Lots of photos from the home show

We went to the GTA Home Show at the International Centre in Mississauga on Saturday.  I ordered the tickets online, so saved $3 per ticket.  The tickets cost $12 each instead of the $15 each.  In our humble opinion if we had paid $10 for the pair of tickets that would have been more than enough!! Yes it was that bad.  The one highlight of the show was we were given free tickets for the home show downtown Toronto in March. Fingers crossed that show is better.

The vendors were few and far between and mostly of no interest to us.  We walked through the show and did talk to a few vendors in under two hours.  This is the first home show that we have not had to line up to walk through the model home, and this was just before lunch time.  Normally the line ups are horrendous.  The model home though left a lot to be desired and there was probably as many representatives for the companies featured in the home as there were visitors going through it.

I did take a few photos though.  There was an area called Tablescapes- A Feast for the Eyes.  You can read more about it here.

It was the light fixture that caught my attention here.  This was designed by EQ3

It was the manikin that caught my attention here.  It was rather creepy!!

This blue and white display was by Bombay and was a lovely design.

Below is Kate from Kate's Garden; she is showing me a hanging display

Below is a bed I fell in love with, shame they only have it in grey.  It's from a company from Casalife in Toronto.

The photo below is of  a custom built in unit with an electric fire and a tv that raised up and down.  It was lovely and only cost $11,000!!!!  We decided to pass!

I spotted this from across the aisle!!!  Yes it's a bath tub.

It was sold though; yes someone actually bought it and paid $5,000.  Don't worry if it's something that you really have to have they have another one, as remember you have to buy shoes in pairs!!!  Here is their website.

Napoleon was there and I really liked these gas fires for outside.  Their factory is just north of Barrie, so close to us; sort of.

On the way out I spotted this bed and thought it was pretty stylish.

We did manage to find one water softener person in the whole show and they did give us some information.  Had wanted to see some tile booths; none to be seen; also hoped to see some lighting booths, again none.  Oh well due to us getting the free tickets we'll check out the show in March and see what we can find there.

Oops......

Are driveway is a thick layer of ice with snow packed on top of it.  On Friday we had a bit of a thaw which made a HUGE mess of the driveway, as all it did was make is slushy with a big layer of ice underneath it.  Suffice to say I got stuck half way up the driveway when coming back from grocery shopping {SIGH}

So after putting some ashes down and getting out our trusty snow blower I was able to get up the driveway.  Dh had no problem getting up the driveway in his truck.

We went out later and the wind was howling but the sky looked lovely.

The wind has howled overnight and is still blowing a gale this morning.  The temperature has dropped to way below freezing, so now we have a great big ice skating rink out side {{SIGH}}

We're off out to the GTA Home Show today; looking forward to it!!

Have a great Saturday, what are you up too?

I restrained myself quite well I think!!

On Thursday we went to the new home builders to pick out the finishes on the new home.  I should mention I know I haven't shown you plans, photo's etc of the new house; I am waiting until we have firmed up on it.

Our appointment was for three hours we were finished in under two hours.  We have been there and done that twice before so now know how this process all works.  As most of their standard items are really nice we had very few upgrades.  We also stuck to pretty neutral colours, as we can jazz things up with accessories; things that can be replaced at very little cost.

Below is the colour of the kitchen cabinets; we have chosen a slightly different door profile.  The granite is for the kitchen and directly underneath of it is the floor tiles for the kitchen, breakfast area, powder room and entrance hallway.  Plus the ensuite bathroom, with matching wall tiles for the shower and around the tub in the ensuite bathroom.  To the right is the sample of the hardwood floor which is going on the main floor and the stairs to the basement.  The two bedrooms will be carpeted in a beige colour.

 The light was terrible in the showroom, but this is the exact same kitchen and handles we have chosen.  Also those are the exact same appliances we are getting as well.

Here is a list of upgraded things we are having to pay for:

Pots and Pan drawers in kitchen: $400
Hinged corner cupboard door: $400
Matching panel for breakfast bar (matches kitchen, instead of drywall) $1085
Jetted Tub: $1100
Vac Pan for central vac in kitchen: $145
Upgraded linoleum in basement bathroom: $175
Extra socket in bedroom: $110
3 x electrical boxes behind all bathroom lights @ $50 each = $150

We are getting a quote on tiling the ceiling in the ensuite shower.  Quotes also for granite counter tops on the vanities in the powder room and ensuite bathroom.  Also we may pay $350 for a rough in for the water softener.

So I think overall the total may come closer to $7,000 rather than the $5,000 I had budgeted.  However I am very happy with my choices of upgrades and here is why.

Pots and Pans drawer in kitchen, if you already have one you know why you would never do without them, they are great.  A hinged corner door gives you more access to a corner cupboard.  Matching panel for the breakfast bar, just finishes it off and makes it more custom looking.  Jetted tub, well that's a personal preference and I love it.

We will get a central vac at some point and the vac pan in the kitchen is great, had one in the last new house and used it.   It's also a heck of a lot easier to install when they are putting in the kitchen rather than later on.  In the bathroom in the basement for the builder to put in a ceramic tile floor it would have cost us close to $1000 which is ridiculous.  I do not like linoleum flooring; and the builders standard was not to my liking, so we went up one level and found one I could live with and at $175 it was a heck of a lot cheaper than the tile.  Down the road we can upgrade that bathroom if we so desire.

Dh is an electrician so he has a hissy fit at what builders charge for electrical upgrades, so we only get what is absolutely necessary.  The extra socket in the bedroom is high up the wall so we can install the tv on a bracket, we are getting the tv cable outlet at the same height.  The three electrical boxes behind the vanity lights in the bathroom are an extra as they don't normally put the boxes in.  So if we change the lights down the road this is an easier way of doing them.  By the way the boxes cost less than $3 each and will take the electricians all of a couple of minutes to install them.

A tiled ceiling in the shower is an extra but it's worth while and easier to do with the rest of the tiling.  The vanities all come with laminate counter tops, but I would prefer to have the granite ones as I know if I don't do it now it will never get done.

We are up in the air about the water softener as when asked we were told the water is semi-hard whatever that means.  When we were looking at resale houses in the same subdivision, some people had water softeners some people didn't.  We are heading to the GTA Home Show at the International Centre tomorrow to look into them, as I don't know enough about them to make an educated decision.

We have a water softener and UV light here, but we are on well water and it is as hard as heck the water.  If anyone is an expert with water softener's please educate me.  So we are not sure if we should get the rough-in for the water softener or not at this point.  Obviously we will buy our own water softener and install it ourselves if we go down that path.

So there you are another job more or less finished!!

The loss of a great woman and home shows

Margaret Thatcher died on Monday at the age of 87.  For most of you on this side of the pond it's nothing; however for those of us whom either live or lived in Great Britain her passing will evoke some sort of feeling.  For some it will be a case of good riddance, for others it will be great sadness at hearing of her passing.

She was a politician who you either loved or hated, I don't think there was an in between with her?  Regardless she changed the way things were done in Great Britain whether for the good or the bad.  I am guessing an awful lot of British blogs will be talking about this, all voicing difference of opinions.

I normally don't dip my toes into the political or religious arena, but couldn't let this pass by without saying something.  She is likely to have a full ceremonial funeral like the Queen Mother had, and if you want to read more about her life and times, please click on this link.  From the news report her last few years of life were probably lonely.  She had a good inning's as they say and I am quite sure she is looking down on us smiling and saying I did a good job.

God Bless Margaret Thatcher; rest in peace.

I never win anything but I did win a pair of tickets for the Green Living Show this coming weekend.  Really looking forward to it.  We went to the Orangeville Home and Garden Show this past weekend.  That was actually not a bad show got lots of info.  It is also Alliston Home and Garden show this coming weekend.  We had hoped to pop into that as well if we have time.  I enjoy these local shows as they are familiar with your areas needs and nuances.  

Then on the weekend of the 20th of April is Creemore's Home and Garden Show want to go to that as well.  If you haven't guessed I love going to Home Shows!!!

Finally got around to cleaning the oven on Sunday

and it looks good.  I have been going to do it for a while now, but because it takes three hours to clean I need to do it on a weekend when the hydro is cheap.  

I also made a half hearted attempt to clean out the toaster oven but ran out of Easy Off Oven Cleaner.  i can't scrub with vigor anymore as it kills my wrists.

This week's "win" at the silent auction is a W.H. Grindley dish in the Mersey pattern.  Dated some where between 1891 and 1914 as per the marking on the back.  I over paid at $20 but love the piece.  Though because of the lead content I will have to be careful what I use it for.

I thought I'd share a couple more photos from Saturday's Home Show.  The photo below shows some of the art work from a lovely lady called Margo from Bramblewood Studios in Muskoka.  Her work is gorgeous and can be hung outside.  Here is a link to her website which showcases some of her work.

I was fascinated with the next company and the work they do.  I entered a draw to win the fountain below, and if you like the company on Facebook, you can win the fountain in a bucket which is directly above the fountain.  The company is Atlas Landscape Inc and they are in Newmarket.  They have lots of photos on their site.

I fell in love with these mushrooms, they were stunning.

The mushrooms were part of this water feature, which we were assured by one guy is super easy to do yourself..........

Lots of photos to share with you.

We went to a Home and Garden Show in Barrie at the Garden Gallery garden centre.  It was free admission and is always a pleasant couple of hours.

The store was decorated beautifully as always and I thought I share some photos.

Do you have a favourite of the photos above?  Mine is the first one.

It was a lovely day on Saturday with temperatures above freezing.  Although it is starting to melt the snow, as you can see from the photos below it has a ways to go to look like Spring!

I will share a couple more photos from the Home Show tomorrow as well.

More from the Home Show.......

There were a number of gardening organizations at the Home show as it was also a garden show.  One of the things we saw was a company called Bufco (The Backyard Urban Farm Co.)  They were promoting the benefits of raised bed gardening.  Now to be honest with you it's a great idea, saves the back.  I decided to check out their website and once I got over the shock of how much they charge for their raised beds, I checked out the rest of their site.  You can sign up for a newsletter to get free tips etc.  I would like to add at least one raised bed this year....we'll see.

There was a flower arrangement competition going on as well.  All the following photos are arrangements that won ribbons.  Now between me and you in some cases I have no idea why.  Obviously the judges idea of good arrangements and mine differ........but I guess that's what makes the world an interesting place to live!!!

This one was super tall and that was part of the category.

"Three's a Charm," so they all had to have three of something.

This one was inspired by lightening?

I love Terrariums, and this one is a beauty.  Here is a link on how to make your own.

This one was in the "Lucky Duck," category?

These are wooden roses, the lady said they were made of birch and they got them from the States.  They were also scented and actually very realistic.

At the Home Show in Mississauga.

We went to the Home Show at the International Centre in Mississauga on Saturday.  I bought tickets on Wagjag or Groupon for half price, so instead if it costing $15 each to get in, I paid $15 for the two of us.  We had walked around the place in a couple of hours as there wasn't too much to see; but it was well worth us going as we got a couple of things and saw a number of things we would like to add to the house in the future.

First let me apologise for the photos,  I swear none are in focus!!!  Anyhow one thing I have always wanted it a cupola on top of the garage or shed.   This one was gorgeous, as were there copper gutters.  The company name was Custom Aluminum Inc. and here is a link to their website, which isn't very good, they need to perk it up a lot!!

We were blinded with this place and all their LED trees.  Although pretty I am not sure who on earth would want one of these especially at that price?  Funny thing though is on their business card is the cell phone number for them in China!!!  They sell all sorts of LED lights and here is a link to their website, they are in Brampton, Ontario.

Please excuse how out of focus this next photo is, but I had to show you these.  All these sculptures are free standing stones just placed on one another. 

I honestly did not believe the guy, so I made him take one apart and I felt the stone so it is real, and he didn't put holes in them.  I have no idea how he did it, but the way he balances one on top of the other is marvelous.  The guy came from Vancouver.

There was a display of Edward Michell paintings.  So what you say, his work is stunning and what he used in each of his pieces is really neat.

"Michell breathes dark life into each work by incorporating into his palette such raw natural ingredients as: tar, crushed diamonds natural ochres, gold and silver leaf, and paints made from blueberries, raspberries, beets, grass and leaves. He transforms elements of the land into works of art that portray his perspective of the world as both dynamic and optimistic."

I was not allowed to take photos of his work and honestly the photos on his website do not do his paintings justice, but please click on this link to take a look, they were really lovely.

Now the best part of the day for me was when I got a really good freebie.  Do you remember back in September of last year I bought a steam cleaner at another home show?  Here is the post about it.  No amount of washing gets the pads super clean, so when I saw the person selling the same machine as mine at the same price I asked him in front of other people if he would sell me some new pads.  He said fine they were $20 for three.  Anyhow you know me, can't keep my mouth shut, so I started talking to the folks around him about mine and how I love it and it's good for all these things etc.  He sold three to people who were iffy about buying one because of what I said and he gave me my pads for free!!!!

I still swear by the machine and think it was totally worth it's money.  We also paid $20 for a pair of ratchet handle choppers, which was a super price as well.  Plus Kelloggs All-Bran Cranberries & Clusters cereal was being promoted, so I have breakfast now for the next couple of days!!  I have more to show you, but will do that later in the week.

Finally has anyone had any experience with Zulily  I would love to order a couple of things from there but don't know anything about them?

My dream tractor and a Pig BBQ

Now that we are "penniless" entertainment has to be cheap!!!!  On Saturday our local town had a home show on.  We have been before and it is nothing special but generally interesting, and entrance is by donation.  All donation's go to our local hospital foundation, so that makes it worth while in my opinion.

While we were there we popped by the John Deere stand and there was my dream tractor.

The marvelous thing about this tractor, you do not have to get off the tractor to take off the bucket or put the grass cutter back on.  There are controls on the tractor that you drive over the grass cutter, lower something, it grabs the grass cutter and clips/hooks it on.  There is only one little issue with this, and that's the price.........it costs the same as my new car..............hhhhmmmmmm.......was it a good decision buying the car, when I could have had this tractor????

I also saw this:

It's a BBQ, can't say it's something I would want, but it's fun to look at I guess.  There was some neat wood pellet grills there by Traeger that I had never seen before.  I am not a huge fan of BBQ-ing, and dh doesn't cook period, but this seemed like a neat and environmentally friendly system.  In Canada the smallest system was around $500 CDN.

We also talked to a couple of local roofing people, as we HAVE to replace the garage roof by the Fall.......so have to start saving for that next.  We also found a place where we can buy the supplies so we can maintain our water softener ourselves, saving us at least $100 a year.  Home Hardware were also there and were giving out $10 off coupons when you spend $50 so that will also come in handy at some point as well.

So all in all a very informative couple of hours spent there and it will hopefully help us save some money in the long run.

What's your best source of cheap entertainment?

Birthday Brunch......(photo heavy)

On Sunday we went to downtown Toronto for brunch in the Distillery District at a restaurant called The Boiler House.  There were seven of us and we had a super time.

We were seated upstairs and I took a couple of photos:

There was a Jazz band playing music which was nice as well.

This is one of the streets:

There was a yummy looking bakery called The Sweet Escape Patisserie, my photo will not do it justice:

The kids bought me yogurt maker for my birthday gift I had asked for one:

We had a good time and with great company.  Both dh and I said we would come down again to have a better look around, as it was cool, weather wise down there, and we were not dressed in warm enough clothes. 

We passed by the Air Canada Centre, where the Toronto Maple Leafs and over sports teams play:

and the Roger's Centre, where the Toronto Blue Jays play and the CN Tower:

There is such a lot of construction going on downtown, the landscape changes everytime we go down there.

On the way home it rained and we saw a rainbow, just didn't see a pot of gold at the end of it!!

I picked up this milk jug from Lady Bird Ceramics at the home show, it's pretty cute if you go to the website you will see the pattern more clearly.