Take a Hike Abdul and Imran



Lately my one most pinned post has been inundated with spam comments, I mean about 10 per day! If you are Abdul, Imran, Abbas or whatever, I am glad you are enamoured with my post and how it's your favourite and the posh families around the world can appreciate curtains and blinds, but stop leaving comments. I don't really care about blinds, panel beaters and "thanking you pick a box". Their comments never make any sense, I used to find them humorous and now they are a thorn in my side.


So, since my lovely friends love to keep commenting about silly useless things, I now have to add the my most detested word verification in order to leave a comment, I am sorry. I have managed to avoid it for the past 4 years but this spam is annoying!


I hope this doesn't deter you from leaving a comment, please do, it makes my day!


XO Barbara

My Nieces' Room Makeover


Heeelllloooo!

 I am still here. Looking forward to summer holidays so I can paint furniture and sew up a storm! Hoping to find a new place to live and then work some magic!

But in the meantime, I get to help my sister re-do her place, at a snail's pace of course.

Several months ago I was contact by CIL Paints, a fabulous Canadian paint company, wondering if I had any projects I was itching to do. Since we are renting (I am allowed to paint the walls) but possibly moving this summer, I didn't want to do my landlords any favours. But my sister is slowly working on redoing her home that had paint colours stuck in the late 90's. 


There are no before photos of the bedroom anymore....my sister's memory card was corrupted, so the photos are gone...sniff. 

 But use your imagination...
Think maroon and mustard yellow.

 I knew she wanted to paint all the bedrooms, so I figured why not paint her place? Over spring break we painted 3 bedrooms. CIL Paint generously provided paint for 2 of the bedrooms. My sister and her husband are working tirelessly on the outside and inside of their home, while working their perspective jobs and raising a family, so decorating has taken time. One room is almost finished, my neices' room. Originally each girl had their own room, but while we were deciding on paint colours, my sister decided to take back her master bedroom. The girls were put into one room and the bunk bed assembled. We still have a few projects to complete when school is out (we are both teachers), we hope to paint a gorgeous vintage dresser that my parents lovingly stripped, sanded and prepped. The desk in their room, is one my dad made for my sister when she was young and with the years of abuse, it is showing it's age. It will get a coat of paint as well. Drapes have yet to be hung, but at the rate we are going, the girls might be moving out before we are done!

Why not keep it real and show you what an improvement just a coat of paint on the wall will do! The room feels fresh and airy, just the feeling my sister wanted. 

She chose: Horizons by CIL  mixed in a low-VOC eggshell finish. The paint went on like butter, with amazing coverage and very, very little smell. I have painted many, many, many rooms in my lifetime, and I have to say I have never tried CIL Paints but will most definitely use them again. Their price point is fantastic and coverage is excellent.


But you want after pictures. Here they are. It is a north facing room with very little direct sunlight, so pardon my sad camera skills. It is also a tiny room, so it was hard to take photos. But my nieces had fun posing for me! Ok, the eldest did, the younger one would NOT sit still!




 Artwork by yours truly.






What school-aged child DOESN'T have rainbow loom?


Artwork by Penny Paper Co.





Isn't it great what a lick of paint can do? We are looking forward to painting some furniture and adding some throw pillows, which I will teach my eldest niece to sew over the summer break!

I'll be sure to share photos more photos and of the master bedroom when they get around to moving in the furniture!

XO Barbara


A Good Book To Read: Small Apartment Hacks


I love me a good design book, so when the Ulysses Press asked me to review their book, Small Apartment Hacks: 101 Ingenious DIY Solutions for Living Organization and Entertaining by Jenna Mahoney, I thought, why not?


Looking for a graduation gift? This book would be perfect for guys AND gals!

Sadly, this book arrived in December. I then gave it to my college attending daughter to see if she could get some ideas from it. She was too busy to look it over, so I asked for it back! She is hoping to get her own place again this fall, and most likely it won't be furnished like her last place. I hope we can gleam some ideas from this book.

This book is ideal for someone starting out, from tips on what you need to set up your place - how to set up double duty furniture; organize  - what to toss and keep; how to shop for second hand furniture and how to entertain - even with several must-try recipes! There is even a list of must have clothing items for guys and gals. Nothing is overlooked inside!

Even though this book is geared towards those who dwell in apartments and are starting out, I think us seasoned home owners/ renters would find it a valuable resource as well.

XO Barbara