A Soldier's Homecoming...

image via savannahnow

Today is a special day for me as i will get to see my hubby, my hero, for a whole two weeks. He comes home for leave-Yeah! He has been deployed for a bit over 6 months and although we have done this at least 4 times before, it doesn't get any easier. When he left, baby Zion wasn't walking and now he literally runs to everywhere:-) I am sure Dad will be amazed at how much his son has grown and  how very independent he has become. I am esctatic and for some reason, i feel like i have 

 

 

butterflies in my chest fluttering away, and like i want to do

this!

{images via sxc.hu}

So stylish

[image via the sartorialist]

I can't believe it's already Wednesday! This photo represents how i feel about today. It doesn't seem as if anything can ruin this beauty's day. She seems poised(literally) to get some great shopping done-which is what i'm going to do today-ha! I hope i'll have as great a posture as she does doing so. So stylish and sophisticated yet with a bit of edge(check out her tattoos) She is rocking the blue and red combo- i love it!! 

Moose and Zee themed 1st Birthday Party

My baby boy Zion, recently celebrated his 1st birthday. He adores Moose and Zee. Seriously, if Zion had a blog, it would be called Moose and Zee addict blog:-). Therefore, it was really easy to come up with the idea of celebrating his birthday around a Moose and Zee theme. However, i didn't want his party to be too "themey," so i decided to bring out the concept of the theme  by incorporating the use of the characters' colours in the party's decor. I had the wonderful Teresa of Teresa Olier Photography capture this special event.

I had lanterns everywhere(hanging from trees and hanging inside the house)

more lanterns inside

I made a collage of  at least 80 pictures depicting Zion's first year. I used pre-cut mat boards and backing board to create frames(quite an inexpensive option instead of purchasing actual frames).

 

  

  

I purchased these blue plates(they were on clearance for $1 for 20). The colourful index cards and assortment of sweets continue to illustrate the theme.

 

party favors

labels from etsy seller

 

Baby Z wondering what this new texture was:-)

 

 

He's not really a fan of hats ..isn't it obvious?:-) 

Time to cut the cake-i really didn't want to because it was so perfect!

Main Party details:

~lanterns-lunabazaar

~banner-emagine

~sweets-sweetfactory

~pre-cut mats-redimat

~favor containers-beau-coup

~labels-etsy seller(cherishedtimes)

~birthday hat-etsy seller(sweetnsassybaby)

~apothecary jars-michaels, tjmaxx and jo-ann fabrics

~cake- local cake shop-Sweetboutiquebakery

~labels on the apothecary jars- paper source

Dampened plans...

Remember how i said i would be outside this weekend?  I wanted to stain my deck, de-weed my garden, clean a very stubborn mark off my concrete patio, trim some shrubs, and, and...Well, alas, no such luck, because it has been raining cats and dogs here! I was able to take a quick trip to Home Depot with baby Z though...

Pink love

Although, I'm a color lover, I have never been brave enough to paint an entire room pink. However,Ii love pink accessories, and love to see pink used to add a splash of color in a room.So, I was really excited to find these interiors with exactly the right dosage of pink at Design Crisis! I just love the name too:-).

 

 

Let the fun begin…

The above are before pics of the deck. As you can see, the wood is weathered and on close examination, you can see areas where the wood has splintered.

I rented this pressure washer from Home Depot as the first step in my project involved thoroughly cleaning the deck. I am happy to say that the deck has been "thoroughly" cleaned, so it's on to the next step.

Deck Project Inspiration

Ok, so for my first blog post, I decided to post some inspiring outdoor spaces. My deck is in major desrepair so I have decided that I am going to refinish and stain it. However, since that is a daunting task- I am doing this myself(hubby is deployed) and I have a very active one year old, I needed some inspirational spaces to look at in order to get my butt in gear.I'm totally drooling over these fantastic outdoor spaces featuring Kettal designs over there at Trendir.
Have a great weekend everyone! Will keep you all posted on my "deck facelift" progress.
xo