my baby.fruit basket.

With this being our second pregnancy.. I've been inspired by fun ways to 'document' our baby's progress.  I hope to do a monthly 'baby.journal' entry that tracks his/her development according to the corresponding 'fruit' size and thoughts/experiences we're having.  Call it my baby.fruit basket.  Although it seems this baby may prevent some fruits from staying down - but that's a whole other icky post!  Here's the first two editions to said baby journal.

I think the baby is closer to a kumquat size they say around now.... but who the heck can find that at a grocery store... so we're going bigger - to the lime, for now.  Lets just pray I don't end this journal holding a watermelon!

Have a beautiful weekend friends!

slide show sunday coming at you tomorrow.

Mel :o)

D.I.Y paint your shirts.

Hello friends!  Here's the promised post about how to paint your own 'statement' shirts.  But first I just wanted to thank everyone for all your sweet encouragements and congratulations yesterday.  Both on this blog, and facebook... our growing family felt your love, so thanks (we felt all warm and squishy inside - but that could have been the food poisoning!)!  

Ok, as you can see above: your list of needed supplies for this d.i.y. 

First go online and grab your font of choice.  I used Loki Cola text for this project.  To not confuse your friends/family.. it's best to choose a font that's clear to read.  Increase the font to the size needed for your shirt.  Place a transparency (think overhead projector sheets) over your screen, and whip out your tracing skills with a marker.

Next, get your dangerously sharp X-ACTO blade and slice out the letters. 

Granted, this stencil had already been used... yours won't have paint on it at this point.

Finally, grab some Acrylic paint (Silk screening Medium if you're fancy) and cover your stencil.  It's best to tuck some cardboard into the shirt to both protect the back of the shirt, and slightly stretch the shirt for painting properly.  All the projects I've painted for our daughter have lasted with simple handling care: wash cold or by hand.

Hope that helps you get crafty, or inspires you with how to announce a new baby on the way!  Next d.i.y.. how to make babies.  bahah. I kid.

Mel :o)

Azriel's BIG announcement!

Hello friends, this is the BIG exciting post of posts for this blog.  If you'll be so kind as to check out Azriel's shirt - you'll see her wonderful announcement!

 Now if you're anything like our relatives.. this may take a second (or five minutes) to sink in.  But yes, we are expecting our second bundle of joy early in the new year!  I painted this tank top for Azi to wear as our way of telling the family a few weeks ago... pretty hilarious.

(Although Azi was crying in shock at my Mom suddenly screaming with delight!).

 Once again, I think her care for our gnomes is a key sign that she is ready to handle the responsibilities of being 'the big sis' to this lil' bean.  

Azriel's outfit

tank top - mama painted (D.I.Y tomorrow!)

skirt - thrifted (Children's Place tag)

croc shoes - $2.

Yes, there's going to be more love and more craziness growing around this nest.  I'll keep you posted on all the 'fun' details along the way (like how I'm once again unable to keep any food down.. wheeee).

My Outfit

dress - H&M

yellow tights - Zellers

Flip-flops - Old Navy

What could have been our first "four is family" photo was trumped by using a stroller as a camera tripod:  fail.  Just know... we're all smiling and thanking God for this next edition!

Thanks for sharing in our joy!

We happy to link up with Morgan at Small Style today as well.

Hugs for all,

Mel ;o)

tour our nest [Living Room] part.2

Welcome back to the second part of our living room tour.  In case you missed the first half of today's post, you can catch up here.  So yes, this was the ugly red brick fireplace that I primed and painted when we moved in.  Benjamin Moore's "Cloud White" CC - 40 for the trim.  With the darker olive.brown inside painted "Mortar" CC - 574.  Filling the fireplace is always a decorator's playground...  I was first tempted to put cut birch logs, or a cluster of big ivory candles (but Ben vetoed those ideas as 'cheesy').  We settled for a stack of books.  A mirror tucked in the back reflects the room well.  "Roger" the bookish gnome hangs out here too.

Decorating a mantle is another fun challenge.   A vintage storm window with a mirror behind is the large centre focal point.  I like to cluster similar meaningful objects together along the rest of the mantle... framed photos (parent at our wedding/driftwood from Cape Breton honeymoon)... a stack of old books bound with ribbon, with sweetheart white owls perched on top.

To the right of our fireplace we have the dining area.  Having a table the extends for guests is a great feature.  The mismatch of chairs and benches keeps things flexible too.  This gifted bench is a vintage church pew, with flip up seats and all.  Behind here is the massive picture window to maintain our 'neighbourhood watch' status. ;o)

Finally, to the left of our fireplace is the 'catch-all' nook for the trappings of daily life.  I think the key to organizing any home is to look for where the 'junk' piles up (keys, mail, paperwork, odds and ends)... and create some storage spaces for it all.  It's not always pretty, but most of these baskets hold back the accumulation of life's litter.  To the left of this shelf unit is our kitchen.. which will be next weeks tour (if you're lucky I'll even do the dishes!).


Thanks for touring through our nest so far, if you did miss the upstairs edition - you can catch up here as well.


A final word of anticipation:  tomorrow's Small Style post is going to be the BEST post on this blog to date.... I am really excited to share with you.. so stay tuned!!


Mel :o)

tour our nest [Living Room] part.1.

 Welcome to the living room edition of our home tour.  I decided to break this up into two posts today, so as to not overwhelm you dear readers with all my pictures and explanations.  

This is our 'entertainment corner' although we don't actually have television (thankfully).. but are able to watch movies.  You'll usually find me tucked in this corner as well, writing this post.. to you!

I've had that awesome vintage orange (motel) chair forever... it's a great punch of colour.

Guess you saw those wild antlers - a rare animal to find for sure.  Actually the original antlers were being torn of a friend's garage, we adopted them, I primed and painted... then Ben and I heaved them up onto the wall of our new house here.. with screws as long as our arm to keep it in place. (I still need to paint the backboard white actually....).

Pictures of family and friends adorn our unit here.  The ivy and cactus even remain green in the face of my utter neglect to water them.  Next, the retro turquoise lampshade was a great addition to a standing lamp I had spray painted orange.

Directly opposite of this corner.. is the other corner couch.  You can see that the stairs head you up to the top floor which we've already toured.  "Flaming June" is the orange print on this wall (though the art changes around here often).  Tinderpuff volunteered to show you how comfy a couch can be.  Lastly, the dark leather ottoman is a great hideaway for all our daughter's toys and books to play with.

Here's the 'sneak peek' at what the next post will reveal.  The before & after shot of our fireplace wall.  I was so excited to have this decorator's challenge when we moved in last year.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.

By the way, our wall colour for this room is Benjamin Moore's "Providence Olive" HC - 98.  One of those yummy.earthy.taupey.olive tones that compliments a wide palette. 

If you're not bored to tears by now, stay tuned for the rest of the tour... later on today.

*Disclaimer: those who fear that showing our home would tempt burglars.creeps.vagabonds.etc... know this: there is nothing of value here for the taking - other than sentimental.  All our 'stuff' is thrifted.free.found.cheap....  now you know!*

See you again soon,

Mel :o)

D.I.Y upcycle your vinyl.

Hello friends... it's been a while since we've done a d.i.y together hasn't it?  I thought I'd show you one of my recent 'upcycles' that proves I have definitely turned into a sentimentalist.  Remember my mournful post about having to trash my favourite vintage chair?   Remember how my cheap Scottish side lunged back into the dumpster to cut this gorgeous turquoise vinyl off the chair in hopes of giving it a second life?!  Well here it is...  a painted 'portrait' of the sweet gone-but-not-forgotten chair herself.

Do you have upholstery from a favourite bygone era (your baby's blanket, your college chair, your Grandma's quilt?)...  just cut out the fabric.  Stretch it over a quilting hoop.  Paint, stitch and draw your memories right onto your new 'canvas'.

**In case you thought I was going to talk about how to upcycle your vinyl records... I have done that too.  You know where you place the record over a big (empty) soup can and stick it into an oven so that is 'melts' down over the can?  It does make for an funky vinyl bowl.  (It also makes for a funky.likely toxic. smell in your oven!).  Just saying.**

What's your sentimental side wanting to hold onto?

Happy crafting

Mel :o)

confessions [of a Mel] part.4.

My dream style - Source: Atlantic-Pacific

Remember the Sunscreen Song from when we were still geeky teenagers?  I have always remembered that line "don't read beauty magazines... they will only make you feel ugly".

Today I came up with another piece of wisdom 'don't go clothes shopping... it will only make you feel poor' (and possibly, pudgy if you share my end of the metabolism pool).

A word about 'poorness'.  We're a young family.  We have a house/duplex split with siblings.  Ben has a 24hr work contract (currently).  By God's grace, we manage to literally squeak through each month financially.  By the West's standpoint, we're on the part of the totem pole that's eye-level with the dandelions.  Don't get me wrong..  I know we are rich in comparison to a world suffering at large for clean water, housing, education, health care etc.  And I know joy is not found in temporal possessions.

But I'm still a girl - I see pretty.funky.fabulous threads... and I want them!  

A word about being a girl (should I say lady, woman..? Still sounds weird at 31).  I've never been the 'girly-girl' kind.  I grew up a serious tom-boy.  The half-shaved, half-long haircuts.  The ball cap I lived in.  The sports.  The tree climbing.  The being 'asked out' by 10 year old girls??!  (Granted I was a cute 'boy'... but I just laughed at their confusion).

I still like to be in trees.

With this type of 'backgound history' you can understand why I'm not a fashion monger.  I don't need a room full of heels or glitzy dresses.  But, like most gals, I am still a sucker for a great outfit at a great price.  Today was no exception.  We had a girls shop.beat the heat.afternoon outing to our local Zellers and Superstore.  I know, Zellers (?!)... but they are getting some pretty fun stuff there - thanks to designers like Alfred Sung stepping up. 

So these are the days I fight that vain.girly.impulse to justify a bunch of wardrobe overhauls.  I did buy a gorgeous dress.shirt thing - navy with white lace for the back - it actually looks pretty fantastic on me (and that's saying something! hehe).  A couple other purchases were 'justified' along the way too.  Though I tend to slink home with my tail between my legs, hoping Ben won't mind a wee splurge (read - $40 here).  His response:  "babe, you never by yourself anything, you totally deserve that, and it looks great on you".

Did I ever mention how wonderful that guy is?

OOooh, and if you'll allow me one more 'girly' moment... I'll post an 'outfit' picture someday soon (when an occasion warrants said dress - date night maybe?).

Are you a shop-aholic or cheap like me?

What's your weakness - shoes, hats, purses?

Mine is anything army green - I just get drawn towards that colour constantly (I even wanted to join a boot camp in the past just for the 'fashion'!).

Well, that's enough on that topic for this blog.

More craftings.home tours.baby wears to come this week friends!

Mel :o)