I'm a pillow lover, it's true.  Our basement makeover is coming along nicely, but my excitement level shot through the roof with the arrival of these stunning Tonic Living pillows!  Jumping.through.the.roof.  To me, pillows are not only comfortable (I love surrounding myself with them when I'm sitting on the couch) but they are such a great way to add personality, texture, layering and colour to your space.

I've been a loooooong time fan and customer of Tonic Living.  They are my go-to for fabric, home decor inspiration and they have been consistently upping their game in the past years.  With steady features in home design magazines and with several collaborations with talented bloggers under their belt, Tonic Living has made their mark on the interior decor world.

We basically started with a clean slate in the basement.  One thing that I absolutely love about this space is that the window is at the back, so you can see our gardens.  The weeping jade tree aka our wedding tree always seems to catch my eye.  It boasts beautiful arching branches that have stunning white and pink flowers in the spring.  It was the perfect jumping off point for the colour scheme.

I spotted Sonnet in Spring and needed it to be a part of this project.  I decided to pair it with a long time favourite, Monarch Trellis in Meadow (I have been dying to use this fabric for a while now).  Since this is a family space (aka the boys will be here too), I needed to tone down the florals.  The Links fabric in Indigo and this cozy Indigo Velvet were the perfect finishing touch.  Before placing the order, I ordered some fabric swatches just to make sure!  (Thank you Tonic Living for labelling them!)

I debated going with different sizes, but in the end 20x20 always seems to work so well for me.  Since the sectional is a good size, I wanted to cover as much space as possible.

Now, I'm a huge fan of details and you can tell that Tonic Living is too.  Just check out the seams, matched to per-fection!  

Right?!  The zippers were meticulously sewn in (this isn't easy!) and the lines are beyond straight.  I absolutely adore the fact that you not only have a slew of fabrics to choose from, but that you can also select the insert that's right for you.  These pillows have faux down inserts.  A great alternative to feather inserts for those with allergies, who still want the look.

I look forward to sharing a post with you on how to mix and match patterns when choosing pillows!  Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Tonic Living kindly provided the pillows for this project.  Please note that this didn't influence this post in any which way, all opinions are my own.  I am a huge fan of Tonic Living and have been for years.  It's an absolute pleasure to be working with them.

Life Lately 26.6.15

So we celebrated the end of the school year with some delicious cupcakes and new Lego.  I can't even believe that school is over!  Though it's much harder to get work done during the day, it's wonderful having so much time with the boys and not really having much of a schedule live by.  There will be many beach days!

Here's a little glimpse of the last little bit around here:

summer ready with this cute tunic and fedora from Talbots (c/o)

speaking of fedora's, I've never owned one, goodness they are fun!

okay, who had a pair of jelly sandals when they were young?!  had to get these from Old Navy! (no longer online)

so after hearing all of the hype, I decided to give Benefit's They're Real mascara a try and I'm impressed.  Have you tried it?

Kiddo 1's new bedding from Aura.  Goodness I'm jealous, it' fabulous!

Also, I'm now on Snapchat and Periscope!  Find me at elliven_studio on Snapchat and ellivenstudio on Periscope!

Have a loooooovely weekend, friends!

Cheers,

Patio Moments

Summer is officially here which means patio season is in full swing!  Though I have to admit that I'm nowhere near fond of the bugs that appear at night, I still absolutely loving hanging out on the patio with friends and family.

A simple way to enjoy a summer patio moment is providing your company with delicious treats and a refreshing beverage, all neatly laid out on a gorgeous tray.

everything (even the chips!) on the tray was from HomeSense

It was quick and easy to make and it brought some of my favourite people together.  A wonderful moment full of laughter.

Do you love patio season?

Cheers,

HomeSense kindly provided me a giftcard to purchase these items, opinions are completely my own and my opinion was not influenced in any which way.

Master Bedroom Before and After

Hey friends!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend!

I'm over at Domino sharing a recap of our master bedroom makeover!  It was a budget-friendly update that I still love to this day! Hop on over to Domino to read how we made over the space, link below the photo!

a budget-friendly master bedroom makeover

Tired of your bedroom decor? Take a peek at a few simple changes that will instantly transform your space.

Read Story

Have a lovely Monday!

Cheers,

Life Lately 19.6.15

hotel living!

Hey!

I spent part of this week in the big city!  It's always great to get to Toronto, I love visiting that gorgeous city.  Though I can't share what I was there for just yet,  I can tell you that it was an absolutely amazing couple of days!  I'm feeling pretty.darn.thankful right now!

I returned home to find that the pillows from Tonic Living had arrived for our basement makeover!  Insert scream here!  You guys, they are gorgeous, unbelievably well made and finish off the space perfectly!  More photos to come!

Though I was only gone for a couple of days, I'm exhausted and can't wait to sit back and put my feet up while reading the latest issue of Veranda.  Seriously, how gorgeous is that cover?!

Happy Friday and have a fab-u-lous weekend!

Cheers,

Casual Days

mesh sweater (similar)//belt (c/o)//bracelet (c/o)//wristlet (c/o)//shorts (similar)//sunglasses

I'm a pretty huge fan of casual outfits.  Give me a great pair of jeans and a fabulous t-shirt, plus a cozy sweater for layering and I'm a happy camper.

I found this fantastic mesh sweater at the Gap Factory store last week.  I've had one on my wishlist for a while, so I was pretty stoked to find it sitting in the clearance section.

These American Eagle shorts have been my go-to for a couple of years.  I love their shorts and hope to get a new pair this year, before I wear these ones out!

A good clutch is a must, I love the simple detail of this one from Brave Leather.  The perfect size to fit your phone, lip gloss, keys and moola.

I say casual days for days.

Cheers,

Well That Caught My Eye + Crossfit + Ice Cream

Ok truth, I started doing Crossfit workouts last week.  Hubs has always been a fan of Crossfit and last year, he purchased some equipment which is now in our garage.  I finally decided to give it a try and you guys, I'm loving it!  A 20 min circuit leaves me looking like this:

Ok another truth, that was only 3/4 of the way through the workout.  Ummm, yeah.

As a person who loves to run, these circuits are quickly becoming a favourite.  I honestly didn't think that I would get as good of a fill from them as I do from running, but so far, they are winning!

This week's links:

• How absolutely fabulous is this outfit worn by Julia from Gal Meets Glam?! Fringe, please!
• Grey (or gray) kitchens for the win
• DIY imprinted ceramic bowls.  Gotta give this a try!
• I loved this tweet
• The movie Clueless is 20 years young.  Oh my goodness, 20 years?!!!  Gosh I loved that movie!
• Totally loving Mumfords & Sons banjoist Winston A. Marshall's amazing new place!
• Yearning for a fabulously styled console table?  Read this.
• Alcohol infused ice-cream floats?!  Say whaaaat?

Speaking of ice cream, mint chocolate chip 4eva!  You?

(funny how I start my post out talking about Crossfit and end it with a shot of me eating ice cream, ha!)

Cheers,

Pink Peonies

Last year we planted quite a few peony bushes in our front and back gardens and this year, we have been treated to some absolutely gorgeous blooms!

I love peonies and not just for their flowers.  They have really lovely deep green leaves, so even though the flowers don't last all that long (especially because I bring them indoors!), they are a great addition to the gardens.

Nothing makes me happier than to be able to bring fresh flowers into the house, so I try to plant plants with gorgeous flowers in our gardens.

Do you love to garden?  Which plants are your favourites?  Hydrangeas are up next and I can't wait!

Cheers,

Denim & Lace

This outfit couldn't be more me!  You could easily swap out the heels for flats and the small purse for a bigger one if you needed more space and it would work just as well!

I love to pair dressier pieces with casual ones.  The lace with the distressed look of the jeans is a fun combo.

Since the red shoes and the lace top are doing a lot of talking, I kept the accessories to a minimum.  This beautiful BRAVE Leather bracelet was the perfect finishing touch to this outfit.

Jabilo cuff

top - Winners//jeans - Gap (old but similar)//heels - Le Chateau (similar)//purse - Coach (similar)//bracelet

Have a lovely day!

Cheers,


BRAVE Leather generously provided me with the cuff, this however did not influence my opinion.  I adore it.