Summer Projects

This summer I have taken it upon myself to start and complete a few home decor projects. For those of you who know me, know that I am not the most artsy fartsy person around. However, I do enjoy redecorating and redesigning. So, this summer, I made an effort to turn over a new leaf and try my hand at a few home DIY projects.

Project number 1 of the summer was my dresser. I found this gem at a garage sale a few years back for a whopping $5. I loved the detail of the dresser and the mirror, but it lacked some TLC and needed some revamping. Finally, years later, I fixed up the dresser and I love it. 

Before:

 After:

It's amazing what a can of paint and new hardware can do to a piece of furniture. As a humorous little side, I will mention that I accidentally grabbed the can of primer paint and proceeded to paint the first 3 coats of the dresser with it. Some family members may have poked fun at me, but after some re-sanding and checking twice that I grabbed the white paint the next time, I ended up with a pretty awesome dresser. Sometimes you need to learn your lessons the hard way :)

Second project of the summer was redoing the basement bedroom, where I am currently residing. My brother had it before I did and because he is a guy who could care less that his room was painted poo brown, he did nothing to change it. I however, could not stand the colour on the walls and so a face lift was needed. Over the course of a weekend, the room transformed itself drastically. I am in love with the colours on the wall and after a trip to Ikea and Home Sense for some decor items, I ended up with this:

One of my favorite finds at Anthropology

Unfortunately I was not on the ball and completely forgot to take the before pictures. But just picture this, 4 walls, completely covered with poo colour brown. Gross.

My last project of the summer was recovering 2 chairs. The first chair I picked up at MCC for the low low price of $2 and the second chair I found at a garage sale for only $3. Score! I had a vision for each of the chairs as soon as I laid my eyes on them. After a stop at Joann's fabrics in Grand Forks, I found some phenomenal fabrics (which also happened to be on sale). Because I knew essentially nothing about recovering chairs, I watched a few tutorials on YouTube - some helpful and others not so much. I needed to find a way of recovering the chairs that did not involve any sewing as I know next to nothing about working a sewing machine. After only a few hours, I ended up with these beauties:

Again, due to my forgetfulness, I failed to take any before pictures. The first chair has some definite room for improvement (I am technically not quite finished this chair as I need the assistance of my Grandma to finish the corners of the seat - it turns out you can't staple gun fabric to metal, so I need to figure out another way to attach these corners), but I was very happy with how the second chair turned out. Go me. 

I am hoping this is just the beginning to many projects yet to come!

A Glimpse into August

August appears to be flying right by and it is now only a few short weeks until we enter the most beautiful season of all - my favorite - FALL! I'm done with the shorts and the flip flops and I am ready for the boots, the jeans, the scarves and the cozy sweaters. Ahhh, it makes me giddy just thinking of it all. 

But first, back to August. At the beginning of August we celebrated mom's birthday - low key style - just the way she likes it. Dominika and I were in charge of the food, so we whipped up some of our awesome burgers with all the toppings: orange & yellow peppers, sauteed mushrooms and onions, etc. They were delicious!

 No kitchen experience with Dominika and I is complete without a little mess and a lot of laughter! This was no exception.

I believe I am laughing so hard at the atrocious "Happy Birthday" singing coming from the dining room table. Our family will never be in a choir of any kind :)

Happy Birthday to a pretty awesome lady.

Cupcakes courtesy of my friend Lavonne at www.barelyburntcookies.blogspot.com

August always holds the Tielmann family ladies tradition of attending Rainbow Stage, and this year was no exception. We start the evening off at one of our favorite restaurants: Kelekis, followed by coffee and of course, topped off with a show. This year "Hairspray" was playing and it was PHENOMENAL! 

Courtney and I enjoying our once a year milkshakes. Yum!

Courtney, Myself and Lesley

Auntie Annie, Grandma and mom

Seeing as I have been gone for the past year, my parents thought a family trip to Minneapolis for a few days would be a good way to spend time together, seeing as we are unable to be at the cottage this summer. What started out as a family holiday ended up turning into a trip to Minneapolis with me and just the parents. I'm learning this summer what being an only child feels like. There are definitely some perks, but I must say, I miss the siblings. 

 Despite the lack of brothers and sisters, mom and I did some of what we do best...Shop! And dad was a trooper, carrying all of our bags. We were extremely successful in our deal finding and it was just nice to have a change in scenery.

While in Minneapolis, shopping at stores such as IKEA and Anthropologie, I got some design inspiration for home.

Some spectacular bedding from Anthropologie

A phenomenal mirror, also from Anthropologie

furniture and accessories from IKEA

 So that has been August thus far. Add in there numerous coffee dates with lovely people, quiet time at home with my journal and bible and time spent outside enjoying the unbelievable summer we are having, and you have yourself a pretty awesome month. I have 12 more days of 'holidays' before I am back to reality and work. Gotta make the most of it!

Living Word

Today is a day I have devoted to myself. It's just me and the animals at home, I have music playing in the background that reminds me of TREK, spent time reading, prepared supper and I have baked the most perfect looking chocolate chip cookies. Today, life is good.

I have been home now for a little over 6 weeks and I get the question, how is life being back home, a lot. That question has a myriad of different answers. I'm glad to be home, back in somewhat of the known and familiar, but there are many days when I long to be back in my Portugal life, with some of the most fabulous, inspiring people I know. I've wrestled a lot since being home in regards to what life here is going to and should look like. Lots here at home has changed, and yet there is still a lot that is familiar and comfortable, which makes answering the questions, who am I and what do I want life to look like here in Winnipeg, all the more difficult.

A number of months ago, in Portugal, my dear friend Heidi shared a verse with me. It was something she was learning about after returning from Spring Adventure in Abbotsford. At the time, they did not resonate with me personally, but I saw how fitting those verses were for her journey and her life at that moment. A couple of weeks ago, I was spending time doing some much needed life journalling and wouldn't you know it, those verses Heidi shared back in May spoke volumes to me now. I never would have guessed. That, is what makes scripture so cool. It is indeed living, breathing word.

"But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about  to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert".

~ Isaiah 43: 18-19

I have returned home from the most incredible adventure of my life and there are days when I feel completely lost in how to go about navigating my life. But then, the Spirit moves and as I read these verses, I am reminded that my adventure is far from over. Just because I am no longer on TREK or in Portugal, does not mean God is finished with me. God is starting a brand new thing in my life - a new chapter. In this healing and navigating process, God is is making a pathway for me in the midst of my wilderness with refreshing waters along the way. As I continue to search out the God I love, I know He will remain faithful and in his perfect timing and way, He will reveal more of himself and the plans He has for me.

This past year has been marked by lessons of obedience and as such, I want to continue to live that out in this new chapter. I have no idea of where God will lead me or what He will do in my life over the months to come, but I want my eyes opened and my heart awakened to be led. 

So how is life being back home? It continues to be an adventure and a learning process. I am enjoying moments of solitude and refreshment. I am being stretched and grown in ways I never expected and I have an indescribable peace in my heart about the past, the present and the future because I know God is doing a new thing in my heart. 

Praise God for living, breathing Word!

A Little Taste of Portugal...in Winnipeg

It has been a year or two since I found myself enjoying the Folklorama scene here in Winnipeg. To be honest, I forgot how much fun it is and how good the food can be :) Seeing as I just spent the most amazing 7 1/ 2 months in Portugal, and it seems as though Portugal is always on my mind, I decided that it would probably be pretty cool if I showed my family a little taste of Portugal by taking them to the Portuguese pavilion. 

 The pavilion featured some Portuguese dancing (although I have to say, I didn't see a lot of this first hand while I was actually in the country), some Fado music and then some authentic Portuguese foods such as octopus, shrimp, marinated barbeque chicken, choriço, cod fish and rissois pasties de bacalhau and of course, the desired green wine. It was really cool to be able to share this with my family and show them a little of what I experienced this last year in Portugal. 

Enjoying some pastel de nata and green wine.

Fado

 

A few of the cultural displays:

Typical Portuguese souvenirs

Portuguese Futebol

Typical Portuguese food

Since being home, I have also discovered that Winnipeg has quite the Portuguese community. There are authentic Portuguese fish markets and food stores and bakeries that I will be checking out in the weeks ahead. Who says you can't get a little taste of Portugal in Winnipeg?