Fancy Friday Love

Friday, Friday - again! Can't believe how quickly November is flying by! I'm still working on catching up on blog reading, so you'll find some oldies, but goodies on this Fancy Friday post... so here we go!


I want to try out this DIY tassel garland, from The Sweetest Occassion - probably for the holiday's this year. What do you think?

I fell in love with these pillow covers when I spotted them on Miss Mustard Seed last Friday. What a beautiful and elegant way to add a touch of the festive season to your home. You can buy them over at Dear Lillie... 

Did you see the TP that Beatrice made? Love it! Thankfully she's putting together a how-to... I'd love to make one for Halle one day!

A sweet bedroom, found via desire to inspire. I'm loving the way the curtains are hung using ribbon. I like this idea for our kitchen, since it needs some new and inexpensive window treatments...

From House of Turquoise yesterday - can you believe this space is party of a kitchen!? Isn't that sectional in the window just stunning!? Wish I was curled up right there with my laptop and a cup of tea while Halle played nicely (and quietly) nearby...

I truly enjoyed reading about how the half bath came to be, over at for the love of a house. I particularly enjoyed how the vanity came to be - it was fate! And the reveal of the half bath... isn't it stunning?

So, as yesterdays post would indicate, we have a birthday celebration upon us this weekend... as well as a ton of work on the bathroom (as you can imagine). Halle is growing so fast, that kitchen sink just isn't cutting it anymore. So off we go! So much to do!

What are your plans for this weekend?

A First Birthday Celebration

I know I haven't given any updates on the living room or bathroom - but the bathroom work B is doing right now isn't really blog worthy (there should be some after this weekend!), and the living room is at a bit of a stand still at the moment. Today, I have some inspiration for you to check out, for a party I've been helping to plan.


On the 22nd, our godson will turn 1. It's hard to believe how quickly this year has gone, but it has, and I've been busy the last few weeks helping our friends plan little D's first birthday party. It's happening this Saturday, and they loved the idea of a Sock Monkey theme.


We've all been working on planning, shopping to make the day special for the little dude, and I can't wait to share photos and details next week. Until then, here is some of the inspiration I have been collecting over on pinterest...

{pinterest via}

{pinterest via kara's party ideas}

I LOVE finger print guest books! I think they are so fun, and have a little something like this planned for the big day. 

{pinterest via kara's party ideas}

{via}

D's Mommy and Daddy will be baking up some yummy Monkey bread for the event. I'm really excited about the treats table - there will be so many yummy goodies on it!

I had so much fun looking around and collecting inspiration on pinterest. It was such a helpful tool to pull everything together and give us an overall vision of what the day would look like (I think D's parents found it helpful too!) . Have you ever used pinterest to gather inspiration for an event you planned? How did it turn out?

Simplify This Holiday Season

Can you believe it's just over a month until Christmas? Doesn't it always just sneak up on us? It always feels like we're rushing to decorate, and then before you know it, it's all coming back down again. Why not simplify your holiday decorating this season? Martha Stewart and Home Depot have come together to help you do just that... and we got a little taste of it here at home.


Last week a bright orange box arrived on our door-step, filled with all kinds of goodies to make our home brighter and merrier this Christmas season...

Some pretty ornaments, a stocking and a wreath hanger! A big huge thank you goes out to the Home Depot. If you're looking to coordinate your holiday decor - make sure to check out the three lines that Martha Stewart has now, over at The Home Depot! 


Celebration: Is a beautiful line filled with whites, golds and bronzes. 


North Pole: Is right up my alley! Lots of pretty silver's and blues - our colour scheme for our main floor here at home!


and of course Traditional: Red, Green and Gold galore! This is what showed up at our home - and this year, B has a great idea on how to use these items in our home. I'm excited to share with you in the future.


Which Martha Stewart line would work best in your home? Have you dropped by the The Home Depot to check out the Christmas items yet? Which would work best in your home?

Awards!

Late day post today. Halle and I have been busy.... with lots of Mommy and Halle time! Sorry, I'm so late jumping on this - but over the past couple weeks I've been gifted some lovely awards by some fabulous bloggers (I've had a hard time keeping up with blog reading and writing, so I apologize if you passed on an award and I missed it). 

The Versatile blogger award was one that was passed on from Meg, Jen, Shannon and Beatrice! Thank you so much ladies. Here's 7 Things about me that you may not know (I had a hard time coming up with 7, so don't expect anything too exciting to be revealed haha)...


1. My educational background is actually in Communications. I went to school in Ottawa at Carleton for four years. I loved my program, my teachers and the friends I made there... and I really loved the city. I miss it, and always love going back to visit.


2. I was never sure if I wanted to be a Mom, and was never very maternal. Then, around this time last year we were blessed with the incredible news that I was pregnant! It's been a journey, tough at times, but worth it. Being a Mommy to Halle is the greatest, and I look forward to every new day with her.

3. I have two tattoos. A copyright on my back, with my birth year and "Libra" on my left hip. I'm positive there are more to come.


4. Before I decided to go back to school for interior decorating, I'd spent some time considering going to school for photography. I still love photography, and I'm learning more everyday on how to use my camera and improve the photos I take... I'm just not sure that I could do it for a living....


5. I despise clutter, and usually purge different rooms in our home numerous times a month. I try to live by the motto, live with what you love. I think paying more for quality, is best... and I definitely don't want Halle to grow up thinking that "things" and "stuff" are the most important things in life.


6. I am not a very good cook. even with me being at home with Halle all day, dinner often falls to B. Embarrassing, but thankfully he enjoys cooking... I don't, and I'm not very inspired, but I am working on it.


7. ... and, at least you got 6 outta me! I'm surprised I did that well! hahaha...


I'm pretty sure by now, most of the blogs I read have been gifted this award, so I'd like to pass it on to any of my blogging pals who may not have received this one yet. The stage is yours!

Our Weekend Excitement

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, filled with things that made you happy! We sure did! I planned on doing a fun post all about my brother's surprise 30th Birthday party that happened on Saturday night... unfortunately, I wasn't able to take many photos, since we had an over tired and cranky munchkin. We did eat well though, and got to see a lot of people, so the night was a success in the end! My sister-in-law did a fabulous job planning it!


So, instead of showing you the fun that we had on Saturday, I thought I'd share some photos of the fun that we had yesterday....

I got to help a little with the shower disassembly - but B is the one that really got to have all of the fun. By the end of the day yesterday, our bathroom looked like this...

Bring on the chaos! Hopefully this whole project doesn't take a lifetime to finish. 

In the meantime - if anyone is interested in buying our old vanity and mirror, it's up for grabs (just without the blue knobs). Email me if you or someone you know are interested in it - I think it would be great for a cottage or cabin, personally....

What did you get up to this weekend?

Fancy Friday Love - Never Forget

It's another Fancy Friday, but before I get into all of the pretty things - we need to talk about the most important thing - Remembrance Day. Today is such an important day to remember all of those who bravely fought and represented our country - as well as those who continue to put their life on the line for us. Today we pledge to always remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, so take a moment at 11am to think about and thank them...

{via}

Since last week's Fancy Friday was such a short list (due to falling waaaay behind on blog reading), I'm hoping this weeks list will be very long! So let's get right to it!...

Did you see this gorgeous porch renovation over on House of Turquoise last week? In an ideal world, we'd have a pretty place like this in our home for me and Halle to hang out in... but I guess that is the purpose of my living room refresh project, right?

Staci is so incredibly talented (if you didn't already know that), and she proved it once again this past week when she shared this beautiful bed with us... that she made, from SCRATCH! She has some really incredible pieces come out of Switch Studio, so be sure to check it out for all of your reupholstery needs (or custom bed needs for that matter). 

Love this space, in Aspen, from this is glamourous...

This space, from Decor de Provence, is fantastic - I really love the idea of turning old pallets into seating. Wouldn't it be a great seating option in a children's playroom (I'd opt for legs as opposed to castors in that situation though)...

Did you catch Christine's nursery reveal over the weekend? It's so lovely and perfect for her little wee one! I'm dying for that babe to show his or her face!

This DIY tutorial for Marquee Letters, shared on Oh Dee Doh yesterday, has me wanting to plan a carnival themed party this very second! What a fun project to tackle, to make such a huge statement for your next event!

On Monday, B got a long awaited email... his permanent residency application was APPROVED! So on Tuesday, the three of us took a trip south of the border to the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo to get his passport stamped. From there we headed straight back to the border so that he could officially "land", but he wasn't in the system yet. So to kill some time, we had lunch in Niagara Falls - Halle's very first trip there. It was such an incredibly special day for our little family. B is here to stay!  

We have another fun-filled weekend ahead of us... but again, I can't share any details until Monday. I'll be sure to fill you in early next week though! What plans do you have for this weekend?

Living Room Inspiration

Yesterday I veered off the topic of our living room refresh to touch base on where we are with our bathroom reno. I must say, this sporadic posting pretty much sums up where my brain is at these days. Which of course means, I'm back on the topic of the living room today. (Try to stay  with me here...)


So now you've got a glimpse of our newly blue living space... and that will be all that you will see for a while. The space is not feeling very pulled together, so it needs some work before I can show you anymore. In the meantime, here's some inspiration that I am gathering for our space...

{via pinterest}

Love how this space looks! Our plan is to add a similar style gallery wall, which contains a lot of our family photos that are floating around the house. It will be in the small area at the bottom of the staircase. Now just to gather the right frames for our photos (and find a pretty lamp as well...)

{pinterest via blue eyed yonder}

Our fireplace could look this pretty if we paint it white again and get a nice mantel for it! I'm definitely not opposed to painting the brick... I just need to find the right colour first...

{pinterest via Amanda Cromwell Designs}

I hope to find some pretty sconces to hang above the fireplace. I'd also like to throw some green into the room as an accent. And how great is that area rug?

{via Decor de Provence}

This photo has me thinking that leaving the brick in it's original state, with a wood mantle, would also work. There is a lot to love about this room!

Just a glimpse of the direction I'm headed. I'm looking for a bit of a coastal feel, and of course very family friendly. I just know it will take a while to get it to where I want it to be, working on the non-existent budget that we currently have.

Leaving it short today - Halle girl and I are having a visit today with the lovely Shannon and her handsome little guy! Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!