tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4892973235743573862024-03-13T01:58:59.502-04:00Fresh Coat of PaintTaylor's "Real Estate, Home and Everything In Between" BlogTaylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.comBlogger509125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-90713851482030430072019-08-02T00:00:00.000-04:002019-08-02T00:00:19.830-04:00Six Fun Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who else is feeling long weekend vibes already? Are you staying in town or heading somewhere cool? We are planning on staying in the city this weekend (Corey and I have some work to do) but we'll be heading North for a little camping next week. I'll post about it later since I get asked a lot about camping with kids and people often sound so awestruck. Let's just say that Corey and I were much more rugged in the past but now that we have the girls, we're sort of spoiled. We have friends who are doing hardcore camping and canoe trips with their minis but we like to glamp in our little tent trailer with "rustic" buffalo check bedding. It's not exactly authentic, but it is a lot of fun!<br />
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Since this is a long weekend, I have six fun things to share instead of just five!<br />
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<b>Beach Collections</b></div>
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I noticed on a friend's IG the other day that she was collecting shells at the beach and I had to reach out and tell her that I have always loved combing the beach for shells, sea glass or pretty stones. I found the pretty heart stone below and kept it... I'm waiting for inspiration to hit me so I can decide what to do with it. I would love to try to find enough stones to create something like <a href="https://kottke.org/19/06/stone-alphabets" target="_blank">this gorgeous collection</a>.<br />
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<b>What do you do with veggies from your garden?</b></div>
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I'll confess to having garden envy when I see friends posting photos of the bounty their gardens are yielding right now. I didn't get my act together in time this year so I'll have to rely on the farmer's markets but I feel like the veggies you grow yourself seem to taste better. If you have a similar crop of tomatoes, cucumbers and the like and have had your fill of open-face tomato sandwiches (Is that even possible??) consider making a gazpacho. <a href="https://cupofjo.com/2019/07/best-gazpacho-recipe/" target="_blank">Cup Of Jo mentions the Times recipe</a>, which you can find online, but it's basically a salad smoothie made with tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar and (optional) bread. I made some in my blender today and it's going to be great for snacks over the weekend.</div>
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<b>OITNB Series Finale</b></div>
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What are you binge watching on Netflix these days? I was so excited when Queen of the South and Orange is the New Black both came out with seasons this summer that I've been forcing myself to stay awake (just... a .... little... (yawn) ... longer) at night to watch an episode. (<b>OITNB SPOILERS AHEAD</b>) Has anyone else been moved to tears by OITNB this season? The addition of the ICE camp and some great new characters has been incredible but I'm nearing the end and feeling angry. It's unjust and unsettling to see the white, affluent main characters more or less landing on their feet with tragedy befalling so many of the less privileged characters, especially WOC. I suppose it naive of me to be surprised since this is basically what happens in real life and I'm a little ashamed to be having this epiphany over a Netflix show. For those of you who are like me and like to read the last page of a novel first, <a href="https://screenrant.com/orange-new-black-ending-explained-characters-fate/" target="_blank">here's a rundown</a> of what happens to everyone in the finale. </div>
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<b>Photo Editing</b></div>
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I don't pretend to be a pro (or even a skilled or talented) photographer but I love photographing the girls and manage to compose some lovely candid pics of them. People often ask me for tips and <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/07/10-tips-to-take-great-photos-of-your.html" target="_blank">I wrote a blog post on it years ago</a> but my style has definitely changed since then. The process is still simple though and I take my best photos when I get down on their level, stay aware of the light and background and keep snapping photos because 1 in 20 may actually be good. Then, I crop (to make it look like our house isn't messy and the dog didn't just pee on the floor) and I edit using <a href="https://snapseed.online/" target="_blank">Snapseed</a>. Sometimes, to add special effects I also use an app called <a href="https://lensdistortions.com/mobile/" target="_blank">Lense Distortions</a>. Five minutes of quick editing can make a photo so much more special.</div>
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<b>Professional Family Photos on Vacation</b></div>
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One of the best things we did while planning our trip to Banff a few years ago was to hire <a href="https://www.cristalee.com/" target="_blank">Crista Lee</a> to take some photos of us in one of the most beautiful parts of Canada. It took some work to get ourselves all dolled up in our hotel room and some planning to <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/08/planning-family-photos.html" target="_blank">make sure our outfits were on point</a> but I still love those special photos!<br />
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<b>Vitamin Drip Therapy</b></div>
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Have you heard of this? I have now had two friends post about it in the past three days and I am so curious to try it! I had <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2019/03/03/do-you-need-a-vitamin-drip.html" target="_blank">read about it</a> earlier this spring and I had always thought is was just something health care professionals did for themselves after a night of partying. I had no idea it had gone mainstream! I know it sounds kind of "out there" but I get Corey to give me B12 shots in my arm when I'm feeling run down and I get an instant boost from the B12 so this doesn't seem so different or scary to me. I can only imagine this would be even better and they have different cocktails of vitamins depending on what you need or how you want to feel. Doesn't this sound kind of amazing? If you've tried this, we need to talk!<br />
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Have a great weekend, everyone! xxTaylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-78256167190753815592019-06-22T13:15:00.000-04:002019-06-22T13:15:49.750-04:00Camping Crowns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was cuddling in bed with Rudy the other day when she started talking about camping. It makes my heart happy to know that the girls have such a love of camping and the outdoors. A few times a day, Rudy will turn to Maude and tell her that we're going camping soon and then they both giggle with delight!<br />
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The other night though, Rudy had a special request: She wanted a camping crown! How cute is that? If only I knew what a camping crown was. Luckily, I guessed correctly that Rudy had no specific vision either so I decided that instead of a crown made of sticks and moss (which is what I'd imagine a camping crown to be) I'd just make her a basic crown in a durable and washable fabric that can take a beating on our camping trips.<br />
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This week, I've had a lot of real estate videos, webinars and podcasts to catch up on once the girls are in bed, so I prepped the perfect background activity. I headed to the fabric store and bought tiny quantities (20 cm) of the following: a blue outdoor fabric with some stiffness, a floral pre-washed cotton, a stiff sheet of fabric to give the crown shape and a piece of elastic ribbon for the back. I also added some embroidery floss to embroider the front, but this part isn't necessary.<br />
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This isn't a DIY post but more of an idea I wanted to share. There are so many free online templates and you can use any of them. I just traced a crown that the girls already wear onto the stiff fabric and then used that as a template for the blue fabric and the floral fabric.. Instead of sewing the sides of the crown together to create a circle, I connected them with an inch or so of elastic to ensure an adjustable fit.<br />
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Unfortunately, the finished product was such a hit that I had to run back out to make one for Maude. I should have known. #MomFail </div>
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Luckily, this was a super quick project and Rudy was thrilled with her camping crown and insists on wearing it all the time! I hope they keep these for years to come and they're sturdy enough to pass down once they're finished with them. </div>
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<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-65206784710013590142019-06-21T23:34:00.000-04:002019-06-21T23:34:03.682-04:00The Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, I fell in love with a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxi4MToFFCq/" target="_blank">set of reimagined mid-century night tables</a>. Okay, that sounds a bit dramatic but it was definitely <b>like</b> at first sight. I loved them and I was tired of not having drawers to help contain the mess of kleenex, creams, hair elastics and other important junk that is inevitable when you have kids. On the other hand, they were not something we had budgeted for or needed and we already had adequate night tables. They were lovely but frivolous.<br />
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The Challenge: Corey agreed that I could get them if I could sell enough things we weren't using to offset the price. I had 24 hours... not for any real reason but because I like a challenge.<br />
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We had so many staging items that were no longer getting use so we started there. I was just short of my 24 hour deadline but by the end of the week, we had sold enough things between Facebook Marketplace and my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vintageinthesix/" target="_blank">alternate Instagram Account</a> (dedicated to my love of good vintage finds) to buy the night tables... three times. We had also freed up some prime real estate in our staging warehouse and our house was slightly less cluttered. Yay!<br />
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And we are LOVING our new night tables by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jenncanndesigns/" target="_blank">Jenn Cann Designs</a>. They're actually vintage but they're new to us and Jenn detailed them beautifully with new hardware and cute fabric lining the drawers.<br />
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Serious furniture crush, right? Me too!<br />
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<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-88797095243022244352019-05-18T22:33:00.000-04:002019-05-18T22:33:48.713-04:00Long Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi Everyone. In Canada, it's a long weekend and we are enjoying lots of family time with a little real estate sprinkled in throughout the weekend. Earlier this year, Corey joined my in real estate and it is awesome getting to work together but there is a danger of not being able to unplug... ever! Living with your business partner can mean that you end up chatting about work A LOT, which means that we need to make an extra effort to focus on our family.<br />
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Today, we took the girls (including our pup, Lola) to a local park to ideally see some cherry blossoms without the High Park crowds. They didn't care much for the cherry blossoms but they LOVED the dandelions. When I was little, a babysitter told me that dandelions are yellow because spiders pee in them. For years, I was terrified to touch them. Today, I got to do the opposite and explain how cool dandelions are because they provide food for bees AND people can eat them too! It's so cool to see the world through their eyes.<br />
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A friend sent me a gentle nudge the other day to continue blogging and she is absolutely right. I'm working on some cool posts right now and some topics include: staging with vintage items, the kittens we've been taking care of and a fun little contest Corey and I have been having this weekend. Stay tuned and enjoy some fun over the next couple of days!<br />
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<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-12243984618681502552019-03-29T22:58:00.000-04:002019-03-29T22:58:10.734-04:00Building Sibling Bonds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the past few months, Corey and I have finally been able to step back and enjoy the relationship Rudy and Maude are forming. It's a sweet friendship that's mostly nurturing, occasionally jealous and often silly! Watching Maude copy her sister's antics or watching Rudy help Maude get dressed is now one of my greatest joys as their mother. It's so crazy to watch them forming this bond that (hopefully) will last long past my own lifetime.<br />
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Until recently, their play still needed a lot of intervention. Rudy needed reminders to include her sister and they both often needed reminders to share but these days they seem to regulate themselves quite well. Sometimes, when we are out and about, the girls insist on holding hands the entire time. It melts my heart!<br />
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Many people ask us what we do to encourage the girls to get along so well. My first instinct is to say "nothing" and assume that it's just luck and their temperaments... and it is those things to a large extent! But when I think carefully, I see that we made some deliberate decisions early on to help curb jealousy and create a bond. Now these things have become habits for all of us but I'll share some of the conscious things we have done. <b><i>(Not that we're experts, because we're certainly not! I'm equally interested in hearing your tips!)</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>I remember when I was pregnant with Maude. We read so many books to Rudy and we made sure the books focused on the big sister more than the baby. We wanted her to feel really special in her new role.</li>
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<li>The first time Rudy visited me in hospital after Maude was born, I made sure not to be holding Maude so Rudy could climb into bed with me right away. Then I could gently ask "Shall we take a look at your baby sister?"</li>
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<li>In those early (newborn) days, "Baby Maude" seemed to find such cute little presents to give her big sister! Bribery works... and I learned this tip from my own mom!</li>
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<li>When Maude was a newborn (and still pretty boring to a toddler) we sort of gave her a personality by speaking for her to make it easier for Rudy to relate to her. "Baby Maude wants to know if she can listen to a story with you!" "Baby Maude thinks that's funny!" "Baby Maude wants you to sing a song to her!"<b>"Baby Maude loves you!"</b></li>
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<li>It goes without saying but we always make an effort to give them each individual time with each of us to show them how special they are so there's no need for them to compete for our attention. When either enters the room, they need to see our faces light up.</li>
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<li>We often speak as if they're a team: "What are you sisters up to now?" "You girls are so silly and funny!" "You girls are such awesome sisters!"</li>
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<li>We force them to share. If we are giving them a treat or even a snack, we usually give it to one and tell her to go and share it with her sister. This way, they get to practice sharing and they know it's their sister who usually brings them a treat.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNcPDM80oMUL6xsnaZFcIlhe4S_4vVHDlqhyphenhyphenmUYsj2LJpP9CtwwoE_ehF5txhc_qGhumX6f-GORL__emPBAgfYBBJ3qqmiFyvd57P7M8YfMixS9HTXLvVx1ydoIbnscz8ya-yoZ4dJ9s/s1600/IMG_20190314_210056_274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNcPDM80oMUL6xsnaZFcIlhe4S_4vVHDlqhyphenhyphenmUYsj2LJpP9CtwwoE_ehF5txhc_qGhumX6f-GORL__emPBAgfYBBJ3qqmiFyvd57P7M8YfMixS9HTXLvVx1ydoIbnscz8ya-yoZ4dJ9s/s640/IMG_20190314_210056_274.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>They each have several photos of the other in their rooms as well as photos of the two of them together. We like to weave a family culture into their daily life.</li>
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<li>We encourage them to kiss and hug their sister goodnight. Every. Single. Night. It's one of the last things each of them do.</li>
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<li>Finally, we encourage lots of silly, rough play! I think they bond more easily while running through the house shrieking or while jumping on the bed bashing into each other than they do playing quietly.</li>
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So now I'd love to hear from you guys. What do you do to build sibling bonds? Have I missed any really good tips? I'd love to hear what has worked for you! I'm especially interested to hear tips that may help as they get older. I hear the teenage years are tough! hahaTaylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-72350760243612103772019-03-29T00:08:00.000-04:002019-03-29T09:09:39.150-04:00Five Fun Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi and happy Friday! This has been such a busy week that most nights, I've found myself working until late at night and totally ignoring the time. My head is spinning but the longer days have me feeling energized and productive.<br />
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Today I wanted to share some things with you that have brought a smile to my face lately. One of my favourite blogs, <a href="https://cupofjo.com/" target="_blank">Cup of Jo</a>, runs a regular feature called "Four Fun Things" and I had intended to imitate the idea before realizing I couldn't narrow my list so I settled at five.<br />
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<b>Nail Polish</b></div>
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Do you splurge on manicures? What brands of nail polish do you wear?<br />
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I have never been great about keeping my nails manicured. I find that my nail polish always ends up chipping so I can never seem to keep my nails nice with a regular manicure. I always wanted to be someone with lovely nails, but I was never willing to invest the time or money for maintenance. I started getting gel or shellac manicures last year and I was thrilled with how long they lasted but they ended up really damaging my nails.<br />
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I have finally found a great solution in Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro polish, which is actually just really good quality regular nail polish (I say this because I initially thought I'd need a UV lamp to cure them) that stays on forever without chipping. It also comes off easily so I'm sort of in love! <i>Hint: Many <a href="https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/never-never-land-P429006?icid2=products%20grid:p429006:product" target="_blank">colours are on sale</a> right now at Sephora!</i><br />
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<b>Kid-Friendly Youtube Videos</b></div>
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Let's talk about Youtube for kids! Corey and I have been pretty strict about Rudy not browsing Youtube on her own even before this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momo_Challenge_hoax" target="_blank">Momo Challenge hysteria</a> but there are times when we use it as a reward. Right now, Rudy LOVES <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7EFWpvc1wYuUwrtZ_BLi9A" target="_blank">this channel</a> and I must say that I don't mind much because the videos are (weirdly) catchy and educational. Her favourites (currently) are the videos on the human body, specifically the stomach and the ear. She loves telling us the the cochlea looks like a snail!<br />
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<b>US</b></div>
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Have you seen US yet? Corey and I saw it last weekend and it sort of blew our minds. I feel like I could keep watching it over and over and see new imagery each time. Many people see it as a commentary on the current racial tension in America or perhaps a socioeconomic satire. What do you think? Here's a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/movies/us-movie-theories-explained.html" target="_blank">great article</a> (SPOILER ALERT!) outlining some of the theories.<br />
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<b>Kittens</b></div>
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Guys, we've been enjoying an adorable treat lately and I've been sharing snippets on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/taylordesa82/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and Facebook. My mom has been feeding a stray cat for a long time and we finally managed to catch her just in time for her to give birth to five adorable kittens! Squee!<br />
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Our family tends to adopt adult or older pets so seeing kittens up close is such a treat for us. I've been reading up on their development and they are just over a week old now and so incredibly tiny and fluffy! My mom is hoping to eventually have the mama kitty spayed so she can keep her and our friends are stepping forward offering good homes to the kittens. (I want to keep one too but Corey's putting his foot down.)<br />
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The girls have been delighted with the videos I've shown them and they are so excited to see "Nana's kittens" so we're hoping to take them this weekend. They won't be allowed to hold them yet but they can at least see them. I'm so excited!<br />
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<b>Hidden Pictures</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.blakerichardson.com/" target="_blank">Blake Richardson</a> offers an interesting take on photography. He digitally alters his images to create barely visible creatures hidden within the scenery. There's something almost meditative about studying his pictures and looking for the hidden animals. I'd love to show Rudy because she has such an eye for detail and I'd be so interested to know what she sees first. I suspect her autistic mind would likely find it easier to uncover the hidden details. What do you see in the photo below? It reminds me of my favourite feature in my Highlights magazine as a child? Who remembers Highlights? There's a <a href="https://www.highlights.com/store/apps/hidden-pictures-app" target="_blank">Hidden Pictures app</a> now!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabIqv7IbJVcqCFdFikFeZE39_UqGQky4pFp4XmiHs1ETogOqjzC6BsPi-ljAOMxM9VzGXdE4Mko-Meik1QDnJcS-daF4_wtWsWSYU5K2hKBEM_qNjuaq196g1NM6a6abIgutgwfJqjhk/s1600/01_01011ba4-4d57-4fd6-8380-65dcd4b44303_1024x1024+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="864" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabIqv7IbJVcqCFdFikFeZE39_UqGQky4pFp4XmiHs1ETogOqjzC6BsPi-ljAOMxM9VzGXdE4Mko-Meik1QDnJcS-daF4_wtWsWSYU5K2hKBEM_qNjuaq196g1NM6a6abIgutgwfJqjhk/s640/01_01011ba4-4d57-4fd6-8380-65dcd4b44303_1024x1024+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have a great weekend!Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-11227963519190227582019-03-17T22:50:00.000-04:002019-03-17T22:50:14.936-04:008 Great Sources for Affordable Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iinbel-Z0xec0BRuTtEz4P6hOOakDYAlWepw1Hh99NPa_iURDRwd9f2qCwkQUsuL2FYyDpwavXRSyyozApqBsCiPQfvllj6q0FB_aLZJ5n1WlkfWMMS4H7QZuGmqXJbdjSZ5NaMZ1Io/s1600/IMG_20190313_185148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iinbel-Z0xec0BRuTtEz4P6hOOakDYAlWepw1Hh99NPa_iURDRwd9f2qCwkQUsuL2FYyDpwavXRSyyozApqBsCiPQfvllj6q0FB_aLZJ5n1WlkfWMMS4H7QZuGmqXJbdjSZ5NaMZ1Io/s640/IMG_20190313_185148.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This week, Corey has been working on organizing our staging inventory and taking photos of our art, accessories and furniture to make it easier for me to plan storyboards for each listing. It's a huge job, but will make our lives much easier once it's done. To give you some idea of the immensity of our project, pictured above is most (not all ) of the art. There's still furniture, rugs, accessories, throw pillows (which are so numerous they form a category of their own!) and more! </div>
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<i>A note about artists: While I'm posting affordable sources here, I'm all for supporting artists and practiced artists deserve to be paid top dollar for their work. While splurging on a few really special pieces is great, I think most of us need some budget-friendly options for the rest of our walls.</i></div>
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Many of you ask me where I get my staging art and I'm here to share some of my favourite affordable sources:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguBAwgekHS4l3bL5pNxZM3ZmdUy-pKvQfQfr_pEvcEfd9CD0N9jAlkcIP-Z4VGFooTQ5Bxzpbt6c1_C7qg3kwNYhxz9P32BfxZqJHN3YOKK8tqoyCvfyAvUSZ6yc62n5o_X8B5mf7nJA/s1600/722600+Fleet+Street+Toronto+ON-print-015-9-22TOUR3787img+3789-2700x1800-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguBAwgekHS4l3bL5pNxZM3ZmdUy-pKvQfQfr_pEvcEfd9CD0N9jAlkcIP-Z4VGFooTQ5Bxzpbt6c1_C7qg3kwNYhxz9P32BfxZqJHN3YOKK8tqoyCvfyAvUSZ6yc62n5o_X8B5mf7nJA/s640/722600+Fleet+Street+Toronto+ON-print-015-9-22TOUR3787img+3789-2700x1800-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. <a href="https://www.homesense.ca/en" target="_blank">HomeSense</a> almost always has some cool options and I've noticed some amazing nursery art canvasses there lately. I get a lot of my wall art that I use for staging from HomeSense. The two drawbacks are that you're unlikely to find something truly unique and that they don't post inventory online so you may have to check different stores to find what you want.</div>
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2. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a> not only has originals and prints in all different media, you can also search for downloadable art that you can have printed and framed or mounted yourself to save on shipping costs! </div>
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3. <a href="https://society6.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1028&utm_content=1A&utm_term=society6&coupon=not-found&gclid=CjwKCAjw96fkBRA2EiwAKZjFTZ3vhwzh19NyznVkd7SNmqS1qfDY-sqamWRQ-j2flPWaUKyJdkL3sBoCRPsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Society6</a> is a really cool website where you can shop for art prints but also textiles, phone cases, mugs and many other items printed with art. </div>
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4. <a href="https://intl.target.com/" target="_blank">Target</a>! It should be no surprise that Target is on my list. I love crossing the border to take a look at their goods but they also ship to Canada!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8IdxRrtlzqVAaZwo3iV0KPpzxzJb6eWEy8vZ7SLAFfXpDEzgTRcxzTUN75Yd9XAWa6s5VuZ9tt_OH591zE-3Yu49r3cYhHJ9W-3mKQ7IUszZRY4ny-taZ8ayAChidd8AsNLy27MMW6M/s1600/335380+Macpherson+Avenue-print-007-30-TOUR4881-2700x1800-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8IdxRrtlzqVAaZwo3iV0KPpzxzJb6eWEy8vZ7SLAFfXpDEzgTRcxzTUN75Yd9XAWa6s5VuZ9tt_OH591zE-3Yu49r3cYhHJ9W-3mKQ7IUszZRY4ny-taZ8ayAChidd8AsNLy27MMW6M/s640/335380+Macpherson+Avenue-print-007-30-TOUR4881-2700x1800-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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5. <a href="https://www.structube.com/" target="_blank">Structube</a> is probably my second largest source of staging items that aren't vintage! </div>
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6. <a href="https://www.ebay.ca/" target="_blank">Ebay</a> can often be a great source for vintage paintings. I love giving a new life to vintage art and I've purchased lovely old paintings and drawings from ebay and had them framed.</div>
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7. <a href="https://juniperprintshop.com/" target="_blank">Juniper Print Shop</a> allows you to buy prints (They even have special sizes to fit in Ikea frames!) or digital files! You'll see one of their prints in my future staging photos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrofYQ26Wb7RQGjkgDuVRFUS7rJPViYfT1HmvRX58mZUghVS89fqnt36N7vo3WXxgCIxQR9jiaa1JBJ8LgGmGAu0gVl7oFk8JOwoB2FNJpWYj-zrAbVgCUdx-uf-c9IMQoSQ1JP_N4z8/s1600/433++380+Macpherson+Avenue-print-017-24-TOUR3689img+3691-2700x1800-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrofYQ26Wb7RQGjkgDuVRFUS7rJPViYfT1HmvRX58mZUghVS89fqnt36N7vo3WXxgCIxQR9jiaa1JBJ8LgGmGAu0gVl7oFk8JOwoB2FNJpWYj-zrAbVgCUdx-uf-c9IMQoSQ1JP_N4z8/s640/433++380+Macpherson+Avenue-print-017-24-TOUR3689img+3691-2700x1800-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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8. <a href="https://www.wayfair.ca/" target="_blank">Wayfair</a> has everything. It can be a great source but you do have to sort through an impressive, yet overwhelming volume of inventory. The yellow framed print in the photo above is from Wayfair.</div>
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Enjoy refreshing your space for spring! For those of you expecting tax refunds, maybe this will give you some inspiration! If you do end up using one of these sources, please send me a photo of what you buy. I love seeing them!</div>
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Special thanks to my real estate photographer, <a href="http://www.torontorealestatephotographer.com/" target="_blank">Thea Menagh</a> for the staging photos.</div>
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-67570931505101542612019-03-14T14:22:00.000-04:002019-03-14T14:22:39.846-04:00Why I Got My Nose Pierced at 36<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn0joE-qNGM-QTaaAM3pT83MTcXrhXLDtL4reQcLHa-guQZ0mnnW2P7gIhwpZAwx6gs4WnxxAsuGgtlEDbdPl0SnAQkB4VGbWgsohpY4IXgptCoaOhMp9h-A7c2wPnq472Dm8DkZWtrY/s1600/20190209_130706-01-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="1458" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn0joE-qNGM-QTaaAM3pT83MTcXrhXLDtL4reQcLHa-guQZ0mnnW2P7gIhwpZAwx6gs4WnxxAsuGgtlEDbdPl0SnAQkB4VGbWgsohpY4IXgptCoaOhMp9h-A7c2wPnq472Dm8DkZWtrY/s640/20190209_130706-01-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I still giggle a bit when people ask me about my nose piercing. I still feel a bit like I'm sixteen and my mom might force me to take it out. For the record, she actually told me last week that now that she's accustomed to it, she likes it and thinks it's pretty!<br />
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I have always admired tiny nostril piercings when I saw other women rocking them but I had never really considered getting one of my own. My own personal style has always been pretty conservative and, with the exception of one piercing in each ear that I got when I was six and a very small hidden tattoo, I had not seriously considered anything as bold as a visible tattoo or a non-ear piercing. That changed last summer when Corey and I decided to get matching <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmChoHEnmYJ/" target="_blank">Neurodiversity tattoos</a>.<br />
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<i>What's Neurodiversity, you ask? For us, it's the belief that many brain differences (like Autism, ADD, SPD etc.) are not disorders caused by something "going wrong" during development. Instead we (and many experts and Neurodiverse people) believe that these special brains are just a part of normal variation within the human genome. We often tell Rudy that her Autistic brain is different and special and that the world needs all different kinds of brains in order for people to solve all different kinds of problems.</i><br />
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Anyway, the whole point of getting our tattoos was to spark conversation with people and to show Rudy as she grows up that her brain is nothing to hide or be ashamed of. For this reason, Corey and I both got our tattoos in fairly visible places: Corey on the inside of his upper arm and me on my inner wrist. While initially a little self-conscious, I quickly forgot all about my tattoo and I no longer worry about judgement from other people. It's probably not something I would have been brave enough to do early in my career but now that I'm more established, I no longer feel pressure to look or dress to satisfy a certain stereotype and the feeling is very freeing.<br />
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While we were getting our tattoos, everyone in the shop was totally amazing (they even held Maude for us!) and I kept noticing the women with their edgy and cool facial piercings and I totally wanted one too. While I still don't see myself getting a septum or cheek piercing (although I think they're awesome) a tiny crystal in my nostril seemed mostly safe and still a teensy bit rebellious. While I didn't get it the day I got my tattoo, I was back a couple of weeks later for the big pierce and YIKES did it ever hurt! WAY more than the tattoo, in case you're curious! Corey says I didn't flinch but I was definitely screaming on the inside! haha<br />
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At the time, I wondered if it was some sort of early mid-life crisis but I think it's more a sign that I'm coming into my own. As I get deeper into my thirties, I'm feeling more and more free to be myself and it is awesome. I feel more confident now and even wear brighter colours instead of my old monochrome uniform.<br />
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The other day, I wore a new outfit and over the course of the day four strangers complimented my outfit. Each time, my initial thought was "OMG that's crazy. I am SUCH a mom. I'm not cool at all. I've gained so much weight since having the girls..." and then I remembered that I am a chic lady with a tattoo on my wrist and a nostril piercing and I smiled, looked them in the eye and said "Thank you!"Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-31063197332946544552019-02-24T20:37:00.000-05:002019-02-24T20:40:57.680-05:00No Need to Sparkle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKttFR5o4ojhz_SGQrAS3z3VX4feXzOaE89tAK_NjSivW-wD7El3vLI6WpcVWywaYa2d-z3e36YKetUKzZFCDAqXdpDpwFIwd9rCpChIryVTk0fdHfbmIdQ7FglyTlOygBrfMv5qk-qM/s1600/IMG_20190223_154544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKttFR5o4ojhz_SGQrAS3z3VX4feXzOaE89tAK_NjSivW-wD7El3vLI6WpcVWywaYa2d-z3e36YKetUKzZFCDAqXdpDpwFIwd9rCpChIryVTk0fdHfbmIdQ7FglyTlOygBrfMv5qk-qM/s640/IMG_20190223_154544.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last week, Katie Holmes posted <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt_-6u9hodC/" target="_blank">a photo of herself and her daughter</a> to Instagram with the following quote by Virginia Woolf:<br />
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<i>No need to sparkle.</i></div>
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<i>No need to hurry.</i></div>
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<i>No need to be anything but oneself.</i></div>
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<i>-Virginia Woolf</i></div>
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Now, I am rarely "in the loop" when it comes to the lives of celebrities (Katie Holmes included) but her IG post went viral and I thought it was so so lovely.<br />
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When I was pregnant with Rudy, I just knew she was going to be exceptional. When she was born, with all the hubris of a new mom I marveled at all the amazing things she did and I assumed she'd speed her way through all her milestones. And she did... until she didn't. It shook my world the first time I heard the phrase "severe language delay" and I was plagued with guilt and even a little shame. "Where had we gone wrong?" "How had I missed this?" When we realized that she's Autistic I remember feeling afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep up with her peers. I think there's a lot of pressure on parents for their children to somehow "measure up" and I think it's making us crazy! It took a long time for me to realize how silly it is to expect people to learn at the same pace when we're all so different.<br />
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As most first time parents do, we eventually learned the peace and relief that come when you finally toss away the invisible measuring stick. Instead of wondering why she didn't know fifty words, we celebrated when she knew twenty. Once we stopped worrying about what her peers were doing, we were able to enjoy watching her learn at her own pace. As soon as I stopped comparing and competing, I was able to see how beautiful and amazing it is to watch a little brain absorb and apply knowledge.<br />
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Even now, Rudy communicates well but we have learned that she learns language very differently than most other children. Most of Rudy's speech comes from a vast repertoire of scripts that she modifies to suit different scenarios. It's incredible to watch and so different from the way Maude learns.<br />
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While Maude was an infant, I worried terribly that I would compare the girls and I was terrified that I'd resent one of the girls if she were more advanced than her sister. As it turns out, I don't feel that way at all. The girls are so different and they each have their own talents and challenges. My job is to keep them safe and help them to become the best versions of themselves. I think that having a child that doesn't fit inside the box has allowed me to open my own mind.<br />
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I think the beauty is that when you stop searching for the sparkle, you realize it's there. Just maybe not in the obvious ways you expected to see it. It may not be as showy, but it's incredibly beautiful.Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-55070614273487783932019-02-14T16:34:00.001-05:002019-02-14T16:34:42.077-05:00Do You Celebrate Valentine's Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEhJQnIp7orDN3RGX0Qjg22EWUv6pdPtOZj70mQC2EpPPRftGpVFhIGNPPuWVsiA5G6vVzrXLsNBBUhZMJJmQi0pQtozmQGmgqJ4pZf7ycWMdl54F1YJIHfqA-QKmy8yiO2ubO5grG_Q/s1600/IMG_20180214_062128_415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEhJQnIp7orDN3RGX0Qjg22EWUv6pdPtOZj70mQC2EpPPRftGpVFhIGNPPuWVsiA5G6vVzrXLsNBBUhZMJJmQi0pQtozmQGmgqJ4pZf7ycWMdl54F1YJIHfqA-QKmy8yiO2ubO5grG_Q/s640/IMG_20180214_062128_415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I couldn't resist sharing this photo of Maude from last year!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Do you love Valentine's Day? Although I love romance, I've never been
a huge celebrator of the annual love-fest. Sure, I loved giving and receiving
cards to friends and crushes in elementary school... which evolved into
candygrams in high school. But so much of the magic seems to have left the day
for me now that I'm an adult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Maybe it's because this is the start of my busy season and I usually end
up working most evenings or perhaps it has more to do with the fact that this is usually a time of year when we restrict our spending in preparation for (gulp)
taxes. Either way, I find that I'd forget the holiday entirely if it weren't
all over social media and if my fingers weren't still sore from tying teeny
tiny bows on the cards for the girls' classmates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Before I start sounding like a Valentine's Day Scrooge, I'll get to the
real point of my post:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I need to remind myself that not everyone is having a great Valentine's
Day. Many people are alone or have lost loved ones, are having marital trouble
or are just generally having a hard time. Instead of Valentine's Day, I wish
this were "Be Kind to a Stranger Day" or "Self Care Day"
because people who are in love pretty much have every other day! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">While I love Corey to pieces, we have more significant days to celebrate
than this one so here's what I've been doing to "celebrate" the day:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I've found two new volunteer
ventures in February, both of which I'm excited to start. </span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm carrying around tiny
Galentine's Day treats for any amazing ladies I happen to see this week.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I made plans to see a
friend's delicious new baby next week... (squeee!!!)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I am having a drink with a
friend after work.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm totally treating myself
to a sheet mask before bed.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm making an extra effort
to be supportive, helpful and kind to both friends and strangers.</span></li>
</ul>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I find
that putting some positivity out into the world really lifts my mood and eases
the mid-winter blues. Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Galentine's? I'd love
to hear what you're doing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Here are
some fun links (You'll notice a theme!) in case you feel like browsing the
internet this afternoon:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">These
<a href="https://mejuri.com/shop/products/editor-hoops" target="_blank">earrings</a> are on my wish list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Santa
gave me this <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Elizavecca-Milky-Piggy-Carbonated-Bubble/dp/B00MWI2IS0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=bubble+mask&qid=1550179372&s=gateway&sr=8-3" target="_blank">hilarious face mask</a> for Christmas!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Wouldn't
<a href="https://tasty.co/recipe/beet-gnocchi" target="_blank">this</a> make the perfect Valentine's dinner?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I've always wanted to make <a href="https://www.designmom.com/done/" target="_blank">these cards</a> for the girls' classmates.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtJWRMAhyBq/" target="_blank">This ring</a>
is heartbreakingly beautiful and the story behind it brought me to tears.
*trigger alert<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">If I were
to marry Corey again, I'd want to do it <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Btzd0PdHaCI/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1cn7e7vatzphe" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BfIyKlWAKXv/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=dg6ur7yffhsa" target="_blank">Seeking Valentine.</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtzgsGrAaky/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=mnskgtavzhkw" target="_blank">If you're dating and frustrated...</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/el-paso-zoo-name-a-cockroach-after-your-ex-feed-to-meerkat-valentines-day-feb-14/?fbclid=IwAR1wMM9NeXlgyNnaNRJ9RdqAlDhQ4Q3q-yI1Ww-NBIHCywtEvxpZSm85m3w" target="_blank">If you're feeling vengeful...</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
So Happy Valentine's/ Galentine's/ Palentine's Day and remember to take care of yourself and those you love!Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-42338648789703971702019-02-08T15:46:00.001-05:002019-02-08T15:47:18.488-05:00Confession<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPenf_gfLhn73bff8FS0-84IPSNffT95NFg8L0nt9vydYziLCyeD-wqJizMTZkywoZvpoBn6ox10pevdZYv7fmcby-n-eAF_Cux6LcghIC2-7DyS5_PDqTgNLR7VFOqty0xE5nFtMftUo/s1600/IMG_20181008_131557_832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPenf_gfLhn73bff8FS0-84IPSNffT95NFg8L0nt9vydYziLCyeD-wqJizMTZkywoZvpoBn6ox10pevdZYv7fmcby-n-eAF_Cux6LcghIC2-7DyS5_PDqTgNLR7VFOqty0xE5nFtMftUo/s640/IMG_20181008_131557_832.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I bet you thought I'd totally abandoned this blog, didn't you? Well, you'd be right. I think the chaos of having two young kids while building my business meant sacrificing my writing time for bedtime stories or precious sleep. I recently got a good kick in the pants from an old friend to start back up and that's exactly what I'm trying to do.<br />
<br />
I'm having some trouble though. I've changed so much in the past couple of years that I barely recognize the carefree, crafty girl who started this blog many years ago. Back then, I was new to real estate, we didn't have kids and were living in a two bedroom condo. We had zero responsibilities! As Madonna says, "experience has made me richer" and that's very true, but it's also made me more contemplative and perhaps a tad more serious. Don't get me wrong: I have had an incredible couple of years and I feel very fortunate but I also feel a little more adult and a lot less self-absorbed than my younger self. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm hoping my blog is still entertaining enough for you to read, but my post topics may change a little and I think I'll need some help deciding what to write about. I must say that it feels good to be taking a step toward blogging again. I think I've been using my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/taylordesa82/" target="_blank">Instagram account</a> to share and write a little but it's not quite as satisfying!<br />
<br />
While I didn't officially stop blogging until a year ago, I know my post frequency has been tapering off for a couple of years. Here's a recap of the past year:<br />
<br />
It was early in 2018 that I started to notice that the anxiety and depression I had experienced during pregnancy, was creeping back postpartum. I loved <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoxDkbLAeWx/" target="_blank">my sweet Maude</a> but I wasn't bonding with her the way I knew I should be and it was heartbreaking. I wrote an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtRKxWTg776/" target="_blank">Instagram post on it for Bell Let's Talk Day</a> and I'm happy to say that medication has helped immensely and I feel better than I have in years!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKAAlVScLePmul6TirG45KiOutTTxBdO1PU3nDqHLQyHX5_4vGsR_FzVr_SPVhHhf4ZPSmrg7OgufXWsNbfFoUFRwLfSa3neK6FTIxzXFIEsaL47qxkPZLWpVAMTU3j2OFZUvc9_Yb8c/s1600/IMG_20190208_152750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKAAlVScLePmul6TirG45KiOutTTxBdO1PU3nDqHLQyHX5_4vGsR_FzVr_SPVhHhf4ZPSmrg7OgufXWsNbfFoUFRwLfSa3neK6FTIxzXFIEsaL47qxkPZLWpVAMTU3j2OFZUvc9_Yb8c/s640/IMG_20190208_152750.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
At around the same time I was being diagnosed with postpartum depression, Rudy was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgpFvjdlDFy/" target="_blank">diagnosed with Autism</a>. We had known Rudy was Autistic for several months but the diagnosis was a shock nonetheless and I spent a long time researching everything I could on Autism and speaking with Autistic adults before I was comfortable discussing it. Now, we are a proud, Neurodiverse family (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmChoHEnmYJ/" target="_blank">Corey and I even got tattoos!</a>) and Rudy knows she is Autistic and likes to tell people about her special Autistic brain!<br />
<br />
As my real estate business has grown over the years, I have invested so much in my staging inventory that I now have my own warehouse filled with furniture, art and accessories. It is definitely fun to be able to post colourful <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj7wOc7HmD9/" target="_blank">photos of my staged listings</a> and I love sharing and hearing decorating tips. In other real estate news: I decided last summer that an innovative, marketing-focused brokerage would be a better fit for me and the best place for me to learn from like-minded professionals, so <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj8J_2eHqEq/" target="_blank">I joined Sage Real Estate</a>. Finally, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtPZQlEgEsw/" target="_blank">Corey obtained his real estate license</a> last summer and is now helping me and my clients in an official capacity!<br />
<br />
Last summer, we introduced Maude to camping and went on FIVE short camping trips. We also bought an OLD tent trailer, which Corey has been fixing up!<br />
<br />
Last spring, we <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BolCdswgqks/" target="_blank">adopted another feisty barn cat</a> and now the two cats are thick as thieves! It was nice for them to have companionship when we <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7eHCUg7dS/" target="_blank">lost our beloved Barkley</a> in the fall. We missed having a dog so much that we <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpICKjTAekE/" target="_blank">adopted a senior beagle (Lola)</a> who was found nearly dead on the streets of Mexico last year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OSXQF88CJu0FPSyIebJaIdb1B8pQAYxrawrQ8K-hhH2fnK3QShCCpmjaOfPtg1nd5eEFazymg2RdULKVnk8Kzwm_TGvQJoqHYVAiAEaeSnCB5zIqwQXNBSHZ6uQLVQKQXwxqmxzXFe0/s1600/IMG_20181108_143655_968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OSXQF88CJu0FPSyIebJaIdb1B8pQAYxrawrQ8K-hhH2fnK3QShCCpmjaOfPtg1nd5eEFazymg2RdULKVnk8Kzwm_TGvQJoqHYVAiAEaeSnCB5zIqwQXNBSHZ6uQLVQKQXwxqmxzXFe0/s640/IMG_20181108_143655_968.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This past year has been filled with changes for our family! Now, we're finally in a groove and have found a good routine which allows me quality time with the girls even during my busiest times at work. Rudy and Maude are becoming <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BqQCFCDAevY/" target="_blank">so close</a> and the two crack us up all the time. Rudy in particular says the most hilarious (sometimes unintentionally insulting) things to us... Like last week when she told me my hair looked like a yak, or when she asked me if the large, white blob person (photo below) was me and I almost threw out my oversized white sweater!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3asIoB3iihN1-Tg6y7HIatoldUutpOwaxFBSCrx6yaey1aaLnkbbyS6bq5Ukb1JIlCdzk83hiJQMDxjmIQltL_qEJGzl2Py73P41u4u0OZmdUThYwDEJPQ7hxFuTs6PVM_dAIrteazhc/s1600/20190205_215139-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3asIoB3iihN1-Tg6y7HIatoldUutpOwaxFBSCrx6yaey1aaLnkbbyS6bq5Ukb1JIlCdzk83hiJQMDxjmIQltL_qEJGzl2Py73P41u4u0OZmdUThYwDEJPQ7hxFuTs6PVM_dAIrteazhc/s640/20190205_215139-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>So now I need your help! What do you want to hear about? I think I'll still write a little bit of everything but I need a place to start! Are you interested in:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BqfqW0hg_Nu/" target="_blank">Real Estate</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Btl-3bsgFVs/" target="_blank">market</a> or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bow2MqKAfc6/" target="_blank">staging</a> posts?<br />
<br />
What about home <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BlhJ60fnefO/" target="_blank">decorating tips,</a> tricks and trends? Cool vintage finds?<br />
<br />
REAL parenting and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Borh8ccADam/" target="_blank">family posts</a>? Posts about raising an Autistic child? <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgeSICg2tR/" target="_blank">Fun activities</a> and crafts for young kids? Ideas for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrdfUnwgvKP/" target="_blank">fun family outings</a>?<br />
<br />
What about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrQihr0A_s1/" target="_blank">adult crafts and hobbies</a>?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/08/secret-room-before-and-after.html" target="_blank">Home reno posts</a>? (Corey's about to gut our upstairs powder room!)<br />
<br />
Help me out! In case you're curious, I'll link below to some of my most popular posts of all time:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/p/condo-survival.html" target="_blank">My Condo Survival Series</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2015/09/kitchen-reveal.html" target="_blank">Kitchen Reveal</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/11/our-home-full-tour.html" target="_blank">Our Home Tour</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/05/a-climbing-wall-for-our-mountain-goat.html" target="_blank">DIY Climbing Wall</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2015/10/ikea-hack-trofast-storage-system.html" target="_blank">Ikea Hack: Toy Storage and Desk</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/07/10-tips-to-take-great-photos-of-your.html" target="_blank">How to Take Good Photos of your Kids Using Your Phone</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/09/how-to-propagate-baby-succulents.html" target="_blank">Growing Baby Succulents</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/04/barely-here.html" target="_blank">On Miscarriage</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/08/for-my-first-child.html" target="_blank">A Poem for My First Child</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/05/my-crazy-cat-story.html" target="_blank">My Crazy Cat Story</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/09/a-week-in-rockies.html" target="_blank">Our Week in the Rockies</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for reading guys and please please please let me know what you'd like to read. It'll be the kick in the a$$ that I need to resume blogging again!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8yIGJtxj0Kl4-6zT0WbnpgkcZ5QUr8u7JSnK9931LwQh-3gsziLQTKMp-vw4NWlvZY0gpcBE37THLOatLlAioGzwgPdVrVKeFJNQYLTr_EtL07ZgNJHj_bk8lPcxQVEyLDzXTbJBamk/s1600/IMG_20181103_132006_534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8yIGJtxj0Kl4-6zT0WbnpgkcZ5QUr8u7JSnK9931LwQh-3gsziLQTKMp-vw4NWlvZY0gpcBE37THLOatLlAioGzwgPdVrVKeFJNQYLTr_EtL07ZgNJHj_bk8lPcxQVEyLDzXTbJBamk/s640/IMG_20181103_132006_534.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-63252968910139824532018-01-07T21:02:00.000-05:002018-01-07T21:02:18.889-05:00Another Climbing Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVh05tWKizEiA8mJuEmy0BQ86JzIH-ad89ePGFBZGJNe_XMtAT-v8-qhDepG_M-CAEQLGBeRAkQoK6elRo5NRUSe9WoWS_I9cj4Ba4TKgMTsvU2KCg7YRmoL6tx_j5iiYrHRVZNbOzsgA/s1600/20180107_141252-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVh05tWKizEiA8mJuEmy0BQ86JzIH-ad89ePGFBZGJNe_XMtAT-v8-qhDepG_M-CAEQLGBeRAkQoK6elRo5NRUSe9WoWS_I9cj4Ba4TKgMTsvU2KCg7YRmoL6tx_j5iiYrHRVZNbOzsgA/s640/20180107_141252-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Those of you who have been following Fresh Coat of Paint over the years may recall the <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2016/05/a-climbing-wall-for-our-mountain-goat.html" target="_blank">climbing wall we built at our last house</a>. It was one of my favourite projects ever and I was a little disappointed that we sold the house after enjoying it for less than a year! At the time, we asked our buyers if they'd like us to leave the climbing wall and they said they would. We were delighted to leave it but we knew we'd have to build a new one in this house!<br />
<br />
Instead of the mountain theme we had last time, this time I opted for whimsical trees modelled after the <a href="http://seuss.wikia.com/wiki/Truffula_Tree" target="_blank">Truffula</a> trees, but with colours to compliment our family room.<br />
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To begin the project, we measured the space and bought a piece of plywood to fit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmzufyTzRuqP5rmnV669sFOGV0qMpP1xRzjDh1qZrH4CPiJCCW74JApY9SmJL0YgQNrCuBbuNlByoTNrPTVjKxRpUPvrSbk4pTR97Dcze6pbCw8CaB1TBE4OL5smwxmW0n2mjfbfDaEU/s1600/20180106_092413-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmzufyTzRuqP5rmnV669sFOGV0qMpP1xRzjDh1qZrH4CPiJCCW74JApY9SmJL0YgQNrCuBbuNlByoTNrPTVjKxRpUPvrSbk4pTR97Dcze6pbCw8CaB1TBE4OL5smwxmW0n2mjfbfDaEU/s640/20180106_092413-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then, I roughly sketched the background (I practiced on paper first) and painted it.<br />
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Corey used 3" construction screws to anchor the board into studs in our wall. It left visible holes in the board, which we filled with wood filler and touched up at the end of the project.<br />
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Corey used 1/4" toggle bolts to secure the holds, which are available on Amazon and Ebay.<br />
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Rudy helped us place the holds and she actually loved being involved and kept tying to screw them into the wall herself! It was adorable and she was so proud that she helped!<br />
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Rudy loved the wall right away. She hasn't climbed too high yet but she keeps practicing. Each time she comes down, she claps her hands and says "Yay Rudy!"<br />
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-81607548420961574972017-12-23T12:21:00.000-05:002017-12-23T12:25:37.989-05:00Christmas Weekend Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's almost Christmas and our gifts are finally wrapped and under the tree. Maude has been sick so we've been trying to stay close to home so she's comfortable.<br />
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Rudy had a blast this morning sliding down the hill in our yard and playing in the snow. There's something so sweet seeing kids all bundled up and toasty warm!<br />
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Earlier this month, we bought some plastic ornaments for Rudy to decorate. We use glitter and glue and tissue paper and it makes for the easiest craft. It might be craft time this afternoon!<br />
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While we were playing in the snow, we collected some fresh snow and made snow ice cream using <a href="https://happyhooligans.ca/3-ingredient-delicious-vanilla-snow-ice-cream/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>.<br />
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Other activities we have planned for the next couple of days include baking shortbread cookies, tobogganing and watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQhRqtt-Fpo" target="_blank">this movie</a>. Can you believe I've never seen it? We also may take this girls to see <a href="https://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2017/12/toronto-street-covered-giant-santas/" target="_blank">this festive street</a>!<br />
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It has been non-stop action this month at our house between <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcgL57ej-zO/?taken-by=taylordesa82" target="_blank">Rudy's Birthday</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc51m9NjwOM/?taken-by=taylordesa82" target="_blank">Hanukkah</a> and now Christmas. I've also been really busy and work and Rudy started a new school this month. Our heads are spinning but we're excited to relax a bit over the next week.<br />
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What are you doing over the break? Do you have plans for NYE? Friends of ours are having a bunch of families with kids over and we're going to have an early countdown at 8 so the kids can crash after in the basement and the adults can stay up for the real countdown. Fun, right?<br />
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Season's greetings and have a wonderful and safe holiday! Happy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibb%27s_Eve" target="_blank">Tibb's Eve</a>, if you like to drink! ;)<br />
<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-36932883696588027482017-09-28T00:09:00.000-04:002017-09-28T00:12:30.136-04:0035<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.mlyoungphotography.com/" target="_blank">Maria-Lise Young Photography</a>.</td></tr>
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I'm 35 today. I can no longer pretend that I'm in my early-thirties because I'm now as mid-thirties as you can get! How did this happen? When I was in my twenties I always hoped I'd one day grow up, find a great job, buy a house, have kids, maybe get married... I guess I just never pictured it actually happening. Sometimes I still think that it's crazy that Corey and I are attending Parent Nights at Rudy's school. Then I look at us and think "Who invited these dorks?" I guess that's how it happens to everyone: Your adulthood sort of creeps up and surprises you and by the time it happens, you're<br />
teetering on the border of middle age... Okay, maybe I'm not at the border just yet but I can see it without using binoculars so it's closer than I thought. ;)<br />
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The Type-A in me uses birthdays to measure whether I'm meeting my goals and for the first time in many years I'm feeling quite content. Usually, in the aftermath of a birthday, I'm motivated to make a huge change: start a new project, try for another baby, buy a new house. This year, I can actually say that I have everything I immediately want and much much more than I need. Sure, we'll continue renovating our house. I'll always strive to improve at work; be a better mom; lose the baby weight... but at this moment, I couldn't ask for any more than I have and I'm feeling incredibly grateful.<br />
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This past year has brought us many good things like new friends, a new home and a new member of the family. It was also one of the most emotionally and physically difficult of my life. I wouldn't trade our amazing Maude for anything but I'm happy to put this past year behind me. Pregnancy was not easy for me and, while I love Maude fiercely, I'm tired of having a newborn and excited at the prospect of having two children rather than a child and a baby. As we're learning with Rudy, each year brings it's own challenges and worries but the monotony of life with a newborn suffocates me. I've come to realize that I don't need to love every stage as long as I love my kids and just accepting that fact has brought me a lot of relief.<br />
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On my last birthday, I was not yet pregnant with Maude and we had not even decided to move... although we bought our house one week later. What a difference one year can make!<br />
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I began the day at 5 a.m. after Rudy woke up from a bad dream and we let her crawl into bed with us to watch a movie. I'm ending it now after finishing some paperwork and eating the better part of a caramel crunch birthday cake (right out of the box) with Corey for dinner. Not exactly glamorous but I loved the extra cuddles I got from Rudy this morning and the cake was from friends who wanted to brighten my day. So, despite my day being long, it was filled with love and a lot of reminders that I have so much to be thankful for. There is sweetness in the exhaustion.<br />
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So that's how I've left 34 behind: thankful for all that I have (with my family at the top of that list) but also very happy to close the door on 34 and look toward the future!<br />
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<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-84079957569483903952017-09-14T17:30:00.000-04:002017-09-14T17:30:16.423-04:00Let's Get Real: The Truth Behind My Instagram Posts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's get real: Life with a toddler and an infant is raw and messy and exhausting. However, my Instagram page may tell a different story. There's been a push lately to raise awareness to the fact that social media distorts reality and can make us feel inadequate.<br />
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Browsing through my Instagram feed, I'm often in awe of people's picturesque vacation photos, angelic looking children, HGTV worthy homes and expertly plated home-cooked meals. How does everyone find the time? How does everyone find the money?? I realize that I am also guilty of showcasing an airbrushed version of our lives online. I crop out the mess, lighten the photo and for every photo I post, I discard several others. Nobody wants to see runny noses or dishes on the counter so I don't post them. I think for most of us, it's not an intention to deceive but rather to only remember the happy picturesque moments that's really behind our posts. Isn't it only natural to want to focus on the very best times?<br />
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The danger is that we sometimes forget that everyone is doing the same thing. With this in mind and drawing inspiration from a very honest blog post: <a href="http://boston.citymomsblog.com/motherhood/truth-behind-one-moms-facebook-posts/">It Ain't All Rainbows And Matching Pajamas: The Truth Behind One Mon's Facebook Posts</a>, I'd like to share our own reality behind the photos. Here are some of my recent Instagram posts with explanations of what's actually happening behind the scenes:<br />
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<b>Instagram Post:</b> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Before and after photos of Maude's nursery are up on the blog. Link in profile</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKZ-LFMS88VotB_cxeoNfdYxiNKRwmMAy5FYTH_LUL1YgeLS2YNxzl2s04j7bZY0z2qrUELYJnjOu3st5DBb8GYyeeNSwFvJmU-TBoYx4Yb60ukT40Idunf7nmNBE1_ZSpX_UCsPQh0Cl/s1600/IMG_20170810_222645_863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKZ-LFMS88VotB_cxeoNfdYxiNKRwmMAy5FYTH_LUL1YgeLS2YNxzl2s04j7bZY0z2qrUELYJnjOu3st5DBb8GYyeeNSwFvJmU-TBoYx4Yb60ukT40Idunf7nmNBE1_ZSpX_UCsPQh0Cl/s640/IMG_20170810_222645_863.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b> When I took this photo, Maude was a newborn and Corey and I hadn't slept in days. The nursery was supposed to be finished before she was born but preeclampsia complications resulted in an early c-section and my hormones made my disappointment at not being "ready" for Maude even worse. I only took a few weeks off from work and we wanted me to be able to enjoy Maude in a serene space so Corey and I (Corey especially) worked really hard the week after she was born to get this room in order.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">🐶❤</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DFyXwkjfxYm5_85zhx-pxYY9emid26Pm9IGWz6fia5l0DdrMPPGQ8LmFu9sNlA2ij1XIAd9gbCr3O_JYEOq4vaW-FNroG3qc0sEwSbXh8O1w2Uk7sIAET17XwBxn1abfZj60VqT7_1FT/s1600/IMG_20170729_114517_457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DFyXwkjfxYm5_85zhx-pxYY9emid26Pm9IGWz6fia5l0DdrMPPGQ8LmFu9sNlA2ij1XIAd9gbCr3O_JYEOq4vaW-FNroG3qc0sEwSbXh8O1w2Uk7sIAET17XwBxn1abfZj60VqT7_1FT/s640/IMG_20170729_114517_457.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality:</b> I took this photo minutes after Maude's newborn photo shoot ended. Rudy had been an uncooperative two-year-old and I was feeling totally deflated since I feared that our photographer hadn't had the opportunity to capture a single good shot. It had literally been hours of tantrums and bribery while I tried to keep my hormonal body from sweating through my dress. I saw Rudy being so sweet and gentle with Barkley and I was determined to capture one good shot that day. In the end, my photographer captured many beautiful moments that morning but I didn't realize that at the time.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">🛩❤</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc7ZTks2_fPFdK0aIb6bimPSSFyg3s_KN27_2D5OeorWYI2zAl7zOyiY7EMEZJb3_3b-k9drRDqQ34Y7RloNEDwTz63MrdN3UypCxpMuU8twbB4r_Om687K4MC_sAcHJ1imjlfIMMRECl/s1600/IMG_20170828_134415_647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc7ZTks2_fPFdK0aIb6bimPSSFyg3s_KN27_2D5OeorWYI2zAl7zOyiY7EMEZJb3_3b-k9drRDqQ34Y7RloNEDwTz63MrdN3UypCxpMuU8twbB4r_Om687K4MC_sAcHJ1imjlfIMMRECl/s640/IMG_20170828_134415_647.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b>We were trying to kill time at the airport because we had arrived way too early and then found that our flight was delayed. We arrived so early because we were determined not to miss our flight like we had that morning. If you look closely, you can see that Rudy's airplane toy has a broken tail. This happened earlier that morning as we were racing for the gate and Rudy fell out of the stroller because I had neglected to strap her back in after security.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post:</b> There was no caption for this photo. I posted it in a group with others from the butterfly house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeUBK4AJ1NF5pxQrMFgytbPWB9ULBRffwAL6IL5B0iEosZKHrwwftSBEZAFVSwpoivo2ha_hO-G7_1mFAyCXTPr28bgugDyWJXmnbn8griW7oTjhQjTkvO0dF7iqyL07h7Kgx2XmTlrCN/s1600/IMG_20170826_135835_658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeUBK4AJ1NF5pxQrMFgytbPWB9ULBRffwAL6IL5B0iEosZKHrwwftSBEZAFVSwpoivo2ha_hO-G7_1mFAyCXTPr28bgugDyWJXmnbn8griW7oTjhQjTkvO0dF7iqyL07h7Kgx2XmTlrCN/s640/IMG_20170826_135835_658.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality:</b> Rudy loved the butterflies so much that she picked one up and injured it before I could stop her. I explained sternly that she was hurting it's wing as I pried open her fingers so she could let it go. She cried because I made her let it go. I felt terrible for the butterfly.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b>There was no caption for this photo either but I posted several of Rudy and Corey on the beach flying her new kite at sunset.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6z4K1y5SJT28i2XL8V1LJv6_FPtF2DixvEgyk8RsqwXB5RzVF1qkP8WALuJHAooSTQSeEEGNFX3prbD60XGDXB9YBE8XTg7fyfE-uoL6MCDohOFjzbEsME-29WzGVryMQ-Ev5AIgNhXty/s1600/IMG_20170826_200850_981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6z4K1y5SJT28i2XL8V1LJv6_FPtF2DixvEgyk8RsqwXB5RzVF1qkP8WALuJHAooSTQSeEEGNFX3prbD60XGDXB9YBE8XTg7fyfE-uoL6MCDohOFjzbEsME-29WzGVryMQ-Ev5AIgNhXty/s640/IMG_20170826_200850_981.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality:</b> Our evening beach walks in P.E.I. genuinely were beautiful moments but they were carefully planned around meal times and nap times and we often had to wait in the car for half an hour when we got there so Maude could eat. It was a beautiful but exhausting vacation and having two young kids while away made me feel like a plate spinning circus act where as soon as one was having fun or sleeping, the other would need something. Back and forth.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We just can't keep this one out of her sister's crib.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhNP004DN13Nq84-txlGKVMhfgxGc9Q7Wt28Bg1HOE0qr8q7NdPJ7gCrAtI_YAe-6MipYZxKXtUrKPHAozdwKNQhX6ZeMxf5UJsueLH0ldak3w9fN-AA0Auo5Rjg1xXSA52i7LqmifPw9/s1600/IMG_20170829_105411_058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhNP004DN13Nq84-txlGKVMhfgxGc9Q7Wt28Bg1HOE0qr8q7NdPJ7gCrAtI_YAe-6MipYZxKXtUrKPHAozdwKNQhX6ZeMxf5UJsueLH0ldak3w9fN-AA0Auo5Rjg1xXSA52i7LqmifPw9/s640/IMG_20170829_105411_058.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality:</b> Seriously guys, how do we keep her out? Now that Rudy can open doors and climb into the crib, I live in fear that she'll either break an arm climbing out of the crib or that she'll crush the baby.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post:</b> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We had a successful morning of orientation at our new school. School officially starts tomorrow.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDWJO9qOOZK4ugKO4SrLxAUqBwl8Ohj2RddSXIduCix8UErFuh1Wx_dMDOdSAcBnOn-j1YylY2-ByQP_xajXebeazg5WYwnmb6R7FEXGZmc9enmMziWuLMP7Ra_J3X59CeELRdHlfgxoC/s1600/IMG_20170905_120914_779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="967" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDWJO9qOOZK4ugKO4SrLxAUqBwl8Ohj2RddSXIduCix8UErFuh1Wx_dMDOdSAcBnOn-j1YylY2-ByQP_xajXebeazg5WYwnmb6R7FEXGZmc9enmMziWuLMP7Ra_J3X59CeELRdHlfgxoC/s640/IMG_20170905_120914_779.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b>Rudy has had a successful transition to her new school. I'm so proud of how confident and brave she is! That doesn't mean I wasn't still terribly nervous for her first day. All the kids have to be toilet trained at her new school so naturally I was terrified she'd have several accidents the first day and they'd kick her out. (That didn't happen, by the way.) I was also nervous that the kids wouldn't be kind to her or the teachers wouldn't see how special she is and would be put off by the fact that she doesn't always listen. You know... regular parent fears!<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Go Rudy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdgSLegF6Fqlui-O6gV2qELQdvCqxlEQ8jIhk_LUnRNzqioljBMGq83l1oc9ac41vc1vROXFHIY3hXCXo-eIPlHbjprjHuwVLfRCIiDEVvfdZpd3iqZ0LJ7ZKyqaKgujkx_QUKJgkmsFe/s1600/IMG_20170906_200905_810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="1570" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdgSLegF6Fqlui-O6gV2qELQdvCqxlEQ8jIhk_LUnRNzqioljBMGq83l1oc9ac41vc1vROXFHIY3hXCXo-eIPlHbjprjHuwVLfRCIiDEVvfdZpd3iqZ0LJ7ZKyqaKgujkx_QUKJgkmsFe/s640/IMG_20170906_200905_810.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b>Go Rudy indeed! We spend a lot of time working on things like listening, following instructions and vocabulary because Rudy takes a little longer to learn those things. Sometimes it's no big deal but sometimes it can make new activities challenging. But there are many other skills that Rudy's learned even faster than her peers. We celebrate her strengths and climbing is definitely one of them!<br />
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<b>Instagram Post:</b> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">knee socks, cats and chilly fall mornings...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXeC0RkFA278hpb8cnKtmFIBT2uOuqECPc835j82WaM6Ktt7gpa8fHUipfuAt6lPN-5nicNBCseAfIpVHDpk04CPTdelkHbsiF4wbI9WZqgAW7xFPF6p3zFMPBCa9QoDYifZwc0nWLxrm/s1600/IMG_20170909_085307_197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXeC0RkFA278hpb8cnKtmFIBT2uOuqECPc835j82WaM6Ktt7gpa8fHUipfuAt6lPN-5nicNBCseAfIpVHDpk04CPTdelkHbsiF4wbI9WZqgAW7xFPF6p3zFMPBCa9QoDYifZwc0nWLxrm/s640/IMG_20170909_085307_197.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b>This was taken the morning of our worst zoo trip ever. Rudy didn't listen, Maude fussed and, while Corey and I genuinely enjoy parenting about 90% of the time, this day fell into the other 10%. At least Rudy and the cat were cute!<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We can't believe our little Maudezilla is two months old already. She's still mostly nocturnal but life with two is starting to seem more manageable. Maude smiles at us occasionally, relaxes in a warm bath, loves being read to and gets excited when we turn on her mobile. She is so loved and gets lots of "high fives" from her big sister. The cat likes to sleep on her crib but he's terrified of her.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZJxvvNajXjd41OI1GafnGtowaf1stSCjvcm6XjNine4FmM5CTLY2FGgv5TzjpIlORaXVdxvAY4A7jtlRtOvPHTbQqIWcy6oSJ1IE3sqTZQyX_kOZU8ZLbHppnIW98frht8lAKRDukz34/s1600/IMG_20170909_104934_605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZJxvvNajXjd41OI1GafnGtowaf1stSCjvcm6XjNine4FmM5CTLY2FGgv5TzjpIlORaXVdxvAY4A7jtlRtOvPHTbQqIWcy6oSJ1IE3sqTZQyX_kOZU8ZLbHppnIW98frht8lAKRDukz34/s640/IMG_20170909_104934_605.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality:</b> Maude's first 6 weeks were so hard that we'd already forgotten them. At two months, we were just hoping to finally get some sleep.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post:</b> No caption for this one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMDtjEz0snSYUqmIf9o3v6SgXRn8vVydFIMhyphenhyphenDrUvC7_WCZ8UDWXNZj25VKOekcElQJFW2b6MpwkelKJCQlHnjdMbdf1cnbYMXNPNCtWaK7WvZvzF2zcl0sBijka4aMGwC_dh_ognffh-/s1600/IMG_20170909_154132_707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMDtjEz0snSYUqmIf9o3v6SgXRn8vVydFIMhyphenhyphenDrUvC7_WCZ8UDWXNZj25VKOekcElQJFW2b6MpwkelKJCQlHnjdMbdf1cnbYMXNPNCtWaK7WvZvzF2zcl0sBijka4aMGwC_dh_ognffh-/s640/IMG_20170909_154132_707.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b>It pains me to look at my post-pregnancy face and body sometimes and it makes it so hard to pose for photos. Two giant babies, two c-sections and two rounds of gestational diabetes have taken their toll but I am making an effort to respect (if not love) the way I look and pose for photos so that the girls can one day see that my love for them was stronger than my vanity. Still, it's nearly impossible to get four people to smile pretty for a photo when one is a newborn and one is a squirmy toddler. We tried our best.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1 balloon= hours of fun for both Rudy and Cricket</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmDoba4ZHMID0vl3ViheqQAIDxAEIGPAyXyTNABOduJJ39HctkmbMMK7qEjIOVEvWTnKjcVG6t6tGQ5bQKucORBQpi-dyBsRsCkO5aLWbp1IDlFkHSO-bzSiFCNnPHFYYxdchE0tyYT9d/s1600/IMG_20170911_173119_694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="1600" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmDoba4ZHMID0vl3ViheqQAIDxAEIGPAyXyTNABOduJJ39HctkmbMMK7qEjIOVEvWTnKjcVG6t6tGQ5bQKucORBQpi-dyBsRsCkO5aLWbp1IDlFkHSO-bzSiFCNnPHFYYxdchE0tyYT9d/s640/IMG_20170911_173119_694.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality:</b> I received so many compliments on our living room after I posted this photo. What you don't see here is the mess in the dining room or the fact that that rug has been shampooed more often than Rudy (Okay, not quite but almost!) because our senior dog can't always hold his bladder and our white rug is like a giant puppy pad!<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b>No Caption.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeuagaqxaASP9X9EAfw5xeq3wyfhzg98RV77-dkg3FkYkvU22TXUa3fZrNfCGefNnesKMKODerDqQdXOkwHLUQ92wjzARob9xrYAk5cIwCVj9v9ZwT890xsxf07oSUYh1TBTglnXttRNN/s1600/IMG_20170913_182704_150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeuagaqxaASP9X9EAfw5xeq3wyfhzg98RV77-dkg3FkYkvU22TXUa3fZrNfCGefNnesKMKODerDqQdXOkwHLUQ92wjzARob9xrYAk5cIwCVj9v9ZwT890xsxf07oSUYh1TBTglnXttRNN/s640/IMG_20170913_182704_150.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Reality: </b>It scares me every time I see Rudy balancing on the arm of our rocking chair. She gets that balance from Corey! We left the tags on her ballet outfit (She didn't wear it to class but we let her try it on a few times at home) because she was so wild in her first class that we wanted to speak to the teacher before continuing. We love that she marches to the beat of her own drum and likes to make people laugh but raising a child with such a unique personality can be challenging and scary.<br />
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<b>Instagram Post: </b>No caption.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Reality: </b>This picture is probably about as close to perfect as it gets. Sometime a photo really is true to life!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So let's raise a glass to injured butterflies, tantrums, dog pee inside and all the B-List family moments that don't make it to our social media pages. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-88404035267868671442017-08-30T10:38:00.000-04:002017-08-30T10:38:07.130-04:00Prince Edward Island Family Holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Guys, we're back from holiday and you'll be relieved to know that Corey and I survived our first holiday as a family of four! </div>
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I won't lie- we got off to a rough start. We missed our first flight (by a couple of minutes) and we had to go home for several hours before departing about 12 hours later than expected. The airport was rough (sooo much luggage for the girls as well as a stroller and two car seats) and by the time we boarded the plane, I wanted to cry. I really think that anyone who is brave enough to fly with a child or baby alone is a ninja parent. That being said, the rest of the trip was quite lovely. I'll share some highlights and photos with you if you're curious.</div>
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So this vacation almost didn't happen. We only booked it 5 or 6 days before we left because we weren't sure if we could handle a trip this soon after Maude's birth. I was terribly worried a trip would be more stress than it was worth. In the end, we decided to go and we chose Atlantic Canada because it's laid back and we know the people there are so nice so we wouldn't feel judged if both girls decided to have meltdowns during dinner... which happened once, by the way. It turned out to be the perfect choice for us! We're also eager to explore more of our own beautiful country and I really enjoyed teaching Rudy about the places we visited. We bought Rudy <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/My-Canada-Illustrated-Katherine-Dearlove/dp/1771472642/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1503028022&sr=8-4&keywords=canada+children+atlas" target="_blank">this atlas</a> and before bed, we'd point out where we drove and which sights we saw. </div>
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We actually flew into Moncton, NB and visited friends who have a hobby farm just north of there. Rudy was in heaven running through their house and "visiting" all the cats and dogs (there seemed to be a different cat in each room of their gorgeous old farmhouse) and they let her feed their chickens and pet their sheep and alpacas. After such a challenging start to the trip, it was lovely to just let Rudy roam free while our friends fed us and took care of us so we could just relax and visit. Rudy was so happy and comfortable there- I think the country life really suits her!</div>
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While in New Brunswick, we also visited the Hopewell Rocks. Rudy was so sure-footed, jumping from rock to rock over puddles. I was just proud to have completed the hike while wearing Maude.</div>
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After a couple of days in Moncton, we drove into P.E.I. via the Confederation Bridge. Rudy was excited to cross the bridge we had been pointing out in her atlas and to see her first lighthouse. We stayed in a cottage near Cavendish as our home base but we planned day trips all over the island. The scenery was just as beautiful as I had hoped.</div>
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Our trip had so many highlights. I loved collecting sea glass in Souris and visiting the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g499323-d7144853-Reviews-Pei_Seaglass_Shanty-Souris_Prince_Edward_Island.html" target="_blank">Sea Glass Shanty</a> there. It was a tiny shop but the owner was so sweet and made a necklace for Rudy with some sea glass we had found.</div>
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We also found the most charming toy store called <a href="https://www.toy-factory.ca/" target="_blank">The Toy Factory</a>. They have the most incredible selection of toys (really well curated) and they're all out and unboxed for the kids to play with. We visited twice and spent hours there both times. Rudy got to make her own wooden car the first time and the second time, the owners (who are really lovely people) followed us out of the shop to give Rudy a little wooden toy she had been playing with. When you visit, don't forget to visit the bunnies in the front or the enchanting fairy garden behind the playground in the back.</div>
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We did some typical tourist things like visiting Cows for ice cream, visiting the Butterfly House, eating our weight in lobster and, of course, Green Gables. I probably love Anne of Green Gables more than an adult woman should admit to, so seeing some of the places described in the books nearly brought tears to my eyes.</div>
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We were about 20 minutes away from Brackley Beach and we went there several evenings because it was so serene and pretty. It's so rare for a beautiful beach to be nearly deserted and we really enjoyed the solitude. P.E.I. sunsets are even more spectacular set against the sand dunes.<br />
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Let's not forget to mention the people. The people on the island were so friendly and warm that we felt right at home. At first, we couldn't understand why they made such a fuss about Maude (strangers kept asking if we could come over or if we could turn her head so they could see her face) and it seemed a little familiar to Torontonians like us. Then we caught on to the fact that in a small population of less than 150,000 people on the entire island, newborn babies aren't as commonplace as they are in the city. People were genuinely excited about Maude because they don't see a dozen babies every day like we do. In Toronto when people stop me to comment on Maude, it's usually to suggest that we're doing something wrong "She's too cold. She needs to be covered" "She looks hot. Should you take off that hat?" "Should her neck be at that angle in her car seat?" but in P.E.I. it was more "Was she born on the island?" "How are YOU feeling?" "Good for you for being out and about!" -Now don't get me wrong, I love Toronto and Toronto people (who are mostly well-intentioned) but P.E.I. was a breath of fresh air.<br />
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But more than the sea glass, the beaches or even Green Gables, I loved giving Rudy the type of carefree holiday that reminds me of my own childhood. Rudy thrived on being off-schedule and just exploring in the outdoors and bumming around. She picked wildflowers, collected rocks and sea shells, ate junk food (We let her drink sooo much "chocky milk" at restaurants!) and jumped on the bed. We let her stay up late every night and one night we let her stay up until the sky was completely dark so we could look at the stars. Another night, we went to the beach for sunset and brought a kite to fly.<br />
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We had a lot of fun and made some of our first memories as a family of four. It was magical.<br />
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-51342971808808010142017-08-17T02:40:00.000-04:002017-08-17T02:40:35.749-04:00Family Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="http://www.mlyoungphotography.com/" target="_blank">All photos in this post were taken by Maria-Lise Young Photography.</a></i></div>
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We had a photographer come to our home to take some family shots (and some of just Maude) a couple of weeks ago and we ended up with some very sweet candid shots of our family.<br />
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Rudy was acting like a typical two so there were a few meltdowns and in some photos, you can see that she's just doing her own thing and eating a snack. At the time, I wanted to cry but I love those photos too because one day I know I'll miss this time in our lives.<br />
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Here are some of our favourite shots from the photo session, if you'd like to see.<br />
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Some of our favourite shots were taken before the shoot officially started. I wasn't ready at all for the photo below but I'm so glad this special moment was captured.</div>
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I love this photo- Rudy and Maude each have a slightly different version of it hanging in their rooms. We want them growing up with the knowledge that they were close from the start.<br />
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Rudy was far more interested in jumping than posing.<br />
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At one point, Rudy insisted on wearing my watch. With a toddler you sort of learn to just go with the flow...<br />
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-88363429872369848022017-08-11T07:49:00.000-04:002017-08-11T07:49:20.871-04:00Have a Great Weekend!<div>
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What are you up to this weekend? Rudy's been obsessing over animals lately so we were going to try to take her to a farm. Aside from that, we'll probably visit some parks and spend lots of time playing in the yard!<br />
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<a href="http://www.readersdigest.ca/cars/road-trips/top-10-best-canadian-road-trips/" target="_blank">Road trip</a> anyone? There's still time!<br />
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I love shoes but I'm terrible in heels so I don't buy them. That being said, somebody <a href="https://www.jcrew.com/ca/p/womens_category/shoes/pumpsandheels/lucite-heels-in-suede/F5959" target="_blank">please buy these shoes</a>! There are only a few left and with the summer code, they're 67% off at J. Crew. It's so tempting! Also, <a href="https://www.everlane.com/products/womens-day-heel-black?collection=womens-shoes" target="_blank">these shoes</a> are not on sale but I keep wanting to try them!</div>
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I know something is truly hilarious when it causes me to laugh until I snort. This <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Are-Never-Meeting-Real-Life/dp/1101912197/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501610509&sr=8-1&keywords=we+are+never+meeting+in+real+life" target="_blank">book</a> is hilarious!<br />
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These are the <a href="https://cambiedesign.com/collections/cambie-blankets" target="_blank">coziest blankets</a>! We have a couple around the house and we make sure to always have one handy in the nursery. We even brought one to the hospital to make our room more comfortable when Maude was born.<br />
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<a href="https://www.romper.com/p/9-body-positive-terms-you-need-to-teach-your-daughter-5401" target="_blank">YES!</a></div>
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Now that I can enjoy a cocktail again, my new favourite drink is the <a href="http://imbibemagazine.com/paper-plane-cocktail/" target="_blank">Paper Plane</a>. Corey's been making them for me (top photo) and it feels like a luxurious way to end the week.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kiehls.ca/en/skin-care/category/face-mask/turmeric-cranberry-seed-energizing-radiance-masque-4004.html#start=8&cgid=face-masques" target="_blank">This mask</a> has been a game changer for me. I started using it to help battle the hyperpigmentation I get during pregnancy but now I get so many compliments on my skin!<br />
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The New York Times published a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/world/asia/north-korea-trump-background.html" target="_blank">summary of the North Korea crisis</a> for anyone who prefers to read the Cliffs Notes.<br />
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<a href="https://brightside.me/inspiration-health/how-to-fix-all-your-sleep-problems-with-science-302110/?" target="_blank">Having trouble sleeping?</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4WkCbmrDECI9u4Ug-T6WBA" target="_blank">These ladies</a> have been cracking me up all week!<br />
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I just binge watched <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozark_(TV_series)" target="_blank">this show</a> and I can't wait for season 2!<br />
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Do you know how to <a href="http://www.elle.com/beauty/news/a28308/how-to-contour-pro/" target="_blank">contour</a> with makeup?<br />
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I can really relate to <a href="http://www.scarymommy.com/two-kids-tough-transition/?utm_source=FB" target="_blank">this post</a>.<br />
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Can you believe it's already August? July was such a blur and I'm not ready to let go of summer just yet. I'm excited for this <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKytHK0DGNJ/?taken-by=taylordesa82" target="_blank">fall family tradition</a> though. :)<br />
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This young woman is an inspiration:<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend! Here's a photo of Rudy on her new swing. Corey and I have been having the best time hanging out outside after dinner just pushing her and chatting about the day. It's been such a relaxing way to end our day.<br />
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-88475681718315855302017-08-10T22:18:00.000-04:002017-08-11T08:03:19.533-04:00Nursery (Before and After)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I had wanted to post about Maude's birth story today but I feel like I'm on a roll with the "before and after" posts and since you've already seen the <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/08/secret-room-before-and-after.html" target="_blank">secret room</a>, I want to show you Maude's nursery.<br />
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As you can see from the before photos above, the room was pretty dark when we bought the house and there were layers and layers of wallpaper to remove from all the walls and the ceiling!<br />
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The main challenge in this room is the sloped ceilings, which make the ceilings on one side very low. We had to be careful to use the other side of the room for furniture without making the room look and feel too cluttered.<br />
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To avoid constantly hitting out heads, we placed both the crib and recliner on the side of the room with a higher ceiling.<br />
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We kept the colour scheme very neutral with mostly grey, white and pale blue with wood accents. We used Rudy's old crib (which was a gift from friends) but we painted it white so it feels new for Maude. The rug was a splurge from CB2 and we LOVE how soft it is.<br />
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Next to the recliner, we keep a box of quilts and blankets to keep our legs nice and cozy. The blinds we installed are amazing- The top allows full light but still maintains our privacy and the bottom is blackout (for naps) so we can choose how much light to let in.<br />
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We made a little gallery wall for Maude, although some of the frames are still empty. We're going to fill them with family photos soon.<br />
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On the side of the room with low ceilings, we decided to just have storage for toys an books at kid-height. Rudy loves hanging out in here while we're feeding Maude and we find that the little Ikea dollhouse and the built-in shelves are constantly being rearranged.<br />
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For anyone who missed my last post, through the closet is the secret room, which is a playroom just for the girls!<br />
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Rudy already loves the starry sky in the secret room.<br />
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We loved spending time in Rudy's nursery. It was the backdrop for so many memories and photos. We're hoping this room sees many happy days in the years to come.<br />
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<i>Here are photos of <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2014/12/nursery-before-and-after-and-source-list.html" target="_blank">Rudy's nursery</a> and her <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/04/rudys-room-more-progress.html" target="_blank">big girl room</a>, if you would like to see.</i><br />
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-23903960624502461042017-08-09T00:14:00.000-04:002017-08-09T07:48:28.697-04:00Secret Room (Before and After)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You've been patient as I posted about this project <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/05/a-secret-room.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/08/secret-room-almost-finished.html" target="_blank">here</a> and I'm finally excited to share the finished product!<br />
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This little room is accessed through Maude's closet and the ceiling at it's highest point is about 5'5" so most grown-ups need to crouch or crawl in. This makes it the most delightful little child-sized play room and the "secret" access adds to the magic. I think children get a special thrill when something is clearly designed just for them and we couldn't wait to share this room with Rudy!<br />
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The photo below was taken the other day when we first showed Rudy the room. She is absolutely delighted by every aspect of this new room and spent ages playing with the books, riding the lamb and opening all the cubby doors. We ended up telling her it was a special play room for "the sisters" so that she sees it as another bonus that arrived with Maude.<br />
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As if this room were not special enough, the pièce de résistance is an incredible realistic starry sky. Rudy helped put up the stars and they're so amazing (They come in various sizes and shades and there are literally hundreds of them. You can buy them <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/StellaMurals?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">here</a>.) that Corey and I had to stop ourselves from getting them for our own ceiling.</div>
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The photo below doesn't come close to doing them justice but it gives you an idea of what it looks like with the lights off. Rudy loves turning off the lights and shouting "Staaaarrrrs Aboukin!" ... although we have no idea what that means. We only introduced this room the other day and already it's such a favourite! Often, she'll lay on the floor and just look up at the "sky". I like to join her and it reminds me of the planetarium.<br />
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We know the girls will enjoy this private retreat for years to come. We imagine them both asking to host slumber parties in here under the night sky!<br />
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<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-60665776905625686652017-08-08T18:05:00.001-04:002017-08-08T18:05:52.789-04:00Secret Room... Almost Finished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had meant to post this a month ago but I ended up in hospital early for my c-section. As it turns out, Corey and I were putting the finishing touches on the nursery during Maude's first week of life. While this room is now finished (and totally awesome, if I do say so myself!) I know many of you like to see the process. Here's the <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/05/a-secret-room.html" target="_blank">last post</a> so you can see what the secret room looked like when we started.<br />
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Once the subfloor and electrical were installed (we needed some light in the room and wanted a couple of receptacles.) Corey split the vent from Maude's room so that there would be airflow and then he installed the drywall.<br />
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Once that was done, it was time to plaster, paint and then install some laminate flooring.<br />
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I'll post photos of the finished room shortly. It's such a cool little room. We have friends who were very persuasive in their argument that we should save the room and only share it with the girls when they're old enough to appreciate it. They almost had us sold on the idea but we decided that we wanted them to enjoy it right away after so much hard work.<br />
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I can't wait to show you the finished room!Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-15428194721248956662017-08-04T15:22:00.000-04:002017-08-04T15:22:51.719-04:00For My First Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you now know, the transition from one child to two has not been easy for me. I still have pangs of guilt for each moment I can't spend with Rudy and, while I hope and believe that one day she'll love having a sister (aka-playmate, friend and partner in crime) for now Maude takes away more than she gives to Rudy.<br />
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I've had this same worry throughout my pregnancy and as I approached the end of my third trimester, I felt myself becoming more and more tied to Rudy. By June, I would have slept in Rudy's bed if I weren't so uncomfortable, but I longed to just soak up the last shreds of time I had to spend just with her. I kept wanting to give her as much attention as I could and to fill her heart with enough love that she would never question her place in our family in the days to come... even if there was going to be less attention for her and fewer hugs in the near future.<br />
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Of course, we talked and read books about how special big sisters are and how families grow and a new baby is another person who will love her but my heart still broke whenever I thought about Rudy's days as an only child being numbered. It was a very emotional time for me and I think it is for many parents. Your hormones are crazy and your family is about to change and you understand the significance but you still don't really know what to expect. As I sobbed one night watching Rudy chat with her stuffed animals on the baby monitor, I wrote a poem to share with her one day.<br />
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<b><i>A Poem For My First</i></b></div>
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<i>The sun has set on just us two.</i></div>
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<i>Tomorrow welcomes someone new.</i></div>
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<i>While big adventures come our way.</i></div>
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<i>For now, I'll have less time to play.</i></div>
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<i>I feel a tear drip down my cheek</i></div>
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<i>I've felt a pull these past few weeks.</i></div>
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<i>This thought that in my happiness</i></div>
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<i>Your upside down world is a mess.</i></div>
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<i>For years you've had me all for you.</i></div>
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<i>And I know you'll share- you always do!</i></div>
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<i>But still it's hard to think that soon,</i></div>
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<i>Another babe will share this room.</i></div>
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<i>Of course you'll teach them favourite things.</i></div>
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<i>Building, climbing, fairy wings.</i></div>
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<i>But mama's lap will now hold two</i></div>
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<i>and stories won't all be for you.</i></div>
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<i>But my love, I need you to hear and know:</i></div>
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<i>That my love for you can only grow.</i></div>
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<i>For, the reason I knew I'd want another:</i></div>
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<i>was that YOU made me the happiest, luckiest mother.</i><br />
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My biggest fear is that Rudy would feel displaced with a new baby in the house and may even feel a little less loved by us. The good news is that we're not even four weeks old as a family of four and already, Rudy seems to have adjusted well. Kids are so resilient and newborns may steal your sleep, but they don't yet require the same focus as a toddler! I make sure that when Rudy walks into a room (even if I'm holding or nursing Maude) my eyes light up as if I'd been waiting for her all day. She is always greeted with an excited "There's my Rudy" and I'm thrilled to see that Rudy seems more confident and happy than ever! Our girl knows she's loved!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsSWminX8dN56sRyn-_xznBHiSqTu8rrv6FwD4r0DHlDdthCaO2KgQU_q__7peigJaCVh1jLiK_Xtb9ifmrhEsHA1ZPY-UfjzwAwIcI50QVMdLhTxs3RNFJWWI1s-MzcwesOxY1Uknjlv/s1600/064deSa.05.10.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsSWminX8dN56sRyn-_xznBHiSqTu8rrv6FwD4r0DHlDdthCaO2KgQU_q__7peigJaCVh1jLiK_Xtb9ifmrhEsHA1ZPY-UfjzwAwIcI50QVMdLhTxs3RNFJWWI1s-MzcwesOxY1Uknjlv/s640/064deSa.05.10.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.portraitsbylindsaylou.com/" target="_blank">Lindsay Lou Photography</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-xHEflvxiChQejvxVYJbIe67yglxOmaKvQI8bRApYlOO9c8zLrEG16ftAWhs_rBpKJzejRkgYKLbuWrElWIdit8oBB5N6_ib0qEJRW0wlgtwQz_TMiOpzfmzFtCJQmnQCNEP2LCjiF8-/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-xHEflvxiChQejvxVYJbIe67yglxOmaKvQI8bRApYlOO9c8zLrEG16ftAWhs_rBpKJzejRkgYKLbuWrElWIdit8oBB5N6_ib0qEJRW0wlgtwQz_TMiOpzfmzFtCJQmnQCNEP2LCjiF8-/s640/blog2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.cristalee.com/" target="_blank">Crista Lee Photography</a></td></tr>
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-67398879971675711012017-08-03T22:51:00.000-04:002017-08-03T22:51:15.195-04:00Nursery Colour Scheme <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEYZuaqMFGbWqLH0qPhMZCdgvLZrfkrUWDpmsVN4_NTzJjnI2xnrQbot1SHEzG-M5cyTmGWN-xarjWUo9B0Xdmw5g_reY9He8C63uIv3D9GFksaZ3XHiFlU2OuW3cxII0NeiWiS4rmG6-/s1600/20170404_094847-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEYZuaqMFGbWqLH0qPhMZCdgvLZrfkrUWDpmsVN4_NTzJjnI2xnrQbot1SHEzG-M5cyTmGWN-xarjWUo9B0Xdmw5g_reY9He8C63uIv3D9GFksaZ3XHiFlU2OuW3cxII0NeiWiS4rmG6-/s640/20170404_094847-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before I show you the finished nursery, I'll share our colour scheme. We bought this house hoping that we'd need to make one of the upstairs bedrooms a nursery and my pregnancy was confirmed the day we took possession. We've actually had swatches up on the walls since December while we tried to choose the perfect colour for Maude's room.<br />
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We loved the dark walls in <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2014/12/nursery-before-and-after-and-source-list.html" target="_blank">Rudy's old nursery</a> (below) but we have been choosing light and airy wall colours in this house and a dark room (although very serene and relaxing) wouldn't quite fit.<br />
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<img height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QSuthaGI46JSkOdvgfDcV0-DvIuCZVS2u-ZfNduZo6QIDao8dCQjV_nByPYxdAwxLjTEcVzLDmVYSGfksjyhB88ucCY09DOGwD4vnvNLGWLwUmxKg8f4J-IEj8fdaEnevwCIWAbnrtZ1/s1600/85.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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We love the soft pink we chose for <a href="http://www.freshcoatofpaint.ca/2017/04/rudys-room-more-progress.html" target="_blank">Rudy's "big girl" room</a> and I love the way the lighter walls accent the sloped ceiling without making the room feel claustrophobic. We thought we'd want a colour just as light but decided on a more neutral theme. </div>
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<img height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6BSxUsLLKeDC1mHVLIVJnbWz-V8qHWXpaDnxotAayhALiFz0jacoQLqWyVYJNPwp63rSx0-0b0qMLn7UCad6ynEUqZ_NCERfLgHF5lFKIG4PdR29JVVk1jFS2Eyns3YSsd9BHmw63f1h/s640/20170318_160653-01.jpeg" width="640" /></div>
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Here's a photo of the nursery that I took the day we moved in. The room has a lot of floor space but the sloped ceilings made it best suited as a child's room. The dark navy wallpaper made the space feel much smaller than it really was and the stucco ceilings were begging to be smoothed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJSCzZSbkhmGpWeiySZeOGCuAV7VT4wVuYHprPryd55TyL7j-6ycjZjORl0YzGy3-1mbsRwpKHxBimHFRd2Nw46s_Mw6efTQhOtM9Y2ysELxjTCTp0MFlhzJF2zyBgEKneOCjNs524iDL/s1600/20161118_133248-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJSCzZSbkhmGpWeiySZeOGCuAV7VT4wVuYHprPryd55TyL7j-6ycjZjORl0YzGy3-1mbsRwpKHxBimHFRd2Nw46s_Mw6efTQhOtM9Y2ysELxjTCTp0MFlhzJF2zyBgEKneOCjNs524iDL/s640/20161118_133248-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had a crew smooth the ceilings and prime the walls. We decided we wanted a light grey wall colour. We chose to stick with a Farrow and Ball colour, since they are highly pigmented and often change beautifully with the light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEYZuaqMFGbWqLH0qPhMZCdgvLZrfkrUWDpmsVN4_NTzJjnI2xnrQbot1SHEzG-M5cyTmGWN-xarjWUo9B0Xdmw5g_reY9He8C63uIv3D9GFksaZ3XHiFlU2OuW3cxII0NeiWiS4rmG6-/s1600/20170404_094847-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEYZuaqMFGbWqLH0qPhMZCdgvLZrfkrUWDpmsVN4_NTzJjnI2xnrQbot1SHEzG-M5cyTmGWN-xarjWUo9B0Xdmw5g_reY9He8C63uIv3D9GFksaZ3XHiFlU2OuW3cxII0NeiWiS4rmG6-/s640/20170404_094847-01.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We tested our favourite warm greys: Cornforth White, Dimpse, Ammonite, Elephant's Breath and Blackened. In the end, we opted for Ammonite, which seemed like a good backdrop for the light wood and blue accents we had in mind.<br />
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More nursery photos coming soon but here's a quick look:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKpQJLVJwnzlURoZSo2QmbRki0mSjfypmahWnhdlBDQeulXvqkLxLYuIsgBKTbimEklAvERnLpUO7VRBqPOOqmzCxCsEDAJsg8iewbATjCWK4gtiuo4v0k7J8DHi-QBSNBIwUlKtbL4KU/s1600/20170718_153420-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKpQJLVJwnzlURoZSo2QmbRki0mSjfypmahWnhdlBDQeulXvqkLxLYuIsgBKTbimEklAvERnLpUO7VRBqPOOqmzCxCsEDAJsg8iewbATjCWK4gtiuo4v0k7J8DHi-QBSNBIwUlKtbL4KU/s640/20170718_153420-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-33330232636346383122017-08-02T21:52:00.000-04:002017-08-02T22:03:38.825-04:00Meet Maude!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70hMIKThAjGvEb8vN_uVQGPncVF7I-QYEmJ9IETB9XrWM5gzXN3uVzthpy1v7Vvx4HwoYI-gjDmOCrpaa64MqCo1og7qYavQ0yIWMWRB0uRVKwzsozKZtWD0fwHPGozwvP2an2bPRbFhG/s1600/1500175250680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70hMIKThAjGvEb8vN_uVQGPncVF7I-QYEmJ9IETB9XrWM5gzXN3uVzthpy1v7Vvx4HwoYI-gjDmOCrpaa64MqCo1og7qYavQ0yIWMWRB0uRVKwzsozKZtWD0fwHPGozwvP2an2bPRbFhG/s640/1500175250680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have the best excuse in the world for not blogging in July. Her name is Maude and she has consumed our lives and turned our world upside down this past month. Life with just me, Corey and Rudy had become so routine that I suppose I actually imagined that life with two would feel just as easy and natural.<br />
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HA HA HA HA! Obviously, that is not the case and it will take time for us to find our groove as a family of four. So far, we've discovered that "sleep when the baby sleeps" is easy advice to follow with the first but not so easy when there's a toddler who needs to be entertained, bathed, clothed, fed, driven to camp... you get the picture! Not only that, but she needs lots of love and reassurance that she still holds a HUGE place in our lives and hearts. I'll talk more about the things we've been doing to ease the transition in another post but so far, Rudy seems quite proud (when she's not indifferent) of her sister.<br />
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With so much to do, it has taken me a little while to find my groove as a new mom again. The newborn stage has never been my favourite and I don't bond as easily with my babies as some moms. Part of this may be due to the fact that I feel hyper-aware of Rudy's feelings and I sort of feel like we've betrayed her a tiny bit by having another baby. Silly, but hormones make you feel funny things. Still, it's hard not to open my heart to my sweet Maude. She looks a lot like her sister but is still entirely her own person!<br />
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Already, we can see how alert and interested she is in the world around her. From the day she was born, she was lifting her head and trying to hold herself up with her arms and it looks like she may be just as tough as her sister.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkYlAV3rAVPaAAZW85FBMc3mI4cnrOl1bwpQPAJ-c25WidJ0dkcxinQXRE-88J8cXCIqDhTPu7s54MTxJgz1QC0G6r3E1LuveL17NN-K4FzYCOFkNle4gWcDAwFa2g02G8Zhwd4NrfWK6/s1600/1501470298586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkYlAV3rAVPaAAZW85FBMc3mI4cnrOl1bwpQPAJ-c25WidJ0dkcxinQXRE-88J8cXCIqDhTPu7s54MTxJgz1QC0G6r3E1LuveL17NN-K4FzYCOFkNle4gWcDAwFa2g02G8Zhwd4NrfWK6/s640/1501470298586.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit for Rudy's photos: <a href="http://www.daniellephotography.ca/" target="_blank">Danielle Perelman Photography</a></td></tr>
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Maude was born earlier than expected and we weren't quite ready for her. I was still working, the nursery wasn't yet finished and we hadn't had a chance to tell Rudy what to expect while I was in the hospital. For a very Type A person like me, it was kind of traumatic not to have things go according to plan.<br />
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I have lots of posts coming in the next few weeks which will cover the early days, her birth story and (of course) before and after shots of the nursery and the secret room. I'm excited to share what we've been doing now that we're starting to feel whole as a family again.<br />
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I'll confess that in the first few days, I felt a bit broken. We weren't sleeping; Maude was crying all the time and keeping us up; Rudy was totally freaked out because I'd been in the hospital so much and my hormones were going crazy. My mom was staying with us (thank goodness) and I told her one night that I loved Maude but we had been so happy as a family of three and I feared I had messed with a good thing and ruined everything. Moms often know best though and mine reassured me that our life would mend itself but it would just be a bigger life than before.<br />
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I'm relieved that it's starting to feel like my mom was right. We were shattered for a few weeks but we're putting the pieces back together. Each day seems to get a tiny bit easier and sometimes we are actually able to get something productive accomplished and it makes me feel like myself again. We've managed to have a couple of dinners at family restaurants and I'm starting to see glimpses of our new life with two amazing girls. When that happens, I can see that it is very big and very full. We are lucky.<br />
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Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-489297323574357386.post-82505557253469436362017-06-18T22:10:00.000-04:002017-06-18T22:10:38.454-04:00Father's Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3soIV9YzvjoRVOoKS7TbsVhyphenhyphenMYb5U6OYg0nhb9A-FJ-ZZCVhWGTHKW3SF_88pXswSKovRXW39uUgMnAtFOSsRfNJMCrZY0NwnOaPpt36bPYYIDRAVkTHtVsv4_L76LrJGptI2_-rH-V2/s1600/072deSa.05.10.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3soIV9YzvjoRVOoKS7TbsVhyphenhyphenMYb5U6OYg0nhb9A-FJ-ZZCVhWGTHKW3SF_88pXswSKovRXW39uUgMnAtFOSsRfNJMCrZY0NwnOaPpt36bPYYIDRAVkTHtVsv4_L76LrJGptI2_-rH-V2/s640/072deSa.05.10.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.portraitsbylindsaylou.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #33aaff; font-family: Hanuman; font-size: 12.8px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lindsay Lou Photography</a></td></tr>
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In our house, this has been an emotional week. We went through something hard as a family that I'm not quite ready to talk about (We're all okay... baby too!) but it reminded me of how caring Corey is and how hard he works to hold our family together.<br />
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With a second daughter on the way, this feels like a special Father's Day. Being a father to daughters is such a huge responsibility and I know our girls are very lucky to have such a great male role model in their lives. I often reflect on how parenthood has changed our relationship. Sure, we no longer have as much free time but there's also something really comforting and bonding about sharing a common goal and being on the same team for life.<br />
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One of the things I love most about watching Corey parent Rudy is watching him play rough with her and let her test her boundaries. She absolutely loves being tossed in the air and I love that it never occurs to him to be more gentle.<br />
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I had an "Awww" moment the other day when we were watching Moana as a family and Corey turned to me and said "You know what I like about this movie? I like that Moana's next in line to be chief and her gender is never an issue... or even mentioned at all." What a great way to think of gender roles in movies. No wonder Rudy already seems to have limitless confidence!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.32px;">Photo by <a href="http://www.cristalee.com/" style="color: #33aaff; font-size: 12.32px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Crista Lee Photography</a></td></tr>
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I was sorting through some of my favourite daddy-daughter photos for this post (there are so many) and I was struck by how safe and silly and happy Rudy looks in all the pictures with Corey. The two of them have such a playful relationship and it's entirely different from the way she interacts with me. I just love that!<br /><br />
So, Corey, thank you for being such a great dad and partner and picking up all the parenting slack during, what has been, another rough pregnancy. You model strength, compassion, patience and respect for our daughter and you will show them both what they should one day expect from their own partners. You also give the best cuddles and are always suggesting yummy ice cream dates!<br />
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Rudy, M and I love you! xx<br />
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P.S.In honour of all the amazing dads, here is an awesome <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dating-Daughter-Feminist-Father-T-Shirt/dp/B00L5NFSVC" target="_blank">feminist dad shirt</a>, a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dad-transforms-3-year-old-daughter-into-the-fiercest-wonder-woman-ever_us_58093786e4b000d0b155c298" target="_blank">cool photoshoot</a> and (if you're a little late with your shopping) a great <a href="https://cupofjo.com/2016/12/best-gifts-for-dads-2016/" target="_blank">dad gift guide</a>.<br />
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<br />Taylor de Sahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365841508058930085noreply@blogger.com0