Wow its been a while!

You know when sometimes you don't blog because you want to but...there's just nothing to blog about?  Well thats not the reason I haven't blogged in a bit.  Lots has been going on in my world.  Some good and some not so good.

There's been a couple of Feis' (plural for more than one Feis ... Irish Dance competition, silly!)and another one in early june.

My daughters 'hard shoes' waiting for the 'soft shoe' dancers to do their thing

Here she was 'trying on' a wig!  Just for fun!  She doesn't and will never (until her teacher makes her) wear a bubbly wig!  She's in advanced beginner, and her next level is when the wigs become more prominent.  Although she isn't supposed to wear wigs in this level, many of the girls are completely 'Toddlers and Tiara's' here!  Make up, fake tans, wigs and baliiiiing!

Z only wears her hair in a bun and clear lip gloss (her cheeks are pink from practicing her hard shoe dance).  Its fun ... once you get over the make up, fake tans, wigs and baliiiiing :)

With two (soon to be three) kids doing feis', we have a lot of shoes (2 pair hard, 2 pair soft, socks, duct tape, electrical tape (???I'm new to this world too!!!), snacks etc... to hump to these places, so I got this great Heys suitcase for their stuff!  I LOVE it!  I've been oggling it since The Bay (Hudsons Bay Company) started advertising them on the TTC (bus) shelters!  How completely totally amazingly Canadian!

Another new and exciting thing has been that I decided to investigate opening a booth at an Antique Mall.  I researched the ones in my area, and they are all at least an hour away!  I did some investigative research and visited all of them...and I paid the price!  Each one I went to, I ended up bringing something home!  

This is what followed me home from Orono:

Excuse the flash, as this photo wasn't taken for blogging, rather to text to my hubs...then I decided why bother?  Just buy it! Its a huge old pub mirror!  Gorgeous to die for!  I'm so into old advertising, but the prices are astronomical now.  When I saw this for what I think was pretty reasonable, and they gave me 20% off (after pleading), it came home!

The Mall I wanted was full and very expensive, but another Mall which I really liked had two booths available, so I thought I would grab it!  

This is my first Antique Mall experience, and although the owner was letting me put my things in there before June 1st (without rent), I realistically will just make it there by then!  

Remember all that stuff to be painted in my garage last September?  Its been a painting frenzy here this last week!  No photos of the goods yet tho!

I don't have a lot of rustic, rusty, crusty stuff so I bought two lots from a local auction!

Okay, I got a rustic wheel barrow with a metal wheel... which I'm keeping because it will be perfect at Halloween full of pumpkins.  

I also got a great vintage aluminum ornate fence gate,which had been painted a great blue colour years ago...which I'm keeping because I've always wanted one! 

There was a great 4 1/2' Huge iron wagon wheel...which I'm keeping, because a)I've always wanted one in my garden, and b)I'll never get one at this price again!

These were all in one lot, along with some vintage weather vanes, one of which is 9' long with a concrete base, some folk art garden stuff, and a great concrete pink flamingo!  

You won't believe how much ALL of that cost!  Can't tell you :)

The not so great thing going on in my life, is my Dad started suffering from Dementia just before Christmas, and its getting pretty bad. He's still himself, but sometimes doesn't recognize my mother.  He confuses the years, and has some hallucinations.  Its heart breaking.  He's still so lovely though. Its hard to watch, because he was so smart, always thinking, and on the ball.  He was the go to guy if you had any questions about how to do things...

My parents have a house which they used to rent out, but its about 28 years old and NOTHING has been done to it in all that time!  Original builders kitchen, tiles, CARPET (EEEK), washrooms.  Its pretty sad!  

They decided to sell it as it wasn't renting.  You could pay a mortgage for the rental fee, so who would rent an old (but huge) home?

It is a pretty house with great bones though.  My husband wanted us to buy and renovate it, but I won't leave my street (no way!).

Here are the befores (cover your eyes, its pretty scary!):

We paid big bucks extra for those backsplash tiles back in 1985!

Don't be fooled by the cabinets, the doors are the only solid thing about them!

1) new kitchen
2) new flooring

Chaching!

Family room and kitchen seating area (nice light huh?).  Anyone who wants to buy a great 'vintage' light for cheap, email me (hahahaha)!

Great Scarlett O'Hara staircase, but disgusting green walls (what were they thinking???).

Doesn't this tub just say ... "CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!!!"

Ignore that chunky lady in the photos!  I think my camera is haunted!  Just look at the great vintage vanity!  With neon white lighting covered with a plastic grid cover!  Wow, this is just the SHABBIEST CHIC evah!

I know ladies, you all want to move in, but wait...

This house has a third floor...

and its purple!!

To be fair, its a 3,400 sq foot brick home, with 5 bedrooms, 3 floors, 3 1/2 baths and a great lay out...it just needs a mortgage so I can renovate it for my folks (you will GAG if you knew what the cheapest quote was (new kitchen, all new hardwood floors, new baths, etc...).  Its worth it because its in a high end suburb, and will recoup its costs and make them some retirement cash.  It just a major project and a half!  

The good news?  Think of all the great before and after photos!

Anyway, off to the basement to paint furniture and price stuff!!

Ciao and have a great day!