365 catch up....

    Saturday, March 28: I will definitely miss this little cherry tree in our yard when we move. It was literally an old stump that we were going to remove when we moved in. My hubby struck it with an axe, and the next day, it was sprouting a new branch. I guess it just needed a little jolt to bring it to life.

Sunday, March 29: I popped into Anthropologie after my shift on Sunday and drooled over some of their bohemian summer patterns. I am definitely a hippie at heart and if I could, I'd live in clothes that looked like I was ready at any given moment to go to an outdoor music festival. What's your favourite era of style? (I didn't buy anything, I'm still too cheap - it costs a lot to look like a hippie these days!!).

Monday, March 30th: I woke up this morning receiving a phone call that an ambulance took my mom to emergency. My wonderful friend Tricia took amazing care of my daughter while I spent time with my momma. There's something so incredible about having a network of people who you can lean on during these times. My mom was sent home later that day and wanted fish, so we made her a salmon feast and she gobbled it up. It was wonderful to see. She is the most incredible warrior. One day at a time, that's the only way I live now.

Tuesday, March 31: Whenever I have a few days off, I like to make sure that one of them is just for us to have fun - she's had her fair share of being shuffled around with me to doctor's appointments and hospitals for my mom this year. Today we went to gymnastics, got her some new puddle jumping rain boots, went out for frozen yogurt and visited friends. One of my friends made my mom a lasagna, and another brought over some crazy delicious brownies. Seriously, I can't talk about my people without tearing up - they are so incredibly supportive. xoxo

365 catch up

Happy Friday friends!!! I hope you have a lovely weekend lined up!! Here are a few photos from our week:

Tuesday, March 24: I took the little one for her first round of mini golf. She refused to let me show her how to hold the club, so her rogue putting style provided for a loooong match. 

Wednesday, March 25th: With kids, I think it's all about variety. Here's a sampling of our post work/school snack plate. 

Thursday, March 26th: A night out!!! The ladies from work and I hit up Chewies for yummy share plates and delicious cocktails. And did I mention the serving staff were all men? It's worthy of noting. 

 Friday, March 27th: We had dinner with the family and gave my momma some much needed pampering. I taught my daughter how to massage nana's feet and legs with shea butter. There is nothing easy about watching someone battle cancer, but there are a lot of beautiful moments we share.

xoxo

What's your design style?

With our move in date getting closer, I'm really excited about setting up our new space. What kind of style speaks to you the most? Has your design style changed a lot over the years?

Contemporary:

Eclectic:

Eco Friendly/Green:

French: 

Industrial:

Mid Century:

Modern Country:

Shabby Chic:

365 catch up....

Monday, March 23:  Thank god mini cupcakes have no calories to speak of. #ignoranceisbliss.

Sunday, March 22: Strolling through Van Dusen Gardens with wonderful friends.

Saturday, March 21: Having a blast at Uncle Richard's St. Paddy's Day/Housewarming party with my favourite little leprechaun.

79/365 Springy Sprungy

Happy first day of Spring! When I think of Spring, I think of fresh beginnings - new buds on the trees.....fuzzy baby ducks swimming by....a wardrobe slowly transitioning from heavy to light.  On my commute home, of which I have AMPLE, and I mean AMPLE uninterrupted time to think about life.....I was thinking today that every beginning starts with baby steps. What if we just picked something important to us....and instead of thinking of the giant leap to get from A to B, we thought of the small, important steps that we have to take along the way. For example, what if your goal is to get in shape....maybe joining a gym shouldn't be your first step...maybe you won't go regularly, curse yourself as you see your money draining from your account each month and go drown your sorrows in a tub of ice cream - maybe it should be going for walks in your evening, taking the stairs instead of the escalator, dancing like a crazy person in your living room -  training your body to move first, then introducing a sport that you're going to stick to and enjoy along the way. If you find a gym mind numbingly boring (perhaps I'm editorializing) - then try just about everything else first until you find something you'll stick to. Maybe you're saving up for a trip and your focus is on cutting costs - start small - pack lunches, have friends over for potlucks, window shop and sleep on your decision then see if you really still need those new totally awesome jeans, brew your coffee at home and pack it to go instead of stopping at (we all know where) for your morning cupper.  I think sometimes we get paralyzed to make our goals come to life because we think it has to happen immediately in one or two grandiose steps, but it's the daily small decisions that mean the most. It's reaching for that apple instead of that cupcake, it's playing tag with your kids instead of watching a show, it's paying for things with cash instead of plastic.
So take a moment for yourself, and consciously think about one or two things that would take your life from great to Fan-freaking-tastic. One of my big goals this year is to carve out more adventures - I think I spent this past year in such a deep grief over my momma that I withdrew quite a bit from being present in my days and making bigger plans. I really want to make more of my life mirror how I feel in my home life - peaceful and blissful. Carve your own new beginnings this Spring - keep your goals plastered on the mirror and take little moments each day to work towards it. It all passes by in a blink of an eye, so make sure you are living the life you dreamt of. Namaste.
xoxo

this and that......

Wednesday, March 18 - Today was a scary one. Mom was taken to emergency, her heart rate shot up to 200 beats per minute and her blood pressure was shockingly low. She felt like she was going to pass out. The nurse called in the squad - ambulance and firemen arrived - 8 people by mom's side in her bedroom. My dad, brother's family and myself went to the hospital and the doctor managed to get all of her readings back to normal with an IV drip and medication. Eventually, the doctor gave her a walker and wanted her to walk around the emergency room to see if her heart rate shot up again. It was really sweet watching my niece and nephew cheer her on. We cheer her on and will continue to, every step of this....but I tell you, this cancer is such a beast. Watching someone you love so desperately being robbed of their quality of life and being eaten away by this illness is brutal. She's lost over 50 pounds and looks so frail. It is heartwarming to watch my dad helping her, but I know inside he is screaming like the rest of us, wishing cancer never found her. 

When she woke up in the hospital bed, she looked at me and said, "You should have seen the firemen, they were hunks!" My first thought was, "Are people still using that expression?" But I just love her spirit - she is my brave warrior momma - the strongest person I have ever met. She was sent home later that afternoon. She's my energizer bunny. xo

Thursday, March 19: This is our new favourite snack. It's a smoothie made with frozen bananas, almond milk and Vega - plant based protein powder (chocolate flavour) - it has no gluten and no sugar and tastes like you'd expect the word Amazing to taste. 

76/365 Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

Today is brought to you by the colour green. I hope you got a chance to kick up your heels today and jig about! My hubby and I are going to cuddle up over some delicious beers and celebrate our Irish roots - although mine are looking more grey than Irish lately.
Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!

75/365

Today was a gorgeous, sunny day. The little one was still battling a cough, so we couldn't visit anyone. We walked along the beach and had a delicious lunch on a sunny patio. I told her I'd take her out for a treat after the doctor but she requested a "special lunch out" instead - the kid knows how to barter up for sure.
Later we took the dog for a walk to the duck ponds and I was mesmerized by the gorgeous patterns in the water (spoiler alert - the photo is above). Understandably she was tuckered from all the fresh air and had me carry her all the way home from the park, and walk the dog simultaneously. It's my version of tough mudder. It was funny though because when we got in, I said, "Phew, I'm tired - I'm feeling pretty snoozy." And she said, "I'm feeling pretty boozy." She was just rhyming words, but she hit the nail on the head.
xoxo

Some things to check out....

This catchy tune....

A hilarious new Netflix show from creator Tina Fey: 

A page turning thriller:

Click here to read an excellent essay about facing our own mortality written by a brilliant neurosurgeon and new father who passed away last week at the tender age of 37

We took our daughter to see her first movie this weekend, and we all loved it: Paddington

If you missed this movie the first go round, it's worthy of catching - and packed with humanity: 

St. Vincent

365 catch up....

Wednesday March 11: At home with my little sickie. But for the first time in months she had a nap, giving me time to have one of these luxurious moments with a great read and a delicious coffee. 

Thursday, March 12: You know it's a beautiful spot when even an iphone camera can due it justice. These blossom trees are a gorgeous little escape in the middle of downtown Vancouver. 

Friday, March 13: Having a celebratory whiskey sour with two of my favourite funny ladies. 

Saturday, March 14: While spending the afternoon at mom's, I came across this list of food currently stocking their three freezers. It brought me to tears. Their circle of support is nothing short of incredible. 

Sunday, March 15: So pumped about the pieces we found today for our new home!

69/365

Today was a loooong one friends. The power went out in the morning, so we met up with friends for a delicious (and medically necessary) coffee break. But as the day wore on, the little turkey's nose was getting increasingly drippy and she didn't feel like doing anything - she wouldn't go for a walk, wouldn't go to the library, and the park? forgettaboutit - she just wanted to stay put. So we made homemade playdough, built forts, read books, did puzzles, and then had about 8 more hours to fill. But at one point, she snuggled up next to me and made me legitimately laugh my butt off with her goofy accents and funny faces. I pulled out my phone to quickly capture the moment. I look totally (and legitimately) tired, but this moment was the happiest, sweetest part of my day. And as much as we love them, don't you totally do a little victory dance after you kiss them goodnight and close their door? xoxo

our adventures in real estate.....

For the last six weeks, we've embarked on a true adventure in real estate in the Lower Mainland. Let me tell you, it isn't for the faint at heart! We had always been tossing around the idea of moving for awhile now, finding a place that felt like it was part of a real neighbourhood where our daughter can walk to school and make little neighbourhood friends. We fell in love with a home, to the point where I had already moved us in (in my mind) and had started furniture shopping. Well, that deal fell with a thud like a hot potato. The realtor selling the home didn't tell us that it was a multiple offer situation, used our bid to leverage another, stalled our bid deadline, then sold to one of their own clients to avoid paying commissions. I was a titch, and by titch, I mean a helluva lot- pissed. But, we knew any offer in this market subject to the sale of our home, just wasn't going to stand up to the competition. We listed our home and it got multiple offers and sold in a day. We had two months to find a new place to call our own.  We went to look in several homes and nothing was really making me excited until we saw this beautifully re-done rancher. The home was on a gorgeous street, on the end of a cul-de-sac, and would be a short walk to the beach. We were in love. Right off the bat we were told it had five offers coming in on it. We still wanted to make a play for it and decided to go big - we were going to go 35,000 over the asking price, hoping to secure it. During the offer process, there were realtors lined up outside the home down the street, waiting for their turn to present their offers. I sat in the car next to my realtor, made a quick phone call to craig, and told her we're going to ramp it up to 50,000 over the asking price. We literally scrambled in the car, signing papers at the 11th hour to get our new bid in on time. The couple accepted another offer, at the same price as ours, except that the victorious people had cash. People are walking into this market with over 800,000+ in cash, no subjects. Suddenly, I became increasingly nervous. We need a mortgage, but to have a mortgage, whether you go through a bank or a broker, you have to have an appraisal on a home. No one will mortgage a house without seeing it and making sure you aren't spending a lot of money on a lemon (ie a home with a cracked foundation or a former grow-op).  So, any home with a mortgage has to have a subject on the offer: Subject to an appraisal.  Homes in this market were suddenly going for cash with no subjects - people were walking in with suitcases full of money and not asking for homes to be inspected. I was scared that we were never going to get back into the housing market.
The very next week we fell in love with another beautiful home - it had a breathtaking view of the mountains, had character to spare and just felt like us. We even had a great conversation with the owners, who told our realtor that they really thought we'd be an amazing fit for their home. As soon as we went through it, we found out, yet again, it would be in another multiple offer situation. We didn't want to lose this one and went in strong - even exceeding our realtor's recommended pricing - we went in $55,000 over the asking price. (Yes, a part of me forgets that I'm dealing with real money and gets a little bit caught up in the competition - I'd probably lose my shirt in Vegas). We got a phone call later that evening that the couple chose another couple who offered less money, but paid in cash - no subjects. I was honestly getting scared. This market was moving at a ridiculous pace, and who were all these people walking around with so much cash? I mean is Thurston Howell the Third in town? (Such a fresh reference, I know).
We went to an open house a few days later and met up with a couple who we had also seen at some of these other competitive multi-offer situations. (They too had lost out on the same houses). They had an adorable little boy and we instantly liked them. It's funny because we knew they were going to be competing time and time again against us for the same style/price point of houses.
We always get listings from our realtor a few days before houses hit the market, and another one came out that we really wanted to see. It was on a beautiful street, more in our price point and had a beautiful yard. We told our realtor to set up a viewing and she called to say that unfortunately, the house sold before it even hit the market. Now I was legitimately panicked. Our realtor was miffed that a home didn't get fair play on the market (It's always in a seller's best interest to let a home go to the market so that they can get the most competition, and the most money, for their home).
We didn't seem to stand a chance at the speed which this market was operating. Houses were seriously listing in the afternoon and selling that evening. If you blinked, you missed out.
But then one afternoon, my realtor got a call.....
You see, the house we wanted to see, that sold before it hit the market, was having their home inspection. The realtor representing the people who purchased it, was sitting in his car while the inspection was going on, and called up my realtor to say that while he was sitting there, he could see another home putting up a "For Sale" sign on the very same street. She called us right away to see if we wanted to view it. I was available to see it on my own, and as I walked though it, I kept texting Craig to say that it was amazing and that he would just love it. We got him in to see it two hours later, the house also received another offer on it at the same time as ours, and we got a phone call at 8 pm to say that we won it. I cried tears of joy. It didn't even hit the market. And bonus, the home down the street that we originally wanted to see was bought by that couple we liked. It just all felt a little meant to be. I think, had it gone to market, we would have lost another bidding war to people with cash. We truly lucked out. I can't tell you how excited we are, it's on a beautiful street, around the corner from a cute school and in walking distance to the beach - plus it is in truly a wonderful neighbourhood - we've already met some of the locals and they all love living there. We get to move in two months. With everything going on with my mom, this is the first time I have legitimately felt excited about the year ahead. She mustered up the energy to go for a drive with my dad past it the yesterday and was so excited for us. I hope she is here to go inside when we get it, but I'm so thankful she got to see our new neighbourhood first hand.
xoxo

68/365

Super pumped about these new glasses. Saaah Cuuaat!

365 catch up...

 Thursday, March 5: First time trying Vij's food truck. De-freaking-licious. But, it was definitely a one -off treat - too spendy for my usual lunch budget.

Friday, March. 6 - Celebrating some wonderful news with friends. 

Saturday, March 7: Magnolia love around the hood.

Sunday, March 8: A lovely afternoon exploring Fort Langley

 Hello friends - I hope you are recovering from losing that hour today!!! As one of my friends said today, why don't they make us spring our clocks ahead on Friday afternoon? Who are these people that shorten our Saturday nights?!? Let me at them. I'll write more on the blog tomorrow since it has been a long time since I've last written anything at length. I hope you had a lovely weekend! I have an adventure to share with you tomorrow. Goodnight friends xoxo

365 catch up....

Monday, March. 2: A gorgeous day spent with friends

Tuesday, March 3: An impromptu lunch date at the beach with my little love

Wednesday, March 4: Our resident sun worshipper. 

gone to the birds.....

 this photo may have been staged......

 There's something about a bunch of duck bums that always cracks me up....

If you haven't been to Reifel Bird Sanctuary, I highly recommend it. It's a beautifully scenic spot to go for a walk. Just don't wear red, or you might experience this misadventure we once had there. xo