Bits and pieces

I thought i'd share a few pics from my little abode here in the meadows... they're not so green anymore, but rather are more brown and a few leaves lay scattered here and there - the garden weeds been killed off by the frosts and my roses in the gardens have had their feet tucked in with a blanket of dead leaves and soil to ensure that they survive the coming winter. And yes, indeed, winter has come to some parts of our fair province, but with the exception of a few little flurries, Hamilton has mostly been spared the wrath of winter so far. But i'm sure it's not far away - you can feel the coolness in the air and today was the first day i had seen sunshine for any length of time in a few weeks (it's entirely possible i was not really looking also... i tend to do that a lot - look but not really see!). And life marches ever onwards - there never seems to be time to sit and meditate on things - on how many changes have occured this year again - new home, friendships, opportunities, frustrations, family members - and so much more. My cousin recently talked to me about trying to simplify life - cutting down on the things that fill our lives with busyness and focusing on the things that matter and are important - first and foremost being our relationship with our God and Father. It is something i'm trying to work on - amidst the renos in the house it's difficult - but there's always time blocks - as a matter of fact, with no tv because it's packed up - i realize how much time that thing eats up - tonight i am sitting in my bedroom with my computer, a candle, Casting Crowns singing to me and actually taking some time to process things - how nice! I have to do this more often - good for mind, body and soul... anyhow, i'm not going to babble on too much more... i've thrown a few more pictures on here of the latest projects in the house... just to keep you up to date!

Before - in my bedroom - taken on one of my house visits before

purchasing my home... gotta love those curtains...The changed bedroom - it's not completed yet - but it is definitely more "me"... the hideous curtains have been banished to the basement - where i seldom venture when alone (what a chicken eh?? there be monsters...)
Renos in the bathroom - i finally got a plug installed for my hair dryer - i don't have to blowdry my hair in my bedroom in the dark anymore... how nice that people have gifts and talents to figure out an area of home ownership that i have absolutely no idea about - but i'm picking up a few little bits - i can talk about grounded plugs and "hot" wires now... though that doesn't mean i really know what they mean... i just nod my head and pretend sometimes...heehee...

My floors are being stripped (poor things) and redone starting Monday morning, bright and early at 8 am!! I am excited and anxious to see what they will look like... but that also means that the living room, dining room and the closets needed to be emptied and moved... not a little job - things are now empty and echoey - it was interesting to see things like this since when i moved in, there was the couch and other furniture already - now it's all stripped bare except my little carpet and it feels so empty and lonely... maybe this is the new style - minimalism... no chairs - just a bare floor and space to race around on a mini-trike if one so desired!! Sounds like fun to me - i'm waiting for someone to race with!

De-vine experience...

A few weeks ago, my dearest Mother and I decided to don our galoshes and head out to the backbeyond in search of materials with which to decorate our respective homes for the upcoming holidays. It was a chilly day with a good nip in the air, but we bundled up in our woodland best and struck out bravely. We were in search of some grape vines to build Christmas wreaths with, but along the way managed to pick up some great pictures of the beautiful fall woods and lots of other "stuff" along the way... I thought i'd share a few of my favorite pictur Aes from our little outing. I LOVE spending time with my mom, whom i learn so much from and when that is combined with a walk in the moody fall woods, it makes for a great afternoon out. I love finding things with Mom and watching her mind form a purpose for it - old twisted pieces of wood, prickly thorn branches, berries wilted by the frosts and pieces of barbed wire, all of which will find their secondary purposes in decoration somewhere, somehow. I also have to always marvel at the glories of creation - the dying away of things before the winter of rest and renewal. Enjoy!

I love this shot - probably my favorite of them all... so you get to see it first!

Below - Mom trying to push down a rotten old tree with her poky stick...no success!

Using all my might to wrest the grapevines from their hold in the tree tops - this particular vine had me determined to have it - since the effort required landed me on my butt not once but twice! That thing was going to come out no matter what!

Me and my long long probably 18 foot train - practicing for a wedding??
heehee, would be some sort of weird attire for a wedding!

Pull!!!! Through the mud, weeds, grass and gravel - the construction guys

must have been thinking - who are these kooks??!!

Yep, this is good old Mothers Street... sadly ripped to shreds by the massive diggers and excavators - who said that urbanization was progress never saw the mess that is now our former quiet little street - now the constant sound of "beep, beep, beep" of the dumptrucks is audible even when i chat with my mom on the phone... you nearly need a four-by-four to get into the survey - and mud boots are a must!

My dear mom and I... we had a great time poking around and

enjoying the creation around us!

I LOVE the mood of this picture - soooo moody and mysterious - you almost expect a tornado or a smuggler or some other ominous thing to be right around the corner...

An attempt to be artistic.. i kinda like it - but i'm always learning

about settings on my camera...

This picture reminds me of the Group of Seven - and their wonderful knack for capturing the rugged Canadian shield beauty... colour amidst the bleakness of fall!

Falling up...

Some fall pictures for your viewing enjoyment... what a gorgeous day we had today! I shared lunch outside with my mom, didn't have to wear a winter coat despite the fact that it's the first week in November and was even tempted to put the air conditioner in the car on.... What a blessing to share the beauties of the day and my little back yard with you all! Enjoy!
Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there wa s evening and there was morning, the third day.

Choices, choices, choices

Welcome to Style at Home with Danielle... the show where the homeowner makes a zillion choices in an hour and completes her home decor - making everything matchy matchy and creates a feeling of ambiance and warmth which makes her feel at home. Hmm... okay, not quite so crazy, but the last few weeks have been decidedly full of choices. And also of confusion as to which detail to start things off with... hmmm... does one first purchase the sofa of choice (would you like wooden arms, puffy cushions, firm seating, a matching chair or a cheap price tag to complicate matters) and then the rug (would you like cotton, man-made, foreign, eco-friendly or make-it-yourself rugs?) to complement it, then the drapes (floor length, panels, rods or hooks, see-through or opaque?) to match the rug, or the couch or the walls... arrrggghhh, sometimes the options are limitless. I definitely don't want to turn into Martha Stewart, nor will i, but there are times, like today when we walked into a lighting store (oops, i forgot to mention lighting in my little tirade!) and i nearly wanted to run out of the store with my hands waving frantically and erratically whilst i screamed out my mental agony with cries of "aaahhhh, i've seen the lights!! Okay, it wasn't so bad, i am getting into this whole decor thing and it is kinda fun... though i'm always glad to have a second person along with me to bounce ideas off of - Mom is great for that - we talked about so many little things that i even had forgotten about - what, you have to paint a ceiling? Or, oh, is there a difference between paint brushes - i just bought ones off of the shelf last time? Aaah, well, come on over some day and see where we are at - slowly but surely ticking little jobs off of the ever growing to-do list! Any and all ideas and suggestions welcome...

I'll take a poll on which colour towels everyone likes...
I've seen the light and the light and the light and the light....

Nope, it's not a marking for a crime scene unless it's a decor crime

perhaps to put scotch tape on a hardwood floor???