Saturday, November 19, 2011

Let it Sew!

Winter has finally arrived in Winnipeg.
It snowed ALL day yesterday. Two days ago there was still grass in my front yard and now we have this:


Due to all this snow I've decided to hibernate and get some projects in my mending pile done.
a.k.a. Hem some more dresses! lol!



This is my vintage sewing machine. It was my grandmother's. My Mom learned to sew on this machine and made many, many things for my brothers and I with it over the years. Mom gave it to me 7 or 8 years ago and I love it! They just don't make things like they used to.




Lisa.xo

Friday, November 18, 2011

Outfits: Pink and Polka Dots

Last weekend D. and The Boy's brother had their social. For those of you who don't know what a social is, it's a kind of large party/event that engaged couples throw to raise money for their wedding. A hall is booked, tickets are sold, there's a cash bar and a silent auction full of donated prizes for people to bid on.

It's a pretty big deal for the family and wedding party so I dressed up a bit for it.

This is what I wore:






Raspberry Beret: Laura
Leopard Print Scarf: Ricki's
Black Blazer: Forever 21
Vintage Rhinestone Brooch: Thrifted
Vintage Rhinestone Necklace: from Grandma Nelson
Blush and Black Blouse: Laura
Stretch Belt: Laura
Vintage Wool Polka Dot Oscar de la Renta Skirt: Vintage Glory ($15!!)
Black Bow Heels: Winners
40's Corded Purse: Ragpickers

In other news, I've finished working for Winnipeg Jewish Theatre. The show closed last week. I've got the rest of the year off until I start working for Manitoba Theatre Centre in January. In the meantime I've picked up a little part time job at The Boy's Mom's office doing some filing and faxing. Gotta keep busy!


Lisa.xo


P.S. Welcome to all my new readers!! :)




Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Dining Room Cabinets Completed!

Yeah! I couldn't be happier that these are finally done. And they look fantastic!


Magazines make this kind of project look so easy. And really, I guess in essence it was easy, but it was incredibly time consuming. The prep, the painting, the wallpapering. Changing the hardware was the quickest thing about this project.

And speaking of quick, you may have noticed that nothing really gets done quickly at our house. Since I painted the cabinets in August the cabinets have looked like this.

please ignore the case of beer on the floor. I. Am. Canadian.

We've been waiting for a little free time to tackle it all at once. Yesterday I got sick of looking at the mess and made The Boy pry the backings off of the cabinets.


Prior to this I had marked where the shelves were on the backing with a black felt tipped marker so I could line up the wallpaper like so. The seams sit behind the shelves.


I wanted them to look as seamless as possible.

After I finished lining up the paper we (and by "we" I mean The Boy) nailed the backings back onto the cabinets.

Then the fun part started. Decorating the shelves! I really tried to keep it simple. I edited A LOT of stuff off of these shelves.





And for fun. Here's what the room looked like 2 1/2 years ago right after we moved in.


And last year.


Now all that's left for this room is some bamboo blinds and to paint my dining room furniture (another project looong overdue...one thing at a time.)



What do you think?

Lisa.xo

Monday, November 14, 2011

Great Gift: The Bridal Emergency Kit

I am an uber organized individual. I love to be prepared for any emergency. That's why I think a Bridal Emergency Kit is a great shower gift for any Bride-to-Be. They have so many other things to think about and plan for that sometimes the tiny details are overlooked.

So what better way to give them a head start than starting them a kit for the big day!


I have made a few of these kits over the years and they never fail to be a crowd pleaser. The one I'll show you today was for The Boy's brother's fiancĂ© (let's call her D.). If The Boy and I were married she'd be my sister-in-law, but since we're not (but are as good as married in every other way), I guess she's kinda like my pseudo-sister-in-law...but now I'm just getting off track...

Back to the gift!

The greatest thing about these gifts is that you can go as elaborate as you want. The budget can also be incredibly flexible. I've spent as much as $70 dollars on one of these kits and as little as $20.

Start with a bag. I bought this one at the Dollarstore. I like to buy a bag that is pretty and can be used again. Try to think about the Bride's sense of style. Do you know her wedding colours? The vibe of her wedding? This can be helpful as this bag will be around on the big day.

D. is a non-nonsense kinda girl with modern, down to earth style. I loved the bold stripe on this bag and the long handles. It also features a zip top to keep all the goodies in.
I'm also a fan of custom labels, so I made the tag with some lime green card stock and some ribbon.

Here's what I included in the kit for D.


Here's the breakdown of what I've got here.

1. Band-aids in several sizes
2. Cough Drops
3. Mini Sticky Roller
4. Mini Hairspray
5. Hand Sanitizer
6. Hand Lotion
7. Lip Balm
8. Tums
9. Dental Floss
10. Emery Boards
11. Manicure Set. including two sizes of nail clippers, manicure scissors and tweezers
12. Sewing Kit. try to buy one with thread the same colour as the bridesmaids dresses.
13. Tampons and mini-pads
14. Kleenex
15. Q-tips
16. Hair Elastics tied with ribbon
17. Bobby Pins
18. Here's a close up of #18:


19. Gum. you could include mints instead if you'd like
20. Mini Mirror

I also included a small make-up case to store some of the smaller items. You could include several if you'd like.

When putting together a kit I try to think of any emergency that may occur and what would be needed to fix it quick. I've consulted other lists online in the past, but now that I've made a few of these I've got my own list stored on my computer.

When making these kits I also include a list of other items the Bride may want to include in the kit on the big day. I think this is an important part of the gift for two reasons.
1. I don't have the bride's make-up, deodorant, contact solution or nail polish. She will want these with her on the big day.
2. If funds for the gift are a little low, you can also include items that may break the bank on here that the Bride can choose to add if she likes.


Here's a close up of that list for you:


This card was super easy to make. I found the bride and groom clip art free online, typed up a list, printed it out and glued in onto some more card stock.

Voila! A great gift for any Bride!

Lisa.xo


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Kitchen Porn

The Boy and I are in heavy discussions as of late about what we will do to our kitchen. It will be stage one of our reno. We'd like new cabinets, but it's just not in the budget right now.

So obsessive me has been looking at photos of retro styled kitchens online for days now!













Update: Holly let me know this is her kitchen! Check out more photos here. It was also published in the 2012 Spring edition of Romantic Country Magazine. 
Thanks for letting me know Holly! LOVE your kitchen!!! :)






Sorry, I have no links for any of these! I was feverishly saving images and not checking where they came from. Opps! Let me know if you know where one of these lovely images are from!

Lisa.xo

Monday, November 7, 2011

Channelling Bridget

I'm always on the lookout for cute easy vintage inspired hairstyles.

Today I put on this striped sweater and I was reminded of Bridget Bardot. So in homage to her I put my hair up with a little volume. I quite like it!




What do you think?

Lisa.xo

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Inspiration Jumble


Here are a few photos that are currently inspiring me:


Love this casual look. I'm dying for a great pair of high waisted jeans or sailor pants. They're top on my "Must Have" list right now.

I like the unexpected layering of this outfit. So Pretty.

"CALL ME LUCILLE"
This one's all about the fur collar over the summery dress. Gotta try this!

Esme and the Laneway
Perfect fall/winter layering. 'Nuff said.

The Sartorialist
I love the menswear pants and military style jacket. This is how I want to look when I dress casual. Just add red lips!

I'm dying to try a classic sweater with a super feminine skirt this winter. I would wear it with tights and flat boots though. 

Lisa.xo
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