die, adjust or migrate

Pic-a-Pop: Green Before Its Time

 
 

When I was really young - early primary school days - we used to go to Saltspring Island every summer. There was a shop there where you got pop in glass bottles. You would go in and pick out 12 bottles and put them in a reusable carrier.

I was cleaning up at school today and found the carrier. Years ago I had taken it to school with the idea of making discovery bottles for the students. Only I never made them. It occurred to me that I could use it in my kitchen to hold our spices, oils and vinegar (and the fire extinguisher!)

The carrier is sooo retro! Don't you just love the orange? Every time I look at it I think about going into that shop to choose pop with my parents. They were all flavours like lime, grape and cream soda. I remember how dad always knew what I had been drinking; he just had to check the colour of my tongue!

Once a week or so, we would drive down to the store to get food and sundries. We would return our empties and then each of us kids would get to choose 3 bottles of pop (Mum and Dad chose the other 3). We were green before our time! Totally good for the environment - even if the pop wasn't all that good for us!

I am loving having this in my kitchen. I do not love to cook, and only do it under duress and the knowledge that we would all be very hungry if I didn't, so seeing the bright orange carrier every time I cook makes me smile. And you can never have too many smiles!

A Sunday List

Things I want to do today (who am I kidding?) over the next few weeks:

listen to Lori McKenna's new album Lorraine over and over, drink my coffee in peace, read, tidy the bedroom, work on my cross stitch, do a bit of school work, fold the clothes that are currently covering my chair in the living room, start planning the new sofa slip cover, pull out the Easter decorations, go for at least one run, go to the library, take time to breathe, snap some Spring photos, write at least one more blog entry, fill at least three boxes with give away items at home and at work, enjoy my life, work on my "One Little Word" book, cuddle my dog, kiss my husband, hug my daughter, remember to be kind to all, sort the bookcase in our bedroom, finish our taxes, work in my junk mail journal, be patient, try something new, live one day at a time.

 

Front Porches and Rocking Chairs

One day I am going to have a house with a big, wide Southern front porch. I will hang ferns and flowers from the rafters and drink iced tea in the shade.  You don't see a lot of front porches where I live. But here are a few that I found on a neighbourhood walk the other day.

 
This one I love because not only is it a beautiful, big porch but it is a wrap-a-round porch! The house, however, is HUGE! Way too big for me and mine. Something smaller but with this sort of porch would be amazing.

Here's another one...

 

This one is sweet. Smaller and very classic. Probably a bit too classic for me. I like things that are a little bit quirky. Still a nice porch don't you think?

 

 

This one is a bit too new looking for my liking but the porch would be a lovely sipping spot on a hot day!

 
This one is more my style. Smaller, old fashioned and easier to maintain! (Not that I do any of the maintenance. I have my darling crow to do all of that. Thank you honey!)

I love the idea of a house that looks one way outside and then is a surprise when you walk in the door. My ideal house would be an old church or barn but I am very unlikely to find that here in the city and don't want to move out of the city. So, to find a place to live that is above ground (no more basement suites) and in the neighbourhood we want to live in is the plan. A place that we can fill with our own quirky decorating style.

Like this house by Brooklyn Home Company

 
So clean, so crisp! I am in love!!!!! If I had to name my style I would call it rustic modern. A mix of eclectic items that come together to be my style. In the room above, I really like how the table is an old wood slab but the chairs are sleek and modern. I love the juxtaposition of the two. How cool to have a table like this by ReMain Designs...

 
mixed with more traditional furniture like this from South of Market...

 
or like these totally awesome lockers (also from South of Market)

 
or to have rooms like the ones in this AMAZING house tour from Country Living. Do you see the anatomy poster on the wall? Do you see it? I want one!

 
 
Old, new, recycled, refurbished. My idea of a studio. WOW!

 
Something like this for my sewing supplies? Heaven!

 
And this bathroom? Words fail me.

And more photos from more Country Living house tours...they are filled with such creativity.

 
 
We actually own that very same phrenology head! I got it for my dear crow for Christmas this past year. Now to work on setting up a vignette like that!

 
Another awesome, light filled studio. When we own a house, my studio is going to be in the garage. It will have skylights, french doors and be my sanctuary. One day it will happen. I will not have my studio in my living room forever.

 
And this staircase is really neat...it has a cupboard built into the stone wall. How cool is that?

 
Have you noticed a theme of white in all these photos? I seem to have the clean, crisp look of white on the brain lately. I love how paintings and other art work POP on the white background. And I absolutely adore the idea of  mixed and matched white dishes. So much in fact that I have started to look for dishes at thrift shops whenever I happen by them.

It has occurred to me that I am always thinking about how our "someday" house is going to look. Maybe I need to put more effort into making our current house feel more like the home I wish I had. I know that we want to move and will move within the next 5 years but why live in a way that I don't like until then? So, I am going to put some effort into redoing our rooms and creating a space that fills my heart with joy every time I walk in the door.