Loving... Monogrammed Mugs

Sometimes a monogrammed 'C' for Christine can be a little lack lustre, but this one is all sorts of pretty.

via Chapters

Monogrammed mugs 2 for $12 in store right now. Nice work, Chapters. They've really been stepping up their game in the lifestyle section lately. I like :)

Christine

Nursery: The Chair

Finding the perfect chair for the nursery turned out to be one of the most challenging items for the room.  I had a wish list: I wanted it to be comfortable, affordable, and stylish.  A lot to ask? Apparently.  We both figured if we're going to invest money in a chair it had to be something that we really liked and that worked with the rest of our home.

We shopped around and soon I started to feel a bit like Goldilocks.  Too big.  Too small. Not tall enough to support my head when I pass out from exhaustion... etc, etc.  Here's a look at what we found:

The gorgeous Canadian made Monte Gliders.  I loved the style of these, really modern and clean lined. We tried out a few in store at Westcoast Kids and for the most part they were pretty comfortable, though I did find some of them to be a bit small in person.  Biggest issue: price. All of these are in the $1000 plus range, eeeee.

Monte Luca Glider

Monte Grano Glider Recliner

Monte Joya Rocker

A lot of people go with your standard Dutalier glider and, I must admit, these babies are comfortable. Unfortunately, they're just not our style and I can't justify spending even a few hundred dollars on a chair I didn't really like.

Dutalier Anjou II Glider

Little Castle Monaco Glider: I sat in this one at Finesse Kids and oh, baby was it comfortable! The problem, it was over $1200 (plus, if I got the piping I loved) and it took over 3 months to order in.

Little Castle Monaco Glider

There were a ton of other gorgeous options I found online, but I really wanted to be able to sit in the chair before I bought it and prices for shipping were turning out to be a bit steep.

I am happy to say we did eventually find a winner! Enter the Karbon Swivel Glider from EQ3.  It bears a striking resemblance to the Monte Grano Recliner but at half the price.  Luckily, they had this chair in store at the Bay (did you know the Bay carries the EQ3 line?) so I could pop in and give it a try.  It's comfortable, stylish, matches our decor and, compared to the $1000+ options, relatively affordable. Hooray!

Here's a sneak peek of it in the room:

Nursery Glider: check!

hallelujah.

Christine

Warming Up For Fall: Style at Home Trends

Happy first day of fall!

The leaves are starting to change, the air is crisp, my sweaters have come out from their under-the-bed hibernation... bring it on fall. I am definitely in the mood to get cozy which is why I was excited to see the fall design trends report from Style at Home arrive in my inbox.

Now that we're all gearing up to hibernate a bit (and some of us "nesting") I'm all about turning my attention to the great indoors. Warm woods, soft neutrals and modern global style. Makes me want to curl up with a good book and a blanky. I'm loving all the inspiration they sent my way, especially this gorgeous faux bois rug.

image via Style at Home

There is something about fall that just makes you want to warm up your space, your look and your tummy! How are you gearing up for fall? I'm celebrating by breakin' out the boots, blankets and a pumpkin spice latte, mmmmm so. good.

Cheers, everyone! Happy Friday and Happy Fall.

Christine

Loving... IKEA Benzy Line

I'm loving this new BENZY line coming soon to IKEA. It's so unique and kind of unexpected from IKEA's usual look... but in a good way.  I love how it feels like a treasure map, do you like?

all images via IKEA - BENZY SKEPP fabric: $8.99 per metre, BENZY LAND square cushion: $14.99, rectangular BENZY cushion: $19.99

Wouldn't it look cute in a little boy's room? I'm off to IKEA this weekend with my shopping list in tow to pick up some goodies for the nursery... organization here I come!

Christine


UPDATE: I was at IKEA on Friday and guess what, they're already in store.  Go check them out!

oh baby! 34 weeks

34 weeks!?? Seriously? That means I have only 6 weeks to go (or less depending on this baby's mood). It is so surreal. I know some women say their pregnancy drags on and on but (minus the first trimester) mine has just flown by. I think I'm going to miss this belly.

34 weeks and currently loving...
- my hot water bottle. It's so hard to have good posture sitting at a desk all day.
- random comments from strangers. People say weird things to pregnant women.
- cereal. Seriously, I don't think I've ever eaten this much cereal in my life. It's perfectly acceptable to eat cereal 2 out of my 3 meals a day, right?
- my in-laws for throwing me the sweetest pre-baby shower. So many great and useful items, baby was just spoiled and loves you all already :)
- dresses or anything besides pants. Pants are sooo uncomfortable right now.
- my giant outie belly button, though I just noticed it's starting to get a bit smaller the more stretched I get.
- the fact that if I lean over really, really far I can still see my feet.

Christine

I Love Magazine Day

Happy Friday, everyone! I think I'm finally starting to ease into this "fall thing". I'm so ready for a relaxing, cozy weekend of pumpkin spice lattes and curling up on the couch with a magazine.

My House and Home mag arrived this week and check out that little blurb:



Hey, that's me! I'm starting to think I might talk about food too much ;) But heck, those ice cream sandwiches did sound delish!

Have a great weekend!
Christine


Ice Cream sandwich recipe available in the Aug '11 House and Home.

Loving.... little feet

Some things are just cuter when they're little - case in point: baby shoes. Here are a few cuties I am loving lately. Sometimes I think it's a good thing we don't know the gender of our baby yet, my wallet thanks me.

1) ooii sandals by ZUZII 2) Fluor Leather Bootees, via Smallable 3) Bloch Marta Lace Up Oxford, via Gravity Pope
4) Minnetonka Moccasin, via Gravity Pope 5) Graph Print Tiny TOMS 6) Loop Ballerina Shoes, via Smallable
7) Three Sixty Slippers, via Smallable 8) Basketball Boot, via Zara

To see more things I'm loving check out my guest post today over at the lovely Michaela Noelle Designs. I'm participating in her "She loves me, She love me not" series (one of the reasons I got going on this virtual shopping spree!). Hop over and say hello to the sweet, Michaela. Thanks for having me!

:) Christine

Sneak Peek: Maternity Session (pink sugar photography)

Have I ever told you how much I love Pink Sugar Photography? We met up with Andrea last monday for a maternity session and I am blown away by the sneak peek she just shared, it's like a work of art. I cannot wait to see the rest....

Me and baby at 32 weeks, photo by Pink Sugar Photography

Thank you, Andrea!

Must Drink: Iced Tea Lemonade

I know you've all got fall on the brain, but I'm not exaggerating when I say we are finally having some summer weather around here. Here in Edmonton we hit the 30 degree mark um, once this year and we're scheduled for some high 20's to 30 degree action ALL WEEK. Geez, summer, what took you so long!?

So in honour of some last minute action, I'm soaking it all up with one of my fave summer drinks: the iced tea lemonade (aka an Arnold Palmer for you fancy southerners). I don't know what it is but there is something about an iced tea for this preggo girl that is SO satisfying. Those Starbucks Black Tea Lemonades just call my name. I figured I could easily make this at home cheaper, decaffeinated, and minus the cup full of ice they inevitably chuck in there (seriously, sometimes it's like two sips and it's gone!).



After searching around online I came up with my own hodge podge recipe that was pretty darn tasty.
Here's what you'll need:
- Black Tea of your choice (I used decaf earl grey)
- Lemonade of your choice (I used the frozen kind you mix with water)
- 3 - 4 tablespoons of sugar
- drink shaker
- ice
- fancy straw optional

Step One:
Boil hot water and brew a pitcher tea. Add 3 - 4 tablespoons of sugar (or more if you have a real sweet tooth) while the tea is STILL HOT so it'll dissolve (you can also use a simple syrup for sweetness). Leave the tea bag in the water until the tea is room temperature for some nice strong tea. Once room temperature, move to the fridge to chill.

Step Two:
Make lemonade. Or if you bought the pre-made kind, hooray, you're done! Chill.

Step Three:
Once your ingredients are nice and chilly it's time to mix it all up!

Add ice to drink mixer and 2 parts tea to 1 part lemonade. Now, shake, shake, shake! Pour it into a glass and enjoy (preferably somewhere sunny).




And if you're one of those "fall people" and are ready for some hot drinks already you can check out my london fog recipe - I'll be out enjoying the sunshine ;)

Christine

Nursery: Paint, check!

Not only is it Friday but it's a long weekend - woot. I'm looking forward to spending time with my sister and niece and hopefully fitting in some nappin' and relaxin' sometime in there too.

We (and by we I mean husband) made some great progress on the nursery this past week. It's not much of a photo, but check out the nursery in it's newly painted glory:



We ended up going with Sarah Richardson's, Escarpment (colour matched to CIL Zero VOC paint). It's a soft gray with greenish tones and I am loving the colour. I love how it makes the white trim just pop.

Paint - check! Now comes the fun part, decorating!

Happy long weekend, peeps, hope you enjoy!
Christine