Cute Japanese Products

Cute Japanese Products, originally uploaded by ForestNesting.

Oh, I love it when I find stationery at a great price!

While doing some cross border shopping yesterday, I scored some very adorable Japanese products. On the left, painted wood strawberries with each day of the week and a little wooden clothes peg on the back. Top right, plastic drawstring bag with bunnies that will be perfect for the Princess' soggy swimsuit after swim lessons this spring. And for me, a roll of paper tape decorated with Hello Kitty.

Y-O-U

We've been exploring the free activities during the Olympics and having so much fun! It's been great to be a part of this exciting event that has taken over Vancouver. Here we are at the Yahoo center.

Vintage Milkglass Vase

Vintage Milkglass Vase, originally uploaded by ForestNesting.

The postman was just here! And look at what he brought!

It's the vase I won for my huge bid of $2! This pretty little milk glass vase stands only 5" high and will be a great addition to my forest nest. I can't wait to get it home and fill it with some pretty flowers that have been arriving at the local stores.

A soft place to play

Almost 3 months ago we installed new flooring on the main floor of our little nest in the forest. What I didn't realize at the time was that our kids would miss the warmth of carpeting for playing on. They still also enjoy laying on their bellies and watching tv from down there. So, before the holidays, I thought that it would easy to find an area rug that both DH and I could agree on. W-R-O-N-G.

I'm happy to say that after going through 8 or 9 other stores, we found one that we thought would work. Brought it home, and the kids were immediately unrolling it for us and put it in place. So, it's received the stamp of approval from everyone in the house, doggie included.

I know that red can be too intense for some, and I was worried myself. However, after having this in the family room for the last 3 days, I must say that I love seeing it against the new dark floors. It injects the colour that was needed.

Now...my search for new couches and armchairs begin.

365 Project - 4/365

Come see what I'm up to at the 365 Project!


10.jan.05 by forestnesting · 365 Project

Doe A Deer

Doe A Deer, originally uploaded by ForestNesting.

I do love the fantastic sales happening at the local Christmas shop. This pretty deer was half off. I just may have to go back for it's partner which I really should have bought as well.

WindowShopping: LaPomme

Hands up...who is actually done with their holiday shopping?

Well, I'm not. I may be about 90% done, but that's not good enough. So, I've been perusing Etsy for some inspiration, and came across this cute shop, LaPomme . Here, you will find darling plush toys for adults, such as Inspiration Apples and Plush Swans. Here's a little peek at what this shop offers:

So simple, but sweet, don't you think?

Advent Calendar

In just a few more days, the kids in this little forest home will be counting down the days until the jolly old St. Nick arrives. To help the youngest in her countdown, I thought it might be fun to make an advent calendar that's different from the usual store bought ones that I've given her in the past.

So, ta-da! Here is a little something that I was inspired to create by this Color Me Pretty post on Decor8.


I'd like to do a better job of hanging this creation, but that will have to wait until I've found some of those removable hooks. But, I've happy with how quickly this came together.

Autumn fun

Laity Pumpkin Patch, originally uploaded by ForestNesting.

October came and went in a blur of activity!

Here's what happened:

- Had new floors installed on our main floor. We choose to put in dog friendly laminate instead of the bamboo that I've been wanting. Painted the new baseboards a darker shade of grey from the same paint chip. Looks great, and I will have to share photos when I have the finishing touches done.

- Visited the pumpkin patch with my darling princess and her classmates. What a great field trip that was.... the sun was shining, not too cold for it being so late in October. And the kids had a blast visiting the animals in the barn, going through the corn maze and of course, picking their own kid-sized pumpkins.

- Halloween. Princess chose to be a fairy princess, complete with wings, wand and fairy dust on her hair and face. I was a very proud mom, she looked so cute!

How about any of you reading this? Has autumn brought you any memorable times?

Recipe: Creamy Chicken and Shrimp with Bacon and Corn

Last night's dinner was so easy and yummy that I thought I should share this dish that is ready in less than 30 minutes! I've adapted it from the Creamy Shrimp with Corn and Bacon recipe from Real Simple.

(image via Real Simple)

Now, I have a hubby and son who love their meat, so I also added a bit of chicken and about a quarter cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Not a scrap was left on their plates! That is a winning dish in my books!

Long lost chicken recipe - found

On the weekend, while going through a very deep junk drawer I came across a long lost recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken. I prepared this last night and was told by my picky DH that he would love for that dinner to make it into my regular repertoire.

So, since I like to share what I can, here it is...

Honey Mustard Chicken

1/3 c. honey
1/3 grainy mustard
1 tbsp dried dill weed
1 - 2 tbsp grated orange peel, fresh
2 - 3 lbs of chicken pieces (bone in, with skin)

Mix first 4 ingredients together. Rinse and pat dry chicken, and place on a roasting pan. Spread honey-mustard mix under AND on top of the skin. Bake for about 35-40 mins in a 400F oven.

This was awesome with mashed potatoes and roasted brocoli. The kidlets ate up their dinners and asked for seconds (a rare occurance in this household )

Enjoy~

Cookie monster would make a decent roommate on Sesame St.

Cookie Monster

Oh, that's easy! It would have to be Cookie Monster, however, I guess I would need to fight for my share of the cookies, lol! But, he's just so lovable!

Music sounded better on record

I'm dating myself, but I bought my first record when I was 12yo, and it was ABBA. Took me close to 2 months to save up enough money for it , but it was so worth it!

It's Tea Time!

Vintage Eye - Vintage Harmony House

Tigerluxe - Midcentury Coffee Pot

Brass Paperclip - Mid-Century Modern SS

Tweet Tweet from Etsyland!

Just a quick one to share a few very adorable creations I found today from some very talented artists:

OhSoRetro - Bookshelf Bird

Thompson Designs - Springs Arrival

Tiddly Inks - Deer Me and Her Chickadees

There's always time for shopping

It's been a busy, busy summer, but I always find time to shop for home decor! :)

While in Kamloops for a little family reunion, I spied an Urban Barn and just had to take a peek when I saw the SALE signs posted on the windows. I didn't manage to buy anything, since our car was already very full with passengers and luggage. However, I'm now wanting to buy one of these cute doormats for our front door:

Currently, we have the most utilitarian doormat in black, which is not very welcoming if you ask me, so it's time for something a bit better. Which would you choose?

Unique Drawer / Door Pulls

One inexpensive way to decorate is to customized pieces bought at a big box store, such as Ikea. Well, I've been on the hunt for some unique and pretty knobs for a rather bland storage unit. If I change then knobs from the strange looking little silver pulls to something with a bit of colour, I think I'd be much happier with this much utilized bookcase.

Take a look at what I've found so far:

Uneek Glass Fusions: Tomato Red Fused Glass Knobs

Joan Jewels: Aqua and White Fused Glass Knobs

Anthropologie: Peeping Posies

Super Easy and Tasty: Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

Oh yum, I will making this family favourite for a gathering this long weekend and thought I would share. It's so easy and quick to make, AND it's perfect for a summer meal!

19 oz. can of black beans, rinsed
12 oz. can of whole kernel corn, rinsed
2 diced ripe tomatoes
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup of roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

Dressing:
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

I wish I had a picture of this all made up, as it's quite colourful! If you do happen to make this, let me know if you tweeked it in any way, as I always make it according to the recipe. Any suggestions to make this better (if that's possible!)

Etsy Vintage Love

In my quest for unique and budget friendly ways to re-decorate my home, I have found that new is not always better, and that I really dig some of the decor from the 50's and 60's. So, I was quite happy to read this article in The Storque.

Here's a glimpse at some of my new favourite finds:

Modern To Retro: Danish Teak Duck (This one made me laugh, lol, it's just so cute!)

Fabulous Mess: Danish Modern Dresser (I'm sooooo pining over this one)

Cut From The Same Cloth: Vintage Modern Doe Sculpture

(Reminds me of the Bambi movie!)

I just have to order that duck, as I think it'd make me smile every time I see it! Off to do some more shopping!

Have I told you about the time I won money?

I won almost $400 in a 50/50 draw at a hockey game. I went out the next day and bought my very first digital camera!