A DIY Gift for Book Lovers Dec 19/16
We are a nation of book-lovers. For many people, a couple of shelves full of beloved books provide comfort and make us feel at home. Even though we’ve embraced E-readers, there’s still nothing like cracking the spine of a brand new book. …
The January edition of the Byron Villager features an article on my hubby’s workshop pursuits. It’s drawn a lot of reaction, from people taking down old homes offering him a walk-through to salvage what he wants, to those ordering custom furnishings and lamps. …
…just open it again. That’s how doors work! …
Eight years ago we refreshed our kitchen. This house was a disaster when we bought it. That’s how we got a great deal on it! And the kitchen was useless, old, and gross. We replaced just about everything including the countertop. Derek knocked out a wall and his brother, Howie, created extra storage. In other words, we made it work. …
If you’re on the Internet, you know clickbait. It’s often headlined with something that ends with, “You Won’t Believe What Happened!” or “He Never Imagined THIS!” And then you click through a series of slides and bring revenue to a company – possibly Diply here in London – whose owners get paid by the click. The more you click, the happier the ad placers are. …
The slowest house-flip in the province is now complete. This flip was so slow (how slow was it?) that it was more like a slow-speed roll. But now it’s done and we’re out with our shirts still on our backs. …
I remember the first time I saw a piece of live-edge furniture. It was heavily shellacked and not entirely my taste, but the bits of bark around the edge intrigued me. Even though someone went too heavy on the gloss, in my opinion, it still looked like nothing else I’d ever seen. Someone found the beauty in the rough, unfinished parts that told you about the tabletop’s roots – pun intended. …
Our kitchen cupboards need a fresh coat of paint. It’s no wonder, really, when I look back and notice that it was almost eight full years ago that we redid the whole thing. …
As you likely know, I’m a bit of a decor nut and a crafty person. Derek has a creative mind and he’s good with a saw and hammer. We have collaborated on countless projects and enjoy the process. So it only makes sense to us that we take it to the next level. …
For her birthday, my brother gave our Mom a flat-screen TV. Unfortunately, it didn’t work with her old TV stand and the size of stand she wanted wasn’t easily found unless you had an unlimited budget. Derek said, no worries Ma, we’ll make you one! …
Apparently, Martha Stewart turned pasta on its noodle a couple of years ago but I missed it. Thanks to a food blogger’s recent Twitter post, I’ve learned the recipe and I’m sharing it here in case you missed it too. …
Months ago, my sister-in-law Carolyn shared a post on my Facebook page about a Pinterest project. Someone had taken an old, wooden dresser and turned it into a bench. Carolyn had an old dresser that had been in the family for decades. It used to belong to our husbands’ maternal Grandma and it had seen better days. Carolyn suggested, half-joking I’m sure, that hubby and I take this on. We leapt at the chance! Once we ascertained that the dresser was indeed made of solid wood, we got to work, and kept at it when we had time. …
Every year, we talk about building a new deck. Every year we decide it’s too expensive or not a priority and we put it off. This year we decided to heck with it and got it done, bigger and better than we ever imagined, because of a lot of good luck. …
One day you’re saying a new deck can wait. The next day, you’re working out a drawing with the contractor and watching the old deck come down. …
Perhaps you’ve done this too — you’re watching one of the many house-flipping shows on TV and say, “I should do that.” …
Flipped Out – Toronto Sun “Let’s Renovate” articleRead More »
Barns, cottages and sheds full of treasures are hiding throughout rural Ontario and the hosts of Backroad Bounty are itching to find them and pick through the treasures within. …
Show Probes Treasures Lurking Across Rural Ontario – articleRead More »
No, not the one I live in. Many months ago, we joined with brother Rob and another partner in a house-flipping adventure. We bought a wreck of a place in Welland, ON and through the magic of money and back-breaking labour, turned it into a home for two families and an income property for someone to buy. …
It’s no secret that Spice the wonder cat, as he’s known around here, is the king of our castle. We adore him. He’s 14 now and at times he’s still as curious and playful as a kitten. …