My Blog = My Life: travel

Well, I'm outta here for the next three weeks while Noah and I travel on a very overdue vacation! While I'll still have daily posts going on Single Dad Laughing during that time, I'll won't be posting to Will Work 4 Followers until after we return.


Until now, most of what we've covered here on WW4F has been foundational and blogging constructive. We've been working on the look of our blogs, the setup, feel, functionality and more. While I'll still be uploading many posts that are instructional and foundational from here on out, I'd like to start moving WW4F to what it was originally intended for... real discussion about blogging life, growing blogs, etc. So, here's your big chance to let me know what you'd like me to write about in the future here at WW4F. If you'd like to be as awesome as I know you are, take a sec, and answer the following three questions in the comments section of this post:
Read & Comment >>

I'm joining Chari for her Sunday favorites.
This was a post from Feb 8th 2009.
My love for Louis Vuitton hasn't lessened one bit! But my buying of cases has certainly slowed down *winks* I hope you enjoy this encore.

Louis XV... Louis XVI... and of course Louis V!!... As in Vuitton of course!
As a lover of all things french and antique *winks* Louis Vuitton is a perfect fit for me!
Louis Vuitton was a hardworking thrifty young man from Anchay (a hamlet in the Jura, a region of mountains and forests) He left his home and job at his family's mill at the early age of 13.
In 1854 he opened his own trunk making business at 4 Rue Neuve-des-capucines near the Place Vendome. Louis claim to fame was in the creation of the flat topped trunk which made them easy to stack. Up until then, trunks had been dome topped and extremely heavy. Louis created his trunks using poplar (a much lighter wood) and enforced them with metal banding. Making them far superior in strength, and a much more luxurious way to travel.
He was a hit pretty much from the beginning. The empress Eugenie was his first royal customer and put him nicely on the map. Other wealthy people of the day followed suit and the rest as they say is history!
I have been a lover and collector of Vuitton for over 20 years. I must admit this is the least "affordable" of my collections, requiring lots of searching for items that I COULD afford. Nearly all of my LV was purchased on the secondary market, helping my pocketbook greatly! And lots of trading with friends helped a lot as well. And lucky me, my DH is nearly as vuitton crazy as I am! *winks* So he understands that sometimes in order to afford a new (old) piece, we might have to eat peanut butter and jelly sammies for a month... or ten lol!
The older trunks and traveling cases are really my passion! I can only dream of all the fabulous places they must have visited! And they work wonderfully *IMHO* as home decor... another real passion!
Here is a picture of the Eiffel tower recreated using Louis Vuitton trunks and cases.
I always dreamed of having enough pieces to do one of my own *winks*

This is my attempt so far. Maybe in another 20 years I'll have enough to finish it off!

I found this cool article in Traditional Home magazine featuring a designer in Arizona who has quite an extensive collection of LV and has used it beautifully in the decor of his amazing condo. Do you see the stack of suitcases tucked under his sofa table? Well I loved the look of this so much, I tried it in my own home. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I don't have a scanner so they are just pictures of pictures *sighs*

Here's my interpretation found in my master bedroom. I hide all the wonderful cards and sweet little notes from my hubby in them *winks*

Back to the designers residence in Arizona. Here in his family room is a dream piece of mine. It's a LV suitcase that belonged to John F Kennedy. He's re purposed it as a coffee table. I'd be afraid to ever put anything on it!! But he seems to have no qualms whatsoever placing heavy objects on top. Which I must say, do look great! I love the pop of orange in his pillows also!

And here is a shot of part of his closet. Oh boy! If only my closet looked like this!! And all those orange hermes boxes add another wonderful pop of color!... *sigh* I can dream...

This room belongs to Tommy Hilfigger. Can you spot the louis ? He has some hermes going on here as well. See the cute little suitcase under Uncle Sam?

I used a beauty case on top of a buffet cabinet in my bedroom. Maybe not the best place for it but it'll do for now. Can you see it? Lol!

Here it is!

And here I've used some LV in hubby's office. The desk set was part of an exclusive from Neiman Marcus in the 80's. It's extremely rare, and finding as many pieces as I have has been a real adventure. Do you see the small waste basket at the end of my hubby's desk?

This one here! It's my "claim to fame" as they say in vuitton circles. This paper waste basket is the only one I or many of my fellow LV collectors have ever seen. Because of it's rarity I needed to take it to Louis Vuitton to have it authenticated. I tell ya it was the closest thing to a celebrity I've ever been! All the sales associates walked quickly away from their customers to converge on my waste basket!! I felt so sorry for everyone! Now I'm tellin ' ya LV sales associates can be notoriously snooty... and to have them gush all over a darn waste can??!! I'd a never thunk!! The manager even asked me if he could take some pictures of it!

Here is a shot to make any LV lovers heart go pitter pat! All those fabulous old trunks!! All the history!! All the MONEY!! YIKES!!! Do you see the trophy cups used for display in the center?

Well some of you might remember my "Craigslist do you love it?" post here where I found some old equestrian trophy/loving/cups? A few days ago I saw them listed again on craigslist, 5 for $50 and this time I jumped on them! Two of them are sterling! Here I was playing around in hubbys man cave *winks* and I created a tiny vignette (very tiny lol !) of the shot above. What do y'all think?

And if you are a serious lover of Vuitton you MUST have this book! Louis Vuitton The Birth Of Modern Luxury by Paul-Gerard Pasols It is the best ever! It tells the entire history of LV as well as showing incredible shots of extremely rare custom pieces...

Like this one! A custom traveling case in crocodile outfitted for all your perfumes colognes and beautifying essentials! *winks* I'll bet this one cost about half the price of an average house! But it certainly is wonderful!

And of course I love their handbags also!*winks* Here are most of mine displayed in one of my french armoires.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little tour de Vuitton. While they can be quite expensive, it's still possible to find them at antique stores, auctions and estate sales for fairly reasonable... and if you're really lucky, VERY reasonable prices, like the large trunk that I have featured in my Eiffel tower shot? Well my hubby (eagle eyed man that I love!) spotted it at a garage sale marked $60!! He asked if they could do a little better? And we took it home for $50!! I really had no idea what it was worth, and when I took a peek on ebay to see what it might possibly be worth? I nearly peed myself!!... Sorry to be crude... But I DID!! So if you're out there garage saleing keep your eyes and ears open... ya just never know!! *winks* Vanna

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll also stop by Chari's place and check out all the other Sunday Favorites.

I don't know about ya'll but I am always on the lookout for the perfect chandelier *sighs dreamily* There's just nothing that adds more romance and glamour to a room than a beautiful chandy ! Don't you agree? I keep hoping that one day I'll walk into the worlds most fabulous garage sale... It might look something like this *winks*

And I'll find my dream chandelier for somethin ' like $100... Yeah I know, not likely! But hey this blog is "Delusions of Grandeur" And I'm gonna stay deluded dang it!! My dream chandy would be 18th century french, preferably rock crystal, and not electrified. This one would do beautifully!

But then again, there's something to be said for macaroni crystals... They make me swoon! And isn't this chandy swoon-o-licious ?!!

Hmmmm liking this one too!

My mother was born in Sweden... This one would remind me of my heritage...

Or all out gaudy!! Yeppers that works for me too!! I can't tell where the crystal ge gaws start and end on this one... Always a good thang *winks*

And I always love a little empire style!

This one isn't quite as dreamy as the french 18th century one... But it'll do! We are talkin ' $100 here *winks*

OK now ya'll need to scale down your expectations a few LARGE notches because these chandys are from my house lol !

This 1930's french palm chandelier sits over what passes for a dining room at my house *sighs* It's all open concepty and icky! One day I'll have a "real" dining room with french doors!

And this chandelier is the most swanky at my house, and nearly caused a divorce... it was worth it! Heh heh ! When I found it, it was in pieces. So the hubbs had to restring every single crystal. In addition it's a gasolier so it had to be converted to electricity... and did I mention it's almost 4' tall and weighs a TON?!! Oh and I wanted it all finished YESTERDAY!! So I would hassle my poor DH just about every other day... Are you going to work on the chandelier soon honey?? ( I added the "honey" to make it sound more friendly and less pushy hehe !)... Next day... Honey you said you'd start on the chandelier soon right?!... Followed by "But you promised!!" Repeat about 200 times, and the man finally broke down and finished it. But he told me NEVER AGAIN! And I think he means it*winks* But we'll see... Lol !

This one is in my master bedroom. I paid $125 for it and it came with two beautiful crystal sconces. At the time I felt I paid way too much... Now, I'm so glad I bought it! I sold the set of sconces for $125, making the chandy FREE!! Yippee!! I loves me a great deal!

This one was a 40th birthday gift from the hubby. And hangs in my tea room.

And this one was an ebay find. I scored it for $75, but when I received it one of the arms was broken!! I was sooo annoyed!! I contacted the seller and they told me they'd refund me $30 if I wanted to keep it. I figured the crystals on it were worth $45 so I decided to keep it and see if it could be fixed somehow. Well I ended up taking it to a local welder who welded the arm back on at a cost of $25. So $70 total! Just something to keep in mind if you find a cool chandy with a broken arm. I was surprised at how reasonable it was to have it welded. I would buy one with a broken arm again in a heartbeat!

This one hangs in my shabby chic bedroom and you can also see my sweet little empire chandy.

This one was a garage sale find for $25 and hangs in my home gym.

And lastly this candle chandelier hangs over the tub in my bathroom. It's perfect for long soaks!

Well that's it for this one. Do you have a favorite? And does the sight of a crystal chandelier make your heart pitter pat like it does mine? I'd love to hear from ya!

Then my sweet new friend Silver from One Day at a Time gifted me with this wonderful award! She has a most wonderful blog... But I'm tellin ' ya, if you're hungry it's torture!! She always has the most beautiful pictures of food!! And she's a real sweetie too! So stop by and tell her I sent ya!

Here are the rules for this award:
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.” Also put a link to their blogs and then let them know they have been selected!

Well I don't know who might already have this award, so if you've already received it, no prob.
1) Laura Lu at Hidden Promise
2) Chari at Happy To Design
3) Laura at Tomarie's Cabin
4) Christine at Christine's Home and Travel Adventures
5) Linda at Royaltouch
6) Lucy at Tattered Hydrangeas
7) Monica at Monicas English Version
8) Kris at Vintage Window

If you haven't checked out these bloggers you're missing out BIG TIME!! *hugs n winks* Vanna

I'm hooking up this older post with my dear friend Chari over at Happy To Design for her Sunday Favorites.

Louis XV... Louis XVI... and of course Louis V!!... As in Vuitton of course! As a lover of all things french and antique *winks* Louis Vuitton is a perfect fit for me! Louis Vuitton was a hardworking thrifty young man from Anchay (a hamlet in the Jura, a region of mountains and forests) He left his home and job at his family's mill at the early age of 13. In 1854 he opened his own trunk making business at 4 Rue Neuve -des -capucines near the Place Vendome. Louis claim to fame was in the creation of the flat topped trunk which made them easy to stack. Up until then, trunks had been dome topped and extremely heavy. Louis created his trunks using poplar (a much lighter wood) and enforced them with metal banding. Making them far superior in strength, and a much more luxurious way to travel. He was a hit pretty much from the beginning. The empress Eugenie was his first royal customer and put him nicely on the map. Other wealthy people of the day followed suit and the rest as they say is history! I have been a lover and collector of Vuitton for over 20 years. I must admit this is the least "affordable" of my collections, requiring lots of searching for items that I COULD afford. Nearly all of my LV was purchased on the secondary market, helping my pocketbook greatly! And lots of trading with friends helped a lot as well. And lucky me, my DH is nearly as vuitton crazy as I am! *winks* So he understands that sometimes in order to afford a new (old) piece, we might have to eat peanut butter and jelly sammies for a month... or ten lol ! The older trunks and traveling cases are really my passion! I can only dream of all the fabulous places they must have visited! And they work wonderfully *IMHO* as home decor... another real passion! Here is a picture of the Eiffel tower recreated using Louis Vuitton trunks and cases. I always dreamed of having enough pieces to do one of my own *winks*

This is my attempt so far. Maybe in another 20 years I'll have enough to finish it off!

I found this cool article in Traditional Home magazine featuring a designer in Arizona who has quite an extensive collection of LV and has used it beautifully in the decor of his amazing condo. Do you see the stack of suitcases tucked under his sofa table? Well I loved the look of this so much, I tried it in my own home. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I don't have a scanner so they are just pictures of pictures *sighs*

Here's my interpretation found in my master bedroom. I hide all the wonderful cards and sweet little notes from my hubby in them *winks*

Back to the designers residence in Arizona. Here in his family room is a dream piece of mine. It's a LV suitcase that belonged to John F Kennedy. He's re purposed it as a coffee table. I'd be afraid to ever put anything on it!! But he seems to have no qualms whatsoever placing heavy objects on top. Which I must say, do look great! I love the pop of orange in his pillows also!

And here is a shot of part of his closet. Oh boy! If only my closet looked like this!! And all those orange hermes boxes add another wonderful pop of color!... *sigh* I can dream...

This room belongs to Tommy Hilfigger. Can you spot the louis ? He has some hermes going on here as well. See the cute little suitcase under Uncle Sam?

I used a beauty case on top of a china cabinet in my bedroom. Maybe not the best place for it but it'll do for now. Can you see it? Lol !

Here it is!!

And here I've used some LV in hubby's office. The desk set was part of an exclusive from Neiman Marcus in the 80's. It's extremely rare, and finding as many pieces as I have has been a real adventure. Do you see the small waste basket at the end of my hubby's desk?

This one here! It's my "claim to fame" as they say in vuitton circles. This paper waste basket is the only one I or many of my fellow LV collectors have ever seen. Because of it's rarity I needed to take it to Louis Vuitton to have it authenticated. I tell ya it was the closest thing to a celebrity I've ever been! All the sales associates walked quickly away from their customers to converge on my waste basket!! I felt so sorry for everyone! Now I'm tellin ' ya LV sales associates can be notoriously snooty... and to have them gush all over a darn waste can??!! I'd a never thunk!! The manager even asked me if he could take some pictures of it!

Here is a shot to make any LV lovers heart go pitter pat! All those fabulous old trunks!! All the history!! All the MONEY!! YIKES!!! Do you see the trophy cups used for display in the center?

Well some of you might remember my "Craigslist do you love it?" post here where I found some old equestrian trophy/loving/cups? A few days ago I saw them listed again on craigslist, 5 for $50 and this time I jumped on them! Two of them are sterling! Here I was playing around in hubbys man cave *winks* and I created a tiny vignette (very tiny lol !) of the shot above. What do y'all think?

And if you are a serious lover of Vuitton you MUST have this book! Louis Vuitton The Birth Of Modern Luxury by Paul-Gerard Pasols It is the best ever! It tells the entire history of LV as well as showing incredible shots of extremely rare custom pieces...

Like this one! A custom traveling case in crocodile outfitted for all your perfumes colognes and beautifying essentials! *winks* I'll bet this one cost about half the price of an average house! But it certainly is wonderful!

And of course I love their handbags also!*winks* Here are most of mine displayed in one of my french armoires.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little tour de Vuitton. While they can be quite expensive, it's still possible to find them at antique stores, auctions and estate sales for fairly reasonable... and if you're really lucky, VERY reasonable prices, like the large trunk that I have featured in my Eiffel tower shot? Well my hubby (eagle eyed man that I love!) spotted it at a garage sale marked $60!! He asked if they could do a little better? And we took it home for $50!! I really had no idea what it was worth, and when I took a peek on ebay to see what it might possibly be worth? I nearly peed myself!!... Sorry to be crude... But I DID!! So if you're out there garage saleing keep your eyes and ears open... ya just never know!! *winks* Vanna

I'm going to start with my BLOG GIVEAWAY!! Whoohoo!!

Here's how it works... I purchased this "THING" on craigslist. ($75) I should add this "Thing" is quite large measuring 33" wide x 22" and 12" tall. I have no idea what it was (or should be) used for? So your mission should you choose to accept it... Sorry for going all Mission Impossible on ya! I couldn't help myself *winks*... is to come up with your best guess about how it could or should be used? So peeps give me some ideas because I need all of them I can get! Then just become one of my friendly followers (If you aren't already *winks*) and leave me a comment. Come on don't be shy! Let your imagination go wild! The one with the best answer wins!

Here's a view of the inside.

And the winner will receive this antique Danish(?) pillowcase 21"x21" with embroidery initials. It translates to "sleep well" and has two small ties sewn inside for closure. But wait!... There's more!
Almost two years ago I was also doing a giveaway when my mom became very ill and I stopped blogging. So that prize will also be added into the mix!

Isn't it beautiful?

This darling little art nouveau jewel box will also be added to sweeten the prize. It's seen a little wear and tear in its long lifetime but this only enhances its charm.

Inside it contains a touch of mink to cushion some special treasure.

So please join my giveaway and start guessing! I'll award the prize two weeks from today! Sunday Feb 13th. It could be a VERY good Valentines day! *winks*

OK and for another good book... if you haven't read it yet? "The Bed" By Alecia Beldegreen, It's another one of my favorite go to's. I have beds on the brain lately because I'm straining the little gray matter that I DO have to come up with a canopy idea for my master bedroom. I've actually been pondering this for some time and it needs to happen! The ceiling is sloped so a beautiful corona just won't work *sighs* So I'm open to ideas for that too. You can view my master bedroom HERE

Isn't this a luscious cover? A taste of things to come... And the text is just as beautiful as the pictures... Lots and lots of em!

These are just some of the images. I couldn't share many of the best because they're two page spreads. Poor little scanner couldn't do it sorry.

I'll take that portrait please.

My cat would love this... But not as much as his mommy!

Italian beauty-liciousness!

And French of course!

This is soooo cool! It's all been done with a sharpie marker! Sorry about the crease, it was a two pager.

And some wonderful trompe l'oeil!

If I had this painted theatrical backdrop I'd remodel my whole living room around it!

Have you ever traveled by train like this? I don't think I'd ever fly if I could avoid it.

Absolutely gorgeous!

This lit a la polonaise is one of my favorite beds. One of these days I'll have me one!

Just look at those cherub sconces!

Or how about swathed in lace?

And more lace...

Do you think I could find one of these on craigslist? Probably not, but stranger things have happened!... Not to me... but maybe to you? *winks*

If you enjoyed these images you're going to love this book. And you can pick it up for only $4.59 (Shipping included) HERE A real steal for a large hardcover book.
Thanks for stopping by! Vanna

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting one of my bestest blogging buddies! Her name is Christine from the blog Christine's Home and Travel Adventures And that girl travels more than anyone I know! Check out her blog if you want to virtually travel all over the world in the comfort of your Jammie's *winks*
She and her husband came to Seattle from Natchez Mississippi for her husbands medical conference (Yep he's a doc) and I was able to play with her all day!
We started out with a little breakfast followed by a trip to a favorite antique store called the Pacific Gallery. We only intended to be there for a couple of hours tops... but there were so many things to look at!... We were there for 4.5 hrs! Here are a few of the things I liked/loved. Please excuse my picture quality. My camera chose this time to go on the fritz *sighs* Beautiful bed canopy in blue. LOVE this!

A great 4' statue of Mary Magdalene. Wish she could've come home with me but she was quite pricey.

Here is my sweet friend Christine looking glamorous in gray!

An oeil de boeuf window in zinc. Me likey!

This set of Jesus and Mary statues were life size.

Cool pair of girandoles with paintings of ruins.

I fell in love with this old wallpapered screen. It almost came home with me. I'll probably regret that it didn't *winks* You know how that goes.

Close up on the details.

This plaster lady statue covered in seashells was neat. That Raggedy Ann isn't doing it any justice but it was high on top of a case and I didn't want to move anything and have it fall on my noggin (That sort of thing happens to me a lot)... Probably explains a lot too! Lol!

This was one of a pair of sweet Italian angels.

My friend Christine didn't go home empty handed (I couldn't have that!) Here she is with some pretty linen treasures. She's a tablescaper supreme!

And by now she was getting boared... But never boar-ing! Lol!

So we went off to the Space Needle restaurant for dinner...

Where we looked out at this...

Followed by this...

And we ate this. It was absolutely delish!

So what did I come home with if you care to see?... A large (Very heavy) cherub shelf! Actually a fairy?... I think?? He has pointed little ears. My hubbs said "Oh you bought a baby vulcan" He's a big Star Trek fan! Actually we both are *winks* When I spotted him he reminded me of something my friend Andie from The Divine Theatre would have. She has a really fabulous collection of statuary! Isn't it amazing how much our blogging friends can influence and inspire us? I feel so blessed to have found such creative talented people here in Blogaritaville!

At a distance. I'm still working on the vignette for the top.

See his cute little ears?

This little shabby chippy boy also came home with me.

And this little green jewel casket that matches my vanity set.

Lined in luscious orange!

Christine brought me a few prezzies too! Aren't I a lucky girl?! This little Italian cherub plaque and a dangling crown with crystal. She obviously knows what I like! *winks*

Topped off by these yummy little sundae candles.

Here we are at the end of the day.

Christine I had such a great time with you! I hope you'll come back for another visit soon! You are just as sweet, kind and beautiful as I thought you'd be! Vanna
I'm joining for the first time Debra at Common Ground for:

I'm also joining Diane for the first time at A Picture Is Worth A 1,000 Words for:

The Round-up:

• Food - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 2.5 out of 5
• Decor - 3 out of 5
• Total - 9 out of 15

1009 Albert St., Regina, SK.
Phone: 306-543-1000

___________________________________________

Location, location, location.

It's the single-most important factor for many places of business.

In fact, there wouldn't be half as many Starbucks in the world if the company's executives weren't so incredibly good at sourcing hot locations in major cities.

So, if location is everything then Regina's Spices of Punjab Indian restaurant should be a massive, embarrassing flop.

Located on the main floor of the Inntowner Motel on Albert Street (yes, that motel) and tucked behind a random clothing store, Spices of Punjab should have died a slow and painful death mere months into its lifetime.

In fact, popular wisdom says that any new restaurant will go under within a year (probably sooner) if it doesn't have things right. Spices of Punjab is going on two years old. That means something -- something good.

It helps that owner Darren Singh is a member of the family that opened India House on Victoria Avenue a decade ago. India House has changed hands now, and sadly gone downhill. Still, the place was wildly popular when it first opened.

Singh continues the tradition of a tasty and reasonably priced lunch buffet from Monday to Saturday for just $10. Spices of Punjab was packed when I went a few months ago at lunch, so the food on the buffet line was fresh and hot.

Buffet choices include rice, naan, a few curries (usually one chicken, one lamb, one veggie) along with delicious bright-red Tandoori Chicken brought to your table by the servers. All said, the buffet definitely hits the spot. Even more so if you're on a short lunch.

Dinner time is quieter but more relaxing. The dining room is decorated in reds and greens with plenty of Indian artwork. As a bonus, it's bright and clean, something you wouldn't guess by looking at the motel's exterior.

On the other hand, service can be less friendly at night. Our waitress on a Thursday seemed irritated when we asked for a booth after she tried taking us to a table. It was 7 p.m. and only two other tables were seated. We didn't think getting a booth for two was such a huge deal. (The waitress later warmed up to us, for the record).

My dining companion, the World Traveller, and I placed a massive order. We'd both been craving Indian for weeks.

We started with Pakoras (deep-fried chopped vegetables with chutney) and Samosas. Then we went on to ask for Butter Chicken, Aloo Gobi (a cauliflower and potato curry), Chicken Biryani (a mixed rice dish), and Garlic Naan Bread.

The World Traveller used to live in England, where curry is as popular as submarine sandwich shops are here. She has also been practically everywhere on the planet (what gave that away?). She knows her stuff and was mostly impressed with the food, all of which got to the table in very good time.

The only disappointment for me was the Chicken Biryani. It's much smaller in size than what India House used to serve and didn't have the same flavour that I remember from years ago. Spices of Punjab has also done away with the Biryani's cashew nuts as an ingredient. Yes, cashews are expensive but they were the best part of the India House version.

I said to the World Traveller that I felt slightly guilty turning into the parking lot in front of the motel when we first arrived.

She laughed at me. Seriously though, sometimes certain people visit certain motels for certain reasons. Certainly you know what I mean?

That's OK, I will be back. Location be damned.

Spices of Punjab is worth an awkward moment or two in front of a shady motel.

spicesofpunjab.com
FYI: Website was out of date and incomplete at time of writing. Double check any information on the site by calling directly.

Hello my sweet friends! I'm kind of bypassing the flea market finds this week to share what has been a long awaited dream piece for me, a Louis Vuitton boite chapeaux (or hat box) I finally found the perfect one on ebay (where else) after looking for one that wouldn't bankrupt me for years! *winks*. Now I'm the proud owner of one of my very own! Yay!! They come in different sizes. This one is the boite 40. (or 40 centimeters) I've been collecting LV for nearly 30 years and my favorite LV pieces are the trunks and hard cases. I just LOVE em!! So I had myself a little photo shoot-o-fun with my new case and some of the older ones. OK well there is one flea market find... this pink feather demi hat that I found at the thrift for $5 *winks*

And with hats packed and ready to travel...

This is a stack of predominantly cosmetic cases with a couple of umbrellas thrown in for good measure The checkerboard case toward the bottom right is in what is known as the damier pattern. This pattern pre dated the LV monogram pattern that is currently most commonly used. However the damier pattern is also still used today. This case is called a damier centenaire. It was only made for one year to celebrate LV's one hundred year anniversary (1896-1996) Strangely it's the 100 year anniversary of the monogram pattern (Louis Vuitton itself started out in 1854) and they released the centenaire items in... damier????... but I digress... There were only 1000 of this style case ever made and mine is numbered 144. So it's my favorite, and another dream of mine is to collect a whole set. (Which could easily take me another 30 years lol!) The little case at the top was made to hold jewelry and is called a boite a tout. It's also an unusual and hard to find piece. The suitcase at the bottom dates from the 1920's.

I thought this umbrella as awning was kind of fun.

And with my new boite chapeaux on top.

Which now brings me to my speedy 30, my favorite bag/purse of all time! And many peoples first LV purchase. There's a reason for this, it's classic, timeless, and iconic. The speedy bag was created in 1930 and in 1965 Audrey Hepburn asked Henri Louis Vuitton if he could create a smaller version of the bag that she could carry daily. He did, and the speedy as we know it was born. Now love or hate LV? I have to tell you that its quality is exceptional.
This speedy below started my whole love affair with the brand. In 1986 I fell in love with a co-worker's speedy bag. I asked her what it was? And when she told me, I knew I HAD to have one!! Finding one however turned out to be difficult since we didn't have an LV boutique in my state at the time, and they couldn't be purchased anywhere else. So I had my husband pick one up on a business trip. He came home and handed me a nearly flat parcel. I could see no way that it could possibly hold a purse, but it did! Yes the speedy folds flat for travel *winks* I was completely underwhelmed. Made of vinylized canvas it didn't look like much up close. And it cost $225!! Was this the same "dream" purse that my friend had carried? Somehow I remembered it being way more interesting/wonderful than this! Now $225 was quite an expensive bag back then. An average nice leather bag at the time might have been purchased for around $20-$25.And the only leather it possessed was on the handles and trim! But once I popped that baby up and filled it with some stuff it was starting to grow on me. It has continued to do so for almost 30 years. I have carried this bag nearly every day since 1986, and I still receive many compliments on it. And an extra added bonus is that I could turn around and sell it today for more than I originally paid for it. LV bags NEVER go on sale. The current price for the speedy 30 is $790+ tax. They come in different sizes so there's a perfect size for everyone. Expensive yes, but maybe worth it? There aren't many purses that last as long and hold their value quite like Vuitton (The Hermes Birken and Hermes Kelly also come to mind, but cost considerably more)

Here is the chic Audrey Hepburn carrying her speedy bag.

So what do you think? Is it insane to spend so much on something like a handbag? Or does it make sense to go quality over quantity? After all how much money does the average lady spend on purses that wear out or become outdated over 30 years? Have I changed your perspective at all? Are you just the littlest bit tempted to try one out for yourself? (If you haven't already)*winks* I'd love to hear your thoughts... Vanna
I'm joing sweet Sherry at No Minimalist Here for:

Debra at Common Ground for:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

And Courtney at French Country Cottage for:

In Part 3 of this series, I emphasized the importance of keeping our priorities aligned as God desires (God, Spouse, Children, House) and listed 15 Good Things I DON'T Do so I can give them adequate attention.

You cannot schedule long, lingering hugs with your husband, heart-to-heart's with your children, or circumstances that bring you to your knees and compel you to worship your Creator; but you can learn how to manage your secondary duties efficiently. This does three things:

1. It affords you more time to invest in the souls entrusted to your care.
2. It keeps your home "company-ready," and open for hospitality, whereby some have entertained angels, unaware. (Hebrews 13:2)
3. It teaches your daughters, by your own example, how to care for their own homes one day.

There are thousands of books available to help learn how to organize your home (I'll list my favorites at the end of this post), so I'll keep it short and simply list a few small, but meaningful things that have been a great asset in helping me manage our own home:

Meals for the freezer. 1. Double up when you cook or bake. Get into the habit of cooking extra so you have one meal for dinner and one to put in the freezer or give away. It takes almost no extra time or energy to double (or triple) a recipe and having a healthy "heat-and-serve" meal available on busy days is a great stress reliever! Some of our favorite things to freeze are soups, chili, casseroles, muffins, cookies, and brownies.

Making granola and sweet potato fries in the kitchen while the kids do school at the table. 2. Make supper at breakfast. I try to make my meals in the morning, or at least get some of the prep work done while the kids are doing their independent work at the kitchen table. That way, if school takes longer than normal or we have swimming lessons in the afternoon, 5 o'clock isn't as rushed as it could be.

3. Learn to use the kitchen wonder-tool: your crock-pot! You don't even need to use a recipe. Throw in a frozen cut of meat, a few vegetables and some spices in the morning, cover and set to 'Low,' and you'll have a tender, flavorful meal ready by dinner.

Our "school" cabinet across from the kitchen. The small drawers contain our pencils, markers, crayons, glue sticks, erasers, etc., and the four larger drawers contain our workbooks (one for each child, and one for Mommy). 4. Manage your space efficiently. Don't make yourself walk across the kitchen to retrieve the pepper grinder while you're simmering soup. Keep your baking essentials in a cupboard above the area where your blender is stored; your plates and silverware in closest proximity to your table (or dishwasher, if you have one); the schoolbooks on a shelf or drawer near to where you normally do your lessons (for us, that's the kitchen); the toys where the children play.

An uncluttered house is easier to clean up! 5. Clear the clutter. Get rid of the stuff you wouldn't know was missing if it suddenly disappeared. Donate, re-gift, recycle, or throw out. You'll spend less time trying to organize and clean what you don't need and your home will feel bigger and brighter. Cleaning up their toys will also be less daunting for your children when they have fewer of them to put away (you can read more about the toy storage system for our small house here).

A typical wash day: Charity (4) helps me fold (she's better than I am!), Judah (2) mountain climbs the unfolded pile, and Anna (7 months) watches us for entertainment. 6. Devote specific days to specific tasks. This is not a new idea. For Ma Ingalls and other pioneer women, each day had its own chore:
Wash on Monday. Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday. Nowadays, with machines that speed up a great deal of these things and imported products that are cheaper to buy than make, my list looks a little different but the principle is the same. In addition to homeschooling everyday, I typically do laundry on Monday, groceries on Tuesdays, freezer cooking and baking on Wednesdays, swimming lessons and the bulk of my writing/blog business on Thursdays, housework on Fridays, outside work on Saturdays, rest on Sundays.

7. Multitask. I make dinner while the kids are doing their schoolwork at the kitchen table, check my emails or read aloud when I'm nursing, dust when I have a phone call to make, and review memory work while we're folding laundry.

What I aim to have our kitchen look like before going to bed at night. 8. Clean up the night before. I'm much more excited and motivated to start my day when I wake up to a clean kitchen and a tidy house. Every evening after supper, Brad and I wash and dry the dishes while the kids clean up their toys. They are rewarded with a bedtime story if they get the living room (also our play area) neatly organized before we're finished.

9. Ensure you're are being spiritually fed. You can read the scriptures out loud to your children while you are nursing, sing Psalms at the kitchen sink with your two-year-old, or pray while you're driving. I keep my Bible on my nightstand so it's the first thing I see every morning before starting my day.
"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:29-31

When I remember to wear one, a pretty apron makes me feel like a real homemaker! My favorite ones come from Flirty Aprons. 10. Dress for the job. There's a reason the corporate world abides by a professional dress code. Dressing for success often leads to success. Your clothes make a strong visual statement about how you view your job. Comfort aids productivity and your personal, creative, feminine style tells the world your role is freeing, not stifling. Decide what you're going to wear the night before and put it next to your bed. Commit to not leaving the bedroom until you're dressed!

If you struggle with the temptation to stay in your robe like I do, I highly recommend reading Frumps to Pumps: Your 1-Month Motivotional to Getting Dressed and Staying That Way by Sarah Mae.

11. Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthy, take your vitamins, get fresh air, shower, go to bed on time, and adopt an attitude of joy that will energize you for the tasks at hand.

My very simple meal plan on a magnetic menu pad I found at Wal-Mart. 12. Meal plan. I'm not a rigid meal-planner, but I like to have a week's worth of dinners written down so I have a general idea of what I can prepare in the morning. It also saves me time and money at the grocery store.

13. Unplug. Turn off your distractions. Consider getting rid of the TV if it keeps you from going to bed on time and get an emergency only plan for your cell phone. Unplug the computer if you won't be needing it for several hours and keep it in an inconvenient location so it's a pain to check Facebook when you're supposed to be homeschooling.

Before and after the kids have cleaned up the living room/play area. 14. Involve the whole family. Managing a home doesn't mean you have to do all the work; it means you are responsible for seeing that the work gets done. Don't assume your children are going to learn how to run a home by osmosis. Let them take responsibility by giving them their own chores, and in the process of teaching them life skills, you will find more time to engage in fun, memorable family activities like hiking, tobogganing, or traveling together.

15. Stay home. Novel concept, isn't it? If too many trips out are keeping you from fulfilling your duties at home, it's time to cut back. I try to set aside one morning a week to do all of my grocery shopping and limit our extra-curricular activities. Currently, we're involved in swimming lessons and leave one other afternoon open for visits to the library, a friend's house, or a field trip. I don't go to Ladies Bible Study at Church and rarely go shopping "just for the fun of it."

My to-do list, decorated by someone who found a pen. 16. Make lists. Remember all of those careers being a homemaker encompasses? Making bite-size lists can do wonders when you're feeling overwhelmed. You can see exactly what needs to be done and get the satisfaction of crossing off a task when it has been completed.
17. Just do the next thing. When your kitchen sink is overflowing with dirty dishes, the floor is sticky, and dinner still needs to be made, just do the next thing. Don't look over your whole list or get side-tracked by thirteen other things that are calling for your attention. Just pick up the dish-brush, fill your sink with hot, soapy water, and do the next thing.

18. Accept help when it is offered and ask for it when it's not. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness or failure; it means you're a human who understands that no one can do it all. Asking for help humbles a person and opens their eyes to the community of believers that God has arranged to encourage and support each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11-13).

If you could recommend one life-altering home management tip, what would it be?

Recommended Resources
These are affiliate links for books I love, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, but please don't feel obligated to do so!

• Large Family Logistics by Kim Breneman
• More Hours In My Day by Emilie Barnes
• Saving Dinner Basics by Leanne Ely
• Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley (The FlyLady)
• The Christian Homemaker's Handbook by Pat Ennis
• The Family Manager Takes Charge by Kathy Peel
• The House That Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,

The first step to becoming an excellent manager of your home is to understand your role and why it is so important.

As a whole, our culture dismisses the impact of a faithful homemaker and constructs stereotypes that are outlandishly opposed to our exemplary in Proverbs 31. For instance, note who gets attacked when one young girl says she's going to be a nurse and the other says she's preparing to be a homemaker, which, biblically and historically, is God's normative plan for women. It is considered a waste of talent and intelligence to bless your family with the gifts God has given you for eternal rewards, but admirable if a paper certifies a particular area of focus and you get paid monetarily.

We must not rely on society's view of homemaking as our source of strength, purpose, and encouragement. Our value and fulfillment is found when we understand that the almighty God of the universe has called us to this task, and therefore, there is no greater work as a wife and mother that we could be doing.
"... teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2: 4The title "manager" denotes different types of jobs we must oversee to ensure our homes are running smoothly. Let's list them:

• Accountant
• Baker
• Chauffeur
• Cheerleader
• Chef
• Coach
• Counselor
• Dean of Education
• Entertainer
• Fashion Coordinator
• Food Service Manager
• Filing Clerk
• Fitness Trainer
• Gardener
• Gift Coordinator
• Health-care Practitioner
• Interior Designer
• Laundress
• Maid
• Purchasing Agent
• Referee
• Secretary
• Short-order Cook
• Travel Agent

A woman who purposely trains to do all these things well will not just be an asset to her husband, but should the Lord call her to singleness, she will be able to minister well to anyone, wherever she is planted. This is why I tell my daughters that preparing to be a godly homemaker thrills Mommy's heart just as much, if not more, than having them trained, indebted, and degreed, in one particular field of interest at college.
"Putting up the lunch for the children or cooking a good meal for the family may seem very insignificant tasks as compared with giving a lecture, writing a book, or doing other things that have a larger audience; but I doubt very much if, in the ultimate reckoning, they will count for as much." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the OzarksOnce you begin to understand and embrace the importance of your place inside your home, you can begin to draft a "mission statement" to refer to when you're feeling weary in well-doing, or you need to be reminded of your vision. It can be as simple as photo-copying Proverbs 31 and posting it on your fridge, or writing out your own summary on a note card and placing it above your sink. I've written mine inside my journal where I see it everyday:

"Called, authorized, and empowered by my Redeemer and Friend, with the blessing and support of my husband, my mission as the Keeper of our Home is to create an atmosphere of grace and forgiveness, order and flexibility, warm love and gentle affection, nutritious meals and fragrant aromas, conversation and education."
I want our home to be: (Check all that apply)

• Welcoming
• Stressful
• Warm
• Light
• Dark
• Messy
• Cluttered
• Happy
• Perfect
• Neat
• Chaotic
• Tidy
• Educational
• Shiny
• Sloppy
• Organized
• Attractive
• Dusty
• Beautiful
• Positive
• Well-arranged
• Tense
• Fun
• Calm
• Rigid
• Creative
• Chaotic
• Cozy
• Unique
• Balanced
• Homey
• Joyful
• Tacky
• Intense
• Purposeful
• Simple
• Appropriate
• Immaculate
• Functional
• Fresh Bright
• Expensive
• Relaxed

Recommend Resources
These titles encourage Keepers of The Home in their God-given calling. I'll list resources specific to organizing and maintaining different areas of the home as we cover them in this series. These are my affiliate links, but you are under no obligation to use them!

• Passionate Housewives Desperate For God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald
• The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
• Queen of the Home by Jennifer McBride
• The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
• Praise Her In The Gates by Nancy Wilson
• Home-Making by J. R. Miller
• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,

THE ROUND-UP:

Food - 4.5 out of 5
Service - 4.5 out of 5
Decor - 4.5 out of 5
Total - 13.5 out of 15

2375 Sainte-Catherine est
Montreal, Quebec
514-522-5105
restolegraindesel.ca
____________________________________________________________

If you're anything like me, TripAdvisor has become a trusted travel companion before, during, and after a trip takes you out on the road.

TripAdvisor offers more information about hotels, restaurants, and activities in almost any city than you could probably ever read. And more often than not, the information is reliable and straight-up honest.

Until recently, it had been more than seven years since the last time I visited Montreal. I was at a total loss as to where to eat, especially in a city with as many options as Montreal. So, I took the web's advice.

Do a search for restaurants in Montreal on TripAdvisor, and the number 1 result is a little bistro by the name of Le Grain de Sel (at least at the time of writing in September 2010).

Thank you yet again, TripAdvisor, for an amazing night out.

While no one visits Montreal without strolling down Sainte-Catherine Street at least once, Le Grain de Sel is on a stretch of the street that sees little traffic (about five blocks east of the Papineau subway stop).

The main dining room out front is cozy. White linens dress each table with darker colours on the bar and walls.

Staff were immediately welcoming and friendly, offering us a choice of available tables. The menu is completely in French, but our waiter took the time to explain almost every item, mostly without even being prompted.

I think Le Grain de Sel's total lack of pretension is one of its best qualities. The head chef even came out to our table to ask how the food was at one point in the meal. And he looked like he genuinely wanted to make sure we were having a good time.

We ordered the Escargots en Croute and a pair of fresh Quebec Scallops for appetizers. Both dishes were delicious. The escargots came served in a piping hot bowl covered by a thin crust of glazed phyllo dough. Beneath the doughy dome were our escargots, buttery and mixed with wild mushrooms. Mwa!

The scallops were seasoned perfectly with oil, salt, and pepper, and served with a side of corn and red pepper. Not your usual sides, but they were a perfect match for the scallops.

As for main courses, we ventured for the halibut and a duo of haddock and pork belly. The fish was truly delicious and makes me wish that I lived nearer to the ocean.

The pork, on the other hand, was extraordinarily fatty. So much so that once the fat was cut away, just a few morsels of meat were left. When our lovely waitress asked how I liked my meal, I had to confess that I wasn't nuts about the pork. But she made a good point: the fatty pork was intentionally paired with the ultra-lean haddock as a contrast. I still can't say that I enjoyed the pork, but at least the kitchen is thinking seriously about the food it serves.

For dessert, we gorged on a homemade cheesecake, and a cold raspberry and balsamic vinegar soup with fresh doughnuts on top. It was all too, too delicious.

If I had to give Le Grain de Sel a grade, it would be an F++.

Hold on now, that stands for Fresh, Friendly, and Fantastic.

When in Montreal go to Le Grain de Sel. Just go.