tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62558617605606746662024-03-13T07:51:26.716-04:00...One More ThingColleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-28310569635578671082013-01-06T22:29:00.002-05:002013-01-06T22:29:45.501-05:00I have moved!I have moved to my new address: dunnandcompany.blogspot.com<br />
My blog is still under construction but I'd love it if you stopped by.Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-16432683665438658752012-09-24T11:00:00.000-04:002012-09-24T11:00:08.466-04:00Painting Baseboards with CarpetI had a great time painting my boys' room but I had some serious hesitation about painting the base boards. I was too impatient to prepaint the base boards before having our super awesome construction guy install them. I paid for it in the end because it was a real pain to have to paint them after they were installed. I googled how to paint base boards with carpet but didn't really come up with much. I took all of the bits and pieces of info and came up with this method. It's not fool proof and I ended up having a couple of spots where paint bled onto the carpet. It's ok though because we have so much furniture in that room that I knew it would be covered up. Here's how I did it.<br />
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blue painters' tape</div>
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Line the top edge of the painters' tape along the bottom edge of the base board. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0w3C_z4PEko/UF80Ma4eXEI/AAAAAAAABIc/Flg1t3_boL4/s1600/painting+base+boards+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0w3C_z4PEko/UF80Ma4eXEI/AAAAAAAABIc/Flg1t3_boL4/s320/painting+base+boards+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tuck the edge of the painters tape under the base board using the flat tool. Make sure about a 1/4" of the tape is under the base board so paint does not find its way onto the carpet.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FW5DAjgF9s0/UF81mLi4FYI/AAAAAAAABIk/cnkThl7A-1k/s1600/painting+base+board+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FW5DAjgF9s0/UF81mLi4FYI/AAAAAAAABIk/cnkThl7A-1k/s400/painting+base+board+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Paint away! I found it helped if I loaded my brush and started painting in the middle of the base board rather than at the bottom along the paint. That way I could spread out the paint and control it close to the carpet. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-63W7Tq6SCx0/UF82pgIY64I/AAAAAAAABIs/kdtE9GHix64/s1600/painting+baseboards+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-63W7Tq6SCx0/UF82pgIY64I/AAAAAAAABIs/kdtE9GHix64/s400/painting+baseboards+4.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Take the tape off while the paint is still wet. I find that waiting until the paint is dry and then pulling off the tape can cause some of the paint on the base board to come off with it. It just seems to work better for me to pull the tape off when the paint is still wet.<br />
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What painting projects are you working on?</div>
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Happy painting everyone!</div>
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Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-57034537080757997532012-09-08T11:49:00.000-04:002012-09-23T12:33:32.225-04:00Picture Gallery Wall - DIYHey hey! Life just continues to race forward doesn't it? We are already a whole week into September and somewhere in the last couple of days my mind made a shift to fall. The weather doesn't really change around here until mid October and even at that it only means that the frequent rain stops and the temperature becomes bearable. We really don't get "fall" weather until December/January but I've already pulled out my tall brown boots. YAY! I'll suffer the heat for a little fall fashion!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b_ePRiYPjSs/UEtkDbpA_jI/AAAAAAAABCs/JCjkIxsEOhQ/s1600/gallery+wall+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b_ePRiYPjSs/UEtkDbpA_jI/AAAAAAAABCs/JCjkIxsEOhQ/s400/gallery+wall+after+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My last post was a sneak peak showing the picture gallery wall I put up recently. I still love love the gallery feel and how it takes up most of the wall. I'm already looking at updating some of the photos especially because little E is not on the wall yet. I thought I'd share with you my process in how it all came together. I'll warn you now, I was quite particular so I did use a measuring tape and level but I think it was worth it. A gallery wall doesn't have to be so symmetrical or straight so make it your own and adjust it according to your space and taste. Just remember that keeping the frames the same colour helps with continuity and is a little easier to put together. Different coloured frames can work but it takes a little more finesse to get the balance just right.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XaPRHTNVkuM/UErP34aCK8I/AAAAAAAABAo/1iNiXq9BmGA/s1600/Materials---sz-30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XaPRHTNVkuM/UErP34aCK8I/AAAAAAAABAo/1iNiXq9BmGA/s200/Materials---sz-30.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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measuring tape</div>
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painters' tape</div>
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level</div>
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hammer</div>
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picture hanging nails and/or hooks</div>
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an extra set of hands (for larger or heavier frames)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcrGAJ2y420/UErRrUs4VzI/AAAAAAAABAw/zhl_fRl8vjg/s1600/step-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcrGAJ2y420/UErRrUs4VzI/AAAAAAAABAw/zhl_fRl8vjg/s200/step-1.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Find the center of the wall or space and determine just how much space you have to work with. I didn't do this step as thoroughly as I should have so my gallery isn't exactly centered. It's close enough and I think it still works<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tp5CSZLhAOs/UErSHUBqeJI/AAAAAAAABA4/q-eWjz5Nz0o/s1600/step-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tp5CSZLhAOs/UErSHUBqeJI/AAAAAAAABA4/q-eWjz5Nz0o/s200/step-2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Lay out your pictures on the floor or some other large, flat space and move things around until you get a layout that is pleasing to your eye. Just make sure you are keeping your wall space in mind and spread things out accordingly. I wanted to keep things balanced without being exactly symmetrical so I made sure that I spread the large frames out. I also made sure to keep the same frames apart so your eye moves around the gallery without getting stuck in one place. Keeping the outside border straight and square also helps the gallery to feel cohesive even though it's made up of different sized frames. Don't look too closely though...the top frames aren't exactly in line. I didn't think it was worth adjusting since it's only a quarter of an inch off if that. Once I had the layout just right I took a few pictures with my digital camera. This last step is important as you start taking the pictures out of the layout and putting them on the wall.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo4rlybqasU/UEtmezgWxBI/AAAAAAAABC0/SBCEEINRtGA/s1600/gallery+wall+before+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo4rlybqasU/UEtmezgWxBI/AAAAAAAABC0/SBCEEINRtGA/s400/gallery+wall+before+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mark the middle of your picture gallery wall on the actual wall. I used blue painters' tape because I knew it would come off easily. I also used the very scientific method of eye-balling to mark the middle of the gallery space.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qE97MBo9QY4/UEtjiRlfKsI/AAAAAAAABCk/KY45pd0lIy8/s1600/gallery+wall+during+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qE97MBo9QY4/UEtjiRlfKsI/AAAAAAAABCk/KY45pd0lIy8/s400/gallery+wall+during+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ujilkrSZw60/UErS4bp8RUI/AAAAAAAABBI/KJK1TpxIi24/s1600/step-4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ujilkrSZw60/UErS4bp8RUI/AAAAAAAABBI/KJK1TpxIi24/s200/step-4.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Find the bottom center of your picture gallery. It may be that you have a picture in the bottom center of the gallery or maybe it's a space between two pictures. I used the space between the two middle bottom pictures but that kind of back fired because the pictures are all different sizes and not equal on both sides of the space. This goof up could have been disastrous making the whole gallery lopsided but it all came together in the end and isn't <em>that</em> noticeable. Phew! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo4rlybqasU/UEtmezgWxBI/AAAAAAAABC0/SBCEEINRtGA/s1600/gallery+wall+before+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oo4rlybqasU/UEtmezgWxBI/AAAAAAAABC0/SBCEEINRtGA/s400/gallery+wall+before+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My middle was the space between two pictures.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N0H8wgvhRIs/UErTMw8BiMI/AAAAAAAABBQ/TnV-C9B97ww/s1600/step-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N0H8wgvhRIs/UErTMw8BiMI/AAAAAAAABBQ/TnV-C9B97ww/s200/step-5.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Measure out where the first nail should go, take a deep breath and start hammering. I decided to hang my frames right onto the nails so I held the picture up to the wall, made it level and marked each top corner of the frame on the wall with pencil. It won't really be seen but you can always erase the pencil once the nails are in the wall. Next, I measured how thick the frame was so I could know how far down from my pencil mark to put the nails. The moment of truth...put the picture on the wall and see how it all worked out.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qH-Ka74EBR8/UErYQczqFPI/AAAAAAAABBs/tut5pVuJuzw/s1600/gallery+wall+during+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qH-Ka74EBR8/UErYQczqFPI/AAAAAAAABBs/tut5pVuJuzw/s400/gallery+wall+during+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The blue tape on the left is the center of my wall and the little pieces of blue tape were my attempt to streamline the hanging process using a different method. It was a little frustrating and totally didn't work. Let's just keep it at that.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tV8b_oN6o1Q/UErTf9V3HZI/AAAAAAAABBY/mWx81Ezm7Nw/s1600/step-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tV8b_oN6o1Q/UErTf9V3HZI/AAAAAAAABBY/mWx81Ezm7Nw/s200/step-6.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Use the level to find out where the bottom border of the gallery will be and put a piece of painters' tape on the wall so the next frame will come into line. Grab the next frame and follow step 5 again. This time, make sure you measure and mark the distance between the two frames. You can use either the painters' tape or a small pencil mark to show where the next frame should start. I kept about 2-2.5 inches between each frame.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q3vgbGbMic/UEtdpf5ehBI/AAAAAAAABCE/xyhGorP57VI/s1600/gallery+wall+after+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q3vgbGbMic/UEtdpf5ehBI/AAAAAAAABCE/xyhGorP57VI/s400/gallery+wall+after+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next picture shows the order in which I put the pictures up. I found that it worked well to put up the pictures around the outside of the gallery first and then work on the inside pictures. I adjusted my layout as I went so I had to make the spaces between the inner frames a little smaller or larger than the original 2 inches. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_zgKMkOPAs/UEtgNY9boLI/AAAAAAAABCU/MvXGtqUIOtQ/s1600/gallery+wall+after+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_zgKMkOPAs/UEtgNY9boLI/AAAAAAAABCU/MvXGtqUIOtQ/s400/gallery+wall+after+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xvFyGo7XrU/UEtikbjnYzI/AAAAAAAABCc/oNC8_zUiCH4/s1600/gallery+wall+after+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xvFyGo7XrU/UEtikbjnYzI/AAAAAAAABCc/oNC8_zUiCH4/s400/gallery+wall+after+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It may seem like a lot of work to measure and level everything but I think the final result is really worth it. I looked at using other methods for marking where the frames were to go but they were going to take just as much time so I thought I'd do things this way because I was comfortable with it. Here are a couple of other ways to put up a gallery wall. Click on the links to take you to the "how to."<br />
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<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5224585_create-putting-extra-holes-wall.html">Create paper templates of each picture</a></div>
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<a href="http://roost-home.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/another-take-on-gallery-wall.html">Using waxed paper to draw it out</a> </div>
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Have fun creating your own wall of memories and special pictures! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ButC7A7kXxg/UCR9orvDmWI/AAAAAAAAA_g/FrSjs5zdpkU/s1600/signature-yes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ButC7A7kXxg/UCR9orvDmWI/AAAAAAAAA_g/FrSjs5zdpkU/s1600/signature-yes.png" /></a><br />
<br />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-24249454419488653092012-08-17T16:32:00.000-04:002012-09-08T11:48:21.312-04:00Friday Fabulous - the Gallery Wall<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bb3zgQBmkHI/UC6lslFYosI/AAAAAAAABAE/-f7pEMxL4jc/s1600/gallery+wall+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bb3zgQBmkHI/UC6lslFYosI/AAAAAAAABAE/-f7pEMxL4jc/s400/gallery+wall+after+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the new gallery wall</td></tr>
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I just LOVE Fridays! I'm not really sure why they hold such a special place in my heart since I gave up my Monday-Friday job quite a while ago but they are still my favourite for sure. I guess it's because it's the gateway to the weekend and the weekend is always so full of possibilities. This Friday I thought I'd give you a peak at what I've been working on around here. <br />
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A few months back we decided that we needed to finish painting out our living room since we had started it, well, two years ago. Woa! That's right, it had been <em>THAT</em> long! Since we were painting I decided to take down my picture ledges so we could fill the holes and paint the wall then maybe put the ledges back up again. Check out my post about the picture ledges <a href="http://colleendunn.blogspot.com/2011/07/decorating-with-picture-ledges.html">here</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNnyphSRjF4/TjMpIHD-Q1I/AAAAAAAAAy0/zEDwmYGrSGE/s1600/picture+ledge+full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNnyphSRjF4/TjMpIHD-Q1I/AAAAAAAAAy0/zEDwmYGrSGE/s400/picture+ledge+full.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the old gallery wall with our old green walls (though it's hard to tell that the wall colour is green)</td></tr>
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Once I had the ledges and pictures down I realized that I hadn't love loved what they looked like when they were up. I am really glad I gave it a try but I didn't like how cramped everything felt. Also, Mr. D knocked one particular picture off the ledge a number of times (by accident of course) and I just didn't want to deal with something that could be a danger to those sitting on the couch. So...I left the space blank for MONTHS. Um, it's still blank but that'll be another story for another day. I knew I wanted to put the pictures back up but didn't want to use the ledges. I also moved everything over to an adjacent wall so that the picture frames wouldn't get knocked off the wall anymore. <br />
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BEFORE ... ARGG so much clutter!!! <br />
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The buffet has become a dumping ground and I thought you might like to see the clutter up close! We are working on getting things more organized but we're not quite there yet. Notice the blue painter' tape on the wall. I was marking the middle of the buffet or as close as I could get with eye-balling it so I could center my gallery. It was a great thought but didn't quite work out as I had planned but more on that in a later post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bb3zgQBmkHI/UC6lslFYosI/AAAAAAAABAE/-f7pEMxL4jc/s1600/gallery+wall+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bb3zgQBmkHI/UC6lslFYosI/AAAAAAAABAE/-f7pEMxL4jc/s400/gallery+wall+after+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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I love LOVE how the gallery uses most of the space on the wall while drawing the eye upward making the ceilings feel just a little higher. I also love that I was able to put some space between the frames which gives the eye a little time to "breathe" and to take each photo in before moving to the next one. It's amazing how those little spaces help the room to feel orderly and calm which really helps to make our house into a peaceful home. I'm still working on styling the buffet so I'll spare you the cluttered mess this time. All in all, I'm super excited about having so many special photos up. Oh and little C noticed them the other day and stood there for a while just taking it all in. I totally love that he can look up and see his family (near and far) any time he wants. That's the best!<br />
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I'll do a post later on how I put everything together but until then...have a happy Friday!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ButC7A7kXxg/UCR9orvDmWI/AAAAAAAAA_g/FrSjs5zdpkU/s1600/signature-yes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ButC7A7kXxg/UCR9orvDmWI/AAAAAAAAA_g/FrSjs5zdpkU/s1600/signature-yes.png" /></a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-66742001874671870322012-08-10T08:21:00.001-04:002012-08-17T16:04:20.058-04:00Friday Fabulous - Blog LoveSo I've been excited to get back into some of my favourite blogs over the last couple of weeks. The fun thing about blogs is that there are usually links to other fun blogs which usually leads to even more fun blogs and on and on. Well, I started clicking and discovered some interesting new-to-me blogs. I just couldn't help myself and I wanted to share some of my recent discoveries with you. Clicking on the blog titles will take you straight to the goods. I hope you are as inspired as I have been.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thenester.com/">Nesting Place</a> - It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. I can so relate to that statement. I've particularly enjoyed looking at the transformation The Nester's home has gone through over the last couple of years (click on the home tour). She has really put a personal stamp on her home - a rental home at that - while keeping things livable for her family. That's right people... she's got 3 boys. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thenester.com/">from Nesting Place</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://whatshewore365.blogspot.com/">What She Wore 365</a> - just because I need new inspiration for my wardrobe. Did I ever mention that when I married Mr. D I moved from a place that had four distinct seasons to a place that has two real seasons...warm/hot and cool? Half of my wardrobe was instantly unnecessary. It's taken me four years to figure out how to dress in this new climate (I actually got tired of wearing flip flops...scandalous, I know!) and I've finally started to wrap my brain around it so I'm excited to get shopping. That and we have some kickin' outlets down the way that are calling my name!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://whatshewore365.blogspot.com/">from What She Wore 365</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://thirtysomethingfashion.com/">ThirtySomethingFashion</a> - I haven't spent too much time getting into this blog's past posts but I was instantly intrigued because the poster was pregnant. That's where I'm at right now ... not necessarily pregnant but definitely in mommy land and I'm always looking for new inspiration that says "fun, stylish, and able to run after a two year old." I'll be checking this blog out for sure.</div>
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You really must check out these great blogs ... you just must! Happy clicking everyone and have a wonderful weekend!<br />
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...one more thing...what blogs are you following these days?<br />
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Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-45762386091368218152012-08-09T21:28:00.001-04:002012-08-09T23:18:32.268-04:00Baby Shower, Surprise Visitors & a New AdditionWell, it's been almost four months since my last post and you may be wondering where on earth I've been. I didn't intend to take such a long break but things got busy and I quickly realized that my full attention needed to be on getting ready for our newest addition. Since little E has arrived we have been learning to live life as a family of four. That has had some challenges and I didn't know that I could be even more sleep deprived than I already was! But, in spite of the challenges we persevered and have now started to come out of the sleep deprived fog. Can I just say that it feels great to have a few hours of sleep at night uninterrupted?!<br />
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One of the highlights from before little E's arrival was the AMAZING baby shower my family threw for me. It was PERFECT, beautiful and something I would have admired had I seen it in a magazine or on a blog. They truly outdid themselves. The most amazing part was that my two sisters were flown in to surprise me and to attend the shower. WOW! I could tell you that I was super excited but I'll be honest, I totally screamed when I saw them in my in-laws' livingroom. It went WAY beyone super excited! You see, I haven't seen my sisters in person since Christmas so it was beyond amazing to see them...in my in-laws' living room! From "the surprise visit" and the shower until little E's birth it was a race to get loose ends tied up at work, boxes of baby clothes washed and our house tidied up. We even hosted a super fun friend the week before little E's arrival which turned out to be so amazing because she was able to stay with little C while we were at the hospital. Anyway...I could go on and on but instead I thought I'd share a few pictures of this ah-mazing shower and my special visitors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X5Y2Xwl-PCI/UCRfynHnXAI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/pvVXvvGfvbQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X5Y2Xwl-PCI/UCRfynHnXAI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/pvVXvvGfvbQ/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all of my favourite treats</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my sweet sisters-in-law & mother-in-law thought of every detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the yummiest cake EVER</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I9x6UkqinHg/UCRf5WX-2TI/AAAAAAAAA-w/CZiiS5GPyzY/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I9x6UkqinHg/UCRf5WX-2TI/AAAAAAAAA-w/CZiiS5GPyzY/s400/photo-3.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me - looking like I'm about to pop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esSyr1buNho/UCRf8PfgprI/AAAAAAAAA-4/wTiuKoyJ-Ok/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esSyr1buNho/UCRf8PfgprI/AAAAAAAAA-4/wTiuKoyJ-Ok/s400/photo-4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful & amazing sisters.</td></tr>
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Right now I'm working on putting up my gallery wall - again. This time I left the picture ledges out and I'll explain why later. I'm hoping to use them in the boys' room once I turn my attention back to that space. Until then I'm working hard to use nap time to get my reworked gallery wall up. I'm loving it SO much more but it's not quite done so you'll have to wait just a little longer for pictures. I'm so excited about getting back to working on making our house more homey and organized in between baby snuggles and reading books to my sweet C of course. <br />
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<br />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-74231041279475368092012-03-02T16:02:00.000-05:002012-08-09T21:34:42.258-04:00Boys' Room - Before & UpdateFinding out we were going to add to our family was such a happy day. It was actually our fourth anniversary - super fun! I have to admit that my brain switched into overdrive thinking about how I wanted to decorate the room both of our kids would share. How exciting to find out that our second child will be a boy! I grew up in a family of all girls and Mr. D has all sisters so to say that I am learning about boy-inspired style is an understatement considering that I really like all things girl. The blogosphere has become a wealth of inspiration and it's from this inspiration that I inundated Mr. D with one idea after another. We decided to switch the office with little C's room because there would be more room to fit both boys and ALL of their stuff. THEN Mr. D woke up one morning and decided he wanted to make my boy room dreams come true and create board and batten detailing on the walls. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ilLjKb0zvwU/T1Emkj63KEI/AAAAAAAAA84/ZueSgC-QTb8/s1600/Board+&+Batten+Gallery+Wall+019+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ilLjKb0zvwU/T1Emkj63KEI/AAAAAAAAA84/ZueSgC-QTb8/s400/Board+&+Batten+Gallery+Wall+019+edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loveoffamilyandhome.net/2011/11/so-i-kinda-decided-spur-of-moment-one.html">source</a></td></tr>
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AH! I totally <i>LOVE</i> that look! That was the sweetest thought <i>EVER</i> but unfortunately we hit a huge roadblock. All of our walls are textured...heavily textured. I thought it was no big deal and that we could just sand them down or something. Ha ha ha, silly me! Board & batten was not meant to be. We consulted with our good friend and construction guy extraordinaire who gave us the sad news that we would have to take down ALL of the drywall and redo it if we wanted untextured walls again. WOW! I was so not expecting that. Well, we revamped our idea and decided to use the feeling of the flat moulding used in board & batten but in such a way that would work with our <strike>really great </strike>textured walls. </div>
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Mr. D got to work and removed all of the 1980s moulding and Construction Guy Extraordinaire got to work, with Mr. Ds help, to put up our new moulding. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">colour possibilities...the red was a fleeting thought</td></tr>
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As you can clearly see, our room and whole house actually, has 1980s moulding that really has very little character. Oh and I don't need to mention the strange use of chair rail moulding that looked more out of place than anything. If you look really closely you can see that dark olive green on the walls - again. I can't tell you how nice it is to have a light and airy room. The black furniture in the middle of the room will be moved into the office with the help of a few very strong and burly guys. It's so heavy and this pregnant lady is not taking any chances.</div>
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That's the uninspired before. Here are some pics showing our progress to date.</div>
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We still have some details left to finish with the new trim. There will be a piece of trim under the window sill and the opening to the closet (in the top right of the above photo) needs to be finished properly then trim applied. Let's just say that the people who owned our house before us did a lot of interesting home improvements...on their own...without looking into the how-shall-I-say "right" way to do things. Needless to say, there's been much undoing and redoing. </div>
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We are so excited (I did my happy dance) about how the room is turning out and I can't wait to get little C moved in. I'm pushing to have the trim that is up painted by the end of the weekend so we can start the moving process. I ran into a little glitch with that but trusty Google came to my rescue. I'll share more about that another time. It's getting difficult to live with office furniture and stuff in every corner of our house. </div>
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There you have it. We've been at a sort of stand still until that trim gets finished but I'm going to push things a little. I think we can finish the rest of the trim with little C moved in so we're going for it! YAY! I can hardly wait! </div>
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I'm off to our home improvement store with little C. Have a wonderful weekend.</div>
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<br /></div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-4276342619405407442012-03-01T20:31:00.000-05:002012-03-01T20:31:37.048-05:00DIY - Paint Chip ArtTo say that I use google on a regular basis is an understatement really. I'm not ashamed to say that I am a full fledged googler. My family makes fun of me because I'll often google whole phrases at a time but the cool thing is I usually always find what I'm looking for. I was searching google (is googling a real word?) looking for an appropriate picture for my last post about paint chips and I found some really fun DIY projects. Check out some of my faves. Click on the picture to find out more about how to create it yourself.<br />
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</div><div><i>Easter Garland -</i> from modern parents messy kids.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2011/03/diy-paint-chip-easter-garland.html"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hehCgdEJXDo/T1Ab5tOef_I/AAAAAAAAA8U/sBBQRadzEdI/s320/eastergarland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div> </div><div><br />
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</div><div><i>Paint Chip Wall Art</i> - from life, crafts & whatever</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lifecraftsandwhatever.blogspot.com/2011/01/paint-chip-wall-art.html"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf22i-Zhkj8/T1Ac-ba9lPI/AAAAAAAAA8g/yeyiaP2bVGI/s1600/IMG_3884.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>Framed paint chip art - from young house love</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/08/nine-dolla-pillows-more-free-art/"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CTit00I5RFc/T1AeRHbmqtI/AAAAAAAAA8o/ZkHJ4lDCboY/s320/paint-chips.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div>Paint Chip Calendar - from pinterest</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/141230138284148333/"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wh0Tvg4tyP4/T1AgFKuLDMI/AAAAAAAAA8w/ssFYZcAGFKU/s320/141230138284148333_qKisuJrT_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wow! Hope you are as inspired as I am! I'm thinking it might be time to hit my local home improvement store. Now to figure out how to get that many paint chips home without causing a commotion...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy crafting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-37714963895434799832012-02-21T21:24:00.000-05:002012-02-21T21:24:50.940-05:00Picking Paint Colours<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_obBMe6a6E/T0RANnxo3WI/AAAAAAAAA70/k1RqzZAPvUo/s1600/2011+08+29+IMG_0713w_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_obBMe6a6E/T0RANnxo3WI/AAAAAAAAA70/k1RqzZAPvUo/s320/2011+08+29+IMG_0713w_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://project365-sujomi.blogspot.com/2011/08/paint-chip-rainbow-241365.html">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>So you want to add a little pizazz to your space. The easiest way to do that is with paint. We've all been there, right?! You head down to your local paint store full of excitement and there it is. The giant wall of colour choices. Where on earth is one supposed to start anyway? After all, there isn't just white but there are 25 different shades of white - some with yellow undertones, green undertones and even red undertones. It can be so intimidating for sure! I haven't painted a ton in my life but I have picked up a few valuable tips along the way to help narrow down the choices.<br />
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</div><div><i>1. start with the experts</i> - I've found that many designers have a few colours that they use over and over. I figure they have go-to colours for a reason so why not start there. Candice Olson recently partnered with Benjamin Moore and put together her top 5 favourite neutrals. They are a great place to start when trying to decide on specific colours and let's face it they are just plain beautiful. Click the picture below to see more about her great picks.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1129565603"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qbmUy-j_Lec/T0RDLlTDMQI/AAAAAAAAA78/yiV2w_WZ3tI/s1600/candice-olson-color-palette.gif" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/candice-olson">source</a></td></tr>
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<div><i>2. use the fabrics from the room as a jumping off point </i></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K4SO2eAoKFc/T0RGXxxbT7I/AAAAAAAAA8M/YPv42tEyHiU/s1600/tablescape+-+blank+slate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K4SO2eAoKFc/T0RGXxxbT7I/AAAAAAAAA8M/YPv42tEyHiU/s320/tablescape+-+blank+slate.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk3uRiDifOs/T0RFh4uOT0I/AAAAAAAAA8E/UbJv1unOuZY/s1600/284008320220884125_iw6xl0yU_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk3uRiDifOs/T0RFh4uOT0I/AAAAAAAAA8E/UbJv1unOuZY/s1600/284008320220884125_iw6xl0yU_b.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>This is fabric I'm considering for my dining room chairs. The lighter blue and the white were "pulled out" of the fabric and used as the paint colours on the wall. I think this fabric would look fun as chair upholstery and tie the whole dining area together without looking too matchy-matchy. You could then pull out the darker blue/black and use that colour as accents in the room - candle holders and picture frames would be a great place to start. </div></div><div><br />
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</div><div><i>3. don't be bashful - use those suggestion cards at the paint store</i>. Hey, there's no shame in using these little booklets and they are a really great way to know what colours to put together. (unfortunately, I don't have a pictures of one of those little gems).</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is the MOST IMPORTANT TIP ever! </div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Always, Always, Always</span> paint a large square sample of paint on the wall in the room where it will be used.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I can't tell you how many blue colours we went through before we decided to go with Cloudy Sky in our bedroom. Seeing the paint in the actual lighting of the room will bring out its undertones. Believe it or not, the undertones that come out can actually change the colour. At first, I wanted to use the ever popular Cloud White by Benjamin Moore. Once I painted it on the wall I quickly saw that, in our lighting, the paint turned light green. Uh...that wasn't the look I was going for. I eventually settled on Atrium White because it stayed white in our lighting. </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Save your time and money - do a test patch!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy paint picking everyone! I promise there are more pictures to come but there's a bunch of furniture in the way so it may take a bit. Patience - at least that's what I keep telling myself anyway.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" /></div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-11724541830360438952012-02-20T17:20:00.000-05:002012-02-20T17:20:00.799-05:00Our Master Bedroom - In ProgressHere is our master bedroom - in progress. I thought I had some before photos from the very beginning but I guess not so I'll have to start here. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HrEiDoPeAAs/T0K-loxguAI/AAAAAAAAA7U/uhXntd5Cqqg/s1600/bedroom+-+blue+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HrEiDoPeAAs/T0K-loxguAI/AAAAAAAAA7U/uhXntd5Cqqg/s400/bedroom+-+blue+wall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pillow shams, bed & bedside tables - Potterybarn; <br />
lamps - Target; duvet cover - Ikea </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is what you see when you first walk in the door. The bed is pulled away from the wall so I could finish painting. It will be pushed back against the wall shortly so we can move past the foot of the bed. Our room is SMALL so it's difficult to get a good whole room shot. I'll have to see what I can do once the furniture pieces are back where they belong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The problem</i> - the lamps are way too small, cute, but way too small. the windows need some kind of window treatment to add softness and warmth and I'd like to add some texture & pattern to add interest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMHULGqpVzI/T0LAluMiqwI/AAAAAAAAA7c/AaOMq1CPA-s/s1600/bedroom+-+ceiling+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMHULGqpVzI/T0LAluMiqwI/AAAAAAAAA7c/AaOMq1CPA-s/s400/bedroom+-+ceiling+fan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The dreaded ceiling fan. This is an absolute MUST where we live especially in the summer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The problem</i> - it hangs down almost six inches then the lights hang down from there. It's just plain too low and the dark colour really makes it stand out and not in a good way. I'd like to change out the fan for a white one that is mounted as flush as possible to the ceiling and maybe have one globe-type light in the center. I'll see what I can find.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dresser - Potterybarn</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking the the left of the feature wall - Mr. D's "side".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The problem</i> - clutter accumulates on the dresser top, there is NOTHING interesting to look at over there except a HUGE expanse of freshly painted white wall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDSyA733I2g/T0LE7ytO8kI/AAAAAAAAA7s/w9Lqhoo79Sg/s1600/IMG_3907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDSyA733I2g/T0LE7ytO8kI/AAAAAAAAA7s/w9Lqhoo79Sg/s320/IMG_3907.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking to the right of the feature wall - my "side".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The problem</i> - clutter accumulates here too, there is NOTHING interesting to look at here either. On the positive side, the wall is finally painted and the patch from the new bathroom doors is GONE! That is reason to celebrate all in itself!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Basically, we need to add some warmth to our bedroom, remove the clutter and add some colour too. I'm excited about adding things to the walls and finding some fun fabrics to add dimension to the space. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll keep you posted!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-86762790107697845002012-02-15T21:44:00.001-05:002012-02-15T21:45:37.038-05:00Living Room Progress Report<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">Well, here we are again. So much has happened in the last week-and-a half that I don't know where to start. Mr. D decided to take a week off work and start getting ready for our room switch-er-roo but little did I know that the week would end in us ripping, well Mr. D ripping off all of the old molding in the boys' new room. Phew, it's been a whirlwind of painting, sanding, filling and moving <strike>junk</strike> stuff from one room to another. Not only that, but Mr. D felt so enthusiastic that he wanted to get our bedroom painted too! WOW! I'll post more about these transformations at a later time but let's just say they have been up to three years in the making. THREE years people. The hilarious thing is that Mr. D up and decided that he wanted to get it ALL done in one weekend...with a toddler running around... and a pregnant wife who can't really bend in the middle anymore. Needless to say, we pressed on and it's almost done. Almost! I can't wait to show the boys' room but that will have to wait for another time. We are still waiting on some trim work to be finished. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T_AGt1CULOM/Tzxn6DGYKpI/AAAAAAAAA7E/_qS554RPXk8/s1600/MPC00102996-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T_AGt1CULOM/Tzxn6DGYKpI/AAAAAAAAA7E/_qS554RPXk8/s1600/MPC00102996-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OC-16 Cedar Key by Benjamin Moore<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">Instead, let's turn our attention to the <i>almost</i> forgotten living room. This living room update has been a long couple of months in developing. Actually, it's been almost two years in the making. You see, we painted one singular wall of the living space a wonderful and warm colour called Cedar Key by Benjamin Moore just over two years ago before little D was born. It was delightful and made the room start to feel just a touch brighter. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times-Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">The other three walls were the old olive, no, pea soup green. Now, I have nothing against pea soup green but this particular shade was making our house feel like a cave. We're talking DARK people!!! I actually like the opposite of dark in my home. I'm a bring on the bright sun, open the curtains and turn on the lights kind of gal. So, fast forward to last weekend and you can understand my surprise when Mr. D suggested that we paint the living room ALL Cedar Key. I did a little happy dance inside and ran for my paintbrush. Well, its done and it looks wonderful. It's bright, cheery and makes our chocolate sofas pop. It makes things that much more exciting to update because the "envelope" of the room provides a great foundation. The carpet is another story. We won't go there.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FjXNy3x5zrY/TzxpL8SrKsI/AAAAAAAAA7M/fxpx0WB-_2g/s1600/AAAADEiDPXMAAAAAARiPTQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FjXNy3x5zrY/TzxpL8SrKsI/AAAAAAAAA7M/fxpx0WB-_2g/s1600/AAAADEiDPXMAAAAAARiPTQ.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times-Roman;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times-Roman;">The picture on the left is very similar to the two chocolate coloured sofas we have in our space...minus the very interesting throw pillows.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times-Roman;">Part of the reason why things have been dragging a little is that I've been very indecisive picking fabrics for throw pillows and the ottoman. I'm not really sure why choosing fabrics has been a sticking point for me because fabric is a realm that I'm really comfortable with. I think it's because there are so many great fabrics and patterns out there now that its so difficult to narrow down the choices. I think I've narrowed it down to the fabrics I really love...for now anyway. Here's what I'm looking at.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8Uj1NDcGVY/TzEvA5PP5dI/AAAAAAAAA68/I9Rus-aiU0I/s1600/livingroom+textiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8Uj1NDcGVY/TzEvA5PP5dI/AAAAAAAAA68/I9Rus-aiU0I/s320/livingroom+textiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">1. white curtains - Ikea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">2. zigzag pillow - source unknown</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">3. wide stripe pillow - Potterybarn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">4. damask fabric - fabric.com</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">I'm still wavering about colour but I've always loved the crispness of light silvery blue with white. I'm also really into wide stripes because I think they add an element of fun. I'm not sure I'm going to find the exact fabric I want to I will probably have to piece things together to make the stripes I want. I'm still debating the fabric choice for the ottoman because little D plays there ALL the time. Right now, the pleather is extremely easy to clean so I need to keep that in mind. There are so many more elements but I have to pace myself. I get so tired these days so my new "mantra" is one thing at a time. Right now I'm shifting my focus to getting the painting and finishing done. After that, we're back in business in the living room and those pesky curtain rods will be the first to go up! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">Until then, happy painting or fabric picking or whatever projects you are working on. Oh, and I'd love to hear about them so drop me a line and tell me ALL about them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;">Ciao!</span><br />
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</span>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-28924943210381657682012-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:002012-01-30T00:00:22.164-05:00Blog Love - Recent DiscoveriesHey everyone. There are those times in life when you are going along, minding your own business when all of a sudden...something comes along that just clicks. It fits, it works and it's inspirational. Ok, so maybe that's a little dramatic. This past weekend, thanks to that amazing little invention called DVR, I was introduced to Mr. Goodwill Hunting. Some of you may be saying "honey, get with the program. That's old news." Others of you may be saying "Mr. who?" Well, let me introduce you.<br />
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This is Mr. Goodwill Hunting and his blog is right <a href="http://www.rashoncarraway.com/"><b><i>here</i></b></a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dmZghPmt-Vw/TyLrKenBcVI/AAAAAAAAA60/RaXeJDoMd2g/s1600/goodwill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dmZghPmt-Vw/TyLrKenBcVI/AAAAAAAAA60/RaXeJDoMd2g/s320/goodwill.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of rashoncarraway.com</td></tr>
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He is not bashful about his love for thrifting and has found some amazing pieces for decorating his spaces and others too. Recently, he was on the Nate Berkus show and outfitted a livingroom with all of its major pieces for under $300. Check out his blog and be inspired! There is hope to have a great looking space without having to spend an arm and a leg to get it! Boy, that's great news for this gal's budget. I'm still exploring his blog but I think his suits are so fun! Anyway, I couldn't let any more time go by without sharing this fun find with you! <br />
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Happy exploring!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-77917599727853271072012-01-27T09:25:00.001-05:002012-01-27T13:29:48.710-05:00Impromptu BreakTwo months ago life was just beginning to get really interesting (and really busy). As my last post before this impromptu teeny, tiny break suggests I was getting all ready for Christmas. It was going to be the BEST Christmas in a long while. Our little family of three was traveling across the country to spend the holiday with my family and I was especially excited for little D to really get to know ALL (9) of his cousins for the first time since, well, ever. I was so nervous about the flight and how little D would do but I was armed with my back-pack-of-goodies. The flight went well and little D slept through good chunks of both flights but I thought it was weird that he didn't really eat anything. I just reassured myself that flying kinda threw off his little tummy. We waited at the airport for our ride and it quickly became clear as to why little D hadn't eaten. Looking back we realized that he was probably ill before we left but hadn't shown any signs. That was just the beginning...that flu spread to Mr. D (since he held little D most of the flight time) and then to each one of my sister's family members one by one. As each person started falling ill we crossed our fingers that we would all be healthy by Christmas Day. I'll spare you the details...nobody needs to know those...but I will say that once the flu was done a nasty cold set in. We ended up bringing it home with us, our little family of three, with matching antibiotics to boot! Whew! It was the most eventful Christmas and it flew by way too fast. The rest of January was spent recovering and getting back to regular life in this time zone. Oh, and on top of it all, we are expecting little boy #2 in June so that added just a tad to my ability to harbour that nasty cold. Everything together made for one tired mamma so I made sure that rest and getting better were at the top of the list before anything else. Unfortunately, my blog took a back seat but I'm excited to say that I'm back! <br />
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I wish I had pictures to share but that also took a back seat so I'll leave you with some of my nursery ideas instead. How fun is THAT - 1 room, two boys and countless new ideas! I can't wait to get started. And then, jump back to the living room to continue what I've started there. And then jump over to the kitchen - Mr. D discovered the Food Network and now we have added our kitchen to the decorating to-do list. Things may seem a little scattered and bounce from place to place but stick with me! It'll be fun for sure! <br />
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Here are those boy's room ideas (I know some of these pics are girly but trust me, my room will be FAR from girly). I'm thinking a really great pale, warm grey for the walls - something like this from <i><b><a href="http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/">madebygirl.blogspot.com</a></b></i> .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5M-UHb62bs/TyIjmmBWiUI/AAAAAAAAA6U/cbykeKGxoSk/s1600/284008320220591965_C33Hd5FI_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5M-UHb62bs/TyIjmmBWiUI/AAAAAAAAA6U/cbykeKGxoSk/s320/284008320220591965_C33Hd5FI_b.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
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These stripes by <a href="http://teamturnbow.blogspot.com/"><i><b>teamturnbow</b></i></a> are a possibility and the lime/turquoise accents are definitely worth exploring.<br />
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Add a little navy with pops of lime green and turquoise. Something like this would be fun but I think I'll look for something other than polka-dots. Check out more pics from this room at <a href="http://www.babylifestyles.com/2011/06/nursery-reveal-lime-green-and-navy-modern-girl-room/"><b><i>babylifestyles.com</i></b></a> .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gMnBXO99AU/TyIm0ZjIg7I/AAAAAAAAA6c/iLfhKXsVY-k/s1600/comfortable-serena-lily-glider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gMnBXO99AU/TyIm0ZjIg7I/AAAAAAAAA6c/iLfhKXsVY-k/s320/comfortable-serena-lily-glider.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>This navy carpet is wonderful and would add such a great graphic element to the room. I love the coral accents too but that will have to wait for another time and another room. Head over to <a href="http://sarahcatherinedesign.blogspot.com/2011/11/babywood-glam.html"><b><i>sarah catherine design</i></b></a> to check out more fabulous pics of this great room.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Well, these are a few ideas that have been rolling around in my mind's eye. I am so excited to get started but there are a few things that need to happen first. We are switching our home office with the boys' room so we will be cleaning, organizing and packing before paint goes on the walls. It's going to be so hard to wait but it'll be worth it in the end. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Happy decorating everyone!</div><div><br />
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</div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-34147878400424485642011-11-21T10:56:00.000-05:002011-11-21T10:56:31.235-05:00Free Christmas Printables from JDCI've shared this amazing blog with you before but I just couldn't resist telling you about what's going on over at <a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/">Jones Design Company</a>. Emily, the blog's creator, has been offering some great free Christmas printables and I couldn't wait to share them with you.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/holiday/christmas-goodies-week-gift-tags/">Christmas gift tags</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/holiday/christmas-goodies-week-art-print/">Christmas art print</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UpmiQAaxbb4/TsffOrwcJJI/AAAAAAAAA58/Vy-3fLiT6H4/s1600/IMG_4459-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UpmiQAaxbb4/TsffOrwcJJI/AAAAAAAAA58/Vy-3fLiT6H4/s400/IMG_4459-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/holiday/christmas-goodies-week-party-invitations/">Christmas Party Invitations</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwfQFzAq_3M/TsffxlkWS1I/AAAAAAAAA6E/1q8VATv-FwQ/s1600/IMG_4401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwfQFzAq_3M/TsffxlkWS1I/AAAAAAAAA6E/1q8VATv-FwQ/s400/IMG_4401.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/holiday/christmas-goodies-week-gift-list/">Christmas Gift List</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zRfbuSCPUk/TsfgYxAiibI/AAAAAAAAA6M/qMTVh32XfZw/s1600/IMG_4423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zRfbuSCPUk/TsfgYxAiibI/AAAAAAAAA6M/qMTVh32XfZw/s400/IMG_4423.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Click on the links in each title to find out how to print these fun Christmas pages. You've got to check out the rest of this great blog. It's SO inspiring! I think I have a bit of a soft spot because Emily is from the Pacific Northwest and I always love to see what's happening over in my old neck of the woods!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy printing! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">...one more thing...you've got to check out Emily's "What I wore" section.</div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-84911305330983874242011-11-18T20:10:00.001-05:002011-11-19T15:14:35.091-05:00Friday Fabulous - 10 things Holiday edition10 Things - Holiday edition<br />
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1. chai nog<br />
2. traveling ALL the way to Canada for Christmas! I'm so excited I can't stand it!<br />
3. dreaming of a white Christmas and knowing it might actually happen<br />
4. being able to break out the long sleeves...every now and then<br />
5. Christmas movies - White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, Christmas with the Kranks<br />
6. starting family traditions for my very own little family<br />
7. Christmas crafts - there are FAR too many to do before the season is over!<br />
8. spending time with family, just being together<br />
9. mittens & scarves<br />
10.Christmas twinkle lights everywhere<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LyLvNuoxt4A/TsblbVqSTQI/AAAAAAAAA5s/9o7yp-jgXBs/s1600/mapleleaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LyLvNuoxt4A/TsblbVqSTQI/AAAAAAAAA5s/9o7yp-jgXBs/s320/mapleleaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.geeksdreamgirl.com/">source</a><br />
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</tbody></table><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-6119643197979190872011-11-15T23:44:00.001-05:002012-08-18T10:45:40.420-04:00Holiday Decorating - Christmas table centerpieceIt's official! The boxes have been brought into the house and ornaments unpacked. That's when I discovered how dreadfully old and tacky some of my decorations are. Yikes! What was I thinking? I bought most of them when I had my first place right out of college. I didn't have much money so they did the job. I was also the only one making the decisions on which ornaments to pick and what look I was going for. Much has changed since then and now Mr. D has ideas and opinions to add to the mix. Since we have been together our colour scheme has evolved to include apple green. I would never have picked that colour myself but I wanted to make sure to honor Mr. D's request so apple green it was. <br />
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The time I have for decorating and all of that fun stuff is pretty limited and things just work best during little D's nap time or bedtime. I started by shopping in my closet picking any container that might hold ornaments or other decorative items. Here's what I came up with.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lAIY3mFInkg/Tr8p0sUTYDI/AAAAAAAAA4g/xFPoPbSoab8/s1600/tablescape+-+blank+slate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lAIY3mFInkg/Tr8p0sUTYDI/AAAAAAAAA4g/xFPoPbSoab8/s400/tablescape+-+blank+slate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are the supplies I gathered. I'm sure I won't use all of them but it's helpful to try different pieces as I go. The majority of glass containers are the same height so I'll show you a little trick I learned to help add some dimension.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8BAOwXeY6s/Tr8rYnltPxI/AAAAAAAAA4o/Ghv9Unc3s1Q/s1600/tablescape+-+items+gathered.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8BAOwXeY6s/Tr8rYnltPxI/AAAAAAAAA4o/Ghv9Unc3s1Q/s320/tablescape+-+items+gathered.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I found little bowls in my cupboard that I turned upside down, covered with white fabric (fabric napkins) and placed the glass containers on top which added dimension to the height.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L2vqFn3YJzE/Tr8u2rGl6iI/AAAAAAAAA4w/-qgqCMbXfHc/s1600/tablescape+-+bowls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L2vqFn3YJzE/Tr8u2rGl6iI/AAAAAAAAA4w/-qgqCMbXfHc/s400/tablescape+-+bowls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This year I chose to keep the colour scheme pretty tight so I picked my apple green and silver ornaments. I tried to add interest by picking different sized ornaments but that was only in the silver coloured ones. I think I'll work on adding to the apple green collection with some patterned ornaments and also trying to find different sizes. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8HHZdU7Bd1U/TsM7afmgh4I/AAAAAAAAA5k/1jc05jD4PCk/s1600/tablescape+-+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8HHZdU7Bd1U/TsM7afmgh4I/AAAAAAAAA5k/1jc05jD4PCk/s400/tablescape+-+done.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I tried to make sure that I did not put containers next to each other that were the same height so the bowls under the napkins came in really handy. I also tried to make sure I put the green ornaments in spots throughout the arrangement. That helps the eye to move all around the arrangement without getting stuck in one place. I also tried to remember to use odd numbers and ended up using three candles, three containers with green ornaments and three containers with silver ornaments. I would like to add some fake snow to some of the containers but I think I got rid of what I had so I'll need to pick some up. Until then have some fun shopping in your own closet and decorating your own tables. </div>
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Happy closet shopping!</div>
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" /></div>
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Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-8660046699342034312011-11-10T20:44:00.021-05:002011-11-12T15:28:59.818-05:00Friday Fabulous - It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas...Well, here we are. At the end of another week. I continue to marvel at how quickly each week seems to fly right on by. This post is not really related to decorating my home but it's too fun to resist! I can't wait for Christmas! It's my favourite holiday by FAR! Today marks day 1 of my holiday baking. I'm not sure if there will be more than day 1 but it's fun to plan.<br />
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First up - sugar cookies <br />
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the recipe - I'm not gonna lie, it's from a kid's cookbook, super easy and totally yummy<br />
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my favourite part - decorating and totally trying something new this year<br />
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Here is my favourite sugar cookie recipe (from Company's Coming - kids cooking)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBImx6KdE14/Tr7U8GORV9I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/ig5GV54wwec/s1600/sugar+cookie+ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBImx6KdE14/Tr7U8GORV9I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/ig5GV54wwec/s400/sugar+cookie+ingredients.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Ingredients<br />
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12 tbsp. butter<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
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21/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
11/2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
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Directions<br />
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1. place the first 4 ingredients into the bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth.<br />
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2. add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat on lowest speed just until moistened. <br />
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3. wrap dough in plastic wrap, place in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. **this step is critical as this dough is VERY sticky**<br />
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4. turn oven to 350'F, roll dough out on parchment paper and bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Cool cookies completely and decorate.<br />
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Here are some of my current inspirations from none other than <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/holidays">Martha Stewart</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U1ysB89cBIQ/Trx3sUIDMsI/AAAAAAAAA3E/fGVGAHKzZA0/s1600/special_gingrsnwflkes_xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U1ysB89cBIQ/Trx3sUIDMsI/AAAAAAAAA3E/fGVGAHKzZA0/s320/special_gingrsnwflkes_xl.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- love the simplicity of this beautiful snowflake</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These were some of my first inspirations</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EJrVMVPiHWI/Trx6njP-s8I/AAAAAAAAA3U/IMikqHRMQ6s/s1600/Marth+Stewart+Sugar+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EJrVMVPiHWI/Trx6njP-s8I/AAAAAAAAA3U/IMikqHRMQ6s/s1600/Marth+Stewart+Sugar+Cookies.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">so pretty</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4v70mTRrgPw/Trx7iIjOuwI/AAAAAAAAA3c/OfNxusTLRrk/s1600/mld105101_1209_xmas_cookie_xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4v70mTRrgPw/Trx7iIjOuwI/AAAAAAAAA3c/OfNxusTLRrk/s320/mld105101_1209_xmas_cookie_xl.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">colour is always fun</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>I just can't resist... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Happy Holidays!</span> (ok, so it's a little early but this only comes once a year so I'm going to make the most of it!)<br />
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ciao! <br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-61915079364253556982011-10-26T23:29:00.000-04:002011-10-26T23:29:09.554-04:00Dreaming of Befores, Afters and Dramatic TransformationsAren't before and after pictures so great? I always enjoy seeing a dramatic transformation and dreaming about how I could transform my own space. I truly wish I had more before and after photos for you of my own updating because that would mean that I was actually taking my plan from my mind's eye into reality. The thing is, I am working on it even if it doesn't look like it. I'm still plugging away at the living room updating things as I can. I'm not the kind of person who buys something just because it's cheap so it will take time for everything to come together. Right now I'm saving my pennies to buy two curtain rods, one for the window and one for the french doors. It's tempting to take the money I've already saved and spend it on a bunch of little decorative items or to buy cheap curtain rods that will bend and warp over time. The thing is, I know I wouldn't be happy with that and ultimately, curtains are going to change the vibe of our space. They will instantly make our living room feel warm, cozy and inviting. That's definitely what I want and I have to keep reminding myself of that. Stick.To.The.Plan. It's going to be so worth it in the end. <br />
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</div><div>I already have the curtains, which I picked up from Ikea months ago. They are plain white and while that will give a very crisp feel I would like to add a little interest. I'm toying with the idea of adding a wide band of patterned fabric either at the top or at the bottom of each curtain panel. The curtains also come with hidden tabs which may look great but I'm also toying with the idea of using curtain clips. As you can see, the plan is somewhat evolving and some of the particular details will come together as I go. Here are some possible ideas.</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">From West Elm (an older style that I don't think is available any more)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5aXo-o65L1s/TqjMgKWV3yI/AAAAAAAAA2s/95pI3OGgmUQ/s1600/s2xx8y2l-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5aXo-o65L1s/TqjMgKWV3yI/AAAAAAAAA2s/95pI3OGgmUQ/s1600/s2xx8y2l-200.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZtE4PYfXCE/TqjM6bsl_QI/AAAAAAAAA20/KeYB0ATn1Jk/s1600/img91m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZtE4PYfXCE/TqjM6bsl_QI/AAAAAAAAA20/KeYB0ATn1Jk/s320/img91m.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sorry, source unknown<br />
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from Decor pad - so beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-60F95d9XK5I/TqjNO_N6W4I/AAAAAAAAA28/PhrgXi44ivE/s1600/a24fc75d8425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-60F95d9XK5I/TqjNO_N6W4I/AAAAAAAAA28/PhrgXi44ivE/s320/a24fc75d8425.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm not sure if I'll go with all solid fabrics or try to bring in a fun pattern. At this point, I'm leaning toward the patterned fabric but we'll see how I feel when it comes time to actually make it happen. There you have it. That's where I'm at in the living room saga. I anticipate that I'll have the rest of the pennies needed to pick up those curtain rods very soon and then I really <i>will </i>have some before and after photos for you. Until then, happy decorating.</div><div><br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" /></div><div><br />
</div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-14032093691204987962011-10-25T19:42:00.001-04:002011-10-26T23:26:25.538-04:00Blog FavouritesThere are just so many great blogs out there and so little time! I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you. Why keep a good thing a secret right? Click on the logos to check out these blogs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/"><img border="0" height="62" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xPCZRD_WEqA/TqdBv0Z4WZI/AAAAAAAAA2U/aq9z2JFj768/s400/cropped-jdc-new-logo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Jones Design Company is a recent find for me and I was inspired right away. Check out her kids' rooms...so fun!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--PD5AWbpHoQ/TqdC8YUOGyI/AAAAAAAAA2c/0arhRTIpdpE/s1600/TDCbutton.gif" /></a></div>Thrifty Decor Chick was one of the first blogs I discovered. It's a great resource for DIY projects for the home. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.martawrites.com/"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wVDZrSYQmLU/TqdD1Uly6WI/AAAAAAAAA2k/Xz8SlL_4V1Y/s400/martawrites_header01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This was the first blog I ever read and I can't even tell you how inspired I was! I've never come across someone who loves different fonts as much as I do until Marta. She writes about her life, her work and design inspiration. You just need to check it out.<br />
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I stumbled across <a href="http://aintnomomjeans.typepad.com/">Ain't No Mom Jeans</a> one day as I sought inspiration for my sad and boring wardrobe. I was so excited to explore this blog and see that I wasn't the only mom struggling to redefine her style after having a sweet little one. I particularly thought the New Here? section was a great introduction to this blog by real moms for real moms!<br />
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<a href="http://blog.landofnod.com/honest-to-nod/">Honest to Nod</a> is the blog attached to the store Land of Nod. I haven't fully explored this blog yet since I only discovered it last night while window shopping on the Land of Nod site. There are some cute ideas for all things kid related - crafts, food, party ideas. I can tell right now that I'm going to <s>waste</s> spend a LOT of time here and I can't wait for their Christmas ideas to start popping up.<br />
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Well, those are just a smattering of the blogs I'm following right now. Do you have any favourites to share?<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-81724555036626150062011-10-24T18:12:00.001-04:002011-10-26T23:25:58.292-04:00Phew...2 weeks already?!I'm back after an impromptu two week break. Boy, life just keeps marching right along and it's crazy how quickly two weeks went by. I hadn't intended to put posting on hold for that long but life took over and, well, here we are. I've been going back and forth in my mind...keep going with fall decor or start on some fun Christmas projects. Back and forth I tell you! I actually didn't get my fall boxes out of the garage this year because, well, I'm not sure where they are. The garage isn't that big but all of the "stored" items are over in a huge pile and not that easy to access. Luckily, I had my husband put the Christmas boxes on the outside so we are ok there. PHEW! Crisis averted! I think I've moved on to working on Christmas projects actually because I know as the most wonderful season of all approaches I'll be just too busy. Here are a few things I'm thinking about working on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Z2m7nUzgVg/TqXet3BCCqI/AAAAAAAAA10/8VMdu7YvzcQ/s1600/DSC03426-738859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Z2m7nUzgVg/TqXet3BCCqI/AAAAAAAAA10/8VMdu7YvzcQ/s640/DSC03426-738859.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This super fun wreath was part of Starbuck's holiday 2008 display and I fell in LOVE with it then. I think I'd like to try to recreate it but with a little twist to make it work for my home. I'm not sure if I'll get to it this year but it is definitely on the list of things to do!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EzY72AyW4js/TqXgDT5WK-I/AAAAAAAAA18/b8rSvUovAKc/s1600/img88b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EzY72AyW4js/TqXgDT5WK-I/AAAAAAAAA18/b8rSvUovAKc/s320/img88b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These Potterybarn stockings are darling and I really love the velvet fabric. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1RvQX-p9rOk/TqXgPxpaZeI/AAAAAAAAA2E/kBZYhALo8ts/s1600/img42b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1RvQX-p9rOk/TqXgPxpaZeI/AAAAAAAAA2E/kBZYhALo8ts/s320/img42b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These Potterybarn knitted stockings are so adorable too! How to decide?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MOHvq44mvI/TqXhbX_CqMI/AAAAAAAAA2M/grTj9ikJ_Js/s1600/img18b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="563" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MOHvq44mvI/TqXhbX_CqMI/AAAAAAAAA2M/grTj9ikJ_Js/s640/img18b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This Potterybarn Kids advent calendar is one of the sweetest I've seen and would be so fun for little dude to use to count down the days. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It looks like I've got my work cut out for me! Maybe I should have started back in July! We'll see how much I can get done and perhaps some will have to wait for next year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" t8="true" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...one more thing... Are you working on anything for Christmas yet or am I the only one jumping the gun? </div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-21439920913670225212011-10-07T21:05:00.000-04:002011-10-07T21:05:06.138-04:00Friday Fabulous - Pinterest LoveI was a slow starter where Pinterest was concerned partly because I didn't just want to jump on every band wagon coming along and partly because I kept forgetting to check it out. About a month ago I decided to check it out and, well, it's my new favourite thing! I know, I know. That sounds like such a cliche. It's tempting to pin everything that strikes my fancy but I've decided to pin carefully - only those things that I LOVE LOVE! Yep, you read it. LOVE LOVE is reserved for things that are totally amazing! My sister and I started using this term while shopping and asking each other if we LOVE LOVEd the particular item enough to buy it. My boards are developing slowly and I'm enjoying seeing what my friends are interested in. I'm being inspired in so many new ways! Here are a few of my favourite pins from this week. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">from ithinksew.com</span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">from confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-083ZzFI0HGA/To-eTdmfx-I/AAAAAAAAA1o/yIIfyRPs4FU/s1600/273240763_YuyTMv4M_c-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-083ZzFI0HGA/To-eTdmfx-I/AAAAAAAAA1o/yIIfyRPs4FU/s640/273240763_YuyTMv4M_c-1.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">from madebygirl.blogspot.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bdpjMs9w560/To-e-FOMoXI/AAAAAAAAA1s/NSRSOF07nIw/s1600/272299238_C33Hd5FI_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bdpjMs9w560/To-e-FOMoXI/AAAAAAAAA1s/NSRSOF07nIw/s640/272299238_C33Hd5FI_c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> from polyvore.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oXCcOdGuJ98/To-fy8J7HBI/AAAAAAAAA1w/Eocr2EhvWzs/s1600/254545898_HPy8bl4i_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oXCcOdGuJ98/To-fy8J7HBI/AAAAAAAAA1w/Eocr2EhvWzs/s400/254545898_HPy8bl4i_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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There you have it. Just a few pins from this week. Um...I think I'm going to go hunting for more great things to pin! Happy pinning everyone.<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-33619574581278886222011-10-05T19:28:00.000-04:002011-10-05T19:28:51.306-04:00Fall Decorating - front door dreamingThere's just something fun about decorating for the seasons and holidays. I guess the appeal is a carry over from when I was teaching and we marked many milestones by special events. I must admit that my fall decorating has taken a bit of a back seat this year but that hasn't stopped me from checking out some fun ideas. In an ideal world my front door would be dressed right up. Since this is not ideal, I thought I'd show you a sweet idea I came across last year. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYxQPwnQXAs/ToUWht7o5-I/AAAAAAAAA0k/NO8bRLyUu1I/s1600/renee_finished_product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYxQPwnQXAs/ToUWht7o5-I/AAAAAAAAA0k/NO8bRLyUu1I/s320/renee_finished_product.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/category/holidays_and_seasons/P45/">source</a></td></tr>
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I saw this picture on a blog last fall and thought it was quite darling. I'm always a sucker for black urns and pair those with a black door and I'm in a little bit of heaven. The monogrammed door mat is a great finishing touch. Click <a href="http://www.girltalkhome.com/files/renee.pdf">here</a> for instructions on how to put together these great pumpkin topiaries. <br />
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How is your fall decorating coming?<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-16422246143076169602011-10-03T16:36:00.002-04:002011-10-03T16:37:46.506-04:00Living Room Make-OverLiving room Status Update:<br />
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For the last few months I've been focusing my attention on adding a more personal touch to my living room. It's the room we spend most of our time in watching movies, playing with little dude, watching t.v., folding laundry, and storing things that have no other home. The whole storing things with no home in the living room is not going to continue...eventually everything will have a home (or at least I keep telling myself that). I really want my living room to be comfortable, uncluttered and to feel pulled together. Due to budget constraints we will be keeping the key pieces of furniture in the room and I'm kind of excited about that. It means I get to put my creative juices to work to figure out how to make them work and to look fabulous. Eventually, the plan is to ditch the massive corner t.v. cabinet and replace the whole thing with a wall-mounted flat screen t.v. That will give me so many more options for arranging the furniture because it isn't dictated by the t.v. in the corner. Until then, this is what we've got to work with and I think it will work out great.<br />
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When I start to think about a decorating project I usually like to take stock of what I've got to work with before I get started. This way, I can start crossing things off my list right away and I can also see where I'm going to need to focus my resources. Here's what's going on in my living room.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-liOrpvDPHFA/TooZna7NtmI/AAAAAAAAA1U/xvsaAbStVRw/s1600/couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-liOrpvDPHFA/TooZna7NtmI/AAAAAAAAA1U/xvsaAbStVRw/s320/couch.jpg" width="320" /></a>This couch doesn't look like much but it's so comfy. We don't have the money to replace them so we are happy to use them. I think eventually I'd like to make slip covers for them but that may be later on down the road. <br />
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Furniture & accessories in the room:<br />
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- two really comfy brown chenille couches<br />
- 8 throw pillows (that came with the couches but are losing their fluff)<br />
- 1 upholstered rectangular ottoman in desperate need of recovering<br />
- 1 piano<br />
- 1 book shelf<br />
- 1 giant buffet/storage piece<br />
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Lighting:<br />
- it's pretty HORRIBLE and dark - YUCK!<br />
- 1 ugly ceiling fan with lights<br />
- 1 table lamp complete with yellowed shade<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3cpX0lpGSi0/ToobzR11wvI/AAAAAAAAA1c/SceWWGByNik/s1600/bookshelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3cpX0lpGSi0/ToobzR11wvI/AAAAAAAAA1c/SceWWGByNik/s320/bookshelf.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8rMC0lIISQY/ToobIPy8QiI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/8PBf4FIOkBI/s1600/dvd+storage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8rMC0lIISQY/ToobIPy8QiI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/8PBf4FIOkBI/s320/dvd+storage.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">We need storage help!</div><br />
Other Challenges:<br />
- the living room is a walk-through to get from one side of the house to the other so there needs to be a clear path<br />
- the lighting is HORRIBLE...did I already mention that?!<br />
- we would like to have as much seating as possible<br />
- zero storage (except for the buffet but that holds all of my dining room type stuff)<br />
- all of the wood furniture, wait, ALL of the furniture is dark. Add that to a dark room and sometimes my living room feels like a cave. I'd like it to feel more like an open oasis.<br />
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So there you have it - the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm not really sure how this is going to work out but I'm excited to put my creativity to work for us and to make our dream a reality.<br />
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<br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-32908557986385179522011-09-28T21:52:00.007-04:002011-09-29T07:17:16.236-04:00Fall Crafts - pumpkins everywhereThere are so many fun crafts for fall out there. I scoured the internet to find some really great craft ideas and came up with these three.<br />
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Here's a cute but really simple craft from <a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011/09/glittered-interchangeable-brooches-and.html">Tatertots & Jello</a>. The glitter is such an unexpected twist and the ribbon adds a sweet touch. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iYMCM4LK_v4/ToPJu_YQA2I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/GrnOY5FagAs/s1600/three+pumpkins+on+cake+stands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iYMCM4LK_v4/ToPJu_YQA2I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/GrnOY5FagAs/s320/three+pumpkins+on+cake+stands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These yarn-wrapped pumpkins are darling from <a href="http://twoshadesofpink.blogspot.com/2011/09/yarn-wrapped-gourds-pumpkins.html">Two Shades of Pink</a>! I think I've definitely got to try these!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl3CaDzPEAA/ToPKw7LhcpI/AAAAAAAAA0c/PhIAu-RnaPM/s1600/september+2011+562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl3CaDzPEAA/ToPKw7LhcpI/AAAAAAAAA0c/PhIAu-RnaPM/s320/september+2011+562.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These Missoni-inspired pumpkins are so chic. Check them out <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/JaimeeRose/143305">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cKi1am-uZA/ToPL8QCeyCI/AAAAAAAAA0g/D5FGr-zbZdM/s1600/251292804_g0huXxPJ_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cKi1am-uZA/ToPL8QCeyCI/AAAAAAAAA0g/D5FGr-zbZdM/s320/251292804_g0huXxPJ_c.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These cuties are so inspiring...now to find the time! Happy crafting everyone!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" /></div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6255861760560674666.post-72274739084606973652011-09-23T22:42:00.001-04:002011-09-23T22:47:35.711-04:0010 things - Fall Inspiration<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wGK9Hkycbe8/Tn1Ed7ROKEI/AAAAAAAAA0U/UyksLnGEREE/s1600/230010043_2iTYbB5S_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wGK9Hkycbe8/Tn1Ed7ROKEI/AAAAAAAAA0U/UyksLnGEREE/s320/230010043_2iTYbB5S_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pumpkins courtesy <a href="http://theletteredcottage.net/decorating-with-pumpkins">The Lettered Cottage</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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It's been a while...10 things - inspired by fall<br />
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1. cool evenings that beg for warm drinks - hello chai tea, I've missed you!<br />
2. cozy down blankets<br />
3. Thanksgiving Canadian-style just around the corner<br />
4. pumpkin pie<br />
5. tall boots<br />
6. leaves changing colour<br />
7. apple-scented candles<br />
8. decorating with pine cones and branches<br />
9. chili with sour cream and shredded cheese<br />
10. comfy sweaters<br />
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Happy first day of Fall everyone! <br />
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...one more thing...what do you enjoy most about fall?<br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7tqwFIe-P0/TepVt9x1ofI/AAAAAAAAAv0/LmFhmtJg2Z4/s1600/signature-yes.png" style="cursor: move;" t8="true" />Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09288801693185392704noreply@blogger.com1