Five Things on a Friday – 3/14/25

Happy Friday, friends! We’ve been having some very respectable spring-like weather this week, and it’s really doing us so much good. If you’ve had a glimpse of spring where you are as well, I hope you’ve been able to spend lots of time outside and soak up some much-needed sunshine.

This is the time of year when I do a great job at life, but also I do a really terrible job at life. Oh wow, have I ever been productive in some ways over the last month or so. My inbox is clear and well-managed, I’m on top of all those styling plans for our photography business, and I’ve been doing a great job of documenting all my little home projects over on Instagram. I’ve been typing away in hotels at soccer tournaments and making lists while traveling in the car. But I’ve also not really been going outside for any measurable amount of time, which I realize is a bit of an issue. Probably a big issue. Usually, when the weather is really cold and damp and windy at the end of the winter, I shy away from the daily walks I take so diligently in the warmer months, but I usually still get out a few times a week. This year, I’ve been hiding behind my to-do list, and every single day when it’s been time to go for my walk, I tell myself I have so much work I should do instead. Every. single. day. Thankfully, the warmer weather showed up, and my messy garden has given me just the nudge I needed to get outside and get to work with my spring clean-up. I think I’ve been outside in the fresh air more this past week than I have been all winter. I don’t think I’d be getting out nearly as much without so much work to do. Just another benefit of having a garden, I guess!

We live life on a university schedule now, so that means that when Kennedy has her reading week and can come home, we all take our break then. Jack took a couple of days off from school when Kennedy was home in February, and we made sure not to book any shoots. It’s so fun to take a random little break when it seems like most of the rest of the world is still going about life as usual. Reading week happened to line up with Valentine’s Day and Family Day here in Ontario, so it actually felt downright festive. We booked a little cabin in Pinery Park again and had a very cozy couple of days, although the weather was much, much colder than it usually is when we’re there for our little winter “camping” trip. You can read about our cabin trip last year and see lots of pictures of the beautiful cabins in this post here: Staying in the Pinery Park Cabins. We took snowy walks, played board games, ate cozy meals, and even got to use the tobogganing hill in the park for the first time ever. I love taking these kinds of trips with Kennedy when she’s home because I feel like it’s just such a drastic change and a great mental break from her life in a little glass box in the middle of the city. 🙂

Just in case you’ve missed it, I’ve been having some serious fun giving Kennedy’s room, the “elevated peasant room,” a bit of an update. Or maybe I’m just continuing the same project that I’ve been working on since last winter? I really think playing with all those pretty patterns and soft colors had a bit of a therapeutic effect and really got me through our bleakest winter days. Or at least kept me distracted enough to not mind that cold, grey weather we had for so long this year. I’m still waiting on a few final pieces, but the room is so pretty and so welcoming already. I haven’t made any big changes, actually, but those little home projects are always my favorites. I love the process of making thoughtful little tweaks and adjustments here and there in ways that might not have a lot of “wow factor” in terms of creating a big reveal moment for the internet or social media but that just make a space feel a little more like home. You can see how the room turned out here: Installing Wallpaper in Our English Country Inspired Spare Room

We have some big plans for the backyard this spring, and I’m almost a little nervous about them. I can’t tell you too much yet, but to get this project done in a reasonable amount of time, we’ll have to get started literally as soon as the weather dries up/warms up/calms down enough to work outside consistently. Before we can get building, we have some painting that we need to tackle, leftover from a project we finished at the end of last fall. Once that’s out of the way, we can get to work! Of course, I’m excited to see it all come together, but we’ve set ourselves an ambitious timeline, considering we’ll still have our full schedule of photoshoots and soccer for Jack almost every day. At least after all that, our backyard will be a much more beautiful and relaxing place for us to retreat to for the rest of the summer. It sounds like just the kind of spot that we’re going to need.

I just want to let you know that, even though I literally wrote a book on cleaning at one point, my house has been such a mess for a lot of the past month. If yours has been, too, we’re in this together. Things just keep entering the house and getting put down near the stairs or on a side table, obviously meant to be taken down to the basement, or dealt with in some way, and then it just doesn’t happen. Vacuuming has been infrequent at best. At one point, we were just never home for several weeks on days when our garbage drop-off center was open (we don’t have garbage pick-up out here) so we just couldn’t get rid of our trash. Anyway, after reporting last month that I was definitely not too busy, we immediately became too busy. 🙂 If your house is suffering the effects of a period of busy schedules as well, I hope my story of filth makes you feel less frustrated, and maybe a bit less alone if you’re someone who just can’t stand the mess, but has to live in it anyway. One day, the smoke will clear, we’ll spend a good day or two tidying up, and it will be like none of this ever happened. I promise.

NEWS AND FINDS

-If you fell in love with Bobbi Beck wallpapers after seeing my recent room update, I just wanted to let you know that they offer free worldwide shipping on wallpaper orders. There’s a small shipping charge for sample deliveries, but even that charge can be redeemed towards your wallpaper rolls when you place your order. Free shipping is always such a relief to me, so I wanted to let you know.

-My friend Cassandra at Lake & London has the best Easter/Spring decor line this year. I particularly love these plump little bunnies (which I think I need for my mantel this year), and her faux florals are the absolute best if you’re looking to add some maintenance-free spring vibes to your home. She’s local to my area, but she offers free shipping as well to Canada and the US on orders over $150.

-Currently reading: A few of you recommended Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess to me last spring after I finally read The Secret Garden so I’m getting to that now, and I’ve just started. Before that, I was working on reading Great Expectations, which actually took me a few years to complete. I had to keep coming back to it because I kept losing interest, but also found myself wondering about the characters. Anyway, I’m glad I stuck it out because it did end up getting very interesting in the last 25% of the book, and I found it to be a really lovely story in the end. I always try to buy books that I think are beautiful, even if they’re just paperbacks because I like to enjoy the look of them sitting on my coffee table while I’m reading them, and on my shelf when I’m done. This copy of A Little Princess I ordered was very affordable but actually ended up being quite nice. If you like a pretty book, too, and need this one for your collection, I highly recommend it.

-I shared this traditional handmade house number plaque in my email newsletter last week, and it was definitely a favorite with that group. I think this would be perfect if you’re looking to refresh your porch or entryway for spring or as a really thoughtful gift for a new homeowner.

-I’ve been seeing these little brass shelf rails everywhere, and they’re just so charming. Did you know they’re actually really affordable and easy to install? I found a listing here where you can order all the different components based on your shelf dimensions. Searching for the perfect place in our home!

-Here’s the link to my living room rug again, which I still get so many requests for. Honestly, it’s probably one of the best purchases I’ve made for my home in the last few years.

 

RECENT POSTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

• Top 10 Antiquing Finds You Should Never Leave Behind
• Installing Wallpaper in Our English Country Inspired Spare Room
• Hoya Plant Care: How to Grow My Current Favorite Houseplant
• What to Plant This Spring to Enjoy in Your Winter Garden Next Winter
• Kitchen Shelf Decorating Ideas