Ch-Ch-Changes - Part 1

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

Lately I've been feeling quite tired. It's partly because I've just been so busy for so very long and I don't see much of an end in sight. I also haven't had a real rest for a very long time.  The latest forced period of rest was due to being sick with the shingles and in a great deal of pain so that just tired me out more than anything.

I have some plans for very short trips before the end of summer so we'll see how that goes.  Of course I'll share scenic photos when I'm on my way or when I'm back.  I love taking scenic photos.

In the meantime, here at home I'm still beavering away on making a lot of small changes to the home. I've got got plans for some medium size changes a little later this year. There's only so much that can get done in a given week. It's an achievement just to get the gardens in on time.

This year my home garden was planted by my brother. Thank goodness. I was stricken with shingles and couldn't do much besides sleep so he decided to weed and garden for me.  He also had to buy a lot of soil first to add to what was already there.  I didn't go crazy on buying plants because the garden is going to undergo stress very soon when Phase 2 of the patio renovations begin later this month.

Part of the patio garden

One thing I chose for the balcony garden was a small rose bush called Maui Sunrise. It's already given me a lot of joy with its big showy blooms and plenty of beautiful colour.

A few weeks before getting sick, I planted the plot at the community gardens.  In truth it really hasn't done well. It's been overridden with invasive plants from elsewhere so I've been doing a lot of pulling up rather than a lot of harvesting.  It's too sad looking to post a photo here. In fact, I don't even think I took a proper photo of it this year simply because it looks that bad. But at least I've tried.

Here are a few photos of some of the small home decor changes and DIYs around the house.

New shelf for the primary bathroom

New shower curtain for the primary bathroom

This one comes with tassels. I still need to steam the wrinkles.

New shelf for the master bathroom.

New shower curtain for the master bathroom.

I recently purchased a very thin summer blanket and a white linen/cotton bedspread. It was proving time consuming and difficult to make the bed every day. I bought the new duvet cover and put the thin blanket inside. You can see it's still lumpy but it's a bit easier to make the bed. The bed looks so small in the photo but it's actually a queen size.

A new striped bedspread & pillowcase.

Fresh Rabbit's Paw Fern for the living room

New bathroom fan/motor

New bathroom light fixture

The master bathroom also had a lighting upgrade but I cannot find the photo right now. The below photo is the former look with gold finish. It's now a matte black finish. Some of you will remember when I changed out several of the door knobs from gold or brass finish to black.

Another bathroom project was restoring the master bathtub. It was looking so dirty where the anti-slip adhesives were affixed to the tub. It looks newer now and the drain ring and overflow cap which showed a lot of wear have been replaced.

Before

After

I'll continue to work on the bathtub after the caulking and regrouting have been redone in both bathrooms.  I'd looked into replacing the tub with a shower but the price was absolutely ridiculous.  The company that gave me a quote was asking for an amount which was more than sufficient for an entire bathroom redo but it was only to replace the tub. I know there are better prices out there but for now I'm going for a temporary fix just because there are a lot of bigger projects yet to do in the kitchen, dining room, living room and both bathrooms.

New kitchen cabinet knobs

Old kitchen cabinet knobs

New combo oven/microwave.

The cabinets got a good scrub but they are always in need of a good scrub. The grimy grease collects so easily even though I wipe everything down on a daily basis.

There are a number of projects which I want to complete before the end of the year. Let's hope it all goes well. I've discovered I am not a big fan of home renovations and decorating. It takes too much time, energy and money but sometimes you just have to do it.  My long time readers will know that I've already made a lot of small changes over the past 2 years or more. But this year's changes are more wide-ranging and hopefully will last longer than the former changes.

Home Sweet Home ~ Tuesday 4

Hello!  Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where each week we are asked to consider 4 questions on various subjects.    The goal is to get us thinking, considering, talking and getting to know ourselves and other bloggers.

1.  In some places people name their homes or properties. What would you name your home and why?

I haven't named my home and I have no plans to name it.

If you would not name it, why wouldn't you?

I'm just not the type of person to name things.

2.  Are you more of a romantic or a pragmatist when it comes to your home or apartment's decor and color?

I'm a pragmatist.  I've always tended to buy things I like at an affordable price point. These days I still do that though I often have to restrain myself from spending more.  I have basically everything I need and things are mostly functional.  I do need to purchase some larger ticket items like appliances and possibly furnishings in the next few years.  I like to 'soften up' all the practical items with all kinds of textiles and plants but the plants don't last long in my home due to heating issues and lack of natural light. I confess that I would probably spend far more money on higher end, sometimes higher quality furnishings but I simply don't feel good about spending because there are just too many other good 'causes' that are more worthy.  I think it's important to be a good steward of what we have and that includes our income.

3.   Do you have enough room in your home? Storage space, kitchen cabinets?  What would you add or subtract from your home?

I like space. A lot of space.  I've always liked a lot of space though I don't really, really need it. I live in the heart of the city where space is at a premium.  My home, though on the smaller side (not quite 1000 sq. ft.), is actually quite a lot larger and has more storage than a lot of the condos on the market in my city and surrounding areas today.  Even so, I'd like far more cabinet and closet space and a bigger outdoor space with a shed to keep gardening implements and furnishings when not in use.

We do have a storage locker in the basement.  This is where I keep things I don't need to access very often and things I need to deal with at some point.  For example, I have a lot of the photos my mother had. She had many and a lot of them are ones I gave her. Before I can whittle them down I need to have a lot of time to just focus on them. Thankfully I've already whittled down a lot of my own.  In the storage unit I also have things that belong to a brother and one of my nephew's. We also keep things like a moving dolly and tires which need changing out a few times a year.

Indoors, the closet spaces have to keep hats, coats, boots, shoes and clothing.  Since I have no linen or other closets, I also keep extra things in the closet spaces including all my hobby items, extra blankets, linens, suitcases and so on.

Little by little I'm getting rid of excess and to make sure it doesn't build up again I have also reduced what I purchase.  Once these tasks are more or less done, I'll look into purchasing a storage sofa and/or a storage bed.  This would really help to keep all the extra pillows, sheets, blankets and let me get rid of a blow up bed.  My DH believes that what we have now, is better quality than most of what can be purchased these days and he's right. It's more challenging to find what we want in good quality without also spending a lot more money.  In any case, I've really been restraining myself from both major and minor purchases. It's probably wiser to complete my decluttering and downsizing to see what is left before I spend more on storing things.

4.  Is your place really home sweet home ?  Would it be hard to leave it ?   Are you firmly rooted in your abode or would you move if a better opportunity came your way?   

My home is comfortable and cosy enough.  Whenever I've had people over for a meal or to stay they've told me that. I've also been told that my home is very peaceful and this makes me happy because I strive for comfortable, cosy and peaceful.  I usually have a patio garden as well but didn't have one last year. The garden gives me a lot of joy though I do find it a lot of work since I don't consider myself a true gardener. I do it because I have a decent garden space and I do love colour in the garden in the summer. It's a wonderful place to enjoy during the growing months.

I will enjoy my home more after I've sorted and decluttered many items I'm currently storing in the living areas.  I keep them there to remind me of what needs doing and when I get the time I will deal with it.  Until then it remains as visual clutter and causes me discomfort.  I'm very slow about doing what needs to be done because I'm juggling a lot of other things at the same time.  I keep plugging because I am making progress.

I am quite firmly rooted in my abode.  I live in the heart of the city. I have a beautiful view from my patio and front rooms.  I life within easy driving, walking or public transit to virtually everything I need.  I also have storage space and a parking space which in this city are premium amenities.  However I always keep my eyes open for something else that may appeal to me at the right price.  

Things I'm looking for: a unit that isn't up too high (I have to be able to get out if there is a fire), and has access all on one level, easy access to shops especially food shopping, access to public transit and services, a nice patio, not too close to other buildings such that another home owner can readily see into my unit, car parking, lots of indoor space, good storage and not in need of renovations.  It would likely have to be in an older building that already has a renovated suite since the newer units are very small with even less storage space than I have now.  So far I haven't found a place that comes close without it costing a whole lot more.  If I do find something to consider, my DH would of course have a look at it and see what he thinks. He is pretty easy going about most things and he often has an interesting perspective that helps when it comes to making final decisions about household and other matters.

In closing, I'm very interested in reading what others have to say about their spaces.  Thank you for stopping by.

Organizing & Small Decor Changes

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

This is a continuation of my decluttering and reorganizing efforts.

I'm so happy that at long last I've been getting to little bits of clutter that doesn't seem to have a permanent home. I should throw it all out but that is not like me, ha ha.  Instead, I stash it and hold on to it.  Now at last I'm going through it, sorting, organizing and disposing of it as needed. I can't tell you how good this makes me feel because these little bits stashed in bags and containers of all kinds is so much visual clutter.  

Visual clutter as opposed to hidden clutter, makes me uncomfortable and anxious every time I look it. I don't have hide away places where I can stash everything until I'm ready to deal with it.  That's probably a good thing. I want things 'out' so it's easier to access them and organize whenever I have a few minutes here and there. That time is now.

Tuesday and Wednesday I dealt with clutter in the living room and organized the TV cabinet shelves. I've still got too much 'stuff' housed there but I did get rid of a large bag of books and CDs & I will be getting rid of more. 

I've got a CD player or two and so I can still listen to them. I have a lot of study materials on them so I've kept those that I want to study soon.  Mainly foreign languages and Bible studies. 

Does anyone out there still listen to CDs?

I also continue making small decor changes. Although the changes are small they take so much time to research or consider products, order them, assess how they are working and package, return and reorder them as needed. Here are some of the recent changes.

This one is for paper recycling.

Replaced shopping bags with covered bins for recycling containers and papers. I got the new to me Sterlite bin from a woman in the neighbourhood. Previously I thrifted a covered Ikea bin which I'm using for containers.

Replaced the blue scatter mats (as in the photo above).  Every time I look at these mats in the entry way and kitchen I cringe a little because the edges are becoming quite frayed and the white-ish gray colour is looking 'dirty'.  I'm loving the lighter, brighter colours in the new mat and I hope they last for a while.

Covered chairs with slipcovers to bring cohesion to 2 different coloured chairs in 2 different styles which I've now put close to one another.  First I tried gray slipcovers.  They were supposed to be a light gray colour but instead they were quite dark. I returned them for this beige colour which I prefer.  The problem is the covers aren't quite long enough to cover the bottom of the chairs. I've ordered another style and I hope they will work better.

I've ordered a different type to see if it will work.

Replacing old outlet covers with new ones. No amount of washing the grooves made the plate look clean. It's hard to wash the switches. They need to be changed or removed to be washed and dried properly. I figure if I am going to remove them or have them removed, they may as well be replaced. Only a few need the switch mechanism changed but this is actually quite a low priority in the long list of things to do.

Old cover

I'm also still dealing with a few items from the recent renovations to the master bedroom and the patio. 

I have to review the patio work and complete a deficiency form. This is straightforward because we've been reviewing the work throughout the long renovation process and little changes were made here and there.  On the other hand, the movers involved in moving our furniture in and out, have damaged 2 items.  It's taking time to deal with because they don't want to pay for replacement costs. On my part, I don't see why I need to shoulder the majority of replacement costs. Hopefully this will be dealt with before the week is out. I'll be glad to put both of these issues completely to rest!

Last but not least, I'm busy moving things around trying to make things function and flow better. Of course that makes it easier for us to live here but I'm also expecting a guest soon. I sure hope I can have her soon because I don't want her to travel on the mountain roads during snowy or stormy weather. Winter comes early in the mountains.

If you're still here, thank you for stopping by. Your visit means a lot. I'd be interested in hearing whether you too are on a downsizing, decluttering and reorganizing mission? Have you jumped on the minimalist bandwagon or are you a maximalist? I would say I fall into the maximalist camp but I am trying very hard to reduce my possessions to live a life of less maintenance of 'stuff' and more freedom.  One thing I've noticed as I've been taking photos to share about the small household changes here and there, is that the photos reveal the flaws in furniture and the interior of the home (walls, corners, paint and so on). I'm finding it helpful in figuring out where to make small adjustments and repairs as well as identifying what areas need more cleaning.

New Faucet Installation ~ Part 1

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope your week is going well.

The other day when I was out doing errands I purchased new faucets for both bathrooms. 

I couldn't wait to install them. I've never installed faucets before but I've heard it's a simple job.

Have you ever changed a faucet? Was it a simple job?

When I started the installation I found it very difficult to loosen the big nuts.  I could also see that the small bolts holding the faucets underneath the sink are completely rusted so that might make them difficult to remove (as in the experience with changing the toilet lid cover in the main bathroom recently).

This simple job is going to take more time than it should.  Normally my brother would help out, but he's very tall and it's a very cramped space in which to work.  There's no way he will have room to splay out in the tiny bathroom or be able to fit underneath the sink.  My husband might fit, but he's not home until quite late. I hope I can manage it myself. Wish me luck or say a prayer.

Tuesday 4 - Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

 

a 1939 Living Room

 Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

This week the subject is Your Home.

1. What kind of home do you have and does it need repair or improvements this year?

I have a smallish condo (986 square feet and a deck that is 518 square feet) in the heart of the city. It's handy to everything I need.  I can walk or take a short bus ride to where I need to go and this is a major factor in why I purchased the place.  

Over the past year I've made some cosmetic changes to refresh my home (painting, changing out door knobs, bathroom shower curtains/cabinet knobs and towels).  But major improvements are needed in both the kitchen and master bathroom.  I would like to replace the kitchen cabinets and counters and convert the master bathroom tub to a shower but it's doubtful those changes will be made in 2023.  I would also like to change out the flooring throughout the condo but the other changes are more important. 

New shower curtain and of course new towels are coordinated with the colours.

New door knobs. The old ones were gold colour that had worn off.

2. How do you accessorize your home inside and out?  Plants, art, books, wall hangings, maybe music in the background?

I do accessorize my home both inside and out. Outside it is primarily with an outdoor dining table and chairs for enjoying an outside meal or relaxing. I also plant a lot of container plants.  

In the front rooms the colours are mainly earth tones (beige, orange, gold, deep red an pops of black) whilst in the master bedroom and bathroom the colours are various shades of blue and some complementary colours (white, burgundy, rose pink).  Basically I kept the same colours that were in the unit when I moved in though it has been repainted a few times over years.

Inside I try to have plants but there isn't enough warmth or light for most of them to survive, let alone thrive.  The plants are always changing because I buy more when they eventually die off even though it is a waste of money.  Lately I've been wanting large artificial plants to fill some corners. Though I did buy one it turned out to be far too big so I returned it and my search continues. I also have ethnic art, wall hangings like soapstone plates and calabashes from Africa, mirrors, lots of books and a few knick knacks.  I love music but no longer play it for the home since the CD player went the way of the Dodo bird.  My computer doesn't have a good stereo set up to play the music for the home so I mainly just listen with headphones whenever I have some down time.  I have a lot of crafting supplies and so they are stored in every nook and cranny or bin I can find. It is a challenge and I've been trying to pare everything down but still save what I hope to use one day in the not too distant future.

 

 3. What objects reside on your coffee table? Night stand? Side tables? Kitchen/Dining table?    

I had this ladder custom made and ordered it wider than their standard.

Artificial flowers with fairy lights fill the space in a dark corner.

The side table holds the phone and a place for pens, paper and coffee/drinks. I also have some storage containers on the other side of the sofa which has space on top for someone else to place their refreshments when visiting or relaxing. The dining table is always covered with a tablecloth and usually has a centrepiece of some kind. At the holidays, the centrepiece is usually a seasonal one.

A Christmas display of artificial flowers.

 

4.  Do you like your kitchen organized and with counters cleared off or do you prefer to have  the things you use often out on counters?     Do you mind  what some might see as clutter or do you hate having to dig out tools and appliances  when it comes time to use them? and prefer to have them within easy reach?

above : a 1940's Kitchen.

I dislike clutter and am doing my best to get rid of it. If I had adequate space in the kitchen I would prefer to have everything organized and put away but with easy access to tools and appliances since it's a pain to get them out and put them away if you use them often.  For now the kitchen hasn't been my priority for decluttering but eventually I will get rid of a lot of dried goods and things I haven't used for a long time. In future I hope to also be more selective about what I buy that needs to be stored. It's been a process of learning as I've also been making so many changes to diet and cooking over the years.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to read you soon!

Word of the Year - 2020 - 2022

 

As the new year begins I thought I would take a moment to review my words of the year for the past few years and see how accurate or helpful they were. 

Theme Word for 2020

In my search for my theme word I discovered I didn't have one! That was the year that things got off to a very bad start when my nephew and the horse he was riding were struck by a moving train in a blinding snowstorm. At the time (and continuing to now), we have been unable to make a road trip to where he lives or to where any other loved ones live. As the year progressed, a lot was accomplished including reading a record number of books, sewing and mending, a bit of painting and furniture rearrangement, setting up a shelving unit to act as a kitchen pantry and a significant amount of decluttering which included copious amounts of paper and documents.

Theme Word for 2021

Completion was my theme word for 2021. I chose this word because I had been in the middle of trying to accomplish many things for a few years and progress was not fast enough for me.  I felt I needed to complete some things so I could move forward.  It turned out to be a good word for the year and I accomplished a lot of the things that had been on my list for a long time. 

At the start of the year I set a goal of reading 45 books, a reduction from the previous year.  The reading goal was again reduced to 25 books with the idea that I could accomplish more around the home if I spent less time reading.  However I ended up reading a record 69 books. I don't read as voraciously as some people but I usually have a book on hand for the quiet times or late at night when I am unwinding.

In 2021 I also limited the time spent on crafting.  However, I did make a few dishcloths to keep in my stash which dwindles at birthdays and at Christmas. I also completed an afghan throw as a Christmas gift for a dear friend. She surprised me by saying she had been waiting patiently for me to make one for her, lol. She had seen many other afghans I had made and gifted to family members and other friends.

One big digital project I wanted and needed to complete took up almost half of the year.  Completion date was far past the original timeline of mid - January 2021.  It was early June 2021 before it was all done. Several other people were inputting and so the delays were caused by their other time constraints.  Needless to say I was thrilled when everything was finally concluded!

That digital project needed to be done before I could commence a larger scale digital decluttering project. To date I've deleted thousands of photos and documents, unsubscribed from countless online newsletters, blogs and vlogs and unfollowed multiple social media accounts. I've always had an innate curiosity and desire to learn new things or keep on top of subjects and issues. These days I no longer have the energy or time to do it all.  Like many other people, I am trying to focus on the things that matter most although I admit to still trying to do too much.

Beyond the digital realm, I accomplished a lot in the physical realm of my home.  The decluttering of all things large and small continued along with a few modest decor changes which I had started late in 2020. Some of the decor changes included:

•    Unpicked, washed, re-stuffed and restitched a few kapok cushions
•    Purchased a blanket ladder for the living room
•    Purchased 4 new to me dining chairs to replace the antique ones I gave away
  
•     Purchased a lot of planters and plants
•    Purchased a small chest freezer 
•    Purchased a new lighting fixture for the dining room   
•    Purchased 2 area rugs (dining area and living room) and blackout curtains (living room)
  

 

I got long curtains to reach the floor

This is to replace an all silver fixture

Two area rugs which are interchangeable between dining and living rooms.

 

These projects had been on my list for a very long time but I either didn't have the time or the budget. Even seemingly simple things take so much time.  For example, the kapok cushion refurbishment sounds rather simple.  But it took a good week or more to unpick the cushions, take out the stuffing which flies all over the place, wash the covers, refill the cushions (again the kapok flies all over the place) and stitch the cushions back up. I also had to go to the fabric store to buy muslin to make more covers and check the on line shops for a few, new cushion covers.  It's a 'small' project but altogether the time commitment put me off of it for some time. I'm glad it's done now.

For the other projects, I needed to make time to sit down and scour the internet for best prices, then try to coordinate colours through photographs before buying. Inevitably something ordered does not work and you have to try something else. It all takes time.  I wanted to spread the purchases out over several months so it would not have negative impacts on helping people through the Kenyan Missions of Hope. Feeding people and getting them medical care is far more important in the long term than whether I get a blanket ladder or an area rug. But in 2021 it all came together and I was able to spread out the purchases (most are pictured above) over the year.  This helped the budget. I've written about most of the above in various posts during the year.

The intention of all of changes made in the home is to make things "cosy" and to 'finish' the spaces.  I also wanted to open up space in my small home and use it more effectively.  The purpose of something like the chest freezer is to take advantage of sales on fresh and frozen foods and from time to time to cook and freeze ready meals. 

I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is for me to decide on what to buy.  Not just because of cost but also because my decor style is rather eclectic. Consequently everything looks like a 'mish mash' and doesn't always go together the way I'd like. I'm trying to change that.  Since I'm not a spender when it comes to home decor and I don't tend to change things every year, I need to try and stick to a theme I can live with for awhile. I chose ethnic/tribal bohemian.  This way I can incorporate plants, some of the African items I picked up in Kenya and some of the First Nations pieces I've had in my possession for awhile.  I hesitated in this decision because once I decide to sell, I think some people will have an issue with seeing beyond what I have in terms of decor. These days people seem to like the hotel look where I live and it has been trending for long. In any case, that is what I've decided and if, and when, the time comes for selling, I can pack up some of the pieces and store them away.

A lot of outstanding paperwork was also done in 2021.  I'm mostly caught up but still have to sort and shred a lot of paper. I also have more work to streamline the closets full of clothing and shoes. This job seems to be a never ending one because I've been giving away things for years.  The problem is I keep buying clothes and shoes due to weight gain then weight loss over the years.  I expect to lose more weight and so I see more clothing purchases and clothing decluttering sessions in my future.

In conclusion, completion hasn't been fully realized in 2021 but the majority of things that needed action were acted upon.  I was also able to clear away a lot of old things and whatever is left will likely be dealt with much more quickly.

Theme Word for 2022

Now that 2021 is over, I've decided to pick a new word for the year.  My new word is "refresh".  The meaning is to "give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate."

When I think back over the past 5 years I realize I have been through a lot. The death of several close family members and friends, near tragic accidents of loved ones, personal health challenges, an accident in late September, responsibilities with the Kenyan Missions of Hope, and a global pandemic over the past several years have all been a bit much to contend with.  Prior to that, I had many very emotionally and physically taxing demands relating to care giving of two now deceased family members. I have responsibilities for one family member.  I don't regret any of this but the time demands did mean that I had to put a lot of my own life and needs on the backburner.  Some things piled up which now have to be dealt with. 

I am grateful for everything I've experienced in my life, the good, the bad, the ugly. It all made me who I am today and every year I hopefully learn and grow into the person I'm meant to be.

I'm very grateful to God for helping me through everything and keeping me strong enough to deal with what was on my plate.  I will continue to move to complete things in 2022, but I am also moving into a rest and refreshing stage.  I have some ideas about how I will go about it.  My story is to be continued as days, weeks and months go by. 

~~~

 "Maybe you're not perfect, but you're willing to actually look at yourself and take some kind of accountability. That's a change. It might not mean that you can turn everything around, but I think there's something incredibly hopeful about that."
--Brie Larson

 "[I]f you are grateful for your life ... then you have to be grateful for all of it. You can't pick and choose what you're grateful for."
--Stephen Colbert