A Special Day

Well, well another year has gone by oh so fast....Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be 46. Where has the time gone by?

I don't regret anything, I just want more time! More time to thrift, cook, weed, can, sew, paint, laugh and please can I find MORE Pyrex?

I asked for a road trip to Kingston, Ont for my B-day. That will happen in late September or early October. Did I mention I don't really like great big humid heat like we've been having for the past 2 months, so that is why we are scheduling the road trip later. I also asked for sheets, a watch and perfume.

As much as I wanted to blog more this week, I was too tired, too busy, too tired and busy, trying to learn Italian, going to the movies and working.

Work is ok, the Italian is going well, and we went to see Cowboys and Aliens (totally entertaining). Sarurday we had a dinner party with friends but Dan was sooooo sick (I was scared) we had to cancel.

    But that didn't stop me from baking some scrumptious cupcakes for my B-Day. They were delicious! I have to admit that I ate like a black hole this weekend....Oh well! It happens once a year!

On another subject....I had time to go through some Pyrex and this is now for trade....

Yep this is a Pyrex children's Circus plate. Quite desirable and collectible!

I'm looking for an Eyes 401, a 2 1/2 quart Charcoal Snowflake casserole, a Butterfly Gold 503. Hey I'm pretty flexible! I traded Pyrex for some rockin' handmade earrings.... As soon as I get them I'll show them to you!

Ok that's it! Be well sleep tight and a big kiss to Ventura .... Sleep tight you beautiful dog, you will be happy with my friend Tracy and don't worry Ginger will learn to love you!

Guess What?

Guess what?


The lamp is going back!!! We took it out of the box, I held it up; I had time for a picture…..and it went back in the box!

Back to the drawing board!

Here’s a pic of said lamp

Bye Bye Lamp!

Now a couple weeks ago we bought a rattan shade that id mid-centuryish for a big fat 3$....Now I’ll be looking for a kit to hang it up.

There were discussions to spray paint it but i was afraid we would regret it....If we don't like that lamp over the dining room table, it will go in a corner of the living room.


Now this is really funny Dan keeps saying we need touches of color! Yeah, yeah I know but in this case it ‘s definitely a case of Rome wasn’t built in a day! Still tired but not as stressed out....

I’m praying to get the ok for a week of unpaid R&R. That would be heavenly!

In the mean time here are some pics of Pyrex in action

Caprese salad lunch

Leftovers! I love leftovers! From left to right:

Smashed new potatoes with green onions in Spring Blossom Green, tzaziki sauce in the small fridgie and cevapcicis in the Butterfly Gold. It was delicious!

Right now I'm off to watch Masterchef and then off to bed.

Sweet dreams faithful readers :)

WOW Pyrex lamps!

As some of you might know we are now on the hunt for a dining room lamp....Doesn't help that the Danmeister changes opinions like people change underwear!

In the last 2 months I've had : We need vintage, new, black, colorful, spaghetti, homemade, homemade spaghetti, colorful homemade spaghetti,  custom made vintage like, flying saucer and I'm sure I missed a couple. Of course price is a criteria as well, so that takes care of custom made vintage like, spaghetti and vintage (can you say CRAZY prices?).

We bought one today...It is colorful, modern yet vintagey looking and the price is ok. However I'm sure I saw something in those big blue eyes that told me nice but no cigars....I said heck we'll bring it home and see, if we don't like we'll take it back. I wanted to take some pictures but both my camera batteries are dead! It always happens that way.

I also wanted to take pictures of some Pyrex in action because we had some company and I made cevapcici one of Serbia's nationnal dish. it is an homemade garlicky sausage served with a yogourt sauce. YUMMY!

Well those darn batteries again!

Instead as a pic I will show you lamps that took my breath away.....Pyrex lamps! I saw those on Etsy and just had to share them with you. Ohhhh you beautiful delicious lamps....

How cool are they? This is recycling at it's finest!

They come as a pair and you can find them at MaggyBeHappy Etsy store.

I'm sure they will fit amazingly well in one of your homes.

I hope to post again tomorrow with pics of the lamp.

Have a peaceful night!

 

So Soon?!?

While I was shopping at Shopper's (yep where I worked for a brief time last year) I was really tacken aback when I saw this.....

What the heck???? Halloween candy? It's still August! We are still drowning in Back to School stuff!

In case you didn't see the first pic.....

YESSSSS! Tons of sugary joy....But I was reasonnable, I didn't buy any....

YET!

Instead I fixed myself a niiiiicccceee healthy lunch of quinoa tabouleh salad with shrinp and smoked salmon

It was delicious!

I did splurge today and went to Santa Lucia Pizzeria on Stanley street with a friend (yes I made a friend at work more on that later) and ate this....

It is a calzone with italian sausage, green pepper, mushrooms, cheese and sauce. It was freshly made and delicious and so was the salad.

On a garden note.....

For the past 2 years I grew some wonderful pole beans native to my region.

We've been having crazy storms in the past 2 weeks and the tower full of beans fell this week for the second time up rooting all the bean plants.....Oh well what can I do.

I harvested all the pods I could to dry and disposed of the rest.

You can't fight mother nature!

I hope you're having a good harvest so far.

Have a great night :)

  

Money well spent!

Good afternoon faithful readers and friends! So far I'm keeping my promise of blogging more often. Right now I'm blogging and watching The Next Food Network Star. Now Penny and Chris have gone and the gang just moved to New York. Who will go this week?

I swear on Sundays I could stay glued to Food Network ALL DAY! Top Chef Just Desserts, Chopped, Grill it, Next Food Network Star, Food Network Challenge.....

You know I've been shopping for some shoes.....Not Fall shoes but summer shoes, let's face it the deals are too good to pass up!

You remember these.....

30$ at Clark's (originally 90$)

Last week I got these.....

Mock Birkenstocks from Joe Fresh.

Regular 30$ clearance price 10$! Woohoo!!!

And last but not least my super girly sandals....

The heel is a short pink wedge and they are so comfortable!

Regular price 50$ sale price 20$. Another super deal!

I love being thrifty! So for 60$ I got 3 pairs of shoes

SWEET!

Hope you sunday afternoon is sunny and lazy!

Thrusday Deliciousness

Last thursday we decided to stay downtown and shop/windowshop and get a bite to eat.

We stopped at a couple of small independant shoe stores. Let me tell you the experience was quite refreshing and thrifty! I found a pair of oh so girly sandals with a big pink flower on top for 20$. These would've sold for 50$ or 60$ at chain stores....I'll do a special post on the shoes soon.

But shopping makes me hungry! So we ahead to one of our faves Chinatown restaurant: Mon Shing on de La Gauchetiere street. This one definitely qualifies as an old fashion dive the decor is ugly, dingy and border line dirty but the food is cheap, tasty and plentiful!

                                               Beef Chow Mein. Just after we started digging in.

Chow Mein? What Chow Mein? LOL It was delicious!

Before we had enjoyed a delicious shrinp wonton soup. The damage with taxes? 13$ for 2. Now that is my kind of meal! They even brought some fortune cookies and orange sections as a refreshing dessert.

 This place is really popular at lunch time. It is packed with office workers. The downside? The service is often indifferent even obnoxious but I feel it's part of the Chinatown experience.

Now at work we used to have a cafeteria....It was very affordable but not that profitable so they closed it down. They opened a Presse Café which is like a cheap Starbucks, the food is ok but for a luch you can't spend less than 9$ which is quite expensive in my book.

Over the last few months I  found a couple of places that have great eats and are easy on my wallet.

The Clafoutis is one. This is a downtown staple that has been opened for at least 20 years. It is soooo popular that if you want to buy lunch there you have to arrive around 10:30 AM, yes siree bob! Other wise you spend most of your lunch break waiting!

This is the sashimi salad. It is like a deconsructed sushi roll and it is FABULOUS. Party in your mouth fabulous! It was generous with tempura,avocado, great salmon

fresh veggies and a wafu vinaigrette to die for! It was the perfect friday lunch :)

I hope to post again tomorrow and show you my new shoes and part of tonight's supper!

Have a great night! 

Hand Cream Fish and Urban Gardens

Hand Cream Fish and Urban Gardens

Ok so I’ve made a mid-year read Xmas in July resolution: To post more, even if I’m bummed out or have nothing spectacular to write.

First a job update: There’s no BS at work ,Maureen. What happens is that my group was severely under staffed, they decided to post the jobs, I applied but didn’t get it because I don’t have the right kind of degree....So now the positions are filled and since I am a temp I’ll have to go eventually. My boss did promise they would keep me until the end of my contract; i.e November.

So now I’m trying to find another job within the company but so far no luck. Send positive energy my way tomorrow afternoon because I’ll be in another interview! I’m starting to have a lot of experience with these things!

But I’m also starting to wonder if my boss will honor her promise and really keep me until November...

I need to keep my faith that everything will be fine.

I love working in the west part of downtown. There are so many restaurants and I’m always on the lookout to try new cuisines. I love asian foods, I’m totally addicted to Dim Sum, Vietnamese soups (Pho)and sandwiches (Bhan Mi), chow mains and sushi . I tried Korean food and was very surprised that kim chee; one of their national dishes; wasn’t really that spicy. Kim Chee is a Korean pickled cabbage. They eat it morning,noon and night.....

So a couple of weeks ago I’m on the prowl and I spot a Chinese restaurant on McKay street that looks promising so I look at the menu in the window and see this.....

In English the name of the dish is Fish with cream corn sauce but they write it source and they translate it in French to Filet de poisson avec sauce creme de mains (cream of hands filet of fish) which I found totally hilarious! I don’t know where they got there translation but people be careful with web translators; whenever I used them they give me crazy stuff!

Still on McKay street you can find beautiful planters with veggies ! They are part of an effort by a Concordia community group to green up the street!

Sunflowers, onions and ground cherries

Pretty cabbage

Such a sweet sunflower!

ooh grape tomatoes! They look mighty tasty!

Those planters always make my day and I go out of my way to pass by them!

Did I metion that we are learning italian?

It is super fun and a great way to keep our minds nimble!

Still trading the Pyrex and I should post new items soon ;)