Hello Loves

How has this week treated you? Its been a fun one around Casa M, lots of day trips and fun in the sun oh and also some GOOOD reading just got my hands on a copy of

 50 Shades Of Grey..... was up until 3AM last night......YUM

Anyhoo back to the task at hand  haha get it hand .. I know LAME

Here it is this week's 

High 5’s For Friday

 1. I received this lovely card in the mail from one of my BFF's. I believe everyone needs to get a pretty piece of mail once a week. It really does brighten the day

2. I organized and beautified my office... I love it there now but of course it is a dead spot for the wifi and I am downstairs at the kitchen table writing this post instead of in the loft sitting at my pretty desk... Don't worry hubby's on it and I should be up there by Monday. Oh and do you like my pretty shutter? It is perfect for organizing files and paper work (picked that lil gem up from work) 

3. Lil man and I had an awesome outing today, it involved an awesome craigslist find pick-up (for me), a sticker purchase (for him) and a little patio/beverage and treat time for both of us. Love these days

4. I seriously can't go a week without a High 5ing Thrift store find ... LOOK what I found a Vintage Joy of cooking cook book. Check out the inscription below... 1954!!!! I am so excited to try some recipes from it!!

5.. The awesome ladies from The Olde Farmhouse are hosting a CHRISTMAS Vintage Market!!! I am so excited and gave double high 5's when I found out this fabulous news. They hosted their first market in June and it was a HUGE success. Aroka Vintage was a part of it and that was when I met these amazing ladies. Leah and Barb are absolutely FABULOUS and the reason I am so pumped about this announcement..... is that I am going to APPLY to be a vendor!!!!!!! Fingers crossed I am going to send in my application on MONDAY. Make sure to check out The Olde FarmHouse Website and if you live or are in the Greater Vancouver area the weekend of November the 16 come check out this fabulous market!!  You can click right HERE

PHEW I just got butterflies again thinking about it ! And you, what are you High 5ing this week? I would love to here about it! Make sure to check out the fabulous blog From my Grey desk and all the High 5ing Bloggers!!

Have a FAB weekend!

XX

A

Miss Manners (Wannabe) 2

Miss Manners

Wannabe

Today’s Miss Manners Lesson

Via

Source

Top Ten Table Manners

1.    Chew with your mouth closed.

Lil Man is working on this one and it is too cute to watch. If you tell him to chew with his mouth closed he says “okay Mama” and places his index finger to his mouth. Like when you are shhing someone to be quiet

2. Avoid slurping, smacking, blowing your nose, or other gross noises. (If necessary, excuse yourself to take care of whatever it is you need to take care of.)

Source

This one is for the hubby who is a very polite eater normally but loves to make this terrible noise I can’t even describe but it grosses me out and he enjoys teasing me at dinner

3. Don’t use your utensils like a shovel or as if you’ve just stabbed the food you’re about to eat.

4. Don’t pick your teeth at the table. EWWWW This is a definite NO NO

5. Remember to use your napkin at all times.

Source

We have been to dinners where napkins are not even an option (who does that?)

6. Wait until you’re done chewing to sip or swallow a drink. (The exception is if you’re choking.)

This I did not know but makes total sense

7. Cut only one piece of food at a time.

Ohhhhhh I am sooo guilty of this…. I find if I cut everything up into small pieces from the start I will slow down and enjoy my food.

Source

8. Avoid slouching and don’t place your elbows on the table while eating (though it is okay to prop your elbows on the table while conversing between courses.)

 OH Good to know

9. Instead of reaching across the table for something, ask for it to be passed to you.

Guilty of this one too…… I am working on it

10. Always say ‘excuse me’ whenever you leave the table.

And there you have the top 10 Table Manners according to the

Emily Post Institute!

I have to say we are doing pretty good at Casa M with the "Basic" Table manners!!

How about you, did you learn any new table manners???

Excuse me it is time to end this post 

XOXO

A

City Dreaming

Happy Happy Hump Day!!!! It's been a busy week around here. I have managed to hit up Main Street, Commercial Drive, Kits, GasTown and Downtown Vancity in the last 3 days



LE Marche St George near Main Street

LE Marache St George was a recomeendation from a friend, otherwise I would have never known about it and that would have been sad.... If you are in the Main Street/Fraser area be sure to stop by this neighbourhood beauty- you will not be disappointed. Make sure to try their Pan Du Chocolate it is absolutely dreamy!

Sophie's in Kits

 I had to have a picture of Sophie's restaurant to represent Kits not to mention I have a soft spot for that diner and its staff!! (probably because I was one of them for awhile!)


Parliment in Gastown

 LOVE LOVE LOVE! that is all




Food Truck YUMMY

I wish I worked downtown- there were at least 5 trucks that I wanted to hit up and knosh on their yummy yummy food.. Guess I will have to become a lady who lunches!


 I MISS CITY LIVING!. I know I know, I am very lucky to have a house with a yard but I came to the conclusion this week that I am truly my happiest in the city. I miss when we as a family could walk out our front door and head to the coffee shop and have my husband, son and beagle sit at an outside table while I went next door to the Boutique to check out all their new arrivals. I would then go back and check on the fam to see if I had a little more time, and then hopefully i'd check out the Vintage Boutique beside the Dress Boutique. Once I was happy with my window shopping and the coffee was finished we would head out for a daily stroll through the neighbourhood, which made me feel so good  because I could just people watch and admire and dream at the rows and rows of Character Homes mixed with condos and people out strolling. Just writing about it makes me feel at ease. 

It is a totally different lifestyle than Suburbia although I didn't realise it until this week. I mentioned this to the hubs, hoping that he would remind me of all the fab things we have and do in our current neighbourhood... and all he said was "I miss the city too!" Well that wasn't helpful...... but it is always nice to know that me and the hubs are on the same page sometimes.  Of course as I write this post, while lounging  on my back deck looking over our flower gardens and listening to the birds sing, I am reminded that life in Suburbia is pretty awesome too!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!!
XOXO
A

High Five for Friday Numero Dos

Can you believe it, Friday is here again!!

Which means it is time to hand out some

 

High 5’s for Friday

and in no particular order here are my High 5's

1)  SUNSHINE in Vancity!!!

Hello Love we are so Happy you decided to come out and play

2) Cupcakes and celebrating Hubby's Birthday

My Boys

3) Creative Meetings 

Working on making these come true

4) My fabulous find from Value Village

I was so excited to find this Coral Beauty and for a delightful fee of $4

5) Work -  I know crazy right but if you can't high five work whats the point

My first attempt at merchandising ..... not to shabby eh??

Wishing everyone a  fabulous Friday filled with High 5's



XOXO
A

A little CHINOISERIE

I am in LOVE with CHINOISERIE!!!  It is amazing how versatile this style is - one minute it can be very chic and modern then with a few changes and additions it can look very ornate and classic.....

What is Chinoiserie you ask well here is a little description from the Website The Cultivated Home.

Chinoiserie, in a variety of forms, is all over the design market these days, but what does it really mean? It is a French term meaning “in the Chinese style” and began its journey into Western culture in the mid 1600’s during the Age of Enlightenment. Many viewed the Chinese and their government as wise and sophisticated and because of this, Westerners sought to incorporate Chinese design concepts into theirs. Chinoiserie began being used in small details of metal and plaster work and the English incorporated Chinese concepts into their gardens. Chinoiserie reached its height, appropriately, during the Rococo period, when it was popularized by the furniture of Thomas Chippendale. Many royal palaces of the day had a Chinese room with murals or wall coverings depicting Asian scenes.

 I have always had dreams of using wallpaper with a chinoiserie print somewhere in the house…

Gorgeous right? These prints always seem to transform the space they are in into an enchanted  forest. Alright enough about the gorgeous paper. Today's covet is  the Chippendale Chinoiserie chair!!

I have always liked them but it wasn’t until I saw these ones

 when I was watching an episode of

Tori & Deans Home Sweet Hollywood (this is an entirely different post! J )

that I really fell in love with the Chippendale Chinoiserie chair.

These chairs state Ì am whimsical, classical and need to be placed in your home``

Yes that is exactly what these chairs are sayin to me!!  I must have some for our breakfast nook. 

I think they would open up the space and add some much needed VA VA VOOM to the kitchen.

I am thinking something along the design and size of these ones....but not in metallic maybe a white, soft green or a butter yellow....

So for now I am on the hunt for 2 chinoiserie Chippendale chairs...... If anyone has spotted some for a FAB deal in the Greater Vancouver area I would be forever grateful for that knowledge!!!

Also if you are in love with CHINOISERIE as well make sure to check out the blog

CHINOISERIE CHIC

XOXO

A

All photos were sourced from the blog Chinoiserie Chic except Tori and Deans Kitchen which was found on google

Fawning over DIY

Hello Loves, It's that time again.......

You can learn all about The Glamorous Housewife by clicking HERE

This weeks Craft-ity Craft is

Pretty awesome, right?? I had a lot of fun creating this one and it was so EASY after the second try.....

You will need

•  Freezer paper which you can find at the grocery store usually located near the foil wrap. I   actually used construction paper because I was to lazy to head out to the store JUST for freezer paper
•  a T-shirt: Be sure it is made of cotton or the bleach wont work.
•  Scissors: To cut out your silhouette
•  Spray bottle that has a misting option (I found the lighter the spray the easier it was to create a proper silhouette
•  Silhouette image: I choose a fawn  I found on google
•  Bleach and Water for Spray bottle 30/70

I then taped the fawn (BTW I am in love with this fawn cut-out. I think I am going to call her La-la) cutout to my T-shirt, I really liked the look of La-la  in the bottom right corner. Once La-la was in place I proceeded to spray over the t-shirt with the bleach/water combo.

Sadly, I forgot to check the setting of the spray bottle and OF COURSE it was on full spray......
so that is my one warning for you.. MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE SPRAY BOTTLE if not you could end up with this

Once the spray nozzle was on the misting setting it was time to start again and VOILA

Here is the link to the original tutorial on the awesome site SIX SISTER STUFF

What do you think, is a little bleached T-Shirt DIY in your future? It will be in mine!

Happy Hump Day

XOXO

A

Hello Loves I have a confession to make to all of you…… are you ready? Here goes:

My name is Aubrey and I am a secret “Miss Manners Wannabe”.

 I miss and long for the days of proper etiquette; hand written notes, thank you cards, properly set tables, men giving up their seats for women, people holding doors open for each other, people greeting one another, using the phone and so on…. I know the world is changing and technology is rapidly taking over our loves but wouldn’t it be FABULOUS to bring back etiquette classes?  

Well I think it is a great idea and since I have numerous books on etiquette I thought that I would share a lesson on being proper every Monday and we could all try and practice this lesson throughout the week…. This week since it is the first week I will make it easy…. This week’s lesson is how to properly receive a compliment …… I am terrible at this and really want to work on it. 

VIA

 Today’s lesson comes from the book of ETIQUETTE by the ever knowing Peggy Post

Peggy writes:   If you are the one being complimented you will want to show your appreciation and pleasure. Don’t simper and don’t belittle whatever the compliment referred to. For instance if someone says, “What a lovely dress,” don’t say “oh well it was inexpensive, and I don’t think it fits properly.” The appropriate response to ANY compliment is to say “Thank you,” or “I’m so glad you like it,” or “Aren’t you nice to say so.”

                        If you can return the compliment sincerely, do so. Otherwise find a way to continue the conversation. You might say, “It’s been so hard to find a pretty dress the past few years-is there any place you’ve found that has a good selection?” or “Thank you I was just admiring your outfit.”

Gotta love those POSTS!  I am excited to work on receiving a compliment properly and not responding with the awkward “Thanks for that even though it’s not true” How about all of you? How are you at receiving compliments?

XOXO
A