Category Archives: Lifestyle

Home || Harper’s Nursery Reveal || A modern gender neutral space….

I like to think it’s called “Second Baby Syndrome,” but it’s taken me 7 months after Harper’s arrival to complete her nursery space. Let’s face it she has been in a bassinet in our room until last month so of course I was in no rush. I just laugh at myself now, looking back when I was in a rush to complete my first baby’s nursery before they were even born! Wow times have changed or maybe lessons are learned. Either way I’m so excited to share her baby space.

We designed her room around the stunning Soft Modern Sideboard from The Brick. I decided this time around to invest in pieces I can see transitioning out into my home once Harper outgrows her nursery space. This sideboard is the perfect mix of open and closed storage for all her baby needs. And in the future it will be an amazing additional to my dining room when the time comes. It’s so versatile, you can change the look of it by switching the colour changing geometric shelves in seconds.

modern gender neutral nursery cactus wall paper safari swan rose gold copper crib Let's Stay Home wall print

Jonathan Adler for Fisher Price deluxe bouncer

IMG_3620modern gender neutral nursery cactus wall paper safari swan rose gold copper crib Let's Stay Home wall print

I had to have this glamorous Incy Interiors rose gold crib from West Coast Kids. It pairs perfectly with the pops of metallics on the metal star burst accents I found in store at The Brick (pictured below). You never know what you’ll see in store, each Brick location is different and updates their accessories often. You should take a peek!

modern gender neutral nursery cactus wall paper safari swan rose gold copper crib Let's Stay Home wall print modern gender neutral nursery cactus wall paper safari swan rose gold copper crib Let's Stay Home wall print

Below I’ve sourced a few of the pieces we used to complete her nursery. If you don’t see it linked feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you!

modern gender neutral nursery cactus wall paper safari swan rose gold copper crib Let's Stay Home wall print

Cactus self adhesive removable wall paper

modern gender neutral nursery cactus wall paper safari swan rose gold copper crib Let's Stay Home wall print

Machine Washable Rug 

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Lifestyle || A last minute gift guide for that Daddy in your life…

With Father’s Day just around the corner, I’ve got some last minute gift ideas for that special Daddy in your life. Whether he’s fancy or athletic here are a few ideas to spoil him this year…

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Scotch! Any Glen Morangie is a great choice, they all have amazing flavour and hit in a mid range price so they won’t break the bank to get that high end taste.

Stainless Steel Scotch Rocks: I know you’ve probably seen the rocks on tons of gift guides this year. That’s because they are amazing if you are a Scotch drinker. They chill your drink without melting and diluting it. They are great for white wine too! 😉 BUT I suggested the stainless steel versions, there are actual “rocks” on the market and they are porous soap stone. Over time they absorb their enviromonet, like the soap from your dish washer… gross!

A High Tech Watch: For an athletic type it can be amazing to track your progress throughout the day.

The Softest Tee: This tee shirt is sooooooo soft! When I say softest, I mean it! I love their women’s and baby lines too. Shedo Lane makes UV sun protective clothing that is both fashion forward and comfy.

Bowtie: For that fancy guy in your life, a black bowtie is a must! And this one costing under $100 but looking like $400 is worth every penny.

Sophisticated Watch: If that Daddy in your life dresses up for work or in life… this watch is amazing. Slick, modern, minimalist: this watch will go with anything from a suit to a cardi.  Continue reading

Lifestyle || The tastiest pork chop recipe you ever did see… || @TheBrick & @GEappliancesCA #partner

With the summer in our sights we are getting outside as much as possible. It’s the time of year I notice that we start to shift from winter’s comfort food to light fresh fast meals. With my little helper Alastair, we are going to share one of our family favourite recipes using organic ingredient’s from Spud and seasoning from our friend’s at Epicure. We’ve been loving the additional of our new GE Series 30″ Free-Standing Double Convection Range to our kitchen. With two ovens I can cook a meal and bake dessert at the same time. Or in this case, cook a hot dip as an appetizer while I using the other oven for dinner. I found with my last oven I never used my warming draw and it slowly transformed into pan storage. Such a waste of space. Doubling my oven space has been amazing, making cooking even easier! I don’t think I can ever go back to a conventional single oven range.

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Italian Pork Chop

What you’ll need: 6 pork chops, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh basil, fresh spinach, 2 large savoury  tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and Epicure’s Balsamic Vinaigrette seasoning (or Italian blend of choice).

What you’ll need to do: brush a table spoon of olive oil onto pork chops, season both sides with pinch salt and Epicure Balsamic. Cut tomatoes into thirds, season and place open flesh down onto cooking pan with pork chops. Cook in oven at 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes (cook meat throughly). Place tomatoes on top of each chop with a sprinkle of cheese. Run under the broiler on high for approximately 2 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. Serve on bed of fresh spinach and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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My patio transformation with @TheBrick|| Before & After || How to utilize every inch to create the outdoor space of your dreams #

I’m so excited to share our patio transformation with The Brick. When we moved last year to accommodate for baby number two we gained more space indoors but lost the size of our yard. Being outdoors from April to October is so important to our family so I decided to tackle this extensive project head on. We needed a backyard oasis to enjoy for the whole family this year, there was no time to waste.

Here is our before and after photos… because they are always my favourite part of any home reno.

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Design Tip: Measure, measure, measure! I took tape and outlined each piece of furniture. That way you can make sure there is enough room for the set while still maintaining walking space. 

We maximized the space by removing the deck to create two distinct living areas: dining and lounging. The deck was not big enough for a seating area, essentially it was used as stairs to go into the backyard. With the deck removal we doubled our outdoor living space. Now we can easily host BBQ dinner parties and have late night drinks by the fire.

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Umbrellas || Lounger || Chairs

small space patio ideas The brick solar lighting canadian tire blogger topiary black white

Fence Panels (The Brick instore find) || Dining Set

small space patio ideas The brick solar lighting canadian tire blogger topiary black white

Geometric Vases || Bee’s Wax Candles || Malemine Glassware

small space patio ideas The brick solar lighting canadian tire blogger topiary black white

Barbecue || Marquee Light

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We wanted to add pops of greenery without the maintain of plants. We found these faux topiary pieces at The Brick in store. Each location has different instore accessories and their items change constantly. You need to go in person to see what they’ve got that week.

Faux Topiary || Solar Outdoor Lights

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We wanted to add that touch of romance with soft lighting. By adding a fireplace we can now enjoy the space into the evening when the kids are fast a sleep. I loved the modern minimal look of the Capstone.

Fire place

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We went with all metal or plastic dining table options to make the space kid friendly. There is nothing worse then a broken glass in a paved area like this. These vases are durable without sacrificing style.

small space patio ideas The brick solar lighting canadian tire blogger topiary black white

I was so excited when I found these hanging wall panels. We are training our vines through the metal pattern. As the summer goes on they will only get bigger and better. It’s a low maintenance alternative to a living wall with way less watering but all the style.

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Decor || Our patio transformation sneak peek with @TheBrick… #Partner #Modern #OutdoorDecor #YEG

Finally! Here’s a sneak peek into our patio transformation. I’ve been calling it our “epic” outdoor project with The Brick because it’s involved more DIY projects and renos compared to my usual styling projects. I’m hoping to share the full reveal with before and after photos in one week, weather permitting mind you! For now I thought I’d let you see a few of the pieces we’ve found to fit our modern black and white outdoor topiary theme.

black white green patio design topiary faux deck decor outdoor striped rug

We wanted sleek black timeless furniture.

Ottoman, & Chair from the Parkview Collection

black white green patio design topiary faux deck decor outdoor striped rug

We needed to create shade in a very sunny treeless area.

Oversized Umbrella & Capstone Fire Table 

black white green patio design topiary faux deck decor outdoor striped rug

Our design colour scheme is white, black with pops of green foliage. 

Faux Topiary, Metal Tray and Geometric Candle Holder are in store finds from The Brick. Every location is different and gets new accessory items often. You’ve gotta check it out in person, you never know what home decor treasures you’ll find!

black white green patio design topiary faux deck decor outdoor striped rug black white green patio design topiary faux deck decor outdoor striped rug Continue reading