A day at the Fair......again.....

We braved the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition....it's kind of a big deal around here;)

And, if only for the sheer glee expressed by one little four year old boy, it was worth it.

It was crazy busy.....in an almost claustrophobic way, but I guess that adds to the whole experience :)

I love some of the old "vintage" rides....

Little Finn wasn't quite as gleeful as big brother, but he enjoyed himself none the less. It was a case of serious over-stimulation for the little man.

The animals (especially the baby chicks) were a big hit! "BITE MY FINGER, CHICKY....Bite my FINGER!"

haha....now why on earth would you want it to do that?? ;)

Two seconds later..."OUCHHHH....that HURT, Chicky!!"

There was an "extreme sports" show with dirtbikes and ATV's jumping in the air. Needless to say, this was also a hit!

glued...

Super exhausting, super fun evening at the fair!

Repainted Seafoam Green Kitchen Table

I've had this table finished for a while now, but it was the little pink hydrangeas (that I rescued from our front garden after a heavy rain) that inspired me to take some pictures :)

Sadly, the lighting is really bad in our kitchen, and they're a bit fuzzy/grainy, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me ;)

My wonderful friend, Andrea, was so kind as to GIVE me this table and four chairs! I'd been wanting to get rid of the rickety-legged IKEA "cheapest-table-and-chair-set-possible" that has graced my kitchen for the past 5 years. I don't think I'd ever put it together properly, and it was always a bit dodgy. What can I say.....I was pregnant at the time. hah! Always a good excuse for most things ;)

Anyways.....the bottom part of the table, and all four chairs, were already painted white! *sigh of relief*

All I had to do was paint the top. Easy peasy (Toby's favourite thing to say these days). 

I grabbed a can of "kitchen and bath semi-gloss latex", mixed in some of my acrylic craft/art paints to get the desired colour, and went to town on it with a foam roller.

I love the result! A sturdy wooden table that just sort of "blends" into its surroundings! 

I love this colour up against our "well-aged" chalkboard wall :)

ps...don't mind the very messy art-hanging clothesline....it started off all tidy and orderly, but what can I say?...my kids have got talent, and I can't exactly say that *some* pieces of art are more worthy of the kitchen wall than others, can I? ;)

So....on another note......my hat is off to all of you single parents out there....or moms whose husbands are away for work a lot, etc. Dustin has been sick for the past 4 days (so sick that he's had to stay in bed), and I am so, so tired. 

It's exhausting being a single parent. Seriously exhausting. Throw a molar-teething toddler into the mix, and it's burnout. 

But he's on the mend now...thank goodness. Poor guy :( He's had a rough go.

I hope you're all staying well! This has been the weirdest summer here in Vancouver. So cool and wet that the viruses never went away. yuck.

Finally...a little DIY project....White dining chairs with navy trellis fabric!

I've had these chairs sitting in our garage FOREVER. 

They were $2 each at my local thrift store....yes, you read that right...$2 !

A few coats of white semi-gloss, and some new seat fabric, and they're as good as new!

I decided that I wanted to add some navy blue to our home....something a little bit dramatic in the middle of all the pale, calming colours :)

I found this P. Kaufmann "Slick" indoor/outdoor fabric on Amazon, and I LOVE it!

It's a really heavy canvas-type material that I'm hoping will hold up a little better than the Kelly Wearstler linen "Imperial Trellis" fabric I almost bought. With two small boys around, I don't want to have to worry about it at all. The best part is that this fabric is only $22/yard (a heck of a lot less than the coveted Kelly Wearstler stuff.....as lovely as it is!). So, if and when the stains happen, I can just grab my trusty staple gun and add another layer of fabric on top :)

I had some help from my talented friend, Astrid, which made the job a lot more enjoyable :)

This girl can do anything. I'm not even kidding you....she literally knows how to do everything. Check out her jewelry here and her blog here.

Absolutely NOT loving my hideous glass-top table with these chairs....so I'm on the hunt for a new wood table. I'll keep you posted!

But....even with the ugly table, I'm excited to have something new to look at. As always.

I hope you're enjoying these last few weeks of summer!!! 

Sharing at: Primitive and Proper

If I were a student.....(college style, dorm room decor, student loans...)

I got "pinteresting" (is that a new term?)...if not...it is now!( It's the next "googling", I tell you!) and I felt all nostalgic and almost...ALMOST....wanted to be a student all over again.

I would be WAY cooler now. Honestly. 

I'd look super cute like this....mis-matched plaid patterns and all....

Or this cute little menswear inspired look...pretty sure I could never pull it off, but I'd likely die trying :)

And don't even get me started on Gossip Girl, and the never ending plethora of fabulous outfit inspiration. I always wanted to wear a school uniform. 

But alas, it never happened. 

I'm sure I would have been laughed to scorn had I shown up at my public school in a little pleated skirt and knee-high socks.

 I settled for playing field hockey instead ;) Truth be told, I only signed up because of the cute skirt. Ironically, I ended up loving the sport! who knew!

Seriously, though....don't you just love thick grey tights? (why am I fantasizing about fall clothes....I feel like we've hardly had a summer here yet!!)

I'd definitely need a bag like this....it just screams "prep school" :) I'd probably need to take out a loan to pay for it....but whatever......so worth every penny!

Then I got on to thinking about dorm rooms....sigh.....

I'm pretty sure mine would have a tutu lamp just like this....

And a vintage globe or two. Oh...and chalkboards...lots of those.

What is it with me and little vintage school chairs? I have several scattered around our house, and even though my husband has put the kibosh on me bringing any more in, I just can't stop myself!

loving the zinc-topped table too!

I would obviously be riding around campus on this bike.

So old-school cool :)

And now, as always, I want to plan a "back to school" party!! It's just too bad I'll have to at least wait until next year when my little Toby boy is going off to kindergarten! snif.

I will NOT deal well. I can tell you right now. 

I'll need the party to cheer me up....and what better inspiration than this one...

Look at this little man....nope...not mine, but just so darn cute I couldn't resist including him :)

Again...love the vintage school desk and chairs!

Now...on to the the boring stuff.......

The reality of being a student is that it's so darn expensive! I was so lucky to not have to deal with student loans, but I know that's a minority out there. It's not fun to have to worry about how to get bad credit student loans, or even student loans without cosigner. As if college isn't stressful enough. 

Well....now that I'm done reminiscing....back to real life ;)

Hope you're all having a great summer evening!

xoxo

Image Credits: 1. Weardrobe  2. The Sartorialist  3. Gossip Girl  4. Henri Bendel  5. Apartment Therapy  6. Thriftstore-Etsy   7. Design Sponge   8. Urban Outfitters  9. Velorbis   10. Amy Atlas   11. Exquisite Banana