Observations

The other morning as the sun was peeking over the tree tops and casting long shadows on dewy lawns; I grabbed  my camera and headed out just after six a.m. for a quick walk.  I got some nice shots but this is the only one I really wanted to share with you.

Close up of a wild rose
S. King-Allikas

Sometimes I am in awe of the intricacies of a simple flower, the colours, textures, the way the light filters through the petals. 

How often I look without seeing, without taking the time to really notice.  How often I listen with divided attention and miss really hearing... birds..... the wind in the branches.... people speaking from their hearts.  It is only a moment but then the moment is gone. 

It is a challenge to be open, to see, to feel, to listen, to be present.  My mind wanders, it grumbles and finds fault, it makes judgments and creates worries.  As some wise person has said, "The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master." 

As this new week begins, may I be better able to still the chatter of my mind.  May I be able to listen to the quiet beneath the noisy surface and to see more deeply than what my eyes alone observe.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

Wishing you a peace filled day,

Sandra

Minimalist Kitchen Renovation - Update

Since my last post where we installed wide plank pine flooring, I have painted the walls of the kitchen.  I painted the rough plaster walls white and the other walls blue.  For the past month I've had paint swatches taped to the kitchen walls so that I can assess what each shade looked like in various light throughout the day.

There were colours that were okay but it wasn't until we were in Ontario last month that I found my perfect blue paint colour at Lowe's.  It's a Valspar brand paint colour called "morning chill".  Our local renovation centre scanned the colour to match it.  I loved it on the paint swatch and I love it even more on the walls. 



Blue Kitchen Walls



Hand-painted wall motif

I decided to re-paint the motif over our arched kitchen entry to better co-ordinate with the new wall colour.  This week I hope to get the baseboards and quarter round painted and installed. 



Zack indicating where baseboards are needed.

Our kitchen renovation may be minimal in terms of expense but it is taking plenty of time to complete.  Sometimes I feel as though it is the job that never ends.  Today, however, I felt a little better after reading an article in the Montreal Gazette in the "HomeFront" section. A Montreal family was interviewed about renovations on their 1950's semi-detached home. Describing an extensive second renovation of their kitchen the owner said, "After a decade, we realized that it wasn't a very practical work area.  You have to live in a space for a while before problems emerge." 

See what I mean?  Our relaxed renovation pace has allowed us to live with the space, to really consider what is practical for our specific needs and lifestyle.  We've nixed a lot of ideas over the months that, had we completed the job quickly, would have been a done deal.  We moved around cabinets, tried a potential window seat, different sizes of kitchen tables, we've changed our ideas on lighting and on sink/taps a couple of times and don't even ask about countertops... I think we have finally have an idea nailed down, but I can't be sure.  We sometimes get side tracked but always come back to the questions "What do we need to do in this space and what is the simplest way to accomplish that while still creating a space that feels welcoming and is authentically us?"

The remaining jobs include: baseboards, painting cabinets, new cabinet handles, countertop, window trim and a new door to the lower level.  That shouldn't take us too long, should it?

I will certainly keep you posted!

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

Wishing you a relaxed pace day,

Sandra

D.I.Y. - 50th Birthday Personalized Message Necklace

DIY 50th Birthday Necklace
S. King-Allikas

Recently one of my favourite people celebrated her 50th birthday.  I wanted to create for her something as special and unique as she is herself. 

I thought it might be nice to make her a necklace and interspersed between the beads would be 50 little slips of paper, each with a message of why I appreciate her, special memories and funny reminicences. 

At our local art supply store I found a "Pandora style" 18" necklace and purchased 26 beads.  I typed out my 50 messages and cut them into strips of various lengths and using a single hole punch, made a hole at one end.  I strung two messages between each bead for a total of 50 messages. 

Think of all the reasons that your friend is so special to you.
S. King-Allikas

Here is the finished necklace.  To wear the necklace she just needs to tear off the slips of paper.

Black & White DIY Birthday Necklace
S. King-Allikas

 

Personalized Message Birthday Necklace
S. King-Allikas

 

Plan on finding or purchasing a good size shallow box so that the papers don't get bent during wrapping. 



Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a gem of a day,

Sandra

Prince Edward County - Ontario

Prince Edward County Sunset
S. King-Allikas

Not to be confused with Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward County is located south of Belleville, Ontario.  "The County" as it is referred to by locals, is a home to dozens of wineries, farms, quaint towns and huge sand dune beaches (Sandbanks Provincial Park).  Although it is only a four hour drive from Montreal, it is a very well kept secret and few people from this province have ever heard of it.  Shhh...  

My husband and I spent a week there recently.  We rented a private waterfront cottage (actually a lovely home with all the ammenities one could want -Cottage Rental ) and spent a week touring the county's back roads, cycling, kayaking, soaking up the sunshine, scenery and peacefulness of this idealic location tucked away along the shores of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.

If you haven't already decided on a vacation destination for this summer perhaps these photos will inspire you. 



Once a hops farm, this is one of the barns on the property of Gilead 66, a local micro-distillery
S. King-Allikas 

Stroll along the sand dunes that tower over the waters of Lake Ontario
Sandbanks Provincial Park, S. King-Allikas

Enjoy gorgeous sunsets from a waterside deck
Prince Edward County - S. King-Allikas

Prince Edward County Sunset
S. King-Allikas

 

Why not consider a long weekend or a week away this summer.  Escaping our daily surroundings and routines allows us to come back refreshed and more appreciative of all our blessings. 

 

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

 

Wishing you a lovely day,

 

Sandra



A Minimalist Kitchen Renovation - Update

Paying for my sins of the past.... peel n' stick tiles.  

When we purchased our house twenty years ago it had a vinyl tile floor in the kitchen.  I grew tired of the pattern and put peel n' stick tiles directly on top of the original tile; then about a decade later I did the same thing again, more peel n' stick on top of peel n' stick.  It looked fine and no one was the wiser...until now.

We decided to remove those two layers of peel n' stick tiles before we installed our new wide plank pine floor.  What difficult, messy work that was.  I put in a few hours with a hammer and chisel but my husband did the bulk of it (about 15 hours worth!). 



Removing old peel n' stick tiles with a hammer and chisel

 

Removing peel n' stick tile - slow, messy work

 

It was slow going and so for about two weeks sections of our kitchen floor where the tile had been removed, were super sticky.  Our solution was to roll out lengths of waxed paper to create little "paths" to the sink, the fridge the kettle.  As long as you stayed on the waxed paper path you were safe; one false step however and you might have to leave your shoe behind.  Our dog, Zack,  quickly learned to stay on the paper paths!



All the old tile removed - if you look closely you can see the waxed paper paths

Last Saturday with all the tiles, baseboards and trim removed, my husband and our dear friend, John, set to installing the pine planks. We had chosen a mix of 10 inch and 6 inch wide planks for a more authentic farmhouse look.  The planks are tongue and groove and while some where finicky to fit together others went together really easily.  The wood was pre-stained and pre-treated so once it was installed the job was complete.



wide plank pine floor installation in progress



pine floor - pre-stained and treated



pine floor - installation complete

I just love the colour, warmth and texture of the wood.  Because it is a soft wood, it will get nicked and dinged and yet that is what will give it even more character and charm as the years go by.  And if we, or the next owners, ever want to remove the floor, it will be a much less frustrating task than removing peel n' stick tiles.

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

Wishing you a lovely day,

Sandra

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