Easter under ice.

Happy Easter!  Happy Spring!  Mother Nature once again proved she is all powerful as we were walloped with an ice rain that altered all weekend plans. On Friday we were all set to receive our guests, but felt it prudent to warn them of the potential for another blackout: we were dark Thursday night from about 8:40pm to about 1:30am. Others fared much worse and as I type folks are still without hydro.

Across the street, a fairly typical bit of damage:  branches as large as my forearm littered the ground everywhere, with the occasional larger branch and in some cases trees looked like a giant had stepped on them, folding down and snapping most of the branches.  

Here are some photos from our yard:

Along the sidewalk.

Our cedars were not happy (but they all recovered).

Willow was not happy either, the tension in the air and the lights flickering had her hiding under the kitchen table... but on her back so she couldn't have been too upset.

Snowdrops under ice.

Oh happy day!

For the first time in this house and the first time since spring 2014 I quilled!  Yes, we were absolutely determined to take a day and do our version of "nothing" after a hectic March Break at the Library and a Friday-Saturday of renovations.  Sunday was OURS and it started with a lovely walk along the Grand River listening to the chorus of birds... Willow had a lovely time.  Then, after lunch, I went to my studio desk and took out all my quilling supplies and tools.  Mom played with her plants, repotting and helping them out as needed.  Our tired Willow blissfully slept.

I am still very much a beginner so I chose a simple tulip to remind myself of all the options and techniques.  

Here's the start, pinning the basic shape and outline.

I had been dreaming of getting into all the papers I bought at Michaels... a real rainbow!  I get happy just looking at the colors!  While the pre-cut quilling strips you can buy are certainly perfect in width and of a lighter weight stock, you can cut your own strips from regular cardstock.  As a beginner, this is a lot cheaper!   

And, in the end, here is my tulip: 

Happy Spring!

Embrace the light

It was an odd fact, but for some reason one of the ceiling fixtures in our parlour had been removed and the box papered over.  This made the half of the parlour closer to the windows very dim in the evenings and, while our table lamps were good for reading, the area was poorly lit for social gatherings, pleasant chats with wine glasses in hand.  So the hunt was on...

...and the box was found!

Then we travelled to Guelph and Chatelaine Lighting with the hopes of finding an appropriate fixture.  This small but absolutely filled shop was overwhelming with options so we were very fortunate when Mom spotted just the thing!  This is a Wilton Three Light Chandelier by Kichler.









Installed it looks like it has always been there!

A big thanks and round of applause to our electrician Brock Richardson of Fergus Electric (519-843-3560).  Without him, this multi-step job would have taken us days... for him it was a matter of maybe an hour, start to finish.  (Plus he did an awesome job in our basement!)  

  Now, with the new window stops (thank you so much Drew!) installed over Christmas, new quarter rounds in the bay window area and trim paint cleaned-up (as much as we could, there's wall paper under there!), our parlour is elegantly comfy cozy!    

Spring is in the air

Easter weekend is coming... I wonder if I can make these?

I love devilled eggs, and these look simple enough... served warm they'd be lovely.  If we brought these out to the breakfast table, what would you like to eat them with?  

You can view more pictures at: https://www.tumblr.com/search/deviled%20egg%20chicks

The Meadow in Spring

Well, it's not Spring yet but the weather is certainly not wintery any more.  With above freezing temperatures overnight and predicted rain, our snow will all be gone very soon and snow drops are peaking out of the slush.
   We took a break from the larger renovations to do some "detail" work on our Meadow room.  A touch of elegance was added:  we found mist green tie-back tassels and pewter colored boxing hooks (both by Canadian Drapery Hardware) at Len's Mill and this little bit of accessorizing made the sitting area look quite classy.  










Then, at Market Roads Antiques in St. Jacobs, we found a shelf that we mounted just under the mirror:  the two pieces match almost perfectly!  The added convenience I'm sure will be appreciated by all our guests, because you always bring more toiletries than you can find space for. Notice also the small acrylic container on the wood shelf:  it has Q-tips, cotton swabs and cotton balls in it, for easier make-up removal and perhaps to spare our face cloths.  Each room now has one of these containers.  

And there was a nice push for Elora in this article, concerning my favorite season:

14 Ontario Towns Bursting With Fall Charm

"With its stunning natural beauty and small-town charm, Elora is a multi-sensory pleaser. Featuring 80-foot limestone cliffs and two majestic rivers, the Elora Gorge is breathtaking and unforgettable, especially in autumn. And if the finer things in life are what you seek, the downtown village offers plenty of ways to indulge."  

Read the rest by clicking on the title.