Ringing In 2012

I simply don't know where this year has gone.  So many things have changed for our family in the last 12 months.

   The biggest change is that we bought our big old house in July.  I feel so settled and happy here.  I love this home and so do the people I share it with.  The rooms are just the right size and we have everything we need.  No more, no less.  The layout is just perfect for us.  I really think of it as our forever home and I really hope we get to stay here.

  I wonder though... what really makes your house a home?  I know it has a lot to do with the people who share it with you and the experiences you have in it.  But there is something to be said for designing and decorating a space to completely reflect your personality.  It's funny though, the only room in this house that is done is Elliott's. All the other rooms are works-in-progress messes!  So why does this house feel like home to me?

What makes your house a home?  

What space in your home reflects your style the most?  

What do you love most about your home?

I'm working on a series of guest posts about this.  Let me know if you're interested in posting.

xo Meg

Moving Forward

With Christmas Day officially behind us, I am doing my second favourite holiday decorating activity today.  I know some of you are going to think I'm nuts but bear with me.

 Today, I took down all out Christmas decorations.

Every. Last. One.

I organized them all into their tidy bins and tucked them away into the basement storage cupboard.  I took the gigantic tree down and threw it onto our front porch (that's Jay's part of the job).  I cleaned up a ridiculous amount of Fraser Fir needles and vacuumed and dusted the whole living room.

I almost love this part as much as I love putting up the decorations in the first place!

I like our home to be tidy with minimal clutter around.  I find all the Christmas stuff to be overwhelming to my eyes and almost stressful to look at after a while.  Overstimulation maybe?  Either way, the house looks so clean and spare now that everything is put away.  I love it.

You know what I also love?  Jay is upstairs right now sanding down the mud coat on Audrey's room so I can prime that bad boy tonight.  Woooohooo!  I'm so excited about working on her room some more.  We are taking a little time off this week to do some projects around our own home (as opposed to other people's homes like usual).

(Bird's Egg, BM 2051-60)

I finally decided on the aqua colour I wanted to use in there.  It took me a bunch of paint samples but we are going with BM Bird's Egg.  Here are a couple of shots of the colour in other rooms:

via

via

I have to get back to painting now.  I can't leave Jay in there by himself forever.

Just so you know, I've really been missing my blog life lately.  We have been working against a really tight project deadline and things got a little hairy around here.  But I have lots of exciting plans for this blog over the next couple of months, including a fun guest series and some exciting reveals of rooms around this house.

xo Meg

Warm Wishes

  My family and I are taking some time off but I will return after next week.  We are looking forward to spending some time together and enjoying the simple things.  We'll be ice skating and sipping hot chocolate by the fire.

I wish you all the happiest of holidays this year.

via

xo Meg

Have You Seen This Home?

I know my posting has been a little light lately.  What can I say? Prepping for Christmas and the holidays has me spinning.  Top that off with an extremely busy work schedule right now, and I'm nearly insane.  It's unfortunate that it's always the 'me' things that I end up neglecting when our schedule is busy - you know, like exercising or my blog.  Things that make me feel better...

Anyway, I ran across this home and I thought I'd share it with you.  Perhaps you've seen in, given all the Jenna Lyons hype there is in the fashion blog world.  It's her charming, quirky and effortlessly stylish Brooklyn townhouse.  Prepare to drool.

The architectural details in this home are unbelievable. 

I  really like the random little patio stone pattern in the garden.

I can't imagine anything needs to be said about this moody bathroom.  Clawfoot tub with black painted outside.  Wide plank chevron hardwood.  

I know this home isn't really my style.  I would never pretend to be a chic as Jenna.  But it's killer.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

(all photos via Southeby's Realty )

xo Meg

Art: Maps & Globes

Let's face it.  Art, well, good art is expensive.  And we are not all artists.  Sometimes I wonder where artists get their inspiration to create something different.  Something no one else has done.

I am often on pinterest looking for inspiration.  There are so many cool ideas out there.  As I was looking over my DIY pinboard, I discovered that I really like maps and globes.  Tripped out maps and globes, anyway.
Here are a couple of ideas that I really loved:

Frame the maps of the places you were born or places you have travelled together.

Frame a city map, of a place you love.  

  I'm thinking of framing a map of the city of San Francisco.  My hubby and I went there for our honeymoon in1999.  We barely had a penny to our name so we walked and walked and walked!  I love that city and we hope to go back sometime soon.   I love that this one is framed with a vintage gold frame.

I love these globes with the chalkboard paint.  I'm thinking of combining the chalkboard paint with a cool saying or something decoupaged, like these:

art globes via imaginations

I got the chalkboard paint out this morning and am currently putting the first coat of the stuff on my globe.  I'll keep you posted!

xo Meg

Good Morning Everyone!  Happy Monday!

   I have no idea why I'm so cheery this morning.  Perhaps it has something to do with the amazing fragrance the 10 foot spruce in my living room is giving off as I walk down the stairs.  Yep, we finally got our tree this weekend.  I will post some photos soon.

   Sadly, we did not get to decorating the tree on Sunday night as we had planned.  My little one has come down with a bug and we couldn't get her fever down last night, despite loading her up with meds.  She is sick, sick, sick.  That means she's home with me today and we get to stay in our pjs and watch movies.  Sometimes it's nice to get a chance to take care of her.  She's usually so fiercely independent!

I did link up my mantle today over at a la mode for the Holiday Home Highlights Tour.  You can find my mantle design here, if you want to take another look.



xo Meg

Friday Night Dancing Queen

I'm so excited!  

One of my dear friends is turning 40! My girlfriends and I are going out tonight.

Those of you who know me, know that I usually dress myself like this:

or this:

Actually, either one of these outfits would be a polished day for me.  I may not even be this stylish.

We're hitting the town tonight and my inspiration is this outfit:

(only with red heels)

Quite a departure for me. I'll let you know how it goes and if I can still walk in the morning.

Have a great weekend!

xo Meg 

(images via my pinterest)

A Little Progress

• one hutch top painted  (inside and out)
• two pictures frames painted
• first coats on the storage tins

The hardest part so far (other than the pelmet fail) has been choosing the aqua colour for Audrey's room.  I have a couple test swatches up on the walls now.  I'm leaning towards the aqua that I painted on the inside of the hutch.

It's coming along!

xo Meg

Holiday Mantle

I showed you guys the beginnings of my holiday mantle last week.  But I've made a couple of changes.

The left side was looking a little lonely, so I added this antique brass menu stand.  I just stuck the small Pottery Barn Kids letter to it.  It gives it a little gold flash on that side and a pop of colour.

Here it is now:

 I know some people are all about bling for Christmas decorating.  And while I appreciate that look in magazines and the homes of my friends, I have a hard time with it for my own home.  I'm all about restrained holiday decor.  I'm not sure why but at this time of year I just go for a 'less is more' approach.  Maybe it's the over-stimulation of all the lights and bright colours.  Maybe it's because there's so much that is going on over the holidays that I need calm in our home.  Either way, I'm so happy with how my simple mantle looks.

I've linked up this mantle to the Christmas Cheer Link Party at Ten June.  There are already lots of pretty mantles to look at over there so go have a look!

I've also linked this mantle up to the Holiday Home Highlights Tour over at a la mode.  

xo Meg

Hint, Hint.

Just a little hint about what I'm doing right now.

(inspiration images via my pinterest)

It involves a fair bit of aqua paint and one very happy little girl!

Hope you're having a super Monday.  Well, as super as a Monday can be anyway.

xo Meg

Friday Favourites!

Oh so glad it's Friday today.  I think I say that every week.  But it is especially true today. 

 My sweet little girl is actually singing both the US and Canadian national anthems at the London Knights hockey game tonight.  For 10,000 people!  I'm really excited for her and can't wait to see her all dressed up and ready to go.

I have a couple of faves for you today. 

Tanya's amazing, artful Expedit Ikea Hack!  LOVE IT!

This amazing Christmas party at House of Turquoise.

And this exciting new Blog Event, presented by some very talented and creative women.  Can't wait to register!

Finally, these are a few of my fave holiday wishes:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.  6.


Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Meg

Flippin' Out!

Since a few of you have asked to see a bit more of the house we flipped last winter, I thought I'd show you these lovely before and after shots.  Keep in mind, we staged this project a little bit but it was not fully decorated.

The kitchen of this home was for sure the biggest transformation.  Here are the shots of that so you can see the progress:

These are the before shots:

We combined the existing dining room and kitchen to make one larger kitchen.  There was another room adjacent that was perfectly proportioned to be the dining room.

Kitchen space, all opened up and drywalled.

Kitchen all done.

Here are a few others from around the house:

Living Room Before

After

master bedroom before

master after (walk in closet and vaulted ceilings)

master bedroom, headboard wall

little bedroom before (sorry about the darkness)

little bedroom after

Hope you are all having a great week.  Sorry for being MIA this week, things have been so busy!  I'll check in tomorrow with my Friday Fave post!

xo Meg