Summer is here and I have started my summer shopping! I happened upon a great garage sale yesterday, and regret not taking any photos. I was totally mesmerized and forgot! There were some fantastic items and I got some great deals! Things I didn’t buy and regret leaving behind were a large wooden blanket box, a pretty set of white hobnail lamps, and a great old antique oak dining table. I wouldn’t have had a place to store the table anyway, but it was very tempting as it was in fantastic condition.
Anyway, huge tangent but my point is that I am collecting but I still have a ton of unfinished projects waiting for me at home! The largest of which is my apartment. The list of stuff that needs to get done is ever growing and now that summer is here, I can add the back deck and yard to that. Here are just a few:
Little chest of drawers
She’s all refinished, I swear! The problem now is choosing hardware. Sometimes I get stuck and right now I have about six different choices and I am having a hard time making a decision! Every option will look amazing, but for some reason, I can’t pin one down. I am making this a priority this week though and hopefully she will be added to the Etsy by next!
Small Projects Around the House
I have a number of smaller projects on the go, waiting for completion like my little wooden tray! As you can see, I managed to get the velvet lining out with a great tip from my friend Jelena over at Poppyseed Creative Living which I will share with you when this little guy is complete. So, I am partially there. I do have some great plans for this tray and I promise it will be done in the next few weeks!
Gallery Wall
I have been planning on making an oddly shaped wall a gallery for some time now, but I haven’t had the chance to shop for all the art and frames that I need. I also need time to plan it all out and make sure everything looks right. I did manage to pick up some great vintage frames over the weekend so this project is getting picked up again! Also, this Apartment Therapy article was really helpful and inspiring!
So as you can see I have my work cut out for me! It is so much easier to get stuff done when the weather is gorgeous outside as it inspires me to wake up earlier, be more motivated and makes me feel like doing!
What projects are on your to do list?
]]>Hey everyone! I know I have been absent from the blog for a little while, and I apologize, but I have been stretched a little thin over the past few weeks. Getting ready for the 101 Vintage Supermarket has been so busy but the pop up opens today and I am all set up in my vendor space! I have also been working on getting the Etsy restocked. Look out for some awesome new stuff soon!
Anyway, I am back, it’s sunny and warm outside, it’s the first of May and as promised I have some afters for you!
This cabinet needed some work and it got a makeover just in time for spring! I was inspired by a photo a friend sent me. She just bought a house and we have been talking lately about what she plans to do with it design wise. The photo was a Kijiji listing of a beautiful vintage corner cabinet much like this one, in amazing 50s inspired colors. As soon as I saw it I knew that is the route I wanted to take with this lovely piece!
I painted it in my favorite mint green (which I am still not over by the way!) and lined the shelves with a cute polka dot wallpaper that I got at the Habitat for Humanity Re-store for only a dollar!
Also, don’t forget these guys:
These side tables were done in Miss Mustard Seed milk paint and they turned out just the way I had planned! I definitely have a lot to say about my first milk paint experience. I can also offer some helpful tips and things that worked for me, and what didn’t. Check back for that post soon!
These pieces and a few others as well as vintage furniture and wares can be found at 1418 Dundas St. West for the 101 Vintage Supermarket from May 1st to May 11th. There will be lots of amazing vendors selling great vintage and handmade clothing, jewellery, housewares and other awesome things! Go have a gander!
The market will also be part of the Toronto Vintage Crawl, May 9th. Over 30 vendors will be a part of this event so it would be a good opportunity to acquire some awesome vintage swag! Check out the Facebook events page for more info!
]]>Wow, what a brutal few days! There was a DDoS attack (distributed denial of service) on the web host I use for almost two weeks that put my blog right out of commission! So, sorry for the lack of posts! I am so glad I can finally access my blog again!
I am almost done some of the pieces I shared a few weeks ago. One piece is awaiting hardware. The others need the final touches so there should be some “revealing” next week!
Be reminded that Everything You Do is A Balloon will be participating in the 101 Vintage Markets from May 1st-11th at 1418 Dundas St. W.
Check out the Facebook events page: https://www.facebook.com/events/489402881109258/
Have a great weekend!
]]>There are so many great things happening right now in interior decorating and believe me it was hard to narrow my favorites down to just five! 2013 is full of great colors, patterns, and just a lot of really fun decor elements that make interior decor! Here are my top picks! Click the link below each photo for the source.
1. Chevron Pattern
I really like this trend because I’m a huge fan of big, bold patterns and colors. I have seen chevron on blankets, rugs and lately I have seen a lot of people painting feature walls in this pattern. Seems like an affordable way to make a great big statement!
2. Vintage Plate Gallery Wall
Such a neat and creative idea! I love vintage glassware (I love vintage anything) and there are so many options for colors, sizes and shapes to create a very dynamic display on a wall in any room. Also, you can find vintage plates everywhere and mostly pretty cheaply.
3. Text Art
I see this trend everywhere I look these days, and to be honest I wasn’t always a huge fan, until I saw this starry night poster! I also really like the idea of surrounding yourself with positivity if you have a poster with an inspiring quote, or something funny.
4. Chalkboard Surfaces
One of the coolest trends out there right now! How wonderful is furniture you can write on? I love this idea of the chalkboard door. Great for your shopping list or love notes! Also, for people with kids, it is kind of a neat way to let them express themselves without ruining the walls!
5. Coral and Mint
I am loving the color trends out there lately. We are seeing a re-emergence of pastels in home decor as well as fashion. Coral and mint are great on their own and paired! Both are beautiful, cheery colors that I am really loving right now. Keep an eye out for these colors in my upcoming projects!
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Remember these shelves I posted about a while ago? Well, they were two blank canvases for me to play around with and I have had fun making some cute items to sit atop them. Here is my first attempt to stage the one above my desk.
You can see I ditched the washi tape border as I wasn’t really feeling it anymore but I might add different tape if I find another one that I think will work. I really like the items I used, but I am thinking it needs a little more color maybe? I will probably switch out the doggy chalk drawing for something a little more vibrant. I am definitely planning on adding some greenery too. For now I am going to live with the shelf for a little while and see how I feel as time goes on . This is what I was going for:
1. Animal theme
I really like animal themed anything! I think that by adding items such as my little homemade, “barn” and my horse figurine I achieved a whimsical feel.
2. Rustic, antique look
I also wanted the shelf to have a very rustic feel to it. I added items that have an aged look like the vintage books and the crackled ceramic pear, which isn’t actually antique. (I got that little guy at Homesense for eight bucks!)
The desk is a work in progress because Matt and I have been thinking about doing something like this “Young House Love” style. When we first saw their massive homemade desk we knew something like that would be perfect for our long narrow space. We aren’t decided on that yet however so more waiting will have to happen before this room is complete. What do you think of my shelf? What should be added or taken away? What color would you add?
Today was day one of organizing my kitchen. There are a lot of areas that are not functional or just ugly! Case in point, my counter tops. I really like things to be in reach when I need them so I tend to store things on the counter, even if they are unattractive. For the longest time, I hid this adorable red and white polka dot tray I picked up years ago in some unknown place on top of our inherited microwave where you couldn’t even see it.
As you can see, it is covered in random ugly stuff. Those old plastic containers are storage for coffee, the jar with the label peeling off is where we put our spare change, and the pretty bowl is holding garlic and is the only think I like to look at currently. I moved the tray down to the counter and gathered some more attractive storage options.
I think I’ll use the plastic containers for paint and this pretty glass jar for coffee instead!
I got this beautiful oil decanter at Kitchen Stuff Plus for under ten bucks, and this tiny glass jar with a yellow lid for a dollar at Dollarama. (I will do another Shopping Trip post from the KSP outing soon!)
Here’s the more organized and better looking result!
I got the little red handled coffee press from Value Village years ago. I have never used it to make coffee as I already had two and just bought it because I thought it looked cute, and I think it totally works for display purposes!
Happy Easter!
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Last Friday was a super fun day of thrifting with my friend Jelena of Poppyseed Living. We drove a little ways out of the city to hit up all the out of the way thrift stores and boy did we acquire some treasures! I had a few things on my list that I really wanted to find and I got ALL of them! Ask any thrift store shopper, when this happens it’s sort of like a miracle. Here is what I had on my list:
1. Some wooden bowls (big or small)
2. Art frames
3. Pretty old books
4. A little tray for organizing stuff on my desk
We stopped in at Goodwill, Value Village, and Salvation Army which are all within a few blocks of one another. Even though it is a little out of the way for us, I find that the prices differ wildly from the city thrift stores so it is totally worth a few extra bucks in gas for some really affordable treasures. As Jelena was perusing the wood items, she found these amazingly gorgeous wooden bowls for me! They are beautiful, and look like they were handmade. I couldn’t have pictured a prettier set of bowls! Also, there are four! I just wanted one but four for under ten bucks? I snapped those up immediately!
We moved onto the other shops and I managed to get a really lovely old frame (one of which I am upcycling for the Etsy shop), a neat wooden baby cradle, and some beautiful old books for decor purposes. Some of these will be live on Etsy shortly.
I also picked up a few glass items and this amazing crocheted quilt!
My best find of the day: the beautiful vintage cake stand I got! I can’t believe I actually found this little gem! When I spotted it, I just about had a heart attack it is so lovely!
Can’t you just imagine it atop your table holding pretty pink cupcakes on a Sunday afternoon brunch with friends? Lucky for you guys, I am not going to keep it, look for it in my Etsy shop! I also got a few other items that will be included in some new listings coming up very soon.
The item I got for free, Jelena gave to me! She knew I was looking for a tray and happened to have this wooden cutlery holder that came from an old dining room hutch. She offered it to me as she no longer needed it. I am not sure if I am going to paint it or just keep the wood natural. I will definitely try to take out the tired looking velvet liner and replace it with something pretty.
It was a really fun day and we will be taking more and more trips out of the city to treasure hunt as the weather gets nicer! Also, garage sales start soon so expect a bunch more posts like this one!
Happy thrifting!
]]>I spent a lot of time working this week, and it paid off as I am very happy with my lovely emerald side table!
This is my almost non-existent entry way which I plan to post about soon. So many headaches around this area of the apartment but I think we have a pretty solid plan. Photos and rants to come!
I am also really excited about the rug I ordered from Urban Outfitters, it arrived in record time! It will look amazing against the emerald accents I am adding to the place.
I did not finish the two side tables yet, but check back sometime next week for reveals and a post about the Miss Mustard Seed milk paint I am using on them!
Here are two other projects I plan to have finished shortly. I will tell you more about them next week.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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I have four projects in the queue and I am really looking forward to sharing them with you guys! The first is this tiny little side table that was kind of a mess when I picked it up on the side of the road. Other than dirt, there was nothing at all wrong with it. I am probably going to use it in our tiny entryway because it is just the right size. I will have a reveal for you by the end of the week hopefully!
A family member gifted these little side tables to me and I am super excited to try something new with them. They are in great condition and won’t need any repairs at all! I am definitely going to pop off the little wood knobs and add something a little prettier.
I also have two more “befores” coming Friday!
*On a side note, please know that you can follow Everything You Do is A Balloon on Bloglovin (see the button on the sidebar?) if you used to use Google reader to view the blog.
Cheers 
I am feeling kinda yucky today and I am not quite ready to do any revealing of any recent projects, so I decided to forgo a post today. Even though this isn’t much of a blog post, Ryan Gosling thinks it’s fine! Have a lovely weekend folks!
