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!

Next Week

I can hardly believe it!  We are moving next week!  Unreal.  This week will be a crazy one.  We have appointments, sports, school and some organizing to do and then we will start to pack our suitcases on the weekend.  The packers will be here first thing next Monday to start boxing our stuff up.

So.crazy.

We were lucky enough to get a few updated pictures of the new house last week.  This time they were of the lights.  I have to say, that choosing the lighting was one of the toughest parts of the design process.  I wasn't at all prepared for how much work and thought went into this.  That being said, I'm thrilled with our choices.  Here's a peek at three!

dining room light.  plastic is still on and the crystals that hang down in the centre have yet to be installed

master bedroom

hallway....oh how I love this one!  the entryway light is the same, just smaller scale (they have yet to stain the hand rails and posts of the railings)

And, remember this post?  Well, I'm thrilled to tell you that I went to Homesense last week and believe it or not, they had the console!  Needless to say I picked it up!  I also purchased the "love" print by Jen Ramos.  Now to find a frame for it....going with white.

Cheers,

Adding Print and Colour

I'm still trying to add more prints and colours to my outfits.  I'm a jean girl through and through, I wear them every day, no joke!  My favourite brand right now is Lucky Brand, they fit me perfectly and don't stretch a galore.  I'm excited to go shopping in Toronto after we move and to purchase some coloured jeans and pants with print.  It's on my "to do" list.

Here is a quick recap of some outfits from the last week.  Remember, you can see them right away if you're following me on twitter or instagram (@elliven)!

Have a lovely weekend friends!

Cheers,

Sneak Peeks!

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well and hopefully you are having better weather than we have been lately.  It's been cold and damp, but the sun is suppose to come out to play by the end of the week.  Fingers crossed.

Well, we are now 2 weeks away from the pack.  I can't believe it!  I've been counting down from day one, but now, it's really getting exciting and no longer feeling far away.

I have a few sneak peeks of the new house to share with you (if you're on twitter or instagram (@elliven), then you've probably already seen them).  I can't wait to see the house in person, I'm especially excited to see the kitchen!

Here you go:

entry

family room

living room

Cheers,
 

The House Hunt

Hello, friends! How are you? How is spring treating you so far?  We are doing well over here!

We just recently took a trip to our soon to be new city to buy a home.  It was a great trip in that sense.  We found our new home on the first day that we were there after seeing 14 others.  It was love at first sight!

We have something for house numbers, do you?  Our current home is the same number of my father in law's snowbird plane when he flew with them.  Our new home is my husbands old football number.  The house just felt like it was made for us, I love how sometimes, the house chooses you.  We are so pleased and thankful.

Anyhow, because it's a new build we were busy picking finishes for the remainder of the time that we were there.  I'm totally excited and can't wait to see the finished product and, to of course, share it with all of you!

Here are a few photos from our trip:

going through the airport

lights

lights (the one in the middle with the brushed nickel trim)

more lights (oh my)

outdoor lights?

master bedroom light

sneak peek at my kitchen (cabinets not the style, just using this one for colour reference)

So, we made a lot of decisions and have quite a few more to make.  It's all coming together though and we're finally feeling as though we've gotten over the hump.  Now it's more like a waiting game.

I apologize for the lack of photos, but I really want to show you the finished project without sharing toooooo many sneak peeks!

I hope you all enjoyed an absolutely wonderful Easter weekend and that the weather is beginning to perk up a bit where you are!

Cheers,