The Great Purge of 2013 – Closet Envy

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Well I finally did it! I painstakingly went through my closet & tried on every piece of clothing in it.  Many of the pieces I have not worn in years and other had only been put on my body once or twice, so I knew right off the bat they were going. Others I had to think about, but in the end I showed no mercy. I was on a mission. Like all of us I fell into the “That will fit me again” or “I paid a lot for that, I’ll just hang onto it” mindset & that’s how I ended up with this mess!

After a few hours this is how it all look now.

All of this will be going to consignment. Maybe I can recoup a bit to put towards a few new staple pieces…or shoes!

I did my best, considering the sloped ceiling in the closet but I do have dreams of one day having a walk in closet. Here are some at the top of my list.



1/4/5 – images are unknown via Pinterest

When is the last time you did a purge? & do you have a case of closet envy too?

holliecooperinteriorsThe Great Purge of 2013 – Closet Envy

25 Things You don’t Know About Me # 9 – Erica Cook of Moth Design

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Good Morning, it’s Tuesday so that means it’s time to learn some more random facts about some of our favourite bloggers.

Erica is one of the kindest & most thoughtful people, that I have never met. Check out #17 on her list, telling how she came up with the name of her business, that pretty much says it all! I can only imagine this talented, mother of 5 to be even more amazing in person. Speaking of talented, if you have not already seen her feature in the latest edition of Rue click here.

Take it away Erica

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1. There’s nothing I relish more than the idea of a great movie night with popcorn. However, I absolutely cannot eat popcorn. I hate the way it feels in my teeth. 

2. I have 3 tattoos. It’s been difficult to keep it to 3. 

3. I’m an only child that ended up having 5 boys. Now I seriously contemplate a foster child/children. When my Nana passed away in January I learned that she had profoundly changed the life of a foster child.This woman credited my Nana for her success and for having had the experience of feeling loved and part of a family for the first time in her life. I think it’s a pretty amazing gift to give someone if you can. 

4. I love wearing matching undergarments (does that sound weirdly proper?). It’s an indulgence that just makes me happy.

5. Bedtime ritual, I almost always dab a drop of perfume behind my ears. 

6. I am seriously kind of phobic about fitting rooms and bare feet. I panic that I’ll get a wart. It means I often refuse to try things on in store. 

7. I should follow #6 up with the fact that the cause for concern is my issue with socks. I don’t like to wear them and therefore almost always have bare feet. It does always mean justification for regular pedicures. Not so bad. 

8. Revlon Fire and Ice lipstick has become my signature shade. 

9. I abstained from profanity of any kind in front of my boys for several years. I wanted to always be the best example I could be. I went away on a girls weekend and my self imposed censorship became a case of full out curse mouth syndrome. Now I’m back to swear restriction, but it’s much harder. 

10. I had my first peanut butter and jam sandwich at the ripe age of 30. Yeah, I know that’s strange. I liked pb & j so much that I ate it on whole wheat english muffins daily for about 3 months after that. Until, as imagined, pb & j wore out it’s welcome for a little bit. Now I’m back to loving in moderation.    

11. I love music and am always on the lookout for something new to listen to obsessively. 

12. This reminds me, I like to drive really fast with my music loud. Considering safety I settle for the music when the boys aren’t in the car. 

13. If it were up to me I’d eat italian and mexican pretty much every other day.

14. My boys and I have been vegetarian for over 12 years. 

15. My Dad tells the story that at age 3 I walked up to a complete stranger, admired her infant son and told her that I would one day have 5 boys. How did I know?

16. I absolutely treasure my art collection. I am constantly keeping my eyes out for art that speaks to me and now I’ve run out of wall space. 

17. There are secret meanings in almost everything I do. For instance the Moth in Moth Design actually stands for Making Others Truly Happy. No one really knew that but it worked for me. I often buy things with fives in them… it’s symbolic of 5 boys. 

18. I sing almost every day. My range is a whole octave higher than it was a few years ago. 

19. I am extremely laid back and always have been to the point that people often mistake it for complacency. It’s not, I’m just content and not easily rattled. 

20. When I was 10, I was swept away in a river current at a day camp with a friend and almost drowned. I can still remember seeing the bubbles above me but not being able to get to the surface. A brave 12 year old boy, named Kevin, ran along the shore through the brush and stretched out a branch when we bobbed up and saved us. To this day I still think of that amazing boy and wish I could thank him. 

21. When my third boy, Riley, was 10 days old he became critically ill and was in intensive care and on support for 10 days. It was a harrowing time. The only thing I could do for him, being hooked up to so many things, was to whisper in his ear. I recited Winken, Blinken and Nod repeatedly because it was the only thing I knew by heart. Now when I travel I always look for Winken, Blinken and Nod books but they’re very difficult to find. So back to #s 2 and 17- this is why I have a moon and 5 stars on the inside of my left wrist, closest to my heart. 

22. I’ve kind of had a school of hard knocks life at times. I’ve lost relationships with people. There have been lots of deaths, tragedies, accidents and illnesses. Of course these things aren’t pleasant but the greatest positive outcome has been the degree to which I appreciate life and the people in our lives. I am loyal to a fault. I find negative people disheartening and am very guarded with whom I let in. 

23. I have a freaky high pain tolerance. Its a hinderance because I always leave things too long. On the bright side it meant I had 4 out of 5 babies with no epidural. 

24. I love to travel and almost always take just carry on regardless of the length of the trip.

25. My favourite flowers are white freesias and white lilies, ranunculus and anemones. 

This was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Thanks so much for having me on the Pink Zipper blog Hollie! xoxo

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What did I tell you? Erica did not disappoint. If you don’t already follow Erica on Instagram you should, she was just named Instagram maven by Standard Issue too!

Have a wonderful day!


holliecooperinteriors25 Things You don’t Know About Me # 9 – Erica Cook of Moth Design

Short Cuts

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Long before Beyonce chopped off her tresses, I have loved the look of a super short cut on a woman, it accentuates facial features, shows off the jawline & beautiful neck. I tell ya’ if I thought that I could get away with it I would cut all my hair off. To me it’s super sexy & to me these ladies rock it!

Tell me do you like a short cut?

holliecooperinteriorsShort Cuts

Popham Designs

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While indulging in the September issue of Elle Decor I read an article about   
Popham Designs, a husband & wife team that designs & creates handmade cement tiles in Marrakech.
Here is their home.

I love the use of colour texture & pattern.

Trust me when I tell you, these tiles are just the tip of the iceberg! Click here to see more from Popham Designs.

Have an awesome week end friends!

holliecooperinteriorsPopham Designs

Project Maple Ave – Bathroom Finishes

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Good Morning. I can’t believe that it’s already Thursday!
Yesterday we finalized all of the tile selections for the bathrooms for Project Maple Ave. 
The more I see this house the more I would love to make it my home. A centre hall plan, a charcoal / brown oak stained floor, beefed up wood trim, 9 foot ceilings, a white kitchen with black island and lots of marble. Not to mention the 2 laundry rooms 1 on the second floor & the large laundry / craft / sewing room in the basement, 4 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms. The list goes on & on.
Heres what we chose for the bathrooms.

 Here are some quick pics I took of the house so far.

Stairway & the Inspiration

Kitchen & the inspiration

Great Room

Things are moving along quickly now, so I will have more progress updates on a regular basis from here on out.

Later.

holliecooperinteriorsProject Maple Ave – Bathroom Finishes

The Sofa Of My Dreams

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While I was going through my daily scan on Pinterest I saw this is & almost fainted.
This piece of heaven is from Furbish, I quickly went to have a closer look & it’s not in their website so it must be just an in store item. Oh how I would love something like this.

So it got me thinking about a DIY project.

I can whip up some of my intertwine on a creamy white outdoor canvas (for durability) & replace the current bench in the mud room – Yes I can see my husband rolling his eyes yet again at my idea!
We currently have one of these mass produced inexpensive fake dark brown leather things & I think walking into the house after a long day and seeing something beautiful would be oh so nice.

With all that being said, the hunt is now on for a settee that’s looking for a new home. Here are some of my finds on Craigslist & Kijiji.

The size of these 2 above are perfect, but $600 each – not happening!

I love all of the above, but too big and $$$

This settee is perfect, but I don’t need the chairs & the set can’t be broken – boo!
I think this is the one & only 200 bones. 
We’ll remove the button tuffting on the back and add a loose & fluffy down filled seat cushion & add some fun throw pillows.
There are a few small & minor other things to figure out in the mudroom, but I like how my plan is coming along & will be sure to share it with you once I’ve got it nailed down.
Well I’m off to select all of the flooring & tile for Project Maple Ave. So I’ll share all of that with you tomorrow.
Have a great day!
holliecooperinteriorsThe Sofa Of My Dreams

Happy Tuesday

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There was a slight hiccup with today’s “25 Things” guest post, but it will be back next week & I have some great guests lined up. They will not disappoint! 
So for today I will leave you with this…
See ya later alligators & go check out the new shop !
holliecooperinteriorsHappy Tuesday

Lusting Over Leopard

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While I was out yesterday these little shooties caught my eye and I couldn’t just leave them!
So, these babies got me thinking about my love of all thing leopard, it goes back a long time. When we built our home 9 years ago I used this Liz Claiborne action on our stairs.

I would show you more of the stair case but, it requires a post unto it’s self! I’ve got design / updating thoughts about our staircase on the brain. I’m sure if my husband is reading this he is rolling his eyes.

To me leopard is a neutral, put it anywhere, with anything & voila, it just works!

And most definitely in fashion.

Jacket
Dress
Bathing Suit
Sunnies
Shoes
Clutch

Those brass dining chairs & the leopard rug with the fuchsia sofas are killing me!

Do you love leopard too!

It’s a long weekend here, north of the border, so I’ll see you Tuesday with another edition of
“25 Things You Don’t Know About….”. I’m not going to tell, you’ll just have to come back and see who it is!

holliecooperinteriorsLusting Over Leopard

PIllotopia Is Now OPen

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Today is the day, Pillotopia is back & open for business.

Most pillows have the main fabric on both the front & back, to me that’s how these pillows should be.
Every item will be made to order & customizable. Add piping if you like or request a different size.

I’m also offering this up buy the yard in the fabric & colour of you choice. You can also have this fabric made in to drapery, just send me your measurement & I’ll take care of the rest.

So what do you think of the new fabrics?

holliecooperinteriorsPIllotopia Is Now OPen