Design: Caribou Cabin in My Home

August 28, 2017 | 1 Commentary

A couple of weeks ago, I shared news of Canadian newcomer Caribou Cabin. This shop designs, customizes, and manufactures chalkboards, magnetic whiteboards, and pinboards. The company generously sent me a beautiful square (34″ x34″) linen pinboard – white a white frame, of course.

Soon after the order was placed, my massive shipment arrived at my doorstep. The board was wrapped carefully and arrived safely to my home in Waterloo. When I saw the grey linen for the first time, I was impressed by the quality of the item. And the grey matched my home perfectly.

I leaned it up against the wall behind a cabinet in my living room which houses my radio, record player, and typewriter. I pinned up some memorable items from my office that I knew would look pretty and would also remind me of happy celebrations.

As I took my photos, I thought that the pinboard in my living room would be the perfect spot to showcase Christmas cards. And the great thing about the pinboard is that I can move it to other areas of my home such as a hallway landing area or office. The office is certainly an obvious spot for a pinboard, but I don’t think it’s the only place for it.

Thanks to Caribou Cabin for sponsoring this post. All photos and opinions are my own.

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The Friday Five: Spring Home Maintenance

June 3, 2017 | Leave a Reply

No, I don’t have any major DIY projects planned in the near future (but you never know what might happen), but I do have a list of not-so-fun things that I should/need to buy to keep my home in the best possible working order this spring and summer.

Most of these items are definitely not fun ones to buy, but they’re necessary (see item 1 – garage door opener). Each season, I think it’s nice to take stock of what’s going on in your home, and do your best to keep it maintained.

And, yes, I know I’m a day late with this post, but given my recent trip to Toronto and prepping for a garage sale, I couldn’t finish my draft.

1. Garage Door Opener
I was under the impression that garage door openers last quite a number of years. Mine has lasted less than 4. Unfortunate, but true. It opens only when it feels like opening these days. It’s quite the moody thing. It’s been so darn annoying!

Note – It’s by Craftsman, but I bought it at Sears. When I called Craftsman to ask about warranty/replacement options, they sent me to Sears. When I called Sears, they sent me to Craftsman. Imagine that. I got absolutely nowhere with warranty/replacement options, so I’m out of luck. Completely annoying. Not impressed at all. I’m looking at alternative brands at the moment such as Chamberlain. Any advice? Does anyone have a garage door opener that they’d recommend? Thankfully for my budget, Father’s Day sales are currently happening, so I might get lucky.

2. BBQ
Speaking of Father’s Day sales…I’m also looking to invest in a BBQ this summer. Mine is in decent working condition, but it’s old and tired. I’d love something new – and with more knobs. I’m sort of set on “I want more knobs” even though I don’t really know if I need them. It’s probably not the best way to choose a BBQ, but it’s what I want.

3. Bathroom fan(s)
My bathroom fans are fine, but they’re kind of loud. You don’t even want to know why one of them was extra loud in recent weeks. Let’s just say that my dad needed to get in there with gloves. Ew. So, yeah, quieter, sleeker fans would be nice.

4. Closet organizer
Does anyone know where I can get a closet organizer for about a 3-foot-wide closet? I don’t want a wire system. I would like solid shelves. Ideally, I’d also find time/energy/interest to replace an existing bi-fold door with a double-door set-up.

5. A hallway light
This is probably the smallest and most inexpensive projects on my spring/summer home maintenance list. I have a hallway light in my basement that is made up of a bulb. Yup. One bulb. I don’t think a real fixture has ever been there. I just need to get something small and inexpensive to replace it. I may have to zip over to Ikea Kitchener to see what’s in stock. Simple. That’s what I’d like.

Ah…the beauty of home ownership!

Do you have any must-buy items to get your home in top condition this season? Do you enjoy these purchases?

Marketplace: Spotlight on Rug Expedition

September 1, 2016 | 1 Commentary

You know what’s great? Having a rug delivered straight to your door. It avoids the whole trying-to-fit-a-rug-into-the-car and lifting-a-heavy-rug issues. Thanks to Rug Expedition, I was able to pick out a rug and have it delivered straight to my home without any hassle. I ordered it on a Monday, it traveled all the way from Texas via FedEx, and it was at my house in Waterloo by Friday. Talk about convenient. This was also the same week when I went to three separate stores to buy one pair of goggles only to find out that none of the stores actually had them in stock. #WasteOfTime

So my woven leather – yes, leather – arrived on a Friday, and I enjoyed playing around with it in different spaces. It looked great in my sunny living room:

White-Cabana-Rug-Expedition

but the rug looked much better in my basement lounge, so that’s where it’s staying: White-Cabana-Rug-Expedition-1 White-Cabana-Rug-Expedition-3 White-Cabana-Rug-Expedition-2

my lounge (photos by me)

The rug looks pretty cool in this room, and since it’s a relatively high-traffic area, I think that the leather will work well in here. The shades of grey look really beautiful in real life, and since it’s such a calm colour scheme, the rug will work in various other places in my home. Eventually, when I get hardwood floors install (#renowishlist), I think I may move the rug back up into my living or dining room. I really like having options when I buy pieces of furniture and accessories.

Rug Expedition has lots of options to satisfy its customers’ needs. Rug sizes are varied as are textures, patterns, and colours. The 30-day in home trial and free shipping option (within the USA) is great for those who find it hard to make decisions.

Here are some other options that I really like from the Rug Expedition collection.

In the leather and hide category, I like:

cowhide-nuloom-rug-expedition