Do YOU Hate Wall Paper?

When we moved into this house, the previous owners had (ugly) wall paper boarder in FOUR of the rooms - both bathrooms, the kitchen, and the front living room! Obviously we took it off and what a pain in the butt it was. I've heard so many horror stories about removing wall paper, which makes me never want to use it EXCEPT.....

Martha Stewart is just fabulous when it comes to home decor. I love so many things she does and I was so excited to see her line of products at Home Depot. In the Home Depot's Fall Dream Book 2010 (full of amazing ideas!) they showed some wall paper by Martha Stewart that I would actually put in my house. If you turn to page 46 and 47 you'll see a beautiful bathroom with stunning wainscoting, a look I absolutely love. The thing is, wainscoting is pretty expensive and a lot of work to install. Well, not any more! Martha Stewart has a new product that mimics the look of wainscoting, but it's a fraction of the cost and way easier to install. It's paintable wall paper that looks just like real beadboard. It's just $24.99 for a double roll and you don't need any power tools!

Now I wish I had a free weekend so I could put this wall paper somewhere in my house, maybe in my bedroom :)

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Celebrating 4 Wonderful Years!!

It was on this day, back in 2006 that I married my wonderful husband Dave. It's been a great 4 years that's for sure. We had 2 beautiful children, bought 2 cars, bought a house, Dave graduated, we moved to a new city, went to Hawaii, started 2 businesses and more and more. I'm so grateful to be married to the greatest person I know. I love you Dave!! xoxox

Cool Kids Bedrooms

Looking for a stylish way to decorate your child's bedroom that isn't too kiddish? Let's face it, trains and princesses might look cute when they're 3 years old, but kids grow up. When you're a kid having a "cool" room is a MUST! Think about all the play dates and sleepovers they'll be having. Kids love having a room they can be proud of, and a room that they won't grow out of in a couple years. Plus, I love kids rooms that are fun, yet don't scream juvenile. Imagine if your mother-in-law was staying for a week and the only room she could stay in was your child's. You would want it to feel relaxed and sophisticated. Or what if you decide to sell you home. Would you want buyers to walk into the room and automatically think "this house is too kiddish for us".

Bouclair must have been reading my mind! In October they are launching a new line of children's products that meet my requirements for a great kids room! Some of the accessories are so fabulous, you might want them for yourself. For a sneak peak, check out http://www.bouclair.ca/kids/

Let me know what you love!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Where's Mine?

On Monday Ikea announced on their website that the 2011 catalog is now available. Wow! How exciting! Not everything Ikea is my taste, but it's still an obsession of mine to read, and re-read every single page of the Ikea catalog. So my problem is... I don't have a copy yet! Is my paper boy on vacation? Do I need to pick one up at my nearest Ikea? Luckily, while I patiently await my copy in the mail, I can browse the catalog online. Thank you internet! Here's what I love...
IKEA Catalogue 2011
Page 8-9 What a beautiful airy kitchen!
Page 12-13 How cozy is this?!
Page 26-27 I love that rattan chair and the low huge coffee table
Page 36-37 This looks romantic
Page 87 I love how the chairs at the head of the table are different
Page 88-89 That blackboard paint is on my to do list
Page 91 Again, I love the rattan chairs
Page 127 I'll take any of these please
Page 133 Don't you just want to jump into this bed?
Page 139 Underbed storage is a MUST
Page 144-145 Pretty nice for under $650
Page 172-173 I wish my closet looked like this
Page 185 I love the double sink and bench
Page 244-245 I want this as my hallway so bad! That shoe storage is awesome.
Page 281 I love those blue bowls
Page 308-309 You'll never find curtains at such a great price anywhere else
Page 332-333 How cool is that huge white light?

Check your mail box now! Maybe you'll be lucky enough to get your today!

Be Brave, Not Beige

The design trend these days is all about beige, and frankly, I hate it. It seams like everything has to be the same old neutral-neutral and it just looks boring. I've noticed that everyone has the same micro fiber, cafe-au-lait colored sofa (and I bet they bought it at the Brick or Leons) with chocolate brown painted walls, and a faux leather ottoman/coffee table. I think we all need some inspiration fast because in 10 years that look is going to be SO OUT DATED! Believe it or not, it is possible to use color and still have a calm and neutral-ish looking home.
Design Inc

HGTV.ca Coastal Living

All You

Just a Touch of Love

I love houses that have a personal touch, instead of the "I just bought the living room display" look. A house should say "look who I am" NOT "look what I have." One of my hobbies is quilting. I know it sounds old fashioned especially coming from a 26 year old, but it's addictive and I love the look of quilts. I was pretty intimidated at first, but then I discovered something amazing. The fabric companies are coming out with something called pre-cuts and it's exactly what it sounds like. You can buy an entire collection of coordinating fabrics that have been pre-cut into squares, strips, or triangles of various sizes. It makes putting together a quilt way faster and easier. Visit http://missouriquiltco.com to see some great fabric. I also found some great tutorials on YouTube tha taught me everything I needed to know.

Here's a few pictures of my quilts. I think they add so much warmth, texture, and color to my home!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Save Money Painting

The second I walked through my new house I knew painting was a MUST! I wasn't a fan of the muddy brown walls in the living room, the golden color in the kitchen, or the sponge painted gold-green-red in the bathroom (gasp!). I facebooked my friend Jason, who's a professional painter to ask his advice. He said that Benjamin Moore paint is the only stuff he'll use. He said that the cheaper stuff is absolute crapola. He said that the cheaper stuff is harder to work with and you'll end up needing more coats and therefore buy more gallons and spend more time. Plus, it isn't durable at all and if you wipe it down, there's a good chance you'll also be wiping off the paint. I know this to be true because the previous owners used cheap paint. I was cleaning the wall and a bunch of paint came off on my cloth and now my wall looks like crap.

Now here's the dilemma. Benjamin Moore paint (and other high end stuff) is really expensive. It can be around $50-$75 a gallon. So what can you do? The answer is NOT buying cheaper stuff.

Here's a few tricks to getting your paint for less.
1. Do you know a painter? Ask them if they get a discount anywhere and if you can take advantage of it. That's what we did when bought the paint for the living room.
2. Visit the dump! Yes you heard me correctly! In the spring time, the hazardous waste section of the dump has gallons and gallons of unused paint. My Mom painted our entire house with free paint from the dump. I'm totally serious! She got designer paint for free and in really nice colors too!
3. Check out the mis-tints at the paint shop. Benjamin Moore has a big section at less than half price. You might not always find the color you want right away, but keep on checking. You'll probably find something sooner than later, and they can always add a shot of more color if it's not quite what you wanted.

We're going to the paint shop soon to get something for my daughter's room. I'm thinking a light purple, but a sophisticated shade, not a lucky charm marshmallow shade. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll have some in the mis-tint section.

Happy Painting!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth