Wednesday, October 21, 2015

I WANNA live there Wednesday # 143

Good morning !

We're back in Westmount, ( Montreal ) Quebec this morning - my old neighborhood because in Montreal it's hard to find a more perfect neighborhood ( am I biased?  probably a little ) close to all amenities - walking distance to everything - city living at it's absolute finest :)

This is a gorgeous - filled to the brim with details - townhouse built in 1890 - I can remember walking by these particular homes and wondering what they looked like inside - now I know!
G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.
1,695,000
4 beds
3 baths - 1 powder room
Realtor - TANIA KALECHEFF






















Those ( original )  stone walls in the basement !!!!!!!!!!





Isn't that just a gorgeous turn of the century home?
All images sources through REMAX QUEBEC

Ok - I have to run out and pick up extra lotto tickets for this week - someone has to win !

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone - I'm still painting windows and probably will be for the rest of my life at the speed ( s.l.o.w. ) I'm going

Hugs,
Kiss-Kiss,
Me


LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THE FOLLOWING FABULOUS PARTIES !

THE CHARM OF HOME                                       FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE
MISS TOODY GOO SHOES                                 THE INTERIOR FRUGALISTA
BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH                     SAND & SISAL
AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY                               MEMORIES BY THE MILE
KATHE WITH AN E                                              FLUSTER BUSTER
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

BE CRATEFUL !


This crate I bought in the summer is one of my favorite new things to decorate with !
We used it for a picnic basket originally but it can so easily be filled with anything for any season.
Flowers in the summer...............Christmas greenery in the winter.
For Fall it makes the perfect backdrops for gold and red and orange.



I originally stained it ...............but painted would be just as good
I filled it up with some Dollar Store foliage - spending 10.00


The crate cost 7.99 from Home Depot ( but they sell these all over ) and looks like this - a blank canvas


I meant to put castors on the bottom of it - but haven't gotten around to it yet



And there you have it - a seasonal interchangeable decor item for under 20.00 !



Hope today is a wonderful one for all of you !
Much love,
Me

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES!

SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE                                       GRACE & GOOD EATS
THE CHARM OF HOME                                              THE SHABBY ART BOUTIQUE
FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE                                 CRAFTBERRY BUSH
MY TURN FOR US                                                       THE CRAFTED SPARROW
THE GIRL CREATIVE                                                   MISS TOODY GOO SHOES
THE INTERIOR FRUGALISTA                                    BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH
SAND & SISAL                                                     CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT
A STROLL THRU LIFE                                                 AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY
MEMORIES BY THE MILE                                          KATHE WITH AN E
FEARLESSLY CREATIVE MAMMAS                        HOMESTORIES A TO Z
THE UPTOWN ACORN                                               LAMBERTS LATELY
LIVE LAUGH ROWE                                                    MY ROMANTIC HOME

Friday, October 16, 2015

A FRIDAY CHAT ( about this & that )

Good morning !
Come in - don't just stand there - I have to close the door immediately !
This week someone asked me if the raccoon problem had been solved.............

Suzan says - Raccoon problem?
Neighbor says - Well there was a huge problem with them in your house a couple of years ago - they were crawling along the roof and coming in and out of the attic.

I screamed.
I literally let out a blood curdling scream...............and terrified the neighbor.

It would appear we're living in Grey Freaking Gardens !  ( if you don't know what I'm talking about google GREY GARDENS - my all time favorite documentary )

THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO ME !!!!!!!!!!!!
AND BY LAW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN !

Beware of kind little grey haired old ladies who are selling their homes...................seriously - beware!

The stuff ( hidden ) that we've unearthed since moving into this place is beyond a nightmare..................
Between rodents ( all eliminated ) and faulty fire hazardous electrical wiring ( since updated ) and plumbing
( updated ) and floods in the dining room ..............and...................and.
It hasn't stopped.
Not a month goes by that a new horrible surprise doesn't make itself known.

Do you remember the movie THE MONEY PIT? ( my all time favorite comedy )
Do you remember this scene?
When the raccoon jumps out at Shelly Long?


That's now my newest fear.

And don't you find it a little ironic that 2 of my favorite movies involve raccoons ( of which I hate? )
_________________________________________________________________________________

Anyway - despite all of it - we're plugging along here.
John's been busy making shutters


I've been busy painting them
John's been busy installing them
I've been busy dreaming of decorating the window boxes for Christmas
( I want to make it homey for the raccoons - God love them )

This photo is on the side of the house - we have 2 leaded glass windows on either side of the fireplace - the outer windows are out because I need to paint them but here it is done - I'm over the moon thrilled with how cute they look !  Those leaded glass windows are the only redeeming factor of this place.


Can you just picture greenery and some colorful ornaments ( and lights - oh my gosh - lights ) in that window box?

Here's how it looked before ( and the window frame's been painted black already in this photo )
Doesn't it resemble a jail house window?


See that bleeding paint under each corner?
The wood frames have been clad in metal and it's obviously rusting inside - nothing a little silicone won't take care of but isn't that awful?  WHY DIDN'T THEY SEAL IT WITH SILICONE IN THE FIRST PLACE?
( that's me screaming - I'm prone to do that every now and then with this fixer upper )
We won't be painting the building until next year so I just quickly ran a roller of white paint over it - just enough to cover that up.

Here's a close up of how it looked prior to painting it


These window shutters have probably made the biggest impact of all on this house - and it's by far the cheapest fix we've done ( I feel like it's putting lipstick on a pig )


_________________________________________________________________________________

Okay - moving on here

90 day fiance - season 3 !

Let's see now - we've got a 58 year old man marrying a 19 year old from the Phillipines.
His first wife was also from the Phillipines - but she left him ( and their 4 children ) because she wanted more
" things "
Sooooooooooo - his solution ?
If at first you don't succeed - try try again.
They showed a clip of her touching the window of his car - and him reprimanding her and telling her to NEVER touch the window on his car - to which she promptly touched it again !  She's a rebel !
This is going to be riveting - I can tell already.

Next up we have a Mormon boy marrying a Russian girl ( whom he had converted while overseas on a mission trip ) and couldn't tell her he was falling in love because - well you know - you can't mix business with pleasure ) she happens to be a former vodka drinking go-go dancer - this story should be more than fascinating to watch ! ( although I have a suspicion this may turn out to be one of the success stories )

Oh !  And then we have the young girl who went to Israel and fell in love.
I'm not sure why but her and her parents flew to Canada - while he flew in from Israel to meet them
It was very important that they meet him because they'll all be living under one roof - a 3 bedroom condo.
The best line of the night?
Her father asks her why - with all the available men in the States - that she has to " import " one - I laughed out loud !

And then there's the nurse that went to Jamaica - met a lifeguard - spent 10 days with him and is on her way back to Jamaica to bring him back and marry him ( not quite sure why he can't just fly over on his own )
She showed him the bikini she's bringing with her and he LOVES it and can't wait to see her in it !
Ooh la la !

So already we have controlling behavior - drama - a connection that's covering 3 countries - a steamy beach romance - and supposedly a couple of women plagued with jealousy ( I haven't " met " them yet.)
What more could you ask for from a t.v. show ?

Between that and the new books I have ready on my end table I should be thoroughly entertained for the next few months.

John says - What are you watching?
Suzan says - 90 day fiance !
John says - Oh not that crap again - how can you stand watching such nonsense ?
Suzan says - Shhhhh - I'm already invested.

Sad.................it's just plain sad.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday's forecast -
DEAR GOD !
NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I DREAD FALL ?

I wore a sundress last week working outside - got a burn on my shoulders and now THIS is in the forecast.?
I doubt it'll happen - but just seeing those words is terrifying !

SunOct 18
Snow-rain showers

Last year we didn't get snow until the week before Christmas - which was perfect - I'm certainly not ready for it now - the first year ( in a few of them ) where I've actually done a little Fall decorating and now snow?
______________________________________________________


Hope you all have a wonderful weekend - we'll probably spend much of it glued to the tv watching the weather station - with scowls on our faces ................or this - maybe we'll watch this again
I can relate to Walter - sometimes you just gotta laugh!!!



Much love,
Me........................

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

I WANNA live there Wednesday # 142

I have a slight obsession happening right now.
With tiny houses ( which seem to be taking North America by storm )
I can't get enough of the shows - is anyone else fascinated by them?
So..............this week is all about tiny house living.

How people manage to co-exist in homes under 500 square feet amazes me - intrigues me - and makes me wish I could unload a lot of my crap and give it a try ..................

What say you?
Could you do it?

If it looked like this?

TKP ARCHITECTS - MOUNTAIN HOME

450 square feet of gorgeous !













This murphy bed is just fabulous !







It looks so much bigger than 450 square feet !



I think it's just spectacular -
The only thing I'd HAVE to change is the access to the loft - after a glass of wine or two I'd probably break every bone in my body going up and down LOL  ( then again I could always sleep on the murphy bed one those nights )
Other than that?
Oh WOW - I most definitely WANNA live there !

Have a wonderful day everyone !
Hugs
Me


LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?
JOIN ME AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES !

NORTHERN NESTING                                                LIVE LAUGH ROWE
THE CHARM OF HOME                                              FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE
MISS TOODY GOO SHOES                                        LIFE ON LAKESHORE DRIVE
IT'S OVERFLOWING                                                   REDHEAD CAN DECORATE
DWELLINGS THE HEART OF YOUR HOME            BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH
KATHE WITH AN E                                                     AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE                                       CRAFTBERRY BUSH
MY TURN FOR US                                                      THE GIRL CREATIVE
A STROLL THRU LIFE                                                 CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT