Halloween with Rhys

Just a quickie to say that I had a fun time in the neighbourhood surrounding Dave, Niki and Rhys' home.  They have so many great friends, most of them with children, some with furry children and they are all so very friendly.  Rhys (my 2 year old grandson) dressed up as a lion and, after a rough start because he didn't want to wear the lion headress, it turned out to be a fun evening.  Some of the homes were very scarey but most were just toned down with pumpkins on the porch.  Kim and Kyle, I hear were serving champagne on their porch.  I bet they even had canapes and hors d'oeuvres, LOL  I found out today that Kim, an ex-Saultite, has written and had published a very interesting book.  I will wait until I get home before I talk about it more (mainly because I have to read it first).  I have also purchased a copy for our Library because it is written by someone who was born and raised in the Sault.  Congratulations Kim.  Back to this evening and Rhys in his Halloween costume, here are a couple of photos which were taken by his daddy Dave.

I took a few myself this evening but will have to wait until I get home to be able to download them onto my "big" computer.  Talking about going home, I have one more day (Tuesday) to spend with my precious grandson and his not too shabby mum and dad.  Dave thinks that I tolerate him just so that I can spend time with Rhys.....  Could that be true?  I'll never tell, LOL

As usual, it has been a most enjoyable visit, but it flies by and as soon as I arrive home I will be wishing that I was back here.  I probably won't come back down until they have their new baby, expected at the end of March, beginning of April 2012.

Well my friends, behave yourselves and I will talk to you again soon.

Naughty me - been shopping again!!

Actually, I had intended to stay put today and continue with cleaning up my craft room, but after lunch I had a visitor who bought the rest of my "ugly" halloween earrings (all sold now), and she said it was lovely outside, so of course I couldn't waste the rest of the day couped up inside.  Gosh, we probably won't have too many more days of gorgeous weather left before the snow hits us.   (Thanks to all the beautiful people who bought my ugly earrings.)

So, where was I to go?  Well, downtown shopping of course.  I love to visit the local stores and support them with my business whenever I can and have made many a new friend that way.  My first stop was The Queen's Cupboard a delightful emporium of old and new items, owned and run by Pat (she's a character and a half) and this is what I bought there - looks perfect on my new trunks that I bought yesterday at My Marie's.........



I'm referring to the metal creamy/brown bird.  Isn't he cute?  From there I headed down to Bruce Street and in the store where Cheryl and Co. used to be there is now an antique store (it used to be next door but moved to get more space).  I must say, he had a lot of interesting items in there and my eye fell on...... are you waiting for this MYRIC? a  figurine of what I imagine to be "Anne of Green Gables".  I cannot swear to it, but it sure does look like someone's rendition of her.  What do you think Myric?  I have to explain, I had just been reading Myric's blog  http://myricandreasen.blogspot.com/2011/10/anne-of-green-gables-room.html where she was talking about a special room dedicated to Anne of Green Gables, very touching, you must go there and read about it yourself.  Anyway, when I saw this figurine I just couldn't resist it and now here it sits on my refinished microwave stand................

I had to give you all views Myric.  I hope you like them.  Just for you my new buddy.

Then I came home with my new-found treasures but there was still shopping time left and as it was such a beautiful day I just had to go out again.  In the mail this week I had received a special invitation to attend a sale at another beautiful boutique here downtown, "The Ideal" a gift store, but I would be away when they had their Christmas sale next week.  I thought it would be a good idea if I just went and had a look around, not really expecting to see anything that I needed at that moment but I fell in love with this little kitty, especially as it was in "my colours".  Isn't he cute?..................

And here he/she is keeping company with the rooster and metal bird.................

Everything will stay where it is for today 'cos I'm worn out from all that shopping and I need to have some supper.  Food gets forgotten when I'm out and about.  I have some nice curried noodles just waiting for me to warm up, nice and spicey.

Just a few more days and I will be taking off south to go and visit my grandson, his mum and dad and his uncle.  I hope I get lots of kisses and cuddles.  I think I'm taking enough bribes with me, LOL  Talk to you all again soon.  Stay happy, healthy and warm.  Big hugs,



Today's purchases - what fun!!

I think in a previous blog I had shown a picture of my beautiful deacon's hand-painted bench, if not shown, then I have certainly mentioned it.  This is it, in case you haven't seen it before.............

Well, today I was out shopping on Queen Street and I walked past our local florist "My Marie's" and saw that she had a pretty good sale going on.  When I arrived home, my friend Laurie was visiting and we got talking about the deacon's bench and the microwave stand that I had just refinished and I was telling her that there were still two small hand-painted "trunks" over at the store just waiting for me.  Seemed like the perfect time to go and investigate I thought, since she had 50% off the original price.  Lucky me, they were still there so I bought them on the spot and had to leave them there as I had no way of getting them home at that moment.

I had to go to the library and the mall but couldn't wait to get back and pop on over to the florist with my "shopping cart" and pick them up.  Do you want to see what they look like?  I'm not too sure yet where they will end up but for now they are just sitting in my living room so I can admire them.  Here they are.....

Of course there is nothing there for me to refinish but I sure have the bug after the microwave stand.  Gosh, I might have to move into an even larger apartment just to house all my treasures.  That's it for now - had to share with you while I was still excited about it.  Oh, and I sold six pairs of those ugly skull earrings I made for Halloween.

They were only $3 a pair.

Have a great weekend everyone.  I am having so much fun visiting other people's blogs and "following" them.  There is so much talent out there.  I hope they will follow me back, but I am so tame in comparison, but I could get wicked, LOL  Talk to you soon.

Still dreary out there, but I'm happy in here!!

The weather hasn't improved much in the last couple of days.  I don't think I can remember when we have had so many rainy, windy days in a row.  It's great for sleeping in though!!

I still haven't "decorated" the outside of the microwave stand but I have adorned it with knick-knacks and placed it in my living room.  Had to move my Egyptian style chair to find it a home.  Next week I might change my mind and move it somewhere else.  That's the beauty of being retired and being able to do what you want when you want, LOL  Here's a pic of the stand..........

And here's one of the chair/stool, whatever you call it............



Ha, ha, and when I was looking for those photos, I found one of me when I was a sweet young thing of 20, taken in Majorca.  Gosh, that was a lifetime ago.  If I remember correctly, that was a fun holiday, but I digress, LOL

Wish I was nice and slim like that now.  Those were the days!!

I'm having so much fun visiting other people's blogs and am making lots of new friends.  It's amazing how much talent is out there and even though I was very pleased with the job I did on the microwave stand, it doesn't even compare with the refinishing jobs that some people do on old furniture.  I am truly impressed.  One of my sons is into antiquing furniture and he has completed many beautiful projects.  I just didn't realize until recently just how popular it was.

Well, I had best get back to working on my craft room.  I've already done a lot of work in there but no-one would know that if they peeked in there - it has still a long way to go.   Have a great day.

I feel like a "Shut-In".

The weather here in the Soo has been terrible the last two days, rainy and gale force winds, not funny.  I haven't been able to get out and walk to the Mall, which I usually do at least once, sometimes twice a day.  Of course I could catch a bus, but by the time I got to the bus-stop and then to the Mall from the bus-stop I would be absolutely soaked, so what would be the point?  I'm just hoping for better weather tomorrow.

So, what have I been doing with myself to stop going nuts?  Well, I just finished refinishing an old microwave stand.  My plan was/is to do some art work on it and make it look like my deacon's bench but that will have to wait for another day - have to practice painting flowers and leaves before I attempt that.  Here's a picture of the painted stand.

I think I did a pretty good job.  I got a "thumbs up" from Laurie from http://www.howmytimeflys.blogspot.com/.  She is my resident expert on anything artsy.  I always go to her to ask her what she thinks of anything that I create.  She is such a good friend and so encouraging.

Gosh, I think the sun just came out, the first time in days.  Of course it's too late to walk to the mall now, talk about bad timing, LOL

With all this awful rain, Laurie, down the end of my hall has had a bit of a flood in her bathroom.  We have the roofers in putting a new roof on our building and they have just started to take off the old roofing so I guess an area around Laurie's apartment was a little vulnerable and water began to drip through.  She told me she was in the bathroom cleaning her teeth when she felt "drip, drip, drip" - she does have a wild imagination but this time it was for real.  The ceiling will have to be replaced, just another annoyance for our already overloaded supers to deal with.  At the present time we have the Cable people in replacing all the tv cable throughout the whole building, the Elevator people in replacing both of our elevators (huge job) and the Roofers.  All major jobs and all coming with their own smaller problems.  I bet the supers sometimes wish that Calgon could whisk them away.

I've just about wasted the day waiting and hoping that it would clear up and haven't accomplished much.  My apartment is nice and clean though, except for my craft room so I guess I could go and start on organizing that, but everytime I get it tidy, I untidy it by pulling everything out for a Craft Show or to pick out items for Etsy.  At least it gives me something to do.

I was wrong, the weather isn't getting better, the wind is still howling and blowing but the sun is still trying to peak out.  A waste of time if you ask me because it will begin to get dark soon.  Ah well, you can't blame him/her for trying.  Have a wonderful rest of the weekend my friends and I will talk to you again soon.

I'm linking this with Debbie's Newbie Party.



That kind of a day

Good morning - it's just that kind of a day today, not quite sure if it is going to rain or not and I'm not quite sure what I want to do either.  I have so many things that I could be doing but don't feel like doing any of them - perhaps the sun will come out and I will go for a walk.  Anyway, what I have been doing is making a few new necklaces and for the wont of something to post, I thought I would show you my latest ones.  These are just a few, very similar just different colours.  Glass hearts and crystal beads.  Pictures are not very good I'm afraid, dark and dreary indoors today, just like in my head, LOL

I'm slipping this one in here as I forgot to include it before.  I made some earrings for Halloween and this is one of the pairs.  Cute, right?  Well, I wouldn't be seen dead wearing them, LOL

I don't know why I am making new ones, I can't find homes for the old ones, LOL  So far, with my new Etsy account, I have sold one Jewelry Grab Bag.  I am very grateful to the buyer, but I would love to be able to sell just a couple a week, is that asking too much???  If the Etsy thingy doesn't take off, then I will have to be happy with the Craft Shows where I do quite nicely, thank you very much.  It's just that with the Shows, it's difficult to get to them as I don't drive and have to rely on some kind person to get me there and back and lately it has been Eileen, another crafty person.  We have at least three shows planned together in the next couple of months and perhaps more.

Well, I have been retired for just over four months now and have enjoyed every moment of it - not missing work at all, just the ladies, but things are winding down now and winter is coming so I will have to find new things to fill my days, hence my trying the Etsy thing.  There is no way I will be able to hibernate for five months in my apartment so I will have to look for some volunteer work, somewhere close by and not too strenuous.  Any ideas, anyone?  Well, that's it for me today.  Think I will go and paint a cabinet I have plans for.  Have a good one.

Happy Thanksgiving

Stopping by to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.  It has been a beautiful week weatherwise and it looks like the weekend is going to continue with more of the same.  We are so blessed.  Have a safe and most enjoyable time with those that you love.  I will be cooking a beef roast for my eldest son and his lady on Monday (no traditional turkey for this young man, if I fed them just potatoes and gravy they would be in heaven).  I do have some orange cheesecake left over from when a very dear friend came to visit, so that will have to do for dessert.  Been working very hard on my new Etsy account and am hoping that it will take off and give me something to do in my new found retirement, especially with the winter months approaching (too fast).  If you are so inclined, please pop in and check out my "creations".  Also, if you have any ideas to help me on my way, I would appreciate them.  Don't forget to take time to count your blessings this weekend (as we should every day).  Huggers, Chris