DIY Chair

So, you know how I've been thinking about getting a new desk chair? After seeing this DIY in the latest House & Home, I thought maybe I won't get something new - brand new, that is. Maybe I'll hit up the vintage shops, something I really enjoy and haven't indulged in in awhile, and find a chair to re-finish and re-uphoslster, just like Michael Penney did here:

It's totally easy and I already have some of the tools after re-upholstering my mom's dining chairs a couple years ago....Oooh! A new project!!

Double whammy

I queued up for my flu shots after work yesterday. My first attempt last week during the lunch hour was unsuccessful so I decided to try again, particularly after hearing the news that Toronto Public Health would be closing the clinics this Sunday to re-open again in January.

I queued for about 30 minutes before sitting down for seasonal and H1N1 shots, the former in my right deltoid and the latter in my left - I'm only being this specific because that's what the nurse checked in the computer system.

I was fine for my work-out afterwards but the pain came soon enough because my sleep last night awful. I'm a side sleeper and I couldn't lie comfortably on either because both arms hurt. And this morning - the simple act of lifting my arm up to the side away from my body pained me.

I was super-slow today too...started the day off right by breaking an egg on my kitchen runner and then there was the long, slushy walk to ride...which actually wasn't too bad because my gum boots kept my feet through the crazy-big puddles. Those boots saved me today.

I re-scheduled my personal training session to Friday because of the pain in my arms and settled in with the grand plan of getting caught up on my admin stuff...but I've been procrastinating of course and haven't checked any of the items off my list of to dos. sigh.

Precious

I went to see Precious tonight and this movie is heavy. Go see it because it will move you and touch you. There are amazing performances as many critics have already attested to and you won't be disappointed. While the story may break your heart, there were some funny moments too, that made us, the audience, tonight laugh out loud.

Getting my Martha on...

It was a busy weekend socially with Martini Night at M&A's nice home, Sunday brunch with N&G and movie night with EY for a screening of Precious. I've been in the mood to bake with the holiday season getting into full swing so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and baked cookies to serve as host/ess gifts.

The first recipe was Mrs. Field's Brown Sugar Shortbread (below). They came out super-butter-y and over-the-top decadent as far as my tastebuds were concerned. The recipe called for dipping the shortbread into melted chocolate and than coating with crushed pecans. I took the suggested shortcut and melted the chocolate chips in the microwave instead of going with the double boiler. Big mistake. The chocolate came out thick and nowhere near melted enough to allow the dipping of the cookies. Instead I spread the chocolate onto the cookies with a knife. Not nearly as pretty but hey, it worked.


The second recipe is Martha Stewart's Chewy Molasses Cookies, a favourite. I doubled both recipes, baked all the shortbread but have lots of the molasses cookies left. Mmm...fresh cookies through the week....but so bad for my diet...hence the sharing!

Here're the gifts I packaged up:

For M&A's Martini Night

For brunch at N&G's

And 4 shortbread cookies for my trainer - I daren't give him more because he's so vigilant about his diet

Words to live by...

via Keep Calm Gallery

Twinkle Twinkle

I love this new print over at Keep Calm Gallery:


Piglet is visiting this week and I was singing this very nursery rhyme to her Saturday night. :)

Lovely

I was catching up on my Google Reader subscriptions when I stumbled upon the bookend/vase set in the middle via Oh Joy!. How fine are these porcelain wonders at KleinReid?

QOTD

"If we do not forgive, it is like carrying heavy baggage that weighs us down so we cannot go forward with it, but we cannot go without it as it contains our history...it is like holding on to hot coals but we are the ones getting burned."

- Ed & Deb Shapiro

Gorgeous

I stumbled upon Jessica Hische's blog via Hey Susy and hello, gorgeous!


This letterpress print is available for sale here and I want one.