D.I.Y Photo Booth

As soon as I heard about the latest trend happening at weddings and birthday parties I had to blog about it! Imagine having a photo booth at your party or wedding! Well, without the huge rental fees, you can! And all on a d.i.y. budget as a matter of fact!

If you are looking to a have a huge wow factor then enlist the help of a carpenter or a handy man or handy woman to build you a faux wall. Make sure to have several cut outs in the wall for people to take pictures from. You will need some wallpaper of your choice, some frames (just take out the glass and backings) and voila, your very own photo booth. You can hire a photographer or loyal friend to be ready to capture the moments of guests posing!

If you don't have large budget but want to create a simple photo booth, then here are some ideas. Hang a sheet (plain or patterned, depending on theme) on a clothes line or a sturdy wire. This will be your photo backdrop. Next compile a basket full of props, such as; faux mustaches, hats, masks etc. The guests can add some fun to their photos with the props and will give you a good laugh when going through the photos. Instead of hiring a photographer, set your camera up on a tripod with the timer setting on. And voila! Your very own photo booth of memories that will impress all your guests!

I will be doing this for my son's 4th birthday party this summer. His birthday theme will be vintage carnival. The below pictures are my inspiration! I will make sure to post pictures from his party at a later date!

Words from a wise wedding planner

For those of you who are in the midst of planning a wedding this post is a must read!
Jacqueline Rogers an event coordinator/wedding planner at Graydon Hall Manor in Toronto, Ontario, has written a guest blog with some advice for the bride and grooms to be out there.

                     

When it comes to planning your wedding day there are a thousand details that need to be discussed and finalized; everything from your date selection to overall design concept, picking your menu and seating your guests in particular seats or generally at a table. Of all the things there are to think about and hammer out, there is one point that clients tend to notice most consistently post-wedding – how quickly the day flew by!

One main thing I suggest to my clients, especially if their ceremony is outside of the church setting, is to have a pre-ceremony reveal. This would be
an intimate moment including bride, groom and photographer. A particular place is chosen at the venue and the groom awaits his bride’s arrival. This can be orchestrated in any number of ways unique to the client. This allows the couple
to share a moment only known to them, and have it documented yet stay unannounced to the guests. You may even wish to have bridal party and family photos taken shortly after, thereby freeing up the entire cocktail hour for you to really enjoy your celebration and mingle with your guests. I find this option is much more favourable than a traditional ‘receiving line’ as guests can enjoy themselves while waiting for an opportunity to share their congrats.

Take deep breaths often, and step to the side now and again through the course of the reception and just take it all in. Those will be some of the lasting memories that stay with you always.

Graydon Hall Manor 

~Special thanks to Jacqueline Rogers. Pictures courtesy of Graydon Hall Manor.~

D.I.Y Wall Decor

If you are anything like me then you probably get bored of having the same decor and accessories in your home for long periods of time..
well instead of splurging on expensive art or wall decor that you may tire of, why not make your own!!
That's right, the latest craze right now is d.i.y wall decor.

And even if your are not the most creative or artistic person it doesn't matter because there are many simple and easy to do wall art that doesn't require any Picasso skills.

The possibilities are endless but I have compiled a few of my favorite d.i.y's;

FIND OF THE WEEK- Floor to Flor

As most parents or animal owners can attest to, carpets are not always child or doggy friendly!
But now with this latest find we can have the style and save ourselves (and our backs) from constantly scrubbing out stains.

This innovative and genius company makes mix and match tile-sized squares of carpet that you can buy individually and then arrange any way you want to.(prices starting at $7 per tile). You can use them to create anything from an area rug to a wall-to-wall floor covering.

And here's the best part: When the juice gets spilled, just remove the stained tile and give it a wash in the sink. Stain won't come out! Then swap out with the old and in with the new.

Check it out at www.flor.com

Celebrity Room of the Day!

One of the most photographed, googled person right now is none other than the curvy fashionista Kim Kardashian. Most famous for, well being famous I guess!

But whether or not her relevance could be questioned, we can't help but be drawn to her style. But it's not just her clothing that is stylish and impressive, but also her digs!

Check out this photo of her living area in her posh beverly hills home.

Kims style is very contemporary with a hint of modern elements.

Style Icon of the Day!

Coco Chanel

"An interior is the natural projection
of the soul."

Treat of the Day

Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate

On a cold winters night who wouldn't want to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of cocoa.
Well here's a twist on the classic recipe.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 cups fat-free milk
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 of a 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (2/3-cup)
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
1/4 cup chocolate shavings (optional)


Directions
1. In medium saucepan combine fat-free milk, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cocoa powder until well-combined.
2. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve in mugs topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Makes 5 (1-cup) servings.


Nutrition Facts:
Calories 445, Total Fat (g) 26, Saturated Fat (g) 20, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 33, Sodium (mg) 137, Carbohydrate (g) 43, Total Sugar (g) 37, Protein (g) 11, Vitamin C (DV%) 2, Calcium (DV%) 33, Iron (DV%) 8, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Celebrity Room of the Day

This is the cottage of musical sensation Kenny G. It is located in the Muskoka region of Ontario. It is a very popular place for other celebrity cottagers such as Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

Kenny's cottage has many rustic and contemporary elements. I would say his style is Rustic Lodge Chic.The dark wood cabinetry in the kitchen with the stainless steel appliances are where the contemporary comes in. The stone fireplace, wooden furniture and mosquito netting over the bed are more of the rustic features of the cottage.  With all these components, this cottage gives off a easy going, relaxed atmosphere.

Coolest Find of the Day

Smart Tiles

A revolutionary and unique product that is as easy to install as peel and stick! The do it yourself peel and stick tile concept of smart tiles is made of an adhesive substrate topped with a clear gel component called Gel-0™ (which gives it its 3-dimensional effect) that makes the product so easy to handle, cut and maintain you will wonder why this was not invented before. They are installed in minutes without any mess or specialized tools over any clean and sleek surface for you to enjoy right there and then. Especially designed for kitchen and bathroom environments (ie. backsplashes), they are resistant to the heat of stovetops and the humidity of bathrooms. They are removable by simply heating the surface with a hairdryer and peeling them off. Makes life a lot easier! Visit the website http://thesmarttiles.com/ and check them out.
They are currently available in most Home Depot stores.

A great alternative to those renters out there who want to jazz up their kitchens and bathrooms without no muss and no fuss, and no angry landlords! And perfect for home owners who don't want to go through the costly hassle of ripping out ugly tiles in your house!

D.I.Y Decor

How to: Create a wonderful winter foyer

By Style at Home's Christine Hanlon

Photography by Lara Fishbein 


Creative suggestions for making your front foyer a space that gets noticed.


Too often, the foyer is just a space to pass through. Instead, make it the perfect place to create a statement and add subtle holiday magic.

Here's how to achieve this look.

*Courtesy of Style at Home Canada*

Coolest Find of the Day

When you were little, did you ever look up at the sky and try to find clouds that looked like things or letters.
Well now that same sort of idea has emerged into photographic art.
You now can turn your own words or names into beautiful art, and it's just a click away.
Alphabet Photography™ is the work of Jennifer Blakeley. Jennifer and her husband Sam run the business together, along with other members of their close-knit team. Jennifer and her team take photographs of different structues and architecture, that mimic letters. They then turn them into inspirational sayings. Alphabet Photography is based in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Check out the website http://www.alphabetphotography.ca/index.aspx
Any room, in any home would look great with one of these pieces in it.

Celebrity Room of the Day

This is the bedroom of Demi Moore. It is very sleek, very modern and looks to be inspired by nature.

The large sliding door windows open up to a gorgeous view of the greeny outdoors. All these elements peace together a room full of calmness and serenity

Winter Wedding

I have to say that I'm not really a winter person.  Between the horrible driving conditions and the amount of effort you have to put in just to get out the door and not freeze to death is enough to make me want to hibernate for the entire winter season. However now more than ever a lot of people are choosing to get married in the winter months. And although maybe it is not my favorite time of year, there is something very magical about it.  For your wedding you can make some absolutely beautiful table arrangements by using all that nature has to offer. It's not just about flowers either. You can do centrepieces of tall glass vases with twigs cascading out. The curlier the twigs the more whimsical it'll look.  What about pinecones as your name holders for the guests. If you don't want to go overboard on the earthy look, than try spray painting them in a nice metallic color. Silver is a great color for winter that goes with almost any decor.

Some great color combinations for a winter wedding are; light blue and silver, scarlett red and white, red and light green.

Refinishing Projects

This art deco dresser before was very dated and didn`t fit in with my other furniture pieces. So I srtipped it down to the bones by giving it a good sanding. Then i used a white furniture paint from Rona. After that I distressed it to give it a shabby chic look. I finished it off with brushed nickel knobs to make it a little modern.
One of my first attempts at refinishing and it won`t be my last!

Before & After

This is the before and after pictures of a bathroom I did for a client. The bathroom before was a disaster! The white subway tiles were falling down, the bathroom vanity hadn't been updated since the 70's and it was time for a change. We decided to go for a contemporary/modern bathroom. Using dark wood on the cabinets and brushed nickel on the fixtures it gave this bathroom a clean, sleek look. To bring warmth to this space we used golden colored onyx mosaic tiles on the backsplash in the shower. The tile on the floor is a stone in a coordinating sand color to match the tiles.