Time for an Update!

It's been ages since I've written but all this time has been consumed by either work or keeping my head on straight. Between my aging parents, my son who has gone off to college and messes at my big girl job, I've just havn't had much time to be here.

H1N1 has really played havoc on our society of late, don't you think? And I just have to believe that it's keeping people out of the malls --it has me for certain! We've had 3 cases of it in our little work group and most affected have been the parents with little children in daycare. Fortunately they've each recovered but I can't possibly ignore all those little babes who didn't make it or, the perfectly healthy 40 year old woman with only a mild case of respiratory discomfort. Wow, living can be so elusive.

On the positive, we do have Internet Shopping! I think I may be done for once before December 23rd this year! Call me paranoid or OCD about germs but that can't be all bad, considering the business that I'm in, right?

I just bought this cute jacket for myself... Purple is so HOT right now.

La Cuisine, it's rolling! Et mon bebe aussi

All I can say is that my arms are killing me (good for the definition, hopefully). It's a whole day project just to get 3 cabinets done between sanding, stripping, staining.... which takes forever to dry.

This coming week I'll strip the frame, put the final coat on the doors then, pack us and our gorgeous boy up for our trip back home to Montreal, where he will be studying.

I will miss him beyond belief.I guess Momma really did need a project eh.

The Kitchen - continued

I'm giving myself until Christmas to finish this kitchen project and doing it in stages like this suits me just fine. I mean come on? How long could you live with microwaved meals for? Yuck!

First section done and, I LOVE IT!!!

Oh how I do enjoy a good project

Welcome to my Kitchen !

I still can't believe we have lived in this house for 6 years now and I'm just getting to the dreaded kitchen renovation project. Here's the now --cabinets removed for refinishing

The look I have been trying to achieve


and this is what I've created by stripping the varnish, staining with red oak stain then again with red mahogany 2 sometimes 3 times then finally, when I'm super satisfied, a coat of poly.


If only great lighting was available during this photo shoot and I highly suspect I'll be doing this 'till Christmas

Fun New Tool

Eesh, if I had my background black, things might look more different but, the absolute fun news is for Vintage lovers... You have to try this out: poladroid

Here's the real one:

A Spicy Bunch

One of these days I'll learn to say no but for now, in these slow online sale and fast highway get home times I felt that I could get just a little bit busy and help out 1000 Markets with their PR ramp up campaign. I sure had a hard time parting with these little cuties...

Top 10 Fridayliciousness

While I wasn't "theoretically" supposed to be not at work today, I did it, I took the day off and will claim it as yes, a sick day (oh the shame). I'm too new here to worry about someone from work finding this out and I had no intention of updating my Facebook status or even dare utter a tweet about it. I just went dark while the sun shone like crazy.

#10 - no one else home
#9 - a frozen meal for lunch ain't so bad
#8 - HGTV and the Food Network rock!
#7 - accountable for nothing, not even the dishes
#6 - slept
#5 - slept some more
#4 - got my creative mojo back, even if only for an hour
#3 - IKEA
#2 - Hot Herb Jars
#1 - lovely red wine & Pizza

Ahhh Fridays off.

French Herb Butter

We love love love our baguettes around here and while they are a bit more expensive then our favorites back home in Quebec, our work around solution has been quite delicious...
go direct, right before they close when they are half priced and buy as many as you can fit in your freezer, break them in half if you need to and store them in Freezer Bags.

What's also the best is grilling or broiling the bread soaked in herbs and butter and here is one super easy recipe that gives this delicious bread in hands down time!

French Herb Butter
1 stick of butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons French Herb Blend

Combine ingredients in a bowl and blend until well distributed
be sure not to whip.

To save for later: spoon Herb Butter onto a small sheet of wax paper, roll, twist ends and store in the fridge for later use.

My Love and Hate Relationships

I am loving all of the new Treasuries on Etsy being built featuring the ol' Red White and Blue theme this week... This one is my favorite, duh... Freedom Rings

Another Super Fave Etsy Shop is: Bomobob can we talk about variety of photography or what??? I bought these a couple of weeks ago and have them posted in my cube at work: For the Birds

I found this in my email a couple of days ago and I had to recoil... Look, I treasure those old relics and if you think I'm going to toss dirt and water into one of them and then, of all things, leave them in direct sunlight for hours on end well, you are sadly mistaken.
How to turn an old or broken camera into a flower pot

And, to top off this post, my new favorite purchase and, if somebody tells me that it's one of those "reseller items" on Etsy, I'll probably sink (I chose the black buttons for this beauty): The Black Long Shirt Dress I hope it's not too Bea Arthurish YIKES! rip

Canada Day is just Days Away

I am so excited! Canada Day is in a couple of days and here I am in Minnesota planning the meal to BBQ, what I will wear (nothing weird or too matchy matchy, don't worry), what to drink (meh, not a huge fan of beer) and wondering who I will meet this year.

Bloomington, MN which is where I have been living since 2003 after leaving my sweet city of Montreal, Qc to live with the love of my life is celebrating it's 10th Annual Canada Day Picnic! Weeeee! It's not city run but a Canadian run one which makes it (thankfully) way more fun.

Bonjour et Bonne Fetes mes amis!!!!