Sunday, April 28, 2013

Around The House ~ Book Edition.

We finally had a sunny spring-like weekend! Can I tell you how happy I was? Windows cracked, sun streaming in the windows, no jackets! I raked out my gardens and picked up a millions branches from the yard. I complain about yard work but secretly enjoy it. It's therapeutic and I love the way I feel after a productive day outside.

With the sunny weather it was the perfect opportunity to get my camera out and practice. For me, the hardest part about blogging is photography. Finding the time to shoot projects, shooting when there is good light, learning how to use my camera properly, organizing photos. It's a struggle for me. The light was so great that I thought I'd take some shots of little vignettes around the house.

It was only after looking through them that I realized that each one contained a collection of books. I'm a bit of a book hoarder. They say not to judge a book by it's cover but give me a beautiful book and I'm sold. In fact, I've been know to pass up on buying a book that I want to read because I didn't like the cover. (Hey, someone will loan me their copy, right?) Nevertheless, I make a point of reading all the books I buy. If I haven't read it yet, I'll get to it!

I recently finished Love Anthony by Lisa Genova and it was a great read! She also wrote Still Alice which I loved. Next on my list is Left Neglected. I also bought my first wedding magazine (since it's that thing you do when you get engaged). I must say, it was a bit of a letdown. I think I'll stick to Pinterest for inspiration.

Books, books and more books! I loved Nate Berkus' latest and I adore my collection of Penguin Classics. I read them all as a child and would love to read them again. Of course, Anne of Green Gables is my favorite. I read it several times.

Okay, so really it's just a glimpse at a couple of cookbooks but I wanted to show you my cute new bowls that I picked up at Winners. I wish there was a fourth pattern but I settled for just the three. 

Starting to add a few little summer details. They sit atop Domino and a couple of Penguin Classics. I read Persuasion but I haven't attempted Tess of D'Ubervilles. Be honest, should I bother? Is it a good one?

I reread The Great Gatsby in anticipation of the movie. I'm quite anxious to see it. Plus, it's the prettiest book cover around!

A golden vignette. I admit, these are all books I have yet to read but they look pretty together! 

What about you? Are you a book collector? Read any good books lately?

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Framing Ideas.



I need your advice. I love these prints by Anne Harwell that I have hanging in the dining room.There are actually four of them hung in a grid. However, I'm not crazyabout the white frame and mat. I think it may be due to the fact that there are a few hits of black on the other side of the room and therefore this side does not feel grounded.


Suppose I was to paint these framesblack.. or another color you may suggest. I found this as inspiration.


Or what about painting the mats black, or another color? I'm totally crushing on black mats lately. 
Nancy at Marcus Design just did a great post with some fab images about black mats and gold frames. Gorgeousness. And Amelia of House Pretty recently framed some pretty art cards in black mats. So pretty.

How cute is that red bench?

So what do you think? I'd love your suggestions or advice!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Dreaming of Deck Days.

With this rainy, dreary morning and similar weather in the forecast for the next couple of days, I've been dreaming about sunny days and warm evenings on our new deck.

We revamped the backyard last summer with a new deck and a bit of landscaping. I can't wait to get some more things planted and to get our furniture out. Last summer was the work and this summer hopefully we'll get more time to enjoy it. Although, there may or may not be a part 2 in the works!





If you missed it last year, you can check out the before and after here.




Sunday, April 21, 2013

Curtain Call.

For a long time I've had a black and white scheme in my bedroom and I've been trying to soften the look. I decided the best way was to add some texture with fabrics in grey and soft pink. I changed the art and added two new pillows to the bed, swapping out the black ones for grey and a patterned pink.

I considered taking down the ikat dot blinds in favor of a more relaxed roman shade. However, I had a pair of grey curtain panels that I had purchased for the dining room and hadn't worked out. I figured that was my most affordable option since I already had them. I hung them close to the ceiling using a thin black iron rod that I picked up a Walmart for 9 dollars.


It really changed the feel of the room. Perhaps a bit less cold feeling? You'll actually catch a peek at the gallery wall that is slowly going up across from the bed. It always drove me crazy that I woke up to a black white wall. I tried putting one large print but it didn't seem to fill the space.


We have a pile (seriously, it's crazy) of frames that weren't being used. My goal is to great an arrangement without spending any money. I didn't measure at all and just stuck up random frames until I found an arrangement I liked. There may be a few holes behind those frames! I'll be painting some of the frames and replacing some of the mats. Hopefully it will come together well but I'm not going to rush it.

I finally got to go out and get some yard work done this weekend. I cannot wait for the garden centers to open and for it to start feeling like Spring around here! I've got the itch to get planting and to spend some time out on the deck! 

Have a great week!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Golden Goodness.

Okay. So for a while I've been following the resurgence of golds versus silvers in interiors and fashion with great interest. It's now becoming a bit of an obsession for me. As in, I loooove it! I want to bling out my kitchen cabinets with gold hardware, add brushed bronze lighting throughout, heck, I want to dip everything I own in gold!

However, reality sets in and more than likely none of these things will happen. Which is okay. For one, I really am content with what I have already. Two, I'm not entirely sure gold/bronze is here to stay. Steph assures me it's just a trend but I think it has a little bit more staying power than he gives it credit.

The trick, I believe, is adding little accents around your home that keep you on trend, without the commitment or breaking the bank. I've rounded up some of my favorites. Affordable pieces that will work with what you have already. Remember... mixing metals is okay. In fact, it's awesome!







What do you think? Are you on board the trend? Have you starting adding hits of gold around your home or are you hoping it will fade away so you can go back to loving your chromes and brushed nickel? (which I still love, although it's sounds like I've jumped the fence)

I'll be back again with some of my favorite simple DIY projects from around the web that bring a little golden goodness into your life!

Lastly, thanks so so much for all your enthusiasm about our engagement! Each and every comment made me smile:)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

News.

There was a little part of our trip to Mexico that I neglected to mention when I did the recap. I've been hiding a little secret from my faithful readers!


Much to my surprise, on our first night there we got engaged!!! It's been so much fun sharing the news with our family and friends the old-fashioned way but I suppose it's time we made the social media announcement!


Some day soon I will get to call this sweet guy my husband. No plans in the works just yet but fun nonetheless!


I promise promise promise that this won't suddenly become a wedding blog. Although I did style an amazing wedding shoot recently that was my favorite yet. I'm dying to share it with you! Hopefully soon!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Rug Love.

Thanks for all your comments and support for our bathroom dilemma. We are no further ahead in deciding what direction to go but we are weighing our options. The joys of home ownership!

My sister recently snatched up a gorgeous rug from Rugs USA's Easter sale. She sent me these photos last night and now I'm officially jealous.

It's big, it's bold and it's proof that a rug has the power to completely update a space.

Check out the before and after!






Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Fiddle Figs and Reno Woes.

Marion House Book (I wish it were mine!)

I bought myself a fiddle leaf fig bush over the weekend.  The beloved plant that's taken the design world and Pinterest boards by storm, stealing our hearts with it's big floppy green leaves. I've been dying for the tree version since I saw it over at Marion House Book.



I can't seem to find the tree around here. Prestige Floral, a local florist got some of the bush variety in stock so I snatched one up. Let's see how long I can keep it alive.. I always have the best of intentions. I found a guide online so I'll do my best to do what I'm told.



In other news, I've mentioned it here before but 2013 called for a long overdue bathroom renovation. Like really long overdue. Is there such thing as further than the back burner? We finally had our plumber in today for an estimate.

Insert reality check here.

I spent the rest of the evening feeling a bit dejected. Not about the cost (bathroom renovations are expensive and we knew that) but more so about the scope of the project and the reality that renovating a bathroom, when you only have the one, is extremely challenging, and disruptive over an extended period of time.

This led to an entirely different discussion:

What we want out of this home?
How long do we plan to stay?
Are there other options?
Should we add another washroom? 
Maybe we should move! Nah:)

I wish I could tell you more but I don't know just where we go from here, just yet. All I know is that I want a new washroom! Like yesterday.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Our Trip to Mexico!



We recently got back from a trip to Riviera Maya in Mexico that we took over my March Break from school. It was a very hot, relaxing, romantic and food filled week. We loved every minute!

This post is a bit picture heavy since I had a hard time deciding what to share. It makes my sad looking at them at hearing that PEI may be hit with yet another snowstorm this weekend. Will Spring ever be here? At least we missed two storms while we were away! We decided against lugging our SLR along with us so all the photos were taken with my trusty iphone.





We loved our resort. It was constructed within a jungle setting so it felt very lush and it was easy to find shade which was nice because it was really hot! The buildings were modern white constructions with lots of marble and open air spaces. A much different take than ones I've seen before in bright vibrant colors and more suited to my taste. The rooms had spacious patios with outdoor jacuzzis, made private with lots of greenery.







We loved the gym/wellness center. It felt very peaceful and zen. We planned to spend more time there but I only ended up taking in one yoga class and Steph swam in the lap pool.




My favorite day was when we left the resort early one morning and went off on our own to discover some cenotes. The first one was a kilometer walk from the highway and we arrived to discover we were the only ones there. We spent time swimming in the crystal clear water, snorkeling and jumping from the trees. I had a few heart attacks watching Steph do backflips.





Of course, we had to see the Mayan ruins. It was an incredibly hot morning and after walking through we thankfully discovered an incredibly beautiful beach. My favorite most refreshing swim of the week!




We also had the chance to swim with the sea turtles and a barracuda!, read a couple of books, had some great dinners out and had a few lazy afternoons under our palpatas. We discovered that we are terrible at taking selfies and when you are travelling just the two of you, this is the best shot we have of us together. Luckily this is before I spilled red wine all over my top! 


All in all, it was great trip but it's always nice to come home. We missed everyone and our little Beaufort was lonesome for us. Of course. Till next time...

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Softening Up for Spring!

I've been bored with our black and white bedroom. I like that it feels clean and crisp with the white walls and I still love the floral wallpaper on the slant wall behind the bed. However, I want to soften the space with some color and texture.

First up, I moved my 'For Like Ever' print from another bedroom into ours.



I also added a little pink ikat pillow. I think I'll also ditch the black pillows for something a little lighter.


And I suppose that is all I really did! The question is, do you think I can pull off some panels on the window? I think it may provide some softness if they don't overpower the size of the window. (This is an old photo but it gives you an idea.) I have soft grey linen Ikea Aina panels that I could use. 


I'd love your input! Feels good to be back to blogging. It's soon time to start planning our bathroom renovation!