Ikea

Making the Most of #EverySecond.

February 5, 2016 By Lena 31 Comments

They’re competitive and loud and rarely respond unless I scream. They’re argumentative and ornery and way too sensitive about the silliest things (He’s looking at me, mom! He’s LOOKING at me!). They push my buttons, push for a later bedtime and always push each other.

Yet, they’re the heart of my home. They breathe so much life, excitement and vigor into my day. And when I catch them sitting together – because they just can’t stand to be apart – I remember that beyond the spats and bickering, they truly are the very best of friends. I am truly blessed to share every second of my day with them. …

Reno-cation: Ryder’s Room

May 25, 2011 By Lena

Ta-da! I’m finally ready to start posting photos of my recent Reno-cation! I’ve decided to literally go from room to room – divulging details on what steps were taken, items I love, and where you can grab ’em. Then, don’t forget to tune in next month, when you’ll have a chance to win some of the goodies!

Disclaimer: The rooms aren’t “finished”, per se. There are instances where I’d like to change a piece of furniture, add a new picture or photo frame, or eliminate a style element… but don’t have the time or finances to do so at the moment. However, on the whole I’m very pleased with the small changes we’ve made, and am happy to present you with our recent mini-makeovers.

BEFORE

Since we’ve got four bedrooms and only two children, we have the benefit of having a home office upstairs. Pretty crucial when there’s a blogger in the house! Until recently, we used what the builder termed “Bedroom 4” as our study – its quite large and spacious, and we were able to create a work space, an area for me to scrapbook (a now defunct hobby – there’s just no time!) plus more than enough room for the kids to hang out so I can keep an eye on them. Trouble is, with Ryder growing and requiring more space for his personal effects, we felt it was time to move him into a “big boy’s room”. Before the move, he was in the bedroom beside our own, so having him relocate to the other side of the house has actually been tougher on mommy than him!

Ahem, did I mention that the room needed a healthy dose of spring cleaning? The closet was packed with literally every form of paper junk imaginable – wrapping paper, books, notepads, stickers, etc. etc. Here’s a shot of the room from the opposite angle, deep into the purge:

As you can see, the garbage bag was FULL. See the blue storage bin full of books on the left? All chick lit, my friends. Time to put the works of Sophie Kinsella to sleep.

AFTER

Ryder’s new bedroom…

Paint:

PARA Paints Picturesque Port, #P5011-24

Wall Decor:

Adzif “Ludo Tells a Story” and “Hip Hop” decals, purchased from DeSerres
Framed photos – DIY project I whipped together, displayed in NEXXT Suspense Frames
“LACK” wall shelf, purchased from IKEA

Furniture:

Denali, purchased from The Baby’s Palace

NOTES

I wanted Ryder’s room to be a happy, carefree place that would make him smile. His bright blue room is a far cry from the paint swatches I first considered – muted, mellow and “meh” colours. Somewhere along the way I decided to abandon what others would like… and paint for what Ryder would like! Great news – he LOVES his new room, and says goodnight to the Ludo sticker every night!

The furniture certainly doesn’t fill the room, but once Reid outgrows his crib, it will convert to a double bed which will be Ryder’s to enjoy (Reid will inherit the toddler bed pictured above). So in a few short months, what looks like a huge bedroom will actually be balanced a little more effectively with the right mix of furniture.

PARA Paints generously provided the paint for my entire home, and let me just say that I couldn’t be happier with the selection of colours and finishes. My father-in-law, who is a professional painter, commented that the paint (PARA’s Ultra latex interior) provided superior coverage with mess-free application. More on PARA Paints to come!

One room down, lots more to go! Stay tuned…

The Blue Table

December 5, 2010 By Lena

A few readers have written to me, asking: “How do you get that lovely blue background when you take pictures of products?”

Introducing… The Blue Table.

(Ikea; the MAMMUT children’s table.)

Bright, Colourful Things

June 5, 2009 By Lena

It’s no secret that I like bright, colourful things. I play with Ryder Roonie’s toys more than he does! There’s just something about the combination of vivid, primary hues which makes me feel upbeat and happy all day long.

Speaking of Ryder Roonie – for the past 6 months he has been systemically taking over our whole house. Toys behind the toilet. Cheerios in my sock drawer. And my personal favourite – his pacifier thrown down our heating vent (after he lifted the cover off the floor).

It was time to take drastic measures – so we simply decided to just hand over part of our house to him. We moved all the furniture out of our spare bedroom and created a play room; a place where he could just throw things around, bang pots together and flop down without catching a sharp corner.

Of course, the very best part about the play room for me was decorating it! I abandoned my usual minimalist ways and attempted to drown the room with vibrancy.

Helping me achieve this orgy of colour was the application of vinyl wall decor. Vinyl art is thin, applies sleekly to the wall and looks like custom graphics. While application takes a few tries to perfect (especially if you’re a lines and angles girl such as myself), by the second or third decal you should be rockin’ it just fine.

Most of my designs were from Hip In A Hurry – awesome custom graphics with some of the cutest patterns I’ve ever seen. You can order directly from their website, but I suggest going to Michael’s, where you can apply a 40% off coupon to your purchase. I can’t tell you how many separate trips I had to make in order to use a coupon for every transaction (worth it in the end – I never once paid full price)!

Then I ran to Ikea, of course, to pick up a great pint-sized table set and shelf, all made of kid-friendly plastic and rounded wood. To finish, we accessorized with a foamy, soft mirror and new fishy-inspired lighting.

Et voila! A play room, conveniently located on the second floor beside our study, fit for a little prince! (or in our case, a little monster) Right now, as I’m blogging, Ryder Roonie is in the next room, banging on his mini piano :)

I’d show you a “before” photo, but it was only an empty, 11×11 room with white walls (though as seen in the picture above, Ryder-Ronnie helped his mommy thoughout the redecorating process). So here are some “after” shots.