Tap. Tap. - Is this thing on?

I know. I know.

Dharma, in the history of bloggers, you are the worst. Yes, it's true. I suck cheese doodles lately. Well, not lately per se but really for the last year really.

You probably even forgot I was on your reader. Well, surprise! I have dusted off the camera. I have rounded up the paint brushes. I have cleared the VISA and I am ready to party once more.

In my defense, we did try to sell the Casa Eclectica to no avail last summer/fall and I think I just got house-drain. If you DIY or decorate on a budget you know what I mean. The cleaning and tweaking and and and....plus the "dream house" I thought I wanted slipped away by each day our place didn't go off the market to someone new.

Gladly.

The "dream house" was a financial stretch and then the eldest announced he wasn't going to stay at home for college and instead was going off to University 2 cities away. 5 bedrooms for a family of 3? WTF? I was either going to start foster caring or we were in trouble with an offer on a house we didn't need. Sometimes life happens in the way it should and after 60 days our offer went stale. PHEW!!!!!

So I have begun with a renewed vigour around the ole Casa! I am reinventing spaces for boys here full-time and some very part-time. Those posts are coming soon.

In the meantime I shall tease you and tell you I have (almost got this guy hooked into delivery) purchased a Kijiji wonder a la this:

I have been looking for a king sized project for ever! This one would fit that bill big time. I do mean BIG!

So, welcome back, whoever is left. I missed you. I pinky-swear I am back.

If you think I'm sexy.....

Lots of these homemade memes out there, just throwing mine into the mix to remind my Prince Charming that he is my world.....and the fact that he has been working like a dog to get all my crazy little projects done around the house has not gone un-noticed. Nor did the roses delivered to my office :)

Look out Mr. S.....someone is getting smooches tonight. I will be asking you to rewire a light first though.

Sorry about the remarkable lack of anything here. I am finishing my 4th year term paper, working fulltime, being a Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Auntie, Friend and being a partime chauffeur, nurse, entertainment coordinator and lifeguard. Posts soon, promise.....if I don't make it back within a month, avenge me!

FFA Challenge #1

So, Mandi over at Vintage Revivals has started a club. The FFA is "Fearlessly Finding Awesome". This is not a "clubby" club, we won't be raving into the wee hours, sucking on pacifiers and dancing to trance music...or will we? Nope, this is about being fearless in your home. Fearless in decor, challenging you to make your space more "your space" and less like everything we see online or in magazines. First challenge is to Catch a Dream or to define your style "FEELING". Not with the traditional decor words but how you want your home to FEEL. What makes you, you? You know?

So in answering that, I think we all want our homes to feel and look like US. As in, your new friend walks into your home for the first time and says "OMG, this is exactly what I thought your house would look like. It's sooooo you!" To say I am outgoing is a bit of an understatement. I'm totally THAT girl. I've been described as too loud, too funny, too much my whole life. Now, translating that personality into a home could possibly make my place feel like Ringling Brothers had decorated it but there are other things about my personality that I do want to bring into my house. I am very maternal. I love being a mother and I love that my house is that house. The one where the boys' friends come and hang and feel comfortable. I like worn, comfy looking things that I don't have to shriek over. I have never yelled "Do not put your feet on that!". I am funny. Irreverant actually and I say exactly what's on my mind about 99% of the time. In my design style, I'd like more whimsy, humour and things that make you stop, look and laugh. You may have figured out that I love water. Duh. I'd like people to walk into my home and be reminded of beach days or a summer cottage trip. Not that I'm into stringing fishing nets from the ceiling (that makes us mermaids nervous) but I want that vibe. I love, love, love to entertain. I'd like for my guests and family to feel welcome. WELCOME. Open spaces, fun decor, colour and a beachy vibe. Comfortable, hey you - put your feet up....or help me make the margaritas kinda thing. What can I getcha?

OMG. I had no idea.

Source: lemontreecreations.blogspot.com via Colourful on Pinterest

When Cassie over at Hi Sugarplum offered to "INVITE" me into Pinterest, I thought...."Self, you have avoided this bullet for a while now, you're a big, grownup gal in charge of herself. You can handle Pinterest." I thought it would be fun to surf, find a project and participate in this...

I was so wrong......so, so wrong. Send the Marines, throw me a preserver. Anything. How? Why? Lord have mercy. The images, the inspiration, the crap!
I'll be back in about 7 weeks. Unless I can find something really cool to bust out for the Pinterest Challenge.

Hey, I have till Wednesday you know.

To all my SISTAs!

Happy International Woman's Day! To all my ladies, reading around the world.

(This makes me sound important, right?)

The True North Strong & Free....

Thanks to Jo who blogs with abandon over at To A Pretty Life, I now proudly wave my maple leaf on my sidebar.

When I started blogging, I would only run across the very rare and elusive Canadian blogger....and I would leap allover that mess! "Friend!!!!!!" As I have been around longer and longer, started attending blogger events here in the GTA and made more connections across this vast frozen wasteland (lol), I'm finding more and more of you out there. For that, I am very thankful. It is an amazing thing to come here and make dear friends from all over the world but there is something to be said for your homeys :)

Thanks Jo, for the button that tells people right away when they visit that I am polite, wear a toque in the winter and have once in my life eaten blubber.

I have lived in 4 provinces in my lifetime. Which makes me VERY Canadian :)
B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and now Ontario.....I seem to be working my way east.

Where is home for you, my friend?

Who is Following all this?

Roeshel at the DIY Show Off has posted about the upcoming Google Friend Connect going away for WordPress blogs. I'm currently on Blogger but I don't want to miss out on any new peeps coming to play at the Mermaid. Nor do I want to lose everyone forever that I read and enjoy everyday in WP. So I've added the Linky Followers app to my blog. I'll be migrating some of you (those I stalk) out there over soon :)

As said on Roeshel's site, it's just a matter of time before Google decides to nuke the whole shebang for everyone. Is everyone else as tired of this as I am? I mean first Picnick, now Google Friend Connect??

What's next?

Facebook?

HA!

Check out Linky Followers, it's the wave of the future, don'tcha know?

I see Dharma on the House & Home website!

OK, on one of their blogs then. Picky.

Gwen McAuley, H&H blogger has put together a post about the Canadian Design Bloggers meetup from this past Saturday night and if you refer to the crowd shot, 4th one down....to the extreme right, the woman going into the fray with the blonde hair and big hobo bag....

THAT'S ME!

This post shows off all the guests, and a few of the "crashers". I'm looking at you Glen :)

Annnnddddd if you wanna see me getting my prized Touch2O faucet set (you know you do) here is me trying not to Tebow!!

Man, I gotta get my pics organized, hey? Dharma wanders off.....

I think Kirby and I are "going out"!

It's an honour just to be nominated, right? Kirby over at Kirb Appeal has nominated me for another award. This time it's the Liebster Blog award which is passed along to those of us who have not broken the 100 followers mark.

I have always marvelled at the fact that even 60+ human beans out in the Universe like to read what I put out here. That being said I have a few really cool chicas on my own blogroll that put out some good shiz and I am sending you there way to see if they make you as dizzy/happy as they do me :)

So my list of lovelies includes:

Cul-de-Sac Chic
- I mean who makes a dog kennel out of an end table? Who? Janet, that's who.

Rambling of an Ophelia
Christie is an Alberta gal making her dreams come true, funkifying furniture along the way.

Wicked & Weird
Lisa is a local T.O. girlie who sees beauty in a way we all should.

Take a bow and your award ladies and link on back to share the love :) It is almost Valentines Day!!

Canadian Design Bloggers - Meetup #3

Oh my. Where to start.....well, I could start with pictures but mine are still on my camera :) Hopefully our hostesses-with-da-mostesses have quicker/ better pictures than moi!! I could start with a deluge of gush regarding the awesome speakers but their pics are in the same cycle :(

How about a teaser then?

What if you met this person? Would you know who he is?

Check out Brian Gluckstein here:



video by otimamediaproductions.ca



What if you WON this? Would you too skip back to your hotel singing "We Are the Champions"???

Badee Badee Badee....that's not all folks! I'll be back soon with those pics and links to all the fabulous sponsors we had at the event, show you the best sneak-attack photo I took of the night and tell you why I am in love with this woman.....from coco & kelley

Oh, and I'll tell you how I ditched the boys for all of it. Tata for now!

Check it out here for some pics to tide you over!

Whaz up?

I am always amazed that someone will nominate me for anything, let alone (given my ridiculous absence here) a Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks Kirby. Kirby and I are newly formed buds in blogland, she writes a mean blog herself called Kirb Appeal and I love her humour. Must be an Ontario thang :) I love blogging but sometimes the pace of my life precludes any consistent additions in this little space in the cyber-Universe. That being said…. I will jump right in and answer a few questions and happily accept my award!

So part of this dealio is answering a few questions posted by Kirby.....I know you're dying to know all this stuff so....


1. What was your favorite class in school?

English Literature. Hands down. I have loved reading and writing my whole life. Not that I am at all good at the latter, but I do try. Blogging is my outlet for that I guess. Mr. Kelley, my Grade 12 Lit teacher, told me I was “talented”. I hang onto that for dear life.


2. If you could have someone from "Top Chef" make your favorite meal (as opposed to someone like me, who would burn it), what would that meal include?

I’m a meat and potatoes gal. Happiest Dharma is full of steak, potato salad and corn on the cob.

3. Coffee or tea?

Coffee. Lots of coffee. Gallons of coffee. On Mondays. Be afraid. Even my boss makes a pot before I come into the office, he knows which side his bread is buttered on.

4. Do you like to read? If so, do you have a favorite book or author?

I love to read. Mostly, I read blogs and Facebook (I’m a troll…teehee). I do and have read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Kind of like 8 times in a row now waiting for the final book. I’m such an Outlander nerd I even have the Outlandish Companion book to refer to as a sort of Outlander encyclopedia. Geek.

5. What vacation spot would you visit again?

Dominican Republic. Greg and I vacayed there about 5 years ago and I loved the white sand beaches in Punta Cana. I am however looking forward to at some point in my family life to being able to leave my kids without a babysitter and 911 already speed dialed into the landline. Then it is off to Europe!

6. Is there any sports team you particularly care about? Or are you more of a 'figure skater' type?

I am by default a hockey wife. I know way more about hockey than I care to admit. That being said I am a Vancouver Canucks fan, again by default. It’s safer that way at my house.

7. Frozen yogurt or ice cream?

Ice Cream. Black Cherry. All the way.

8. Is there any television show you simply cannot miss?

I am soooooooooooooooooo looking forward to the return of the Game of Thrones series on HBO. Really, all things HBO float this chic’s boat. True Blood, Boardwalk Empire… it's all the guts, sex and drama. I never got over being a goth chic.

9. Who is your favorite "James Bond" actor?

There is no other Bond than Sean Connery. Over and out.

10. If you had a day when you are snowed in with absolutely no one else in the house and you can do whatever you like and you haven't lost your electricity, what would you do?

Turn up the hifi as loud as my neighbours could stand it, dance and karaoke in my living room for my dog’s benefit. In my gonch.

So as far as I understand it, I must nominate some other blogs that I admire and ask some questions for them to answer. Here goes:

1. Who do you wish you could be for one day? Alive preferably :)
2. Worst Valentines Day gift ever?
3. The Bachelor. Horribly fascinating or just horrible? Discuss.
4. Favourite smell?
5. Favourite cuss word?
6. When you reach the pearly gates, what would you like God (or your diety of choice) to say to you?
7. Dog or cat person?
8. Vocation? Job? Passion? Which of these describe where you go to make money?
9. Are you a first born, middle or baby in your family birthorder?
10. Where do you want to be 10 years from now? Literally?

I am sending this little award onto a few blogs that blow my skirt up on a regular basis...check these out, yo!

Sue at Beach Bungalow


Pam at Cherish Toronto



Kelly at Eclectically Vintage

As for Dharma, she will be attending the Canadian Design Bloggers meetup on Saturday, Jan 28th. Lots of pics and details to come. I will be hauling my manthings with me to Toronto to take in some sites and a meal. Have a great week everyone!!!

Moi

2011 Redux!

Everyone on every blog I've been looking over this past week is having some sort of *year in review*. Well, I cannot for the life of me come up with an entire year of events or projects that would make you want my life....but I do have a bit to share about what "blew my skirt up" this year in 2011!

Starting into 2011 I completed a few really cool projects on Greg and I's newly renovated master bedroom. Man, are we enjoying that space. Truly, knocking out a few walls and creating a haven for me and the big guy was a HUGE plus!

Going from this

To this!

I did manage to get to rub elbows with a few celebs....OK, one. But I had so much fun at the Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup in June and meeting Mr. Tommy Smythe was a highlight!

I finished a really cool project and redesigned my kitchen space to include a wholly new cabinet and buffet my neice and I toiled over during some of the hottest days of summer....

....and we did manage to put in a little something for the boys this year, thanks guys, you may now nominate your parents as *Mom and Dad of the Year*....considering we had over a month of 40 degree+ weather, I'd say we rock! Behold, the May to September bathtub at my place!

We threw a humdinger (does anyone say that anymore??) of a Halloween bash for the kids this year and then I got right into my new project....the one that has languished in my living area for months now. This has been stalled not because I am lazy (PERISH the though) but because I cannot seperate myself from my new toy long enough to get it fixed. The radio works so well, the sound is so lovely....you should come and dance in my livingroom. We do it nightly now :)

But I will have this refurbished and then watch out....painting will ensue.

I have made a resolution to not make any resolutions, so that takes care of that for 2012. I think I'll continue to roll along. Kind of like a boat on the sea, just catching the waves as they come. Being surprised and enjoying the high spots and avoiding the lows...

Happy New Year to you all, my lovelies....thanks for diving in at the Mermaid throughout 2011. Your comments and support throughout the year is why I keep swimming back here...don't forget to feed my fishies before you leave!

Turning the light on the Mermaids....

...or leaving a light on for Susi from Arcadian Lighting. A true "wannabe mermaid"! She's dropping in from points down south from my chilly Canadian burg, bringing you a guest post here in blogland that brings Mermaid-Inspired decor (featuring Arcadian Lighting's line) and other ideas to getcher mermaid selves out there.

Experimenting? I'm in....so take it away Susi!

Hi, I'm Susi a blogger for Arcadian Lighting, a great resource for ideas and inspiration for light fixtures and design inspiration. I love the Wannabe Mermaid blog and am excited to be a guest blogger here today. My post is about mermaid inspired interiors. I decided to focus on the mermaid's tail and those gorgeous fish scales. Enjoy!

How gorgeous is this wall of mermaid inspired fish scale tile? The colors are those of the sea. It's so perfect for a mermaid's bathroom.

This gorgeous fish scale wall is made with a stencil called Mermaid. How perfect! The gorgeous fish scale pattern could be custom colored to fit your décor. The blues in the wall color, bedding and glass lamps are beautifully reminiscent of the ocean.

Another version of the Mermaid stencil is done in black with a matte and gloss finish that shimmers like real fish scales. What a gorgeous pattern for a bedroom or powder room.

A fish scale pattern on an area rug makes for a wonderful graphic pattern for the floor. This pattern in blues and greens would look even more like a mermaid's tail.

Gorgeous shimmering fish scale walls in purple feel like a mermaid's tail. I love the purple mermaid wall in a foyer or in a mermaid inspired girl's bedroom.

I love the shimmering surface of the fish scale tiles in this shower. The soft sea inspired colors of blue and aqua have an iridescence that recall the mermaid's tail.

Shimmering gold scales look gorgeous in a frame. Imagine an entire wall covered in this cool DIY idea that uses layers of circles make the fish scales.

Like the gold fish scale art, this wall is a DIY project. For the mermaid look, paint the circles a range of blue, aqua, green and purple. Careful positioning of lighting fixtures accent this creative wall. It's gorgeous!

If you loved these mermaid inspired interiors and are craving more inspiration, check out Arcadian Lighting Blog. You'll find the best tips on bathroom lighting and more for your home. Who knows, you could even find inspiration to create a mermaid inspired room for your home too!

Image Credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Arcadian Lighting is the best source for lighting fixtures and accessories at discount prices. Arcadian Lighting has been in the lighting industry for over 15 years selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products.

Thanks Susi and Anna (my contact at Arcadian Lighting) for the fantastic post. I'm going to be looking all over my house now to see where this mermaid can hang her scales. I have yet to try and/or review one of their products....but I think I'll do that and let you know all about it. Shall I?

I Got This!

NO... really.

I'm working on getting the crazy HIFI revamped and have to send it on to visit "Bill" who will breathe new life into it for me....i.e. get the turntable working so that I don't electrocute myself with a non-grounded plug and old loose wiring. I am waffling seriously about painting it though. It is gorgeous fruitwood, maybe just a fabric updo?

It took me about 10 days to get my house back to semi-normal after the Halloween craziness but I am so pleased to report all the Stoutlets and their buddies had a marvellous time at the party and on Hallows Eve.

So, excuse my absences....I'm on it. I got this!!

Bobbing to the surface....

Has it been actual weeks since I've posted here? Gads, my life right now is like being inside a blender on the HIGH setting, except I'm not HIGH and that may be why I am not doing everything on the To-Do list with a sunny smile on my face :(

That being said, the Hubs and I are off this weekend for a much-needed weekend away at a local hotel. We have enlisted the Grammas' help and will have 2 glorious days of wild sex and couple-time. OK, OK....room service and bad daytime TV. :)

Anyway, if anyone is still reading this.....I will be coming back. I will be posting some of the glorious crap I've been up to and I promise to WOW you all. LOL

For now, picture this as me, coming up for air soon!

The view from here!

It is the winding down of summer. I can almost feel the backpacks trying
to bust their way out of the boy's closets. Greg will be getting back to work in 10 more days and the kids will start making their over-priced lists of Have-To-Have items for back to school.

For now, I'm gonna sit here and think about this past summer. The new pool, the Pudge and long cold drinks with friends under the gazebo. I've had a great time :)

For your viewing pleasure.....

I present to you the new IKEA catalogue. The lovely Madeleine - Public Relations Manager for IKEA Canada was kind enough to send me the widget for use on my blog. I know most of us have a love and/or "complicated" relationship with IKEA so enter at your own risk.

I am not responsible for your paycheque woes from here on in :)

I'm the Weiner!

Hey, if you haven't been over to visit my friend Carol-Anne at Use The Good Dishes, you should take a stroll on over there. Not only is the lady giving me a $100 gift card for Northern Reflections (fashion store here in Canada, eh) but she has some great advice on how to manage your OCD :), organizing and her complicated relationship with our mutual boyfirend IKEA....

Thanks Carol-Anne. I think you're right, I think we'd be friends outside of blogworld too. Just look at her freakin' living room. Can you say COLOUR? Aqua and green.....me thinks we would get along just fine.

New design!

I've been playing around with Blogger for a few days coming up with a new look for the ole' web blog. This mermaid gets bored pretty quick and I'm sure you too were pretty tired of looking at my cowboy hat :) So, I am trying a few things out, stick around. More than likely I'll be bored by the end of the day and it will change again. Here was another of my attempts at a header.

I'm still learning.