Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

YEAR IN REVIEW : 2017


I want to start by saying that looking back at this year I'm not really sure where it even went! Time is such a thief, and I can't believe that 2018 will be here this coming Monday and that I have been writing pieces of my life on this blog going on four years! Sometimes I am more active than others, but I love looking back and seeing where I was at during my marriage. Before I started writing this entry I went back and read my previous year in review posts and I couldn't help but smile during it all.

Sometimes it doesn't feel like we are progressing and that we are just staying in the same spot, but the good thing about documenting pieces of your life is that you are able to look back and see you were moving in a direction and things were changing even if it didn't seem like it at the time.

I really wanted to take the time to think about where I see myself this time next year, I have always been a goal oriented person, and I make goals for myself throughout not just for New Years. However, if I'm thinking about a bigger picture than New Years felt like the right time to really reflect and prepare myself to make changes for what is to come.

Last year I didn't really write about what I wanted to do and achieve, I mostly just reflected on the good things that happened and vowed to myself to be more present throughout my life. At that time I was really not thinking about myself and what I wanted, I was still a new mom and every moment of my day depended on Everly. I still live my days for my daughter don't get me wrong, but now that she is older and more independent I think I need to start looking after myself a bit more and figuring out what I would really like to do.

1. Hobby wise one thing I have always wanted to learn but never took the time was knitting (it is no secret I'm an 80 year old woman). This is something that I want to learn this year for sure, I want to take a class and really take the time to learn this skill. I was able to teach myself crochet this year and even though I haven't been able to do anything crazy, I have been able to relax and unwind with a crochet hook and some yarn.

2. I really want to focus more on my career and my workplace. Now that I have been back from maternity leave for almost five months now I really would like to explore more of the skills and techniques used in my day to day job, and just overall put the effort into moving forward.

3. I hate writing about this in a resolutions post but I will be getting back into the ketogenic lifestyle. It did wonders for me when I started in the summer and with all the craziness of going back to work and being on the road more I let it slip. However, I have invested in some cookbooks and started following some accounts for inspiration and help and I really think I can get back into it again.


4. My marriage really got thrown through the ringer this year. We had lots of challenges and at some points I truly didn't think we would make it through. However we were able to stick it out together and fight for each other and we are doing so much better. As wonderful as it is being new parents, it came with a whole set of challenges and we are learning everyday to work through them as a team instead of alone. I want to continue to have that understanding and work at strengthening our marriage further. 

5. Lastly, this little space on the internet here. It will always hold a special place in my heart because some of my hopes, dreams, fears, and uncertainty's are on here. I never regret being open and honest, I like that I am able to look back and know that there are parts of my life that are raw and unfiltered. You may not have noticed a new name for my blog and a new look. I also am hoping to finally get rid of the .blogspot part and get my own domain.

The last few months of 2017 I really started investing in myself and my mental health. I didn't realize how far gone I was until I really started looking in the mirror and not being able to recognize myself. I have slowly been trying to fix that, and I am really happy with where it is going. I have been able to pull back from the things that used to get to me or drag me to a negative space. This includes events and also people, it is always interesting to see how toxic people can be in your life and using the techniques I'm learning I have found that in order for me to continue to have a healthy head space, I need to withdraw from people who are consistently negative and revisit them later. 

2017 was a great year despite all the challenges, I loved celebrating our daughter's first birthday and growing closer to family and friends. I am excited and hopeful for 2018 and everything it holds for myself and my family. I truly hope everyone out there has a safe and happy 2018!
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WEEKEND DIY AND FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY



One thing I love about all the experience I have with working at early learning centres, working with children, and going to school to study education is all the ideas and creative outlets I have brought with me. This weekend I decided to practice some fine motor skills with Everly and make Christmas ornaments. 

I was surprised with how stocked our local dollar store was and decided to grab as much as I could while they had all the supplies. We used pom poms with different textures and colours, bells, confetti, and some fake snow. I basically set out the different items and let her fill each ball to her liking. It was so cute to see her grab each item, I made sure I supervised her heavily because like most toddlers she has an obsession with putting everything in her mouth. 

I think overall what shocked me the most was the fact that she actually sat there and made three different ones. Being able to hold her attention for that long was a miracle all in itself. 

Each ornament is like a snowflake, no two are the same and that's what I love the most! She made each one herself and we still have some more left over. We kept some for her "playroom tree," and we plan on giving away a few as gifts to family. 

This was such a fun way to start spreading holiday cheer in our house and shape up her fine motor skills. The educator and DIYer in me was smiling the entire time :) 


If you are looking for a fun and inexpensive activity to do with your kids that is fun and helpful to them, I would definitely recommend this one!
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PLAYHOUSE GOALS : SUMMER DIY


At the beginning of the summer, maybe even the spring I made it my mission to search for a playhouse that needed a little extra love. Going into it I thought it would be easy to find, but little did I know the hunt was long and when I did find a listing it often felt like the hunger games fighting to see who actually ends up with it. I had no idea these were in such high demand, and they resold for quite a bit of money. I saw some going for $80+.

I had pretty much given up my search when I stumbled upon this listing in my community buy and sell page and I almost had a heart attack, I saw it was listed for $20 which was a steal, but I also saw it was posted 6 hours ago so I figured it had already been swept up. As I scrolled I found out that it was still available so I did not waste any time, I got Kyle to take his dad's truck down to the house and load it up! I was so excited to start this little project because it was in perfect shape to do so. There was sun damage so it wouldn't be hard to cover it up with fresh paint.

I borrowed a power washer and cleaned it off the first night and let it dry over night. The next day I went to Home Depot and got some outdoor spray paint that is meant for plastic. I got all matte shades, except for mint because they only had it in gloss finish. Funny thing and important to note if anyone wants to attempt this project, you don't see any mint here and that's because gloss does.not.work at all for this. It did not coat the door well and it dried streaky and gross. So I went with this magenta colour instead and I like the pop of colour it brings to the playhouse.

I pinned a lot of ideas on Pinterest and that helped going into it. I had read a few other posts people did and they said it took them cans and cans of paint. For mine, I only used 3 cans for the walls, 2 cans for the roof, and one can for the pop of colour (I still have tons of this magenta colour left).

All in all I LOVE how this turned out, I am so excited for next summer for Everly to play and enjoy it. I want to buy some accessories for her like food and such so she can really use her imagination. Am I a completely "extra" parent for doing this? For sure. BUT doing stuff like this is what makes me happy, it is no secret I love DIY's and creating, this is just another way to channel that but for Everly's benefit :) 

This project cost me $20 to buy the house, and $50 to paint it, which I think is pretty great. Since used these go for a lot more, and new they are $150-$200 to start! Above is the before picture, and here is the after! I think it looks much more sophisticated and modern, and less in your face with colours. At first Kyle thought I was crazy, but once he saw it all come together he thought it was a really fun and inexpensive way to take something and make it new again.



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GO BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS


These last two months I have found that I have really pushed myself past what I thought I could do, or something I doubted myself doing at all. At the end of May I got a tattoo, and if you know me at all this is something I had always wanted to do but never thought I could do. After I got it done I sat and couldn't believe I did it! It is amazing what you can accomplish by simply going for it and stop doubting your strength.

Tonight I finally finished and launched something I have debated doing for years now and that is creating an etsy shop! I had always doubted my ability to do this and tonight I finally decided to just push those doubts aside and go for it. 

Right now my little shop only has two items but that is okay! I plan on adding more once I finish making the sample and can photograph them. I love making these little Cross Stitch portraits, there is something so therapeutic about sitting and creating something from a memory. 

Even if I don't ever make a sale, at least I was able to prove to myself I could open a shop and start something. To me that is what it is all about, and I will continue to go beyond what I think is possible because the joy I get from proving myself wrong is truly something else. 

If you would like to check it out, please click here, I would love the support :) 
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SMALL SHOP LOVE : JUJU AND JAKE


I haven't done one of these in a while and I have a list of small shops I want to feature so I really need to make an effort to do this more! This weekend I wanted to take a second to give Juju and Jake a little love. I have no idea how I found this shop but I am so glad I did, the mom behind this small shop creates these beautiful braided crib bumpers. She also makes knotted pillows as well! 

I was so excited when we received this package because crib bumpers are a tricky item, you want to be able to protect those middle of the night blows to the crib. At the time Everly was a pretty motionless sleeper, I originally got this because she kept throwing her pacifier down the back of her crib. It worked perfectly to stop this, however I have noticed now that she moves a LOT during the night, and I will probably need to order another side to complete the crib. 

The bumper itself is pretty squish and soft, and it can be used for tons of other things as well. She offers different sizing on her etsy shop which can be found here. Another item on my list to grab soon are one of her knotted pillows! I saw these all over in Australia when I was pregnant but the shipping was too much to justify. I love that Agnes is located in Toronto, so I am supporting local and the shipping is so much more reasonable!

If anyone is in the market for something unique but practical for their little one I highly recommend checking Agnes out!


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SATURDAY SMALL SHOP LOVE


The Donut Shop

I am a firm believer in shopping small, ever since I went to a local children's boutique where my parents live and saw some amazing local makers I was a goner. I love supporting mama businesses whether it is local or through Etsy. On Saturday's I want to make an effort to share a small shop I love or have just recently discovered. I love knowing my money is going towards a family rather than a big cooperation. 

First one I would like to share is a shop that I share on the regular which is The Donut Shop. Pictured above is Everly wearing one of their Christmas bows for our family photos. When I bought my first blanket I was hooked, the quality is absolutely amazing and I have been in love ever since. They also make loveys, bibs, and bows , and Everly has ended up with a little of everything they sell. I am also proud to say that I have gotten a few others hooked on them as well! Kyle may have cut me off for blankets but I keep coming back to purchase blankets for family members and friends who are expecting. We use them almost everyday! Traveling is perfect with them because they are a great size for the stroller or carseat but we have used them for photo backdrops, tummy time, playmats outside, even a cart cover when I have forgotten mine at home.

The first one I bought for Everly was the Woodland Buddies blanket pictured below (also, HOW SMALL WAS MY BABY!) They have a couple of this print left because it was one of their best sellers, and they also have it in bow form (which Everly has), and lovey form (which Everly also has, it's a serious problem I'll admit it). I love their vintage prints for us personally, and I love that they update their stock all the time (it's blessing and a curse). 

If you are in the market for a baby shower gift I seriously recommend them and Courtney is wonderful to work with! If there is a print you like but would like to customize the minky underneath she is more than happy to work with you! 

The link to their Etsy shop is here but if there is something you would like and would like to skip the shipping fee let me know! I can pick it up when I visit my parents and deliver it right to you!




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WEEKEND PROJECTS


One thing I have noticed about having a baby is that it feels like your house shrinks down to nothing and you are left with one corner of your house to make room for a ton a baby stuff. As frustrated as I have been in the past with the size of our home, I have changed my outlook and have become obsessed with finding ways to utilize our space as best we can, and of course Pinterest is my biggest inspiration for that. This weekend I kind of went into overdrive and enlisted my husband for his muscles but also for his building expertise.

I could get lost for hours looking at Pinterest, and when I need DIY inspiration or anything home decor related Pinterest has never failed me - this time is no different. I first wanted to better utilize and spruce up our entry way, so I looked for ways to create a makeshift mudroom in a small space. I found a ton of different pins and tutorials, and ended up putting out own spin on a coat hook using this website. We ended up making this for about $25 which is a total bargain! The most expensive thing was the hooks we needed. I love how it turned out, and I love that we created a shelf to display some wooden signs. The whole thing added something completely different to our entry way and we took a wall that we didn't use at all and made it functional for our family.


The next thing I wanted to do was designate a space for Everly as she grows, so she can have a little "playroom" without having a whole room dedicated to that. There are still a few things I need to add to the space, and I want to maybe make a gallery wall above the shelf, but overall I think this turned out great. We were able to declutter a space in our home and make it useful. I know once Everly can crawl and interact with toys more she will be using this space a TON! It also works great because it is in a corner of our living room so if I am in the kitchen I can see her safely and not wonder what she is getting into. I took inspiration from this post and ran with it.

Every year around this time I get the declutter bug and I'm not sure if it is because I'm home more in the winter and I can pick out flaws in our space or I just get sick of looking at stuff we don't use but either way I'm happy I have turned two places in our home to be functional and also places that everyone can enjoy! 
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NURSERY INSPIRATION

my favourite part of her room so far

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew the nursery was going to be a labour of love until the baby got here. I think I changed the theme of the nursery about a hundred times, I am an indecisive person ha. At first I wanted a "vintage" looking nursery, but the more pieces I found, the more the room kind of looked like a dumping ground. That's the tricky part with vintage rooms, if you do it just right it is perfection, but if you go overboard like I did then it just looks like a giant garage sale. 

My second idea was a gender neutral woodland themed nursery, I thought it would be perfect because no matter what gender we had after this baby we could use the same elements for their nursery. I put together a private Pinterest board and this photo was what inspired me to get started:


It incorporated all the things I wanted in a nursery and a lot of the same furniture. HOWEVER (are you getting an idea of how I'm indecisive) once we found out the gender, the game changed. To be honest I thought I was having a boy, and when I found out Everly was a girl I thought this is my chance to really do the nursery I wanted. My mom had purchased this quilt from etsy and it was the base of the entire room. I loved how whimsical and girly it was, and the colours made me swoon. I went back to the drawing board (Pinterest of course) and started pulling inspiration. 




I loved how I could still incorporate some of the vintage items into her room and keeping the colour scheme. I wanted pink and mint with pops of gold, and even though we are still working on some things and waiting on a few items to finish the room, I am so happy with how it is turning out so far. It truly has been a labour of love and once it is all finished there will be a reveal post. I couldn't help but post a few photos on Instagram, but once everything is set there will be a more detailed post. 
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WINTER IS NEVERENDING


Winter always seems to be the season that goes on forever - even though we have been pretty lucky snow wise this year, I am ready for spring! Mostly because we have a list a mile long of stuff we have  to clean and get rid of, and renos to start! So far though I can't complain about these last few months, my best friend welcomed her baby boy at the end of January, my other friend is due any day now, and I have been crafting like it is my job (can it be?!). 

Keeping busy helps get through these last remaining weeks of winter, I am patiently waiting for March to come and the snow to start melting. 


I have been making a bunch of these letters for friends and family members, this one was done with vintage book pages and I love the look and the way it turned out! I also loved repurposing an old book and giving it a new home!

I hope all of you have been keeping busy during this blah time of year! Hopefully spring is right around the corner :)



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DIY VS. STORE BOUGHT GIFTS



Up until this year, DIY's were not something I even ventured into. I never thought that I was even very good at it, and most of the time if I did try I butchered everything I tried. Then, we decided to get married, and our budget was small so I knew there was going to be a lot of things that needed to be done myself. After that, a DIYer was born! Now I try and do something once a week, I love making things that we can use around the house, or something to spice up the wall or room in our home. 

With that being said, I tried to do a DIY for every gift we bought this year. I am so proud of all the DIY's I did, and I hope the people receiving them love them just as much as I do. Today I wanted to talk about my thoughts on DIY gifts vs. store bought ones! 

DIY: I recommend this path if your budget is not very big. There is no shame in stalking Pinterest and then hitting up a craft store or Wal-Mart to make a gift. Me personally, I think DIY gifts are so much more valuable than a store bought gift. I know that when I get a DIY gift the person worked really hard on it and I think it just adds a uniqueness to any space you put it in! Pinterest has the best ideas, and you can find pretty much anything you are looking for if you put it in the search bar. Every single DIY I made as a gift I found there, and I pinned some of my favourites for the future!

STORE BOUGHT: If you find yourself short on time and want to just pick something up then store bought is the way to go. I think that if you want a guarantee that the person will like something, grab it from their list. However, with that being said, there is also not much of a surprise to it Christmas day. For example, I pretty much know that Kyle goes right off my list, so anything I put on it I know I will be getting for Christmas. Where as I like to think outside the box, get him things he would not expect. It is a gamble, but I think it is just so much more fun to do it that way. 

If I had to choose, DIY would be the way to go. The possibilities are endless, and it really is so much fun to see the end product. Next year, I would love to do a DIY gift exchange with someone because I think that everyone has different levels of creativity, and it would be lovely to see what everyone comes up with.

Happy Holidays!

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DIY: YARN ART


Today's DIY came from seeing photos like this on Pinterest, and watching this video a few months ago. I love the way these look, and it kind of goes with our house theme, so using the yarn I already had I thought I would give it a try! 

What you will need:

01. Yarn (as many colours as you want)
02. A stick or dowel to attach everything
03. Scissors


I had this type of ombre yarn lying around for forever, so I thought I could somehow use it to my advantage. All you have to do is cut your yarn to your desired length (keep in mind that you will be folding the yarn in half so make sure it isn't too short!)


Once you have all of your string cut, it's time to arrange them on your stick! To attach them to the stick all you have to do is fold in half and loop inside, and pull. Refer to the video link to see it done in person, explaining it through text can be kind of tricky.


Once it is all done, it will look something like this! I kind of like the way it turned out, the ombre yarn worked to my advantage! Since our colour scheme in our bathroom is blue and grey, and we had a wall there that I had no idea what to put on there, I decided to hang this wall yarn art there for the time being. I think it brings a rustic element to our washroom, we have rustic pieces all throughout our house. I love the look of it over a crib like the video displayed, if you bought Christmas colours it would be a nice added decoration for the holidays, or even a playroom if you want to buy crazy colours! Happy DIYing!





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DIY: CHRISTMAS BULBS


I have seen this photo all over Pinterest, it is a cute way to preserve your wedding bouquet, turn it into a Christmas ornament! I had some spare plastic bulbs that I wasn't sure what to do with, and I had my wedding bouquet dried out in the closet so I thought I would recreate this photo and put my own spin on it! If you want to play around with plastic bulbs it's seriously addicting, I have a few on my tree that have our engagement photos inside, one with Bentley inside, as well as a wedding one! It is a cute way to have memories on your tree. I got a pack of 4 empty bulbs at Wal-Mart for $4, I have also seen them at Michaels too! Half the fun is finding out what you want to put inside, these could make cute gifts as well if you really want to be creative! 

Here is how mine turned out: 




I had sunflowers as my bouquet, and I also put some of the burlap that was around it, and some greenery as well. I topped it off with some gold glitter because why not?! Everything needs a little glitter! I think I might change out the ribbon for blue and yellow, since those were our wedding colours, but red was the only thing I had! This DIY took about 10 minutes in total, and was just a fun little extra to add to the tree and remember for years to come :) 






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NAIL COMBO

Ever since I have stopped biting my nails, my nail polish collection has grown quite a bit. Even though I have lots to choose from, I always tend to gravitate towards my favourite nail combination.


Over the summer I grabbed the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel and was really quite surprised with the results! It feels like a gel nail, and lasts so much longer than regular polish. I got the colour "Birthday Suit" and it is the perfect nude and goes with absolutely everything and is good for every season! I love pairing it with the Revlon silver glitter polish, I love having an accent nail whenever I can, and these two together make me happy! I love it so much that it was actually the nail combination I had on my wedding day :)


What's your go to nail combo? 

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DIY : DEER HEAD

This is a DIY I have had in my mind forever! I have seen photos like this online:


And I absolutely LOVE the look of it! Except, my budget can't justify spending $90+ on something that will just sit on my wall. With that being said, yesterday I took a trip over to Michaels and searched for my next craft idea. I found a paper mache deer head in the Christmas section, so I decided to take it home with me and have a little fun. If you want to recreate this, all you will need is:

01. Paper Mache deer head
02. White paint
03. Mod Podge 
04. Gold glitter (or any colour of glitter you would prefer)
05. Paint brushes 
06. Finishing spray

Unfortunately, I thought this would be a good blog post AFTER I completed the DIY. But, it is really quite easy to do! I just painted the head white and let it dry, Mod Podged the antlers and sprinkled gold glitter on them, let that dry and shook off any remaining glitter. After the whole thing was dry I took the finishing spray and did a generous coat on the whole thing, this just prevents the glitter from falling everywhere. And there you have it! Your very own deer head at the fraction of the cost! In total, I spent $30 on this DIY! 

Here is the finished product!


I am so happy with it, it turned out exactly like I had hoped, and once our office is done it is going to hang in there :) 




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