Nubbly silk texture

This is amazing! It is a blackout washable material- and has a terrific hand! Great for bedrooms, you do not need a blackout liner! Washable! Oh Vay!

Do not eat too much lettuce! Save room for your chocolate

Cafe DeVille

http://www.cafedeville.com/

101 Avenue and124 Street Edmonton

Oh I went to one of my favourite restaurants in Edmonton last week, and for the first time this 'summer' sat outside! It was already September- maybe I work too much? Anyway, I had my favorite salad- and was grouchy!

So, when the waitress asked if we would like to see the dessert tray, I said "Yes, of course" Now I normally do not eat dessert, and I said to my companion," Just to look of course."

He laughed

He had every right to!

This is one of the restaurants in Edmonton where you must eat dessert first- or at least make sure you have room for it!

The pastry chef here is incredible! I am a chocolate fiend, and I do not like/prefer white chocolate ( I eat any colour of chocolate if desperate) but this lady makes a white pear truffle that should be served in Paris! OMG!

I digress- so I my fav of all favs is chocolate mouse, so she had to tell me one of the concoctions was a dark chocolate/cherry mouse! Was I in or what?
I left a very happy girl- guess the salad just did not bring my chocolate levels up to par!

What to spend your money on

Please click on the pictures for more detail. They are multi-media- water colour with 'wool hair' glitter, silk flowers- a true colour photo (wedding girl in frame)feathers, sequins-- truly very deliteful in real life!

There is a lively debate going on- on another blog decorno.blogspot.com. About what to spend your money on. Should it be expensive soft goods (sofas) hardcase items ( wood items such as tables, chests -I believe in good hardcase goods)..... What and where should we spend our money?

Now I am big believer in spending your money on 'stuff' that will get handed down and survive the years, copper pots, art, silverware, casegoods..... and my one luxury is excellent drapery... and okay great sheets.

I love my art-- for a few reasons- most of the art I have has sentimental reason behind it.

The pieces I had commissioned from Jennifer Garant were to celebrate the friendship I had with my best friend, soul mate, twin sister- who died a few years back.

I took care of her while she died, in my house from cancer and miss her everyday. So, the artwork I had commissioned truly means a lot to me.

The piece above is called the 'Toe Nail Party' as we used to sip wine, martinis and do our feet together and chat. She was the Shania Twain girl -sexy and glam- me the girlie girl. We were the same but different.

(Link for waiters and waitresses, scroll down and you will find the dog series! Posters, so we can all enjoy some lightness in our lives!)

http://www.allposters.com/-st/Jennifer-Garant-Posters_c35823_.htm
So, spend your money where your heart is- is your heart is with art- great! If it is with terrific sound- then go for the electronics- or if you are a movie buff- great TV's (I still have the big old fashioned huge TV's in my basement- not that big on TV I guess).

Spend your money where your heart tells you it should be!

and here another great take- from a designer!
http://sketch42blog.com/2009/06/29/the-true-cost-of-interior-design/

Chocolate! Chocolate for Charity!

Okay, as anyone that knows me- or reads this blog- my not-no-secret love in life- is Chocolate!

Now, we have a socially responsible reason to induldge- Meals for Wheels FUNdraiser!

Ah, eating chocolate has never been more socially needed!

Canadian Western Bank presents the 8th annual Meals on Wheels Celebrity Auction
Friday, September 25th, 2009
At the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald

Tickets- $50

For more information & tickets call
780-429-2020
http://www.mealsonwheelsedmonton.org/
Buy your tickets today – a sell-out crowd is expected!

Can you see him?

Can you see him? He reminds me of my scraggly long-haired chiWOWah. Not that they are the same breed just the little face! ONE SHOE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE- CINDERELLA

Thanks to Jennifer Garant for this great idea!

Bisque from lobster 'bones'

I understand this may sound silly- when we are all trying to save money- but lobster bisque is fantastic. Please though, I splurged in August and held my annual Lobster party. I had left over bodies, a tail (which my son ate before I could add it to the soup) and some claws. Rather than throw all this away I froze the left-overs and just made some bisque. Re-use don't throw out!
This winter my family will be eating roasts and full chickens- then soups and stews made with the bones and left-overs! One must save money!
The recipe...... sorry I am not that great on measuring. Which brings me to the cloves- I did not realize there was no little holed cap on the spice jar and there is more cloves in this soup than there should be- and it is fantastic!
'Bones of three lobsters'
I smashed the bones, tore apart the bodies and threw them all in a big pot, one container of chicken stock, one onion, three bayleaves and too much cloves!
I kept the meat on the side
Simmered the bones and the chicken stock for half an hour- drained the stock.
1/4 cup of butter melting in pot, 1/4 cup of flour- heated until dissolved add 2 cups of milk and brought to a light boil stirring to ensure no lumps.
Then I added the reserved stock, and the meat and slowly heated for about 10 minutes.
Voila- lovely silky smooth bisque that really did not cost me anything!

Handymen/women

In these trying days everyone needs a handyman/woman at their fingertips. Okay well some of us do. I think I understand basic electrical, yes I can change out a duplex receptacle... Plumbing? I know where the shut off valve is in my house- and being a smart girl (after being told by multitudes of plumbers) I have shut off valves installed into every plumbing fixture as they are replaced. In my home anyway, sometimes clients balk at the extra dollars to have valves installed behind their toilets- in their kitchen and bathroom sinks, but at least I try to advise them! Best to have this small chore done, then if you have a leak or need a repair the entire house is not affected down the road.
I know how to install a shutoff valve- but do I do it? No... I leave that to the plumbers or the handymen.
Installing baseboards- is an art- or should be. Hanging doors (another story of that!) hanging closet doors, we all need a handyman on speed dial if you are like most of us.
I can do many different skills- but I am not good at it- and I would prefer perfect baseboards, plumbing that does not leak, and well wiring a house- that is for an electrician.
I have two excellent handymen/women-- and a few other craftsmen in my 'Rolodex' should you need one.
Email me-- trust me- they have already been through the mill doing work for me and my clients!