9 things you may not know about me....

Hi!
Alright I have a confession to make, this post was originally going to be "10 things etc etc..." but could only think of nine. Anyways, I always love these kinds of lists, getting to know someone just a little bit more, so I figured why not? As always any questions feel free in the comments below

1) I am shy- I have to say I'm not as shy as I used to be. but it's there and it's a constant battle

2) I have a tattoo

3) I love sci-fi and supernatural themed books and movies, etc  (The walking dead, Znation, Supernatural,

4) I wanted to be a pediatric nurse when I grew up

5) I met my husband while cliff-jumping

6) I like a lot of different music but I especially love 80s bands (Journey, Def Leppard, AC/DC etc)

7) I went to college and became a certified hairdresser

8) I did the Au pair thing and lived in Switzerland for a yearish

9) I used to sit in a bath and read for hours (and if I could I still would)

Now it's your turn, what are some things I may not know about you?

a little kitchen refresh

Happy Monday!

Last week I was telling you I went a little paint crazy so today I'm going to share the other room I went paint crazy on. Well maybe not crazy but refreshing. Before I share the pics of my house, first I wanted to share a couple of inspiration pictures of the eventual look and feel I would like in our kitchen. I'm working with a very limited budget so this is going to take awhile but I hope you enjoy coming along on this journey with me.

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I definitely love the open shelved, modern farmhouse/industrial little bit of Provence look about the kitchens and I love getting inspiration from seeing real chefs kitchens (a la Julia Child, Michael Smith, Jamie Oliver etc) and how they work. I have lots more inspiration  pics on my Pinterest board HERE

So, here we go with my progress so far and first off we have a picture of the "before" what our kitchen looked like on moving day just over a year ago.

And here's the "After" or I guess more like "progress"

As you can see in the photo above, I took the doors off a couple of cupboards, partly to get a more "open shelving" look and partly to try out living with open shelves to see if I like it and if it works for me and my family. And you know what? I love it, these shelves have our most used cups and dishes and bowls and it is so quick and easy to grab and put away from the dishwasher and also for guests to find what they need. I also changed out the valance for something a little lighter and brighter (spoiler alert, its actually three cute dish towels clipped up there!)

The colour I chose is a soft grey but it shows quite blue in some lights

Most of the containers and glass canisters are hand me downs from my hubby's grandma or are thrifted finds.

The really fun part of my painting spree is this chalkboard wall. One side faces the kitchen...

and the other side faces the dining area where my kids have been having a blast writing up the supper menu (and various other doodles :-)

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

A Living Room Refresh

I have been on a bit of a painting spree around here and one of my favorite projects has been lightening and brightening our living room. That chocolate brown was fine but it was quite dark especially as this room is North/North-East orientation and it made an already fairly tight space feel more tight.

 I have been in love with that cow painting since the moment I spotted it and she has become my colour inspiration. We also want our house to reflect who we are and some words we would use for that would be fun, comfortable, colorful, eclectic and sentimental.

So, here we go...

Before  

Snow what fun!

Whew I've been a busy bee this last couple weeks painting up a storm and I can't wait to share with all you. I just need to finish up some of the "after" photos so hopefully next week I'll be all set to share with you all that. 

We've also been busy, enjoying the white stuff that finally decided to show up! 

Happy New Year!!

Wishing you all the best in 2015!