On Chateaux in Medoc...

I'm deep into pretending mode. On discovering, earlier this week, that our reno is going to be delayed by 3 months (for reasons of municipal cash grab that I cannot bring myself to get into), I've decided to approach this whole thing like I'm a naive, English-speaker trying to restore an ancient chateau in the outer reaches of Medoc. Regrettably, I won't have a restored chateau in Medoc to show for it, at the end of the day, but it's so much more romantic and understandably problematic than my own renovation. Apparently well-planned, well-navigated and native doesn't make for a knowable downtown Toronto reno.

Delay means my careful manipulation to avoid a major rebuild in cold months is pretty well a thing of the past. You'd be wise to point out that (at least) this delay occurred before half of my house was taken down, so I suppose I should be grateful. But spending an extra 5 grand - on permitting that shouldn't be required but for the whimsical expiry of a by-law - is a real kick in the teeth. Not to mention that delay keeps me in stress stasis for that much longer. Have I mentioned that I could buy a small suburban home for the cost of this project? Have I mentioned that I'm a nice, double-income, urban-middle-class lady. I don't exactly live in Rosedale. My kid does not go to private school. This expenditure isn't exactly within my comfort zone.

Yeah, I know. It's a first-world problem of the highest order. Don't feel sorry for me. Well, actually, if you'd like to feel sorry for me - or to commiserate in comments - I'm sure as hell not going to interfere.

All I can say is that, when this fucking reno is over, I'm going to be the one with that magazine-worthy, awesome house that everyone in the neighbourhood tries to copy (but can't possibly) because mine will be one of a kind. Who'll need trips to chateaux in Medoc when I will have my century/modern tour de force to hang in?

On an entirely unrelated note, I totally copied Peter and had a stamp made to create twill-tape labels for my knitted (and sewn) goods:

I'm still learning how to apply the stamp to the fabric smoothly.

Very Portland, wouldn't you say?

I'm particularly happy to have this for my stash-busting knitted projects because most of them will be gifts and I want to blow everyone's mind with my urban-hipster forethought. Of course, I neglected to moderate the sizing of the wordmark (I wish the second line were smaller than the first). Live and learn. I guess I'll have to make another stamp at some point, but I'm not buying from America in this economy. The other day I told Scott that I'd bought something for M from the States (she tormented me with endless, plaintive requests till I gave in). I said: It cost 30 bucks US - how bad can it be? To which he wryly replied: I don't know. 100.00 CDN? That's what passes for humour here these days.

I choose to dwell on my fiscal prudence (stash busting) rather than my theoretical excesses (cold-pressed juice delivery habit). And hey, that juice was pressed in Canada.

That's me so far this weekend. How about you? Up to any exciting activities? Whatcha think of the stamp idea? Should I hand sew the labels into the knitted projects or should I machine them? I don't want it to look twee but I do want to work with the vibe of hand-knits. Thoughts?