Canada Blooms and The National Home Show in Toronto

The National Home Show and Canada Blooms are on in the Direct Energy Building at Toronto's C.N.E. this week, till March 24th. This is the second year these two premier events have shared space under one roof, creating the largest home and garden event in North America.

My daughter and I went yesterday with her friend and mother. I have to say, this is the best Canada Blooms I've been to. 

When you walk in the main doors, these gorgeous bougainvillea vines greet you.

Impressive Rhododendrons line an aisle as you make your way into the Canada Blooms show. 

Medinilla magnifica care was demonstrated at a large booth. An epiphyte originally from the Phillipines, these beauties are fairly new to North America as house plants. I was first introduced to them at work last year and they became very popular due to their incredible flowers, which can get up to 50 cm long! I saw more people walking around with Medinillas than any other product at the show. 

Rogers Custom Greenhouses is right around the corner in the village where we live. They also do metal garden art which they had displayed at their booth, Steel Garden Art. Lovely...

I especially love these rustic pieces. 

Floral Dimensions has a large booth with stations set up so children could plant their own garden in a pot. They also had this succulent frame art on display. A trip to their garden centre is definitely on my agenda this spring.

I love this display garden with Heuchera, Helleborus, Digitalus (Foxglove), and Euphorbia Diamond Frost.  

Look at this floral art created using Bird of Paradise.

My younger daughter is getting married next year and the reception will be at our home. I was collecting ideas for decorating the gardens on her special day. 

Some were a little strange...

...and some were very unique.

Don't you love how the succulents seem to be growing on the branches above the main part of this arrangement?

I had to pick up this magnificent Helleborus. I have one a different colour in my garden and want to add more. In the meantime, it sits in the dining room bringing a little colour to the gloomy, stormy day.

There was a booth selling Plumeria cuttings and plants. I've never had one so this was another purchase I made.

I have no idea what colour mine will be, I do know it will be heavenly; very aromatic and the perfect addition to my tropical collection during the summer months (it is a deciduous tree so it will loose it's leaves in the winter). This gives you an idea of what the flowers could look like. They are used to make leis in Hawaii.

I didn't get as many pictures at the home show, but this stunning 'teardrop chandelier' at the Home Ideas booth caught my eye. I need to figure out how to make one of these, the price on it was marked down 1/2 price to $349.00! They had quite a few chandeliers on display, all of them gorgeous.

I met a couple of women who have an antique & furniture store in Bracebridge, if you are ever in the area, you must check them out. And they are one of the new stockists in Ontario for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! A little too far for me to shop at, but next time we go north, I'll be making a stop at Simply Cottage. Of course, I had to pick up some paint while I was at their booth. I didn't think to take a picture, but here is a sample of their wares from their website.

Who doesn't love Amish furniture? The craftsmanship of their pieces is top quality. I didn't get a picture of their fused table that everyone was crazy over, but here's a copy of it from their site, Amish Furniture Designed. Can you notice the 'live edge' this table has? It's even more spectacular in real life. 

We left from a different exit to walk under a large, beautiful arbor decorated with red velvety Amaryllis. Now this I can make for Tanya's wedding! 

I have a slew more pictures, however since the post is already long, I think you've seen enough. lol 

If you're in the Toronto area, I recommend paying a visit to Canada Blooms and the International Home Show, on till the 24th. Two shows for the price of one. I promise, you won't be disappointed! 

Have you visited a home & garden show in your area this year? Did you buy anything for your gardens?

A Day of Friends and Thrifting

I have met friends from online before. It's not new to me, but it is always wonderful to connect with someone you've developed a friendship with online. Especially when you have so much in common. 

I met a couple of women last week who I have known through Facebook and blogging. Heather, from New House New Home New Life, lives not far from me. There are so many similarities in our lives, we hit it off right away. And spent a fantastic day together.

We made arrangements to meet at Waterford Antiques in Southwestern Ontario, an amazing two story building filled with junk, antiques and treasures. 

After a couple hours browsing all the terrific shops, we left with car-loads of amazing finds. 

Look at the old wooden ironing board I scooped up for a mere $12.00, and I saw others there for over $40.00!

I found large collections of milk glass, but I only came home with two pieces.

And brass! Oh, what beautiful pieces...see the tiny mortar and pestle?

I think they'll go perfectly with the rest of my brass collection.

And this basket of pine cones was so cheap, considering what you pay for large pine cones usually. 

While there, we visited Melanie's booth, The Painted Bench. She opened on March 3rd, and has already sold some large pieces! Way to go, Mel! This is Heather in Melanie's booth.

After lunch, we headed up to St. George to visit Grace at her new store, Painted Out. She's painted gorgeous pieces in Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. 

She is also a supplier of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint! Do you know how exciting it is to find a supplier so close to home? 

Myself, Grace & Heather

Now, what to do with my old ironing board? I'm on the look-out for an antique iron!

Have you met any online friends in person? Where is your favourite place to thrift?

Thanks for a wonderful day, Heather! 

Old Cable Spools to Garden Cart

My husband is amazing. I just have to say it.

Warning - Picture Overload (I couldn't help it, really!)

Larry ends up with a lot of empty cable spools from his business.

Empty cable spools

I usually try to find something to do with them. He's becoming very good at not throwing anything out until he checks with me first. Smart man. (so, who's really the hoarder here?)

I saw a couple sitting on their sides...and they looked like...wheels!

We have a lot of old wood and pallets lying around, too. 

When I asked if he could build me a garden cart, he said sure. I took measurements, drew out what I wanted, we discussed options, took measurements again and he had it done in about an hour! What a guy...he was so fast I didn't get any photos while he was assembling the sides. 

While he was building, I needed to make the 'wheels' look old. I had clipped a post by HomaStyle to my boards on Hometalk. I do get a lot of old wood, but there are times when I have to use newer looking wood. HomaStyle's post was about making new wood look like barn wood. Perfect for what I needed to do to the cable spools.

I had mixed up my vinegar with steel wool a few months ago, but never did use it. So it's been sitting waiting...and I think it got a little too strong. 

Tea and steel wool vinegar

I painted the tea on first, and when that coat dried, I painted on the steel wool vinegar. 

Painting on the tea

Painting on the steel wool vinegar

Look at the difference now!

When Larry had the sides assembled, we checked to see if it fit inside the spools. Perfect! Now he can add the bottom. The spools look too new still, but their 'axles' will get rusty once they are out in the spring rains.

Attaching the bottom

It's a nice, snug fit. 

Look Deb, it rolls! haha

I just love this wood with the letters and numbers on it. 

I think he did an awesome job?

He still has to make the 'handle', and attach the crate to the wheels. He will be doing that soon. But even without it, I am in love. 

Pickle seems to end up in a lot of pictures

Since we are still covered in snow, I can't fill it with flowers for the garden yet. So I took a couple of my stag-horn ferns and a variegated Boston fern to decorate it. 

Yes, our garden cart is on the pool table. 

Since the cable spools are not real wheels, this is a stationary garden cart. :)

I can't wait for spring and to see this new garden addition filled with colourful annuals. Now to decide which ones I want to put in it. 

I painted this watering can to give it a rusted look. Not quite what I was going for, but it's better than it was. 

Edit - The handle was finally built & added to this cart, and it still needs to be aged. It was given as a present so I didn't get it decorated for pictures, but I hope you get the idea. I have some more spools and wood, now to make another for me! :)

Do you have any old carts or wagons you put plants in? 

I'm sharing with -

                                         

Funky Junk's SNS                                                Serenity Now

East Coast Creative CWTS

                                        

Debbiedoo's & Fox Hollow Cottage                        Spring Thing Linky Party