Hey hey!

So we survived the first day back to school.  The kids had a wonderful first day and I knocked a slew of to-do's off of my list!  Holla!

I wanted to share a super quick way to add a little detail to your frames.  I am using these frames in our master bedroom makeover, they were lacking a little something before this little DIY.  Instead of purchasing new frames, I picked up a bag of these lovely corner braces.  I believe they are meant to go on the corner of boxes, but they work perfectly on the corners of frames as well!

I'm so thrilled with the result, it's exactly what I was looking for!  You can buy a package of four for under $6

As much as I'd love to share them in place, you'll have to wait until the full room reveal!  Coming soon, I promise!  Until then, be sure to follow along on Instagram for sneak peeks, like this one!

Cheers,

Julie

Long Weekend

As we head into the last day of the summer break, I find myself filled with mix emotions.  I love having the boys home, I don't love making lunches every morning.  I'm going to miss those stinkers, but look forward to a more regular schedule and getting back to work.  They are going to have a fun year!

As I prep for a busy month (hello exciting deadlines, incredible collaborations and of course, BlogPodium), I'm going to take this last day to put my feet up while I can.

We made some changes around the house and as a result, we moved this white dresser into the main floor  hallway.  It works, but I'm not quite sure that I'm loving it.  Maybe it needs to be painted or sanded down and stained, maybe I just need to get used to the new look....time will tell!  What I do love is this vintage combo.

Something that I'm truly loving....the fact that for the first time EVER, an african violet has rebloomed for me!  Documented.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

Cheers,
Julie

Decorating With Collections

Happy Monday!  I hope you all enjoyed a fantastic weekend!

We're working on organizing the house, it's incredible how easily (and quickly) things can get out of control!  Having a spot for everything is key, I swear!

If you have a collection of any sort, be it magazines, Lego, art or even toys, sometimes grouping them together is the answer to keeping things visually appealing and organized!

Hop on over to the Hello Yellow blog where I'm sharing tips on how we incorporated kiddo 2's collections creatively in his room design!

Cheers,

Julie

Pretty Pleats

Happy weekend!  We are in the midst of redecorating two rooms in the house in collaboration with Leon's (!!!!). I'm pretty darn excited and as per usual, unable to keep from sharing sneak peeks.  So hop on over to my Instagram page if you want to see the changes.  I have to say that the changes to the family room are pretty crazy!  But in a good way of course.

I'm probably going to lose friends by saying this, but here I go....though I'm sad for summer to be over and that the kids will soon be heading back to school, I'm starting to itch for fall with all of the fall previews that are being sent my way!  I'm pulling together some looks to share o the blog soon, here's a soon to be favourite, I'm sure!

flats / top (similar) & good alternative / jeans & good alternative

Cheers,
Julie

SaveSave

Leaning Art

LOVE print by SS Print Shop

I'm a pretty big fan of leaning art, simply because it allows me to easily switch up the decor in our house.  I find it to be a great way to decorate a space or corner without having to patch holes or move nails/hooks around when you are ready for a change.

Layering pieces, one in front of another allows you to play with height and depth.

Watercolour print by Lucy (this is a #BlogPodium16 exclusive print, but she offers other gorgeous pieces in her shop)

Art by Sarah Swanson

We added an IKEA shelf to kiddo 2's room, so it's a designated spot for art (or books), whereas in the rest of the house, I prefer to place the art on dressers, consoles or even the kitchen counter

Coffee print by Kardzkouture

All art doesn't have to be hung on the wall!

Cheers,

Julie

SaveSave

SaveSave

Switching It Up

Yesterday was a rainy day, so I snuck away for a bit to sew some new pillow covers for our master bedroom.  This room will be getting a long over due makeover in the coming weeks, which we are pretty darn excited about!

I ordered both the pink velvet (which is absolutely delicious!) and patterned grey fabric from Tonic Living.  If you're not wanting to sew the covers yourself, you can order them pre-made from Tonic Living as well!  I've had my eye on that pink velvet for what feels like forever, it's honestly so incredible!

If you're considering sewing your own pillow covers, I say go for it!  I like this tutorial for zippered pillows.

Have a great week, friends!

Cheers,
Julie
SaveSaveSaveSave

Roasted Marshmallows

We are back to work this week after a couple weeks of summer holidays.  It was a great break, but I have to admit that it went by way too fast.  It's hard to believe that summer break is more than half over!

By no means am I trying to rush the remainder of the summer break away, but the reality is that we need to slowly start focusing on back to school prep, which also means, back to a regular blogging schedule.  BlogPodium 2016 is fast approaching and I can't wait to attend this year's conference!  With new highlights and new faces, it will certainly be a jammed packed day!  Can't wait!

This past weekend, we threw some briquettes in the chiminea and roasted ourselves some marshmallows followed by hot dogs.  Not a bad way to end the weekend!   You can also see a bit of our new lower deck and the fantastic Catalina chairs from Canadian Tire's CANVAS Collection!  I'm heading back there today to look for a coffee table and a few accessories, can't wait to share the entire space with you!

Cheers to Monday, friends!

Try, Try Again!

It's been on heck of a summer weather wise!  With temps rising above 30C almost everyday, we have been able to get out and about!

Our favourite place to be is of course, the beach.  We had a fantastic day there yesterday.  The best part was after nearly 2hrs of trying, kiddo 3 learned how to swim like a little fish.  He's been taking lessons for a while now, but just couldn't get the hang of it, until yesterday when everything just connected.  I will remember that day forever!

If you're following along on Instagram then you've seen sneak peeks of our new deck!  We have been wanting to add a lower tier for a few years now, and after a couple of days of hard work, hubs, his dad and the kiddos make it happen!  Can't wait to share the entire reveal!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Cheers,

Grandma's China Collection

Last weekend I was scrolling through photos on Instagram when I came across this photo in Jillian Harris' feed (if you aren't already following Jillian on social media, stop reading and go do that right now!), and immediately had an aha moment!

So while sipping my coffee and still in my pjs, I got to moving Grandma's china set from a corner cabinet in our kitchen to the glass front cabinets above the new workspace.

We typically only use these dishes for holiday dinners or special gatherings.  But those dinners are something that I'm so fond of.  The family together, everyone sitting around the table and the delicious food.  Seeing the dishes stacked up in the cupboards reminds me of those moments.

My original plan was to have only white dishes in these cabinets and I moved ahead with that plan, but quickly realized that it just wasn't going to work for me.   Of course, I want our home to look great when it comes to the decorating, but I also want it to feel cozy and comfy.  So then I started to add tea sets and loved the pop of colour.  That addition of Grandma's china set was exactly what these cabinets needed.

I'm just such a huge fan of inherited pieces, pieces that tell a story and that have been passed down from family members.

We have yet to replace the shelves with glass ones and I still need to fill the holes, but so far I'm thrilled with how this space is coming together!

Cheers,
   

5 Ways to Add Pink to Your Decor

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the colour pink.  I've loved it for as long as I can remember.  Pink and grey together = even better.  Honestly, it's been a colour that I've been drawn to for years.  I think pink screams happiness, effectively brightens up and breaths life into a space and all in all, it's just a colour that I don't see myself removing from our home (or my wardrobe) anytime soon!

So here are a few ways that I love to incorporate or add pink to our home:

1- Rugs

2- Accents/Accessories

3- Pillows

4- Art

5- Flowers

Books and dishes (on display) can also add a fun touch of pink to a space!  So tell me, are you a fan of pink?

Cheers,

Weekend Recap

I'm still trying to find a good balance of work and play during summer break.  It's pretty hard to resist the temptation of kicking your feet up and hanging out with the kids outside all day!

I don't work at my desk as regularly during the summer months.  I find myself working in either the kitchen, or in the dining room or living room.  I'm probably in my office once or twice a week during the summer!  But it works, so no complaining!

Last weekend we made it out to the beach, our favourite spot!  A few hours at the beach can do wonders!

current favourite beach/summer dress - Roxy purchased from Sportchek (currently on sale!)

Today it's back to reality, as we head into a busy week.  But part of me is already counting down to when we once again find ourselves in the backyard sipping on lemonade and playing a game of badminton!

Hope you all enjoyed a fantastic weekend!

Cheers,

Decorating With Inherited Pieces & Thrifted Finds

You all know that I'm a huge fan of incorporating vintage pieces and thrifted finds into my decor.  So of course, I had to do just that when it came time to decorate kiddo 2's bedroom!  I think there's nothing better than a great mix of styles to bring personality into a room, and to keep a room from feeling too "stuffy".

This stunning red table used to belong to my husband's parents and his grandparents before that!  It makes for the perfect desk and the colour is absolutely fantastic, especially since kiddo 2 requested a colour palette of red & black!

The fantastic wooden bin beneath the table was a thrifted find (thanks to my MIL!).  It's actually supposed to be a plant box, but instead, we're using it as a garbage can.  I simply slipped a small plastic garbage can into the box!

To see more of this corner of kiddo 2's room and to read my tips on how to incorporate vintage and thrifted finds into your decor, head on over to the Hello Yellow blog!  And don't forget to check out the 90 page, Hello Sunshine digital Lookbook!  It's full of fantastic inspiration for your home!

Are you a fan of vintage or thrifted finds?

Cheers,

Down River

A few weeks ago, the kids took part in their very first fishing derby (we bought all of their gear at Canadian Tire ).  To be quite honest, it was only their second time ever fishing!  I have fond memories of fishing when I was kid.  I loved it and still do.  I find it rather peaceful and I'm thrilled that the kids enjoy casting rods just as much as we do.

We trekked down to the river last weekend and stood in the water for a few hours casting and casting again.  The water kept us nice and cool and the kids did a great job.  I have a feeling that we'll be spending much of our summer break right here!

Cheers,