Life is made up, not of sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.

Humphry Davy

Today I had one of the sweetest moments with my lovable little  man, we were playing on the back deck and then my lil man took my hand and walked me over to the stairs. He took a seat on a step and then patted the spot beside him and said "sit sit" (imagine it with a 2 year old accent) way too cute. I sat beside him and listened as  he proceeded to share with me that he wanted to go for a walk with our "Maymay" (Mina the beagle) and "Dayday" (Daisy the beagle) and Mama (that's me) and Dada and then we would take a CHOO CHOO (most likely Thomas the tank emgine) Now normally at this time of day I am trying to get laundry done, make the hubbys lunch and or cleaning the house but thankfully we decided to go outside. Could you imagine that instead of enjoying this sweet moment with my J man I had chosen to stay inside and catch-up on all household duties?

Today I am linking up with the ever so FABULOUS B from "Bits of Bee" for her weekly

 Quotable Bits Linky

Make sure to click the Quotable Bits button, grab a coffee, take a seat and enjoy all the LOVELY posts!

XOXO
A

I have been tagged

Look Look Look I have been tagged!! I was so excited to see this in my inbox:

 Hi Aubrey!

Carol over at The Design Pages tagged me in a fun little question and answer game, and now it’s my turn… so I’ve tagged you!
Here’s the link to the article…http://www.sheilazellerinteriors.com/articles/tag-youre-it

 I hope you play along, and have some fun with this!

But I totally understand if you can’t!

Take care,
Sheila Zeller

It was pretty awesome to be included in Sheila's tag along with some of my blogger Idols. Now what is the meaning of this "Tag" you ask:

THE RULES OF BLOGGER TAG

Rule 1: You must post the rules (I feel like this is fight cub)

Rule 2: You must answer all 11 questions that the tagger has asked you and you as the taggie 
             must ask 11 new questions to the people you have tagged

Rule 3: Tag 11 people and link them to your post

Rule 4: Let the taggies know you have tagged them

 Alright here goes!

Question 1: What is the biggest compliment you could be given as a result of your blog: 

Besides being asked to join in this game of tag?.... I would say the biggest compliment would be to have another blogger refer to one of my posts. It would mean that I was posting something worthwhile which is always a great thing. BTW... This is actually on my "bucket list"!

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Question 2: What gets you out of bed in the morning, and what keeps you up at night?

I wish it was the delightful smell of brewing coffee and the sound of the ocean that got me out of bed but alas... it is the sound of my lil man J calling "maa ma, ma maa" over the baby monitor and if that doesn't do it, it would be our cat Max pawing at my head to feed him, and if that didn't work it would be our two beagle girls running around the bed wanting to be let outside. The only ones not trying to drag me out of my ever so cozy bed (can you tell I love my sleep?) is our cat Rye, Sid the bathroom fighting fish and the hubster (he knows better than that).

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Question 2 / Part 2: What keeps you up at night?

Besides Pinterest? Ideas are what keep me up at night. When I get a great idea or plan going on in my head, I can't sleep. I will have to research and plan, make lists, then plan some more, and THEN I will have to journal everything that I came up with. Last week I was so excited about a certain plan/idea that I couldn't sleep for 3 nights! I will eventually share this lovely plan in due time as it is a fabulous one if I do say so!

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 Question 3: How do you recharge?

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I can't believe I am typing this ...... but I have to say that my Sunday morning runs are my recharger. OMG does this mean I am officially a runner? What happened to the girl who would have answered this by saying drinking a coffee and Bailey's while sitting in front of the fire watching the fabulous Colin Firth play the even more fabulous Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice? Mmmm I think this would work too still!

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Question 4: What is your most cherished family tradition?

Christmas Stockings..... I still expect a stocking from my parents SANTA. There is  something so magical about opening your stocking on Christmas morning. This will always be a tradition in our family.

Question 5: If you could pick anything on a menu, what would it be?

Coconut Rice from Ruby Foo's in Manhattan NY. This stuff is to die for! I know it seems silly but I still crave this side dish. The flavour was absolutely delish. My ever so amazing sis-in-law took the hubs and I there on one of our trips out to see her. (Yes she had the privilege of living in the Big Apple and YES I was uber jealous.) A close second to this would be a tuna tataki salad ...mmmm I am hungry now and sad that all there is to eat is gold fish crackers..

Question 6: What's in your closet that has seen better days but you just can't let it go?

BRIDESMAID DRESSES!! I have 4 of them and I just don't have the heart to get rid of them. One is even from 11 years ago. I keep thinking I am going to use the fabric from them and make something amazing. You know, like go all "Pretty in Pink" on them, except make something prettier from them not 100 X worse... just saying the finished prom dress was not my fave.

Question 7: What's a lasting lesson a mother (father, grandparent,...) taught you? 

This is a really tough one for me. ... There are so many lessons that my family has taught me but the one that stands out is from my dad:

Even though my time with my Dad was too short (I was almost 17 when he passed away), he taught me the best lesson of all. He taught me never to give up on a dream. You see my Dad had big dreams of becoming a pro golfer and he practiced and practiced and researched and put his everything into trying to make this dream come true. We are talking even after 3 heart attacks and 2 strokes, not one of these obstacles ever stopped him from trying to reach his goal.

To have such a passion to reach a goal has always flabbergasted me. I have never felt that passionate about something until last week. Remember Question 2 / Part 2? That idea is now my passion, it's all I can think about because I finally have a dream! I am so happy to know that I can now understand this passion that my Dad felt, and since my mom has always said I am my father's daughter, I know with confidence that I will reach my DREAM.

My lasting lesson  is " NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF"



Question 8: Are you seeing a make-up trend that you want gone?

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EXTREME smoky eyes = not a fan ....PERIOD

Question 9: Boots! What's your style?

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I heart a fab boot.  If I had to choose 1 I would say the Frye Campus Boot. LOVE THEM especially paired with a super cute dress.

Question 10: If you inherited an antique piece of furniture would you modify it in anyway?  Where would you draw the line?

Oh I wish I could tell you that I would re-vamp an inherited antique, but I would have a hard time compromising the original design. I am a bit of a chicken that way. Although if it was a Craigslist find I would have no problem re-working the piece. I suppose I am sentimental that way.

Question 11: Whats Hot and what's not in decor?

Well that's a loaded question...
I am by no means a trend setter. I love classic and timeless for decor with a POP of trend, but I am sensing COLOUR is going to be hot. I know tangerine is the big winner this year but I am really feeling navy and raspberry, although not necessarily together. I am also feeling unique pieces, something out of the ordinary like an incredible light fixture, or a sculpture or a unique chair and table. One star among a chorus line of basics. That's my forecast for 2012.

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And the big NO NO for the year .....
I have been in love with design and decor for so many years now, that I have learned that nothing ever goes out of style. It's all about who, what, and where. There is a purpose for everything, and its all about figuring out what works where. We have all seen something that looks amazing in one place but looks terrible somewhere else right?

PHEW and Done!! Thank you so much Sheila for including bellalime as one of your taggies. I had a lot of fun answering your questions. If you haven't checked out Sheila's fabulous blog SZ Interiors make sure you do so be clicking HERE

Alright Lovelies it is my turn to ask the questions and chose some taggies. Eeny Meeny Minny Mo ..
I choose:
Bits of Bee
Mini Manor
Apple Blue
Edin's House
Hello Miss Potter
Mama and the city
Call me Cal
High Styling
Lamidge
Flutter Flutter
My House of Giggles

Here are your 11 questions:
Question 1: What is your theme song?
Question 2: Iphone or Blackberry and why?
Question 3: DIY Project you are "DIYing" to do?
Question 4: Guilty-Pleasure magazine?
Question 5: What is your favorite quote?
Question 6: All-Inclusive or Backpacking (and where?)
Question 7: What is your go to bevie when hosting guests?
Question 8: Your favorite place to shop for your home?
Question 9: Most awesomeness "Pin" you have found on Pinterest.
Question10:What is your favorite space in your house? (make sure to include a pic)
Question11:Article of clothing you would like to get your hands on?

You are never gonna do a whole lot unless you are brave enough to try 

 Quote by Dolly Parton

Sounds simple right?

Hardest lesson that I am still trying to learn. I have to say this quote to myself almost everyday when I am out with my lil man. You see I am not a very out going person by any means I am the one at the party/play date that sits there smiling looking ridiculous. I have done this now for 33 years... but last year I read this quote (cue ahhhh haaaa music) and thought why am I so afraid to put myself out there?

VIA

I made a choice that day to never again allow myself to be afraid of being brave, I have alot of things to accomplish in my lifetime. So I started to put myself in the most uncomfortable situations that I could imagine, I started hosting a bi weekly play date with parents I didn't even know, I joined the Canadian West Design and Lifestyle Bloggers community and will actually be attending their Spring meet up. (cue heart failure and excitement)  My bravest moment is still to come...... I am working on accomplishing my biggest dare to dream goal, it's gonna take abit but I am gonna do a whole lot with it!

VIA

Today I am linking up with the fabulous Bits of Bee for her "Quotable Bits Linky" make sure to check out her blog

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A

RED, BLUE, GREEN, or YELLOW that is the question.....for what colour am I going to paint our front door? I have been thinking about this since the day we bought our house. At first I was set on a red door and a grey/green house kind of like this one... I heart this combo

This IS my dream house on the Shore

Of course once I started thinking about the endless colour options I had ....the choice became too overwhelming so I put this project on hold  for awhile but I think I have narrowed it down to 5ish... :P



Who doesn't love a little bit of sunshine every time you get home

VIA MODERN JANE

VIA Say Yes to Hoboken

This orange beauty makes me wish we lived in Europe GORGEOUS

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I am still not to sure which one to choose because I love them all. We still have to decide which colour to paint the house ( I am thinking grey or that grey green... hubby is pushing for RED!! We will see) and then I can make the final decision for the door! 
We will also be planning the back and front gardens this weekend, I will let you in on the plan on Mondays post. We are thinking raised beds, fancy paving stones and maybe this year I will get my RAIN CHAIN!

 Wishing everyone a FABULOUS weekend!

I know I promised a post this week on COMPOSTING but I am still reading up on it next week for sure.

What A Lovely Day

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MY SWEETS!

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This post is dedicated to my Sweet Valentines of the past:

My Ladies, you know who you are! I love my Valentine Days with my hubby and lil man and  know they are just going to get better and sweeter but there is something to be said about celebrating this day with your girlfriends.

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We would order some amazing Thai

eat delicious treats

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 watch more SATC then I will ever  admit

and

 just have an awesome time celebrating the love of friendships

CHEERS TO THE LADIES

Te Quiero mucho mucho  mi amore y mi "love bug" tambien

XOXO

A

Lazy Dazy Weekend

Hope everyone had a Fantabulous weekend. It was a lazy dazy one around Casa M. I even chose sleeping in over my run this Sunday morning. Too bad I didn't choose sleeping over all the eating a did.

Yup, That is pretty much what I ate all weekend :P

I did get a few fun projects done. I sewed a little tea towel from some scrap fabric I had. I haven't sewed in awhile and the lovely squiggly lines can attest to that.

Not too shabby eh??

I was also able to cross off : Make a curtain for the loft/office window   from my To Do List
The curtain is very basic but I heart it!

So here is said window that was feeling a little naked and needed some love..... and yes that is the old paint that was hiding under the blind that we removed awhile back but haven't found the time to paint  it so it matches the rest of the wall. That will be a Tuesday naptime job.

We had an old shower tension rod that was hanging around and it fit perfectly in the window (I can be resourceful when I need to be)  I than wemt through all the fabric that I had and chose this Dot one by "Dwell Studio"



I ironed an inch foldon each side and the bottom of the curtain.
I then folded each fold  over again so each side would have a more finished look.
I then sewed along each fold.
For the top of the curtain I measured 5 inches for the fold. (wide enough for the rod to slide through. and sewed a seam along the bottom up them fold

Voila a cute simple curtain

Here is my loft office (I still need to cover my chair)



Right now I am tying a ribbon around it to see outside during the day. I think it looks pretty cute!

And thats what I did this weekend. How about you, what did you get up to this weekend?

XOXO

A



 

It actually IS easy being GREEN

I am thinking about trying to be a little greener.... I'm not sure if it is because I am getting older and possibly a little less lazy or because I am wanting a cleaner environment for my lil man but I am definitely feeling like I need to up my part in creating a greener environment (too mother earthy??)

Anyhoo I was reading this fabulous POST from the Blog Mini Manor created by the ever inspiring Ashli and it confirmed that going a little Greener would be a great idea and a fairly easy one!

Now at Casa M we make sure to bring reusable bags to the grocery store (I have so many now because if I forget to bring our bags I feel so guilty about using the plastic ones that I will buy another reusable one at the checkout) Oh and I was able to find reusable veggie/fruit mesh type bags from IGA. They came in a pack of 3 for a pretty great price. We also recycle but its pretty basic: cans, containers, newspapers, magazines and card board.

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I know we can do better than that though. It is just going to take a little researching and time. Like where do all the old used up batteries go? According to a report by Environmental Canada, Canadians will throw away over 495 million batteries by 2010, all which could have been recycled. Inside landfills these batteries will leak into the soil and release heavy metals that may eventually make their way into water systems. This poses a health risk to local citizens  GROSS EH?
Well you can dispose of dead batteries at these locations in Greater Vancouver....

• Vancouver Batteries: 2192 West Broadway
• London Drugs: Most Locations
• Leos Camera Supply: 1055 Granville Street
• Mountain Co-Op Equipment: 130 West Broadway
• WCS Recycling: 1493 Dominion Street
• Ikea: Coquitlam and Richmond

for those of you not in the Greater Vancouver area you can always search you city's web page they usually have information of where to take everything to be safely disposed of or recycled.

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Disposing of our batteries safely is the first environmental goal for Casa M.

What's your first step to a greener life going to be?

The next installment for a Greener Lifestyle at Casa M will be investing in a composter!! I am actually pretty stoked  about getting one.  I will need to do a little more research about composting  and then I will share it with all of you next week.

XOXO
A

Weekend Forecast

This weekend is going to be busy around Casa M! The hubs is actually off so it is going to feel like a "real weekend".

First up is a Saturday morning run with the lovely S. We will be doing one of our short runs (4km) for the half marathon training. (I still can`t believe I am training for one) Oh I almost forgot we will be doing a 9km  Sunday morning.

We have new home furnishings coming on Saturday!!! The hubs' good friend is moving in with his pretty lady and has offered us all the stuff that doesn't fit into their new place. Now some of you might be thinking "ewwww a bachelors left over furniture?" Not this girl.  This guy's eye for interior design is incredible. Can we say "AWESOME"?  His taste is very modern so it will be interesting to see how the pieces fit with our eclectic mix.

2 of these floor lamps

This piece of art

This Futon

This 3 piece of art

Not too shabby eh? All for the cost of a rental van from budget! I am so excited about these pieces, it means I can say good bye to a certain floor lamp that drives me crazy.

Oh and the most exciting part of our weekend will be bringing home this ridiculous-ness

Meet Miss Daisy, Mina's new friend



Have a great weekend!!

XOXO
A

Easy Wall Art

Happy Thursday to everyone. I feel like it has been forever since my last post about my 2012  Goals. If you haven't read it yet, you can do so HERE.

One of my New Year Goals is to make my house a HOME and I thought a great way to do that would be by creating a personal art piece to hang on the wall.

I decided on a picture of our lil man checking out the beach on our recent trip to Puerta Vallarta. I have to say this was not an easy task there were some 10 great pics to choose from (although I am a little biased)  :p

once we decided on which picture to use and where to hang it (we decided to hang the pic over our fuse box in the TV room. It measures roughly 20x30.)

 I then went online and uploaded the picture to London Drugs' photo lab. I chose to enlarge the photo to 24x36 and was given a warning that my photo was not  taken at a high enough resolution to enlarge it to this size .....wah wah wah (Debby downer sound) So I chose the 16x20 option and VOWED to purchase a better camera before our next trip.  Maybe one of these fancy ones?

Canon EOS Rebel T3 with 18-55mm IS II Lens

Oh I almost forgot I chose the foam core option thinking it would be a cheaper option to a canvas gallery wrapped one but look similar......NOW I have to tell you I picked the photo up (it only took 1 day) and brought it home and cracked open the casing it was in and BAM I LOVED it except there was nothing to hang it from. So I thought well I could try string and tape???? Not the best idea the string snapped twice and then the bottom of the photo was dented a little (the hubs was NOT impressed with this DIY)

 I then chatted with an artist friend who suggested that I attach a picture hook on the back! ?

OOoooooooohhhhh it's that easy is it...? Yup it is. I made sure to mark the middle of the picture because that is the right thing to do.... right baby? I then removed a hook off of an old frame  (or I could have bought some from any local drug store), made sure that the screws would not poke through the other side of the foam core and then attached it to the new piece of ART.

I must say it is one of my fave pieces. I will have to find a new piece to cover the fuse box but don't worry I have few ideas for it.

Taa Daa

So to all of you that our looking for that new meaningful piece of Art, it is just a click away!


XOXO
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