Life Begins at Thirty, Right?

So Were You Right?

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you guys! We wanted to make sure we were able to tell our family before I posted on the blog.

I feel SO much better after yesterday's scan. It was amazing to see the little arms and legs and fingers and toes. Such an incredible thing to witness.

It was bouncing around all over the place and did a great job showing us that it had all of the regular parts that babies are supposed to have. I don't know why I was worried because I know that birth defects are not the norm, but I was anxious anyways. I barely got any sleep the night before.

The report came back all "NORMAL" which is great. I'm measuring at 19.1 weeks or something and the little bub has a heart rate of 138bpm.

After meeting with the doctor, J and I walked back to work and did a little shopping on the way :-) Wonder what we were looking at?

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BLUE! According to the tech, it is 100% a boy :-) Can you believe it?! Well, I guess about 40% of you can believe it!! I'm still in shock (as you can tell from the photo), but we are really excited. Mostly because the little guy is healthy and according to the report, "no obvious fetal anatomic abnormalities seen". That will do for me!

Now, you might think that finding out the gender is huge news. Because it is. But I've got more. Tune in Monday for some really amazing, fun news!

Place Your Bets!

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:36:00 +0000

So tomorrow is the big day, folks! I feel like we've been waiting ages to get a peek at our baby again as the last ultrasound was at 12 weeks (jeesh, that IS a long time!).

And...of course there is the excitement over finding out whether Baby Poutine** is a boy or a girl!

I don't really care - now that we are this far along, I am just hoping and wishing for a healthy baby, no matter what the gender is. I have no reason to be concerned but I will feel a lot better after tomorrow I think!

I was going to do a fancy-shmansy poll for everyone to place their bets, but then I won't know what each of you thinks!! So if it makes a difference, here is a blurry sketchy bathroom shot of me today:

So there it is - I can't wait to hear what you think! BOY OR GIRL?! Place your bets!

** name based on the first trimester content of baby LB@30. All poutine, all the time.

Remember the Wallpaper?

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:07:00 +0000

...the wallpaper that could have been a marriage-ender?

I actually get a lot of requests for where I bought it, etc. And you know what I tell them (after I say "Home Depot")?

I tell them to get a stencil.

Royal Design Studio sells a stencil in the exact pattern of the wallpaper. While I think that using a stencil would be quite work intensive, I think it would be amazing because it is a solo job :-) No bickering over the thickness of the paste, the relevance of certain bubbles and whether we should just throw the whole thing out.

The amazing Mandy over at Vintage Revivals used the stencil in her home and it provided for some serious wow effect:

PS If you haven't checked out Mandy's blog and her amazing Master Bedroom, please do so. You won't regret it.

Um yeah - so I tell people to save their money and get the stencil.

In other news - I've been seeing this pattern a lot recently. I know it is a classic pattern that certainly didn't start with my wallpaper, but still. I thought it was cool :-)

Found a duvet cover at Home Sense (maybe this is the next Imperial Trellis?):

AND check out the carpet at the wedding I went to on the weekend:

Crazy eh?! It is everywhere!

Now - if someone could tell me what this pattern is called and where it originated, I'd be very grateful!

(And for those of you who were wondering, only ONE dress fit for the wedding. A summer dress that had an elastic empire waist. So I wore it. Ha)

Gliding Through Life

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

I have read probably all there is to read on the glider debate.

Did you know there was one? A glider debate? This is what the cool kids call a first world problem, right?

So the debate is basically about whether or not a glider is an "absolute must" in a nursery, or if you can use any comfy chair to nurse in.

I would say that from my online research, it seems that it is about 50/50. However, in actually asking some of my friends and family (I know, CRAZY right? Researching by asking people in real life? Woah!)...I'd say it is about 90% in favour of gliders as a MUST and 10% felt that any old chair would do.

Which is unfortunate, because gliders (in Canada especially) are extremely expensive. Like $800-$1500 each. I'm not kidding. We don't have the Target options (where you can get decent gliders from reputable companies for in and around $500 or even less) and are stuck picking from just a handful of options.

After talking to friends and trying out a number of gliders/rockers, here is what I'm looking for in a chair:

1. High enough back that I can rest my head.
2. Comfy arm rests at the right height.
3. Not too reclined - I've heard that you need to be sitting up for breastfeeding and I want to be able to get out of the chair easily with a (hopefully) sleeping baby in my arms.
4. Comfy enough - I am willing to sacrifice some comfort for the right chair, but don't want to sit on a hard plastic chair.

Glider Pros:
- the gliding movement is probably quite nice for babies (or so I hear)
- it is easy to make the chair move. Once you get them going they seem to move on their own
- since there is no rocking mechanism (the curvy legs), there is no risk of little fingers getting caught under the rocker (not sure if that ever really happens, but I'm trying to think of pros)

Glider Cons:
- EXPENSIVE
- hard to find good looking ones that have all of the features I'm looking for
- the movement actually makes me feel a bit nauseous. Not sure if that is pregnancy related or not.

Here are some examples of good looking gliders from Canada and abroad:

(from top to bottom: Monte Design "Luca", Monte Design "Vola", Monte Design "Joya rocker", Gus Modern "Sparrow" and Nurseryworks "Empire Rocker"

I also have spent some time looking at non-gliders that would do the trick and look great. That is when I fell upon the classic Egg Chair. How awesome would this look in a nursery? It doesn't glide/rock, but it swivels and I actually really like that motion (and don't feel sick from it!).

I found a picture of an egg chair in a nursery that also got me pretty excited:

Source

Some others:

Source

Love the look of the Egg Chair for sure. My office actually has 4 of the original chairs in a conference room, so I sat in one and loved it.

Problem with the Egg Chair? This won't be a surprise to many of you, but I have a very narrow staircase and the chair won't fit! It is HUGE. I'm not sure we could even get it though a window!

Back to the drawing board....

So tell me - glider or no? How often do you actually nurse in the nursery? During the day I figure I'll sit on the couch, but at night, I'll be in the nursery, right?

Baby Cages

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:58:00 +0000

I'd say the most exciting part about being preggo (other than the BABY of course :-) is going to be decorating the nursery. Even if you aren't pregnant or haven't been pregnant, it is hard not to fall in love with the amazing nurseries out in cyberspace.

Case and point:

Source

Um...hello LOVER! How nice is THAT?! I love the dark walls with the bright white trim. The grey Oeuf crib with the pops of bright colour coming from the accessories.

Anyways - we are waiting until the big gender reveal before we really start thinking about the nursery (too stressful planning out a boy and a girl option!), but one thing I've really fallen in love with is the Jenny Lind crib. Sure, we saw lots of modern cribs that we loved, but with the 1K++ price tag, it wasn't a slam dunk.

I'd gathered a lot of photos of Jenny Lind cribs prior to my first day of shopping, so when I asked a local supplier how much it would be, I was literately dumbfounded at how cheap it was. Not cheap - reasonable.

Here are some examples of some gorgeous nurseries with Jenny Lind style cribs:

Source

Gorgeous, right?! I love that it would fit in quite nicely in our Victorian home, but can be paired with more modern items as well. I also love the idea of painting it too - but we'll have to see on that!

Random Thoughts in One Place

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:41:00 +0000

I wish I had something interesting and house related to talk about with you guys. Especially those of you who originally started following me because of the renos and the painting and the decorations. Hmm...sorry 'bout that!

Here is what I've got for ya:

1. I ran for the streetcar again today. Still isn't pretty. I've really got to stop doing that to myself.

2. Last night we went to a friend's place and we came home with PILES of baby stuff. Mostly maternity clothes (YAY) and today I'm wearing a maternity skirt. I now understand why women go on and on about how they never want to stop wearing maternity clothes. I feel like I'm wearing jogging pants.

Also came home with some other fun baby stuff which was amazing and "OMG" inducing at the same time
:-)

3. I've got a wedding this weekend so please, send some good vibes and pray that my 'winter weddings' dress still fits. I really don't want to shop.

4. I still haven't felt the baby move. I've heard this is normal. I'd like it to happen soon though :-) Mostly for my peace of mind. I'm getting fatter so I figure that is a good sign. Case and point:

5. T-8 days until the 20 week scan and when we get to find out whether I've been hanging out with a little boy or a little girl. Start mulling over your guess - I'm going to post a poll or something fancy like that shortly!

6. In house related news (shocker, I know)...I received a very polite email from my designer asking when I was going to get that mirror up in the bathroom. It was very funny, actually. She wants to come take some pics of it (I imagine for her website) and the mirror is definitely holding that up. Made a good suggestion though and I have emailed Jesse at Lumsden Custom Cabinetry (the awesome guy who made the vanity) to see if he could take care of it. J and I had planned on DIY'ing the mirror but...well...we haven't done it yet. Hopefully I'll have an update soon!!

7. For those of you in Toronto, I had my first ever pizza from Pizza Gigi on Harbord Street last night (yes, the same place that got busted for selling pot to people). Illicit drugs aside, they make an AMAZING pizza. It isn't a fancy thin crust, but it is a delicious, food-coma inducing take-out pizza (which incidentally is my favourite kind!). If you haven't tried it, DO IT :-)

Sort of Like a Honeymoon...

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:36:00 +0000

I'm sure you have heard about the concept of a Babymoon, right? It is like a honeymoon, but you go on it when you are expecting a baby and have been convinced by anyone you talk to that this is your LAST CHANCE to travel EVER before you have kids.

People who give advice can be scary, eh?

However, unlike the push present**, I think the Babymoon is just a catchy term for something that really should happen! I think people are RIGHT when they say you won't be able to travel as a couple for a long time once the baby arrives. Makes sense to me!

We waffled between an all inclusive vacation and doing something a bit more custom, like doing a non-all inclusive on Turks and Caicos or Grand Cayman and going out to great restaurants for our meals, etc.

Turks looks beautiful with an INSANE beach:

As does Grand Cayman:

However, for some reason I couldn't pull the trigger. While dining at awesome restaurants seems amazing (both T&C and GC are known for having incredible food), there was something nagging me.

Ultimately, I felt that maybe at 6 months pregnant, I wouldn't want to *think* on our trip too much. If I was sitting on the beach and wanted a drink, I don't think I'd want to get up and put on a cover up and walk down the street to the grocery store.

I also thought that planning and organizing where we were going to eat everyday might be a little too much. There is no way I could go and just 'see what happens' - I'd want to research every restaurant and determine what people say are the best restaurants to hit up.

So, we gave up and booked an all inclusive. While we are not totally AI people, I think that it serves a purpose for us this time around. No thinking. Pay up front and that's it. If I don't like what I eat, I can order something else. I can get all the slushy virgin daiquiris I want. No beady eyes from J over the prices. Perfect, right?

So we'll be heading to one of our favourite islands and will be chilling out here:

Nothing to sneeze at, eh? :-)

So - here is where we are.

Pregnant? Check
Babymoon? Check
Stroller? Check (thanks Mom and Dad!)
Everything else...X

Lots to do but at least we have this trip to look forward to!! Special thanks to my husband who will have to *suffer* through an all inclusive with his lazy pregnant wife :-)

** Push presents are something I may discuss at a later date. Extra points if you can figure out what side of the debate I fall into :-)

Bumpity Bump

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:27:00 +0000

Morning everyone!!

Let me start off by telling everyone that today I had to run for the streetcar. Not just a job, but an all out, hauling of the ass, thinking OMG OMG OMG the whole way. It was also raining at the time.

You see, I have one of those apps on my phone that tells me when the next few streetcars are coming and I like to check it before I leave the house. I was ready to go and checked my phone. I saw that the next street car was going to be at my stop in 2 minutes, and the one after that would be 20 minutes.

TWENTY FREAKING MINUTES. During the morning rush.

So I had to make the 2 minute one. I literally busted my butt to get there.

Why am I telling you this? Well because I wanted to tell you that 2 minutes of 'sprinting' left me in a pool of mush, wanting to die. I am SO out of shape (I blame it on the whole pregnancy thing, but those who know me IRL know that it is because I don't work out). Can I blame it on the rain?

When I got to the streetcar, I could barely make my legs step up the three steps at a normal pace. The driver had to say "come on, just get on".

SHAMEFUL!

Anyways, like I said, I like to blame it on this:

Yes, it is sketchy work bathroom pic of my 17 week baby bump! I can still fit into most of my regular clothes, except for a few pair of higher waisted pants, but it is almost time. A number of my work dresses probably only have a few weeks left in them before I'm going to bust right out of them. Which won't be pretty. Or work appropriate. Not that taking a phone into the bathroom is, but well...I have a blog to take pics for!

Knowing that I am about to have to start shopping for clothes to fit the 'new me' - does anyone have any suggestions on where to shop? What was worth it? What wasn't? My mom is in Arizona for the winter so I can order some stuff from US stores but obviously would prefer to stay local for the bulk of it. Haha. Bulk.

Somebody's Gonna Be Slow-Cookin' This Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

First up, THANK YOU to Crock-Pot for supplying this amazing stainless steel slow-cooker for this giveaway. After using it multiple times over the last week or so, I can say that it is incredible. I had NO CLUE how much a Crock-Pot could do!

Second, can you BELIEVE how many entries there were? 96 of you put your names in the proverbial hat to win this awesome prize. I love free stuff, especially when it is something you will actually use and enjoy for many, many years to come (like a Crock-Pot!). :-)

And now, what you've all been waiting for! The winner!

I put the numbers into Random.org's number generator and the winner is....

Rachel Lapin! Congratulations Rachel - looks like you will be able to make some spaghetti sauce, chili, pot roast AND chicken in the near future :-)

Send me an email with your mailing address and a Crock-Pot will be coming your way!!

For the 95 of you who didn't win, thanks for entering and keep your eye out for sales on the Crock-Pot - I've seen it at Canadian Tire and it is worth it (even at full-price!).

Last Day!

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:27:00 +0000

Today is the last day to enter the awesome Crock-Pot giveaway! If you haven't entered yet, click here to do so!

Good luck!

(PS, thanks to an email from a great reader, hubs made some amazing Crock-Pot ribs on Sunday that were delicious! This thing really is awesome!)

A Giveaway That is (not) a Crock!

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +0000

I know, I'm so funny with my post titles :-)

Just before Christmas, I was given the opportunity to test out a pretty fancy shmansy Crock-Pot. To be honest, I've actually only ever used one slow cooker, ONCE, before in my life.

I bought a $9.99 special at Canadian Tire and I have no idea what I made in it. All I know is that the slowcooker was IMPOSSIBLE to clean. The inside didn't come out of the outside, so to clean it you actually had to put the whole thing in the sink - including part of the electrical cord.

I took a screwdriver to it thinking I could just 'pop out' the inner bowl and then put it back together. That is why I was only able to use it once.

So when I was approached to review this:

6.0 Qt. Crock-Pot® Designer Series Slow Cooker

• 6.0 Qt. / 5.6L oblong slow Cooker – ideal for 6-7 people

• Removable stoneware for easy serving and cleaning

• Tempered glass lid

• Digital timer counts down cooking time

• Auto-shift to Warm setting when cook time is complete

• Dishwasher safe lid and stoneware

• Rinse-Clean™ stick resistant coating for easy cleaning

• Programmable cooking time from 30 minutes to 20 hours

• Gasketed lid

• Brushed stainless steel finish

• Integrated Handles and Cord Storage

• Model # SCCPBP600S-CN

I jumped at the chance. PLUS with the whole having a baby thing, I thought that having (and knowing how to use) a Crock-Pot would be pretty useful. I've heard babies take up a lot of time. :-)

Anyway, I busted out the Crock-Pot on Monday night and here is how it all went down.

1. Opened the box. This thing is huge. And gorgeous. My sister was there when I opened it (and she is a COOK) and she was literally drooling over this thing. Sleek, solid and totally digital. You can set it for 10 hours on low and the it automatically pops over to 'keep warm' after the 10 hours is up. Cool.

The cord just hides under the machine - so cool!

2. I decided to do a roast chicken. I'm lazy and the thought of just plopping the whole chicken in the Crock-Pot without pre-cooking anything seemed pretty appealing. Salt, pepper, butter and lemon, just like the recipe said.

...and into the pot she went:

3. I set it for 4 hours on high, put the lid on, and that was it!

4. Wait.

5. Waiting still.

6. My sister tells me that waiting for a slow cooker to cook is an exercise in frustration. I agree and go into the basement to watch a movie.

7. DING! It has been four hours and the chicken is done. However, it looks like this:

Kind of gross right? Like it is still raw. Like it will get up and start dancing at any moment. Yuck. Clearly, I should have added more spicing on the top to give it the 'look' of being roasted, or something. Or maybe I was nuts to do a chicken in a Crock-Pot. HOWEVER, the chicken was seriously fall off the bone tender and delicious!!

We had planned on having chicken and veggies for dinner that night and using the leftover chicken for a soup on Tuesday, but I wasn't feeling the whole 'raw-looking' chicken so I went right to the soup.

8. Jay pulled all of that delicious chicken off the bone.

9. And I turned it into soup using this recipe (which incidental, doesn't call for chicken but my sister recommended it). The recipe is from cooking light and honestly, from the taste of it, you would NEVER know it wasn't full of fat. It is DELICIOUS.

10. It gets even better. We threw the rest of the bones BACK IN the Crock-Pot, added a carrot, celery and a few cloves of garlic, poured in some boiling water and set the timer for 10 hours on low.

Who doesn't like home-made chicken stock?!

In the morning when I woke up, the most amazing smell was coming from the kitchen. The Crock-Pot had simmered up the most beautiful broth. I strained it and put it in the fridge to cool.

So with 3 presses of a button and one 8 dollar chicken and some vegetables, we ended up with a huge pot of soup, a ton of home-made broth and enough left over chicken to make chicken tacos :-)

11. Clean up. The black insert just lifts right out of the stainless exterior and washed up in a minute. No problem. Amazing, right? No screw drivers required!!

So of course, I now need some more Crock-Pot recipes! Any recommendations?

To make this more interesting, Crock-Pot has offered up another machine to one of my readers!! Just be a follower of this here blog and leave a comment letting me know what you would cook with this sweet, sweet Crock-Pot! That's it!

A winner will be picked on the 11th of January (one week!).

Aww...

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Thanks so much for all of the lovely comments and emails (and the odd tweet) about the whole "I'm pregnant" thing! You really know how to make a girl feel special.

I was strangely nervous to tell you guys. Not sure why - of course I didn't want to do it too early, and I wanted to make sure my IRL friends knew first, but even once that happened, I was all nervous about how to tell you. What was the best way? Should I take a cute picture? But I'm not big enough yet so ppl would probably think 'huh?' or 'looks like she's off the whole low-carb thing'.

Moving on...

So yeah, as a little background, I thought I'd answer some of the key questions people had (both online and in real life):

1. Was it planned?

Yes. People actually asked me that. Not even after an appropriate celebratory period. Like "congratulations, was it planned?". For real. Either way, YES this baby was planned. As is usual for J and I, we talked and talked and waited and thought about it. We probably spent over a year and a bit making sure it was the right decision for us and in August, on our holiday, decided that we would 'start' on a certain day in the fall.

I know. We are so weird.

We've always been like that though. Our second date was more akin to an interview to ensure we both wanted the same things from a relationship. Forget candles and soft music. We sat on the couch and asked all of the 'key' questions.

Bottom line is that I know we have not entered into this stage of our life without due thought. So when I start getting nervous (like any first time preggo), I take comfort in the fact that we did not come to this decision lightly. Because from what I hear, this is a bit of a life changer :-)

2. Have you always wanted to have kids?

To be honest, J and I went through a phase where we were unsure. Hence the necessity to spend so much time talking and thinking and soul searching. We were newly married and loving our lives as downtown city people without any responsibilities. However, we pretty quickly realized that when we really thought about it, we wanted a family. And while there are many ways to make a family, we thought we'd try the old fashioned way :-)

That said, hearing "I thought you didn't want to have kids" when you tell someone you are pregnant is never fun. How the heck do you respond to that? I mean, please. Even if we DIDN'T want to have kids, I"M PREGNANT. :-) Lucky for us, we do (and probably always really did) want kids.

3. Are you going to find out gender?

Um, HECK YES! The whole 'baby coming out of me' will be surprise enough, thank you. We will be finding out at the end of January and I CAN'T WAIT!

4. How did you find out you were pregnant?

The downside to all of these pregnancy tests that are super sensitive and can detect pregnancy as early as early as "5 days before your expected period" (which would be all of one week post-ovulation), is that you find out you are pregnant "5 days before your expected period" which is EARLY, yo!

Hubs and I were getting ready for work and he said something along the lines of "you're pregnant". I laughed. How could I be pregnant? I consistently woke up every morning and hit myself in the boob-region. Nope, no sensitivity. I analyzed every feeling I had and (thought) I didn't feel anything different.

Of course, the intrigue was undeniable and I picked up a package of tests that day on my lunch. When I got home, I waited for J and then peed on the stick. I held it up so he could see it first. His face was hilarious. It looked something like this:

Source: Shannonpatrick.com

I think it was a cross between "I don't know how to read these things" and "NO G-D WAY". I mean, sure, it was planned, but we didn't think it would happen so fast.

We both then started the laugh. You know the laugh. The one that is kind of high pitched and scary, filled with a strange mix of happiness, disbelief and fear. OMG. We are pregnant.

I then made J walk with me to Shoppers to buy one of those fancy digital tests that says "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" right on it.

And when that wasn't good enough (I'm crazy, I know), I went to the Dollar Store and grabbed a handful of tests. I took one a day for about two weeks.

5. How have I been feeling?

Remember how I said that I had no symptoms of pregnancy? Well they kicked in eventually. I felt like I had constant gut rot. If you went to university and 'experimented' with alcohol 'that one time', you know the feeling. The way your stomach feels the morning after a night of drinking vodka cranberries (or worse, those super sweet lemonade coolers - through a straw, nonetheless). You don't want to vomit, and you might feel hungry but nothing really helps.

And when I didn't have gut rot, I was sleeping. I had more naps during my first trimester than I've had in the past 2 years. Maybe more. I haven't napped like this since university.

I am feeling much better now though. As long as I don't let myself get hungry. Because if I get hungry, watch out (especially you, J).

So that's all for now! If you have other questions, let me know!

Projects for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

With 2012 right around the corner, I'm sure I'm not the only one going "holy CRAP how did that happen?".

Right? Please say I'm not the only one.

Otherwise I'll feel weird.

Moving on....

In the spirit of the New Year, I figured that it was as good of time as any to make a list of what I'd like to get done in the coming year. Resolutions, sort of. I don't really like calling them that because I don't want to feel bad if I don't accomplish them all :-)

So here goes...my top 5 projects for 2012 (yes, I know 'top ten' sounds better, but that seems a little ambitious for me. I'm the kind of girl who adds 'make a list' to my to-do lists so I can cross it off.)

1. Hang Stuff in my House

I have major problems committing to certain things, like hanging art/mirrors on the walls. It doesn't help that my walls are 60% plaster so hanging things is slightly more difficult than normal. I have piles of frames and artwork lying around in the house and I need to get busy and hang some of them!

Specifically, I need to order and install the mirror in the bathroom. Yes, that means we are still just living with the temporary mirror J put on the counter.

We also are planning on putting up a series of six frames over our sideboard in the dining room to spice things up a little. I'm hoping this gets done in the next little while (notice how I said 'next little while' and didn't commit to a specific time frame. Ha. I'm sneaky like that.)

2. Paint the Hallway

I've mentioned it before, but I *really* want to get our hallway painted this year. It is definitely looking worse for wear and the cracks in the plaster are getting more noticeable. I'm thinking we may hire someone to do it...it is a HUGE job and we don't have the plaster fixing skills necessary. OR...maybe we can pull down the whole wall of plaster and lathe and install that sound proof drywall. THAT would be awesome. A dream, but an awesome dream.

3. Deal with our Leaky Roof Issue

Yes, I think that 2012 will bring a new roof for us. Which sucks. Because that can be very, very expensive. However, because of some poorly planned eaves troughs, one area of our roof has taken a huge beating thanks to 3/4s of all rain water being directed over that one particular spot. Awesome.

Handy Hubs got up there a month or two ago and redirected the water which has seemed to help our leaking issue, but it is something we'll have to deal with sooner rather than later, I think.

4. Figure Out the Guest Room

I think it was 7 or 8 months ago when I started thinking about the guest room. Striped walls? White walls? I wanted somewhere that was lovely and comfortable for my guests. Um...yeah. It has turned into a bit of a storage room. Must do something with this. I have a few ideas though...all related to number 5.

and finally....

5. HAVE A BABY!!

That's right, folks. J and I are having a real, live baby! No, we are not getting a puppy. I'm knocked up! With child. In a family way. Have a bun in the oven. FOR REAL.

So yeah - that is why I've been so MIA these past months. I wasn't feeling great and the last thing I wanted to do was a) do house projects or b) spend time on the computer. Plus keeping a secret is hard, yo!

We are 15 or so weeks along according to my doctor. I don't have a cute bump to show you yet, but I can show you this:

Yep - that is baby LB@30 right there!! 12w6d or something I think. Sleeping. haha

I was a little shocked when we found out (yes, it was planned), and it didn't really sink in for a while. Here is an idea of what I did to remind myself that yes, I was actually pregnant.

I'm not going to lie. I think I took at least 12 pregnancy tests. I know, I'm a nut.

Anyways, so that is our news :-) We are pretty excited about all of this and feel like we have a lot of projects coming up in preparation for the arrival of the little guy/girl.

There is definitely a blogger baby boom these days!

Do You Agree?

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Jennifer over at Rambling Renovators is hosting an awesome blog series again this year and she asked me to take part!

Basically, she's invited some seriously awesome bloggers (who knows how I made it with my AWOL-ness lately!) to share their favourite blog posts of 2011.

Head on over, check out some of the other awesome bloggers and let me know if you think that I picked well or whether you had a different favourite!!

In other news, I'm putting together a pretty insane 2012 resolution list that will be posted shortly :-)

Spoiled at Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I love Christmas (as you all know) but (this might be shameful) but I LOVE getting presents! To be fair, I also love GIVING presents, so I'm not a total jerk, but I love getting gifts at Christmas and get so excited about it!

I love seeing the gifts under the tree and seeing what everyone received from their family. It is such a fun time! Of course, it is extra super fun when you get to watch your kids (or in my case, my nieces) open their gifts because kids are HILARIOUS at Christmas. They get gobs of gifts and usually end up playing with (and remembering) one or two.

Me: Kate - what did you get for Christmas?

Kate: I don't know.

Me: (looks around and sees stacks of kid-friendly gifts). Did you get that Yo-Yo?

Kate: umm...yeah I think so.

Me: Did you get that crazy microphone that makes you sound like a rock star?

Kate: Ya. (continues watching Elf on tv)

Me: What about that Leapster thing?

Kate: Ya - that too.

Kids are hilarious.

Anyways, back to me :-)

I was a lucky girl this year! I received a number of really amazing gifts from my family.

1. $$ for my iPad! My family, being the smart people they are, realized that I had mentioned that the new iPad is supposed to be released in the next few months and figured that I might want to wait for that, so they went the gift card route for me. Sweet!! Of course, it is now burning a hole in my pocket and it will be a test of my patience as to whether I can wait!

2. Picture Frames - my brother in law and his girlfriend bought me all of the Ikea frames I asked for! Now I can get moving on my dining room 'tweak' :-) Smart kids - they bought the frames at the 50% off sale that Ikea had recently!! Sweet!!

3. Accessories for my dining room - my mom did a little shopping at West Elm and picked up two of these beauties for me!

4. Chocolate - I did receive a Terry's Chocolate Mint from my Mother in law. I was seriously pumped when I opened it! It is half gone already. I'm not going to lie. Of course, I found some more on boxing day at half-off so I picked up a few replacements :-)

I did receive a few other awesome gifts but I will post about those in the coming days.

Pretty awesome right?! Anyways - I'm now enjoying my time off work - hubs is working so I'm watching a Property Brothers marathon :-)

Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Happy Holidays!!

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Christmas Eve is tomorrow and hubs is finishing up work for the next few days. Soon he'll be home and we will plan out what details we have left to take care of before CHRISTMAS!

Of course, in our house, Christmas Eve is filled with last minute shopping, wrapping presents and watching Love Actually. This year we are also going to a party at my Godparents' place so that will be fun :-)

So have a lovely holiday, friends. Enjoy the time off, the smell of turkey roasting in the oven and the satiated feeling that only a huge meal of turkey and stuffing can give you :-)

I'll be around so you might hear from me :-) - I promise that my blogging will get a little more frequent in the New Year!!

Christmas Wishes, 2011 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Last year around this time (actually, one day before), I wrote a quick post about what I wanted for Christmas...a healthy baby for my best friend!

If you remember (because I do talk about her quite often), she did have that beautiful baby and yesterday she turned ONE! Time certainly flies, doesn't it!?

So anyways - I figured now would be a good time to thrown in a few 2011 Christmas wishes! Everyone has them, right? Even if they are frivolous and unattainable :-)

Okay so here goes:

1. Ipad

I know Ipads are old news and all, but I still think it would be a really fun toy to play with. An expensive toy, yes, but one that I would love.

2. Picture Frames

I am still planning on doing a little revamp in the dining room and think that six of these babies will help:

Sure, I still have to figure out what photos to put in them, but I think they would be a nice change from all the brown that is going on in there.

3. Terry's Chocolate Mint

My absolute favourite chocolate treat at Christmas time...if you haven't tried one, DO IT!

That's right - it is chocolate, segmented into orange slices, that tastes like CHOCOLATE MINT!! I personally feel like the combo of chocolate and orange is RANCID but I love the interactive nature of this candy and was SO FLIPPIN HAPPY when it came out in the mint flavour.

When you open the box, you pull out the foil wrapped orange and you WHACK it on the table. This movement causes the chocolate to separate into delicious little slices of amazingness. Try it!

4. Some R&R

Today is my last day at work until January 3rd and I am very, very happy about that. I can't wait to sleep in, make breakfast, watch tv, shop, hang out with friends and generally relax. Hubs is working a bit over the holidays so I can indulge in my secret single behaviour during the day with no shame (ahem...wearing pyjamas all day long! eating a meal entirely based on cheese and crackers...)

That's about it - figured I couldn't ask for much when I had such a whopper in the #1 position!! I'm not expecting an Ipad, just so you know. Just hoping for some $$ to go towards one.

So what is on your list? Anything frivolous? Or do you ask for practical things, like socks and underwear?

Now This is Embarrassing

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:44:00 +0000

Remember when I claimed the bathroom was almost done? Um...yeah...well we still haven't ordered the mirror. Oops.

This is what it looks like:

Oops. New Year's Resolution?

Don't Tell...

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:32:00 +0000

but remember my sad face over saying goodbye to my lovely little car?

...and remember how I mentioned that I shed a few tears when she left me?

That was all true. I swear.

Another true fact is that I realized how bloody fickle I am as we picked up our new (used) car and I very quickly started saying things like:

"The RSX never did that! Cool!"

"Wow, the road feels so much less bumpy in the new car"

"How did we ever live without a back up camera before?!"

Poor RSX. My grief was real, but my memory of that grief was clearly very short. Oops.

I Might Have Cried...

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:56:00 +0000

So after receiving a bunch of interest from scammers, people who wrote in an abridged form of English "I wud luv 2 c ur car", and some very nice people, I am happy/sad to report that my car has officially been sold.

I'm not going to lie. I cried as the new owner drove away from our house. Just a little bit though.

I wasn't surprised that I cried though. I started getting weepy as I walked home from work, after J called me and said "the buyer wants to come pick it up tonight" as opposed to Sunday as we had originally agreed.

Sniff sniff.

See - this car was my first, big, independent purchase as an adult (or something like an adult). I was 24 years old and I had just finished my undergraduate degree and was working a full time job, doing what I thought was my DREAM job. How does a 24 year old celebrate her new found independence?

Well she buys a car, OF COURSE!!

I remember the day I picked it up from the dealership. I was so flippin' excited. I couldn't believe that I was going to own a little black sports car. I had no clue what I was doing. I was supposed to walk around the car and check for any issues, and I think I just walked in circles thinking OH MY GOD I JUST BOUGHT A CAR.

I loved that car. It meant more to me than just a way to get around. As silly as it may sound, but it was an outward expression of who I was at that time. It wasn't a girly car by an stretch of the imagination. It was a way of saying "I can run with the boys". I loved that it impressed guys that I drove it (and that it was standard). It seemed to say that I didn't need a guy to drive me around, and I certainly didn't need to have him show me how to drive standard. Not to say that I bought the car for that reason - it was just an unanticipated bonus :-)

I actually was living with a boyfriend at the time who is not my current husband (thank god!). This car was also my first gut check with respect to that relationship. I remember sitting down working out the budget to see if I could afford the car, and found myself making sure that I could afford the car if I was paying for rent/bills by myself (if that doesn't sound like foreshadowing, I don't know what does!). I knew that buying a car was a big responsibility and I didn't want it locking me in to anything that I wasn't certain about.

Yeah, well, the relationship didn't make it but my car and I (and all the monthly bills) made it out unscathed. We were a good team. I was newly single and still loved my job. I was living in the country and relied on my car for a lot of things, including getting to work, groceries, and trying to open up a newly necessary social life that I didn't really have when I was in the relationship. Like I said...we were a good team.

Now, I am not saying that the car is what helped me snag J, but I like to think that it helped. I drove to pick him up for our first date on December 27, 2003. Right away, he knew that I was independent and COOL AS HECK. He tells me even today that he thought it was super hot that I drove standard (and better than him, if I might add that :-).

So yeah - this was more than a car for me. After helping me snag my super awesome husband, it came with me to grad school, came back to Toronto with me, and became the first car of our marriage.I think it makes sense that I cried a little bit when I said good-bye to her.

Of course, I needed a few pictures before she left...

And there she goes....

Are You One?

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:47:00 +0000

A Holiday decorator, that is? I know I've told you before, but I LOVE Christmas. I love the music, the decorations, the food, the hustle and bustle and the excitement. I have some very specific traditions when it comes to Christmas, but unfortunately, decorating my house is NOT one of them.

Last year I bought a few cute things to spruce up the place but I haven't even pulled out the box this year to put the decorations out.

What is wrong with me?!

I would love a place that looked like this:

(all images sourced from Pinterest)

It actually even crossed my mind that *maybe* if I had a fake Christmas tree, I'd be more up for the decorating bit. I'm not sure why I find buying the tree, getting it home, decorating it and then dealing with the needles to be so...overwhelming, but I do.

I think part of the problem is that with all the renos, etc this year, the decorations from last year actually didn't come down until...well...WAY into 2011. Shameful, I know.

Anyways - I'm going to *try* to step it up this weekend. I will never be a super decorator like some, but I could at least put out the few things that I bought, right? How tough can that be.

So now you know my Christmas secret - tell me what yours is? Do you decorate? Do you have a fake tree? Do you purchase Christmas cookies and pass them off as home made?

Crazy Scammers

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:45:00 +0000

Hubs and I are selling our first big-ish ticket item online (our car) and OMG I can't get over how many low-ballers and scammers there are out there.

In less than 12 hours, I have received 3 "serious buyers" who are willing to pay 25% less than asking or even less, and 2 'buyers' who are "very interested" and would like to pay via paypal and send their 'private agent' to pick the item up.

How do you know it is a scam? Well you get an email like this:

Good day, i want to buy your vehicle and i will like to know the present condition of it and also will like to know when last it was used. get back to me with your final selling price if you still have it available for sale. Regards, Luis

and then you get this:

Thanks for mailing back,i really appreciate it, am really interested
in it, and i will appreciate it if you can send me more pictures if
you have cause due to the nature of my job,phone calls making are
restricted. I can't be able to come and view it and pay in cash but i
have contacted a pick up company and they will be coming to pick it
after i have paid for it,i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have
access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but
i have my bank account attached to my PayPal account and this is why i
insisted on paying you through PayPal,so kindly get back to me with
your full name and paypal email address so i can proceed with the
payment now, but if you don't have an account with them you can set up
a paypal account via www.paypal.com it very easy and fast, it wont
take you much time to do that,I will proceed with the payment as soon
as you send me your paypal email address and contact the pick up agent
to arrange a convenient pickup time with you,once payment has been
transferred and cashed and let me know your final selling price.

I believe i can trust you on this transaction cause i need a faithfuland loyal person to transact business with not fraudster.I hope to
read back from you soon.
Thanks,
Luis

Um...no thanks.

I will say that, after my years and years of Craigslist love, I am getting WAY more legitimate hits from Kijiji. Who knew?!

Anyways - I have learned a few things from this experience.

1. Selling a car is annoying.
2. Selling a car in the 'winter' is also super annoying, because people would like to see it in the daylight (fair enough) and there is almost no daylight around when we are not working.
3. Going back and forth with people over email only to have them 'disappear' is also annoying, but I know comes with the territory.
4. Scammers use Autotrader mostly. Just as a heads up :-)

So that's that. Selling our car while it is still worth something because we'd like something a little more winter-friendly (2 door, front wheel drive gets old when you are dealing with unplowed sidestreets and laneways in Toronto!).

Have you ever sold something for more than a few hundred bucks online? Any tips? Websites that I haven't thought of? Anyone want to buy an awesome car? :-)

And now...a Post by ME!! Better Late Than Never...Right?

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000

So a while back I received a few of the "Versatile Blogger" award from lovelies like Meg @ Nutmeg and Company and Jodi @ In Corners of my Mind (thanks girls!).

To accept this award, I must think the person(s) who awarded it to me and include a link to their blog (see above :-) I also am supposed to share 7 things about myself.

Okay well...here goes!

1. I'm going prematurely grey. Yup. It SUCKS. I started going grey at an early age (thanks Mom and Dad ;-). I think I ignored it for a while, but eventually I realized HOLY CRAP, I'm dying my roots every 6 weeks. I think that is a sign that I am going grey.

Maybe it is ballsy or presumptuous to say that it is premature for me to go grey, but hey - I'm 32 and I've been dying my hair regularly since I was about 26 or 27. Before that I dyed my hair for fun once in a while...sigh...those days were great. Days when I didn't HAVE to sit in a chair at an overpriced salon for 3-4 hours (yes kids, its true. 3-4 friggin hours!!). Trust me when I tell you that 3-4 hours in a salon will take away any of the possible feeling of 'treating yourself' to a salon day. Ugh.

Since I'm being honest, and since I have been neglecting my hair recently because I'm lazy and cheap, I'm actually going to show you a picture of how grey I am. I'm crazy like that.

To be fair, I'm only going grey on one area (so far)....ON TOP. It is like a cruel joke.

2. I used to live on a horse farm. Cool, right? I used to ride horses (as you know) and was actually pretty involved in the horse world. I competed every weekend all summer and at least once a month in the winter. Trained daily, etc. Anyways - my parents had wanted to move to the country and since I was so into horses, had thought they'd find a place with a small 2-3 stall barn in the backyard so I could bring my horse home in the summer.

Instead, they ended up buying a 10 acre horse property with an 18 stall barn and an indoor arena! (talk about an upsell, eh?). It was like a dream come true for me! I got to spend my days at the barn, riding, working and training (when I wasn't in school, of course). My friends were able to come to pretty crazy 'field parties' on our property (in exchange for helping out when the hay arrived!). It was amazing and now that it is gone (sold a number of years ago), I think back to it with very fond memories.

Here's me and THE BEST DOG EVER on our front lawn:

Yes, I'm wearing a really awesome shirt :-) What can I say - I went to a high school where if you weren't wearing Birkenstocks and wool socks (together) with a hiking backpack, you were NOT cool.

And here is what it looked like in our backyard (well, the part that wasn't all forest) - including a picture of THE BEST HORSE EVER:

3. I love Christmas and as soon as it hits November 20th, I start listening to a radio station that plays ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC, ALL THE TIME. It is the best. Last week, as I was driving to the movies (to see the new Twilight movie, of course!), I was stuck in traffic and flipped on the station and BAM. Felt like a million bucks. Singing, smiling and tapping the steering wheel. I must have looked pretty special to the people sitting in traffic next to me, but I didn't care!

#1 Favourite Christmas Song:

#2 Favourite - because it has my name and the name of my best friend in it!

I may not be big on decorating for the holidays (yet), but I'm a huge Christmas fan!

4. I have a number of food aversions that make people label me as "picky". I hate mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese and will not eat anything with them on or in it. Scrape mayo off the bread? HECK no. Cheesecake? No thanks. Cream cheese frosting? No way. If I had my way (and I often do) I wouldn't even sit near the open tub of sour cream and DEFINITELY wouldn't want to be the one to carry the dirty spoon to the dishwasher.

I'm a freak. I know. Lucky for me, most of those items aren't very good for me, so I don't feel too bad cutting them out of my diet. It does make me a tricky guest at a dinner party because I can't just 'grin and bear it' when it comes to those foods.

5. I (generally) enjoy travelling alone. It started when I was first out of undergrad and was working - wanted to go on a trip but didn't have anyone around who could take the time to go with me. I went on a cruise by myself and had a blast. I also had just met J so I racked up a HUGE cell phone bill. Ha. Young love...

In law school I travelled Europe for 6 weeks by myself. This was an incredible experience and I am so happy I did it. I met some interesting people (as well as some crazies), saw some beautiful cities and really learned how to take care of myself. By the end of it I was TIRED. It is hard work travelling alone (especially as a girl, I imagine) because you have to always be on guard and prepared.

I'm now at the point in my life where I'm ready to travel with my husband. I want to see Paris and Rome with him, and maybe check out Greece (never made it there). I like that I know I have the ability to travel (and eat) alone, but I think I'm keen to try out some real travelling with my hubs (and not just to an all inclusive :-)

6. I'm often self conscious about my itty bitty teeth. I find myself censoring my smile because I'm thinking about how people are probably staring. Funny how all it takes is one dumb boy in high school to point out "HEY. You have little teeth and when you smile, I see lots of your gums" and you're done. You are now going to be constantly aware of your little teeth and worry that everyone will think of you as the girl with the mini teeth.

Over time, I have been less worried about them, but I think that comes with the fact that I have learned to control my smile and rarely laugh with abandon anymore. Sad, right? The times that I do, I find myself often covering my mouth.

I need to just GET OVER IT. Seriously, Janice. As if this is a big problem!?

7. I've been stuck with a blinking cursor on 7 for a while now. I'm kind of stuck. So here is a bunch of stuff. I have blue eyes that change shades every now and then but are bluest when I cry. I cry at commercials on a regular basis. My sister and I used to really really dislike each other when we were kids but are now really good friends. We have had many many pets throughout my childhood and we often took in dogs without homes, but after losing my cat and my dog (see above) in about a year, I've kind of sworn off pets. Maybe one day...I've only recently started drinking brewed coffee and wonder why it took me so long (tea is NOT the same first thing in the morning). Once I slept over at a new friend's house and when her mom tried to feed me cereal for breakfast using powdered milk, I faked sick and ran home. I have a long distance best friend that I miss like crazy. I think putting ketchup on anything other than burgers and fries is just weird (Kraft Dinner? Eggs? Nasty).

So there you have it, my friends. Part of the 'award' is that I am supposed to pass it on to 15 other bloggers. Because I've taken so long, I think most people have received it so...well...if you haven't received it yet, go for it! Consider yourself 'awarded' :-)

Guest Post on My Grass by Alison of Catherine Alison Interiors

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Another treat today - Alison from Catherine Alison Interiors is here to give me (and other people with grass issues - no, not THOSE issues...come on now...) some advice on what to do with my backyard if the grass just won't work.

Welcome Alison!

*****

If – like me – you’re a regurlar reader of ”Life Begin’s at Thirty, Right?” you’ve probably choked on your coffee while catching up on Janice’s efforts to win the war on raccoons. Laying the chicken wire on top of the grass was my favourite tactic of all! You two were so committed! I’d love to hear, which tactic did you love best?

I certainly understand the desire to have a patch of grass. My grandparents lived their whole life in "The Beach” and I can remember the small patch of grass they maintained in their backyard vividly. Cutting the lawn only required a rotary push mower and it was always neat and tidy-looking. I don’t understand – what’s changed?

Well since the raccoons do seem to be winning, Janice’s plight has me thinking....what are the best alternatives to lawn for a shady city-dweller? Janice, isn’t shady – her patch of backyard is...just to clarify. J

(1) Create a Garden. Plant a herb garden, a flower garden or vegetable patch. The centre pathway could be lined with low boxwoods or ewes to give the garden some additional structure. And pop down some meandering flagstones into the garden in order to get in and out easily when maintaining.

Source:

Garden Pros: A well-designed garden could be quite lovely to look at from your deck. You would develop your green thumb in the process.

Gardon Cons: It takes time to plant a well thought-out garden. And there’s an up front cost for the plants. Plus, there’s no space to lie down and watch the clouds go by. {Insert image of woman lying on grass}

(2) Ground cover Many types of hardy ground cover can be used instead of or in combination with grass. We planted white clover at our family cottage on a shady, sloping hill a year ago and it’s filling in well. And here’s a new variety of Ajuga I love the name of – it’s called ’Chocolate Chip’. Yummy and pretty!

Source

Ground Cover Pros: Little maintenance, quick to fill in, lots of variety.

Ground Cover Cons: Some of them are not nice to walk on; they’re just for show. Kind of like a pair of killer heels.

(3) Ornamental Grasses I think this could be a very swanky urban look that suits your fashion and style-savvyness. Ornamental grasses come in many heights and colours.

Source

Grasses Pros: Very chic, blowing softly in the wind. Low maintainance

Grasses Cons: Initial Expense, especially if you buy your grassess full at full size

(4) Faux turf This is no longer just for sports! I’ve seen several houses in my neighbourhood with faux front lawn grass. From a distance – you can’t even tell. Apparently the quality of the grass types has improved tremendously in the past few years. This isn’t regular astroturf. The luxury end grasses are made with soft, long luxurious two-toned fibres. And some are even springy. Think of all the water you’ll save. And no mowing – ever! Check out this brand.

Source

Faux Grass Pros: Low-maintenance

Faxu Grass Cons: Possible Aesthetic appeal, costs

(5) Moss Plants And finally, low-growing, shade-loving moss plants can be a great alternative to traditional lawns. They form a dense mat are soft to the touch.

Source

Pros: Easy to maintain, soft to touch

Cons: Need lots of moisture

Of course, there’s no need to worry right now though. Snow will cover up your backyard soon enough. Do you think one alternative would fit the bill? If not, do you have other ideas for Janice? Enjoy the holiday season, everyone.

Author Bio: Alison Hodd is a Mom of 2, and a wife of 1. She’s a corporate trainer by day and a residential designer by night, living in Oakville, ON. To get free weekly actionable design tips go here to sign up. Or join the design conversation on facebook go here .

*****

Alright friends - what option do you think is best for me now? These seem better than what I was going to do (ahem, cement pad).

PS - I'm actually writing a post of my own today :-) Coming up later!

Guest Post - Nataliya from Style-ING w/ Children

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBegins@Thirty) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:34:00 +0000

Happy Monday everyone! (ps - I don't know why I say happy Monday on Mondays, when I usually hate them...)

I have another fantastic bathroom reno for ya today - this time from Nataliya from Style-ING w/ Children. Her and her husband did a great job on their master ensuite and I have a feeling you will love it!

*****

Hi there. First of all I’d like to thank Janice for this awesome opportunity. I've been an avid reader of her blog, I always look forward to her posts. And, hello, the raccoon story should be made into a book :)

I am someone who writes a blog mostly to keep myself inspired for all the big and small projects around our house. With full time jobs, a toddler and zero design/reno experience (outside of painting walls) hubby and I bought our current house with the purpose of renovating the hell out of it.

I’m not sure how much any of you are familiar with Minto? It is the suburbia go-to builder for look-alike housing around our parts. We love to hate them. Truly. Our house is your regular average suburbia box. Nothing wrong with that. And nothing wrong with wanting to change every single corner of it.

Today I’d like to show you our en suite bathroom reno project. I’ll prefix by saying that this was the FIRST project of this size and complexity that either one of us dreamt of undertaking outselves. It took 4 months, too many weekends covered in dust and with thinset on our hands and faces. The results are so so dear to our hearts. I also have to say that my hubby gave in to every aesthetic whim I had during the whole process. And I thank him so much for having faith that I wouldn’t screw this up.

SCARY BEFORE PICTURES:

The tub that squeaked like there was no tomorrow

Tile circa 1987

Built-in single sink vanity. Chipped beige sink.

Here’s the general set up of the whole bathroom. Removing floor tile (that was going to be the death of us, death by slipping and falling) is done. Who else is grossed out by that bathtub??

INSPIRATION:

White, clean, modern, not TOO modern (if you know what I mean, wink)

Source

AFTERs:

My favourite features, you ask? Well... that walk-in shower, tiled all the way up + tiled ceiling. Also, tile behind toilet/vanity and a little beyond vanity. Best decision ever. If you’re in doubt, to tile or not to tile, TILE IT! In our case it gave us the extra custom look.

There are two things fighting for my absolute love in this bathroom. The shower curtain and that hex tile. I honestly cannot decide which one makes me happier. The pops of yellow were my attempts at adding warmth from my inspiration photos. The combination of white and yellow is a very happy one. I cannot believe I scored those floor mats in the exact share of yellow as my shower curtain, ON SALE at HomeSense!

So there you have it. A little corner of our home reno’ed and improved. Of course there are still things to get and install that will make it more 100% complete vs. Just 92%. And we will get there. Eventually. For now we're happy happy happy with the way things are.

Shameless plug: Come visit me, hubby and Baby C at Style-ING w/ Children. We’re working on both the master bedroom and Baby C’s big girl room. It’s fun! You should stop by.

Thank you Janice for having me!