makeover – Urban Suburban Mommy

Easy DIY gallery wall for a kid’s bedroom

Posted on March 11, 2016 by kasiawdesigns Posted in DIY .

My daughter Izzie turned three in September and it was time to say goodbye to the crib and give her a big girl room. A fun DIY that I did in her space was create a gallery wall.

The first thing I did was gather up some frames. Some I purchased, others I already had around the house that I wasn’t using. The frames I had at home weren’t exactly the right colour, but that was not a problem. I painted them out using the teal and coral tones to match the ones I introduced in her room decor, and instantly the frames got new life.

I chose images that my 3 year old relates to and loves: ice cream, cupcakes, ferris wheel, balloons, ballet; and I printed them on heavier stock. All the images contain some of the colours that are in her space to help create harmony and a cohesive look. I grounded the centre of the wall by using the IKEA Ung Drill frame, which I painted grey to pick up on her drapes and rug.

I wanted to create some dimension on the wall so I mounted a faux doe head with silver antlers and added a whimsy touch by placing a coral petunia behind the antler. This breaks up the square art and really creates a centre focal point for the wall. I finished off the gallery wall by placing random silver and gold decal dots which add a playful touch.

Paint used for the frames: Latex Pearl, rolled on with a foam roller (3 coats)

Paint for the Ung Drill Frame: Rustoleum spray paint (use outdoors in a well ventilated area)

Gold/Silver Decals: Muse Signs

Kasia Waloszczyk ,an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator, also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

Gifted with a keen eye for colours and shades, Kasia Waloszczyk has been applying her colour and design techniques for more than 15 years in the industry. A design expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show, Waloszczyk’s work has always kept her ahead of design trends and has also given her an in-depth expertise on fabrics for creative custom window treatments and unique upholstery, for both residential and commercial spaces.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

5 Secrets from a make-up artist to up your beauty routine

Posted on March 1, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Best You .

We caught up with this Julia, an elite makeup artist, hair stylist and esthetician. She’s proof that beauty is more than skin deep, and she was happy to share some trade secrets with us. Here are five beauty tricks that you know you want to know:

What’s your “Can’t live without” item in your beauty routine?

A great moisturizer is an essential start to a perfect beauty routine. It’s important to use a product suitable for your skin, but If you’re unsure of your skin type, I recommend booking a consultation with your local beauty consultant. (A beauty store, or a good cosmetics counter at a department store are generally great places to have your skin analyzed ). For my skin type (normal to sensitive), I like to use Yves Rocher Youth Energy Day Care. It makes my skin feel hydrated without feeling heavy and greasy.

What do you think about BBs? (That’s beauty balm, we love the lingo!)

Everyone needs a great BB cream. It’s a great way to achieve even skin without feeling like there’s something thick caked on it. I really like the silky texture of the Biotherm Aqua Source BB Cream.

One of the biggest issues for moms – especially those with little ones – is sleep deprivation. How can you combat the bags and dark circles?

To cover up a sleepless night, there’s nothing better for a mom than a really good concealer. I love the creamy texture and portability of The Body Shop stick concealer. Before putting on your BB cream, apply the concealer stick under your eyes and dab it down with a damp “Beauty Blender”. This will make for a smooth and blended application. Goodbye dark circles!

Mascara, yes or no?

Yes! This beauty secret is my favourite. Mascara is a great way to make a mom’s tired eyes look bright and awake. My must-have mascara at the moment is the Diorshow Extase, but a great comparable one for the mom on a budget is the cult favourite Voluminous Mascara by L’Oreal.

Any other must-haves in the beauty routine?

My last beauty tip is to get a really good tinted lip-balm. The balm provides naturally juicy, plump lips for the mom on the go. A great one to try is Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balms. They are amazingly moisturizing with just a hint of luscious colour.

Julia is a Makeup artist and Hair stylist located in Toronto. She loves her craft, and is highly passionate about beauty. She also believes it’s important to involve the inner soul to achieve true beauty. You can find her on Instagram @V.I.B.E.withlove, or check out her website at www.lilfrenchfry555.weebly.com

Kid vs. Adult Space with Designer Kasia Waloszczyk

Posted on February 18, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in DIY .

I thought by finishing our basement that I would have solved the problem of our living room being overrun by toys. It was a brief solution, until kid #2 came along. We spoke to designer, TV personality and fellow mom Kasia Waloszczyk who shared her insight and inspiration to find a happy medium between toys and grown up things.

The Dual Purpose Living Room – Playroom & Adult Space

1.If you don’t have the luxury of a bonus room or basement in your home – how can your living room serve a dual purpose as playroom and adult space.

Buy furniture pieces that not only suit your lifestyle but also serve a dual/triple purpose. There are lots of growing families who are choosing to live in smaller spaces. Luckily, retailers have picked up on this trend and offer tons of multi-purpose furniture piece options.

Dual purpose furniture/products can be easily found and for affordable prices. Ikea has a great sofa that not only serves as a couch + pullout sleeper but also has a built in storage unit that can house ample toys, blankets, pillows etc (FRIHETEN) — Its all about staying organized and having a designated space for everything.

2. How do you avoid your living room from being overrun by toys?

The first thing you have to do is ask yourself if your child needs all the toys that are in your living room, does he or she play with every single one? If at the end of the day you are over flowing with toys, perhaps you have too many? Scale back, pack some away and re-introduce them in a month or so, but only after taking away a toy in its place. Rotating your toys will give your child something new to play with, plus it will leave your space clutter free. This method will help with staying organized.

3. Do you have any storage or organizational solutions for toys or adult things?

When it comes to storage, think outside the box. My “go-to” storage is a budget-friendly garbage can from Ikea (KNODD) – it resembles Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can which makes it fun for kids. Get two or three of the same can, and fill it with toys, best of all it has a lid. So, at the end of the day when it’s time for the adults to unwind, the toys are completely out of site. I also love storage cubes, placing two of them across from your couch offers additional seating, you can optimize the storage inside the cube, plus some of them cube lids even turn into serving trays. Urban Barn has a really nice one that I often use for clients (Fay Ottoman – Charcoal). Lastly, opt for a proper TV/media unit – you can customize one at Ikea for a great price. Looks for something that offers you plenty of drawers as well as shelving units with doors (doors are fantastic as they hide the clutter). Remember to utilize your vertical and horizontal space when creating your storage.

4. How do you make a living room safe for kids?

Mount and secure everything to the wall. TVs should always be out of reach for children. Have a bookcase or TV bench – mount them too! Also, avoid furniture that is delicate or has sharp corners such as glass coffee tables. Although stylish, kids leave lots of fingerprints on glass coffee tables. Instead, choose a coffee table with multiple storage, for toys and blankets. Some coffee tables can even open up to provide a laptop/dinner tray. West Elm has a great one. Their Industrial Storage Coffee Table is on the pricier side but is multi-purpose, so it is money well spent. Make sure your living room incorporates a soft play surface – you don’t have to use the foam kids mats. I suggest going for a nice plush rug instead, which will provide a comfy surface for your child but also work to complete and ground your adult space too.

5. What design features or accessories do you recommend that would work for both an adult and kids space?

I love art! It works beautifully for both. You can create a photo gallery wall that will be appreciated by both kids and adults. Work with different sized frames or buy multiples of the same piece of art. To create a cohesive look, choose a photo filter such as black and white – and apply it to all the pictures that you will be displaying. By doing this, you can create a more formal and harmonized feel.

6. What colours work best for a multifunctional living room?

Colours are very personal and unique to each space. Having worked for Benjamin Moore for over 12 years, I know first hand that a color can look amazing in one space, and completely the opposite in another. I would suggest sticking with more neutral tones; warm greys, soothing blues, different shades of off whites – this will help to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere. If you want to inject pattern to the space, add some wallpaper with a tone-on-tone look for that elevated sophistication. Bring in your bold color through accessories, decorative pillows, vases, throws or decorative objects.

Kasia Waloszczyk

Kasia Waloszczyk, an accredited Interior Stylist/Decorator, also runs her own design company, Kasia Waloszczyk DESIGNS, a savvy and trendy décor service that caters to clients in the Greater Toronto Area. As a colour expert, Waloszczyk has held independent seminars on colour and pattern trends. She has also worked with design firms overseas, developing textile colours, designs, and patterns applicable for the North American market.

KasiaWDesigns.com

@kasiaw_designs

From nursery to big girl room

Posted on January 28, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in DIY .

We sat down with designers and lovely gals from 2Birds Design, Andi Wheelband and Renée Gammon about some great ways to transform a small nursery into a stylish and functional girl’s bedroom. Andi and Renée offer some easy solutions and DIY projects that you can even try yourself.

2Birds Design: Andi Wheelband and Renée Gammon

2Birds Design was hired to design a “big girl’s bedroom” as part of a birthday surprise for Valerie, who would be turning 3 years old. The task: maximize the limited square footage/space of the room, provide storage and offer a built-in bed solution.

Andi and Renée met the challenge with open arms and, as part of their design, they wanted to create a fun and interactive space so that Valerie was excited about transitioning into her new room. Custom platform bed systems are very expensive, so 2Birds decided on a custom designed storage bed (using IKEA cabinets!). This modular cabinet system provides a ton of storage in a consolidated area to allow for more open space and flexibility with furniture placement as storage and function over time.

The platform is built using basic plywood. It is in IKEA material, and added wood stair treads as well as a removable safety guard. 2Birds also decided to use a custom match, textured floor paint and basic foam floor tiles in pink (which you can purchase from department and hardware stores) for an anti-slip surface up to the bed. Navy, grey and yellow work with varying shades of pink and pattern play to create a fun space that will grow with Valerie.

: Before

: Light and bright

: Lots of storage

: Maximized the area

: Room to play

: Monogram V for Valerie

: Loft bed

: Wall to wall storage

: Color blocking

: Lots of color

We chose the colour scheme because we wanted something playful but that would grow with Valerie over the years. I instantly fell in love with the grey, pink, navy and yellow ikat fabric used on our large accent pillow and pulled our colour scheme from there.

Instead of overloading the room with extremely feminine tones, warm grey walls and a striking navy wall create an almost neutral backdrop for our layers of pink tones. A subtle light pink on the ceiling adds further interest, with pops of yellow and navy in the accent pillows adds to the fun but ‘not-too-young’ palette.

We kept the main pieces, like the frame of the platform bed and cabinets, area rug and bookcase white, so that the colour palette can be tweaked down the line by switching out the accessories. Even the pink cabinet doors can be switched out for another fun colour that IKEA offers.

We found the perfect drapery hardware, white sheers and deep fuchsia curtains at Walmart for an amazing price. We had them hemmed at a drycleaners for next to nothing ($10 a curtain panel) but these can also be easily hemmed with scissors, a neat fold and an iron on adhesive tape.

The floral tiebacks were a fun DIY and one of my favorite pieces in the room. I loved the idea of pulling in more of the navy and found the perfect navy and white polka dot floral hair clip at the accessory store Ardene. The overall size wasn’t quite large enough though so I used a glue gun to attach the navy flower to a slightly larger white flower. A white button finished off the centre, and I then glued the blossoms to a 2 inch wide piece of white fabric I had already hemmed using the above mentioned iron on adhesive tape. A small piece of velcro tape was all it took to hold the tie back together.

Valerie is quite crafty, so the small table and stool set was a great, inexpensive solution from IKEA. Made in a durable and washable material and in our perfect pinks, this purchase was a no brainer.

The bookshelf, pink and white boxes and pink polka dot bedding were all snagged from Target weeks before they were officially closed.

The pink princess canvas is also from Target, and sits beside the butterfly framed artwork from IKEA, and framed pieces of Valerie’s artwork.

Room to play

The rad cover was custom made by the contractor using pine boards we painted white, and geometric screen panels in the same pattern as our yellow accent pillow fabric.

The chandelier is available at West Elm and is made of capiz shells. I love the lightness of it against the pink ceiling and the pearlescent shells cast a beautiful reflection when lit.

2Birds Design: Andi Wheelband and Renée Gammon

Two Birds Design is comprised of principle designers, Renée Gammon and Andi Wheelband. With over 10 years experience working in award-winning design firms across Ontario, a partnership was formed to create a boutique interior design business. 2Birds specializes in creating unique and livable spaces while providing dedicated and personalized service, unrivaled by larger design firms.

With a focus on exceptional quality, creative thinking and attention to detail, 2Birds ensures each project is handled with integrity and precision, from the initial planning stages through to construction and implementation. Rather than working in a “signature style” they develop each design based on the unique personality and lifestyle of our client. The first step to a well-designed space is carefully considered space planning. Without it even the most beautiful rooms can feel cluttered, cramped and uncomfortable.

2BirdsDesign

Pregnancy hair vs. post-baby hair with stylist Erica Wearing

Posted on January 21, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Best You .

We loved chatting with hair stylist Erica Wearing so much that we sat down with her again for a follow-up interview on the change a mama’s hair goes through before and after pregnancy.

1. Tell us how pregnancy hair is different from every day hair

Pregnancy hair is different from everyday hair because we produce extra estrogen which prolongs the growth stage resulting in very little shedding where normally we shed up to 100 hairs a day.

2. Is it true that pregnant women shouldn’t dye their hair?

After doing numerous studies on the effects of hair dye and pregnancies the results are inconclusive. I would suggest waiting until the second trimester and go for highlights or ombre. Foils are great because the colour doesn’t have direct contact with your scalp.

3. What happens to hair post pregnancy?

When hormone levels drop back to normal in post pregnancy, the extra hairs drop too. Between 4 to 6 months is usually when moms start shedding hair. This is normal and not true hair loss. What it is, is a condition called excessive hair shedding which is caused by falling estrogen levels. The great news is that this is only temporary.

4. Are there any products you would recommend to strengthen post-baby hair? or help with hair loss?

Some products I would recommend are:

Morroccanoil products

Moroccanoil-root boost – for full body and volume
Moroccanoil Volumizing Mousse – instant volume and lift
Moroccanoil luminous hairspray- a workable hairspray that’s light weight but gives perfect hold and texture For best results on achieving the most volume all of these products work best with heat (blow dryer)

I would also recommend taking a few inches off and adding layers to get thicker more voluminous hair. Try a fringe (bangs). This helps blend breakage in the front where normally hair shedding occurs.

Adding highlights or colour is a great way to get volume and texture in your hair and brighten up your look.

Erica H. Wearing has been a stylist for over 16 years and she absolutely loves what she does . “It’s a great feeling to help people feel and look their best when they leave my chair. I wouldn’t trade this for any other job in the world!”
Check out Erica at Ka!Boom Hair Salon 1129 West Pender Street, Vancouver B.C .
(604)681-6003

hairbyericaw

2016 nurturing you – Getting yourself to shine, post-holiday

Posted on January 14, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Best You .

Salvation Mountain – being given the opportunity to add a stroke

The holiday season was hectic. You’re feeling tired, over worked and in desperate need of a makeover. Instead of the usual beauty tip remedies we see come out every January 1st, I thought I’d share with you my secrets to getting glowing skin and a permanent grin from the inside out.

Being a mother means meeting the demands of many individuals, your children, your partner, you career and then – finally – you.

It can be challenging to find that balance where you feel personally fulfilled. January 2016 marks the beginning of a new year. I wanted to make a conscious decision to make intentions this year, rather than resolutions. It’s important for me to live a life of excitement, passion, love and adventure. I want to lead by example for my boys. I want to expose them to a multitude of activities, environments, cultures, languages and the list goes on… Maybe forever 🙂

Boarding with the boys around Santa Monica

Set intentions that will nurture your mind, body and soul. Start shinning from the inside out. That is where the true beauty lies and pure happiness stems from. Here are a few of my intentions for this year:

Surf with my partner once a week
Have an adventure day once a week- whether it’s going on a hike, checking out a new installation at an art gallery, snowboarding, skating or doing photography.
Teach my boys a new skill in the outdoors

Alissia Surfing

Experiencing something new or doing a physical activity with your partner or children results in expanding your mind and gets the endorphins flowing. Is there anything better than that?

So remember mums, take action to create the life you want to live with your children and partner. This is the year to put those intentions into action; by doing so, I promise that you’ll notice a positive mental and physical shift that will set the tone for years to come. What are you waiting for? There is no better time than the present to shine from the inside out!

Sharing a special moment in the desert

If you loved this article you’ll also love: Fashion stylist to the stars Alissia Marciano gets down and dirty on being a styling mommy

Alissia Marciano is an international fashion and wardrobe stylist, as well as, an on-air celebrity fashion host. Currently based in Los Angeles, she has worked and forged her talent around the world in such cities as Paris, New York, Vancouver, and Toronto. From guest appearances on Rachael Ray, to the countdown to the Oscars on the red carpet with E!, and co-hosting Look A Like and Sexy Girl, Alissia is a prominent figure in the fashion industry and her success has earned her the reputation of a highly sought after international fashion and celebrity stylist. Beyond fashion and music, Alissia’s portfolio includes an extensive list of advertising clients including Diesel, ESPN, Nike, Acura, Orbit, and CAT. Her eclectic mix of femininity and rock n’ roll has graced the pages of such publications as L’Uomo Vogue, Neo 2 (Spain), Entertainment Weekly, New York Moves, Wonderland (Japan), The National (UAE) and Filler to name a few. In addition to her work in the industry, Alissia has two beautiful boys with whom she shares many wonderful adventures and creates lasting memories with, surfing and skateboarding being two of their favorite activities.

alissia marciano @alissiamarciano

Hair tips and products for the busy mom with leading stylist Erica Wearing

Posted on January 6, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in The Best You .

Perfect hair or ponytail? Hair is so hard to manage – especially on busy mornings when you’re falling behind with lunches, sleepy stragglers and tell-tale roots. We caught up with leading hair stylist, Erica H. Wearing to ask for some amazing tips and products that will help out a busy mom. This pro, a mother too, came through with the perfect advice that will let you bypass the ponytail elastics with confidence!

What do you suggest for the ‘must-have’ hair care products for moms, and why?

My top go-to picks for hair products are:

Moroccanoil – a leave in treatment perfect to apply on wet or dry hair leaving the hair silky and shiny

Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream – it hydrates and tames frizzy hair perfect for wash and go hair or blowouts

Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair Dry Shampoo – this product is perfect for the days you don’t want to wash your hair and are in need of body and texture while also dry cleaning the hair and getting rid of oil and odour

2. How often should we be washing our hair?

I suggest washing your hair every two to three days, as shampooing daily causes hair to dry out and encourages your hair to create more oil. My favourite hair day is day two – by day three I throw it up in a top knot.

Top knot

3. Besides a ponytail, what other quick hair styles or tips can you recommend for busy moms?

A top knot, messy bun or half up top knot both look stylish and easy to do. Also braiding the hair is always a quick but pretty way to have the hair pulled softly away from your face.

hairbyericaw