Juju Hats on Etsy?

 29.7.11

Can it be true? 

I so need one of these to decorate my lovely white walls in the dining room

Image via here

A Pop of Canvas

 28.7.11

Several weeks ago, a interesting Kijiji Deal of the Day arrived in my inbox.  A 16 x 20 canvas photo art for FREE {my favourite word!}, only pay S & H. So I quickly pounced on this good deal.

Once I filled in all the necessary info at 1printme.com and uploaded my photo, I realized it would be coming from China! I thought it would: a) take a REALLY long time to get here, or b) never arrive, and I'm out the $25 S & H.
Well, luckily it was "a" because the canvas art arrived this morning! Dare I mention it was 10am and I was still in bed? Little A had a long night last night! So I caught the mailman just as he was leaving, and I'm so happy I did.

I promptly opened the package and hung it on the wall in Little A's room. Isn't she a doll?



I LOVE photos on canvas. I definitely want to do more family photos on canvas for other areas of the house!

Thrifting Thursday - Even MORE Kijiji & As-Is Ikea!


Remember this post?  Remember how I was looking for the tallboy Hemnes in white to match my 8 drawer dresser find from Kijiji.

Well, only 2 days after that post, I found it on Kijiji for...wait for it... $100. Yep! It's true! I have the best luck!
So to tally up money spent on my new bedroom furniture, both dressers retail for a total of $549 + tax. I paid $230 for BOTH pieces inclusive! AMAZING! LOVE Kijiji! But you already know that by now I'm sure!



-----------------------------------------

My NEXT "thrifty" adventure this week brought me to Ikea. To be honest, I didn't really plan on buying this, I just went for the food.
{Please tell me that I'm NOT the only one who does this? Food is cheap, decent and it's VERY kid-friendly!}

EZ & Little A both approved too!
Capturing the two of these kiddos in a decent shot was difficult. And I didn't want my vegetable medallions to get too cold. Mmmmm...vegetable medallions...

Sometimes I can't actually believe that my little girl is big enough to sit in a high chair! Wasn't she just born? What happened to the little nugget?
Anyhoo, we found EZ's bedframe in the As-Is section @ Ikea. I've been trolling Kijiji for a little while now with no luck {ie. wrong colour, rough shape, or overpriced!}, and we just happened upon the white Malm twin bed in the As-Is section for only $85 and still in the box! It retails for $169 + tax.

Apparently there's a tiny nick on the bottom, but that's fine by me. I have a spirited and enthusiastic two year old boy - I think that a little nick is the very least of my worries!
Photo via Ikea


I haven't set it all up yet, but I'll post final reveal photos when I'm done. Whenever that'll be :)

Ch-Ch-Changes!

 27.7.11

Image via Pinterest


One of the easiest parts of achieving something I want is merely setting goals. I'm really good at goal-setting and making plans for success. Especially the first week - I'm all FIRED UP!

The part that I {and probably ALL of you!} have is follow-through, or CHANGING!
Changing your habits, routine, meals, time management, etc. can be a HUGE challenge.

I've set a goal to run & exercise more and eat right. Don't worry, I have more detailed and specific goals but these things are the gist of it.

I'm finding it challenging to fit my goals into my real life without changing things. Frankly, I don't think it's possible to NOT change anything about my life to realize my goals.  Change is good, but change is still change and it's hard to get used to it.
I have to actually *remember* {like set up a reminder on my iPhone!} when I want to exercise. When I'm out, I have to *remember* that to make healthy choices.  These things aren't habit just yet, but I hope they will be soon!

So change is hard but I WANT to CHANGE!

Image via Pinterest
 

Paris

 26.7.11

When I was a little girl {like 7 years old}, I was obsessed with fashion and all things Parisian {my grandma even got me a subscription to VOGUE!}. My obsession still continues...


I've been to Paris twice -- once when I was 16 and then again when I was 21. I *need* to go again. 

To remind me {and the Universe!} of my dream to travel to Paris again, I've added a few decorative elements that are evocative of Paris.


First, here's my "subway art" Paris print from Homesense:


Next is my latest Homesense clearance find! It's a silver-y gray leather canvas with a black Eiffel tower - all for $9!


Lastly, is a white Eiffel tower. I think that *white* Eiffel towers are harder to find, so when I saw this beauty at a new interiors boutique for $23, I scooped it up!


I find it's hard to add "destination"design elements without being over-the-top or kitschy. 


Do you have any exotic locales that inspire you that you add into your home decorating?

I WON!

 25.7.11

I won a giveaway! Seriously - I'm so excited. And it's not like a "here's a free pillow" giveaway {not that there's anything wrong with that - I'd LOVE a free pillow!}. This is bigger.

I won a light fixture. In fact, I won this Solitaire Modern Pendant light fixture! A retail value of $475!
Image from Niche Modern
 I won it in the colour of my choice as part of Niche Modern's 8-week Summer of Love Giveaway. They have all these amazing colours...

Image from Niche Modern

...but I went with Crystal. It's classic and will go with anything. I debated on the Gray or the Effervescent colours, but decided Crystal was the way to go.

I can't wait to hang it up. I think I'm going to use it in the entry way, as part of the refresh of the entry way decorating {yes, I just finished decorating my entry way, but I'm not in love with it!}.

Thank you, Niche Modern! I hope you visit their website or "Like" them on Facebook! The Giveaway also goes for another 4 weeks - who knows, maybe you could win your own pendant light!

Thifting Thursday - A Rare Pyrex Find etc.

 21.7.11

Last week we ventured north to visit my grandma. We had an amazing time and we're so grateful we made the effort to see her so she could visit with my cute kidlets!

Now that I'm a dedicated thrift-chic mummy, I rarely pass a VV or thrift shop without going inside.  There's a new VV in my grandma's hometown, so we decided to check it out and I'm SO delighted that I did! 'Cuz look-y what I found!
A Perfect Lemonade Carafe!

...and it's Pyrex of course! What a score!
I was so thrilled to find this! I've been searching for a long time for one - you just never know what you're going to come across when you go thrifting!

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Again, we just had such a fun time visiting with my grandma. She is such a vivacious delight of a woman. I've never met anyone so optimistic. She always makes lemonade from lemons, which is so fitting for this particular Thrifting Thursday post. I am so grateful that she is my grandmother.
My children just adored visiting their great-grandma! She also had some pretty cool "toys" for him to play with. One in particular was the "toy car" in his right hand. That mini car never left his side while we were there. He even insisted on sleeping with the "new car"!

Look at my grandma's big grin? Isn't she just divine? EZ called her "Grammy" and one time we came in from a walk, and EZ raced to the living room saying in his cutie-pie sing-song voice, "Yoo hoo! Grammy! Where are you?" Such a joyful memory.

Feelin' Hot - Like Dubai Hot

 20.7.11

Feelin' Hot - Like Dubai Hot


Temperley London long maxi dress
$1,207 - boutique1.com

Chloé wedge sandals
$258 - kirnazabete.com

H m bag
£3.99 - hm.com

Swarovski ring
$190 - swarovski.com

Green earrings
$21 - fantasyjewelrybox.com

Tom Ford round sunglasses
£295 - stylebop.com

Red Herring black floppy hat
£9.60 - debenhams.com

Striped sunglasses
$12 - modcloth.com

Master Bedroom Furniture Update

 18.7.11

In searching for the perfect dresser for EZ's room, we realized that it was right in front of us all along - our own bedroom set. It's a great scale for his room, and frankly we needed a larger set for our larger space.

I've had this bedroom set since I was a little girl, and 4 years ago we repainted it. This was my first DIY.  I wanted to paint it black when I was a teenager and changed my baby pink room to a cool black & white, but my mom wouldn't let me.

So when we were moving to our 1st new house, and my parents graciously gifted us my bedroom furniture. 

Here's the before of the tall-boy in all it's honey-coloured glory! I didn't snap a "before" photo of the long dresser.
Here's the After - in its current location - soon to be moved to EZ's room. We sanded it down and did a rough paint of blue, sanded it again, then painted it white. Then we scuffed up the white paint for a shabby-chic look - which was actually supposed to be a glaze, but we got bad paint advice and didn't know what we were doing!

Here's a close-up. You can see hits of robin's egg blue peeking through. We also changed the hardware. I really like the juxtaposition of the pretty white furniture with the industrial-style stainless steel bars.  We were really pleased with how it turned out.

So this is the long dresser - only about 47 inches long and perfect for EZ's room. The scale of this furniture is definitely a better fit in his room. I was worried about the feminine details of this furniture, but I think we may add a wood/MDF skirt along the bottom of the furniture to mimic the wall trim.

I am so relieved pleased with how it turned out in his new room. And I'm happy to get new furniture.
You may remember we bought a cool retro mid-century modern set from Kijiji a couple of months ago. I still really like it, but I've been eying this Hemnes furniture from Ikea for-like-EVER! The eight drawer dresser $299 + tax, which isn't that bad, but when you're thrifty, it seems like a bit of an unnecessary splurge.

Enter Kijiji to save the day again!
I spied the Kijiji posting of this dresser within minutes of the owner posting it {Remember my rules for Kijiji success to check OFTEN - even just a quick perusal on your iPhone can make a difference!}. 

The owner had it listed under his first name {clearly a Kijiji newbie!} and for only $130! I emailed him right away and waited TWO long days for a response. Within minutes of getting his response, we were off to claim our Hemnes dresser.  He told us that his daughter got in a month ago, but it was too large for her room. It was in perfect condition! SCORE!

Now it's sitting in it's rightful place in my master bedroom, and we're on the hunt for the 6 drawer tall-boy mate now. It's proving to be a difficult find, but I'm sure eventually we'll get it. We always have great luck!
I am thrilled with the size and scale of the piece - much better suited to our room. I am also able to show off my cool new tri-pod style lamp {a 50% score from a local upcale boutique!}, one of my beloved Louis Ghost chairs from Homesav.com, and my collection of creamy Moroccan lanterns {a score from 3 years ago except I had nowhere to put them! Now I do!}. I also would like to replace the Ikea knobs with lovely glass knobs. Another day, another project!

Aren't they delicious? A gorgeous addition to my Modern Moroccan master bedroom.
 As always, there are more updates to come as projects are slowly coming together. We're painting our garage doors & bay window, finishing of EZ's room and the dining room, re-working the Entry {a fun surprise for you there!} and the living room, and even tweaking the laundry room/mud room!

We're enjoying our summer, so our projects are taking more time to complete. Thanks for your patience.

It's a New Day

 17.7.11

Image from Pinterest

 While I was avoiding laundry perusing Pinterest today {Follow me on Pinterest here!}, I came across some pretty inspiring fitness & health photos. 

I'm motivated to re-charge my fitness regiment {which has been shamefully absent in the last few weeks!}. 

So blog friends, I'm committing to the following:


  
...because...


Both images via Pinterest

EZ's Room -- Sneak Peek!

 11.7.11

We were busy this weekend! We *actually* worked on some projects {I'm sure you're just as shocked as I am!} :) YAY.

Frankly, I was getting quite impatient waiting for EZ's room to come together.  Big A was done his tasks for the most part, so we were waiting on EZ's DwellStudio duvet set to arrive. 

We could've ordered it online and had it delivered within 2 business days, but oh no! I *had* to support a local business -- a fancy schmancy bebe store -- who price-matched the best online price I could find for the set. When I ordered it on APRIL 28th!, they told me it would be 3-4 weeks, which didn't seem to be a problem because we had yet to design and paint the room.

Then at 6 weeks I went into the store to check on the status of the order, only to be told it would be about another 2 weeks or so. Ok, no biggie. Then I went in last Saturday -- 10 weeks from the time I ordered it. The store had no information, but assured me that someone would get back to me. No one did. 

I called the store this past Thursday and "voiced my concerns" -- if you know me well, you can sure imagine how firmly I asserted my position and conveyed my annoyance at this avoidable inconvenience.

Then, lo and behold, Friday morning at 9:30am, I received a call that the bedding arrived! Hmmm...will wonders never cease?! What a coincidence {insert sarcastic smirk here}?!

All of this to say that I am pleased that the duvet has now arrived, but I am still annoyed I had to wait so long without a real explanation. Anyway, it's here now and EZ is thrilled! 

Ez just woke up and didn't like the Mamarazzi-style photography action first thing in the morning. Fair enough.
 
I'm still working on the design & decorations for his room, but here's a sneak peek! And yes, despite the fact it's a bajillion degrees outside, he still likes to wear his hockey jersey to bed :) He LOVES sports! 

UPDATE: Ez just woke up from a "nap" and this is what I discovered.

I love my two year old. I love my two year old. Keep repeating... :)

Help a Mummy Out!

 8.7.11

Hello Blog Friends & Followers!  Happy Friday! And Happy Summer!

This weekend is shaping up for us to finish a few projects...I hope! Or we'll just enjoy the great weather as a family. We'll see how it all shakes out.
In the meantime, can you help me out?  

I've entered both EZ and Little A in a modeling contest for my friend's kids accessories business.  If you are Facebook, can you please vote for them in the contest.
Click here to vote for EZ!
Click here to vote for Little A!

THANK YOU for taking the time to vote :)

Remember you have to like Lil' Chelsea Bun first, THEN you can vote!  I really appreciate this, blog friends!

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Waterfall Falls (sic) - Family Fun Day 2

 7.7.11

On day 2 of our two day family vacation, we trekked to the Water Falls...aka Niagara Falls. EZ calls it the Waterfall Falls, because the "water is falling down." Very astute, my 2 year old is!

We began the day at the Butterfly Conservatory.  We took Ez there when he was about 6 months old, so we thought the reprise would be just as fun. This time was different. There was an overabundance of butterflies -- and not in a good way.

Has anyone ever seen that old Hitchcock movie "Birds" or something? Well, it was kind of like that...except butterflies. They were everywhere, on every surface, landing on our clothes...and worst of all...landing in our HAIR! 
{I'm cringing as I write this. I *hate* that feeling - like insects landing on your head. I'm sure you're cringing now too. You are welcome. Or as EZ says, I welcome you}.

EZ was anxious to get out of the stroller. He was in it for about 2 minutes at this point. This was not an auspicious beginning to our adventures. EZ wants to be on the run!
My ridiculously cute Little A graced us with a smile as she pulled the hat off her head to check out her new surroundings.

So this was about 2 mins and 10 seconds into our trip. EZ not looking anxious to get going, but he's turning into a little grumpster.

We loved seeing the butterflies. EZ knew what they were and seemed to enjoy himself for several minutes inside the conservatory.

I told him that butterflies may land on him, maybe even land on his nose. He then grabbed his nose for a few minutes to prevent the evil butterflies from attacking his nose.



EZ was captivated by all the butterflies. I was creeped out {see my comments above about the Alfred Hitchcock movie and the exhibits below}. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Most people thought it was cool to have a butterfly land on them. Big A thought my fear of the Great Butterfly Conspiracy to organize themselves and start attacking humans was crazy. He's probably right, but why take the chance?

EZ noticed butterflies and liked to point to them.

Exhibit A: Only gray & white butterflies would land on me. They obviously know my favourite colour combination. Or they are trying to camouflage themselves on my stripe-y cardigan. You decide.
 
Exhibit B: Colour butterflies landing on a khaki-coloured hat. Definitely not camouflaging themselves!
Exhibit C: Another butterfly trying to land on Big A. Icky!
EZ was quickly losing interest and started to tear up. I feel your pain, little buddy. Oh, did I mention that EZ has taken up calling me & Big A his "guys." Yep, no longer mummy and daddy, we're in his inner circle now. We are the "guys": "Hey guys, wait up!"; "Where my guys go?" etc.
EZ loved watching the butterflies eat their lunch though!

Little A couldn't be bothered by all the butterfly nonsense. She just wanted to chew on her toys and be done with it. Luckily kids under 5 are free at this place.

The attack of the butterflies! They are swarming us! And we're outta there. I lasted about 10 minutes -- so that's $1 for every minute we were there if you're tabulating the cost of our Butterfly Conservatory adventure.

We then drove down to the Water Falls and enjoyed a picnic lunch. I made myself lettuce wraps and they are AWESOME -- and low in WW Points!

EZ enjoyed a single bite of his PB&J before taking off in every direction. We chased him and got a good workout in.  EZ likes to run fast and race: "I run fast you?", he says.

After the lunch al fresco, EZ insisted on hauling the cooler BY HIMSELF back to the car. He did it too! This kid is STRONG and DETERMINED! I love that about him!

We then walked over to the BIG Waterfall Falls. You can see Little A enjoyed ever minute of it. She was bored and pulled her hat over her eyes to take a nap.

EZ was less interested in the Falls themselves, but more in the Maid of Mist boat tours at the bottom of the Falls.

Little A finally peeked out from under hat, but promptly went back to sleep.
 After the Falls, we drove through town and somehow ended up at the Outlet Mall -- don't know how THAT happened! My mission was to get a new Coach purse and wallet since my current Coach purse and wallet were ruined in the great sunscreen explosion in my bag the previous day.

Alas, I couldn't find anything worth my money {and I even had a 30% off coupon! Thanks to my friends who send me coupons!}. I saw a $600 bag reduced to $200, but I didn't really like it enough to buy it.

Then Big A hijacked the shopping trip by getting a new summer wardrobe at the Tommy Hilfiger outlet. Yep, not just a shirt or whatever, but 4 shirts, two pairs of jeans and shorts! There goes my purse money!

So despite not getting my purse and being attacked by crazed butterflies {wow, this butterfly story is getting out of hand!}, it was a good family day. And that's what it's all about, right?

 

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