Introducing Our Baby Girl, Violet

  First of all, thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Dream Home Guest Blogger Series! I loved peeking inside the favourite parts of your homes! During my little blogging break, I've been busy getting to know the newest member of the family. And she finally has a name... It took us just over two weeks to settle on one!

This is our little lady, Violet Elizabeth. Born May 21st at 8:36 am in Toronto, weighing 6 lbs 11 oz and measuring 18 inches long. She is perfect. 

Benjamin adores her and is a wonderful big brother. I am sure I will share way way too many photos of them over the next little while. Sorry in advance. 

Of course, adjusting to life as a family of four has had its ups and downs. Ben has moments of being a little clingier than usual, and had a few days where he seemed to be struggling a bit more with adjusting to all the change. His sleeping sucks even more than usual, too. I don't think I've ever had so little sleep (baby has days and nights mixed up, and Ben is a very active two-year-old by day). It was tough when Matt had to return to work (he took 6 work days off), but he will have more time off very soon. Anyway, despite being sleepy, I can't complain. I have two healthy, happy, sweet babies. Life is really wonderful. Matt and I feel super lucky. What a difference two years has made in our lives!

Now, I better get working on that nursery for real. It is a total mess. Fortunately, Violet sleeps with us right now ("sleeps," ha ha, wishful thinking). But I still want to get it all set up so we can hang out in there and eventually start having her nap in there occasionally. The rest of the house is full of unfinished projects too -- but we have made progress, and I can't wait to show you!

See you very soon,

Jenny xo

A Dream Backyard - Cassie from Hi Sugarplum!

Today is the final scheduled post for my guest blogger series, "My House is my Dream Home Because..." I will be back this week with baby and house updates aplenty :)
Anyway, I am so so excited to have Cassie visiting from  Hi Sugarplum! Her blog is one of my absolute must-reads. I love her style -- both in terms of writing and interior design. She is creative and funny and her house is just lovely. If you don't already know Cassie, go on over and say hello! But first, here she is:

Hello friends! I'm Cassie of Hi Sugarplum, and I'm thrilled to be hanging out over here with you all! When Jenny asked me what makes my house my dream home...I immediately thought of our backyard.

When we moved from Tennessee to Texas several years ago, I couldn't believe our luck that we were able to find a house, within our budget, that had a pool! And honestly, having a pool in Texas is like having heat in Canada....kind of a necessity if you plan on spending Summer outside. We recently completed the makeover on the patio area, and are spending more time than ever outside.

It's been the perfect setting for many parties...including my son's Stars & Stripes Pool Party...

And my daughter's Rainbow Art Party.

We hung twinkle lights from the pergola, so even simple dinners feel special when eaten outside.

But the best, and most important, thing about my home...is who I'm blessed to share it with!

Stop by Hi Sugarplum, and spend some time browsing the Project Gallery, where you'll see all the projects we've tackled trying to whip the homely out of our 80's house!

Thanks so much for having me, Jenny...I hope you're enjoying this precious time with your family!

xo. Cassie 

Hi Sugarplum!

Thank you so much, Cassie!
See you all soon! Jenny xo

Kirsten's Dream Home - from 6th Street Design School

 Our guest blogger series continues today as I attempt to get some sleep, keep the kiddos fed and happy, and not let the house totally fall down. We are getting into the swing of things and life is all in all really good. Looking forward to getting back to regular blogging soon, but in the mean time I'm soooo thrilled to have had such awesome bloggers share their dream home elements with us for this series. Today, I'm welcoming the talent behind 6th Street Design School. Kirsten Krason is an insanely talented blogger and designer. I have crushed on her style for ages, and am very excited to have here here today to share a little bit with us about what she loves most about her home. If you haven't visited her blog before, hop on over and poke around. It is full of eye candy and good ideas -- I know you'll love it. Thank you Kirsten for being here today! And if you are visiting from Kirsten's blog, welcome and thanks for coming! - Jenny

Hi! I'm Kirsten Krason from the blog, 6th Street Design School. I'm so excited to  be guest posting today on why my home is my "dream home".

Although my home is very small with tiny tiny bedrooms I can't help but love it. We built it so we got to choose a lot of the finishes customize a few things. I love so many things about our little home. I love our high baseboards and trimmed out windows. I feel like this adds a great modern touch to our  home. This may sound silly but I also love our doors. I opted for a $200 upgrade to get nicer doors and I think it makes such a difference. The three boxed panel makes the home feel more contemporary which is totally my style. I also love our paint color throughout the home (hazy skies by Benjamin Moore). 

It's hard to find that perfect beige color that will work in any room. I consider this paint color to be more greige but it's just neutral enough that it flows well throughout our whole home. Even though they get dirty easily I also love our dark hard wood floors on our main level. 

I also LOVE our vaulted ceilings upstairs. Since our rooms are so small it helps each space feel larger and more grand. 

The thing I love very most about my home is that it is a safe haven for my family. It is so important to me to create an atmosphere of love and safety for my kids. We have created so many wonderful memories here and continue to create memories. I couldn't ask for more than that! - Kirsten

Thank you so much, Kirsten! 

Jenny xo

Dream Home Highlights - Megan @ Honey We're Home

Hello, hello!

Our guest blogger series continues today. I asked Megan from Honey We're Home to join us and am so excited to have her here today. Megan's house is totally amazing, and you can tell how much thought, love, and care she and her family have put into making it their wonderful home. Megan's blog is full of awesome ideas for your home and shares how she has put hers together, and she also has a second blog all about health and fitness, Honey We're Healthy. Go on over and visit her blog, and if you're here visiting via Megan's blog, welcome and thank you for coming! 

Okay, take it away Megan:

I'm very blessed to be living in what I consider a dream home.  We designed and built this home from the ground up taking into consideration many "wish list" items like a large white kitchen with Carrera marble countertops, a master bedroom with a sitting area, his and hers walk-in closets, lots of room for organization, and a nice pantry.  Although I was definitely an amateur during this process and still have a lot to learn, I'm extremely pleased with how our home turned out.

After living in a tiny, dark kitchen, a nice and bright kitchen was on my wish list for sure.  It's really the heart of the home and I love cooking in here with my son.

The master bath has the same marble counters and I'm thrilled with the large window above the tub.  

A mudroom is a real luxury and very practical for coming in and out of the house with backpacks, gym bags, purses, etc.  I built the bench seat the "no-sew" way and it's held up for years.

I love some of the architectural details like our curved staircase.  

So fun to decorate at Christmas-time!  

The sitting room off of the master bedroom gets a lot of use.  My son watches cartoons in there while I get ready in the morning. 

A closet with a built in shoe shelf is a nice addition too.  Now I can actually see what shoes I have. 

I never forget how many tiny apartments I have lived in (and loved!) but this house is really special to me as it was a labor of love and I have poured my heart into planning it and making it a home that is comfortable and welcoming.  Thanks for having me Jenny!  Enjoy that little baby!!

- Megan

Thank you, Megan! 

 You guys -- isn't that closet to die for? And you have to go see more pics of the kitchen and her son's big-boy room that she is working on now.

- Jenny xo

A Victorian Dream Home - Janice from Life Begins at Thirty, Right?

Hi friends! Thanks for your sweet emails and comments. Things are going well with the new baby -- although we are not getting much sleep. One thing we took for granted with Benjamin, our first, was the ability to nap by day if baby is up all night. With a two week old and almost two year old, there is definitely lots of adjusting and not much sleep. Matt is back at work and I'm figuring out how to adjust to two under two. But life is good, and we feel like the luckiest people on earth. I'll have to share some more pics of the kids soon. Once I upload them, that is. 

Anyway, I hope you've been enjoying the guest blogger series. The guest post series continues today, and I'm so excited to welcome Janice from the super fun blog, Life Begins at Thirty, Right? Janice is a Canadian blogger living in a gorgeous home right in Toronto. Her house is all kinds of beautiful. If you aren't familiar with her blog, pop on over and say hello! 

Okay, here's Janice.

Hi everyone!! Thanks so much to Jenny for having me over while she is spending some time getting to know her little bundle of joy! It is such an exciting time (and overwhelming of course) and I remember it quite well.

My name is Janice and I blog (sporadically) over at Life Begins at Thirty, Right? It used to be a blog about the purchase and renovation/decoration of our 100+ year old Victorian rowhouse in Toronto. My husband and I welcomed our first child to the world in June of 2012 and since then...well..I pretty much blog photos of him :-)

Anyways....

I sort of have two answers to why my house is my dream home. Let's call them "BB" and "AB" (before baby and after baby, respectively).

BB:

My house is my dream home because it is a perfect mix of old and new. Although I can appreciate super modern homes, I really was hoping to find one that had modern conveniences in an older home.

As much as I love our renovated kitchen:

I really love our original plaster mouldings:

I love our formal living and dining rooms (unheard of in more modern homes):

...as much as I love the new hardwood floors throughout:

There are the original stained glass french doors:

and our newly renovated bathroom:

Of course, with the old Victorian 'charm' comes a number of 'challenges' (cracking plaster, narrow hallways, narrow staircases, etc.) but it is SO worth it! I definitely feel like the bank we own a small piece of Toronto history. Cracked plaster and all.

And of course, AB:

After Luca was born, I realized VERY quickly that my house is my dream home because of these two guys:

Thanks again for having me, Jennifer!! Congratulations on the arrival of your little one!!

Thank you so much, Janice! 

Isn't her little man the cutest? And gosh, I LOVE that bathroom. 

- Jenny

Stacy's Dream Kitchen

Today our guest blogger series continues, and I am so excited to have Stacy from South Shore Decorating and Mary Jane's Makeup join us. Stacy has a great eye for design and her blog is always full of inspiration. Today, she's sharing something makes her house feel like a dream home. Prepare for some delicious eye candy. And then go over to her blog to say hello!
Thank you so much, Stacy!
Okay, here she is:


Thank you so much, Jenny, for letting me guest post here today.  I am thnking of you and hoping that you, the baby, your husband, and your other little treasure are all doing well!

My name is Stacy, and I write two blogs, South Shore Decorating Blog and Mary Jane's Makeup (the second one is for charity, and readers here are probably most interested in the first one).  I am an interior decorator and run my own business, which keeps me quite busy.  In my spare time, I tackle an occasional do it yourself project, a couple of which I'll show you here.

My house is my dream house in a lot of ways.  Mostly, because of the people who live in it with me.  But also, I love it because it is a great entertaining house. And for me, the point of life is to be kind, do what you love, and have fun with the people you love.  So, we entertain. A lot.  And the kitchen, which opens to the backyard with a pool, is perfect for that.

Here is my kitchen in it's current state:

This next photo actually shows two things I did myself.  First, the wall paneling.  It was SO hard and I might have cried more than once while doing it.  But I love it, and am glad I did it.  Second, the cabinet.  I bought it on a big sale, and it was green when it arrived.  I love green, but it didn't go, so I painted it black.  I love it and it helps me not have to store my 18 million plates on the kitchen and dining room tables.

a

And here is the backyard that those kitchen doors open up to:

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So, that is what makes my house a dream house for me and for my family!

a

Thank you again, Jenny, for allowing me to guest post. It was a real honor.

-Stacy

Now it's me (Jenny) again. Just wanted to say thank you again, Stacy! 
Gosh, I could totally take a nice long swim in that pool.... 
xo

A Dream Home Library - from Ashli of Mini Manor Blog

Today while I'm off hanging with my babies, the Dream Home Guest Blogger Series continues. I'm very excited to welcome Ashli of Mini Manor Blog. Her style is fresh and fun and I just love it. Her blog, which is full of inspiration and creativity, has been a frequent read for me since the day I found it. She's also a fellow Canadian (living in gorgeous British Columbia). Ashli, thank you for sharing with us today! If you aren't aquainted with Ashli or her blog yet, pop on over. And if you're visiting Simcoe Street from Mini Manor Blog for the first time, welcome!

Anyway, this is Ashli and her cute husband:

And this is her post for us about what she just loves in her home:

My House is my Dream home because of one MAJOR reason . . . our library.

I love to read, I will read almost anything, newspapers from my niece's middle school paper . . . read them, the pamphlet at the doctor's office about prostate health . . . read it too.  So my dream has always been to have a huge bookcase with a ladder! To have enough books that I would need a ladder to access them all. So far we are about half way to the dream, we have the bookcase we need the ladder.

Earlier this year we added some HUGE bookcases to our office area. All we need now is a rolling ladder because 15 feet in the air makes my books a bit difficult to get to.

So there you have it . . . my home is my dream home because it's where my books live! ;)
- Ashli

Shelley's Dream Closet

I'm very excited to have the creative and talented Shelley from the blog Crazy Wonderful here today. Shelley, thank you so much for joining the guest blogger series! I am especially excited about Shelley's post on what makers her home her dream house because she is living in a rental, which has its pros and cons but can be trickier in some ways (in my experience, anyway -- I've been a renter for most of my adult life, though none of my places looked as great as Shelley's). Anyway, Shelley has a great eye for design and is a skilled DIYer, so it is a real treat to have her here today. Take it away, Shelley:

I'm Shelley from Crazy Wonderful, and I am so thrilled to help fill in for Jenny while she gets to know her new little girl!

If you stop by my blog you'll see that I'm a major lover of DIY.  You'll find lots of tutorials for things I've done to make my house a home.

We recently moved from Kansas down to Texas and are selling our house where a lot of my DIY skills got put to the test.  We're now renting, and I'm finding ways to work around someone else's choices to make it feel like us.  While there are a lot of things I'd change about this place if it were mine, there is one thing I love about it.

My house is my dream home because... I now have a mega closet ALL. TO. MYSELF!!!!!!

The right side is all rods for hanging.  There is even a third row way up top for seasonal items.  I totally don't have enough clothing to even use this space. 

To the left, I'd like to direct you to organization heaven.

Ahhhhhhhh... *the whole singing angels thing* ...hhhhhh!!!!!

Space for longer hanging items, drawers for my drawers and everything else I used to have stowed away in our bedroom dressers.  It is so nice to get ready in one spot.

Baskets and boxes hold belts and other accessories while keeping everything looking tidy.

There is even a dedicated drawer for jewelry!

Shoes now have a home without being tossed and stuffed into place.

On a side note, I did some shoe purging before our move.  I used to have a lot of shoes, but the reality is I only wear a handful regularly.  And which ones might those be?  Yep, you guessed it - the flats.  So I figured if I hadn't worn a pair in over a year, off to the donation pile they would go!

We need to move on because all this talk about shoes is making me hungry for more ;)

I've set up a little area off to the side for my scarfs and my daily grab and go jewelry.  Makes things easier when you're in a hurry.

So, my husband laughed at me when got so excited about this next part, but I think it's pretty darn cool.

There's a little pull out rod to hang your clothes on for the next day!  LOVE THAT!!!

Of course, I've never used it except to take this photo.  I mean come on, there's really no need to display my t-shirt and jammie pants.  Am I right???

This closet is also the perfect place for my little girl, Izzy, to prance around in mommy's heels :)

  

So there it is!  The piece of our place that makes me feel like I'm in our dream home!

Thanks so much for having me over today, Jenny!

Hope you're getting some rest and loads of new baby noggin sniffing in :)

-Shelley

Isn't that closet the stuff dreams are made of? I love how organized it is. The jewellery drawers is my fave. Thank you so much for sharing, Shelley!! Jenny xo