All the fun of summer....

Oh what fun we had!

I mean, just look at those smiling faces! :)

I'm not gonna lie.....there are times when I was literally tearing my hair out....

but amidst all the chaos of life with these two little boys....

there's fun. Lots of fun.

One of the boys' favourite activities.....the jeep.

"Finny thinks he's a big boy" said Toby.

hehe...I know someone else who think he's a big boy too ;)

Every morning, Mr. Toby has to do a once-over to check what Dada's wearing before he gets dressed for the day...

Grey "bumpy" shorts....check

Black T-shirt....check

Aren't they cute? :)

And matching wheelbarrows full of firewood for mama :)

This was a big month in our house...

Toby learned to ride a "big boy" bike without training wheels!

(We credit the "running bike" that he's been riding for the past six months...he just hopped on the pedal bike without training wheels and was riding it in under 2 minutes. Definitely recommend the running bike for teaching them to balance)

He's so proud of himself......and pretty much a pro at it now.

AND....our little Finn learned to walk!! 

He took his first steps about 6 weeks ago (9 months) and has been walking full time for about 3 weeks now. 

Things are pretty crazy around here!

This was Finny's favourite summer fun.....

An IKEA plastic box.

Who could resist climbing in? :)

Especially when it's just your size...

And who could resist the bare bum/bunny picture.....heehee! (he can kick my butt when he's older) :)

This is Bunny Bob.

He likes to dig.

And the boys LOVE him!

We found a doggy.

He was trying to run into the road...so we brought him home.

We found his owners and they were so relieved!

The boys looooved him.

snif...

Maybe one day we'll get a dog. 

Last weekend, we were at my beautiful friend Astrid's wedding!!!

It was such a fun day!

Isn't she gorgeous? :)

They are so contagiously happy and perfect together!

And we danced.....

My handsome Dus....and me :)

The best parents in the world....and me :)

So there you have it.....a little bit of our summer.

And, as fun as it was....I'm excited for fall.

Crisp mornings walks, snuggly evenings by the fire, fall clothes.....that sort of thing :)

We're off to Ontario to see family.....be back in 10 days!

A little light decorating.....vintage mirror, gallery wall, paris map...that sort of thing.

Once again....it's been weeks since my last post...

that must mean we've been having an action-packed summer.

Or....maybe I've been off doing all sorts of glamorous girly things like having spa days and afternoon tea parties.

Or...more than likely I've just simply been caught up in life with two little boys...riding bikes and splashing in paddling pools....wiping sticky popsicle hands.....that sort of thing :)

Isn't that what life's all about? 

Oh....and giggling.

We do a lot of giggling.

And in the odd fleeting moment where I have 3 minutes to myself, I sometime like to switch things up a bit....decor-wise :)

So...I went around our house just now and photographed a few of the little changes that make me smile when I see them......yes.....little "fresh" things around the house do that to me.

First of all.....this mirror was a recent thrift shop find ($8).....I gave it a quick coat of white, and then another quick coat of light grey....a quick bit of sandpaper distressing, and up to the living room she went. (*quick* being the key word here). Our little Finny has turned into a chronic 20 minute napper these days (he just learned to walk), so this project literally took 12 minutes from start to finish. Who needs dry paint between coats?....I mean...REALLY.  That would be a luxury. My trick.....paint outside in the hot sun and by the time you get around again to the second coat, the first is already basically dry. :)

So.....I had all these paintings gathering dust, and an ugly wall that needed cheering up. I know they aren't exactly hung in a way that would be "correct" design-wise....but it works for me, and I kind of like the haphazard gallery look. There....a new design term for you ;)

When I painted our bedroom, and moved the pink camellia painting, I needed some quick art for the living room. This is a vintage-style piece of wrapping paper that I found at a little boutique for $5. It's verging on being a little "generic" for my liking, but I like it none the less. The subtle pinks and blues sort of work well for our room. It's a good "stand-in" until something else comes along :)

I found this globe at our local thrift shop (really....do I ever shop anywhere else?)...hehe.....well, ahem....my husband might beg to differ, after I broke the news about a new little Nicole Miller dress that I just couldn't leave behind. C'mon...the thing fit like a glove. And you know that feeling when you zip up a dress and it's like it was just meant to be?.....well.....that's how it was. The dress....not the globe. 

Well...ok....maybe the globe too. I mean, look at the colours in it! Perfect!

And this is where I sit....right now....in that very spot :)

This vintage Paris map was also a piece of wrapping paper from the same boutique as the living room Eiffel Tower, and I fell in love with it. I like how it adds a little softness to our kitchen, alongside the black chalkboard wall.

I like this view a lot better now.....looking from our kitchen into the hallway.

I found an old IKEA table runner that I had bought several years ago...and it works perfectly in our kitchen now...thanks to the Paris map :)

I now enjoy sitting down at our table just that little bit more.

Small pleasures.

And who could resist cupcake print tea towels? Seriously.

My new tea-towel "system".....blue buckets :) Sitting out. Easy to reach...no more drawer stuffing.

So there you have it.....it's amazing how little changes can make a big difference to your every day life. 

Ok...maybe that's just me.

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!