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Reverse Painted Glass Table

One of my favourite things this time of year is the colour forecasts that come out. I’m surprised at how often I don’t particularly like a featured “colour of the year,” and then somehow it inevitably starts growing on me. It’s like those forecasters seem to know what I want before I do!

Recently, Home Hardware unveiled their Beauti-Tone colour of the year – You Look Mauve-lous. I think I decided I liked it as soon as I heard the name! It’s a gorgeous shade of mauve that’s been infused with grey tones. And as I learned some time ago – any colour with grey tones is surprisingly easy to integrate into your home. This mauve is no exception.

My home is an eclectic mix of whatever I have fallen in love with over the years. It’s a mish mash of thrift store finds, souvenirs I dragged back from holidays, and the odd higher-quality piece. Somehow it all seems to (more…)

Dec 22, 2016 | Categories: home | Tags: dining, paint, reverse-painted, table | Leave A Comment »

Best of #12MonthsOfDIY

I hope you have enjoyed the projects coming out of my #12MonthsOfDIY crafting challenge group. I’ve really felt privileged to work with these inspiring, creative, amazing women. These are all women with unique experiences and perspectives and talents, and I loved watching them mix it all together to create something beautiful for us to enjoy.

I didn’t know most of them when I started, and I think many of the other women were in the same boat. We had only connected virtually. But guess what? Everyone was lovely. And supportive of each other. And kind, and positive, and helpful. And willing to share information. We all learned from each other. What’s the big moral of the story here? This is what women can do for each other. This is the potential we have if we just put ourselves out there a little, and offer our best selves to each other. Even to strangers! It’s this sort of attitude that can make cool things happen.

How did this all start? One person had an idea, and went with it. It was Christina from The DIY Mommy who (more…)

Dec 21, 2016 | Categories: home | Tags: 12MonthsofDIY, bloggers, craft, decor, design bloggers, diy | 10 Comments »

Mrs. Meyer’s and Me (and a #Giveaway)

Growing up, I dreaded “Clean Day.” This was always Saturday in my home, and even at a young age I was expected to help out. Definitely not my favourite day of the week! At that age, I didn’t really appreciate how nice it was to live in a home that was well taken care of.

When I first moved out, I tried to stick to a weekly cleaning schedule. It was fairly manageable in the early years when I lived in a small rental apartment or in my first home, a tiny bungalow. Once the kids came and life got more complicated, the weekly cleaning plan flew out the window. In order to keep up, I had to fit the cleaning chores in when I could.

These days, life is still a little complicated and I try to keep up as best I can. Although I LOVE it when the whole house is clean, I can’t say I enjoy the process very much. So when Mrs. Meyer’s contacted me about trying out some of their cleaning products, I jumped at the chance. Cute vintage-style bottles filled with plant-derived ingredients and essential oils? Sign me up! As Mrs. Meyer herself says, (more…)

Dec 18, 2016 | Categories: home, reviews | Tags: cleaning, essential oils, giveaway, green, laundry, Mrs. Meyer's | 61 Comments »

DIY Yarn Wall Hanging

Have you enjoyed my #12MonthsofDIY posts? It’s been super fun partnering with a talented group of blogger friends to bring you some new DIY projects, all the while getting to explore new materials. It started with felt and my DIY Felt Notebook Covers, then I used vinyl in August to make my DIY Striped Carafe. Next up was faux florals in my DIY Ribbon Tassle Garland project. In October the group played with ribbon and I made a DIY Ribbon Tassle Garland for my daughter’s dorm. And last month I used paper to make a Quilled Paper Snowflake.

Have you ever collaborated with a group of friends, or even (more…)

Dec 07, 2016 | Categories: Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

Quilled Paper Snowflake

Or flower. It could be a flower, right? If you’re not quite ready to think about the holidays, or the coming winter weather, you can think “flower” every time you read snowflake in this post!

Whichever way you go, this is a sweet little craft that even a beginner can do in no time. I know that because this is my first attempt, and I did it absentmindedly while watching TV with the hubby. Basically paper quilling involves using simple tools to roll and shape paper into elaborate designs. Quilling enthusiasts can create breathtaking works of art. But this little project is a super simple version that anyone can create the first time out.