If…

Lately I have become overwhelmed by my kids, they are wild and crazy ALL THE TIME! Cabin fever has us all cranky and bickering. Winter is hard. And Long. Very, very long.

I had all these home goals for 2011, but the goal that is most important I forgot… the one about being a better parent. Being present instead of giving presents. Connecting more as a family instead of worrying if the family room looks perfect. Have you ever watched Supernanny? Well, it always gives me the aha moment when the parents change so do the kids. Maybe I need to do some changing and so will my boys? I don’t want to be saying this in a few years…

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

Family Room Mood Board

 

Clockwise from Top:

Lineberry Factory Cart as Coffee Table- Esty, ebay, Restoration Hardware

Rust Pillow

Linen Floral Pillow- Esty

Rust Buffalo Check Curain Panels- JC Penney

Leather Couch similar to ones we have

Cowhide Rug- Ikea

Keep Calm Poster- Frame pictureframes.com

Bookcases- 2 for either side of the fireplace- Whittier Wood Products

Lamp- this one is from Restoration Hardware, I have a tractor wheel that I might like to DIY into a lamp like this

There are some other little things that need to go in this room but this is my inspiration for now.

Favorites For Winter

There is always talk of the January thaw, I have the January Blahs... the ones where all you want to do is curl up under a blanket and sleep read. Maybe it has to do with the -20 temperatures we've been having, or the gray, gray skies. The bears have it right, eat lots and hibernate. Wake up when it's spring. I'm not the quintessential Canadian girl who likes tobogganing or cross country skiing, or even downhill skiing for that matter.. I don't own a pair of skates and I don't play hockey. I'm not cut out to live here in this cold, cold wet climate.


However, I can't see a move to Bermuda in my near future. Embrace winter my hubby says. Enjoy the bone chilling raw temperatures. So what if there are icicles where the tears used to be? My only solace in winter? Warm, comfy clothes. I love sweaters, and jackets (it might be an obsession really). I have been told I have no style, actually my Mom said I was frumpy... thanks Mom, love you too. So here's my list of frumpy favorites for winter!

 

Vince Camuto Cassandra Boots

These might not actually be "Canadian Winter" boots, but I love them anyhow

 Tommy Hilfiger Toggle Coat

I actually already have this coat, and looovvee it! 

Ugg Bailey Button Boots.

Gap Sweater

I have this sweater too, in black. It's flattering and oh so cozy!

American Eagle Toggle Sweater

I like toggles.  

 R.W & Co

 Lulu Lemon Scuba Hoodie

My sister bought me one of these for Christmas, and it's so cozy-comfortable that I don't want to ever take it off! Here's the "Frump" for ya Mom.

And here's that cozy blanket to curl up under and sleep...er read

Pottery Barn

The forever home

We bought this house with the intention of fixing it up and moving on. The plan has been extended because life had a couple other plans for us... namely these two

But the plan is still to someday give them wide open spaces, room to run and play and be boys. We have settled on the where we would like to build our forever home. We are blessed with family land that will allow them the space they need. 

Our intention is that because this is family land that it will be the forever home. We have poured over designs and house plans and keep coming back to the same one. 

 

 

 

 

It will probably be a couple more years before we can make this our reality, but in order to do that some of the projects I have planned for this house might have to be scrapped. There's not really any sense in over renovating. There is only so much we can do before we're throwing good money after bad, before we cannot recoup the money we have invested. Sure, I'd love to put board and batten in the dining room, and open up the kitchen to said dining room. I'd like to have built ins and a fireplace built here. But will any of those things pay off? Will they help sell the house later? Will they bring us more money? 

There isn't a room in this house that hasn't been touched, but there really is only so much we should do if we're planning on selling in the not too distant future.  I struggle with the here and now vs the future plans. I have trouble with the idea that my house just doesn't really work for the way we live. That opening up the kitchen would not just increase the visual space but would allow me to add a peninsula which would mean a place for the boys to eat breakfast, and do homework (next year is Kindergarten) and help me bake and cook. It would be better for us, but for the amount that it would cost to undertake such a renovation would the payoff be there a couple years down the road?

Every time I think of yet another renovation, I stop and look and look at these pictures of the forever home. I stop myself and remember that we want the forever home to become a reality sooner rather than later. We have to be smarter with our money, get the lipstick and mascara things done around here and leave the major renos to someone else. We have done a lot of work, but it has to stop somewhere. If this was the forever house a complete reno of the kitchen would be in order because it's small and has oak cabinets. Enough said right? But I can put up with it for another couple years because someday I will get the big open kitchen with my choice of cabinetry. 

Patience is something that I have never been very good at, something that I have trouble with. I have trouble with not making the space I reside in RIGHT NOW exactly what I want, but the truth is this house is not ever going to be exactly what we want. So I have to wait.

Home Goals 2011

Ah... another list. I am the perpetual list maker around here. I thrive on lists.

Main Floor:

New flooring-

When we bought this house the flooring on the main floor was non-existent. Plywood. We painted it, but it was rough and hard to keep clean. When Dylan came along I convinced Bruce to put down real floors. We wanted hardwood, but we just bought a house, just had a baby and were living on one income. Hardwood wasn't in the budget. Laminate was. We bought cheap laminate to tide us over until we could afford to do something else. 5 years, 2 kids and a dog later, the floors are just a little worse for wear. OK they're a lot worse for wear. They are scratched, worn, and in places the finish is coming off. When Pepper was still learning the art of house training she somehow confused Dylan's room with outside. His floor was torn up and is back to plywood. Enter new bamboo flooring.

Master Bedroom:

I showed you a plan for my master bedroom a couple days ago... not sure that's the way we are going to go quite yet... the black and white ticking stripe bedding is wonderful... but we have to take into account the 2 boys and the black dog...

1. New Bed- 4 poster
2. Repaint? The gray is depressing me. It is the wrong gray, prison cellish gray. I have tried to make it work, tried different color combinations and different bedding, and I can't make it work. (Note: it currently looks nothing like this picture except the color is still the same)

3. Bedding

Family Room:

My goal is to have the family room be a space for all of us. It's a rather large room, and it has to be multifunctional. A place to play, to relax, to watch TV, use the computer, ride tricycles... 

1. finish fireplace
2. build bookcases- like this:

3. trim on windows
4. box in posts
5. curtains (they are being hemmed, or sitting in the to-do pile at my seamstress... aka my Mom)

6. art work
7. decor
8. coffee table?

Guest Room 

My guest room has had many lives. It was a guest room/ storage room, then my sister lived with us for awhile and it was her room. It became an office for the business we had for awhile, then it became a combination office/guest room again, then a playroom,then my brother moved in for a bit and it was his room and now it is back to just a guest room. It is still the same colors I painted for the playroom though... and there may be Thomas the train stickers on the wall. I sleep in there when Bruce snores. Let me tell you it is anything but calm and serene to wake up to! 

No wonder my brother moved out! I have no inspiration for this room, except that queen size headboard in the master bedroom that is too small for the bed will be moving downstairs. I may or may not change the white vinyl to something else... depends on how much gumption I have left when I get to it! I seem to have trouble with bedrooms...

Yard- No more MUD!!

Frame art- I bought my keep calm poster a year ago, it still isn't framed! Normally I frame everything in black, but this white washed barnboard is just so nice!!

have kids... will decorate

 

Living Room Lowdown

• Choose durable upholstery that looks better at it ages. Leather is easy to care for and never goes out of fashion.
• Create different seating areas. Coffee-table seating is perfect for games and coloring; wide sofas are better for reading.
• Use wipe-clean paint. Grubby hands needn’t be a bother, even on pale walls, if you use a finish, such as eggshell, then most stains can be removed from.
• Go for washable slipcovers -- a must for a family room and perfect when the fun spills over. 

Living Room: Kids' Rules

• We want lots of room to play, so make sure you keep all your stuff out of the way. Built-in storage units and shelves keep the floor free for us to play on.
• The floor is for rolling on, eating on, and trying out our train track on. So get a patterned rug as it’s better for hiding crumbs and stains, and can be cleaned more easily than carpet.

Tip: Coffee tables are a great height for kids to play on, so buy one tough enough to withstand everyday knocks.

Cozy Bedroom

• Pick machine-washable bedding. You need to be able to chuck it in the washer if breakfast gets spilt.
• Get a bed with storage baskets as they are perfect for keeping bed linens in -- and toys, so the kids can amuse themselves while you relax.
• Buy a separate headboard so when you want a fresh look, you can replace or repaint it without having to buy a new bed.
• Add soft-cornered storage, such as this upholstered ottoman. The padded lid and rounded edges aren’t going to cause injury if kids bump into them.
• Edge a plain blind with patterned fabric so when little hands grab the bottom of it, no grubby prints will show.
• Find a clever storage unit that will hide away a home office. The computer monitor is great for watching DVDs in bed, too. 

Bedroom: Kids’ Rules

• We love to bounce on the beds, so stay clear of white bedding! Pick an easy-care finish and add a splash of color or pattern on pillowcases.
• Best get a slightly patterned carpet. If we spill your breakfast orange juice on the floor, a plain one would show stains.

Tip: Clutter-free surfaces and round-edged furniture mean it’s safe for fun and games.

Durable Dining Room

• Go for practical dining chairs that’ll stay pristine. Leather just needs a quick wipe down to stay looking smart.
• Choose inexpensive curtains.With kids likely to pull or wrap themselves up in them, they’ll need replacing before long.
• Protect walls with paneling. It’ll create a cozy feel in the dining room, and also means scuffed areas can be easily retouched without repainting an entire wall.
• Use sleek furniture without protruding handles that children might catch themselves on.
• Select smart flooring, such as laminate, that will withstand tricycles as well as dropped food and drink. 

Dining Room: Kids’ Rules

• If you don’t want us to play with your pretty things, keep them out of our reach on a high shelf.
• Keep your china and glass safe in a sideboard.
• We love to play at the table, so choose an aged-wood design, so that marks won’t stand out.

Tip: Oilcloth adds a fun touch during the daytime and protects the table from spills.

Marie Nichols, Ideal Home

It’s been decided…

My house usually looks dishevelled and disorganized. There is evidence everywhere that boys live here, big boys and little ones. There is no place in this house that is untouched by the messiness of those boys. I find cars and trucks on the counter, balls under the couch, peanut butter left out, tractors on the end tables. Toothpaste gummed to the bathroom sink and spray on the mirror. There are dog toys and boy toys littering the yard, there are dumptrucks under my bed. The male species who live here are all a little like Pigpen!

OK, that’s not to say that I am not a little at fault too… I may have a pile (or 10) of magazines around the house… is there a Magazines Anonymous? I may, or may not, have piles of paper around that need to be filed, I may, or may not, leave dishes in the sink on occasion. The laundry is piled on top of the drier as I write this, waiting for someone (me) to find the motivation to put it away. My bed is not made, in fact the room was one of the messiest in the house. Many things that don’t belong have a tendency to congregate there. It drives me crazy. The kids are not usually allowed in there, so it becomes the stashing space for everything we don’t want them to touch.  Christmas did a number on the room, presents were stored in the closet, wrapping paper littered the floor, tags, tape, rubbermaid containers… you get the picture right?

I spend my days surrounded by all their stuff everywhere, I shouldn’t spend my nights that way too. It should be a refuge, a sanctuary, a place of rest and relaxation. The room is not very inviting, it’s grey and cold and the furniture doesn’t match (and not in that nice eclectic unmatchy way). We splurged on a king size bed a few months back, which does help with the sleeping space but sadly the headboard is the one from our queen bed, just sitting there behind a bed that is much bigger. Winter makes me want to nest. Makes me want to break out the warm blankets and cosy pillows. Makes me crave a makeover.

The boys have real beds. Made out of wood. Not steel bedframes with one size too small headboards. They have real beds, that weren’t exactly um cheap… so why can’t we have a real bed in our bedroom? Well, it’s finally been decided that we can… 4 poster lovey here I come!

Wheatons

Ethan Allen Barrett Bed

And as much as I love the Pottery Barn Farmhouse bed… they don’t ship to Canada. Poo poo on you Pottery Barn, cause I would go for broke at your store!

That beautiful master bedroom at the HGTV 2011 Dream Home has me inspired… and I have to admit I spent the day searching for black and white ticking stripe bedding…

Ethan Allen… you cost too much!

Enter ebay, and Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams- similar look less $$$

http://cgi.ebay.com/MITCHELL-GOLD-BOB-WILLIAMS-GOODNIGHT-DENIM-KING-DUVET-/260715256608

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mitchell-Gold-Bob-Williams-Goodnight-Denim-King-Bed-Set-/380304535823?pt=US_Duvet_Covers&hash=item588beab10f

I can’t decide if I will add the red yet or not, I do have a soft spot for red…  and the throw… well I might just add a little Canadiana into the mix.

We’ll see.