Dining Room Renovation

When we first moved into this house I really loved the dining room. The details on the ceiling were gorgeous. When we did our kitchen renovation, we talked about knocking down the dining room wall and making it more open concept and connecting it to the kitchen. I’m so glad we decided against doing that. We kept the dining room as is and it was a really good decision. I knew I wanted to eventually add some finishing touches to this room, so this summer we made that our project.

The first thing we wanted to do was add some wall panelling to the empty wall. I love wall panelling. I would wall panel the entire house if I could. With some help from my very handy brother-in-law, husband and Dad, we brought the vision to life.

Let’s start with the BEFORE & AFTER photos!

We started with mapping out the wall paneling to make sure we liked the design. I knew I wanted to add a big piece of art, so I left room in the middle. We then made sure everything was level and added the wood. Then, we sanded/sealed everything and painted the wall Cloud Cover by Benjamin Moore. This is the colour we have throughout almost our whole house and I love it. Unfortunately, there is a vent on this wall that couldn’t be moved, but painting the vent helped blend it in.

Next up was a new dining set. I waited for over a year for this Pottery Barn table to finally go on sale! It was definitely worth the wait. I absolutely LOVE it! It also comes with two table leaves that you can add to either side of the table to fully extend it and fit more chairs.

I lucked out and found the bistro chairs at Homesense. They were around $150 a piece, which was a total steal compared to the Serena & Lily version for almost $400 USD a piece. I wanted a fabric chair for the end chairs, but the ones from Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn can retail for almost $1,000 a piece. Instead, I opted for the Ikea dupe and noone can tell the difference! The best part is you can throw the covers in the washing machine and they come out good as new. I was nervous they wouldn’t look as good after a wash, but they still look perfect.

The art print is Slim Aarons Poolside Gossip and I used custom framing from Michaels. I’ve had on my eye on this print for a very long time and was happy to finally have the perfect place to put it!

The sconces are from Amazon and didn’t require any electrical! You just charge the lightbulb using a USB and they come with a remote to turn them on & off. You can also adjust how warm or cool the light is. They look wayyyyy more expensive than they are.

The chandelier is from CB2 and the coastal look of the shells really finished off the room. This was also one of the best prices for a chandelier of this size that I have found.

I’d like to eventually add a blue coastal rug to this space, but for now I’m just enjoying everything as is.

Shop The Post: Table, Chairs, Art Print, Vase (Homesense), Chandelier, Battery Operated Sconces

Nursery Reveal

I had plans to get up this nursery reveal post up much earlier, but if you’ve been following along on Instagram you will know that the last few months didn’t really go according to plan. My due date was November 4th and I was planning to stop work October 4th to give myself a month off to relax before baby and get everything in order. However, before I could wrap up work and have some time off I ended up having an emergency c-section on September 27th. The first half of my pregnancy was smooth sailing – I felt amazing the whole time. Then in August things took a turn. I developed intense sciatic nerve pain so bad that I was on crutches. I couldn’t even walk 1 step without help. I also had tons of swelling – my feet grew almost 3 sizes and I had to buy new shoes because nothing fit. Then, I started to feel some really intense pain under my rib cage, shoulder and felt nauseous. The pain got so bad that I ended up going to the hospital and thank god I did, because I ended up with HELLP Syndrome – a life-threatening serious form of Preeclampsia. It was a good thing I went to the hospital when I did because I ended up delivering a few hours later. It was incredibly scary, but also the happiest day of our lives giving birth to Lily Florence King at 2:06am weighing 4 pounds 6 ounces. I ended up with some complications after giving birth, two ambulance rides and hospital stays. Lily ended up staying in the NICU for 42 days. She was quite early so she needed time to grow and develop further before we could take her home. She had a bit of trouble with regulating her sugar levels, so she ended up being in the NICU for longer than normal. Needless to say it was a ROUGH couple of months. It’s been absolutely amazing to finally have Lily at home with us now. Both her and I have recovered and are feeling amazing. Lily is a dream come true. As hard as the past few months were, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat to be where we are now!

I’m excited to finally get up pictures of her nursery! Check out the details below 🙂

The highlight of the nursery for me is this amazing pink gingham wallpaper from Livettes Wallpaper. I used the self adhesive wallpaper and I love that you can pick custom colours for alot of their wallpaper designs. I picked Millenial Pink and it was really easy to put up. I love how easy the peel-and-stick wallpaper is and it always looks incredible. The room was originally all blue when we moved in. The rest of the walls we painted using Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover. Check out the before/after pictures below!


Wallpaper: Livette’s Wallpaper (Gifted)

Chandelier: Home Depot

Mirror: Structube

Table/Chairs, Baskets, Tree, Rug: Homesense

Flamingo: Cuddle & Kind

Pink Pram/Stroller: Hudson’s Bay

Balcony Makeover

We’ve been living in our current house for over 2 years now and had yet to do anything with the balcony off of our master bedroom. I had originally planned to make this space into a comfy spot to read and lay in the sun, but as is normally the case you have such big plans when you move into a new house then eventually forget about some of the plans. Once COVID hit things changed. Spending this much time at home made me want to make sure we were using every square inch of our house. All of a sudden making use of every room became very important so that we could feel less “cooped up”. With this in mind, I went on a mission to makeover our master balcony. Check out the before/after transformation below!

Voila! I’m so happy with how this turned out. The items all perk my mood. The white loungers are such amazing quality and exactly what I had envisioned. I love the table to match for resting a book or cocktail on. The pink pillows added a cute touch and I have always wanted a black/white beach umbrella! This one has cute scalloped edges as well. The planter is big, but is made out of super lightweight plastic material – however you would never know it! It looks like wood from afar.

This pink cooler was one of my favourite summer purchases! I use it to keep wine on ice or to pack a little picnic when I’m heading to the park. I added some pumpkins and plants to make the space feel extra festive. Now all I’m missing is a good book and a pumpkin spice latte.

This area quickly became Sasha’s favourite spot in the house. She can watch the squirrels in the backyard at a safe distance and be blocked from the sun under the umbrella.

Even though the weather here is starting to get cooler, I want to make sure we get the most time out of all of our outdoor space before winter hits. I made sure to stock up on cozy blankets, pillows and candles so that we can still be out there on chilly days!

Find everything you need to refresh your outdoor space at Bed Bath and Beyond! Linking everything for you below.

SHOP THE POST:

White Loungers, White Table, Outdoor Rug, Black/White Umbrella, White Planter, Pink Cooler (Similar), Pink Outdoor Throw Pillows

Thanks to Bed Bath & Beyond for sponsoring this post. All thoughts/opinions are my own.

Mexico Travel Diary

We were so lucky to get away this February – especially since as soon as we returned from this trip it felt like the whole world fell apart. I’m grateful we got away, but we had a few other trips planned this year that sadly had to be cancelled. It’s been such a crazy time since we got back from this trip, so I haven’t been writing or posting much. COVID-19 came out of nowhere and obviously we haven’t experienced anything like this before. It’s a really hard thing to imagine, that the whole world could just be all of a sudden shut down for months on end. So many people now suffering from loss of life and jobs around the world and not knowing when this will end or what the after effects will be. There’s been so much uncertainty. It’s been incredibly hard to not see friends and family – I miss everyone so much – but, I am extra grateful these days. Grateful for my loved ones all safe at home, for our house, for the food in our fridge, for the ability to still go outside. As hard as this time has been, it’s also been a time of reflection, a time to slow things down and to focus on what’s most important in life.

Although it’s a little late, I did want to share some photos from our trip to Tulum. As soon as the world opens up again, I would highly recommend this trip. It was incredible and now means so much more to me given the circumstances. Going to include some of the key highlights for you below so that we can all daydream together about traveling again one day when this is all over.

Where We Stayed:

We stayed at Unico 2087 and I would highly recommend. We aren’t big fans of all inclusive resorts, but this one was perfect and didn’t feel like your typical all-inclusive. The grounds were stunning, the beach was beautiful and great for long walks, the rooms were great and the service was impeccable. The food/bev was also incredible, which really does make or break your trip.

I loved their attention to detail and little unique offerings – like “Unlimited Inclusions” where you can include things like spa visits, excursions and golf into your all-inclusive and just pay a smaller fee. There’s an app where you can do everything throughout your stay including ordering food, which came in super handy. They let you choose the scent of your room and when they do the turn-down service they turn on the diffuser so when you come back to your room the scent is filling the room. They have a pillow menu and also offer daily mixology classes. There was a ton to do and the resort is adults only, so it was a super relaxing vibe. I personally loved the movie nights, which they had a couple of times a week where they set up a big screen by the pool and you can watch a movie under the stars while eating popcorn and nachos – perfection! I’m also a sucker for an outdoor bath so the balcony was a major bonus!

We were blessed with nice weather every single day and I would totally go back here so that we can experience more of what this area of Mexico and Tulum has to offer. We spent alot of time at the resort this time since we just felt like relaxing, but would love to go back sometime and explore more. We did do one excursion to a cenoté which I will tell you more about below.

What I Wore

Outfit Details: This lemon bikini is old from La Vie En Rose and the skirt is from Shein. I loved how long/flowy it was and that you can wear it high-waisted. The resort also gifted everyone with these cute straw hats!

Outfit Details: This bathing suit is also Shein. I love the matching skirt and obviously tie-dye is so hot right now lol

Outfit Details: I got this cute tube top last summer and the shorts are from Shein – I also have a blazer to match these shorts. It’s cute separate or together which is nice to get a few different looks out of it. I love how high-waisted the shorts are!

A few of the beauty products I took on this trip and the books I read:

This new Coppertone Glow sunscreen is amazing! I love that it has a subtle shimmer to it and a gold/bronze tint – especially in the dead of winter, the tint is very much appreciated. Nivea SPF lip balm is a MUST. My lips always get burnt! I also bring my Sage essential oils with me any time I travel – They are calming and also help save me from weird smells on airplanes. I don’t travel without them. I packed a few Wet Brushes and they were honestly a lifesaver. I get super tangly hair, especially from chlorine and salt water – my hair is always in knots since it’s pretty dry from years of bleaching – these brushes untangle my hair as if it’s no big thing. It’s honestly miraculous!

I read two books on vacay – Daisy Jones and The Six, which is going to made into a mini-series soon. It was a good book, especially if you’re into music/brands and stories about touring bands – sex, drugs & rock n roll etc. I give it about 4/5.

I also read The Hating Game, which is about to be made into a movie and it was so so good! Adorable, funny and steamy. Good if you’re into rom-com movies and funny love stories. Can’t wait to see the movie! I give it a 5/5 because it really made me smile and I didn’t want it to end.

As I mentioned above, we also went on 1 excursion to a cenotĂ© and snorkling which was incredible! We some some huge parrot fish when snorkling. The cenotĂ© was not what I was expecting – I was expecting a cool watering hole that you could jump into. What we got was a deep underwater cave full of bats and scary as hell haha but I was so glad we did it because it was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I’m incredibly scared of bats, so I tried to ignore that part. We went deep into the cave and the water was crystal clear. Check out the video below:

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