Operation Summer Dresses.

Last weekend I was searching the Old Navy website for some summer clothes for the kids.  Of course, I found my way over to the women's section and seriously was gushing over the dress selection!  Have you looked at it recently?

I kinda made a decision that this summer was the summer to wear more dresses and I'm thinking that Old Navy is the place to start looking for them!

source

Now I love the comfort of jersey just as much as the next person but boy oh boy it is not at all flattering on me, seriously.  It seems to hug me in all of the wrong places and emphasizes every part of me that I'd prefer it to not to.  Does this happen to you too?  Yes?! Phew.

That being said, there are a slew of fab options that I think are worth a try:

source

source

source

source

Then there are the fabulous non jersey options:

source

source

source

source

source

So good, right?!

Cheers,

Elliven At Home: Progress.

Okay.  So with the backsplash all finished, my focus has shifted somewhat back to the family room and kitchen, which are basically open to one another.

The family room is coming along, here's a peek at what it looks like now:

My plan is to move the black cabinet to the other side of the couch, hopefully it will work there. I don't like how it's hidden behind the chair.  I want to purchase a new lamp (seen here) to replace the one that's currently in there, to go on the black cabinet.  There's also the option of changing the furniture layout (couch and chairs) but I dunno, we'll see.  The coffee table is set to go.  I'm looking for a fabric ottoman, which I have yet to find, but something along the lines of this.  Pictures to hang above the couch have been ordered, just need to get the frames from Ikea (gosh I wish you could order their frames online).  Pssst...I also want to replace the rug, but since we kinda just got it aka when we moved in, I will hold off a while longer....maybe.  And while we're on the subject, it's funny, we totally had to have the leather couches when we bought them. Funny how tastes change over time. I'd much rather have fabric couches and chairs with amazing lines.  But there is no way that that will be happening any time soon.

I'm currently converting the ready made drapes I picked from rod pocket to pinch pleat. So far so good:

So that's the family room.

The kitchen is white with the black appliances.  Then we have the harvest table with the vintage dining chairs:

I only just recently recovered the chairs but the fabric isn't right.  I also need drapery and a rug for under the table.

I'm thinking of going with the same drapes I used in the family room or an off white/white linen.  Then for the chairs and rug, I'm seriously loving this combo:

fabric | rug

My only concern is how it will go with the family room.  Maybe a white and grey striped rug instead?  Or this one from West Elm?  Decisions.

I want a fresh feeling for the kitchen. Calm, refreshing. I pinned this photo for inspiration, really love the colour of the dresses, flowers and shoes together:

-via-

I finally nabbed the planter that I've been eyeing for a while now, you'd be amazed by how hard it was to find a planter with this shape and a smooth surface.  It was priced higher than I wanted to pay...that's me, totally frugal.  Anyhow, it was marked down due to a few scratches, but a little spray paint and it's perfect.  What a huge difference!

Truth: I accidentally used a satin spray paint (seen in photo above) so I went out the next day and bought some matte spray paint, which is what I originally wanted.  It's a much better look and finish.   What a silly mistake!

Here's another peek of the backsplash, seriously loving the grout!

Cheers,

Pretty Friday.

Friends, I apologize for the lack of posts this week.  Honestly, the next couple of weeks are going to be busy with the end of school, appointments and errands.  Seems as though everything has been packed in to the last bit of June.  I can do this, I can do this!

Today's Pretty Friday photo is a room designed by Samantha Pynn:

-source-

Beautiful.  I love the trim detail on the drapes.

Happy weekend!

Cheers,
Julie

Who Knew A Backsplash Could Do This To Someone!

Seriously, the title of this post says it all.  Friends, this happened today and I don't want to leave my kitchen:

Honestly, I can't believe it. I knew that it would make an impact, but I didn't realize it would make this big of a difference. Wowza!  I've dreamt of a gorgeous backsplash for such a long time, it's pretty darn exciting to now have one!

Grout will happen tomorrow and I will share more pics soon!

Cheers,

Pretty Friday.

Oh boy, what a week.  Did it feel like a super long week to anyone else?

Remember that bench I spoke about here?  Well, here's a peek of it in it's new home:

The infamous gold mirror fits perfectly above it, woohoo! The living room is so close to being finished, which is very exciting.  Art work is next and I think I need to add a hibiscus in a woven basket too.

Wondering what I'm reading?  Oh, I'll tell you!  It's Rue Magazine's very first Wedding & Entertainment Issue. Did you get a chance to read it?

I absolutely loved Stephanie Bradshaw's studio tour, which is what you can see in the pic above.  You can view Rue's latest issue here.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Cheers,

Homesense Finds and Drop Pulls.

Hello, hello!

So last weekend, I ventured off to Homesense with the kids for the Homesense Loyalty Member Event.  It allows those who frequently shop at Homesense (like moi) and who scan their TJX card with each purchase, early access to the store before opening hours.  I had seen a paticular bench (more on that to come later) a few days before and had to have it, so off we went.  It was really fun!  Free coffee and treats and a $10 gift card if you spent $100 or more!  Perks are always nice, so it was great to see that Homesense was showing their love to their clients!

While there, I spotted a few items that I wanted to share:

this little number was in the clearance section. I see it with the legs spray painted gold and looking mighty fine!

I think this would look perfect in our laundry room. Homesense has a great selection of light fixtures, be sure to check them out!

a modern take on directors chair. yes!

In other news, yesterday, I broke yet another handle off of our vintage buffet, leaving only one handle on the top drawer (which spans the entire width of the piece).  So now I really want to get the new hardware.  I decided to keep it classic by going with an oval drop pull.  I've narrowed it down to two, but am having such a tough time deciding.  I asked for help on instagram and it's currently a tie!

I really just need to decide what type of look I'm going for really.  Do I want a simple pull or something with a little more detail.

Here's the buffet (sorry for the not so stellar pic): 

-via- 

trying to decide between P and Q

But then I saw these and got to thinking...do I?

-via-

B and E would both work

What do you think? Oval pull, if so, which do you prefer?  Or are you loving the lattice look?

Cheers,

That Art = This Room

Hey, hey, hey!  It's that time for:

Today's art selection was inspired by my trip to LA and the awesome peacock-on-a-roof sighting.

art

coffee table

wooden sculpture

lamps

amethyst

side tables

malachite pillows

les touches black pillows

rug

I love Christine's peacock watercolour, she's captured the essence of the peacock perfectly.  Her shop is full of lovely paintings. You can find them here.

Cheers,