back in the day, i watched full house on friday nights while eating little caesar's square pizza (remember when the pizza was square?!)...those twins turned out much more stylish then i will ever be...

Style in 7 - Natalie of The Enchanting Life

Good day my love beans.

It's going to be a perfectly swell one for me.

First, I'm off to the doctor for a bambino check-up and will hopefully get to hear his/her heartbeat for the first time...for those of you who've had beans before, you'll know that this is a big moment...could barely sleep last night I was so excited.

And on top of that, #projectscarlett is going to be make mucho progress...wallpapering is happening...ps, stay tuned to my instagram feed (@bijouandboheme)...will post photos of the action.

Also, my curtains and pink French chair are being delivered...happy happy happy.

So...since it's already a great day to be alive, I thought it a perfect time to share another newbie Style in Seven.

Today, I'm welcoming Natalie of the blog, The Enchanting Life.

After only 2 months on the scene, this young lady has already mastered the inspirational and is cranking out posts devoted to all things pretty with ease.

Natalie's blog features all the big hitter favourites like food, fashion and decor...it's got just the right mix of fabulous, along with a little dash of personal stuff to keep things interesting.

I'm very pleased to feature her Style in 7 today and am pretty sure that you'll see why I'm smitten with her after reading it...let's just say her version of style hits very close to my little heart...

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Hello everyone! I’m Natalie from The Enchanting Life. I am so honored and excited to be featured on Bijou and Boheme as part of the “Style in Seven” series! I could write my whole post on the 7 things I love about the Bijou and Boheme blog but since you obviously feel the same, I will share some of my other style inspirations.

1. Bold

As much as I love a whimsical and soft style, I am drawn to a room or outfit that has a focal point. A bold look, to me, can be accomplished through bright colors, loud patterns, and a mix of textures. I admire anyone who is willing to use a bold style in their apparel or their interiors because it draws so much attention; however, you almost have to have a room or outfit that is close to flawless if you want that kind of attention. My favorite bold combinations are black and white stripes, a large chevron print, color blocking two opposite colors, and a bright-colored ceiling.

2. Vintage

I think every outfit or room needs a touch of vintage; anything from a skeleton key necklace to an old steamer trunk used as a coffee table. Using a mix of old and new makes an outfit more charming and a room look more cozy and lived in. My favorite pastime is spending the day in a flea market or on Etsy looking for the perfect vintage item to add to my collection. A vintage piece is a conversation starter and is even more special if it has a story to tell (like it belonged to a grandparent or Abe Lincoln’s neighbor). Adding a vintage piece breaks the cookie cutter mold and makes any room/outfit one-of-a-kind.

3. Whimsical

Whimsical is one of my favorite styles because it’s so playful and makes you use your imagination. A whimsical room can make me feel so relaxed that I drift off into a dream world made up of enchanted forests and Alice in Wonderland tea parties.

4. Glam

Like most women, I am drawn to anything that sparkles. Being surrounded by diamonds, crystals, and gold can make any woman feel like Kate Middleton. I love how a glam style is the perfect mixture of feminine and vintage with a touch of charm and a whole lot of bling. Massive crystal chandeliers, Chanel, white marble, and gold furniture makes for the perfect combination of glam.

5. French

If I had to sum up my style in just one word, “French” would probably be my word, it covers all the bases. The French have achieved a bold and modern look with their black and white stripe; a vintage look with the shabby chic farmhouse style; and their haute couture, crystal chandeliers, and elaborate Rococo furniture make for the perfect mix of glam and feminine. To top it all off they have the world’s most delicious and decadent pastries. Goodness, why am I not living there? The French style always has me saying, “C'est très belle!”

6. Feminine

Soft and pink, bold and glam, I love it all. I admire feminine interior design so much because it’s somewhat out of reach now-a-days. Now that I’m married I have to find the right balance of masculine and feminine within our décor so that the hubby doesn’t complain. This leaves me scrolling through pages on Pinterest dreaming of my Bachelorette pad made up of pretty pinks, delicate lace, and soft linens. Luckily I can still fully embrace these same elements of the feminine style through my wardrobe.

7. Eclectic

Whether I’m designing a room or getting dressed in the morning, I lean towards an eclectic and asymmetrical style. I am drawn to things that are made of up several diverse styles, colors, prints, and patterns. I love when several pieces look so different from one another but when brought together they make a cohesive and beautiful room or outfit. Having that diversity gives so much more dimension and interest; it makes we want to know more about the person who owns that outfit, painted that picture, or lives in that house.

Well there you have it, my “Style in Seven.” Thank you so much to Christine for allowing me to post on her incredible blog. I’m still high-fiving a thousand angels over this awesome opportunity!

Hope you all have an enchanting day,
Natalie

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What did I tell you?

Natalie's Style in 7 could totes be mine...love, love, love her pics.

xo

How to Fill Heavy Wood Grain

While sometimes I love tiger oak for furniture, it is a big no-go for me on cabinet doors. Need a reminder of how our kitchen door-fronts looked? Not pretty.

The first step was to sand down the fronts. The goal was to remove most of the old sealer and finish. No amount of sanding will remove a heavy grain.

Do you have any of these dipped work gloves? They help absorb some of the sander's vibrations when you have a big sanding job to do!

Once everything was sanded down and the old hardware holes were filled, I wiped all the dust away in preparation for the grain-filling. I found this product online and thought I'd give it a shot. It comes in a quart size and I used about 3/4 of the can for 19 doors and drawers.

It looks like tar and has a super heavy odor. This is definitely an outdoor project!!

I was nervous going into this, because they made the directions look really complicated. But in reality, it couldn't be easier - you just slap it on and rub it in! :)

The directions suggest using a wide putty knife, pulling down on the diagonal of the grain. 

After trying that for a while, I found that it was a faster job to just rub in the filler with an old rag. I felt like I had more control with the rag and I could push the filler into the grain with more pressure.

While you can still see the grain patterns, it's super smooth to the touch and you won't be able to see any of the old grain when they're all painted and hung. So happy with the results!

Next up: framing out the borders of the doors with trim, and priming/painting! See my kitchen reno plans here.

PS You could totally use this stuff to fill the heavy oak grain on those cheap, 90s oak "farmhouse" dining tables. The filled grain will still accept new stain (the filler comes in different shades - the one I used here is dark) and of course you can paint it, too. It just needs some time tolet the solvents fully dry out.

Have you ever used this product or anything like it?

RTR PreRelease Event

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

We hope you were able to make it out to a Return to Ravnica PreRelease event this weekend, scored a bunch of new cool Magic the Gathering cards, played some great games and had a blast.  We dropped into OMG! Games in Barrie, Ontario briefly to talk to Owner Rick.  Here's the video . . .


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We returned to take in an afternoon event on Sunday.  For this, we had reserved a Selesnya prerelease Guild Pack, and not surprisingly played green / white with a splash of blue.  Unfortunately we lost the first two matches, won the third and then dropped to be with our new cardboard awesomeness, and get the last of our Return to Ravnica pre-orders in to MTG Mint Card.



Return to Ravnica Pack Pulls 

• Grove of the Guardian  (prerelease promo)
• Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
• Martial Law
• Supreme Verdict
• Abrupt Decay
• Slaughter Games
• Death's Presence

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Project Scarlett - An Update...and a Guest Post

Good morning party people...I apologize for the radio silence on Thursday and Friday...computer kicked the bucket Wednesday night and hubster was out of town so my iPhone was my only way of computer communicating.

As my laptop is getting fixed, posts around here will be a bit sporadic so bare with me.

Aside from my continuing/never ending computer pox, my weekend was good.

Mostly because #projectscarlett is coming together at record speed.

For one, the curtains were ordered...and PS, I couldn't have gotten these all organized and sorted without my amazing friend Hollie of Hollie Cooper Interiors...she's PSS, one of my sponsors and sells the most amazing pillows so if you haven't already checked out her shop, do so...and whispers...we'll be doing a pillow giveaway this week so stay tuned!.

Back to curtains...I had in mind that I wanted this sort of look...

...only with black balls rather than fringe...so, I set off to Fabricland and picked up 17 yards of this goodness...

...and then proceeded to good old IKEA to get some of this action...

I was a little bummed that I needed 10 pairs of panels and the darn things were $50 bucks a shot but...the material is thick and once those grommets are removed and the fringe is put on, well...they'll be glorious and will have cost me a lot less than if I had just bought 27 yards of fabric and set off to have totally custom curtains made.

Thanks to smart Hollie, another little curtain surprise will be happening over the bed...there's a stupid skinny window that's on the one wall and it's going to be covered up with something rather fetching...stay tuned.

Along with the window covering situation, I also got the whole settee debate settled...actually, I sort of won the pretty seating lottery.  After responding to an add for a black linen settee on Kijiji, and sadly finding out it was sold, I got an email from the shop owner {PS, a great Kijiji tip...amazing shops often sell things so keep your eyes peeled for new inventory that's on sale) with pictures of one they did have available and thank god, hallelujah...it was pink!

This brand spanking new, pink linen, down filled piece of sofa heaven arrived at my door on Friday, thanks to an amazing deal and it's creators over at Flik and Company...

...and I am IN LOVE with it.

I got an amazing deal and could not be more pleased...a huge thank you to Flik...if you love this look and want some French country of your own, you must check out their website...so much goodness.

As you can see in the shot above, my West Elm Souk rug also found a spot...thank you to manager fantastic Neil for helping me out on that one!

Now let's see...what else?

I made off like a bandit at IKEA when there to buy the curtain panels...I came home with some sheets, the amazing pink/gold vase that has been out of stock FOREVER, and some pink fake flowers...

...and yes, I did say some fake blooms were purchased...there's a time and place for everything my friends...you will see;)

I also ventured to HomeSense and came home with the most fabulously pretty Indian glass and gold box and white glazed bird...once home, I pulled some other accessories from around the house...

...just to see what was what.

My plan is to add in an edited version of Scarlett's giant collection of kid chotskiedom, to help balance out the grown up pretty.

I feel this is necessary because, well, there's a lot of glam happening up in there.

For one, the wallpaper is gold...

(It arrived on Friday and wowzers...it sure is purdy...thanks Hygge and West!!!)

As well, there's mirrored side tables...

...which were PS, another Kijiji score...brand new and $100 for the pair.

And...this amaaaaaaaazing vintage Venini chandelier is now in there thanks once again to Kijiji and it's original shop home, the very fabulous Eclectisaurus here in Toronto...

...it was the crowd favourite from the vote I put out there last week...and well, it's perfect...I adore how the flowers will mimic the pattern in the paper.

HOWEVER...even though it's absolutely the right size for the room as far as proportion goes, I'm worried that it's tipping the glam scales a bit too far...especially for a 6 year old...so, once the room is all put together, I might head down to my trusty chandy guru, Sam the Chandelier man, and pick up a smaller frame...I could load on fewer of the glass tubes, which would make the whole thing less 'smack your face with all the glamazonia'...we'll see...for now, it's just pretty spectacular so all in all, I'm SO happy.

Let's see...what else...

...the ceiling got painted...

...thanks to the folks at Mr. Paint (who came through so last minute and will also be doing the wallpapering) and to Para Paints, who sent over so much extra paint when #projectkitchengorgeous was happening, that I was able to use the left over Fine Needlepoint in here...it's the perfect blushy/soft pink.

Also, I ventured over to Moveline Liquidators when my friend Hollie (have you noticed a theme here...tres good designer friend) told me that she had spotted from floor length mirrors there...

...got a matched pair for a steal of a deal and painted them all up in glossy white...

And I think that might be where we are for now.

Oh...wait...I also ordered these pretties from one of my absolute favouritist Etsy pillow shops, Arianna Belle...

...and now, the whole room just sort of has to come together.

The wardrobe, chair, wallpaper and curtains are all being delivered tomorrow.

Wednesday will be for wallpaper finishing.

Thursday will be for furniture (bed and dresser) moving.

Friday will see the curtains go up.

And the weekend will be all about me putting Humpty back together again...in a hopefully very pretty way.

Cross your fingers for me please.

And I promise, this reveal will happen next week...cross my heart.

Now before I go, I want to direct you over to a little post I put together for my sweet/newly married blogging friend, Alex...as you know, she just got hitched and is off in Bora Bora paradise enjoying her Honeymoon so she's lined up a bunch of my favourite blogging friends to fill in...and it's my turn today...click HERE to see my romantic/bedroom inspired post...this sort of business is happening...

Don't pretty pictures just solve everything;)

I miss the posts that allowed me to mesh gorgeous together...damn Pinterest that I can't live without but sort of hate.

Check back tomorrow...another divine Style in 7 will be happening.

xo

The Garden Level Entry

Before we lived here, I didn't realize just how much we would end up using the garden level entry. I thought we would just leave from the main front door all the time. But down on the garden level, there's more a little more space and a full-size coat closet. Which means plenty of room for backpacks, scooters, helmets, ballet and soccer gear - all the stuff that accumulates around here easily. We're finding it's actually nice that we can have a more casual entrance for the family and a more formal entry for guests.

Now that I'm revisiting old photos from before we moved in, I can see why I assumed we would never use this entrance. It was literally blocked off from junk the bachelors kept in the hall. And somehow they had broken the closet doors and just sort of propped them up at an angle. :)

So now that this entrace has become basically our mudroom, I bumped it up on the decorating priority list. Just like with my office, I mostly wanted to use things that I had around the house already. And because it's a more casual space that guests won't often see, I thought it would be fun to just go a little crazy here - full on, uninhibited decorating. I'm not done yet, but we're making some headway, I think.

The wallpaper was purchased at a B&F sample sale a couple years ago (we used the larger scale pattern in my mom's kitchen) for just a few dollars a roll.

The blue enamel paint on the door was left over from the interior of Joanna's bedroom armoire. I'm so crazy about the color!

I recycled the hooks from the loft entry. After living a month or two without these, I realized how much the hooks help us keep clutter off the floors. As soon as we walk in, everything gets put up and away. No more searching for backpacks first thing in the morning!

I picked up the antique burlwood mirror at the flea market last year. It's a favorite of mine. It's sort of weird I guess to hang a mirror on the back side of a door, but I kinda like it. I hung it on the door using a screw, and then added picture hanging strips to the corners to give the frame extra stability when the door slams, etc. It's fun to have a little place to check your hair before you run out the door. I want to hang an art series on the left-hand wall, so this was a way to get a mirror without losing wall space.

There was this really bad, commercial grade red carpet in most of the garden level rooms. We pulled it all out right away (it was super gross). The floors underneath need a little love, but they're not that beat up.

I was so, so glad my new persian rug fit the hall space. I love the way the coral in the rug works with the green of the wallpaper.  It was 50% off(!) at eSaleRugs. They are having sales all the time so I make it a habit to pop over to the site every other week or two to see what's new, so I have a lot of rugs from them now. :) (remember my old kitchen runner?).

The benefit to the use-what-you-have decorating approach is it's really instant gratification. I love how fast I was able to throw this all together. After just a few hours of work, it feels like a somewhat-finished space. And I'll take finished-and-good-now over perfect-maybe-someday, any day of the week!