I`m a Bad Blogger.......

Wow....Spring is finally here. An unusually chilly one though.
I`ve been busy working and too tired when I get home to blog really. I think I`ve run out of things to write about. Also any time I`m on the computer it`s doing research looking for specific things and with slow internet....oh boy! Hours wasted LOL
Hubby is making a headboard from a picture for our bed and then later the footboard. When that`s all done and we`re finally able to find some nice wood appliques, I`ll post about it.
For now, here`s Elvis and Tatum for you Judy :) Tat is such a happy little guy and already 7 months old! Off to work soon. This is one of the rare unfortunate days that I`m working in the afternoon. But these days I`m thankful to have a job.
Hope everyone is doing good.

Moving Things Around

Tatum is 5 months old now! He`s really growing fast and so sweet.

I have a "what do I put of the shelf?" window problem. The plants don`t match at all and I`ve now moved them. I brought the dark pink flowers out from the bedroom for the table for now, until I can think of something else. They are springy anyway and add colour. The chest is from the hall. I wish I had another round picture for the other side of the window. Maybe I can find one sometime. I love that Pears Soap dog. He`s from the kitchen.

This was painted gold before and I decided to make it more garden-like with some acrylic paints and water.

It`s now sitting in the window looking lonely LOL
This mirror went from the bedroom to the kitchen and now the end of the frontroom.


This is another project waiting to be done. I found this heavy Ralph Lauren Khaki stripe online really cheap.

Lots of plants in the kitchen. That stone vase was $15 at a vintage shop downtown Toronto. Picked it up when we went to visit my daughter. It can hold water well for flowers or plants. I stuck an artificial one in for now.

Sunday was my first day off in 13 days and I got a lot done. Removed two cupboard doors and lined them with fabric stapled on. Some jagged lace is what I have in mind for the edges. The under sink cupboards are coming off next and a skirt to replace them when I get the fabric and the energy. I do have the rod already hehe.

I hauled in this old mirror from the spare room and put a print on either side. They need frames yet someday. And moved over a bit. I shoud wait until things are the right way before I post pictures really, but hey, this is real life and I`m decorating "on a dime" or "a dollar" these days. I`m trying for a country style French/Italian/English look LOL Besides, my blogging powers have poorly sunk since I first started out and it`s easier and faster to slap up pictures than use the brain power for Toe Tales or Theodore tsk.

The dog print has now moved above the computer table. I made a skirt and stapled it on around and brought in an old lamp.

Teddy turned 22 this month and though scraggly looking, he`s still got some spunk left in him. I had this crystal hainging in the window and when I changed the curtains it fell on the floor and became a toy.

I`ve saved the best pictures for last :)

Been So Busy Working and Decorating

I replaced the clock with a poster that is on canvas and fitting over a piece of wood. I don`t dare show you the back because my quickest way to do that was to use hubby`s red tuc tape(chuckle)
I hung it from a cord that is not showing here yet.

Kathleen at http://theinspiredroom.net
The Inspired Room bought some lovely tea towels and made some pillows and they looked so pretty that I decided to search some out. I found these and they fit the bill. I hope she doesn`t mind my using her wonderful idea.
I finally tossed out my broken down lop-sided computer chair and hauled out one of the old bedroom chairs. Being rose it didn`t match, so I threw a throw over it. Threwing a throw worked too hahahe!

Painted the chair dark brown that`s in the front room and wrapped a "one day when I have time, I `ll make a pillow cover" piece of stripe over it.

Been working over time all weekend but Elvis says hi :) May your week be blessed, who reads this and happy week ahead. This dog`s gonna relax for the rest of the night :)

Uncontrollable Pillow Extravagance and Yummy Lemon Chicken

I didn`t like the green pillows I made. They looked nice in the picture but in real, they just weren`t cutting it.
So spank me please....I went to E-Bay and found what I really wanted instead of making do with any fabric I had.
A set of two Ralph Lauren pillows from the states that with shipping came to errr ummmm....$75.47 Canadian :(
And one beautiful and finely made tapestry dog pillow cover from England for errrr ummmm $52.17 Canadian. Luckily for that one the shipping was cheap!
Here` the back and fronts of the two Ralph Lauren pillows. I adore Ralph Lauren....


And here is the tapestry one that looks like my sweet Ben dog...

In this close up you can see that it isn`t done cheapely...

I`ve bought some walnut coloured paint to eventually paint the wicker chair in front of the window back to it`s original colour again. Then I`ll add a natural coloured cushion.
Lemon Chicken with Egg Noodles


Ingredients (serves 4, but we ate it all!)

500g chicken breast fillets, cut into 5cm pieces
1 tbs soy sauce
1 egg, lightly whisked
35g (1/4 cup) cornstarch
80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
70g (1/3 cup) white sugar
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 squares of noodles (those long thing sqiggly ones)
couple handful Chinese Cabbage cooked and drained
red pepper chopped
green onions and onion greens chopped
brocoli

Method
***** I used some chicken breast breaded fillets I already had. You can pop them in the oven ahead of time then when cooked, chopped them into thirds and dunp in with the veg mix in a wok or fry pan**** (just make sure the chicken is called breast meat and not called white meat because white meat is just formed chicken.

From Scratch Chicken....

Combine chicken and soy in a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to develop the flavours. Combine egg and 2 tbs of cornflour in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Drain chicken and add to batter.
Heat oil to 180°C in a wok over high heat (when oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 15 seconds). Add half the chicken and cook for 3 minutes each side or until cooked. Repeat with remaining chicken, reheating oil between batches.

Veg

Place chopped onions, cooked cabbage and red peppers and bits of brocoli in some olive oil and saute, adding cooked chicken pieces to heat them up again.

Lemon Sauce

Combine the remaining cornflour, sugar, stock and lemon juice in a small saucepan and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Cook noodles for approx.4 minutes.
Transfer noodles to serving bowls. Top with chicken and veg and sauce and a slice of lemon.

Couldn`t post without adding sweet Elvis this time!

Have a nice rest of the weekend.
It was actually a lot warmer here today and some of the snow melted. On the news there were a whole whack of starlings that have flown in around this area. Very unnusual so maybe they`re telling us we`ll have an early spring. Fingers crossed.....