Projects: Old and New

I love having projects for myself to do. I am very goal-oriented person in every aspect of my life. I have to see an objective for everything I do whether it is something as big as finishing a degree or as small as making my family happy with a batch of cookies. I love making lists and checking things off when they are completed.

As a result, I have this tendency of finding little projects for myself that usually require taking something old and fixing it or improving it into something new. I definitely get this quality from my dad who has the ability to turn junk into beautiful things. He however is much better at it and gets a little nervous when he sees me taking out his power tools.

These are just two of the many projects that I have on the go right now...

Wedding Planters:

As I have mentioned in past posts, my brother is having an outdoor wedding at our house next spring and we have been trying to prepare for everything this summer. When I started my job at the greenhouse back in April I noticed two broken wooden planters. They were huge and went past my hip, but they were originally priced at $77.99 each. They continued to sit there all season and finally I got the courage to ask how much they would be willing to let them go for. I got them at a great deal of $8.00 each. Turns out she just wanted to get rid of them, but didn't want to toss them in the trash. She also knew they needed a lot of work.



The wood was painted a mix of white and grey. It was spun around the container.
As you can see it was a complete mess.

Not the Martha Stewart way, but I used glue to reattach the pieces of wood.
I also used a giant stone from the garden to hold the wood in place while the glue dried.
Use gloves when you use Gorilla Glue. It creates a mess on your hands.

I painted a layer white before spraying it.

I then sprayed it with spray paint "Satin Khaki"

I ran out of spray paint and need to go over some spots to make it more even.

I think they look great and will look even better when they are filled with plants in the spring.

  The Trunk:

I found this trunk two years ago at Timeless Treasures in Windsor. It was a bit of a mess and that's why it was only $80. I don't have any before photos, but I assure you the inside was peeling and smelled like a dead body might have been stuffed in it at one point. I had to re-do the inside with cedar wood to fix the smell. The patent markings say it was patented in 1877. My grandfather explained to me that it doesn't necessarily mean it was made that year, but only that this type was made that year. He said it is still very old.



The trunk

The wear really shows on the lid. Went over all the wooden frames with a special shiner.




The little girl painted on the inside.


Upcoming Projects:

An old wooden cabinet and a living succulent wall.

Gardening 101: Getting Gorgeous

Almost August and flowers are at their full potential. It has been very hot this July so many people are having issues with their plants. It just seems like no matter how much water you give them, they are still dry a few hours later. Working at the greenhouse feels like endless watering so I avoid the job at home whenever possible.





Waterfall



Hibiscus



Yellow Coneflowers



Zanzibar Plant

King Tut Grass grows well as a pond plant

More Coneflowers

Arch

Birdhouse Bench

New window we put in the shed

Hostas everywhere

Water Rock

Annuals and Perennials



Pathway



Hostas

Different Angle

Swing

Movie: The Dark Knight Rises



Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

 Movie: The Dark Knight Rises

Director: Christopher Nolan

Release Date: July 20, 2012

Studio: Warner Bros. Studios

Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, & Joseph Gordon-Levitt



Ever day after school in my early grade school years, I remember coming home to my grandma’s snacks and flipping on the television with my three brothers to watch our favourite show: Batman.

Batman, we had determined was the best of all the superheroes. His black cape, his utility belt and the fact that he had no actual super powers gave us the hope that just maybe it could happen.

DC Comics created Batman in 1939. When Tim Burton’s original film, simply titled Batman (1989), was released I was only a year old. At 24, a five-year-old kid came into my bakery the other day and in complete incoherent excitement, told me about his Batman birthday cake. This, along with the recent release of Christopher Nolan’s final instalment, made me think that the Batman legacy has touched generations.

The third film, which will be forever scarred by the tragic opening night shootings, left the audience generally satisfied.

With the first two films, each movie seemed to stand by itself. Though they flowed together smoothly, both were distinct. Batman Begins set up Nolan’s series and gave incredible detail on how Bruce Wayne became Batman. The second movie, The Dark Knight was incredibly well done. Any doubts about Joker’s portrayal by Heath Ledger were shattered in the opening bank heist. Some people claimed that no one could compare to Jack Nicholson’s depiction of Batman’s greatest nemesis. However Jack’s version seemed laughable compared Ledger’s psychotic, chaos-loving adaptation. Ledger’s posthumously Oscar for Best Supporting Actor definitely secured him a spot as one of the best villains of all time.

With the second film’s huge success, I knew it would be difficult to outshine it with the third film. This film seems to be more of a continuation of the first film. If you hadn’t seen the first one, there would be a lot of confusing parts. Like why is Liam Neeson showing up in Batman’s visions?

My main complaint about the film would be the complexity of the storyline. There seemed to be a lot going on and sometimes simple is better. There were so many characters and sub-plots that you left the theatre wanting to see it again because you knew you didn’t catch everything. But I always love an excuse to see a movie again.

There were quite a few new characters introduced. The most notable being John Blake played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gordon-Levitt creates a very memorable and dynamic good cop. In many scenes, he steals a lot of the spotlight away from other well-known characters and actors. In this film, we are also introduced to Selina Kyle (Catwoman) played by Anne Hathaway. She doesn’t add anything new to the Catwoman character. She is still sexy with attitude. I don’t even recall her being referred to as Catwoman now that I think about it and I definitely noticed there were no cats in any of her scenes. This was a good thing seeing that she is a cat burglar and finally not portrayed as a crazy cat lady (like Michelle Pfeiffer or Halle Berry).

The villains are depicted by Tom Hardy as Bane and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate (Spoiler Alert: aka Talia al Ghul). Hardy portrays a much more complex Bane then previously seen. He wants to deliver Gotham back to the people and doesn’t believe in police forces. He does a great job, but I know a lot of people were comparing him to Ledger from the second film and thought he fell short as a villian. Hardy makes the character his own and impressed me. Cotillard is a famous French actress who is slowly making a name for herself in North American films. Her character, Miranda Tate, surprises the audience (and Batman) with a sudden confession of her true identity.

Christian Bale doesn’t disappoint in this final film and gives his very serious portrayal of Bruce Wayne. Gary Oldman shows flaws in Commissioner Gordon and Michael Caine gets emotional as the butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Morgan Freeman (who I love and can’t believe I am writing this) gets more screen time as Lucius Fox, but kinda falls flat in this film. None of his scenes had his typical dominant presence.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film (both the positives and the negatives in it) and would recommend it to anyone. Nolan finished the series with a great finale. Fingers crossed that when he and Bale get their final cheques, they will consider doing one more (since they definitely set up the ending with a chance for continuation).

Dessert: Blueberry Buckle

The Blueberry Buckle is a delicious cake to pair with your morning coffee or tea.

Yum :)

 

Blueberry Buckle Recipe



My mom's ancient recipe book - The 1981 edition that she got for her wedding



It has seen better days :) I once left it on the burner. The spine is badly charred.


The Recipe:

Cake

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Topping

2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine

 Oven 350 degrees

Directions

- Cream 3/4 cup of sugar and shortening until fluffy. Add egg.
- Stir together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add milk. Beat until smooth.
- Spread cake into a greased baking pan.
- Top with blueberries.
- For the topping, combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and butter or margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberries.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.
- Cut into squares and serve warm with coffee, milk, or tea.


 

Ingredients



The mixture should be the consistency of cookie dough




Top cake with blueberries


 

The topping mixture



Ready for the oven

Enjoy



The first dessert I ever made...

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has been in my family for years. I can't recall the exact age I was when I first made them, but I know I was required to use a chair to reach the counter. They're simple. They're easy. And they're delicious.

The Original Recipe

                                                 
What I love about this recipe is that the cookies are extremely moist and soft. I HATE crispy, hard, rock-solid cookies. I know it is a matter of opinion on how you enjoy your cookies so hard cookie-lovers beware. This is not a recipe for you.



Ingredients

Milk Chocolate Chipits are better than semi-sweet chocolate chips :)




Keep the dry and wet ingredients separate.

As a kid, I definitely enjoyed making "sandcastles" with the brown sugar.

Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients

Mix ingredients and add chocolate chips

Roll dough into roughly 1 inch balls.

The best thing I ever bought was a cooling rack.
I would definitely recommend one.

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk :)

So here is the recipe:

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together. Add chocolate chips. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Oven temp. 375 degrees.

Book Club Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow
Publisher: Dial Press Trade
Year: 2008


Loved! Loved! Loved this book! Don’t let the confusing title frighten you away from this book. I am still unsure how to properly pronounce Guernsey or what constitutes a potato peel pie, however Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows will have you wanting to visit and taste both.

 This novel is entirely composed of letters. After her copy of Charles Lamb’s Selected Essays of Elia lands in the hands of Guernsey native Dawsey Adams, Juliet Ashton finds herself being drawn to the small Channel Island. It is January 1946 when Juliet receives the letter from Dawsey thanking her for reselling her copy of the book. He further explains that this book saved him during the German Occupation on the island.

 Juliet, from London, is currently riding the high from her success of her book of collected newspaper columns during the war. When receiving Dawsey’s letter, she not only trying to recover from the effects of the war on the city, but she is also trying to move on and find a new topic to write about. She is intrigued by Dawsey’s mention of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and writes back to discover more.

What begins as a fake society to avoid punishment at the hands of the Germans, bands together this group of misfits and acquaintances into a hodgepodge family. Each society member writes to Juliet telling her of their struggles and reads during the war. Juliet begins to fall in love with each person she corresponds with.

One member she feels a particular connection is Elizabeth. Elizabeth is feisty, spirited, and the creator of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. She is also the only society member who hasn't contacted Juliet since she was taken by the Germans after trying to save a worker. Left behind is Elizabeth's young daughter who is passed through the homes of members until Elizabeth's hopeful return.

The relationships she develops with the people of Guernsey leads Juliet to the decision to go visit the island herself. What begins as a visit ultimately changes her life through the love of friends, a community, and a small child.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick and easy read. You will not be able to put this book down and you will develop a new appreciation for hand-written letters (especially in our current era of poorly written text messages).

I should also note that this book was started by Mary Ann Shaffer who got sick while writing it and had to rely upon her niece Annie Barrows to finish it. Mary Ann Shaffer died in February 2008 (shortly before the book was published).

Current Read: Trinity by Leon Uris - An Irish epic that has already made me prouder of my Irish roots.