What Rainy Days are For....

The weather has been AWFUL pretty much ever since we moved in! With wind, rain, and an outside temp of 8C this morning, I woke up, turned on the furnace, and curled up on the couch to watch "Up". It was really good- great animation, and a cute story for kids and adults. I got a little too cozy and dozed off just before the end... whoops.

I squeezed in some time this afternoon between rainshowers to take Molly to the park for some fetch. She LOVES to chase tennis balls, and LOVES to run. Tomorrow we are starting our first flyball class in Dryden! I am nervous but I know she will love it. I just hope she listens with all the other distractions around!

Now I am making some peanut butter cookies with my KitchenAid. Boy do I love this machine. It makes any recipe quick and easy (and fun!!)


The cookies before they went in the oven.... nothing says Peanut Butter Cookie like a good fork crosshatch!! The cookies all warm and golden in the oven (I didn't think they would expand so much!)

Time to enjoy a hot cuppa coffee and a warm cookie.. yummm!

"Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it"

We love our art. It is a reflection of who we are, where we've been, and where we're going. I love filling every little wall and nook with our favourite pieces.

The Hunt for the Perfect Armchairs....

Now that I have the summer off, I have a lot of time on my hands!!!!
Which means I can make grand plans for our house... first order of business is to find 2 matching armchairs to put in the living room, instead of that big chunky futon.
We aren't looking to break the bank here (already did that when we signed the mortgage docs.. haha) so I am looking for small, simple, preferrably leather or leather-look armchairs.

Let's start with Ikea... our closest location is Toronto, so we would have to pay shipping which I imagine would be expensive. But some of their styles are pretty fun.

This chair is a fun green colour and is $329The Brick had this for $250. I think it's pretty much exactly what we are looking for, but we would have to see it in person to get a good idea of the dimensions.

For a pricier $329 we could get into a trendy print from Home Depot. But I am thinking it may be too busy... not as timeless as a leather chair. The print appeals to me but I can't imagine Ben would be a big fan... especially with the bear rug behind it on the wall!What are your thoughts?? Leather? print? Solid fabric? Any other ideas?

All moved in!

We are officially all moved in to the new house!!! Here is the "finished product"- the living room/ dining area. The futon is a bit too big for this space so we are moving it upstairs to the guest room.
Bad news.... our boxspring doesn't fit up the stairs :( so we had to shell out $300 for a split boxspring! Luckily we were able to sell the old one and get it out of our way!

As you can see... Molly is feeling quite comfy in her new home... Did you know she's a Redwings fan!? ;)

It really started to feel like home when we had our first Pizza Night here.... it's a weekly tradition for us!

We have all our art up on the walls now- the finishing touch!


Lastly- the scary basement for those who are interested! A good place to store all our extra "stuff"!

Almost there!

It's actually starting to look like a HOME :)
I brought a bunch of kitchen stuff over, and found a place for everything. It's nice having so much cupboard space!

Speaking of cupboards.... the white sure is bright and pretty, but I'm gonna have to keep on top of cleaning... fingerprints show too easily!!

The office! See yesterday's post for the "before" picture. What a difference a bookshelf and wire shelving rack make! The Escher print will go up on the wall in that spot and the desk (waiting to be picked up in Thunder Bay) will go underneath it. And apparently Ben's gun safe will go in the right hand corner :S

One day closer to moving in....

Some pics from today! Everything is slowly starting to take shape!

The living room. Our 2 couches will go against each wall, and our TV will go in the right hand corner beside the window. Molly's bed will go upstairs and some other stuff will get shuffled around too... a work in progress!

We got our first parcel at the house today.... Molly's dog bed from Orvis. It looks great- has a nice washable cover, and foam beads inside so its all squishy. She doesn't seem to be too sold on it yet though!

Ben and I are both big Tragically Hip fans. Doesn't this poster fit perfectly here!?

These prints came from an Inuit art calendar. The oranges really pop in our kitchen. we are going to hang them above the stove.

This is what will soon be the office.... what a mess! Once we get some shelving in here it should hopefully be less of a disaster....

Molly relaxing in the yard :)

Look what I found! Some Tiger Lilies! They are overgrown with other weeds but do look like they are about to bloom :)

Pics of our house!!!

here is Random mishmash of pics from the house... so far!!
I just LOVE this shelving at the top of the stairs. Otherwise it would be wasted space. Instead of cluttering it up with storage, I am displaying our favourite books and collections. I added the mirror behind the lowest shelf for some fun and depth. Now I think all 3 shelves should have one!Also love the pretty details like the old fashioned glass doorknobs!
Molly scoping out the neighbourhood
"Mom, where's all the furniture!?"
Back porch. I think it needs some planters to liven it up!
backyard. So much grass!
We have lilacs!!!
Now for my least favourite part of the house.... the bathroom!!! Gold- flecked tileboard on the walls, the monstrosity of a medicine cabinet, and those purple cabinets.... UGH!
At least the tub surround is new. What do you think of my new shower curtain?? Love it or hate it?
The empty living room (looking from the kitchen)
The kitchen. Still unsure about the orange.
Front porch. Starting to look like a home!!

We're In!!!

Well, we have the house!!!! WE have our very own house and property!!!! I don't think it has even sunk in yet!
I brought a bunch of boxes over this afternoon and started unpacking right away. I had a lot of fun choosing where everything will go. The kitchen has a lot more storage space than our apartment, but I am sure it will take us a while to figure out the perfect spot for everything- food, pots, pans, plates, glasses, junk drawer! etc!
I discovered one of the best features about our house- built in shelves at the top of the stairs. They are shallow and open, just the right size. I will post a picture of it tomorrow, but its a perfect place to store and show off all our books and favourite little things.
Molly seemed to like the place- she was running around the house like a monkey. I think she likes the traction that she gets on the carpets- she's used to slippery hardwood at the apartment. She also really liked looking out the front door to street level, and keeping a close eye on the neighbourhood!
I will head back tomorrow morning with a few more boxes. Can't wait to actually get moved in and start living there!!!
One day at a time....

The newest member of the Beattie family!!!

Introducing my new nephew.... GORDON!!!!
I haven't met him yet but am already in love!!! Congrats to Erin and Steve, his new proud Mommy and Daddy!! :)

sitting, waiting, wishing.....

So it's 1:00 and I am sitting by the phone, waiting for the call that I can get my keys!! I guess all the money has to change hands through lawyers first. and of course they need a lunch break too!

I am already planning some quick easy touch-ups for the house.... and I am in love with these barn stars that you can put on the exterior of your house.

How cool would one look above the front door!?
Also- picture 2 dormer windows upstairs!!!! The wheels in my head are spinning!!

CLOSING DAY!

So today is the big day!!! I woke up before 6 this morning because I was so excited! I work for the morning and then should be able to pick up the keys from our realtor!! We went to the house last night for a final walk-through with the seller and our realtor, just to make sure everything was in place and good to go. He actually has left us a bunch of good stuff- cleaning supplies, tons of paint, 2 boxes of laminate flooring that matches the stuff already in the kitchen, foam underlay, and paint chips. We forgot to look in the shed outside. Hopefully he didn't leave any junk in there, unless he left us the lawnmower!! That would be ok!
The house is very small- probably about the same size as our apartment, so we are going to have to be creative with our layout and storage. The kitchen is open to the living room and there is no actual eating area so we are going to have to incorporate it into the living room. I liked this idea (see picture) from The Nest, and think it can work in our house.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

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Happy Father's Day, Dad and all the other Dads out there!

World's Worst Blogger.

It has been exactly 1 year to the day since I last posted on this blog!!!!
A lot has happened since then... here is a rundown....
- moved to Sioux Lookout with Ben and Molly :)- landed job as substitute teacher, and LOVE IT!
- drove to BC in October for friends' wedding at the top of a mountain
- said goodbye to my Nana Kathy, and childhood pets Simba and Jake. RIP, you will all be missed dearly.
- had a fun getaway to Rhode Island for a friend's wedding in January
- WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!! yippeeee!!!Now for the fun part... packing and moving... :(