The Ravi (an instant wine cooler?)

I wonder how well this works!


About it:

Ravi is based on the innovative concept of cooling wine at the very moment it’s served. It’s not the bottle that is cooled, but the wine itself. The cooling process takes place as the wine passes through ravi. With an internal tube made from the same stainless steel used for fermentation tanks, ravi maintains the wine’s characteristics and never alters the taste

Ravi is a sleek, ergonomic, easy-to-use object drawn by well-known Québec designer Michel Dallaire. Simply place it on the neck of the wine bottle. Since not all wines are drunk at the same temperature, ravi has a valve that lets you control the flow of wine to obtain the desired temperature.

Ravi is based on a revolutionary concept that will cool your wine to the ideal temperature instantly and will keep working for more than an hour after you take it out of the freezer.

Available all over Canada!

How to figure out the assessed value of a home

Okay, so the Ottawa housing market is not known for being very transparent. In my mind, the first step in buying a home is finding out its assessed value. The assessed value is used to identify the annual rate of taxes and according to the City of Ottawa:

Q: What is a Property Assessment?
A: A property assessment is an estimate of the market value of your property on a specific valuation date (January 1, 2008 for the new Property Assessment Notice).

Note: The market value is determined by taking into account what other houses in the area are selling for as well as the overall value of the home. There is owner work that may have been done that wasn't taken into account in the assessment. Be sure to ask why a home is priced for more then its assessed value!

Q: What is it used for?
A: The value of properties determines how the tax burden is shared between property owners. The City of Ottawa will use your property assessment value to help calculate your property taxes. The education tax rates, as set by the Province, will also be applied to the assessment value to establish the education portion of your property tax bill.

Notice the MARKET VALUE. Yes! An indicator of what a house should be worth on the housing market! Oddly enough, this information is not freely offered when you search MLS, Grapevine, OR the Ottawa Real Estate Board. Apparently the assessed value is not as important as the living room measurements. You are probably sitting here thinking - but Ginger! Those services don't do that for anyone! Oh no? I guess that means you've never looked at property in Gatineau.

Anyway. Back to the market value question - so how does one find out this information? I thought this was definately something a real estate agent would know so I called one up and asked about a house. She ignored the question and told me what they paid last year in taxes.

Now, being the geek that I am, I thought to myself - well, if I know what the rate is then I should be able to figure out the current assessed value.

And so I search the City of Ottawa website and found this handy form as well as other information that enabled me to make an educated guess (though still a guess, unfortunately).

My formula:

Take the annual taxes for 2008 and minus out $82 (or $84 depending on the information) and divide the remaining number by 0.01245831.

For example:
2008 Taxes: $2,300

(2300-82)/0.01245831=$178,033.78

If you lack the 08 number, use the 07 with this formula. Take the annual tax rate and minus out $32.50 and divide the remaining number by 0.01194727.

An art deco store - Decollect in Port Hope, Ontario

Their website has a ton of home accessories and some home furnishings - I am so curious about this place, I might have to make the three hour drive to check it out! Decollect is a store that caters to collectors of the following: Art Deco, Machine Age, Streamline, Art Moderne, Mid-Century Modern, Art Nouveau, Atomic Age, Eames Era, Vintage Classics by Gilbert Rohde, KEM Weber, Chase, Revere, Von Nessen, Wolfgang Hoffman, Howell Chrome, Russel Wright, Bel Geddes, Teague etc. I'm sure their website is just a taste of what is offered inhouse.

Anyone been?

Blog - boatshedchic

About the author, Beth (from Australia!):

I live in a boatshed and I like beautiful things. I would say that my style is a mixture of vintage, French and bohemian. I like the country house look, but with a laid-back feel. Most of my furnishings are pre-loved as I prefer the look and feel of old things.

I found her while searching for Art Deco mirrors. Enjoy the inspiration!

Art Deco Mirrors

I am convinced that a bit part of decorating in the art deco style involves decorating with mirrors. I recently watched Brazil and in it, there was the craziest art deco mirror and it got me in the mood to search up some similar styles. The one in the movie was angular with lots of colour-tinted glass...unfortunately, I couldn't find one like it but I did find these!



1920's to 1930's Graceful and elegant period art deco mirror. Hand made and finished for exceptional quality. Found via MirrorWorld.



Round Art Deco Mirror found via Art Deco Originals.



Superb 1930's Art Deco English overmantle mirror. This beautiful mirror is totally original and has the desired odeonesque shape we've all come to admire. Features panels of clear, pinky peach and green mirroring. No flaws or any damage to mention, so is in exceptional condition. Hardwood backing with original chain to wall mount. Found via deco-world.com.

Greater Rochester Home Show - Rochester NY

27-MAR-09 to 29-MAR-09

Venue City / State Country
Rochester Exhibition Centre

Rochester, NY

Event Profile:
Greater Rochester Home Show is the premier home show in USA, setting the standard to which others strive to achieve. It provides the most comprehensive shopping opportunity for buyers of renovating, decorating and landscaping products and produces one of a kind and never seen before features.

DIY - Roman Shades via Martha Stewart

Classic Shade How-To

Determine the size you want the shade to be; add 4 inches to width and 8 1/2 inches to length. Cut shade and lining fabric to size.

1. Lay fabric right side down. Fold and press 2-inch hems on long sides and base. Unfold. Fold bottom corners; press. Refold hems. Slip-stitch corners, mitering them and leaving a 1/4-inch opening on one side for a dowel. Hem sides and base by hand (or by machine if you don't mind visible stitches).

2. Lay lining right side down. Fold and press 2 3/8-inch hems on long sides and base. Place lining on shade, wrong sides facing, so shade shows on long sides and base. Slip-stitch lining to shade on hemmed sides.

3. Determine positions of dowel pockets, and mark them on back of shade with a disappearing-ink pen. Pockets should be evenly spaced at intervals of 8 to 12 inches (depending on how wide you want the pleats to be). To determine position of bottom pocket, divide size of intervals by 2, and add 1 (for example, if you're spacing dowels 12 inches apart, the bottom pocket should be 7 inches from the bottom of the shade). The top pocket should be at least 10 inches from the top. Begin measuring and marking your intervals from the bottom, and don't worry about the precise size of the top interval. Sew cotton strips as shown: Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together; press. Machine-stitch a 3/8-inch double hem on the long edge. At one end, fold, press, and machine-stitch a 3/8-inch double hem.

4. Pin folded long edges of pockets along pen marks; machine-stitch. Insert dowels in pockets, and slip-stitch a 3/8-inch double hem. Insert bottom dowel into the mitered corner's opening. Close with a slip stitch.

5. Draw a line 6 1/2 inches below top of shade. Wrap batten ends in fabric swatches, and staple. Position batten as pictured; staple in place. Roll and staple batten until edge covers marker line.

6. Stitch rings to hemmed edge of pockets, forming 3 columns: one up center and one 2 inches from each long side. Attach cord lock (to merge cords) to batten 1/4 inch in from its edge on side where strings will fall. Attach a screw eye to batten at top of remaining ring rows. In each row, starting at bottom of shade, tie the end of a length of cord to lowest ring. Thread cord through rings in that row, through screw eyes at top, then through cord lock. Thread loose ends through cord condenser; knot below, trim 2 of the cords, and pull condenser down to cover knot. Cut remaining cord so that it hangs 2/3 of the way down the shade. Thread through tassel and tie knot to secure. Mount shade with appropriate hardware.

Full article and pictures here.

Montreal Home & Trends Show

20-MAR-09 to 29-MAR-09

Venue City / State Country
Place Bonaventure

Montreal Canada

Event Profile:
Montreal Home & Trends Show is the perfect way to introduce your new products and services to thousands of potential consumers. This five-day event will help you generate numerous contacts, make immediate sales, increase your visibility and forge connections that will allow you to make sales throughout the year.

The National Home Show - Toronto

20-FEB-09 to 01-MAR-09

Venue City / State Country
Direct Energy Centre

Toronto, Ontario Canada

Event Profile:
National Home Show is the premier home show in Canada, setting the standard to which others strive to achieve. It provides the most comprehensive shopping opportunity for buyers of renovating, decorating and landscaping products and produces one of a kind and never seen before features.

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Marine Fantasy Basin Set via PE Guerin Products

Marine Fantasy Basin Set via PE Guerin Products

Random, yes, I know. But I really think it is charming! It's probably because living in a rental I have the most basic, simple tap in my bathroom.

The Ottawa Home and Garden Show

The Ottawa Home and Garden Show
Renovate. Decorate. Landscape.


Advice, solutions and inspiration for all your decorating, renovating, and landscaping dilemmas from more than 300 home & garden specialists await you at the 2009 Ottawa Home and Garden Show. The place to shop and save on the latest products from March 26-29th at Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, ON.

The Rowenta Steam Brush

Okay, I don't often talk about appliances but I have to admit that I reall covet a steam brush like this one by Rowenta. So small, you can even travel with it and for only $50 it seems like a steal.