Getting Organized

When we were down in Tucson a couple of weeks ago, we made a trip to the Michael's store and picked up a few things. Stefanie and Heather picked up these fabulous organizers but there were only two left, so alas, I couldn't get one.

Lo and behold, I was at my local Michael's store (in Dixie Value Mall) this past week and they had them in stock. And they were 30% off! So of course, I had to get one. They were available in three colour choices - I went with the zebra stripes.

Don't you just want to rush out and get one and fill it full of...stuff???

Yum!

Debi was right, that scone that I picked up yesterday at Taylor's Tea Room in Dundas was Delicious with a capital D. I ate it this morning with the peach jam and Devon cream. At first, I told the waitress that I didn't want the cream but Debi made me take it with me and told me to give it a try and boy, was it good! I've had high tea with scones and cream before but as I remembered it, the cream was not very sweet but this stuff was so tasty and really went well with the peach jam. Although now that I read this Wikipedia entry, I see that I had my ingredients layered on the scone in reverse, I should have had the jam on top of the cream:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotted_cream. I don't think it detracted from the taste one bit!

As you can see from this photo, the scone was huge. Debi had warned me that it would be filling. She suggested I not eat it unless I was able to take a nap afterwards!

I ate it off my King George and Queen Elizabeth I plate, drinking milk from my Queen Elizabeth II mug, while watching this week's episode of Coronation Street on the CBC this morning. I know, I know, it should have been tea for it to be the proper British experience but I don't drink tea (or coffee), so milk it was.

Like I said, Delicious with a capital D!

Back to B.O.C.

I finally made it back to Beads of Colour in Dundas today, which I have been meaning to do since my first visit to this lovely bead store with my friend Heather back in August (see post of August 19th - http://cynfulcreationscanada.blogspot.com/2009/08/beads-of-colour.html).

Since then, I have met the owner of the store, Debi Keir-Nicholson, although I had to go all the way to Tucson to do it! She also attended Kate McKinnon's PMC workshop in November, so today's visit was planned so I could return a vest to her that she had left behind in Tucson and we could do lunch. Which we did, at a lovely little tea shoppe called Taylor's Tea Room. The food was delish and I brought back a scone with me which comes highly recommended, along with some peach jam and real Devon cream to go with it, which I am planning to savour while I watch Coronation Street tomorrow morning to get the authentic British scone experience!

We then took a stroll along King Street in Dundas. Lots of beautiful old buildings and storefronts, I had to keep asking Debi to stop so I could take another photo. I loved this old post office building, which is actually for sale, if you can imagine! (I bought a lottery ticket on my way home, just in case). Wouldn't you love to own a building that has a clock tower? I don't know why but for some reason, I believe I would.

Check out these three storey buildings. Dundas must have been a prosperous town back in the day when these main street structures were built, as 3 floors seems quite a lot for that time period. Debi took me inside one of the stores in this section, Heirlooms, which is currently a bridal shoppe but used to be the hardware store. It still has all the old wood inside, including the counter and beautiful wide planked wooden floors. Even the ladder that they used to use to climb up onto the shelves to find some piece of merchandise. There is also a beautiful wooden staircase at the back of the shop. A lot of the wood is painted a baby pink now, which is rather a shame but at least it looks pretty with all the wedding gowns. Sadly, I didn't take any photos inside - I know, what was I thinking? Or not thinking, in this case! Next time.

After checking out a few more stores, including the thrift shop (where I picked up several old books to use for art projects in the near future and Debi got a little electronic piano toy for her grandson), we then strolled back to Beads of Colour, to spend some time chatting with Chris, who works with Debi and where, as you can see, I did remember to take some photos inside the store.

All in all, it was a lovely afternoon! Thank you, ladies!

The Perfect Closet?

I had intended to post tonight about what I was doing this past Wednesday night that so occupied my mind that I almost forgot to blog, but I have decided that that story is not yet ready to be told, as I have a beginning and a middle but the proper end to the tale is still in formulation.

I can tell you that it involved a trip to IKEA. Two trips actually, as I first went last Saturday with my sister but came home with much less than planned and ended up going back on Wednesday night to get what I wanted.

While we were there last week, we came across this closet display that they had set up:



Is this not the most perfect looking closet? The room itself would have to be quite large, based on this layout, as it is basically the size of a small to medium bedroom, but can you imagine having this much space to store your clothes? Preferably only one person's clothes, because let's face it, if you had this kind of closet, you'd be reluctant to share it!

I think this closet really appeals to me because it is so tidy and organized. If you could see the jumble that is my small walk-in bedroom closet at the moment, a picture of which I am reluctant to post out of sheer embarrassment (okay, it's not that bad but it is rather dishevelled at the moment), you'd understand why the size and orderliness of this space is so desirable to me right now.

I am feeling a great urge to get things organized. I'm not sure why. Is it part of the hibernation urge that we Canadians go through this time of year? Perhaps it's the thought of the many cold winter weekends approaching, when I know I shall be tucked up indoors not wanting to go out into the frigid air and my plans to spend that time getting things sorted in my home. I'd like to know where things are, and be able to put my hands on something quickly and easily, instead of rooting through boxes and under piles and amongst jumbled drawer contents every time I need something.

This is my plan for the next few months and slowly but surely, I shall achieve this goal. In fact, I believe I shall start with my bedroom closet. I shall dedicate some time this weekend to bring a little order to that space. I've got a much bigger organizational project in mind for Sunday (related to the as yet unrevealed IKEA purchase - can you stand the suspense?) but I might be able to squeeze in the hour or so it will take to do the closet tomorrow. Yes, that would be a very good way to begin.

Things are Busy

I surprised myself yesterday by almost forgetting to blog. The thought literally didn't cross my mind until I was just about finished brushing my teeth and ready to climb into bed late last night (okay, it was just past 10:30 but for me, that is late!). It was a bit of shock, as I've been blogging daily for so long now, it is very much a part of my routine, my daily schedule.

I'll tell you more tomorrow about what I was doing last night that kept my mind so occupied but in the meantime, I'm headed off to my last creative art journalling class. I'm sorry to see the class come to the end but I have to say, it's been a busy few months for me (and many others, so it seems) and I'm looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet and shorter to-do lists in January. In the meantime, there are presents to be bought and packaged up for mailing, cards to write, gift wrapping to be done, jewellery to be made...okay, let's not go into all that right now.

What I'd really like to be doing is lazing about in a pool in a warm climate. Sort of like these guys:

A Beautiful Poem

Many thanks to Stephanie Lee for sharing this poem today, it really struck a chord with me:




THE GUEST HOUSE

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Barks

Love Is All Around

Remember the opening song from the Mary Tyler Moore show back in the '70s? "Love is all around, no need to waste it". (I always thought the next line was, "you can never tell, why don't you take it?" only I have just discovered that it is actually, "you can have the town, why don't you take it?". Say what?? Not sure I'm too keen on the true lyrics but...moving on...)

Alternatively, there is that song by Wet Wet Wet from the movie "Four Weddings and A Funeral" - "I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. Love is all around me and so the feeling grows..."

My friend Sharon posted a picture on her blog the other day (see link for The Psychic Cottage on the right hand side of this blog) of this cheerio she found in her cereal bowl a few weeks ago. Actually, there are a couple of postings on the topic - one back on November 9th about how she found the cheerio but didn't have her camera, so she saved the cheerio in her desk and then another on Nov 26th describing how the person who sits next to her at work had a camera in the office so she asked him to take a photo of this cheerio. The story is probably funnier if you know my friend Sharon, she has a reputation for not being your typical co-worker and I mean that as a compliment, but anyway, the point is this: she found this cheerio with a heart in the centre.


Which in turn reminded me of a cactus we saw in Tucson a couple of weeks ago. My friend Heather noticed that one of the holes carved in this saguaro cactus by a nesting cactus wren was actually heart-shaped. Can you see it? The one second from the top?

I like to believe that sometimes the universe likes to send us little messages. Like when you're driving at night and all of a sudden a street light winks on or off. Maybe it's true, maybe it isn't, but some days, it's nice to think there is someone or something out there sending you love and good thoughts.

Sharon put this quote on her blog and I wanted to share it with y'all - “Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you.” (Jon Bon Jovi )