Christmas in our HOME

This year getting ready for Christmas really "snuck up on me."  I was spending months getting ready for the Christmas Craft fair as always, and this year with all the other activities going on in our lives...well Christmas "snuck up on me." So without further a due here is our Home this year with all the Christmas touches.  We tried to scale back, and were hoping the less is more theme would be better.  But still lots of things made their way into the decor, maybe more than I wanted. One tends to forget from year to year what we have & tend to buy a little bit more each year.  I will have to try & stop myself next year...yah right!  Especially when I make something and want to keep one for ourselves.

Have a Very Merry Christmas this year & all the best in 2015!!  Enjoy.

Meanwhile downstairs.....

Haven Living Skincare

I became a stockist of Haven Living's Skincare line not just to sell it, but because it is a product I believe in. Which for me is huge! Haven Living is skincare that you can feel great about using on your whole family. Flip the jar over to the back & you will see it contains Coconut Oil & Soy. Well I can read those & pronounce them! So right there I am on board the Haven Living Skincare train. Just about every member of the family has sensitive skin, even Exzema. So to find a product that doesn't have Perfume or artificial fragrance is tough. I used to be a Cosmetician back in the day, and when I flip a package over, I thoroughly read the ingredients that I can recognize, and know what makes a product tick, or cause skin irritation etc. Perfumes & fragrance is one of the big ones. Just because a product says it is Perfume free doesn't mean it isn't fragrance free. The fragrance is usually artificial, as well as all the preservatives to keep a product stable for its shelf life.  Who wants all that?  Not me, nor do I want it for my family. Enter Haven Living Skincare. . .

For my first try I chose the Mandarin & Bergomot scrub, because it has "Therapeutic values of mandarin orange provide relief from inflammation and improve circulation, while promoting growth of new cells. Bergamot aids in the healing of scars and help to balance skin tone. The fresh citrus scent stimulates the spirit like sunny day in the orange GROVE."
From aesthetically pleasing packaging, and the smell, oh the smell, to a clean flawless feeling after you have used the Polishing Scrub on your face. Dry patches gone, oily patches gone, and shiny radiant skin in its place. My skin has been feeling like it has been lacking lustre since summer left, and I have been looking for a product to give it a "pick me up". Look no further, I found it and hope it will never leave.  As I added a touch of water to the scrub to emulsify it to a better consistency to apply to my face, I was taking deep breaths to take in the essence of Mandarin & Bergomot. Then as I was using it, making sure not to miss one square inch of my face, I used it around my lips and could taste it, and yes it even tasted good!! Rinsed it all off & towel dried my face & the feeling of renewed skin was instant. So I obviously had lots of skin cells build up, and that's why my face was looking and feeling the way it was. My other facial scrub wasn't cutting it.  I can honestly say my skin looks & feels younger today! It also completely got rid of my make up, which is a complete bonus.

Now to try the "Grounds" Body Pumice.
I only got to try this on my hands, but I tell you my legs & feet are next.  So soft, and supple after using this, and what a great morning ritual if you have the time once a week to quickly give your hands a treatment, or every other day. OK, Every day if you really had the time. Gets rid of dry, flaky skin that our hands are so prone to, as well as leaving them moisturized. It feels greasy while you are rinsing them, but the minute you towel dry, its completely absorbed and not a greasy residue what so ever.

So the last product so far that I have tried in the line-up is the Energizing Room & Linen Spray.  Well I can tell you a lot more laundry & ironing might get done with this product. Lemon & Ginger, Mmmm. Natural citrus smells that are so fresh. Once again flip the bottle around to look at the label, and you will see Distilled water, Witch Hazel & essential Oil fragrance blend.
Its Clear, and safe for your linens.

My next trial is going to be on the Sprout Baby soap, which I am going to use on the whole family.

Well done Desja of Haven Living, you have created a wonderful product that we can all feel great about using in every sense.

....now off to spread the word of natural, amazing, quilt free skincare.

Yours truly, Diana
aka Vintage Cove girl

Vintage Market Sneak Peaks

2 months to get ready for the Local Vintage Market should be enough time, right? I should hope so, but with all the ideas I keep wanting to make & do, plus be the perfect host will be a challenge.  I am up for it!!  So here are a few things that I have been working on this past week & will be coming with me to my booth.  Spread the word to all your friends & relatives who wouldn't want to miss this First (and hopefully not last) Vintage & Handmade Pop-up Market to hit Merritt.  Lots of Local & Out of town Vendors will be in attendance.  Still Accepting Applications, if you or you know someones wares that would compliment this Vintage Styled market nicely.  A Vendor list will be posted closer to the Market, so customers know what to expect, and who will be their first stop shop.

Vintage & Handmade Market Registration Applications

Welcome Vendors & Prospective Vendors

This will be a very exciting event for all of us.  Merritt's first Vintage & Handmade Pop-up Market, taking place Saturday May 31st, 8:30am -5:30pm. (half hour before opening, and 1 1/2 hrs. after to clean up and take down your displays) and Open to the Public between 9am-4pm.  Set up for Vendors is Friday May 30th, 9am-9pm.
Merritt Civic Centre is located at 1950 Mamette Avenue.  Directions to the event can be found on the events page, just follow this link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/269603336538905/

Vendor Applications are CLOSED. (Vendors that fit in the Vintage and/or Handmade category that mix well with this theme.)

Booth Spaces are $65 for one 10x10 space, and $130 for 10x20 space.  This is a "Juried Show".
*No booth sharing, each Vendor must pay for their own space.  All Products must be Handmade, painted or embellished by the Vendor.  *No Commercial, mass produced products sold in the booth.  Accept Paint, Tools, and supplies to help the customer achieve the project they want.  (If unclear, please message myself)

Vintage Finds must be 25 years or older, and be good quality "Junk".  (We don't want to look like a Flea Market)

Decorating your booth Vintage Styled, or with Backdrops are encouraged to add to the Market feel. If you have a table booth, tablecloths are a must, and need to provide your own.  Bring your own extension cords, Power bars, ladders, tools, battery operated candles, etc.

Please use the corked 12ft. borders for hanging things, with Thumbtacks, tape, putty or staples.  No tape on walls, floors or double sided tape on tables.  Please use Garbage bins provided for any take down garbage.
While setting up your booth, please make sure any Fire Exits near you are not blocked by merchandise or any other objects, and are free and clear once you are all set up.

Lots of  free Parking is provided at the Civic Centre.  Once you have loaded your inventory please move your vehicle so other Vendors can take advantage of parking close, and hauling items a short distance as well.

The Building is locked overnight with a alarm system, so there shouldn't be a worry for security.

You are responsible for manning your own booth.  Have a friend cover for you for lunch, and bathroom breaks or kindly ask the Vendor next to you, and you could cover for each other, if you are alone in your booth.  Another Vendor will be on site that will be able to provide us with Lunch, snacks & drinks to purchase during the Market, as well as Vintage Styled Baked goods.

Advice: 
Price items reasonable to take advantage of making some great sales that day, but also make sure you are covering your costs as well.  You don't want to haul anything home again.
Bring lots of Business Cards, wear an apron & your Vintage Smile.  This will be such a Fun day, and can't wait to see you!!!

Accepting application immediately, and until April 16th or we are full.  Approx. 40 Vendor single spaces.
First come, first serve for availability.  Once application is approved, and payment is received, your Registration will then be processed.  Accepted Vendors will be notified by e-mail by April 7th at the latest.  Once payment is received it is non-refundable the 10 days prior to May 31st.  (Exceptions for illness, inclement weather, and unforeseen circumstances that keep you from attending that particular day.)  If another Vendor is able to take your space, you will be refunded as well.

Follow the Link to the On-line Applications here:
http://fs30.formsite.com/VintageCovegirl/Market-Registration-Form/index.html

For the applications you will have 4 spots to download photos of product, as well as any of your booths you have decorated at previous shows, you have participated in would be great!

Contact me via e-mail once you have chosen your method of payment, so that I can keep track of the method used, and give you more information to complete the transaction.  Make any cheques payable to Diana Lorenz.  3391 Wildrose Way, Merritt, BC V1K 1K4
Need to get a hold of me on Market set up day, and can't find me?  Please feel free to text or call me at 250-378-7571.

Should you have any questions, or concerns that I may have forgotten to address here, please feel free to contact me through e-mail vintagecovegirl@gmail.com or my Facebook Fan Page, Vintage Cove girl.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Cove-girl/208794879172943

Sincerely,
Diana Lorenz, Vintage Cove.

Ensuite Vanity Remodel

First blog post of the year, and a long while since the last one I did since before Christmas.  I really need to be better about getting on board with more frequent blogging.  Anyways, this is worth the wait!!  We tore apart our ensuite vanity quite a while ago, and you are probably wondering why we even had such a notion to do so?  Well when you see the end result, it will answer that question for you.  We fell in love with &  purchased a beautiful 1940's Reproduction dresser.  At first I always think Paint, Paint!  But not when it is in such beautiful shape & needs very little TLC.  It would bring such warmth & a little more traditional style into our home, of ever changing decor.  This piece is a classic, and you won't want to ever get rid of its charm!!  I promise!

So it all starts with a picture of the "Old"/new vanity in its place needing to be all ripped out.

But its not just as easy as that, from beginning to end.  The replacement Vintage Vanity is a lot longer and deeper than the current vanity.  Therefore nothing will be in the right place once the new vanity is in.  Everything including lighting, the mirror, and the plumbing must all be moved over to the right!!  Approximately about 10-12" to the right.

So we turn the water off & get at it.  Pull the vanity out, and then the mirror needs to be moved?  Well also not a easy task.  If heated enough, you could possibly use a wire, and see saw it back and forth trying to get it to come apart.  Not in our case.  We decided that we would still have to remove all the adhesive off the drywall anyways, that we would just cut around the mirror right through the whole depth of the gyprock and then proceed to take the heavy mirror down.  So we did just that.  We took it outside, watered it down with the hose & began, cutting, scraping and peeling away the gyprock.  Which sounds labour intensive but was surprisingly not.  It is cheaper to buy drywall and get all redone than purchasing another new large mirror, with the lighting holes cut in it, as ours has.

So the above picture shows everything out, and now the electrical must be moved over as well.  Meanwhile as my husband is doing all this work with some of my help, I am down in the garage prepping the new vanity for its appearance.  It has a few scratches and wearing here and there.  So without wrecking any of its already beautiful finish.  I use some steel wool & "Restor-a-Finish" on it to hide the blemishes, and shine it up.  I used the steel wool to get rid of any small scratches in the already existing varnish.

We need to cut a whole in the top using the template provided with the new sink we bought.

Then we were needing to use an epoxy to protect the wood.  So I mixed that up according to the directions, and was severely disappointed than when I was mixing it and then applying, it wasn't going on like it should.  Having never used this product before, I was cursing and it had tons of brush strokes, and curing as such.  I ended up having to sand down the project to try and remove the brush strokes and bubbles.  Apparently this stuff does expire, as I put it back in its dusty box, and back to the store it goes.  I then proceeded to use a Oil base Varnish over top to smooth it all out.  Not what I wanted to do or use...but had to in order to preserve what was already done, without wrecking the top.  It worked out great, and you wouldn't even know, if I hadn't just told you.

Here you can see the sanded Matte look before it was varnished.  So it is now ready when the rest of the bathroom wall is.  So mean while back upstairs...

First things first, after getting the electrical moved, is the drywall all replaced and mudded as well as holes cut for the lights, and plumbing.  Then 3 coats of matching wall colour to finish off the demo, like it never happened.

Next the Mirror can come back in & be replaced on the wall in its new position to match up where the electrical holes are cut.  Once it has been given a significant time to adhere it was ready for its molding to be measured and nailed up around it.  This is a new look we wanted to achieve instead of a boring builders mirror.

As you can see the mirror is now away from the wall, and we have our new lighting in as well.  We hadn't planned on changing the fixtures, but one of the glass lights got broken inside the box when something fell on it and broke.  I do however like the Vintage styled old school house lights.

Once the Molding was all up around the mirror, we were now ready to bring in the vanity!!

More retrofitting of the vanity had to be done such cutting out a spot for the plumbing to go though the wood back of the vanity, and then also cutting the backs of the drawers to fit the plumbing without losing all our drawer space due to plumbing.

The first drawer will house nothing but sink & the plumbing, and only needed to use the front of the drawer fitted back on all by itself as a ficade.  There is so much other storage in this vanity that this one drawer missing doesn't make a difference.  More than we are used to.

So without further ado, here is the final finished end result.  We Love it!!

I also painted a Ikea cabinet to match the moldings in the space and store our towels and other toiletries in for the other side of the room.

 Just to give you a idea, here is what the rest of the washroom looks like.  The only picture missing is the shower.

So there you have it, it took a long time to get the vanity reno done, and a whole day for me to edit, write & do this blog posting.  So, now I remember why I don't do this quite as often as I'd like.  I could have gotten a lot of painting done on another project today in the same amount of time.  LOL  Oh well, all apart of what I love to do!!  All for now.