Going out on a limb...

My hubs sent me this today (cause we both think no Kinder eggs in the USA is kinda funny...all things considered), so I felt that I had to share this with you all.

I believe many of you are mothers, and many of my readers are American.  I don't think blogs are a place to preach but I think this poster says it all.  

Have a great day!  I am, I'm eating a kinder...

So, as a mom, tell me, do you want guns or kinder eggs?

Spring Mantle

I don't have a fireplace so its not really a mantle, but I have a buffet under my upstairs window which I decorate during the holidays.  

The view coming upstairs if you had eyes in the back of your head

While I love holiday decorating, to be honest I really prefer a neutral decor.

Its always a work in progress.

Here's what its looking like now, but i'm sure it'll change again, REALLY SOON!

Still looking for something to put in this

I bought this vintage birdcage from Renningers, when I was in Florida for March break. It barely made it home in our totally cramped SUV but not without some serious damage.  The metal was so brittle and the car was so full, that many of the bars had snapped.  Its still lovely, just a little more 'distressed'.

I'd place vintage books in it, except that the bottom wouldn't hold them.

I liked the ivy in the sieve until I saw it in these photos! I've removed it since I snapped these. 

I bought these Saks shoe molds in Cape Cod last March break.  

This lady reminds my kids too much of the stone angels from Doctor Who.  They are very freaked out by her.

Me on a Saturday night...'Give me my WINE!!!!'

  
I don't think my stone angle looks anything like the ones from Doctor Who!  

This perfectly chippy childs chair was a thrift store find a few years ago.  I just cleaned and  sprayed it with clear varnish and it was perfect.

I'm strategically trying to angle my photos to cut out the green bookshelf on the left wall.  While its not a bad looking shelf, it was a temporary measure which has been not so temporary!  Three years later and I haven't moved it yet.  

Okay, here's a dark sneak peak at my green bookcase which soon won't be there. So many projects, so little time...

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Muskoka Dreaming

When I was in grade 6 (about 10 years ago...Okay, in 1975), a Canadian poet named Madeline Freeman came to our school.  We all had to write a little poem or story and submit it to her.  She then picked 2-3 kids from each class based on their writing.  I was one of these kids.  Over the next month, she tutored us on writing styles (obviously I've forgotten everything!), and helped us work on all types of creative writing. I threw everything out but she kept all our work.  

1979 was declared 'The International Year of the Child' by UNESCO. I was contacted by a publishing company asking permission to publish my poem in a book of poetry written about or by children, to commemorate the Year of the Child.  I was totally gobsmacked, I later found out that Ms. Freeman had submitted my poem.  My poem was called "The last night at camp", and it was about a little girl sad because it was her last night camping with her family.  It was very descriptive and detailed.  I had never been to camp, just dreamt of camp. My poem was based on my deepest desire to go camping with my family...but my parents weren't really camping folk.  Their childhoods were pretty grass roots and rustic so they liked the luxuries that Canada offered them.  They didn't feel the need for 'getting back to nature'.  So, as my family wasn't going to take us camping, I had to imagine it...

My husband and I have gone camping quite a few times (prior to the babies), but I dream of the romantic notion of log cabins and fireplaces and marshmallows!

So last week when I went out 'junking' I came across one of these, I had to get it.

Isn't it gorgeous?  The green stripe is hidden in the folds.  It looks like a Hudson Bay blanket but its not.  The USA has similar blankets by Pendleton I think.  

Its made by Ayers Wool (Canada).  Its in great condition although it does have a couple of teeny holes.

Hanging next to this blanket was not one...

but two of these gorgeous TePee wool blankets by Mohawk.  These are also Canadian.

Talk about feeding my camping dreams!

I guess someone was clearing out their Canadiana blanket stash!  Go figure! 

I've got to find the perfect place to display them.

I think they'll look great next to my vintage red suitcases with the Canadian travel stickers.  Although you wouldn't take suitcases camping...but its best not to over think this!

I've got a great red tartan vintage canteen which would just set the perfect scene...

But, I'm going to put them away for now.  Pack em up real tight because although I love them, I don't want to see any more wool or blankets! I'm sooooo ready for spring! 

Have a great day!  

 

Why I Love Thrift Stores

I was just minding my own business...I was driving when I felt a pull...a magnetic force was pulling me to go to my old haunt, Treasures.  

Its a teeny tiny thrift shop in Richmond Hill which is affiliated to a local church.  

I hadn't been to Treasures in a while so when I felt this zombielike trance take hold of me, I let it!

I opened the door, said my 'hello's' to the regular staff, turned to the 'nostalgia' counter and started my overall scan (before I focus in on the individual items).  

I didn't get to the focus part!  My eyes locked in on something I hadn't seen since I was 6 or 7 years old!  My heart skipped a beat or maybe three!  There on the shelf was this beauty:

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! A DAWN BOX!"

The ladies in the shop thought I was having a seizure!  

It was in pretty good shape!  I turned the price tag over, and it was $10.  Typical.  They KNOW its a gem!  They know some psycho baby boomer (borderline Zoomer) would pay insane money to walk down memory lane!

Practically crying, I grabbed it and hugged it!  

I don't smoke! If I smoked I'd be spending $10 a day on cigarettes, so what if I spent my cigarette money on a plastic doll case from 1970 instead! Its healthier for me anyway! 

But wait! Its not light enough to be empty...could it be?

I unsnaped the cover, slowly opened it, took a breath and opened my eyes and ...

"EEEEEEEEEKKK!!!" A DAWN DOLL!!

Now, my dawn had long straight dirty blonde hair, but that face was exactly as I remembered her!  

I LOVED my Dawn doll!

I was visiting my lovely lovely Great Aunt Hannah (sniff sniff, she passed away four years ago) in Fairlawn New Jersey, when she bought me one (gasp)!  I didn't leave the bedroom that entire trip!  I just played with my little Dawn doll.  Did I mention I LOVED her?  I don't know what ever happen to that doll (my Mom probably threw her out...but I'm blocking that memory out!).

I don't know what this dolls name is (its part of the Topper Dawn collection) but I don't care.  If anyone knows, please let me know.

Mine had this dress too!

The top of this one is all shredded, but I don't care.  It still takes me back to Sonny and Cher, and Tony Orlando and Dawn, and my young parents, and my wonderful Great Aunt Hannah's Fairlawn NJ house.

What a lovely way to spend $10!  I smiled all the way home, and every time I walk by the box, it makes me giddy!  I forget about my fathers dementia, and remember my young father, on summer vacation from University.  I forget my tired, limping mother and remember a young laughing woman.  

I'd forgotten this doll for all these years, but she's back in my life now!

Loretta Castorini on Google+

I know most of you know where the name of the blog comes from (my ABSOLUTE Fave movie, followed closely by French Kiss and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!).  

I grew up watching Cher (Sonny and Cher) when I was a little girl, and she and I share genetics (she is half Armenian and I am ALL Armenian - something which I don't brag about because I'm NOT a KARDASHIAN FAN :$ ). 

When Google+ added my real name onto my Google+ account and comments I make on other blogs, I wasn't thrilled.  I'm not a big fan of the publicness of the internet.  I don't have anything to hide, but I don't want anyone logging onto my blog to know my real name (while I'm sure they could if they really wanted to).  So I decided to use a 'pen' name, and what better pen name than Loretta Castorini, the main Character from Moonstruck?

So, if you see a comment from Loretta Castorini, its really from me (Arda), not Cher (just saying!).

BTW I thought you would like to see what Cher tweeted a while ago (my crazy 28 yr old daughter follows her on Twitter):

SNAP OUT OF IT!!

This is a real life Fabulous Diva signing out, and wishing you a great day!

New Old Corner Cabinet

Last month I saw this gorgeous corner cabinet on Craigslist, and while it wasn't a total giveaway, it was about half the price of one night in our Grand Floridian room (puts things in perspective)!  Now that I don't have a van anymore, I have to tell my husband so he can help me transport my 'finds'.

It was a wee little thing.  Tall and slim, with sexy sexy legs, just like me (hahahaha!). 

The only corner (no joke) we had was on the upstairs landing.  

As it was so petite, but tall, it needed to be screwed into the wall to be secure.  My hubs did it today (YIPPEE - SNOOPY DANCE)so I was finally able to fill it.  

Five years ago, the first time we went to Ireland as a family, I bought a souvenir from the Belleek factory shop.  I wasn't able to display them anywhere, because no where was appropriate, or WORTHY enough for my Belleek statues.  They have been 'displayed' in their lovely packaging...So I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to display 'all things

Irish!' Wait...backtrack...Now I could display all things Irish that would fit in this petite corner cabinet!  I wanted to display my belleek along with some ironstone, but most of my ironstone platters were way to big!  This cabinet is really small!  While it doesn't look small, its narrow and on an angle, so so many things don't fit.

This is the final product:

The silver coffee service is sterling silver Wedgewood.  This has significant sentimental meaning for me.  My ex husband had stolen all my jewellery (family gifts...no diamonds and pearls here) during our divorce (29 years ago), and these were his (hee hee!)...revenge is a dish best served cold my friends!  My jewellery had far more value to me, but my ex was a greedy SOB and wouldn't give me my grandmothers  ring back, so I kept his silver (insert bad bad swear word here).

Look, Connie won the badminton championships at the badminton club in 1935!  Way to go Connie!!!

My Belleek statues!!!  Aren't they lovely?  I bought that claddagh tea cup on the same trip.  

This is quite an old tea set, I don't know where its made or its maker, but its so crazed and obviously old that I had to buy it.  It was in the Salvation Army auction, but no one bid, and they priced it for $10/set...MINE!

I would like to add a few more platters, but I need to find some little dainty ones!  

Anyways, hope you all have a great  week!

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