The dream is here.
The moment has arrived.
Is it everything I thought it would be?
...well, I do admit I did picture it a little less sweaty, but yes in a nutshell, it's home.
After months and months of waiting our loft on the west end of the city is ready and ours. We moved in rather smoothly and are now in the process of unwrapping, de-boxing, and taking all the pieces of flat packing and assembling it into tiny pieces of what we hope to be our future history.
The look of how we want to decorate I have begun to refer to as "The Decorating Challenge." I like the word challenge better then compromise which is really what the challenge is all about. Compromise sounds like something where you end up settling for something that you actually didn't want, BUT at the end of a challenge horns play and an angelic choir sings VICTORY! This is so much more satisfying.
Hubby and I have been exercising our marriage vows lately (better/worse, richerer/poorer, sickness/health...) in the most literal of ways. After the move was over it was time to take the money we saved and go on a tiny shopping spree. We both agreed on what we needed to buy, but size, brand, colour, model? We decided to buy what we thought was better and hope that the worst would leave us alone. Buying better did weigh in on the riches which is now poor, but not the worst. After all the decisions were made and all the money spent I got sick. Really sick. Everything had to stop for a little over a week while I was on the mend and Hubby took care of me. He did a great job too!
Now I'm better and we are back to the flat pack boxes that were delivered to our new home and are very excited to get them up and going. Personally one of the ones I am most excited about is our new window coverings! After all a girl should be able to walk from her bedroom to the bathroom in her undies if she wants to.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Discovering that I heart sewing
I have been taking a couple of sewing classes at this place in Parkdale, The Workroom. I love it there. The space is beautiful and has just the right amount of creative energy to inspire you. It is not snobby or pretentious. People get excited about making things and there is a lot of exchanges of knowledge that take place. The owner has a wonderful eye and selects beautiful fabric for the store. I don't think I have seen one fabric in there that I haven't liked. It is such a rare find and I am so happy to have the opportunity to use the space.
Right now I am making an A-line skirt. The pattern is just gorgeous to me. Its simple and clean and full of possibilities. I know that I will be making it a bunch of times playing with different fabric textures. I also found a really great sheath dress pattern that I am currently making in this brilliant gem toned turquoise colour. The actual fabric is nothing to write home about and doesn't feel great on the skin, but at $5/m it was hard to pass up at this stage in my sewing know how.
I am really excited about mastering some of the basics and splurging on some nicer fabrics. Finally I can have the wardrobe of Mary Tyler Moore and Barbara Eden that I have always dreamed of. I can adjust darts to fit my body and custom cut material to show off my assets and not highlight my work in progress areas.
Tonight I will be learning how to sew an invisible zipper. I'm looking forward to this so much that I have caught myself glancing at the clock a few times today. I was also dreaming about sewing last night in my sleep. I day dream in the car about different projects and do not realize that I have not said a word to my dear hubby in over twenty minutes! I am so drunk on the creative possibilities and am loving every moment.
Right now I am making an A-line skirt. The pattern is just gorgeous to me. Its simple and clean and full of possibilities. I know that I will be making it a bunch of times playing with different fabric textures. I also found a really great sheath dress pattern that I am currently making in this brilliant gem toned turquoise colour. The actual fabric is nothing to write home about and doesn't feel great on the skin, but at $5/m it was hard to pass up at this stage in my sewing know how.
I am really excited about mastering some of the basics and splurging on some nicer fabrics. Finally I can have the wardrobe of Mary Tyler Moore and Barbara Eden that I have always dreamed of. I can adjust darts to fit my body and custom cut material to show off my assets and not highlight my work in progress areas.
Tonight I will be learning how to sew an invisible zipper. I'm looking forward to this so much that I have caught myself glancing at the clock a few times today. I was also dreaming about sewing last night in my sleep. I day dream in the car about different projects and do not realize that I have not said a word to my dear hubby in over twenty minutes! I am so drunk on the creative possibilities and am loving every moment.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
What is the purpose of a suburb?
While our loft is being built, hubby and I are living, and I use that word very loosely in a suburban setting. This experience has led me to the question, "someone please tell me the purpose of a suburb?!"
Now please do not mistake my question as that of a city snob. I am no city snob and grew up in the suburbs. However, I was a child and would like to point out that I did not know any better.
I understand the country. Its beautiful, space is vast, air is clean, produce tastes great! I am a big supporter of local farming, and farming requires country, so I get it. I do suffer from rather intense allergies, so I prefer to get it from a far, but none the less I do get it.
The city is where there are people, culture, neighbourhoods, and overall a society that evolves and grows as time passes. This I totally get.
Suburbs? Hmm. Well.... from what I have experienced, there are no people. Sure the long rows of identical looking houses that stretch for miles and miles would suggest there are people in these places, but Hubby and I have yet to see a single person in our "neighbourhood" for over two weeks now.
Distances are completely distorted from what I consider to be normal. You should not have to get into a car and drive for ten minutes to get any sort of food. Food is a basic human need. Basic.
Gas stations on the other hand are everywhere! Well, of course they are... how else do you expect people to get to the place that sells food?! Sound backwards yet?
Our daily commute has taught me that most people who live in these areas are sure as hell not working in these areas. Highways are clogged as we are herded twice a day to and from our workplace. Packs of animals do not make the journeys we do twice a day. I'm just saying...
By the time Hubby and I get "home" we barely have enough time to defrost something from the freezer, clean up from dinner and hit the hay to do it all again the next day. This is why I used the word living loosely at the beginning of this post.
There is one place where you will find people though. The Mall. It's like ants on honey. People shop like buying crap is a limited time offer.
The way people consume, commute, and co-exist is nothing but head shaking. Walking down the streets feels like being on a film set. One swift push and you might knock the whole row of identical houses over...
It is clear to me that deep down somewhere in there the people who live here must not like it? I mean they do not work or play in the area (there is nowhere to play!) Going to work? Go downtown. Going to the theater? Go downtown. Go see a sporting event? Go downtown. Is anyone else seeing a pattern?
Now c'mon people, this is not about real estate prices! Of course its cheap here. You pay for what you get right? I mean does a bare bones home in the middle of nowhere that has nothing around it and is two hours from your place of employment sound like a deal?!
Six months until this experience is over. I don't mean to sound harsh, but the count down is on.
Now please do not mistake my question as that of a city snob. I am no city snob and grew up in the suburbs. However, I was a child and would like to point out that I did not know any better.
I understand the country. Its beautiful, space is vast, air is clean, produce tastes great! I am a big supporter of local farming, and farming requires country, so I get it. I do suffer from rather intense allergies, so I prefer to get it from a far, but none the less I do get it.
The city is where there are people, culture, neighbourhoods, and overall a society that evolves and grows as time passes. This I totally get.
Suburbs? Hmm. Well.... from what I have experienced, there are no people. Sure the long rows of identical looking houses that stretch for miles and miles would suggest there are people in these places, but Hubby and I have yet to see a single person in our "neighbourhood" for over two weeks now.
Distances are completely distorted from what I consider to be normal. You should not have to get into a car and drive for ten minutes to get any sort of food. Food is a basic human need. Basic.
Gas stations on the other hand are everywhere! Well, of course they are... how else do you expect people to get to the place that sells food?! Sound backwards yet?
Our daily commute has taught me that most people who live in these areas are sure as hell not working in these areas. Highways are clogged as we are herded twice a day to and from our workplace. Packs of animals do not make the journeys we do twice a day. I'm just saying...
By the time Hubby and I get "home" we barely have enough time to defrost something from the freezer, clean up from dinner and hit the hay to do it all again the next day. This is why I used the word living loosely at the beginning of this post.
There is one place where you will find people though. The Mall. It's like ants on honey. People shop like buying crap is a limited time offer.
The way people consume, commute, and co-exist is nothing but head shaking. Walking down the streets feels like being on a film set. One swift push and you might knock the whole row of identical houses over...
It is clear to me that deep down somewhere in there the people who live here must not like it? I mean they do not work or play in the area (there is nowhere to play!) Going to work? Go downtown. Going to the theater? Go downtown. Go see a sporting event? Go downtown. Is anyone else seeing a pattern?
Now c'mon people, this is not about real estate prices! Of course its cheap here. You pay for what you get right? I mean does a bare bones home in the middle of nowhere that has nothing around it and is two hours from your place of employment sound like a deal?!
Six months until this experience is over. I don't mean to sound harsh, but the count down is on.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Happy New Year
Hubby and I rang in the New Year this year in Oakville. As the wife of a musician you get little choice in where you celebrate, but I do feel very fortunate each time the occasion allows for me to celebrate with Hubby instead of over the phone with Hubby.
The food was divine, and probably the best meal I have had in my life to date. Baskets filled with warm artisan breads, a salad bar with a chef who personally mixed your salad to perfection with an assortment of THE best ingredients, roasted corn on the cob, twice baked potatoes, crusted rack of lamb, and roasted bison AND beef done to perfection! That was room one of three.
There was also ice sculptures with a fresh crab legs, shrimp, smoked salmon, it just went on and on. On the other side of the room was a pasta station with a chef again creating personalized little dishes of perfection. Three cheese tortellini, and roasted squash agnolotti were just two of the stuffed pasta options that caught my attention. Toppings included porcinni mushrooms, carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, shaved asiago cheese, and on and on and on it went... You could mix your pastas, create customized blends of rose sauce which were then theatrically tossed with an assortment of fresh herbs and white wine. Spectacular!
Dessert included personalized steamed chocolate lava cakes, both pumkin and blueberry cheesecake with an assortment of toppings that could be added. One was just a big ole' bowl of crushed graham cracker crust pieces that you could spoon on top! If this was not enough to satisfy your inner sweeth tooth, they also had a personalized (of course....) crepe station.
It was stunning, delicious, and plentiful. A totally luxurious way to ring in 2010. I even got a kiss at midnight!
The food was divine, and probably the best meal I have had in my life to date. Baskets filled with warm artisan breads, a salad bar with a chef who personally mixed your salad to perfection with an assortment of THE best ingredients, roasted corn on the cob, twice baked potatoes, crusted rack of lamb, and roasted bison AND beef done to perfection! That was room one of three.
There was also ice sculptures with a fresh crab legs, shrimp, smoked salmon, it just went on and on. On the other side of the room was a pasta station with a chef again creating personalized little dishes of perfection. Three cheese tortellini, and roasted squash agnolotti were just two of the stuffed pasta options that caught my attention. Toppings included porcinni mushrooms, carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, shaved asiago cheese, and on and on and on it went... You could mix your pastas, create customized blends of rose sauce which were then theatrically tossed with an assortment of fresh herbs and white wine. Spectacular!
Dessert included personalized steamed chocolate lava cakes, both pumkin and blueberry cheesecake with an assortment of toppings that could be added. One was just a big ole' bowl of crushed graham cracker crust pieces that you could spoon on top! If this was not enough to satisfy your inner sweeth tooth, they also had a personalized (of course....) crepe station.
It was stunning, delicious, and plentiful. A totally luxurious way to ring in 2010. I even got a kiss at midnight!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Subway Guy
So on a cold wintry night in 2005 I took a bus and then a train back to my little piece of independence condo on the north end of the city. I was dating my ex then and well not that happy. He drank too much, he paid little attention to me and the time we did spend together much of it dwelled upon his sour depressive mood or his lack of money. Fun times for a girl like me in her early twenties. I spent a lot of my commute time home thinking about all kinds of what if's.
What if I had a better job?
What if I dated someone else?
What if I became more healthy?
So on this wintry night I was in the middle of one of my what if moments thinking, what if I had a boyfriend who actually drove me home instead of dropping me off at a bus stop?! I was interrupted by the glare/stare of a man with many instrument cases. At first I wondered if he was really looking at me or if I was paranoid. Then I wondered if I had something on my face. Then I wondered why he wouldn't stop. By the time I got to the subway platform we were standing beside each other and I looked at him again and met his eyes and he said "Hi" Intrigued by the sheer number of instruments he was carrying, I asked, "what instrument do you play?"
We chatted and I learned he was a music teacher at the music store that I used to work for. In my mind this gave him some kind of credibility and I loosened up a bit.
At my station, I got up and left. No information was exchanged and truth be told, I just didn't know how to do any of that. Besides I wasn't single, and wasn't that wrong? I couldn't shake how satisfying that conversation was. There was humour, intelligence, and a softness that was missing from my life. I phoned my best friend and told him, "If I only had the guts to break up with ex, I could meet more guys like that..." He agreed and encouraged me to break up with ex, but instead I continued to torture myself for another year.
The inevitable happened and ex and I became exactly that... ex's. A good friend attempting to get me out of my post break up funk insistently invited me to a party on the east end. I thought... I just want to curl up under the covers and cry a little... and good friend would not have any of it. It had been a month and according to him it was time for my hibernation to end. At the party, one year later I met him again. Subway guy, he was there. We recognized each other and talked all night. Even more satisfying then the last time we met one year ago we talked and laughed the night away.
Subway guy and I began to date, got engaged and well subway guy became Hubby.
What if I had a better job?
What if I dated someone else?
What if I became more healthy?
So on this wintry night I was in the middle of one of my what if moments thinking, what if I had a boyfriend who actually drove me home instead of dropping me off at a bus stop?! I was interrupted by the glare/stare of a man with many instrument cases. At first I wondered if he was really looking at me or if I was paranoid. Then I wondered if I had something on my face. Then I wondered why he wouldn't stop. By the time I got to the subway platform we were standing beside each other and I looked at him again and met his eyes and he said "Hi" Intrigued by the sheer number of instruments he was carrying, I asked, "what instrument do you play?"
We chatted and I learned he was a music teacher at the music store that I used to work for. In my mind this gave him some kind of credibility and I loosened up a bit.
At my station, I got up and left. No information was exchanged and truth be told, I just didn't know how to do any of that. Besides I wasn't single, and wasn't that wrong? I couldn't shake how satisfying that conversation was. There was humour, intelligence, and a softness that was missing from my life. I phoned my best friend and told him, "If I only had the guts to break up with ex, I could meet more guys like that..." He agreed and encouraged me to break up with ex, but instead I continued to torture myself for another year.
The inevitable happened and ex and I became exactly that... ex's. A good friend attempting to get me out of my post break up funk insistently invited me to a party on the east end. I thought... I just want to curl up under the covers and cry a little... and good friend would not have any of it. It had been a month and according to him it was time for my hibernation to end. At the party, one year later I met him again. Subway guy, he was there. We recognized each other and talked all night. Even more satisfying then the last time we met one year ago we talked and laughed the night away.
Subway guy and I began to date, got engaged and well subway guy became Hubby.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sometimes I learn, sometime I don't.
When I learn:
This past Thanksgiving weekend was a success! I thought, what do I want out of this weekend and came to the following list:
1. Catch up with family
2. Indulge in some festive tradition
3. Relax
4. Volunteer
5. Not stress out or get sick
Success! My list was accomplished. On Friday, hubby and I went to sis by law's condo and celebrated with all the fixin's. It had all the things that a get together with in-laws for Thanksgiving should have. It rained, there was traffic, there was stress, there was akward conversation and even more akward jokes and hubby was happy. The last one is the most important. I made it, I survived it and all in all little damage was done.
Saturday came the time to relax time and I decided to do this on Queen St. I walked most of the way from Logan to Ossington taking the street car only through Regent Park. It was a great day of bakery visitng, vintage sale shopping, cooking magazine reading in an indepentdent espresso cafe, and ending the night we some of the best pizza that I have found in the city to date.
Sunday we visited my folks which was bliss and relaxing. Great food, great company, lots of belly laughs and good times.
Monday I volunteered at the food bank with a buddy and had a really good time seeing what it was like and participating in the action. This might just be an annual thing for me. What I didn't do on Monday was go to the farm! I get sick every year and thought, this year... no... I won't be ignored or taken seriously. Yes allergies do exsit and no taking little white pills is not the answer. How about if you want to spend time with me we don't do it in a barn?
All in all, my list was accomplished and the weekend was a smashing success.
When I don't learn:
Circa 1984 my mother came up to my bedroom where I was playing with an assortment of my toys and told me she had something very exciting to show me. She then took my hand and showed me to our newly finished basement with loads of shelves for my toys and a brand new carpet had been installed. She exclaimed, "this is your new playroom!"
Confused I said, "okay?" My mother then said I should go upstairs and bring all and I repeat ALL my toys downstairs to fill the shelves. I had some apprehension about this because even at that young tender age my instinct was telling me that there was something about putting all my eggs in one basket might not be a great idea. My mother reassured me that this was a great idea and I should be happy and go right away and start bringing toys downstairs.
Well I did. The next day I lost my footing and took a tumble down the basement stairs and although it stung I was okay. My parents nearly had a freak out and decided the basement stairs were way too steep and dangerous for a little person like me. That is when the latch happened. That's right. They locked the basement door that led to ALL my toys. I exclaimed "you tricked me! you tricked me!!" to which I was met with smiles and laughter and then... ignored. Ahhh, excuse me, all my toys are behind the locked door and you are okay with this???
Fast forward to circa 2009. Hubby says to me, "you have a lot of music there on your computer. You should back that up on our server. You should put ALL your music on the server." Now I knew I had heard this word "all" before and it had led to nothing good. Hubby assured me that this was a good idea. So I spent the 6 hours or whatever it took to transfer all my music to the server. Then he came over to my computer and showed me how to log on to the server to access the music. Then he erased all the music from my computer.
I never learn.
Now the server is down, and burried behind some jungle of wires that I don't even want to discuss. I don't know how to fix it, hubby is to tired/hungry/busy to fix and once again all my toys are behind a locked door. Again, I exclaim, "I was tricked!!" to which again, I was met with smiles and laughter. Did I mention that the server is hooked up to hubby's computer and hubby still has all his toys pefectly fine with TWO screens that are larger then our television to view his toys on. Where is the justice I ask you?
This past Thanksgiving weekend was a success! I thought, what do I want out of this weekend and came to the following list:
1. Catch up with family
2. Indulge in some festive tradition
3. Relax
4. Volunteer
5. Not stress out or get sick
Success! My list was accomplished. On Friday, hubby and I went to sis by law's condo and celebrated with all the fixin's. It had all the things that a get together with in-laws for Thanksgiving should have. It rained, there was traffic, there was stress, there was akward conversation and even more akward jokes and hubby was happy. The last one is the most important. I made it, I survived it and all in all little damage was done.
Saturday came the time to relax time and I decided to do this on Queen St. I walked most of the way from Logan to Ossington taking the street car only through Regent Park. It was a great day of bakery visitng, vintage sale shopping, cooking magazine reading in an indepentdent espresso cafe, and ending the night we some of the best pizza that I have found in the city to date.
Sunday we visited my folks which was bliss and relaxing. Great food, great company, lots of belly laughs and good times.
Monday I volunteered at the food bank with a buddy and had a really good time seeing what it was like and participating in the action. This might just be an annual thing for me. What I didn't do on Monday was go to the farm! I get sick every year and thought, this year... no... I won't be ignored or taken seriously. Yes allergies do exsit and no taking little white pills is not the answer. How about if you want to spend time with me we don't do it in a barn?
All in all, my list was accomplished and the weekend was a smashing success.
When I don't learn:
Circa 1984 my mother came up to my bedroom where I was playing with an assortment of my toys and told me she had something very exciting to show me. She then took my hand and showed me to our newly finished basement with loads of shelves for my toys and a brand new carpet had been installed. She exclaimed, "this is your new playroom!"
Confused I said, "okay?" My mother then said I should go upstairs and bring all and I repeat ALL my toys downstairs to fill the shelves. I had some apprehension about this because even at that young tender age my instinct was telling me that there was something about putting all my eggs in one basket might not be a great idea. My mother reassured me that this was a great idea and I should be happy and go right away and start bringing toys downstairs.
Well I did. The next day I lost my footing and took a tumble down the basement stairs and although it stung I was okay. My parents nearly had a freak out and decided the basement stairs were way too steep and dangerous for a little person like me. That is when the latch happened. That's right. They locked the basement door that led to ALL my toys. I exclaimed "you tricked me! you tricked me!!" to which I was met with smiles and laughter and then... ignored. Ahhh, excuse me, all my toys are behind the locked door and you are okay with this???
Fast forward to circa 2009. Hubby says to me, "you have a lot of music there on your computer. You should back that up on our server. You should put ALL your music on the server." Now I knew I had heard this word "all" before and it had led to nothing good. Hubby assured me that this was a good idea. So I spent the 6 hours or whatever it took to transfer all my music to the server. Then he came over to my computer and showed me how to log on to the server to access the music. Then he erased all the music from my computer.
I never learn.
Now the server is down, and burried behind some jungle of wires that I don't even want to discuss. I don't know how to fix it, hubby is to tired/hungry/busy to fix and once again all my toys are behind a locked door. Again, I exclaim, "I was tricked!!" to which again, I was met with smiles and laughter. Did I mention that the server is hooked up to hubby's computer and hubby still has all his toys pefectly fine with TWO screens that are larger then our television to view his toys on. Where is the justice I ask you?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Oh dear, I have neglected by lil' blog
No one reads this, so really no harm done.
Lots and lots to update on...
WE ARE MOVING!! The dream, the dream has come true. Hubby and I are moving downtown to Queen St. West Queen West is what this trendy neighbourhood is called, but I'm not into the trend and prefer to call it by its more traditional name, Village of Beaconsfield. I now search for historical black and white photos of the neighbourhood to hang in our brand new shiny loft. We will be moving next summer and only have that small detail of having to sell the condo and move temporarily somewhere while we wait for the loft to be ready. Who knew the area you could not keep me away from in my early teens would be my new home in my early thirties?!
We renewed our opera subscription this year again and I am so thrilled. It is truly the one extra that I really do not want to give up. It is the COC's diamond anniversary so this year is packed with really cool operas. We saw Madama Butterfly which was great. Japanese characters singing in Italian with English surtitles. It was magnificient! Originally it was two acts which was not well recieved back in the day and it got stretched into three. I think ole' Puccinni knew what he was doing the first time as we found it dragged a bit... We ate sushi before the show to pay proper respects to the Japanese flavour of the event.
Lots and lot of soups have been happening in the Forest kitchen. Butternut squash pear, heirloom vegetable, sweet potato ginger, ham hoc and white bean, chicken noodle, ... soon I will be experimenting with bacon and potato soup... lots of fun and hubby has been enjoying all the variety.
Thanksgiving is on the horizon... what adventures will happen this year?
Lots and lots to update on...
WE ARE MOVING!! The dream, the dream has come true. Hubby and I are moving downtown to Queen St. West Queen West is what this trendy neighbourhood is called, but I'm not into the trend and prefer to call it by its more traditional name, Village of Beaconsfield. I now search for historical black and white photos of the neighbourhood to hang in our brand new shiny loft. We will be moving next summer and only have that small detail of having to sell the condo and move temporarily somewhere while we wait for the loft to be ready. Who knew the area you could not keep me away from in my early teens would be my new home in my early thirties?!
We renewed our opera subscription this year again and I am so thrilled. It is truly the one extra that I really do not want to give up. It is the COC's diamond anniversary so this year is packed with really cool operas. We saw Madama Butterfly which was great. Japanese characters singing in Italian with English surtitles. It was magnificient! Originally it was two acts which was not well recieved back in the day and it got stretched into three. I think ole' Puccinni knew what he was doing the first time as we found it dragged a bit... We ate sushi before the show to pay proper respects to the Japanese flavour of the event.
Lots and lot of soups have been happening in the Forest kitchen. Butternut squash pear, heirloom vegetable, sweet potato ginger, ham hoc and white bean, chicken noodle, ... soon I will be experimenting with bacon and potato soup... lots of fun and hubby has been enjoying all the variety.
Thanksgiving is on the horizon... what adventures will happen this year?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)