Goo Gone!

In the spirit of Halloween ... Goo rhymes with Boo. Goo is the essence of haunted houses. I'll post my kids costumes later on; for now I have a story of immediate success and accomplishment...

My oven has been installed for exactly a year. The sticky marks left over from the packaging have also remained on the stainless steel panel for a year.  Did they bother me. Absolutely! Ugly and unfinished looking. But was I worried? Not so much.  Sometime during the few years of my blog reading days I had read about a product made just for this kind of thing. In the back of my mind, I knew some day I would deal with this unjust sight. And yesterday, on our last minute Halloween costume making dash through A.C. Moore, while trying to find the two things I needed to make a costume and returning to the shelves, 3 stuffed animals, one puppet and some yellow yarn that Lucy had added to the cart, my eyes landed upon a display rack at the end of an aisle containing various sizes of bottles and tins and different brand names all containing that Golden Liquid. The time had come.

Mulling over the different options, and a convincing discussion with the sales clerk I was sold. The golden liquid was mine; a clean surface waiting to happen.

And it did. 30 seconds of application and then a soapy water rinse and the stainless steel panel was sparkling like new. Now I walk by and smile at the ease it took to make the panel gleam. Unfortunately there are no other surfaces in my home that require GOO GONE, but it claims it removes clothing stains as well. And I got a lot of that to test the golden liquid.

This is not a sponsored post, but I wouldn't be opposed! :) The stuff does work, and I went with the brand that the sales clerk had used.

A travel outfit and Costa Rica

In case you are still around and wondering and its not obvious ... my house updates have slowed down; I still have one wall in the dining room to paint, a 4ft x 2ft section in the kitchen to paint, the stairway hallway, etc.  I need to make a trip to an Ikea (4+hrs) to get the last bit of cabinetry, a pantry. The upper, open shelving needs to be put up and a  chimney vent for the oven.  It goes on, the list.

Perhaps my motivation slowed while I wait to hear about the work contract; perhaps its the lazy summer days where routine changes weekly.

What I have been able to do is watch the garden grow. YUM Snow peas. Hang with my kids - bike, swim, bike, soccer.  And do some personal growth stuff.

Polka dot shirt, Forever 21

It's hard to make time for yourself when you are solo w/ kids.  So during these past few months of "no work",  I actually had one day of work a week. And I kept Lucy in day care for a 2nd day and made it a Me Day.  A wonderful few months of not working; I look happier, feel carefree, and I have slimmed down.  Thank you time. Time for running and biking.  Time to lay on the couch and watch a movie in the middle of the day.

Feeling blah for the past couple years and wondering why I kept gaining (age?) I hadn't bought clothes for myself for several years. Sad. I like cute clothes.  BUT now, feeling super fit, cute things actually look cute on! Amazing what running does for your thighs, butt, waist, arms,  (my calves have always been fine ;) and .... mental state.

Red, slim chinos. A perfect deep red. Cute. Thank you.

Courtesy of H&M.

Another thing I did to distract myself from the unknown, was buy tickets to Costa Rica.  (Long in the planning, I just had to decide whether I should go ahead with it or not). I was there 20 years ago for three months and wanted to go back, take a look around and show my children the jungle.

So I just wanted to tell you I am still here, I bought a great travel outfit, and we are off for a week in the cloud forest and then a week on a pacific coast beach.  And when I return, there will hopefully be good news on the contract, more painting and house updates and a travel post!

Parker bench

A while ago I found this bench and fell in love.

The colour of the upholstery, the wood, the engravings, legs, wheels ... All.  I have never been to a World Market store, but I would take a chance on this a buy online.

While I have been painting my dining room one wall at a time (one wall completed with two coats, two halves of two walls completed. Now to shove the furniture all to the other side). I just shove the furniture aside and get to work. One shove too many and the leg on my bench fell off. Sucks because I wanted to use the bench as "scaffolding" to reach the higher areas. Sucks because the broken bench leg revealed its cheapness.  The leg was just nailed on rather then screwed on. The bench is low and eventually I was going to replace the legs with higher ones, so reaching ones plate on the table would be easier. Blah, fake legs. fake bench. (hammered back on w/ wood glue, but I'm skeptical of its strength)

BUT Yay for new bench.  IF/when my contract resumes the Parker bench is the first thing I'm buying.

Objects of desire

A potential living room update:

**Restoration Hardware Sorenson sofa in textured linen weave black (vintage velvet black would be lovely too)
**West Elm Slipper chair in pink linen
**West Elm Sloan chair in leather

Kitchen accessories

Very soon I will be at the fun stage of this kitchen renovation. Decorating and Accessories.

There is a counter installation date set early next week. Then I have to shove the oven into its hole, stick the cooktop on and hopefully be able to bake a cake for my kids' 10th birthday party and host a sleepover that weekend. Its gonna be tight, but Im still hopeful. Oh and the kitchen sink, that has to be plumbed in too.

Im debating between a fun yellow task light or cool antique industrial light.

From left top, clockwise:
Schmidt Brothers @ West Elm Knives
Ceramic bowls via this Etsy Shop
Fun yellow task light
or
Industrial rustic antique task light
Salvaged exotic wood spice shelf via Etsy Shop
Morris Stool via Anthropologie
Overdyed rug via UrbanOutfitters
West Elm prep table

Two cage light options

One is found at Home Depot cage light  for 69.97.   The other at Restoration Hardware cage light for $119.00. 

I found the RH one first. Perfect for above the sink. And ties in with the beehive light I have for the main lighting. Put two in the basket, add in shipping, handling and taxes and we are well over 300 dollars. Search for other options and find the HD cage light. Suits me fine. No shipping fees and it does what I want it to do (dangle and protect the bulb and ties in with the other light).  But there is one small difference that is making me lean towards the other... the cord colour. Hmmmmmm.

Which one do you like better? Any more out there?

 Ohhh lala, I found another beauty, for admiring purposes only ... here & here. If I didnt have electrical holes for two, already in place, this would be a strong contender.

And another here.

Tufted chesterfield

The Chesterfield, featuring Gordon, Theo & At.

Gordon via Homedecorators

Theodore via Jayson

The Atelier via Anthropologie

I suppose we shouldn't forget about Chester,

and Chester too, via West Elm

I'm really digging the blue one, which claims to be upholstered from recycled leather, which makes me think it would have that nicely worked in and soft feeling. I need one of these for the log cabin I am longing for.

Pretty things

Now that the Parisian Balcony is in place, patio inspiration is springing upon me:

Industrial Wire Basket Hook and Shelf

Vintage Wedding Ceremony Chair

The Fyrkat Cone Grill by Bodum

 

Looking over a field of Brown Eyed Susan

 

Pillow love

Sofa ordered. Now for some pillow talk.

some black and white @ West Elm

or a little more colourful @ CB2

or completely whimsical

via Etsy Shop

via Etsy Shop

or this one

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxwz

10 weeks to upholster the sofa means 10 weeks for pillow pondering ... oh I hope not ... luckily I'm pretty happy with these finds.

Fall favourites

Crocheted hats

via Etsy

Argyle

via Anthropologie

and sweater dresses

via

Elbow patch sweaters

via

and colourful cords

via

Tunics

via

and Leather boots

BUT, my absolute all time fall favourite ...

via

PUMPKIN PIE for breakfast

Dining room update

8 months later and the dining room light fixture is dangling in all its sweetness!

That works out to 2 weekends / 1 week spent trying to do electrical work myself.  Another week anticipating that the Contract-Her would finish my attempts. 6 months and 3 weeks to call an electrician. 1 week to call a different electrician. 3 weeks turn around / waiting time for the electrician to show up.  And 1.5 hours of electrical magic to make my lighting dreams come true.

And after all that time, I still love 'em. Phew!


Product info: West Elm Industrial Bulb pendant, UrbanOutfitters Damask Curtain, Pier 1 peacock dining chairr (that will eventually be replaced), Artwork: Milkweed b&w photos by me; Letters from Micheal's Art store, painted by me.

Nursery revamp

I am a bit sentimental so I am not quite ready to redo Lucy's nursery but I cannot get this adorable ribbon wallpaper out of my mind.  I love her room the way it is now. Because it was made from love. But that wallpaper. Oh my.

For the time being I have settled for an olioboard room update...

It would merely require painting the 3 walls  (some off white, vintage white, something), buying the wallpaper for a 4th wall.  And the wardrobe. I don't have that either.  And the blue cubbies. That looks like a good way to store little things. And a bookcase. Definitely will need some kind of book / toy display case. For now we are still use a "changing" table. Maybe when she refuses to lay on it for changes.  And the rocker, that still gets lots of use too. She still cradles in to my arms and falls asleep while I rock (but I can no longer lay her down in the crib...that, she entirely objects too, loudly). Maybe when I make the crib a little bed, maybe then I will feel ready to update the room.

Wardrobe, cubbies, wallpaper, paper lanterns, bookcase, crib sheet.

West elm chair

This chair is beautiful. I love the lines, the light colour and low back. West Elm always surprises me.

Vestibule upgrade begins

started in a heat wave (7/23);

necessity is the mother of invention.

our house was a sauna.

outside was not cooler but there was a breeze.

the broken plexi-glass on the interior foyer door bug me.

a lot. 

but never enough to do something about it. 

i left it as is in order to block some of the winter elements from entering.

but now it is summer

and, until yesterday, i could ignore it.

pulled out the plexi glass, 

shut the interior door and opened the exterior door.

enters the wind, warm breeze

cutting through the humidity and french door open panel,
cooling the insides, slightly.

the, er, charming ancient pompom window cover also came down.

a little antsy to do more but too hot to dig out rocks for a patio, i got my trusty wallpaper scraping tool and started scraping the quaint, but old, damaged and brittle wallpaper off.

expecting to uncover rain damaged walls. 

son thought this looked fun too and took over.

calculating the lower cost if I do the tear down and my contract-her do the patching up.

realizing i am good at ideas and starting things but not so handy at construction and fixing.

the walls will need repairs.

the old, water stained and covered-with-nasty-rugs hardwood will be cut out

and little mosaic slate or marble will be installed.

I'm a reactionary sort, you see

I just started scraping,

before I cleaned out the area.

when I realized I was serious I put the hats and hoodies elsewhere,

the mail catcher basket remains.

These designs and colours are my current favourites; A mixture of slate and marble tiles

Source: alibaba.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: alibaba.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: alibaba.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: alibaba.com via Sara on Pinterest

and then back to me,

some painting,

vintage gray (i have lots of this leftover from my stripes) on the lower portion, 

chantilly lace on the upper portion.

of this very tiny foyer
39" x 74"