Around the house

Lots of little, but exciting-to-me things have been happening around our house...(appologies for the poor picture quality - I have to take my photos at low-light times of day when I'm home!)

I bought a few more Bum Genius diapers to replace a few of my originals that had failing velcro snaps (the new ones have snaps instead of velcro)

I added to my 'Collingwood pottery' collection with this adorable little Owl - $2 at the Goodwill. The original pitcher and vase came from my Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle Bert's house. I am not sure why it's called 'Collingwood pottery', but that is what my mom calls it...I'll have to ask her.

I put a new Japanese paper light in our office. It's from Ikea. My husband hates it when I buy Ikea lamps because he finds them very difficult to install...but they pack so much style per dollar. Both my sister and husband feel the light is a bit too retro for the traditional style of the office, so maybe it's a miss...oh well. PS - Excuse the mess in this room! I had purged it, but the clutter is creeping back!

I reorganized my daughter's shoe cupboard and added some Rubbermaid risers to double the storage space. They are brilliant!

I bought my Mom this pea-green Pyrex bowl for $2 at a garage sale yesterday. The seller's big sales proposition was that it's the best bowl you can buy for potato salad because the bowl stays cold. My mom makes a killer potatoe salad, so I guess it was meant to be.

I bought this real wicker basket at the Goodwill, and it fits perfectly on the bottom shelf of my bedside table...perfect for corraling books, jewelry, my iPad, and everything else that collects beside my bed.

I found this wood mirror at the Goodwill too - $10. It is perched on the top of my husband's dresser for now.

Now that I'm back at work, I have less time to braid my daughter's hair. I miss it. Somehow it is theraputic to feel her soft hair weaving around my fingers.

I bought another (it's my third) milk glass planter. I fill them with hot water to warm my 1 year old's bottle.

I recently purchased Bio Life tile cleaner from Shopper's Drug Mart, upon reading a positive reivew on AM Dolce Vita. Michelle was right - it did a perfect job cleaning my tiles and grout. I am a believer!

Street sale! Selling....and buying!

This weekend was our annual street sale.

I've been purging stuff from around the house and saving it for about 4 months. My prices were low - everything was $3 or less; most items $1 or less (except for the Wii, which was $30).

My actual sale prices were much lower thanks to the aggressive negotiators that yard sales attract! Items that I priced at $1 (like a $50 never used BBQ tool set) were counter-offered at 25 cents!!! In some cases I caved, but if the buyer irritated me I refused to budge. As a result I'm left with a lot of stuff, but I'd rather give it to the Goodwill then feel like I got schooled by a savvy yard saler.

The most fun was the shopping that Mr. Miles and I did after I closed up shop: I found lots of great Gap Kids clothing, a vintage FP airport, and a treasure chest of gimp and beads for my daughter.

Fun!

PS: I apologize if you see something you've given me in my sale photo!! I promise I loved the gift at the time!...but I have too much stuff in my house and just hadddd  to purge!

When life throws you lemons...

Ok, life hasn't thrown me any lemons as of late. I've had an amazing summer with my family, and peaches and corn are in season....things couldn't get much better!

Nonetheless, I fell for this vintage pitcher at Goodwill. "Clear tags" were on sale, so this was marked down to $.75. As part of Fatty Get Skinny (blogged about here) we are drinking a lot more water. I keep this adorable pitcher on the counter with a glass and sip away all day. I like that it is shaped a bit like a beaker. It reminds me of grade 8 Junior Chemistry class.

Beads and bedding

Yesterday while the kidlets were napping my mom and I hit the local Sally Ann. The prices were a bit higher than my Toronto Goodwill, but I still managed to scoop some deals: 3 vintage necklaces and a funky patterned Eaton's  bed sheet which will be transformed into fabric gift bags. Paired with some decadent ribbon from Mokuba, they will be gooooorg.

Today we are headed to a thrift store run by the airport that sells all the lost and confiscated goods (firearms and drugs excluded, I'm assuming). Word is that it's $5 for as much as you can put in a shopping bag!

I'm in like, not love, with my new headboard.

For a long time I have lusted ove the Crate and Barrel Collette  headboard....but it is way (and I mean wayyyyyy) out of the budget. I inquired about having one made by my go-to upolsterer, which was going to cost about $800 if I wanted the nailhead detail (which I did)...this seemed more reasonable, but still expensive for a room we don't spend much waking time in.

So I opted for one off Craigslist that I like but don't looooove.....and I'm totally comfortable with the compromise. It was only $50 (start the car!) and is a beautifully stained dark hardwood with a vintage circular design.

If I ever win the lottery I will go get that Collette headboard and not look back...after all, I am sure I can sell this baby for at least $75 on Craigslist next time around!

What do you think? Does this work well enough?

(and yes, that is 50 Shades of Grey on my bedside table....so far (up to pg 73) I'm pretty underwhelmed).

I need a second house!

Do you like mid-century modern furniture? If so, this post is for you!

I just spied this gorgeous set at the Goodwill on Overlea - $65 for the hutch and $75 for the buffet--start the car!

The set is in excellent condition, has a TON of drawers, a heart-stopping curved front on both pieces and no knobs (clever wood in-sets for opening and closing). It's a gem.

I tried to convince my sister to buy it, but no dice. These pieces would be hundreds, if not thousands in any of those vintage Queen East boutiques like GUFF. Did I mention that this is a great deal????

My dream job would be wasting away hours at the Goodwill, scavanging and refinishing cool furniture....oh, to dream.

The urge to purge

Perhaps it is because at this time last year I was very pregnant and was nesting like crazy....

Perhaps it is because we have a street sale in the fall and I want to be a seller this year, not just a buyer....

For the street sale...why did I ever have 4 ice trays, anyways??

Either way, I suddenly have the urge to purge. I am diligently going through every cupboard and drawer in the house and tossing anything I don't use regularly or have a special affinity for (such as Grandma's vintage table linens..they are not going anywhere!). My goal is to not have any overstuffed drawers/cupboards...my stretch goal is to have an empty drawer/shelf in every room. I have been at it for 3 days so far. Outstanding rooms include the office, my son's room, and the basement. I am getting more aggressive as I go. I'm on a rampage. I told my husband that if he gets caught in my path, he might be the next item to go...just kidding. He's a keeper.

I am making a number of piles:
- For the Goodwill
- For Nellie's (a nearby women's shelter)
- For the street sale
- For my sister (who has a new house to fill!!)
- For friends who are having a baby (it's still a secret!!!!)

Mat leave collecting

Over my two maternity leaves I have collected a number of second hand matching Pottery Barn silver pieces. 

I bought the nut bowl, tray, cake tier, ice bucket, and coaster on Craigs List during my first maternity leave. The seller had fallen madly in love with a gent living in Dubai, and after only seeing him twice, was liquidating her life in Canada and moving to be with him. BOLD MOVE!

Then, a few weeks ago I saw Shannon's post about the street sale she was preparing for. One of her photos featured a fruit bowl that matched my set! Shannon had found it at the Goodwill and was now selling it. Of course I emailed Shannon and scooped it up before any hungry garage sale buyers could get it!

It took me a month to actually get over to Shannon's to pick it up, but it is now sitting comfortably in our kitchen full of the most delicious cherries I've ever had. Isn't there something decadent about eating cherries out of a silver bowl?

Unfortunately my photos are not great...too much bling to control!

Friday find

Every Friday everything is 50% off at my local Goodwill.

Last week I found this sunny little marbled plastic table for $7.07....minus 50%! Start the car!

Now I just need to find time to use this cosy little reading nook in our bedroom!

Orange sherbet Canadiana

I have long had a soft spot for vintage Canadiana point blankets. Sure,
...they are itchy
...not particularly cozy
...and I would never want to be stuck alone in a cold room with one
...but I love their bright colours and sense of history.

Last night I picked up this orange sherbert-hued blanket at my local Goodwill for $5. It will serve as an accent piece in our guest room. I think it nicely highlights the orange in the Missoni Home duvet cover I found at Winners (which looks like technicolour tropical Skittles....luv).

The point blanket needs a good soak in Oxy clean and I need to re-do the satin trim (Mom...help!!!) which is showing wear and tear, but otherwise it is in decent condition.

I don't think it will ever be depended on for cozy comfort, but as an accent piece it fits the bill perfectly!

(PS excuse the poor photos --this room gets nooo natural light, so I had the overhead lights on).

Goodwill go-tos, part II

Lentils? check
Coffee? check
Prunes? check

I can see you all so clearly now!

In addition to the necklace that I bought at the Goodwill on Monday, I also purchased a few more glass canisters. As you can see, I have quite the collection in various styles and sizes. Goodwill is an excellent source for these and the rubber ring can always be replaced at the hardware store to keep things extra fresh.

My new purchases inspired me to purge my pantry cupboard. It feels sooooooo good!

PS: These are typically $0.99 at Goodwill....this makes Ikea seem pricey!

Goodwill go-tos

Long, vintage bead necklaces are one of the things that I always troll for at the Goodwill...they come in all sorts of fun colours, are easy to get on and off (good with kids!!!), and the price is always right.

This one was a bit 'pricey' at $4.04, but hey, I was feeling particularly indulgent last night!

Botox for my antiques

We inherited a lovely antique dining room set from my Grandparents when we moved into our house a few years ago. While I love the suite, it was feeling a bit 'stuffy' for a young family. I lusted for something a bit younger and hipper, but I didn't have the heart to get rid of this set or to put it under the proverbial knife! It just needed a little pick me up, as we all do from time to time!
In the end I decided to update it with new hardware from Lee Valley Hardware. If you have never visited a Lee Valley store, it is well worth the trip. They have everything from microplanes to fruit fly catchers to very intense wood working tools (think Pinnochio!!).
I looked around a number of different sources for new hardware. Lee Valley had the best selection at the most reasonable prices. Big box stores were suprisingly expensive for not great quality; Restoration Hardware had beautiful pieces at about 3X the price. Lee Valley was just perfect, and located on the TTC to boot!!

PS: I have moved my mercury glass lamps from the living room to the buffet as my baby becomes increasingly grabby and mobile!...I think I like them here!

New ring pulls

Original fixtures

oh-so-versitile scones

My mom bought me the Joy of Cooking at a garage sale a number of years ago, and it has been a staple in my kitchen ever since. One of my go-tos is the recipe for scones. It is fool-proof. In fact, the spine of the book is broken on the scone recipe page from so much use. I typically add dried apricots, but this morning I added raisins and cinnamon for our picnic with friends at Riverdale farm. Fresh fruit also works (blueberries, for instance), as do savory ingredients like chives, ham, and cheese (just eliminate the sugar).

The secret to making these scones flakey is to use cold butter (refrigerated or frozen) and to ensure the butter stays chunky- you should see flecks of butter throughout the dough - don't mix any more than you have to to form a ball of dough. I usually do triangular scones, but rounds and squares work equally well.

These are delicious on their own, with butter, jam, and of course, the topping of all toppings, devonshire cream! I think even the miniature Kate Middleton would indulge in these babies!

Scone recipe from the Joy of Cooking, copyright 1964
(Yields approx 12 scones)

2 cups of sifted cake flour (or 1 3/4 cups of sifted all-purpose flour)
2 1/4 tsp double-acting baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup butter, cold and cubed into penny-sized pieces
2 eggs
1/3 cup cream (I use 1% milk and it works just fine)

- Sift dry ingredients together
- Add butter and cut into dry ingredients with two forks or a pastry blender, until pieces of butter are pea-sized and distributed throughout
- Mix eggs, reserve a tablespoon of egg mixture for later; mix remaining egg mixture with milk/cream
- Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix as litle as required to form a ball of dough. Also add any additoinal ingredients at this time if you choose to
- Flatten dough to about 1.5 inches thick and cut scones (in whatever shape floats your boat!)
- Place scones on greased cookie sheet
- Brush with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with salt or sugar
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 450 degrees, or until a skewer comes out clean (scones should be just golden brown)

Enjoy warm or at room temperature!

Sally Ann scores

On Friday night after the kids were in bed my Mom and I snuck out to the nearby Salvation Army thrift store. I found two deals. First, at $1.99 each, two white 'lotus' dishes, identical to the turquoise ones I have at home. Second, at $3.99, a ceramic egg carton for the fridge so it's easy to quickly grab eggs one-handed!