Going Domestic

an apple a day ...

It's occured to me, lately, that my iPod just may be the best Christmas gift that I've ever received. I can't think of what else I get so much use out of. Initially, my iPod sat in it's box for several months, but when we moved to Newfoundland last year, that's all that we took with us, music-wise. Our iPods and our iHome dock. I have too many playlists to count, though I really only listen to three of them regularly.

My iPod is a steady companion. When we go out to dinner in Bangkok, the iPod comes along, as an episode of The Backyardigans can help my kid settle in for a peaceful ride back to our apartment. When I go power-walking around the lake in our community, iPod is there, letting me listen to CBC Radio One podcasts so I miss home a little less. Today, I actually felt okay about mopping our two balconies (oh, there is no chore I dislike more than mopping) as I could tuck my iPod in my pocket and listen to The Vinyl Cafe whilst removing layers of dirt. Suddenly, there was tranquility about ...

window shopping

It's been over eight months since I stepped foot in an Ikea. Eight months of missing my MARKOR living room furniture, eight months of missing my sewing table with the turquoise VIKA CURRY legs.  My in-laws brought me a copy of the 2007 catalogue when they visited us last week, and I've had a really fun time planning out a shopping spree when we move back home next year.

First, a BILLY bookcase (well, maybe two), in red!  Very tempted to add a set of glass doors it. I'd put the bookcase(s) in our study/computer room, add rug like this VEDBAEK one, and then bring my old POANG chair up from the basement. Maybe I'd get a new cover for it.

I think that a set of the EXPEDIT shelves would look terrific in our entryway. One of these IKEA PS units would be handy in the guest bedroom/sewing room, hiding all of my fabric away.

We won't be moving until February, so I have lots of time to do this imaginary redecorating :)

wall candy

I was chatting with my sister this past weekend, and she mentioned that The Black Apple print that she's ordered from etsy had arrived in her mailbox. It reminded me that I'd lurked at The Black Apple before - one of my online friends was going to order some artwork to decorate her child's room. I found the site again last night, and am now trying to think up some excuse to order a copy of Stella the Mermaid and The Sleepy Tree.

I don't think that I had mentioned it, but I recently picked up a pair of art cards by Cara's Joy for one of our official souvenirs of Newfoundland. They're an odd size, so I'll have to take them to Michaels for framing. Chris brought home one of the artists' wood sculptures on this first trip to St. John's, but we left it in Calgary, with the rest of the fun stuff we have to hang on the wall.

seeing is believing

I'm not sure where I first heard the expression "good things come to those who wait" but I was confronted with it the other day when I was in Shoppers Drug Mart picking up a passport application from the Canada Post outlet.

It was just on a whim that I wandered over to the cleaning products section; I didn't ever expect to find the Method products! This location only had the all-purpose cleaner, wipes, and dish soap (all in the pink grapefruit fragrance), and the leather wipes, but it was still one of the highlights of my day. I can happily toss out my bottle of carcinogen-laden Fantastik with OxyPower ...

colour therapy

I've blogged before about how I'd love to try out an AGA Cooker. Part of that obsession might be mere curiosity about what it's like to cook on a high-end appliance, but a large part of my interest would indeed be because the Cookers come in so many fun colours. Pistachio and Claret are calling out to me at this moment ...

I love colourful appliances. I'm actually kind of bummed that my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer is boring white, although Chris very rightly pointed out that it never will clash, sitting out on the counter of any kitchen. A few years ago I saw the stand mixers in a lovely tangerine colour ...

My quest for a colourful appliance continues, and I've set my sights on vacuum cleaners (even if we do have hardwood on our main floor at home). I use a cheap navy Hoover at home and never realized that vacuum cleaners were anything but boring!  But there are Dysons that are purple! Or red and purple!  I found a turquoise Hoover. And a series of vacuums by Miele that feature graphic images on them!