Farmhouse Fantastic (Part 2)

Here are a few more photos from April's farmhouse.  I am so smitten with this beautiful project and how personally everything is decorated.  It's my new inspiration home!

Beyond that amazing door is a perfect mudroom and bathroom:

This is the dining room:  I love the curtain fabric.

Even I would enjoy laundry here:

Little landing desk nook:

My absolute favourite little girl's nursery, belonging to April's daughter:

Ok, so  now you know I'm obsessed with this house.  I just really love when someone is able to put together something this polished and amazing, without the help of a designer.  It seems like every piece in the home has been carefully selected and is meaningful to the family who lives there. I'm so inspired!  Love.

xo Meg

Note:  All this hard work is April's so if you'd like to pin some of the photos here, you should go to her blog to pin them directly from there.  You can also read about how she has transformed the tired farmhouse into something beautiful.

Farmhouse Fantastic Home Tour

I have a special treat for you this morning.  This is the home of April Foster, from the blog Goodbye City Life.  April isn't a designer or design blogger.  But she has managed to create a beautiful, relaxed, interesting home for her family.  This is one of my favourite living room spaces.

I love the barn board ceilings and the fresh green colour scheme April has chosen.  I love how the space is so open in this area.  It looks like it has great flow.  Stylish and comfortable. Here's what's on the other side of that fireplace:

And you know how I love a banquette?  Check this out:

(love)

This is the last one, and only because I'm more than a little obsessed with this sink. 

Photos and Design by April Foster here.

xo Meg

Catching Up

Seems like a lot of my blog friends are having trouble keeping up with things lately.  That's something I constantly struggle with.  And now that I'm back working, it's even more difficult to get to the things I want to do.  So, over the next couple weeks, I hope you'll stick with me while I work out the kinks in my crazy new schedule.

We had an offer on our house this weekend.  It didn't work out but it was exciting to get!  There have also been about a million showings here over the past 7 days.  Constant cleaning, tidying and running the dog out in time for people to come through.  I won't say that's been easy.  We've eaten our share of takeout and cheese and crackers this week.

I'm building a file on pinterest of things that inspire me for our new home (which we totally don't have yet).  Perhaps nothing inspires me more than this quote:

And I also love this DIY approach to creating a unique and beautiful stairway.  I'm thinking of the stairs heading down to the rec room here. Wouldn't this be so pretty?

And I'd love to drive up to this house and call it mine.  Such pride in ownership is evident in the beautifully tended garden and cheery front door.  I just love this little cottage!

Happy Monday!

xo Meg

Grey and White

     The temperature here has been so moderate that we're seeing all the signs of spring in our garden.  I love the little crocuses and tulips that are beginning to show their pretty faces.  It has me plotting and planning for summertime.
     On our search for a new home, we're looking at properties that are outdated and, well, kind of unattractive. I don't want to say ugly...
     The exterior of these homes need lots of work.  I've always wanted a home with medium grey siding or shake and crisp white windows.  My family's lake house looked like this when I was a little girl and I've always been drawn to the look of that home.  I think it's my true North.

This style is exactly what I'm after.  love the siding colour, black french doors, crisp
trim and coach lights.  We're even looking at one property with a run down pool and
pool house with potential.

Such a pretty garden path.

I love the yellow door.  Such a welcoming entrance!

Happy Monday, everyone.  I hope you all survived the spring break!

xo Meg

images via pinterest

Adjustment

My kids are adjusting to having me work outside of the home.  I have always worked while they were at school or other activities.  The kind of job I had allowed me to have that flexibility.  My little one is struggling the most with not having me home.  She has a sweet, sensitive soul.

Last night when I got home from work, she had left me a little surprise on my bedside table.  She picked these from our back garden, which is beginning to show signs of spring.  And she found the little shot glass in the armoire that houses our barware and extra serving pieces.  I could just see her, climbing up on a chair to reach the tiny little 'vase'.

The little note is her version of the "A Midsummer Night's Dream" poster that I have just created for her school's production of the play.  You can't read it in this photo but she's labelled the characters: Hermia, Lysander, Oberon, etc.  There's a special note just for me on the back.

Love my girl so much.

xo Meg

Header Design & A Little Project

You might have noticed that I added a new tab to my little blog.

     I love being creative and I have worked in the design business for almost 15 years.  While I was still attending the University of Western Ontario, I got a job working for them designing instructional technologies - web and graphic design.  That morphed into a career which I continued from home after having children.  I've had the opportunity to work with lots of fun and interesting people and I have truly loved this creative work.

A couple weeks ago, when I spruced up my blog's graphics (again), Jen made some sweet comments.  I worked with her to create a new blog header for her site.  She changed up her colours and voila! A fresh new look!  Head over there and have a look.

If you're interested in a blog re-design or just need a bit of help with your logo, send me an email.  I'd love to work with you.

xo Meg

Mood Board Monday!

 I love a banquette.

 At restaurants, I always choose booth seating and I dream of having a built in banquette in my own home some day.  There is something about the casual, relaxed seating that encourages togetherness and conversation.  We never entertain formally and it would always feel right to sit with friends and family in a cozy banquette area.
  Here's the artwork, by Cori Dantini I chose to use as the inspiration for my cheery dining area:

I couldn't resist the juicy palate - I love the fresh spring green.  Here's how it turned out:

Sources:

Dining Table

Chairs

Chandy

Curtain Rod

Hutch (I would paint the inside of the shelves in kelly green)

Fabrics: Yellow Zigzag, Samoan Plantation in Sunstone, Green Geometric

Napkins, Glasses, Dishes

Linking up at Pewter and Sage!

xo Meg

Happy Friday!

It's the Friday before March Break for my kiddos and they left for school this morning with smiles on their faces, knowing that next week is for sleeping in, partying and having fun.  I'm looking forward to it too.

I'm working on a really fun mood board for Mood Board Monday over at Pewter & Sage.  You playing?


 I'm off to work.  Have a great weekend!


xo Meg

Signs of Spring

   Yesterday the weather here was sunny and warm.  This is unusual for March in Southwestern Ontario.  Naturally, now I'm dreaming of Spring.

    Our plan this year was to work hard on the landscaping for this old house, but that is not to be.  Instead, to appease my black thumb (really, I kill everything, but never quit trying), I plan to make some container gardens.  I did have some success growing lettuce and tomatoes and herbs once.  I'm going to try that again.

Look at this beautiful box garden via LLH Designs!

I dream of one day being able to not kill my gardens and containers.  I've given up on houseplants, although my children and pets seem to do all right.  Look at this:

Just imagine being surrounded by all that fresh, vibrant green!
via

My all time favourite plant is the Limelight Hydrangea.  I love the bright green flowers that turn white and then brown in the fall.  I think I'll put some into the big pots at the front of our house so we can take them with us to our new home, wherever we end up.

via

What does your garden look like?  Got any advice for a beginning gardener like me?

xo Meg

Eye Candy

Wow, I have such a treat for you this morning.  This is one of the most creative, colourful -yet-neutral homes I've ever seen.  I just love it.   Take a look.

Symmetry, lines and simplicity.  

I love this furniture grouping.  I've never seen anything quite like this  before.

I don't even have words. This kitchen is just so perfect.

Poolside drinks, anyone?

This home is featured on the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles website.  Interior Design by Betty Burgess Design.  Architecture by Stanley Dixon.  All photos courtesy of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.