Pillow Switch

I am not big on seasonal decorating, but this year I had the itch to change things up for winter.

The easiest way to change the look of a room is with accessories, so I figured I'd switch out the cushions in the living room to something more seasonally appropriate.

A few frustrating fun shopping excursions later, and everything looks like this!

The cushions are all relatively inexpensive and were picked up at Urban Barn, Pier 1, Home Sense and The Bay.

With the change in cushions and the addition of our new custom cabinet, this room now looks and feels like a whole new space.

Living Room Artwork

The wall above my living room sofa needed something. After trying several different arrangements here, and repainting the walls, it had remained empty for quite awhile. It was time to fill the emptiness.

I wanted something a little outside of the box (sorta like me). Colour-wise I wanted to bring in some of the warmth that my oak cabinets have on the other side of the main floor. I wanted one large piece, rather than several smaller pieces. And let's be real, people, I didn't want it to break the bank.

I looked online for oversized posters and artwork. I ordered the 42" x 54" giclee print from All Posters. I thought it was a pretty good deal at $131 with shipping.

When it arrived, I built a canvas to match it's size (I used to build and stretch my own canvas all the time when I was a student, it felt so good to be at it again). I Mod Podged the poster onto the canvas (I only recently stopped calling it modge podge...doh) and I liked that the process created a few ripples in the print, it made it look a little aged and gave it character - a happy accident! I painted the sides of the canvas to match the background of the poster so it's all blendy and stuff.

I cannot tell you just how much Mr. Mel and I love this in our living room! We really do! Everyone who visits our home comments on this proud man, and I just love that it's a conversation starter as well as a lovely piece of artwork.

It's a nice contrast to our more formal living room, and makes the room feel really welcoming.

New Cabinet Install

At long last, our new living room cabinet is finally installed and it looks amazing!

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It was made by a young, self-taught, local woodworker and it was definitely worth the wait. It's just what we wanted to break up the main floor space and more clearly define each area. The finish is what I love the most. We didn't want it to look as though it was brand new and matchy-matchy with what we already had in the house. We wanted this space to look and feel as though it had been put together over time, and it does.

A reminder of the original cabinet design.

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And the real deal.

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When it started coming in the house - in a million pieces - I was nervous about how it would all come together. I am a worry wart, what can I say?

It's got great storage on both sides, and is fully wired to plug in stereo and t.v. components.

The dining area side has storage for all my cookbooks and cake stands. The closed storage is for all those unsightly magazine clippings of recipes I've accumulated over the years, and table linens.

I'm still deciding how things will be arranged, but it's already a welcome addition to the main floor.  Love it!

Quick Home Holiday Touches

I really scaled back on the amount of holiday decor in the house this year. But, I have a touch of Christmas in nearly every room...it's just not smacking you in face as it has in previous years.

Enjoy a peak at my holiday home!

I couldn't resist decorating that little princess tree for my vanity. Who doesn't love Disney princesses and Barbie?!

Another Christmas Tree!

Last year Mr. Mel and I went away for the holidays and decided not to set up any Christmas décor. This year has been a lot of fun and a lot less pressure than I usually feel. Maybe doing this every other year is the best way to keep it fun for me.

The second tree this year is in the bonus room upstairs. We spend alot of time up here so I like to have decorations going on around the holidays.

This year's tree is my good buddy the 7' (unlit) tree I've had for many years now. The cost of this tree was a significant investment at the time and the quality shows many years later. Nothing against discount or big box store brands, but this tree is truly beautiful and so well made. Well worth the money...even if I do have to string lights on it.

Again, the storm before the calm wink wink.

Lots of colour going on with this tree...which makes me smile. I went with shades of gold, turquoise, red, green and purple. A few touches of whimsy in the form of a purple owl and a tutu wearing hippo, and it's complete!

I honestly don't think I could fit one more ornament on this tree...it's stuffed full. While it may not apply the rest of the year, at Christmas time MORE is definitely better!