A Few of My Favourite Things!!!

Wow two posts in one day, don't get to use to this people. I'm a little late with with it this week but this is the first of a weekly post I will be doing on the blog.

If you didn't catch the movie reference in the title, it comes from my favourite movie The Sound of Music. This is my movie I watch when I'm happy, need a Julie Andrews fix, sick, or down and it always makes me feel better and cheers me up. Which is very strange considering it takes place in WWII.

My plan with these posts are to highlight things I have found on the internet or in general that I love, and talk a little bit about them. So without further ado here we go starting with sharing some blog love to my pal Nicole.

This is a blog created by the wonderful Nicole, who've I've known for over 5 years. We try to help motivate each other when it comes to blogging, and help each other out when it comes to figuring things on blogger. We met when we both worked on a construction site in Brampton that we were both assigned to by the same Temp Agency. Nicole actually met her now Husband Jason on this job, which was very cute to watch when they started dating.

Anyway lets talk about her blog. What I love about Nicole's blog is her writing style. Shes has a very funny dry humor that comes out in her writing and the stories she has through travelling are hilarious. She's what I like to call ballsy and doesn't mind speaking her mind, which I find refreshing.

She started hers shortly after I started this blog when it was Hoppipolla. She used it as a way to keep in touch with family and close friends as she travels all over North America with her husband who moves around for his job. Since redesigning my blog, Nicole was inspired to switch up her look. One of the most important things she changed was the fact that she changed her blog from private to public which means that now everyone can enjoy the wonderfulness. She is an avid reader and has a section devoted to books reviews and where you can purchase them. There is a section for Recipes and reviews that she has either created or found and tried out. Website section with products she loves and websites she visits, as well as a Daily Inspiration Section to help motivate you when you need it or just to help put a smile on your face.

As we've been helping each other out we've also shared our plans for our blogs long term and I'm so excited to see what she has in store for hers. Its always so great to have someone who's in the same place as you goal wise to keep you going when sometimes you don't want to. So check it out her blog here, and show her some love.

This is an adorable Etsy shop I found through Kate's Blog. Honestly check out her custom designed items. She makes everything from cosmetic cases, to knitting needle rolls, tote bags, gifts, and more. She can customize her items to fit your choice in either size or fabrics. I have a lot of her items on my wish list like a makeup bag and matching brush roll, craft bag rolls, crochet knitting and sewing kit rolled case, and maybe even a travelling bag of some sort. Ya when I like something I really go all out. And look at these fabrics!!!

Look at this amazing Makeup Case with the Limited Edition Fabric. I love how geeky chic this looks. She doesn't have a mustache fabric to nerdy glasses or the next way to go for me.

 The supply rolls can double as a craft supply holder, as you can see in this picture. Look at all the different pockets there are for all your crafty needs.

 And check out these Makeup Brush Rolls. OCD friendly and so organized. Great way to also keep your brushes cleaner longer.














The best part of these items is the fact that they are so well priced for the size and quality of the item. Also not that it matters but it kinda totally does, the owner is Canadian. High Five for Canadians. If you need a gift for a girl that's totally cute and a little different check out her Etsy store here.

And finally we come to the last thing on my favourite things list this week. These are all the novels written by Colleen Hoover, which I was recommended to read through my KOBO account. I've been all over these books the last month and a half. She has written two series so far the first being her Slammed Series and her second series which is the Hopeless Series with the second book coming out July 9th. (Don't read the spoilers people, just read the books.
Her Slammed Series was adorable and sometimes heart breaking to read as it brought back some emotions with real life situations that happened in my life. The relationship between the two main characters Will and Lake was adorable to read, and Colleen Hoover added perfect humor that had me laughing out loud. By far my favourite character was Kiersten who was this cute little 10 year old introduced in book two Point of Retreat. She had the best lines and created a new swear word Butterfly. Seriously if you want to know what I mean just pick them up and read them.
Her Hopeless Series I would say is more of an adult novel  as it deals with more hardcore issues but I actually found it to be my favourite out of all of her books. It was so well written and dealt with real issues in what I felt was a well done and respectful way. Don't even get me started on Holder's character cause honestly there aren't enough words to describe how amazing he is. If this were ever to be made into a movie I would just about do anything to be a part of it. Whether is was an extra in the back round which if you read my Meet Paula will know is a dream of me, or even portray Karen cause I loved her story and character. She was so brave and amazing and I think maybe a little under used.

I could literally go on and on about these stories but they are honestly just something you are gonna have to pick up and read yourself. I'm usually all for giving spoilers but this time I don't know I can't do it. I just want people to go out and purchase the books so they get even more popular. So in the words of Keirsten just butterflying do it already!!

Well look out for this weekly feature which will be on the blog every Wednesday from now on, and have an awesome weekend.

High Five For Friday or should I say High Four For Friday!

This week was me basically getting back into the swing of things after my Staycation at home with the Hubs. Unfortunately I've been super grumpy this week and not really in the mood to do to much so this H54F week is one HIGH short. As always with these posts I'm linking up with Lauren. 

If you follow my Instagram @pvaughan86 you will notice that on Sunday I went to Canada's Wonderland with Richard and our nephew and niece. My sister was awesome enough to make us a delicious packed lunch for the day which saved us a ton of money cause Wonderland tends to jack up their food prices like its nobody's business. Then to top it off  she made us dinner when we dropped the kids off, which is always appreciated as I dislike cooking. 

After Wonderland I came home and was in desperate need of a little ME time. This included a nice bath with my new bath salts, a glass of wine, and a new book. Well one glass of wine became four and a half glasses of wine and for a girl who can't hold her liquor that was probably two and a half glasses to many. 

So now we got into super tipsy on your way to full out drunk Paula. Which if I do say so myself can be quite a hoot! This ended with some very hilarious drunk texting to Richard who was only in the next room of the Condo, and finished off with a solo dance routine of me on the bed to Beyonce's Single Ladies. 

So I have a love for stationary. I don't know what it is but I've always loved buying journals with a pretty and girly design. I also have a crazy thing about Post-It Notes. I love the tropical colours selection they have then sometimes I will go crazy and get them in cool designs like star shapes or hearts or flowers. 

So this time I went all out for my blogging journal and bought new sticky notes and a journal and these really awesome sharpie fine tip pens, in eight count them EIGHT fun colours!! The best part about these pens is they don't bleed through your pages. If you've ever used Sharpies before you know that they have a nasty habit of bleeding through the pages and leaving blotching spots all over the next couple pages, but not these bad boys. Super excited to use them. 

And finally I got to watch Silver Linings Playbook with my cousin Michael. We have been planning on watching this movie together since it was in theaters but never got around to it. Then I found it at Costco on blue ray and bought it but it's been a couple of weeks for Mike and I to get together and sit down and actually watch it. We both enjoyed it as it and I can totally see why Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for Best Actress. I love Jennifer Lawrence but then again how can you not love her? The movie had a lot of WTF moments and laugh out loud moments. Bradley Cooper as always was great in it too. To be honest the whole cast was great, writing was well done and the story was lovely. I have the book but I have yet to read it. So I want to get started on that next. Maybe at the beginning of next week I will start on it. 

Richard and I are taking another vacation this weekend to Ottawa to see a Halloween Carnival. A week of vacation wasn't enough for us so we needed one more. I know its crazy for a Halloween themed carnival to be happening in June but there you have it. We are renting a hotel for the night and also rented a car for the drive up as I don't trust my car to make that long of a trip back and forth. From where we live its a four hour drive and I worry that Sookie (yep I named my car that) will break down in the middle of the trip. 

Also I start my 30 day squat and ab challenge Saturday so wish me luck, cause it's gonna be a beotch. 

Do any of you have anything special planned this weekend?

HIGH FIVE FOR FRIDAY!!!

Happy Friday!!! What a great week this has been. Richard and I both took the week off as vacation and with the long weekend because of Victoria Day on Monday its been super relaxing and loads of fun. I actually forgot what day it was yesterday thinking it was Saturday when it was actually Thursday. Richard and I have packed in a lot of day trips in and around the GTAA instead of going anywhere for a couple of days, and I'm actually glad we did it this way. I didn't get done as many things around the Condo as I wanted to but no worries, I can try and tackle those things again next week. 

Well it's been a while since I did one of these posts but I'm trying to start back up again, so here is my H54F and I'm linking up with Lauren over at Lauren Elizabeth. 

1. I celebrated my Birthday with my family a day early on Sunday. My sister Karen hosted a BBQ for me with a Bonfire at night including roasting marshmallows. It was so much fun and exactly what I wanted. Plus I got the BEST cake EVER!!! Look at how amazing that thing is. 

2. I celebrated my actual Birthday on May 20th, with Richard and our old roommate Janine in my second favourite place Niagara Falls. We did a lot of stuff on Clifton Hill including the Bird Sanctuary  Ripley's Believe It or Not, took in a Haunted House or two, and watched the fireworks over the falls. Not everyone can say they get to have fireworks on their birthday...but this chick does. *points to myself*

3. I headed back to the gym for the first time in over three weeks and the gym totally kicked my ass. My gym buddy and I have decided to start a 30 day squat and ab challenge, but are going to wait until June 1st to get our bodies back into the habit of going to the gym 3-4 times a week again. 

4. Richard and I took in the Toronto Science Center on Wednesday and it made me feel like a kid again. 

5. Last Saturday a bunch of us went and saw the new Star Trek movie which we all thought was fantastic. So much pretty was on the big screen at once, the movie nerd in me was having a heart attack. 

How was your week? Do anything fun and interesting?

Chalkboard Frames Tutorials

I'm currently a member of my work's Social Committee. I love to be a member because we usually get about  two events to plan for the year. This year we have decided to host a Breakfast Event, and as soon as I heard breakfast '50's Diner' came into my head. Once I said that to the other three members the theme exploded and we decided to run with it. Especially one member who like me loves the 50's.  I had 6 frames at home that I've been wanting to change into chalkboard frames for the Condo. I think these are great for photobooths but also to write food items on for house parties. We will be using them for the  Breakfast Event  for labeling different food items.   So here is a tutorial for how to make these incredibly easy decorative frames. 

 Items You Will Need:

Paint for the Frames- I had some white Valspar Paint that I used for this project that I bought at Lowes. Because the frames I had lying around were brown I decided to go with a white paint on the frame to help make the black chalkboard paint pop. I bought the frames at the dollar store months ago but you can always choose a frame that you don't have to paint.

Chalkboard Paint- I went to Lowes and picked up the Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint. They also have it in a Spray Can form which
is great if you're only using this for small projects. I bought the 1/4 can because there are a few projects I want to use this for.

Frames- As I mentioned above I picked these up at the dollar store. I got about 6 of them.

Paintbrushes- I got mine at Michael's, but you can also get these at the dollar store.

Step One:
Take all your frames apart and clean them up. I always like to give everything a quick wipe down so no dirt or dust gets in the paint.

Step Two:
I covered the glass of the frames in 3 layers of chalkboard paint, making sure to let each layer dry before applying the next coat.

I then covered the frames in 2 layers of the white paint, also making sure to let each layer dry.

Step Three:
And that's pretty much it. Once everything was dry I just reassembled and ta-da. All done.

Like I said a super easy DIY with lots of uses. I hope you found this useful and don't forget to check out some of my other tutorials on this blog.

Honest to Blog- Happy Mothers Day!

I know that this blog is now about my new passions so I wanted to write about something I am passionate about. 

Mothers Day is always a hard day for me. A reminder that I lack what others celebrate. My Mum passed away just over 6 1/2 years ago, and not a day goes by when I don't think about her, or others I have lost. My mother was a wonderful woman. She loved her children with all her heart. Was proud of us when we accomplished goals, disappointed when we did stupid crap, and when we really pissed her off got in the car and drove away for a couple hours. But she would always return and usually with a trunk full of stuff she bought while angry.  

My mother was by no means a saint, even though sometimes I make it sound like she was. I was a child who feared my mother and tended to keep many things from her. I hated to disappoint her and some of the things I enjoy in life are not things she would have wanted her daughter to have an interest in, or be involved in. As a teenager I would lie about my whereabouts in order to be with friends she had forbidden me to hang out with. I rebelled in my own way and tried things I knew she would hate, all the while hoping she would find out just so I could feel like a bad ass, but also secretly hoping she would never find out, so I would never have to see the disappointment in her eyes. In her last years, she and I became close and while some of those memories are filled with hospital visit and tears they are memories I cherish and I'm glad I have them. 

On Mothers Day I always start to think about how I wish she could have seen the things I've accomplished and hope she could see the woman I've become. I met Richard 3 months after she died, and I wish she could have met the man who makes me happy and feel loved every day. I wish she could have been there the day I bought my first car, even though it was a shitbox that broke constantly. I wish she could have seen me rent my first apartment, and then celebrated with me during my engagement and wedding, and congratulated me when I became a first time home owner.

A year and a half ago I married Richard and during the reception his mother came up to me and said that from now on I was to call her Mum. After 5 years of not being able to say that to a person she gave me that gift, and for that I am so happy that I get to celebrate Mothers Day with her. 

Today is a day to celebrate the women in the world who are Mothers, but not only them. It's a day to celebrate the women who one day want to be Mothers. The women who can't be Mothers and adopt those children who need them. The Step Moms who care for their husbands children as if they were their own. For the thousands of women who have to go through IVF or surrogacy to become Mothers. For the Mothers who allow their Daughters or Son in law to call them Mum because they don't have one. Its a day for women like me who choose not to have children because we know it's not something we want or need in our lives. Its a day to be extra nice to those women in our lives that make days like this a little less hard for people who feel like they lack something on Mothers Day. 

To all those women out there I say Happy Mothers Day! I hope your loved ones spoil you rotten, and you have a large glass of wine or a tall glass beer for all the wonderful things you do. 

Have a great day Ladies. 

Meet the new Blog: paula vaughan

Hey there!  So here she is my new and improved blog. 
Thank you to Aubrey over at The Kitch Life for her wonderful Blog Design. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog, whether it's on purpose or by accident. While you're here checking things out, here are some fun facts about this blog and the crazy mastermind behind it...ME!

Honest to Blog!

I started this blog back in 2012 when it was called Hoppipolla after my favourite song. After a year of blogging about just random stuff, my wonderful hubby told me 
"Paula stop writing about things that happen and start showing off your passions and skills". 

So with that said I decided to revamp my blog into:

(original I know) 

What will you now find on this blog you ask?

1. How I use my passion and interest in Interior Design to make mine and my husbands Condo from a drab white walled place with grandma floral border from the 80's into, a Beautiful Home with a splash of NERD to really make it ours. 

2. A place where I can show off my amateur photography skills which I am very proud of with the hopes that other people will like it too. 

3. Show off my mad crafty side with How-To-Tutorials, of things I come up with for the home or other places. 

Who is Paula Vaughan?

Well part of me is still trying to figure that out but here is what I do know:

-I am a 26 year old living in Ontario, Canada with my Husband Richard of one and a half years, but he has been my partner in crime for over six years. 

- I am a dress lover, and could live everyday in dresses and skirts. I am a big fan of 1930-1950 fashion, I was clearly born in the wrong decade. 

-I am an adrenaline junkie and hope to cross off all the crazy crap I have on my Bucket List one day. 

- I have a healthy obsession with all things Harry Potter both books and movies. As well as a not so healthy obsession with mustaches. I can not tell you how many trinkets I have from both obsessions.  Do not be surprised if you see them splashed around this blog. 

- I am a Halloween Haunt Enthusiast which is a MAJOR passion for Richard and I. We will spend most weekends in October travelling around looking for professional haunts as well as amateur ones. Richard and I both one day hope to have one of our very own. 

-I am a huge Movie Geek, owning 100's of movies, and not those ones you buy that are burned at a flee market for $5. I'm also not one of those people who are like "Oh I have thousands of movies I downloaded for free on my hard drive, and haven't watched them yet." Oh no I am talking DVD's that I have purchased at full price, that are all in my living room for me to covet and drool over. 

I love watching everything from Black and White Classics, to Musicals (both vintage and new), to Comedies (both romantic and crude), Dramas, Documentaries, Drive In Classics, all the way to my favourite genre Horror. I dream of one day being an extra (not an actress) in a movie where I can tell people "See that blonde chick that is blurry in the background? That's totally me I swear!"

-I am the proud owner of two of my three favourite animals. A turtle named Squirt and a kitty named Kessi. I'm still holding out on a penguin named Mubble, though I do have a stuffed one that Richard gave me when my tonsils were taken out back in 2011. 

-I love spending time with my family both related by blood and marriage, as well as being around friends and laughing and enjoying the crazy stuff life throws at you. 

I hope you stick around and see what I have in store for this blog and don't be afraid to contact me with questions or just to say Hi!

BIG CHANGES!!!

I am making some big changes to this blog!

Richard has inspired me to go after some of my dreams, and since his advice is usually right I decided to listen to him. Hopefully this will be the start of something new and fun for me!

New Name! New Theme! New Look! 

Can't wait to get started, so keep a lookout for it.