Ask Magda!

Adding Color to my kitchen-Safely!

Lately I got a lot of friends asking me questions about decor and design so with their permission I decided to use some of their questions in my blog to help others that might face the same dilemma.

Question:

I love color, but I'm afraid to use it in our home for a couple of reasons. My first reason is that we may not have this house forever, and I don't want to scare a potential future buyer away. My other reason is, I'm afraid of getting sick of it fast. What is a way to get some color into my kitchen with getting sick of it and with it being OVERKILL!

Answer:


I completely understand. This battle goes back and forth in my mind daily. I adore color and it make me feel great, but I do get worried about doing too much sometimes.

I think you first have to think about what color you love to live with. Whats a color that you never get sick off. For me, I never get sick of green, black and red. I love those colors and it makes me feel good looking at them, also goes with almost anything.

If your really unsure what color you want to live, I would say to you,to do something as simple as accessorizing your kitchen. There are may great ways to introduce color to a bland kitchen.

Here are my suggestions:

1. I love to cook but I am in no way, shape or form a cook that makes desserts, I love eating them but I can make them so for that I learn a trick (buying a Kitchenaid) would really help me by trying to use it a lot, and also I love leaving it out on my counter top because it adds color and a little retro vibe to my kitchen. Not in the market for mixer, try blender or toaster too!


2. If you have a free wall, another way to integrate color is to buy dishes in colors you love and hang them on an empty wall. I love Kate Spade dishes because there plain but have a hint of color. Or, if you have exposed shelves, another way to show some color is with a bold print.

3. A rug in a kitchen is always a nice way to keep your feet warm and add a little something to the space.

4. Last, a light fixture can also make simple stunning statement!

One more thing to remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money to do this. A simple white dish with a colored monogram, hanging from your oven or a colorful tea pot on your range can add a difference to your space. Have fun with it and please send me pictures!

Till next time-M-xo

What I know for Sure!

I am blessed to live in a house that overlooks Fraser River.In the days that the sun rises over the river,I am usually there to see it. That is my time with myself. I stand quietly waiting for my coffee to filter or my water to boil for tea, watch as the fiery red orange glow rises above. Its a sacred time, as I open the bible and let the word guide me. Every time the sun comes up I am reminded that I am given another opportunity to live my best of life. And every morning I take a moment to relish the wonder of what the Lord has to say to me.
What I know for sure is that every day the sun will rise again...It will rise tomorrow and the next day and next week and the week after. No matter what is happening in my life, your life, our world,the sun is going to keep rising and I trust the Power of the Lord allows that to occur. I call it sunrise faith.

I believe the Lord will not only allows the sun to rise but makes the planet circle one more time, turns embryos into babies, seeds into flowers, and dreams to reality. All we need is faith.
Do you believe in that power or are you trusting only in yourself

When you put your trust only in yourself, you say thinks like Oh I hope I have enough or Maybe I can just hang on. Faith is knowing that you will make it thought. Its believe that God loves you, and your worthiness it to Him. Its understanding that miracles can open your life in ways you never imagined. All we need to do is surrendering your dreams to Him...
Even on the days when you cant see the sun its there. Every flow in a plan when the sky is overcast, from the ground all you can see are dark clouds but when the plane climbs above the clouds, your able to see the sun. The sun is always there, shining.
So next time you find yourself surrounded by darkness in the middle of storm and everything is upside down, take a moment to give thanks, because you know, as I know that no matter what, the sun is going to rise. It will get better, believe it will!

Every day I ask God to teach me a specific lesson,and because of that I learn to how to trust, how to have courage, and to face the new day full of not always pleasant staff. Oh boy trust me is not always easy to learn, confronting people, risking to be disliked, or just being quite and wait.
Every day we are given the infinite opportunity to learn, our life is a journey to learn about yourself author Gary Sukav says. If we listen and learn what the Lord has for us we can all get better dealing with our everyday life, all the pain,despair, joy, compassion the we feel its possible in a place like mine overlooking the river, or in your quite moment in your sacred spot of your home. Today I am very emotional and that s one of the reasons that I encourage you to let the Lord speaks to you, and by listening and making Him a very important part of your life your can reinvent yourself each day.

Until next time-M-xox

The stuff that the life is "made" of!!!

The whole business of organizing my home or as a matter fact others gets my stomach churning. The way I see it, there is two type of people in this world: the ones who have stuff and the ones who don't. Or should I say the ones who choose to collect stuff and the ones who don't. After all as hard as it is to admit it is a choice. We all making a life choice every time we buy a gift for a birthday a year away, or new glasses just because I like their great shape, despite the lack of space in my cupboard. We all meet or heard of people saying "I don't have anything in closet that I haven't worn in more than a year"! A year? I have blouses that there older then my kids(not many) but still. My biggest problem right now is to understand how people can change, like the ones that they used to be bears of stuff and then have a mind change after someone like me organize their homes. No talking about closets only...like the entire home style. They usually ask people like me who are doing this for living to load up everything including their grandmother's teacups without any fuss.
Intellectually I get it, the idea is unbelievable appealing. It's no different than talking to a friend who works out everyday and tells me who great she feels. Of course she feels great-she makes perfect sense.

So why I don't we all do it then? I guess our intellect isn't always the part of the one that makes decisions of what to do. I'm a magnet stuff. I collect stuff. For me getting rid of my stuff would like getting rid of my memories and passion, I don't mind sorting, packing, unpacking, clean out and reorganize every season. It brings me comfort and something to look forward.

I know I'm not alone and a dear friend of mine told me that letting go stuff is like your mind says -Yes- but your heart says -No-
So true!!!

Love to hear how your dealing with organizing and get rid of your stuff..feel free to email me back.

Until next time-M
xox

My favourite interior designer tips:

1.If your buying new furniture,measure your room and the furniture.Scale the room&furniture on cutout newspaper 1feet=1inch and see if the furniture are proportionate to the room. Make sure there is space to walk around your furniture.

2.Feel free to mix&match different style,like contemporary with oriental pieces or traditional with a modern piece.Just don't over do it. The mix helps give your home drama.

3.One way to beautify a room even if the walls are white is by putting moldings and baseboards.

4.If you want to make a room look bigger, use mirrors that give you an illusion of more space.Colors also affects the illusion of space. Similar colors with different shades (monochromatic color scheme) like off withes, cream and beige will give you the appearance of more space in the other hand colors like red,yellow, will give you an impression of smaller space and colors like green&blue will give you openness appearance.

5.I like to use more daring colors on hallways or staircases places that you just pass by and don't really stay as often like your bedroom.

6.Install your pictures on the wall at the eye level,by putting them up your ceiling seems lower.

7.If your putting rugs on your floors to make your room cozy, make sure to rotate your rug once in a while to even out the wear and tear.

8.When choosing a new color for a wall paint a section of the wall and observe it for few days.It is good idea to paint one shade lighter than your sample,because almost always the color on your sample looks brighter on a big wall than on a small swatch.

9.Consider wallpapering for a big impact but if you c to choose to wallpaper the bathroom make sure you use vinyl wallpaper and not paper.

10.Use a neutral colours scheme for a major furniture pieces, add colour with painting throws,and cushions that are easy to change out.


Your home should reflects you-your personality. You can hire me or any other interior designer or decorator but in the end it should be about you, and your family.Go along only with suggestion that is pleasing you and your family.

I hope this list was helpful and if you have any question feel free to email me.
Thank you for stopping by till next time,

XO
Magda

My family indeed had a great summer filled with all sorts of amazing times but our family vacation is one of our special times. We're a family that likes to explore and try new things and do a lot of stuff.


It was a great vacation...we absolutely loved everything about our time together! The trip down was fun, we stopped to visit some friends in Portland, we had an awesome time in Napa Valley, we loved the beach, the weather, the amusement parks(yes, we loved them as much as the kids).
California is one of my fave US destination after Maui no doubt whatever it's a family trip or a romantic getaway is always something for everyone.
We been waiting for this vacation for quite sometimes, and I believe that vacations are necessarily to help clear the mind, and rejuvenate the body by just taking a break of the routine. It works for me!
In vacations we are a family that needs a lot of space, so that always require time to book our time share spot or like this year we decide to use Air Miles so with not knowing what they can offer we booked anyways, we stayed at a beautiful hotel where we had a excellent hotel experience.
The staff had a incredible knowledge about everything,and they recomanded us great places, they made the reservation for us, and they try their best to make our vacation one of the best. The rooms had impressive bathrooms-not too shabby for someone that can live in a bathroom.
My older son was so happy to see the first class fitness-centre where he spend every morning more than an hour.
A glories two weeks (well perhaps, not every minute was glories- we did get a little tired and Nate got sick)

In my last day of vacation I always say to myself; Which is harder: getting ready
for a vacation or returning home afterwards?

As I sit silently next to Mario staring out on my side of the window on the way home I was not ready to be hit the reality of life...BUT- We are home now!

As you read this I am helping my son making his last minute shopping and all the planning for his exciting freshman year and his move in a door room.
I wrote him long list, filled with practical lessons. Many are things I am confident Brendon has learned.
We are not thinking about dinner in Malibu, or lunch in Santa Monica, not carry shopping bags, not laying in the sun on the sandy beach in Newport, we're not longer swim in the beautiful pool...WE ARE HOME NOW!!!!!

Time to balance the chequebook, empty the luggage, laundry, check the messages, admire my tan,find my camera... start getting Brendon ready for his big moving day,and trying to finish my home reno and moving back to normal,and getting Christine and Nate ready for school, soccer already started so I start feeling like normal just a bit. Not talking about work or the work that my house require in organizing department.

There is a time for vacation, and time for work, but.. no matter what, the most important is where your heart is, to do what the Lord prepares for all of us, in good times and hard times-God gives and takes away, but His always faithful to us.

Until next time,
XO

Road trip!

I'm leaving on a road trip..And I can hardly wait! I'm heading off on a much-deserved and needed vacation with my family.

I've been preparing for weeks, booking places, reading guide book, and reviews, mining restaurants recommendations from friends and clients and most important, perfecting my packing.
For those who know me well can say I'm a bit a crazy packer(well.. well I might say it back to you, is because I have three children)it all started with them...
There is a difference between packing for a road trip and packing for any other because, I'm not one of those people who throws everything into a bag two hours before we leave, I actually start laying everything out a week before I go.

I like to pack a lot of things with me just in case I might need them -It'd be easy to bring everything -but the kitchen sink.My hubby told me that I cannot fit the entire house in the car so for this I have to come up with a very sweet and short packing list.
I create this packing list and I crossed many things off with the help of my hubby of course, who doesn't like my way of packing. Really?

So what can I say my family road trips usually leads to one serious headache: when to put that endless pile of stuff that I love packing.

With a "little" effort on my part, packing light was easy, not really but I will try to do my best.
But this trip is not all about packing is about taking our kids on the road no matter the extra effort on my light packing.... is really worth it!The special memories we'll create and the fun times that we will have. I know-I know,
we have teenagers and when you've got teens,you've got a different set of challenges, but we are ready to face them and we are all looking forward to deepen our relationships with each other and were excited for a wonderful family experience.

XO
Magda

Friendship is the bond for every other love and the foundation of every healthy relations. God created us to need each other! We need friends..

Today I was invited into my circle of true friends to celebrate my belated birthday. I was amazed at how much we share, and the connection that we have. I have wonderful, amazing, beautiful and gifted girlfriends.One of them has a contagious energy, other one has a humble spirt, other one is very gracious, and all them there empowering women's that live a very loyal life with unconditional acceptance and love.

I been blessed with great and amazing girlfriends, there is something special when women connect. Yes, it helps to have something in common, Jesus...Jesus placed great value on relationship.
Friendships have many levels, there are friends that we see occasionally, and then there are soul mates with which we share everything.There is a place for both in our lives. The bible tells us that He spent times with few-not crowds.
His teaching are filled with practical suggestion for us on how to be a friend and how to have healthy relationship.
I'm very blessed to have really good girlfriends, not only the chi chat friends, but soul bearing girlfriends. \
It's hard to make these kinds of friends, It takes time,it take effort, it takes history....It's an emotional investment. But they are sooo worth it!!

Here are several actions that I take and still do to work in building strong friendships.

1)The traditional monthly or weekly lunch or coffee, a special shopping trip to your favourite mall or dinner or a movie or celebrating each other birthdays. Traditions builds memories that builds friendships...

2) Gifts, are wonderful actions to take in friendship. All kinds of gifts. The gift doesn't have to be big or expensive. It's simply a symbol of time, energy and thought given to a friend.
It could be a cute note, or a funny card, or even chocolate(yummmy).But the greatest gift that I ever receive is a friend itself- favours done back and fourth, helping one other in times of needs, or just a phone call to say "hi".


3)Words are so precious to me....words of a real friend are filled with acceptance. Acceptance says"" I Love You" when we find someone who accepts us just as we are... we have found a true friend.
The words of real friend are words of encouragement, sensitive words. Paul tells us in 1Thel 5:11 to encourage each other to build each other up" and my girlfriends give me courage to face the next day in time of troubles. We all need to look for reason in building each other, to praise God and to deposit courage in one another life.
We pray for each other, we hug each other, listen to one other and always been there for each other.
God didn't create us to exist alone but to first need HIM as a friend, the bible says that He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Friendship with him make every other friendship possible. We all need friends and we all need to learn how to be a true friend.

My prayer for me is to let the Lord help me to be a faithful friend, who take time and effort in every relationship.
Thank you friend for your everything you done and do in my life!!!

Love,
Magda