Minimalist Kitchen Renovation - An Update

Our kitchen renovations are beginning to progress, a little.  Since I wrote last month, we have installed a newly created cabinet beside the oven, and adjusted and permanently attached a double lower cabinet in its new location.  This will make our counter area longer as you can see in the image below; the current countertop doesn't quite cover the new configuration of cabinets.  New countertop will correct that but in the  meantime it is ever so easy to access the contents of that last drawer.



In a moment of discouragement (and crankiness) earlier this week, I measured up the kitchen and went to the big box store to calculate how many pre-assembled cabinets we'd need to buy to replace what we have.  I made plans to buy them this weekend. "I'm just doing it."  My husband quietly agreed and then one evening when I was sufficiently calm, he said, "You do know how much toxic gas those new cabinets will continue to give off over the years don't you?"  That's all he needed to say to re-establish my willingness to work with what we have.

Kitchen - A work in progress

The funny thing about a situation like that is I suddenly felt as though I'd saved a pile of money.  My original plan never included new cabinets, that idea lasted only three or four days but it was long enough to feel that nixing the new cabinets  now justified a few extras that I hadn't previously planned on, such as a double sink (since we do all our dishes by hand) and perhaps a new tap.

Our next steps include repairing the drywall around the window and putting down new flooring.  I'll definitely keep you posted.

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

Wishing you a fun day,

Sandra

Mamita Restaurant - Exhibits my Paintings

 

 

 

A dozen or so of my most recent paintings are currently hanging in Saint Lambert's newest restaurant, Mamita.   Owner and chef, Carole Kingsbury has created a delightful yet simple restaurant offering a wide variety of homecooked meals.  The decor is relaxed and  "zen" - the perfect setting for my most recent collection of abstract and semi-abstract works. 

Located at 2001 Victoria Avenue, Saint Lambert (corner Simard) and open for breakfast and lunch daily, dinner Thursdays through Saturdays. 

 

 





A piano enhances the mood during evening meals, guests are welcomed to play as well.

 









Hope to see you there!

 

Thank you for stopping visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

 

Wishing you a yummy day,

Sandra





White Tulips

As I sat savouring my morning tea, the sun rose above the neighbourhood trees and streamed in through our kitchen windows, nearly blinding, the way Spring light often is, creating beautiful shadows and light on a small vase of white tulips.

White Tulip
S. King-Allikas

White Tulip
S.King-Allikas

 

 

 

White Tulips
S. King-Allikas

 

 When I am still it is easy to see and appreciate beauty.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

 

Wishing you a day full of blessings,

 

Sandra

Knee Sock Bunny Craft

Yesterday I was scouring the internet looking for something different to make my grandchildren for Easter.  I found a tutorial from lil blue boo  for making sock bunnies out of women's knee socks.  The tutorial is fun and easy to follow.  In the Montreal area a great source for colourful and inexpensive knee socks are the Ardene stores.

The bunnies are quick, easy to make and so cute.



Sock Bunnies
S.King-Allikas

Each bunny took about 45 minutes to make.



Easter Bunny Craft
S. King-Allikas

 

Knee Sock Bunny Faces
S. King-Allikas

Because my grandchildren are so young, I embroidered eyes rather than using buttons so that there is no choking hazard.

 

 

With over two weeks before Easter there's plenty of time to sew up a whole bunch of bunnies.

 

 

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

 

Wishing you a wonderful day,

 

Sandra

Minimalist Kitchen Renovation

The Renovation Rule Book:

Rule 19: Telephone calls always come when you are atop a ladder with a loaded paint-roller. They are always a wrong number

Has it really been four months since I wrote anything about our kitchen renovation?  (kitchen reno)Well that is more than likely because close to nothing has happened in the past four months.  Since November we've been slowly (s-l-o-w-l-y) thinking about what we really want. I'd like something timeless, plain, even a little rustic.

I have this image (taken from a magazine) on my vision board. It captures the essense of what I'd love in a kitchen: simple white wooden lower cabinets, natural materials (where possible) uncluttered and functional

One of the things I am having to re-consider is the ceramic tile countertop I wanted to create.  I make several batches of pita bread each week which involves a lot of dough kneading and rolling.  That won't work very well on a tile countertop.  So now I'm back to square one considering countertop options. 

What we have done:  We reconfigured one of the lower cabinets in January and have determined the layout of all the lower cabinets, a couple still need to be built. This week I plastered the far wall (where the oven is ) to create an old world feel of a rough plaster wall.

Plastering the wall was easy and the results are exactly what I was hoping for.

I used LePage's Ploystipple.  It is safe and odour free and washes up with soap and water, in addition it is quite inexpensive 8 litres was about $35. (check the container for coverage, it depends on how thick you want to apply it.  For my application I could have covered about 100 sq.ft.)

 

There was a lot of damage to the backsplash area where I had removed old ceramic tiles, but the Polystipple had enough texture to conceal the lumps and bumps. Wooden trim will cover the gaps around the window.


Hopefully my next kitchen reno update will be a little sooner than this one was.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Sandra

Animal Fostering - Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue

Animal rescue is a rewarding but demanding mission.  Samantha and Emily, co-founders of the Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue (rescue link) know this first hand.  The rescue exists due to their efforts and vision but equally because of the foster families who house, love and care for the rescued dogs and cats until they are permanently adopted.

These foster "moms and dads" are the unsung heroes of animal rescue.  While Samantha and Emily are the public face of Eat, Play, Love; visible during pet fairs, adoption days and on facebook, the foster families are the behind the scenes heroes; heroes who are cuddling, feeding and yes, poop scooping day in and day out. 

That is why I was so excited to be asked to create a special thank-you gift for a foster "mom" who took three abandoned shepherd pups into her home.  Nathalie bottle fed the three day old puppies and has raised them over the past nine weeks.  Now the puppies are healthy, rambunctious and ready for adoption. 

Working from a photo, I painted Nathalie smooching with Noel, one of the little female pups.  It captures Nathalie's love and devotion to all of her little charges.  Hopefully it will remind her of how deeply her efforts have been appreciated.

We are surrounded by every day heroes.  Why not take an opportunity to say, "I appreciate you." to a hero in your midst.

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

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Sandra

Beans - A Photo Essay on Personal Transformtion

About a month ago I felt that I really needed to spend more time in prayer, meditating, thinking, reflecting and listening.  It is so easy to allow our routines and habits (even the good ones) to constantly dictate our actions.  It is even easier to allow ourselves to be influenced by the people we are surrounded by: at work, church, in social situations and at home.  Without realizing it we begin to adopt the attitudes and behaviours of those around us.

So, in order to undertake this time of solitude, I adjusted my routines and curtailed certain activities and eliminated others completely.  What I was able to create was time and space in which to ask the important questions and listen for the answers.  I was able to be still and quiet.... what a luxury.






S. King-Allikas



 It takes a deliberate effort to avoid living and looking like everyone else.




S. King-Allikas



 Taking time alone to reflect on our personal values and goals helps to us to align our lives with our values.



S. King-Allikas



 One of the benefits that I've noticed of spending more time in reflection is that some of my old belief systems and ways of thinking that once formed a hard shell have begun to be peeled away.





S. King-Allikas

Solitude, reflection and rest have allowed new ideas to germinate.



S. King-Allikas

New ideas and ways of thinking are the seeds of transformation.  Fresh perspectives lead to living authentic and creative lives, lives that are uniquely us.

 

 



S. King-Allikas

 Becoming the best version of ourselves isn't a selfish pursuit.  Our authenticity allows others to be released from their limiting shells as well.

 

 

 



S. King-Allikas

 Fully actualized and developed people are each unique,



S. King-Allikas



 they bring their best to their relationships and to the world. 

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day full of fresh ideas,

Sandra