First, It’s the Little Things
Look! I’m so excited, I’ve even included a picture of the dishwasher. I AM THAT BIG OF A DORK. Live with it.
Actually, as you can see, I wanted to draw your attention to some other things. Namely, our counters are granite. I’ve always been cynical of granite counters because I thought their only function was to show everyone how much money you spent on your counters. However, it only took me one (1) day to realize the error of my ways. Because granite counters DO NOT STAIN. They’re made of rock! How can they stain? That first morning when I didn’t have to rush at the counter with a cloth and some baking soda in an attempt to prevent those faint brown splotches that always spring up like mushrooms around the coffee pot…WELL. Consider me sold! All I need for a sparkling clean counter now is a damp dish cloth, NO ELBOW GREASE REQUIRED. And it really does sparkle. Which is the other thing.
As an aside you’ll note that I have three decorative jars on the counter. They’re old honey jars from the farm. What should I do with them? Flowers? Sea shells? Nothing? Design mavens can leave their ideas in the comments.
Also? We have in-suite laundry. BELIEVE IT BABY. Dreams can come true! (At this point–what with all the links to my housekeeping disasters–I feel compelled to say that we don’t live in squalor. Honestly.)
And now, a whole string of dorky pictures, which I’m not afraid to admit are mostly for the benefit of my mom, who is likely the most interested in how I’ve done up my new place. First, our new sideboard. This is blog-worthy because it is the first piece of furniture we’ve ever had that’s neither a hand-me-down nor from Ikea. Also? Look how pretty!
We bought it from an actual, for-real antique shop! And it’s an actual, for-real antique! Made of actual, for-real oak! And look at the hand-carved knobs on the drawers and the hand-carved feet (is that what they’re called–feet?)! Squee! (Note festive potpourri and slice view of Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Squee!)
Next, my antique bottle collections. There’s an old midden in the back 40 of the farm and I’ve been digging up treasures from it since I was a kid. I finally got organized enough to pack up a few favourites and bring them out to Vancouver. Here’s the little collection of pop bottles:
I like the two generations of Canada Dry. And the old Pepsi bottle and the Patio cola bottle, which is the original Diet Pepsi. And, whoever inhabited the farm in the 60s was a huge fan of Calgary soda, which has been obsolete for at least as long as I’ve been alive but I’m rather curious about it since it was obviously a local phenomenon.
And, next my favourite odds-n-ends bottles:
The brown bottle is an old Javex bleach bottle; the green an old lemon juice bottle; the blue is of unknown origins but it’s such a pretty colour; the jug is a true Alberta antique, made from clay in Medicine Hat; and the clear glass bottle on the end had Castor oil in it. Weren’t every day objects prettier before plastic?
Finally, my festive centrepiece (and a sneak preview of the view from our dining room)!
I’ve got some vintage bottles I could send you. They were found in our attic when they fixed our ceilings. Just say the word.
-Monkey Boy/Egan
I’m so jealous of your dishwasher.
Churlita
Thanks for the photos. Everything looks really nice, especially the sideboard.
F.Y.I. I think the blue bottle held Milk of Magnesia, which was a stomach remedy. Pretty romantic, Hey?
Love,
Mom
Oooh, you’re apartment is so pretty! I love the antique bottles, too, and I remember visiting that midden with you once and finding all those bottles out there - so cool! That’s cool that you’ve kept them all this time and finally have a lovely place to display them!
Happy New House!
Love DJ
Very nice! I’m jealous of your sideboard!
As for the little honey jars on the kitchen counter, the very first thing that popped into my head was that you should fill them each with different colored water and suspend little plastic people or animals or eyeballs in them. Because, you know, I’M A TOTAL WEIRDO. So don’t listen to me.
Also, on the granite counters–I too thought they were just show-offy. But now that you’re singing their praises, I might have to change my mind! Any counter is better than the one I have, that’s for dang sure.
First of all, you say “pop” and not “soda”! In my world, that’s very Ohio - or perhaps midwestern. Nifty!
I love the bottle collections, both of them. My family rarely bought sodapop (there, that works for both of us) when I was growing up, but what we bought was Pepsi in that very bottle type - I haven’t seen one of those in years! One year we left them in the garage during a terrible sub-zero freeze and they all exploded.
Your view promises to be quite nice - looking forward to seeing it - and your genuine antique is lovely!
Happy new year, Jeci!
Egan: What a kind offer–thank you! I’ll email you.
Churlita: I don’t know how to say this without sounding immodest, but…squee! The dishwasher is awesome. I honestly wish I could give one to single moms everywhere.
Mom: I did think Milk of Magnesia was romantic until you said it was a stomach remedy. I thought it was for making your skin soft in the bath! It has such a nice name and came in such a pretty bottle.
DJ: Thanks, Babe! I love that you remember finding the bottles with me. It makes me like them even more.
Shannon: Thank you! As for the eyeballs, I don’t happen to have any on hand, but thanks for the suggestion.
And the granite thing–who KNEW, right?
Anne: To the best of my knowledge, all Canadians say “pop.” I love trivia like that too. We basically never had pop/soda either, and I don’t think I ever remember drinking pop out of a bottle (except for good old Pop Shoppe at birthday parties). Glass bottles must only predate me by a wee bit, if you remember drinking from them. A heartfelt Happy New Year to you too!
Oooooh. I am envious of your new kitchen. Me want unstainable counters. Me want dishwasher. Me want 10% more happiness.
L: “Me want 10% more happiness” made me laugh out loud. I hope you can find 10% more happiness in the New Year, just for the hell of it, even if it doesn’t come from a dishwasher.
how can you make so nice blog !