Tight Wallet

Snowstorms and Maple Syrup

2008-12-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. Everything is covered in thick layers of snow, people seem nicer somehow, and we fill our days playing board games and drinking far too much honey-sweetened tea. We've had some wonderful snowstorms over the last few days that have left us with great mounds of white stuff to build snow forts in.

As tradition dictates, fresh snow means maple syrup taffy in our family. We have delicious maple syrup that we buy from a local farmer. When I say "delicious", what I really mean is that this maple syrup is above and beyond any I've tried before. It's wonderful - mineraly, subtly sweet, complex. Amazing stuff.

This year we roasted some brazil nuts in a little bit of ghee and sea salt and added them to the taffy. It was divine.

If you want to try it on your own, get yourself a large bowl of clean, fresh snow. Boil up maple syrup until a strip poured on the snow firms up immediately (if it just melts into the snow, it's not ready). Use chopsticks or something similar and wind the taffy around it. The more snow caught up in the taffy, the better. Yum!

Handmade Stocking Stuffers

2008-12-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

baby slippers at Willo

The House of Mouse

Modern Printed Matter

bobilina studio

Seattle Sundries

Paloma's Nest

Stitchella Coffee Cozy

On Hiatus

2008-12-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

A wonderful, surprise visitor from the Netherlands has occupied my time and energy (and I couldn't be happier about it). I'll try to get a blog or two in here over the next week, but please forgive me if I don't. If you knew my visitor, you would totally understand.

Haunted by Memories of Fiberglass

2008-12-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

We spotted these chairs behind an old outbuilding at a somewhat nearby university. I was instanly ga-ga over the silvery, fiberglass flecked shells. I took a couple of pictures and vowed to return as soon as the event we were attending was over.

Fast forward a few hours. We were in the car, almost at at the end of our 3 hour drive home when I realized that I forgot something. What could I do? I could hardly turn around our car and drive an additional 6 hours with a car full of kids and a hungry husband. It would have never worked.

Since then I've plotted my return to pick up those chairs, but no excuse seems reasonable. What if I get out there and they've been taken away to the dump? What if I couldn't figure out a way to remove the ugly desk part from the shell? What if they were really fabulous and I got a full set all nicely cleaned up and put new Eames-type bases on them? See, I should go get them! Man alive I'm good at tormenting myself.

Painting Our Floors

2008-12-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

When we first saw our illustrious rental, the wood floors were a definite draw. Then we moved in and took a closer look. How to put it nicely? I can't. They were gross. In fact, they were not salvageable. There was years of dirt and wax build up and I wasn't going to scrape someone else's dead skin cells away with my hands. Uh uh, no way. So, we did what any renter on a dime does, we buttered up our landlord with homemade kimchee and promised him that letting us paint would "really increase the resale/re-rental (is that a word?) value".

It was that easy.

So, we headed off to Benjamin Moore and bought a can, then another, then another of their floor paint. Let me tell you, painting an entire apartment floor white is not fun. It stinks, it's sweaty, it has to be painted over and over again (especially with little ones that have to visit the bathroom throughout the night, leaving indentations in the paint), and it takes forever to dry. But, in the end, it was worth it.

It feels so much cleaner and lighter in here now. It does take more maintenance - there's no pretending the wood floor or carpeting is clean, white shows every little sin. Still, we're happy with the result and we'd do it again given the options we had at our disposal.

A Walk in the Woods

2008-12-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

Deep appreciation falling from every breath for the beauty that surrounds us.

The miracle of wasps.

Delicate.

It was a good year.

We're so insignificant.

Hanging on for dear life.

Fungus Hand.

Somebody once took care to lay these rocks.

The possibility of life in the seemingly impossible.

2008-11-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

My favourite mug. It's a beautiful, ivory coloured milk glass and it fits perfectly in my hands. It makes me happy.

I Heart Old Things

2008-11-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

I really do. I just can't seem to find much joy in buying new stuff. Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but old things are so much more exciting to me. I would much rather go to a thrift store and find a one-of-a-kind treasure than go to some box store (blech) and buy some mass-produced, poorly made thingy just to buy something. Buying something is making a commitment. I always ask myself if I really want it, if I see myself liking this for the long haul or is it just something trendy that I'll hate in a year from now. This has served me well financially and it serves the environment. Why go out and buy new stuff, supporting its production, transportation, and distribution when what you like already exists?

I'm lucky that my style tends to gravitate towards Scandinavian and Mid Century Modern. There's lots of finds to be found in those arenas. Our living room sofa and chairs were bought at a local antique dealership for less than $200.00. Granted, we just purchased the empty teak frames and had to have cushions made. But, in the end, we got exactly what we wanted for a song. We have a pretty cool sofa and chairs upholstered in a dark grey felt.

Here's a few of the treasures I found at the thrift store today. I should mention that I have a slavish addiction to milk glass. I can't help it and I don't know what it is, but I love it. Maybe it reminds me of my Bapka. Everything reminds me of my dear Bapka. I suppose I miss her.

What is it about these old FireKing bowls that makes my heart jump? Maybe it's seeing my youngest daughter's chubby, little fingers wrapped around the handle while she toddles about, eating her fruit or nuts. Maybe it's because you never see stuff like this anymore. Maybe it's because they carry the memory of all sorts of delicious snacks gobbled up by happy people.

This print said "Warsaw 1976" on the bottom. I like it . That's all there is to it.

O.k., how could I have possibly walked on by this old, enameled kitchen scale? It still works. It has nothing to do with the fact that it says "Tara" on it. Pfft..as if I'd buy it just because of that. Yah, as if.

Milk glass bowls with the handles. Love. Love. Love.

Somebody made this tea towel from scratch. The little swans are pockets to stuff things in. I'm not sure what to put in there. Maybe a biscuit? Anyway, who ever made this, I want you to know that I appreciate your lovely hand stitching!

His and Hers vintage clocks. One for each side of our bed. Note: "Made in Canada". You don't see that very often anymore.

Handmade, vintage birdy pillow. Those birds are awesome.

Linen bound, hardcover, vintage German book from 1959.

Our Wee Office

2008-11-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

A rental with no office and four students in the house just don't jive. So, we had to be creative. Our little linen closet had potential and if it meant getting the computer (and hence, the kids) out of our room, we were up for a few hours of work. We were pretty happy with the results.

Perseverance

2008-11-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

noun 1) steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. 2)THEOLOGY Continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory.

I saw these little weeds from our hallway stairs this morning. It's bitterly cold outside, the sky is icy blue, and there's a crust of snowy ice embalming the inhabitants of the great outdoors. And there, in the midst of this unfriendly weather, in my neighbors humble eavestrough, live these little weeds. There must be just enough mud and decomposed leaves that piled up just enough nutrients for them to grow. There must be just enough shelter in that small trough for them to hang on despite the odds. Just enough sunshine to give them hope that the ice above and below them will be held off. Their precarious tenure ignored with steadfast determination to live.

Those little weeds didn't look around and decide not to grow because, "hey, winter's almost here". They saw the opportunity and went for it. I'm inspired by those crazy weeds living in a frozen eavestrough. And I'm especially grateful that I can see them soaking up the sun on days like today, no matter how brief their appearance.

The Magic of Paint

2008-11-22T17:48:00.000-08:00

Eww, hold your nose when you look at the 'before' picture of our bathroom. I don't know how old the paint was that graced that room, but it wasn't pretty. A little putty, some elbow grease, plenty of paint, and a few hours out of our weekend and our bathroom has been transformed. It feels so much nicer to plop into our big, deep tub and relax in there now.

The grand 'before' shot. What you can't see is how badly the paint was peeling/breaking off.

Do find it in your heart to ignore the ugly light fixture. My time here is limited, coincidentally, so are my electrical skills.

Etsy Blue Light Specials

2008-11-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

AshleyG

I love Etsy. There's so many wonderful artists twittering about over there. Here's some of my current favourites (yes, we spell it like that in Canada). All for under $20.00!

Geninne

artquirk

sugarloop

kiki&polly (above and below)

Restocking Provisions

2008-11-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

We spent some time on the farm this weekend. It's always so good to walk into an old barn and smell the wood and hay. We value our moments spent with the farmers who grow and raise our food. It's so important for children to see healthy, happy animals walking about in the sunshine, chewing grass. We want our kids to see where their food comes from and meet 'their' farmers. Regardless of where you came from, there's something very calming about spending time on a farm. There's an energy there - a calmness that's hard to find elsewhere.

We buy our organic, pasture-raised animal products and our organic produce from farmers that we have personally met and spent time with. We know how the animals that we consume were raised and cared for. Not only is it a health and ethically centred decision, but it's also kinder on our finances to buy our food in bulk, straight from the farmer. If we save up (a bit here and there) through the year, we are able to comfortably pay for all of our meat and poultry in the fall (usual slaughter time). A deep freezer is a must, but there's something very comforting about knowing that my freezer is stocked.

Sad Little Lamp Rescue

2008-11-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

This lamp had no shade and originally had a weird zebra print on it.

I found a couple of neglected lamps at the thrift store a few months ago and finally got around to painting and outfitting them with new shades. I recovered the white shade with marimekko fabric I bought on eBay. The dark charcoal lampshade is from IKEA.

Yellow with brown isn't my favourite colour combination. (Tiles in background are not mine - my ego instructed me to write that.)

Lamp after with a fresh coat of paint and recovered shade. Find video directions for recovering lampshades here.

The Little Sous Chef

2008-11-14T06:31:00.000-08:00

She's making her wonderful salad creations again. Only ingredients from our backyard are allowed.

"Seaside Salad"

"Wild Leaf Salad"

Why, hello there

2008-11-13T16:47:00.001-08:00

No zoom lens required. These were friendly little creatures that let me walk on by with barely a flicker of their tails. I love my morning walks in the woods.

Oh knitting talent, why have you forsaken me?

2008-11-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

Larimeloom's Etsy shop is full of made to order clothing and gorgeous hand-dyed and spun yarns. I just want to buy the yarn to stare at the beautiful colours.

Fall in Ontario

2008-11-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

O' Canada.

Gross Chandelier Before and After

2008-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

I found this filthy chandelier at a local thrift store. Each crystal was encased in years of grease and tobacco. Yes, the crystals really were that yellow. The whole thing smelled like an old ashtray. But, it was $9.99!! Who am I to turn up my nose at such a thing, filth and all, when it's only $9.99?

I put a little vinegar in water (o.k., a lot) and soaked each piece of glass. I then cleaned off the metal and spray painted it white.

I just saw this exact chandelier at a local paper store. It was on sale for $189.00! I think the gross factor was worth the money, thank you very much overpriced paper store.

Swoon

2008-11-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

I'm loving these beautiful collages by John Murphy. And they're not expensive. Design Sponge
A Montreal loft to admire. No, it's not a megazillion dollar one. Some great ideas to be had and hey, my sister had that lamp! (p.s. please tell me how to make shirts out of my money - my kids would love to get their allowance that way). Apartment Therapy
Beautiful, inexpensive tree decorations you can do with the kids. fryd+design
I just want to curl up with this gorgeous tea pot from Kelowna artist, Paige Russel. Alas, my old, metal pot will have to do. etsy
Spout Tea Set by Paige Russel

It's a Rental,

2008-11-10T11:33:00.000-08:00

but that doesn't mean I want it to live in a place I don't feel good in. Even rentals need to be homes. But, I have to be conscious about how much money I put into our place because the investment is sheerly for our comfort. So, I keep an eye out for good deals. I was salivating over some wallpaper in the window of our local Benjamin Moore shop for the last few months. When I finally went in to see how much it was ($125.00/roll!!!!) I was flabbergasted. Luckily, I spied the discount bin in the corner.

And what was in there? That very wallpaper at $1.00/roll! And, there were three rolls! All had been used a small bit, but there they were just waiting for me to buy them. I was able to wallpaper a wall in our teenager's room and the back of the stairs.

Stairs before. Ewww... I'm so glad we ended up painting those hardwood floors white.

Stairs painted and wallpapered for about a buck.

The Farmer's Market

2008-11-10T11:02:00.001-08:00

There were so many wonderful things to be had at the Farmer's Market this weekend. All of the delicious fall vegetables were out in all their glory. It's so satisfying to have a fridge full of fresh, local, organic veggies. Sourcing local, organic food is a real cost savings compared to buying the, less fresh, grocery store stuff. We came home with our bounty and made a giant dish of roasted veggies with ghee. Yum!

Free Flowers from Little Hands

2008-11-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Pffft... who needs bought flowers when little hands can pick out such a beautiful bouquet. That's what all this 'economic crunching' means to me - finding gratitude for the simplest of things. There may not be a lot of money in the bank account, but there's plenty of abundance all around us.