Category — For the Kids

Oh hey, it’s Friday…hooray! My computer decided to run at a snail’s pace while trying to put together my post last night so I gave up and finally finished the book I’ve been working on instead :) Gabe’s 10th birthday is tomorrow and all of the fun starts later this afternoon, with 7 of his closest friends joining us at the local ice rink for some father/son hockey followed by a pizza party. It’s really hard to believe that I’m the mother of a ten year old but he’s been such a true joy since the moment he was born. And I couldn’t be prouder…I mean, just look at him! (He landed this like a pro, by the way :)

Thank goodness for apps like Instagram and Over when technical issues arise! I recently snapped these pics at the skatepark near our house (you’ll likely find me park side on my blanket any given sunny afternoon) and at a family day out at Harrison Lake (the West Coast at its best). So without further adieu, Happy Birthday to Gabe and Happy Weekend to you!

I’m a big fan of Jordan Ferney and all of her creative ventures over at Oh Happy Day. She and her husband recently moved back to San Francisco after living abroad in grand Paris (lucky, non?!) and settled themselves into this charming 500 sq ft apartment. Did I mention that they have 2 young sons and that, ahem, this space is only five hundred square feet? After some renovations and more than a few gallons of white paint, the Ferney residence is fresh, fun and functional…the perfect combination!

(At the request of Jordan, only 2 photos can be shared here but please visit Oh Happy Day to see many her entire house tour, including more before and afters of each room)

Photos by Heather Zweig for Oh Happy Day

Confession, I struggle with being content. Always have and probably always will. It’s just my nature to always be thinking about the next project, plan or to-do on my list. (It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with what I have, quite the opposite in fact, as I feel blessed in so many ways in my life…I just always seem to be thinking ahead to what’s next). We live on pretty modest means and it’s easy to dream about spreading out in a bigger home at some point along the way so this apartment was a great reminder for me this week, proving once again that the actual square footage of a home means a lot less than how one actually uses the space. Minimal doesn’t need to look sterile. Surrounding ourselves with what we love and paring down to the items that we actually use and need will make even the tiniest abode function better and feel like home.

 Photos by Heather Zweig for Oh Happy Day

Touring through Jordan’s house tour inspired me to think smaller, purge the unnecessary clutter and  focus on how well our home functions rather than on the square footage it might be lacking. Does looking at other people’s homes (or lives on Instagram and other social media, for that matter) leave you feeling envious and discontent with your own space or does it inspire you to tackle future projects and DIY’s? I’ve been reading some interesting discussion on the subject and, personally, I wouldn’t be blogging about interiors if viewing so many spaces made me feel bad about my own home. I’m a dreamer and thinking ahead to long list of projects on my wish list (and believe me, it’s very much a wish list!) somehow keeps me going, despite the realities of our minimal budget. And I sincerely hope that the homes I share here make you feel just as excited and motivated for your own “one day” projects :)

Admittedly, aside from Christmas, I’m not big on seasonal decorating for individual holidays and I give myself a shiny gold star if we actually get around to dying eggs at Easter. But after seeing the following eggshell succulent planters over at Le Robin’s Nest, I could very well change my tune! I managed to find even more egg-celent (sorry!) Easter-inspired DIY’s that step outside the food colouring box and thought I’d share some of my faves with you today…

Le Robin’s Nest

Joy Ever After

HomeLife

Stylizimo

Design*Sponge

Rook No. 17

The Sweetest Occasion

Rifle Paper Co.

Do you celebrate Easter? If so, do you decorate your entire house or stick to dying eggs? We’ll be spending the long weekend with family, heading off to church (it’s been far too long!) and setting up egg hunts for the kiddos. I’ll be enjoying some extra days off but will share some gorgeous pics from our last shop photo shoot when I’m back next Wednesday. Happy Easter and/or Happy Long Weekend!

Well, we’re back from a weekend of family fun in Vancouver! We were lucky enough to call Kitsilano home for a few days and we loved every minute of it! Our good friends Mike & Julia divide their time between the West Coast and Calgary and are always generous about letting us use their lovely apartment, such a treat! Here are just a few of the many pics that I took and you can see a few more over on Instagram…

Between walking to the beach, spending Saturday at the aquarium, eating out, playing at local parks, exploring the Museum of Anthropology and soaking up plenty of cold Spring sunshine, the kids, Brad and I are all pretty wiped but it was well worth it! It’s always nice to get away for a few days but it was especially great to take time and enjoy a beautiful city that is so close to home. We spent the majority of our time outside and all feel pretty darn lucky to live in such a picturesque corner of the world. It’s easy to take the mountains that surround us for granted but standing on the beach and looking at the cityscape each day was pretty remarkable! Do you ever take mini-vacations close to home? Highly recommended :)

Happy Monday to you! It’s the first day of Spring Break and I’m already behind…could be an interesting 2 weeks ahead :) But we’re all ready for lazy mornings and extra time together and I promise I’ll be back with more on Wednesday. In the meantime, here’s a fun shot that I snapped at my in-law’s farm yesterday…Gabe mastered that pogo stick in no time!

Hope your week launches off to a great start :)