Merry Xmas to me!!!

Dad is a practical man. He loves giving me practical gifts. One year I got a bathroom window! So when he asked what I wanted for Xmas 2008, I said that we needed a chair for the living room so he could give that to me and Dan and his shopping troubles would be over.

So I measured the monster I had (coz in 1998 I didn't measure anything) and set out to find a chair that would fit nicely in my quite small living room and I searched high and low (I thought it couldn't be done)...until I found one in a montreal deco shop. But the salesrep was OBNOXIOUS, so we decided to leave the store with no chair. I was pissed off for a couple of weeks and then suddenly it dawned on me to complain about that service which made me feel like pigeon poo! So I complained and got 20% off and free delivery! How sweet is that??? So on December 26th 2008 we went and ordered that chair (we had to go there in person because the color was custom...). It was so long, so very long, I thought the chair would be outdated! Finally I received it yesterday after 4 months!!!

And it's a local chair made in Victoriaville Quebec! Yay for local goods! I just love the chair it has that new car smell....Needless to say that I camouflaged it with throws so the kitties don't use it as a scratching post (at least for the time being...)LOL


Thanks Dad for the chair! It's a beautiful Xmas gift!

Hugs and Kisses XOXOXOXOXO

If you don't like it...Spray paint it!!!

I'm a BIG fan of spray paint! It can change the whole look of something for a couple of cents (what's not to like???) and I love recycling things arond the house so....It's a match made in reno heaven!

Still in the topic of the kitchen...Most of the doors are installed, so all that is left is the drawer fronts and the moldings.

My paper towel holder was bright red (It came with the house and the kitchen was all white with red accents), my milk bag holder was tired white and so was the plastic bag dispenser (to be frank it was beyond tired and dingy...). Even a good scrub couldn't freshen those too! So enter Rust-Oleum specialty paint for plastic. I love that stuff! True you have to be patient and apply a gazillion thin coats...but look on the first picture, black accessories....Just enough black for the new kitchen!

Second picture: The super vintage

tissue holder I found at Salvation army gets a new life and a new home with a couple of coats of bright white!

Super cool in the bathroom (just enough vintagey!)

I'm trying to have a garage sale at the end of May so I'm still busy, cleaning,tagging and boxing stuff. I will post some pictures of new finds soon as well as some from my garden.

Be happy and safe!

Here it is!

Okay readers...drumroll please! This is the finished product! My old,ratty,banged up microwave shelf transformed!

I tell you it looks brand new! Another pat on the shoulder to moi!

The recipe box on the left belonged to my grandma. I had to throw out a lot of recipe books...don't worry nothing gets thrown out here! they all went into a box for my up coming garage sale....So the kitchen is really nearly done....The remaining doors should be installed tomorrow as well as the new hardware!

Also (I didn't mentionned this....) but 2 of the cupboards will be converted to showcases to display...Pyrex (what else????lol) I can't wait!

The back will be covered in bead board painted green, and the rest will remain white. Oooooh! It looks amazing in my head (I hope it will look good live too). I can't wait to take pictures to show you all!

Last night I went to a happy hour for one of my friends (who was canned by my ex-employer). It was nice to see some old acquaintances, friends,ex-coworkers and people who give you a peck on the cheek, but you see in their eyes that they're just phony baloney and don't give a %$#@ about you ( To think I used to work with them....). I didn't stay too long because to tell you the truth I was overwhelmed...the heat, the noise, tons of people in a small space. I did make a couple of phone calls (and emails) today to apologize for not saying goodbye...Oh well!

I hope to post again over the weekend....We're expecting a heat wave tomorrow, sunday and monday.... It's just too soon!

Slowly but surely...hehehe

Whooohoooo! I installed the spot in the kitchen!

Props to me!!! Logically the concept of electricity is relatively easy....Black wire to black wire, white to white, ground to ground...But installing light fixtures in a old house...another story!

So whenever I have to do it (I'm the house electrician and plumber) I shake in my underwear!

So I'm really proud of myself, I did it!!! I have to install a 3 spot track, but I don't know to which breaker those wires are attached to because they sit in a hole in the ceilling and have been that way for 8 or 9 years....And the guy or gal that wired the house was a joker for sure...I explain: By turning off the breaker to install that spot, I turn off my electric alarm clock in my bedroom on the second floor....How's that for funny? So I figure I'll have to buy a thing-a-majing to check if the current is running in those wires....LOL

Like my father would say: It keeps you occupied!

Dad is in Milano,Italy ,working and coming back next week. I can't wait! I really miss our nearly daily chats!!!

Guess what? I have to go and paint something !

Tired I am....

Not the most beautiful pictures.....So we decided to paint the kitchen...and started by going to get all the materials at Home Depot on good friday. Saturday morning bright eyed and bushy tailed (I love that expression!) we began slowly but surely....One of my jobs was tackling the microwave stand. It's not used to carry the microwave but a tv stands on it and the rest id full of my cookbooks. Of course I would've prefered a hoosier, but not right now...lol

As you can see on the first pic, the scheme the kitchen was before. We had some khaki sand (on the wall) a lighter vserion of it on the top cabinets and the molding, the bottom of the cabinets was this dark indian blood-whew let me tell you it was time we changed those colors!!!

The red turned a kind of fushia and the other colors a kind of yellow ( could it be because of the smoke??? We smoked like chimneys before) 4 years smoke free in September 09!!! YAY!

Back to the program....And we had some funky faux finishes and varnish on a lot of surfaces. Dan is certainly the grand poobah of faux finish....On the top of the microwave stand was aluminum foil,all textured with some dark stain and varnish on it...quite nice at the time!

Suffice to say the kitchen is not done yet! LOL

I must go and give the last coat on some cabinet doors...It's gonna be GORGEOUS! Corn husk green and snow fall white (Behr paints).

I want to welcome the new followers, I hope you'll enjoy reading my blog!

Salut!

Sugar shack

The picture is courtesy of www.bonjourquebec.com.

I always enjoy good value, especially at the restaurant.

I don’t want to pay for the name, the hype, the celebrity chef; I just want to pay for good honest food.

Take the sugar shack for example; in the greater Montreal region a typical meal would cost around 20$, which I find really, really overpriced considering that sugar shack food is eggs, potatoes, ham, lard, thick cut bacon, beans and maple syrup.

Okay there is the tradition, the facts that this supports maple products producers etc….But 20 $ is still too much for eggs (in my humble opinion).

For that price I could provide a similar kind of meal for 4 people.

Well in the Montreal region we have a visionary that will not only serve you a sugar shack meal but will charge you 45 $ for it. Yes you read that right! That is a lot of mullah!

Granted he is a well known chef and the food is fancier…. but enough is enough!!! I am certain I will not make any friends in the Montreal foodie world, but this guy is laughing at us all the way to the bank!!!

I have members of my family (not immediate) that think that this guy is a GENIUS…I ate his food once (Cassoulet), it was good but nothing to write home about!

So for that price you get…. pea soup, gravlax (marinated salmon), cretons (meat spread), mesclun salad with oreilles de crises (fried lard), and a souffléed omelet topped with mackerel and smoked beef.

I got this information in the Montreal Gazette. And imagine that, the omelet was bland! And the pea soup was good but couldn’t quite compete with the critic’s family recipe.

So far no ham….and no pan fried potatoes…strange! But get this if you want tourtiere (meat pie) you need to spend 15$ more. I hope it’s for the whole pie, but I could be wrong! LOL

They are now taking reservation for next year….

So Mr. Picard don’t count on me to make your bank account fatter.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Happy Passover!

Don't eat too much chocolate...LOL

The 10 Commandments

Ok I admit it I'm a 10 commandments junkie!!!

I love biblical dramas. Just before Easter I feel the deep need to watch that classic movie.

I deplore the lack of biblical movies nowadays. I remember growing up in the 70's you couldn't watch anything besides a good old biblical drama.

Oh Charleston! You are definitely the king of those movies!

After I watch 4H45 min of that delicious film, I will feel the need for BenHur! Fo'sure!

I know myself....I love that melange of vintage,tacky,hollywood,history,religion,epic that is the biblical drama!

Thank you Cecil B. DeMille! And by the way, please notice that Yul Brenner's ponytail keeps changing place....

Sleep tight and keep an eye opened for Charleston!

Schmap Montreal

I got a nice email yesterday informing me that this picture would be included in the Schmap Montreal Seventh Edition!

I find this very cool that one of my fave pics of one of my favorite places would get chosen to appear in this guide about my hometown!

This very retro sign is of the Wing's chinese noodles company on Cote and dela Gauchetiere street.

The Wing Building may be the oldest building in Chinatown. It was built in 1826 by James O'Donnel, the architect of Notre Dame Basilica in Old Montreal. The Wing Building has been a military school, a paper boxfactory, and warehouse. Wing Hing Lung is a Chinese expression for "a long life" and Wing's is known for its fortune cookies and noodles. The company was founded by Arthur Lee who was born in Chinatown over seventy years ago.( courtesy of Montreal walking tours www.vehiculepress.com/montreal/chinatown )

Well now you know just as much about that building as I do (lol). I couldn't find anything more in the web. But one thing is for sure, the next time I walk by I will look at it differently!!!

Problem fixed!

Well I fixed my guitar problem! I'm not to follow the 'advanced' class just yet, I will wait for September.

I stopped my check and slept like a baby. I will practice from now on, so I can play the !@#$%^&* bar codes. Then I'll probably feel ready for the next step.

I always had music fantasies growing up, but it never was within budget (as per Mom). I did get to figure skate for 4 years until the private lessons were inevitable and not within budget...

I was an only child and things had to be just so (as per Mom). It was all I knew. If something was not in my Mom's vision I could forget about it!!! Dad worked most of the time so he probably was never aware of this. I had a great childhood, but oh so different from all my friends and of course I wanted to be like them!

I wanted roast beef and mashed potatoes and I got shrimp tempura! Now I see the luck I had that my parents were so different, it definitely broadened my horizon!

The first time I had a hot chicken sandwich I was 24, and I found it soooo good that I had the same thing for supper the next day!!! LOL

Also nothing, I say NOTHING at the Salvation Army...It was as if someone made all the cool stuff disappear! Weird....

I also did 2 church basements and NOTHING...ok not true I found a weird looking little beaker of sorts...definitely not Pyrex, but interesting. After a good cleaning, I'll take a picture for your viewing enjoyment!

Be good and Happy Easter!

Guitar angst

I couldn't find the picture with Yoda in the guitar case...So instead I give you Yoda in the laundry basket! Look at that 'You are bothering me!' face!

Priceless!

I started take guitar lessons in January and it's going ok. But I have a couple of problems....lol First I'm lazy so I don't practice everyday, second my hands are not really bendy and last I can't always understands what the teacher says. The teacher speaks english and I speak english and he even does part of the course in french (for my benefit I'm sure) but sometimes I don't understand and since nobody really asks questions....I feel I'm the only yahoo who doesn't compute so I do panic a lot of the time. Lots and lots of weird conversations in my mind!!! On the last course of the session ( 2 weeks ago) I took a lot of notes but I still can't figure which strings I'm supposed to play...And I surely had a brain fart because I plopped down more of my hard saved cash to take guitar advanced. The first course is tonight and I'm fighting panic big time!

Well, spazzing in my blog was a good idea, because I feel better! What I can't understand is that I'm very artistic and I learn very fast, so why am I struggling??? I have a very good grasp of the english language, I could hold a telecom conversation about broadband no problem back in the day. Maybe the key is the laziness....Probably!!! LOL

I'll ask one of the cats to give me a swift kick in the pants!

I went to the church basement today and found 2 pillowcases that I will use in my living room, because I have bed pillows on my sofa (as you can tell it's very informal). It was SO formal at my parents place, I think I went to the living room 5 times a year. I also found a weird Xmas tablecloth, vintage but from the 80's I think. After I went to the hairdresser and got a haircut (as per Dan I was in danger of looking like a welfare recipient that we see on Jerry Springer-with a Mullet).

Tomorrow a big day! Downtown Montreal...I will be at the Salvation Army for the opening, then lunch with girlfriends and a good tune up at the chiropractor! Delicious :)

Pay it forward

Last week, while watching delicious pictures of Pyrex on Flickr, I noticed that one of my Flickr contacts had bought a 502 refrigerator dish without the lid. This is quite common because the lids get separated or broken…

A couple of hours later, I remembered that I had a stand alone lid and so I thought why not offer it to her and bring a smile to her face? So I wrote her and she happily took it.

Same afternoon, I wrote an ebay seller to inquire about shipping charges for a Pyrex butter dish (snowflake blue), got my answer but forgot about the auction and didn’t bid and the auction closed (no one got the butter dish)….So I wrote the seller asking if I could purchase the dish in a Buy it now mode-staying legit with Ebay rules.

Well the seller answered: Are you the same Vonlipi from the Pyrex Love flickr group? I really enjoy your pictures! Why don’t you give me your mailing address and I’ll send it to you! It’s on me.

Okay how nice is that? I nearly cried. I was so touched by this gesture. Touched that this nice stranger not only liked my photos, but she would out of the goodness of her heart send me this beautiful piece of Pyrex!

It certainly solidifies my faith in mankind especially in these tough times. It is great that you spread love and good vibes around. It will come back to you for sure. Gallons and buckets and oodles of good karma.

Thank you Lori

I will never forget your kindness

Damages

I just love Damages!

I watch it on Showcase (Canada)... But i missed the first season :(

The story is sooo deliciously complicated, I'm glad I don't live in that reality! Lol

Everybody has a contract on somebody and most have slept with somebody they have a contract on!

My life is sure simple compared to that!

And if Glenn Close gets more Botox she will officialy be mummyfied!

Quick update

Last post I wrote about the HUGE quantity of Chinese restaurants in Cornwall, Ont. It seems I was exaggerating....Really you say? You ? Vonlipi ,exaggerating??? How could it be???

So for a population of 46,000 there are only 9 Chinese restaurants in Cornwall....Well it seems a lot because on Ile Perrot we are 40,000-50,000 with only 2 Chinese restaurants.....

It might be because of the locations, I don't know! anyways here's another pic of a different place where they serve canadian foods...Now what is canadian foods? I have no idea!!! Beans? Steaks? What exactly qualifies as a canadian food? If you know please leave a comment!!!

On a totally different subject: Fox has decided to produce another show with the Osbournes. You got that right Ozzy and the whole circus....I decided to give it a try and I could only watch it for 10 minutes. It was horrible and lame and like having acid thrown in my eyes!!!

I'm finishing season 6 of Buffy the vampire slayer- very hard season for the Buffy, very depressing...In my opinion she should have stayed with Spike! But I digress! I'm still hunting for Angel seasons 4 and 5 and I'm certainly not loosing hope!

Later faithful readers :)

Cornwall re-loaded

I was lucky enough to go to Cornwall this week.

We first stopped at Rob Mcintosh in Lancaster (gift shop extraordinaire). I very seldom buy stuff there (because of the price and besides I'm in the whole vintage thing...) But if you want to see tons of dishes,glasses,gifts,jewelry and other knick-knacks, by all means go! After back on the 401 until exit 789 and a quick stop at Value Village. There was nothing interesting for us....Then a pit stop at Dollarama for some gum and Scharffen Berger chocolate- yes a buck a bar!!! That is a GOOD deal considering that I see that brand for 4.99$ at regular stores.

We were famished so it was time for Pat's home cooking on Pitt street. You can't miss it the decor is froggy country and of course yellow and green...But Pat has some of the best homemade fresh never frozen french fries...and the coconut cream pie is to DIE for...sigh!

To burn calories, we took a troll on Pitt St, and stopped at Riley's bakery for some Almond tarts and 7 grain bread. Then we thrifted in a couple of secret spots....hehehe! I can't reveal all my sources! LOL

Also everytime I go I'm fascinated by the number of chinese restaurants....I googled the population of Cornwall and it's around 46,000 (a lot more than I thought!) but there's a lot of chinese restaurants nevertheless. I will have to count them someday.

Regarding the pictures: First picture is of a Pyrex 443 Friendship bowl that I found in Cornwall,in a closed flea market (the door was opened) the owner was nice enough to let us browse.

The second picture id of one of my all time favorite restaurant signs: The Jade Garden. It is sooooo retro! I love the colors. I have never been to that place, but we never know...I might try it on another visit....