Keeping it Real

These are the 50% off flowers from last week...still going strong

Hello....it's blizzardy out there today so as usual I try to look up things that inspire me....my go to is Pinterest.

Some people love pinterest some people think it's for bored middle age women...well I agree seeing as I only plan to live another 30 years that would make me over middle age...and it's January so I'm bored...perfect!

Here's what I enjoy about passing my days on Pinterest:

Everyday I come up with an even better plan for each detail I want in my kitchen.

I can wear my housecoat and remain bra less.

I have so many ideas of what my future business will look like... and how I can bring it to life.

I see that many people in life have similar plans and interests as me so I better up my game.

All positives considering that last year I spent this month hopeless and depressed!

But if you don't like Pinterest then may I suggest buy yourself some lovely flowers and smelly candle and whatever book or magazine that interests and inspires you.....and know spring is coming!!!

This candle is from Atlantic Superstore $10.00 and it's smells like 1000 roses

I use pinterest as my magazine inspiration as it has millions of images of any subject manner and is free!!

Try it you might get hooked too.

Avoidance

Isn't it so amazing how pumped you can be when you start your renovation but then comes the day when you have to do a job that you hate ( in this case plumbing) everything comes to a grinding halt.

That's where I am now...it's not me that has to do the plumbing so I really just have to try and motivate the "plumber" (husband) to dive in.

I've have learned that talking about the "subject" just sends the "plumber" into a deeper state of avoidance.

So while waiting I must entertain myself...the house is clean...i have flowers everywhere...incense is burning...it's raining.... the perfect scenario to put on a "chic flick".

Oh and I went to the gym so I could eat chips while watching the movie...so here are the pictures I promised of were the "seniors" workout......I almost was caught too!!

Notice the tumble weed blowing through the place

I think this would be a wicked dance studio!

I'll let you know about the movie I choose.

You're a spoiled little princess when.....you wake up and:

You have to make your own tea....the fire isn't roaring...there's still a mess in the kitchen from yesterday's late night snacks, the cat hasn't been fed and let out to annoy my neighbor....and now I must warm up my own tea in the microwave.....

Alan has returned to work this morning...abandoning me!

It sure doesn't take long to become spoiled.... but I knew this "lifestyle" would lead to the ruination of my character!

So I must build it up again as there's nobody here to complain to.

Here's the gym I go to..it's filled with ladies who have no intention of getting into shape, this is merely a place they go to get away from their retired husbands, and gossip about who's in the hospital with what diseases.

So I'm the youngest, strongest and have the best memory in that entire place.....

It's great because it's women only...no old men making "unnecessary noises" while working out!

I even have cable

I couldn't get any pictures of the big room where they "workout" curves style...as they would ask way too many questions about why I was taking pictures...

I'll see what I can get today!!

It's a cold but sunny day today...and i didn't get up until mid morning...as I was up at 4 am (hence the name of this blog) with my annoying little mind..that decided this would be the perfect time to worry about what color stain I need to pick!!

It has been suggested to me (by someone much wiser) that laying in bed and trying to fall back asleep is the worse thing you can do....but my inner 5 year old is afraid of what might be waiting for me in the dark....so a late start to the day...who cares I'm still on holiday's.

Anyhow I've picked the color and solved a few of life mysteries in my "palace at 4 am".

You'll have to wait until these guys have had a go at the new room:

the big guns

once they fire up the cat and I are history!

It's a damp Sunday in mid January....so I was in need of some warm food and had the need to gather some beauty in the form of candles and flowers.

Hence:

By the way these were 50% off...only on Sunday's 

  Now the food:

Chicken and shrimp curry

this is the best stock I've ever used..."Better than Bouillon" by superior touch.

And to kill the dampness.... and to make the cat happy "the fire"

Happy Sunday!!!

It is so cold today...and there's not a lot of progress as Alan was needed at work.

So I thought I'd share some things that make me happy and hopeful on days like today:

When I was in my mid twenties I got a job at a flower shop and fell in love with flowers!

This is a flower shop in Paris France

This is a new rose named Gertrude Jekyle it's and English old rose hybird

And finally the flowers Alan bought me the other day

It seems so far away spring especially on days like today but.....only 62 days until spring!

My Pops

Today 9 years ago my father (pops) John Francis McLaughlin died at the hospital that I was born in.

I'm still not 100% sure if it was from neglect from the Dr's and nurses at the hospital or if that was just it for him...he was 60 years old.

As all people who have a beautiful relationship with their father...when they die you spend a lot of time trying to figure out where they are?

Why can't you talk to them anymore...can they see how much you have changed...how your life has gone good or bad.

It's frustrating and deeply sad.

My family has posted things on facebook...but I find that obligates people to respond in a typical way.

So I'm writing about him here....where no one may read this and you don't have to respond if you do.

My dad was a lovely father...I felt loved and cared for even though I was hard to understand and so was he....we were so much alike, tough, loyal, hard working, celebratory, melancholy, lonely and forever searching for what was missing in our lives!

And now it is him that is missing and I will be forever searching for you pops...and I won't give up until I find you again!

Niedomsie!

Thank you for my life!

My Goal

If you knew me you would know I don't normally have many goals except the goings on of everyday life....I've been the type of person who sees myself with average intelligence and lacking a bit in the talent department

But that is getting boring.....

I have a 120 year old home that's in dire need of attention, so using my ideas... and my husbands talents as a carpenter it's time to get off my keister and prove myself wrong!


So this (so far boring) blog's goal is to document not only my house... but my personal transformation into a somewhat average talented person (a talent to me means something your interested in).

I also want to show you the beautiful (UNESCO) town I live in...it's crazy inhabitants (I work in a restaurant people...loads of crazies there!!!) the wildlife (mostly my cat) and the ocean and beaches that surround us.


So back to the renovation... here's some local "wildlife" scoping out the changes in it's surroundings:

I was really tempted to make a loud noise here....she was lucky it wasn't during "wine" down time!!

This means she approves so far

The horrible demolition part is over....trust me you will celebrate when this part is done..the ugly bin in the yard (for all the neighbors to see) has been removed!!

I swear that's blood in there...

Walls are insulated and ready for drywall...

please feel free to look back at the 1st pictures to see this actually looks better!

I thought I would show you the tiny kitchen we're abandoning!

Don't feel sorry for it...wait until you see the great mudroom it becomes!

I didn't mention that I'm on a six week break from managing a small restaurant in a small touristy town...
so as you can imagine I happy to be busy with our kitchen renovation...I'm also having fun pretending that I do this for a living... and I'm in high demand in places like Paris etc....

Back to reality...here's my side board (which I got for free) before it becomes part of the kitchen counter.

better angle

and some of my cat who is loving all of the noise

(who is also part of my neighbour's blog (phantom zucchini)...which makes her sort of famous I suppose.

Back to work...last of the gutting out today

Tomorrow we start building the bones. Yeah!!!

January 10th

We're (I use the royal we) as my hubby is doing all of the dirty work.. are still in the demo stage.

I hate the demo stage... it's slow and everything is covered in white dust...including my hair!

Here we're opening the wall up....so that means you have to build a temporary wall so the house doesn't fall down upon us....

Now we can cut it !

Here's the new entrance to our kitchen.....trust me this will look much better with new drywall etc...

Now to take down the walls....Blahhhhh!

Abandoned Kitchen

Instead of going on a vacation we opted for abandoning our old kitchen and start building a new one:

Firstly my husband is a carpenter

Second I've always wanted to design something from scratch 

Thirdly I wanted to avoid January.... my most hated month on the calendar.

So here's what it looks like today 

January 6th 2015

No dead bodies so far......Better get back to work.

Until tomorrow.