And Now...Drumroll Please...A Giveaway!!

I am very excited to be offering my very first giveaway! And it's a good one!

I was recently contacted by a company called My Memories. They offer an award winning digital scrapbook software that is extremely easy to use. They asked me to test it out and then review it on my blog. As a reward, I get to give one copy of the software to one of my readers!

My Memories Suite is rated no. 1 by Amazon and TopTen Reviews. It lets you easily create digital scrapbooks, photobooks, cards, calendars and gifts for very little money.

I started scrapbooking some years ago. I love the idea of telling a colourful story with pictures. However, every time I wanted to work on my scrapbooking, it meant taking out all the supplies like paper, glue, scissors, ruler, markers, ribbons, buttons, glitter and various accessories, etc. and spreading them out on the kitchen table. By the time I had everything selected, cut and ready to assemble, a good chunk of my time was gone and all I produced was one page. Then, there was the cleanup. Putting every bit away and picking up every tiny piece of paper remnants. Not to mention running to the store and buying tons of supplies that I probably won't all use up. I soon got tired of this and you guessed it, the scrapbooking stuff is sitting somewhere in my basement, collecting dust.

With My Memories, I was able to quickly create a few pages in no time and the best part, no mess! This is so much more fun!

I've been wanting to make a photobook of our Paris trip and this program is perfect for it. Here's the cover page for it that I created with My Memories:

I also started an album for the kittens I foster:

This is a very versatile program. You can even make personalized calendars:

You can also create custom made cards, add your own pictures, messages, etc.:

There are literally thousands of elements to choose from. And as if that wasn't enough, you can purchase extra themed packages from their online store and they are very affordable. Some are even free! Really, your imagination is the limit.

You can even create an album with music and videos that you put on DVD to send to family and friends who can view it as a slide show. Weddings, christenings, graduations, birthdays, the possibilities are endless!

So here are the rules to participate in this giveaway to win the software package:

1. You must follow this blog.

2. Go to My Memories' website and choose your favourite digital paper pack or layout, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which one you chose.

3. For even more chances to win, follow My Memories on their blog, Facebook and Twitter:

    Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
    Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
    Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!! Even if you don't win the software, you can still be a winner! You can take advantage of a $10 off discount towards the purchase of My Memories software suite. All you have to do is copy the code on the top right of my blog and go to My Memories's website to apply it to your software purchase.

I will announce the winner next Friday, using random.org's random number generator. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

Note: This is a sponsored giveaway. My Memories compensated me with a software package to review their program,  however my review is completely honest. I do enjoy the software!

Done and Done!

It occurred to me that I never posted about this chair. This post was a long time in the making. 

You see, I bought this chair many years ago at an antique shop. I had it for so long I believe it moved with us twice! It stayed in the basement all that time, waiting to be refinished, along with the numerous U.F.O.'s (Unfinished Objects) collecting dust down there. I believe we all have those?

 She has pretty legs, doesn't she?

As you have probably gathered by now, things happen slowly with me. A few years after I acquired the chair, I finally ordered caning supplies. These only went through one move.

Well, lo and behold, last winter, I said to myself, "Self, it is time." So I taught myself to cane. Yes I did.

Here you have Liz Lemon The Cat supervising. She was totally fascinated with the strands being weaved in and out. Small things.

The pegs help hold the strands in place. It's quite the process, back and forth, left to right, over and under. I made plenty of mistakes. I had to start some rows again. The strands would sometimes break. Gaaah! Definitely an exercise in patience.

And here it is finished! If there are any caners out there, I know it's not perfect, but please be kind. It's my first attempt!

I gave it the ole tush test though and it passed! No small feat with my tush!

It sort of looks like I know what I'm doing, right?

I painted her with Annie Sloan Old White, and did a little distressing, keeping the look simple.

Here she is in all her glory!

And last but not least, I finally took her to Rustic and Refined Interiors to be sold. 

It took many years but I got her done! At looooong last. Which just goes to show you that you should never give up on all those U.F.O.'s. They all get done. Eventually.

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Linking up to:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Wow Us Week-End at Knot Too Shabby

Harlequin Romance Table

Good morning Folks!

It is definitely feeling like fall now. We turned the heat on a little bit, to take the chill out of the air, it's raining and the wind is blowing, bringing down a considerable amount of leaves with it. Time to put the flip flops away and start wearing long pants, sigh! (On the plus side, I don't have to shave my legs so often, teehee!)

I found this little art deco demi-lune table at a garage sale for a song:

I painted it with ASCP Country Grey, followed by the clear wax, but I thought it needed a little something something. I had just found this Inka Gold gilding wax at a local craft store, which I bought in three colours: Old Silver, Gold and Old Gold. I was dying to try it and I had to think of a way to make this little table a little more glam.

This is what I came up with, diamonds set in a harlequin pattern:

It was easy to do. I started by putting one piece of tape in a carefully angled way, then I used another piece of tape as a spacer between each piece of tape. Then, I crisscrossed the other way.

I applied the wax with a soft cloth. I used the Old Silver, which has a gold undertone that makes it rich looking. This wax is like any other wax: you let it dry and then you buff with a soft cloth. Easy peasy and the results are beautiful! I like the fact that it offers a nice, subtle contrast.

This table is now for sale at Rustic and Refined Interiors.

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P.S. - Stay tuned: I will be having my first giveaway shortly! It's a good one!

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Linking up to the following parties:



Ivy and Elephants




Potpourri Friday at 2805

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

From Drab to Fab End Table

I found this end table at a garage sale. It was nearing the end of the sale, the time where the sellers are getting tired and don't want to take back in what's left over, so this is usually a good opportunity to negotiate.

And thus this table was a really good bargain.

I don't have a before picture unfortunately. Does this happen to you, you are just too eager to start and you forget? Either that or the fact that my garage is full to the rafters with furniture to redo and I just lose track of what I have photographed. It's a serious issue, folks. Thankfully, I have rescheduled my appointment at Rustic and Refined Interiors and hopefully I can finally make some room! Hubby will be thrilled. (Did I ever tell you what a patient man he is?)

Just imagine it a drab brown. Boring. Ordinary. But still very solid and lots of life left in her.


And so it got a coat of ASCP Old White, then I stencilled this design in French Linen. I followed with some distressing and a mixture of clear and dark wax to make it look slightly aged.

 

Did you notice something different on my pics? Yes folks, I am now up to speed on how to put a watermark with Pic Monkey on my photos, thanks to today's post by Suzan over at Simply Vintageous. Sometimes, it's just a matter of someone pointing you in the right direction. Some people get there sooner, and other folks like me take the long way there, lol! But I will get there and prove that you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks!

Linking up to:

DIY Project Parade

Wow Us Week-End at Knot Too Shabby

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Time to Shine at Diamond in the Stuff

Chalk Paint Link Party at Shades of Amber

Monday Muse at Carter's Cottage

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

On a high note

Last week I was so thrilled to have found a place that would take in my furniture. I was all set to bring my items to Rustic and Refined Interiors this past Tuesday, but it turns out life had other plans in mind for me.

My father had been in the hospital sick with cancer for several months, and though we knew the end was near, nobody knew precisely when. The call came last Sunday.

I'm here in Ontario and my family is in Montreal. I'm far and it's hard to get away to visit, so I felt helpless. I wish I could have been by his side. But then again, I had made the trip a few weeks ago. When I saw him then, even though the disease somehow made him suffer from a form of dementia, we were still able to have a good conversation and share some laughs. When I left, I said I loved him and deep down in my heart I said good-bye as I knew this was the last time I would see him...I'm at peace knowing that my last words to him were "I love you".

This week was a whirlwind: travel arrangements, getting the girls home from university, making arrangements for all the furry critters at home, packing, etc. Once in Montreal, I was the one to go and make all the funeral arrangements with my stepmother. Then the dreaded funeral day came. Getting dressed. Going for breakfast. Arriving at the funeral home. Greeting visitors. Making small talk with people you don't know. All the while trying to hold it together.

I did fine until the end of the ceremony. My brother was in charge of the music. You see, my father loved jazz and classical music. And so, very appropriately, my brother chose "What a Wonderful Life" by Louis Armstrong to conclude the ceremony. At the best of times, that song touches me to the core of my being, but on that day, it was the key to the floodgate. The tears came uncontrollably. My sweet daughter came to sit by me and held me.

Through my tears, I tried to focus on the words, and I then realized that my father did have a wonderful life. He laughed. A lot. And he made so many people laugh. He was a "bon vivant", a jokester, always coming up with a line, always trying to crack you up. Everyone who knew him said it. In fact, he ended all our phone calls with a joke. On a high note. And by the time the song ended, I was smiling. Remembering the high notes.

Have you ever noticed how Louis Armstrong also finishes the song on a high note?

"Ooooh yeaaaah!"

A fitting tribute.

Rustic and Refined Interiors

I found a new, wonderful store in Waterdown, Ontario, that sells repainted furniture:

 I paid them a visit, introduced myself and explained that I loved to redo furniture and would they be interested in taking some of my pieces. One of the owners, Bobbi-Lynn, asked me to email her some pictures, which I promptly did when I got home. I got a reply saying they were impressed and willing to take any and all of my pieces! I'm thrilled beyond words! I'm looking forward to a long, successful working relationship with them.

They sell more than furniture, as they also take in many different items handcrafted by local artisans. I love the whole concept of the store and their philosophy on upcycling rather than discarding.

Here is the link to their website, so you can view everything they sell.

www.rusticandrefinedinteriors.com

I also made jewelry for a while and tried to sell it on Etsy, but there are so many other jewelry sellers on Etsy, my sales were rather slow. So I mentioned to the store owner that I also made jewelry and she asked me for pictures. After viewing the pictures, she asked to also bring in the jewelry so she can take a look. It would be great if they decide to sell it, as I would love to get back to making jewelry during the winter months, when it's too cold to paint in the garage, lol!

Here are a few pics of my jewelry:

 If you're ever in Waterdown, Ontario, drop by Rustic and Refined Interiors and say hello!

Nicole
xxx

Random musings and bit more of Paris for you

What a lovely day it is today, just a bit cool, perfect for being outside. Tomorrow, we're going to spend the day with our daughters who are at university about an hour and a half away from here. Can't wait, I miss them so much! It's been so strange and lonely having both of them gone.

Thankfully I'm keeping busy by painting furniture and I also took on a new Mama cat to foster for our local animal shelter. Her name is Kisses and she had three beautiful kittens on Monday. I saw two of them being born. What a special treat. I so enjoy watching them grow.

Unfortunately, one of them took sick yesterday. She wasn't thriving, she was dehydrated and her breathing was laboured, so I called the shelter and we made the decision to take her to the vet. She is now in an incubator being treated and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. She is seemingly feisty so this is giving me hope.

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I thought I'd share a few more pictures of Paris with you. I took way too many, because I wanted to remember every sight, every bit of the beauty I witnessed. Paris has such a rich history, there are visual treasures recounting it everywhere you look. I wonder if Parisians, in fact all Europeans, get blasé with it all or if they appreciate the wealth of culture and history that surround them. I'd like to think they do. I know I would.

A window display at the famous pastry shop "La Durée", a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate.

The famous gargoyles at Notre-Dame

A beautiful door handle gracing someone's home

Details of the Alexander the III bridge, probably one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. The bullrushes light up at night.

A ballerina posing in front of the Eiffel Tower. I wanted to have the focus on the shoe and the Eiffel Tower blurry in the back, but the ballerina moved right after this shot. (I have a fascination with pointe shoes, so this was a delightful photo op for me, combining two amazing elements!)

The vault that runs around Place des Vosges

 A pigeon sunning himself on the edge of the patio at the musée d'Orsay, with Paris as the background. You can see the white Sacré-Coeur church way back on the top of the hill, in the Montmartre area.

Beautiful marble detail on the floor of the Pantheon.

 Metro entrance designed by Hector Guimard, master of the Art Nouveau style. (Similar to a metro entrance in Montreal donated by Paris, in the same design. I blogged about it here.) I absolutely love Art Nouveau.

Mosaic details of a church in Montmartre

Close up of the entrance to the Palais de Versailles, honouring the King Sun.

Details of a door at the Palais. I just love the colours! 

I will have to paint some furniture in these colours.

 Marie-Antoinette's intertwined initials on the stairs at the Petit Trianon. Such history!

Swans just enjoying the pleasant weather in one of the fountain pools at the Palais. Not a bad life.

 The ceiling and chandelier at the Opéra Garnier. The ceiling was painted by Chagall. The chandelier weighs several tonnes. This is the opera house that inspired The Phantom of the Opera. There is actually a subterranean manmade lake under the Opera! We didn't know what to expect when we visited the opera, but we were wowed by it all! Quite an amazing place. Next time I would love to see a ballet there. The theatre is so spectacular, it's just as much a part of the show I think!

A gelato ice cream cone, but no, they don't just serve you a scoop plopped on a cone, they make it look like a rose! How civilized!

Young people spotted on our nighttime Seine cruise enjoying a meal and some wine, and raising a cheerful toast to us. There is quite the night life along the Seine!

So much to see, so much to do! There was never a dull moment. I'd go back in a heartbeat!