With fall being right around the corner, people are going to begin reaching for their pumpkin spiced lattes and they'll also be craving cozy and relaxing living spaces.  A place to curl up with their PSL and watch their favourite movies/tv shows or to read their favourite book.

Now, everyone's definition of what they consider to be a cozy space is different.  Some people naturally gravitate to all white, others prefer dark and moody colours for the cooler months.  I love the idea of muted tones and layered textures.

When I think of what I'd like to see in a space that welcomes you with open arms and pleads with you to kick your feet up, I think of fabric sofas, textured rugs with warm vibes, hints of blue and pink and gold metals.  Of course there will always be room for greenery in our house, be it real or fake.  I firmly believe that every space needs at least one plant or flower arrangement!

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I absolutely love to add knits and velvets to our rooms come fall.  You can change one or two pillows for this, or you can simply add to the pillow arrangement that you currently have going.  For throws, I'll keep the others, but I'll place the knit or faux fur throws at the top of the basket so that they can always be seen.

If you are working with an all white colour scheme, just think texture for the cooler months.  Fabrics & textiles are a great way to weave cozier texture into your decor as well careful selective decorative items.

Great alternatives:

• a fabric ottoman, one of these would be fantastic!
• a geometric rug, I'll forever love this one
• go with two table lamps and for height, choose a fake floor plant
• you can't ever go wrong with a touch of vintage, my go-to are vintage candlesticks

Are you loving muted tones as well right now?

Wishing you all a lovely long weekend!  I can't believe that it's back to school next week!

Cheers,

My Picks From The Old Navy Sale!

The kids and I went back to school shopping earlier in the week and we were able to get them everything they needed for their first day back.

I've always been a huge fan of Old Navy (and it's sister stores, Gap & Banana Republic).  If you've been reading for a while, this will come as no surprise to you lol.  There's something to be said about being able to find items you love and to know that they will fit perfectly.  That's how I feel about these brands, I'm almost always able to find what I need.

Old Navy is having a great sale and today I'm sharing my top picks.  From basics to a few accessories and lovely dresses, there's a little something for every occasion!

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Okay you guys, if you don't have a super cozy sweatshirt, I'm LOVING the one above, I find myself constantly reaching for this style of sweatshirt when the temps dip in the evening.  This crossbody bag is similar to the one that I carried around NYC, perfect!  And well, you know how I feel about a good military coat!  I'll forever love and fall for a top with a cute ruffle!

Have you done any back to school shopping yet?

Cheers,

Tips on How to Incorporate Vintage Into Your Home's Decor

I'll forever love to add a touch of vintage to each room in our house.  You'll even find hits of vintage decor in our kid's rooms, I just love it that much!  Adding vintage to your decor certainly adds character to the space, but it also adds interest.  I love the idea of mixing old and new pieces.

Our entry way, living room, kitchen and family room (to name a few!) have larger pieces of vintage furniture, however accessories are also a great way to add a touch of vintage to your home's decor.  The great thing is that vintage pieces can save you quite a bit of money, often times you'll find great pieces at great prices at local thrift stores.  It may take a little patience, as their inventory changes so quickly, but if you know what you're looking for and stay determined, you'll most definitely find "the one"!

The chair in our entry used to belong to hubs' Grandparents.  I replaced the original fabric and the piece took on a whole new look!  When shopping for vintage, definitely look past it's current state.  It's similar to when you're looking to buy a home, you can't pay attention to the things that can be changed, ie fabric, hardware, paint colour when it comes to vintage furniture.

 the chairs in our kitchen are vintage, they actually came with our dining room set, but we prefer to use them here

The side tables in both our living room and family room are vintage.  The one above, was given to us and the ones in the image below were found on Kijiji.

A fantastic (and simple) way to add vintage to your home's decor is by using decorative items.  I honestly have a cupboard full of vintage decorative pieces and every now and then, I'll switch things up for a quick change.  

As I mentioned before, shopping at thrift stores is a great place to start!  Once you narrow down which pieces you prefer to use, you can then look online for incredible pieces and for a wider selection!

though the terra cotta pots aren't exactly vintage, the patina gives them an older feel

 vintage stoneware crocks seem to be making a comeback and I love it!

 can you spot the vintage item here, on my desk?  the glass bowl? yup! it's perfect for corralling thumbtacks 

I recently gave little J's room a makeover and incorporated a vintage dresser which I painted blue 

brass candlesticks are probably my favourite!

Are you a fan of incorporating vintage pieces into your decor?

Cheers,

How To Decorate With Striped Ottomans

Photo Credit: The Everygirl

I have been noticing a lot of striped ottomans in interior spaces lately and I'm loving it!  When any piece of furniture can double as a table, foot rest, extra seating and focal point, you've complete got yourself a win/win!

They come in a variety of styles, which makes them perfect for any space.  We have a fabric ottoman in our family room (though it's not striped like the beauties below), but I can't tell you enough how much use it gets.  When you want to kick your feet up, to when you're playing a board game and you need to pull up an extra seat the coffee table.  It's honestly such a versatile piece!

Here are a few of my favourites:

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I find stripes to be one of those patterns that will never go out of style and that fit with nearly any style.

What to look for:

• ensure that the size of your item is to scale with where you're planning on placing it.  ie: if it's beside a cozy chair, the first ottoman (the small square) would be perfect for this, as it's along the same size as a side table.
• if you're planning on using the ottoman as a coffee table, the height should be 1-2 inches lower than your sofa and the length should be approximately 2/3 the width of your couch
• it's also preferable to have approximately 12-18 inches of space between the sofa and ottoman/coffee table so that people can easily pass through
• consider placing a tray of some sort on the ottoman so that you can set your cups down without worrying about them toppling over
• ensure that the colour of the ottoman works with your currently colour scheme....a neutral is always a great option as it will work with many colour schemes, allowing you to easily swap out cushions, rugs, etc

I'm pretty smitten with the one with the pleated skirt, so pretty!  Which is your favourite?

Cheers,

Fashionable Backpack Options

photo credit: Little Black Blog

As we walked through the streets of NYC, it became very apparent early on that having the perfect bag was essential.  I had a small crossbody, which worked well, but two of the girls that i was with had backpacks which allowed them to carry that much more and of course, they are also a more comfortable option!

I had my fingers crossed as we ventured into the Nordstrom Off The Rack store, hoping that I would find the perfect backpack to carry around for the rest of my time in NYC, but unfortunately, no luck.

Here are a few of my pics:

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Which is your favourite?  I have a few, can you guess which I'd love to carry around through the streets of NYC?

Cheers,

A Gorgeous Paint Colour & A Laundry Room Moodboard

Hi friends!  I hope that you've all enjoyed a wonderful week.

This past Tuesday I flew to NYC to attend Behr's launch of their 2019 Colour of the Year, Blueprint!  It's an absolutely beautiful blue that is completely on trend and relevant with what we are looking for in a paint colour.  You can view the colour and read all about it (plus, seeing the gorgeous colour palettes) here.

A few photos from that trip and event:

I loved how Behr invited a few artisans to create pieces that were inspired by Blueprint.  Above are a few of the pieces.  Candles, ceramics and woven art.

After the event, we took to the streets to tour the absolutely gorgeous city!  I have to say that NYC is absolutely everything and more.  I get it now, what everyone talks about when they say that NY is magical, it truly is!

Before I go, I wanted to share an e-decor moodboard that I recently put together!

I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to help good friends plan out their laundry room makeover.  They are going to tackle the space on their own and were looking for some direction.

It's important (as like with our laundry room makeover) to make good use of this space.  We're going to use cheerful fabrics, warm elements and practical solutions to help make their dream laundry room come to life!

cabinetry

baskets

rug

hardware

faucet

counter

backsplash

light fixture

hooks

faux lavender

artwork

green fabric

blue fabric

I will forever love the idea of grey and white together.  Coupled with hits of blue, green and purple, this space will immediately go from neutral to warm and welcoming.  I'm SO excited to hand this over to my friends and for them to get started on creating a beautiful space.

You may notice that the blog has gotten a bit of an update.  As I mentioned here, there are a few new things coming to the blog later this year, so stay tuned!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cheers,

That Summer Slow Down

Every summer I take time off from the blog (could you tell?! lol) and quite frankly it's so good for the soul.  With three weeks left of summer vacation, you better believe that we are doing our best to savour and enjoy every last second, but truth be told, I'm slowly preparing myself for the return to work.  I think it's a relatively common thing for blogs to be a little slower over the summer months and I think it's so great because the rest of the year is typically quite busy!

Over the long weekend we finally went out for a bike ride with a stop by the river to do a little exploring. It feels like it's been forever since we've done this (probably because it has!).  The kids' sporting activities have taken up quite a bit of time, which is truly bittersweet.  We love love love to watch them play, they love love love to play, but gosh time sure does fly!

After a few good rainstorms our phlox just couldn't stand up to the pounding for of the raindrops.  That's okay though, it gave me a good reason to make a beautiful flower arrangement.

Next week I'm off on an exciting work trip, I can't wait to share all of the details!  Next month I'll be working on a few projects around the house and I'm also working behind the scenes to launch something that I've been putting off for way too long.  So get ready, September is going to be fun!

Cheers,