Thursday, December 30, 2010

Little cat 3...

Here's the new addition to the menagerie:" Meet Tessa.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

december catch up

fiona has been a busy elf through december!


Holly Holly Day! she stars as MAXINE in her class christmas performance.
YOU Must read the story WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE to best understand this show. Will upload over xmas


we had a parade in bobcaygeon at night. Fiona had her wagon and proudly invited every parent on one side of the street to come to Moppets .... "you must be very proud of her!" said one mom I knew on the route!


Her choir of 70 strong sing (with santa too) at 3 seniors home and a quick lunch stop with a song at the mall. she's over on the right!


A MOPPET Christmas SHOW with mom and Jay at the ART gallery - nice bit!



SANTA! and Mrs. Claus too at the Buckhorn Christmas party. a busy and festive day!

bring IT ON SANTA

and she opened the sleigh today on her Calgary Advent Calendar! one happy gal!
hohoho!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Preparing for Santa Claus

Simon and Chloe sleeping by the fire.Putting up this year's ornaments

Chloe tops the tree this year
Kids and their newest Advent Calendar toys

The Christmas living room

The almost decorated house (still awaiting the one more item to add for this year).

Friday, December 03, 2010

Sent to Print

This is what we got (special edition for the industry association has its little comp logo, regular edition will not) which is going to private press as we speak. We'll be uploading to CreateSpace/Amazon next week, and it'll be available on Kindle as well, in the next couple weeks -- I'll let you know as soon as I know.

Thanks for all your ideas, cheering and support!


But it really is a book now!

I should have hardcopies in a box within about ten days.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

visiting lang pioneer village



I got to join Fiona on her class trip to discover pioneer christmas at the local pioneer village.
I sewed up an outfit complete with Wolf Cape (just like Laura Ingalls from little house had on her christmas). she looked the part and had a fine day, in the rain.
better yesterday than today with all the snow.
off to tidy up santa day stuff all over the kitchen
ho ho ho!

and Finally...





















Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Twelfth Night Act 1 Scene 1

The new table, ready for dinner

Sue was asking where the fridge is.




Tiles laid out for install.

Up goes the tile
Couldn't have done it without the tile wet saw.

A taste of France, and an Eiffel tower too...
Wiping down the grout.

It's the answer to a question that will undoubtably arise.

Mon. Nov. 29: Applique day. Also worked on wiring the under-counter lights.

Tues. Nov 30th: One month to the day. Lights are in, backsplash done with trim and caulk. Built and installed a keyboard drawer.
Just sealing left to do so I'm gonna say it's all done. Whew! Tomorrow we'll seal the grout and strip and seal the floor and then post final pictures.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

It's beginning to look a lot like kitch-en

Friday Nov. 26th: Cut and placed tile most of the day. It seems to be staying in place. Ground glass bits everywhere. I learned that you don't need to FILL the water basin in the wet saw. Makes for too much floor mopping... That seems like a good thing. Put up the under-counter lights but still have to run the wiring.

Sat 27th: We all went shopping all afternoon. Got this year's ornaments.
Went in search of one of the most perplexing kitchen components yet. Garbage bins. I bought a selection and decided to stuff them all under the sink and let them fight it out for supremacy. Winner doesn't get returned.
I finally started grouting at 9pm and quickly realized I didn't have enough to finish. What we did finish seems to be working ok though. Floor is done except for stripping and resealing.

Sun. 28th.: Back to Homedepot for grout. No winner in the garbage bin battle so I went with one we previously passed on. Still have to find something good for the compost thingy.
Gotta get the rest of the outdoor lights powered. Also going to make an advent wreath to go with the first sunday of advent and the opening of the kids calendars (from Calgary folk). Yummmmm.
Except that it's not a chocolate calendar but a toy one, which is better for the kids but not as good for dad...
Grout is done. Gotta post some pictures soon.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Back in the kitchen

Wed. Nov 24: I was going to start the backsplash but decided to look for lumber for table legs instead (you CANNOT get wooden table legs from Ikea). Spent most the day finding lumber the right size and kind, then custom carving the joint to attach it. Worked out ok. The Ikea drawer front came in and was the wrong colour but a genius, Tea (Pronounced Taya, and she was actually Swedish!), in 'Resolutions' found the right one in stock at the store.
I got the table together just in time for us to have our first meal back in the kitchen.
Took out an mountainous pile of cardboard to the street for pickup. Shoulda took a picture of that!
Things are slowly migrating in to their new cupboards.

Thurs. 25th: I took all the leftovers back to Ikea and Tea had me book an appointment so no waitng around. She managed a mess of bills, parts and payment methods and got me out of the store in less time than it took to talk to a person at the exchanges counter Tuesday. I think I'll stay away from there for a while. To give the staff a break if nothing else...
Dmitiry finished this afternoon with the last custom drill out and hang the final doors. Corinne picked out and up the new shades for the lights over the peninsula.
Let's see...tile, grout on wall and floor, sealing, some trim, caulking a little electrical and we be done!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

3 weeks and counting

Ok, so I didn't quite get it done in 3 weeks. Gave it a shot...

Sat. Nov. 20th: Electrician was a no show so we did other stuff while waiting. Ended up going to the Science Center with Chloe while mom took Simon (short on privileges for now) for groceries. I went out to get the paint (YAY! We picked the colors!) and it took so long for the guy to mix it that we didn't go to Ikea afterall. Just Corinne went to get organizers etc while the electrician finally showed up8 hours late. But he did bring the family with him! Finally we have cooktop and all electrical done!

Sun. Nov. 21: Opted to put up christmas lights with Simon instead of kitchening before the Santa Claus Parade. Went to check out a couple of tables and decided on a legless one (tables just can't drink. and how do you drink a table under the table?) to customize.
Went all the way to Vaughan Ikea to pick up the last drawer front and it turned out to be the 'old birch', ie wrong colour.
I started the paint prep.

Mon. : Officially 3 weeks since the old kitchen left. Coulda been back in but decided to wait till paint is done. Paint is taking longer than expected as the old paint seems to be bubbling off the walls in places so I have to scrape off chunks of new paint and old paint and old powdery plaster, replaster, sand prime and paint various areas. arrrghh.
I put in the new computer desk/shelf.

Tues. 23rd: spent an hour at Ikea trying to track my drawer order as they have been telling me for a week that it's enroute from Montreal. Resolutions finally sent someone out to take the case and she said she'll get back to me once she traces the order. She call's me 40 min later to tell me the PART IS IN THE STORE and likely has been for days. Aarrrrrggghhh.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

kitch pics


final decision for backsplash is down to 2
Pullout pantry
handles on!


cutting our new granite
Silgranit sink
install of steel reinforcement bars under the granite around the cooktop and sink holes.

a first trial of the look of under-counter lights.
Sha-ming and the boys go to work

of course the walls aren't square so all the granite goes back out to the portable cutting shop they set up in our driveway for a little trim.
first slab in place
cutting out the cooktop to a precise fit.
Granite is in, 3 days after measurements
My under sink adventures.
out with the old tiles with the holes (for power under the old island)carefully not breaking the granite.the final sawing for the cooktop cutout while in place as it's safer to transport that way