Kitchen Backsplash

 Dear Blogger friends,  for a few weeks now my kitchen has been under renovation.  We had new counter tops installed three weeks ago and finally we are moving forward with completing the kitchen.  First, we had to cut the drywall to allow hidden wiring for the future valance lighting.

 Once the wires were installed, the drywall was patched up prior to starting the backsplash

 I am glad I decided to go with a dark slate tile because it really make the cabinets stand out.

 Even though this looks like a simple task of installing back splash and valance lighting.  It is taking 3 days to complete.  Not to mention how much mess it makes.

In the end it will be well worth it!  Come back and visit in the next few days because I will show you how  beautiful the end result will look!  Talk soon blogger friends.

Starting Your Own Vegetable Garden

Five reasons why you should grow your own vegetables

1.  Easy to do - All you need is soil, planter(s) and water!
2. Cost Effective - Grocery bills keep increasing year after year especially healthy food choices.  Why not start saving hundreds of dollars a year.  In a family of four, the money you save could be a trip down south with your family.
3. Quality Control - Is it just me or does it seem like much of what we eat now days has little to no taste?  How much do we know about what we eat?  Are chemicals in your food?  Wonder why humans and animals often get sick?  Having control over the quality of our food is in my opinion priceless.
4. Therapeutic - No matter how stressful your day is, gardening, is a great way to reduce stress.  Not only is it distracting but forces you to be outdoors. 
5. Fun! - Growing your own veggies can be fun for the whole family.  This is an excellent family activity to do with your children.  My children now enjoy planting, watering and watching the veggies growth.  Not to mention getting their hands dirty.

In our garden we planted green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, green beans, squash, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, watermelon and strawberries.

 

Can you guess what veggies are growing in this picture?

Tip: Green beans grow extremely quickly.  The tall green things you see in the back was simply a seed three weeks ago.  Hungry Anyone?

 Now that I think about it, I might have planted way to many vegetables.  Lucky for my neighhours, they will benefit from my garden too.  Good think, I like my neighbors. 

 Not that you have to, but I purchased a small portable green house at Lowe's just before I started my garden.  It wasn't expensive ($34.99 + tx) and a great way to keep the seed germination safe and warm until the crops are strong enough to be placed in the ground outside.

 A close up photo of what use to be simply a watermelon seed.  Isn't that something! 

Tomatoes in case you didn't know! :-)

We removed our grass last week and hopefully by early May the soil will be warm enough for us to transplant our veggies outside.  Tip: Leave enough room between each row of vegetables so that you may have enough room to get by as you pick your crops.  

I can't wait to show you my completed garden.  I look forward to showing it off in a few months!!!!  Please do share your garden experiences with me too.!!  Enjoy your day blogger friends.

Great finds on a budget

 What an incredible deal I got yesterday at Home Sense.  I purchased a really nice Buddha in the picture above.  Now I am starting to think maybe, just maybe I should have brought back my suitcase full of summer clothing and had my dinning room Buddha delivered to me by boat! (lol) 

Maybe my Buddha will look better by the front door.  What do you think?

 How about hanging from the chandelier in my open to above space?  Just kidding

I found this wonderful piece on sale at Bombay last year.  Her name is Nicoletta.  Nicoletta, say hello to the bloggers this morning. :-)

Dinning Room Decor

 Hello dear friends, I am excited to show you how simplicity makes such a grand statement. I recently painted my dining room and just finished furnishing it with some unique pieces that highlight the space.

This rare Buddha, I found last year when I was on a trip in Europe.  I fell in love with this piece and I had to get.  125 euros later, it was mine to keep.  I must say, when it was time for my journey to come to an end, it was time to make a serious decision.  I was way over the allowed weight in baggage. So the options were to either take the Buddha home with me or my recently purchased summer clothing for the trip.  Well as you can see, the Buddha is in my dinning room.  That reminds me, summer is almost here and I need to do some shopping.  

 Yes, the two taller accessories in the picture above were also items I purchased on my trip and yes, I had to sacrifice leaving other baggage behind for this too.

 From my point of view it was well worth it.

The curtains displayed were purchased at a flea market for 10 euros a panel.  Two panels are displayed on each side to give it a full look.  For forty euros, equivalent to approximately $55 dollars Canadian.  Not a bad investment don't you think?  Stay tuned for a few additional items that will complete the entire space.

Bland to Glam Kitchen

Bland to Glam kitchen

Before the transformation, the kitchen was in desperate need of colour, pendent lighting and accessories.

First and foremost, the focus was to replace the laminated countertops with a natural stone.   Inspired by marble, this high end granite was a safe and low maintenance choice in the kitchen.  A dark Ceasar stone was used for the kitchen perimeter.  A perfect choice for high traffic cooking area.

 A 3cm natural stone,  doubled at the edge was selected to give bold visual impact.

Can you see a difference yet?  Check back with me in a week or two as I reveal my glam kitchen.  You will not believe your eyes!!!  Breathless and timeless

Backyard DIY

The Before Pictures of our less than desirable backyard.