Dry skin and other ailments

With the onset of cooler weather, the humidity in my home is not what I want. It's too darn low! With the level hovering at around the low 20's lately, I am concerned that this low level will affect my hardwood floors and make it a very uncomfortable winter. I've already started to notice tiny gaps in my floor - grrrrr.... So I purchased a humidifier today - a whole house humidifier. This will hopefully fix my chapped lips and keep my hardwood floors looking pretty.

Here is my Honeywell HE225 and installation to be done soon....

Christmas Time is Near!

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, I thought I would decorate the outside of the house for my first Christmas. It doesn't look too bad I think - for a first timer....

Dining Room - Finally!

After months of searching, I have finally selected my dining room set. On the advice of a friend, I checked out Prestige Furniture in Orleans early one Saturday morning. I browsed for a bit and after speaking with Robbie, saleslady extraordinaire, I settled on the set you see below (minus the sideboard / cabinet). As well, I purchased 4 chairs and the bench. Unfortunately it takes approximately 8 weeks for delivery so I have almost 6 weeks to prepare the room.



A few months ago, I attended one of those art sales at the Centurion Center on Colonnade Road. To say it was a zoo would be an understatement. With doors scheduled to open at 11 am, people were lining up early, ready to go. Doors opened and the stampede ensued. I managed to get in and get out in a mere 40 minutes with two paintings for the dining room. Unfortunately at the time, I did not see any dark frames that I liked so a new search begins.



I was back and forth on the dining room rug issue. Do I or don't I? I finally decided "I do". On the advice of Robbie, Prestige saleslady, she recommended I go to a carpet store and purchase a "border rug", which is a piece of broadloom with a stitched border. I decided to check out my local Home Depot and was not prepared - my 6' x 8' rug was only $49.99! Not wanting the rug to overtake the decor, I settled on a very light green rug, which will complement the paintings and the dark floor / furniture.



I had purchased a set of ready-to-hand curtains from Bouclair however I believe they conflict with the paintings so I will return them for a solid color curtain. I'll post when I have decided.

As well, the search for the perfect light fixture continues.....

Next Project - Dining Room

Well, I've decided to start to tackle the daunting task of furnishing the dining room. Yesterday, I went to a local lighting store in a half-assed search for a light fixture for the dining room as the current fixture is just a cap. I found a couple of options and am looking for feedback:


Living Lighting - Hendrik





Living Lighting - Lacey

I know...it's been 4 months...

Well, it's been a while but I'm back! The last 4 months have been crazy and it's been great! I LOVE my new house and my new neighborhood. The proximity to work and all amenities is convenient and makes life so much easier. I've included a few pics of the new digs...



This is the street view. The sod is a few weeks old and the paved driveway is 2 weeks old. The house faces west so I get the nice warm afternoon sun. This will be very nice in the winter - in the summer, not so much as it heats up the main living area. But with the trust A/C, this summer has been bearable.



This is the master bedroom. It may look small but what you can't see is the dresser to the left as well as a walk in closet and an entrance to the master bathroom. I have two windows - one facing west (seen in the picture) and other window facing south. Since there is another row of townhouses directly to the south, my blinds stay closed permanently.



This is my living room. I've tried to keep the colors neutral in all areas and add snippets of color through accessories such as draperies, pillows, rugs, etc. I love this room as it is an open area with the dining room and the kitchen.



This is the kitchen - from the point of view from the dining room. The breakfast bar is great for having breakfast and reading the newspaper on the weekend. Excuse the mess...the picture was taken on the spur of the moment.

All in all, its been a whirlwind 4 months but as I settle into my new home, the headaches & frustrations have all been well worth it.

Two weeks later

Due to popular demand, here are a couple of pics of the new pad.



This is the view from the street. Note the lovely grey garbage bin that occupies the front lawn. However, it has been moved to the other side of the street. Same thing goes for the port-a-potty that has moved down the street as well.



This is probably one of my favorite places to hang out. With the addition of the two new bar stools, it's a great place to sit and just think. The missing cabinet door was removed due to a scratch that was noticed during PDI and should be returned any day now.



Ahhh - the master bedroom. A good sized space with not one but two windows. Note the craftsmanship with the curtain rods - courtesy of Poppa. He's a good handyman!



The master bathroom - another great room! With a cheater door off the master bedroom, anyone who occupies the bedroom has their own entrance which is nice when guests are staying overnight.

On another note, I think I broke my toe (the little piggy that had no roast beef) last night. I was clearly not paying attention to what I was doing and smacked into the chair. It's turning many ugly colors and although I do have a picture, it's gross and do not want to subject the masses to my pain.

Getting there....

Well, since I've had a break in the moving action, I thought I would post an update on what's been going on over the last few days.

Closing day came and went with little hoopla - simply picked up the keys and headed over to the new digs. After basking in the afterglow of home ownership, I headed home and decided to pack up the car with a load of home furnishings. It felt so good!

Wednesday proved to be a productive day as I met with Adrian to review the PDI list. To my surprise, almost half of the items listed on the PDI had been fixed. Over the course of the day, another 7 trades showed up to fix additional items. Very impressed!

It's been a flurry of activity with at least a couple of carloads a day over to the house. Movers come on Wednesday so I want to make sure as much stuff as I can carry is over there by then. And I think I'm pretty much there. Car loads have also been taken to the Salvation Army and to the curb for garbage pickup.

Shopping for home furnishings has also been worked into the mix! I have picked up new accessories for the bathrooms. They are Moen Preston and I think they're simple but elegant.



Moen Preston Towel Bar (18")




Moen Preston TP Holder

Today, I picked up a couple of bar stools that I have been eyeing for a long time. They are counter height and will go well with the breakfast bar. They have an Asian flair but are not too over the top. And surprisingly, they are really comfortable!



Stay tuned - more to come....