Happy (Spring?!) Weekend!

It's the weekend! We are so ready for spring around here. This winter has been cold and long. Lately we've been trying to stay outside all afternoon to combat the cabin fever we've been suffering from basically since Hurricane Sandy in October. :/  It's so fun now that Evie's old enough to ride her scooter and we don't have to take a stroller down the subway stairs. It feels like the city is our oyster. My little scooter gang is coming to get you this spring, NYC!

(This photo cracked me up when I found it on my phone (Gracie's becoming quite the little sneaky photographer). Do your kids climb inside your jacket when they get cold? I secretly love the extra snuggles (and warmth!), but now I'm thinking it must look a little weird to passersby? ha!)

Linus and I have been going out for runs together along the Promenade and I'm remembering how much I love this place. I was talking to another woman in my church about how sometimes we just want to move somewhere easier and cheaper to live. She gave me some wise words: Never make any decisions about moving away from the city in the winter, or your emotions will get the best of you. :)

Well, I think spring must be just around the corner because all the fancy brownstones in the Heights are putting out cut flower arrangements in their window boxes. Talk about luxury right? There's some major wiggle room in your budget if you can afford weekly flowers for your neighbor's sidewalk viewing pleasure.

Have a lovely weekend friends! If you're celebrating Easter, I hope it's a great one for you and your family. xo

I Heart Carpet

Happy Good Friday friends.

The family and I are off to LEGOLAND this afternoon for some kid fun but before we go, I thought I'd pop in and share what happened around my house yesterday...felt like 'Good Thursday' around these parts with the installation of my carpet runner on the mainfloor...

...and basement stairs...

The carpet and installation was done through Elte here in Toronto and let me just say that the level of expertise and precision with which it was installed was nothing short of inspiring...definitely one of those times when I clearly realized that you get what you pay for.

The runner upstairs was literally cut as one continuous piece, meaning there are zero seams...I love how the stripes all run in one direction but appear to change with the orientation of the stairs...couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

If you live in the GTA and want stair carpet, I must insist that you go to Elte...the workmanship and quality of the carpet/install service is just topsies.

Along with the stairs, I also received the Moroccan Beni runner for the foyer that I ordered a little while back through the fabulous Etsy shop Boucherouite...

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I've gone through a few options for this space over the years but nothing has felt exactly right until now.

Love that this guy is:

a) long enough

b) durable

c) the right colour/feel

Happy, Happy.

xo

well hello weekend.  it's so nice to see you.....
i've been having a moment with this song....apparently taylor has too b/c she ask me to play it over and over again.
i want to make this tonight b/c it looks oh so good....to eat of course, while we watch the last homeland of season 1...dying over this show.  excited to still have season 2 to watch next!!
tomorrow, i'm putting on my sunday's best to go carolina cup...the last time i went i think i was on a frat bus...i'm thinking this time will be a little different (but you never know).
i hope everyone has a wonderful easter and spring break.....much love!!

Dragon's Maze Champions

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

We are heading into the Easter long weekend now and will not likely get a chance to play any Magic: the Gathering anytime over the weekend at OMG! Games in Barrie, Ontario as the clan is gathering for the annual family  tradition of eating and drinking with little room for anything else.  This also includes all the frivolities of our full-contact version of the Easter Egg Hunt.

Speaking of Eggs - We here at MTG Realm are thinking of putting together a Modern-format 'Eggs' build soon.  Here is an article from WotC Jacob featuring a budget 'eggs' strategy.  Eggs essentially is a powerful and consistent combo deck that wins the game on turn three or four by looping Second Sunrise and cheap artifacts that tap to draw cards.  We'll definitely need to pick up some missing cards from MTG Mint Card for this.
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Anywhoos, today on the mothersite, Trick posted the video of last weekend's PAX East panel and we suggest that if you are interested in the next set, Dragon's Maze in the Return to Ravnica block, give it a listen . . .

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We are definitely beginning to speculate on the Dragon's Maze spoilers / preview arts of all the Guild Champions.  Here's the list again if you missed it earlier.  Expect our baseless ramblings soon . . .  
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Azorious - Lavinia of the Tenth
Boros - Tajic, Blade of the Legion
Dimir - Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker
Golgari - Varolz, the Scar-Striped
Gruul - Ruric-Thar, The Unbowed
Izzet - Melek, Izzet Paragon
Orzhov - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
Rakdos - Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
Selesnya - Emmara Tandris
Simic - Vorel of the Hull Clade
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Baby, Baby, Baby Nursery - Brittany of Classically B

Hello!!!!

Since it's Thursday, I thought I might as well get my ass in gear and post a little...

...action.

This is officially the first BBBN since the arrival of my numero quatro, Master Jasper (ha...that sounds funny)...

...which makes me ubberly happy.

The nasty UTI I've just been diagnosed with, however, is not making me or my baby's stomach pleased at all...I'm on my 4th round of antibiotics in the past 3 months...so not cool...the massive doses of probiotics are having a hard time keeping up with the healthy flora destruction.

And what's more/of bigger importance,  sweet little nugget was up ALL night with this horrible sore tummy thanks to the medicine- such shit balls.

Anyhoo...I digress.

On a happier note, here's a fabulous nursery moodboard, courtesy of Brittany, a la...

.......

Pillow {My own pillow collection!!}

Rug

Dresser 

Chair

console

crib 

sconces 

mirror 

knit animal 

blanket 

.......

Loving the colour palate and sconces/dresser/mirror combo...and that pillow, which PS, comes directly from Ms Brittany's brand spanking new shop (literally opened yesterday) called...

Witness the pretty...

Delish.

And with that, I'm off to oversea the installation of my new carpet runners.

Hooray, hooray.

As well, painting of the basement/ #projectgetroomsreadyforkids will be finished today with the fireplace getting a coat of white and the laundry doors going black.

Progress pictures will be plastered here next week and I promise, promise a nursery reveal then too:)

And what's more, #projectvicarious is wrapping up with the big move in happening next week so stay tuned for a big post on that front.

For now, much love for all the sweet baby related comments...so appreciated...and happy almost long weekend.

Oh wait...one more thing- don't forget to enter my Candy Shop Vintage giveaway, if you haven't already.

These gorge earrings from their new vintage inspired collection, are up for grabs...

You know you want them:)

Hope the bunny is good to you and yours.

xoxo

Another Lady Portrait

Art is definitely one of those subjective things. Something that speaks to me might not be your bag. When I brought home this portrait from the flea market a few months ago, Heather was not a big fan (I think she likes it more now). I love it though. I'm fascinated by more abstract portraiture and I love the colors of this one.

The vendor who sold me this painting had a lot of pieces from the estate of a Connecticut artist named Lucy Baker. This portrait though was not one of her works, but was a trade from one of her artist friends, Thomas Barron. He wrote a little note saying so on the back.

I had her hanging in our bedroom for a while and I think I preferred her in there. But the electric grape color of her shirt just looks so pretty with the chartreuse console table, it seemed a shame to keep her hidden away, even though there's a much grander dame in the room already. :)

Oh! And by the way, I went back to Home Depot this week to find out the paint color of the console. It's "Citronette" from the Home Decorator's Collection line from BEHR.

$500 Giveaway: Page Sargisson Jewelry

This week's giveaway is near and dear to my heart. Fellow Brooklynite and very talented jewelry maker, Page Sargisson is giving away a $500 gift certificate! Her beautiful work can be found at ABC Home and Sundance and boutiques around the world, as well as her lovely online shop.

Page makes all of her jewelry by hand in recycled gold, using impressions, images and patterns from found and borrowed objects that all have a really lovely sense of history. She uses this vintage printing press block to make all of her calendar charms.

Page's jewelry studio is right by me in Brooklyn Heights, so I popped over recently to say hi. It was so fun to see all of the vintage pieces she uses to make her jewelry. She often uses wooden stamps she bought on her travels to India.

I completely fell in love with these gold earrings that Page made using the pattern on an antique carved plate that belonged to her grandparents.

See how she used the carved trees to make the sunburst pattern on the earrings?

I have one of Page's signature calendar charm necklaces and I can say it is honestly one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. The first day I wore the necklace I got asked about a dozen times where it was from, which made me feel like a million bucks. I wear it almost every day now.

My calendar charm is gold and silver with a diamond marking the 9th of January, which is my wedding anniversary. I paired the charm with my grandmother's gold chain, so it feels extra sentimental. I love, love, love it.

Here are a few more favorite pieces from Page's site:

To enter the giveaway for $500 in Page's jewelry, go to the Page Sargisson site, register with your email and then come back here to leave a comment with your favorite picks on this post. Contest ends Wednesday April 3 at midnight. One winner chosen at random and will be emailed using the registration on the Page Sargisson site, so be sure to register and comment.

PS And in the meantime, Page is very kindly offering a 25% off discount code good through April 15 on her site:  LGN25

*CONGRATS to the winner: Fran! Check your inbox. :)