Going to take a blogging break over the holidays...wishing everyone peace, happiness and love in the New Year!  Hope to see you all in 2020!!

Cabinet Update

I stopped into the workshop a couple of days ago to check on the progress of the cabinet...and I am so happy how it is looking!!  Mr. Seventies reported the Fusion Mineral Paint is the best paint he has worked with....which is great to hear!  To recap....this is the cabinet before...it has good bones...solid wood....

After removing the top finial piece, doors and drawer everything was wiped down with a mixture of TSP and water....as recommended on the Fusion paint bottle....the interior...and love that there are plate grooves!

This is after one coat of paint...amazing coverage!!

Such a huge difference removing the top decorative finial piece...and can you believe this is just one coat?  I was messaging with a Fusion rep inquiring about a wax or hemp oil finish coat and was advised not to put one on, especially if the matte finish is what I was going for (and it is).  Once the paint cures (takes about two weeks)....it is super durable.  That works for me!!

How awesome is the shape of the drawer?  

The top doors (just one pictured here) ....minus the glass...and the decorative removable swirls....(were a light metal....and won't be put back in although I thought for a minute about spray painting them off white...but think they make things too busy...)

Mr. Seventies filled and sanded the previous door and drawer pulls.....one of the bottom doors....sorry for the terrible lighting...but you get the idea..

We visited a couple of hardware stores...and I found cap drawer pulls with matching door knobs....without taking them out of the packages and risk losing the screws...this is the finish we chose...and it's actually a bit lighter in person...more of the polished silver showing through....most were either really dark...brass or chrome....not the look I was going for....

It will be after the holidays before we transport the cabinet home and set it in place....cannot wait to see my dish ware in it!  I decided against installing lighting...for a couple of reasons.  First one being...any I found were ugly and secondly would need to be hard wired.  More work and mess than I wanted to do with the cabinet....and how often will I really have the lights on?  My guess is next to never...so unlit it will remain!

In other news....I obtained another Gripstand bowl for an amazing price...and it now makes eight in my collection!!  This one is manufactured in England as well....gotta love Facebook Marketplace!!

We had about 5cm of the white stuff fall last night...so it just might be a white Christmas after all..unless it melts away in the mean time!  

Our turkey is thawing in the fridge...we missed out on Thanksgiving turkey dinner...since we were away in NB that weekend...looking forward to turkey and all the fixings in a couple of days! We have some last minute errands to run and meeting a group of friends at a local pub later for some holiday food and cheer!  

Enjoy your day wherever you are today!!

Boxing Day Sales

A couple of my favourite clothing stores are having amazing on line sales this week!  And since I'm not one to miss out of a good sale...I did a little bit of clothes shopping...for me.

First thing I fell in love with was this awesome wood coat...and in gorgeous pink no less!!  Now, I don't really need another coat....but the coat was 1/2 price.....and pink!!!  Love it!!!  And it will be so warm!  And pink!!

And this is considered a sweater dress...I see a long, comfy top...perfect with warm leggings, tights or jeans!  I ordered it in this winter gray colour....am anxious to see and feel the quality...because that will determine the fit....if it is how I like my clothes to feel.....

Not for winter wear...but these were such a good deal...and look so comfortable....I love the wide leg. I have a couple pair similar to these and love wearing them...great with a t shirt and pair of sandals!  We will have sandals days again, right?

Not everything I ordered was clothing...or for me for that matter!  Liesel has been needing some new soft and cuddly blankets....and these are just her size.....love the pretty pink one.  Because she is such a "girly-girl".....NOT!  

She is more of a tom boy...rough and tumble kind of gal!  Loves to play rough....not sure why...her littermate were all girls!!   How adorable are the paw prints?  This one will be great in her car seat...the pink one I'll use in her bed time crate.

My friend ordered one of these chenille throws from Amazon...and not only is it gorgeous....it is huge!   Like 50" x 80" or something like that....and it is so soft and wonderful....I ordered the red one.  It will look awesome tossed on the bed....

And months ago...Wayfair was having a great sale on Matelasse coverlets....so I went ahead and ordered a white set....for after the holidays.  Always nice to have fresh white bedding for winter...and with the throw..it should look cozy and warm....this set is their Oversized King Charles Matelasse Bedspread with a floral design and has been stonewashed...to make it soft and give it that relaxed look.  Two shams are included...and being white...I can add in some great winter decorator cushions....

I am not a fan of bedskirts....I may use a white fitted sheet to cover our box spring....and with the coverlet being oversized it likely won't show anyways.  Will see how that plays out....

An update on the ultrasound at the IWK is scheduled for very early January....and since my son-in-law will still be on Christmas break he will be attending and they will be making the three hour drive to Halifax.  I've offered to care for my grand dog for the day....since it will be an over and back trip for them.  Fingers crossed the weather is not only good here but driving in NS.  The Cobequid Pass can be a nightmare during the winter...if there is any form of wind or snow....since you are driving through the mountains.  We are hoping and praying for the best in all things!

Bitter cold here today...and a dusting of snow!  No wind to speak of as of yet...we've had an abundance of wind this fall....typical when you live on an Island!

Have a great weekend!!  Can you believe next week is Christmas week?

It's Been One of Those Weeks!!

I know we've all had them!  And I've certainly survived much worse...it's been a week!   I mentioned in my previous post I attended an ultra sound with my daughter...and I've tried everything to upload the video I took...but to no avail...wish I could share it with everyone.

My daughter received a call from her OBGYN and the radiologist recommends another ultra sound be performed at the IWK in Halifax....while we have been assured there is nothing to panic about..it is still un-nerving...especially to baby girl's anxious parents.  If the situation were an emergency...Mom and baby would be sent to the IWK immediately...the Doctor assures us these measures are merely a precaution and he is just looking out for our precious girl.  And that is his job, right?  He is an amazing OBGYN...most expectant Moms here do not even see an OGGYN until late stages in their pregnancy...and are under the care of nurse practitioners.  Our daughter has been under his care since day one...we are very grateful for that.  We are confident everything will turn out just fine...and likely will travel to the IWK in Halifax in January.  

And...my daughter had her wallet stolen...from her office at work!!  Unlike her usual pattern, she did have cash...which of course was taken....and her walled dumped in a Canada Post bin near by.  The postal driver brought her wallet to her.  No credit or debit cards were stolen...but a couple of important cards were missing.  The police were called & a report filed, all cards were cancelled..and the proper agencies alerted as to what cards were missing.  While upsetting...it was only money...which can be replaced.  The sad part is...it was likely a co-worker...and sadly she is required to keep her office locked when she is not there.   

The arthritis in my knee flared up a bit this week....I attended physio yesterday...and it feels better today.  Trying to stay out of the orthosurgeon's OR...I see him in April.  Physio has been my saving grace and has allowed me to walk and live in relative comfort.  I'm bound to have good days and bad days...that's the nature of osteoarthritis.

In happier news...Mr Seventies has been working on my cabinet...and from what I hear...it is looking amazing!  (I haven't ventured up to the workshop to see it...hope to do that this evening or tomorrow).  He reports Fusion Mineral paint is awesome to work with!  The company advised not to use a wax or oil on the cabinet once it is finished...it will be durable just as it is.

So..that has been my week in a nutshell!!  How about yours?

Nursery Sneak Peek

As I've mentioned in previous posts.....we will become grandparents again in a few short months!  I tagged along with my daughter for the final installment in a series of ultrasounds required last week. Up until then, sweet baby girl would not get into the necessary position...until her Mimi was there to watch!  She was on her best behaviour!!

Oh my...it is nothing short of a miracle what we were able to see!  I had my phone out videoing her movements...and she showed off her stuff!  Her precious little face was as visible as if she was peeking through a window....two little eyes, nose....and she was practicing her breathing...opening and closing her mouth!  Clearly we could see two little feet...with adorable little toes and little hands!  It was a truly amazing appointment...and I am blessed to share it with my daughter and new grand daughter!!

That appointment spurred excitement to begin setting up her nursery.   Mr Seventies and I spent an afternoon with them getting started....firstly this is my beautiful girl and her adorable bundle...

Remember the area rug we ordered a few weeks back?  It fits the room perfectly.....and then the task of setting up the crib began...Grampie and Daddy got right to work.....

And the finished product....with her dachshund quilt ready to cuddle in....

If memory serves me correctly....a talented artisan on Etsy hand stitched the quilt...it truly is a work of love...

Every nursery needs a comfortable rocking chair....the floor lamp was from another room....and the shade was one I had on a previous lamp....works perfect here.....her doxie mobile is resting on the crib rail....the attachment needed to hang it on the crib has been ordered.....

Her bassinet will be moved into the master bedroom once she makes her debut...

The dresser and change area...and a cute cart from Michaels will come in handy for keeping items needed at hand...rather than go back and forth from room to room....it will be well stocked with all things needed during those late nights of feedings and changes....this is also the wall where the mural will be painted in February...

I snapped this photo while the cart was being assembled...inside the drawers are compartments were things are neatly organized...

And no doxie nursery would be complete without the resident doxie on hand to supervise...Benson gives his paw of approval....

Even baby girl's closet is organized with outfits....by size from newborn on up.  Her Mamaroo seat is stored in the closet waiting for her arrival!  All cords on the blinds in their home will be safely secured up out of reach....a definite safety precaution. 

A fun afternoon...and I cannot wait to be rocking in that chair with our new arrival!!

We attended a craft fair nearby as well and of course...I couldn't resist a couple of precious knitted items....and daughter has said this will be her "coming home" sweater set.  She says these are all coming back and new Moms are loving little sweaters with matching hats.  The booties were from another table at the sale...a grandmother of eleven grand children knitted them...and said all her grand babies wore them to keep little feet warm!   Sold!  

Of course, nothing comes in without Liesel giving it the sniff test.....

In other news....we stopped into our neighbour's workshop and I was able to give my cabinet a good once over....and thrilled to see plate grooves in the shelves...

In this prior photo...the decorative pieces in the glass are fully removable....and will be...and that top piece with the finial is screwed on...so that will be removed as well.  The bottom area has two doors with ample room for storage...I need to pick up new hardware for the doors and the drawer...

I picked up a jar of Fusion paint in the colour called Ash.  It is not a black...but rather a dark, dark gray.....and a bottle of TSP to mix with water so Mr Seventies can give the cabinet a through cleaning before painting.  I've been assured Fusion paint requires no priming beforehand...fingers crossed.

I still need to choose lighting for inside....I want something very soft....not harsh lighting.

And Mr Seventies and I attended a concert at the Confederation Centre last evening....two country artists were in town...George Canyon...the pride of Pictou, NS and Aaron Pritchett from Nanaimo, BC.  It was a great evening of music and laughs....very blustery and cold when we left the theatre and headed home!

Same weather in store for today!!  Can you believe there are only nine days til Christmas?  It is coming upon us fast....but we are all ready!!  How about you?  Have all your shopping done?

Thanks for stopping by!!

Corner Cabinet Picked Up

Since Mr Seventies was available yesterday...we chose to pick up the cabinet...although it was extremely windy and bitter cold!  We bundled up Liesel in her car seat...I was a bit concerned we may not have had room for her and the cabinet....but everything worked out fine.  Mr. Seventies reports it is heavy and solid wood..which is perfect...he and our awesome neighbour took it to our other neighbour's workshop last evening....and here she is...

Truth be told..I haven't had an opportunity to see it yet....I was tending to Liesel when it was loaded in the SUV...and not present when they moved it to the workshop.  Alan, our neighbour took the photo for me once they had it placed in the shop...and today I will drop in and check it out.

My tentative plans are to remove that top piece with the finial....and see how it looks.  I can have a new crown moulding put in its place....and also the decorative pieces on the glass doors are removable Mr. Seventies reports.  And they will be removed...for clear vision into the cabinet.  New drawer pulls and the bottom doors are missing handles or knobs....so will look for a couple of those.

My tentative plans are to first give it a good wipe down....inside and out with TSP and water...to rinse off any dust, dirt and grease.  And then decide on which type of paint to use...if priming will be needed or not...Fusion Mineral Paint might be a good choice.   In black...with a bit of distressing..and a couple of coats of buttery wax buffed on for protection.  I need to speak with the paint retailer to see if Fusion paint is a suitable fit....or if one of the many other paint lines may work better.  I've used milk paint before...had great success...but still tossing ideas around in my head.

The other thing I need to check into is cabinet lighting...there are a number of options out there...and I want the lighting to be soft....

This is a great project for Mr. Seventies to work on over the Christmas break!  Not sure he was looking for one...lol...but he does enjoy doing things like this.  Good thing...eh?

Lots of rain and wind coming here tomorrow...have a great weekend!!!

So This Happened

Remember back around Hallowe'en I won a contest from an antique/junk shop....a $50 gift certificate to the store.  You shared your favourite Hallowe'en photo....and mine was Liesel in her Daisy Duck costume!  So...really she is the winner...I guess.

For a while now...I have been wanting a cabinet to store my vast collection of Mason's Pink Vista stoneware...(which looks like this)...this is a stock photo of the soup tureen....which I don't have...yet. I do have a huge collection of pieces....a complete 8 piece place settings, coffee & tea pots, serving platters & bowls, jugs and more than I can remember.    And sadly have them stored in the cupboards...when I would love to be able to display them....and someday own this large tureen...and matching ladle...

I put my $50 certificate towards the above corner cabinet....now it's not going to look like that when it's refinished.  Mr. Seventies plans to take it to our neighbour's heated workshop and transform it for me. Definately leaning towards painting it black....distressed a bit....new handles on the drawer....something like this....

And I haven't decided about the doors....they will be glass...just not sure if I will keep the original detail or the finial top.....I'll know more when I get a "feel" for the piece when we get it in the shop.  And...our neighbour and friend....just happens to be a finish carpenter...so he may have some ideas as well and can pretty much make it look however I want.   

Will have lights inside the cabinet...so it can be lit at night for display.

So..a little project for Mr. Seventies.  I'm so happy I get to bring out my stoneware and have it displayed....each piece has been gifted to me...even one of the place settings was a going away gift when I switched departments before I retired.

Little story how I started collecting Masons's....I was working in the downtown area of the city and coming back from lunch....I saw this most beautiful collection of dinnerware in the window of a shop (which has long since closed).  I was so excited....I stopped by Mr. Seventies office and declared I found the most beautiful dishes I wanted to collect!  And the rest is history....thus began my love affair with Mason's Pink Vista.  It is still in production today....a few of my pieces are really old....but most are newer.

So, now that I have a cabinet to store them....I am on the hunt for the stunning soup tureen and ladle!

Fun on the Christmas Tours

We had a great time Friday evening as part of a group of participants in the local Christmas House Tours.  The tours were a fundraising event by a local interior designer....with a total of $7,500 raised for Santa's Angels PEI.  The buses, tour guides, food and drinks and flowers were all donated by local businesses.  There were four buses in total....with about 180 in all taking part in the tours.

The first two houses we toured...were local B & B establishments.  And while beautiful...most felt these homes were well above the regular folks budget.  The third home was that of a local, well established doctor....and again...very beautiful....and huge.

The third home was my favourite....as it was a home I could relate to.  I wish photos could have been taken...but it was beautifully decorated...not a huge home....but with rooms I could soak in all the beauty.  The dining room....although not huge was gorgeous....three trees....one in the window overlooking the street...and two narrower ones flanking the sides of a lovely, lit china cabinet which held white ironstone.  The kitchen was a dream....rich looking black cabinets with granite counter tops and tile back splash....and a good size island.  The wall oven and counter range were similar to ours....and I really loved the cabinets done in black.   The island was bead board painted a dark turquoise...awesome light fixtures as well.  The lower level was a warm family room, with a comfy sectional...and wood burning stove...and a beautiful decorated tree.

The master bedroom was large (so jealous..lol) with a small, but so functional walk in closet.
Outside, along the walk...the home owner had poured water into star shaped vases with a star cut out.....then froze them and put a small candle in each one to light the walk!

The last home we visited, was Damien's...the designer. And although crowded...we were allowed to take photos....

Yup...that's an upside down Christmas tree...hanging from the ceiling...in the foyer....I'm standing in the second floor hallway to get the photo....notice the snowflakes dancing around the walls...thanks to a projector...and did I mention...this is a real tree....not artificial....

Upon entering, this beautiful scene was to the left...leading into the family room, dining room and kitchen area.  It is an open concept home..

In one area was this adorable collection of nutcrackers....

This was the dining area...which was difficult to get photos...so many people milling about...but it was the light fixture over the table that I am smitten with....

This was my favourite tree of the night....and it's in the master bath...and it's gold...decorate with black accessories....gorgeous!!

The master bedroom...with a wall of draperies behind the bed...and a beautifully decorated tree....

The whole home smelled of fir....which Damien confessed he had dozens and dozens of Scenticals tucked around the house....and it smelled amazing...as if you had a house full of real trees...

Each child's bedroom had their own tree as well....so cute...

Awesome bunk beds....and a tree done in blue...

Such a great boy's room....

Sadly I didn't get into the kitchen area for photos...but it was amazing as well. Branches lined the top of the cabinets...with crystal like icicles hanging from them!  Everything just shimmered!

We had to wrap things up...as the last bus of the night was waiting to do the tour...but it was such a fun night!  We met at 6:00 p.m. and finished up at 10:00 p.m. so it was a a fun filled four hours.  

High winds (again) predicted for tomorrow...but we are missing the rainfall other areas are forecast to receive.  We will need to bring some things in and tuck others out of the wind....it's going to be mild...and the best part...no snow.

Have an awesome day!!

Out and About

Liesel and I were out again this week....wrapping up our Christmas shopping....the weather has been great all week...

We stopped into Home Sense...and Liesel insisted on purchasing this faux fur rug for her to laze about in front of the fire...and since it was on clearance...I approved...(she is in the cart...behind the faux fur)...

I'd say she is enjoying it...as most afternoons this is where you will find her curled up.....

As usual we found some doxie related items...how adorable are these gift boxes...and for $5.99 I quickly placed them in my cart...there is four in the package.  Gift bags and boxes are made for people like me...who detest wrapping...

Liesel thought her Dad needed yet another doxie mug....but I convinced her otherwise...the collection we have in the cupboard now will suffice for years to come....

These dog steps are pretty unique...although with no tread on them...I would be worried about slipping... maybe for larger dogs they would work...

I want to share an adorable Christmas doxie cushion a friend of mine in New Brunswick sent me...it's the square one behind the ones in front.  She is a fellow doxie Mom fanatic (owned by two cute wiener dogs)...so we share a common obsession....

Last evening was the perfect time to take Liesel and walk about the neighbourhood and take in some Christmas lights and decor.  There was a light snow falling...the sidewalks were dry and clear...I snapped a quick photo from the driveway on our way out...the projector that displayed snowflakes on the house...quit working....it was a pain since the day we purchased it...so gave up on it.   

This evening is the home tours...so daughter and I will be enjoying them!  And a small hall close to us was forced to reschedule their craft sale from last weekend to December 14...so keeping that in our calendar as well.  

Looks like the weather weather is going to be awesome....hope you have a great one!!