Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 Recap.

Everyone else is doing it, I figured why not join them?
Here is a bit of a recap of my favorite/most popular posts of 2011. 

What inevitably makes them my top posts is, of course, how much traffic and comments the post receives, so to that I owe a huge thanks to my readers. I truly love and cherish each comment that you take the time to write! 

After all this time, each one makes me feel all fuzzy inside! Thank you!








Thrilled to be participating in Jennifer from Rambling Renovators's Great Reads 2011 series today. It's an honor to be among so many amazing featured bloggers. Be sure to pop over to her blog and check out the all the Great Read blogs and their favorite post of the year!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

My Favorite Gift!

I don't want to play favorites, because I got some wonderful things this year, but I'm really loving this gift! Stephane built me a built-in bookshelf for the TV and my collection of books and accessories.
There was an awkward little alcove beside the fireplace and I've wanted a bookcase in there since the day I moved in. Finally, this Christmas, I got it!

Here is a photo. As you can tell, there is some trim missing at the top and bottom, plus there will be six more shelves added to the sides. The holidays are so busy that he ran out of time!



Finished or not, I couldn't resist adding a few decor elements. Here is a peek of my Esther Bayer print displayed on one of the shelves.


It seems ridiculous to love something built out of wood so so much. Truly though... I am completely in love with it! Thanks so much Stephane! You're the best:)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Happy Holidays!

Shopping is done, presents are wrapped, baking is finished and other than a quick trip to the grocery store this morning, I am all set. 

Time to twiddle my thumbs and wait for my sister to arrive. It's not Christmas until she gets here!

Here's a couple of shots of Stephane, Beaufort and I in our ugly Christmas sweaters. 



It's fairly obvious in the first photo that he is not loving it -at all. The next shot was literally 2 seconds later. Oh well...we tried! :)

This one is better ahhhh sweater free! :)


Merry Christmas everyone! I'm signing off for a couple of days to enjoy time with family and friends. 
See you soon! 

Friday, December 23, 2011

We Have a Winner!

I just did the draw for the Esther Bayer print giveaway using random.org

I'm thrilled to share that Virginia won! 

"Wow, Jane! Amazing artist and TOTALLY love that she's from PEI too!
I love the Vogue Brazil painting :)"



I posted the giveaway on my personal Facebook page and was so happy to see that so many of my local supporters signed up to win. I'm happy to say that a print from this talented island artist will be staying right here in PEI!

Virginia recently moved into a new condo in downtown Charlottetown and one of Esther's prints will be fab in her new home! Even better, she recently went on a trip to Brazil so the Vogue Brazil Cover print is perfect for her!

I just framed my own print and it looks a-mazing... I will be back to share it with you soon! :)

Happy Holidays everyone!!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas Home Tour.

I snapped a few more shots around the house of our Christmas decor. It's more simple than last year but definitely feels festive! I intended to do a bit more but the holiday snuck up on me and we are still in the mist of a few projects. It was best to keep it simple! I thought I'd take you on a quick little tour.

Come on in...














Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a beautiful print by the talented Esther Bayer

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Esther's Art Shop Giveaway!

I have an an amazing giveaway for my lovely readers today!

I was perusing some of my favorite blogs the other day and came across an incredibly beautiful piece of art, recently purchased by Christine at Bijou and Boheme (who, by the way, has the most incredible style and her blog is absolutely worthy of visit). I thought the piece would be gorgeous in my bedroom and decided to check out the artist.



I've taken a liking to fashion illustrations lately and Esther Bayer definitely nails them. Her watercolor pieces are based on famous magazine covers. Some are soft subdued shades while others are rich and vibrant. Each one unique.

Source: etsy.com via Jane on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jane on Pinterest
Source: etsy.com via Jane on Pinterest
Source: etsy.com via Jane on Pinterest

And the best part? This talented artist lives right here in Prince Edward Island! I almost fell off my chair when I found out! I even emailed her to confirm! She wrote me back right away and I knew it was a sign... I had to have one! I love etsy because it allows you to support independent artisans and who better to support than one who lives right here on my beloved PEI!

I ordered my print on Sunday and on Tuesday, it arrived! When I opened it, I knew it couldn't be relegated to my bedroom, but rather showcased where everyone could see it. I can't wait to have it framed and share it with you!

Today is your lucky day! 

One lucky Modern Jane follower will win a 8.5 x 11 print of your choice from her etsy shop

Here is how you enter:

1. You must be a follower of my blog.
2. Visit Esther's Art Shop and leave a comment telling me which print you would like to win!

For additional entries:

Facebook, tweet  or blog about this giveaway including a link to her shop then leave a comment letting me know you did! One entry for each one!

The contest closes on 12/22/11 @ 10pm AST.

Winner will be announced next Friday.. just in time for Christmas!

* Can't wait till then? Esther is offering 25% off all of her prints until the end on December! 
Head over and get yours today:)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Fresh Evergreen Wreath.



I purchased a fresh wreath this year from a school fundraiser and decided to get it undecorated so I could add my own twist to it. I was inspired by this image I had pinned on Pinterest.


I figured I could use what I had around the house to make something similar. I used grosgrain ribbon in my new favorite Christmas color scheme of green and turquoise and wired on a few pinecones. Things never turn out as beautiful as the ones that inspires you but I think it's beautiful nonetheless!




That purolator sticker on the door drives me a tad crazy!  I will admit. I have a new love for my green door at Christmas time! It is much more green than it appears in these pictures.

12 more days and 5 school days! I'm fighting a terrible cold but I think we'll make it. 
I have such a nice group of students this year.


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Simple White Mantel.

Thanks so much for your comments yesterday on the Zorb Reveal! I hope you loved it as much as we do! If you missed it, you can check it out here.

Today, I want to share my simple white holiday mantel. My goal was to create something that felt light and bright therefore I stuck with white, silver and a few soft shades of blue and green.


I placed a whimsical silver wreath on the mirror that I picked up at Home Sense last year. I love its random sprigs and silver balls and crystal jewels. I kept my tall white vases and added three soft feathery trees, one of my favorite decor items.



I placed a rustic wood candle holder in middle flanked by two glass vases filled with pretty glass balls in muted tones of green and blue. A string of lights, a charming little reindeer, some fresh cedar boughs and a string of silver pearl garland completes the look.


I'm linking up to Christmas mantel parties @

13 more days and 6 school days!!!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

DIY~ Zorb Reveal.

Call us crazy but it's finished!

I honestly don't know if I've been this excited about a diy project. I am crazy in love with this amazing puffy ball that now resides in my living room!


So here is the story. I have a long, large living room and I've always felt that a standard light fixture would feel "lost" in the room. I need something big. Something with impact! I used a paper ball from Ikea for a bit. While the scale was perfect it felt a little like something from my university days. 



Enter coffee filters. Everyone was making these beautiful coffee filter wreaths so while not apply the same idea to a light fixture? A quick Google search confirmed that fact that I was, in fact, not crazy. It has been done and it knocked my socks off!

I started out innocently enough, vowing to finish by Christmas. After glued on just a few, I realized just how time consuming it was going to be... maybe I was crazy after all?


Stephane's mom is here visiting. Graciously, she took the project on. Spending time each day, filling a clothes basket with twisted filters then glueing them on. Then, refilling the basket several times (I at least helped with this part) and glueing them on. She has the glue gun burns to show for all her hard work!


It started to get heavy so she flipped it over and started down the other way. Yes, coffee filters and glue can get heavy in such great quantities. Speaking of quantities, we'll get to that soon...


Anxious to see what it was going to look like, we hung it up unfinished. I was terrified I would hate it, after all her work. Instead, it only fueled my excitement. I was completely smitten! Down it came, we were on the home stretch.


The last day, she worked steady to get the ball done. I was decorating the tree, she was glueing on the last of the filters and Steph was working away at the other fun project we have in the works. We were a great team! The tree was up and decorated and so was the puff ball. I was one ecstatic girl! I even called my mom and sister to come check it out asap!

Here she is, hanging in the living room, in all her glory!



Isn't it beautiful? We affectionately call Steph's mom Zizi so it's been nicknamed the Zorb (Zizi orb). My big ball of puff looks like a gigantic bouquet of carnations. (a flower I have grown to love)

Here is shot at night. All warm and glowy.

I almost let the cat out of the bag in my tree post by sharing this photo. 
No that's not the moon! I know someone would have pointed it out:)


Just for fun... Doesn't it look somewhat reminiscent of the light hanging over the bed in Sixx Design's Downtown Chic book? That one sell for lotsa money!

Source: amazon.com via Jane on Pinterest

So let's break it down for you. I know you're wondering!

Just how many coffee filters did we use?

Coffee filters: a grand total of 2600. Thank goodness for Dollarama!
Glue Sticks: around 100. We lost count.
Time: A lot. She didn't keep track and since she did a lot of it when I wasn't around I'm unsure. I'd be inclined to say upwards of 30 hours. The last day alone was from 1:30-6:15 steady!

I owe her a huge thank you for finishing it. I don't think I ever would have finished it on my own. She knew how much I wanted it and got it done. She was in her little routine. Aquafit and water biking in the morning, errands, cooking/baking/cleaning, then a couple of hours on the puff ball! She almost didn't know what to do with herself when it was done! (I secretly think she enjoyed it!)

Sincerely though... thanks so much!

I'm linking this post to:

Weekend Bloggy Reading