When I was little, I loved to organize things.  I'd categorize them by colour, use, size, any way that I could possibly organize whatever it was that I was tackling, I'd organize.  And well, not much has changed since then.

So it comes as no surprise that I'm totally excited to have some organizing to do now that the dresser is useable.

I am planning on applying my make up at the dresser as there is going to be a large-ish mirror hanging above it and I really want everything to be easily accessible.  Thus, displaying the make up I use regularly on the top of the dresser.

I hit (you guessed it), Homesense yesterday in search for the perfect accessories to hold & display my brushes and make up.  The first place I headed to was the kitchen section.  Yup, kitchen.  I absolutely love to use plates to hold/display items.  There is an abundance of beautiful dishes out there be it vintage or new.  I fell in love with this plate from Athropologie and it inspired me to search for something similar locally.

Success, I found this plate and it's absolutely perfect for holding my make up:

(the mirror is still leaning on the dresser, time to hang it up on the wall!)

I wasn't able to find any cups in the kitchen section, but did find this lovely in the bath section.  I love how it looks paired with the plate.

So be sure to always explore your options and to think outside of the box.  You may be surprised by how many items can be used for things other than their intended purpose!

Cheers, happy Tuesday!

New week, new look!

You guys! I finished the dresser makeover this past weekend!  I know, right?!  This was really the first time that I've refinished a piece of furniture.  I learned some lessons along the way, but it was definitely worth it...I absolutely love the end result!

I shared a sneak peek of the dresser during the refinishing process here and you can find plenty more photos on my instagram feed (you can find me under the name "elliven").

Well, I have one more to share with you before the big reveal.

Tada!

I'm going to head out to Homesense to pick up a few pieces to place on top of the dresser and then I'll snap some pictures to share in the reveal post!  Look for it in the next little bit.

Also, did you notice any my new blog header?  Yup, changes are slowly beginning to happen around here, which I'm excited about!  First, was the addition of my "current obsessions" on the sidebar (which I will change weekly, so keep an eye on them) and now it's the new header.

I have decided that I need to be a little more organized when it comes to blogging, so I've sat down and written out just what I want this blog to be about and what I want you, my friends, to take away from it.  I hope to have everything sorted out in the next month or so!

Cheers,

The Truth Is....

It's Friday (incase you didn't know) and that means it's the weekend (yes, I like to state the obvious at times).

With that, I thought I'd share a few unrelated truth tid bits.

1. yesterday, I painted my toe nails a lovely shade of dark pink, somehow, somewhere some of the colour rubbed off of my big toe.  I'm too terrified to check the carpet, I didn't do it.
2. I have allergies, they are killing me right now and keeping me cooped up indoors for long periods of time.  I'm totally the lady in the commercial trying to scratch her throat with an electric toothbrush...insanity, I know.
3. I added a little neon to my life yesterday and purchased these shoes online.  I hope they fit, they are a size too big.
4. and since shoes don't like to travel alone, I also bought this necklace to keep the shoes company as they travel from the warehouse to my house....thoughtful, wasn't it?
5. we are going shed shopping this weekend, can you sense my excitement? yeah.
6. the dresser that I'm repainting is almost finished, here's a sneak peek of the knobs:

Any truths you'd like to share? Come on now....tell me!

Happy weekend friends, go dance for a bit, it will make you smile!

Cheers,

Let's Jam.

Okay well, instagram it is.  It's just the way it's gotta be, kay? Kay.

I've started to take and post outfit photos on instagram (you can find me under the name: elliven).  I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to accessorizing, but am a huge fan of gorgeous necklaces and scarves.  The daily photos push me take that little bit of extra time to accessorize an outfit. It really makes such a huge difference!

Here a few outfit shots from this past week:

I'm on the hunt for some fab statement necklaces by the way.  If you make some or have a "go to" shop, please do share!  I need to add some more to my collection.

Also, did you see on twitter that I won a Team Canada Olympic Jean Jacket!  Yes.I.Did.  The giveaway was being held over at Cara's fabulous blog A Fashion Love Affair (if you don't already follow her blog, you must, she has an amazing sense of style, no joke).  I will be rockin' this bad boy with pride.  For sure!

I continue to plug away at decorating the house.  My daily shopping trips to Homesense continue.  I am beginning to feel a wee bit embarrassed of the fact that the entire staff knows me by name, but what's a girl to do?  Here are a few more pieces that caught my eye.

I'm thinking that this fab unit would do the job of hiding hubs stereo receiver that just has to be in either the living room or the family room so that he can "jam". Ummm, okay.

These chairs call to me every.single.time I see them.  Aren't they so lovely?  Le Sigh.

Okay, that's that.  Hope you've had one fabulous week so far!

Cheers,
 

This Is Why

Happy Monday friends!

I know why it is that I'm so determined to decorate our house and not leave it as is.  I love beautiful spaces and rooms like those above just get me totally excited.  I want to walk into our house and feel proud vs feeling as though it's "okay".  I want to look around and love the pieces we've chosen.  To me, that's important.

Now, I'm by no means a designer!  When it comes to history and what era pieces came from, I'm clueless, it's just the truth.  BUT!  I do know what I like and I think that's enough to carry me through this project and I'm SO excited about it!

We are slowly getting there.  Some rooms are further along than others, but that's fine by me.  There will be no rushing to finish a room, it will be an organic process.  Plus, it costs money to decorate an entire house and well, we didn't move in to a house with a money tree in the backyard!  So patience is key here and that's fine by me!

With that, you have got to see this mirror that I found at Homesense last week.  I'm planning on hanging it in the living room.  It honestly makes me feel glamorous and as I mentioned on twitter and instagram, anything that is capable of doing that is well worth keeping!

Cheers,

Happy Friday!

These sweet floral beauties continue to make me smile.

No big plans for the weekend here, we're still plugging away, trying to get things finished around the house before the school year begins (still can't believe it's nearly mid August!).

I hope you all enjoy one fabulous weekend and that the weather is a tad bit more enjoyable wherever you are!

Cheers,

Back to Back?!

My goal was to only do one instagram loaded post a week and to blog between each instagram post....until today.  Sorry friends for back to back instagram posts, but really, it's an easy way to keep you up to speed on what's happening here.

I'm aiming to get back on track with blogging in Sept, once the kiddos are back in school and things have settled down a wee bit.  Please forgive me.

With that, here's another quick update with the help of instagram!

okay, seriously...OMG! this case is just fab!  it's my second piece from Jen Ramos's amazing collection (first can be seen here) and I absolutely love it! you can find the case here

I'm continuing to trek on over to Homesense in search for a few more pieces for the house. I saw and loved this mirror, but was hoping that the frame was either wood or metal...unfortunately it wasn't either, so I left it behind....

I can't even begin to tell you just how excited I am that this mirror is finally hanging up in our dining room. It's made a huge impact, the space is slowly but surely getting there!

my mother in law was kind enough to bring me a maple syrop bucket from a farm that she recently visited, I quickly put it to use!

I made my husband pull over the minute I saw a road side stand selling loads of fruits, veggies and these amazing glads, SO beautiful!

we drove 2 hrs to the Urban Barn outlet (the closest Urban Barn location) in hopes to find a few items. I nearly died when I saw that these tables (the only set there and the #1 item on my list of things to look for) were put on hold by another shopper.  Then I noticed that they were put on hold on July 30th until close, we were there on August 3rd.  I asked if that meant that I could have them and to my surprise, the answer was "yes". Ummm, SCORE!

I'm in the midst of spray painting this vintage find white and am planning on turning it into a cork board or chalk board.....we'll see!

And that's that!  What have you been up to???

Cheers,

These Things

Friends, how are things?  So really, how did we ever live without instagram? I honestly love it...and am constantly refreshing the screen to see what everyone is up to.  So, I thought I'd share a little recap via instagram (you can find me by the way under the name elliven) here on the blog:

1- the lovely drive over the bridge, on our way to the beach

2- dreamy skies

3-one of the best things about July, three birthdays in our house = lots of yummy cake

4- new couch + old pillow. the living room, a work in progress

5- supplies have been purchased, time to tackle the kitchen drapes!

6- we can all use a little cuddle time

7- fab pillows found at Homesense aka my second home

8- so happy someone loves the rug in it's new place

9- had I seen this amazing console before we moved, I would have purchased it without hesitation.  But, we don't have a special place for it, so I left it behind.  Another Homesense find by the way.

And that's that.  Are you on instagram?  Aren't you loving it?

Cheers,

Dressing Windows

I'm trying to get the main floor finished first.  That includes drapery.  I have to admit that I'm not very confident when it comes to sewing my own drapes.  It's tricky because there is just so much fabric involved.  That being said, we need longer than average drapes and I want a specific fabric and finish, so finding what I'm looking for won't be very easy.  I'd most likely have to have something custom made.  So I'm taking it upon my self to make the drapes for the kitchen and family room.  Then it will be time to tackle the living room and dining room.

Here are a few pics of what the family room currently looks like:

we originally planned on hanging the tv above the fireplace, now, we're not so sure. love the stone!

pillows I recently picked up from Homesense and I found some beautiful linen pillows to place behind these for extra comfort

setting it up (those are the old pillows)

another Homesense score, love the detail on the top

I ventured out to a local fabric store today in search for a beautiful solid linen, which is what I want to use for the family room drapes.  To me, linen is natural, soothing and organic.  I really want the family room to be a comfortable, relaxing room and feel that linen drapes will help create that type of environment.

I spotted this fabric and immediately fell in love:

To boot, it was on sale, only $8 a meter!  I'll be heading back there tomorrow to see if they have enough now that I've plugged all of the numbers and know how much I'll need.

These ones are pretty full, I probably won't make mine as full, but it gives you an idea as to the style I'm going for.  I may also add some sheers, but we'll see.

More sneak peeks to come!  I can't wait to share the final reveal....but it will be a while before we're all done!

Cheers,

Snippets

Friends, I'm back.  Let's see if I can keep this going.  Thought I'd share a few photos of the new place.  Just a few snippets....

I think this will be the fabric for the windows in the kitchen

love, love, love the dining room light.

great thing about moving mid summer is that you can cash in on sales at the garden centers.  purchasing hanging baskets and plopping them into your own pots (after taking them out of the plastic containers them come in) with extra dirt will give the exterior of your home instant curb appeal!

entry

"the" console I was totally excited about in it's place!

my lovely new Jen Ramos print on "the" console

fireplace

ceiling detail in the living room

 counters going in!

sink & faucet

and it is now time to search for a backsplash....found this at a local store

absolutely fell for this bench. still considering purchasing it for the living room.  I'd use it as a coffee table and extra seating when needed

speaking of the living room....our new couch arrived! see that rug? my husband's parents purchased it in Turkey years ago, I'm trying to incorporate it in the new living room.

and...lastly, one of my favourite things to do is to sit here to watch this.....

That's all for now!

Cheers,

We Made It!

My dear friends, how are things?  Yes, I'm alive.  We made it to our new place and are settling in.  It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks, trying to get things done and organized.  We are getting there...slowly but surely.

I apologize for the lack of posts and hope to be back and to have my blog up and running soon.  I want to get some type of organization back here, weekly posts, etc.  Once we have all of the "important" things that need to get done when one moves to a new province, I will take a seat and fill you in on all that has been happening...including pics.

We are enjoying the beauty that surrounds us....I will leave you with a pic of what I mean.  It's so nice to be so close to amazing beaches....that is all.

Cheers friends, I hope the summer is treating you well and I promise to be back soon!