Motherhood in the Morning...a Sneak Peek...and Jasper's Nursery is Online

Goodmorning is a relative term no?

For example, today mine definitely started with a morning...but the whole 'good' thing...not so much.

It was one of these:

I wake up still trying to sort out what the farksticks was the deal with the series finale of Dexter...the ending sucked donkey kong balls.

Kids wake up at 5:30 and roam around my room in the dark trying to find the iPad, while bumping into just about everything in the room in the process, thereby erasing any chance of a little more shut eye for moi.

Husband is out of town so no coffee in bed...and yes, I realize that this one makes me sound like a helpless princess but I don't give a rat's ass...it's how my morning is supposed to start...when it doesn't, me no happy.

I ask kids to get dressed...one can't get her closet open...the other has no clean underwear in his drawer and isn't keen on going downstairs by himself to retrieve some...a small battle ensues between the two as they try to negotiate terms...it all sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

Cleaning lady shows up and house looks like a large bomb went off in it...her first stop in the kids bathroom where she finds a rather unwelcoming toilet prezzie thanks to the kid who has a very hard time remembering that things really should be flushed.

I start working hoping to get some stuff accomplished before I have to run the kids to school, only to realize that it's actually 10 minutes before we're supposed to leave and I have no lunches packed or breakfasts made...this turns me instantly into a very very unpleasant drill sergeant.

Even though there is zero time, my OCD bed making thing sets in and won't let me leave the damn sheets un-done even though there is literally NO TIME...the mental 'something really bad will happen if these beds don't get made before you leave the house' mantra really, really pisses me off on days like these.

Since there's no time for a real breakfast (in part due to the above mentioned OCD bed situation,) I decide to give the kids each a banana and a cranberry fiber bar...too bad the bananas aren't ripe and I literally need a machete to get them peeled...I've got mushed banana all over my hands...oh and it takes me at least 10 'eat your bars' to get the other breakfast option down their throats.

I can't brush my teeth because there's  no toothpaste...as well, I've been washing my hair for the past 4 days with baby shampoo.

I send the boy up to get socks and least 5 times...he finally manages to get them and proceeds to leave them on the hallway floor...this I discover once he's buckled into his car seat...with dirty pants and a backwards sweater.

Just before leaving, I open the kids' backpacks and as no surprise, they need money...I think I could buy a new car with the amount of money I send into their school each year but that's another story...I spend the next 5 minutes madly searching for 2 twoonies to attach to the neat little circle on the form...to help, I ask the daughter to run upstairs and get some tape on my dresser...like the socks scenario, it takes a few 'look at me and listen' takes before she's on the move...in the meantime, I have to pack lunches...I see her making her way down the stairs so I ask where the tape is to which she responds 'I put it on the counter in the kitchen like you said'...to which I say, 'that's impossible since I've been in the kitchen the whole time and you're upstairs'...to which she looks at me like I have eight heads...we go back and forth a few times and then I finally follow her  up to to the bathroom where she points to the tape sitting on the counter...I stare at her blankly for a few minutes trying not to sound like total bitch and say 'honey, is that the kitchen?'...she smiles and says 'oh silly me' and runs off without the tape.

It's finally time to get the kids to school and I send them to the car in advance of me and the baby...I get myself out the door with babes in hand and realize that he's in a onesie and it's about 5 degrees out...have to run back in and grab clothes for him so that I can dress him in before any moms at school decide I'm officially not mother of the year.

Before we pull out, I have to run into the house 3 times for forgotten stuff.

The field we walk across to get the kids to school is soaking wet...and I don't have my rain boots on...and the bell rings well in advance of us all being where we need to be...and oops...I'm not wearing a bra.

I have $1.40 worth of chance in the car...no purse...and a Tim Horton's coffee is $1.60- fuck.

The baby falls asleep in the car, which sounds alright in theory but acutally means that he sleeps for 20 minutes instead of 2 hours...he's sitting beside me right now grabbing at the computer and making it very known that I need to be done with it so he can have his breakfast...good times.

Because husband is away in combo with too many things to do, I haven't been to yoga in a week...my nightly healthy escape has been replaced with too much wine, which apparently makes me way less able to cope with these kinds of mornings in a way that doesn't make me sound/look like purgatories answer to motherhood.

And when more than one person throws out a happy 'Good Morning' in the midst of this, all that runs through my brain is that I want to punch each of them in the face...hard.

Thankfully, all is not lost...

I had a pretty splendid day yesterday on the interwebs.

For one...I received a little peek of how #projectbeverlyhills is coming along and well, she's looking real real purdy if you ask me...

As a reminder, this is how this spot looked before...

The walls have been painted out in a crisp white...luxurious navy velvet curtains have been hung...a stunning Murano chandelier has been put up...brass bamboo chairs have been purchased and re-upholstered in black faux ostrich...and a Madeline Weinrib rug has found a cozy spot on the floor.

Stay tuned for a final reveal soonly.

And last but not least...and because I want to end this moodly post on a super duper high note....

 Jasper's nursery feature has been posted online!!!!!

This of course means that all of you who don't subscribe to the magazine (silly beans on that one) can peruse it at  your leisure.

If you missed my reveal post, here's a snapshot of the room thanks to the Style at Home team and amazing photographer, Ashley Capp...

You can see more and read the article, which was PS written by yours truly, by clicking HERE.

And I think that's all for this cat today...

Thinking I might turn my morning around by treating myself to a shower...it's the little things;)

xo

Guest Post- 'Dream Land' a la Tim Lam / Design Maze...and a Winner...and a Baby

Well...it's Monday.

Four things to note:

1. We close on our new house/lot today...wooooohooooooo....let the official dream house planning begin...on that note, my architect and I are meeting again today, along with the stucco guy...yes, the new house will be mostly stucco...of the white variety;)

2. I didn't draw for the winner of my giveaway last night (will do so at the bottom of this post)...which leads me to numero trois...

3. My dream baby in every way has completely stopped sleeping...like he literally wakes up every 30 minutes, which means I boobed him about 10 times last night...which means he sucked the life force completely out of me...which means I'm brain dead...which leads me to number 4...

4. My adorable/dear/sweet friend Tim....



...from Design Maze...



... has swept in like the superhero he is and whipped up an AMAZING post for all of you to enjoy, so that I can allow my brain a little re-coup time....chances are any post by me today would be of the gar-bajjjj variety, thanks to noted brain/force depletion.

Anyhoo...Tim is one of my absolute favourite people in the universe. His blog posts are always incredibly inspired and loaded with pretty. On top of that, he's an awesomely talented designer who does things like this....

- all photos via Style at Home-

...and most importantly, he's literally one of the most supportive and kind people I've ever met...yes indeed...he's definitely on my fave list.

So...without further ado...sit back and enjoy his positively dreamboat post...

.......

Hello Friday and friends at Bijou and Boheme! I am very excited to be here today and share with you my ideas of a dream space to lounge, work, and rest inspired by our stylish fashion & design icon, Christine Dovey.  Her work is truly exceptional, and I admire Christine for her design approach: go with what you love and zero compromise.

I have been spying on her recent projects and may I just say I am with love with this woman! If Christine and I are living together, this is how our place may look like and I call it the "Dream Land".

images via 1/ 2/ 3/ 4

When I think of Christine, the first hue comes to mind is pink.  To combine her love of shiny brass with the delicate blush, I welcome you to the land of rose gold.  This sizzling hot and trendy metallic finish is definitely my favourite design element at the moment.  The pale pink undertone adds depth and charm compare to its warm yellow cousin.  Here is the dream office I put together for Christine.  It is all about luxe, glam, and drama, and I hope it inspires this design genius for many more delicious projects to come.

images via 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7

After a long day of work, there is nothing more relaxing and rejuvenating than lounging on a super comfort settee with a glass of wine for a cozy moment.  In this episode of Dream Land, I am dreaming a soothing palette of creams and natural wood, embellished with a handcrafted sofa in distressed antique gold, tuxedo styled pillows, a statement coffee table in brushed brass and glossy black, and of course a luxurious copper-hued faux fox throw for an extra shot of texture and comfort. images via 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6 It is now time to check out the bedroom.  To infuse the romantic, feminine elements Christine loves, my jumping off point is this sumptuous upholstered bed with beautiful nailhead detail.  To contrast this curvaceous silhouette, I am partnering the bed with a pair of angular lucite beauties with brass accent.  These nightstands are high in style and they offer ample of surface for books and a couple glasses of wine perhaps.  And the juxtaposition of femininity and masculinity continues with a pair of rose gold lamps by Nate Berkus and spectacular horn mirrors available at 219. For a dramatic backdrop, I am layering in this Gracie Studio wallpaper.  To ground the overall light and airy palette, this graphic ink and cream Nixon rug is a definitely winner!  Add a starburst inspired chandelier and a pair of  lucite stools at the foot of the bed, this bedroom is ready to meet Christine!     I hope you enjoy the Dream Land I put together for Christine and it is truly my pleasure to meet you all today at Bijou and Boheme.  Thanks Christine for having me today and more importantly, for inspiring me with all your beautiful work.  I look forward to see you all again soon! ....... What did I tell you? Tim. is. the. best. And I need that Gracie wallpaper somewhere. And that first board nails what I want for the new house. And so does the lounge. And so does the office...though boo on that front, I'm giving that room to husband...figure the new house should probably have a little less pink and a little more boy parts. ...... Now back to the much anticipated Friedasophie giveaway winner. A humongous congrats to... ...taletrader, these gorgeous crystal cluster earrings are yours! ....... And finally, one more little tid-bit. We were away when Jasper baby turned 5 months so I haven't posted his monthly shot yet...he's actually going to be 6 months next week so I figured I better get on that train. Here he is at 5 (though the picture was taken a little late at 5.5;) ...re point #3, it's a good thing he's so damn cute. xo

Family Stuff, the Projects Continue and a Newbie One #projectfemininegrit

Helloooooooo!

I feel like I'm always apologizing for my absence these days...I'm finding getting blog posts out Tricky McTrickersons lately...I've got a lot of e-design work on the go, ::whispers:: a new pseudo product/business/partnership developing, kids in camp, a baby who is rolling over and teething and not sleeping (but still stealing my heart/attention every second of the day), and a house to build...so I'm basically boobing the baby, picking up the other kids and emailing and/or powerpointing every minute of every day.

All of the above =  fewer blog posts and less brain capacity for most things so....

I think going forward, I'm going to cut myself a little slack and not force the 5 days a week thing- I hope you all don't mind...will try my best to post daily but if I don't, you know why;)

Thankfully, my sweet bubs, who is PS 4 months today (insert mommy very sad face)...

...is having a sweet nap in his swing so I have at least a few minutes to rub together to tell you what's up.

First and most importantly, me and this dude...

...have been hitched for 8 years today...holy bama...feels like FOREVER and barely a minute all at the same time.

If you're reading this Mr I'll say it again...you drive me completely and utterly insane and I wouldn't have it any other way..heart you mucho.

And in other news, I've just sent my newest client her design board.

We'll call this one #projectfemininegrit because after seeing her Pinterest board...

via

...I knew a) she was total fabulousness in client form and b)...that she probably wanted: dark walls, hits of lilac, a whack of femininity, all mixed together with some spunk.

And with that said, here's what I came up with...

And I'm pretty pleased with the whole thing;)

Stay tuned for progress info/shots...and speaking of, #projectnordic has been making leaps and bounds...all furniture in the design board has been ordered and I literally can't wait to share the afters with you.  As well, we're moving right along with #projectbeverlyhills...after some lighting back and forths, we've decided to now do one fixture and it's looking like it's this guy for the win...

'tis going to be pretty, pretty when all is said and done.

Oh and we're also adding a bart cart because why the hell not right...thinking this guy from BR...

And speaking of things that need adding, #projectwholehouse is very much in need of this incredible mirror that Shop 219 just added to their inventory....

...can we talk scale people?  This nirvana is 90" tall and 72" wide...so so good.

In keeping with beauno things for #projectwholwhouse, three of these bad boys just went up in the foyer...

...and they're delightful...now we're just waiting on the ginormous chandelier for the window and we'll call that space done, done, done.

And with that, I think this post is a wrap.

I've got an amazing jewelry giveaway up my sleeve for Thursday and of course, my regularly scheduled 

If You Want It, Black Rooster It post for tomorrow so check back lovebeans.

xo

Around Here....

I literally had the WORST sleep of my life last night...whatever plague I have is making me boiling hot one second and freezing cold the next...it's also forcing my face feel like it's had a rough go in a meat grinder.

Not cool.

And the worst part...I literally watched baby sleep his little heart out beside me...to be awake when he was off in zzzzz land...not OK.

Anyhoo...on a much happier note, today marks Jasper's 2 month birthday...

I seriously can not believe he's this big already...sad mommy.

Thankfully, his sweet expressive face makes EVERYTHING OK.

In other 'me' news...unrelated to precious boy...stuff has been happening with #projectgetroomsreadyforkids

As you know, the whole renovation started with Home Depot coming to the rescue...they supplied the stunning grey laminate flooring that runs through the hallway, bedroom, main living area and laundry nook...the subway tile that lines the laundry and bathroom walls, and the marble mosaic flooring for the bathroom, are also Home Depot specials...I literally couldn't be more thrilled with all of it.

When it comes to renovations, Home Depot really does have so many amazing products...from their special order department to their in stock loveliness, there's goodness a plenty.

My incredible contractor, architect and painter have been busy ever since the Home Depot supplies were delivered and as of now, we're seeing an end final reveal getting very close.

My painter was here yesterday and gave a bunch of stuff the black treatment...

The floating wall cabinets in the hallway {I'm debating those wall shelves... might take them out and just hang some artwork...flip flopping}are about to get some white quartz tops and the laundry sliding door is getting its etched frosted glass installed before the weekend...very excited on both fronts.

And as for next steps...we've got these things on the list...

1. finish laundry area with countertops and cabinetry.

2. construct built ins for TV area above Barcelona bench or...for the wall opposite the TV...debating which wall I want this on.

3. load toys and crap back in:(

4. connect gas line to make working fireplace...we hadn't planned on doing this right away but I think if we are going to really spend time down there, it's got to be warmer and this seems the easiest way to make that happen.

And then...it's just some more accessorizing, art hanging, zhushing etc.

On that front, the Moroccan Shag rug I ordered from RugsUSA arrived and I couldn't be happier with it...

...it's such a lovely creamy white and silky as all get up...helps with the cold issue too.

I'm really quite thrilled with how the new basement is coming together and very excited to get 'er done so I can take pictures with a real camera and show you all the finished goods.

And now that the basement is almost there, we're starting to get a few other house jobs checked of the list.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you've seen pics of my new hood...and if you're not over there, here she is in all her white boxy glory...

...exactly what I wanted...happy, happy.

Next jobs re: house: moulding work in the foyer and on the living room ceiling; new white paint for the living room walls; a new roof (steel, enviroshake or cedar I think,) new windows (white,  black????) and perhaps a siding re-do (god help me when I have to decide on that)...or we could just move...

...which = THE NEVER-ENDING DEBATE...fark.

xo