4.8.07

I've been tagged

Okay I've been tagged by Joni Cote de Texas , Laura Orange Beautiful and Susan The Kitchen Designer. That is three times now and I can see that there is no avoiding this any longer.......soooo the rules of the game are to divulge 7 facts/habits and bits of trivia about myself.....and try not to embarass myself in the process. Here goes:

1. My favourite color is yellow and always has been ever since I can remember, although I have never worn yellow or used it in my home but I did own a yellow car many years ago.

2. I love ironing. Yes as strange as it seems I find it relaxing and almost meditative. I was raised in a home where ironing was a fine art and I was taught how to properly iron everything from men's shirts to bedsheets and even underwear. To get a perfect ironing job, cotton & linen needs to be dampened and left to cure in the freezer. Then the iron has to be the perfect temperature. Voila perfect crisp ironing. Martha would be so proud of me.

3. I use ironed linen napkins and my silver cutlery at every meal.
4. I recently purchased a magnificent piece of oceanfront property. I fell in love with it on first sight. It is on an island that has no public boat transportation to it. You need to have your own boat to get to it and then you need to have a vehicle on the island to get to the property. The only way to get anything to the island is by barge. I have neither boat or vehicle. To further complicate matters there is no power or other amenities there and I am not exactly what you would call the outdoorsy type more like a girly girl type. But I am sure that I will be able to figure out all these minor details (ha) and one day build my dream home there. So this weekend will be the first time to my property since I purchased it 1 1/2 years ago. I have a friend who has a sail boat. And on Sunday we will set sail for my island property to spend the day. Here is a map of where my property is on Gambier Island.
5. I love dogs - all dogs and especially mine. She is a 4 1/2 pound (soaking wet) Yorkshire Terrier named Nicole. She has a collection of designer clothes and even a Balenciagia carrying bag. She goes to the office with me every day and has her own business card. Her job title is VP of Security. She guards the door against the postman and couriers and when they see her barking ferociously at them, they inevitably laugh .


7. I used to grow roses on my downtown roof top garden in pots and would enter my roses in competitions alongside others that had magnificent & stately acres of gardens. I was told that certain roses could not be grown in pots, especially the rose "Queen Elizabeth" which is of the Grandiflora variety and reaches heights of over 10 feet. I guess I like a challenge and won a blue ribbon for this rose.

7. I am the second person from Vancouver ever to be published in Architectural Digest magazine.There you are for what it's worth. Don't be afraid to leave a comment I won't tag you.

36 comments:

  1. Patricia - where to start? I love the picture of your family! You look so happy!

    Your dog - too cute. Balenciagia carrying case? You're a girl after my daughter's heart. I had to pay oodles for a good copy of a Balenciagia bag this Christmas.

    Love the ironing, understand it completely. My housekeeper, my nanny, used to let me iron my dad's handkerchief's. Such a great memory. Think about the ironing scene in Dr. Zhivago. The sound of the iron drove him mad with lust.

    Roses - soo impressed. Mine look like S***!

    Yellow?

    And lastly: your property. Is that on Vashon? I'm too jealous for words. What are your waiting for? Get a boat and get desiging. We'd have so much fun watching the process.

    Great post!!!!!!!!
    Joni

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  2. Hi Joni
    How do you know Vashon Island, which is way up in the Northern Pacific and you being a Southern Belle. My island is called Gambier and is in Howe sound. The great thing about it is that I can be there on my property in one hour from downtown Vancouver, that is when I get myself a trusty boat and learn to navigate the waters. So much to figure out. I am barely computer literate!!!

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  3. Patricia! Fascinating facts! My mother had a house on Vashon, since Joni mentioned it, and right on the water too. An old victorian farmhouse. Beautiful part of the world! Your little bit of heaven looks wonderful. I hope you build your dream house and let us see it.:)

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  4. Hi Katie
    What a small world it is..My dream house will become a reality one day. But for now I love dreaming about it.

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  5. Ok, I know I am going to have some kind of horrific nightmare about opening up my freezer and finding stacks of my husbands unmentionables inside! I think you are putting Martha to shame! Your daughter and grandsons are so adorable. I also count my daughter as my best friend and I take my two miniature doxies to work with me. They do not have business cards though. I need to get on that. Your own island? You and Richard Branson should hang out! I am sure your dream home will be fabulous. Can't wait to hear more about it.
    Jackie

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  6. Hi Jackie
    The trick is to put the ironing into plastic bags in your freezer, then there won't be any freakouts.
    Daughters are great aren't they?
    Well it is not exactly my own island but the people on it are pretty few and far between. I'd love to hang out with Richard Branson!

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  7. It was really interesting finding out more about you, and I have never seen a sweeter dog photo!!Thank-you for visiting my blog-you really made me laugh, I am a complete novice at anything technical, I've only just worked out how to add links to other people's blogs!! There, I've ruined your illusion of me now, haven't I?!!!

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  8. Hi Sophie
    Thanks for visiting..and I am glad you like my dog. She is very sweet.

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  9. This game is so great because we know more about you . I wish I could own an oceanfront property ..I will .
    Mélanie xx

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  10. Anonymous4/8/07

    Well, this was certainly very interesting! I hope you will have a wonderful weekend, especially standing on your land and visualizing rooms and views and all such nice things.

    And, roses? I grow a few (maybe 200?) Queen Elizabeth, however, is not one that I have, but I know it's a beauty! You know you'll need lots of roses on your land...you don't get blackspot in the PNW after all like we do on the east coast. This was fun!

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  11. I hope someday you can invite all your blogging friends to the island...wouldn't that be something! I'm sure a few of us wouldn't mind 'rowing' a boat. Amazing post and incredible that you were published in AD.

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  12. Hi Melanie
    I dreamt about my property for many years before I got it and it is still a dream.

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  13. Hi Susan
    200 roses...I'm impressed. I would love to come to your garden and pick a bouquet. Unfortunately we do have black spot here. Although some roses are more resistant to it than others. Post a picture of your rose garden, it must be in full bloom right now. do you have any David Austin roses?

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  14. Hi Liberty Post
    That would be a fun thing to do. I would love to meet all of you.

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  15. Patricia: If you see any of my comments on tons of other blogs tonight...I'm sorry...I just realized that I spelled your last name wrong in them. I put Grey instead of Gray.

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  16. Anonymous5/8/07

    Patricia, I know your area is absolutely perfect for rose growing. Right now, with the summer heat, the roses are mostly resting. There are always a few here, a few there. David Austin Roses? Here is my album of David Austin Roses
    http://www.pbase.com/tivoli/austin_english_roses

    Here is my 2007 garden album so far. There are many images that are not in there from my files.
    http://www.pbase.com/tivoli/garden_2007

    I hope you had a great day yesterday (unless it is today you are going!)

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  17. Patricia that was very interesting, and I'm super jealous of the island getaway home. What a wonderful thing to have, even if it is just something to dream about for now.

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  18. Hi Suzy
    I just got back from a day of sailing to my property and it is even more special than I remembered it. It is starting not to be a dream anymore.

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  19. It was so great to learn more about you Patricia!! I would have never guessed "yellow" was your favorite color. Your Yorkie is just so cute (I'm a small dog fan myself)...and what a cute family as well! And ironing...I really wish I felt the same way, and yes Martha would be proud :)

    ~Kate

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  20. Patricia,
    It was great to learn more about you. You have a darling family and dog! I laughed about the ironing - have to admire you for that...

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  21. Ok Patricia, in the past year and a half have you figured out how you are going to iron when you are at this property? Ha! Ha!
    Seriously, this is a charming post, and I love the fact that your daughter is your best friend. And yes, your grandsons are adorable! Oh, and anyone who loves their dog is tops in my book!!!

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  22. Thank-you Maryam

    posted from her wireless Aug 5 2007
    http://moroccanmaryam.typepad.com/

    Eating with silver every day! My mother bought a very full set of limoges porcelain, spending over 15,000 dollars. She has never used it. She also bought Louis (sp?) Wine and champagne and apperatif glasses for 12. She has never used them.

    I always thought that if I ever had wonderful things, I would use them and relish them. I am so glad that you do just that.

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  23. Hi Girl Meets Glamour
    Funny about yellow being my fav color and thanks for your comments on my dog and family and well the ironing fetish, what can I say but that I have now divulged it to the world.

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  24. Hi Annechovie
    Thank-you for admiring me for my ironing....that will surely go down in my memoirs.

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  25. Hi All the Best...I have decided
    no ironing at the vacation property. Absolutely none. Wash and wear only and paper napkins!

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  26. Love the cute photo of your family! And of course your doggie too! And, congrats on the AD article!! I think that's wonderful :)

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  27. Hi Peak
    Thanks for your wonderful comment!It is much appreciated.

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  28. Hi Patricia,

    It's such a wonderful thing to see you blogging, I am just getting back to mine which has been on the back burner for some time now as I had to attend to life and it's hectic days. I just wanted to send you a thank you for inspiring me today. Reading through your post and seeing the great response you have with your readers and those in your life makes for a great story. I feel honored to have you share with us a little more about you. I remember you mentioning that you went to Chicago and now owning property in our beautiful west coast ... Congrats and thank you! ... All the best =) cheers

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  29. Hi Gaile
    It is great to hear that you are returning to the blogging world. I am looking forward seeing your posts again and I am so glad that I can inspire in any way possible. All the best and double cheers to you!!

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  30. I love it! Now that's what sharing is all about Roses, Nicole, the Island home (of the future). How fabulous. Thank you for opening up and sharing bits of yourself with us.

    I might add that I have a crush on your VP of security...and her Balenciaga bag! ;)

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  31. Hi Franki
    My little VP of Security is pretty cute and has all the accessories to go along with it. I want to be her in my next life. Thanks for
    your comment.

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  32. Congrats on being published in AD! I too enjoyed the photo of your adorable grandchildren. Also, I LOVE that Asian image you used for yellow :)

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  33. Hi Style Court
    Why doesn't it surpise me that you like the Asian image:)
    Thanks for your comment

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  34. Patricia, we need to shake hands on the first two! I adore Yellow, and yes, for some odd reason, love ironing as long as I can remember! I still iron my clothes 'again', once they come back from the ironing guy (yes, in India, we have neighbourhood Ironing guys who still use the old style coal irons!)

    And thank you for sharing the beautiful pic of your family. Your grandsons are so cute!

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  35. Hi Bhavna
    Wow you have ironing guys. How incredible. Maybe I was one of those ironing guys in a past life. Thanks for your comment.

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  36. Anonymous9/9/07

    So glad you directed me here. It is great to get to know people better by these games! I am impressed that you iron so much, I would love to have crisply ironed things but I don't. You are a true Martha! :-)

    Your daughter and grandsons look absolutely delightful, what fun to have them in your life!

    Your property sounds divine! We have a family house overlooking the Pacific Ocean in a private wooded area and I can truly say it is heaven on earth. I love the area where your property is, I haven't been for years!

    Congrats on being published in AD, that is a real achievement!

    I like yellow too. All colors can be beautiful, I think, in the right setting and used the right way.

    Nice to get to know you, Patricia!

    Melissa

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