Fall Decor

Today is the beginning of October and its a perfect Fall day. The air is crisp. My landlord just started up the radiator for the season. And I've got an apple crisp in the oven. I love this season!

So, in honour of all that I love about Autumn, I got the apartment ready for the season too. Just a little time dressing the place up goes a long way to how it makes my day when I walk into see this.

My beloved Maltese Falcon is back in action on the bookcase and right now I have him keeping company with some gourds and a little pumpkin I found at the fruit market the other day. I was going for a run, and had to stop when I saw the display out front. The five little gourds were only $1 and so was the pumpkin. I already had the vine pumpkin and leaves from last year as well, so it was a super cheap little mantle/bookcase display.

I also added some colour to the couch by switching out my turquoise Spring/Summer futon cover with my favorite red micro suede cover. I also made new orange woven cushion covers for some of the cushions on the couch.

I love the texture and weight of this woven orange fabric. It adds alot of warmth to the room.

Of course, the candle holders that I made last week were also front and centre on the coffee table. I love lighting these in the evening when I get home. They really at to the atmosphere.

I also put a few fall touches in the kitchen as well. I took a large glass hurricane, filled it up with pinecones and leaves, and then added a tall pillar candle in the centre. I'm VERY careful not to light this unless I'm in the room. I don't want to burn any of those leaves. My favorite little pumpkin candy jar is back in business too.

I only have a few caramels inside right now, but I'm hoping to fill it up with my favorite Charleston Chews again soon. Yum!

Even Whiskey has gotten into the Fall spirit! I swapped his stainless steel bowls for some Fall coloured bowls in light green and pumpkin orange. He doesn't seem to mind.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I post about what else I've changed in the apartment! :)

Summer Blooms

While walking home from work the other day I saw a big beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers at a fruit market for only $7.99 and i just couldn't resist bringing them home to make a couple little arrangements.

It was full of white lilies, white, yellow and red daisies (my fav) and pink and fushia alstroemerias.

I've really been loving these turquoise mercury glass containers that I bought on clearance at Pottery Barn so I decided to use a couple of them. 

To make it easier to arrange the flowers, I made a grid over the top using clear scotch tape. Then it was just a matter of arranging the flowers in the containers and filling them up with water.

I placed them on top of the bookshelf, flanking my beloved Maltese Falcon. I took these photos just after I made the arrangements, but since then the lilies have really opened up and look really nice.

They are add a nice little punch of colour in the living room, and I love how the containers play off of the new turquoise and neutral striped cover I put on the couch for summer. I picked it up on sale from Tonic Living, a Toronto-based company that makes retro-inspired fabrics, covers and pillows.

And that lovely little glass lotus votive holder on the table? A beautiful birthday gift from my sister that she picked up at a store in Kingston. Its one of those pieces that I just know I'll love for years to come.

Deck the Halls!

The weather outside is frightening, but hopefully my little abode is much more inviting. Let me show you what I've been up to decorating my place for Christmas. Its been a busy year with work and life, so I didn't go out to get anything new. Which means that this is decorating on the cheap (recession-style), using things I already had or that I could pick up close by for a couple of dollars.

Decorating the living room to make it cozy and inviting to holiday guests is one of my favorite things. Its nice to be able to turn on the tree, start the fire, burrow under the throw and watch a Christmas movie.

A few years ago my mother picked up this cozy quilted throw for me and put it away, never to think about it again. Then when I bought my couch, we found the throw and it was like it had been made to match my living room. It has the same raspberry red as the couch and the cream as the chairs. Whiskey is a big fan of hiding underneath it...who am I kidding, he is a big fan of hiding under ANY blanket.

This year I decided to forgo the real tree and use a small plastic tree from my childhood room, which I tucked into a stone pot. (I had to remove about 20 years of petrified tinsel that was wound around every branch, but now it looks good as new). I've started collecting miniature nutcrackers the past few years, which is kind of ironic considering that I am allergic to nuts...but they are just too cute.

For an inexpensive centerpiece for the coffee table, I took a rectangular tray and pillar candles that I had, and filled the remaining space with various gold bows and silver jingle bells for $2. I love the way that the bows reflect the candle light around the room.

Whiskey and I hung up our stockings on the fireplace/spaceheater, which is keeping us very toasty these days.

And of course my beloved Maltese Falcon makes a special appearance in his Santa cap. Who knew such a noble bird could look so festive.

To spruce up the kitchen table, I took a candy cane upholstery runner that I was given years ago and added some candles, pine cones and fake berries for a outdoorsy touch.

The pine cones were collected from my parent's backyard this Fall and its like a little bit of my hometown here in the city.

Yummy natural beeswax candles. My favorite.

And during the holidays what kitchen wouldn't be complete without a big plate of Double Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies - way too tempting to resist.

With such a small apartment, my bedroom tends to become a second living space during get-togethers, so I wanted to have a few little holiday touches in there as well.

I switched my usual navy and coloured flower bedding, for a graphic red and white patterned duvet cover, paired with thick deep chocolate brown cotton sheers.

I used an old men's plaid shirt to cover one of the accent pillows. Whiskey is watching the snow falling outside...probably dreaming about frolicking in the snow with Shadow.

For a simple arrangement that doesn't need watering, I took three egg shaped bud vases, and filled them with red and gold wired berries, and painted pine cones.

I love the molted pattern of this vase. It adds a whole new dimension to the piece.

And on the other nightstand I have a whimsical snow globe that is a treasured Christmas gift.

Whiskey was awfully curious about it when I shook it up.

I picked up these cute snowmen towels for $10 at Walmart last year, and they perfectly match my turquoise and lime green colour scheme in the bathroom. Its a great way to put a smile on your face when you wake up in the morning. Who can resist cute little snowmen!

On the banister leading up to my apartment, I added a fake garland (easy maintenance), and hung handmade felt ornaments to greet visitors who brave the steep climbs.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be posting more holiday ideas every day over the next two weeks leading up to Christmas, so stop by!

Head on over to Hooked on Houses Holiday Tour to check out the great displays that other bloggers are posting today!

I'm also participating in The Inspired Room's Holiday Linky Friday, where there are lots great holiday ideas to get you in the Christmas spirit.

And Southern Hospitality's Christmas Tour of Homes is today as well, with lots of stunning decorations. I swoon!

The Nester is also having a Christmas Tour of Homes, so head on over to take a look.

Living Room Before & After

Two years ago I moved to downtown Toronto into my little apartment. The guy who lived there before me was a bachelor who was rarely ever home, and never did any work on it. My landlord wouldn't paint, so I had to find ways to transform the space without using a brush, and on a just-out-of-university budget. I really wanted a space that was cozy and inviting, without feeling too cramped in the small space.

Here is what it look like before I moved in:

And here is what it looked like afterward:

Because I was moving in during February, I took advantage of the houseware sales that popped up after Christmas. The couch is actually a wood frame futon with a raspberry red microsuede cover that I picked up from The Bedroom and Futon Store for $300 during their post-Christmas sale a couple of years ago. I LOVE this couch. Not only is it comfy, its also really easy to clean. I can use a stick roller to pick up crumbs or dog hair, or if its really bad (hello, double chocolate chunk ice cream) I just pop the cover in the wash, and presto, new couch! And it converts to a double bed when I have guests (the linens are stored in a bin underneath)

The LACK coffee table was $30 at IKEA, and I put two $8 black wicker baskets from Walmart underneath to store magazines, remotes and whatever craft projects I am working on. The brushed nickel floor lamp was $15 at Canadian Tire (I liked it so much, I bought another for the office), and the matching reading lamp by the couch was $18 at IKEA.

This shelving unit was a 15 year old Ikea shelf from my parents basement, that I cut the lowest shelf off to make it fit with the angled ceiling. The picture hanging above is a New York City print that I fell in love with from IKEA for $13. The storage boxes and magazine holders are from the IKEA KASSETT series, and hold everything from CDs to recipe cards. The plants were actually given to me in one pot, which I split and put into two bronze metallic containers from a local dollar store. Front and center is my prized Maltese Falcon  which you may recognize from when I dressed it up for Fall, here).

 I love to organize my books by colour. It really makes the shelf stand out and adds some fun colour to the room. I did this two years ago on a whim one Tuesday night, and since then I've seen it in tons of magazines. Try it out with your own books, doing a rainbow effect like I have here, or even doing one colour per shelf.

This throw was on clearance at Fabricland for $30 and is Whiskey's favorite thing to cuddle with. I'll often come in to see that he has pulled it down and burrowed in it. The black cushions are $6 GRANAT cushions from IKEA and the printed leaf cushions were from Canadian Super Store for $10 each.

This is what the other side of the living room looked like before I moved in:

And this is after I turned it into my mini office. This MIKAEL desk was on sale for $40 from IKEA, and I put it together without adding the keyboard tray (it hit my knees). The chair has a black base, with cream faux leather and is one of two that I picked up at Liquidation World for $30 each.

I love my iMac, and use it for blogging, editing films and of course catching up on TV (Oh look, its Dexter!). I purchased the wireless mouse and keyboard, because I love that I don't have to fight with tangled up cords, and can just tuck everything away when I need to. The little set of black and white paisley drawers from Michaels were only $12 and holds all my chargers, notepads and memory sticks. Behind the screen I keep my two external hard drives stored, as well as a pencil cup, so that everything is out of sight.

This is the wall across from the couch, and I have just started to play around with what to do in this area. The door on the right in my front door, and on the left is the bathroom. The big mirror was actually given to me by a friend moving, and the carvings on the top are broken in a few spots, so I am getting a local carver to help me mend this beautiful antique.The little electric stove below is a recent cold-weather purchase. In the evening, the apartment can get quite chilly, so its nice to be able to bring a little heat in with this tiny stove, and it was only $70 at Canadian Tire, so how was I to resist?

Here is a breakdown of what I spent to set up my little living room from scratch:

Couch - $300
Floor Lamp - $15
Reading Lamp - $15
Shelf - Free
Storage Boxes - $53
Maltese Falcon - Free
Plant pots - $1 x 2
NYC art -  $13
Printed Cushions - $10 x 2
Black Cushion - $6 x 2
Throw - $30
Coffee Table -  $30
Wicker Baskets - $8 x 2
Desk - $40
Chair - $30
Paisley Shelves - $12
Fireplace - $70

TOTAL: $658

Not too bad for a little space like this where I can easily entertain guests, or just curl up and watch a movie. I was careful to pick pieces that can be used again in the future. The futon, shelves, coffee table and desk are simple designs that can fit easily into most decor. I have also thought about recovering the chair, and making new pillow and futon covers when I'm ready for a change.

I'll be sure to post more pictures soon on the rest of my little home, and let me know what you think!

Fall Decor

Dressing up the apartment for Autumn and Halloween is one of the funnest parts of the season. Digging out all the little pumpkins and skeletons out of storage always gets me into the spirit. I posted about my Pumpkin Candy Dish yesterday, but here is what else SHBS is rockin' this year.

Due to the low height of the bookcase, I often use it as a mantle for displays. 

These little mice and foam pumpkins came from the local dollar store, and the mini pumpkins and leaves are from the florist section of the grocery store. The butternut squash is real...and will end up in a soup as soon as Halloween is over. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Movie buffs out there might recognized this falcon as the dingus from The Maltese Falcon. It was given to me as a gift two years ago and it is one of my prized possessions. He is always perched on the mantle - even at Christmas (he gets a little santa hat...I kid you not). During Halloween he looks right at home amid the orange and black tones.

This great little vine pumpkin was only $5 at Walmart. I've seen these at Crate & Barrel for $10-20 and a rattan version at Pottery Barn for $19-29. Don't you love it when you get a great steal! 

I took some branches from the ravine, stuck them into a piece of wood and spray painted them black for a backdrop. Only took 5 minutes and it really adds some creepy shadows at night.

This is a hurricane centerpiece I won at a friend's wedding. Usually I just have river rocks and a pillar candle in it. Adding some dried leaves really spruces it up for the season. For safety reasons, I don't light the candle with the leaves in it. The last thing I need to deal with is smoke damage in my apartment!

I was on a road trip through Maine this summer and happened across this great little decor store, with some cute fall signs on sale (a bonus of shopping out of season!). This leaf sign was only $2, and looks fantastic on the front door. 

Still don't have a clue yet on what to carve into this year's pumpkin. Any ideas?

I linked up to The Inspired Room's Fall Nesting Party