Inspiration File: the Ensuite

OK… here is a sneak peek of ideas for our ensuite reno.  I wish I had more specifics nailed down at this point, since the demo has already started, but I guess that’s just not how I roll.  I had to have the instant gratification of demolishing that monstrosity of a tub, and now I get to live with a construction zone situation for longer than necessary. 

But back to the fun part.  Spoiler alert… I’m going with black and white.  Shocker.  Here are looks that I’m loving.  (You know what I’m not loving?  Staying on budget.  It’s kind of the opposite of fun, but also a worthwhile challenge.  But that’s a subject to tackle in another post.)

 

image sources are linked on my ensuite pinterest board

And… I’m Back!

Hello! 

… hello? … 

*cricket’s chirping* 

It’s been so long that I don’t know if anyone will even read this!!!

I’m back from my extended blogcation! Here are a few things that are new since I last blogged:

1.  Both boys are in school full time!  I have to admit, it kind of threw me into a bit of an identity crisis.  It's weird being a stay at home mom when your kids are in school all day.  The good part?  I get to go out during the day to drink pretty mochas in places where I would never venture into with the two boys. 

 

2.  Speaking of the boys, this happened to my piano.  They thought it would be funny to make every key black.  Grrr. 

… the tops and fronts washed off.  But not the sides.  (I hope their piano teacher doesn’t see this.)

My goal going forward is to have no more ‘shit my kids destroyed’ posts… my kids are OFFICIALLY to old for this!

 

3.  We saw Oprah!  She did a talk in Saskatoon, and I got to go with my Mom, sister, and bestie.  Amazing.  Definitely one of those bucket list experiences.

 

 

4.  We started our bathroom reno!  It was quite a challenge to get this beast out of our house.  More on that later this week! 

 

5.  A few people actually noticed that I wasn't blogging... So special shout out to the friends and family that encouraged me to get back at it again!  Thanks for checking in!

Blog friends... I feel so out of the loop!  I'll be around to say hello later today!  

ps… I have more exciting projects in the works.  Stay tuned!

Progress Report: Kitchen Shelves

Progress in the kitchen… finally!  I kind of lost interest in my kitchen update project this summer.  Well, I kind of lost interest in all of my projects, actually. 

However… my Dad had time yesterday to install my floating shelves, and I LOVE them!  It totally changed the room.  And it kind of got me motivated again.  

 

The shelves are from IKEA, and I just spray painted the brackets gold.  (What a difference gold spray paint makes!)

Things to notice:

1.  The switch plates are missing because during the grout debacle I got grey grout all over the switches and now it won’t come off so they need to be replaced.  Balls.

2.  The two big bowls of fruit… I can not BELIEVE how much the 4 boys are eating!!!  They’ll power through a huge bowl of fruit in a day (plus a ton of other stuff).  They want to eat every 5 minutes.  Are all boys like this??? 

Insta-File: 08.19.2012

Aaack!  We’re at that point in the summer… the days are just slipping by too quickly! 

I’ve been enjoying hanging out with ‘the 4 boys’ (two of my own, two of my sister’s).  I love watching these guys play together.  They are the best of friends, and never get tired of one another (seriously!!!)  They make my job too easy! 

They’ve been loving the playground, but have also had fun playing tennis, building sand castles, and riding in a bike parade!  Click through to see more…

Fugly or Fabulous? Olympics Scrunchies

OK… I think that gymnastics is the best event to watch in the summer Olympics.  In fact, it’s the only event that I really make a point of watching. 

I just have to say… I’m super intrigued this year by the abundance of hair scrunchies in women’s gymnastics attire.  Is the scrunchie making a comeback?  Or is this an Olympics-only trend? 

Join me after the jump for way more photos and commentary.  I’m curious to see what you all are thinking about this important fashion issue. 

Insta-file: 08.02.2012

So… we went on a road trip with the kids down to Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.  I consider it to be ‘my lake’… where I spent summers growing up.  I love taking the kids there, and want it to be a special place for them too.

 

OK, I’m trying something new.  I’m splitting my posts, so don’t stop reading… click through and see the rest of our adventures after the jump!

Zipping

Ok you guys, if you live anywhere near Cypress Hills, you need to check out Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures.  Jeff & I went for a zip line canopy tour on the weekend and it was amazing!  Here are the dets:

INSIDER TIP… You should ask for Rhett to be your tour guide because he’s my cousin the best!

You start out by climbing a big scary 40’ rope ladder up into the tree tops.  Jeff was nervous, but I was a total pro because I did this last year (hahaha).  Here we go…

 

Admittedly, it’s kind of hard to step off that first platform, but then you’re flying through the air, which is super fun!

 

Part way through the tour, you climb from one tiny platform way above the ground, straight up a pole to another tiny platform!  EEEK!  I don’t even know how high up you are at this point.  Let’s just say super high.

Somewhere along the way we got brave enough to go backwards… Carolee (my sister) is loving it!…

… and then we did the ‘Superman’… nice form, Jeff…

… and then we hung upside down!

It was a fabulous tour.  I was WAY cooler about it this year.  (If you want to see what a freak I was last year, check out this post.) 

Here’s the video from last time, too:

 

Anyways, you HAVE to try it.  It’s mandatory.  You will love it!!!  Go to the Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures website to see more.

* all photos courtesy of Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures

Today…

I’m working on the WORST JOB EVER.

Otherwise known as scraping the chippy old stain off of my deck. 

My boys are on holidays at the lake with Grandma & Grandpa, so I feel like I should be doing something WAY more fun than scraping and re-staining.  Blurg.    

My Wink of Pink Painting

We all know Christine of Bijou and Boheme, right?  She’s one of those people that always makes me think “… seriously, is there anything this girl can’t do???”  She has the most amazing home, styled to perfection.  Her blog is full of gorgeous inspiration, but is also personal and sometimes funny (she has a way with made-up words like ‘pooptastic’).  And… she can PAINT.  Man, I admire artists.   

Christine’s paintings just keep getting bigger and better.  Go see them at Wink of Pink.

I ordered this fabulous little painting a couple of weeks ago:

It came tied with a pretty ribbon and a handwritten thank-you note. 

Here’s a closer look:

Awesome, right?  I love it.

ps… I read that you should choose one instagram filter and stick to it for ‘branding’ and ‘consistency’.  But, omg, I just can’t decide, and plus, doesn’t that take away some of the fun of instagram?  But then I end up with a different one for each shot.  Gah.  Now I kind of get it.

Insta-file: 20.07.2012

Snapshots of my week via my instagram.