1. The Weekend and Making Progress

    June 5, 2013 by Sara

    I know it seems a bit late to be asking this, but how was everyone’s weekend? Mine was great, we had lovely weather (for the most part) and got the chance to spend time outside with the dogs, one of my favourite pastimes! Marshall also got to meet a new doggie friend, Chloe, and had his first encounter (that we know of) with a toddler! I’m pleased to report that he was nothing but a true gentleman, showing just the right amount of interest and concern without being a big furry pest! Aside from visiting with friends and BBQs and shopping, I’m remiss to say that I didn’t get much done around the house this weekend, but I think I’ve made some progress regarding the nursery! I’ve got the crib selections down to just two excellent options, and hope to get that decision finalized this Saturday! Plus, I discovered some super cool, affordable and easy to apply wall decals that will definitely be making an appearance in our boy’s room.

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    Thusly inspired, I also picked up these nautical-themed coasters, but don’t ask what I’m going to do with them because I haven’t decided yet!

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    My vision for the nursery is totally starting to come together, and it’s about time considering we’re getting kind of close! Regardless of how many ideas I have, though, this project is going nowhere so long as the room is still full of junk! Hopefully we’ll actually get around to posting some of our no-longer-needed pieces on craigslist so we can clear out the space and get down to painting. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m leaning towards a beautiful indigo blue from the Sherwin Williams HGTV HOME line. Hopefully it’ll look great!

    Have an awesome weekend!


  2. Backyard Lounging

    May 30, 2013 by Sara

    Although this weekend marks the beginning of June and what should be summer, I can hear a torrential downpour in my backyard as I type. Unfair, yes, but I’m not going to let this rain dampen (pardon the pun) my excitement for summer and all the patio lounging I plan to do once the sun decides to shine. Our current patio set up is seriously lacking in style and comfort, in my opinion a backyard without a comfy place to lie down and tan isn’t really a great outdoor space at all! Although a new patio set is pretty low on our spending priority list, I’ve promised myself a small splurge in the form of a cozy patio lounger. Perhaps I can stretch out on my new chaise lounge and imagine myself immersed in a luxurious outdoor oasis, sipping on a fancy (virgin) cocktail.

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    What do you guys have planned for the weekend? I’d like to say I have big plans to start painting the nursery or perhaps finally have the garage sale we desperately need to have, but if I’m being honest I’ll probably relax and do some shopping. I have a baby shower to attend on Sunday and am very excited to meet the man of the hour, especially since this will be the first baby I’ve held since I found out I have one on the way! I am in need of some serious baby practice, so hopefully I can get the hang of it pretty quickly. Wish me luck!


  3. A Holiday Weekend Getaway

    May 27, 2013 by Sara

    First I must begin by wishing my American friends a very happy Memorial Day! May you BBQ to your hearts’ content today. It was just a regular ol’ weekend for the rest of us here in Canada, but it was an especially wonderful one for us because we decided to head up to Whistler with the dogs for one last getaway before baby! Any of you lucky enough to have visited this winter wonderland know that it is super dog-friendly, and an ideal place to go hang out for a relaxed weekend full of fun and outdoor activities!

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    We usually make it out to Whistler a couple of times a year with the dogs for a quick getaway, and always look for somewhere affordable-yet-dog-friendly (this time we stayed at the Summit Lodge and Spa, we will definitely be staying here again!) This weekend was going to be a bit of a test for the dogs as this would be Marshall’s first family vaca and a chance for he and Roxy to get closer. Thus far his exuberant puppy energy and giant feet aren’t a great match for Roxy’s laid back, lazy demeanor. This is especially true when we’re at home and Marshall and Blackie Chan spend hours on end chasing each other throughout the house. This often leads to a very grouchy (and sometimes bitey) Roxy, so Marshall generally avoids her when at home. However, stuck together in our small hotel room sans ninja kitty, Roxy was able to see Marshall’s calmer side, and the two made a very important breakthrough…they slept together on the same bed! A very exciting step in the right direction, I assure you.

    Marshall marked another milestone this weekend, he went for his first swim! Being a lab mix you’d think he’d be a natural, but he was definitely hesitant to dive in…

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    but he slowly began to crawl in, one giant webbed foot at a time.

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    Eventually, he acclimatized himself to the cold water and went right in, doggie paddling away!

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    Superbly well done, right? I couldn’t have been prouder! Roxy had a great time too, and met some neat new friends along the way…

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    Mama bear, baby bear, and adorable bear.

    The entire weekend was a great success, Roxy’s reign as Queen Bee of the resort pleased her greatly and her love of all things luxurious began to rub off on Marshall, too.

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    Most importantly, the two of them left Whistler better friends. Let’s hope this new found kinship continues on at home!

    Have a great week!


  4. Navy Nurseries

    May 16, 2013 by Sara

    I am officially requesting your assistance, readers, as I have been completely unable to make a decision regarding this nursery! I need all of you colour geniuses, who automatically see beautiful hue pallets forming in your big brains without any assistance at all, to help me decide which way to go with my colour scheme! Here’s my dilemma – the crib I (think) I want is black. I want the walls to be navy, or at least the accent wall perhaps with the other walls painted white. The problem is I’m worried that a black crib against a navy wall will be too dark. What do you think?

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    I’ve found some gorgeous nurseries through my searches that featured navy walls, but most of them have white cribs.

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    I have nothing against white cribs, I just haven’t found one that I absolutely love. There is one grey crib that I like that fits within our budget, but I’m not 100% sure it works with the overall theme I have worked out in my head (which has yet to be revealed).

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    So what should I do? Do you think the black crib will look okay against a navy wall? Or should I try to find a white one? Please leave your thoughts in the comments!


  5. Dream Kitchens that Inspire

    May 13, 2013 by Sara

    With everything that’s been going on in our lives thus far this year (our first baby on the way, the loss of our sweet boy Cash, the introduction of our new dog Marshall) I feel like I’ve let my design aspirations and blogging duties slip. I’ve just been so exhausted lately that even the basic upkeep of my house seems like a momentous task, let alone thinking of redesigns and refreshes for each room! What brain capacity I do have left has been spent trying to design a nursery, but I still can’t seem to make a final decision about anything, so as you can imagine, modernizing my kitchen and sprucing up my bedroom have fallen by the wayside! Luckily, all it took was a single image to kick-start my imagination and get my creative juices flowing again! When I saw this incredible, modern kitchen featured on Bijou and Boheme, I was reminded of all the things I had planned (design-wise) for this year…

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    How incredible is that sleek and modern oven hood? The clean lines combined with the marble backsplash and wood ceiling are driving me crazy!! None of these glam elements will fit within our budget any time soon, but it’s always fun to imagine, isn’t it? Especially when you’re in need of a bit of a kick in the pants inspiration-wise. So this set me off on a beautiful kitchen hunt that turned up this artful wonder…

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    This space is so fundamentally different from the other one, but still so exquisite! I love the open shelves almost as much as I love the idea of displaying art on a countertop. This would not be plausible in my house (grease splatter all over a piece of art? Yuck) but the idea is a good reminder to think outside the box. Have any of you seen something lately that really inspired you?


  6. Meet Marshall!

    May 7, 2013 by Sara

    How was everyone’s week? I am happy to report that was ours was crazy but in the best possible way! We finally brought Marshall home on Friday after weeks of meetings, training sessions and waiting, and the weekend was made even better by the arrival of the best weather we could have possibly asked for! We reached temps of 33 degrees on Sunday (that’s according to my car, mind you, but it felt pretty accurate!) which unfortunately resulted in a bout of heatstroke for me, but that just provided me with an excuse to curl up with the dogs and snuggle in the shade. Before overdoing it under the cloudless sky, we did get the chance to spend most of Saturday out in the yard (clearly not doing yardwork, though) and out and about exploring together, giving Roxy and Marshall the chance to get to know one another.

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    The most important thing for us when deciding to add Marshall to our family was that it would make Roxy happy since she is (and always will be) my first baby. She’s a finicky old gal with a bit of a short fuse when it comes to horsing around, but she also has a wonderful mothering instinct that shone with her little brother, Cash, and that we can already see emerging with Marshall.

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    Luckily for Roxy, it’s not hard to fall in love with this guy (just ask the folks at the shelter or the ladies at doggie daycare). I don’t think I’ve met a creature so enthusiastic about loving everything he encounters! (Think Chris Traeger from Parks & Rec). Marshall is enamored with us, Roxy, Blackie Chan, toys, bumblebees, grass, kids, and TREATS! Everything is new to him, and it’s all absolutely fantastic!! I have to admit, his attitude of gratitude is starting to rub off on me, and hopefully on Miss Priss Roxy!

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    Being that this wasn’t our first experience introducing a new pet to our existing pack (we’ve fostered dogs in the past) we had very realistic expectations of what the first few days would be – total and utter chaos. And that was okay with us, we knew it was a natural step in this transition, however we have been pleasantly shocked with how well Marshall has settled into our household and routine. There haven’t really been any fights (although Roxy’s given him a few good-natured warning nips) and Marshall’s prey drive is pretty much non-existent, meaning Blackie Chan, our ninja kitty, has nothing to worry about from this big lug.

    Most importantly though, is the fact that Marshall already feels like our dog. He seemed to bond with us immediately and is already a “velcro dog”, following either myself or Jer wherever we go. As strange as it may sound, it was really comforting to have someone keep me company during my morning sickness Sunday morning, just like Cash used to. I feel like Roxy is beginning to enjoy the company of a handsome young buck again (although she’s not ready to show it yet) as she’s slowly shifting from an air of indifference to minimal interest.

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    I think what we have here is a lifelong friendship in the making.


  7. Ellen & Portia’s Southern California Ranch

    May 1, 2013 by Sara

    I am so excited that it’s already Wednesday (woooo!) and even more important, that the forecast for this weekend is awesome! The timing of this well-deserved beautiful weather couldn’t be better as we’ll be bringing Marshall home on Friday and plan on spending the bulk of the weekend outside enjoying the sun. This week has been jammed packed with dog training sessions and a visit from my sister, not to mention puppy-proofing our home, so I haven’t had much time to post, but I did manage to sneak in the new issue of Elle Decor featuring Ellen DeGeneres’ home. Holy horsey heaven, this place is amazing! Featuring eight (yes eight) separate cabins, each with a different theme, I was totally blown away by this incredibly light and peaceful space. I’m not sure I could ever feel at home in a property with that many different abodes, but I would certainly love to vacation at this Southern California spot!

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    If you had to pick one of these cabins to live in, which would it be? For me it would have to be the Art Barn featuring white washed walls, tons of natural light and that incredible soft, brown, tufted sofa. Be sure to head on over to ElleDecor.com to see the rest of the tour!


  8. Sunday Dogs

    April 28, 2013 by Sara

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    Photos by TravandAsh

    This week’s Sunday Dogs star is a particularly adorable one, his name is Marshall and he is one of the sweetest, silliest guys I’ve ever met! Originally purchased from the flea market as a purebred Black Lab puppy (this is why you SHOULD NOT purchase a puppy from the flea market!) he’s thought to be a mix of Black Lab, Bullmastiff and Pittie. At just 10 months old, Marshall was surrendered to LAPS through no fault of his own, simply because one of the teenagers he resided with developed an allergy to him. He is incredibly well socialized and has an amazingly calm energy for being just a pup (this is where the Bullmastiff guess comes in). A lover of all dogs, kids and kitties too, Marshall is an incredible and unusual find for a shelter dog and received a huge amount of interest from several great families (to no one’s surprise!). As a result of his “dream dog” status, Marshall is very lucky in that he won’t be spending much time in the shelter, he’s already been matched with his forever home! In fact, I happen to know Marshall’s new adoptive family quite well…

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    Photos by TravandAsh

    That’s right friends, Marshall will be spending the rest of his days in our home, playing little brother to Roxy and big brother to baby boy on the way! A bit unexpected, right? Well it was for us too! We weren’t looking for another dog by any means, the pain of losing our beloved boy Cash was far too fresh in our hearts, but something clicked when I met Marshall. It was like meeting a young Cash but in another dog’s body! His trainer, Gwen, advised me that he’d already received a ton of interest and that two applications had already been put in, but we still wanted to give it a shot. I brought Jer and Roxy back with me last weekend, and it didn’t take long to see that they felt the same way about Marshall that I did! We decided to submit an application and were delighted to find out last week that we had been selected as Marshall’s new adoptive family!

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    Photos by TravandAsh

    I can’t tell you how happy we are, and how much we’re looking forward to having another big silly dog in the house! We’re going to bring Roxy to visit Marshall this afternoon, and have three training sessions scheduled for next week before he can officially be deemed ours. As long as all goes to plan, Marshall will be coming home with us on the 3rd! So say ‘welcome’ to our newest addition!

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    And thanks so much to the wonderful Trav and Ash who took these incredible photos, and who donate their time and talents to photograph so many of the dogs in need at LAPS!


  9. 5 Modern Cribs Under $500

    April 24, 2013 by Sara

    As the weeks continue to fly by, I get closer and closer to making what is arguably the most important decision regarding our baby’s nursery – the crib. I’ve gone back and forth between 3 or 4 options, but can’t seem to make the final choice! What makes this so hard is that I haven’t seen any of the cribs I want in person, just online. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t available here in Canada, or if they are it’s by online order only. Plus, I’m really trying to stay within a $500 budget since it seems bonkers to spend any more than that on something we’ll only be using for 2 years! So if any of you have seen or purchased any of these cribs recently, PLEASE HELP ME decide before I lose my mind! Here are my choices…

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    Babyletto Hudson from Target

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    DaVinci Jenny Lind from Target

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    Babyletto Hudson from Target

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    Stork Craft Monza II from Sears

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    Babyletto Grayson from LussoBaby

    To be honest, the black Jenny Lind spindle crib wasn’t a top contender until I saw it featured in a newborn photo shoot recently. It looked so incredibly adorable in the little boy’s room that it’s now skyrocketed to the top of my list! So now I’m essentially back to square one, and am desperately seeking your sage advice. Which crib do you guys like best?


  10. Sunday Dogs

    April 21, 2013 by Sara

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    Photo by TravAndAshBlog.com

    Now that I’m a full fledged dog walking volunteer at L.A.P.S. I’m meeting a LOT of wonderful, wonderful dogs who’ve been left without homes through no fault of their own. Mila here is one such example. After managing to escape her yard several times, Mila’s owners chose not to pick her up. This sweet, beautiful and affectionate girl is simply looking for a family that will allow her inside their home and invite her to be a part of their daily lives, not condemn her to a boring backyard all day!

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    A typical super snuggly, love bug Rottie, two year old Mila absolutely loves people, but according to her trainer, can be a little bit of a bully when it comes to other dogs, especially fellow females. This doesn’t mean living with another dog is out of the question, just that Mila can be a bit choosy when it comes to her canine friends. If this smart and sassy girl seems right for you, contact her trainer at L.A.P.S today!