The Blog

Tomorrow is Blog Podium & I’m going.
Are you?

Since I’m new to the world of blogging I saw this as a perfect opportunity for a few things.

1) Meet some new friends & finally put some faces to names.

2) Take part in some workshops, like how to get noticed & how to take great pics (hopefully with my phone!)

3) Take home some great info on how to improve my blog & make it the best it can be.

4) Listen to the key note speaker, Sarah Richardson.

I have been watching Ms. Richardson since her Room Service days. 

One of the things I have always liked in Sarah’s designs is that she repurposes. 

Much like myself, Sarah is of the mind that, not everything has to be brand new & how a lick of paint and some amazing fabric can make something new again.

Here is a sprinkling of some of my favourite room created by Sarah & her team!

I’ll be back Monday with a re cap of my first Blog Podium experience, wish me luck!

Good Afternoon. 

I’m a few hours later than usual but, as the saying goes better late than never right!

I have added some new items to the shop. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have gotten a glimpse of the cosmetic bags that I have been working on.
I have so much remnant fabric, not large enough for cushions but too big to just toss in the garbage.

 I can up with he idea for cosmetic bags while I was looking for a cute one for my purse & was striking out.

Well here they are, 20 to be exact. 

These would make perfect stocking stuffers, hint hint!

I have also made a few new cushions. 

A little Clarke & Clarke velvet & linen action. This one is my fave!

Grey Mohair

Black Mohair

Since I’ve already mentioned Christmas twice this week, I thought it would be OK to add some stocking to the shop too!

I’ll be adding some more stockings over the next week weeks.

This book is going on my Christmas list! Yes I am going there!!!

I thought that it might be fun for the next 14 weeks for me to highlight an item that I am wishing for this Christmas from all different categories

#1~Book 

The same beach, Praia Piquinia & its bathers were photographed by Christian Chaize at different times of day over a period of 8 years.
It’s cool to see the changes. I love the vibrant colours & the crispness of each photo & how mother nature & the visitors to this beach change the landscape from one image to another.
I would cover an entire wall, floor to ceiling, in a hallway, with framed photos from this book all with white frames & matings.

Hello Monday!

Last week was an exciting one over at Project Maple Ave.
The kitchen has begun to go in & is looking so great! Cream millwork with a charcoal grey island. A few glass doors with a simple detail. The same granite will be on the main & island counters. The entire back & side walls will be accented with a simple herringbone marble tile.

It’s going to pretty & delicious if you ask me!

The basement & guest ensuite bathrooms received their millwork also. The pieces we chose were showroom displays, from the millworker that were perfect for each space. By selecting these pieces we were able to save some of the budget for other areas.

Well that’s it for now.

 This weeks mission for Project Maple Ave. is to get all of the decorative lighting without going over on the budget!

Leather 

Mustard

Merlot

Black

 Pops of Turquoise

Buckles

Mixing Metals

booties / leather jeggings / biker jacket / watch / nail polish
handbag / scarf

What’s on your fall hit list?

When I laid eyes on on Cameron Diaz’s Manahttan kitchen, 

designed by the uber amazing KW, my immediate reaction the this emerald gorgeousness was … LOVE IT!
Don’t even get me started on the solid brass countertop, sink & back splash!

So this got me thinking about “the colourful kitchen”. 

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Do you like a colourful kitchen?
And while were on the topic of kitchens, the kitchen for Project Maple Ave. is scheduled to begin it’s installation today. Yay!

Welcome to another week.

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Muskoka. Saturday was spent at a family friends annual lawn dart tourney, it was so much fun, but more on that tomorrow.

The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Home Sweepstakes are on right now & one of the many prizes is a lake front cottage in the Muskoka’s on Muldrew Lake. So on Sunday, before we started back home we decided to go & see the Muskoka Cottage Prize. To view the cottage click here.

Linwood Homes created this lovely & simple cottage. I enjoyed the kitchens white mill work, back splash & the black counter tops. The charcoal sofa, black & white striped chairs & the pair of hanging light fixtures in the great room were over sized & very inviting. Many hours could also be sent in the screened in porch for a morning coffee or entertaining.

I also had the opportunity a few weeks ago to visit the 7,500 sqaure foot Dream Home in Oakville that was designed by Brian Gluckstein. It was fab. Truly an entertaining home with large principal rooms finished in Brian’s signature livable & sophisticated neutrals, it was a winner in my books! I am definitely putting many of the great design elements I saw into my memory bank! The day I visited there ware a ton of people & it was literally impossible to take any of my own pictures to share, so click here to see this amazing home.

To purchase a ticket to possibly win the Cottage or Dream Home or any of the other amazing prizes click here & know that you are helping to support The Princess Margaret Cancer Hospital.

Have a wonderful Monday.

Hello.

It’s been a busy few days around here so there has been little time to do a post.

Here’s what happened this week.

1- The kiddies went back to school – insert happy dance here.

2- I had a few appointments for clients looking for window treatments.
With the first client I was inspired by this.

The second client involves lots of this organic looking Calvin Klein goodness.

3- The second client above is also getting a new kitchen & it is looking beyond amazing! I am in love.
Keep in mind that it is not complete, there are still quite a few things to do but I am so happy with the result so far.

3-I’ve been working my little fingers to the bone making some new items for the shop that involve these fabrics. They’ll be ready next week & are great little stocking stuffers – I can’t believe that I mentioned Christmas!

4- I tried hot yoga for the first time &  I thought that I was going to die! I wasn’t really sure if it was for me. Once I got home and took a cold shower & the next day I felt great so I did it again.

5- My Peru pillow was featured on Bryn Alexandra’s blog as one of her Esty favourites, Yay!

6- I learned to read the fine print, you should too!
I ordered some earrings for my self from a shop on Etsy, back on June 2nd & have yet to receive them, nothing crazy $40’ish. I made several inquiries to the seller about the seeming long delivery time, they were coming from the US & I live in Canada. I know it only takes about 2-3 weeks by mail, because I mail all of my orders & 90% of them go to the US.  & knock on wood, have never had a problem. So this week, after 3 months of waiting, I sent the seller another message stating that I still have not received my order & kindly asked for a refund.  As an Etsy shop / business owner owner I will do whatever I can to have a customer be happy, spread the word & keep coming back. Somethings as a business owner you have to “eat it”, it is apart of owning a business. Well to my shock & surprise the said shop owner told me NO, but she did let me know, her shop polices state that if they are lost in the mail, tough luck! She said I had the option to purchase insurance & tracking, but she was prepare to do nothing.
“Well _______ shop I will not be back again, which is dissaponting because I love your jewellery.”
Do you think I am asking too much?

Well on that happy note, how was your week? Any big plans for the weekend? The hubs has to work so the kids & I are going away for the weekend.

Good Morning Loves.
I hope you had a nice Labor Day weekend.

We spent the last few days of our summer vacation relaxing & geared up for the fist day of school.

Seriously where has the time gone. It feels like they were this little, like 30 seconds ago!

We finished up our back to school shopping on Saturday & came home with this stuff.

B’s
tights, Hello Kitty Dress / printed jeans, t-shirt, jean jacket
back pack / zebra shoes / kitty shoes

O’s
lego shoes / long sleeved shirt / skull sweatshirt & blue pants /
back pack, short sleeved shirt & ABC jeans /
jean jacket & jeans

How did you spend the last weekend of the summer?

See you back here tomorrow.

Last week I shared some of my thrifty finds makeovers befores & afters.

I have a few more…

These cubes that sit at the end of my bed were picked up from a garage sale, $10 for the pair. They were terrible, the fabric was all worn out, stained & there were sad little tassels hanging off each corner. I saw past all that & I liked the shape. Lots of button tuffting, gold velvet & some simple black stained feet & they are perfect!

Some cream paint, turquoise leather & polished nickel nailhead make these Hair Salon chairs amazing.

I scored these for $5 each at the Salvation Army. I loved the simple shape, low back and the rectangular seat. Black paint and one of my favourite abstract floral fabrics on the seat make them a perfect choice for my sewing room.

There is no before of this chair, but it was in rough shape. The wood & round shape of the legs continued up the arm and across the top and was all chipped. So I opted to spray paint  the legs in a platinum colour and upholster over the “bad wood” by using a linen with colourful velvet stripes from JJFabrics to give it personality.

My foyer bench came from Moveline and was in great shape but the fabric was terrible. The was painted black and the seat & piping were upholstered in this remnant stripe.  It also acts as the occasional time out bench!

We are enjoying the last few days of summer vacation with a trip to the CNE today & some family time. I will also be squeezing in some time to make a few new items for the shop.

Monday is a holiday north of the border, so I’ll be back Tuesday.