New Year Resolutions?

As the year comes to a close the question on many minds is to do resolutions for the new year or not?  I am a resolution addict but like 91% of the population am fairly unsuccessful at them.  This year I am taking a different take.  I am still going to do resolutions but I am going to make ones that are obtainable, measurable (for the most part) and ultimately will improve my life.  The major premise of my resolutions is that someone can do almost anything in 30 day increments.  What this also means is that it usually takes 30 days to develop a behavior, or in my case, change a negative behavior into a positive one.  I am still in the process of thinking what I want to accomplish but I am sure in the next few days I will reveal them.  Stay tuned!

More Garden Paver Pictures!

Here are more pictures of the garden!  I am out of the country again for work but am returning Thursday!  My goal is to make a huge dent on the yard and finish, or get really close to finishing the yard.  In the meantime, here are more pictures!

 

 

 

 

Ideas for what to plant in the gardens are welcome!

Next Renovation Project

Ever since I first saw them years ago I have been obsessed with interior barn doors in a residential setting.  They have such a distinct design aesthetic and are incredibly unique and stylish.  I have a walk-in closet that is not so practical.  It is a small walk-in closet but the door opens into the closet.  In order to reach half of my clothes I need to walk into the closet, mush myself against the clothes and then shut the door.  Not good and incredibly tedious and frustrating.

I was initially thinking about doing pocket doors but I have a heat register control and a light switch  where the pocket door would need to be installed.  So that's out. 

Next someone suggested I use a bi-fold door and replace the slab panel door that is already there.  Um... NO!  The design diva in me is rolling over in her grave.... if she were in a grave.  So that was out too.

Then I thought about doing mini french doors.  I am sure it would look phenomenal but it is next to impossible to find those doors without them being custom, and alas the custom price tag.  So that is out too.

After pondering for a while I thought "what about the barn door"?!  I have loved them forever and it would be the perfect application for it.  It would be far enough away from the wall it will clear the light switch and the heat register control.  It would tuck nicely behind my armoire and would not take up any additional space since it is such a premium in my room.  In addition I can finally reach all of my clothes!

Here are some examples of the look I love.

In a stroke of brilliance my mom suggested mounting a full length mirror instead of a door as I don't have one in my bedroom. BRILLIANT!

Here is the mirror I am thinking of.  I have only found one other mirror barn door that I liked.  I like this mirror but not the $700 price tag that goes along with it.

So stay tuned.  There will be a mirror barn door in my room soon.  Barn door hardware is NOT cheap.  I am going to have to do something with the bottom of the mirror to to give it some more height as it is about 6 inches too short. 

 

 

Garden Pavers as Garden Borders? WHAT?!

Due to popular request I am now going to start posting my home renovations to this blog.  I have a lot of things I want to do to my house and I enjoy doing it.  Due to my crazy lifestyle these projects can tend to drag on (OK, it actually helps to be in the same country, let alone city, of the renovation)...

Since I moved in 2.5 years ago I have wanted to "fix" my backyard and make my entire yard more esthetically pleasing.  The folks I bought the house from favoured a hippie, grow your own food and make a residential backyard a farm kind of living.  I, on the other hand, favour relaxing residential backyards so I have slowly been de-farming the property.  I can't wait for them to drive by and visit the property since their family lives in Vancouver.  They may cry - ha ha!

One of my biggest pet peeves is grass in the garden.  And Bernese Mountain Dog in the garden.  So I did what any perfectionist who likes clean lines did - I decided to raise the sides of the garden to contain the dogs and the weeds!  This is still a work in progress although I hope to finish it in another week or two.  What do you think?

'Tis the Season!

With one more day to American Thanksgiving, Christmas is just around the corner!  I am planning on hitting the Black Friday sales to finish my Christmas shopping.  Yes, I am planning on being one of the crazies to line up at BestBuy...

It is time to Deck the Halls, start taping those Christmas shows and trimming the tree!  I am a Christmas keener and have pulled out my tree.  I HATE the way it looks though and am contemplating redoing it.  My tree is a $48 Walmart pre-lit special.  It isn't a bad tree but I have had it for several years and am ready to move to a bigger and better tree.  It seems teeny tiny in my space since the tree is 6.5 feet and my ceilings are 9 feet.

My more pressing Christmas concern at the moment is candles.  I am looking for some amazing Christmas candles, ideally in red that are festive, pretty and interesting to look at and smell of Christmas, ideally cinnamon.  The best ones I have found so far are at Pier 1.