French Lilacs

If you follow me on Instagram you know my love for flowers.   So what a surprise for me a couple of weeks ago when I walked into my friend's backyard and saw her French lilacs all in bloom.  I have a very small lilac that finally bloomed last year, but to see these towering in her backyard was so stunning.  She even sent me home with a bucket of them, which of course, went into every room in the house.

Enjoy!

(All photos are mine taken with my iPhone.)

Some Great Finds at Walmart!

Just a quick note...I found some very cool things at Walmart recently.  This rug is cotton, 5' x 7', and also comes in a black & white stripe.  Now here's the really good part...it's only $39.00!  Can you believe that?   Now we finally have a rug in our living room .

I was really impressed with their lighting department...this little hanging light I picked up was only $36.00 and also comes in gold...how sweet is this?   

 But this was the whole reason I ran to Walmart in the first place...I wanted to check out this table.  Sadly I couldn't find it... I think it's only available online.  If you like mid-century you'll love it...isn't it cute?

I also wanted to check out this  end table  but couldn't find it (clearly I need to go to another Walmart) . Love this and it's only $79.00.

In the garden department...

I picked up this ginormous fern (because I absolutely love ferns inside and outside) for only $10.00...these normally retail for about $20.00.  

Have a great weekend!

My Fave Store... L e u k

One thing I did on my little sister/birthday/mother's day getaway weekend in Collingwood, ON was stroll through the downtown & browse cafes, art galleries & shops.  I cannot believe how much Collingwood has 
changed since I was a kid.  



This is where I found my new favorite store....Leuk.   It is beautiful!!!  They actually have two stores...one has accessories, gifts & a floral shop & the other has furniture, clothing & a little cafe.  

They actually don't allow you to take photos (which I didn't realize), but I was able to snap a couple before I was told not to take any. ;)

Here's a little taste of their floral section.

(All pics are mine taken with my iPhone.)

I would describe the design as modern farmhouse meets Scandi...two of my favorite styles right now.   

Perfection in my opinion...a must see if you're in the area!

A Perfect Little Mother's Day Getaway

This past weekend I went away for a little sister time, birthday celebration 

& an early Mother's Day all wrapped up in one.  

It. Was. Amazing. 

We went to Blue Mountain Village, ON and had a weekend full of relaxation, cafes, art galleries & house stalking...

To me, a perfect weekend.   

Our weekend started Friday afternoon at the Scandinave Spa....yes please!   It was sooooo relaxing.  We were only allowed to whisper (#shhhrelax)...which proved to be very hard for some people.  We quietly walked around, enjoying the hot baths, steam rooms & saunas.  We also lounged in the solarium rooms & outdoor hammocks & read books by the outdoor campfire. 

 

If you're thinking about going, you'll need to pack your bathing suit, water bottle, flip flops & a good book.  You can take your own housecoat, but they also provide them along with towels.   They do have a cafe for lunch & I strongly suggest the chicken salad sandwich & beef soup.

A few things I would recommend:  

1. Going during the week to avoid crowds;

2. Going in the Fall to experience the Fall color & cooler temps.  Each of their relaxing rooms overlooks the forest so the Fall color would be spectacular; and

3.  Going later in the day so you can go home and sleep right after. :)

I highly recommend this spa for anyone...man or woman...you truly relax & refocus.    And any guys out there who are still wondering what to do for their wife on mother's day...the spa is perfect.

(All pics are mine taken with my iPhone.)

More of what I did on my getaway weekend in Collingwood, including my new favorite store, coming soon.

Have a great week!

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Reno Update

A lot has happened to my kitchen since this post. 

I CANNOT believe what a difference 3 days, 2 guys & just changing out the uppers & backsplash made to this space.  What a big change!!!!  Within the first few hours they had all the uppers down & that was a big enough change.  I felt like I could breathe...

I'm trying to take this very basic, builder kitchen & make it look more current & custom on a very low budget.  I didn't change the countertops (they're quartz put in by the previous owners) or the lowers (I'll be painting them black) or any of the appliances...again, a very inexpensive reno.

Let's just look at the befores...

This is how it looked when we moved in...your very basic kitchen.

And this is what it looked like after the cabinets were painted & new hardware was put on about 6 years ago.

And this was about an hour after the carpenters arrived.

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

I kept the rangehood design simple...shaker like the cabinets.  

So this is what I had them do:   take down upper cabinets, build bulkhead, put up new Ikea cabinets, build rangehood, put up subway tile & put up crown moulding.

After grout and a couple of coats of white paint (Ben moore Soothing Mist OR-483) later...this was the result.

Can we just talk about the subway tile for a minute...

I.  Love.  It.

And it's from Home Depot...a box of 100 for about $40.00...inexpensive & beautiful...my favourite combo!

I also went with this dark grout called Truffle for a more graphic look.

This was a complete waste of space next to the fridge.  We had a box where the microwave used to go, two uppers, a very narrow cabinet & then a glassed corner cabinet.  We purchased these from Ikea in an off-white shaker style & then purchased these in 18" to go above them.   

You can see that there are two outlets on this side of the kitchen so I was able to get the carpenters to cut out the backs of the cabinets so I can put my microwave in the enclosed cabinet.  I also opted to leave one whole cabinet without doors & drawers. This houses my glass jars & coffeemaker & gives it a more custom look.

So here's what I have left to do:  put another coat of paint on the bulkhead & rangehood (hence the tape), paint the lowers black, get some new hardware (probably gold), & add some wood elements.

Even though it's only halfway there, we are absolutely loving it...the kids are loving it too!