I have been planning on doing a little refreshing of my bedroom for some time now. Though these plans may not come into fruition for a couple of months (I may be moving if I get some good news at work!) I thought I would share some of the pieces that have inspired the new design.

It started out with a simple colour palette. I've always loved the colour teal, instead of going the more extreme route that I did in university by putting the colour all over the walls, I decided to feature it as an accent instead. Going neutral with the walls will allow for a lot more customization in the future if I feel like changing things around.

I've always loved the idea of a feature wall, but after the sticker shock of wallpaper, I looked into more of a DIY route. Time consuming yes, but the end result looks fantastic. I'm thinking of doing the pattern in a clear gloss or metallic finish instead of a contrasting colour to give the wall some dimension. Mirrors are a beautiful way to decorate, but why put to waste the ones I already have. Since I won't be buying any furniture, changing the knobs is a quick and easy way to freshen things up. My work space also has to fit within my bedroom which means that it can look a little cramped. A ghost chair may help solve that problem. Finally, to bring back a bit of interest and colour, pastel and metallic accents.

Looking for any of the tutorials or photos that inspired me? You can find them all in my Bedroom Refresh board on Pinterest.

No doubt 2013 year was the year of the blog for me. Not only did I start this little gem you are perusing right now, I started becoming seriously dedicated to reading my favourite blogs. Bloglovin' has a lot to do with that, since it's an easy one stop show for me to read what's new in the life of my favourite bloggers. I follow almost 70 blogs now, but it is these blogs that I have looked forward to hearing the most from this year.

If you are into beauty, this is your girl. Cara does great Makeover Mondays showing how much makeup really can transform your look and liven up your confidence. She's super real and down to earth when she shares bits and pieces from her personal life, and she has the cutest little family.

I may not be organized in real life, but boy do I love drooling over the pretty organization that Jen does on this site. Every time I read a new post it gives me the energy to try and tackle something and whip it into shape. If you need some of that in your life, get on it.


Nadine not only has massively cute dog Archie but she's funny to boot. She has so many insightful posts that I can relate to, and her blogging tips have really helped me navigate these new waters this year.

Kelly has the most gorgeous decor, DIYs, and seriously hilarious posts. She really inspired me to start my bedroom redesign, which I'll be sharing a little bit more in a future post! I love that she gets things done without taking herself to seriously.






Dana is a fellow Ontario native who shares my affinity with design and creativity. Her blog is stunning to look at and she has posted some of the most helpful tutorials on blog design I've read for those of you who are not as comfortable with dealing with code. She recently started a spin off site completely dedicated to web design which I have also been loving.

And there you have it folks! That wraps up my seven day posting spree celebrating and sayonaraing 2013. If you have stayed with me during this series I hope it was to your reading pleasure, and be sure to let me know what you would like to see from me in 2014!

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Welcome back to The Hit List, where I am summing up my top five favourites in a multitude of categories. I have already gone through my winners for Beauty Standouts of the year, so today we'll be tackling the the worlds of skincare and haircare.

I'm sure if you asked my boyfriend he would agree that I have way too many items in these two categories, but unlike a lot of beauty products skin and hair products can vary massively on different people. To give you an idea if these might possibly work for you lets take a second to talk about me shall we?

I have combination/oily skin that is prone to breakouts, and because of it's generally ghostly pallor is also prone to redness and hyper-pigmentation. My hair is naturally curly, fine but I have a lot of it, highlighted every few months, and generally dry and limp. And there you have it, so let's jump right in.

Garnier Refershing Gel-Cream. I've already spouted the virtues of this moisturizer here. It's what I've used on my daily face for at least two years now.
Kirkland Facial Wipes. Again, a product that I have talked about previously, these wipes are cheap and cheerful and get the job done. Coming in packs of 150 wipes, you really can't go wrong.
Philosophy Purity Cleanser. I finally caved and bought a sample of this in October or November, and sadly for my wallet, this cleanser really is worth the hype. It's gentle but removes makeup and makes me feel soft as a baby's bottom. Now if only it didn't come with a nearly $25 price tag attached, it would be just perfect.
Life Brand Tea Tree Oil. I've tried so many spot treatments it borders on ridiculous. I don't get too many spots now that I'm out of that awkward high school/college phase, but I am prone to hormonal breakouts and they just drive me crazy. This oil has been the only thing that I've seen a dramatic difference with this year. It's curious though, I bought another brand of 100% Tea Tree Oil when I was on vacation this summer and it didn't seem to work out for me. Strange right?
Skindinavia No More Shine Makeup Finish. You may disagree in the categorization of skin care for this one, but I rarely use it to actually set my makeup. I use this mostly as a pre-makeup spray. It helps control oil from the source, and it works great.

Batiste Dry Shampoo for Light/Blonde Hair. My favourite dry shampoo ever I discovered this year, and I think I've tried almost all the varieties out there. This baby is a quadruple threat for me. It smells divine, a slightly sweet vanilla-ish scent that isn't too overpowering, it works fantastically at absorbing oil, gives me some volume, which trust me I need, AND helps hide unsightly root growth. It looks a little scary coming out of the can, but blended in it adds just the right amount of lightness to let me get away with a few more weeks before I hit the salon in the winter when my natural hair darkens up. A+++
L'Oreal Studio Silk&Gloss Hot Straight Smoothing Cream. I have used this stuff consistently since I was in high school. It is one product that for me, does everything it claims: protects from heat, smoothes the hair, and stops frizz. I'm not kidding. I have been in the rain and this stuff still keeps my hair straight. I sometimes use it even if I'm not straightening my hair because it makes my curls less frizzy.
Samy Fat Hair "0" Calorie Mousse. I discovered this product this year, and it has become a staple any time I'm going to be blow drying my hair. It gives me tons of beautiful volume without feeling crunchy or sticky. Air drying with this doesn't work as well, but for nights out this is my hair bff.
Tangle Teezer/Tangle Tamer Max. I only photographed the Tangle Teezer, but I also have the Sally's brand Tangle Tamer and I don't really see too much headway of one over the other. I was so skeptical of this, and the first time I tried it I wasn't really impressed, but going back to a regular paddle brush afterwards felt like torture. Don't be fooled, this doesn't just magically glide through your hair, but it does make getting the tangles out a little less painful, and I'm good with that.
Alterna Bamboo Kendi Oil. This is a never ending hair oil. I swear, I've had it for almost two years now and I'm barely past halfway through, and I use it regularly. I'm not sure how much "mending" it actually does, but I find it helps make my tangley hair more manageble to brush out, and makes it feel soft once it's dried. I use it on wet and dry hair and neither makes me feel like I need to get right back into the shower. Really lovely product.

And that wraps up today's episode of The Hit List 2013! I'll be back tomorrow with some of the more random things that tickled my fancy this past year tomorrow.

Cheers!