspired by these beautiful industrial lights from long ago (the white socket tulip bulb one is so pretty, I still fancy it). But I didn't want to spend a fortune, you know, in case I changed my mind or it didn't look as beautiful in my house. OR it did look beautiful but I had to sell the house and the new people didn't have the same appreciation. A little bit of brain storming, practicality and research landed me on ebay and I found something similar. I really liked the black twisty cord, the machine aged cage and the dull matte finished brass socket.  I ordered, it arrived and sat in a box on a shelf for a long, long while.

I debated between one task light versus two. The cord was long enough to create a second light and eventually I hunted down another matte finished brass socket (there are lots of shiny ones available, but no room in my house for shiny.) and a cage. When this package arrived, the cage was TOO new looking and I don't own a machine that ages metal.  Luckily I had also decided I may like to swap out the cages for some colour and had ordered two yellow cages.

My handy contractor put the second one together and installed the lights. I tested the switch and there you have it, cool industrial like task lights with some sunny yellow colour. And wallet still in the black.  The two brass sockets are a bit different, one having a pull chain, the other a turn key. Some edison bulbs to enhance the industrial look and set soothing atmosphere. The two other cages I have will be spray painted, black perhaps.

Check out 1000bulbs for all your electrical needs and industrial light building.

See here (post and link to come) for links and research and other ideas.

Weekend

A night of this, keeps us stranded in the next morning.

 for the record, I don't think this is a lot of snow, it was a typical amount of snow coverage when I was growing up.  And my town called a weather alert??? All the same, my kids morning art workshop is cancelled.

Stranded in gives me a pleasant excuse to sit and crochet.

It will be a twin size blanket (unless I bore before completing); I'm about 1/128th into it.