The Point of No Return!!!

My recent success with bathroom DIY has led me down a dangerous path:  I’ve decided to tackle the hideous kitchen cabinets!

They’re white melamine with an oak-ish strip at the base of each door.  One decorating blog politely referred to them as “lower end” cabinets popular in the 80’s.  Don’t get me wrong, I like me some 80’s culture–Top Gun is my favorite movie and my hair is naturally big.  However, Maverick and Ice Man are the only 80’s touches welcome in my kitchen.

I’ve completed step one of this risky painting project–removing the doors that didn’t have stripped screws (the others will be painted in situ) and lightly sanding them.  Next step: slapping on the super duper primer necessary for slick melamine surfaces.

Since going door-less doesn’t work for someone with my hoarding tendencies, a complete kitchen remodel isn’t in the budget, and I’ve just destroyed my cabinets with sandpaper, failure isn’t an option.

Wish me luck!

Going Grey!

I’ve got DIY fever!

I painted my dated bathroom vanity.  This was more involved than you might think as it involved removing the doors, drawers and hardware and then putting it all back together again once the pieces had dried.

I painted picture frames, wooden ornaments and even the mirror frame.  For a couple of days, I was painting machine and nothing was safe from my roller.

Now it’s finished, my normal summer schedule of Netflix and naps has resumed…until my next project.

I’m thinking a grey kitchen would be nice.

The Breakfast Twin

My Boy is a cook at MacDonald’s for the summer.

I occasionally (most days he works) turn up at the Golden Arches for a coffee or a smoothie.  Because the kitchen is open concept, I can watch him toiling while I await my order.  I don’t know why, but this makes me happy.

Yesterday he told me he knew I’d been in.

“You saw me at the counter?  Why didn’t you wave?”

“I didn’t see you,” he said, “but I made your Egg McMuffin.”

“I didn’t order an Egg McMuffin.”

“Someone ordered one with no butter or back bacon.  That wasn’t you?”

It’s heady stuff to learn I’m not some lonely weirdo who annoys restaurant staff with her complicated orders.  I have a breakfast twin!

 

Say Hello to Jiminy Cricket!

I try to do my bit for the environment.

My car is ridiculously fuel-efficient, I keep the thermostat turned way down through the long Canadian winter and I reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.

However…I’m a long way from embracing insects as a protein source.

To be honest, I don’t even want to buy non-bug food that was processed at the cricket factory.

The Eyes Have It!

The walls have ears, but the beach stones and driftwood have eyes!

 

The Mini-Break

The moment school ended, S and I hit the road.

Our destination:  The Kingfisher Resort in Courtenay.

We partook of the amenities offered by this beautiful property–spa treatments, pool, hot tub, yoga, bistro and…the world famous Hydropath.

The Hydropath is a treatment like nothing I’ve ever experienced.  Guests progress through all manner of water features–steam room, five different kinds of showers (our Hydropath Guide warned us not to scream under the icy cold one!), a water walking track, saltwater pool, jetted tubs, and probably others I can’t even remember.

In between all this scheduled relaxation, we met and chatted with an assortment of–wait for it–teachers and principals who’d headed to the Kingfisher the moment school ended.  (I suggested an end of June teachers’ special to one staff member.)

My verdict:  It was a low key stay-cation, meant to restore and relax, but my soul was most soothed by the walks I took on the beach and the view of my beloved Powell River across the strait.