hostess with the mostess

I think it was my brother who once said when I was younger than guests is just another word for cleaning. This week, I really feel like he could not be more correct. As my husband and I prepare to welcome some friends over this weekend for a little housewarming party, our list of things to fix up, touch up and clean up never seems to end. While I would definitely consider us to be a clean couple, it's amazing the scrutiny our house is suddenly under as we prepare it to be seen by other people. So while guests may mean a whole lot of scrubbing, sweeping, dusting and dishes, it also means a good time. I truly am excited to be having people over and while it may mean a little more work before, during and after the party, it also means that I get to play hostess and that’s something that I really like doing. We’ve never really had the space to have a party, or even much of a gathering beyond a couple of lucky people, and yet hosting one is something that I’ve always looked forward to. I’ve longingly looked at pretty pictures of perfect place settings and bookmarked fun foods and delicious desserts. I’ve dreamed of dining with dear friends over lots of laughs in the luxury of my own home. I can’t say I’m a pro party planner and while this weekend won’t quite be the party I’ve been picturing as it’s a little more low key and casual than my dinner party dreams, I’m really looking forward to welcoming my guests with open arms. The extra work is worth it to be the one watching for empty wine glasses, filling my guests full of finger foods and making the night a memorable one. So with the cleaning supplies going back into the closet, the bar stocked and the fridge loaded, all we’ll have left to do is cross our fingers our friends show up! Should be fun!

Do you like to be the host? Any tips for the perfect party?

something old, something new

Moving into a new house brings a lot of new things. A new place to put your clothes, a new way to get to work, a new room to wake up in. So many things can change when a big life event happens and no matter how prepared you can be for the unknown, it's still just that - the unknown. These last couple weeks, the first in my new home, I've found myself having to learn the lay of the land all over again. Things that became second nature are now things that I am second guessing...like where we keep the cutting board or which key locks which door. I've even had to wonder were my husband is sometimes now that we've gone from one bedroom and one floor to three bedrooms and three floors! It may not be the normal I am used to but it's my new normal. A normal I have to get used to. And that is what is exciting and scary about change at the same time. Whether it's a new job, a new town or a new school, there are going to be new faces or places or things to learn. And learning that different doesn't have to be bad is all part of the process. A new kitchen means a chance to get better organized. A new bedroom means more space to make my own. A new neighborhood means new friends to be made. A new normal might be a scary thing but embracing the change and accepting that new might mean new and improved makes change a lot less challenging. I know I'm going to miss all the little things I loved about my old place..but with a new place comes the chance to make new memories and discover more of those little things to fall in love with. So Mr. New Normal, I'm ready for you...are you ready for me?

How do you handle change? What's new in your life right now?

simple smiles: a beautiful day in the neighbourhood

It’s been a long week of painting and sanding and baseboards and drop cloths as my husband and I prepare our new house for our big move this weekend but the simple sweetness of a stranger has put a smile on my face that continues to brighten my week. It's not so often that a stranger takes it upon themselves to go out of their way to do something nice for someone they don't know. Sure, holding the door open for the person after you or letting someone know they dropped their scarf are certainly kind gestures that shouldn't go unnoticed...but when was the last time a stranger's generous gesture really warmed your heart? I was fortunate enough to experience such a thing this weekend as the doorbell rang at my new house after having only received our keys less than 24 hours earlier. Imagine our surprise to find that our new neighbour had dropped by, flowers in hand, to welcome us to the neighbourhood and offer her phone number in case there was anything she could do to help us. A simple reminder that we really do live in a wonderful world.
{via} Neighbours can be a tricky thing. While some are sweet and smile and ultimately stay out of your way, others can borderline on being overbearing and a bother. I'm hoping that Bonny's kind gesture makes her the former and we’ll be waving at each other from across the way with chit chat and well wishes for a good day. Moving into a brand new house with fresh faces and strange surroundings can be daunting even in the best of neighbourhoods so knowing we’re moving in next to someone nice is quite comforting. We’re definitely going to feel like the new kids in town for a while, but feeling welcome will really go along way as we get settled. And now, thanks to the small gesture from a kind neighbour, sitting among the saw dust and paint cans and boxes and tools is a lovely flower arrangement that not only brightens up the room but has helped to make our new house into a home.

What are your neighbours like? Do you live in a friendly neighbourhood?

how to paint a room

I wish I was here to let you in on some little secrets about renovating a room through the magic of paint. I wish I knew the ins and outs of tackling a transformation. But I’m not. And I don’t. I’m about to undertake a little painting project of my own and instead of how to paint a room, for me, it’s more like how do I paint a room.

My husband and I are over-the-moon excited to be getting the keys to our new house tomorrow. As it is our first time being homeowners, we are so looking forward to having our own place and experiencing what it’s like to make our house our home. However, we haven’t even moved in yet and it hasn’t taken us long to discover that a new home means more space, more responsibility and way too many options. Picking a paint colour for the living room in our new home proved to be a process that made us realize just how little we actually know about painting and decorating a home, even though we would probably call ourselves both creative and handy.
{the before - with the old homeowners' furniture} {the inspiration for colour via} I actually really like painting walls. I don't know if it's the artist in me that sees them as a blank canvas or my secret longing to be good at interior design but either way, I can't wait to throw on some old clothes, get up on our ladder and see the first swipe of colour make its mark on the white walls. That may be the easiest part of the process though, because as we stood wide-eyed and wondering in front of the swatches of slightly varied shades of paint colours, we soon realized we really weren’t sure what we wanted our walls to look like. Would Mushroom Bisque be the colour of choice for our living room? Or would the lighter Gobi Desert be better? Would Espresso Bean be the perfect pick for our feature wall? Is Chocolate Swirl too yummy looking? (It indeed is, just in case you were wondering…) We may have had our inspiration for dinner but picking the perfect paint colours would take a few more trips to Home Depot before we decided that Basketry would win, despite its lack of a more masculine name for my man. So as we dive into decorating our new domain tomorrow, I am confident that there are many more things we will learn along the way. The best way to tape edges? I have no idea. How long it will all take? Beats me. But what I do know is that I’m excited. I’m excited for a new house and I’m excited it’s mine to make my own.

Any painting tips? Would you hire someone to paint your house or do it on your own?

snug as a bug

When I was younger, I used to wish for any excuse to stay home from school. I’d secretly hope that I would get sick so that I wouldn’t have to hop on that big, yellow bus yet again. And it’s not like I didn’t like school, I did quite a bit, but there was something so desirable about being able to stay home when you should have been in class, as if being home sick was a rebellious act, as if a sick day was a vacation in disguise. I secretly hoped I would get sick so I could stay home – until it actually happened. Because when you’re home sick, you soon discover it means staying in bed, fighting the flu and missing out on all the fun your healthy friends are having without you.
{via} I had to stay home from work yesterday because a cold hit me hard and getting through the day at work would have been much worse than catching up on what I’d miss. And it made me think of the times when skipping school seemed so worth a sick day. Now, when I get a cough or a cold or a sore throat like the one that kept me confined to the couch yesterday, I fight hard to get better, to get back to the office, to get back normal so that breathing and swallowing become painless and thoughtless actions. I will admit though, as much as I hate being sick, it doesn’t hurt to take advantage of the good that comes with the bad. Who doesn’t love an excuse to stay in your pj’s all day? I won’t often say no to that! When you’re so used to getting up and getting dressed and going to work, I’ve got to admit that taking a break from the routine is a plus no matter how many boxes of tissues I may go through. And when soup is my staple when I’m sick, getting curled up under a blanket with a nice warm bowl of chicken noodle goes a long way in making me feel better. Even though The Price is Right isn’t the same without Bob Barker, I love being able to watch it as I dream of seeing myself in the Showcase Showdown even though being on TV is the last place I’d want to be seen considering the mess that is me on a sick day. Add to all that a husband who happily runs to the store three, four or five times just for me and makes sure I’m tucked in tight and I start to think I’ll wish for sick days more often (…minus the sick part, please!).

What do you do when you’re home sick? What makes you feel better?