Fancy Friday Love

I want to start today's post, by once again thanking Heather, Amelia, Christine and Elizabeth, for their wonderful guest posts this week! It's so great to have such wonderful friends to step up and help you out when you need it most! Their posts gave me time to focus on starting to figure out our life out west... and even a bit of time to find some great inspiration online...


Who doesn't love to start their Friday off with a gorgeous kitchen? This stunning space from Amazing Spaces LLC, featured on House of Turquoise, certainly started my Monday off right this week - so I couldn't help but share it with all of you!

Yesterday, Amelia posted a look at a great IKEA hack that she tackled. 3 Billy bookcases into a media/entertainment unit. Looks great, right? This may not be a bad option for our rental. I'm definitely keeping my eyes peeled for more details...

A lovely town home, featured on bliss blog, also has my wheels turning when it comes to our new place...

And if you're itching to get a look at what we've been up to, and what to expect around here next week, here's a small preview...

Well, we are ending our time out here in BC (for the moment). Halle and I will actually be meeting up with some west coast bloggers before we head back to Toronto. We've definitely fallen in love with it out here, and I can't wait to share some details of our trip with you... and of course the rental that we will soon call home. So many exciting things to come! 

Guest Post - The Little Black Door

Happy Thursday friends! Today I have my last guest post for the week - Elizabeth from The Little Black Door. 


Hi First Time Fancy readers! I'm Elizabeth from The Little Black Door and I'm so happy to be guest posting for Kerry while she is hard at work prepping for the big move. My husband and I have had several long distance moves over the years and I can appreciate the stress and upheaval a move can cause. So I thought I'd share a few quick things I think can help make any new house feel more like home. 

Pictures of family and friends. Just pulling some favorite frames out of a box and onto a table adds instant comfort.

Kate Spade living room via The Selby

Pillows. Temporary furniture, furniture that doesn't work in your new space, or furniture that was damaged during the move. No matter what, its nothing a few pillows can't brighten up.

via Caitlin Wilson

Fresh flowers. A single flower, or a bunch from the grocery store will do. A little life among all the cardboard boxes can help.

via Design Sponge

New bedding. The first night in a new and empty place feels a little more inviting with new bedding.

via Pinterest

Wine. Everything looks brighter when looking thru a glass of wine! (and a few boxes of take-out Chinese.)

via So Says Sarah

I wish you a seamless and happy move to the West Cost Kerry. Enjoy the adventure!


Thank you so much Elizabeth! Not only was your post a great help at this time, but these are some wonderful tips we will surely carry over when transitioning to our rental in B.C.! A big thank you again to all of my guest bloggers who helped out with the blogging this week - expect to see me around tomorrow with some fancy finds from this past week!

Two Guest Posts In One!

Hey everyone! Today you can find me visiting Anne-Marie at 10 Rooms, talking about my current Colour Crush. While I am over there visiting, I have another wonderful blogger visiting today with a guest post. My dear friend Christine was quick to step up and help when I put out a call for guest bloggers... and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that as I know just how busy Christine is being a first time Mama as well...

Hiya my fancy friends, it's Christine from just bella. I cannot tell you how excited I am for Kerry's adventure out west! Not only is it a great opportunity for her and her family but hey, I'm out west! I'm crossing my fingers a trip to Edmonton might be in her future.  Kerry has been such a great bloggy friend of mine and I would love to meet her and little Halle one day! Friends help friends move, it's just what you do, and since I'm a few provinces away I thought I'd pop in and help Kerry out this way. I'm super excited for spring and am loving all the bright colours in fashion and home decor. There is nothing like something bright and cheery, especially when paired with a great neutral, to spice up your decor.  Here are a few "spring brights" to brighten your day:

1) Ampersand Print, shopampersand etsy 2) Industrial Task Table Lamp, West Elm 3) Chroma-logical Order Clock, Modcloth 4) Fluro Pink Random Spot Pillowcase, Castle 5) Marimekko Bedding, Crate and Barrel 6) Bird Pillowcase, Classic by Nature etsy 7) Jordnot Flower Pot, IKEA

Happy moving, Kerry!


Thanks a ton Christine! Not only am I thankful for your help during our prep for the big move... but I'm so thankful for these fabulous spring picks! Everything is so pretty and has me feeling inspired for our new digs... can I start decorating yet? I'll see you all back here tomorrow with another great guest post from Elizabeth over at The Little Black Door!

Guest Post - House Pretty

Morning Friends! I'm so happy to Amelia from House Pretty visiting today, with a fun affordable art project...

I was inspired by Kerry's framed skeleton key to come up with my own affordable art idea. Something like this tea towel I bought while visiting Stonehenge and turned into wall art using canvas stretcher bars and a few staples:

Sticking with the fabric theme, I dug out an embroidered piece of linen I bought on my honeymoon in Iceland. It's a picture of a cute blue tea set and I think it would be perfect in a frame, hanging in a kitchen. I grabbed an empty frame I already had on hand, my fabric and my trusty iron.

Then I grabbed a bigger frame - remember to measure first (oops)! Once my fabric was wrinkle-free, I placed it in the frame. Luckily it fit perfectly, but with a larger frame - or a smaller piece of fabric - you may want to play around with different matting options.  

I added a piece of white cardboard to hold the fabric in place and reattached the frame's backing. And that's it - some pretty new art and a sweet honeymoon reminder!

Thanks Kerry for letting me stop by and good luck with your big move!


Thank YOU Amelia for dropping by today! I love this artwork, and it may have a lot to do with my love of awesome DIY artwork... and anything tea related! Has anyone else been coming up with some DIY artwork for around their house? I'd love to hear more - we could always use ideas for our new place! Once again, be sure to visit tomorrow - Christine from just bella will be popping by with another fabulous guest post...

Guest Post - Interior Groupie

Happy Monday morning to you all. As we continue to prepare ourselves for the big changes, I have some lovely ladies who have stepped up to fill in for me and keep the blog rolling. Today I have my dear blog friend Heather, from Interior Groupie, giving you some great ideas on how to get ready for Spring...


Hi all you First-Time-Fancy-ers! I'm so thrilled to be helping Kerry out with a guest post while she preps for the big cross-country move with B and Halle. What a great opportunity for them. With the weather starting to get REALLY nice here, and Spring has officially sprung! There are crocuses and daffodils popping up here and there and I love it. Whether or not your weather is cooperating with the calendar, or jumping right on ahead to summer like Toronto is, here are some ideas for you to get a head start on Spring...

1. Change out your artwork and prints for something fresh. The photos below just scream Spring to me:

This photo is in my main bath - via InteriorGroupie, Thailand

Lovely tulips - via InteriorGroupie, France

2. Add freshness to your house with plants - buy some basic house plants (or re-pot some you have) and make a nice vignette:

via  InteriorGroupie

via Lonny Mag

via

3. Brighten up 

via - Can you do the coloured jeans trend? They're popping up everywhere from the Gap to Joe Fresh so if you're thinking of it, now's the time!

If jeans aren't your thing, put some colour on your fingers or toes

via

4. Add some pretty to your day 

via 79ideas

via

I hope that you enjoyed my take on Spring while having me here at Kerry's blog! Thanks to Kerry for having me over...I'd love to have you guys pop on over to Interior Groupie any time...


Thank you so much Heather for stopping by! Loved all of your takes on Spring - especially those beautiful pictures of yours! Who doesn't love some fresh artwork in their home? Especially when it's a beautiful photo that reminds you of a wonderful trip! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what my dear friend Amelia from House Pretty has to share with you!

8 Months of Halle

This little girl just keeps growing - in so many ways!

Where has my tiny baby gone? Those days are long behind us. I mean... she flew Toronto to Vancouver with me ALONE yesterday and was SO GOOD! She SLEPT through the take off and napped two additional times on the plane. The people sitting around us loved her, and she showered them with smiles and waves. We had a few small melt downs, but they were all short lived and she made the whole thing pretty painless for me. Seriously.. you'd never guess she has a tooth breaking through! So what's new with her these days...

- We are seriously on the verge of crawling. As of yesterday, she started trying to crawl across the bed at our hotel. Not long now. At least we can keep all of this in mind as we look for rentals this weekend!

- As previously mentioned, she is finally getting a tooth! I noticed last Friday that she seemed to be "chewing" a lot, so I stuck my finger in her mouth to discover her bottom left tooth is coming in. It hasn't affected her mood at all - still smiling and playing all day and sleeping at night. We're feeling pretty blessed!

- Her smiles and giggles light up our days! She thinks her Dada is the funniest man alive and I love the way she lights up around him! B actually came out to BC a few days ahead of us, and when she saw him at the airport she started smiling and bouncing. Clearly her Daddy lights up her life, just as much as he lights up mine!

- It won't be long before she starts standing as well. When we play in her nursery, she usually leans over and puts her hands on my knee or on Babar and pulls herself to her knees. She's bound and determined to be standing... but it also means she's really getting into things these days.

- We're in a bit of a "stranger danger" time. She's pretty clingy to the two of us... especially me these days. She did okay when my parents watched her the other weekend, but she still just wants her Mama and Dada most of the time. 

- She's not very big! If you'r observant, you'll notice she is wearing the same onesie she was wearing in her 5 month photo. Baby girl is still in 3-6 months... and even has a few 0-3 month pieces that remain in rotation. She may just be around 16lbs... but then again - neither of us are very big, so it's not really a huge surprise.

It's crazy how quickly time is going... our baby girl is getting so big... and this will be her last photo in that nursery that I so lovingly put together last year. Her 9 month photo will be in our new place - so sad, but exciting at the same time. You'll notice I left an open suitcase in the background of her photo - I figured it was fitting as far as what was happening at this time in her life, so why not keep it real? (OH, and for those of you who are interested, Nicole at Bittersweet Photography just posted a look at Halle's 7 Month photo shoot we did with her - you can see the photos here)

Fancy Friday Love

Happy Friday my dears! What a crazy busy week it has been around here.... so much to do and never enough time... but always time to find some lovely things this past week (even if it is only just a few)...


Every single photo in this post, from Milk and Honey Home, just screamed "my style". Loving all of it...

This casual and comfortable dining room, from Verdigris Vie, is right up my alley. From the lamp in the foreground, the that fun chalkboard artwork behind the table - all of it so perfectly put together...

This place, featured on Decor de Provence, ticked all the boxes on my "ideal home" list - Love it!

Well, my friends... we're currently in BC looking for our digs! With everything going on, I was lucky enough to find some super sweet bloggers who offered to step up and take over for me next week! Make  sure to come back and see what these incredible ladies have up their sleeves, and I'll check in when April rolls around. (Also, if you've emailed me in the past week but have not heard back from me I apologize. Things have been crazier than ever... seriously. I will get back to you next week when I have a bit more downtime... promise!)

Since we ARE out West (staying in Richmond) - anyone have any good suggestions on places to visit/shop/eat in the Vancouver area? I can't wait to hear about some of your favourite places!

A Sweet Nursery

I am sure that you are all already familiar with our favourite photographer, Nicole from Bittersweet Photography. What you may not know, is that she is currently awaiting the arrival of a sweet little man. I got a look at the nursery when Halle and I went for photos the other week, but when she shared photo's on her blog of the sweet room, I knew I had to share them with all of you...

I'm particularly fond of the sweet zigzag blankie and those darling clouds that Nicole made! Girl's talented in more than one way, no? Sometimes it is the simplest things that make me happy, and Connor's nursery is one of those things.

I'm so happy for Nicole and her little family. Connor is one lucky little boy! I can attest to the fact that he will be getting the best Mommy and big brother ever! Congrats Nicole... I can't wait to meet your newest arrival! 

The First Rental Purchase

Last Friday, Halle and I had absolutely nothing planned. We were hanging out at home and while she played on the floor in her nursery, I sat nearby (with my laptop resting atop of Babar), checking out things online. I had resigned myself to not buying ANYTHING at all from the rental until we moved... until I saw that West Elm was having a flash bedding sale that day.


This caught my attention, as since we found out we were moving, B and I started to discuss getting ourselves a nice King Size bed. I knew if we could score ourselves a nice duvet cover for a good price, we'd have a good start. After looking through the styles that were on offer, I sent B a few links who picked the Gallery Stripe Duvet as his favourite of the three options...

Since it was a one day sale, and I wanted to be certain about our purchase, I packed up Halle and we drove over to West Elm to check out the duvet in person. It looks even better in person, so home it came and I only had to spend $40 and change! Score!

My vision of the room is completely different than what you see above. We plan to go with plain white sheets and shams, and pull out some of the colours in the duvet using toss pillows. It's hard to picture looking at that photo, since it looks like a dorm room there. I'd also like to find a nice quilt or coverlet for the foot of the bed - I can't wait to go shopping (again)!

The biggest search will be for the perfect bed frame. I don't have anything specific in mind yet... and still a little time to consider different options.

I apologize if I am boring you all with my recent posts! As you can imagine, things are a little crazy at the moment, and purging, cleaning and organizing do not make for a very exciting post. Possibly less exciting than my recent material. I promise to share more on what we've been doing to prepare the house for renting it out, later this week...

A Mini Weekend Escape

Happy Monday friends! I'm feeling refreshed and relaxed, and ready to face the week ahead. I was so thankful that B and I were able to squeeze in a little time away this past weekend - and it was fantastic!


On Saturday morning, my parents came out to pick up Halle and the pups and B and I were off to Niagara on the Lake to meet my brother and his wife for a fun little weekend. We started off at Rockway Glen for a little wine tour and tasting, and followed it up with a nice lunch in their restaurant...

{My sister-in-law and I, split this half bottle of Patio 9 - a nice white wine spritzer. Perfect on a nice Spring day... will be even better come the summer!}

When we were done we continued on with the wineries and paid visits to Flat Rock Cellars and Henry of Pelham. We were happy with all three wineries, and B and I wish we could've splurged a little more on some wine, but thought better of it. We already have a few bottles here at home, and the fewer bottles we have to bring across country, the better.

{B and I at Flat Rock Cellars}

With the wineries behind us, we made our way to our accommodations for the night. We found a sweet little B&B online, and B and I were sold after reading about their breakfasts. We booked rooms at Finlay House, and we were so pleased with everything about our stay! The couple who own the B&B were so sweet and welcoming, and our room was just lovely...

We were a short walk to all of the cute shops in Niagara on the Lake, so we headed down there for a stroll once we were all settled. After a bit of walking, we headed back to our rooms for a short cat nap. Let me tell you - it's been so long since I've had a proper nap, where I was able to sleep and wake up by my own accord! It was fabulous, and so nice to leisurely get ready for our dinner.


We had reservations at 7:30pm at benchmark - Niagara College's restaurant. If you've never been, I am sure you are wondering why we decided to eat dinner at the College? Well, for those not in the know, Niagara College has fabulous programs in culinary, wine making AND beer brewing. The menu was incredible... and the food did not disappoint. This was actually my second time here. My sister-in-law and I, had dinner here back in September as part of her bachelorette party. In the end, we were all stuff and incredibly pleased with dinner.


Being so full, we spent the rest of the night lounging around in our room watching TV and just enjoying a quiet night. I was also thrilled to be able to sleep right through until quarter after 7 without having to get out of bed at all... and then leisurely get ready for our yummy breakfast.


It was especially nice to get away in advance of all of the craziness that we have coming our way. It's down to crunch time. I need to get the house in order this week... not long before those movers are here packing up all of our stuff.


What did you get up to this fabulous weekend?

Fancy Friday Love

Happy Friday! What a week! So much to do, and we're feeling pretty good about our accomplishments. I'm also feeling pretty good about these beautiful things I found this week...


When I saw Lisa's post from last Friday, all I could think was that this is exactly the way my dream home would look! Relaxed and lived in, comfortable with the right amount of coastal. I wonder if we can find the perfect rental to make feel like this?

Have a hard time keeping track of all of the cords you have at home? Take a look at this great post from i heart organizing, last Friday, providing some tips on how to keep all your cords organized! Something I should definitely consider doing...

Loving the Hot Air Balloon invites Jen, from Rambling Renovators, put together for Chloe's birthday! I cannot wait to see what other fun projects she comes up with for the party!

I've posted about her before, and she's done it again! Ariele, from brooklyn to west, made these gorgeous tables for a cafe in Oklahoma! Aren't they gorgeous! I'd love to put one of these in our new place!

Did you see Heather's kitchen reveal? If not, head on over right now and check it out - you won't be sorry!

Loving Caitlin Wilson's beautiful vintage fashion prints that she has hung in her dining room...

Well, we have some fun stuff planned for this weekend with my brother and sister-in-law, that I am truly looking forward to! Just some laid back adult time, while Halle spends time with Grandma and Grandpa. Wishing them luck, as recently Halle seems to be very clingy to us... me in particular. However, B and I need this time, as once we are out West, we won't have babysitters any time we need them. I hope to be back Monday to share details and photos from our weekend... as long as I am good and remember to bring the camera along with me.

What fun things do you have planned for this weekend?

New Arrivals

In the midst of cleaning, organizing and purging (not a whole lot of packing going on. A guy came from the moving company yesterday to take "inventory" of what we will be bringing, and pretty much told me to stop packing things as they would pack everything for us... OKAY!), some deliveries arrived to our house.


First, while Halle and I were playing in her nursery, a courier arrived at the door carrying a pretty canvas tote! I wasn't too sure what it contained, but was excited to open it up and find the Veet prize pack that I won from Liz over at Wallpaper.

The weather is warming up, so all of these lovely products will come in handy for sure... especially since I have little to no time to be hitting up a salon!


Later in the afternoon, while hanging out in kitchen, I saw the UPS guy approaching our front door. To my great pleasure, it was the beautiful poppy tree frame I had won from Nancy over at Marcus Design! I had been anxiously awaiting it's arrival, and let me just say, this frame is more gorgeous in person than I had ever imagined!

The quality is incredible, and I love how unique it is! We plan on using it to frame a photo of Halle (definitely one from our recent session with Nicole), and then a photo of B and I together. With a name like "Eternal", we knew this would be the perfect family photo frame - don't you think? Now, we just have to wait until we are in our new place to get it hung!


Don't you just love when you get surprise deliveries?


*Speaking of new arrivals, a few new items have been added to our "Blogarage sale" over on Facebook...

Light That Fire

What an exhausting weekend! I hope all of you had a good one and are feeling more rested than we all are. Friday night, it was officially decided that this little ol' house will go up for rent (anyone looking to rent a place in the west end of Toronto?). Of course, there is nothing like a tight timeline to get our butts in gear, and that's exactly what happened this past weekend.


Saturday morning, things started off right after breakfast, with B and my Dad tackling the bathroom. Our new storage cabinet (that my father built) was installed next to the tub, some caulking was completed around the tub and the door trim was finished. 

Just a few minor things left - paint touch up, shelves to go into our cabinet, centre the mirror, fill the holes in the vanity drawers and then finishing touches - like a towel bar, toilet roll holder and shower rod and curtain. We're SO CLOSE! FINALLY!

There were some other projects finished on Saturday as well, like trim in our bedroom, and some work in the kitchen that was never completed. I'll have to share other projects this week as we go. So much is happening, and that is the #1 reason B is so tired. I just keep reminding him... in about a month (yes people, a month!) we should be in our new place, enjoying a renovation free lifestyle for a while. We're feeling pretty excited, seeing as I have finally started to really get down to sorting and packing. There are a ton of boxes residing in our living room at the moment, and I have a few items up on the Facebook page as part of the "Blogarage Sale". I hope to get more up between today and tomorrow as I continue to tackle packing.


What did you get up to this past weekend?

Fancy Friday Love

The weeks are flying by, and we're doing what we can to prep for our big changes. Even with life being so crazy, I still need some time to myself each day to unwind, and what better way than to catch up with some of my favourite blogs. Here's what I loved this week...

It's been a long time since I've wanted to try a recipe, as badly as I want to try these Creamy Peanut Butter Pies from Spoon Fork Bacon. Can you say "YUM!"?

Was so happy to come across this post on 79 ideas, introducing me to the lovely online shop, have you met miss jones. You must click over to browse through the fantastic products...

I wish that I were sitting here, enjoying my tea this morning!...

via desire to inspire

I was getting caught up on some past blog posts as well this week, and fell in love with all of the fresh and beautiful rooms by Hudson Interiors, that were featured on desire to inspire, back on leap day!

Another oldie, but a goodie from 79 ideas - this dreamy Summer House in Spain. Can I have one... please?

Bathroom perfection, care of KOB Interior Design, Jamie Salomon and House of Turquoise...

So another weekend is here. We have some more cleaning up and paring down to do around here, while we continue to try and decide whether we will rent or sell our home. I also have two more trunk shows to host... squeezing in as many as possible out here before we head out to B.C. What do you have planned for this weekend?