For Those of You Not on Twitter

Very alien-esque:

Crazy, right?!

Mirror, Mirror...

...is ON THE WALL!!!

Can you believe it? Almost a full six months after posting the main "bathroom reveal" post, we finally have a proper, permanent mirror on the wall.

[insert applause here]

I know - crazy right?!

I'll jump right to the non-styled pictures and then give you a little further info on the project and what I learned.

(before pic)

(J and Jesse from Lumsden Custom Cabinetry carrying it over)

(yes, I'm standing in the tub here)

There you go :-) After himming and hawing for ages about the one big vs two small mirror issue, we decided to follow the advice of our skilled and lovely designer, Carol, who put her vote in the 'one big' column. She hadn't steered us wrong yet so one big one it was!!

A little background - we had originally planned on DIY'ing the mirror. We even bought some wood trim as part of that plan, but for some reason we never got around to it. The wood sat there. We even brought in a temporary solution:

That 'temporary' solution is probably what prevented us from moving forward on a mirror. There was no rush because we had something. I really, really classy full length mirror from my undergrad days. Funny thing (as if that wasn't weird enough) is that the mirror caused us to always use one sink. We spent all this money and all that time saying "oh we MUST have a double vanity" and there we were, fighting over the one sink to brush our teeth. Because you MUST brush your teeth in front of a mirror, right? :-)

Also, I felt like there was no way we could do a DIY mirror/frame that would do the bathroom (and especially the vanity) justice. We aren't carpenters with skills or tools that would get the job done to my standards. I knew that. I mean, I should have known that and not bought the wood trim, but well..we all make mistakes.

Anyways - we ended up hiring Jesse from Lumsden Custom Cabinetry (the guy who made the vanity) to do a matching mirror - one with a veneer covered frame in the same stain as the vanity. SUCH a smart decision.  Not only does the mirror match perfectly, but we didn't have to organize two different people (i.e. mirror and frame) and he just showed up, took copious measurements and just BAM. Put the mirror up. It was actually really impressive to watch a professional work. Jesse took about 20-30 minutes just measuring again and again, then he popped the plugs and the screws in the wall and it just worked.

Amazing. Lesson learned - it is often worth the money to hire a pro. Like for this project. SO worth it.

It should be pretty obvious that I am SO happy with the work Jesse does - I really feel like the vanity is the showpiece of the bathroom and with the matching mirror, it is even better. If anyone is looking for a custom cabinet/vanity/built-ins guy, Jesse is your man. No, they didn't compensate me to say that. I'm just a really, really happy camper.

Plus the bathroom (aside from a few tiny 'nice to haves') is now...FINISHED!! Woot woot!

And since I was in front of the mirror, I took a 27w picture for you :-)

Something I'm Not Into

I know it might sound weird (because I rarely hear people say this) but I'm not really into music. Sure, I like listening to the radio and sing to some favourite songs, but I'm not really into it. In that I mean I don't seem to appreciate music the way that music people do.

If I were famous, and someone asked me a bunch of interview questions that included "what are you listening to these days" I'd be stumped.

Top 40?
Whatever is on the radio?

That said, I have recently heard a song on the radio that I instantly (and I mean, after ONE listen) fell in love with. It probably isn't all that new, and I'm probably the last to know, but I love it. I then did what I always do with a one-song fave - I downloaded it and have been listening to it on repeat.

So music lover or not, this is worth a listen (and a watch since the video is pretty amazing!):



"Somebody that I Used to Know" by Gotye.

Happy Friday!

I Think I'm Crazy

No, for real. This pregnancy thing has turned me into a bit of a crazy person. While I haven't developed any weird aversions or cravings, things that used to drive me only marginally nuts are not apt to put me over the edge. In an ugly way. In the kind of way where I can't even stop myself from making a face of disgust that everyone around me can see. It is pathetic.

(not sure who is crazier in this relationship)

The following is a list of SOME of the things that are currently pushing me over the edge...trust me when I tell you this is not a full and final list.

1. Certain Smells: While I've never loved the smell of onions or garlic, why is it that EVERY DAY there is someone on the streetcar who smells like they spent the morning chopping garlic and then rolling around in onions. WHY? And coffee...not just a regular aversion to the smell of coffee, but the smell of coffee breath makes me want to vomit. No, please don't come into my office with your coffee and proceed to stink the place up. I might puke. And that might be worse than the coffee smell...

2. Certain Sounds: I've always been a bit irritated by sounds. The sound of music being played on an iPhone (as opposed to a stereo) where the music comes out of these little tinny speakers. The sound of a metal spoon hitting a ceramic/china plate again and again and again. It used to take a while for my inability to handle those sounds to flare up but now, on the first DING of that spoon, I lose my sh*t. My husband will attest to that. I've been known to stare daggers at him as he ate his cereal or moved some food on his plate. Don't even get me started on what happens if someone chews with their mouth open even for a second.

3. Certain Bodily Functions: Okay, so no one loves this stuff. You know what I mean. They guy on the plane who decides that sniffing loads of snot every 10 seconds is better than just blowing his nose. Sniff....sniff....sniff....hoark....sniff...ARG!! Or what about the lady walking down the street who couldn't POSSIBLY cover her mouth when she sneezed and decided it was best to turn her head to the SIDE and sneeze all over the person (ME!) walking next to her. Um, yeah. Thanks for that. I think I actually made a face and said "cover your mouth" in a voice that was definitely louder than a whisper. Gross. I'm also super intolerant of other bodily functions these days. Nuff said. Hopefully that goes away once the baby is born because I have a feeling I'm going to have to just laugh when he farts, instead of handing him to my husband and hauling ass out of the house. Because that would be wrong, right? Right?

I know this all makes me look crazy, and you are right. I am. I wish I didn't feel this way but I do! I can't help it, even when I know I'm being a crazy preggo I can't control the impatience and rage.

Please say there is hope for me and that the future is bright, because otherwise I think my husband might get to the point where it will be HIM making a face and hauling ass out of the house!

Were you a crazy preggo?!

Weekend Shopping

Happy Tuesday!!

My day started off with a glucose test (whereby you drink some super sweet juice stuff) and then sit around until you can get your blood tested. Fun times. Hopefully everything is okay because if I get told I can't eat carbs going forward, MAN am I in trouble :-)

After that I was lucky enough to visit a friend who just had a baby (3.5 weeks early - happy and healthy little boy!). Nothing better than fresh baby, I tell ya!

Anyhoo, I wanted to let you guys know that I did some shopping this weekend :-) Nothing MASSIVE but hubs and I are on a mission to finish the little things around the house so some shopping was in order.

1. Project "Lighten Up"

In an effort to lighten up the dark dining room, we picked up two lamps at Home Sense to try out (LOVE that store).

We came home with the white one and the one on the far right to try out. The one on the far right was a bust, but we loved the white lamp and are now on a hunt to find his mate. If anyone sees Mr. White at a Home Sense within a 30 minute drive of Toronto, please put that bad-boy on hold for me and let me know!!

Of course, Mr. White became all the more popular in my house when I discovered that Tim at Design Maze not only bought it, but pointed out that it is a (very very close) knock off version of a Jonathan Adler lamp. Sweet!!

2. Laundry Room "Tchotchkes"


I wanted to get a few things to put up on the shelves in the laundry room. We stopped by Kitchen Stuff Plus as well as Home Sense. Not sure what the final product will be but here is a start:

To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm actually even going to keep up there. We have a special drawer for our detergent, so who the heck knows. So that is why I went with partially useful, and partially cute stuff. Like those little bottles - how adorable are those?! The No.1 and No. 2 baskets? Also cute. Funny though, Home Sense sold them seperately but there was also a No. 3. If they'd packaged them together I would have come home with three, paid more and only used two. Instead, there is a lonely #3 sitting at the store that will probably never be purchased. Sad.


The shadowbox with the nail isn't necessarily staying. It is a huge antique nail that was found during the bathroom demo so we kept it but I still haven't found a home for it. Plus I want to spruce up the shadow box (don't like the backing that is currently there).


Oh yeah - you can also see the grouted backsplash. Hubs did a fantastic job and I think it looks even better with grout!

So there you have it. My weekend purchases (aside from a hot dog at Costco). Any suggestions on what else to put up there/what should go back/what we should purchase for the laundry room??

Charmed, I'm Sure :-)

I don't think I ever told you guys (because I wasn't blogging at the time), but when I was away at school I purchased a little gift for myself. A little gift that only a woman would buy herself that arrived in the mail in a very Canadian blue box :-)

That's right, I bought myself jewellery from Birks! Specifically, this:

It was my first 'real' jewellery purchase and I was so excited to a) buy it for myself and b) get something from  Birks! For those of you who don't have a  Birks nearby, it is a very Canadian jewellery establishment - the kind of place that your dad takes you when you are a kid, on a weekend before Christmas, to pick out something special for your mom. In the snow. Hot chocolate in hand. You know the kind of place :-)

Anyways, I remember being shocked that  Birks carried reasonably priced pieces. I guess I had always assumed that I would have to wait until I was "old and married" before I received something from  Birks!

I recently received an email recently letting me know about a new line of Birks silver charms that are seriously adorable and (as with the above ring) less expensive than you would expect from a high-end place like  Birks.

Here are a few that captured my eye:

Source

Source

Of course, if I were to receive a little one like this in the near future, I wouldn't be all that unhappy (hint, hint, hubby!):

Source

That's right - a silver little boy charm with a diamond soccer ball...for $125! Cute, right?

I've never been one to love charm bracelets loaded with stuff, but having one or two of these hanging on a necklace is right up my alley. 

So tell me - have you ever treated yourself to a piece of jewellery? Are you a charm person? What about a non-traditional charm person who would wear that gorgeous silver and enamel Roberto Coin charm above? :-)

26 Weeks Tomorrow

People weren't kidding when they said that the second trimester practically flies by.

The baby is definitely growing now!

Hubs and I are starting to make a list of stuff to do before the baby arrives. It is amazing how things start to pile up when time starts flying :-)

House Stuff:

1. Have the hallway/trim/ceiling painted.
2. Ceiling in the family room/kitchen is also going to be painted since we've been living with a big patch mark on it for 2 years. Oops.
3. Finish the laundry room by installing hooks and buying cute stuff to fill the shelves :-)
4. Complete the 'lightening' of our dining room. Put the frames up even if we don't have art to fill them.
5. Replace the rotten wood in our front garden. We originally thought of doing something more major out front but I've decided to pick our battles and just make it look pretty again.
6. Paint our front porch. The weather has taken its toll on the paint so some sanding and painting is definitely in order. The spindles also need replacing but I think that should be an easy enough job (for J) to do.
7. Let J have ONE MORE kick at the can with trying to grow grass in our backyard. He bought some fancy full shade seed so if we can beat the raccoon problem, grass MAY grow.

Baby Stuff:

1. Figure out the whole cloth vs disposable diaper issue and make a decision.
2. Buy STUFF for baby. We have a stroller and some clothes...that's it so far. Oh and a baby monitor. We have one of those. We are trying to keep the 'stuff' under control as we don't have a lot of storage and I don't want the house to get too over run with primary colours, but I know that there are things that are must haves.
3. Have a baby.

So that's that - if anyone has a list of must haves before the baby comes, I'm all ears/eyes. When I search the web there is SO much information and I don't know what is right. I think what I need is a list from a city person/small house dweller. How much stuff is necessary? Do I have to have a Pack'n'Play? Bouncy chairs? Swings? AHHHHH!!!!

I'm Back!!

Helloooo everyone!!

Hubs and I are back from our lovely holiday to Jamaica!!  We had a wonderful time lazing on the beach and drinking blended daiquiris and the like. Of course, mine didn't have alcohol in them but they did the trick! Well...most of them, that is. On 2 separate occasions, I'd ask for a certain drink without alcohol and they'd make it with this coconut creme liquor, saying "but it isn't too strong!".

Um...

haha so anyways - while we were away, we spent time reading up on some baby stuff.

1. The Very Best Canadian Baby Name Book.

2. The Expectant Father.

3. Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin.

The Guide to Childbirth was probably the most interesting. It is written by a super famous midwife who has developed a pretty massive following for her natural labour techniques and beliefs.

Aside from baby books, I read books 1-4 of the Harry Potter series. I know - I'm the last person in the world to read these!

Yes, that is the West Elm pig speaker that I got for Christmas for the nursery. It was a great addition on the trip - didn't require any batteries and we could listen to music whenever we wanted without headphones. Plus it was a good conversation piece.

Once I download more pics I might post a few here. We didn't spend a ton of time taking pictures because...well...you know...reaching into the bag to get the camera always seemed like it required a little too much effort for me :-) I reserved that effort to make extra trips to the pastry section of the breakfast buffet. Oops ;-)

In other news, I chopped my hair off:

The long hair was getting out of control and I felt like it was time. Of course, I think that cutting 10 inches off is a big deal, but most people around me say "but it's still long, right?" haha.

Finally, we received word that the mirror is finished and ready to be installed!! We just have to organize a day for that to happen and we are good to go!

That's all for now - I've got a few things coming up house-wise as we are now actively trying to finish up some stuff before the baby comes! That's right, folks. I'm totally having a baby. ;-)

Sorry About The Disappearing Act

...but I'm kind of busy right now :-)


Back soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Art in the Bathroom

In an attempt to finish up some of the last, more minor details in the bathroom (and while we wait for the mirror to come in!), hubs and I decided that ART would be next on the list.

Now, we are not art people. We'd like to be art people, but we have no clue what to look for, what art is 'worth' and what works where. Situations like this call for one thing, and one thing only.

ETSY.

Seriously - every piece of art that we've purchased in the last 2 years has been from Etsy. It is such a great resource for art at all price points. You can search by colour, medium, size...it is amazing.

Of course it isn't easy to know where to start. So I did what any normal person would do. I googled it!

"art for bathroom" eventually brought up a post on Apartment Therapy on the subject that showed a great print that I thought could look gorgeous in our bathroom:

Source

Gorgeous, right? And $25 bucks! Anyways - I sent this pic to Shannon at 8 Foot 6 for her input. She is my go-to on a number of things, one of which being art.

Anyways, she started sending me complimentary photos from Etsy and eventually landed on this one:

Source

I loved this one - the vintage washed out colours seemed perfect. I did a little digging around the seller's page and came across one more that I thought would work:

Source

It seemed like they were from the same place - turn to the left, see the beach. Turn to the right, there's the midway. The colours worked AND we could combine shipping (I'm a cheapo, you know that!).

So we placed the order and everything arrived today! I put them in 2 walnut looking frames from Ikea and ...GET THIS...I actually put them up on the walls!!

I know - crazy talk!

Sure - the last pic doesn't show the art but I'm thinking of eventually putting two small items over the toilet...

So there you have it - one more thing off the list!