Ever so humble, happy camper!

photo source: Flikr.com

You are very nice people. Warm of heart, complimentary, encouraging...Last I checked, the comments for my playhouse post had reached the nineties. The nineties!! I don't think I have ever reached such a "comment high", and I doubt I ever will again!! I have to admit, I think I have the nicest blog readers/friends ever!! Thank you so much for your kind words, and I am seriously considering a playhouse addition to house those of you who wanted to move in. Only, you know I will put you to work...babysitting, mowing, cooking...so you may want to rethink that notion!

In other good news, I am finally embarking on a camping trip, and my lonely camper has been getting a bit of a makeover. Last year, I added new cabinet hardware, a new "tin" panel to disguise the mini-fridge, and made a few purchases designed to make our little camper prettier. This year has been all about the slipcovers. Just for fun, my husband, daughter and I had a look through the new campers on display at our local Walmart's parking lot. I saw some purdy ones - ones with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances - but they all shared one ugly secret: they all housed sofas and cushions upholstered in the most monstrous of fabrics. This is most definitely the before photo of my camper's cushions!

Who makes the design choices for these things?? I figure it is a portly, balding man puffing on a cigar, with his polyester pants creeping below where no one woman wants to see, belching after eating a cheese dog or two, and pointing at some upholstery catalogue from 1978, exclaiming, "That one will do...just bee-yoo-tee-ful!!" At least I hope that is who is responsible...

Anyhoo, I have enlisted a friend, who just happens to be the most fantastic seamstress, to make me some new seat cushion slipcovers. True to my nature, I used fabric that was inexpensive, at hand locally, and will spruce things up on a budget. No sense upsetting my innocent husband with trivial matters. I have also ripped down the ugly valances that come with the camper and left things bare. Better nothing, than making do with ugly...

photo: Country Home

I'll show you the photos after I get back, and perhaps it will inspire those of you wrestling with the idea of making slipcovers for the ugly ducklings in your life! I'm off to pre-cook bacon, make a grocery list, and stock the food I already have, into the cupboards of the camper.

Here is my meal plan for those of you considering a camping trip of your own:

First night/day of arrival: (supper):

Pork chops (previously frozen to remain safe to eat!)

bagged salad (croutons added later)

pasta salad (kept well-chilled)

rolls

Day 2:

Breakfast: bacon (pre-cooked at home)

hash browns

maple beans (canned)

eggs

Lunch: hamburgers

potato chips

fresh fruit...

(for those who will actually bother to eat it!)

Supper: chicken and vegetable skewers:

(pre-chopped, frosen chicken breast meat, thawing in fridge), canned baby potatoes, mushrooms, red and green peppers, large chunks of Vidalia onions).

-packaged flavoured rice

-french bread (Dempster's, baked in our tiny toaster oven)

Day 3: Breakfast:

pancakes (boxed mix, just add water/milk)

Maple Leaf pre-cooked sausages

Lunch: hotdogs (we're camping, remember?).

Supper: hot and spicy pasta dish (veggies pre-chopped, chicken pre-cooked, left-over pork chop, sauce pre-mixed, just have to cook fettucini noodles).

Final day: Breakfast: cereal, muffins (baked at home, and frozen), toast

**Our meals may or may not sound a bit extravagant to some campers, but I like to prepare ahead so we can have relatively healthy, tasty meals. I figure enough chips, pop, and s'mores are eaten around the campfire, and I cannot overdo the hotdog thing...~~shudder~~...!!!

photo source: Flikr.com

photo: source unknown

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To my complete and utter amazement, the Washington Post online just selected my post about Sophie's little playhouse as their Blog Watch pick of the week!! Thank you Terri Sapienza!!

A pretty, little playhouse!!

It's time for the big unveiling...

It is as complete as it will ever be, and I have to admit I/we are as happy as can be with how it turned out! As I have mentioned before, I have wanted this for our daughter long before she even came along! To me, a playhouse is the quintessential little girl's dream, as it was for me as a child. Since I didn't have one, I always vowed our daughter would someday...

Rather than go on and on about how happy she is with it (she's thrilled to bits!), and how I finally feel like I can relax and just watch her play with her little friends in it, I will simply give you "the tour". I hope my pathetic excuse for a camera will do it justice...

I decided to play it safe, and paint the playhouse yellow to blend in with our home. I flip-flopped between painting it pale pink or a soft, fresh green, but my reserved side kicked in, and yellow it is (that's not to say I won't change my mind and repaint it next year!). I used Flik and Company Blue on the door, and I am so happy with that. We used a locking doorknob, and she loves using her very own key to unlock it each morning! House numbers were hung above the door (her daddy made the door, too), and the old mailbox and door knocker I had kicking around. I purchased the outdoor "lights" at The Christmas Tree Shop, and no, we didn't run electricity to it.

This is what you see when you open the door: My husband built a day bed, and I used a second-hand crib mattress for it. I bought the bedding (crib sheet and small quilt) at TJ MAXX, when I visited Bangor in the spring. I got the body pillow at Walmart, and the pink pillows at Homesense. I picked up the vintage-looking bird cage and glittery GIGGLE sign there as well, and the little mats were 1.99 at Marden's.

My husband was about to finish boarding in the eaves, when I decided that it would be so nice for her to be able to lie on the bed and look up at the trees (and stars). So, he made a plexi-glass window of sorts, and it is one of my favourite things about the little house. This is also a good view of the white-wash effect I decided on out of laziness (one-coat wonder!) and for the simple fact that I like it.

This angle shows her babies' beds and the only functioning window. It is a door insert, but works well to let fresh air into the house. The curtains are from the Shabby Chic collection at Target, and I hung them simply from a branch and some cup hooks.

Moving around the room, we find the "kitchen". This is undoubtedly my favourite thing about the playhouse! I had asked my husband to make a counter area of sorts that I could place her little stove on, and "sink a sink" into. I figured he'd just secure some wooden planks, and cut out the hole for the sink. Not my husband!! As I was painting, he took it upon himself to create the prettiest "butcher block" counter area I have ever seen! We used iron brackets to support it, and they look so nice. I had also told him I wanted the sink in the corner, and this is what he came up with:

The sink is a stainless steel bowl I got for a couple of dollars, and the tap is an old salvaged one I got from a used building supply store. I simply spray-painted it with chrome spray, and its grimy facade disappeared! The dish rack and dishes came from The Dollar Store, and she loves putting some water from the nearby outdoor tap in the sink and washing up her dishes. Of course, looking out her window makes the chore less dreary!

This is a close-up of her little, wooden stove. I got it at Homesense, and it was originally a dull, wooden finish. Sooo, out came the pink spray-paint, and voila! A few scrap-booking embellishments, and it is now as pretty as can be!

Across the room/house is the eating area:

Before you think I've gone mad, yes, that is hardwood flooring. Our kindly neighbours gave us their left-over flooring, and to be honest, it is nicer than what we have in our own home!

I bought this pink, iron table set at Homesense (are you getting that this is one of my favourite stores?). It is the perfect shade of delicate pink, and is just the right size for little ones to sit. I have, however, had to squeeze myself into one of the little chairs, and, I can assure you, they are not very comfortable! I definitely "eat" quickly when I am invited to a meal in the playhouse! Above the table is a shelf I had kicking around. I placed her "appliances" on it and the little drawers house her cutlery. A girl has to be organized!!

This is where she hangs her baby buggy. It is ready to go, whenever she has to "run some errands"!!

This is the area above the door. Sophie likes having a clock that is all hers, now that she knows how to tell time.

She also had to have a phone! My mum picked this phone up at a yard sale. It was previously white, so of course I had to paint it pink!! Thank goodness for spray-paint!

Every little playhouse needs a chandelier!

Now, I may find something with a little more pizazz, but for now, this outdoor chandelier I got from IKEA (about eight years ago) fits the bill. Again, I painted it pink, added a few crystals I had lying around, and hung it from the center of the eaves. It is a rather unassuming, little chandelier, but pretty enough... and basically FREE!!!

This is the interior view of the door. I simply hung a little chalkboard on it and she writes notes like, "No boys allowed". My youngest son likes to torment her at times and lock her out, pretending that he's "messing it up". She doesn't like it one bit. She is very territorial...

And so ends our little tour. I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Our little garden...

I have mentioned before that I have a small garden, but I am prepared to squeeze out every inch of usable space from it. I certainly don't have a green thumb, but it isn't black, either. I love combing the garden centers for pretty flowers to plant in my garden, and I love the planning process each spring.

While I admire those who have a meticulously planned garden, I prefer cottage style planting for my own home. I love meandering paths through a garden that seems more lovingly planted than methodically planted. I guess there are two types of gardeners: those who turn around, throw tulip bulbs over their shoulder and plant them where they land, and those who lay them out, colour-coded of course, and plant them in planned clusters. Neither is right nor wrong - but they are inherently different.

I enjoy looking out my window and seeing lush plantings of "old-school" plants: peonies, stock, astilbe, black-eyed susans, sweet william, and, of course, daisies. I love tall plants intermingled with lower ones, and I don't want my garden to look like it was planted according to a map. I think I have achieved a more relaxed garden, and I look forward to adding to it, and cultivating its "free spirit".

What kind of gardener are you?

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This is the old buggy I "stole" from the dump on my "dump date" with my hubby a while back. It was rusty and dirty, so I painted it this lovely aqua shade using spray paint, of course. I planted it with flowers, and it sits outside Sophie's playhouse. Can you see where I am going with this?

Check out this sneak peek:

What do you see in the background? You guessed it: the playhouse!! I will finally post a picture tour of it on Monday. I hope you'll come back and see it!!

Raining down on me...

Well, we just finished our third straight day of rain, and although we needed it, it chose an inconvenient time to fall. My sister, Wendy, and her family were scheduled to visit from New Brunswick, and were looking forward to the beach, relaxing by the pool, and all the things that go along with warm, sunny weather. We joke that she always brings rain clouds with her, and although she did bring them, we at least had a warm, fairly sunny Sunday (the day she arrived). Feeling the pressure to squeeze it all in, we headed off to the beach and had a great time, actually getting a few uninterrupted moments to catch up and chat in the easy manner sisters do. The kids were happy, and we ended the day with a good supper that I had prepared ahead of time. The dark clouds rolling in didn't deter the kids from playing in the pool, and the adults relaxed and simply life-guarded from a safe distance from the splashing.

Despite the wet weather, we had one of our best visits in a long time, even managing a meal out for the adults only. The kids swam in the rain, and were unbelievably well-behaved, and we were sorry to see our guests pack up and go. We did manage to remember to take our annual "stoop shot", and the kids begrudgingly posed for their sentimental mothers...

We will reunite on our upcoming family camping trip, where I will finally get to crack open the camper and settle in for a few days. In fact, I just picked up a new toaster oven for it for $20, and made up the beds. I will begin planning the meals we will have, and do the necessary food shopping. I think I honestly enjoy the preparation as much as the trip!

Here is a photo I took of my husband and daughter making biscuits on a rainy Saturday morning. My husband makes the most delicious biscuits, and I am yet to taste any better. Lucky for Sophie, he includes her in the effort. Perhaps she will stand a chance at being an accomplished baker, unlike her mum.

This is my youngest son piling his share of the peas we bought at the local Farmer's Market. I love them as much as he, so we agree to split them 50/50. We are very mature...

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One of my favourite bloggers, did a late post about her "imperfect project". Well, there is absolutely nothing imperfect about this woman's home, but I'm all for taking people at their word. If you haven't checked her out at Adventures in Renovating A Brooklyn Limestone, then you are definitely missing out. She did a quick chalkboard project on one of her interior doors, and it is a work of art, elaborate stencil and all!!

Also, my funny friend Rechelle@ The Country Doctor's Wife posted the funniest list of rules as relating to public pools. I especially related to the one about the possessive mum and her kid's pails and shovels, sad to say...I certainly don't steal them back from babies, but I do have them labelled with our initials. They are expensive, you know... a dollar each at the Dollar Store!! Can you find yourself in her list? Let me know! I'm also the mum yelling at her boys who are wrestling to the point of near-drowning each other. The little darlings...

Matthew Mead...the perfect man to inspire imperfect women... like me.

I don't think Matthew Mead ever sleeps. I have read that Martha Stewart operates on 4-5 hrs of sleep a night, and I think my poor friend Matthew is only getting the other 3-4 hrs that she is skipping! Let's see - by the end of this year alone, Matthew Mead will have produced an upcoming Halloween magazine (sigh), had two books published, styled and produced numerous features and photo shoots for Country Home magazine, fulfilled his obligations as decor columnist for i-village, and totally revamped his website! Of course, there are other professional accomplishments too numerous to mention; and he still has to function as a friend, mentor, boss, family man, you name it!

For those who frequent my blog, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Matthew Mead's work. In the years that have followed since first noticing his incredible talent, I have gained much respect and admiration for all that he does. He obviously has surrounded himself with a great team, and his level of success is literally bursting at the seams! It is safe to say that you are going to be hearing much more about him, and it won't just be here at my blog. Which has me thinking: is Matthew Mead inching out Martha??

I simply ask the questions. Have we tired of overly complicated (albeit lovely) projects that intimidate us? Are we getting tired of supporting the Martha Stewart brand, knowing that her team is so large that it is getting exceedingly difficult to give her the credit for many of the great ideas cranked out of this "Martha Machine"? Are we ready for a new face to lead us in our creative endeavours? Do we want to support someone who has paid his dues, and is reaching more and more people in a fresh, unassuming way? Are we tired of not feeling like we will ever measure up, and is Matthew Mead the man to make us feel better about ourselves and empowered to "keep at it"...reaffirming the notion that it doesn't have to be complicated?

Matthew Mead and his ideas do not intimidate me. In fact, they inspire me and make me feel that I can pick and choose that which seems do-able to me. I don't need to shear a sheep to get a sweater, and I don't have to go picking chanterelles or fiddle heads from the forest floor. Heck, I don't even have to name my house, make my own marshmallows, or stuff my own pillows with free-range chicken feathers! Nope, I'm sticking with Matthew Mead and even letting the weeds grow in my lawn. Like Matthew, I can embrace the imperfection in life, and tweak it just enough to see the beauty amidst the dandelions.

Check out Matthew Mead's new website, where you can access his archives, enjoy his new blog, and find out more about his upcoming book and magazine. There is also a subscriber's option to his website. For less than the cost of a magazine subscription, you can have unlimited access to the website, and the scores of wonderful ideas and projects Matthew has to offer.

In Matthew's words: "What is really thrilling is my upcoming book on entertaining. I’ve been working on this project for the last two years. ENTERTAINING SIMPLE is the easiest and most fun way to gather friends and family at your home … with fresh and simple ideas and tips for everything from beautiful place settings to delicious homemade foods."

This is a preview of the cover of Matthew's upcoming Halloween magazine, on news stands September 8, 2008. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on his Holiday issue (Christmas 2006), then you know just what a treasure trove of ideas this will be!!

(all photos: Matthew Mead Style)

Summer lovin'

Sophie holding her future charge...he is almost as long as her!

Things here have been alternatively quiet and busy, much like everyone's summer , I guess. We are shuttling between tennis lessons and basketball camps, but other than that, the weekdays are about swimming, relaxing, and puttering in the yard. I have tackled a few projects, but I seem to flit between them, never truly finishing anything I start. Kids, of course, are one reason (do they really need to eat so frequently?), but it is partly me and the scattered state I find myself in. I want to do so much, yet I also want to have quality time doing summery things like relaxation...just hanging out.

• I did manage to spray paint my outdoor chairs that I have pulled up to my "home-made" patio table made by my frugal husband (please excuse the horrible photo!).He found the iron legs of an old Singer sewing machine in the woods (his office), and fired them into the back of his truck. I squealed with delight when I saw them and he promptly crafted a top for them out of old boards. That was then. Now, almost eight years later, the table has seen better days, and is in need of either a new top or, at the very least, a paint job. It seems my husband has either a frugal or lazy wife, as I haven`t drummed up the ambition to do either. So, each summer, I simply buy a cheap, punchy, plastic table cloth to make a clean eating surface...vowing I will get to it by summer`s end. Yeah...right!

• Instead, I have been puttering in my camper. It is probably sinful how much I love that thing! I think it would probably qualify as my very own playhouse. We temporarily set it up in the drive-way, and each night I find some excuse to slip into it, and pretend to be taking inventory, making up the beds, or "tidying" it. Instead, I sit in the relative darkness, planning where I want to go camping, rehashing the day, or simply staring into space like a soul devoid of thoughts. It is rather relaxing, and I cringe when I hear a little (or big) one stick their head out the door calling my name. I have discovered that holding one`s breath in an attempt to hide doesn`t work at all... On a decorating note, I have a wonderful, talented friend working her seamstress magic and making me new cushion covers for the camper. I can`t wait till they are done, and they will be a huge improvement on the ugly fabric it came with. I must ask, who on earth selects the fabric that goes into campers? Blecch!

• I have also been putting the finishing details on Sophie`s playhouse. It is better than I imagined, and I am thrilled to bits at how it turned out. I will post pictures very soon...I still need to finish painting the clapboards.

• Below is the birthday cake I made for my eldest son`s birthday party. It was a pool party, of course, and because it was for teenagers, I was a bit off track with regards to traditional birthday planning. In fact, a little too much off track. It occurred to me as I was nodding off to sleep the night before the party, that I had forgotten to make a birthday cake! The next day found me searching my brain for an easy alternative to the three-layer cake. I came up with this, out of sheer desperation: I lined a 9x13 baking pan with ice-cream sandwiches. Then I added a generous layer of softened chocolate ice cream. I topped it all with a sprinkling of Oreo cookie crumbs. Well, it turned out wonderfully, was delicious, and tasted like a yummy ice cream cake for the grand total of $9.00 !! Can`t beat that...and made in minutes, literally!
  

• This pile of glorious loot was gifted to me by Claire @ Serendipity Loves New York. She sent it to me after I won her give-away...all the way from Cardiff, Wales!! I could not believe her generosity...not only was the prize wonderful, but the cost of postage must have made her pause! She has a lovely blog and you are missing out if you don`t check it out. Thank you Claire!!

• I picked up this beautiful dress for Sophie last weekend. It is from the April Cornell collection and was, thankfully, half price. It is a tad short for her, but it is the quintessential little girl`s dress, and is how I envision a little girl dressing. It even has the simple phrase, "In My Garden" stitched across the bottom . SIGH...I can`t wait to photograph her in it!
  

Oh, and I finally put together a lemonade stand a friend picked up for me last year! Of course, I first had to paint it pink. I`m crossing my fingers the weather will be fine this weekend...there are lemonade sales to be made!! Pictures to follow, of course...