Still TCB

Choosing 2015's word was a no brainer. TCB (taking care of business) worked so well in 2014, that I decided to choose it AGAIN.

So as our first TCB actions of 2015 today : we will install our vision board, clean the pots and pans cupboard....You know what I mean...Yes you do!

The recipe is simple: 1 part keep, 1 part store, 1 part donate. Easy peasy!

And finish caulking around the kitchen sink.

The organizing experts have got it wrong...Even when you are reading to give some stuff up, doesn't mean you can do it all in 1 hour!

On December 26th we cleaned out the first shelf of the pots and pan cupboard but after I had a headache and was exhausted, so I asked Dan if we could finish this another time.

2015 will be a year of change and of many trips to the thrift to donate! I might even pick up some new treasure along the way!

 If you remember, I will put my Etsy store on hiatus on January 13 th. I already have gone through my inventory with what I will kept for myself, what to offer to my stepdaughter and what to donate.

We also have decided to put our house on the market; I.E all the purging nd organizing. We can't stand the commute anymore and let's face it our little town has been invaded by loads of stressed out citydwellers leaching their stress all over, driving like a-holes etc...

So if all goes according to plans, we should have Xmas 2015 in the city. Everything is still up in the air, but I have faith that all will be for the best and all parties involved will be hunkydory.

 I end this post with pictures of our trip to Maine in February 2011. They had a big ass
snowstorm and for us it has been one of the most memorable road trip to date. We hope to go back soon and bring Dad.

 Dad loves Maine and the ocean and would love seeing them in winter too.

 The first 3 pictures are of York Beach Maine. The first of is of the Goldenrod , makers of the best
salt water kisses EVER!

 Last 2 pictures are from the beach in OOB.

   of course we had to stop there. This place is so dear to our hearts.

So that's it for today. I will finish with capuccino (yum) and attck the caulk!

Be well!!!

Guess What?

More TCB that's what!

The fence was in dire need of attention....It was peeling, faded and gethoish.

So upon waking last Saturday I was greated by a sunny, a great surprise because the forecast was wet all day.

 See? I'm not joking!

 With the new stain, dark bown...I love this! It looks well kept and rich!

And here's a small deco project. This owl came from the dollar store and was white washed.
I figured it would be better spay painted , Dan picked the color. It will need additional coats.

As for the fence we have a long way to go....Next weekend , weather permitting, we will tackle the exterior of the fence.

It felt wonderful do take care of business! And I slept like a baby, when I have too much stuff to do and I do it, I loose sleep . I lay awake hashing abandonned projects and things to do.

Hoping you all sleep like babies....

Some Cool TCB

Yes still going on with the TCB!!!

To tell you the truth we didn't do much this weekend....probably because of the great heat and humidity and it was afterall our first weekend after the very, very tiring first week back from vacation!!!

So basically we only tackled one TCB project....The kitchen faucet. It has been dripping for a while, make that 6 months....I had this idea that the cold water cartridge needed changing....It is always the first thing to go....And the handle on that side was brocken too!

 So yesterday I cut the water, and start dismantling the faucet handle. While attempting to remove
the cartridge, I pull and pull and finally it comes undone and I whack myself on the forehead with the plyers! OUCH! I am sporting a pretty big bump on the forehead.

I put everything back together, turn the water on...and guess WHAT? It still LEAKS!!!!
 So it must be the spout washer! I change the washer...and guess WHAT??? IT LEAKS!!!

NOW I AM PISSED OFF AND I'M BANGING POTS IN THE KITCHEN AND WASHING DISHES. Dan asks: Do you want me to do the dishes? NO! I AM FRUSTRATED WITH THE SINK!!!

So I leave it be. This morning Dan helps me shut off the hot water so I can do the same on that side...

 It is very corroded on this side and gunky...And Dan attempts to remove the cartridge, pulls and pushes, with a hammer, chisel, plyers...the whole tool box.

MORE THAN AN HOUR! We are quite discouraged....

We give it another go and give up. It is not coming out. EVER!!! The only thing I will be able to do is change the handle.

Which I do. And turn the water back on. We will just have to live with the drip until we redo the kitchen and change the counter, sink and faucet.

 With the new faucet handles...

Now guess what? GUESS WHAT? It is not leaking anymore and we don't understand why! CRAZY!

A vacation TCB I forgot to blog about was the frames....

 We have been wanting to frame some prints for more than a year! We couldn't find cheap frames at first....Frames are cheaper at Michaels in the U.S than in Michaels in Canada! And we got great deals at The Christmas Tree Shop ! That was last year...

 But when we started to frame the prints, I broke the glass from one frame !!!

 So last October we got more frames and they have been gathering dust ever since!
About the prints: The first one I got from Etsy as a gift for Dan.
Of course I had to get a Pyrex advertisement...From Etsy as well.

The last one; the Mid-Century house I got years ago from the Sally Ann for .99 cents.

 Here's the finished wall.
We love it!

 Last pic is not that great. My step daughter loves this lamp and Dan broke it 2 years ago....I promised I would fix it. Well it is fixed! Vero I'll give it to you soon!

Well my friends that is it for today! It is time to prepare our evening meal. Grilled marinated prok loin with veggies. Delicious!

It's about time!

I didn't post yesterday becasue I threw my back out at work, wanted to scream from pain and ended up going home early.
I was asleep in the living room by 7:30 pm (wow I fell asleep during Castle), went to bed at 8pm ,read and feel asleep in my book at 8:25pm. Pain really tires you out!

I feel better today but stayed home from work to make sure I was really healed and I'll be seeing the chiropractor tomorrow morning.

So back in September 2012 while on a roadtrip to Gananoque we found not one but 2 Lucite lamps, here's their story in the original POST

Now the orange one was installed over the dinning room table just like so

 

And we finally managed to install; after much discussions...;

the chartreuse one.

 

 

TCB baby! That is what I'm talking about!

YAY for us!

 

And the Cassoulet? out of this world! I will modify the recipe and will not include the duck (too expensive for my taste) I might substitute it for pork.

Yes Dad I prepared a dish for you and it is in the freezer.

 

And it is the lunch choice today!

 

Be well my friends 

 

Done!

So far I've been really  motivated by my 2013 words (organize and TCB)

The bathroom cubbard

ok granted not that bad...but a mess never the less

 

 

Do I need more nail polish? I don't think so!

 

I did manage to throw 5 away. Not bad.

 

 

 

Much better!

 

I managed to clean most of the kitchen pantry

 

so progress report: Bathroom 100% done (Dan washed the walls, and everything!)

Kitchen pantry: 95% done       

 

AMAZING! And I managed to just hang around in my pjs most of Sunday.

 

Be well my friends

                    

 

 

 

 

 

Words to live by

Words to live by.

In 2012 I saw that some bloggers had chosen a word to represent the year ahead; including my friend Linda from A la Carte

As December was coming to a close, I felt a deep need to organize my pantry, to make everything orderly....

So it seemed fitting that my word for 2013 would be organize and what better companion to organisation than TCB (Taking care of Business) ?

It is also my picture of the day. Will I be able to organize my house/basement/garden shed/pantry?

That is the question! But I sure will try!

We started 2013 bright and early and Dan went to work in the bathroom and I in the garden shed...

Progress report:garden shed: 10%
                            Bathroom: 50%

Aaaaahhhhh! The weekend!

Today we had a very productive day!

A quick trip to the hairdresser, a touch of thrifting, we rented a carpet cleaning machine, the balance of the living room baseboard got painted, the hall got a big declutter, the heat registers got a good cleaning, we changed a curtain rod and many other tid bits were taken care of.....and I'm fighting a little cold.

Did I mention I made homemade chicken broth? and veggie soup too?

Here's what I harvested last night, we had a real hot and humid summer with periods of drought and big buckets of rain but the overall harvest is dismal. I thank God that we have other means to feed ourselves, otherwise we would have been skinny and mal-nourished.

The cukes are doing great we had about 20 so far, the green beans, shish....and to my great surprise we have oodles of cherry tomatoes. The italian tomato is a rogue, i didn't planted, it probably came from  the compost pile.

On thursday I went thrifting to Renaissance in Verdun, and I spotted this. This is a fairly rare JAJ Pyrex gravy boat, I was totally in awe. And it was just .99 cents! I forced myself to leave it there because it had 2 big chips on the base. Maybe next time! But I did get plenty of pictures for future FTW? Tuesday!

After all that hard work, I needed a break! So around 5pm I sneaked outside to enjoy the fading day....

 A cold one, one of my fave magazine and my latest Pyrex find!

 I found The Cracker Barrel and in very good condition. I'm guessing that it originally came with a plastic insert to make it more air tight as with the Stack'n'See storage containers because no way will this canister keep your crackers dry! And I hate a soggy cracker!

 However you have a tip on the side of the container.....If you want crisper crackers you can shove the crackers with the glass container in the stove minus the lid of course!

For supper we had grilled steak with Cow Bell Hell rub (from Maine), mushroom barley risotto and field tomatoes (from my CSA basket) 

The temperature has been very cold in the last few days and I'm worried my swimming days will be over soon, rats! I hope to take a dip or 2 tomorrow in between chores. Well they're not realy chores. I see it as TCB or taking care of business. You do what you have to do. Winter is coming so we must prepare!