Bemz Cover Me

What do you think about taking this:

And turning it into this:

Have you heard of Bemz? Bemz is a Swedish company that makes slipcovers for discontinued Ikea sofas, armchairs etc. We bought an Ikea sofa forever ago and it even looks like we got it forever ago. We were thinking about selling it, but after protests from my husband (who loves the couch and finds it very comfortable), we decided against it.

So, I called Ikea and asked if they had any slipcovers for the sofa. I was convinced it was a Karlstad sofa, but after explaining it to the person, they helped me figure out that it was a Karlanda. Karlstad, Karlanda, whats the big difference? Well, not a big one, one is a three seater with three cushions, while one has only two cushions. So, she recommended I check out Bemz.

I love it. They have a variety of fabrics, (linen, cotton), and they also have florals, patterns. You could also mix and match,  fabrics with patterns and florals. You really have a lot to choose from. Here are some of the fabrics.

If you are unsure what they will look like, you have two options, one is to click on the swatch, which enlarges it. You get a pretty good idea of what the texture of the fabric will look like. Or you could order some free swatches. I think I will be ordering some swatches soon. Keep you posted.

Of mice and art- Annie Tasse

When I thought of what to name this post, I thought of the artist's name. But on second thought, I didn't want to give it up right away. So, from the famous 'Of mice and men' came 'Of mice and art'. Mice and art, you say, yuck. Well, this doesn't belong in the yuck category, it's super cute.

This picture is one of many that Mont Tremblant, Quebec based artist, Annie Tasse has created. I love her paintings. They are fun, whimsical, playful, colourful, cheerful and the list goes on and on. The paintings are pure imagination, where she paints a still life object, but adds life with the help of her little mice who hide in her paintings. Sometimes they are hard to find, but they join in on the fun of the painting. The painting is a page from a children's story that would keep on being told.

Here are some more of her paintings.

Aren't they so much fun? Every time I look at them, I think the party has started and there is so much fun to be had. I leave you with this last one.

Enjoy the whimsical world of muffins, cupcakes, fruit, candy and little mice friends! And if you are visiting Mont Tremblant sometime, be sure to check out her studio in the heart of Mont Tremblant.

Wishing you a great Saturday!

Simple, easy, beautiful, cheap wall decor- wall stickers

Walls surround us wherever we are and we spend a good portion of our day looking at them. So, we want them to be nice looking, pleasant, colourful and enticing. There are many ways we can decorate them. We can paint them, we can use wallpaper, hang pictures, but one of my favorites are decorative stickers. Not only do I love decorative stickers, but I have used them to decorate my own walls.

This picture is from Ikea showing a sample of how your wall would look like using the stickers. 

Living in an apartment puts further restrictions on decorating. Often you are not allowed to paint the walls, or even put any pictures up, so decorative stickers are definitely the way to go. You can find them in so many stores, but one place dear to my heart is ... Ikea. Yay! Ikea has a very nice variety of decorative wall stickers. They are not expensive and will transform a room in no time. The stickers peel off easily and will stick to your wall without leaving any marks on them. Not only that, but they are removable/replaceable so you can move them somewhere else in your home. Here are some examples of what you could be adding to your home's appeal.

When my husband and I were decorating our baby's nursery, we wanted to add something different to the walls, but didn't know what exactly. We knew we wanted something colourful, playful and interesting to look at. Well, I never knew how thoughtful my husband was. He suggested this.

What do you think? Do you like it? This is another stick-on decoration, but unfortunately you cannot reposition this. It makes it a little tricky to find the ideal spot for it. But nevertheless, we decided we would go for it. We wanted to create a little cuddle/ reading corner/ play area for our little baby. I keep saying little baby, but he is not that little anymore. He is walking everywhere and now he loves looking at it. Whenever we go in his room, he will look up and point to it.

Have you been to Dollarama lately? Well, you can find these beauties there as well. I bought this one for a friend of mine. They have quite a big variety of decorative stickers, for example, Eiffel Tower, chandeliers, chairs, frames and many many more. Here is a sample of one from Dollarama.  Quality is an issue (don't expect too much) and they may not stick to the wall indefinitely, but for the price they are great.

Since we are all trying to work on a budget, you might want to know what these would cost you. The Ikea decorative stickers are $16.99 a pop and the children's decorative sticker was around $40. The ones at Dollarama go for about $2.  So, the choice is yours, from fancy to frugal, but be bold and try accessorizing your walls.  

Do you have a reading nook in your child's room or nursery? Have you tried decorative stickers?