By the Pool Transformations...

Remember this little treasure? Found at a real, bonafide junk spot? Well, look at it now, doing serious lifeguard duty:

The handyman was busy, too, building a changing area so wet feet don't have to track through my house. This is the before photo:

And the after:

Need to see it up close?

I made this little light holder, junk style, because I was trying to copy Ki and her infinite creativity:

Oh, and I gave a make-over to this little beach chair. It used to have Bratz fabric on it (ick!!) so I removed it and sewed up this striped Sunbrella fabric and painted the frame. I also picked up the vintage cooler for $10 at a thrift shop. It is my favourite shade of blue:

I will be unplugged for a few days while I enjoy some summer family time, and will return any emails as soon as I can. I want to thank everyone so much for the kind wishes and comments you gave me with regards to the new magazine. Ki, Matthew and I are overwhelmed and thrilled with the outpouring of support and excitement over this endeavour. Flea Market Style magazine will not fail to please, I can guarantee you that!! We will bring you more updates and answer any questions you have once the blog is up and running...we are aiming for mid-August.

Watch for it!!

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Check out Kimba's fun blog DIY blog party. I joined up, and so should you!!

April Showers...of a different sort!

As I sit beside a hot fire, actually getting too hot, I am warm for the first time today. Spring has been a big dud so far, and the temperatures have sorely disappointed with the sun copping out and doing a miserable job at warming things up. So, to lift my spirits, I am going to indulge in some serious summertime daydreaming for a moment.
Although we finished most of out outdoor projects last year, given that our lot is quite small by most standards, I do still toy with the idea of adding an outdoor shower to our pool deck. Although my childrens' daily chlorine baths seems to substitute for proper dips in the tub during the summer, if I had an outdoor shower at the ready, I really wouldn't have to nag and quiz them on their state of summer cleanliness. I mean, come on...wouldn't one of these look so pretty in my pool area?
In all likelihood, the handyman (aka, my husband) will not go for it, for a variety of reasons, but I will not rest until I have a changing area on site. There is nothing worse than having wet bathing suits drip all over my wood floors, only for me to slip and fall on my creaky bones, which I have been known to do.


What could be more nautical than bold stripes? This is a great use of the area under the stairs. I am thinking these showers service a pool a little grander than my above ground model...

Last but not least, I love the whimsy of this outdoor bathing area. I personally wouldn't be caught dead soaking Al fresco like this, but for those of you a little more proud/brave than me, I say go for it! Looks wonderful, doesn't it?!

all images, Coastal Living.com


What's on your outdoor to-do list this summer?

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!!

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...

No pain, no gain...

As I sit and write this, I am seeing squares in my mind. Actually, 384 of them, and 1536 corners to be exact. I am also reminded of the joy of painting this many squares (and corners) by the dull ache in my back, the creak in my hips as I rise from my chair, and the blister on my index finger (from pressing a can of spray paint for way too many minutes). However, no pain no gain, and I'll do just about anything to get a project finished when I set my mind to it.

Here is the source of my labour: ...the new trellis that my husband built for our front porch to afford us a little privacy when we're sipping our tea each night after dinner. Because our neighbour's home is within spitting distance from us, we figured we (and they) could use a little buffer zone when coming and going from our respective entrances. Luckily, they are the best of neighbours; but a good trellis also gives us a spot to grow a fruit-bearing kiwi vine. My hard-working husband also built me planters which I have had envisioned since moving in. He built them in a lovely raised panel effect/illusion, and they are the perfect spot in which to grow my beloved daisies. Since I had my paintbrush and can out, I swathed them in a creamy paint, too.

Now, 0ur porch feels cozier, more secluded, and truly looks like it is as it should be. It was a busy weekend...many projects, barbequed meals, and wheelbarrow loads of soil and mulch pushed around the yard. But...when we finally sank into the cushions of our porch swing, glasses of wine in hand, and our kids playing before us, the fruits of our labour filled us up with contentedness. Doing it ourselves is soooo rewarding!!


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We didn't just work all weekend...here are some candid shots of "the family" as we went about our weekend.

a perfect day for the sprinkler!
Sophie's crazy garden party hat...worn to a little friend's birthday party.


A quick makeover for Sophie's little wicker chair:

before...
and after:

a "sweet" skateboarding jump!!

and for the finishing touch: a few flowers added to our planters!!

Summer savings and loans...

photo: Butik Sophie

Who said summer was less expensive than winter? Sure, we save on heating costs, don't have to shop for Christmas presents, and can eat more hotdogs...but it certainly isn't cheap!! In between trips to the grocery store to stock up on ice-cream and barbeque fixings, jaunts to the local nursery for perrenials and annuals, and family vacations in our gas-guzzling vehicles, summer can drain the pocketbook like no other time!!

Progress on Sophie's playhouse continues, a project that my husband has now labelled "the money pit"...not quite the whimsical name I had envisioned for it!! Still, he is right; most of the summer projects we all undertake involve handing money over fist. We opened our pool for the season, and just that cost $100 - even before purchasing the summer supply of chemicals we will need to keep the pool sparkling clean (no cost for my labour, of course...). We have discussed building planters, trellises, finishing details on the pool deck, even tossed around options for the driveway. My enterprising hubby is actually considering pouring his own concrete driveway and walkway (with his dream team of like-minded buddies). When I piped up about wanting to do something a little different with the walkway (i.e. stamped, coloured concrete to mimic flagstone), my frank husband cocked his head, furrowed his eyebrows and casually replied, "You can't afford different!"

So true...nothing like a good bucket of cold water thrown onto me every now and then to remind me that I'm not Linda Rockefeller...!!

In fact, I like being who I am. I come from blue-collar roots and you can't beat them out of me. Sure, I like pretty things; but I get the greatest thrill from doing or making them ourselves. In fact, I just finished helping one of my best friends make-over her living room. She spent a total of $300, which included slipcovers, seagrass ottomans, a new light fixture, and paint. We had so much fun putting the final touches on the room, and we share a love of getting a great look for little money. She has no airs about her and was happy to accept some of the decorative items I was no longer in need of, which we put in the room. It turned out beautifully, with a wonderfully beachy feel like the rest of her home, and that is what really matters.

So... that's my take on the cost of summer. Sure, we all pay in sunburns, too many calories, and insect bites, but what really takes a hit is our bank accounts. Camping is not cheap, a Sunday drive is not free if you stop for five ice-creams, an outdoor project always costs more than you imagined, and the power used to run your pool pump and/or heater does not add up to savings in home heating costs. Those are the facts. Now... go hang your clothes on the line and fire up the barbeques for some $2/pack of hotdogs. Now that's cheap!!

(ice cream photo: Matthew Mead Style)