Trending: Thrift

One of my favourite thrifted pieces!

Thrifted, DIY and redone furniture, lamps, and decor are big trends right now.  So big in fact that stores like Anthropologie and HomeSense are making big bucks out of items that look thrifted, but really aren't.  But if those price tags seem a bit high, you can get the look of thrift in a pretty easy way, by actually thrifting! If you are new to the thrifting game though, it can be a bit intimidating.  So here are some tips to help you get started.

1) Have a "Big Picture" of the Space You Want.
              Thrifting is hard if you don't know what styles, colours and patterns you are drawn to.  Places like Pinterest are great for browsing through and finding furniture, fabric and rooms that inspire you.  Create a pinboard for each space you want to work on, either virtual or real. It will help guide you in finding what you want for each room, and help give a cohesive look to the whole space.  You probably won't be able to find exactly what is on your pinboard, but often you can find similar pieces that can be adjusted for the total look.

2) Know What You Are Looking For.  
              Keeping a running tally of furniture and decor items that you need or want will help you find the items you want faster and more easily.  Often if you know what you are looking for, the piece that you buy will more easily fit into the design ideas that you have. It will also help prevent you from taking every item that seems like a good deal at the time and storing it until you know what to do with it.

3) Check Your Local Resources.
              Kijiji, Craigslist, local thrift and antique stores, estate and garage sales are great places to find fantastic deals on the furniture you want.  But the catch is that you have to check OFTEN.  I often check my local online resources 3 or 4 times a day when I am actively hunting for a new item.  It can be worth checking your local thrift stores, antique stores, estate sales and garage sales weekly or bi-weekly, depending on your neighbourhood.  Remember, the good stuff goes fast!

             Don't forget to check your own home or garage (or that of friends and family).  You might be surprised at what the old microwave stand that's collecting dust in the garage could become! The best thrift is often a free thrift!

4) Set a Budget.
            Doing lots of price browsing will help you decide what a good price is for a particular item, then you can set your budget according to what you see as well as what you have.  Remember to try and include any DIY modifications into the budget as well.

            It is totally ok to break the budget occasionally, if that bedframe is $50 out of your budget but you are  in love and can't get it out of your head, then GO FOR IT!  You probably won't regret it.

4) Look Beyond the Piece of Furniture in Front of You.
               Don't worry about colour, style, function, or aesthetic condition of the piece of furniture in front of you.  These can all be changed with some minor DIY and new materials.  Paint, fabric, stain and sandpaper are going to be your best friends.  Websites like Curbly and Knockoff Decor (and Not Exactly Martha!) are fantastic places to get tutorials and inspiration, you never know what a dresser might become!

5) Know Your Limits.
              How much time am I really willing to commit to a DIY project?  Can I do woodworking?  Am I willing to learn a new skill?  Do I have the resources I need?  If I can't do it, do I know someone who can? How much will this really cost me in the end?

These are all good questions to ask yourself before starting in on a DIY project.  Sometimes I fall in love with an item and forget to ask myself these simple questions, often resulting in a lot more work, time and money in order to bring a piece around to what I want it to be.

6) Know When To Let Go.
              Use it or lose it.  If you bought it and all it's doing is collecting dust, it may be time to find it a new home.  Generally, I try to buy only what I can effectively DIY in a month or two, otherwise my house would be full of unused furniture and decor taking up space.

             If you have a great chair that just needs to be reupholstered but has been sitting around for a year (or longer) and hasn't been touched, maybe its time to let it go.  If you really can't let the piece go, set a time line to complete the required DIY modifications in a month or less.

7) Have Fun!
            The best part of thrift and DIY is that you can make almost exactly what you want!  Who cares if you can't find drapes with anatomically correct hearts on them in a store?  Or whether or not "Style at Home" puts mauve and teal cushions on a yellow couch?

Make it!  Do it!  Thrift it! LOVE IT!

Good Morning!

This weekend was busy, busy, as it often is around here.  Work, school, kiddo, cleaning up the house and making time for hubby and I can be a delicate balancing act, and usually something gets missed.  This weekend we managed better than most, so it was a super fantastic weekend in my books!

Since I have another theory assignment due today a good portion of my weekend was dedicated to homework, this week's assignment went better than the first one though.  I'm a bit rusty when it comes to homework since I've had almost two years off, and writing essay questions can be a bit challenging when you aren't in the mood.   My first assignment was more philosophical, and while I can appreciate philosophy, it's not really my thing.  I've always been more interested in the sociological aspects of architecture, which thankfully was the focus for this weeks assignment.  Plus with one assignment under my belt, writing assignment number two came with more ease.

But, even with looming homework and work deadlines, we still managed to find some family time out in the sun.  A walk to the park, lunch on a patio and tea on the veranda made Saturday pretty amazing!

Marc and I even got to have a date night on Saturday, which was so great!  We hit up a new restaurant called Flip, and the food was divine.  I had the chef's steak with crispy rice, which was pretty much the highlight of my entire day.  They even serve coffee in french presses!  It's definitely going to be a regular stop from now on.

Can you believe it snowed the day after this picture was taken?

Pictures of the Week

I kind of want to make this a regular post, it means I have to take pictures (which I forget to do a lot), and its a good way to get me to post regularly without being all wordy and stuff.

So here was our last week, in picture form!

Easter Fun!

Peek a Boo!

It has been a bit breezy out this week.

Time for some knitting

Time to Get Serious

I found this video a couple of weeks ago, listened to it over and over again, then promptly forgot about it for no good reason.  A good friend was fantastic enough to remind me of its existence.

I have been avid follower for The Guild for a long while now, as a World of Warcraft gamer I have always found the "geek" humour hilarious and totally on point.

But this new video by The Guild is on point in a totally different way.  Bullying is on the mainstage front and centre, and as someone who was bullied it hits close to home.  While the video is in a lot of ways cute and catchy, it points out serious realities for a lot of people out there.  It used to be that people turned a blind eye to bullying and often kids suffered alone and in silence, I know I did for a lot of years.  Now, thanks to the internet culture bullying is something that we are no longer turning a blind eye to, and that gives me a lot of hope.

I hope that my daughter never has to experience the same level of cruelty and ignorance that I did.  If she does experience it I hope she will be able to come to me and tell me.  I hope I can be a strong responsible parent, and a role model for my daughter.  I hope my daughter can be more trusting and open than I have been able to be.  I hope I can teach my daughter to be her own person, to be independent, to be strong, and to be giving and accepting.

I hope for so much for my daughter's future.

A Friday in Pictures

Marc and I both decided to take this Friday off so that the whole family could go for a drive and have a nice visit with my Grandma.

Dad`s shoes make a good seat.

Trying to make `the escape`

Springtime

I absolutely love the spring, there is nothing quite as refreshing as being able to walk outside in just a light sweater after a long winter hibernation.

Anique and I took a little walk down the street today, after I finally finished the sweater I have been knitting for her for far too long.  I still need to spend a bit of time this evening to block the sweater out so it fits a bit better, but otherwise I love it!

Isn't the yarn fantastic?!  I saw it months and months ago and just had to buy it.  The yarn is Archangel by Malabrigo, they always have the most wonderful colours and the wool is so soft!

Its been quiet lately

I've been a bit quiet around here lately, on the blog at least.

But it has been more than a bit busy in the real world at our house.  Between work, coaching rugby, coursework and family its been a busy busy week.

I started my coursework for RAIC syllabus this week and had my first assignment due Monday for a theory class.  If you don't know what syllabus is, it is essentially the distance education version of architecture school.  Usually, it takes 10 years to complete, but since I have an undergraduate degree in Architectural Science I should be able to pick up some credits and seriously decrease the time required to complete.  It is just one more step in the direction towards becoming a Registered Architect.

But even between all the busy I've still been trying to be really focused on sitting down everyday with Anique and just enjoying the time together.  I love the mischievous grin she gives me when she wants to play.  I love how fast she runs, and how she will chase after us to play catch. Yesterday she picked up Brunswick's leash and looked outside, even without words she communicates.  She can be a total goof one second, yet totally serious the next.  She's already got so much personality for such a little kiddo, and I just can't help but be happy when I'm with her.