I'm Feeling the Love

The past couple of weeks have been the time to give me awards, apparently, as I have received 4 of them.  I'm thrilled, blushing, and just so delighted that I was the recipient of these awards. 

Thanks so much to Elizabeth at Blue Clear Sky for the Sunshine Award,

Pamela at French Buttons for the Happy 101 Award,

and both Gina at Three Ring Cottage and Amanda at The Modern Brady Bunch Family for the Versatile Blogger Award.

They all have slightly different rules so I think I will just follow the rules from one of the awards and share 7 things (hopefully interesting things) about myself.  So here goes:

1. I lived in the Netherlands for a year as a Rotary exchange student when I was 17.   I didn't know a word of Dutch when I went over, but by the end I was talking all day long in Dutch and even sometimes dreaming in it. I've lost most of my Dutch now all these years later, but I still know a few rhymes, can say the alphabet, and frequently answer "ik weet het niet" (translation: "I don't know") when I'm answering my husband's or kid's questions.  When I was there I bought a pair of klompen (wooden shoes) and wore them to school a few times - it was the fashion to do that (I wasn't being a wierd tourist ).

2. I'm a closet foodie.  I didn't really know this about myself until I kept answering all the questions correctly on the TV show, Jeopardy, when we used to watch it a few years ago.  My husband was astounded and wanted to know how I knew about all those foods and dishes that I had never eaten.  I really don't know apart from reading about them.  I will try eating almost anything and really enjoy a wide range of food, but the only food I'm absolutely obsessed with is chocolate.

3.  I love to use Google to look things up.  Since I love to learn new things and have a terrible memory I use Google all the time.   I think it is the best invention since sliced bread.

4.  I love email and can't stand talking on the phone.  I have a theory that introverts prefer email and extroverts prefer the phone - I certainly fit that.  How about you?

5. I have an excellent sense of direction, but in order to get somewhere I have to go the same way I have always gone (even if it is out of the way).

6. I am able to read blueprints and can find my way around a building quickly and visualize the space in 3-D.  Maybe it is from studying house plans for years as a teenager.  I wanted to be an architect but couldn't do physics.  It's unfortunate that the buildings actually have to be made so they stay up, not just look good.

7.  I love symmetry - in architecture, in decorating, and even in numbers.  I find it hard to break out of symmetrical arrangements when I'm styling the sideboard or mantel or arranging pictures on the wall.  For the same reason, I'm drawn to Georgian architecture with its even arrangement of windows and doors.  I even love symmetry in numbers, such as when the clock turns to 11:11, or when the date is 03-05-03, or when my odometer turns to 70507 - love it!

There it is in no particular order - 7 interesting (or possibly odd) things about me.  

I'm flattered to be given these awards, but since I just passed awards on to 12 fellow bloggers quite recently, I'm going to take a pass this time.

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Don't forget to enter my giveaway Cottage Charm Giveaway.  You can find details here.

Wedding Inspiraton: Adding the Personal Touch

I've been collecting ideas from around blogland to show my son, Malcolm, and his fiance, Christie, to help them make their wedding special.  Today I thought I would show three different ideas I have found to make a wedding personal and fun - all the while keeping the budget in mind.

1. Origami Cranes - both my oldest son and my daughter know how to fold these cranes.  I think they would look lovely on each plate at the table.  They could be done in red, which is the colour that will be used at the wedding.  Did you know that according to Japanese tradition, you will have a prosperous marriage if you fold 1,000 paper cranes before your wedding.  The crane mates for life and symbolizes peace and longevity in Asian culture.

 2. Make your own Photo-booth.  Use a sheet to make a colourful backdrop to have informal shots of guests taken during the reception.  You can add props to make it fun, like feather boas, foam swords, mustaches, sunglasses, crowns, hats, fans, and even a blackboard to write messages.  There is a good article here.
 

Photo from The Wed Hub
 

Photo from Green  Wedding Shoes

 Photo from Green Wedding Shoes

3.  Put photos of parents and grandparents weddings up on the guest table.

Photo from 2000 Dollar Wedding

Don't those ideas look creative and fun!  Anyone else have interesting ideas they used at their own wedding?  Or have seen at other people's weddings? Or have seen in blogland?  I would love to know about them.

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Just a reminder to enter my Cottage Charm giveaway.

Our Distressed Bench

I did it  - I made something old, look new, and then look old again!   Well that's how I felt this weekend anyway.  Here's the bench all purtied up -

Just to jog your memory - here is what it started out looking like, fresh from the garbage (well and it sat in our garage for 2 years, but fresh from all that) - 

Why is it that projects always cost two times as much and take two times as long as you expect then to.  I came back from the hardware store having spent $70 to fix up our "free" project.  Now I will admit that most of what I bought were things like clamps that will get used on other projects, but still....  And in order to get the project done all in one weekend, I was painting like a madwoman in the dark no less.  The things I do for my bloggy friends.

Now for the nitty-gritty step-by-step.  The first thing I did was sand the bench down to get rid of all the flaking paint.  I know some of you are sobbing that I got rid of all the chippy loveliness, but it was a bit too rustic for our house, so cover it up I did.

Since the bench was split in half, I had to glue it together and clamp it overnight.

Then I cut 2 small boards to put underneath for added support, and glued and screwed them into place.

Then I primed the bench,

and painted it two coats of blue, sanding the edges after each coat.

Then the fun began - I used a product that was a combination of stain and sealer that you rub on and then wipe off.  It was messy because it is oil based, but does the job of making your bench look old and dirty.  Here is a picture with one board just with paint and one board that has also had the stain applied so you can see the difference.

Then I had to let it dry.  All I can say, after writing all this, is I know why no laundry got done this weekend.

I love the toned-down blue and the bench looks really happy on our front porch.  Now we just need to get going on planting some flowers.

Here's a few more photos for your viewing pleasure.

The End!

Linked to:
Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
More Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Show and Tell Day at Blue Cricket Design
Home and Family Friday at Home is Where My Story Begins
Inspired by Linky at The Inspired Room
We Can Do It Cheaper at The Virginia House
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Modern Craftswoman Monday at Tools are for Women Too!
Best of 2010 Twice Owned Tuesday Party at House of Grace

Cottage Charm Giveaway

Kim at Twice Remembered Cottage is holding her 4th annual Cottage Charm Giveaway which sounds like an inspired idea, a whole lot of fun, and something I would like to join in with.

My daughter and I were recently at your favourite store and mine - Anthropologie - and bought the pretty blue 5-inch high vase.   Fortunately I was able to buy 2 of them, otherwise I might not feel like giving it away.  As soon as I saw the bubbles in the glass I had to get them.

I'm also giving away 2 Johnson Brothers Old English sideplates.

The plates are just the right size for sharing a snack with a friend.  Does the square shape and the sweet rope detail around the edge look familiar, because they should if you have been paying attention to all the minutiae of our house.  They are the same as the plates on our dining room wall but without the coloured border and fruit centre.  You can see them here.

So here are the details:

1. Leave a comment telling me what kind of snack you would have on the plates or what kind of flowers you would put in the vase (one entry).
2. Become a follower or let me know in a separate comment that you are already a follower (second entry).
3. Blog about the giveaway, put it on your sidebar, or mention it on FaceBook (third entry).

Finally, head on over to Twice Remembered Cottage to have a look at Kim's lovely red kitchen (among other amazing renovations they have done) and enter the other giveaways already linked up.  This is a humdinger of a blog link party, with everyone having a giveaway at the same time.  All giveaways will be drawn on Saturday, May 29th.  Mine will be closed at 9:00 pm Toronto time (I'm hopeless with time zones, so all I know is it's the one I'm in!).

Friday Photo - The Old Cottage Boat

Life has been hectic this week for me, so I thought a nice peaceful photo from the cottage would be in order. 

In a quiet cove, on our island on Georgian Bay, you can find two old wooden boats that were used by my parents and grandparents many years ago.  I always think they look very picturesque lying on the moss under the trees.

This last photo, taken by my daughter, is a close-up of one of the boats.  I had never noticed,  before she pointed it out to me, that the copper nails are shiny from the ice and snow polishing them - or I assume that's what makes them still shiny after all these years.


Have a good weekend.  I'm working on the old wooden bench - photos coming soon.

Linked to Sweet Shot Tuesday at My 3 Boybarians.