Sylvia's Simple Shots

Still spending time at home. Feeling a bit better I rest a lot and investigate boxes when I can.

I finally found my lace shower curtain while rummaging through fabric storage working on small sewing projects.

I remember the days of packing and at the end you just stuff things where they fit physically whether it makes sense in context.  Makes it a bit harder on the other end to figure out where stuff could be.

Very happy to have it hung in the bathroom in this place months after moving in.  I had bought a temporary one a while back. It will go back to the thrift store.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray was a book that kept me company this week.

A summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature's most notorious rakes, finally gets what's coming to him. 

Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party bringing together distant relatives and new acquaitances. When the opportunistic and deceitful Mr. Wickham arrives unannounced.  He has swindled many people of their money including some at the party. The weather is foul and Emma as host makes room for him to stay till travelling is possible. 

Mr. Wickham is found murdered in gallery.  Everyone must remain in the house while the investigation is taking place.  It is one of them but who? 

Juliet and Jonathan work together to determine who the killer might be.  They share their findings with the policeman. 

Reconciliations take place while these folks are isolated in the Donwell Abbey.

Things are getting sorted at home while I am still stuck at home.

I bought this small vacuum in September.  I still have a small carpet at the patio door, my chair needs to be cleaned regularly and lamp shades need to be cleaned. 

I am very happy with the machine.  It has a washable filter and the clear dirty container is great.

I finally this week figured out where it was going to live.  I hung it on the hook of one of the shelf brackets.

I used a metal shower hook which stays on the handle.

Done and dusted.  

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The tomato plant which my sister brought back at the end of June is producing fruit.  My Mom used to order seeds in February, start plants inside in April and put plants in the garden late May and got results in July to September.  That takes patience.

I did keep it watered and with good sun from the east for long enough each day I got tomatoes. There are still some to come.  Better results than the place downtown.

The marigolds are doing well too!

Very happy! 

I finished this book recently.  A Vintage Affair bye Isabel Wolff.

Phoebe has opened a vintage dress shop filled with wonderful dresses, coats, handbags, and much more.

She gets a call from Mrs. Therese Bell a french woman who is interested in selling some of her vintage clothes. They meet at the elderly lady's home and spend time going through the treasures. There is a blue coat though that is off limits and not for sale.

Emma is Phoebe's best friend who has recently passed away under very difficult circumstances. 

There are 4 men - A remarried father, Guy the ex, Miles the older man with a spoilt 16 year old daughter and Dan the color blind newspaper reporter.

The story has WWII backstory which I loved.  It all turns out well but not with a few curves.  Wonderful story!

With the help of my aunt's husband the shelf I prepared was installed this week.  

It helped to get stuff off the floor and put away instead of in the way.

It is all light stuff up there - coolers, plastic bags, the canner, and some paint boxes.

The brackets are from IKEA - Krokshult which I really love.  The shelf is smooth knotty pine from HomeDepot. I did have to put about a foot off the end.  I sanded it by hand and was really happy with the final result.

I attended the Allied Arts Council's Open Art Competetion reception on Friday night.

There are over 100 pieces of art in this and on the walls of the Spruce Grove Art Gallery. 

Wonderful evening - seeing fellow artists, good food, and good conversations.

The best part was having the awards in the Black Box Theatre where everyone could see the winning art, the artists receiving their prizes and all seated and comfortable.  What a great idea!  The theatre holds 175 and it was very nearly full. Great support for art and creators.

I did not have art in any shows this year due to renovation at the old place due to flood, listing and selling my place down town, buying a new place in the west, renovation the new place before I could move in, packing and moving, and then unpacking into a smaller place.

I brought the last of the moving boxes to the ReUse center this week!  Yeah.  It felt really good.

I found a cobalt blue plant pot at ReUse this week.  What an amazing find. No damage as far as chips or cracks.  

The inside and outside have evidence of the surface being affected by sitting in some kind of liquid.  That is near the bottom.

Not sure which plant will be placed in it but what a great addition to the living room.

I found a small cobalt blue votive holder which will be added to the couple I already own.  They will look great with candles inside.

I purchased a new to me shower curtain this week because the lace one has yet to show up from packing boxes despite there is very little left.  There are several missing pieces still.

I am sure they will show up but I was tired of seeing the bathroom looking unfinished so I bought one I could live with long term so the other one not appear.  I have been living with just the liner for months.

Beautiful green foliage at the bottom with embroidered butterflies stitching on going up the curtain. Very transparent so does not darken the showering space at all.

Five dollars well spent.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

This is the first time I found Foxglove in the neighborhood.

There were quite a few in a side flower bed.

I found this lovely light purple color and bright pink ones as well. 

I am so lucky to have neighbors who are flower growing.

The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne is a book I finished this week.

Daisy an Beatriz Davenport lived with their aunt Stella in Cape Sanctuary after their parents passed away.  She has provided a good home for them with all they needed.

Beatriz pushed the boundaries, got in trouble, married and had a baby way too young. Daisy was quiet, sensible, rational, and financially prudent.

They still live near each other.  Bea with her daughter Marisol. Daisy had married and her husband passed away after a few years and she was left his house overlooking the ocean.

The ex-husband returns with the man who saved his life and they each cause ripples in the these girls' loves.  Stella is surprise to find a man she gave up when the girls came to live with her has returned to Cape Sanctuary.   Most of the story lines were good. 

It was an exciting day on Wednesday June 4 2025 because I took possession of my new to me home.

I worked with a great agent who was with all the way through hoops and loops but we got there.

I have a lot to get done before I can move in.

Oh yeah, the Stanley Cup Final starts today as well.  

I know its going on but I don't have time for it. 

 

We will see what the final outcome is.

There were a few things I found left behind that were interesting.

Mirror tiles still stuck to the walls.  Many things were left on the walls when removed left a gluey mess.

A baseball, a guitar pick and even a 100 hundred dollar bill was found when the carpet was removed.

There was a lot in this place so I am not surprise not all of it left with the tenants.

There was not so great stuff left behind as well.

There was food in every corner of the kitchen.  

Most surfaces had oil, greasy spots, and evidence of cooking left behind.

The drip pans in the stove were just replaced rather than trying to clean them.  The clean up when I lifted the top of the stove was liquid, crusty, and totally disgusting.

Every inch of this place will need to be cleaned.

The possession date had been pushed back two days to allow for cleaning. I am not sure what was cleaned.

I am grateful the plumbing for the sinks was done.

I had the door rekeyed as well as the mail box key replaced.

Just a safety thing to ensure no one has keys laying around for my place.

I only received one FOB for the building so I had to purchase another.

Mark was nice enough to deliver one to me.

Great job.

This product was recommended by my sister to clean the not so clean tub.

Scrubbing Bubbles worked so well.

It is taking a lot of elbow grease and my right arm is very sore.

Lots of cleaning cloths, paper towels and cleaners.

The kitchen cupboards came out great after having a layer of oil and grease removed.

The laundry room had a layer of liquid laundry soap in the corner I scrapped off with a 9 in 1 tool.

I was very disappointed when I could not find a way to turn the shower on to rinse the tub after its first go round of cleaning.

After getting in touch with the inspector Colin he explained that it was a ring on the spout that diverted the water to the shower.

Who knew?  Certainly not me.

I tried it the next day after the second scrubbing session on the tub.

Success! Thanks Sarah and Colin.

I took all the baseboards off around that disgusting carpet.  

That was the preparations for the carpets to be gone.

The carpets are gone!

The adhesive and the gunk is also gone.

The crew of Joey and Mario did a great job.

On to painting before the crew comes back to install the vinyl floor.

The 2 man crew of Ben and Andre arrived early Saturday morning and we got to work.

I was just able to keep ahead of them to get all the glue off the walls where stuff had been stuck to the walls.  The grease stains on the walls from who knows what.

They will be back next week to finish up.

I am a hurting and exhausted person.  

Sunday is a day of rest so I can continue next week.

The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline was a book I finished before the insanity of this week started on Wednesday.

Vivian Daly, an Irish immigrant lived in New York in 1929.  Within less than a year of arriving there was a fire in their building and most of the family was lost. 

Vivian finds herself on a train heading west to find a new home.  She has several. Some where she is abused and some where the adoptive parents were loving and supportive.

Molly Ayer is 17 years old who has been in trouble with the law. She is assigned community service as a consequence.  She comes to help Vivian now and elderly widow go through the keepsakes and stuff in the attic.

They learn from each other and come to be family in a way. Great read!

Treated my aunt to supper.  

I picked up pizza from Famosa and it was delicious.

She has been very supportive and stored some of my stuff for a couple of years while I was trying to sell my condo.

Very soon all my stuff will be on the move.

Sylvia' s Simple Shots

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was read this week. My brother-in-law lent me this book as he thought I would enjoy it. 

This is the second book in the The Kingkiller Chronicle Trilogy.

The story is set in a fictional continent Temerant. The hero is the renowned Kvothe: an unequaled sword fighter, magician, and musician, rumored to have killed a king—earning the title Kingkiller. We learn about his early childhood where is loved, nurtured and educated by his parents and wise ones. When he is eleven he returns from the woods to find his parents and the full troupe killed by the evil Chandrian.  He survives on the streets. He is inspired to join the University to gain access to historical texts which may lead him to the Chandrian. He hones his magical skills, explores the subterranean areas below, makes friends and enemies.

During his time at the University he earns money playing his lute at the inn the town. He earns financial support based on his achievements. Denna, a musician, attracts his attention but she moves around a lot so a pursuit commences.  An excellent read.

I am so glad to be home! I have been away for 8 weeks while the asbestos was abated, the kitchen cupboards were rebuilt, the bathroom vanity was replaced and a bunch of painting and floor laying has been accomplished.

Things regular use and maintenance to operate properly. 

I got home to find the shower spewing water where it should not be.   I had to have a bath the first day, not my favorite.

I headed to the Home Depot where the fellows have gotten to know me pretty well.  This time I found the right washer and some Teflon tape to seal the connection.

Added the washer, wrapped tape on the threads and screwed the shower head back on to supply pipe.

Ah! The shower is back in operation.

I take showers all the time.  

A bath for me is when I have sore muscles and they need a soak to feel better.  I likely have 1-3 baths a year.

After making puzzles in my temporary accommodations I asked my self where I would have space to keep an unfinished puzzle.

My sister suggested a puzzle board on the dining room table.  A good idea.

I headed back to my favorite DIY - Home Depot and bought a piece of hard board cut at the store to be the exact size of the table top.

Generally, I keep a table cloth on the table so the board and puzzle can hide under there with no problem.

We had a party!

One of my sister's celebrate a big 0 birthday and invited family and friends to celebrate with her.

It was a great time to visit with extended family.

The food was great and company wonderful.  I was fortunate that one sister brought me and another sister brought me home.

I am grateful for the supper as I face getting my place back to a place where I can live again.

Things which were hastily packed will need to be unpacked and reorganized.

Artemis - Baby Gifts

The baby shower for Artemis is today but I am not able to attend.  I delivered my gift on the Easter weekend so Mom could bring with her when she goes.

The frame is the Creative Memories Black Mini Everyday Display, 8 x 8 inch magnetic frame.  It  provides 4 matching magnets, 2 mini clothespins, canvas-like white fabric -- great for thumbtacks, push pins, etc., an easel for tabletop display, a sawtooth hanger for wall display, and a clothesline ribbon.

The book I chose is the hard cover edition of God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren.  I love the wonderful watercolor images.

You can see the card I made for Artemis here.

Mosaic Monday - This Week

Left: The large rose is a nod to the coming Valentine's Day.  It is placed in a clear glass vase and photographed in front of a neutral background. 
Top Right: A ceramic glazed tile of tulips in blues and yellows - I wonder how it was brought to my house!! The colors were perfect so with a 30% discount at the thrift store it was in my bag. It currently has a brown frame so that will have to be replaced.  I now have a sunflower and tulips.  The sunflower needs finishing but I would not have thought of a wood frame so now I'm on the hunt for square wood frames. 
Top Middle:  A white heart ornament in a bowl of red balls.  Isn't great with stuff can serve for several holidays.  This heart is in a Christmas collection.
Top Bottom: The crepes served at the shower for the new baby girl in our extended family.

Wisdom for Couples Calendar

My nephew is getting married this summer and we had a bridal shower for his fiance a few weeks ago.  This is the gift I made for them.  I scoured the internet for advise for newly weds.  I selected 12 that I made into this calendar for their first year of marriage.  She is a very down to earth girl who does not stuff too frilly so I selected a barn board photo I took a while ago for the background.  I love the open red hearts I found on CLKER. 
 
I started the calendar in August which is the month they are getting married in.  I placed these nuggets of wisdom in a black 4x6 metal frame which set off the couple on the front nicely.  I hope that this will be a reminder of the important things while they work through their first year.  I'm sure there will be more good than tough but there will be some tough undoubtedly. 



I wish them a long and happy and healthy life together.

I know most young people manage their calendars with their cell phones rather than a paper calendar but I hope this one finds a place in their home where they can see it regularly.

Card - Shower Baby or Bridal

These were made from pieces cut trying out options for my umbrella card club at the end of the month.
The umbrella was cut with the Cricut and the Tie the Knot cartridge.  I cut the solid piece from metallic card stock then cut the open cut work one from grey card stock. I added a pearl white thread bow on the handle just below the canopy. The greeting layer was color printed in grey with a fine border. The layer was trimmed close to the border.  I added a layer of the same metallic paper to the 4.00 x 5.25" size then layered these onto a top fold grey card.
I'm thinking either would for baby or bridal.  What do you think?  Leave me a comment.