Enjoyable Day of Retail Therapy

My friend & I had a fun filled day of shopping and enjoyed a delicious lunch at an adorable cafe in a small community further west on the Island.  Twice we've attempted to visit a pub located in a small refurbished train station...but discovered it didn't open until 4:00 pm.  

One of our first stops, was Money's Worth...just beyond Summerside.  This store has everything from soup to nuts, so to speak.  A great selection home decor to start...along with paint, hardware, cabinetry....just about everything you could think of!

I was crushing hard on this hand made bird feeder...but with Avian flu on the rise...we use feeders we can sanitize well before and after use outside...

These metal flowers were available in a variety of colours....this one being my favourite....

Everything displayed so pretty...love the blue plaid runner....

And an assortment of signs...signs...everywhere was signs...

Great beer sign for a man cave...

We visited a few more shops....but we were busy looking and having a great time....I didn't get as many photos as planned....but no shopping venture would be complete without stopping into Prestige Homes....a home decor/floral shop/cabinet store!

My friend does not share my love of gnomes....you think you know someone, eh?  She does however love bees....and these are the best of both....

 Surely I'm not the only one to find these little guys adorable...

If I had room in my cabinet...I would have brought these home with me....

There were numerous furniture pieces as well.....beautifully displayed...

And in the floral shop section there were about five or six huge Boston ferns on sale....just wow.....

Our final stop was the furniture store where we purchased our leather sofa and chair.  They have beautiful home decor all through the store....and my friend was on the hunt for a new occasional chair.  I picked up two bunches of faux peonies...on clearance.  Our peonies are in bloom currently...and these ones look so real....I placed them in a pitcher in the master bedroom...

And this adorable bee hive was on clearance as well...who doesn't love bees?  I may have to move it though....Liesel is obsessed with it.  I suspect she thinks its a toy....

Mr. Seventies kept busy while I was taking in some shopping.  He discovered where our recently departed mouse was getting in....said mouse had chewed his way through the styrofoam insulation under a part of exterior siding along the back walkway.

Mr. Seventies replaced a 1 x 4 board, (the starter strip for the siding)...and then filled any gaps with spray foam insulation...then the siding will be re-attached.  He decided to re-home perennials planted along the walk to allow for better visual in the event another mouse attempts to chew his way through.  This was the only area that had not been sealed to prevent mice and moles from getting in.  

The past few days have been great pool weather!  The new pool vacuum is on it's way....until then I've been cleaning with the manual vacuum attachments.  Apparently our neighbour enjoys vacuuming their pool manually...I invited him to have at ours any time!  

Before setting out our new fire pit...there was a tree that needed some serious pruning close to the area.  We still want to wait an additional week or two....as the new grass seed planted where the pit will sit is still coming in....so will hold off on the marshmallows for now now!

It's going to be another pool day!  The inside temperature has hit the 75 degree mark...so we've run the air conditioning a couple of times.  When it rises to the 80 degrees plus...we will likely run it more.   We certainly couldn't run it continuously without risk of hyperthermia!

Thanks so much for spending time with me today!  A long weekend ahead...lots of celebrations & fireworks in every community!  Til next time....

Enjoying Pool Time & Nice Weather!

Warm temperatures and clear skies have finally arrived!  We've spent the last few days outside, enjoying bar-be-cues on the grill and cooling off in the pool...the only task left is to attach the solar blanket to the roller...so the pool can be covered overnight...

While we have a pool vacuum....her performance lately has not been up to par.  Forcing me to manually vacuum the pool....and that got old real fast.  The current vacuum also does not do the pool walls...and seems to spend the majority of time flipped over...not an efficient means to do her job.  We ordered this model....which has the capability of cleaning the pool walls and the floor... I'm hoping it works well...

Mr. Seventies has been on the down low since early last week....dealing with a terrible cold for about 4-5 days.  The kind of cold that puts one right in bed...with the usual aches & cough.  He is on the mend...not being one to lay about for long....

We enjoyed our first taste of fresh strawberries....it's a year for a bumper crop.  Most years we are into July before we see local strawberries available...and this box was delicious.  Not one bruised berry in the bunch!  So delicious...and we enjoyed a dessert of strawberry shortcake!

Our peonies are blooming....we have about five shrubs showing off their beauty!  This one one we purchased last year...I spotted it at the greenhouse...next thing I knew Mr. Seventies had it under his arm heading to the cash.  The blooms are a very deep pink....gorgeous....

This one, at the front of the house is usually the first to bloom...and she has many flowers to show off...

I haven't gotten photos of the other peonies in bloom....we have a stunning yellow one...and my favourite is a blush pink one beside the pool deck...

Another busy week planned....still have plans to have a day of shopping & lunch with my friend.  Canada Day is Friday...fingers crossed the weather will be great!  Saturday is a family celebration to mark the second anniversary of grand-baby's open heart surgery.

We & her paternal grandparents will mark this milestone & share in the joy how far grand baby has come since arriving..... just as a pandemic shut down our world.  

Taken in the ICU after the eight + hours in the OR (at 12 weeks of age).  See that little bunny holding up the various tubes?  I purchased it for grand baby....the first toy to be in a collection of many.  What we didn't know....until months later...that bunny went every where with grand baby.  Every ambulance trip, every hospital stay, even by her side on the flight to the children's hospital.   And sterilized & into the OR....bunny was there every step of the way....

So this is a week of celebrations...one for living in this great country and for the blessing & miracle that is Annabelle.

Oh...and we had a mouse!  I began noticing overnight....Liesel's food bowl would have kibble before bed (as it sits in her crate in the kitchen)....yet be empty in the morning.  At first...I thought I was a bit crazy.  Then Liesel began to act really strange around her crate...she would cry...and rather than step in & out...she would jump.  Not like her at all.  

We had not seen any of the usual signs of a mouse...other than kibble going missing.  Mr. Seventies scoured this house...every nook & cranny.  Most areas outside...are caulked so a mouse couldn't get in...but Mr. Seventies found one spot...and assumes that is how it would come & go.  We don't think it stayed in the house...but rather would carry the food out.  

So, a trap was set..in front of Liesel's crate.  And mouse was caught the first night.  We're still setting the trap for a few nights...just to be certain we only had the one.  They are doing construction behind us...and the field was recently mowed down...that could have forced it to seek out other venues.  

BTW - I detest rodents.  Our previous dachshund, Schatzi was a hunter.  No mouse would have gotten by her.....Liesel doesn't possess that same prey drive.  She cries and wants her Dad to take care of it. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Today is Monday...I'll be over at Between Naps on the Porch later today for  Metamorphosis Monday

And check out A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday!  Hope to see you there!

Home Decor At The Hardware Store

We visited the hardware store close by to pick up a bag of white sand....needed to keep the pool steps in place.  Sounds strange...but there is a shelf on the inside of the steps...where a bag of sand needs to sit...and keep the steps from moving about in the pool.  The bag is enclosed in heavy vinyl...we've never had an issue with a bag opening....some people use a cement block....but I'd rather not take a chance on ripping the pool liner.  Sticker shock at the check out though...last year price was $5.99 for a five pound bag.  This year $9.99!

I was pleasantly surprised at the pretty decor pieces...this canvas piece was gorgeous....

And while this piece was a bit blah for my taste....it's a barn...and I do love barns....

I was so tempted to purchase this piece...just in time for Canada Day!  I would hang it on the pool deck wall and leave it up year round....and it's on sale...

I'm crushing hard on these adorable umbrella hooks!  Each hook is sold individually....and do not come as a set mounted on the board...they are displayed to show you the various colours.  They don't necessarily need to be screwed into a board...but at $35 each....I'll admire them in the store....

And some interesting choices for door and drawer pulls....great for a cottage or cottage look...

Winners is a store I seldom visit....as it's located in a mall.  And I am not a "mall" shopper.   The only reason I would drop in...would be to browse Winners....there are no other stores that appeal to me.  On this day...I came across a few Rae Dunn pieces...this watermelon slice bird house is adorable...

We don't have an enclosed outdoor space to hang such pretty, breakable items...but they could be set indoors as well....

I absolutely love these candles....and you can bet if there had been a dachshund one...I would not have been able to resist.  Even though I would have choked on the $24.99 price tag!!  The one in the back, on the left reminded me of Liesel a bit.  And each candle smelled amazing...

For the price of one candle...I can be quite a few packages of wax tarts!  Although they have doubled in price in the last couple of years.  As has everything.  Have you noticed it too?  Prices here have soared...our little province has the highest rate of inflation...in the country!  Go figure.  

Speaking of tart warmers....I came across this adorable truck warmer on Wal Mart's website! 

I like that a bulb is not required...that truck bed warms up to melt the wax once it's been plugged in & clicked on.  I have a similar warmer that does not require a bulb and I prefer them more.  I did order this one...and it ships to the store free!

The weather promises to be sunny & warm for the weekend!  Once the steps are set in the pool...the 2022 pool season will officially kick off!  

Mr. Seventies is under the weather with a terrible cold...seems like colds & flus are on the go here.  We had our second booster vaccines the other day....

Plans are underway for grand-baby's second heart anniversary celebration..an afternoon to honour how far our munchkin has come since undergoing open heart surgery at 12 weeks of age in July of 2020.  We, along with her other grandparents will enjoy an afternoon of good company, food & count of our blessings and marvel at how far our little miracle has come!

My friend & I have a day planned next week to visit a few craft shops, junk stores, thrift shops and enjoy lunch along the way!

Thanks so much for stopping by & spending time with me.  Have an awesome weekend!!

Welcome to Monday!!

The start of a brand new week!  Tomorrow is the first day of summer...what could be better?  Mr. Seventies & our son-in-law were honoured on Father's Day...and their requested meal of pizza and cheesecake was full filled!  And both received an abundance of gifts ranging from books, clothes and gift cards!  Grand baby was on hand to entertain us with antics....and discovered tissue paper is a whole lot of fun!

My birdhouse received a couple of coats of pretty paint!  We used paint on hand...a sample size to use up.  Now the bird house is ready for new occupants...

I picked up the curtain rod for the guest room curtain panels...and was able to use a 20% off coupon...cannot wait for the curtain panels to arrive...estimated delivery is June 27-July 15, 2022.  They are a custom order which take a little more time....the actual shipping time should only be a few days once they are dispatched...as they are coming from Ontario.....

Remember the Nippon tea set I shared the other day?  The one I came across on Etsy....( I suspect the flash has made the blue appear lighter....or the photo has been lightened)....

This is the set I have....passed down from my Mom.  I am not a fan of the colour...I find it gaudy...but then that was the Victorian era.  My set is unmarked as well...which means it was produced prior to 1891....

I also came across a McCoy pottery Model T car cookie jar!  And I also have one!  Growing up...it was housed  in my Mom's china cabinet...and was used to store receipts!  (never cookies!).  I'll bring mine out & compare it with the photos I've seen for ones listed on E-Bay....for a much as $176!   I could never part with mine....my Dad was a bit partial to it...and I am as well....

The weather was beautiful on the weekend...we did get a thunder shower early Saturday evening....gave everything a good soaking.  We spent most of our time outside....Liesel joins us in small increments...as it takes her a bit of time to become acclimated to the outdoors.  Not certain why...she has always been that way....by the middle of summer she will spend more time outside with us...and bask in the sun.  She had a much needed bath & groom last week....

Can you believe how gorgeous this Iris is?  We only have a couple in coral & pink...as I think they were about $15 each....but wow....would love to have a lot more of them in these colours!

I have to share the amazing recovery of our Snowball shrub!  Just look at the beautiful blossoms this year!   Only by sheer determination of Mr. Seventies is it flowering beautifully.  For a few years...something had been eating it...and destroying it's leaves and flowers.  It was so sad...I asked Mr. Seventies to either cut it down or attempt to save it.    

He chose to save it.  Each spring...at just the right time...before budding is when it's crucial (with no rain or wind in the forecast for 24 hours)...Mr. Seventies would spray it with Dormant Oil.  Dormant oil is a non chemical spray that suffocates insects and their eggs nesting in the branches....so they no longer can destroy shrubs and fruit trees.  It can be purchased at hardware stores....

I recently came across a home-made recipe for Dormant Oil, as well. Mix 1 TBPS of canola oil, a few drops of liquid laundry detergent and a quart of water.  Shake well & pour into a spray bottle when you are ready to use it.  It works the same way...smothering insects and eggs before they can do damage.

We haven't tried this home remedy yet....but may give it a shot next spring....

The pool is sparkling clean...all that is left to do is set in the steps....and wait for Mother Nature to warm the water.  Water temp was 23 degrees yesterday....unfortunately we have with cooler temps and unsettled weather in the forecast his week.  We need some sunny, warm days....

Thanks so much for spending time with me...so happy you stopped by!  And as always, I'll be sharing on A Stroll thru Life, for Inspire me Tuesday and today at Between Naps On The Porch for  Metamorphosis Monday .

 

Guest Room Curtain Panels

Ever since I added curtain panels in the master bedroom...I've been toying with the idea of adding them to the guest room as well.  

Since I don't sew, the best place to order custom panels is Etsy.  There is a multitude of talented seamstresses who will whip up beautiful window treatments...and there are so many patterns and fabric to choose from!  And as an added bonus....sometimes free shipping is available!

The panels I've ordered are cotton blend...thick & soft and semi-blackout (allows light to pass through...without being able to see through from outside).  Each panel is 55" wide x 94" long...which allows the curtain rod to be hung 4" down from the ceiling and extend 3" beyond the window frame on either side.  Just how I want them.  I've grumbled so many times how most panels, sold in stores...are either 63" or 84" long.  I don't know why those lengths are set in stone...but neither length works for me. 

I've requested the tassels not be added...straight stitch on the sides and bottom...with a rod pocket heading for the curtain rod....

And I will use the same curtain rod as the one in the master bedroom....(no clips required...as I ordered  rod pocket panels to slide the rod through)...

I'm looking forward to the panels arriving and know I will love them as much as the ones in the master bedroom....

Mr. Seventies has been busy this week spreading black mulch on the flower gardens....since I had the extra garden flag, I placed it near the front walkway.  My birdhouse needs a fresh coat of paint....we have showers in the forecast for the next few days.  Once we are back into sunshine....I'll scrape & repaint it...

Our local hospital foundation is having a fundraiser....selling tickets on an ultimate outdoor play shed....wouldn't our grand baby have fun playing in this?  Fingers crossed we win!  The draw is in July....any child will be lucky to have such a wonderful place to play!  Proceeds from ticket sales will be used for much needed equipment in the Paediatric Unit....

Mr. Seventies hung the set of Edison lights along the ped way railing.  This is a new set...apparently the solar battery is only good for one year!  Explains why the set from last year wouldn't work.  They are very inexpensive lights...if they quit after this summer...I may look into getting a set with a longer life span.  In the meantime....they are really pretty at night...

And finally, we have clear pool water!  It took since adding the necessary chemicals on Monday to finally get it clear today.  Over the weekend...we hope to do a manual vacuum to give it a deep cleaning on the bottom.  We have an automatic vacuum....but it doesn't do a great job...and will tip upside down and float around.  It works in a pinch...but will give it a through sweep manually.

It's Father's Day weekend & we plan to celebrate with family....and pizza...and cheesecake!  Mr. Seventies & son-in-law will enjoy their special day...they are both amazing Dads!  I hope you show some love to the special Dad in your life...sadly mine passed away in 1994.  So, Happy Father's Day in heaven, Dad.  You are loved and missed still....

Beautiful Warm Weather Happenings

It has felt like summer arrived here the past few days...and we are loving it!  The pool is operational...today I take a water sample in for testing & purchase any additives if required.   Occasionally a buffer is required to get the pH level in line...then add chlorine to shock the water & add a puck to the skimmer basket...algicide 24 hours later and we are underway for sanitized & clean water!

Mr. Seventies has been busy...three yards of mulch was delivered & is now spread over the gardens in the front yard.  Next weekend another delivery will arrive...and he will top off the rest of the gardens.  There has always been a spot...between these two flower beds which was annoying to mow.  This year, I suggested to merge the two gardens...and that required a road trip to Summerside to visit a certain greenhouse that sells....cement paw prints.  I had picked up a couple a few years back & four additional ones were required...and this is how Mr. Seventies got creative....I'm loving the stepping stones!

While at the greenhouse....I browsed the gift shop...I picked up another garden flag holder.  The one I purchased from Amazon...while functional...it's pretty flimsy.  This one is much sturdier.  I'll still use the other one....maybe at the front of the house....

I love this sign...it's so true!  It was $29.99....and not made to withstand the outdoors...even with a few coats of protectant was applied...I didn't feel the sign was much of a bargain....

An adorable rooster bird feeder...we brought our bird feeders in & Mr. Seventies sterilized them.  Avian flu is a threat here to our birds...everyone has been so co-operative bringing in their feeders to prevent the disease from spreading to our feather friends.  Mr. Seventies had to wait to bring ours in...as a robin had built a beautiful nest in our tree....

There were a couple of adorable planters....

And an even cuter deck-sitter...a creative use of clay pots!!

And a few beautiful annuals.....we need to pick up a few to add some colour to the back walk way...Mr. Seventies purchased five perennial plants & shrubs....

Did I mention it was so hot the day we visited the green house?  Yep.  It was.  I was happy to retreat to the air conditioning in the SUV!

The reason for our trip to Summerside was two fold.  I decided to give our barbecue a good cleaning...only to discover interior parts crumbled in my hands.  So that's not good.  Since Father's Day is this weekend...no better time to gift Mr. Seventies with a barbecue of his choice.  Unfortunately, the one he chose...was not in stock at our local store.  But Summerside had 65 such barbecues in their store....

It's much smaller than our previous one...as it had four burners....of which Mr. Seventies only ever used two.  He wanted a smaller one for ease of movement and use.  And it only took him four hours to put it together!!   For it's size there were a vast number of screws & wing nuts! 

He's extremely happy with it....and if we only get 2-3 years use of it...so be it.  We will replace it when the time comes.  We rolled the old barbecue to the end of the driveway...and sure enough it was gone within hours...someone picked it up while we were out.  

The last few days...we've used the air conditioner on the split heat pump we had installed a few weeks ago.  It was a bit of trial and error...everyone's home is different.  We don't have high ceilings...and our house & rooms are small...so our settings are not as low as other homes may require.  Our daughter sets hers to 18 degrees Celsius for cooling....we would suffer hypothermia if we set our temp that low!   It's going to take a bit of tweaking until we find a good balance of cool air for us.  Our home stays cool...until later in the day...then we get full sun and that is when we need air conditioning.....especially for sleeping.  

I've ordered make up foundation, concealer and face wash from Laroche Posay.  If anyone uses their products....I'd love to hear your thoughts.  I have rosacea...triggered when I was in my late twenties...and for years...have been prescribed antibiotics...which I discontinued about a month ago.    If you aren't familiar with rosacea...it's a chronic skin condition for which there is no cure. Genetics play a part in rosacea...and it affects your face with burning & stinging, rough dry skin, blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, problems with seeing and flushing of your face.  

I'm taking  a different approach and had my first full face IPL laser treatment performed last week.  It will take a few treatments before I will likely see any improvement...but I am very hopeful.  If it will control my rosacea better than antibiotics...I'm happy to keep up with treatments.  Our private health insurance considers this treatment "cosmetic"....yet have no problem with drug coverage for rosacea.   It's a medical condition...it should be covered...but it is futile to argue with any health insurance company.

I was doing some searching for products that are gentle on rosacea...and even though many products and clinics claim to be "gentle on rosacea"....they truly are not.  Believe me....I've just about tried them all.  So...I chose a foundation (not in this dark colour...as I am very light skinned - Scottish heritage)....

And a concealer stick....again in a lighter shade...

And it is imperative to use a face wash that is not harmful to the face...fingers crossed this product will work really well....

This is not a sponsored post for Laroche-posay....I'm new to their products and look forward to trying them.  If anyone has used them....or suffers with rosacea...please leave a commen, especially if you use any products that help...cover up and don't cause any issue on your face.  

And as with most Mondays....I'll be hanging out over at Between Naps on the Porch for  Metamorphosis Monday

And come check out all the awesomeness at A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday!!

Have an awesome day!!