Yearly Archives: 2017

December 30, 2017

2017 flew by faster than most other years. Not sure if it’s because I’m getting older or if the year really just disappeared in a blink. I am so grateful for everything that happened. It was a year filled with blessings from God. I don’t know what life would be without him – it’s a true gift to know him.

TOP 7 MILESTONES:

1. Getting pregnant with our baby boy
While I did not get to enjoy an ounce of summer this year being so ill in the first trimester, this has been the greatest gift yet. It is a true miracle to create life – I don’t know how to think of it any other way. It’s a beautiful and humbling experience.

2. Getting promoted at work
I love General Mills, I love the people I work with, and I love what I do. It was a goal of mine to be promoted within 2 years of working at this incredible company. It happened and I am overjoyed to be able to fully own my brands and businesses and lead a very special and talented team.

3. Getting our backyard and basement renovated
So we’re a bunch of renovation addicts here. We designed our backyard oasis in the Spring and our basement in the Fall. I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the backyard since I was pregnant and sick shortly after but I plan to practically live there next summer :). We renovated the basement in preparation for our baby boy, to create more living space in the house.

4. Designing my new happy place to perfection – the baby nursery
It’s my new favourite room in the house and it was a complete blast putting it together. Everything is just so cute. I love love love it. Being able to be in a pretty nursery should make all the bad days better :).

5. Chris getting baptized
I am so grateful to be able to build a family together under God’s unfailing love, grace, and protection. We’ve also made time for church about twice a month, which is a significant progress from zero times a month last year. #winning

6. Chris and I bonding and loving each other in a bigger and better way
Our love continues to grow and I continue to see this incredible man in a new and different light every day and I can only say that I love him deeper and greater as the days pass.

7. Chris smashing it in his first year at Salesforce
This man is GREAT at everything he sets his mind to and has had a fantastic first year in his new role at Salesforce. He is the hardest worker I know and I am so, so, so proud of him.

The saddest part of this year was that we didn’t get a chance to travel and I’ve made time to travel every single year for the past 8 years. The pregnancy just kind of came at us and our renovation projects kept expenses quite a bit higher than usual, so we had to pass on a trip this year. It would have been a trip to Norway though! We’ll take a raincheck for 2018!

Overall an incredible year that we can only be thankful for. I wish you all a fantastic 2018! Make it a great one! xoxo

(In the mean time, a new print for all the surfers out there!)

calif

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 7:24 pm
December 28, 2017

I hope it was the best one yet :). It’s always a little sad when the best holiday of the year comes to an end! But as long as it was another memorable one in the books, then it’s okay.

I am absolutely in love with snow and the cold weather right now while being pregnant in the third trimester at 33 weeks. Can’t get enough of it. So much better than being super pregnant in the summer when it’s scorching hot! I also find because my body temperature is much higher, I can withstand the cold like never before and I quite like it :).

Speaking of snow, I thought I’d share a photo of the great wilderness taken in Iceland since I have not posted a new print in a while. (Been focused on baby stuff — my brain is ALL baby right now if you can’t already tell based on the past few posts.)

Anyhow, I plan to blog before the new year to reflect on 2017 but in case I flop on that one, I want to wish you all an incredible, happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. 2018 is going to be a game changer! xo

iceland, wilderness fine art, wilderness photography

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 6:34 pm

Ahhh, my favourite room in the house to date. Here’s a sneak peek of our little nursery. Everything is done! I just need to upload more pictures. Aimed for something gender neutral but mostly for a baby boy. I’m obsessed! I also created a brand new blog category, “Mommy Life”! Things just got more real.

baby room, nursery room, baby room decor, gender neutral room decor

Okay, here’s a rundown of what you see. Actual links to items will be down in “Shop This Look”.

DECOR TIPS:
1. Shiplap Wall: What a difference an accent wall like this can make to a room. They’re not super cheap but not super expensive either. They’re totally worth it though.

2. Crib: This is the Rory Crib from Pottery Barn Kids. It converts to a toddler bed, which is nice. All the bedding including fitted sheet, bumper, and crib skirt are also from Pottery Barn Kids. I might as well have lived there these past few months.

3. Baby Animal Prints: From Etsy! I love Etsy so so so much for really cool, unique handmade items. More to come on Etsy purchases in other parts of the room when I get to posting them.

4. Barnwood Picture Frames: These are from Michael’s Arts & Crafts. My favourite frames. I have them all over our house :).

5. Book Case: This is the Cameron 4-shelf book case from Pottery Barn Kids.

6. Rug: From Wayfair.ca, literally delivered in 2 days with free shipping! Impressive.

7. Rocking Horse: From Amazon! You have to assemble it but it was easy.

8. Light Fixture: From Union Lighting. We wanted something that would age well as the baby grows up and I think it does the job well. We’ve bought a lot of our light fixtures from this store; the selection is absolutely mind blowing. Highly recommended!

9. White Linen Drapes: Pottery Barn for grown-ups. I’m obsessed with Pottery Barn drapes and won’t get drapes from anywhere else. They’re just gorgeous and super high quality. Not cheap by any means but worth every penny.


White Shiplap Accent Wall – Skyrock Construction
Rory Convertible Crib in Weathered White – Pottery Barn Kids
Emily & Meritt Stripe Ruffle Crib Skirt – Pottery Barn Kids
Monique Lhuillier Sateen Crib Bumper – Pottery Barn Kids
Organic Sleepy Sheep Crib Fitted Sheet – Pottery Barn Kids
Baby Animal Prints – HelloGorgeousWallArt from Etsy
Barnwood Savannah Frames – Michaes Arts & Crafts
Cameron 4-Shelf Book Case in Simply White – Pottery Barn Kids
Colona White Area Rug – Wayfair.ca
Labebe Rocking Horse – Amazon.ca
Paper Craft Orgiami Pendant Light – Union Lighting
Emery White Linen Drapes with Blackout Lining – Pottery Barn

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 11:34 am
December 3, 2017

Went to an engagement party last night and thought to snap an update picture of my baby bump :). 29.5 weeks! This little guy’s movements are starting to change; you can feel every detail now, it’s so fascinating. I feel like I have a perma-buddy everywhere I go. I’m going to miss him in my womb I’m sure!

baby bump

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 4:28 pm
November 28, 2017

Christmas shopping – check! Already! Lovin’ my staycation. I just looove wrapping presents with pretty wrapping paper and ribbons :) although my back did start to hurt after a while; oh the joys of pregnancy! I felt so winded by the end of it, ha!

I’m so excited – my Pottery Barn bookcase is finally arriving this week. It’s one of the last pieces I’m waiting for in the nursery. I can’t wait to share pictures really soon so stay tuned! It was definitely one of the most fun decorating projects so far; everything is just so incredibly cute.

Processed with VSCO with e8 preset

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 9:20 pm
November 26, 2017

She’s up and she’s a beauty! Hello, Christmas! :) I LOVE putting up the tree and playing some classic Christmas songs while doing it. We got this beauty up last night and it makes me happy every time I look at it. It’s such a treat and warms up the whole house. Love all her sparkle and shimmer and everything. It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year. A busy time, but a wonderful time. I have the week off with Chris to do baby errands (it truly feels like a never-ending list) and Christmas shopping – it’ll be busy but nice!

Christmas decor, christmas tree, holiday decor

Alright, onto DECOR TIPS:
1. If you have a small space for a tree, slim trees are so key! (Not a short tree, a SLIM tree!) It could be tempting to just get a small overall tree but you can get away with a skinny tree and still get the glory of the height :). A short, small tree just does not look or feel the same.

2. Tree skirts are generally a miss for me. I don’t tend to love the designs that I’ve come across and quite frankly, they’re just too large in diameter that it would not fit in our small tree space. So instead, I found us a holiday throw/blanket and used that to wrap around the base of the tree. Works like a charm!

3. Lastly, the ornaments. This can become an obsession very quickly because they’re just too. darn. pretty. We got most of ours from Canadian Tire and maybe a few from Homesense and then I had to block it out of my mind to keep me from buying a gazillion. :)

Before buying your ornaments, you have to decide on a colour scheme. For us, we chose silver and gold with brown/wood-like accents. After that, it’s pretty much just picking the shapes and figures you like and love. Ah, so much fun!

That’s it from me for now! I’m going to get back to watching Love Actually – best Christmas movie ever. I’ll be back in December for a baby bump update!


NOMA Carlton Pre-Lit Slim Christmas Tree – Canadian Tire
Tree Skirt (Blanket) – Homesense
Misc. Ornaments – Canadian Tire & Homesense

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 9:53 pm
November 9, 2017

We’re having so much fun putting the nursery together – it’s coming along really nicely and I can’t wait to share pictures :).

Here’s a quick “almost 26-week” bump update. The photo was snapped over the weekend when I wasn’t quite 26 weeks yet! Getting bigger and more excited (and a bit scared) by the day but I truly can’t wait to meet this little guy. He’s a super active one; always busy in the womb with not sure what. :P Crazy boy. Love him to death already.

Also noting that 26 weeks marks roughly the time I’ve been feeling more energetic. Took long enough! Here’s to hoping I don’t lose it again as I enter the 3rd trimester. :P

IMG_7549

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 9:10 pm
October 9, 2017

Happy thanksgiving! We are thankful for sooo many things. God is so good and it’s a true blessing to know him. Thankful most of all for our little baby blue! Yes, we’re having a baby boy :). So extremely excited. The shopping has fully commenced. Gotta keep it in check though because stores like Pottery Barn Kids can be a dangerous place for first time mommies!! Everything is so cute, I want them all! We’ll be starting to put the nursery together in November when all the pieces are ready. We’re getting a shiplap accent wall installed this month, yay! I’ve always wanted one in the house, so why not the baby room? :)

baby bump 21 weeks 3 days

Update on how I’m feeling: I never did get my pre-pregnancy energy levels back even now well into the second trimester but other than still being tired all the time, I am a very happy camper. Just gotta get those naps in and 10+ hours of nightly sleep, and I’m good. It’s worth mentioning that I go to bed around 8:30PM every night and wake up at 8:00AM for work (crazy, right?) LOTS of quality time with sleep going on around here. It’s as if I’m getting ready to bid it farewell, lol.

I’ve been feeling kicks and all sorts of baby movements since week 17. In fact, this little guy is quite an active one, like a little athlete in the womb. Feeling these movements is quite magical and every time I feel them, I am in awe all over again about the miracle of creating a little life inside of us. It’s truly so incredible! What a wonderful journey.

Also LOVING work and my new team. I am really, really enjoying having a team and coaching and developing others. I find it so very fulfilling. So I am thankful with my whole heart for these opportunities.

Last but not least, thankful for my amazing family (on both sides) and my all-star husband, Chris. YOU ARE THE BEST HUBBY IN WIDE WORLD. I am so lucky to be your wife :). I love you.

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 12:05 pm
September 4, 2017

We are having a baby!!! We are so. very. excited. But it wouldn’t be the full picture without first sharing the part that wasn’t so exciting.

05.04.17b

The truth about being MIA the last few months is that I was absolutely destroyed by the first trimester. What torture that was! I had never felt so sick in my life :(. All day nausea with vomiting (2-3 times a day), dizziness, extreme fatigue, constant bloating, horrible gas pains, and excruciating hunger. It was completely debilitating and I actually felt like I was going to die. While every inch of me was so grateful for this gift, feeling horrible every single day for 7 weeks straight really took away the excitement of the pregnancy for a while there.

The bright side of it all? Other than the obvious little peanut growing inside of me, Chris had been a rock by my side. I had never seen him in this light before. Completely and utterly selfless throughout my sickness and did everything he could to help. I am so blessed to have this man and going through this has made me fall in love with him even more. I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be a whole lot more falling in love as we journey through the ups and downs of life and as we grow and bond deeper with each other with each experience. :) I thank God everyday for you, Chris.

So then the second trimester came like a knight in shining armour! YAY!! All other symptoms have subsided or completely gone away and I am just dealing with fatigue now. I’ll take it!! I’ve accepted that it’s probably going to be a part of me until the 9th month and I’m okay with it. I’ve been able to get back into the groove of things a whole lot more the past few weeks with LOTS AND LOTS of sleep to get me through. :)

We are 16 weeks 3 days today and are sooo over the moon about our little human in the works! We’ll be three in February 2018!! What an absolutely incredible and incomprehensible thing to create LIFE. We are in awe. God is so good and we are so blessed. I can’t wait to capture our journey here as we embark on the next chapter so stay tuned!

profile

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 7:43 pm

I am sooo sorry for an unexpected, no-warning 3-month hiatus!!! Life got incredibly busy and the blog got abandoned for a little bit :(. I am BACK though. Also so excited to have finally taken the plunge on purchasing a new lens – the Canon L Series 24-70mm f2.8. I realize that sounded gibberish to many of you but it’s not just any lens, it is THE lens. Pricey as hell but also long overdue and a well deserved treat for myself after getting a promotion at work :) (You’re looking at the newest Marketing Manager at General Mills as of July). Yay!!! So happy.

Now onto a decor update!

The linen closet can either be an eye sore or a pretty place :). They can also be a chaotic dumpster or they can be storage (its intended purpose) where you can easily find things. Let’s be honest, no one likes to have to hunt things down around the house. And things are usually easy to find when they’re organized in some way.

linencloset

Here’s what we’ve done to our giant linen closet in the upstairs hallway. Organized things into wicker baskets with labels. We’ve been in our home for 2 years now and the closet has stayed exactly like this. Once things are in nice, organized boxes, you can’t help but keep it that way!

DECOR TIPS:
1. Think of your organization categories!

2. Pick up some matching wicker baskets from Michael’s Arts & Crafts

3. Pick up a few accent baskets to add fun and personality to the mix

4. Pick up mini chalkboard signs from Michael’s or Dollarama, label them with your categories, and use a glue gun to adhere them to your baskets


Ashland Bacbac Storage Baskets – Michael’s Arts & Crafts
Ashland Wire Baskets – Michael’s Arts & Crafts
Gartner Studios Chalkboard Labels – Michael’s Arts & Crafts

Posted By Charlene Precious @ 1:58 pm