tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034934093138447622024-03-13T12:31:33.631-07:00At Homecreating home on a shoestring.Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-25274547443315796952013-09-13T07:57:00.001-07:002013-09-13T07:57:51.227-07:00Autumn is Approaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Autumn is fast approaching. Actually, in my mind, autumn has already arrived. Usually, September hits and I'm ready for fall. It is my favourite season after all. I love pretty much everything about it, but some of my favourite things about fall are the colours and the increasing coziness. </div>
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To bring in the season, I like to make some little changes in my house and usually I find some inspiration pictures first. Here are some images that get me excited for this time of year.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x7i0yxtY5t4/UjMkTcWJM9I/AAAAAAAACCA/bugAaUoRM1A/s1600/showhome-mudroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x7i0yxtY5t4/UjMkTcWJM9I/AAAAAAAACCA/bugAaUoRM1A/s400/showhome-mudroom.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the colours! (Source unknown)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e2upbtXuv0s/UjMkTXSiEHI/AAAAAAAACCE/aWR1XDnXnzI/s1600/showhome-twinbedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e2upbtXuv0s/UjMkTXSiEHI/AAAAAAAACCE/aWR1XDnXnzI/s400/showhome-twinbedroom.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, the colours! (Source unknown)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mls0WPAjokw/UjMkTTtOp1I/AAAAAAAACB8/aimqwzZhnfU/s1600/southern-accents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mls0WPAjokw/UjMkTTtOp1I/AAAAAAAACB8/aimqwzZhnfU/s400/southern-accents.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might be bordering a bit on winter, but it's just so dang cozy. (Source unknown)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqzh9e__Lx8/UjMkUCjtNKI/AAAAAAAACCU/kL2YtdMR8w0/s1600/style-me-pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqzh9e__Lx8/UjMkUCjtNKI/AAAAAAAACCU/kL2YtdMR8w0/s400/style-me-pretty.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colours and texture. (Source unknown)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Q_JbRVSaLo/UjMkYpEv2lI/AAAAAAAACCg/aRhgl3-0J4c/s1600/DSC_0334p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Q_JbRVSaLo/UjMkYpEv2lI/AAAAAAAACCg/aRhgl3-0J4c/s400/DSC_0334p.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://everyday-lovely.blogspot.ca/2011/09/blog-post_26.html">http://everyday-lovely.blogspot.ca/2011/09/blog-post_26.html</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/09/fall-dining-room-reveal/">http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/09/fall-dining-room-reveal/</a> </td></tr>
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I have shown this last picture on my blog before, but I really, really love it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bveuVgLyXfo/UjMk3EmAN1I/AAAAAAAACCs/GyIIHeeWeo4/s1600/catskills_nytimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bveuVgLyXfo/UjMk3EmAN1I/AAAAAAAACCs/GyIIHeeWeo4/s400/catskills_nytimes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Source unknown)</td></tr>
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P.S. Check out my older posts about fall <a href="http://athomeinteriors.blogspot.ca/2010/10/thanksgiving-tables.html">here</a>, <a href="http://athomeinteriors.blogspot.ca/2010/09/coming-up.html">here</a> and <a href="http://athomeinteriors.blogspot.ca/2010/09/welcoming-fall.html">here</a>.<br />P.P.S. Sorry about my lack of sources for the photos. I found them quite some time ago and I neglected to write down the site. My bad!<br /><br />Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-88669614343583497432013-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:002013-09-04T07:00:03.458-07:00Refashioning the Furnishings in the Vacationer's ChamberWell, we had a really great visit with my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> and her family. We did some things around town, spent some time harvesting some of my veggies and did a lot of preserving and a little crafting! I think they were pretty comfortable staying in the new guest digs. In fact, my sister declared that the guest room, along with our cold room were her favourite rooms in our house. However, if you know Kristen, the cold room is kind of a given.<br /><br />On that note, I wanted to share with you the furniture that I made over for the guest room in a little more detail. We'll start with the chair for the room. Patrick's parents brought the chair over for the guest room when we first moved in. Before it was a creamy-green colour and the cushion looked like it had seen better days. The colour of the chair wasn't bad, but I wanted more contrast for the new room. Here is the chair and the cushion before...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ0ifzjjng4/UiaynmNoDII/AAAAAAAACAI/dbq9HpH39h8/s1600/July+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ0ifzjjng4/UiaynmNoDII/AAAAAAAACAI/dbq9HpH39h8/s400/July+009.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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To start with, I gave the chair a coat of black, semi-gloss spray paint. Here's the chair with the new paint...</div>
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Next, I wanted to tackle the cushion. So, using some beautiful black and white gingham fabric from my Mom-in-law, Dee, I sewed a new cover. Much improved, no?</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GDhPwnhbcu4/Uiay5OMYVVI/AAAAAAAACBU/anpR_6IuVcM/s1600/room+makeover+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GDhPwnhbcu4/Uiay5OMYVVI/AAAAAAAACBU/anpR_6IuVcM/s400/room+makeover+050.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The next furniture I wanted to work on was a little side table and a bookshelf. The side table we picked up from a friend's garage sale for $4 and the bookshelf we already had, but it wasn't being used. I decided to give both a new coat of stain in a colour called provincial. I actually already had the stain left over from staining the top of the cupboards/sideboard in the <a href="http://athomeinteriors.blogspot.ca/2013/08/kitchen-continued.html">kitchen</a>. Here are both pieces before I did anything...</div>
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And here is the side table after two coats of stain...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CJUSBHyHSYE/Uiay0CzRlrI/AAAAAAAACAo/SE1XEGE2xYM/s1600/room+makeover+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CJUSBHyHSYE/Uiay0CzRlrI/AAAAAAAACAo/SE1XEGE2xYM/s400/room+makeover+030.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The bookshelf didn't go quite as dark as the side table, but it did end up looking more rich than before and perhaps a little more finished. With the bookshelf, I also decided to make a curtain to add a little charm. I used the same gingham fabric from Dee and sewed a simple curtain. To hang it, I used a curtain cord kit from our hardware store and it worked perfectly. Here is the completed piece...</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The last piece of furniture that I fixed up for the room was a little wicker coffee table. This was another piece of furniture that my mother-in-law found for free and brought over for the room when we first moved (she has some serious skill when it comes to finding cheap/free awesome things!). I don't really have a before photo, but if you look to the left side of the bed in the picture below, you can see the table in its original form...</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FLer3K2P4rM/Uia5EO2nNAI/AAAAAAAACBk/0iy0xCXW7XE/s1600/P1110772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FLer3K2P4rM/Uia5EO2nNAI/AAAAAAAACBk/0iy0xCXW7XE/s400/P1110772.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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To work with the room and update the table, I spray painted it with the semi-gloss black. And now, it sits happily at the end of the bed waiting for some luggage, or perhaps some extra cozy blankets. </div>
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And that completes the guest room furniture makeover saga. I know, I know it was just so exciting! ;)<br /></div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-11157575985946889302013-08-25T07:29:00.000-07:002013-08-25T07:29:58.595-07:00Guest Room RevealThe guest room is finished and I'm super happy with the results! Hooray! The room ended up being a little more cottage-y than I originally thought, but that isn't a bad thing. I think it will be a lovely place for our guests to stay now. In fact, it will be housing my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> and her family who are coming for a visit today. I had so much fun getting the room all put together for them. As a reminder, here is the before:<br />
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And here is the room now after new paint, some furniture makeovers and a little decorating (warning: there are a ton of photos)...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little reading corner... there are magazines in the crate.</td></tr>
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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://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLGTkIhsu3w/Uhj_CGOhm1I/AAAAAAAAB_A/Nj-QHJrCNOU/s1600/room+makeover+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLGTkIhsu3w/Uhj_CGOhm1I/AAAAAAAAB_A/Nj-QHJrCNOU/s400/room+makeover+062.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a little tea-making station. </td></tr>
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Here's a break down of what we did in the room. First we primed the paneled walls and then we did two coats of paint on all the walls. I gave the trim a fresh coat of white and I also painted the little built-in shelf white as well as the door and the trim around the door (the door and trim were previously the same blue as the walls). The chair and the wicker table at the end of the bed both got spray painted in a semi-gloss black. I recovered the cushion on the chair in a black and white gingham. I stained the top of the little round side table and I stained the bookshelf to the left of the bed. I also used the same gingham fabric to sew a curtain for the bookshelf. I used some craft paint to change the window frame colour from blue to light green and I also painted a picture frame the same colour. I brought a lamp, the rug and some other accessories into the room from other parts of our house and I hung art on the wall. I added new hardware to the cupboard doors and I put a hook on the back of the door. Whew. I think that's pretty much it.<br />
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Here's some before and after, side-by-side action:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oIo28BL3pE/Uhj_JcdXnNI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/ILbgXbBtj4c/s1600/before%2526after1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oIo28BL3pE/Uhj_JcdXnNI/AAAAAAAAB_Y/ILbgXbBtj4c/s640/before%2526after1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Most of the things for this room we already had. I just pulled items from around my house and made over some things. We spent about $100 on the makeover and half of that was on the two cans of paint we needed. Otherwise, the money was spent on some new hardware, spray paint for the furniture, an alarm clock and few other thrifted finds. It would have cost a little more, but my wonderful mother-in-law, Dee, bought me the fabric for the bookshelf and the chair. She's so lovely!</div>
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So, that about covers it. In another post I'll go into a little more detail about the furniture that I fixed up... this one is already way too long!<br />
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And on that note, I'm off to get some last minute things done before my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> arrives!<br />
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-68245061518582632982013-08-20T08:46:00.001-07:002013-08-20T08:47:10.389-07:00How Does your Garden Grow?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I thought it was about time I shared a garden update, though we're just going to look at the front veggie patch because that's really the only area that I focused on this year. The rest of our yard is rather weedy and a little dried out. Hopefully next year I'll be able to focus on making it prettier. We'll see! </div>
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I'd say the vegetables have done pretty well! This was all an experiment for me and now I've got some good ideas for next year. My veggies and the flowers all grew huge and things were pretty crowded. I think I would space things out more next year and I'll also move some things around. As for flowers, I realized nearly all the colours were yellow or orange. I'd definitely like to see some more variety, maybe some pinks and purples in there! This year I have had marigolds and calendula throughout the vegetables and they grew so well. They are still flowering, but nearing the end of their days. There is a bit more colour in the part of the garden closest to the house with some snap dragons, amaranthus, some lilies, and a white hydrangea. I've also got some black-eyed susans that I planted this year and love, but it's more yellow! </div>
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I'm loving our Giant Russian sunflowers. They've been pretty happy and they are so lovely to look at through the windows. I'll be growing them again next year, but I'll also try some other varieties of sunflowers. </div>
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Check out this huge cabbage!<br />
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I've really enjoyed eating from our garden. We've had radish, peas, beans, lettuce and we're still harvesting kale, tomatoes and carrots. I've also got a spud patch in the backyard that I've got to dig up soon. I love spuds!</div>
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Any preserving ideas for my tomatoes? I don't think we can eat them all fresh!</div>
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Did you grow any vegetables this year? How did it go?</div>
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<br />Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-52363244511303215372013-08-19T08:08:00.000-07:002013-08-19T08:09:54.037-07:00Guest Room Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">Progress is coming along nicely in the guest room. Walls have been painted, furniture made over, art is being assembled, lives are being changed. Okay, maybe I'm over-estimating the significance of this room makeover a wee bit. ;) Regardless, I'm quite happy with how everything is coming together. We've got a little over a week before my sister, brother in law, and little nephew arrive and I think its leaving me just the right amount of time to do the last projects on my list.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I don't want to show you too much yet because I want to keep it a surprise, but I'll show you the room with a coat of primer. First, here is the before again...</span></div>
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And here it is primed...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O1j75iyuSs8/UhIxLgB6NjI/AAAAAAAAB8U/gLIKGbvvlGE/s1600/Aug+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O1j75iyuSs8/UhIxLgB6NjI/AAAAAAAAB8U/gLIKGbvvlGE/s400/Aug+018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm amazed by how much brighter the room is with the paneling painted. And you should see it with the finished paint job. It looks like an entirely different space. It's so much cozier and less basement-like.</div>
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There's actually a story about the paint. We did the first coat and I realized I would need more for the second, but I wasn't happy with my 20 percent lighter formula of the 'Custard' colour. It looked a lot lighter and more like a cream than a yellow. Well, it turns out that the formula was off in the computer. So, when I went back to get more we did a colour match instead and got an excellent match to 'Custard'. Because the first colour (the 20% lighter one) was fairly similar, I hoped we would get away with doing one coat of the 'Custard' with some touch ups. It turns out that the coverage was great, so I got the colour I really wanted without having to spend extra since I needed a second can anyway.<br />
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Here's one more picture that shows you what the lighter colour looked like.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nfy1dr0u2cM/UhIzqW8rO0I/AAAAAAAAB8g/59j4KxvCxrc/s1600/Aug+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nfy1dr0u2cM/UhIzqW8rO0I/AAAAAAAAB8g/59j4KxvCxrc/s400/Aug+023.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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On the agenda today is getting hardware for the cupboards/closet and working on art for the space. Pretty easy work. I'm so glad there's no more painting!</div>
<br />Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-23422920788996451702013-08-16T11:41:00.000-07:002013-08-16T11:42:02.164-07:00Gingham Curtains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">When we first moved into our house and started to unpack, I came across one lonely Ikea tab top curtain. I had even pairs for all the rooms, but was missing the second curtain for my dining area. It took me a while to remember that some time ago my <a href="http://www.playingwithpapercrafting.com/">mom</a> and I shared a pack of drapes because we each only needed one for a project (this was a few houses back). Now knowing that I didn't have the second curtain, I decided to cut the single one in half, to have at least the illusion of drapes in the dining room. They weren't wide enough to cover the whole window, but they looked nice.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">My makeshift curtains remained until the spring when my awesome mother in law, Dee, bought me some gorgeous, grey gingham fabric to make new curtains. My <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> was the first one to turn me on to liking gingham, but I was also inspired by the gingham curtains in <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/">this</a> beautiful home. In fact, I pretty much love everything about her home, but all the gingham especially! </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">We ordered the fabric from Etsy and I eagerly anticipated its arrival. When it did show up, I set to work and sewed myself a very simple pair of curtains. Here are those bad boys in action...</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">We can actually cover our windows now. Hooray for privacy! It's also nice to add a little pattern to our kitchen. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eb7vwR09Kow/Ug5vwiy9-CI/AAAAAAAAB70/a82jzjlSV_I/s1600/flowers+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eb7vwR09Kow/Ug5vwiy9-CI/AAAAAAAAB70/a82jzjlSV_I/s400/flowers+010.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Oh, little kitchen you've come a long way. Remember how it looked in the beginning?</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cc0O6ie_1Jg/Ug5xf5mD5-I/AAAAAAAAB8E/0eQh7gOZYj8/s1600/Aug+Nakusp+003-tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cc0O6ie_1Jg/Ug5xf5mD5-I/AAAAAAAAB8E/0eQh7gOZYj8/s640/Aug+Nakusp+003-tile.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Whew!!<br />
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Have you done any sewing projects lately?</div>
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P.S. We've got the guest room walls primed. Pictures soon!Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-57555567364763262912013-08-15T09:16:00.002-07:002013-08-15T09:16:55.583-07:00Guest Bedroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since moving in to our house (a year ago now!!) we haven't touched the basement, which includes a rec room, our guest room and a workshop/storage room. There is furniture down there and I have decorated the guest room a bit, but what it really needs is paint! Since Patrick has the summers off, I figured this would be an ideal time to get some work done downstairs. Plus, my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> and her family are coming for a visit at the end of the month and I'd love to be able to have the room all done for her! I'm just so excited to have her visit our house for the first time.<br /><br />Here is our guest room currently...</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">There it is, complete with sweet wood paneling. I actually really like the look of painted paneling (like in our </span><a href="http://athomeinteriors.blogspot.ca/2012/08/hasta-la-vista-wood-paneling.html" style="text-align: left;">bedroom</a><span style="text-align: left;">), so although it is a bit of a nuisance to paint, in the end it will be good. </span></div>
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I'd like to lighten the whole room up and I'm really just working with what I have (I might bring a couple of new things in). I'll be painting some pieces and maybe creating some new art for the room. I'll gradually collect new things for the room, but for this first step I'm using what I have.</div>
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Looking for inspiration for the guest room I started flipping through some of my old magazines and I came across this beautiful space:<br /></div>
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I love the colour, the fun floral and the contrasts in the room. The wall colour is called 'Custard' by Martha Stewart Living, so I decided to go with it, but I had it mixed 20 percent lighter because the downstairs room is quite dark with only one smaller window. For bedding, I'll be using a white quilt I have along with some white sheets and I'm going to also have a blue striped duvet from Ikea (previously in our bedroom).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dIjxmw-BzHo/Ugz7CC6z-QI/AAAAAAAAB5M/e5L55oHdy-Q/s1600/nyponros-duvet-cover-and-pillowcases__0177715_PE330674_S4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dIjxmw-BzHo/Ugz7CC6z-QI/AAAAAAAAB5M/e5L55oHdy-Q/s320/nyponros-duvet-cover-and-pillowcases__0177715_PE330674_S4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I already have some vintage, floral pillow cases I found at our thrift shop that I'll use to bring in some extra interest and also to incorporate the yellows and blues.</span></div>
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I'm really digging the black head and foot boards of the bed, so I'd like to bring that contrast in by painting a wicker table black (you can see it by the bed in the photos above). I'll move this table to the end of the bed to hold luggage or extra blankets. I'm going to also paint a chair I have for the space black. I'll recover the cushion on the chair in a black and white gingham. The chair looks similar to this...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://trianglehoneymoon.com/2012/01/18/the-rihanna-of-chairs/">http://trianglehoneymoon.com/2012/01/18/the-rihanna-of-chairs/</a><br /></td></tr>
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There are other little updates I'll be doing, but I'll keep you posted on those along the way. I've already started painting the trim in the room, so I'm going to keep at it and I'll hopefully get to priming the paneling later today or tomorrow. I don't have much time before my sister arrives! Wish me luck!Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-64042829368825756502013-08-12T08:05:00.001-07:002013-08-12T08:05:32.547-07:00Kitchen Continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">The last time I blogged about the kitchen I told you about how we took the upper cabinets down and were in the process of turning them into a sort of sideboard for our dining area. Today I'll continue the saga that may very well be the longest drawn out kitchen update ever!!! So, without further ado, here I go...</span></div>
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Once we had the cabinets down and in place just underneath our built-in shelf, we needed to add a top. Since the top of the cabinets had been adhered to the bulkhead over the counter, the top was raw wood, but in pretty good condition. We paid a visit to our local building supply shop and found some inexpensive birch shelving that we thought would work very well for the job. We had it cut to size there and brought it home.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u0co93xGGY0/Ugju87dd1RI/AAAAAAAAB3I/LNhEeq6OtKI/s1600/kitchen+reno+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u0co93xGGY0/Ugju87dd1RI/AAAAAAAAB3I/LNhEeq6OtKI/s400/kitchen+reno+027.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I gave the whole thing a light sand (a little more on the edges) and then applied a stain. I still have yet to do a top coat, but I'll get to that one day! :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0g8QgiFIly8/UgjuxJWXgEI/AAAAAAAAB3A/l6ExCg52rpk/s1600/kitchen+reno+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0g8QgiFIly8/UgjuxJWXgEI/AAAAAAAAB3A/l6ExCg52rpk/s320/kitchen+reno+034.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Once I had completed two coats of stain I need to adhere the top to the cabinets. Since both pieces were raw wood I was able to use a wood glue. Admittedly, I think it could be sturdier, but it works for now and we really just use the top of the 'sideboard' for displaying things/storing a few kitchen items. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zVn-CKrGsHc/Ugju9ymBzqI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/UGxegELLCgk/s1600/kitchen+reno+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zVn-CKrGsHc/Ugju9ymBzqI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/UGxegELLCgk/s400/kitchen+reno+036.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></div>
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Once we had the top stuck down, the next big step was painting the wall and bulkhead where the cabinets used to be. It really took us a while to get on that, but once we did, as you can imagine, the difference was huge!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SIKHfHCVsgE/Ugjz1IqPnTI/AAAAAAAAB3c/YJjwVnN9BDU/s1600/April+13+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SIKHfHCVsgE/Ugjz1IqPnTI/AAAAAAAAB3c/YJjwVnN9BDU/s400/April+13+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Better, no? We weren't done here, though. I wanted to add some open shelves to the now empty space where the cabinets used to be. We bought some brackets from the hardware store and cut some leftover wood from the top of the sideboard to use for shelves. After giving the wood a coat of primer and then white paint (the same white from painting our cabinets) we were ready to install them. Lucky for us, we're pretty sure there is plywood beneath all our drywall because anywhere we have to anchor something to the wall, we hit a 'stud', or more likely the plywood. This makes things a lot easier because we don't need to use drywall anchors. Here are the open shelves all up on the walls...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kW72CfOtqhQ/Ugj2yjVZvRI/AAAAAAAAB4E/s-9Fktm2_B4/s1600/shelves+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kW72CfOtqhQ/Ugj2yjVZvRI/AAAAAAAAB4E/s-9Fktm2_B4/s400/shelves+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W_mcpH9WbbQ/Ugj2iH6DkDI/AAAAAAAAB30/rd2kB0M0k3c/s1600/shelves+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W_mcpH9WbbQ/Ugj2iH6DkDI/AAAAAAAAB30/rd2kB0M0k3c/s400/shelves+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love the open shelves, they are the perfect spot for me to display some of my favourite dishes and jars. Next time, I'll show you a few other little updates I've done, like some new curtains I sewed. The kitchen is probably the most completed room in our house now and I'm quite happy with it!</div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-62427440293266969372013-05-03T09:50:00.001-07:002013-05-03T09:50:19.435-07:00Spring Posies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">Last night we were playing out in the yard and just enjoying all the beautiful spring growth! I am loving our yard right now and all the bulbs in bloom are just gorgeous. This weekend it is supposed to be very hot here and I can't wait. My in-laws are coming and my father-in-law, Neil, and I are going to do some yard work. I'm looking forward to digging in the dirt. </span></div>
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Here are a few shots I took the other day of some growth in the yard...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fKu1ILikmnU/UYPpeMjG6TI/AAAAAAAAB1c/z9wyN6S7gWw/s1600/flowers+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fKu1ILikmnU/UYPpeMjG6TI/AAAAAAAAB1c/z9wyN6S7gWw/s400/flowers+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTQ-PXef1Ww/UYPpizIQa5I/AAAAAAAAB14/osTr2WctAjI/s1600/flowers+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTQ-PXef1Ww/UYPpizIQa5I/AAAAAAAAB14/osTr2WctAjI/s400/flowers+010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peas coming up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty red stripes on this tulip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grape hyacinth.</td></tr>
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I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes up in the yard. I've already noticed several bleeding heart plants cropping up and some lupines. I love both! *Sigh* Isn't it a wonderful time of year!?<br /><br />What do you have coming up in your yard? Any big plans for your garden this year?Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-2900064633185902882013-04-15T15:12:00.000-07:002013-04-15T15:12:23.182-07:00So Long Cupboards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we first bought our house, the kitchen felt very tiny and rather cramped. It really is a small kitchen, but I didn't think that the dark wood cabinets helped. So, our first order of business was to paint the cabinets a creamy white.This definitely helped, but our view into the dining room was still blocked by the bulky upper cabinets to the right of the sink. Here is kitchen in it's original state...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G-cWOnL3glc/UWw5N3g_9II/AAAAAAAAB0A/mCEGPCB_VWc/s1600/Aug+Nakusp+003-tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G-cWOnL3glc/UWw5N3g_9II/AAAAAAAAB0A/mCEGPCB_VWc/s640/Aug+Nakusp+003-tile.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here it is after we painted...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lyiTbLQz94/UWw6twyzJYI/AAAAAAAAB0I/2uPc5IBYWq4/s1600/feb17+1441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lyiTbLQz94/UWw6twyzJYI/AAAAAAAAB0I/2uPc5IBYWq4/s400/feb17+1441.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the view from the other side.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-trWY1kL0xKU/UWx3o1jQXyI/AAAAAAAAB0U/YejIZl17X-k/s1600/feb17+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-trWY1kL0xKU/UWx3o1jQXyI/AAAAAAAAB0U/YejIZl17X-k/s400/feb17+109.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Like I said, it felt much improved, but there was still the upper cupboards blocking our view. When we first moved in we had the idea to remove the upper cupboards, but we didn't want to lose the storage. However, after some time, I had the idea to take down the upper cupboards and put them in the dining area as a type of sideboard. This way we wouldn't lose storage but could really open up the room. I thought it would fit really well on the wall opposite the table with the built-in shelf. </span></div>
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With that plan in mind, we went ahead one weekend and took those suckers down. They came down really easily. They were only held up by some screws, but they were super heavy. Here is how the room looked immediately after...</div>
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And here is the cupboards in there new location. Obviously needing some work, but we already loved the change!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">It didn't take us too long to start patching up where the cupboards had been. Pat used drywall mud to smooth out the wall and the bulkhead. Here is the space in that stage...</span></div>
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You can also see that we added a top to the 'sideboard', but I'll tell you all about that in the next post. I will leave the kitchen here for now! It really took us a long time to finally paint the wall, but I am happy to say that it is done now. We're so happy with the room now. It feels so much more open and it is a lot easier to communicate between the rooms. </div>
Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-12079974582767883222013-04-10T09:58:00.000-07:002013-04-10T09:58:11.924-07:00Spring Yard Tour 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that we own a home, this is really the first time that I know that we will be in a place long enough that I can take the time to work on our yard. All of our previous homes we have ended up either moving in/out at the beginning or end of summer. So, this is the year I am going to attempt to keep our yard looking somewhat pretty and functional! There are several flower beds in our yard and I know I am going to need to keep them as low maintenance as possible. I am also starting a small vegetable patch in our front yard in the sunniest spot I could find. Conveniently, the sunniest spot was a patch that was a good size for our vegetable garden, so last fall I pulled a bunch of things out and got it ready. Here is the tour of our yard...<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gretYYhGfQE/UWWVQANRkUI/AAAAAAAAByk/AR-8mRbLEI0/s1600/yard+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gretYYhGfQE/UWWVQANRkUI/AAAAAAAAByk/AR-8mRbLEI0/s400/yard+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the to be veggie patch complete with cold frames and a little wattle fence I made with some prunings.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EHKiCxlxDWs/UWWVY80UxMI/AAAAAAAABy4/388b8hvDZT8/s1600/yard+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EHKiCxlxDWs/UWWVY80UxMI/AAAAAAAABy4/388b8hvDZT8/s400/yard+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some romaine lettuce in one of the cold frames.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vINwoy0XYlo/UWWVcOf734I/AAAAAAAABzI/Olt3XgIBPj8/s1600/yard+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vINwoy0XYlo/UWWVcOf734I/AAAAAAAABzI/Olt3XgIBPj8/s400/yard+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pond I have mostly drained. I was given some water irises from a friend, so I will be filling this in and planting them here. I'll also use some river rock to help fill it in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jy1isiW9r0s/UWWVWuVlBNI/AAAAAAAABys/uWZCxgzJbWk/s1600/yard+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jy1isiW9r0s/UWWVWuVlBNI/AAAAAAAABys/uWZCxgzJbWk/s400/yard+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The side of the front yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbf8E6jOZzU/UWWVb902cZI/AAAAAAAABy8/riFV1kymBhk/s1600/yard+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbf8E6jOZzU/UWWVb902cZI/AAAAAAAABy8/riFV1kymBhk/s400/yard+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side yard with the circle garden and a flower bed. There are a lot of tulips coming up here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCvTIj2Sprw/UWWVlqv71jI/AAAAAAAABzY/pxbW8mbYYjE/s1600/yard+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCvTIj2Sprw/UWWVlqv71jI/AAAAAAAABzY/pxbW8mbYYjE/s400/yard+006.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The circle garden. This is my favourite part of our yard right now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2A-CUopGhc/UWWViY-zz8I/AAAAAAAABzM/ToH4FXpdrk4/s1600/yard+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2A-CUopGhc/UWWViY-zz8I/AAAAAAAABzM/ToH4FXpdrk4/s400/yard+007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The berry patch. This needs a lot of work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpWuBpufBDs/UWWVn-GgsxI/AAAAAAAABzc/XQP7F2ZZsyo/s1600/yard+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpWuBpufBDs/UWWVn-GgsxI/AAAAAAAABzc/XQP7F2ZZsyo/s400/yard+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The backyard complete with a massive tent. It currently houses our wood, but I really don't like the look of it. My sister has all sorts of ideas for it... she thinks it is wonderful. I need to prune these trees very badly.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u8PMjRrKPbw/UWWVo9tfNVI/AAAAAAAABzk/sw73pqyhRU8/s1600/yard+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u8PMjRrKPbw/UWWVo9tfNVI/AAAAAAAABzk/sw73pqyhRU8/s400/yard+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another flower bed. There are a lot of tulips and irises here currently.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8y29Ewgz1jc/UWWVrLrLIDI/AAAAAAAABzs/0FaL2GPNWoI/s1600/yard+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8y29Ewgz1jc/UWWVrLrLIDI/AAAAAAAABzs/0FaL2GPNWoI/s400/yard+011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The side of our carport with a crazy clematis. I'm not sure how to maintain it. Ideas? </td></tr>
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<br />I forgot to get a picture of where the spuds and zucchini will be planted, but other than that, that is our yard! I'm really enjoying mucking about so far. Hopefully I still have fun with it this summer! I'd love some ideas for the yard if you have any and I'd also like to hear some suggestions for shade-loving, low maintenance plants for the yard.<br /><div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-9151096361336160142013-04-06T09:55:00.000-07:002013-04-06T09:55:21.958-07:00The Start of Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have had a lovely beginning to our Spring here. It has been busy (but not too busy) and full of wonderful, spring-y things. Spring Break was at the end of March and we went up to Fort St. James to visit my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> and her little family for a week. It was our first time there and we had a wonderful time. We did so much during our visit- had a private tour of the Historic Park, visited a farm and a baby calf, did some nice walks, crafted, knitted, watched Seinfeld, played with the babies, ate delicious food, did a silly photo shoot and of course, just soaked up each other's company.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W-2rDrbYIFs/UWA7lIPy6jI/AAAAAAAABwc/cnCAWFJUTQ4/s1600/FSJ+Spring+'13+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W-2rDrbYIFs/UWA7lIPy6jI/AAAAAAAABwc/cnCAWFJUTQ4/s400/FSJ+Spring+'13+035.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Historic Park on our tour.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and I dressed up at the Historic Park. We are cheesy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the first new calf of the season at a friend's farm.<br />
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When we got back home from our trip I did a lot of work in our yard and got some seeds started. I always come back from visiting my sister all inspired to get things happening in our yard. She always has such a pretty and functional garden. This year she had all her seeds started on her kitchen table and it got me all excited to get home and get things going for us! I am lucky to have the help of my Father-in-law, Neil, who is also an amazing gardener. He has really helped set me up for the year. While we were away he and my Mother-in-law, Dee, house/cat sat for us and he created a little garden center in our workshop for me.<br />
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Aren't I lucky!? I have since moved the lettuce and geraniums outside. The lettuce are in a cold frame (also brought by Neil) and the geraniums are out during the days and in at night to get used to the outdoors.</div>
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We've also been enjoying time just hanging outside. We had a long streak of gorgeous, sunny weather. Parker is so happy when he can explore the outdoors.</div>
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For Easter, our town put on a big Easter Egg Hunt for all of the kids, so we took Parker. It was his first egg hunt and he seemed to have fun. He met a little guy just a couple of months older and he and Parker shared eggs. They also thought it was a good idea to collect pebbles along with the eggs.</div>
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And that about wraps up the start of our spring. Like I said, it has been a wonderful season so far!</div>
Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-6903159156776618302013-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:002013-02-22T07:00:04.951-08:00In Like a Lion...I was having a bit of fun the other night and I came up with a couple of desktop backgrounds for March! They are free for you to download if you fancy...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Goo9CGA28Yg/USaVU-Zn28I/AAAAAAAABvw/Y6Hy-b4XyM8/s1600/gingham+march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Goo9CGA28Yg/USaVU-Zn28I/AAAAAAAABvw/Y6Hy-b4XyM8/s400/gingham+march.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>Download first background <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaimiemacgibbon/8495875180/">here</a>.</li>
<li>Download second background <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaimiemacgibbon/8494774341/">here</a>.</li>
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*In the first background there is a little clock behind the 10th because it is daylight savings.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-74863776208101676662013-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:002013-02-19T07:00:01.905-08:00Kitchen RevisitedSo back in November we decided to repaint the kitchen. After living with the neutral colour on the walls for a few months, I decided that we needed a little more colour. It felt a little too bland and I wanted the cream cabinets to stand out more. Even though the colour of the cabinets and walls looked different enough on swatches, in the actual room I didn't find there was enough contrast. After explaining the situation to Patrick, he graciously agreed to help me paint the walls a new colour. We (and I really do mean 'we' because Patrick helped me pick) settled on a soft and lovely greenish blue that we picked up from our local hardware store.<br />
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It didn't take too long to complete because there isn't a ton of wall space, just a lot of cutting in around the cabinets and windows. I did that job during Parker's naps and when Patrick got home from work he did a coat on the walls. It took us a couple of days and we were very happy with the results, especially me!<br />
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As a reminder, here was the kitchen in the very beginning in all it's yellow and wallpaper border glory...<br />
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Here was the kitchen after our first painting...</div>
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And finally, after the newest coat of paint ;)</div>
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Although we liked the red trim and neutral walls before, we like this look better. I think it makes the creamy cabinets look a little nicer and it adds a little more colour to our home. We have more plans for the kitchen that may start soon... as in this weekend. However, we'll have to see how things go. It involves taking down those upper cabinets to open up the space. We still need the storage though, so we would turn the cupboards into a sort of credenza for the dining area. We're figuring things out. I'll be sure to keep you posted!</div>
Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-65456196942813170962013-02-14T07:20:00.000-08:002013-02-14T07:23:48.109-08:00Happy Valentine's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just stopping in to say a quick Happy Valentine's Day! We're enjoying a visit from my parents, Grandma and Gramps. It's so nice to have them here!<br />
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Here's a little Valentine's gift from me, a couple of different desktop backgrounds if you would like.<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaimiemacgibbon/8473902096/">here</a> to download the first.</div>
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Click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaimiemacgibbon/8472812709/">here</a> to download the second.</div>
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And here is a little printable I made a while ago. </div>
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Click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaimiemacgibbon/8473913130/">here</a> to download the printable.</div>
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Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!</div>
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P.S. The links take you to my flickr. Click on the 'Actions' tab above the photo and then choose 'View all sizes' and pick the size you would like to download/save to your computer.</div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-53697454466208631472013-02-11T07:51:00.000-08:002013-02-11T07:51:55.459-08:00Sunshine, Flowers and CatsWell, it is a long weekend here for us and a lovely one it has been so far! Parker and I are enjoying having Patrick home for an extra day. Parker is taking full advantage of this by having Dad pull him around the house in his little wagon. Each time Dad stops, Parker signs 'more' and one of us gets suckered in to doing it again while the other takes a break to sip their coffee. Have I mentioned that it isn't even 7:00 am yet? We have early mornings in our house. But it's all good. We both enjoy getting up early because it gives us that much more time in the day and is especially nice on school days because then we get some hang out time in the morning before Patrick has to head to work (he's a teacher).<br />
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Yesterday was a gorgeous, sunny day here in Nakusp. The snow has been melting which is apparently uncharacteristic for this time of year here, but I'm alright with this. I enjoy the snow, but thinking about spring gets me excited for the warmer weather to come! Plus, Parker is getting to explore the outdoors more and now that he can walk he has so much fun just poking around the yard. I have fun watching him too. Everything is so interesting and new to him. It's fascinating to see.<br />
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Making sure we didn't let a sunshine-y day like yesterday pass us by without enjoying it, we took a nice stroll down by the lake. Here are some pictures:<br />
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That last picture just kills me! I think I'll have to have a print made for our house. It is too cute.</div>
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So that was our afternoon, but earlier in the day we pretty much just took it easy at home and enjoyed the sun pouring in the living room windows. I couldn't help but take pictures of some flowers Patrick brought me in the sunny window. I put some of the shorter stems in a pretty, little jar I found at our thrift shop a few weeks ago.</div>
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It seems no one was safe from my camera this weekend. Even the cats fell victim to its shutter.</div>
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Speaking of our cats, I don't think I have introduced you to our new kitten. This is Rocky. He is very loud and a little obnoxious, but cute all the same and he is weaseling his way into our hearts.</div>
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He and Parker have become pals. Well, at least Parker seems to think so.</div>
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And with that, we're off to make the most of the last day of the long weekend. Enjoy your Monday!</div>
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<br />Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-57232915936444577672013-02-02T09:41:00.000-08:002013-02-02T09:41:47.204-08:00The Crate Part IIWhile we were still living in Comox I found a cool old crate at one of the antique shops I would visit. I originally posted about the crate and my ideas for it <a href="http://athomeinteriors.blogspot.ca/2011/02/crate.html">here</a>. It took a while, but I finally got the crate up on the wall as a shelf in our living room. I really love how it looks! Before I was just using the crate to store my painting supplies, but now I feel like it really stands out. Here it is in action...<div>
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I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I'm looking forward to switching up what I display in the shelf. </div>
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So that's that! We don't really have any plans this weekend, but I'd like to maybe do some sewing and knitting and napping. Sounds pretty idyllic if you ask me! <br /><br />Enjoy your weekend!</div>
Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-21264268908731149922013-01-11T13:04:00.000-08:002013-01-11T13:04:05.647-08:00Parker's BirthdayI can hardly believe it, but our little guy will be a year old on Sunday! We're celebrating his birthday with a little cat themed party. A little get together with friends and family to wish Parker a happy first birthday. One of the gifts we are giving him is a little home I made for the bunny I knit him for Christmas. I've made it out of a shoe box and some scrap paper and fabric. It is pretty cute and I had way too much fun making it. At this stage I don't think it will hold up to his play, so it may hang out on his shelves until he is old enough to enjoy it, but the bedding I made he can play with now if he likes.<br />
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That's it! It was really fun to make and I think he'll enjoy it when he's a little older. I'm looking forward to giving it to him on his birthday!Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-90419567893840443862013-01-04T08:32:00.001-08:002013-01-04T08:32:46.301-08:00A Christmas of Firsts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a wonderful Christmas full of firsts for us! Not only was it Parker's first Christmas, but it was also our first Christmas in our new home and in our new town, Nakusp. It was so nice to be able to celebrate in our little house, surrounded by snow. This was the first white Christmas I have had in several years and it just felt right! Patrick's parents spent Christmas with us and it was lovely to have family here to celebrate with. Christmas Eve was a relaxing day spent at a couple of open houses and taking it easy at home in between. Christmas day was even better. We took our time in the morning, had some skype time with my family, had a delicious breakfast, courtesy of my father-in-law, got the turkey ready and finally got to opening some presents. The afternoon was spent mostly playing with Parker and doing dinner prep and then in the evening we enjoyed our delicious Christmas dinner. Here are some pictures of our holidays...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parker opening his Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little guy on Christmas Eve.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornaments made for my mother-in-law, Dee.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas morning coffee.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The table setting... complete with our traditional lottery tickets from my father-in-law.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A successful family photo in one try! Wow!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutest, chubbiest little smile!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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And that about sums it up! New Year's was lovely as well, spent with friends and enjoying some delicious, homemade pizza. We unintentionally stayed up to welcome the new year as Parker was overtired and it was rather difficult to get him to sleep once we were home. Ah, well! And now it is time for me to get planning Parker's birthday party... he'll be a whole 1 year old in just over a week! Ack! How did that happen!? We're have a little cat themed birthday for him since he seems to love kitties SO much. Hope you're also enjoying the fresh feeling and simplicity that I tend to find in this time of year!Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-59815218026675296332012-12-24T07:13:00.000-08:002012-12-24T07:14:17.759-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are presents under the tree, the stockings are hung, the cupboards are full of delicious food, guests have arrived... it is time to sit back and enjoy our first Christmas with Parker!<br />
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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!</div>
Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-5339675759831767442012-12-21T09:55:00.000-08:002012-12-21T09:55:39.403-08:00Jolly Old St. NickMy <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> has been on my case about putting up a new post because every time she sees my blog the first image she sees is the chocolate cake from my last post and it is driving her crazy. I don't blame her. Every time I see that cake I want to eat it too. So anyway, besides the fact that it I really should do a little update here, this is for you Kris.<br /><br />I really find it hard to believe that Christmas is in a mere 4 days! However, I am happy to report that I have finished all my Christmas shopping and I've even got my gifts wrapped. Hopefully Parker doesn't undo any of that wrapping as he as already done with one present! :)<br /><br />I found this jolly little Santa at the thrift shop the other day for a quarter. He holds a tea light. Isn't he a happy sight?<br />
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He reminds me of some Santa candles that my mom has that used to belong to her mother. That is the main reason why I brought him home with me. He is doing an excellent job of bringing a little festivity into our home.<br />
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I'll try and get an update in again before Christmas with some pictures of our tree and some decorating around the house!<br />
<br />Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-43715219724087986262012-11-26T07:30:00.000-08:002012-11-26T07:30:00.606-08:00A Most Festive WeekendWe had a lovely and festive weekend! The only way it could have improved was with snow. However, if it had snowed, I think I would have spontaneously combusted with joy. The weekend started with Patrick's parents, Grandma and Grandpa MacGibbon, arriving on Friday for Patrick's 29th birthday. We had a tasty dinner and I baked him a chocolate cake with custard filling and chocolate icing. I never bake cakes, but I really enjoyed the process and I must say it tasted pretty delicious. It was a recipe from my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a>.<br />
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Saturday started off nice and mellow with some hanging around the house and working on a few projects here and there. In the afternoon we walked downtown to enjoy our little town's Festival of Light. We watched the parade and then enjoyed some more festivities in the park. My favourite part was taking Parker on a horse-drawn wagon ride. I think the whole thing was a little overwhelming for him!<br />
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After the Festival of Light, we walked over to our friends' house for some mulled wine and Christmas cookies. It was such a lovely time and a nice start to the holidays!<br />
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Sunday was spent around the house again. Patrick and his Dad put up our Christmas lights, and Dee (Patrick's mom) and I sewed little felt star ornaments. They were Dee's idea and they are so cute. I'm very happy to have them to decorate with this Christmas. We'll be making some more, but we just got six done yesterday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am so happy we have lights up this year!</td></tr>
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Parker was happy to play around with everyone and he's been working really hard on walking. He's getting pretty close. Every so often he'll take a few steps without holding on to anything. It's very exciting, but hard to imagine him just walking everywhere on his own!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing peek-a-boo under the couch!</td></tr>
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Grandma and Grandpa MacGibbon left this morning and that concluded our weekend. Now the new week begins and I will be very busy with play practices for our community theatre production. I don't have a big role, but it is the last week before the performances so we'll be practicing a lot! Let's hope I remember my lines!Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-8027900420974607242012-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:002012-11-22T07:00:05.087-08:00Oh, Christmas Cactus! Oh, Christmas Cactus!Patrick brought me home a Christmas cactus from the grocery store the other day. It has found a home on the window sill of our dining room. Christmas cacti are kind of sentimental for me because Patrick gave me one during our first Christmas married. I love their colourful blooms. It is the perfect burst of life during this rather grey time of year.<br />
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-60638519802586043232012-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:002012-11-20T07:00:11.737-08:00Yard WorkI spent a little time on the weekend getting the yard ready for next spring. I have never really had a yard to work in and I've never really had a successful garden so this is all going to be trial and error for me. If you have any advice, I welcome it! I trimmed away most of the dead stuff, I planted some tulip bulbs and I dug up our front garden. I would like to have small vegetable garden next year, but our yard is quite shady, so I think the front section is where we get the most sun. I actually really like the look of vegetable gardens, plus I'm thinking it would look quite welcoming with some sunflowers and some other flowers (I've been told zinnias are good for vegetable gardens?).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sanctuarysoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/garden-flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://sanctuarysoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/garden-flowers.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from <a href="http://sanctuarysoil.com/monthly-vegetable-planting-guide-for-year-round-success/">here</a></td></tr>
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I also really like black eyed susans!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from <a href="http://ravenfarm.com/about-us.htm">here.</a></td></tr>
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Here is how my hands looked after digging around for a couple of hours. I love getting my hands all dirty from yard work. It's very satisfying to clean them afterwards!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVUjBB-wm_0/UKpTq6g_fZI/AAAAAAAABc4/okoX7XXiHpI/s1600/Nov+19+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVUjBB-wm_0/UKpTq6g_fZI/AAAAAAAABc4/okoX7XXiHpI/s400/Nov+19+053.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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There is really a lot of garden areas in our yard and I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with it all. I think I'll need to find a way to make things very low maintenance.</div>
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Here are a couple more pictures from the weekend just because...</div>
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Parker is just eating cheerios, but he looks like he is rather shocked at something!</div>
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This is how we roll on Sunday afternoons- just hanging around.</div>
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Do you do anything to your yard in the fall to get it ready for the spring? When do you start planning your garden? </div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903493409313844762.post-31090188516571829432012-11-19T07:30:00.000-08:002012-11-19T07:32:04.620-08:00Etsy FindsMy birthday was back in October and I received a few different etsy items as gifts. I love getting gifts from etsy. I can always find such unique things and I love that you get something handmade. The presents I got were all for our new house. I was given two new prints and a beautiful wreath made from dried broom corn.<br />
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The first print was from the etsy shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/95300695/kitchen-art-catherineholm-poster-print?ref=v1_other_1">Yumalum</a>. I thought the colours would look great in our new kitchen and the phrase is awesome. Ever since I was pregnant with Parker I became more of a tea drinker. Lately, I really enjoy orange pekoe! Here's the print up in our kitchen/dining room...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDdC1umcj8M/UKm7Hf2ushI/AAAAAAAABbM/1KECt79xGCU/s1600/etsyfinds+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDdC1umcj8M/UKm7Hf2ushI/AAAAAAAABbM/1KECt79xGCU/s400/etsyfinds+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The second print is by an artist that my <a href="http://400squareftliving.blogspot.ca/">sister</a> found some time ago and we've been admiring her work ever since. I was so happy to get one of her prints. The artist's name is Janet Hill and you can visit her shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/janethillstudio">here</a>. I have my print hanging in our living room next to our computer desk.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-25xHrJwDNUc/UKm8yxr39LI/AAAAAAAABbs/EknBE_PIRQs/s1600/etsyfinds+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-25xHrJwDNUc/UKm8yxr39LI/AAAAAAAABbs/EknBE_PIRQs/s400/etsyfinds+005.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I hung the new the wreath in the living room as well, near our front door. I think it is beautiful and I love its subtle colour. You can visit the shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/theflowerpatch">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dc3iaCSF1HM/UKm-BE76sxI/AAAAAAAABb0/ogOhNchLb8Q/s1600/etsyfinds+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dc3iaCSF1HM/UKm-BE76sxI/AAAAAAAABb0/ogOhNchLb8Q/s400/etsyfinds+001.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I have it hanging over our antique baker's stand. I'll have to make sure I get a shot of both! They look great together. </div>
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Here are some other things I've been admiring on etsy as of late...</div>
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<a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/006/0/5847845/il_570xN.353621289_7vfy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/006/0/5847845/il_570xN.353621289_7vfy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Both prints found <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/beccastadtlander">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://img2.etsystatic.com/002/0/6053225/il_570xN.371296482_h9rf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/002/0/6053225/il_570xN.371296482_h9rf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Found <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/UtopiaHomeAndGarden">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5988339/il_570xN.319257473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5988339/il_570xN.319257473.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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Print from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rebekkaseale?ref=seller_info">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5359342/il_570xN.186281178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5359342/il_570xN.186281178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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From <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59853714/olde-farmhouse-colonial-towel-or-dry?ref=v1_other_1">here.</a></div>
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I could keep going because each time I look at something cool it leads me to find something else awesome! </div>
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Do you like to shop on etsy? Have you found any beautiful hand crafted things lately? Next weekend is the craft fair here in town and I'm excited to check out the vendors!</div>
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Jaimiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11073688214473082186noreply@blogger.com1