+Christmas in San Francisco

This was our second Christmas in San Francisco. It was really nice to take a short break from the winter days of Montreal. It was nice to spend time with family. Shop, eat, walk, shop, eat, walk... We shall return indeed...maybe in the spring or summer? We L.O.V.E. San Francisco. It's one of our favourite US city.

+We're on Vacation...finally!

We're escaping this for a few days woohoo!!! While we're away, our shop will remain open. We will start processing the orders received during these days on Jan.4, 2010.

We want to wish you all the best!!!

+Monday Pic - Pas de Space, Place Bonaventure

Underground path leading from/to Place Bonaventure Metro station, filled with posters of Pas De Space. Kinda ironic marketing scheme...Take up the entire path to plaster posters up with the words "pas de space", strongly proclaiming that there is just no space for the public, encouraging everyone to have their say...in big HUGE letters. Hmmmm... gotta think about this one. I thought about it... I LIKE IT!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

+Introducing....Equestrian

Equestrian is my 5th faux suede handmade bag. Just like Mellow Yellow, it is made of durable microsuede fabric, jean-stitched throughout. Dimension (in inches):
Width: 14"
Heights: 10" (lowest), 14" (highest)
Depth: 3"
Strap: 12" drop, 30" around

Inside: Zip & Patch pockets, swivel hook for keys
Outside: 2 pouches w/ flaps, closure w/ slim magnetic snaps
Main Closure: Zipper
Material: heavy-weight microsuede, 100% polyester with 100% cotton backing, 100% heavy-weight cotton canvas (straps,bottom,band)
Equestrian is available at Paco+Lupe (prices in CAD, no login account required) and soon-to-be added to my Etsy shop.

+Kitchen Reno - Kitchen Island...on a budget

You remembered that we bought our solid wood kitchen cabinets from an auction for less than $2000CAD? Well, an island didn't come with it. So, we had to be creative but keep within budget. There is just as much to consider when thinking about the kitchen island. The island can easily become the hallmark of your kitchen so careful thoughts must be put into it just as much as you did into the rest of the kitchen.

We needed more prep-space and more storage...plus we needed to add something in the middle now that we liberated our kitchen from the old 1980s peninsula-style. Did I mentioned we needed to stay on budget? - less than $300CAD. Who's laughing? It's possible. Sounds like another DIY project....

...and TADA ! This is what my husband and I came up with.
What we spent:
2 x metal chrome shelves (24"x48") - $40 each = $80
2 x metal chrome posts (72") - $12 each = $24
1 x set of 4 caster wheels (5") - $55 = $55
1 x Ikea liquidated butcher top (26"x50") - $100 = $100
Some sweat equity
TOTAL SPENT (before taxes): $259 CAD

We needed more prep & counter-top spaces - GOT IT!
We needed more storage - GOT IT!
We (ok, I) wanted it on wheels - GOT IT! 'cause I am nuts about caster wheels
We (ok, I) wanted the industrial look - GOT IT!
Simple, eh?

+Monday Pic - Place Ville Marie Christmas Tree

It's one of many events that marks the beginning of holiday season in Montreal...the lighting of Place Ville-Marie's Christmas tree, a downtown tradition since 1962 when PVM first opened its doors. Made in New York, the "tree" is decorated with 13,000 lights, measuring 19.20 metres high (63 feet) and 7.92 metres in diameter (26 feet).

Ok, so it's not the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree but it's what we have. And we like it, right??? No tree was cut down for this event...

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

+Busy busy Saturday

10:30am - met a friend at Toi Moi et Café (reviews) for breakfast, caught up with so many stuff...blah blah blah...

1:00pm - head over to Souk @Sat for some Christmas shopping. Did I mention they had a bar and DJ? I am so going to try out for next year. It was a really nice venue and arrangement. Bought lavender soap from Marie-Chantal Gauthier of L'Apothicaire Beaute. Also 3 pairs of socks for grown-ups from Petit Peton. I'll show you mine. The others are gifts so shhhhh.... 2:30pm - drove all the way up to Parc Extension to see what was left of an Indian shop closing down. Bought bangles after bangles...woohoo! 4:00pm - went back south all the way to Atwater Market to do some grocery shopping. 5:00pm - headed home. What a day!

+Monday Pic - Biosphere on Île Ste-Hélène

Yesterday, we met up with some friends, and made new ones too, for dim sum at Kam Fung restaurant in Chinatown. There were, I think, 12 of us? It was a big table. Of course, it was the usual noise, chaos, bumper to bumper seatings and dumplings...lots and lots of dumplings. After more than 2 hours, we managed to stop eating and dragged ourselves out of there.

After spending a few more minutes making plans for holiday pot-lucks, cocktails and saying our good-byes, we kiss-kiss our way out of there. Hubby and I headed to the Recyling-Artists Eco Fair at the Biosphere on Île Sainte-Hélène. I saw my fellow-crafter/friend Josée of Zenzhetty there. I bought an apron from her (gotta take a picture of it and show it off later), which I really need because I have this habit of wiping my hands on my pants whenever I cook. The show was really good. They had 50+ vendors exhibiting their eco-friendly products. I didn't take any pictures this time. Sometimes, I just want to walk around and enjoy the show without worrying about documenting it. So many creative people. It was a joy to see.

+Kitchen Reno - Backsplash Day 2-3-4-5-6

It's been awhile since I posted up an update about our kitchen reno. Last October, we finally completed the backsplash, after spending close to 5 days on it. We've applied a sealant afterwards to minimize water seepage. The same sealant was applied on the floor tiles as well.It is recommended to re-apply at least once a year.

Since then, we attempted to install the range hood but discovered that it was a teeny bit warped. It was too obvious for me to avoid...I know, type A. Anyway, I called the manufacturer and they were quite accomodating, which was a relief because I was getting tired of dealing with difficult people. Within one week, they had delivered the replacement and it was perfect. I'll take pictures of it later.

Jeff had also built most of the open-shelves and installed them, except for the corner one. I'll take pictures of those too.

Between Jeff's schedule and our schedule, the kitchen reno slowed down almost to a complete halt. Plus, in the beginning of November, my husband and I went to NYC for a mini vacation. It was really well deserved. We just wanted to have a few days here and there where it wasn't all about the kitchen reno. We are slowly chipping away at our list of TO-DOs. At least, our kitchen has been fully functioning for a few months now. I would say we didn't have use of the kitchen for about 4 weeks.

I see the finish line, I really, really do!!! More pics and updates to come...plus how to save money on a kitchen island by doing it yourself. I'll share our idea...soon!

+Making our list & checking it twice

OK, so we're a little behind the Christmas shopping thing. And with relatives living in USA and Europe, most of our gifts will have to be shipped, which, according to Canada Post, means SHIP NOW!

Shopping for me has been quite the drag lately. I know that sounds weird coming from a woman, I must be ill. But, I don't know if it's just me, are things starting to look alike? When I say things, I mean your typical chain stores. Either that or I am just not feeling inspired. Am I looking for that something that no one else has? Silly question. Isn't everyone? A big challenge in our mass-produced world.

Lucky for us, December is a craft fair-filled month. There's a higher chance of finding more unique things. Plus we will be supporting the handmade industry. So, here are the list of craft fairs happening in Montréal that I know...so far...that I intend to drag my poor husband and check out.

December 2009
4-22: Salon des Métiers d'Art, Place Bonaventure
4-6: Recyling-Artists Eco Fair, Biosphere on Sainte-Hélène Island
5-6: Puces Pop & Rusty Plum, 105 St-Viateur, L'église St-Michel
11-13: Souk @sat, 1195 St-Laurent Blvd.

If you know of others, please share with us by commenting on this post. Thanks!

HAPPY SHOPPING, EVERYONE!