I'm Back!

So after over a month of being MIA, I'm finally back, and will be making a conscious effort to post regularly! In my defense, the past month has been crazy busy, and I honestly haven't had a whole lot of free time to just sit and write! The good news is that from now on, I'll only have one job instead of two, which means more time to write! However, that being said, having one less job also means one less source of income, so...yeah, it's definitely a bitter-sweet kind of thing. 

Anyway, I suppose I'll start off by saying that Ryan and I are officially settled in our apartment and couldn't be happier living downtown! I'm loving the way our place is taking shape and even though it's still a bit of a work in progress, I'm quite content with the way it's going so far. 

We did encounter a mini disaster of sorts when we tried to stain our IKEA dining table and chairs. I'm getting over it though, since I have since purchased a navy tablecloth to hide the mess! Essentially, we bought the wrong kind of wood stain, and instead of creating a beautifully rich walnut color, the paint turned out very streaky and formed horrible globs everywhere. I know, I know...those of you with experience are telling me "you should have used X paint or Y paint" and "you should be sanding it between coats". Trust me, I spent far longer than I would have liked, researching all of this stuff! With the price we paid for the table and chairs, and with how the paint turned out, it's really just more economical to cover it all up for now..at least until we're ready to tackle the problem again! 

In other non-decor related news, something that Ryan and I have both been enjoying in our down time, is the convenience of being able to walk three blocks to our local dog park! Rocky absolutely loves it, and it's nice because he gets to meet lots of other dogs and get plenty of exercise running around off-leash! He's even been lucky enough to be at the dog park at the same time as his old buddy Bane, a two year old mastiff, who was at the Humane Society with Rocky at the same time that he was. Ryan and I had even seriously considered adopting Bane, that is, until Rocky cemented his place in our hearts! 

I don't want to ramble, so I'll end here for now, with the promise that I'll have more posts this week! I hope you all have a fun (and safe!) Halloween! 

LookBook and Pinterest

Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Mine was very relaxing, so I feel well rested and ready for the week ahead. I got to spend some great quality time with my fiancée, as well as do almost all of the household chores that I had on my to-do list. 

I also did two unexpected things over the weekend...I joined Pinterest (finally!) and made a LookBook account! I'm still in the learning process, but I'm very much enjoying both sites so far! 

On Pinterest, I've created two albums so far, one for Home and Decor, and the other for Wedding things. You can take a look at those here!

On LookBook, I've uploaded one look so far, but I'm really looking forward to adding more. I'm so impressed by how supportive and friendly everyone has been so far! Check out my profile here!

Happy Monday!

Bringing The Beach Home

There is (almost) nothing better than spending a day at the beach, feeling the warm sun on your skin, swimming in the water, and relaxing with friends and family. I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to go on many family holidays to beaches both far and near, and I truly cherish those memories. 

There is just something very special about going to the beach. Maybe it’s the salty air or the fact that going to the beach usually means a day of fun and relaxation, but I know it’s certainly something I always look forward to. 

It’s no wonder then, that people have taken elements from the beach, and incorporated them into their homes. There are even ‘beach homes’ for goodness sake! Even if you don’t live a short, sandy walk from the water, there are still plenty of ways to bring the beach to you. In fact, one of the best parts about decorating your home (or a single room) in beach-inspired style, is that you can achieve a great beachy atmosphere without actually having your floors covered with sand. Using accents like wicker, rope, and shell, all add a nautical, beachy atmosphere to any room. 


Of course, using the colors of the water also serve as an excellent way to bring the beach to your home, all while adding a nice depth of color to a potentially otherwise neutral room. You can read more about how to decorate with shades of blue here. 

One of the most relaxing ways to bring the beach home is to mimic the aroma of the beach. I personally love the look of candles in any room, and there are quite a few reputable companies out there who make a number of nice scented candles. For instance, Bath & Body Works ‘Oceanside’ candle, or Yankee Candle ‘Ocean Star’ both smell incredible and definitely bring my mind right to the beach. 

Decorating With Shades Of Blue

Ask anyone who knows me well enough and they will vouch for the fact that my absolute favourite colour to decorate with are shades blues . Whether it’s a light, aqua blue, or a dark, teal tone, I absolutely adore the richness of the colour blue. Now that winter seems to be loosening its grasp and signs of spring are beginning to crop up, what better way to liven up your home than with some bright pops of colour? 

I know some people who are resistant to decorating with anything but neutrals, and I also know people who find shades of blue to be too cold or icy, but what I always say to them is that you just have to find the right tone and work with a variety of textures to create the warmth and character your home needs.

In fact, one of the most beautiful ways to effectively utilize blue tones in your home is to mix it with neutrals (colours) and naturals (textures). By that I mean neutral tones like sand and ecru, and natural textures like soft linens, wicker, and greenery. When decorating a room using shades of blue, the first decision you have to make is whether or not you want it to grace your walls. 

If you do decide to commit to painting your walls a beautiful shade of blue, you’ll want to keep the rest of your room fairly neutral, with only a few accent pieces to compliment your walls. If you decide that perhaps you want to keep your walls neutral, you can still have lots of fun by playing with the colour in more unconventional ways. A blue couch anyone?