Closet Love

Due to some necessary prepping for our bathroom downstairs, as in removing our old chimney.  January was spent fixing my closet because there was giant hole in it!  Which wasn't so bad but means that not only will we eventually get a new bathroom in the basement, I got 3 more feet of closet space!!!

Now who is going to tell me that's a bad thing!  There was a lot of dust and soot, one crappy evening when I suffered a paint fumed headache but it all resulted in my wonderful new closet.

I have found baskets for the bottom of my closet but not for the top yet.  There are certain sized I need and can't seem to find any to go with my colour scheme.  I am looking for cloth baskets so they will be easier to remove from the shelf and not scratch the paint!  Still searching, let me know if you know of any place to get some!!

The bottom shelves were going to hold baskets as well but my children have decided that this is the best place to hide and play toys.  I don't have the heart to ruin it for them just yet!!

I hope you enjoy my closet as much as I do and I will post a new picture once I find the perfect basket!!!!

New doors since my closet before was only one door!!!  So much more space!

Having all my clothes look so organized makes me happy everytime I open the doors!!!

I found these fabric boxes on sale in this pretty pattern. And this is the best hiding/play place around!



This is my dilema, I currently have these baskets but they scratch the paint and just aren't working with the closet.  Searching for two side by side fabric baskets.  My problem is two are too wide and one is to small!!!

I just want to say I love my new closet and it makes getting dressed in the morning so much better!!  I can find all my clothes and even found some clothes I forgot I had!!!

Old Navy Shoes

Now some might think I have a slight shoe problem but I tend to dissagree.  I love shoes and try not buy any that won't work with my wardrobe and lifestyle!!  That doesn't always work, I have a pair of 4" almost 5" Nine West gladiator heels that I have worn twice but they were so fun I couldn't leave them behind!!!! 

I went shopping last week with my handy list in tow.  I was searching for a great transition dress from winter to spring and a blazer.  I came home with a tunic, a pair of wool shorts and two pairs of ballet flats from Old Navy!!!  I even shocked myself when I left Old Navy with nothing but two pairs of shoes!  Not usually my first choice for shoes but they were just so cute and such a great price!!!

This red/orange shoe is a perfect pop of colour to add to any outfit!



This shoe I purchase with a bright royal blue toe instead of the yellow for a little taste of spring!

If it would just stop snowing, I could wear these great new shoe purchases!!

Hum Drum

So now that I have decided to share this blog with the world, my obligation to keep posting is high!!!

Today's post is just a little about life right now.

We are still in the midst of planning renovations, I would love to say that we are doing renovations but alas the big ones have not started.  We are still working on the upstairs ones that we can do on our own.  I will have some pictures of our progress sometime this week.  I need to find the perfect containers for my upper closet shelves.  I go back to the need for a container store!!!

With the winter months wearing on as they seem to do in February, my ambition to complete these doable renovations is dwindling!!!  I have been staring at my one 98% completed pillow cover for about a week and a half.  I need velcro to complete it and haven't managed to remember to get some!  That doesn't include the 4 other ones that are 0% complete!!!

Last week was a super busy week full of me time and I enjoyed it and didn't feel like doing my household duties.  I took in two pilates classes, a concert and a TV catchup night (by myself!!!)  It was wonderful.  I did feed everyone wonderful meals (if I say so myself!!!), everyone was happy, clean (most of the time) and crazy!!!  So the week went by just fine.  Except my projects continue to stare at me.  This week I might have to get them done, just so I can get my sewing machine off of my kitchen table!!!

This blog post isn't of the upmost importance or even perhaps intersting but hopefully some of you have the same moments I do.  Then I won't feel so bad about enjoying my week of me time!!!

Enjoy your monday and try to squeeze a little "you" time into your day!!

Fear

I read a quote somewhere (pinterest, maybe?) and it said something along the lines of:

Try something that scares you everyday.

I can't be sure that was the quote but clearly that's what I got out of it.  I think it's true.  Being scared or nervous of trying or doing something new or old is really good.  It helps you branch out of your comfort zone, it makes you do things that you obviously wouldn't do before.

This weekend I managed to do that again.  And I think the result was great.

A few months ago I asked some of our employees if they wanted to play in the Killarny Pond Hockey Cup.  We already had the jersey's and I thought it would be good!  I had 4 guys sign up over the course of a couple weeks, we needed 5.  I couldn't find any takers so I said I would be the sub.  My intention was to have them play and if someone couldn't make it or got hurt I would sub.  I had my fingers, toes and everything crossed hoping I wouldn't have to play.

Well, turns out our employees are kind of out of shape.  Getting ready for Friday nights game I realized that I was probably going to have to play.  Sure enough, 5-6 mins in and someone was ready to come off.

I haven't played hockey of any kind for at least 11 years, to say I was nervous was a slight understatement.  Sure, I have skated but to actually play is another story.

I was so proud of myself for getting out there and doing it.  I was the only girl in the open competition and more than a few men were surprised to see me out there.  Now I would like to be able to tell you that I went out there and scored a whole bunch of goals.  Not the case, but I did have fun and I managed to score two goals.  The other teams were a little confused at what to do with me, so they usually let me get quite close to the net (and yet I still only scored two goals!!!haha)

It even got me thinking that I might like to play hockey again next year.  In a very relaxed league of course!!!

So ladies, get out there and do something that scares you!  It keeps you on your toes and just might make you proud of you!!!

~~~ It makes me happy that my husband was proud of me too!!!

Spring Wish List

In the spirit of NYC fashion week, I thought I would share my current spring wish list.

I know the fashion week is for fall but since we are gearing up for spring in a few months (let's not kid ourselves, the groundhog's predictions don't mean a thing!)

My wish list changes often as I see new things in magazines or online but these ones are here to stay and hopefully sometime this spring my wish list will become additions to my wardrobe!

A boyfriend blazer, everyone keeps talking about the need for blazers to complete an outfit.  It's probably true but I can only get into the style when I don't have to wear another coat over it.  So in my world, it's only a late spring, summer, early fall piece.

Here are a couple I would like to have from forever21.com

I love the striped lining for rolling up the sleeves, because frankly the likelihood of those sleeves being long enough for my arms is slim!!!

Once again I am liking the coloured lining and the softness of the edges on this blazer.

And maybe a little colour, I love to wear bright blues and who doesn't love a polka dot lining???

Coloured and white cropped pants - I love coloured pants and have been secretly wanting a pair of white cropped jeans for years.  However, I am terrified that the moment I put them on, one of my children will come up and give me a great big hug with chocolate or jam or something equally staining and that will be the end of the pants!
So on the coloured pants, does anyone remember the levi hiphuggers??  Back in high school they came in different colours, oh yes I decided I needed every colour and so I purchased dark blue, light blue, white, red and green!!!!!  Loved them! 

Now I need my grown up version of the levi hiphuggers, the coloured skinny crop pant!!

These red pants from the Gap need to be in my closet!!!  How fun are these!!  AND the bonus, they match the colour of jam.......hugs all around!

These are cute, in case I decide to brave the jam hands!!!!  Also from the Gap.

Fun spring dress - Spring dresses make everything feel so light and airy.  This season we have so many to choose from.  The shirt dress, the full skirt dress, bright shift dresses, colour blocked dress, florals, strips and polka dots!!!!!  They come is oh so many cuts, styles and patterns, everyone can find their perfect one (or ten!) 

Here are a few that I wouldn't mind having.

Adorable shift dress from Banana Republic - great spring colours.

I love the two tone look of this blue/white dress from H & M

I am going to end with a great blue with pink polka dot dress from H & M.

Check out www.hm.com/ca their website for more adorable and affordable spring dresses!!!

I won't even start on shoes, that's for another day!

Happy Spring thoughts!!

A Little Quality Time

Staycation.....such a great concept but sometimes extremely hard to do!

Joel and I had a mini staycation by OURSELVES this weekend.

It was fabulous!!!  We took the boys to Liam's skating lesson on Saturday morning and then dropped them off at my parents house until Sunday at lunch.

They were thrilled to be spending the night at Nanny and Yaya's and we were thrilled at the idea of sleeping in!

We had made a plan to go snowboarding and then out to dinner on Saturday.  The snow storm did not slow us down a bit!  We had a fun afternoon snowboarding at Crabbe and even managed to meet up with two other couples who had gotten away without their children for a few hours! 

Of course, the day was not without me acquiring multiple bruises but that seems to be par for the course!

We then got all prettied up and went out for a wonderful dinner, just the two of us.  It was so nice to be able to order an appetizer, main course and dessert AND to eat it!!!

Sunday morning was fantastic, we slept it and had coffee and breakfast in bed!!!!

It was so nice to be able to just enjoy each others company.  We talked about all the things we just don't seem to find the time to talk about with the kids around.  Our hopes and dreams as they change with each day, our children (of course), and about us!!!

I think that if you have the resources to do this, definitely do it!

We get so busy surviving life that I think we sometimes forget to enjoy it.  I know that we always seem to be extremely busy, even when relaxing and I assume we are not alone.  All relationships take effort and work to make them worth while, we all need to practice a little more of that.

I am happy to report, I had an amazing weekend with my husband!! 

My business minded husband has suggested that we have a staycation on a quarterly basis!!!! 

I like the idea, now just to get my parents to agree!!!

On hold

Putting things on hold until you have time to deal with them seems like a great idea.

I use this theory often, however some days they explode with importance!  Not fun!

Yesterday was one of those moments.  I got home from work with my two monkey's in tow, Joel was out helping a friend so it was just the three of us.  My kids require juice and a snack immediately upon arriving at home.  So once they were watered and fed, it was time to think about supper. 
Hamburger Helper is was!!  Easy and they love it!  As that starts to cook, I look around my living room/dining room/kitchen and notice all the things I have put on hold.  I start something and then something else comes up. 

The scene was very disturbing, clothes literally everywhere, things in piles to go downstairs, pillows thrown everywhere (waiting for new covers), the sewing machine on the dining room table with one completed cover (the rest of the material taunting me) and toys, books and more toys!!!

I felt I needed to deal with the clothes first but that spiralled out of control because we had been so blessed to get hand me downs recently from my sister in laws and they haven't found a home yet but were nice a clean sitting in a pile.  So in order to put the boys clothes away, I had to sort through all the clothes in existence!  (well maybe just the boys clothes but it still seems liked a mountain)

Too small went in a pile, just right for Rhys went in another pile, too big in one and should fit soon in another.  Everything else went into drawers and closets. 

Stand up and repeat in Rhys's room!

In between all of this, I almost burn supper, had to start and fold laundry, bath the kids and all I really want to do is sit down and eat a big piece of the McCain cake I had thawing on the table!!!

To top everything off, I had to leave the house at 7:15pm gather supplies to finally finish my closet.
Which should alleviate some of my own clothes stress as my clothes have not had a proper home for 2 weeks!!!!

There were no time for pictures last night of the chaos but you can imagine.

Pictures of my newly constructed closet will come soon.  (hopefully next week!!!!)

I hope that your night was less stressful than mine but I hope that I am not alone in my chaos either!!!