20 Below: To Do List Notepad by Garance Doré

I love back to school season! Of course I’m sad to see summer end, but I love the energy and excitement of September’s early days.

I’m heading back to back to school (I’ve never really left, actually), and one of the most essential things I have to have is my daily/weekly to do lists. I like to set attainable goals for my day/week, and if I don’t write down tasks and reminders, I’ll completely forget about them.

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Garance Doré notepad, $5 (on sale at Chapters Indigo)

Isn’t this a classy notepad? That Garance Doré has got some style!

Marketplace: Skoope Home Paper Goods

So, is that it? Summer is officially over now that Labor Day has come and gone? Say it ain’t so!

How’d you spend the long weekend? Do tell. I slept, cleaned, worked, hopped around the city, brunched, hammocked*, read, BBQed, socialized, and finally turned on my air conditioning (finally). I also spent a decent amount of time browsing the web and Instagram. On one of my Instagram travels, I came across this card that made me smile:

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Moneyless, $4.50

Like any good blogger, I followed the link back to its owner, Skoope Home. Oh, jeez, the extended card collection has some real gems. Here are some of my favourites:

SISTER

Sisterly Love, $4.50

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Missed It, $4.50

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I Texted You, $4.50

I love it when conversations are taken offline and put into snail mail.

* lounging in the hammock for an extended period of time

The Friday Five: Etsy Whites

Etsy has something for everyone and every occasion, doesn’t it? Even after all of these years, I’m still so impressed with the creativity of the artisans and sellers on Etsy. Today I’m featuring five things that I think might help kick-start back-to-school season – Etsystyle.

Enjoy a breakfast of champions – eggs and bacon – in style.

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vintage egg cups, set of 6 with spoons, $18.00

Forget the Google glass – walk to school/walk your kids to school/walk to work in these futuristic shades.

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Silhouette 80s shades, $175

Pack a healthy lunch into a stylish and reusable bag.

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lunch bag, $32

Keep track of time with a sleek wall clock.

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modern wall clock, $49

Call a friend like you did in the “olden days” – using a landline.

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vintage Ferrari phone, $81.15

Have a wonderful long weekend!

*Affiliate links have been used.

Uptown: To Do List Update

I haven’t posted a house update in many months. If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen some random house photos already. Last year was full of major renovations, and so many changes happened in my once dark-burgundy home.

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white-on-white-on-white jewelry station

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teak and white in my living room

My original to do list (August 2013) was lengthy and full of major projects. Some additional items got crossed off the updated to do list (March 2014):

– remove wallpaper in basement bathroom
– install a shower in the basement bathroom
– paint touch-ups (all over)
-office organization
-office art wall
-install fire smoke alarms (again)
plan patio

Since then, I have added – and crossed off – a few more tasks:
have a garage sale (read about my garage sale with Tim)
-finish touch-up tile work in kitchen (seal grout, add missing tile, caulk again)
-install foyer tiles
magically find 2 small side tables for my living room
-find one small table to match my chaise (to replace the existing ottoman)
-upholster my two Danish teak arm chairs (seen in photo above)
clean up/organize the garage (again)
-paint basement
BBQ a lot

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coffee – just because

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I’m starting to organize my not-so-pretty-but-oh-so-useful garage supplies

Renos have slowed down slightly over the summer as there weren’t immediate changes that needed to be made. My basement (storage central) got cleared out a bit after my recent garage sale. I have had the paint (thanks, CIL) for many months, and I’m itching to break it open and start slathering white on the dark walls. I could do a major bathroom/laundry renovation down there, but I honestly don’t know if this is the year that I’m going to do it. Please hold. I have also had my marble foyer tiles stacked neatly for months, but I haven’t found the time or energy to focus on installing them in my foyer. Soon, yes?

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Ah, flowers, they’re so pretty (thanks, Anita)! They almost make me forget about the DIY to do lists that are waiting for me!

Design: This is what a Multi-Million Dollar Home in Oakville Looks Like

If you like design and blogs, chances are you’ve had a browse (or several) on Realtor – the Canadian real estate site. During one of my recent searches, I stumbled upon this gorgeous multi-million dollar home in Oakville. This is what $11.8 million can buy you outside of Toronto.

xl xl-1 xl-2 xl-3 xl-4 xl-5 xl-6The outside is just as gorgeous as the inside. Have a look here. Yearly taxes are only $75K (gasp!).