HOW TO GET YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS DONE EARLY!

I know, I know...a little early, right? Christmas cards in November??!! Trust me when I tell you how great it feels having these done and dusted (SO great!). I always love receiving Christmas cards from our friends and family all over the world but I am definitely terrible at getting our own Christmas cards written and sent. Big thanks to Mixbook, this year is different! It can be for you too!!!

The process was SUPER simple and therefore completely doable (even with three toddlers!). Here is how we did it: I chose a simple backdrop of a window in our house, added some gold stars from Pearl & Jane and snapped away. As you all know, once kids are involved in photos, getting the ‘perfect’ shot gets a little harder and instead of creating a stressful moment, I wanted this to be fun. We put on Christmas music, I gave the kids some little gold ornaments to decorate the tree with and also handfuls of pretend snow. They LOVED the fun and I got some cute shots!!

I then looked at all the Christmas Cards (I chose from hundreds of professionally designed card themes that you can personalize in any way you like) on the Mixbook site and selected these super pretty and festive gold foil Merry and Bright ones! Aren't they sweet? Simple and so easy to customize to fit any photo that you have taken. I love how they turned out!

As you're choosing your holiday card, there are so many other products available to peruse while you're at it. From custom calendars to canvas prints and photo books similar to the summer one I showed earlier in the year, they have you covered!

Shipping was quick and I was really happy with the thickness of the premium paper and quality of the cards. Next up is actually writing them! I recommend making a coffee (or pouring a glass of wine!) and just doing it. Such a great way to get ahead for the holiday season and make a nice big tick next to 'christmas cards' on the list.

Good luck friends!!

Mixbook is kindly offering 10 free flat cards. Use code FREE10 to redeem.

*This holiday post was created in partnership with Mixbook.

KIDS HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Up until yesterday, we didn't have costumes! I took this super easy DIY costume idea from over at the hello, Wonderful blog and adjusted it to fit Xavier's request of a green dragon with black spikes and fiery breath! He LOVED it! A few friends have asked how I get him to do these poses and I thought I'd share a few tricks. My husband is standing far right telling him he's a good, nice dragon (he doesn't want to be) and he is instantly trying to ROAR back with his fiery breath, saying he is very tough, enabling the perfect photo op! Rest assured he was absolutely bribed with Halloween candy too (he is a third child after all!). 

The girls on the other hand were so excited to have their twin baby fawn costumes finally ready that they wanted the photos taken so they can look back on them through the year. The head bands were a quick glue gun job and the clothes were existing they already had.

We had so much fun this weekend with the kids being excited about dressing up, carving pumpkins, eating seeds and talking about the magic of Halloween...going out at dusk, playing with neighbourhood friends and yes, of course, eating candy.

Happy Halloween...xo

ART ON YOUR WALLS {WITH TOI ART GALLERY}

When you think back to your childhood home, what do you think of? What graced your walls? Was it family photographs? Or nothing at all? In our home, it was art. Art that had meaning to my parents and had been collected over years. Art that I remember. So when I came across Toi Art Gallery and their collection of special pieces from artists all over the world, I was excited to add some of these beautiful prints to our home collection and thought you might like them too.

 Art is almost always the hardest part of the decision making process for clients. There is so much significance in the pieces chosen, knowing they will form a part of making memories for your children.  Choosing original prints is always worthwhile, showing little ones the beauty in the story of the artwork and how they too can aspire to create their own stories in the art that they make.

I love that Toi have highlighted the artists by name and give a snapshot of their history in each bio.  When I showed the prints to our kids, I could explain where the artist Maria Elina (who created our prints) is from, show them her photo and tell them a bit about her background. The kids loved this and it really brings a meaningful story to the pieces. There are also gorgeous softies in the gift section, including this sweet doll and cozy lamb; perfect gifts for new babies, a child’s birthday or that Christmas stocking (shhh...no, I'm not talking Christmas just yet)!

Sweet doll

Little Lamb

After all, it’s the little memories, like art on the walls that will last a lifetime. What do you remember from your childhood walls? Tell me in the comments below!

*This post was created with Toi Art Gallery. 

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(Cloud mobile by The Butter Flying, Cloud blanket by Humbleweave)

Last month, I went through all of our kids' clothes and toys from the past five years and got rid of everything that I didn't think we'd need anymore. To say that this was an emotional experience is a severe understatement...I had no idea I would be so sad to part with those tiny pieces that all of a sudden signified SO MUCH!

Well, thankfully, I am still holding onto our Kalon Studios Caravan Crib. I just can't part with this crib...I'm not sure if it's the significance of it being for our third baby or whether it's just the beautiful design but I don't have the heart to sell it. 

Soooo, I figured I should put it to good use and show you what I'm using it for now as you may be in the same position as me with having a crib side laying around that could be put to good use as a blanket ladder!

Let's take a look at how beautiful it was when Xavier was a baby and the crib was being used in all of it's glory and also how sweet it was as a toddler bed after that. Perfection, right?

Well, this next idea happened long after Xavier's gorgeous Kalon Studios Caravan crib was dismantled and the toddler bed was being used in our playroom as a daybed for the kids, as below. 

I had this novel idea that the rest of the crib could be used too...and so, in order to make the most of this beautiful piece in its' entirety, the sides have been turned into a blanket ladder, with Humbleweave's gorgeous cloud blanket showcased and ready to use.

What do you think? Would you use your crib side as a blanket ladder too? 

*This post was created in collaboration with The Butter Flying and Humbleweave.

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HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT BOOK WALL

You know I love them! You've seen them in nearly all of the rooms that I create and in nurseries and kids' rooms around the globe...book walls are absolutely art for your children's rooms!

In this post, I wanted to share how amazing book walls look, how versatile they are for you and your kids, how to create one that will work perfectly in your own child's room and where to find some of the key shelves that you see on popular blogs and magazines to use on your own.

One of the best things about book walls is the versatility; they can be used purely for books or for display of toys which can be rotated or special items for play. These ledges provide open access for your children and encourage reaching for a book or toy, whichever is placed at their height. I also love how special (or expensive) books can be stored out of reach, allowing the parents to choose which books get chewed on or read most.

The key is to mount them with enough space for your tallest books. I like to space them between 15-17" apart vertically, allowing space for books and for your eye to have a bit of white space. Make sure to hit a stud in the wall or use an anchor to ensure that when kids pull on the ledge, it won't budge. 

When I specify book walls for clients, I have specific go-to sources, which I've listed below especially for you! I love the way the clear acrylic shelves from Ubabub help to highlight the beauty of the book covers and how these tiny white shelves help to fit into small spaces. 

01.// White picture ledge; 02.// Dark book ledge; 03.// Wooden bookshelves; 04.// Gold book ledge; 05.// Clear acrylic shelf; 06.// Grey book ledge; 07.// Dark book ledge; 08.// Tiny book ledge.

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