A day of freedom!

Hi everyone.

I hope your week is off to a good start.

Last Thursday I took a day off from work at the last minute and it was nothing short of fantastic. 

My friend Joanne came along for the day with me that started at Home Sense where I was stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted 2 of these incredible lamps. 

Just thrilled with my find, I immediately put a hold on them until the end of the day and off we went to our next shopping destination.

Grey and blue as you may have guessed is my favourite colour combination so I was sure this time of my choice.

If you recall, I purchased these two of these lamps also from Home Sense a while back and something was telling me that they weren't quite right for these rooms and  since I kept my receipt and all the price tags it was easy to return them for a credit.

Then we headed down the highway to the nearest Ikea about 30 minutes to while away the rest of the day. I found these great faux shells and beach bits and sticks that look great in some containers I already had stashed away. Yes, I know, I need a picture in my frame still.

  We had such a great time checking all the latest and greatest out but the main reason of the visit was for me to pick up two more Henriksdal slipcovered chairs for our dining room and I think they look fabulous around our antique empire table. One thing of note though, they reduced the price but they also reduced the quality of the slipcover which is disappointing, don't make out like you are saving us money if you are reducing the quality. Boo on you Ikea.

Of course the room is still in progress and this past weekend I did get another coat of paint on the walls, ceiling and crown molding in the stifling heat yet again.

I still have to paint my sideboard which will go against this empty wall opposite the fireplace and I know the lamps will look so pretty there. We took the chandy down so I could paint the ceiling and I have another coat to do before it goes back up.

I love this wall colour because it looks incredible no matter what the lighting is.

and I am pleasantly surprised how this free chandelier looks so perfect in here.

I still have much painting of trims and furniture to do but I will get there, slowly but surely.

and last but not least, how exciting is this, Todd has started on the built-ins I designed for either side of the sofa. Of course that means more painting for me!

Hope the rest of the week is full of sunshine and good times for you.

Painting on the hottest day, light and tile of dreams

I really did choose the wrong weekend to do my painting. Last weekend when the weather was just perfect temperature and humidity wise, we packed up the cooler and  took a nice little day trip to  Awenda Provincial park to take Emma to a dog beach that is there. 

Here she is as the filling in a black and tan sand which!

 She had a blast and so did we. 

But today I think the temperature hit 36 degrees and it was more like 40 with the humidity. 

We don't have air conditioning on our main level so I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to get at least a coat of paint on the dining room walls but I am soooooo glad I did.

I even convinced Todd to do his thing and move the chandelier from the front hall.

This chandelier was in the living room when we bought our home and when we moved it to the hall, we had to shorten the chain so you could walk under it. We safely put the extra chain away, somewhere, and guess what? Now we can't find it. So it is hanging a little higher than I want until I either find the chain or I find a place that sells antique chain to match.

Either way I just love how pretty it looks in here and the bonus is it fits our budget right now.

What I think I love the best though is how the original glass windows just

 pop surrounded by the sky blue.

We are still working on getting that dang fireplace put back in too. 

Soon, hopefully and I must get around to ordering the doors for the bottoms of the built-ins.

It's amazing now that both rooms are this lovely ethereal blue how much larger they look

and how right this feels for us. 

I'm also so happy that Todd loves it just as much as I do.

And now I am really so very very excited to share with you a little peak of what is my one time splurge, the light that I have dreamed of having for so long a Moravian star light that I treated myself to as a reward after a gruelling month at work a while back.

  Todd hung it in the front hall where the chandelier was and I am in heaven!

 It casts such a pretty pattern on the ceiling.

Of course, now that the living and dining room are my custom shade of blue, the Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue must go, so that will be the next project.

And lastly I must show you the most beautiful tile I have ever seen!!!

Earlier today after a vet appointment with Emma we stopped by Tilemaster in Aurora so I could check on some white glass tile for one of my customers who is elderly and unable to get around easily due to her ill husband and I think I almost fell over when I saw this incredible jade pebble floor tile.

Of course I would love to have this for our entire area of the front entry but at 60 square feet it will be too pricey so I will consider it as a border to a less expensive tile.

Don't you just love it!!!

Hope you have a great week!!!

Beachy decor and Mom's trade

Well folks, I have got to say that my good intentions of accomplishing anything last weekend were foiled by alternate plans of summer fun. The laundry list of things to do is huge but I don't think you can really understand that having missed out on so much in the past, makes it an easy choice to not be slugging away inside the house when the weather is as beautiful as it has been.   

Hence, the walls are not painted yet in the dining room but 

what I have been doing over the last while is starting to collect some coastal accessories to decorate our home with. After spending money on the bones of our home, there is not much left for decorating so finding affordable things that speak to me is important. I had some fun arranging them here on one side of our dining room built-ins for now.

Here is something I've never seen before, stunning sea barnacles in in
shades of purples, pinks and cream .

Mom and I found them when we visited the incredibly talented and proud new store owner
Michael Penny. If you ever get a chance you must visit him. His gorgeous store is called
Penney and Co.
located in downtown Whitby. Michael is a super nice and uber talented designer who left a little gig called Canadian House and Home Magazine  to work with my all time favourite interior designer Sarah Richardson on the currently airing Sarah 101.
There is an article about his store in the recent Canadian House and Home Magazine and a featured home he decorated is in the recent Style at Home Magazine.
 Sadly I was so wrapped up in speaking with him that I completely forgot to take pictures of his store but I won't forget the next time I visit.
Michael also has a fantastic blog full of great inspiration that is both stylish and down to earth so check him out.
 Michael Penney

I found this beautiful  conch shell in an antique barn near work for just $8.00

and these pretty white washed boxes at Home Sense

and a sweet little guy I gave you a sneak peak of a while back,
a driftwood coloured wood carved pelican that I've nicknamed Henry

another lovely item I found at Michael's store is this great little white washed and tan basket to hide the  remotes in in the living room.

I even found a box of matches at Michael's store that has shell pictures on the cover. 

a candle lantern from the grocery store on clearance for just $6.00

  

and I couldn't pass up on these 3 star fish when I saw them in a store in the town where I work, each one washed with a muted blue, grey, and taupe, my favourite colours, and there were just three of them.
The frame is awaiting the perfect print. 

 Three star fish seems to be a recurring theme that I love, the first ones I placed on the ledge of our beadboard wainscotting after it's renovation a couple of years ago

so I couldn't believe it when I found this set of three star fish hooks that are just perfect for Emma's leash's and things on the opposite side of the door to the kitchen

and now I am so thrilled to show you what makes me the most proud of all to own,
a painting by my mom. She had painted this same scene for me before in a smaller version and I had it framed but when I saw this larger unframed canvas version she later did I just had to see if she would trade me, and she did.
Isn't it amazing?!!!
When I look at it, it just takes me away to a stress free place.
I will hang it either in our front hall or it maybe it will end up in our dining room over our sideboard.
Thanks Mom!!!!

Now some exciting news about my mom I would like to share, she has recently started taking DESSICATED THYROID HORMONE like me and is starting to feel better than she has in years. So much so now that she is now selling her paintings to cottage owners at my brother's marina who love her work!!!!!
I am one proud daughter.

Tomorrow we are taking a day trip to Awenda provincial park. There is a dog beach there and we can't wait to see if Emma likes the water.

Have a great week!!