A Puddle of Peace in a Sea of Chaos

For most people, mid-December to the beginning of January is a really busy time of year.  There are a lot of good things going on as we prepare for the holidays and the new year.  But by December 26th many of us have already had too  much of a good thing: too much food, drink, entertaining, shopping, spending, cooking, cleaning, driving, visiting.  And it isn't over yet; new year's celebrations are less than a week away which may necessitate another round of the "good things" listed above.

While I have whittled away my holiday obligations and preparations to the point that I really only do what I enjoy doing, not everyone has that luxury or freedom.  Yet even I feel ready for a little time-out by this point in the festivities.

If you can manage it, this is the perfect time for a little holiday escape.  My own will involve a mini-retreat to a luxury hotel, just one night, just me.  It isn't for long, it isn't far away.  But it is a private space with a locked door, no cell phone, no lap top, no obligations.  A time to think, pray, write, plan, reflect. 

Sometimes when actually leaving hasn't been an option, I let my family know that I'm doing an in-home retreat;(usually when my husband is travelling) and that I won't be taking calls, or e-mailing.  I make sure I have everything I need on hand and try to ensure that the house is tidy and clean.  The benefit of this type of mini-retreat is that everything is here.  If I decide to paint or putz around in the garden I can; the downside is I am still in my regular home/work environment.

Whether you can retreat away from home or even just carve out a solitary afternoon to pamper yourself, the benefits will be worth the effort to arrange it. I always come back refreshed and filled with gratitude for all of the truly good things in my life.





Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a peaceful day,

Sandra

My New Website

2012 has been a very busy and creative year.  One of the exciting undertakings has been developing my own website.  This site showcases most of my recent paintings under the heading Gallery and from which you may select various categories; abstract, landscape and so on.

The site is also a good way to find out about upcoming exhibits, workshops etc. under the heading Events.

To visit my website just click the link below.  You can also find your way there by clicking Gallery near the top of this blog page.  I hope that you enjoy your visit.

http://sandrakingallikas.com/

A Simpler Christmas Tree

It’s been several years since we've had a traditional Christmas tree. For a couple of years we decorated a house plant that looked like a small Christmas tree and last year we skipped the process all together.

This year I thought it might be nice to do something, tree-like without having to move furniture around to accommodate a tree, without the mess of falling needles, without something artificial and plastic and without the expense. I decided that a section of my overgrown lilac bush might work very well for what I had in mind.

Two weeks ago I went out with saw in hand. To my surprise a twelve foot long section of the lilac had broken off at the base and was lying on the ground... now if that isn't a sign from the Christmas tree gods I don't know what is!

I hauled it into the house, cut off a couple of feet and managed to get it supported in the tree stand. It's tall and slender, there's no need to water it and best of all there are no needles sprinkled on the floor.

I strung it with lights and today I hauled out our tree decorations. Such a simple tree would be overwhelmed with glitter and gold so I chose only hand-made decorations, many that our daughters had crafted over the years.

I think my favourite is one that our eldest daughter made. It's a gorgeous angel created using an embroidered hankie, a wooden skewer and a styrofoam head, her delicate wings are facial tissues and her long blond hair is yellow wool. I love it!

Here are a few of the other treasures decorating our tree this year:

Last year I wrote about how to enjoy Christmas (for a change). It isn't easy to go against the flow of excess but with a little imagination and the willingness to do things differently it is possible to celebrate a Christmas that allows you to focus on the reason that we celebrate: God's son born into our world to express God's endless, all encompassing love for humanity.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a Christmas season of love,

Sandra

How to make a painted table runner or placemats

If you are looking for a creative and unique gift idea or just a way to beautify your table, here is a guide to a creating a gorgeous table runner or placemats.

Here are two photos of the finished product to inspire you.

Materials

canvas by the meter (or yard) from an art supply store preprimed on one side.
1/2 " wide double stick carpet tape
measuring tape
right angle
scissors
pencil
acrylic paint
acrylic varnish satin finish (found at art supply stores)

Using your measuring tape and right angle, mark out in pencil on the preprimed size of the canvas the dimensions of your table runner allowing and extra inch in over all length and width (to account for the hem). 
Cut along your outline.

Using a straight edge measure 1/2 inch around the inside of the cut edge (this will be your hem line)
At the corners mark diagonally as shown and cut along this line to create a mitered corner.

 

 

Fold the canvas in toward the unprimed side and run your finger along to create a crease.

Place the double stick tape along the edge of each side.

Remove the backing of the tape and fold in the edge so that it is well stuck down.
Repeat on all four sides

Your table runner is now ready to paint as you wish.
Remember that it will be viewed from all four sides so avoid a design that has an obvious one way orientation (such as a landscape)

Once your design is finished, let it d;y completely.
Apply two coats of varnish allowing time to fully dry in between applications (about 3 hours).
Voila! Your project is complete!

Avoid folding your completed table runner; instead, to store it, roll it around an empty paper towel roll.

That's it.  If you have questions send me an e-mail at sandra.myturquoisekettlelife@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May your day be perfect,

Sandra

Baroque.... Without Going Broke

In yesterday's edition of the Montreal Gazette, there is a large feature on baroque inspired fashion, ornate, glitzy, gold and just in time for the holiday season.  I thought it would be fun to have a really stunning piece to wear over the Christmas holiday, but I didn't want to buy something from the mall and bump into the obviously identical outfit at an event.  Nor did I want to spend a lot of money on something that is going to be "in" this season and "out" within a couple of months.

Inspired by the photos I visited a local thrift store at opening time this morning.  After about fifteen minutes I had found it!  A gold embroidered evening jacket.  With a few alterations it would be a perfect fit.  It screamed 1980's or 1990's with it's heavy shoulder pads and little "pouf" in the breast pocket.  All very fixable however, and at $5.99 worth a try.



Thrift Store Find

Metal and crystal buttons

Once I got it home I opened up the lining at the shoulder seams and did a shoulder pad-ectomy.  Next step was to remove the sewn in pocket "pouf".  I tried the jacket on again and pinned in the side seams about 1.25 inches down each side.

Opend shoulder seams to remove shoulder pad

With the shoulder pad removed, the fit is softer and more natural.

I thought I'd wear them with some slim fit black pants, put then tried pairing the jacket with a little black dress, black stockings and heels.

It's holiday-perfect; one-of-a-kind, touch of baroque without going broke!

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a resourceful day,

Sandra

Living Sugar Free - Dog and Man

In July I wrote about my decision to eliminate processed sugars and white flour from my meals. Sugar - Ending The Love Affair I was so unsure of my ability to avoid these ingredients that I felt very hesitant about sharing my plan on my blog.  Today marks exactly four months of sugar-free living.  I've noticed two side effects; the first is weight loss and the second is that an occasional dose of sugar leaves me feeling yucky, as though it is too sickly sweet now. 

Due in part to my own successful dietary change, I put our dog, Zack, on a reduced carb diet.  I wasn't aware of how um..."chunky" he had become until his last trip to the groomer.  His long fur had been concealing his slow-but-sure weight gain.  I gave away his dry kibble and began to feed him home-made dog food (cooked meatloaf consisting of  hamburger/eggs/rice).  Not surprisingly he loved the switch.  Today Zack weighed in at a 5.3% loss in body weight and I at 5.4%.

As with any significant lifestyle change, it helps to have a plan.  While I had done research and read other people's sugar-free lifestyle stories I didn't have a plan in place and made it up as I went along, experimenting with what I liked, what gave me enough energy and wasn't too much work.

It's helpful to assess what your family and friends reactions may be, if only to know where potential saboteurs may lie.  Fortunately my family has been amazing.  My husband is supportive of anything I undertake and the rest of my family has also been very understanding.  To celebrate my birthday this year my sister made chocolate fondue instead of chocolate cake ... that way most of the group enjoyed the chocolate while I loaded up on the plain fruit.  Now that is thoughtful. 

Here are some helpful links if you think that you or your pooch may benefit from living sugar-free.

http://homemadedogfood.com/

Dr. Lustig - Video - Is Sugar Poisonous?

Steve Nash on Living Sugar Free

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a sweet day,

Sandra

A Morning Frost

 

The beauty of a morning frost may not be appreciated on your car windshield, but it does make for some interesting effects on fallen leaves and shrubs.    

 

Maple leaf in frost
Sandra King-Allikas

Maple leaf in frost
Sandra King-Allikas



Maple leaf in frost
Sandra King-Allikas

I saw this seed pod with a few seeds still inside and covered in frost.  It reminded me of a miniature landscape with a two trees on rolling hills with storm clouds in the background.

Seed Pod Miniature Landscape
Sandra King-Allikas

Seed Pod Landscape
Sandra King-Allikas

Here is what the pod looked like before zooming in for a close-up.
Sandra King-Allikas

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May you find the beauty in today,

Sandra

The November Garden

Sometimes I think the garden is even more beautiful once autumn arrives and everything begins to decay.  These four photos were taken today in my back yard.


Autumn Hostas
Sandra King-Allikas

Miniature Maple Leaf
Sandra King-Allikas

 

 

 

Close up of the back of a leaf
Sandra King-Allikas

 

Back side of a leaf
Sandra King-Allikas

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day full of beauty and discovery,

Sandra

A Minimalist's Kitchen Reno... I see the light

From The Renovation Rule Book
Rule 7: It's not true that the builder will never turn up. In fact, he'll turn up on day one, at precisely the time promised, whereupon he will disconnect your plumbing, remove a section of your roof, then disappear for six months.


After three weeks of plywood windows in our kitchen (a dark and cold kitchen) , our new window has been installed.

Window Installation
The plywood is removed

 

After installing an additional header and preparing the opening
the window is lifted into place

 

The kitchen window was assembled as one solid 13' window

 

 

Exterior of kitchen window

 



I am delighted with the airy feeling the new window has created, it’s as beautiful as I imagined it would be. Well worth the cost and the wait.

 

Check back in a few weeks as we try to keep our kitchen renovation design simple and costs to a minimum. In an attempt not to get swept away with grandiose ideas, my self-reminder and kitchen mantra is, "Less is more, less is more, less is more...."

Thank you for visiting my Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you an enlightened day,

Sandra

A Minimalist's Kitchen Reno

From the Renovation Rule Book:

"Rule 4: The marital argument over whether to choose the ''Calypso Blue'' or the ''Ocean Breeze'' for the kitchen cupboards will rise in intensity according to the degree to which the two colours are indistinguishable."

Join me over the next little (hopefully) while as my husband and I give our kitchen a bit of an update while trying to keep costs to a minimum.

Neither of us had any intention of updating the kitchen, however our two kitchen windows were becoming increasingly problematic. We had the original 1963 "panorama" windows. This is a type of window that was surely designed for the tropics and not for Canadian homes. The window glass doesn't have any type of trim or frame; huge sheets of glass sit in tracks in a cedar frame and slide back and forth.

About a dozen years ago, we hired specialists to analyze our home's energy efficiency. Upon noticing our windows, the first guy called to his co-worker, "Hey, take a look at these windows, you've never seen anything like this before." After a few minutes of chuckling they suggested that unless we were prepared to replace the windows, we could put plastic over them in the winter to minimize our heat loss. And that is exactly what we've done ever since.

This fall we decided it was time to finally replace the two windows. As we pictured the windows we wanted, we decided to let our imagination roam and chose to remove the small piece of wall that separated the two windows and have one long series of windows spanning the full 13 feet.

Old windows and dividing wall removed

About three weeks ago the window installation crew arrived. They removed the two windows and frames. As they began to demolish the wall between the windows they found a three inch metal pipe running the full height of the wall. It was the air vent for the plumbing. There was nothing more they could do that day until we had the pipe removed and re-routed. The installers bought two sheets of plywood and nailed them over the huge gaping hole in our kitchen wall.

The unexpected air vent pipe

 

Interim window treatment is dark and drafty.

 

Two days later the pipe was dealt with and we were ready to go. Now the problem was getting the window people to return my calls and set another installation date. It's been nearly three weeks since the first installation attempt and of course three weeks of living in a very dark, not to mention drafty and cold kitchen. I didn't think there was a less efficient window treatment than our panorama windows, but apparently plywood is even less effective. We're hoping to see the installers here by the end of this week. I'll keep you posted.



Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a fun day,

Sandra

Painting a Series - Challenges & Victories

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament."
Oscar Wilde

A couple of months ago my painting seemed to veer off in a new direction. I found myself painting with a new softer edge and a gentler palette of colours. Quite unexpectedly circles or spheres began to emerge, crying out, as it were, to be included. This work seemed to emanate from my core and often times I found that I felt emotionally overwhelmed during the creative process.



Acrylic & Mixed-Media Painting 30" x 30"
Sandra King-Allikas 

Paintings began to accumulate. I thought that this would make an interesting series of work. Pressing on I wanted to understand and explore this new direction. Trying not to over-think the process so as to keep the ideas fresh, I determined to allow the work to evolve without placing limitations on the outcome.

However, having already formed the thought of creating a particular series of work that would have a certain cohesive quality, I had in fact already placed a boundary or requirement on the painting process.

This week my strong-willed inner artist rebelled and out poured two rather more intense paintings, as if to challenge me, "Who do you think you are dealing with here? I won't be limited by your desire to create a series or anything else."

Acrylic & Mixed-Media Painting 28"x22"
Sandra King-Allikas

Acrylic & Mixed-Media Painting 20"x20"
Sandra King-Allikas

 

Well, there you go; artists do have a reputation for being unconventional, independent and sometimes ornery. I guess my inner artist is no different.

While the challenge to create a series or unified thematic body of work may be thwarted, the good news is that my inner creativity is alive and kicking.

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing each of you an amazing day,

Sandra

Toronto

"As a remedy to life in society I would suggest the big city. Nowadays, it is the only desert within our means."
Albert Camus


Last week I travelled by train from Montreal to Toronto to visit my eldest daughter who has recently relocated there.   I had never been to Toronto; yet living in Montreal one tends to hear a lot of commentary on that city and little of it is positive.  My own experience proved otherwise, what I saw I found beautiful, especially the kilometers of waterfront.  But what captured my heart was the friendliness of the people.  People on downtown streets, in stores, strangers in the elevator were so often friendly, upbeat and helpful. 

We didn't do a lot of sight-seeing.  Mostly we hung out at her condo, putting the finishing touches on her new place, hanging paintings, organizing storage etc.  We also cooked, baked together, watched a couple of movies and often sat on her vast 25th floor balcony watching the city below.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you know how I crave solitude, quiet and times of retreat.  I would never have guessed that high above the center of one of North America's busiest cities I would have found that mystical space where quiet, solitude and security meet.

Toronto at night
Sandra King-Allikas

Early Morning Rain view of Toronto
Sandra King-Allikas

As evening encroached we would wrap ourselves in quilts and watch as the lights began to illuminate the night city.  The view was vast and uninterrupted for miles and miles.  I loved the comfort of her very private balcony combined with the sense of being elevated and removed from the noise, the problems and the reality of everyday life.  It was not unlike the sensation when I sit at the edge of a seemingly endless body of water, or that of being perched high above a landscape that dips and rises until it finally meets the horizon.  It was perfect, an oasis in the city.

 Isn't it interesting how we can find exactly what we're looking for in the most unlikely of places?

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a magnificent day,

Sandra

Solutions May Be Within Walking Distance

"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time."
Steven Wright

Yesterday I wrote a few words on the benefits of walking and how it can serve as a way to work out the creative kinks that temporarily befuddle the artist.   Taking a bit of my own advice, I washed up the brushes, took one last glance at the work on the easel and headed out the door, camera in hand. 

Standing under neighbourhood trees of various autumn colours yielded an array of vibrant images:



Autumn leaves
Sandra King-Allikas

 

Autumn Leaves
Sandra King-Allikas

 

Autumn Leaves
Sandra King-Allikas

 

Autumn Leaves
Sandra King-Allikas

 

Autumn Leaves
Sandra King-Allikas

Challenges and dilemmas always seem more manageable when I allow my mind and my feet to wander.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a vibrant day,

Sandra