last minute Halloween ideas...


Here are a few pictures from a Halloween story I produced for Babiekins Magazine a couple of years ago. I can't get over how little Julian looks!



easy diy pumpkins - just add stickers or googly eyes






Anyhow, I thought I would share my Halloween Pinterest board today, it has some fun Halloween decor, crafts and a few last minute costumes!



follow the link to my Pinterest board here :)



Also if you're looking for more last minute ideas you should check out Style at Home Magazine. They have compiled some great ideas! 


You can follow the link here.


Halloween Around the House

Bwahahaha! Halloween is just days away...
here's some decor from around our house.

I tend to decorate using what I have with the odd trip to the dollar store for a crow or mouse ;)

This year it's a simple, modern and monochromatic Halloween indoors...outside there are orange pumpkins and lots of crows and scary rats -- the kids take over that area a bit.



simple dollar store crow under glass. This is a diy cloche I made using a vintage clock. Yes the crow is a little off kilter, I should fix that ;)



a mini pumpkin painted black and a pretty black and white pinwheel






Is that a mouse in the house? eek! Dollar store mouse has a new home hiding out on our staircase.

My Mom made this wreath years ago. She was a huge Halloween fan and always dressed her house and herself for the holiday.



Vintage laboratory gear = creepy in a subtle sort of way



here is that crow, upright and perched on some books in the hallway.

We were madly creating our Halloween costumes yesterday. Julian is going to be a doodle drawing and Isabella is going to be a woodland owl/nymph. What are your kids dressing up as for Halloween? 

Debra

The Village - Colleen's Colourful & Cozy Family Home


I love sharing these home tours with you. 

Today I'm introducing you to Colleen and her colourful and welcoming family home.

Colleen has created a home that is full of character. Bright and cheerful. Stylish but comfortable. You know that a happy, busy family lives here.

When I think of Colleen, the three C's come to mind.

Cookies, Canning and Crafting


Colleen is a baker at heart, a woman on a mission to preserve good food and a weekend crafter. I admire how she has carved out time with her girls to craft on the weekends. Her home is filled with these fun projects. Memories that will last.

She lives in her Baby Point home with her husband Sean, their three daughters and their dog Findley.



One of my favorite spots in Colleen's house is her gallery wall. I love all the black & white photos documenting her family over the years. Many of the photos were taken by her friend and photographer Robert Ciolfi.


This is Colleen's favorite room - the family room. It is a new addition at the back of her home. It's a bright open space filled with collections and crafts. 



I love how Colleen incorporated this magnetic wall in the space to "pin up" fun photos and mementos.



Living room



Period details such as original wood trim and stained glass windows are found throughout the house.



The girls bedrooms are a favorite! Playful and colorful spaces.


A vintage chair from her grandmother is incorporated into the girls room.


Lots of pattern and fun accessories add pops of colour and a playful vibe to the girls bedrooms.





Thanks for letting us tour your lovely home Colleen!

A Q&A with Colleen

Name: Colleen Bailey Moffitt

Day Job: Human Resources Leader

Who lives in your house? 
5 people and a dog

When was your house built? 
"Our house was built in 1926; style is Tudor (I think!)"

What's your decorating style?
"I am inspired by spaces that bring people comfortably together to play, celebrate or just be together (I also love collections and all kinds of art!)"

What is your favorite room?
My family room

What's the biggest challenge in your home?
"Dealing with all our stuff and limited closets! Clutter is a constant battle."

Why I love my house...
"I love my house because it is on a perfect street, in a lovely community and it facilitates us gathering together with family and friends."


Catching up...sharing news

Wasn't it just the weekend? Time flying by... 

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving here this past long weekend and it was glorious weather. We were outside as much as possible soaking up all that sunshine. 

Long walks in High Park...we are lucky to live so close. 




Baking autumn favorites...


Pear, cranberry and gingersnap crumble. Recipe via Smitten Kitchen Try it! It is delicious!


Apple Picking







I took a lot of photos that day. Apple picking is very conducive to snapping pics.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with family on Sunday at my Dad's. It was great. My Dad has become quite the turkey roaster. He was well trained. (Thanks Mom)

I also have some exciting news. My Etsy shop has re-opened! Please, go have a peek here and let me know what you think.

and...

woop, woop the holiday story I produced and styled for Canadian Family magazine has been shipped to subscribers and should be appearing on news stands soon!! I'll share a few pictures from the shoot soon but here is a quick sneak peek.


We shot this story during a heat alert in September. 

Michael Alberstat photographed this feature and was fantastic to work alongside.

You can look for this holiday feature in the November issue of Canadian Family

I'll share more soon.

and...

I'm excited to be starting a decorating project for a family in Oakville. I'll be blogging about the process along the way. Let's call it Project Oakville.

Now that was a long catching up post, wasn't it?










THE HARVEST TABLE - ETSY FRIDAY FAVORITES

One more week until Thanksgiving (here in Canada), how did that happen?

In the spirit of the harvest season, I've pulled together this drool worthy list of autumn inspired Etsy picks to get you in the mood :)




Pretty handmade tea towels make lovely hostess gifts, don't you think?






These are the coziest looking tea mugs. Love the texture and colors.



If I needed a light fixture over my table, which I don't, I would consider this. I love the shape.


big, black bowl filled with crusty bread, perhaps?



a little autumn wall decor doesn't hurt


serve your turkey on this platter..


carve it with these babies


send guests home with favorite autumn recipe or hostess gift - so pretty.


By the way, in case you missed my earlier post, be sure to visit Matthew Mead's blog Holiday with Matthew Mead to see my guest post! I am sharing some autumn decor ideas :) 

Enjoy your weekend.

Debra




Autumn Decor Ideas

Happy friday! 



I thought I'd share a guest post I created for my friend Matthew Mead's blog. You can see it here.

I shared some autumn decorating ideas that are simple and wallet-friendly. I hope you like it! It's always a thrill create for Holiday with Matthew Mead readers.  

By the way, Matthew has been sharing loads of autumn and Halloween ideas on his blog and facebook page. Be sure to visit for loads of inspiration and information on how you can order his latest Halloween book too.

Debra



the mother lode ...

I try to hit the thrift shops once a week, if I can, to check out what treasures I can add to my collection of props. Sometimes I find decor bits for the house too.

I love shopping for vintage at antique markets but I find it way more fun scouring thrift shops for vintage finds. It's the thrill of the hunt, right? Luck and a good eye will sometimes reward you with great stuff. 

Example, last week I met my friend Lindsay for coffee at Bobbette and Belle (the prettiest little pastry shop I ever did see) and afterwards we walked up Queen St. to check out some of the shops. We stopped into the Value Village for a quick look and Lindsay found the most beautiful solid marble candlesticks. You can see them here. Being the good friend that I am ;) I did not divert her attention and run. Although it did cross my mind (kidding).

That's ok because karma rewarded me with a very successful shopping trip the other day at Goodwill. These are just a sampling of what I scored for $16!!



a collection of green glass vases

These look great on a white shelf or backdrop for a pop of colour. I always try to group similar items for impact. I find it helps identify it as a collection and a pretty vignette. Odd numbers in a group seem to work best and is a stylists rule of thumb.


milk glass cups

I have a rather large collection of these. John grimaced when he saw them. I'm not sure why but I can never pass these up. So simple and I love the iridescence of the glass.



antique bowls

Simple cream bowls. I love these. They make great props and I use them, piled high with fresh berries.


vintage wood desk tray

This vintage tray will get a new home in my son's room. The mid-century desk I found on Kijiji is being stained and I think this will look great on it. I can't wait to show you the finished desk.

These desk trays also make cute shelves for small collections. Oh and the vintage books. I have a lot of these. A great way to add instant charm to a space - old books. Love the colours and the design on the blue book.

vintage brass letter organizer

I loved the patina of this piece. It's heavy as well so it would make a stylish file/mail holder.


Many of these items can be repurposed in different ways and I love that.

Happy thrifting!

Debra