I Love P'lovers

When you're shopping for something for your home, fair trade is one good way to go.

Shopping for environmentally-friendly products is also a good idea.  P'lovers is a company that offers recycled  and/or organic clothing and products for your home.

                                                                             

They also have a great selection of books on Simple Living and  the latest environmental thinking.  Heck, they even have a blog!

                                            

I visited the one in Stratford last week.  Gift-giving will be easy this year!

Paris Fabric At Bon Bon Atelier

Ages ago, I received an email from the lovely folks at Bon Bon Atelier announcing their new fabric line.  And, being the terrible blogger that I am lately, it's taken me till now to share this with you.

THOSE ARE POLKA DOT EIFFEL TOWERS, PEOPLE!!!!!

Ten Thousand Villages

On my recent trip to Africa (I do love saying that!) I saw some amazing handicrafts for sale in hotel gift shops. 

I don't bring home a lot of souvenirs when I travel - usually just far too many photos on my laptop (check!) and, depending on where I am and the purpose for the trip, about five extra pounds of ME (but not this time!).

There were some really lovely things on offer, but I couldn't be sure that the money I paid would go into the hands of the artisans who had made them.

Luckily, there's Ten Thousand Villages.

Ten Thousand Villages began in 1946 when Edna Ruth Byler, a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) worker, visited volunteers in Puerto Rico who were teaching sewing classes in an effort to help improve the lives of women living in poverty.

From this trip, Edna brought several pieces of embroidery home to sell to friends and neighbours. The pieces became quite popular and she soon added cross-stitch needlework from Palestinian refugees and hand carved Haitian woodenware to her inventory.

In the early 1970s, the flourishing project moved out of Byler’s basement and became SELFHELP CRAFTS, an official MCC program. Thousands of loyal customers and volunteers have helped to build this program into the strong alternative trading organization that, in 1996, became known as Ten Thousand Villages.  (from the website)

With 155 stores across the USA and Canada as well as a website, Ten Thousand Villages is your go-to place for gorgeous international handicrafts with a conscience.

Janet and Jim's Apartment Part Two

They really were willing to work within its small footprint.  And I know we could have done some fantastic things with it.

But then the man downstairs decided to start smoking in the house.  And the landlord chose not to care.  So with only a couple of weeks to spare before the wedding, they found a new place. 

This place....

This, I believe, will be their dining room. 

I am so in love with this apartment.  The building it's in is 140 years old.  They have windows on three sides, crazy high ceilings and tons of character.  The white tile floor in every room makes for a bit of noise and isn't what you'd call cozy in the middle of winter.  But we'll work with it.  I'll keep you posted.

You may have wondered where I've been lately.  Well, I started a new job on the fifteenth.  It's absolutely fantastic, but I need to learn a lot.  Quickly.  So posting 'round here will be.... well, let's face it.  It'll be as sporadic as it's always been. 

I thank you for your patience and hope you'll check back in from time to time!

Janet and Jim's Apartment

My niece is getting married next month.  She and her husband will be living in Stratford after the wedding (wheeee!). 

They got the keys to their apartment this week and have graciously given me permission to blog about the decorating and settling-in.

Here it is, ready for them to make it their own.

That's It. I'm Moving to Seattle!

Just seeing if you're still awake...

But the temptations of life on the West Coast are adding up.  Meyer/Wells is another one.  This furniture design team sources their supply of wood from reclaimed trees that have fallen in and around the Seattle area.

The story of the wood shows in their furniture.

Beautifully designed, beautifully made, with an emphasis on local sources and local customers.

Now I have to find people like that right here in Perth County....  'Cuz, actually, I'm never moving again!

The Ugliest Couch in America

This is great.

Surefit has announced a winner in their 2008 Ugly Couch Contest. 

Remember when I showed you mine? 

Well it turns out that even if the contest had been open to Canadians, I still wouldn't have won, 'cuz....

WOW!

Julie Lee from San Francisco, CA, is the proud owner of this monstrosity.  In her own words, "It's functional, but it really is just so ugly.  It’s ‘loud’ and screams of the 70s.  It’s orange, yellow, brown and…greenish?  It has a floral pattern all over.  And the fabric is some kind of chenille or velour or something strangely fuzzy."

Lee submitted her couch to Sure Fit every year for the past four years!!!! 

Most of us would have caved in years ago.  But for waiting it out, she wins a living room makeover courtesy of Sure Fit Inc. and Kim Myles, designer and host of HGTV’s Myles of Style, valued at $5000.

I think SureFit's next task will be to determine why it is that the ugly sofas are always the most comfy...

Tumbleweed Tiny Houses

I first came across the work of Jay Schafer and the tiny houses he builds in an issue of Natural Home magazine.  He's truly amazing.  He lives well in 89 square feet.  No, that's not a typo, I really meant eighty-nine.  Take a look.

I haven't actually measured our new apartment yet, but I'm guessing it's around a thousand square feet.  I don't really need to squeeze all the use I can out of every inch of it, but I really like Jay's philosophy of having no wasted space. 

One huge waste is what he calls the transition spaces, like hallways and staircases.

We have a hallway running straight through the middle of our apartment.  And, no, I'm not going to be breaking out the sledgehammer any time soon.  There are easier ways to deal with this sort of thing.  I'll tell you my thoughts on that tomorrow.

In the meantime, head on over to Jay's site and see if you can't find some inspiration to live a little bigger in the space you have now.

Announcing Thrifty Thursdays at bon bon atelier

I had an email from the lovely folks at bon bon atelier (bon bon atelier is a boutique in Kansas City, MO. that features apparel, jewelry and home decor created by local and small artists around the country), announcing Thrifty Thursdays.  I was going to mention it in my Lazy Sunday Links, but I got stranded at my sister's house this weekend.  Which was great, except that my computer was at home, so...

No worries, though, because, a) it's only Tuesday and 2) the promotion runs till the end of December.

And what are Thrifty Thursdays, you ask? Well, it's as simple as this; on Thursdays they will announce a hefty discount on a particular item, and when the next Thursday comes along that discount will end and another will begin!  This week, you can have 20% off these lovely Loop Wallets.

Cool, no?  They also have a blog!

Happy Birthday, Heather and Kathleen!

  photo from kowitz's Flickrstream

I hope you all will forgive me as I indulge in a bit of auntitude today.

My nieces, Heather and Kathleen (aka The Twin Cousins) are celebrating their birthday.

Ladies, Happy Birthday!  I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled and amazed I am to know you both.  I've watched you grow into to two wonderful young women.  And I just want to wish you a very happy birthday and all good things in the coming year.

I will never forget the day that you two were born.  You weren't supposed to share a birthday, but somehow, two entirely different sets of parents in separate cities managed it.  

I was with Nana and Granddad that day and I've never seen them quite so giddy with delight as they were when they heard that they'd been blessed with not one, but two granddaughters ON THE VERY SAME DAY!!!!!

And giddy with delight is how I feel right now, writing this to you.

 

Tagged!

Awhile ago, Steve from It Is Just You, Everything's Not Shit tagged me to tell six things about myself that you might not already know.  And, while I like to maintain a certain air of mystery, I also like to have a bit of fun on Fridays.

So....

1) Ever since I saw the movie Million Dollar Baby, I've been a huge Clint Eastwood fan.  This surprises me.

2) I'm also a huge fan of the Bridget Jones's Diary novels.  Though not much of a surprise there.

3) I don't have a university degree, but I am qualified to teach English as a Second Language.

4) I have fallen in love with almost every single house I've ever looked at.  The same cannot be said of men.  Alan was the first one to make it past the second date.  We'll be celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary this month.

5) In that time we've lived in thirteen different places.  One of them for eight years.  And we're getting ready to move again soon.  Hopefully.

6) I have absolutely no sense of direction.  Seriously.  I've been known to get lost in my own house. Though #5 could help to explain some of that...

Now, the rules say that I'm supposed to tag six people to carry on the fun.  But I'm going to bend that rule just a little bit. 

I think tagging is a great way for new bloggers to introduce themselves.  So if you have a new blog, or just want to meet some new readers, leave a comment after this post and let me know when your list is up and we'll come over and see you!

 

Tanya Aguiñiga

I received a lovely e-mail from Lisa Michelle of USA (United States Artists) alerting me to a series of videos featuring various artists and their work.

One in particular caught my eye - Tanya Aguiniga, a young woman who grew up in Tijuana, Mexico and is now living in Southern California.

Her work is amazing, people!  Cast-offs and found objects reworked, often incorporating textiles in gorgeous colours.  Just look at those chairs!

Watch the video here (be sure to check out the rest of the videos while you're there....)

And be sure to check out her website.

Thanks for the info, Lisa!

An Explanation

Erin from Design for Mankind asked where I came up with the name May December Home. I guess I've never explained that to you....

Choosing a name for a business can be really hard. You want something that will be memorable, different, interesting. The business advisors tell you it should give an idea of what your business is about, while still being all of the above.

I had a list, some of which made my husband wrinkle up his nose, some of which might have worked.

I knew that I wanted to have a blog tied to my shop, so an internet search wiped out most of the main contenders - they were already taken.

Using my address was out - it's just not that interesting. But then I started thinking, instead of explaining what I do (still can't quite find the words for that) or where I am, how about when I'm open?


How Do You Classify This?

The little village I'm in gets really quiet in the wintertime, so I knew I would only be open during the busier months, like, from Victoria Day in May to just before Christmas in December..... hello!

Another internet search turned up a few May/Decembers, so I added Home and I had found my name.

I like that it refers to age and romance. Something not quite conventional.

So, how about you? How did you come up with the names of your blogs/businesses?


May December Home - Something Old, Something New

Welcome to May December Home

And so it begins...

Setting up in the Second-Hand Home Furnishings business can be fraught with danger, I've discovered. And I've only just opened my store!

The dangers are: spending too much for an item (particularly common at the auction), not jumping on an opportunity and missing out (also very common at auction), to say nothing of the dangers that require updating your tetanus shots (sharp things, rusty things, pointy things...)

I've been able to negotiate most of these pretty well, though I am still kicking myself for a few lost opportunities.

There is one danger, however, that seems bigger than the rest. And that is - falling in love with your junk. And keeping it.

Just the other day, I found an old metal fridge drawer with a beautiful robin's egg blue porcelain finish. All kinds of ideas went through my head about what it could be used for - Fruit bowl for a big family. Inbox for a really busy person. Magazine rack.

Now, I'm addicted to magazines, but I managed to think "magazine rack" without wanting to keep it.

And then I cleaned it. And I was lost.

Now I have a lovely robin's egg blue magazine holder. And a better understanding of why so many second-hand shops seem to be so dusty - the owners have learned how easy it is to get attached.

But awareness is power, right?

I'll keep on cleaning. I'll just try to do it with my eyes closed!