Messes

If you dropped by unexpected for coffee (no one ever does), this is what you would find: minions, hot wheels, discarded socks, books, ABCs, blue couch. Plus a mountain of clean tupperware that refuses to dry itself.

Primping and Preening

I have been switching things up, moving things around, freshening paint, you know, being a busy little bee. When the boys go down for bed I go into full on try-this-try-that-stand back-take-iphone-pic-switch-things-try-something-else-then-put-all-the-extra-stuff-back-away mode.

Here are a few changes:

1- Hung a second framed postcard in the bathroom - the higher one. Why didn't I do this sooner? We had the matching frame just sitting in the storage room - duh!

I also switched back to a white shower curtain and donated the busy print shower curtain to goodwill. I liked the wild yellow green and blue ikat print, but it really wasn't me...I was inspired by blogs. I say that's like it's a bad thing, but, I am happy I gave it a shot! Inevitably, I was going to switch back to something neutral.

2- Switched to the grey rug in the foyer. The cream one needs to be taken in to the dry cleaners after all the snow we had last winter. Maybe it's a little too early to speak about winter in the past tense, there is still snow on the ground, after all!

3- Shopping and putting together some bright spring outfits...(camera worthy bright spring outfits)
 
4- Herb garden on the kitchen window shelf! The herbs are from Loblaws ($2.99, or maybe $3.99, I should have paid more attention...they were $3.99 at metro, I noticed)...they are a little yellow so I better get cooking!!

5 - Ditched the tray of cooking oil, salt & pepper and other miscellaneous things that was sitting on the counter next to the stove. (For now, you can see it in the house tour) I remember when I set this up! I was so excited! It was something else that I saw on a blog. I even ordered the vintage tin tray from etsy specifically for this purpose! Except, when I took a good hard look at the kitchen the other night, I knew I had to tuck the clutter back away. I stashed everything the cupboard immediately above where the tray was. Everything is still very accessible.

I also bought some new wooden spoons. My little guy loves to play with spoons, whenever he sees me stirring something he begs at my legs to be up. He only knows a handful of words, 'HOT' is one of them!

6 - Using the covered dish from last year's Blogpodium Swag bag. The dish is from Chapter/Indigo and is a great size to secretly hold my Nespresso pods. My previous apple shaped dish was pretty cute, but didn't have a lid.

7 - Painted the stairwell in the basement as well as the desk/wall under the stairs. Fresh and white and clean! A few hours (no taping, no drop clothes) and it was done! Now I will want to repaint every time the walls get scuffed!

8 - Taped a bunch of new roads on the toy mat. At first I went all random, and then decided to try and make a pattern...I like it! It's graphic!

The IKEA slide has been downstairs since the fall, I am not sure I mentioned it? I haven't met a kid that doesn't love it! The IKEA circus tent comes out periodically, then gets folded up and put away when the boys start to ignore it.  Right now the game is to zoom hot wheels down the slide into the tent. Hours of fun! (ok, minutes of fun!)

9- Hung a small painting over the thermometer. I thought since it is almost time to turn the furnace off anyways (not really, I wish!)...ok, maybe this was only temporary but I love it!

Ask me what's up!  I'm begging to be asked!

Recovered a chair ...

I did this. (See the before, here)

I wish I hadn't.

It took too much time, and I am not crazy about it.  The old wool blanket I used just seems dirty and a little too woolly bully!

Styling the Foyer

A quick follow up post to show you what I decided...this basket!  Small, round, lidded...I know it wasn't an option!  What can I say? I read all your comments, then I dug around some more and found this guy in the upstairs office! (Originally from Salvation Army)

I also tried this rug from goodwill.   I still love it, but can't find a place for it in the house.   I am keeping the grey Weinrib in the foyer...

Also, I wanted to shout out to Lisa, who popped by today to pick up a few things from the garage sale.  I may have bungled my first impression!  Do over! Do over!  I was a bit awkward in my messy house and didn't even offer you something to drink!  (or a chair)...anyways, it was a pleasure to meet you!!

Styling the Foyer: Which Basket?

Thanks for your comments! You set off a spark in my brain!  I remembered that I have two baskets kicking around here to choose from...Basket One: dark, open / Basket Two: light, closed

I like basket one...but what do I put in there during the summer? It will be perfect for winter hats and mittens and scarves.

Basket two has a handy lid! Do you like the contrast of the black console and the light basket?

You pick!

(Please tell me if they are both: NO...like, "Shannon, this is painful to admit, but you have nasty dark green spinach covering your front tooth"...better to just say it...)  

PS. I am obsessed with the Newell Post now! Thanks kb! You are Right!  (Oh and I will do a 'what I wore to the Museum' post just for you!!)

Is the foyer is missing something?

I swapped the winter rug for the summer rug...and I can't help but feeling like the room is missing something!

Maybe it's the lack of boots and shoes and everyday items that usually litter the floor?  This room feels clean, crispy and a little on the boring side!  The furniture and art is perfect! Don't get me wrong...it's the styling.  Raw wood might help...a large sculptural plant (if we had the space), some natural fibers...

I recently added the hooks on the wainscotting next to the door.  Still...something...is...definitely....missing....

Fall rug

I changed up the foyer today!  The foyer rug is one of the few items in the house that we change with the seasons. (We like to cover the marble floors in the foyer with a larger rug in the fall/winter.)  We also place boot/shoe mats under the rad...

Before and After

If you popped in on us this morning, unannounced, this is what you would have encountered!

My son straightened up all the shoes for me, while I hung the coats and put the stroller away. Today it was my shoes, my socks, my coats, my purses strewn about - shame.  The grey mat (from costco) was tossed on the Weinrib rug a few days ago. We use it to catch any snow/leaves/mud from the stroller wheels. I haven't found something pretty that can handle this task!

Have you made many changes in decor for fall? 


ps We used this rug for the foyer last year...but I felt like blue again this year.

Red version of rug still avail on Overstock, here
This rug is a beauty too! 

Will these chairs work in the foyer?

this is a test
this is only a test

not doing it for me...I liked the glossy black chair better...I will try another placement tomorrow...any suggestions? You guys know my house as well as I do now, no?

Shopping and Puttering

We went to IKEA to fetch a few things...

We also bought a plant and some supplies from Home Depot.


Do you putter around the house as much as I do?  Because I seriously putter, putter, putter...I could spend all day puttering...

1. New IKEA Alvine Rand Rug- we need a large rug just for the winter...we like to keep the marble safe, and give family lots of room to remove their boots and coats...click here to see the summer rug
2. New IKEA Trampa Mat, sliced horizontally with exacto knife & trimmed down in order to fit beneath the rad (to keep snowy boots toasty warm)
3. New IKEA Gubbskar mats (already full of lint!)
4. Moved the rug from the foyer back into the bedroom...
5. Home Depot plant and planter...

New second hand vase in the foyer niche

I picked these up at Goodwill today:
8 brass napkin rings
1 brass bowl
1 blue and white vase (its not very refined, not even old, but I thought it might work in the foyer niche)

I like the vase there - until I find something I like better, of course! 

Moving the Ikea rug back into the foyer

This morning, Natalie displayed  a gorgeous indigo and white colour story for your home...and included our rug in her post!  It is currently available from overstock! (Probably doesnt ship to Canada, but there are ways around this!)....We bought the rug from ikea about 2 years ago. I LOVE THIS RUG!

It was originally purchased for the foyer...and held up well through a winter...then we bought a smaller Weinrib rug for the summer (to show off a litle more of the marble)...and I put the blue kilim into the guest room...it looks fantastic in there...except, once again, we need a large rug for the foyer during the yucky weather.  So the kilim is back downstairs..

There is always the possibility that we find a third rug...cause it really does look great in the guest bedroom (this is an older photo...)

If you are thinking about buying this rug - GO FOR IT! Its soo great...kinda scratchy - like jute, but great colours and holds up well...I wash it with a sponge and soapy (Palmolive -green -original) water...

Don't forget to enter the CSN Giveaway!


update: Here is a photo do over with boots as props...and a shopping bag for extra points!

New Art

Even the baby stopped on his way up the stairs to admire it! 'Wow,' he said.

$8 chair, etsy, and a yellow umbrella

I got a few odds and ends done around the house today!

First off, here is the $8 goodwill chair, I recovered it in fabric from Tonic Living (found them via Rambling Renovators)...I considered making the trip down to Y&Co and buying something fabulous...but this way, the fabric magically appeared at my door after clicking on some buttons!  Who doesn't like that!! (Except I misplaced the little baggie with the screws for the chair, so the seat is not fastened down.  If you see the screws, please let me know) Follow this link to see the before picture.

Then we (the baby and I, that is) hung this photograph I bought off etsy (a local artist, check her out!)...I love the rectangles of the building's windows next to the rectangle windows in my new basement door...its just a little something that may or may not catch your eye as you pass through the hallway...lets call it a diversion.

Then I put up the Virginia Macdonald Yellow Umbrella photograph in the powder room (ok, you caught me, this is actually the SMALLEST room in the house, probably smaller than any room in your house too!)

...and I also picked up this pillow, on sale at Tonic Living, just to make the sectional a bit more groovy...I thought it would go well with the tangerine colour poufs and the orange deck... 

hmmm...i really wish they had 2 of these left...one isn't cutting it

hmmm....and the orange isn't really the right orange...and I think its too much pattern for me all in one day...

Oh well...I guess I will give it to my niece for her room! 

This may be the beginning of an accessories buying spree...or not!


I may have to get thrifty tomorrow...



Update: I will probably redo the chair because I like it, but, its just too much pattern for me...and I also need to raise the picture in the bathroom by about an inch... the orange pillow is definitely going to be given away.  So much for getting things accomplished!  The B&W photo, by the way, is To.Die.For! Perfect placement on my first shot! Whoo hoo!