The Locker

Teething

Having a baby is like a non-stop roller coaster that keeps changing course!  And nothing seems to get babies off their game like teething.  Am I right?!  That's where Glitter & Spice teething necklaces come in!  Everette's third tooth was making its way to the surface just as this necklace arrived at my door - perfect timing!  And we both love it!  In fact, I found so many uses for it. First off, these necklaces are handcrafted (right here in Vancouver!) out of food grade silicone.  And since I love supporting local companies, it's pretty much a no-brainer for me. They come is a bazillion colour combinations or you can create your own. The necklace I'm wearing in the photos is called Avery and it's from their statement necklace collection.

 

Everette loved the necklace immediately.  She put it in her mouth and just kept chewing on it. I began finding all kinds of uses for it.  I found it was the perfect distraction during diaper changes to stop her from trying to escape the change table  I also used it during story time since she's been obsessed with grabbing every page and flipping through books at lightening speed.  Now she just leans back, grabs the necklace and munches away while she enjoys the story.  When nursing, it's the perfect thing to grab onto...you know, instead of my hair!  I haven't put it in the freezer yet but you can and I'm excited to do that this week!  

I'm sure I'll find more uses for it!  I'm even going to take it on our next flight to keep her hands away from the tray table or from grabbing the ipad!  Can't wait.  Will let you know how it goes!

Sounds awesome, right?!  Well, you can get one too!  I'm hosting a giveaway of this great coral silicone teething necklace by Glitter and Spice on my Instagram account.  All you need to do is follow both of us on Instagram and tag a friend to enter! Easy Peasy.  Winner announced Friday, June 26th, 2015.

 

 

Time to update!

It's been a busy 12 months.  We renovated the main floor of our house, had a baby and traveled to Europe! Now that Everette is nearing her first birthday and I'm heading back to work, I've had some time to reflect on the past year and I'm making an effort to carve out some time to document our lives again.  I love looking back to see how our lives have changed! 

First up, our house renovation! Some of the finishing work is still being completed but the here are a few snaps of the rooms.    

Then this happened...

When Everette was 3 months old, we flew to Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Malta!  I have lots to share from this trip and our trips to San Francisco and Hawaii.  

 

DIY Industrial Coffee Table

I came across a great table while perusing Pinterest last week.  It had a wood top and the base was made out of plumbing pipes.  I fell in love as soon as I saw it.  I've been looking for a table for the man cave that was cheap and awesome.  I loved the industrial look of this table so I sent my husband on a hunt to the nearest plumbing store to make it for me. He couldn't find the stainless look but he found this gun metal grey.  He did a great job because I love it even more!  And the best part was it only took him about an hour to put it all together.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

You'll likely have to go to a plumbing store to find these pieces.  It's best to find a store where you can walk the aisles so you can fit your pieces together to get the look you want.  Some people have asked about the grease on the black pipes but ours didn't have any on them!  I'm not sure if they are a special kind of pipe these ones have a matte finish and are not greasy at all.  Here are the pieces we used:

3 - 2 x 10 cedar planks cut to 5 feet lengths

8 - flanges (1 1/4 inch diameter)

8 - 5" length pipe (1 1/4 inch diameter) - These are the vertical pipes

4 - T shaped connectors (1 1/4 inch diameter)

4 - 2" threaded pipe connectors (1 1/4 inch diameter)

4 - 1 1/4 to 1 inch pipe reducer

4 - 6" length pipe (1 inch diameter) - These are the horizontal pipes

2 - 1 inch T connectors

1 - custom cut 51" long pipe (1 inch diameter)

Our final table height ended up being 15 inches to go with our low couch.  You may want yours higher and would need to adjust the length of your pipes and cedar planks accordingly.

We secured the cedar planks together using 8 - 1" x 12" flat, steal brackets, attached to the underside of the table. 

***Edited to add*** I've had a lot of questions/comments about where you can buy the black pipes.  We purchased ours at a local plumbing store but I've come across this seller if you're looking for pipes that are already cleaned and degreased, and he even has table kits!  https://www.blackfriarsironworks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Newspapers as Art

I have a problem - it's a commitment problem.  We lived in our house for almost 2 years before I put anything up on the walls.  I just can never decided what to put up.  Commitment issues.  I know.  Well, my indeciveness doesn't really pay off because when I do put something on the wall, I just end up putting multiples!  Here's an example:

When we renovated the basement of our hundred-year old home, we took down some walls and discovered old newspapers from when the addition had been put on.  I was in heaven!  Really.  I felt like I had struck gold.  I loved the idea of catching a glimpse into the lives of the people who had lived here before us and reading the articles took me back to another time and place!  I kept those newspapers around for a while and would move them from one place to another but never got around to dealing with them.  Most of them were in pretty bad shape, being crumpled and pulled out of the holes in the walls.  I salvaged the best ones and decided I would frame some of my favourite advertisements. 

 

Here's Jason hanging the front page one late night!  It was a little crumpled but has the date and some historical events on it. 

It's still not finished but here's what it looked like in the day time.  I want more going all the way down and a couple more going up.  I love how this turned out and how it highlights some of the history from our house.  It really makes it feel like a home!  Now I know why people put stuff up on walls...I could get used to this.

And here's another example of how I just can't put ONE thing on a wall....

 

The Mancave Renovation

It's been a long, difficult road but we are finally nearing the end of the Mancave renovation.  The task was simple according to my husband - make a comfortable man cave where the guys could watch the game.  Easier said than done, expecially when I was told he wante me to use the colours of his favourite sports team.  In the end, he gave up a little and so did I but what we came up with was a perfect balance.  Manly enough to have the guys over with a few femine touches. Here are some of the highlights with a few before and after pictures:

Wood pallet dart board wall

Industrial furniture

Concrete fllors

Vintage accessories

Chalkboard walls

 

The wood wall was made out of wooden pallets.  I found them on Craigslist.  Some company had piles of them that they were giving away for free!  After a good scrub with soap and water, my husband cut them into pieces and nailed them up.  Love it. 

We got that metal cabinet from an antique store that had just received a crateload of industrial furniture from France.  Love.

The chalkboard wall.  The boys have so much fun adding their art to it.  It's a big hit.

Real Wedding Invitations - Made with Fabric, Wood Veneer and Lace

I'm so excited to share these wedding invitations.  They are made with everything I love right now.  Wood veneer, lace and fabric.  Each invite was handmade by myself and the wonderfully talented Jennifer Bell of BisforBird. 

Jen and I had 1 weekend to make these inviations before we left for a much needed vacation.  The best part?  The bride gave us full control over the finished product. 

It all started with the light wood veneer chips.  I found them in a shop that salvages odds and ends from industrial jobs.  Then, by absolute chance, I met someone the same day who happened to have a whole pile of the dark wood veneer!  He asked if I wanted it and I grabbed it outta his hands before he could change his mind. 

We die cut the wood veneer shapes and hand stamped the message "el amor" - Spanish for Love

I was given the Martha Stewart lace punch left over from another friend's wedding and I found a 75 foot roll of craft lace for $2.99 at a local notions store. 

The bride didn't want RSVP cards but we convinced her to let us include these ones.  They have fabric on one side and the information printed on the other.  We die cut them into the bracket shape to mimic the wood veneer shapes.

Did I mention we designed and made these invites in two days!  Best part, these 50 invitations cost around $75 to make.  Total.  That's it.  Everything included. No joke.  For real.  I know.  Seriously. 

Pretty Packaging with Fabric Scraps & Sheet Music

I have an amazing friend who plays the piano.  I wanted to wrap her gift in sheet music so I asked around some of my favourite vintage shops to see if theything laying around.  One shop owner went in the back and pulled out a pile of old books and loose pages.  Jackpot! 

I didn't feel bad cutting up the pages because the booklet I purchased was already ripped.  I also used old fabric scraps, burlap, ribbon and kraft paper to wrap the gift and finished it off with some trim that I sewed into a flower.   I hope she loves it!

Holiday Cards 2010

Each year I rack my brain trying to come up with ideas that will work with my fabric cards.  I have tons of ideas but they don't always work when I cut out the fabric.  I adore simple, clean lines and this year I'm loving my holiday pack.  This set of 10 comes with two each of these super cute cards (Reindeer, snowflake, Santa's jacket, Tree & Mitten. My favorite is the reindeer but I also love Santa's Jacket!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schumacher Chiang Mai Fabric Cards

Last week I received a package in the mail.  I opened it to find the beautiful Schumacher Chiang Mai fabric!

Months ago, a client asked if they could provide their own fabric for their order.  I agreed and she told me it was on backorder but would ship it when it arrived.  I had NO idea it was Chiang Mai Dragon!  The funny thing is, I was just shopping online for some cushions in the Alabaster background (not the red) but was wishing I had a sample so I could see the colours up close.  It was meant to be!  This was a labour of love.  Not only did I get to make Calling Cards, but I also made some fabric cards and gift tags with the remnants. Each card was totally unique and fabulous. 

 

 

Studio Tour

When we moved into the house, I took over the room that had the best light.  It's been my little studio for just over a year now and I love every corner of it.  I love it even more now that I have some new shelves.  Each shelf now serves a purpose, holding precious bits and pieces.  I still have more corners to tackle but here are a few to look at.