Blog Review: The Sweetest Digs

Photo by Gemma Bonham-Carter (copyright)
Courtesy of thesweetestdigs.com

Gemma Bonham-Carter and her husband Dan love do-it-yourself home renovations. This passion for home design led to the creation of the blog The Sweetest Digs, where you can get numerous tips on how to upgrade your home.  "In late 2009, after visiting over 20 houses and browsing countless real estate listings, we finally found our perfect fit: a 3-bed, 2-bath red brick bungalow with tons of potential," says the blog's bio. "Now we’re transforming that house from super boring to super sweet, one step at a time. Join us DIYers as we gather inspiration, renovate and decorate our home, all on a shoestring budget!

If you browse through the blog’s many posts, you will see dozens of examples on how to spruce up your house or apartment.  From making stenciled curtains, to building a narrow shelf, to assembling a farmhouse table, to installing tiles in your bathroom, to reupholstering chairs, to hanging fabric artwork on your walls, this site is a great resource for those who want to spruce up their digs.

Photo by Gemma Bonham-Carter
Courtesy of thesweetestdigs.com
(copyright)

You don't have to be Martha Stewart to implement these suggestions.  Like assembling Ikea furniture, the instructions on this blog are clear and to the point, so anybody can engage in these fun home renovations.  The design tips are also very inspiring, as they demonstrate how a little imagination can produce a fabulous look inside your home without costing you much (or in some cases any) money.

The blog also has a house tours section with photos of other homes, as well as before and after shots of Gemma's and Dan's pad, where you can see their creative work.  You can also access Gemma's etsy shop where she sells watercolours.  "Back when I was around 8 years old, my grandmother (Audrey) bought me my first set of watercolour paints," writes Gemma. "Ever since that first set of mine, I have loved dedicating time to this hobby."

You can follow Gemma on twitter, Facebook, pinterest and FeedBurner.  As well, congratulations are in order, as Gemma has announced that she and her husband are expecting a baby girl!

New Blogs: Fashion, Interior Design and Home Renovations

Ottawa is commonly mocked as a city with boring taste.  If you ask someone in Toronto or Montreal to describe fashion in the National Capital Region, chances are they may describe a wardrobe straight out of the Dilbert comic strip.  However, after spending a few days searching the Internet for local blogs dedicated to fashion and home interior design/renovations, I have discovered that Canada's capital city is overflowing with style.  Chronicling this creativity is a small army of bloggers who are writing about design, whether with clothes or homes, and then documenting their work in dozens of sites.  In the blogroll to the right I have added more than 40 blogs that cover fashion, interior design and home renovations.  In the coming weeks, I plan to review these blogs for future posts.