I can’t believe it’s already been a whole year since I shared last Summer’s Hello Sunshine magazine. But it’s true, jeez. Well I’m extra excited to share this one with you because it doesn’t just live online this time around. You can view the newest issue of Hello Sunshine by Leon’s Furniture online, of course, but you can also get your dirty/well-manicured/nail-bitten/soft little hands on it this time around at any LCBO along with their Food & Drink mag. It’s funny how in this digital world we’re still most excited about seeing our work in print. 

For those that are new here, I work behind the scenes as Creative Director and a co-Editor of sorts behind the scenes to create a bi-annual magazine put out by Leon’s Furniture. We work with their amazing Hello Yellow blog crew to show you how Leon’s furniture can really be part of your family with lots of “real life” inspiration. 

As the magazine keeps growing (4th issue!) so does the travel budget. For this issue we got to travel across Canada including visiting Kristina in Edmonton and Virginia and her family in Nova Scotia to capture and share these bloggers’ incredible homes that they put so much love and effort into making comfortable and welcoming spaces that they can also be really proud of. 

What I love most about working on Hello Sunshine is the people. Of course. I’ve worked on lots of projects in my day and happy to say that I’ve met many great folks, both in front and behind the camera, but it’s rare that I really and truly get to know them. It’s a little creepy at times how much I know about the Hello Yellow bloggers. They all welcomed us into their homes to capture not only how they live but these moments that you usually don’t see that happen off-camera – the good, the bad, and the pre-nap time breakdowns. In Nova Scotia we actually stayed with Virginia’s Mom who made us a legit home cooked lobster dinner! East Coast charm and hospitality at its best. 

It was also great to work with and get to know the talented crew. It’s a small bunch so we usually get to know each other pretty well, pretty quickly. For this issue we worked with the talented photographer Scarlet O’Neill and the always amusing Wild & Light video crew to make sure we captured every moment. This crew always kept things interesting behind the scenes. We may have had a little fun off the clock as well. 

Ok, enough about behind the scenes, let’s talk about how much I love what made it into Hello Sunshine. What sets this magazine apart from other home decor publications or retail look books is that it’s 100% real. There’s no stylist and no one fills the space with items that don’t actually belong to the home owner. Every single space in this magazine is a real, functioning room in their home that happens to have some Leon’s Furniture in it. I love to see how each bloggers’ personal style is so different. It really shows the versatility and wide selection of furniture you can get at Leon’s. I bet there’s at least a few things in this magazine that you may even be pleasantly surprised are from Leon’s. 

(click on room to see full makeover) 

I really don’t like to play favourites because I think everyone did an amazing job and we would all be lucky to live in any of these spaces. But…….I kinda want to sneak over to Mercedes house when she’s not there and hang out in her She Shed. 

Also, in case you’re wondering who the unofficial star of  the magazine is, that’s Audrey – Bethany and Art’s adorable and sweet little girl. She can pull it all off – bed jumping, being a pilot, taming chickens and even holding down a vaccum as big as her. We’ll all be saying we knew her when…..

Something that is new this time around is the video element. Leon’s really wanted you to feel like part of the family, specifically some of the great families that are features in Hello Sunshine. The Wild & Light crew created a 4 episode web series to really take you right into the homes of these bloggers so you can get to know them as well as we do. Here’s a sneak peek that will get you hooked. And I swear these people and stories are as genuine as they appear. 

Grab a coffee, tea, or summer cocktail, find yourself a nice sunny corner inside or out and take your time flipping through and checking out these great spaces and the even better stories that go with them. I guarantee that there’s something for everyone and you’ll fall in love with at least one space. On that note, if you do happen to fall in love with a space I have good news for you because you may have the chance to win a makeover by the talented Hello Yellow blog crew. Check out the contest details here. Good luck!

And for more behind the scenes and sneak peeks that didn’t make it to the magazine, be sure to follow myself, Leon’s Furniture and the Hello Yellow blog crew on Instagram.