ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 6: A FUN AND PLAYFUL PLAY SPACE

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 6: A FUN AND PLAYFUL PLAY SPACE

IT’S HERE The third room in my #casacanning house transformation is finally complete! And oh boy am I excited. I made progress on my living room and my bedroom doing this wild thing called the One Room Challenge, where in 6 short weeks you makeover one room in your space.

This room was QUITE the transformation (click here for the before). This large open space on my second floor kinda just became the place where all the free furniture I kept collecting from local FB Groups would go to die. It was a pretty sad space to see as soon as you got to the top of the stairs… but NOW!!!!!

Everything started with this beautiful Urban Wall Decal Large Paint Brush Strokes in Emerald. I LOVE this Canadian company (owned by an awesome mama), and after wrapping my bedroom in the Bohemian Palm print, I knew another room had to get the same “interior decal-ator” treatment.

This room is LARGE, so it took 6 orders to cover each wall in this expansive space. If you look carefully in each photo, you will see that the decals are strategically covering where pencil and crayon marks are LOL (and some are still showing through bahaha).

OK we need to talk about these window coverings. As you might recall, Budget Blinds is a company that I have had a long standing relationship with- I have done dozens of projects over the years with them in Toronto, and was so excited to work with their Naples Franchise here in Florida.

My favourite thing about Budget Blinds is they bring EVERYTHING TO YOU. Especially in this Covid reality world, to not have to bring small kids to a showroom, to not have to drive anywhere, to not have to make more decisions than necessary is SUCH A GIFT. I was thrilled when they agreed to partner with me on this project.

For this space, I went with a roller shade in a gorgeous neutral with hints of gold and shimmer, which picks up on some of the other metallic finishes in the room so nicely. Since it gets so hot here in Florida, I really wanted blackout shades to help cool the room down during the day, and provide full privacy in the night. But the coolest part about these roller shades is that they are…

…motorized!!!! Because of the size of the room, and how much light this room gets, I wanted to ensure the windows could be opened and closed with ease! I can control the number of shades that open and close and the height of each individual shade- plus, it is all run on rechargeable batteries that don’t require hard wiring and are charged the same way i would charge my cell phone.

The possibilities are ENDLESS with window coverings and they really do add to the form and function of a space. To book your own FREE in-home consultation with Budget Blinds, visit their website here.

The next piece that entered this space was this sofa, and if you been following me on instagram (@lisacanning) you know this guy used to be black! I ended up grabbing a white cover set for this discontinued Ikea Karlstad sofa and I am so glad I did! It is so fresh, and fun, and yes I know I have 8 children and this will only stay white for 5 minutes but it’s a slipcover so yeah baby!

Across from the sofa I wanted a pop of colour and these green velvet swivel chairs have not disappointed! They are so convenient for when the kids have their friends over and want to swing around and play on our old school SNES. And how fun is this TV stand? This was one is originally from Restoration Hardware, but check out this one (at a fraction of the price tag). 

The pillows were all HomeGoods and Target and this coffee table and end tables are PERFECT for my active kids who literally run circles.

Just behind this EPIC chair I got off FB Marketplace (PS, the local FB Marketplace in Florida is INCREDIBLE- this chair is MGBW and is like $$$$ and I got it for $385 NEW IN THE BOX WHAT WHAT) I created a small office / homework station / craft area. Originally, this was all gong to be used for toy storage- we were going to built-ins but couldn’t get them installed in time- so I shopped my house. This desk was in our guest room, the chair was in my front office, the shelves I bought at Cost Plus World market (they are marble and SO PRETTY), I have a fiddle I promise I am not going to kill this time LOL. It’s a cute little area and I am so excited about it.

These marble shelves with these gold brackets are such a cute little addition- and let’s talk about this print by The Verse Prints. So inspiring for this space.

THAT IS A WRAP. Now go check out all the other One Room Challenge guest participants reveals here!  

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 5: WE’RE GETTING CLOSE!

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 5: WE’RE GETTING CLOSE!

It is week 5 of the One Room Challenge, a really fun blogging challenge that I have participated in for many years. It is down to the wire (I have loads still to do) but I am PRETT EXCITED about the outcome.

Well decals are up and oh my word, I love them. Love them even more with this light fixture.

We grabbed some pillows and fun goodies to complement the decal palette. I am a little obsessed with it. I am thinking I am going to swap out this coffee table although it will have to be something I can get in time for next week’s reveal!

And the kids are making good use of it. : )

Come back next week for the full reveal- I am doing something pretty dramatic to the sofa that was a totally last minute play… will I get it done in time?????

Go check out what all the other participants are doing as we race to the finish. It’s such a fun challenge to be a part of!!!!!

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 1: AN EPIC PLAYROOM

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 1: AN EPIC PLAYROOM

It’s that time of year again, where designers, design enthusiasts, and anyone with enough design loving gumption to complete a room in 6 weeks, participate in the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling It Home. This challenge has helped me complete several spaces in my previous homes, including my laundry room, my home gym, and my bedroom in my new home in Florida! This season, I am tackling an area in my home we are going to use as a playroom for my kids!

As you can see, this space has essentially become the space where random furniture has been dumped. Here is what I am excited to turn it into:

This is a shot of my basement in our previous house in Canada. I want to create a similar functional space- where kids can watch TV, play board games, hang out with friends, etc.

I also want ALL THE STORAGE. We still have boxes in our garage full of books that have not been unpacked because we simply don’t have adequate storage… YET! This project is going to get my garage cleaned out lol.

Go check out what everyone else is up to in this challenge and come back next week to see more of this design take shape!

 

MY #CASACANNING BEDROOM REVEAL!!!!

MY #CASACANNING BEDROOM REVEAL!!!!

The time has come! My bedroom in my new Florida house (affectionately called #casacanning) is complete and I am THRILLED. I feel like grown ups live in this space. I am so grateful.

This space began with this incredible wall decal called Bohemian Palms by Urban Wall  Decals. This whimsical pattern was so easy to install, and the palette is so soothing. And to be honest, given the restrictions with Covid, quarantine, no school with 8 children at home, and limited access to childcare, a decal was just a much easier option to install as I could nurse my baby in the middle of installation, my kids actually could help, and it actually was a fun and gratifying project to tackle. Also, the decals are KINDA perfect for covering all the crayon and pen marks my children have made on my walls. For that, I am a major fun.

My husband now calls me an interior “decalator”. BAHAHA.

Our 8th baby Colleen sleeps in our bedroom since she is just a wee 5 months old so this makeover needed a crib. But can we talk about this crib?!?!? I wanted something modern, and something in a warm metal if I could, and as I shared in past weeks, I had found some other options but at the very last minute, I found this beauty. I love it SO SO MUCH.

And then this gorgeous, chunky knit blanket (which I placed here just as decor, it’s little bit big for an infant!), is by a brand I am so excited to know. House of Royals is a brand I was recently introduced to via the wonderful world of instagram. Their mission is beautiful: to surround you and those you love with heirloom-quality lifestyle collections of sacred beauty, sacramental experiences, and treasures of faith that reflect each person’s royal dignity and dispose hearts to grace, because the soul is forever.

My fellow Catholic mamas, the pink silk ribbon that comes with this blanket is adorned with Swarovski crystals to assist you in praying the rosary. This luxe detail is so special and meaningful and it brings me so much joy.

I paired it with a whimsical crib skirt. and a floral crib sheet. 

   

When I finished applying the wall decal on the wall across from our bed, it dawned on me the green sofa from my living room could look just amazing (check out my living room reveal which I completed for the Fall One Room Challenge here!) So I voluntold my 11 year-old son to move the sofa into my room, we found a sofa for my living room from FB Marketplace to use until I can decide what I actually want for my living room, and voila. I am thrilled. For some reason, a green velvet sofa in my bedroom makes me feel like a GROWN UP.

This pink pillow was one that made it on the truck from our move from Toronto from Tonic Living, and the pink striped one is a Joanna Gaines beauty.

These nightstands were A STEAL from Goodwill (learn just how little I paid for them here). And they flank my green headboard- yet another affordable purchase full of so much style for this price. 

And when House of Royals offered to gift me this incredible Face of Christ on the Cross in Linen Veil, and this Lux Sancta Raw Alabaster Prayer Candle with a 100% beeswax candle insert, I fell in love. These deeply personal items tell a story- and feel so personal and intimate. I cannot WAIT to light this candle- I might even move my morning prayer time from my living room arm chair, to my bedroom sofa. Stay tuned to my instagram stories (@lisacanning) to see where I end up.

Finally, I think what makes this room feel so “grown up” is this bed. As I have shared with you, it was important for me to bring a little bit of Canada to our new home in SW Florida. So when selecting a mattress for our new bedroom, I turned to @endy, partly because of my nostalgia for all things Canada, and because of all the things I had heard about their mattresses.
Oh boy, did it not disappoint. Here’s my honest review after 100 sleeps: it is as firm, as it is soft. I realize that is a total dichotomy, but it is the truth. The Endy foam truly feels like a supportive cloud and has provided this tired mom of 8 serious comfort especially during these long, frazzled days. It is always the perfect temperature. I am often too hot when I sleep and my husband is often too cold. The foam’s open air cell technology enhances breathability and cooling throughout the night, and we both feel so comfortable throughout the night. I never knew that I might benefit from an adjustable pillow. The Endy Pillow allows you to customize just how much of their bamboo charcoal memory foam is inside the pillow- I am often on my side while nursing my baby, but sleep on my back through the evening- so having pillows of various firmness has really improved my comfort.

And then with ALL THE PILLOWS (the white striped ones again are Magnolia beauties, and the long lumbar and the linen blanket are Target finds) and fluffiest Endy duvet (which provides the perfect amount of weight for me without being too hot) I just feel so restored at the end of every day.

We work hard as parents, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW with everyone at home, camps cancelled, school in the Fall looking unsure in some places- and so I really believe it is part of our spiritual, physical, and emotional health to give ourselves a sanctuary to call our own. My kids walk in and keep saying it looks like a hotel. And entering this room truly feels like a bit of a getaway.

Although if I am being honest, I prefer getaways that include all these small incredible people (missing one in this photo!)

Thanks again to Linda who organizes this wild ride that is the One Room Challenge. Go check out all the other participants here.

 

SELF QUARANTINE TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR MOMS

SELF QUARANTINE TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR MOMS

Let’s keep it real.

Having kids at home all the time during this unprecedented time of self isolation due to the Coronavirus can be really stressful. How will you get your own work done? How will you keep them from fighting? How will you keep them entertained? How will you keep yourself from not losing your mind?!?!

Fear not… THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.

YOU WILL PREVAIL.  But it does require a few things:

1) A MINDSET SHIFT

What if…
…instead of this time being one of stress and worry…
…we could look back and say that I learned something about myself, and about my family and I came out the other end STRONGER.

For this to happen, we need to manage our minds, choose hope, and have faith. We need to get out of negativity and FIND THE HOPE.

2) A SKILL SHIFT

To do the above, we need to increase our skills. Our skills in parenting, our skills in communication…
…and our skills in scheduling.

As a former homeschooling mom (I guess we are all homeschooling moms now!) of 8 children ages ten and under, I have. a unique perspective on time management. I believe regardless of our situation and available resources, we can ensure our PRIORITIES are managed, and the things we need in life to THRIVE can be integrated into a daily schedule, no matter how many children you have got at home.

So I have created a resource for you to help you grow in your ability to schedule your time, so that you can walk out of this Coronavirus scare with grace and confidence that you, and your family not just survived… but thrived! Just enter your info below to have the resource delivered straight to your inbox.

I cannot wait to see what you do with your time.

Always in your corner, Lisa

#MAKEITANDKEEPIT 2020 GOAL CHALLENGE

#MAKEITANDKEEPIT 2020 GOAL CHALLENGE

2019 was the year I finally released my book The Possibility Mom: How to be a Great Mom and Pursue Your Dreams at the Same Time. But fun fact: I signed the contract for the book in 2017 and it took me 2 years to write. And this is not because I am a slow writer- read on…

The book took so long to get into the universe because I took no action. And I took no action because I was afraid. I was afraid of what people were going to think. I was afraid people would judge me, and judge my life choices. So I did nothing, and the goal of being a published author sat as an unmet goal for 2 years.

Maybe you have write a book on your resolution list. Or maybe you have lose ten pounds, or finish decorating the living room, or exercise more, and are frustrated the same things remain on the list year after year.

What separates goals as just ideas to life changing accomplishments is one thing: ACTION. Simple, small, steps that will get you towards the goal, done consistently, and done with intention.

If this is the year you finally want to take action, I want to help. I am running a TOTALLY FREE challenge in my Facebook Group The Possibility Mom Success Circle. In this challenge, I will encourage you to make and actually keep your goals with my action driven formula and the support and accountability of other goal chasing mamas in my private group. Everyday in January, I will be cheering you on, helping you when you get stuck, and sharing the hacks that have helped me build a business and raise soon to be 8 kids at the same time.

If you want 2020 to be the best year of your life (and why shouldn’t it be?!?!) join me. You have nothing to lose, and incredible things to gain. Just enter your email below to join the #makeitandkeepit 2020 challenge with #thepossibilitymom .

Sign up right here to start your 2020 off right!