Me on TV, a Magazine and The Nest

Hello dear readers! Today, I want to share some exciting things that have been happening recently at Echoes of Laughter.

First up. Last week I was absolutely thrilled to make my very first TV appearance on CTV News at Noon here in Edmonton. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to pitch some ideas to Erin Isfeld, the news anchor for the program, a few weeks ago while I was at BlogWest.  The following week, I received an email from the producer, inviting me to come on the show to share some Easter crafts and recipes. I cannot tell you how happy I was!  If you would like to see my 4 minutes segment, go HERE and scroll down to where you see the video for "Easter crafts and decorating for kids".

Last week, I also had 2 of my ideas featured at Style At Home Magazine's website. My Easter Petit Fours and Easter Cookie Decorating Kit were featured in an online article there and my Easter Petit Fours picture was on the home page for the day. You can see it  HERE.

And awhile ago, I was asked to write a new blog on a large Canadian network called UrbanMoms. This new blog is called "The Nest" and I will be sharing ideas and inspiration there twice a week for the UrbanMoms community. I am super excited about this opportunity to share  ideas in  a new forum with a new audience. And guess what else? To kick off "The Nest" at UrbanMoms, the wonderful owners of Greenmunch donated an amazing prize worth over $150 of lovely party supplies for one lucky reader at UrbanMoms. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on my new blog HERE. {Canadians only.} And here is what you can win:

And as you might have noticed, I am now doing some sponsored post work for brands here at EOL. I will only be working with brands/products that I love and use in my own home. But I hope you understand that earning some income for Echoes of Laughter is a good thing for my family. I have been using family money to fund the projects here for years. So, it's nice to be at the point where EOL can now fund some projects on it's own, so that when I go shopping for craft supplies, recipe ingredients, paint or whatever, the blog can fund these things for me. And I love having the occasional giveaway to share with you!

I am so looking forward to Spring, despite the fore casted snow storm for tomorrow. I can't wait to get outside to spray paint some furniture.....and  I have lots of fun projects coming up which I can't wait to share with you all!


Thank you so much for visiting here at EOL. You are all AMAZING!


This post is linked to:
StoneGable, The 36th Avenue,

Style At Home's 3 Trends for Summer....

With the official start of summer not far away, I always feel a little antsy this time of year to freshen up my decor with things that give a clear nod to hot, sunshiny days and cool evening breezes.

Style At Home magazine contacted me to share their 3 trends for summer decor, so let's take a peek to see  what is fun for summer this season.

{All of the following images are from Style At Home}

1. Aegean Blue

I don't know about you, but I never tire of blue no matter what shade. Aegean blue in home decor this summer comes from runway fashion and is a beautiful colour to add to any space.  Blue is synonymous with summer...as it reflects our love of sea and water at this time of year.

2. Kilim
Taken from Turkish decor, kilims are wonderfully durable rugs and  are usually made of wool. Their bright colours can be a wonderful addition to a cottage, cabin or porch. Non-traditional uses can find them acting as a picnic blanket or folded on the end of a bed, but they lend a feel of relaxation and warmth.

3. Country Colours
The 'new' country colours are found in almost every home decor magazine lately. Gone are the bright hues that we associate with the term 'country' and 'in' are more muted tones that have a more natural and earthy appeal and make almost any interior shine with beautiful light. I don't know about you, but I am really craving some new wall colour in my home lately, particularly in my master bedroom, and I am having a look at Style At Home's new country colours in the  Beauti-Tone paint line.

Do you having any decorating plans for your home this summer?

Are you taking on any interior painting?

What has inspired you lately?

This post is linked to these great parties:

Six Sisters Stuff

Style at Home: Trends for Spring 2012

Can you believe that Spring has arrived already ?

I am trying to, but we got hit with a little more snow last night.

But my day was brightened with an email from Canada's Style at Home magazine....sharing their 3 top trends for Spring 2012 and inviting me to share their tips with my readers.
{Thank you Elaine!}
I am a long-time subscriber to Style At Home magazine and being able to work with them as a blogger is so fun!
{Just to let you know...I am not receiving any compensation for this post...I am writing it simply because I love Style At Home mag & home decor.}
***

 I am totally loving this Spring's trends.
 I want to share with you a few easy ways that you can incorporate them into your space.

The first Style at Home trend is FLORALS.

I have loved florals forever and a day and I am happy to see that I am right on trend!

There are so many ways that florals can be added into decor.....fresh flowers, wallpaper, plates, dishes and furniture.

Florals are available in so many fresh & inspiring colours....like the beautiful room below that graces the cover of the April 2012 issue of Style At Home.

{Source: Style At Home}

And although I adore the floral chairs in that gorgeous room, it's not within my budget this year to go out & purchase new chairs.

But I can add floral pillows to my living room sofa to keep the look interesting & fun.

Floral pillows are relatively easy to find in many colours and to fit any budget.

I made these pillows from Amy Butler fabrics....I love her collection!

***

The second Style At Home trend is COLOURED GLASS.

The trend this Spring is toward a palette of pale blues and earthy greens, along with translucent and milky shades of glass.

Interesting and sculptural shapes make for an eye-catching display.

{Source: Style At Home}

When I read about this trend, I got excited.

And then I got busy combing through my collection of glassware and creating this pretty vignette for Spring.

I happened to have assorted glass pieces in various shades of  greens and blues.

Most of my collection comes from the local Goodwill store and I didn't pay more than $2 for any one piece.

The pretty antique blue-green hobnailed vase in the centre belonged to my Grandmother and I adore it for it`s sentimentality.

It makes a nice addition to this vignette.

I filled in the rest of the grouping with clear glass pieces in different shapes.

I am sure if you checked around your home, you would find glass objects that would make a pretty picture as well.

***

The third Style At Home trend is: Orange.

I am sure that many of you who read design blogs and magazines know that Pantone`s Tangerine Tango was chosen as this year`s colour of the year.

And I will let you in on a little secret....I am not a fan of orange.

I never wear orange. I never buy orange home decor items.

I would never wear orange lipstick.

But I do admire orange in other spaces & places....I have a friend who wears orange all the time and she looks fantastic!

And I have seen orange in other people`s homes and I love it`s energy.

The pillows below are fabulous....I would love them on my sofa!

Source: Style At Home

So this morning I challenged myself to add a little orange to our living room.

I looked around for some orange books to use to create a little somethin' somethin'  for our living room coffee table.

And of course, the ORANGE books I found were design books!

And then when I went to the grocery store to pick up some lunch things for the kids, and I spied these orange tulips for just $3.99.

Perfect!

I brought them home and added them to my orange challenge!

And I have to say that I love it.

And it feels fantastic to step a teeny-tiny bit out of my comfort zone!

Just the pop of Spring freshness I was craving!

***

What do you think of Style At Home`s 3 trends for Spring?
What trend is  your favourite and will  you be adding any of these trends to your space for Spring?
Please do tell...inquiring minds want to know!


And be sure to pick up the fabulous new issue of Style At Home.

This post is linked to these terrific spring parties:

Featured at 'Style At Home' Magazine's website today...

I am being featured at Style At Home magazine's website today as part of their series on budget- friendly decorating ideas.

This is my third feature on their website.....the two others were Halloween decorating in October, and Christmas cookies in December.

With all the time I put into this hobby, it is just a teensy bit thrilling to be asked to contribute to this magazine.

You can see today's feature here.