Happy Halloween

Happy  

Halloween 

Wishes

 Are Being Sent Your Way!

Library bookcases done. Boom!

Remember that one time, back in January, when I had that idea to transform our dining room into a library? And then, back in March, when we started the process of building bookcases for the new library? Yeah, it was eight months ago, so I don’t blame you if you can’t remember. ;) Well, they are finally done!!!! And I’m thrilled!! I have worked  my butt off over the past few days to get them

Creepy, Cuddly & Just Plain Mad

 

She’s probably going to kill me someday for posting these, but I know other moms will appreciate the Halloween photo that wasn’t meant to be.  I tried to get a group shot before heading to the Fall festival this past weekend, and it ended up being one of those moments that makes you want to cry while it’s happening but laugh hysterically when you look back. . .

 

I’ll just call this series of photos “DJ Lance Throws a Hissy Fit”:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest, I can’t even remember what she was so mad about. . .

 

Happy Halloween

Its Halloween... !! Like I said... we didn't have time enough for Halloween decor or to organise a Halloween party this year... 

But the girls tried their hands at decoupage on glass... I think they did a fairly good job... LOL

Modpodge.. our new favorite.. a few tissue papers... and tea-lights from IKEA

marker pen to draw the faces... and we have some gorgeous Halloween tea lights... *smiles*

a few more images... 

Hope you have an awesome..... Halloween.... 

Fabric & Wallpaper: Mr. Decor Happy’s Den

So, I have been slowly but surely working on Mr. DH’s den (aka the “man cave.” ) I received creative and inspiring input from my design savvy blogging friends and took something from each.

After I figured out the layout (it’s a small room, so this was easy), I put my mind to the colour/pattern scheme.  Mr. DH likes navy and grey (and it’s manly – no pink allowed in this room) so I knew those would be the main colours. Interestingly enough, four out of the five blogger moodboards had a shot of orange/tangerine.  So when I spied a linen called “Spice” at Tonic Living, I knew that had to be the “happy” colour in the room to balance the grey and navy.  Even “man caves” need a happy colour so it doesn’t end up looking like, well, a cave! I would call this colour a “burnt orange” as it’s not bright and I think that’s why I like it.



I fell in love with this Robert Allen fabric (below) and thought it would be perfect on a custom ottoman – every room meant for TV viewing and relaxing needs an ottoman, don’t you think? (I think I have designed one for almost every client’s family room!) I love the ethnic/tribal feel of the fabric.
 

I knew I wanted wallpaper on one wall.  I love seeing all walls papered in a room but that is something that I just can’t commit to – so one wall would be enough.  Which wall though?  The idea of papering the TV wall in a dark wallpaper really appeals as in this image below.  The TV just disappears on the Nina Campbell wallpaper.

Credit: Style at Home

But when I brought home samples of wallpaper with a black background, it just wasn’t Mr. DH’s cuppa. So, then I thought a lighter wallpaper on the daybed wall (the opposite wall.)  That probably makes the most sense anyway since I am only doing one wall.  What wallpaper? How to narrow down the thousands of choices? You know I love floral but this is Mr. DH’s room where he goes to chill, watch TV, read – no florals allowed. What about trees? Trees are manly, right?  I narrowed it down to these two.

Nina Campbell’s new Woodsford papers are beautiful (they are so new that they aren’t even on the Osborne and Little site at the time of writing.)  They have a real hand painted quality and when you touch it you can feel the “paint,” i.e. it’s not smooth.

But I have always been a huge fan of Cole & Son’s Cow Parsley papers so when I heard they recently came out with five new colourways, I headed off to Kravet to see them. (One of my first posts included an image with Cow Parsley which I loved.)

Isn’t it lovely? It’s like a mural so that kind of justifies my “one wall” plan. I was going to choose a hex print (you probably know the one I mean!) which was very cool and manly but I think this tree/plant wallpaper/painting is more fitting for a one wall application.

This is how everything will look when complete.  The Daybed is for napping but this room also doubles as a guest room and a room where I can go when Mr. DH’s snoring is too loud. :) (He is not going to be happy when he reads this!)

As soon as the room is done, it will be revealed in a national newspaper (online), so you have to wait until then!  So, what do you think of the room?  When I do the reveal, I will show you the before – it’s pretty scary and a far cry from this!

Happy Halloween! Hope the kiddos don’t get too wet/blown away.

(And PS – my thoughts are with everyone in the US affected by Hurricane Sandy and dealing with the aftermath. )  

If you require design/decorating help, please contact me at vanessa(at)vanessafrancis.com.

Framing Windows with Paint

 

I recently came across this bedroom (via this month’s BH&G) and thought this was a pretty clever solution if you have windows without moldings.  They simply “framed” out the windows using a darker shade of paint (very similar—or maybe the same as—the crown molding).

 

 Lesueur Interiors

 

 

Along the same lines, here’s another example of how paint was used to frame out a bare window.  Of course, this would only work for those lucky few who didn’t need shades for privacy.  Interesting idea for bringing in a little color, nonetheless:

 

Better Homes & Gardens

 

 

 

PS—Hope all of my readers who are feeling “Sandy” are okay!   Just really windy in Charlotte.

DIY wood tray (& overcoming tool fears)

Hello all! First off, I hope everyone on the east coast is staying safe and dry today!! We are praying that everyone comes out unscathed and the weather isn’t as bad as they are expecting! Well I’ve been working my booty off this weekend peeps! I have worked SO hard on finishing off the bookcases – my body is screaming at me but I am so stinkin’ excited. I WILL show you this week, even if it

It’s Official. I’m Three.

 

This week marks the third anniversary of blogging for me. In a way, this blog is like my (sixth!) baby, so I guess that’s why I’m feeling a little sentimental. I’ve never been one to keep a journal, work out or even take a vitamin on a regular basis. So, to stick with blogging is a personal feat :)

 

source

 

Want to take a little walk down memory lane? 

(Humor me.)

 

I wrote my first post late one night, never thinking I would even tell my family about my blog.  It was wordy with a really cruddy little picture, and it makes me cringe a little to look at it.

 

I think I told my friend Katie first, and remember being completely sweaty nervous about it.  I also spent tons of time at night reading and commenting on other blogs.  And, when I finally got a comment on one of my posts, I thought I had hit the jackpot.  Someone (besides Katie, my husband and my parents) was reading this!  Amazing.  (I’m still amazed, by the way.)

 

Each little milestone has felt like a celebration.  I remember checking my blog in Katie’s kitchen one night a few months after I started, and jumping up and down because I had hit 20 followers—9 of whom I didn’t know.  My husband became my 1000th follower a little less than a year after I started :) 

 

(I know the whole concept of “followers” is a little weird, but I think all bloggers get excited about this—even if they won’t admit it. It’s just a little reminder that people are interested in what you have to say--and everybody likes that.)

 

 

Looking back at the last 3 years. . .

 

I’ve changed blog headers. . .

 

 

 

 

And houses. . .

 

 

 

I’ve had babies.

 

And meltdowns.

 

I’ve started a business. 

 

And, made a really good decision to quit.

 

Our family (and home) ended up in a place I never imagined.

 

And, I’ve made some really great friends.

(most of whom I’ve never seen in person)

 

 

This is starting to sound like an acceptance speech, so I’ll end by saying that I really, really do appreciate each one of you who read this blog every day, every week, or just every once in a while.  So, to celebrate this milestone, I wanted to do something fun for you all.

 

I’ve asked my sponsors and several blog friends to be part of a huge “Winner Takes All” anniversary giveaway.  ONE very lucky reader will have a chance to win a LOT of prizes--total value over $1000!  I’ll share more details when the giveaway goes live this Thursday, Nov.1st. 

 

 

Until then, here’s a little look at what’s up for grabs:

 

   

 

 

Thanks for celebrating with me!  It’s been a fun three years.

 

The Weekly Story ~ wk 99

Hello my lovelies... How have you been?

This weekend... was our long weekend.. and I had vowed to do nothing... and thats exactly what I did!! Not completely true... Since I've been so busy with my older girly for three weeks or so .... this weekend was dedicated to my younger one....

So we did all the fun stuff that she loves ... watched three movies, went to the beach early in the morning, swimming, play areas, parks, and lots of absolutely rubbish craft work... 

The three of us are going to be busy for Halloween this year... so we decided not to put up our decorations... Its the Shujaat Khan concert on 31st Oct at DUCTAC, my girlies have over night camp in school...

*sigh*... but we still did two simple DIYs that I have to share with you.... Here is the first one.. 

Using spray paint and old bottles available at home...

Here is the work in progress... We used silver & orange...

and transformed those sad and boring bottles... to these cute halloween tea lights... 

The orange ones were spray painted from the outside.. and the grey one from the inside... but both looked equally pretty... 

This one was the cutest.... 

The grey one.. wasn't a huge success... I guess it was a wrong choice of colour.... What do you think?

Oh.. and last year... my friend.. Aisha.. shared this recipe for Halloween Cookies .. so if you are going to try it... Do send me an image.. *smiles*...

I know... I haven't stopped by your blogs... but promise to do it this week for sure... Till then.. do grab the weekly button and join the party... *smiles*..






 


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A Saturday Project

 

Meet our piano.

 

We’re spending our Saturday afternoon taping off stripes.  Don’t be jealous of all the fun.  (If you want to see the progress, you can follow along on Instagram @emilyaclark.)

 

 

Fun With Mummy

Do you need a quick and easy 

Halloween craft for this weekend? 

My sons and I followed this tutorial. 

It was so much fun to craft our own unique mummy.

Your Beautiful Bedrooms!

Well hello there and welcome to the weekend! :) I’m bragging on a few of you today – I went through the latest Show Us Your House linky and could not believe all of the beautiful bedrooms! I seriously had to stop adding pics – it was so hard to narrow this down! SO many pretty spaces and great ideas – let’s take a look at a few! I think I caught my mouth hanging open when I saw Kristin’s

Korhani Home Fashion Show

On Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of attending the preview of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection for Korhani Home during Toronto Fashion Week.

The models were sporting beautifully tailored clothing crafted from Korhani Home’s carpets and home accessories.  Once again, they didn’t disappoint with their beautiful and colourful patterns and textures.

This year’s collection showcased three themes each having a distinct feel.

“Belle du Jour” featured Parisian inspired garments/rugs:

 

The glitz and glam of the roaring 20’s was showcased in “Puttin’ on the Ritz:”

 

 

 

 

“Tropical Paradise” showcased bright tropical prints fashioned from reversible plastic rugs:

 

Hard to believe that these are all rugs for the home! Note that the rugs will be available at major retailers across Canada in Spring of 2013.

In my post last year, I mentioned that I would love to attend the Joe Fresh fashion show which was the same night and I guess the universe was listening because we saw that one too (Ok, we snuck in but whatevs!)  I have many Joe Fresh pieces, love their fashion forward styles and affordability plus the added bonus of picking something up while you are grocery shopping!

 

All images via here and here. (We were sitting a few rows back so the glare from the lighting meant getting a good enough photo was impossible.)

 

It was so much fun and I can’t wait to be invited back for the next show! (Maybe next time we will have better seats (with our names on them!) so better photos can be had :)  Just putting that out there!)

 

Have a happy weekend! (I am working all weekend – it’s that time of year when clients are calling to ready their home for the holidays.)

 

If you require design advice, please contact me at vanessa(at)vanessafrancis.com.