simply vintageous...by Suzan

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I WANNA live there # 15

I live in a pretty incredible area - It's an historical neighbourhood loaded with tons and tons and tons of charm - and 20th century architecture, just steps away from the city center, it's also a pretty expensive neighbourhood ( in which I live in servants quarters basically compared to what I'm surrounded by.)

Because there's days I don't have furniture makeovers to show you - I've chosen Wednesdays to showcase and feature one home that's for sale around here.................( or apartment - or duplex - or teepee )

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2,575,000.00

5 bedrooms

4 bathrooms

Built in 1909

Again a semi-detached - very deceiving by the outside - here we go, come on in!

Living Room - just adore that window with the window seat incorporated into it

GORGEOUS!!! love the back splash over the stove - the perfect amount of color in an all white kitchen for me

love the light pendants as well - this is a particularly bright house for Westmount! Because there are so many
semi detached and row houses - the homes here tend to be LONG rather than WIDE which restricts lighting.

Again loving the window seat - and is that a built in I spy in the back left hand corner ?
Great Moroccan themed table set

beautifully cozy den - I could just sink on to that couch - put my feet up and read a good book

floor to ceiling draperies in the bathroom - LOVE THIS!!! - and love that gorgeous tup too -
( and that garden stool isn't too shabby either )

master closet

and this bedroom is magazine worthy, isn't it?
That bed is out of this world - I WANT THAT WARDROBE and the round
ottoman is adorable - IKAT rug colors? The lighting?
OK - I love every detail of this room - you all know my love of radiators already

I had black walls in my dining room in my last home - and every time I see a photo of black walls I pine for them - I will never tire of the contrast between black and white - and the dramatic elegance it adds to spaces.

Ok - I'm taking you into the basement now - which is so beautiful it's just ridiculous - truly!

It isn't often you can make me swoon over a basement - but this is no man cave here lol - don't you just
love the different " zones " they've allocated in this space?

even the bedroom in the basement is gorgeous!

and the next listing?
it's the unit above mine!
We call them Condo units ( apartments I suppose )
but it's a century old row house actually - made into 2 units - I live downstairs - and Pat lives above me - She is currently considering moving back to London and so her place is on the market - here we go!

560,000 - 2 bedroom - 2 bath

Her place was extensively updated - ( ours has more of a feel of a century old home ) and done beautifully I think -

She has some gorgeous pieces that she had sent over from her parent's estate in England

Here apartment was reconfigured to put the kitchen in the middle of the house - which in this case makes more sense - mine is still at the back of the house and we're seriously considering doing this one day

(I know these prices must seem ridiculous but you have to remember that we are right in the heart of the city
These prices in no way reflect what you would pay in the suburbs or the country - where 560,000 could basically buy you a mansion and for those of you that follow this series you saw yourself that I could buy
a hobby farm just across the border in rural Ontario for 200,000.)
and my darling friends that's it for today!
have a wonderful hump day one and all

Sharing With

French Country Cottage
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.ca/2012/11/feathered-nest-friday_15.html

Monday, November 12, 2012

Somewhere over the rainbow....................

Sub Title - what I did with an old dirty rotting piece of wood

Good morning everyone!
I've been thinking for awhile of homemade personal gifts I can give this christmas.................and for awhile even considered a piece of furniture for everyone but can you imagine trying to get all of that under the tree lol?
BUT - I've really been enjoying making signs lately - so I thought that might be a better option!

One of my daughters LOVES the song " somewhere over the rainbow " with a passion - so I came up with this ( she may incorporate it into her wedding - the song - not my art lol )

where troubles melt like lemon drops
high above the chimney tops...............................

my version of a city skyline

yup - I'll definitely be making a lot more of these - different titles - but everyone's getting a skyline lol
the next couple of photos were done through PIC MONKEY - just to see what some color added to them might look like - I love it - so will definitely do a few of them with abstract colors

do they make the black and white version look boring lol?

What do you think?
I may even start selling these on Etsy - don't know if they're marketable but I really enjoyed this project :)

Where have all the snow flakes gone?

Long time passing?
They're calling for 16 degrees celcius here in Montreal today - that's 60 degrees farenheit and completely unheard of for almost the middle of November - I really don't have any facts on this but I would imagine it's
breaking some kind of record because without a doubt I can remember SNOW DAYS when school was shut down because of blizzards in November......................

source

I, like everyone else in Canada, LOVE the first snow fall

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I, like everyone else in Canada, am pretty fed up with it by January ( unless you're into outdoor sports of course )

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We complain about the cold

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We complain about shoveling

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We collectively groan " I wish I were in Florida "

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We begrudgingly walk the dog in it

Montreal
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We complain about having to put boots and coats and scarves and hats and mitts on

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but for the most part we take great pride in our glorious winter wonderland

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Winter is as much a part of who we are

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as the maple leaf

and it's here for a reason

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so maybe

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just maybe

Quebec City
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we should be very careful what we wish for

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lest this too become a distant memory

and by the time December comes, I for one, will be praying

montreal
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let it snow

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let it snow

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let it snow...........................

And please don't get me wrong - I WILL enjoy the balmy temperatures today :)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

THINK PINK ( a princess dresser )

Once upon a time.......................
I found this on Craig's list

and saw such amazing potential - we got it home and I quickly turned it into this

using ( my almost signature color at this point ) a mix of ASCP Duck Egg Blue and Old White - and the drawers in Pure White - ( sorry the photo doesn't show the handles )
and then I waited
and I waited
and I waited some more
until it became quite obvious that no one else loved it as much as I did and she definitely was not going to the ball

so last night I did a quick transformation - and I really am hoping someone loves it as much as I do - because I have to get rid of this baby! Is it fit for a princess do you think?

and hoping this once upon a time quickly turns into a

Saturday, November 10, 2012

I had a nightmare last night................

Well - here you go - another episode in this wacky world of mine -
I think I'm going insane - really - I mean that - something is just not right -
I have a dresser that never sold so decided it was time to change it up a little - a quick job - nothing to it at all - except for the fact that I took out a tin of white paint - and gave it one coat - and then decided I would do some of the trim in a soft pink - so out came the My Color by Pantone pink that I used on this mirror -
and then...............................
the paint simply vanished.
ABSOLUTELY. VANISHED. INTO. THIN. AIR.
I looked for it for well over an hour ( probably longer but who's counting ) walked up and down the hall - and checked everywhere.
It got to the point where I actually looked in my purse - thinking well if you're going insane than you never know, right? And with great trepidation I opened the fridge door - terrified that it might be sitting there with the milk I put back after making a tea, but nope, not there either -
I checked the bathroom and finally got down on all fours and starting looking under tables, very aware of the fact that had I found it under a table that would have been even more terrifying because that would have meant I got down on all fours to hide it in the first place.
I even got up in the middle of typing this post to look again -
This time slower - methodically - because a quart of paint cannot disappear - unless I were living with Kreskin or David Copperfield or Houdini - but since I'm not, I can't blame John who has no magic skills whatsoever - in fact he was in bed fast asleep when all this was going on.
I looked under the dining room table in case I had put it on one of the chairs ( don't ask, all rationality had completely vanished by this point.
I looked in the drawers of the dresser that I was working on.
I looked in the dining room hutch ( where of course I store paints )
So now I'm starting to go insane - the hotflashes are starting - I'm near tears - and I'm thinking
" I know it's staring me right in the face "
I went to the kitchen and checked the garbage can - looked in the sink - and the bathtub -
I came back into the office and checked the cabinet and then looked under the desks -
I went back into the living room where I have a big blanket I keep on the chair for Soda and very very carefully lifted it up ( I didn't want paint spilling all over the furniture after all )
I then got on my hands and knees again - and crawled all over the dining room and the living room once more - thinking Dear God - I'm far too young for this to be happening - and the thought crossed my mind that this is what it must be like just before you actually go insane - that moment when you think Oh Oh - it's official.
I went into the foyer and checked the shoe rack - I looked inside the T.V. cabinet - and the longer it took the more determined I was - this was not going to happen to me dammit -
I went back into the bathroom and checked the towel cupboard -
I checked the storage ottoman - and please believe me when I tell you I knew with all certainty that the paint could not possibly be in any of these places - but have you noticed when you can't find something all sane thoughts just disappear?
Finally I had to give in - and tell myself that I would make a doctors appointment (and pray that John wouldn't wake up in the morning and ask what the paint was doing on the hood of the car ) and started putting everything away in the armoire where I keep some of my paints and lo and behold ...................

Ok - I know I took this out - I absolutely know I took it out -
My house is 100 years old - and if the thought never occurred to me before - I now know without a doubt,
IT'S HAUNTED. Phew, I'm so relieved I can't tell you because it's far better to have a prankster poltergeist than to accept the alternative. ( be very leery of these creatures - they love to hide keys too )
Can you see her hiding in the armoire? Please tell me I'm not the only one - because then I'll have to admit I'm 5 bristles short of a paint brush.
That's my story - ( and of course you know I'm sticking to it )
And I really was scared for a bit!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Rhianna to earn 8 million dollars for pushing a button

Sub Title - Hand Envy

Rihanna will earn a reported £5m to switch on the Christmas lights at London's Westfield shopping centre.

The 'We Found Love' star has reportedly been offered the huge sum to flick the switch and illuminate the shopping complex in Stratford, east London next month. The shopping centre is located near to the Olympic stadium and Westfield are keen to celebrate a huge year for the area.

It is believed that organisers picked Rihanna over The Spice Girls with a source tellingThe Sun: "Westfield have had a great year due to the Olympics and want to fork out to celebrate. Even though the final contract is still being thrashed out, they're prepared to pay up to £5million for her. Organisers are expecting around 20,000 people to swamp the park. The Spice Girls were also discussed but Rihanna came out as the artist of choice."
SOURCE

My hands have served me very well -
They can wrap themselves around a paint brush like they were meant to be holding one their entire lives -
They can type ( quite quickly ) each evening when I sit down to post
They can caress - and they bring extra warmth to a hug
They can whip up an incredible dinner on a moment's notice
They can wipe away tears - mine and anyone else's that may need them too
They can make a bed - vaccuum a house - wash dishes
They can hold a leash
They can carry grocery bags
They can write up poetry - or thank you notes -
They can throw a ball - ( and sometimes even catch a ball )
They can protect - and repel
They can hold my chin up
They can prevent me from watching a scene in a movie I can't bear to see
They can help me get up from the floor
They can carry a multitude of dishes at one time
They can wrap gifts - carefully cutting ribbons - ( they can even curl them when they have to )
They can turn pages of a book
They can lift a glass of wine to my lips
They can bring a fork to my mouth - and when no fork is available - well they can simply scoop
the food and bring it to me anyway
They can give me medicine when needed
They can work magic on me by applying my makeup
They can change diapers and wipe baby's noses

They're extremely versatile - after all what would I do without them - I have, for the most part,
been extremely grateful to have them..............until now

THIS is how the article ends

The source adding: "Rihanna's thrilled she has been asked again. She knows it's a big deal and is totally up for it – if it fits in with her schedule."

What in God's name does that mean exactly?
" She's totally up for it - IF it fits in her schedule " ???????????
Let me repeat that
" SHE'S TOTALLY UP FOR IT - IF IT FITS IN HER SCHEDULE "

How much can she possibly be earning that she would have to try and squeeze this in?
I'd squeeze this in on my way to the hospital to give birth for crying out loud - I'd be like
" sorry baby - but mama has a really important engagement here - trust me on this one -
you'll be happy one day "
(And then I would retire )

They are not asking that she use all her fingers - ( that would be unaffordable even for them I'm sure )
They are asking that she use one finger - probably her pointer finger ( it's the most valuable I believe )
I'm so happy she's been exercising it and that she feels she's up to it -can you imagine if it let her down
right at the moment she was set to press the button? Talk about stress.

And for the first time I feel disappointed in my hands - they're UNDER ACHIEVERS - I see that now.
They're just simple folk type of hands I suppose - and they were taught from a young age that using them could only serve me well. Well now I feel that I was mislead. NO ONE ever told me that if my fingers worked hard enough - one day - possibly, somehow, maybe, they could earn me millions of dollars to
simply push a button.

The planet has gone mad - stark raving mad.

Just saying.................................

Pages

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I WANNA live there # 15

Monday, November 12, 2012

Somewhere over the rainbow....................

Where have all the snow flakes gone?

Sunday, November 11, 2012

THINK PINK ( a princess dresser )

Saturday, November 10, 2012

I had a nightmare last night................

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Rhianna to earn 8 million dollars for pushing a button

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