5 Tips to Hosting a Successful Rummage Sale
Rummage Sale season is almost upon us! Time to clean out our houses and make a few bucks doing it. But don’t simply rely on the old adage “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” No, you’re going to have to ensure the success of your sale! Follow the easy steps below to successfully clear…
How to Keep Your Garden Healthy the Healthy Way
More and more, people are becoming concerned with herbicides and pesticides and their toxins. But it’s spring time, and the bugs are coming out to enjoy the sun too! So are there NATURAL and SAFER ways to deal with these pests? Answer: YES! There are! Not only safe and natural but also easier on your…
4 Spring & Summer Home Improvement Projects
Our long winter is finally over! Now’s the time for warmer-weather projects! Need a little motivation or… inspiration… on where to get started? We’ve compiled a list of the best spring and summer home improvement projects to keep you busy this summer! 1.) New Siding – This is one that we’re working on over at…
Kitchen Accessories & Inspiration | Stylish Designs and Dinner Sets
I dream already very long is a large kitchen. This is all the places in the house where I always think of how I would address in which lamps, accessories, and dishes I would like. Do not get me wrong, a huge walk-in closet is definitely on my wishlist but kitchen … sigh … yes, that is secretly at No. 1. Today I would, therefore, like beautiful kitchen inspiration with you. Do you watch it?
The kitchen accessories should be a place where really lived for me, a large dining table with plenty of seating where you drink tea cozy , bubbles and of course eat delicious with family or friends. While you can enjoy cooking with the stories and gezellligheid .
Though I have a reasonable idea of how it should look , I think still regularly beautiful pictures of kitchens that really inspire me out . This kitchen ( above ) by Studio Ferrania I think certainly very special in terms of design , materials, and accessories . Rural, stylish, yet tight and a little rugged.
Another example which opens my kitchenware is the heart of this wonderful design of West Kensington . It has the little country thing but chiques wherever I like very much in a kitchen.
I love different service styles (apparently inherited from my mother). This service of DAOM I really speaks immediately ! Beautiful colors , nice design , fits into the pastel trend, and the fun shapes that fit together , you can nicely on your dinnerware table “ decorate ” .
A brand that I have sometimes captivated am the brand Le Creuset . Those colors ! From bright to pastels. Each kitchen princess would surely have are such a beautiful colored pan.
A nice tablecloth and napkins should certainly not be missed. This tablecloth Jurianne Matter has a very natural look and feel fits perfectly with the rural and sleek kitchen .
Another very striking brand Bormiolli . How cute are these scales !
A point where I ’m always critical of enlightenment , I do not find a lamp pretty quickly. This particular chandelier falls cleanly straight to me in the taste. The whole picture , I find beautiful. This lamp is brand BB Interior.
Perhaps slightly over the top but wow, those chairs haha! Secretly I keep it there again , no standard and a very nice color . The seats are 2A Design.How your kitchen is big or small, you can’t as beautiful and special as you want. I love that wonderful inspiration for beautiful kitchen ideas!
Give a classy touch to your kitchen decor by using the right kitchen accessories & Kitchenware from Urbandazzle.
Source: www.urbandazzle.com/cook-n-preserve/kitchen-accessories-1.html
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Moving with Pets
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been two weeks since I left behind my cute brick bungalow and moved into my parents’ new house in the suburbs. And by “hard to believe,” I mean it’s been pretty much a chaotic mess.
You know how I told you this was going to be my 15th move? Well, it doesn’t get any easier the 15th time. Just so you guys know. There have been several challenges along the way, some that I expected, others that are new this time. I know a lot of you have been looking for an update, so I thought I would share a few of these road bumps I’ve hit in the past couple of weeks. Today I want to bring up one of the biggest worries I had pre-move, and that is how my dog Petunia would react.
In the last month or two of living in the bungalow, Tuney was just a barking machine. I mean, she would go ballistic at the slightest inkling of movement outside. My bed was right by a front window, so all day she would just perch on the bed and wait for something to appear. When she got in the “barking zone,” it was nearly impossible to get her out of it. This caused a lot of anxiety and stress for the both of us, and usually resulted in her leaping on my bed in a feverish rush, sliding the bed all over the floor, knocking the blankets everywhere… It was just madness. And it definitely made me cry and worry.
I believe the environment of my old house had a lot to do with it. It was kind of a constant shuffle of people and loud noises and late hours. She probably sensed my anxiety and lack of peace and fed off of it. That was the main reason why I moved out, if I’m being honest.
So when I did move, I was really worried about her. I didn’t know if she would take to accidents in the house, chewing things, separation anxiety, or something worse.
The good news is, for the most part, Tuney has been adjusting really well to the move. Maybe it’s the more serene environment, the relaxing atmosphere (and no more band practices in my living room), or the woodsy views of the backyard–but she seems a lot. less. neurotic. Tuney has been more obedient here than she ever was in my city house. She stops barking when I ask her to. She sits and stays when I open the door instead of bolting outside. She’s even focusing more and looking to me for approval and guidance.
It wasn’t easy right away. At first, I could tell she was stressed out. She followed me everywhere, and she wasn’t eating more than maybe a 1/3 cup of food every day. I think she was sensing that things were going to be different from now on, and she didn’t know what to make of it. For the first week of being there, my mom was with me, and was home with Tuney during the day while I was at work. Those few days, when I would return home, Tuney was so overly happy and excited to see me that it seemed like she felt I would never come back!
The only issue we have had so far was the other day when I tried something new with her during my work day. Instead of crating her, I tried to recreate the same atmosphere she used to have in my upstairs bedroom by gating her in the basement during the day. The basement at this new house is huge, and there is a big area rug, walk-out door with a nice view, and a bed for Tuney to sleep in. I tried keeping her down there because I thought maybe she would like the space, but I was also thinking it might be too big… I had a feeling she would find a corner to poop in. I was correct, of course.
So I think she will be crated during my work hours, when no one else is home. Luckily for a month or so my sister will be living with me, and at times my mom and dad will be there too. For now I think we are getting in the swing of things! I have especially loved our twice-daily walks around the neighborhood, when we get to soak up the newly appearing sunshine (it has been a looooong winter here in Cleveland).
I’m really looking forward to the completion of our back deck, which will include a gate, so I can let her outside on nice days. I’m also excited for grass to be installed in the yard too, because right now it’s a muddy mess! Overall I’m really happy with my new living space, and I think Tuney is too. As always, we will face this new set of challenges together!
Have you ever moved with a pet? What were some issues that you had during the transition? Did you have a successful tactic that helped ease your dog or cat’s anxiety?
Check out the rest of my moving series:
I’m Moving!
(Re)invent Life: Episode 02 – Relocation
Moving Checklist (Part 1)
Moving Checklist (Part 2)
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Backyard Wedding Charm
Monday, marked two whole months of marriage for Stephane and I. It’s crazy how quickly time passes by, it feels like last week! Yesterday I shared our backyard and how far it’s come over the past few years. Today I want to give you a little peek into how that same backyard was transformed as the site of our wedding this summer. And a few other details of the day too!.
Since the day we got engaged, Steph and I knew that we wanted our wedding to be simple and intimate. We even considered eloping but ultimately, I knew I wanted my mom and dad to be there. We decided to keep it small and host it right at home in our backyard. On a Wednesday night, with a raindate! (That luckily we didn’t have to use:) We had a total of 40 people which included only our immediate family and our closest friends.
The plan was to always remember three words: simple, intimate and relaxed. Throughout the planning and decision making process I tried to keep that in mind. I knew that sometimes things can snowball and that the world of Pinterest would tell me that things were to be done a certain way. We really wanted it to feel more like a backyard cocktail party than a traditional wedding.
We spent the morning of the wedding helping with the set up. My sister and I made flower arrangements with flowers from the garden mixed with lots of greenery provided by our florist. Steph made sure the yard looked good and helped set up all the linens, glassware, dishes etc. I’m sure some would think we were crazy for being so hands on the day of but I wanted to be part of the process. I love that stuff and couldn’t have imagined leaving it to someone else.
After heading out to have my hair and makeup done, we both got dressed together at home. I even helped him tie his tie and decide which shirt to wear. When he left with one of our photographers, I slipped into my dress (had to have at least one secret!) and then left with our other photographer to meet him for our “first look”.
I think one of my favorite parts of the wedding was the very beginning. With all of our couple and family photos out of the way, we headed back to the house and were able to greet all our guests as they arrived. It was so nice to hug them and and welcome them all with the excitement of the ceremony looming. I didn’t walk down an aisle but rather, when we felt everyone had arrived and had a drink in hand, we asked them to gather around the tree and the ceremony started.
The ceremony was very personal. We said our vows and had my dad and Stephane’s daughter each do a reading. Steph’s father passed away a few years ago and we were able to use his wedding ring which was pretty special. Our mothers were our witnesses.
After the ceremony, it was time to eat! My best friend Emily is a chef and she did all the catering for the wedding. I cannot thank her enough! She had it all prepared beforehand and we hired two people, including an oyster shucker, to handle it all throughout the evening so that she could kickback and enjoy herself.
For us, it was a highlight. Emily even surprised us with homemade lavender citrus ice cream and waffle cones as a late night snack. Everyone is still raving about how good the food was!
I kept most of the decor to a minimum. As much as I love a wedding abundant in details and decor, I wanted our own event to be simple and not overdone. I stuck with lots candlelight, string lights and greenery/flowers.. with a little bit of geometric thrown in!
Our florist was a gem. I’ve worked with Michael on many other projects and I knew he understood my style. I wanted a bouquet of various greens with possibly some white flowers thrown in. Otherwise, I didn’t give any other direction than that. I also wanted as much loose greenery as I could get to use in flower arrangements and as little details throughout. He knocked it out of the park. Not only did I love my flowers but the smell of eucalyptus and rosemary throughout our house lasted for days!
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Our House in East Coast Living!
It was an exciting summer for the Modern Jane household. Not only did Stephane and I get married in our backyard but we also had our house photographed for a magazine. It made for a busy summer all around but seeing it in print made it all worth it.
Janice, the editor for East Coast Living contacted me in the spring. They were looking to feature a diy property. Seeing as Steph and I did the majority of the work renovating our home ourselves, she wondered if we’d be interested in participating. Of course we were flattered but wondered it we measured up to some of the gorgeous properties that have been previously featured. (Including our good friends modern home in Charlottetown!) We decided to go for it and it was an awesome experience.
You can check out the article online here and if you’re in the East Coast of Canada, you can pick up a print copy, which includes a few more photos.
I’ve been asked about about things that are mentioned in the article that don’t have a picture so here are a few links, if you’re interested.
- dining room wall hanging
- living room black & white photograph
- bathroom renovation
I blogged two days in a row.. I’m on a roll!
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Backyard Living
A few years ago, Stephane and I totally revamped our backyard space. What was originally a blank canvas with one lone tree in the middle of the yard and a tired looking shed in the corner, became a private little oasis for us to relax in.
Over the course of two summers, we build a deck around the tree and connected it both to the house and the entrance to the backyard with wooden walkways. The deck was surrounded with load upon load of pea stone and we planted lots of lush grasses, succulents and shrubs. We also built a modern style fence to close in the yard which gave Beaufort the freedom to run around freely.
I was not on the ball this summer and didn’t take many photos of the space. Luckily, our photographer from our East Coast Living shoot, graciously provided us with the ones he took. I’m so happy to have them!
When I look back at the photos from the beginning here, here, here and here, it’s now neat to see how it has changed. The plants and flowers have grown full and lush, the deck, walls and fence have been stained in rich brown tones and our grass is healthy and green.
That’s the fun part of blogging. Being able to go back and look at where your projects started, the process, the finished product and how they evolve over time.
Come back tomorrow and see how this whole space was transformed as the site of our wedding this past August!
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Tips to Choose Baby & Kids Furniture
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The Gift Of Peppermint Hot Chocolate…
Every October when it starts to get cold outside, I make our family a big batch of “homemade” Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Or maybe I should call it, semi-homemade, because all of the ingredients are readily available and take minimal effort to put together. But combined, they create a cup of yummy, warm, chocolatey deliciousness!
I simply combine regular and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and peppermints (or candy canes) that I unwrap, put into a big zip-lock bag and crush with the flat side of our metal meat tenderizer. Unwrapping all of the peppermints is the most time consuming step of this whole process, so if you have time for that, then you’re good to go!
There isn’t much of a recipe to follow here. You just want to make sure that you have enough peppermint and chocolate chips in there that you get a good amount in every scoop…
I put it all in the jar and then add powdered hot chocolate mix. Nothing fancy or gourmet necessary. When you mix it all with hot water or warm milk, the chocolate chips and marshmallows melt to make a rich taste, and the peppermint adds the perfect hit of flavor…
When it’s all mixed and ready to enjoy, just make it the same way that you make instant hot cocoa. Fill the mug up 1/4 to 1/2 way with the mix (depending on what your sweet tooth prefers) and then fill the mug with boiling water or warm milk. Stir until all of the marshmallows and chocolate chips are melted. When you get to the bottom of the mug, you’ll be left with some chunks of melting peppermint – my kids’ favorite part!
I made a big jar for my best friend and her family this year, tied it with a bright red ribbon and hung a few jingle bells on it…
And this year, the kids and I decided that this would make the perfect gift for our teacher’s and their families over Winter Break and all season long…
For a prettier presentation, I added more crushed peppermint and chocolate chips on top…
I love how it looks when you open the jar!
My kids are obsessed with this hot chocolate, and if I am being totally honest,
so am I!
The kids delivered the gifts to their teacher’s yesterday and I am told that they received rave reviews. Hopefully, along with their families, they enjoyed a cup last night!
This also makes a wonderful gift for friends and neighbors, as a hostess gift, and even as a gift from your child to their friends.
Easy, inexpensive, and so, so yummy!
~ Enjoy ~
P.S. I bought the jars at Fred Meyer, but I know that Target sells them as well. I was able to buy them for $5 a piece, on sale. Not bad, if you ask me!
🙂
P.S.S. I am posting this at:
Tatertots and Jello, Remodelaholic, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Beyond The Picket Fence, Funky Junk Interiors, Be Different…Act Normal, The Girl Creative, Blue Cricket Design, The Thrifty Home,
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