"THE MAKEOVER"

It's time for a makeover !!!

I was reminiscing over old photographs and realizing just how quickly time passes. Our home has undergone quite a lot of renovations throughout the years. 

Already it needs a Spring cleaning and more repairs.

A nice  cup of tea always helps to lift the spirits and brighten the chore list.

There is nothing lovlier than 

Ansley's ' American Beauty" teaset.

Most people think that living in a old Victorian is romantic, but really it's a labour of love, especially when you don't have an "upstairs downstair" staff like Downtown Abbey.

Before unlocking the doors and taking on a two-hundred year-old Victorian

 it is wise to tread very carefully and think  about what might be  lurking 

 behind closed doors. If walls had ears ... what stories they would tell !!!

AND

The best advise would be to ....

WAIT

DON'T DO IT

Don't even start renovating unless,

 YOU

LOVE

A 

CHALLENGE.

AH ...

Patience is a virtue !!!

            A person never knows what decaying curiosities 
                                        they might find.

                                         OMG ...  there  were
                                               ONE,
                                                       two,
                                                            three,
                                                                    four

                                                      FIVE ...
                                   layers of wallpaper,
                    a  double thick  Edwardian Oil Cloth
           and a myriad of crumbling lath and plaster walls.
                                   ( COUGH< COUGH)

                                                                  Four weeks later,
                                        never mind the house

                                            You're a MESS !!!

(via pinterest)

                                You now befit the title of ,
                                           "Cinderella" ...
                         breathing in all the dust, ( Achoo) 
                    sweeping up the wallpaper, wall chips, 
         and just generally begrudging the endless clean-up.

          Did I mention that I have allergies.( SNIFF SNIFF)
       Renovating is like Spring housecleaning times twenty.

                  Where is my fairy god-mother?

  The 'GOOD NEWS' is that you only have to do one room at 
   a time. In our case, it has been more like one room per year
            since we were dealing  with 'heritage' elements.

                                             LADIES
                                    I NEED A DRINK
               of good old "Earl Grey" before I continue,

                                            How about you?

  There are so many hair-rasing details to be considered
 when you are trying to maintain the historical integrity
                                      of an old home ...
                                                                        
                                               LIKE ....
                               

                                                                    ( via pinterest)

                    How do you tell the"Old Lady" 
                                         that she needs 
                                   a complete Makeover?
                                                         

                                                                 AND
                    This is where it all begins.

                                                                 ( via pinterest)
I am going in for a knee surgery on Wednesday, so I might be a little late responding to your comments in the weeks to come.
Yes, I am beginning to need a makeover myself.( Ha Ha) 

We, humans are like old houses, our bones get a little creaky ...
(no matter how young you are) and the nails and lumber have to be replaced. Thank goodness we live in this day and age of medical advancement.

A little replacement therapy is always a healthy alternative .

INCIDENTLY

                           I'm not as old as the "Grand Lady".   
                   I  think, that I can still roller skate.( Ha Ha)                                            

       This Springtime rejuvenation will be good for the soul

                                       In the meantime ... 
            What do you think about  the color that I chose? 

                                           It's called ...
            " Frankly Scarlett ", I don't give a  _______ from 
                       the epic movie, ' Gone With The Wind"
                        Don't you agree, that it is a fiesty color, 
                            that echoes the charm of a real old
                                      " Grand Lady".
        

                                                       Ladies ...
                        Please do  take your time, sit back, 
                ponder the color and finish your cup of tea.

                               I will  look forward to seeing you soon.
                   Maybe, you would like to see more of the 
            music room's personality in our future teatime visits !!!

  

                                                    ENJOY YOUR WEEK

                                     SWEET FRIENDS !!!

"MISS ANNABELLE"

                     Since I haven't worn a fancy hat for years, 
  Miss Annabelle(above) thought that I should be reminded 
                        of what a real bonnet looks like. 
         Infact she is quite miffed that this is her first outing
                                    in many many years. 
  I can't say how many years as that would be telling her age 
                                           ... AND ... 
               a Lady never speaks of these things.( wink wink)
   Miss Annabelle mentioned that there may be a few of
             you ladies, who have donned Easter chapeaus
                               for an Easter parade.

                              So I'm asking ladies... 
              Have you every worn a Easter bonnet?
                                                                         
                           How about a nice cup of tea ?

 

I certainly do enjoy the drama of accenting florals against
 black teacups.
 This charming Ansley teaset
 chimes in perfectly for the specialty tea that we are  sharing today.

It's  a  sweet little three quarter sized cup with golden curves  that gracefully ripple around making this cup and the saucer enchanting.

 EXCITING NEWS: 

I found a very  interesting Canadian tea company that 

                      specializes in Maple and Icewine Tea. 

          All you have to do is type in, Maple Icewine Tea or 

             Icewine Tea and a myriad of tea shops will be 

                           displayed for your convenience.

 Icewine tea is a "Canada True" product. 

I don't think that I have ever tasted any tea quite like it.

It's made from grapes, just like these ones( below) that you can grow in your own garden.

 I had a bumper crop last year, but never even thought to let the grapes freeze before picking them. I made grape jam, jelly, syrup and a few bottles of wine, but what a revelation to make  tea with grapes.
Wouldn't that  be a fun challenge!!!

The Icewine recipe is relatively simple if you know what you are doing. ( Ha Ha) The grapes are naturally frozen on the vine, harvested then pressed and made into a Ice Wine. The next process is to make the tea which is a delightful blend of premium black tea mixed with the superb flavour of a pure Canadian Icewine. 

Icewine is "NOT" a taste you will forget.
 If you do enjoy Icewine, then you will love the exotic bouquet of this delectable tea.

It's a no mess, no stress recipe with easy to follow directions written right on the box.

As an additional bonus, you can drink  this beverage
 hot or cold.

Both are delicious !!!

NOTE: The first cup is definately the most delicate and flavourful.
The second cup  has a much heavier bouquet and is more well suited to an iced tea.

I searched a few different online stores where you can buy it.

Amazon.ca is always a good place to start, but if you prefer a packaged deal, try (www.canadathestore.com) or (victoriasteas.com). All the teas, Blueberry, Icewine Tea and Maple Icewine flavours are available in elegantly designed tins or in charming wooden country crates.

 

Let's allow the tea to steep and take a quick journey to the garden, with Annabelle.

It is still pretty mucky and cool outside, but the birds, bugs and  animals are already scurrying around. 

Yes ...   It's Spring, because, there's naughty Mr. Squirrel looking for mischief to get into.

He's a regular acrobatic entertainer.

You just wouldn't believe some of the situations he and friends get into !!!

I do believe, that he is perched  up there trying to dream up some nutty little antics like ...

 chewing a hole in my 'squirrel proof bird feeder'.

Hang onto your bonnets Ladies, there's quite a breeze today.
Careful of your dresses too!!!

Who is wearing a dress today?

I do love Spring, but the remanents of snow and the harsh winter are still lingering  in

 soggy puddles of mud.

Leaves

                                                           Acorns

and 

Oh Happy Day ... 

A few crocus' are blooming

What does Miss Dolly see ?

 Spring shoots

that will grow into glorious daylilies. 

Each season, we are blessed with masses of orange Daylilies

 which Kim and I inherited, when we bought our,

"Grand Old Victorian Lady", who is 

 the namesake of my blog, the"Grand Lady ".

Goodness, we have a lot of gardening and cleaning-up to do. 

When you live in the country, work is never done !!!

YEAH !!!

                               My tulips are  awake.

How well, I  remember my father's  tulip garden, where I would lie on the grass taking notes in my little journal, trying to quess what color they might be in the Springtime. 

I was always wrong.( Ha Ha)

 Actually, it really didn't matter what color popped up because the Spring Tulips always filled  me with excitement.

I know that this years flowers will be just as beautifiul as last years were.

JOLLY

BRIGHT and GAY

It must be a good luck year.

We don't often see rabbits in our area, due to the large Lynx and cat popultion, but this little cottontail arrived 

on Easter Day.

If you want to feed him, he loves lettuce, carrots and hay.

Maybe that's why he isn't going anywhere !!!

By the way ....

We called him, " Thumper".

                                                                     
                                        Ladies, you must be exhausted !!
     Annabelle and I are so sorry if you have mud on your shoes. 

                                                                 COME ... 
                        Let's go in for a chat and delicious 
                                  cup of that Icewine Tea. 
    Annabelle is eager to tell you how to care for your bonnets.
        After a long walk in the garden, she's sure to advise you 
           on how to how to clean your silk and satin dresses too.

                                           Incidently...
     Miss Annabelle wants to know who you get to assist with 
                 all the gardening chores and Spring clean-up?

                              What shall I tell her ?      
           

    ENJOY !!!

Thanks for the visits.

( visa pinterest)

                           HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY !!!