Holiday reno stress?

The holidays mean friends, family and entertaining. It also means whipping your home into shape before guests arrive! This will be our first Christmas in our new home, so I'm feeling a little pressure to make it picture perfect in time for the holidays.

That means, among other things:

- Painting three bedrooms, along with potentially painting the hallway, kitchen and bathroom
- Replacing two light fixtures
- Glamming up my faux fireplace
- Getting a guest bed for the guest room
- Assembling the last book shelf and unpacking the rest of our books
- Tackling those last five or six boxes that have been hanging out unobtrusively in the guest bedroom closet

And, of course, filling the place with holiday decorations and festive cheer.

Can Mr. Speedy and I get it done? Maybe, but probably not. So I'm trying to prioritize, and keep repeating to myself that the only thing that absolutely needs to be done is a guest bed, so that said guests will have a place to sleep. Everything else will just be icing on the cake.

What about you? Do you feel pressured to complete a few projects around the house before the holidays? Let me know in the front page poll, and share your plans in the comments below. For more renovation inspiration, check out our articles on renos that pay, green renovations and safe DIY tips. 

Last week's poll, inspired by one artist's cool Spiderman makeover for his son's room, asked if readers would create a themed bedroom for their kids, with 29 per cent saying they would. Twenty-one per cent said they wouldn't do a superhero space or princess palace, and the remaining 50 per cent said they don't have kids.

And, for some more weekend reading, be sure to check out what happens when Colin and Justin channel a country vibe, find out what Colour Confidential's Jane Lockhart has to say about the hottest hues for your home, get the skinny on making your garden gorgeous for autumn and check out some gorgeous glass to spice up your home decor.

First the heater, now new boiler regs

It's been one of those weeks around my house. So much to do, so little time. All compounded by our old hot water heater giving up the ghost and soaking our basement. And, of course, because it was one of those weeks, one of the connections to the new one was leaking too, so we had to have yet another service call.

Because it was a small trickle, they booked us an appointment for two days after we noticed the problem, meaning the repair guy showed up yesterday. He soldered up the hole in the connector, and the basement is drying out again. At that point, I expected that we could finally put the whole soggy mess behind us.

But, it wasn't that easy. We happen to have an old boiler that's still trucking along and doing an excellent job of heating our house. But, we were unaware of new carbon monoxide regulations - effective yesterday! - that required us to have a carbon monoxide test done, a carbon monoxide detector in our sleeping area - ours was in the basement, near the boiler - and more ventilation to the unfinished portion of our wee basement, which required removing a door between the spaces. (Read more about the regulations here).

We were lucky, we passed the test, and removing the door was a quick fix (armed with pliers cause our hammer is MIA), as was moving the plug-in carbon monoxide detector upstairs. So we got our pass tag, and, other than the inspection fee, the whole thing was pretty painless. Here's hoping that once we get our annual cleaning out of the way, we'll be done with service calls for a while!

This new homeowner's trying to stay afloat

Buying a new home is exciting. So's decorating it. Even moving, while stressful and messy, also comes with a fun sense of anticipation.

But, once the dust settles, there's also an awful lot of work to do. Always. With winter coming, the eaves troughs need cleaning, the lawn needs its final mowing and the roof could use a bit of patching. We also need to buy shovels before the white stuff hits.

And that's on top of the other stuff on our to-do list, like finishing the painting, hanging artwork, installing more shelving units in closets and getting the guest room ready for holiday guests.

Plus, there's all that 'regular' stuff, like cleaning and cooking that really ought to happen.

So, at any given moment, I feel like there's at least a dozen things I should be doing, taking precedence over the things I'd like to do. Mopping the floors or washing dishes will always trump the creative fireplace makeover that I'm dreaming of, or even catching up on some TV. 

And, then there's the unexpected stuff, like our water heater turning our basement into a wading pool earlier this week.

So, this week, this new homeowner is feeling a little bit overwhelmed. OK, really overwhelmed.

But even with my anxiety over everything that needs doing, I still couldn't help but get a little inspired by today's Home Improvements special section, which includes how to figure out the return on your renos, how to green your projects and getting your furnace ready for heating season.

How am I ever going to whittle down my to do list if I keep adding projects? Guess I'll just have to buckle down, keep plugging away, and learn to accept that owning a home means that nothing is ever truly finished.

Our first wet basement

After spending Thanksgiving weekend with my in laws, we returned home Monday ready to tackle the week. While I stocked our fridge with leftovers, Mr. Speedy ran down to the basement to feed Allistair, our bunny, who had been home alone all weekend. All seemed well.

Then Mr. Speedy yelled "We have a problem" followed by silence. I shouted "What?" while wondering whether we'd been robbed or if the bunny had not fared so well flying solo for the weekend. When I still didn't get a response, I dashed downstairs to try to quell my wild imagination.

That's when I saw Mr. Speedy standing in water up over his ankles in the unfinished portion of our basement. What used to be our laundry and storage area had turned into a wading pool.

So, I grabbed some flip flops and started rescuing boxes while we tried to figure out where the water was coming from. A quick investigation showed some telltale bubbling from the water heater, so we quickly phoned the rental company and turned the handle to stop the flow of water from the cold water pipe to the heater.

Repairmen, and a new hot water heater, were on their way (and arrived within hours, thankfully) but, it was a holiday and we still had several inches of water in our basement. And, we had neither a car nor a wet vac.

We called in a favour from a friend with a car, who then did the tour of closed-for-the-holiday hardware stores with Mr. Speedy while I waited for the repairmen. We figured we were out of luck, but thankfully, our friend remembered that his church had a wet vac, and was able to borrow it for us.

The wet vac, along with uncovering a floor drain that had been closed off by a previous owner, helped take our basement from a pool to a puddle.

So, things are looking up. Our shiny new water heater has been installed. The carpet and underpadding that had been down there (which, honestly, we hadn't liked much anyway) has been trucked out to the garage awaiting disposal, the dehumidifier and fans have been working overtime, and the space has had a thorough scrub.

But, sadly, the story isn't over. Last night, while debating whether it was finally dry enough to return all the storage items, which have been cluttering up the finished portion of the basement, Mr. Speedy noticed a small but steady trickle of water streaming down the side of our shiny new tank. Turns out the soldered new connection isn't quite sealed. Argh.

So, they're coming tomorrow to finish patching it up. All in all, we were pretty lucky. No real damage was done to our home, and nothing important got waterlogged. But, it was definitely stressful and perhaps the least fun we've had since moving in. I'm hoping that after tomorrow, and another scrub, my basement will return to its former glory of storage area and laundry room, albeit sans carpeting.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just over a third (38 per cent) of Yourhomers will be hosting their own Turkey day, according to last week's poll, and, whether you're hosting, visiting or ordering take-out, I hope the Thanksgiving weekend is full of good food, great fall decor and family for all of you!

In honour of the holiday, check out our decor tips (which can definitely be pulled off at the last minute) and, since it is a long weekend, filled with family, why not try a yummy-sounding pumpkin pie cocktail or another delicious drink?

Our new poll looks at kid's theme rooms, inspired by the fab Spiderman space created by Star illustrator Raffi Anderian for his son. Would you create an over-the-top superhero or princess palace for your child? Let me know in the front page poll. 

And, if you've got a few spare moments for reading this weekend (or are hiding out from your family!) check out Colin and Justin's cool kitchen, complete with Ikea cabinets (!), tips to get a little more luxury in your life and easy ways to give your house a bit of a facelift, even if you're not selling.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pretty patterns for your walls

Whether it's a punchy pillow or a great accent wall, I love seeing bold and interesting patterns in people's homes.

And lately, I've been eying the stunning lines from Marimekko and Jannelli & Volpi, launched in Canada by New Wall last month.

I've been admiring textiles from Finland's Marimekko (known for their bold colours and graphic geometrical patterns) for a while now, dreaming about hanging swatches like canvas or even redoing my dining room chairs with a bright shot of colour.

But now I could hang it on my wall! I especially love the Stilla pattern, shown at right, which is also available in a red and silver versions. It's a bit of a splurge at $149 per roll, but isn't it just oh so pretty?

Janelli & Volpi, meanwhile, are an Italian wallcovering and furniture fabric production company, who recently launched their own line with J&V Italian Design. Their rolls run from $265 to $330.

Here's a bit more eye-candy from the lines:

Pretty tech

I had a lovely, if wet, Friday afternoon wandering around the Fall Home Show. As you already know, I learned how to whip up a mean cocktail, but I do have some more highlights for you!

This is a shot from the show's Tech Style lounge, created by Cheryl Torrenueva (you've likely seen her on Home Heist with Colin and Justin!).

I love the way that birch tree wallpaper (from Sandpiper Studios, find it at Seabrookwallpaper.com) gave a natural touch to an otherwise very crisp and clean-lined look. Oh, and how cool is that chest of drawers? (It's available at Belle Epoque and Pavilion.) And, being a techy nerd, I can appreciate the way the clean lines and reflective surfaces mimic those of my technology! I'd totally live in this space, though I would, perhaps, want to inject a bit more colour.

After meeting Colin (!!) at the cancer society booth, where he and Justin were promoting the After the Heist tour, I made my way to visit the display at Flik and Company, where I couldn't help but drool over the stylish modern country vases and rustic tables. A quick rest for my aching feet (yes, I know that I shouldn't wear heels at these things, but they're just so pretty!) on a comfy rocker at EQ3's booth and a bit of a lounge on Alta Moda's ultra customizable furnishings helped get me back to sorts.

I had to breeze past many of the displays in order to catch the cocktail demo and catch the TTC back downtown for a colleague's going away party, but as I was heading out the door the last thing that caught my eye was the eco-friendly mattresses from Keetsa. While I was reluctant to test it out (there were a lot of wet people passing through the show), I've got to admit that the mattresses, which start at $499, were super comfy. They use recycled, recyclable and sustainable materials. For example, they swap out 20 per cent of the petroleum oil in their memory foam with castor bean oil and use green tea extract as an odour-controlling ingredient. And they pack the matresses into wee rolling boxes -- cutting down on packaging and delivery! With approval from Mr. Speedy, one of these will likely soon be coming home with me!

So that was my homeshow adventure, and I'd love to hear yours! Leave them in the comments below.

Mixing it up at the home show

The suave sixties ad men and their gorgeous wives and girlfriends on Mad Men have made mixing cocktails even cooler. And, with the entertaining season rapidly approaching, I figured I could use a few lessons on the topic! So, on Friday while perusing the Fall Home Show (more on that later), I made a point of sitting in on the cocktail session with Dee Brun.

Along with her mantra that "everything is better with vodka", she also taught us how to mix up some great cocktails (or mocktails) (check out the recipes here). And, to make it simple for us newbies, she only uses ingredients easily available at liquor and grocery stores, which means easy refills when you run out mid-party.

For a well-stocked bar cart, she recommends vodka, gin, rum, a fruity liqueur (she used the fabulously pink Xrated fusion liqueur at the show) and a lot of ice. Of course, a pretty shaker is also a must for all of us Mad Men wannabes.

Previously, I found mixing up a proper beverage a little bit daunting - I've always been more of a just pour and mix kind of gal, or, if I'm feeling adventurous, a little shake. But, after that session, not only did I want to drink but I also wanted to mix up a drink that required muddling -- or as she calls it "smushing." How could a squirt of simple syrup plus your item to be muddled and a few squishes with a spoon in a bowl have seemed so scary?

I also appreciated the styling tips! For pretty punch, Brun said she'll use a very tall rectangular vase, along with a long soup ladle. Isn't that so much trendier than your grandmother's enormous punch bowl? And instead of a clunky ice bucket, she brought out a small square glass vase filled with ice.

She also gets creative with the garnishes. To jazz up her chili martini (which includes peach juice, grape juice, muddled chili pepper and vodka) she showed rimming a martini glass with Cajun pepper, topping it with cranberries in a wine glass for a festive Thanksgiving look or garnishing it with a hot pepper in a highball glass for the manly men in your life. And, she says, you can make it as spicy as you like.

Another highlight was what she calls the "Canadian Liquid Breakfast Martini, Eh?" While I didn't taste test this one, other audience members said it tasted just like blueberry pancakes! With a mix of blueberries, maple syrup and, of course, vodka, doesn't it sound like a great thing to ease your way through those holiday brunches? Did I mention it can be rimmed with icing sugar?

What libations will you be serving this weekend? What are your tricks for the perfect cocktail (or mocktail)?

Poll results: DIY or DFY?

The poor economy hasn't exactly been pushing Yourhomers to pick up their hammers: in last week's poll, nearly three-quarters of respondents (at 73 per cent) said the economy hadn't persuaded them to go the do it yourself, rather than done for you, route.

The remaining 27 per cent said the economy had motivated them to give projects around the house a go.

And, for those of us who may still be a touch intimidated by those looming home maintenance projects (check out our fall to-do list here), this weekend's Fall Home Show will be chock full of DIY tips! Read the full story.

Also, find out why the BILD president says now is the time to renovate and get tips from HGTV's House Poor on how to keep that renovation spending in check.

This week, we're looking at the kickoff of the holiday, and entertaining, season with some tips to lessen the stress of hosting a Thanksgiving feast. And, cause I'm nosy, I want to know how many of you brave souls will be hosting your own dinners? Let me know in the front page poll. 

For some more weekend reading, be sure to check out Colin and Justin's bumblebee-inspired makeover, a sneak peek at the upcoming International Home Show and a profile of a furniture shop that's avoided the recessionary blues.

A designer's tea mug?

Those who know me know that I take my tea very seriously. Without it, my days would be quite bleak!

As a result, I'm always poking about online for new tea ideas, and was quite smitten with the Pantone tea mug set (found via dwell).

Pantone is the colour authority for designers, and with this set of mugs, they're creating a guide for how milky you'd like you morning cuppa! (Mine would be the third one in, by the way.)

Made by Whitbread Wilkinson (and yes, they do ship to Canada), the set costs US $50.

And, if tea's not your thing, they've also got a colour-coded espresso set, as well as cheerier, non-beverage derived hues.