Would you, Could you, in a Barn?

The handy man and I celebrated sixteen years of marriage on Friday, and in true form, we celebrated it surrounded by our family while we camped our last camping trip of the season. We are not fussy or complicated, nor has our marriage been; and that is just fine with us. Because we love to tease each other, the inevitable question always pops up each year: would we do it all over again...and my favourite way to pester him: discussing at length how I would plan our renewal of vows (because we really would do it all over again, except there will be no vow renewal...the handy man thinks that is just plain silly!!).

Now, we had a relatively modest affair - though it was as big as I'd ever want it - and it had its fair share of pomp and ceremony. Still, if I were doing it all over again, I think I would do it this way:

• Outdoor venue: why not a barn? Of course make it one that has never housed animals and the resultant manure, of course!

Simple, homemade wedding favours and table decor:

Whimsical ways of involving the guests, like a simple string of photos of the happy couple. Don't you love this?

And what would I wear?

A simple cotton frock, with cowgirl boots underneath?

Nuh, uh!! No way!

I would pull me a Carrie Bradshaw and wear something like this:

After all, it's my fantasy wedding, isn't it?

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all images: Martha Stewart.com

If you want to read about the best frugal, yet stylish, wedding of all time, check out those crazy kids over at Young House Love. Don't you just love them and their smokin' creativity?!

Non-Traditional Portraits...

I love taking photos, especially of my kids. Who doesn't? But, the photos I enjoy best are those taken of spontaneous moments, in casual settings, and I am less likely to stage the kids for a posed photo, unless it is a special holiday or event.

Remember my obsession with the perfect Christmas card photo??

My sister sent me some photos of our children from several years past, taken at one of my previous homes, and it was a nice walk down memory lane. Here are a few, and yes, my house was yellow (as every one has been!) and was a Colonial style, for those interested in such details:

My niece, Ella, and my little Sophie (camping as toddlers). Aren't they adorable?

But this?

This "portrait" has become a new summer family tradition because it best represents the dry wit of my boys, actually of all of us. It was taken on our summer camping trip to Maine in July, and shows Sophie, mouth slack with sleep, and her brothers mocking her, just like last year. This photo was unplanned, but you can be sure I will be primed and ready to take a similar photo next year. I figure, as long as she still falls asleep in the car, this tradition will remain!!

Last year's version:

A Give-away, a la "cart" !!

Would you like to win this?

If so, head here.

Take a Bow Tuesday...

After a brief break, Take a Bow Tuesday is back, and on time for a change!!

I had oodles of great bloggers and posts to choose from for this week's feature, so be prepared to be wowed by your peers:

• After a long but worthy wait (and a whole lot of work on her and her hubby's part), Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage finally unveiled her new home, Cottage 8, renovated from dated and dirty (her words, not mine!) to shabby chic elegance par extraordinaire! I am not kidding. Go see for yourself...!!

• A reader sent me this link quite a while ago, and I stumbled upon it recently and decided to share it. For those of you who are Twilight fans, you will enjoy the fun party this blogger created to celebrate her love of the books. No detail was too small, and the party is a great example of how the little things in life should be celebrated and enjoyed. And really, what's better than a great book?

• It's that time again: Back to School! If your little ones aren't all that excited, introduce some fun to the planning with these adorable (and free!) printables from Amy @ Living Locurto. While you're there, have a good look around. Amy's site is full of fun stuff like that!!

• Now, this is an oldie, but a goodie: this resourceful blogger gave new life to a tired sun lounger using a couple of vinyl tablecloths! Check out the transformation. It involves a little sewing, so I probably won't do it, but you might be able to handle it!!

• Do you have a tired, dated chandelier that could use a make-over? Well, check out this great project, designed to add a drum shade to a chandelier for a look that normally pushes the budget. A little patience and skill, and a beautiful light can be yours!!

• Now, I love miniatures. There is something so incredibly appealing about them, but so far my penchant for smalls has only translated into some fairy doors and my soon-to-be miniature garden. Not so for this creative lady and her blogging pals! Saucy belongs to a club of fellow miniature collectors and particiapted in a swap early this year where she received some AMAZING surprises. I really can't explain it...you'll just have to go see for yourself!! Amy, from Inspire Co. , is the brainchild behind this fun club!

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That's all for now. I cleaned out some of my archives, and will return next week with more great inspiration. I still marvel at the bucket-loads of talent that abounds in this community of talented bloggers!!

Heading to Minnesota, Don'tcha know...

Head on over to here to see what I am up to next. Oh, and thanks for pretending not to notice that I skipped Take a Bow Tuesday, two weeks in a row. You are good people, all of you...

To make it up to you, I have a great line-up of talented folks ready to take their bow this Tuesday. You might be one of them!

Now, come on over here!

La Lighting...

So often when I go to a client's house, they are looking for help with choosing paint colour, furniture placement, and accessories. As I always do when I enter a client's home, my eyes always travel upwards towards the ceiling, to see what style of lighting they have. I believe you can often tell what a client's style is by their choice in lighting. This is not a fool-proof guide however; because some home-owners give very little thought whatsoever to their lighting choices.

As someone who believes the right lighting can make or break a look, I make it my personal mission to "enlighten" my clients on the value and merits of having great lighting in their home. I always bring it up, especially if I feel they could benefit from a change, but also realize that if I recommend something they weren't planning, it is only kind to have some affordable sources at my ready to pass on.

While browsing the lighting section of the Sears (Canada) website for a client the other day, I was amazed at the selection and great prices they were offering up. I could not believe the variety of styles and prices they offered and thought I would share some of the fixtures with you:

Five-Light chandelier with drum shade:

price: $127.50

Five-light Crystal Pendant ($172.50):

Same, with shade ($449):

Love how modern this one is ($285): Great for a foyer ($187.50):

Simple Drum shade ($140):

Ivory waffle weave drums( $50):

Love this one! ($195):

School House charm ($160):

Wood Veneer pendant ($35):

More modern fun...with balls ($525):

Aren't these great?!!

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As you can see, I'm obviously hooked on lighting! If you want to see what others are hooked on this week, check out Julia's "Hooked On" party, where she so kindly wrote about our new Flea Market Style magazine blog. Be sure to check it out and Ki, Matthew and I and the rest of the team wish to thank everyone who has taken our blog button, befriended us on Facebook and Twitter, became a "follower"/friend and/or wrote a post about the new blog. We are so grateful and inspired to create the best magazine and blog for those who share our love for vintage style!

Ready, Set, Launch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After much back and forth collaboration, many emails exchanged between our blog designer (Danielle, the Design Girl), and a whole lot of writing of posts, the new Flea Market Style Magazine blog is up and running!!!! I am so excited and relieved, I could do a cannonball into my pool !!

When you arrive at the blog, you will soon see it is not a place you pop by and leave quickly. No ladies and gentlemen, there are many, many great posts to read (Ki and Matthew will be contributing regularly) which will truly give you a great glimpse into the making of the magazine. For those of you who are wondering, "Huh, what magazine?" -well, check this out. But don't stop there! Head on over to the blog and take your time browsing buttons and archives and please, oh please, leave us a message. We would love to hear what you think.

While you are over there, check out how to join our blogroll, and have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page, where we did our best to answer your questions about the magazine. Don't forget to take a button while you're at it. And if you're so inclined, anything you can do to help spread the word about the magazine (and blog!) will do wonders to helping ensure Flea Market Style will be more than a one time special feature. We look forward to sharing this journey with you and we know you will be thrilled with the end result.

Now, come on over!!

Enchanted Garden...

You know I live me some Ohdeedoh! Honestly, it's getting to be a real problem that my kids are growing up so quickly! I mean, I can't try out all the great kid's products and baby gear, nor can I entertain the notion of designing a retro modern nursery anymore for my offspring.

But this?

This I can do:

This is not your ordinary garden... no, no! This appeals to the side of me that installs fairy doors outside (and inside) my home. This is a miniature garden; and after surveying my garden yesterday - eyeing all the weeding, watering, mowing and dead-heading that needs to be done - and a miniature garden sounds pretty sweet to me!! Looks easy, too! A little trip to the Dollar Store, a quick rifling through old toy containers, and a little pinching from Sophie's Barbie house, and I might have myself the makings of an adorable, maintenance- free garden.

What's that? You know just the spot for it?

Me, too!

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**top two images, Ohdeedoh.com. Read more about these miniature gardens there!

bottom photo, Sophie's playhouse

A Hero Lies Within...

Like most of you, I have been following this young woman's incredible story of love, loss, pain, healing, triumph and bravery. I think she is heroic. Read about the herculean accomplishment she made on Saturday, here.

She makes me want to never complain again...

On the Catwalk...

I am sure some of you will think I've lost it with this post, and I just might have. I have been doing more writing than I've done in a long while (for the new Flea Market Style blog) and my eyes are crossed and my brain is mush right now. Soooooo, this is all that I have to give, and it's mighty cute, if I do say so myself:

Who knew dolls clothes would come in so handy?

That little girl of mine likes to mother little things. Here she is with her kitty and her little cousin, visiting from Toronto. I figure I'll be able to farm her out as a babysitter and charge her rent any day now!

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Watch for the new blog early next week, and my return to regular posting on this ol' blog then, too!!

Butterflies and Flip Flops...

Remember me? The normally prompt and predictable author of this blog who wrote posts on a a regular, timed basis? Well, I'm in there somewhere, and I certainly have been doing enough writing...

In fact, I have been rather glued to the keyboard lately, trying to get the new Flea Market Style blog up and running in time for that promised mid-August release. As those of you who are bloggers know, there is a whole lot of work to setting up the infrastructure of a blog, especially when one wants to have an archives of posts to support the hype once new readers find it! So, forgive me for my tardiness and instead allow me to share a sneak preview of just some of the hype surrounding the new Flea Market Style Magazine.

We have received our first bit of press about the magazine in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. As I told Ki, it is now beginning to feel real to me ( though writing for my features has helped, too) and my stomach had butterflies and did flip flops when I read this:

The Trend: Flea Market Style to Debut

In fact, it just might answer some of the questions you have had about the mag. Oh, and the photo images accompanying it hint at one of the most beautiful features in the magazines. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this magazine is definitely more coffee table book than magazine - it's that beautiful!!

**There is one tiny error within the article, though. Can you spot it? No prizes, but for those who like seek and find puzzles, this one's for you!

Like No Other...

My good friend Chris, from Just Beachy, sent me over a great link a few weeks ago. She is well aware of my love of campers, and decking them out in pretty fabrics and charm - though my own doesn't even begin to touch this beauty. It's a good thing, I guess, because if it did, I'd have to sell the house and move in. Not sure where the rest of the family would stay...

Because I'm a good mother, I'd invite them all over to have S'Mores, I guess. We'd sit on these chairs and then off they'd go.

I knew it would come to me: they could live in our present camper!!

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***(Blogged for Julia's Hooked on Party. Julia's the best, and I love her weekly round-up. I don't think anyone could argue with the fact that I'm hooked on campers!!

• all images: nochintz.com.au

Take a Bow Tuesday

Better late than never, I always say...

Here is my latest round-up of talented bloggers.

Ladies, please Take a Bow!!

• I love a blog with great photos. Check out Pampering Beki and the sweetest baby photography I've seen since my own young'uns!! And check out her Etsy shop where she sells fun, affordable jewelry...

• Check out Shabby Roses Cottage. She is a German blogger who makes the most adorable crocheted creations. Her cupcakes would look mighty fine in Sophie's playhouse, don't you think? Check out her blog, too. I have added the link to the translated version...

• If you're in the mood for more sweet confection, check out Daisy Pink Cupcake's blog. It is a serious eye candy buffet. I can't get enough of the beautiful images on her blog. Go on over and judge the beautiful parties she has featured on there. Great ideas abound...

• Heading down under, Sarah at A Beach Cottage made the most beautiful shutters for her home using fence posts. Check out her step by step tutorial and start scouting the salvage yards for some fence posts/shutters of your own!!

• I was supposed to join in on Marie's Heirloom Party at Emma Calls Me Mama last week, but I was so busy I never fulfilled my promise. If you haven't yet checked out the huge number of folks who shared their most prized possessions, head on over and have a look around. It was a very popular round-up, indeed!!
• Breaking my rule of five features, I have to point you in the direction of Liz's blog, Mabel's House. I love Liz's blog for the writing, for the photos, and for her effortlessly cool decorating style. For fun, she recently featured a great dining room she admired on Flickr. I loved it too, and could honestly see it dropped perfectly into Liz's home. Except she already has the most perfect little dining room...

How I Know...

How'd you like to have this job??!!

I know what I am and what I'm not.

I guess it comes with age and not really caring about impressing people anymore - that mind-set belongs in high school, as far as I can tell. I now tend to seek out people who are good for my soul, and I really think I have a good radar for the attributes I most admire in a person. I think we all tend to weed our garden as we mature. Our families keep us busy and our homes become our sanctuaries. For me, simple pleasures are enough to keep me happy, for the most part, and friends are part of the equation that keeps me balanced and fulfilled.

Today was one of those days - hotter than I'd like and a bit desperate for time on my own to get work done. Life Guard duty was on the agenda, naturally, and I was a cranky one. Luckily, a good friend came over to keep me company as my two youngest kids acted like pills. Isn't it funny how your kids can just make your skin crawl with embarrassment sometimes? I am a fairly strict mum, so when they misbehave in public I am almost shocked at their gall. Either way, they came around enough and the day didn't deplete me totally...

Which brings me around to realizing more little bits about myself.

Like, how I know I am married to a true Maritimer?

I made/heated up fish cakes and beans for supper and even managed to choke one down. I washed it down with some trifle, so that helped.

How I know I'm an overprotective mother?

I burst into tears when I found out my son had gotten off the plane too soon on his way to Toronto. It all turned out fine and the crew waited for him to realize his mistake, but I was a bit traumatized imagining how scared he must have felt, especially considering it was his first solo flight...

How I know I'm a cheap date?

When I agree to tag along on a trip to the gas station, just to spend uninterrupted time with my husband. And I was excited to go!!

Or maybe that just means I need to get out more...

How I know I need more Scrabble playing friends in my life?

When I play against myself, which is actually quite hard to do, especially if you want to cheat! I love games, and despite growing up with five siblings, never had anyone to play games with. Maybe I just need more friends?

How I know I am a disorganized blogger?

When I late again at posting my Take a Bow Tuesday feature. Looks like it might be a Take a Bow Wednesday post this week!!

Watch for it!!!

Artiste Extraordinaire...

I am no artist. The extent of my art collection is paintings and drawings by my kids that I stick to my fridge, or frame in a Walmart frame and beam with pride as I pass. Still, I'd have to be a complete ding dong not to know when good art is before me - especially great art like that of Lara Harris. I discovered Lara awhile back and marvelled as I pored over her amazing portfolio, on display at her website and blog. In fact, the minute I saw the incredibly life-like paintings of various people's pets, I knew her art would make the perfect gift for Matthew and Jenny Mead when they came to visit. Graciously, Lara pulled a high-speed miracle out of her hat by painting the Mead's sweet pup, Oscar, in record time and it landed in my happy hands just days before they arrived.

I knew I had hit the gift-giving jackpot when they tore off the wrapping and saw their beloved pet before them against a backdrop very familiar to them - in fact, Lara painted the image from a photo I had sent to her that I lifted from their site. Tell me, is this not the perfect duplicate of their little Oscar?

If you desire a painting done by a true professional (on so many levels) then head on over to Lara's studio and see for yourself what unbelievable talent she possesses. In fact, Lara has sweetly offered to paint something of mine (inanimate..any suggestions?!) and I am on the hunt to find the perfect image. Again, any and all suggestions are welcome!

According to Lara's profile, she is a naturally gifted artist who has only been painting at a professional level for three years!! Check it out:

"I am a primarily self-taught artist from Michigan. After teaching 3rd grade for 6 years, I married an Aussie and moved to live first in Cairns and then Sydney for over a year. It was at this time that I was able to start pursuing my art full-time. I actually never thought I could paint, but 3 years ago picked up a brush and have been painting ever since! I paint mainly in oils, but have done some work in colored pencil, pen & ink, and pastel. My favorite subjects include dogs, wildlife, people, and objects from everyday life. Although I do believe some of my ability comes from my mother who is also an artist, I believe it is a true gift from God. My work is in private collections throughout the United States, Canada,the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. To view more of my work visit: http://www.studiolara.com." - Lara Harris

A Visit...and The Cottage of the Month!

Getting down to business!

You might have guessed I had a busy week! For those who are familiar with this blog, and for those who are new here, I had a little taste of "living the dream" this week. Matthew and Jenny Mead, of Matthew Mead Style, arrived on Monday to shoot Sophie's playhouse for the upcoming magazine, Flea Market Style. We also did some more fun shooting of another spot I cannot yet reveal. Even I had my moment before the camera, and we had a good laugh at just how unphotogenic I really am! As someone who usually scampers away when a camera comes out, it was a bit daunting to pose for such a professional! Matthew and Jenny were as lovely and down to earth as I knew they would be and put me instantly at ease. I can honestly say I was sad to see them go. That is all I am going to reveal for now, as I am saving the real behind-the-scenes peek at Matthew and Jenny's visit for the new Flea Market Style blog...coming soon!!

Now, I want to send a huge thank you out to Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage for featuring my little house as her Cottage of the Month. When Jennifer suggested it to me I was so excited; as anyone who is a fan of her Cottage of the Month site knows, getting the nod from Jennifer is a serious honour. Jennifer has had her own beautiful home featured in the pages (and on the cover!) of Romantic Country magazine, and is presently renovating another California cottage, which all of her fans are waiting with bated breath to see. If you haven't checked our her gallery of featured homes, you are in for a serious treat. Pour yourself a nice cup of tea and be prepared to be glued to your computer screen...as you take the tour of some gorgeous "cottages"!

Thank you, Jennifer!!