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Peony love…

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to share my beautiful white peonies with you!

Aren’t they lovely?
What could be better than a bouquet of beautiful scented peonies…other than hydrangeas, cabbage roses, tulips in the spring, lol.

They look great in any container but especially nice in a large vintage ironstone pitcher.

These are one of the first perennials I ever planted.

I had them for about ten years in our old house and when we moved to our current home five years ago, I dug this little lady up and brought her with me.

It took a couple of years for her to get used to her new home but she turned out spectacular this year.

The scent is simply amazing and it brings back so many memories of early summers when my kids were young.

I usually get a couple of bouquets out of her every year.

I try to leave some blooms left on the plant so the neighbors can enjoy them too.

I also heard that you shouldn’t cut all the blooms off, not sure on the rationale behind that though.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my peonies with you!
Hope you all have a blessed week!

Happy Tuesday to you all!
Today is laundry day where I clean all my slipcovers and cushion covers. Every couple of months or so (depending on how dirty animal paws are) I strip down all the furniture spending the day taking off covers, and putting on covers…it can be quite the job but so rewarding!

Do I use this washpail and washboard? I don’t think so! But they look good don’t they?
I got this galvanized washpail at a garage sale and the washboard is from a thrift store. I think they both cost twenty dollars combined.

Love that this is a little vintage piece of Canadiana.

Here are all the cushion covers that are in the living room now that will be washed along with the slipcovers, it’s like getting new clean furniture everytime!

I’m loving the blues, creams, whites and burlap beiges.

I think my style is nautical farmhouse!
Hey it goes, doesn’t it?
My family comes from PEI where you can see beautiful little farms with views of the ocean so this nautical farmhouse theme is in my blood! Lol.

Here is a little peek of two new cushion covers I got on sale at PB.
They’re going on my muskoka chairs on the porch/veranda and will soon match what is now my black front door.
Stay posted!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

New old shelf…

2:57 pm by kim 23 Comments

Hi everyone!
Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend!

I wanted to show you a little project I’ve been working on.

I got this little shelf a couple of years ago at flea market booth for ten dollars and it’s been sitting in my basement waiting to be used.

I didn’t know what to do with the blank space above our massive, hulking TV. It was missing something and the room didn’t seem balanced to me.

You can see the space somewhat in this old pic.

So I got hubby to hang it up, I’m kinda liking it!

Whadda you think?

Thanks for dropping by today and be blessed!

A few visitors to my spring garden…

1:50 am by kim 34 Comments

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while eh?

I know…I’ve been busy with life and such, you all know what I mean I’m sure.

I thought I would share my spring garden and a few little critters who came to visit! Lol

Whenever I’m out in the garden my little munchkins follow me to watch whatever it is I’m doing (along with watching some fledgling robins that my daughter and I have saved a number of times!)

Most of you will know by now my chihuahua “Butters”, and cats “Jack” and “Tara”, can you spot them all?

Here is Jack in the midst of my garden. He sits under this mulberry tree that I really trimmed back earlier this spring, he loves to hide under it and “study” the wildlife. I’m thankful that he is big and bulky and lacks any real stealth that is required to catch this wildlife.

I’ve added some hanging plants this weekend and fell in love with these blue lobelia.

Here is Butters beside a couple of hanging plants that I’ll be putting out on the back deck.

Hubby was in the middle of hanging up the spring/summer screen door, so please disregard the mess.

This post is basically a before as I will be repainting the door and will be adding some different cushions to the muskoka chairs.

I love this pic because Butters and Jack are usually such camera hogs and they both decided to look away while Tara who is so shy decides to ham it up.

Lots of work to be done here but you can see my bleeding hearts in white and pink as well as my “snow in summer” in full bloom. I have a couple of peonies that will bloom in a couple of weeks as well as a couple of clematis.

I have a couple of pots of lavender to plant as well as some other plants to move.

I really should do some edging, add some manure, along with some mulch…

Now if only these little critters could pick up a shovel! Lol

Thanks for stopping by today,

blessings upon you all.

My favorite meal…

2:04 pm by kim 28 Comments

Hello everyone!
Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend!
It’s been raining here the last two days and while the rain is in a constant fight with my hair the gardens are really enjoying it! Lol.

It’s lobster time and one of my favorite all time meals. I guess I come by it rightly by being the daughter of a long line of Islanders.
Usually my aunt and uncle will bring up from PEI a cooler filled of just cooked lobster for me to enjoy. This time I jumped the gun and bought a few from the grocery store.
It’s the first time I’ve ever cooked them live on my own.
I must admit that my daughter and myself felt pretty bad about this and in the midst of tears and ohhs and awws the deed was done quickly.

I decided to take a few pics but was too hungry to actually spend any time styling them. Lol.

Many times we cook potatoes and other veggies to go with the meal but the lobster is so good we never get around to eating anything but the lobster except these big tomatoes covered in salt, pepper and chopped cilantro.

Would really like to be able to take better photos of food.

Penny De Los Santos has a free Food Photography Workshop @ Creative LIVE going on this weekend but I haven’t been able to watch it. I believe you have to pay for it after today.

Thanks for stopping by today and
Blessings to you all.

A thank you and a thrift basket…

12:30 am by kim 19 Comments

Hello everyone!
I’m hoping everyone had a great weekend and a lovely Mother’s Day.
My Mother’s Day started with a family lunch at my favorite Thai place and finished with my daughters’ and I watching Jane Eyre at the theater. A simply wonderful day with a sweet red velvet cake, even sweeter bracelet bead to add to my collection and pink champagne thrown in for good measure! I am truly blessed.

I wanted to send out a thank you to Mary at Urban Farmgirl for featuring my Kitchen Makeover last week. Mary has such a great blog and nobody looks better in a pair of Hunter wellies than she does lol!
Stay tuned as Mary will be revealing her Cabbage & Roses guest room makeover this week!

I also wanted to send a shout out to Apartment therapy for featuring my Kitchen Makeover as well. Certainly feeling very thankful this week!

Here is a few pics of a wicker basket that I picked up a GW.
I love baskets and this one has such a lovely warm texture to it. It’s at the bottom of my bed and I use it to throw my laundry in. I know it sounds corny, but I love to look at it from my ensuite, it reminds me of my Grandaunt hanging laundry on the line.
My Grandaunt had a lovely old homestead in PEI with a laundry line that overlooked the water. It’s a view we would all kill for now but back then it was just a backyard that had an inlet from the ocean running behind it. I can still see the clothing and linen blowing with the salt air in the sunshine…
It’s amazing how an object can bring to mind so many memories!

Look at the lovely warmth of color it adds to a sea of white and cream. It also matches Butter’s beautiful color as well!
My bed isn’t made but Butters doesn’t mind.

The basket goes well with the other baskets in the room and adds color and texture like the baskets here under my sewing tables turned bedside tables.

and the basket on top of the armoire.

It will eventually go into my closet but for now I’m enjoying it at the end of my bed.

Thanks for stopping by and
be Blessed!

Kitchen makeover and beach find…

7:51 pm by kim 116 Comments

Hello everyone!

Hoping you’re all enjoying the weekend!

I’m finally posting my newly painted kitchen cupboards, yay!

I had wanted to paint these cupboards since we moved into our house about five years ago but was afraid to take the plunge.

Hubby decided to finally start the job and we finished last week.

We used my favorite white by Ben Moore called “cloud white”.

This is what they looked like before:

Since we moved in, I had done the backsplash, put beadboard around the peninsula. changed the countertop and changed out all the appliances to stainless steel. We only had the painting to do.

We had also put a new sink and faucet in when we changed out the countertop.

I put a little linen skirt under the sink as I wanted to wait to put the newly painted cupboard doors in there. I wanted to give the paint time enough to cure and this is such a high traffic area with the garbage and recycling, I didn’t want the doors to be ruined. I’m kinda liking the skirt there now though.

Another view.

I love limes!

This is my beachy find that hubby and I saw washed up along the shore while going for our walk the other day.

I think it’s part of an old wooden pallet.

Hubby dragged it home and managed to get most of the sand out of it, I just love the weathered grey look.

Love it with my beach mason jars.

Of course lavender and hydrangeas! lol.

You can see the tip of the old “boob” fixture here. We are getting rid of that fixture and putting two new pendants over the peninsula along with some pot lights. I’ll post that when it’s done. So excited to get rid of that light!

Hope you enjoyed my little kitchen makeover and beachy find!

Thanks for stopping by,

Be blessed!

I’ll be partying with these ladies this week:

Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP

DIY Showoff

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Good Life Wednesdays @ Beach Cottage

POPP @ Domestically Speaking

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Show andTtell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Beachy Mantel

8:34 pm by kim 37 Comments

Hello everyone!

Happy White Wednesday.

I’ve been waiting for a nice day to take pics of the family room and mantel, but so far it’s been grey, grey, grey.

I find taking pics of my mantel difficult at the best of times. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a corner fireplace, or justy my lack of skill but the pics never seem to look as good as the real thing.

Anyway…here is my beachy summer mantel, yeah I know it’s kind of early but I’ve had my spring mantel up for a few months now and I’m ready for a change!

I don’t know if you can tell, but we painted the family room a color called silver streak by CIL paints. It’s a very pale blue/grey and looks very fresh in the room.

I’ve kept up the driftwood candle holder from the spring mantel shown here, but removed the greens and twigs.

Love this lantern that I got at homesense. I had visited PB and had an idea of what I wanted, without the PB price, and found comparables at homesense for a fraction of the cost. The shells and starfish I’ve had from previous years.

You may remember my post about getting this vase at GW complete with shells. I’ve added a few more thrift find shells along with a candle. The candle is getting shorter and my shell collection is getting larger! It is really magical at night when the lights are low and all the candles are lit up.

I found this old paddle at Aberfoyle a couple of years and have yet to find a spot for it. It’s just standing up beside the fireplace for now.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my newly decorated mantel!

Thanks for stopping by and

Be Blessed!

I’ll be linking up with:

Good Life Wednesdays @ a Beach Cottage

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a shoestring Decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My romantic Home

SNShttp://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/04/sns-79-showcases-farm-tables.html @Funky Junk Interiors

The Lettered Cottage

Hydrangea love and a peek…

2:08 am by kim 37 Comments

Hi everyone!

I can’t believe it’s been a week since my last post!

Life’s been busy here at RH.

Hubby and I went to Cosco the other day and they were selling their 12 inch pots of hydrangeas for twenty bucks! These pots hold a plant that is approx. 3×3 feet, they are HUMONGOUS and held about 25 blooms!

I always buy them in the pot and cut my blooms from it. It’s cheaper than buying a bouquet of hydrangeas and you can’t get fresher than just cut from the plant. I was able to get 5 arangements from 1 plant.

They came in blue, pink and green, hubby chose the blue, either way, you can’t go wrong with these beauties!

Aren’t they gorgeous?

Here is another arrangement in a lovely ironstone pitcher.

I placed them in some vintage mason jars I found at the thrift store. I love the old zinc lids and decided to keep them on. I have one of these arrangements on either side of the sofa.

Here is the arrangement again with our freshly painted kitchen cupboards in the background!

Hubby decided to take the plunge and started painting them over the weekend. It’s only taken 5 years! I will be doing a post on the kitchen makeover soon.

Yes, I’m still waiting to find that elusive “perfect” or just one that fits lampshades!

Here is another little peek. The family room has been repainted a pale blue, there are some new summer cushions added and the mantel has been beached up for summer! Yes it will be here before you know it.

Will be posting that shortly as well.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hoping you all have a lovely blessed Easter weekend!

Linking up with:

Good Life Wednesdays @ A Beach Cottage

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Transformation Thursday@ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a shoestring decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

Dying to show you this…

2:23 am by kim 26 Comments

Hi everyone!

Just rustling through my cupboards the other day and found these:

They started out like this:

A pair of white PB linen/cotten blend pillow shams.

I had forgotten that I even had them!

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them after reading and loving a post by Carol Spinski on dying thrift finds, you can find it here. Carol is an amazing photographer and stylist and has a beautiful blog!

If you have some things that you’ve forgotten about in your cupboards or have a great thrift find, how about giving them a new lease on life, so to speak, with some fabric dye!

I got together my supplies and used Dylon brand because that was the brand I found at my fabric store.

You’ll need:

package of dye

iodized salt

gloves

measuring cup

measuring spoons

you’ll need to use a stainless steel container, I used my sink, as well as a stainless steel stirring utensil.

I put on my gloves and mixed the packet of dye in 500ml of warm water to dilute the dye. Then I poured my mixture into the sink with 5-6 litres of warm water.

My brand of dye required that I put 5 tbsp of salt in the sink of warm water. Put in the dye mixture and stir/mix well.

I placed both of my pillowcases in at the same time. My directions said to constantly mix/stir the fabric into the dye for 15 min.. I did it for maybe 10 min and then my back was sore from standing ,lol. Then you’re supposed to stir occasionaly for 45 min. I didn’t want my pillow cases to be as dark as the color on the package so I took them out after half an hour.

I then rinsed them in cool water until the water ran clear, after rinsing I washed them in the machine in warm water and then dried them.

This is how they turned out. You can see that they’re practically the exact same color as on the package. I must admit that I wanted them to be a little paler. But, it was my first try at dying fabric and I will know for next time. The color is actually a very lovely turquoise called “Bahama Blue” it even sounds nice!

Here they are with my my daughter’s bed spread in her room with a couple of her other loves. What girl doesn’t love Tiffanys and she has all her little Tiffany boxes on display with one of my perfume bottles that she “borrowed” from a little collection I had. It all has a lovely beachy feel to it and I thougt it would be a great direction for her room makeover.

Until she told me that she actually loves white and vintage! White and vintage? How does she know about white and vintage?! I guess I’ve really rubbed off on her. Lol. Yes, she says she wants her bed all in white with some vintage. However, she does like this picture frame I picked up today and wouldn`t mind it…yeah right. Lol. Ok, I may have to use this direction for my other daughter, who btw, also loves Tiffanys!

Not only will they not leave the nest, they want me to decorate it too! Lol

Thanks for stopping by!

I will be celebrating my 6 month anniversary of blogging in a few days and am working on a giveaway! Will keep you posted.

Be blessed!

Will be linking up with:

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on shoestring Decorating

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

VIP Party @ Design Garden

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