Birthday Planning - Creating Invites

As I mentioned the other week, Halle's birthday is really creeping up on us quickly. I'm in the process of planning and purchasing items, and at the top of my list is invites. Mailing out invites is one of my favourite things to do. Everyone loves receiving mail, and I find a mailed invite feels more personal and thoughtful. Of course, not everyone has time to DIY up some gorgeous invites for a party and this year, that is definitely me. Luckily, I was able to work with Minted to create some really gorgeous invites for our girl's second birthday, quick and conveniently.

It was seriously hard to pick just ONE design, but in the end I just couldn't resist the confection children's birthday party invite.

The whole process was as simple as filling in my personal info, the date and time, and changing it to read "SECOND BIRTHDAY". I also opted to change the colour of "SECOND BIRTHDAY" to red. Then, by clicking on the blank spot to the right, I was able to go in and select a photo of Halle that I loved and add it to the card. I'll wait to share the whole thing with you when I share her final invites...

The front is not the only part of the card that you can pretty up though. For an additional fee you can pick a pretty back to finish up your invites. I opted to add the colourful confetti dots to the back of the invites, and I must say - it looks pretty cute...

With my back selected I had a chance to look over all of my final decisions on one page. It's here that you are able to make any additional changes to your invite's, by making a request on the page that will go directly to the designer. I like this feature, since it really let's you personalize your products more than any other website! In the case of Halle's invite's I kept it simple and, of course, only requested to have the name changed to our sweet girl's.

It took about a day for a proof to come back to me for my approval, and once I virtually signed off on everything they went to print and were shipped off. I honestly loved the whole process of selecting and personalizing these invites and I can't wait to send them out to our family and friends! 

What I REALLY love about Minted is that they work with indie designers from all over the world, giving them a chance to make their beautiful work available and grow their careers. It feels pretty great to receive a little personal message from them after you place your order. 

So, Halle's invites are ready to go out, so I will wait to share the final design until I know they have all been received.

Have you worked with Minted before? How did you enjoy the whole process, and have you done anything more to personalize an order from them? I'd love to hear what you think?

*I was provided my invites and a birthday bunting in exchange for writing about Minted. All opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

A Quick Kitchen Update

When we moved into our new home, it all seemed really big and light and airy. For the most part, we liked what we saw, but we knew that we would want to make some changes to this place to make it feel like our own and one of the first places we planned to start in, was the kitchen.

Before we even got the keys, we had started to think about what we would change (of course). One of this things I knew right off the bat that I wanted to change was the little light fixture over the sink...

It's not BAD, just not really our style... so it had to go. Lucky for us, we found a solution before we even got the keys. During a regular trip to Home Depot we came across a great light ON clearance for $7.00... and there was no way I was leaving it behind.

So after turning off the electrical, B removed the old light fixture and began the process of getting the new light up. I thought about sharing a tutorial, but there are so many better tutorials for changing out a light fixture online... so I'll just stick to the update.

We opted to just use two of the down rods to get the perfect height. I didn't want it too long (of course), but I didn't want it to be too short and look as awkward as the original light fixture we were replacing.

We both love how it looks, and it's really just the first small step in making this place feel more like us and only for $7 and less than half an hour of our time! I plan on putting the original light fixture up on Craigslist as well, so hopefully it will bring down the cost of this little project even more. 

Have you been making any small upgrades around the house recently? Anything inexpensive and small, but makes a huge difference to you?

Fancy Friday Love

Happy first Friday of June! How quickly last month sped past... and how fast this past week went with us getting settled into the new house. I did squeeze in a little internet time though, and here is what I found...

Love this pretty floral, feminine entry on Daily Dream Decor. It just seems so light, clean and inviting. The floral wallpaper is beautiful, but so is the console table in the back of the photo. I don't know if I could convince B to wallpaper the front hallway of our new place like this though.

The gorgeous photography of Krista Keltanen was shared on desire to inspire this week. I was digging this room. The contrast of the dark walls with all of the light furnishings and accessories is absolute perfection!

We're not using real flowers for the bouquets at the wedding. It's one of the areas where I decided to save, and I'm pretty excited about what I have planned. However, there are moments when I see gorgeous bouquets, like this one from Oh So Beautiful Paper, and part of me wishes we were doing real flowers.

One thing I really want to strive for in our new place is to have something that looks great, but is also kid friendly! I don't want to be constantly chasing after Halle telling her "don't go in there" or "don't touch that" - it's not what a family home is for. So this post yesterday on Simply Grove was some great inspiration for kid friendly dining rooms...

I love s'mores... like A LOT! I think they are the best summer time treat ever! Well, when I came across an idea for lemon meringue pie s'mores on Pinterest yesterday (via Cooking Classy), I was over the moon! Lemon & S'mores, my two favourites desserts, in ONE! I NEED to try this... and I'm ready to whip up some homemade lemon curd for this too. (Even if you are NOT a lemon fan, check that link out for other unique ideas for s'mores!)

Well, the weekend is here and I'm so looking forward to B being home from work. There will be some more unpacking (of the less important stuff that is still in boxes), and I hope to finish painting my office and make some progress on setting up Halle's room so that we can get her in there. I can't wait to share more of our house soon... I'm so itching to make this place feel like ours! What do you have planned for this lovely June weekend?

Style for Him

I know I shared a few posts recently about Father's Day Cards and gifts, but if you are looking for something more, then I know just the thing to give you some inspiration! Keep an eye out tomorrow for the latest #GlobeStyleAdvisor, which will be available in print in The Globe and Mail, or for FREE download on iTunes (iPad only).

I've received advances copies of the last two issues of Globe Style Advisor and loved flipping threw them! They always offer the best in fashion, beauty, and pieces for your home, so I expect some great ideas for the men in your life in the June edition, which focuses all on men’s fashion. They're promising, the best in men’s suits from work to play, summer cocktails with a one-two punch, smooth sailing nautical prints, barbeque gear and more!

So keep an eye out in tomorrow's Globe and Mail, or download your own on iTunes for iPad! Will you be scooping up a copy, or have you in the past? Do you enjoy The Globe Style Advisor as much as I do?

East vs. West - Why I Love Both

The other week when I answered your questions about our new home, my friend Katrina mentioned that she would love to read a little more on how I like living on the West Coast vs. the East Coast (okay, yes Toronto is not the East Coast, but when you are living in B.C. it feels pretty far East, so just humour me!). I thought that this would be a great topic to address, and to help explore my own feelings on how I feel about these two places that I consider "home". 

I'll start off by saying that somehow I still manage to call both my hometown of Whitby and our new place in British Columbia, "Home". I guess home is wherever your heart is, and even though B, Halle and the pups are all here on the West Coast with me, many of our family and friends are living on the East side of Canada and the United States. With that being said, I could never pick a favourite between these two coasts, so this is just a list of some pro's and con's for each place. 

The Weather

When we first moved out here everyone talked about how it rained ALL of the time. Yes, it does rain A LOT, and I thought that the weather would really bother me, but to be honest, it doesn't. I love when it rains at night, and on the days that it does rain , it rarely ever rains for the entire day, so Halle and I are still able to get outside for a walk and some fresh air. Overall, the milder temperatures of the West Coast are something we love much more. I don't miss the long, dark frigid winters we had in Toronto, full of slush and snow. I'm much more content with mild, wet winters, that involve a relatively short drive to a mountain to enjoy the snow! Plus, on the sunny days in the summer the weather is perfect. You don't get the excessively hot and humid days like you do back East, which is fantastic. Overall, I think I'm much more suited for this "Wet Coast" weather.

The Scenery

The West Coast wins this category as well, hands down. There is no shortage of beautiful scenery around here, and we have yet to see it all. I love that it seems there is always somewhere new to explore. At the end of the day, my words will never do the actual sights justice... mind you, my photos could never do them justice either, but it will at least give you a good idea of why we love it so much...

{Vancouver Island - July 2012}

{Ferry to Vancouver Island - July 2012}

{North Vancouver & The Lions Gate Bridge from Stanley Park - March 2012}

{Sea to Sky Highway - April 2012}

The Cost of Living

One thing we have definitely struggled with, is the cost of living. It is much higher out here, from gas and groceries to the price of houses. It's part of the reason that we moved further east from Vancouver than we already were. For example, Gas is about $0.10/L cheaper in our new area than it was even in the last place we lived... which is still probably about $0.10 - $0.20 more expensive than it is in the GTA. Craziness I tell you. At the same time, though it may be more expensive, to us the outdoor lifestyle and quality of life we have out here is much more enjoyable, so we are finding ways to make it work! In this area though, the Toronto area definitely wins for cost of living!

Family & Friends

I'm sure it's quite obvious that we both miss our family and friends in both Toronto and Boston. Despite meeting some really great people out here, it's been quite an adjustment for both of us being so far away from everyone we love so much. Up to this point, we have been lucky to make trips back fairly regularly, as well as have family and friends out to visit, which has made it a lot easier, but we know it won't always continue at this rate. At some point, something will have to give and we won't be able to afford as many trips back, and we won't have everyone rushing out here to visit us all the time either. So while we have made some really great friends and memories, Toronto and Boston will always hold our hearts. 

{Visiting B's hometown in October 2012}

Overall, we really love our lives on the West Coast and most days I am convinced I was meant to live out here. Of course, I miss my family and oldest friends so much, but I think this whole experience has brought our family closer.

I once read that living in a new place with the person you love can help to keep your relationship fresh and exciting, as you see the person in a new environment and new situations and challenges. I totally understand that, and if you look at a situation like ours as an opportunity, it really can draw people closer together. We've worked together as a team to make sure all three of us are happy out here and to find the right balance and lifestyle that works for us. 

Will B.C be our forever home, or will we move back East at some point? It's hard to say today, I mean, a year and a half ago we never would've imagined we'd even be living here at all. Things change and different opportunities arise, but for our family, right now, I feel like we have found our little slice of heaven. I feel like we have really found a place that we can make a great home for us, right now.

Bye Bye Bubblegum

I'm digging myself out from under boxes, paint cans and drops cloths to share a little new house progress today! Things have been crazy this past week, but we're finally getting this place to feel like our home. The first room we wanted to tackle was Halle's new bedroom. I'm excited to give her a fun and whimsical girly room, and the first step was to get rid of the bubblegum pink on the walls...

B had started the painting process while Halle and I were back in Toronto. We picked out the paint colour and bought the paint from Home Depot before we even took possession. I wanted to keep the walls neutral (as I usually do), but didn't want to go with a stark white. Our final colour choice was Behr's Polished Pearl, and B was the one who pulled it to show me. It's still neutral, but it's a nice warm colour and it works nicely with the coral and teal we are using as accent colours, as well as the hints of yellow that will live in her room. 

The first couple of coats that B put on were Behr's Ultra Paint and Primer in one. It worked great to cover that bright pink, and saved us time and money. We did a third coat in Behr Premium Plus Eggshell finish, just to get a consistent look on the walls. The room is all painted now and what a difference it makes. It looks so fresh (the walls were very dirty) and warm, and I think it actually looks bigger now. (The photo below was taken from a slightly different angle... and obviously after we started to move stuff in... we still have a long way to go).

The walls weren't the only thing we painted though. When we arrived last Monday and I went to check out the room I noticed that the closet doors were really grimy looking and would need to be painted again. 

I only considered using white for a split second, then I thought to myself that this will be a little girls room and I wanted it to be really fun for her. I suggested to B that we buy a quart of coral and use it for the closet doors. Our colour choice was CIL Oriental Coral, and I love how it looks on her doors.

I'd love to order these knobs, from Anthropologie for the closet doors. They are on sale for $2.95 a piece (AWESOME!)... but they want to charge me $20 to ship them to Canada (NOT so awesome). So our search continues for the perfect knobs.

I feel so happy when I walk into her room now. It's such a sunny, happy space and there's more happy to come. We have a shade that's been following us around for about 3 years now that I would like to swap the ceiling fan out for, and the previous owners left some floating shelves that we plan to paint and hang again. So lot's more to do in this space, but we hope to do most of it with things we already have! 

What room's have you been refreshing with paint recently? Do you agree that there's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to transform a space? 

Bubbles & Balloons - Birthday Inspiration

With all of the wedding planning and moving we've had going on, I haven't had a ton of time to start planning Halle's second birthday party yet. Yup, that's right, in about a month and a half my sweet girl will turn two. How has time passed so quickly? It feels like only yesterday, I was a brand new Mommy, wondering if I would ever sleep the whole night through again. 

{care of Nicole Kathlyn Photography}

Now, I stay up until the wee hours of the morning reading blogs and starting posts that I haven't quite finished. I've also spent many of those late nights pinning inspiration for Halle's upcoming party. This year, I'm taking two things that she loves and combining them for her party - Bubbles & Balloons.

Here's some of my favourite pins so far that have me feeling ready to shop and plan...

{via Catch my Party}

I plan on making some little bubble favours for her little guests! I love that they will be simple with some dollar store containers, pipe cleaners, water, soap and some cute labels! 

{via bliss bloom blog}

Some food & drink labels will be easy to make with some coloured card stock and a glue stick!

{1. via 2. via Catch My Party 3. via flickr}

Balloons EVERYWHERE! I can load up on balloons at the dollar store and will be able to utilize them for both parts of the theme! I love being able to do stuff like that. I hope B doesn't mind blowing up tons and tons of balloons for me to string, stick and hang everywhere!

{via curbly}

I think that a bubble wreath would be a great way to welcome people to the party! I wonder if I can find some clear plastic bulbs like that at Michael's, Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store? Any suggestions?

So that's just a little peek at where I have started with my plans... now to begin shopping and collecting items for the party. I think I'll go with purple's, pink's and white for the colour's. Next up, invites so I can get them in the mail to our guests.

Are you planning any birthday's or parties that are coming up?