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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CAPTURING A MOMENT IN TIME {WITH MINI WHITE PUMPKINS}

It's been a tremendously rainy, windy weekend here in Vancouver and sometimes these grey and cold days lend to more indoor time with the little ones and more time to reflect on the little moments. 

I had taken these quick shots a couple of weekends ago when the sun was out and the weather was obviously warmer. I wanted to capture the essence of autumn and the little pumpkins that I'd been trying to find around the city for a couple of weeks. I had no intention of posting them but then thought it might make sense to share how quickly I captured these (10 minutes!) and how you can create a mini photoshoot with literally a few little pumpkins and some sweet smiles! 

So, instead of thinking how hard it will be, just get your kids, pop outside with the pumpkins you've collected from the farm or the store and take a few snaps! I ask them questions as I click, such as "if your pumpkin was an animal, what would it be?" I find that when they are engrossed in telling a story, the smiles naturally come out and their faces light up. If you are shooting more than one kiddo, it helps to pop them on the a set of stairs so that they are captured at the same depth (or plane) on camera, which works to keep them all in focus.  

The pictures may not be perfect, but they recreate this perfect memory...our front steps, their mini pumpkins, fall 2016 and my very favourite little smiley faces. Sometimes the little moments are the ones we'll look back on and remember with the biggest fondness. 

Happy Monday friends!

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