Easy One day Make-over Room Ideas

Looking for some make-over ideas to change up your space this coming year?  Check out some of these simple ideas, that don't involve totally over hauling your space, sometimes just tweaking what you have can be just as fresh and dramatic!

1 - Pull the furniture together.  The go-o when arranging furniture in a room is to push furniture up against the wall but that doesn't always work.  If the furniture is too far apart it's difficult to  have a conversation and entertain in.  Try pulling furniture away from the walls leaving about 30 inches behind the piece for flow through

2 - Supersize your cocktail table.  If your guests need to stand up the get their drink or snack from the cocktail table there is something wrong with the arrangement.  there should be about 1 foot between the table and the seating to create cohesion and function in the space.  In a large room you may want to look for an over sized cocktail table or double them up.



3.  Think seating. Especially if you like to entertain, you don't need a gigantic sofa in the middle of the room to encourage conversation.  You rarely see 3 people sitting side by side on a sofa in a conversation but you do see people engaged in great discussion when seated in chairs that face each other or are angled toward each other.

4.  Accent with pattern and colour.  If you love a pattern but are challenged by a small space, think about other ways to use the pattern.  You could get pattern in there through fabric chairs, pillows, drapes and an area rug but why not try something really different like wall paper the back of bookcases.  Not sure about wall paper, you could use a pop of colour with paint


 

 5.  Tight space but busy space try a swivel chair!  If you have a small space like a den that is a popular room try swivel chairs that are comfortable and sleek.  They offer ease of movement and they will be a favourite with just about everyone!

6.  Big Impact with Art.  You don't need to use small art in small rooms.  Make an impact with one over sized pieces which is a clean and sophisticated look with big drama or opt for a grouping of art pieces.  Keep one arrangement per wall for major impact. A grouping of art is a great way to display a number of pieces you like in a fresh way, you can mix frames and styles of art or keep it very streamlined with same shape, same frames and same style







 7.  Don't be afraid to block windows.  Furniture doesn't have to be placed up against a solid wall, sometimes you just don't have that option.  Make your architecture work, if you have a window wall (like many in condos would) look for low pieces that are also streamlined, they will be functional and still allow for light and air to pass through.

The World's Most Expensive Christmas Tree

The World’s Most Expensive Christmas Tree was valued at 41,329,531 AED ($11,026,900 US; £6,975,880).

 

The location? In Emirates Palace (UAE) in Abu Dhabi was displayed from 16 to 29 December 2010 and since then was not another tree that expensive.
Want more extravagance? This 13.1 m (43.2 ft) tree was covered in 181 items of jewelry: diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones. Items of jewelry studded with scores of precious stones are draped on the tree’s branches, along with more traditional baubles and lights.
 

The  Guinness World of Records gave the tree a spot in their records for the World’s Most Expensive Christmas Tree.
“While the tree alone is worth a mere $10,000, the jewelry adds more than $11m to the value”, said the hotel’s general manager Hans Olbertz.
The vast majority of the population of the oil-rich UAE is Muslim. But Mr Olbertz said he did not think the tree would offend local sensibilities. The tree sits in the sumptuous lobby of the 302-room hotel, which is reportedly decorated with gold leaf.
If you think you can go there and steal the jewelry, think again, because of the 24/7 security, four security guards closely monitoring the space plus the security cameras.

 
Now you have an idea on how you decorate your Christmas Tree this year: with a lot of jewelry but watch out the thieves may still them.

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give....

Looking for a great gift idea for a family?  With the popularity of game nights, this will be a great addition to family fun nights at home.

Whatchama Draw It!




Quick! Picture a bunny on a carrot flying towards a fish bowl that is sitting on Mars next to a housefly!  This is the type of thing that you’ll be drawing when you play our Whatchama DRAW It game!  Get all of your friends and family together for this hilarious doodling game!  You can draw pictures competitively, with the object being for the other players to guess what you’re sketching or just for fun to get your creative juices flowing!

Our game will help you to create exciting masterpieces that will make the whole family cry from laughing!  Requires paper, pens and your imagination.

Includes 110 cards, How to Play card and a 60-second timer to get your creative spirit going. 

Cards measure 4 inches x 4 inches.  Note: No talent required.

Give the gift of fun!

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give.....

So do you have a creative little girl on your list?  Is she also into make up and all things beauty?  Why not get her a gift that combines the two?  I love these KISS Naturals Crafty Kits to make your own : bath soaps, lip balm, lip gloss and bath fizzies.  I bought two of the mini kits for my niece this Christmas (soaps and mini lip gloss) and I know she's going to love it!!

Christmas is coming...My favourite gifts to give....

This gift is one of safety and is for well,  really,  anyone but ideal for the first time home owner.

The Nest Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector

We all know why smoke alarms are torn off the ceiling or missing batteries: because every time you make stir-fry, the smoke alarm cries wolf. Or just as you’re falling asleep, you hear a low-battery chirp. They’ve become annoying. And that’s a safety issue.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), almost two-thirds of US home fire deaths happened in homes with no smoke alarm or no working smoke alarm.
So we made something new. Meet the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm.

Before turning on a loud, howling alarm, Nest Protect gives you an early warning we call Heads-Up. Nest Protect lights up yellow and speaks with a human voice. It tells you where smoke is or when carbon monoxide levels are rising. This gives you an earlier warning if there’s an emergency, or allows you to silence Nest Protect if it’s just a nuisance alarm, like an overly enthusiastic toaster.

 Awesome features:

Easy to install
Nest Protect constantly monitors its batteries and sensors. If the batteries are low, you’ll get a message on your phone.
You can get new batteries long before an annoying, low-battery chirp jolts you awake at 2am.

 Nest Protect helps you prepare for an emergency with our What To Do feature. You can enter an emergency contact and when something goes wrong, you’ve got a plan.

 


Get a message on your smartphone or tablet if the smoke or carbon monoxide alarm goes off.

Click here for other Nest news and reviews

christmas is coming...My favourite gifts to give....

sometimes it's hard to buy for in-laws, your parents or even close friends...one of my favourite gifts is by Sticks and Stones .  

It is a truly uniqure and one of a kind gift for someone's home.  These is a bank of "Alphabet Photography" and you can spell anything you like (a few years ago I gave everyone a framed alphabet photography piece spelling their last name).  You also get to select your frame and matting, too. You can spell naything you like.

and right now, they have a buy one, get one 50% sale - take advantage if you have multiple people to buy for.  We bought one for ourselves and it is above our fireplace mantle.

You can see what the final product will look like, too before you buy.

I also love this as a wedding or anniversary gift.

 "If you want a totally original keepsake, this is it." - OPRAH

Christmas is coming...My favourite gifts to give...

I love jewelry!  I love how it can totally transform and outfit and it's a an way to express yourself.  Have you heard of the Me to We Artisans??

 

I love this organization.  It employs over 600 Maasai women in 14 different communities.  the money these women earn helps to pay to send their daughters to school - what a powerful gift and message1

Some of my favourite pieces in this catalog:  the charm bracelets (page 6 and 7), the tassel clutch (page 8 and 9), and the Maasai triangle earrings (page 4-5)

 


You can even host your own jewelry party to help raise funds, raise awareness and look stylish, too.

Kardashian Home Kollection

TV's most famous family is expanding their brand! 
They have launched a Kardashian Home Kollection available at Sears and Kmart.

If you are a lover of greys, check out the New York Dreamer Kollection with rich and luxe charcoal and other shades of grey for the bathroom and layers of elegant soft greys in the bedroom.  You will find both bed and bath in this series.



For a more earthy palette, check out their Desert Dreams collection.  The bedding has stunning layers of delicious browns, a little more understated but still fabulous. 

Looking to get a bit wilder in the bedroom? Check out the Safari Luxe with bold animal prints and rich gold accents  so chic and a little bolder in the bedroom

But I think my personal favourite which blends a classic colour combo (which is a favourite of all the Kardashians) is their Boudoir Black combining black and white in a feminine and sexy print.  Timeless and stylish all at once!

 

The key to a rich and sophisticated looking bed is to layer your pillows (shams and euro size) and duvet but also layer your prints and hues.

Glamour, sophistication, luxurious, sexy...talk about all things Kardashian!

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give.....

Last year I bought my 3 yr old and my 4 yr old their own bean bag chairs and they loved them!!  They are so much fun and are perfect for a kids' bedroom, family room or playroom. My recommendation is look for one that has a zipper so that the cover can be washed !  You can get creative and have the child's name embroidered on the bean bag, too! But there are some bean bag options for adults that are comfy and chic in fabulous materials like leather and faux fur - great for a condo or even in the corner of a bedroom.  Other cool brands to check out are jaxx saxx (they have a wide variety or sizes and styles) and fatboy (they even have bean bags for pets!)

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give....

Toys are so much fun!  But some are noisy and other just pointless....here's a great game for little ones - they can get silly with it or use it as a learning tool.  Double duty!

'Who Knows Whose Nose' is a game for children ages 2 and up, it is a fun matching game with a series of cards with animal faces, just pull the plastic nose from the cloth bag and make a silly animal or match!







Affordable and lot of fun for less than $25.

Plus as a parent, I love that it is fun and educational but it is also easy to put away - everything just fits in the cloth bag that comes with it!

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give....

Do you have a techie on your shopping list?  Someone who is addicted to their smartphone?  It's hard to know what to get them, try the Smartwatch by Pebble


 

You can do so many cool things with this 'Inspector Gadget' like watch....it's a perfect gadget if you are running around and want to still be someone connected or by your bed....

Apps for everything

Want to track your runs? Get notified when your team scores? Kick off voice nav without touching your phone? Thousands of developers around the world are building apps that turn the Pebble into your custom, on-wrist HQ

Your wrist needs some flavor, too.

Personalize your Pebble to fit your style, mood, and activities with customizable watchfaces, colors, and accessories.

Yes, it can.

• 

  Notifications

  Get texts and important notifications directly on your wrist.
• 

  Waterproof

  At the pool, on the beach, or in the shower. Your Pebble is good down to 5ATM
• 

  Apps

  Sports, music, games, commuting — there's a rich community of apps for everything.
• 

  Battery Life

  Pebble runs for 5–7 days before needing a charge.
• 

  Backlight

  Use it in the dark. Pebble lights up with a quick flick of the wrist.
• 

  Customizable Faces

  100s of watchfaces to suit your mood and personality.
• 

  Daylight Readable

  An e-paper display means you can read your Pebble even in direct sunlight.
• 

  Changeable Straps

  Bling out your Pebble with customizeable watch straps and accessories.
• 

  Vibrating Alarms

  Pebble can wake you up or give you a subtle notification that only you'll notice.

How to Host a Holiday Party

Let's take the guess work out of hosting a holiday party this year....

Here's the top 10 dinner party must-haves.....

1.  If you are going in a formal direction for this dinner party, a printed invite is classy but also personal, it's special and everyone loves getting mail.  I love these fun paper invites by two guitars available on Etsy.



2.   A stylish centerpiece really adds something to the ambiance of the evening.  you don't have to be frilly or formal - i love something simple like a few flowers in a clear vase or votives in mason jars.  these simple glass vases are from CB2



3. Think so something fun like  craft paper on the table, you can use it to play games while you eat and drink.  It's make the evening more playful - I also love this idea for a kids' table during any holiday family meal



4.  Tiered trays are perfect for dessert but also appetizers.  I love that you can stack vertically and you still have room on the table, a crowded table can be uncomfortable and you are more likely to have spills.  there is a stunning wood cheese board tiered tray available at Bed, Bath and Beyond



5.  What's a dinner party without a few cocktails?  You could get inspired with a signature drink for the evening or just stock the bar with basics but don't forget the bar accessories 



6.  Over sized serving platters are perfect for family style meals, who says a dinner party has to be formal?   You will get a lot of use of over sized serving platters so it's worth spending a bit more plus it is a great gift to give someone who loves to entertain.



7.  Glassware is a must.  Personally, I have two boxes of extra wine glasses i store in my basement and bring out whenever I host a cocktail party.  If you want to add an extra touch to your glassware, try monogrammed glassware from West Elm




8. A wine decanter looks amazing but also serves a purpose especially if you plan on serving a savoury red wine, plus it adds another touch of glam to the table.




9.  Dessert stands can actually be a beautiful centerpiece displaying stunning cakes and desserts on the table. I've seen some beautiful cake stands at Homesense



10. Flatware in a versatile style is a must.  There was a time when you had a formal and a casual set but you will get much more use out of a versatile set.

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give.....

Do you have someone on your list this year that has everything ?  And you have NO IDEA what to get them?  Why not a charitable gift this year?  If you know their preferred charities a donation in their name is a generous and kind idea OR what about Plan Canada's Gifts of Hope

A little amount can go a long way....

Sheep $50  - a sheep will provide a family with milk, cheese and wool - all of which also brings an income to pay for things such as health care and education

Bednets $10 - Malaria kills a child every 60 seconds in Africa.  Mosquito nets are treated with insecticide and last up to 3 years.  this is a gift that will save lives!

Quinoa $35 - A superfood and a super gift for almost 6,000 families in developing nations.  This gift of a family garden includes everything necessary for growing that garden: quinoa seeds and other grains; training for growing and harvesting crops; and the knowledge to turn those crops into nutritious meals with classes and recipes.

There are many other affordable gifts that would do so much good for some many people around the world.

Holiday Stress? Tips for staying sane this season

December is flying by....and your to-do list is probably piling up - decorate, shop, bake, clean, Christmas cards, parties to attend, line ups, no parking, weather issues, can't find the gifts you want, can't find the sizes you need and more....the Christmas season is so much fun but it's also a lot of work and stress.



Here are some great tips from Parenting Expert Alyson Schafer on how to keep it together during this busy time of year.

1.  If traditions aren't fun or working for you, change them.  with life changes like renovations, crazy work schedule and kids, life gets busy and some traditions just don't work anymore.  When i was younger, my family used to have a Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas dinner and then a Boxing Day dinner.  What a nut house!  My parents would be so stressed with cleaning the house, making the dinner, dressing us up etc...and you know what they didn't have any fun because they we so focused on making the house and dinner perfect.  Eventually, my parents said let's do one dinner and rotate households every year and Boxing Day can be a 'bring your left overs' party and bring anyone.  So much easier.....and fun!

2.  Don't be afraid to speak up.  Others may be thinking the same thing and don't want to speak up.  So if you want to just get gifts for the kids and forget the adults, if you want to have a potluck style dinner or do a gift exchange, talk about it.

3.  If it's worth doing, do it but it doesn't have to be perfect!  The Holidays should be about fun, friends and family not having a Norman Rockwell Christmas dinner.  So if something burns, or is under cooked relax and don't judge.  Get together with some food and wine (who says you have to have turkey, why not pizza or lasagne?)  Keep it easy with jeans and why not have fun with goofy Christmas sweaters. 

 

4. Prepare for the unexpected.  There is always someone who surprises you with a gift, so buy a few generic gifts like wine, chocolate, a calendar and candles are great examples.  Keep them in the basement and use them if you need too. 

5.  Manage your attitude.  Nothing is perfect, the Holidays won't be totally smooth - there will be a snow storm when you plan to shop, you won't find a parking spot or the right size of that sweater....Go into the Holiday season with the right attitude and don't get negative.  Remind the whole family that there will be stress but no one will react negatively to it, you will make the best of it. Try not to meltdown...remember the holidays are supposed to be fun!

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give....

The holidays should be all about spending time with friends and family, so why not give a gift that allows your special someone to cherish and keep fond memories close by with a gallery in a box by Pottery Barn.




This is an easy and stylish way to display your favourite photos.


Gallery in a Box set comes with everything you need to easily create a beautiful wall of memories. Choose from a set of six or a set of 10 wood frames with archival mats to add a display in any space. For decorating ideas to transform your walls, click here to view our Wall Solutions Tool.

• Set of 6 contains frames listed below:
• Single-Photo Frame (1): holds one 4 x 6" photo
• 3-Photo Frame (1): holds three 4 x 6" photos
• Single-Photo Frame (2): holds one 5 x 7" photo
• 2-Photo Frame (1): holds two 5 x 7" photos
• Single-Photo Frame (1): holds one 8 x 10" photo
• Set of 10 contains frames listed below:
• Triple Wood Gallery Frame (2): holds three 4" x 6" photos
  
• Single Wood Gallery Frame (2):  holds one 4" x 6" photo
  
• Single Wood Gallery Frame (3):  holds one 5" x 7" photo
  
• Double Wood Gallery Frame (1): holds two 5" x 7" photos
  
• Single Wood Gallery Frame (2):  holds one 8" x 10" photo
  
• Crafted of alder wood with either a black, white or espresso painted finish.
• Bevel-cut archival quality mat is included: Black and White frames with a white mat. Espresso with an ivory mat.

And why not include a few of your favourite photos as well.....

Christmas is coming....My favourite gifts to give.....

If you have a child or two on your list, why not give the gift of reading!  With so many technology and electronic toys and gadgets, life gets busy and it's time to disconnect a bit and escape with a book.  It's a great bedtime ritual for kids and parents, too. There are so many choices so how do you choose?  I love the 'shop by age' category for Chapters and other retailers.

 


But you can also share some Christmas classics or some of your childhood favourites, too!  My kids' love a lot of my old books and they love the classic Dr. Seuss books.and if you have a tween or teen on your list, there are tons of great options out there too!

Christmas is coming...my favourite gifts to give....

One of my favourite gifts to give is an experience!  So for your best friends, girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse, why not purchase a pair of tickets to a concert, show or game!  Book a sitter for the kids (if needed) and have a great time together.  There are a number of concert tours in 2014, musicals, and sporting events .  Why not plan on dinner and drinks, too.