THANKSGIVING FEAST - A Behind the Scenes Expose!

Hello Dear Blogland Friends.  Welcome to my world! 

Your company arrives!  They're greeted at the door by the titillating scents wafting from the kitchen ~ turkey & cranberries, apples, cinnamon and pumpkin pie!  They look around with delight at the gorgeous table that has been set for them, where they are to enjoy their Thanksgiving Feast!  But what does it really take to get us to this place?

Dogs are Always Underfoot!

I am in the midst of preparing to entertain 17 of my dearest relatives on Thanksgiving Day!  I wanted to share a 'behind the scenes' look at the reality and work of trying to pull this off!  Some of the pictures may be disturbing.  Viewer discretion is advised!  

Welcome to my own personal "Hell's Kitchen Nightmares"!

Notice the paintbrush on my counter?  Any DIYer will understand that their tools of the trade are normally scattered all about their homes!

There's my sideboard - holding all sorts of miscellaneous items for my party!

This is the CD I'm playing ~ wanted to test it before Halloween!  My Dollar Store Special.

Another staging area for my centrepieces ~ the Garage!

Hope you enjoyed the little behind the scenes sneak peek into my Thanksgiving preparations.  More to follow...

Stay tuned for the results!

TIME TO GET PERSONAL - I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

Autumn in Ontario

I've been tagged by Courtney at French Country Cottage!  Time to pull back the curtains and reveal a wee bit of personal stuff about myself.

I'm to answer the seven following questions.  Here is goes:

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST DREAM?

I must confess ... I am a dreamer!  I dream about becoming an accomplished seamstress; going back to school to obtain a degree in "I don't know what"; develop enough skill to be designated a "master gardener" and the list goes on & on & on.  My biggest realistic dream is of a life in the country, with a few acres of land, enough to house an assortment of critters. 

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

I live in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.  It is the third largest City in Ontario, Canada with a population of 450,000.  Brampton consists of a diverse, multicultural population made up of a lot of new residents of Canada.  In the late 1800's the City was known as the "Flowertown of Canada" as Brampton was the centre of a large flower nursery industry.  After the Great Depression the flower industry started on a steady decline.  During the 1980's - 1990's large subdivisions took the place of surrounding farmland.  Brampton is still known as the Flower City due to it's history.

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL!

Academically I was a very dedicated student.  Socially, I was very low-key and had a small, tight group of friends.  If I was to attend a High School Reunion, most would not remember me!

FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT!

Hiking

My best girlfriend lives on a farm in Sunderland, Ontario which is about a 1.5 hour drive from my home.  She owns 90+ acres of gorgeous, scenic land and operates a Koi Nursery there.  She also has an assortment of animals and the best part is when we visit, the dogs don't need to be leashed and can roam free.  Visits are always good for the soul!

WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOUR DECORATING STYLE?

There is no particular designer nor style that inspires me.  When I see something, I know instantly whether or not I like it and my 'like list' can be various decorating styles.  Magazines and now currently blogs are my biggest source of inspiration.  I've always been drawn to historic homes so anything with age & character is inspirational.



Heavy Traffic!!!

 WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE?

I love that I am a VERY strong woman but at the same time, I would like to have the ability to tone it down at times ~ like maybe when I'm driving in crazy traffic at the end of a long work day!

WHAT IS YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE?

I have several but due to the fact that Christmas is just around the corner, I'm going to say "It's a Wonderful Life" ...

because it is!

And now I'm to tag 7 other Blogland friends.

Down on Sandford
White Cottage Chic
Shabby French Cottage
Dropped Stitch Knitter
Atelier de Charo
Cottage Hill
Chrissie's Collections

YOU'RE IT!

Same questions - then you play it forward and pass it on to 7 of your Blogland Friends~

WALLPAPERING .... A CEILING?

The true test of the strength of a relationship is through wallpapering a ceiling TOGETHER!

~Lisa@SuburbanRetreat~

I had no choice but to drag Hubs into this as there was no way I could possibly complete this task with only one set of arms!  Our little entryway possesses a lot of detail but the ceiling was plain.  I kept looking up and thinking that maybe I could paint it a different colour or maybe find some tin ceiling tiles to dress it up somehow.  It's only a very small space so whatever I planned on doing, it wouldn't be too difficult.

While out at a Big Box store I came across this paintable wallpaper.  I've seen it many times before but never really look at it carefully.

The pattern of this particular wallpaper looked somewhat similar to tin ceiling tiles!

At $19.99 a roll, I thought it would be a great, inexpensive solution.

We measured out the ceiling and took the wallpaper outside to organize it on the driveway.

Then we headed inside to start applying our first piece.  Hubs & I had to squish together in the entrance way, each working on a separate ladder! 

The first piece went on so smoothly. We were LOVIN this project!

The second piece, well, let's just say, we were being tested!  Tested for patience, understanding, mutual respect, etc. as somehow in the process the wallpaper was now backwards and not matching the strip that was already applied and drying quickly on our ceiling!

















Once the "I don't want to do this anymore" & "Why do I always have to help with your projects" and the "How stupid can you be" 's got out of the way, we were off to the races! We switched all the pieces around and it now matched beautifully!

I loved it even before we painted it!

I had a small can of blue paint in the basement that I thought would look fabulous on the ceiling.

It was delicate work painting around the ceiling crown.

Ta da ..... done!

The light fixture was purchased new after we moved into the house.

The ceiling even looks nicer after dark!Almost like a tin ceiling!

Another project complete ... another disaster averted!

Cheers ~ Lisa ~

MY FIRST 'EVER' BLOG AWARD!

ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD!!!!!

I am so very excited & honoured to have received my first blog award from

Incipient Wings!

Thank you so very much for thinking of me!

I understand the rules are to "pass it forward" to 15 other blogs.

Here is goes:

Laura's Rose Garden

French Country Cottage

And Then There Was Home

Blushing Rose Antiques

Red Gate Farm

Antiquechase

Gracie Jewellery

The Far Fifty

Rural Revival

White Spindle

Style de Boheme

Design Love

Cottage Romance

A Bungalow Project

Blue Clear Sky

My sincere apologies if I've passed this award on to anyone who has an "Award Free" blog.  I must have missed it.



Cheers ~ Lisa ~

PINK SATURDAY - OCTOBER 2ND

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY! Thank you Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting this event.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Let me introduce you to someone very special!

This is my Mom & Dad. This photo was taken on my wedding day back in 1986. Wasn't my Mom "Pretty in Pink"?

In 1990 my Mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She had undergone a hysterectomy several years prior and was being treated with hormones. The Doctor told her the cancer was an estrogen-based tumor. Within a few short days of her diagnoses, she underwent surgery for a mastectomy. Her surgery was followed up with chemotherapy.

Here is a current photo of my Mom.

She is now a 20 year survivor of this dreadful disease!
~It can be beaten~

So come on ladies, don't be shy ... bare your breasts and go for a mammogram.

Early detection is key.

Notice my Mom in this photo, bottom row, right-hand side. This picture was taken at Easter of this year 2010 - my entire family, Mom & Dad, all my siblings and their spouses, all the grandchildren and some now with their spouses.

~What a beautiful family - and one to be proud of~

A lot of living has been done in those 20 years!

Cheers ~ Lisa ~