Antique Treasures

Our outing to the Christie Antique Show turned out to be well worth the trip. Not only was it a beautiful warm and sunny day (we've had so few of those this summer!), but we managed to scoop up some good finds.

We got this cast iron urn. It was in great condition and all it needed was a new paint job. HandyMan has already painted it up in a black matte finish and we just have to buy a plant for it. The trees have already started to turn their fall colours so I'm thinking something in russet or orange or red to go with the change of season.







For Chloe, I got this patchwork quilt, perfect for quick picnics and trips to the park.

I also picked up a Norman Rockwell print to add to her gallery wall in her room. I love his work. It always conjures up memories of my own idyllic childhood.



And then there's this:



I have been searching high and lo for a horizontal antique photo for the last few months. I've seen a few at other antique shows or on ebay but they've always been too small. But this one is just right. Its about 4.5 feet long and looks to be in the original frame. The photo reads "Toronto Delegation A A C of A, Dallas Texas, May 19-23, 1912". I've googled around to find out more about it, but no luck. Don't the men look splendid? All sombre in their suits and top hats, and the band in their kilts.



I've been wanting one of these vintage photos to put above our bed (you know, when we finally get around to redecorating the master bedroom). I envision a few horizontal frames stacked one above the other, dark frames against the white wall. The wall will be panelled so these frames will float atop, giving a bit of texture and contrast. That's the plan, anyway.

Want vs Need

Most times when we buy things for the house, HandyMan and I weigh if its a "want" or a "need". We don't want to accumulate too much stuff and for the most part, we're pretty good at filling our home with things that fill both criteria. Rarely do we buy something just because of its aesthetic beauty, just because we have to have to have to have it.

Well, sometimes you just have to give in to that urge. We bought this totally-cute-but-totally-unnecessary hot air balloon for Chloe's room. For now, it sits hanging from the window shelf where Chloe can watch it as a soft breeze sets it swaying to and fro. Yes, I know that it will be many years before my little one can appreciate the prettiness of this thing. But sometimes mom and dad have to be a little indulgent ;o).

We found the balloon at the cuuuutest store, Little Lola. The store focuses on vintage toys and natural organic and wooden products. Its worth a visit if you're looking for unique and meaningful gifts for children.

Garage Sale Score - Part II

...and this is the reason why only one person in the HandyLuster household will get to enjoy the chair! Yes, its a miniature throne fit for a princess. I think its so adorable. The lady who sold it to us said she put her china dolls in the chair. We'll use it for our own little doll :)

So what are we going to do with the chair? Well, I'd like to use different fabrics on the front and back, like this:



We have some fabric leftover from the curtains and banquette in Chloe's room, plus some striped IKEA fabric leftover from the kitchen roman blind:



The curtain fabric with the swirlies has a nice sheen to it. It feels silky and would make the chair feel a bit glam. I like it for the front of the chair. For the back, either the striped fabric or the gingham fabric could work. The gingham would be a bit more traditional and suits the style of the chair. I really like stripes on a chair but I'm not sure these two work together. What do you think?



To finish off the edges, we could do a gimp trim like Just Beachy does with her fab chair makeovers. Here's one she did... isn't it lovely.



As for the paint finish, I'm not sure yet. Suggestions? Canary yellow? Creamy white? Robin's Egg Blue? Lilac? Whatever it is, we'll be painting Chloe's dear little doll bed and mini vanity from Nana the same colour.



Isn't baby-sized furniture the cutest thing? :)

Ikea, my way

You all know that HandyMan and I love Ikea, and we especially love to "hack" Ikea products and customize or personalize them to suit our home. Our hacks range from the big (like the Expedit bookshelves in the home office), the not so big (the Pax wardrobes in the nursery), and the small (the vanity in the master bedroom). Like I did with the vanity, one easy hack is to add a wallpaper, fabric, or stencil accent to your Ikea unit. Here's a product that makes that job just a little easier...

Grippiks Surface Accents are decorative films made to fit some of Ikea's most popular products, such as the Billy bookcase and Lack tables. I could have used just this thing when I was looking for wallpaper to accent the back of the wardrobes in the nursery - this yellow & grey pattern would have fit the room just perfectly too!

And this greeny floral pattern would work well in the office.


I guess with the global popularity of Ikea, it only makes $ense that someone comes up with the brilliant idea to make compatible products. Looking for a slipcover for your Ikea sofa? Yep, someone thought of that too.

Shopping Spree

With hot & hazy temperatures all weekend, HandyMan and I made a point to be out and about. We ordered our granite from Tempo, a lovely Kashmir White slab with hints of bluey-green. We’re still waiting on some quotes from installers… is anyone else as mystified by the whole stone buying process as we are? You pick out a slab from a supplier, but you actually get your price (including the cost of the slab, finishing, and installation) from an installer.

After buying the granite and visiting our appliance dealer to move the delivery date, we headed down to the outdoor art show. My brother is an artist so I didn’t have too much sticker shock and knew what to expect. The show was fantastic and I could easily have spent $thousands. HandyMan and I fell in love with a piece by Chris Langstroth but our limited budget and limited wall space dictated we buy something smaller. We ended up buying two abstract paintings by Kathleen Weich. They are colourful and textured and will look great at the top of the stairs against the grey wall.



On Sunday, we took a trip out to Moveline Liquidations who I’ve blogged about before. Let me tell you, this hotel liquidator did not disappoint! We picked up the headboard above and two very large prints for $50. What a steal. The headboard will go in the guest bedroom though I’m not sure what colour to paint it yet (canary yellow? Lobster orange?). As for the frames, I actually like the prints and will paint the frames a glossy white and change the mats out to white as well. They’ll look great over the sideboard in the living room for now.


And proving what a great resource this place is, its actually where The Sarah bought the desks for her office makeover. Hmmm, we seem to shop at the same places. Hopefully, some of her design sense will rub off on me too!

Art Smart

My favourite art show is coming up next weekend. The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition features over 500 artists, both professionals and students, who sell their wares direct to the public over the 3-day exhibition. It takes place at Nathan Phillips Square in the shadow of the spectacular Toronto City Hall building. Its a wonderful way to enjoy art in the city (or even a reason to come visit Toronto)!


I've bought smaller pieces at the show but this year, I'm aiming to make some bigger purchases to fill the empty walls in our living room. The prospect of discovering works by some unknown talent gets me all excited. Check out their artist catalogue to get a preview of some of the participants.

Now You See It, Now You Don't

Have you ever surfed the 'Net when you're supposed to be working? If you have, then I'm guessing you're always peeking over your shoulder to make sure The Boss doesn't catch you doing it. Let me save you some trouble.

See this? This is my blog, once the pics and graphics have been filtered and its been given a MS Office makeover. You can do this with any site by visiting the clever folks over at WorkFriendly. What will they think of next -- just don't blame me when the IT department catches on to the surge in your internet activity ;)

Garage Sale, you say

I guess rich folks have garage sales just like the rest of us. My friend Toni sent me this link. By the looks of the goods on sale, you won’t be finding any “2 for $1” tables anywhere. You could probably find some good deals though for high quality pieces at less than astronomical prices.


I’ve never been to an estate sale, though I always tell HandyMan we should drop by ones we’ve seen advertised in Rosedale or Bloor West Village or other hoity-toity areas of the city. I did score this chandelier though years ago on ebay. Supposedly it came from an estate sale in Kentucky. It only cost me $45 so its lofty provenance was doubtful. No matter. It looked smashing in the old condo. But with all the renos going on in the new house (and the lack of any progress in renovating the bedrooms), the chandelier currently sits wrapped in blankets in my basement. What a shame. Let’s get a move on, HandyMan… I want to hang up my pretty little light.

Where Victorian Houses Go To Die

When we were planning our getaway, we knew there was one definite stop on our itinerary: Legacy Vintage in Cobourg. Legacy is a treasure trove of old building parts, architectural details, salvaged lumber, vintage hardware, lighting, and so much more.

Its just how you imagine it - old chandeliers and school house lights hanging from the rafters; all manner of door knobs, pulls and handles, sitting in big bins; piles of old iron grates, stacks of finials, row upon row of old doors, just begging to be given a new home. In the basement - a mildly creepy spot with dirt floors and the musty smell of years gone by - a mishmash of furniture, stair posts, and old signs lie silent. The treasure hunt extends outdoors. There you can find dozens of clawfoot tubs and farmhouse sinks, just perfect for your next renovation. Looking for authentic barn wood, floor planks, and trim? There's oodles of it. Have a look for yourself:

Shop 'Til You Drop

I’ve got a bug. A shopping bug. And its hit me pretty hard in the past week. Thanks to the wonders of online shopping, I’ve picked up these little babies and saved myself about $500 in the process. (Yes, I realize that if I didn’t buy them in the first place I would have saved much more, but that’s beside the point ;) ). I’ve been a bit all over the place with my purchases:

Rohl Country Faucet for the kitchen. We saw this particular faucet at Elte, a very nice but very expensive store. We had considered getting this faucet (with its built-in LED light and cool styling, it hooked HandyMan right in) – but the pull down head wasn’t a sprayer. And a girl needs a sprayer in the kitchen! So we went with the Rohl one with separate sprayer. It has a good weight to it, all the Rohl reviews I read were positive, and its traditional but in a more unique design.

Pottery Barn Silk Dupioni drapes in Wheat for the living room. The price of two of these online was less than the price of one in the store! They are the same as the ones hanging in our dining room (yes, the ones I paid regular price for, grrr). With the living room open to the dining room, I thought it best to have a cohesive look and keep all the drapes the same.

Outdoor LED sconce by Progress Lighting. I’m really excited about this little light. Its an LED (so the longer life makes it eco-friendly) and the styling of it is consistent with the new house numbers. HandyMan was worried it would cast a bluey-cool light – but apparently you can get LEDs in a warm white light or cool white light. Who knew?

So that’s it for now. There’s a few more things on my wishlist but they’ll have to wait. I can’t wait to check the mailbox when I get home.