oliver rain

Introducing...

2009-12-27T17:17:00.004-07:00

A hip new coffee joint that just opened up in town...The Oliver Rain Cafe.

Please be patient with the barista. We'll be happy to prepare your espresso beverage, though we can't guarantee that it will taste any good. The learning curve is steep. The steamer will heat milk for a delightful hot chocolate however. We have mastered that skill.

It's a wonderfully relaxing place. You can play games.

Occasionally the house musician will play the guitar, or so we hope once he masters a few more cords.

There's also an in-house artist. All art is for sale.

We already have a few regulars. These kool krazy kats are ALWAYS around.

But they never get any coffee. Get a job you lazy bums.

Care to stop by for a cuppa sometime?

Ways to annoy your cat #6

2009-12-26T16:50:00.002-07:00

Yes it's true. They make Snuggies for dogs too. Lizzie and I couldn't resist buying one for grandma's papillons. However, we first subjected Oliver & Rain to the torture of the snuggie.

His laser vision burnt holes into my t-shirt.

He looks a bit resigned...poor thing.

Rain manages to look dignified and annoyed at the same time.

And we all emerged from the experience nary a scratch.

When dreams come true

2009-12-24T14:11:00.002-07:00

One of my holidays wishes came true!

I now have my own personal barista. Her name is Lizzie. And she brews a mean cup of joe.

May all your holiday wishes come true.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from the house of OliverRain.

Randolph the Red-Nosed...Horse??

2009-12-21T13:23:00.003-07:00

I'm not entirely sure what this horse's name is but Randolph suits for today. Lizzie whipped up the nose and antlers in mere minutes. She amazes me ~~sometimes~~ always.

It's the first official day of Christmas holidays and we feel most decidedly relaxed today. We are finishing up some last minutes Christmas gifts and are heading out for some supplies for some cookie making today. Most of the items on my to-do list are checked off or tossed off the list completely. I had to be realistic.

Right now it's snowing lightly outside and all feels right in the world. It's almost Christmas.

Fantasy Wish List 2009

2009-12-16T18:31:00.006-07:00

I managed to knock a few items off my to-do list yesterday. Today was a sleep day after my night shift, so few things are being accomplished, but I'm not going to stress out about things. In fact, I've decided to turn my thoughts to other more exciting matters, like what I REALLY want for Christmas.

A housekeeper. Or maybe that should be a house manager. Personal assistant? What about a wife, yeah, maybe that's it. Here's what I would expect this person to do:

Laundry
House cleaning - dusting, mopping, vacuuming, fridge and stove cleaning, everything
Iron my sheets, preferably 1000 count linen, scented with lavender perhaps
Schedule doctor, dentist, orthodontist, hair appointments AND make sure I remember them
Menu planning and grocery shopping

How does that sound? Anyone looking for a job? Admittedly, the pay wouldn't be great, but I'm sure I'd be a lovely employer.

Espresso machine. I'm worried that I'm spending Lizzie's college fund on lattes. I REALLY need one of these for my house. Stat.

Personal barista. Why should I have to make my own drinks? Maybe I'll include this is the job description for my housekeeper/house manager/personal assistant/wife. Latte art is optional.

Time. I wish I could add more hours to every day. Or maybe just give up sleeping. I'd get much more accomplished.

Weekly manicures and pedicures. The dry air reeks havoc on my hands and feet. Thousands of dollars in personal maintenance? It's my fantasy, right?

A fulltime PERMANENT position at the hospital in the neonatal care unit. Have I mentioned I love my job? I just want to be there more often. Casual work is okay but not ideal. I'd like a bit more security.

Well, there you go. Some of my wishes are perhaps more attainable than others, but it's fun thinking about.

Lists

2009-12-15T11:04:00.005-07:00

Here's the one thing I have learned this holiday season. It is impossible to complete a list if you add something new to it everyday! I think I should just stay off the internet. I seem to get too much inspiration and there's just no way I can finish it all!

My packages are almost ready to go. I just have to through one more thing in my mom's box before I seal it up. Hopefully it will still make it.

These boxes are already to go. Post office here I come!

Everything looks to be finished here. I really need to learn how to take better photo.

See my little Charlie Brown tree in the corner. Sad story. Last year our tall tree started smelling suspiciously of smoke a week or so before Christmas. We stripped off the ornaments and tossed it in the yard. Where it remained until Spring (it was very snowy last winter). Finding a new tree so close to the big day was difficult so we were left with this little gem. Last year it lived on an end table, but this year I was inspired to use one of my garden urns. Maybe next year we'll have a full size tree again, but I kind of like this look. Maybe it can be a second tree.

The little numbered bags are Lizzie's advent calendar this year. I put little gifts like earrings or crafts in each bag. Other years I chose activities but we were always too busy to complete them all, so I've gone all materialistic. It's fun though.

Here's what's left to do on my list...

Finish my mother-in-law's present. I can't tell you what it is because she checks my blog!
Complete two more snowman kits. This was the inspiration for my kits. This blogger has great idea and she shares a lot of her patterns and templates.
Sew a table runner for the dining room

Source: www.bhg.com

Finish my outdoor pillows (pictured above) for the front porch. Thankfully they are winter-themed and can stay out until spring, so I'm not in a huge hurry to complete them.
Purchase one more gift for my father-in-law and some gift certificates for some other friends & family
Figure out what to put in my co-workers' stockings. Any ideas for 20 cheap gifts?
Plan my Christmas dinner menu
Bake some cookies with Lizzie
Laundry, laundry, and more laundry
Make this for a cute little baby girl I know
Find a top to go with the black sequined skirt for Javier's work Christmas Party
Find a babysitter for Lizzie for Javier's work Christmas Party
Help Santa find a few more stocking stuffers

Yikes! I'm tired just looking at the list and I'm sure it's missed something. Hmmm... I guess I should stop blogging and start doing!

Tribute to Bollywood

2009-12-14T11:42:00.003-07:00

I made a conscious decision earlier this year to post fewer photos of myself and my family. Sometimes rules must be bent though, because I have to share this photo of Lizzie at her recent skate competion.

She skated to The Cheetah Girls' One World, a song that has a definite Bollywood vibe. I made her outfit for her, which she will never wear again. The sari was a bit distracting for her, so we devised a new outfit for her next competition.

Doesn't she look lovely?

Enter at your own risk

2009-12-11T11:01:00.004-07:00

Proceed with caution. What lay beyond this door may shock you.

I'm not exactly sure what happened. One minute I was a mild-mannered crafter calmly putting the finishing details on some homemade Christmas gifts...

The next minute I was a wild-eyed, hard-breathing whirling dervish frantically flinging balls of yarn, yards of fabric, and other miscellaneous crafting related goods into the air with wild abandon. The pretense was that I'd misplaced some stencils and one of Lizzie's carefully (carelessly?) "hidden" Christmas gifts, but in reality I think for a moment I completely lost control of my sense.

Eventually, the missing items were located, but honestly, I don't know where to even begin in restoring order to my craftroom.

I'm sure that many of you privileged to have your own designated crafting areas are facing similar scenes at this busy time of the year. I'm not alone, am I?

Brrrrr

2009-12-08T11:22:00.003-07:00

Baby it's just plain cold around here these days. I've been spending a substantial portion of my past two mornings snuggled under an afghan with a warm, fuzzy cat, a latte, and a book. Note these are mornings where I SHOULD be working on Christmas presents.

So how cold is it?

Well, it's cold enough that both my lions need scarfs. Funny, no one even blinks anymore when they discover my latest project is cold weather clothing for inanimate objects.

Here Mufasa with his wooly muffler...

And of course, Simba (natch), has one too!

Maybe I did get a teensy-bit carried away when I knit a toque and scarf for my gnome.

But doesn't he just look so pleased?

On a completely different note, we are still in our old house, though our dreams of the river house still aren't dead. We are waiting for the buyers of our house to sell there's before we can confirm everything. So the waiting continues.

Ways to annoy your cat #5

2009-12-06T21:46:00.004-07:00

Pretty much self-explanatory.

The face says his feeling about the whole thing.

December 2

2009-12-02T10:50:00.001-07:00

Oh me, oh my. I thought that my poor little blog had finally gasped its last living breath. I've been busy, yes, but I've also suffered from a serious lack of blogging inspiration or maybe that should be motivation. Most notedly, my lack of motivation has been due to the great quantity of mental, physical and emotional energy spent establishing myself as a nurse.

I've been finished nursing school for almost a year and it's been far more difficult transitioning to a practicing nurse than I ever imagined. During the first six months, I seriously questioned my reasoning for choosing nursing as a career. I felt completely unprepared, perhaps I was a better suited to the student life, than the health care industry. Then it got a bit easier. Then I cried and cried and cried and wondered if I would ever just "get things" and fit in with my colleagues. But I got through it and I am so happy in my chosen profession. I love, love, love my job.

So I'm back, blogging friends. I don't know how often or for how long it will last, but for now, I'm inspired. I hope you will all come back too!

But enough about that. I have been working lots yes, but I've picked up a few new hobbies/interests as well. Here's a bit of what I've been doing since I last wrote.

Basking in the sun in Barbados. Unfortunately we are only seeing sun these days when we go to a tropical destination. Our lovely wintery grey sky has come to stay I think.

Zipping through the trees. Again Barbados. So lush and green.

"Growing" a household forest. Thank you Martha.

Constructing houses. I've long been interested in donning a hardhat and framing some walls. Alas, I've been concentrating on the paper variety. I used a Martha Stewart kit for the template and a variety of scrapbook papers for my little village.

Bird watching. What lovely glittery birds I have nesting in the trees around here.

Operating a home-based taxi service. For just one very busy 11-year-old girl. I should stick one of those magnetic signs to my door and charge for my services.

I HAVE NOT been baking. But I should start soon. Christmas is only 23 days way! Yikes.

Mmmmm. It feels good to be back. I missed blogging.

Spooky

2009-10-06T13:39:00.007-06:00

Welcome to my Halloween-ey home.

Don't mind those blackbirds. They're just keeping an eye on the place.

I've been planning my Halloween decorating since August. My favourite find is the green glitter skull. I have been collecting clear glass candlesticks for a while and I spray painted some urns black.

On the table we have jars of eyeballs & skulls. We've got quite the collection.

We also seem to be infested with spiders. Don't owls eat spiders?

Another glittery skull, a tombstone, & my zombie jar from Sweet Sassy.

And another crow to watch over me as I do the dishes.

I'm having so much fun and it's been difficult to exercise restraint. Javier reminds me that we are still trying to sell our house and we don't want to SCARE potential buyers.

Speaking of appliances

2009-09-29T20:40:00.002-06:00

Instead of trying to sell the house, maybe we should

just deed it over to Starbucks in exchange for lattes.

I'm already spending enough money there!

Or maybe, I NEED one of these.

Rancilio Silvia

For my current house, new house, whatever.

New home dreams

2009-09-28T19:31:00.006-06:00

Some of the time I'm feeling pretty relaxed about whether or not this house sells. But most of the time, I'm lost in dreams of what I would do with a new house. I should have been sleeping this afternoon after a long night shift, but instead I lay awake in bed thinking about...

Pretty new kitchens (Image source: www.thisoldhouse.com)

Kitchenaid drawer dishwashers (Image source: www.appliancist.com)
The Elmira Northstar Retro fridges (image source: www.barsandbooths.com)

36" Bertazzoni dual fuel ranges (Image source: http://www.bertazzoni-italia.com)

If you think my tastes are rather diverse, I most definitely agree. I almost hope we don't move so I don't have to go through the angst of picking out everything!

Lovely little ladybugs

2009-09-25T22:32:00.003-06:00

When Lizzie was very little she LOVED ladybugs. She collected them in a little jar and named them all, quite originally, "Lady".

Oh, she loved those ladybugs. We poked holes in the lids and fed them bits of leaves.

Somehow the bug-catching kit we bought her never had quite the same magical effect.

We always let the ladybugs go. As far as I know, we never lost one.

When I saw these ladybugs today, I thought, "wow, I have to show Lizzie", but they don't hold the same thrall for her as they used to.

My baby is growing up.

Condo Living

2009-09-24T08:52:00.004-06:00

The latest innovation in cat storage.

Heat Wave

2009-09-23T11:59:00.002-06:00

We are experiencing a heat wave in our part of the world. The weather we usually have in July and August surprised us the first week of September. But we're not complaining. I'll take the heat for a while longer.

My front porch is experiencing dual personalities these days.

My blue Muskoka chair is outside. Oh how I love to sit there with a book and a coffee.

My other chairs remain as well, but their pillows are wearing their autumn covers. See those orange flowers to the right? They are still blooming and I potted them way back in June!

I set out a fall berry wreath, yet...

...the flowers from July also continue to thrive, even as the sun warms the porch floor so much in burns my bare feet!

I love fall decorating, but I'd like this weather to continue for a little while yet.

The suitcase

2009-09-22T09:58:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I worry that this poor little neglected blog is dying a slow painful death. I've thought about giving up several times, but I'd miss it. I look back at my earlier posts and smile (or sometimes cringe) in remembrance at what has happened over the past year and a half since I joined the blogging community. So, I'll keep going. Perhaps a little more regularly from now on. It's been busy around here. We are still trying to sell the house, which I'm surprisingly calm about. I've realized that housekeeping could definitely be a fulltime occupation. My days off are filled with dusting and laundry. But what a pleasure to wake up to a clean house every morning and come home from work to a tidy home. Maybe this habit will stick.

Check out this suitcase that followed me home from the thrift store last month. I was immediately drawn to it when I saw it on the shelf.

I carried it around the store as I checked out the other departments, trying to decide if I should buy it. It was a bargain at $6.00, but I didn't have any cash on hand.

I put it on hold to go to the bank machine and on the way there, I talked myself out of it. I didn't need this suitcase. I'm trying to streamline my life, not add more stuff. And it's a slightly odd shape, one side is slanted so it won't even fit nicely on top of my new wardrobe. And what would I use it for anyway, a place to store more junk?

I went back to the store, money in hand. I had to at least buy the cute little Japanese vase I had also put on hold. But then I saw it again, and it came home with me.

So now it sits.

Waiting patiently to fulfill its purpose.

Halloween Style

2009-09-11T07:44:00.003-06:00

Check out Matthew Mead's newest Halloween magazine: Hundreds of Spooky Treats and Clever Crafts for the Best Holiday Ever! Beautiful photos of easy, creative and fun projects and straight-forward directions and patterns that will appeal to crafters of every age. On newstands now throughout the U.S. and Canada!

I've been seeing this magazine around for the past week or so. I'm DYING to buy it, but I'm trying not to buy too many magazines. What a delight to discover that someone is giving away 5 copies! But I won't be selfish and keep this discovery to myself.

Visit Linda at Restyled Home for a chance to win a copy! Good luck & happy crafting.

Famous Olivers

2009-09-10T11:23:00.004-06:00

Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens' classic tale of orphans

Oliver Cromwell

17th century British military leader who was

lord protector of England, Scotland, & Ireland

Oliver Platt

Actor (starred in movie with Heath Ledger)

Jamie Oliver

The Naked Chef

Oliver Stone

American film director & screenwriter

Oliver

Terrifically handsome but frightfully naughty kitty

Nemesis & terrorizer of Rain

Has remarkable paw dexterity

Looks cute & purrs loudly (only thing saving him from meeting his maker)

Photo Sources:

www.myartprints.com; www.teachwithmovies.org; www.allmoviephoto.com; www.gordonandthewale.com; www.foodnetwork.com

Why do we want to move again?

2009-09-09T07:48:00.003-06:00

One thing you quickly realized about selling your house is that it has never looked better. Javier and I have both queried why we would leave this beautiful house. And it is looking mighty fine. Beds are made as soon as we wake up, surfaces are dusted and dishes are clean AND put away. I feel so motivated. I should have pretended to move years ago for a house like this.

Yesterday I went down to the other house to take pictures to remind myself why we are doing this.

Check out this view.

This is standing on the deck of the house. All I can say is wow. I can completely imagine summer mornings sitting with my coffee, watching the river flow by.

And look, some neighbours came out to welcome us to the neighbourhood.

What a friendly place!

Do you believe in omens?

2009-09-08T08:01:00.004-06:00

How quickly life changes. One day I'm trying to convince Javier to help me do a major rearrange in the house. A few days later there's a real estate agent pounding a For Sale sign in our front yard and we are excited about a new house.

An hour after we signed our paperwork, Javier called me outside to see something. Just to the left of our house, in the soft pink twilight sky, were two very large and very beautiful rainbows.

We love our current house but the new one has an incredible view and the potential for being even more amazing.

The rainbows seemed like a good omen. I think we've made the right decision.

Project-ing

2009-09-03T14:02:00.005-06:00

Oh, no.

I "accidently" found a new project...

Meet my dining room. It doesn't get used much. Just usually holidays and when I need extra space to spread out my craftwork. Javier loves when I do that.

I was recently taken by a crazy idea that I should flip the piano and dining rooms. See we do use the piano frequently and it's such a beautiful item that it's sad to hide it away behind closed doors.

This would be the piano room. It ends up being the room where we through anything and everything that we can't immediately find a home for - sports equipment, books, papers, and the like.

My big idea is to tear our the ugly, ugly shelves to make more room for our 8-person dining table and move the piano into the dining room.

Javier thought that it would be hard to take out the shelves, but see Javier. The trim came off likety-split. Can we do the switch now?

I'm imagining a lovely graceful dining room that we can keep tidy all year round (or mess up for craft projects, ha ha) and just close the door on it.

Then we can sit on the couch in the living room and gaze out at Lizzie practicing her piano lessons on our beautiful baby grand.

What a nice vision...

But I guess I should finish some other projects first.

This is my latest and greatest. My first patchwork quilt. It's baby sized. Perfect for a first timer. The front is all pieced together, now the quilting begins. I'll post more photos when it's done. I just hope I can finish it before my friend's baby comes at the end of the month. Yikes. Better get sewing.

The Armoire

2009-08-31T12:49:00.004-06:00

Remember this armoire that I purchase for $50 way back in June?

What about the yucky cardboard backing? Ring any bells?

Well, the inside of the unit got a new beadboard backing and a couple coats of primer followed by Vintage Orange gloss enamel.

This picture does not to the colour justice. It's a beautiful bright orange that possibly hums a bit as you approach. It certainly glows. I was a bit worried when I started the painting, thinking perhaps I was being a bit too bold, but I figure that deep in the midst of a dreary cold winter, this dash of orange will make our days.

The outside of the armoire got a good sanding following by deep conditioning, new stain, and a polish of beeswax and orange oil. I'm happy with the way it turned out, but I think it looks a bit inadequate for this space. The 6 foot armoire that looked so big in the door is dwarfed by our 10 foot ceilings. I think maybe we need to add some feet (Javier's suggestion) and a fun door knob, maybe from Anthropologie.

In the end though, I have a fairly inexpensive solution for coat storage this coming season. Altogether the armoire cost about $130 with paint and everything.

Working and decorating

2009-08-24T10:28:00.003-06:00

That's all I seem to do anymore. Not that I'm complaining. I spent the years I was in school dreaming of the day when I'd have a little more cash available to pretty up my home. And I spent those school years preparing for work, so I can't really complain about working too hard!

Here's some of what I've been up to.

I swapped out my farmhouse table with another slightly larger one that my in-laws gave us. I know...there's an awful lot of brown wood in my kitchen, which I'd love to change but not an option at this point. I meant to take the farmhouse table downstairs but I kind of like the island that accidently happened. I need another opinion on this. Too busy? I hope to find some different chairs at some point so add a dash of colour.

I finally sewed one of my Airstream embroideries into a pillow. Perfect fit I think.

And recovered my bed's cushions with some new covers as well. Embroidery by me. My room is really coming together...albeit very slowly.

One of my new obsessions is spray painting ugly mirrors and accessories white. I've got a similar set on the other side of the window. I plan to collect more and cover the walls. But it's a start.

My latest project is working on the cabinet I bought a few months ago. I hope to reveal it in the next few weeks. It should be fabulous (I hope).