Thursday, February 24, 2011

Still painting... and lovely gifts from friends!

Hello Everyone!

Yes I am still
painting!

I am just going
to show you two
of my ladder back chairs
that I have finished.

Four more chairs
still have to be painted
but I couldn't wait to
show all of you
what they are starting to look like!!

I'm just way too excited over this...


So much better!!!

The question is
what the heck
took me soooo
long to "think"
about doing it???

I

know

it's this thing called

BLOGGING!!!
I have always loved to decorate, paint and

rearrange...but

since I started blogging
creativity has
just come
ALIVE
in me!!!

Last week I won my
very first giveaway!
Anne from Bird Like
sent me this gorgeous wood
sign with a bird and nest on it!!

I love it!!

I love anything with birds on it.
It is lovingly displayed in my kitchen.
It truly fits in with my stuff!
Thank you Anne!
Her blog is lovely and if you love birds
like me you will love her blog!



I also received another gift!

This is from my beautiful friend
Becca at Patina Moon

Becca's blog is gorgeous and very
artistic like her!

She sews, makes crafts and takes the most amazing photos!
I also love the music on her
blog!
Becca sent me this beautiful
heart for Valentine's Day...
I love the hand stitching, colour
and materials she used.

This beautiful heart is also displayed in my kitchen.

Thanks Becca and Anne!

And thank you all
for visiting!!

Pamela xo







Tuesday, February 22, 2011

From Rustic to Swedish french... more photos cont..

Hello everyone!
I have been playing around
with my newly painted
island
and just thought
I would show some
more photos...
Here she is all rustic...now
i hear this is in
the unfinished look.
Isn't that the way?
You change something
and the before
is
now in!
Well I don't
care I was
tired of
it looking unfinished!

It feels calmer
and cleaner
to me now...
Paint colour
is not white
but
Grey Cement
by Benjamin Moore.
Ignore the ugly coral orange walls
I did not paint the dining room this
colour.
It has to be changed sometime.




The iron handles really stand out now...





I am joining my first linking party!!

I am going over now to party
with
Kim
at
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE!!
So
come on over
and join the fun!!

Pamela xo

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Painting away!

Happy Sunday everyone!
Awhile back I had blogged about
my plans for painting a few pieces of furniture.
My island, china cabinet and ladder back chairs
were on the list of a makeover.
Melissa from Pink Satin Sashes
knew of the paint colours I had
planned on using for the different
pieces.
Melissa who has become a
dear friend to me
showed up at my home
on Friday
with all the colours of paint
I planned on using!
She really is a great warm hearted person
I still cannot believe
she did this for me!
Saturday I tackled the island
with the colour
cement gray ...
I couldn't be
happier
with
the
results!!
Before...

TA DA!!
I am just loving this piece now.
It screams french to me
with a Swedish touch!


Now it just needs a gorgeous white kitchen
to live it!
Thank you again Melissa...
you have been such a wonderful
friend!

Now for those other pieces...
two ladder back chairs down
4 more to go!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend
and
thanks for visiting!

Pamela xo




Thursday, February 17, 2011

Sharing recipes Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!
This is my second sharing recipe Friday.
It only took me 3hrs to work on blogger!
Some days I really dislike blogger. You'll see what I
mean by the last photo!
Today's recipe is
Pasta and Meatballs
This is my fast version for a week night.
I usually do a 2hr sauce with meatballs
but tonight it is the 30minute one.
For Meatballs:
1/4 cup Fresh breadcrumbs (I buy mine from the local bakery)
1/4 cup grated asiago cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley(not the curly)
1 shallot finely chopped
1 large garlic clove grated into mixture
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, dried oregano
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 large egg, beaten
1 1lb lean ground beef
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix
thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill mixture
in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Remove mixture from
refrigerator. Shape meat into mini meatballs
about 1/2 to 3/4 inch rounds and place
on foil lined baking sheet.
Bake on centre rack of over till cooked through
about 10 -15minutes. Reserve meatballs.
For Pasta:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
1 280z can diced tomatoes and juice
1 cup of 35% cream
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
Shaved asiago cheese
Package of Spaghettini pasta
Heat olive oil in deep dish saute pan over medium heat.
Add onion , garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and sugar.
Saute mixture , stirring continually, until onion
begins to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in wine or stock and saute until liquid
evaporates, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and juice to pan and increase heat
to medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat
to medium-low, cover pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally to break
up the tomatoes,until mixture is thickened, about 30minutes.
Meanwhile , cook pasta in boiling salted water (the water should
taste like a day at the beach) cook till al dente. Add do not
rinse pasta!
Uncover pot and add cream to tomato sauce, followed
by the meatballs. Simmer sauce until thick and meatballs
are heated through, about 5 - to 10 minutes.






(here are the meatballs right before being put in the oven)



Add chopped parsley and cooked pasta toss
until combined. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Top with shaved asiago cheese.


My camera refused to co-operate
so I am sorry
but
my photo is sideways!!

But you get the picture ...right?
or
else
turn your screen
on its side!!


Pasta and Meatballs
a great dinner on a Friday night!!

Thanks for visiting
and hopefully next Friday the photos
will be right side up!!

Pamela xo







Monday, February 14, 2011

Pink to white in the kitchen

Hello everyone!
I have been living
with the previous owner's
pink back splash a little too long...
now I LOVE pink...but the
black splash was
really
getting
to
me!!
Noise pollution...it
was stressing me out.
I
spend ALOT
of time in this kitchen
and
it is a very dark room.
I know by this photo you see sun streaming in
but this is very rare and it is just a small area
that sees any day light.
I told my husband
that was it
I had enough ...I was going to paint it white!
I still had half a gallon
of paint
left from
Sam's room...
The colour
was just what
I
wanted...cotton fluff...perfect!
Every time I looked at this
diamond pink back splash
it reminded me of a circus...
not
the look
I want
in a
kitchen..
After...


It makes the kitchen so much
brighter
and expansive!
I
LOVE
it!

The best part
is it
feels
cleaner
to me...



Just a quick fix
made
a
world
of
difference
and now it
does not seem
so
dark !


What do you think?



Now if only I could get the walls painted....


Thanks for visiting
Pamela xo








Saturday, February 12, 2011

Romance on the Sleeping Porch

Happy weekend everyone!
I thought the perfect
place to
celebrate
Valentine's Day
would be on
my
sleeping porch!
This area of
my home
just
seems to
scream
Romance!!
I love the view to this room
from my
bedroom...





The weather is getting milder..
today is
raining
but
the sleeping porch
is covered
so
nothing
can get wet!















What's for dinner you ask?
How about
some
bon bons
right
from
France!



Romance on the Sleeping Porch!
Don't forget to enter my giveaway
the rules are on my
last two posts!!
Pamela xo








Friday, February 11, 2011

Broccoli with cashews...sharing recipes friday!

Hello everyone!
Today I am adding a new
feature to my blog!
Besides decorating I love
love
to
cook!
Really!
I always joke that it is
what made my husband fall in
love with me! Ha ha...I cooked for
him on our second date. That was it....he was
smitten. When I get annoyed with him I think
to myself ...if only I never learned to cook....
Actually he thought my mom cooked the meal
on our second date so the third date
I cooked in front of him!
Friends always ask me for recipes so I thought
I would start sharing them...
Today I am
going to share
my favourite
way of
having ...broccoli!
Steam broccoli for 7 minutes
or until crisp...
Chop 1/3 cup of cashews...

You will also need:
1/3 cup of butter
1tbsp of brown sugar
3 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves of garlic- chopped

Melt 1/3 cup of butter in sauce pan
Add garlic and saute till thickened


Mix in 1tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp of white vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
Bring this to a boil.



Mix in cashews
and pour over
steamed
broccoli...

Serve immediately!


Broccoli with cashews...delicious!


And to those of you first time visiting
Please enter my giveaway!


Rules are:
Leave a comment
Become a follower (if you are already you get entered twice)
Put my giveaway photo on your sidebar
Blog about my giveaway for an extra chance to win
Lastly for 5 chances
to
win
Tell me why you are a romantic
at
Heart!!
I have to say I can't believe all the romantics out there!! It is wonderful
I am loving all the comments why!!! I wish I could send this giveaway
to everyone!!
Pamela xo





Sunday, February 6, 2011

Future projects

Hello everyone!
This winter I have been planning
some painting projects
for when the weather warms up.
Even though I live in a mild climate
inside the home can be a little chilly.
Our old home does not have the best heating.
For the winter we have closed off the one area of
the home which includes the dining room.
Sometimes I think it is warmer outside than in here!
But when it does warm up
these are my plans...
A couple of pieces in the dining room
I am going to paint...

The first piece i want to change is this

china cabinet. I am trying to decide whether to

go Swedish grey or french blue...

This is my dresser that could not
fit up the old staircase
so
it is now a
credenza!


The other piece is my island.
This used to be in our kitchen at
our last home.
The mirror above goes to
the dresser.
I have a thing for
re purposing furniture.

The island right now is pine

and I am leaning towards

a white colour...




Any other creative thoughts out there?
I am always open
to new
ideas!!
Hopefully spring is around the corner
and i can start painting!
Thanks for visiting!
Pamela xo




Saturday, February 5, 2011

I'm being featured to today at Savvy Southern Style

Hello Everyone! Today I am being featured at Kim's blog Savvy Southern Style!




For those of you just visiting for the first time I thought I'd share some highlights


of my home...




My home has two claw foot tubs. This is my own bathroom. It is a great


retreat for me...





The house is very old...around 100yrs old. Take note of the old french front door.


Yes it has a skeleton key to open and close it! Hope no one ever misplaces it...we


will be in big trouble then.





All the windows in the living room and bedroom are original to the home.


They open out and have no screens. Thank goodness there are not alot of bugs


in the summer...like back home in Ontario.



I love antique mirrors and have collected a few...






This is my romantic sleeping porch off the master bedroom... notice the window

how it opens out...










Please visit Kim today at Savvy Southern Style ! Thank you so much Kim for


featuring me on your gorgeous blog!


And thanks to all of you for visiting me...


Pamela xo