The Blog

 I am not the camping, outdoorsy hiking type of gal, but I do like being outside, breathing in the fresh air and having the sun on my face. 

With beautiful weather upon us I can’t wait to start enjoying meals outside on our back deck &
I wouldn’t turn my nose up to any of these beautiful places either.

Do you enjoy dining outdoors too?

See you tomorrow with the reveal of Operation Sewing Room.

Hollie xo

I was looking at my Instagram yesterday and I came across this pic from Fox & Tribe. 
Fox & Tribe is a newer blog, just like this one, so show some love, link over and have a read. 

I likey a lot, they’re wall decals & that I like even more.
FYI – I detest painting like a sickness, unless it is painting fabric or is spray coming out of a can!

 So, it got me thinking about metallic wall treatments.
I will admit a focal walls are not my favourite but in some instances, it just work especially when they are as unique as what’s below.

So began my quest.

Intertwine hand painted metallic on silk

How about some metallic tape?

To create some stripes?

How do you like metallic wall treatments?

Have a great day.

Hollie xo

I hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was very nice.

While in the midst of taking things down to the new sewing room, I set up what I could for the family room. I found myself doing a complete re-arrangment / accessorizing & simplifying of the living room too.
I didn’t purchase anything new for the living room, I simply moved things around from other areas of the house.
 Funny how it all snowballs – I’m so happy with how it’s turned out!

On Saturday B, O & I ventured to our local IKEA, they played at the kids area and I got this sofa for the family room.  

 I gave myself a strict budget and after this purchase, I have to think wisely on how I am going to use the rest of the money.

To refresh you memory, this is my plan for the room.

On Sunday my Mom hosted a baby shower for her friends daughter, and I made up 20 of these.

A cupcake rattle, all boxed up with a pink bow and cute bunny tag for each guest to take away.

I know I said the reveal on Operation Sewing Room would be today, but 2 more things need to happen, so later this week, I promise.

I hope you have a great day!
See you tomorrow.

Hollie xo

This is the debut of a new series that will run for the next 4 Fridays.

After working for a number of years as a Custom Window Treatment Specialist, I have seen it all.
Let me just start by saying flags, tin foil, newspaper & blankets with wolves howling at the moon
do not constitute as a window treatment, EVER!

I believe that drapery can make or break a room. Just as much attention need to be paid to the windows as the art and furniture that are going into a space. Often times the windows coverings are an after thought and by then, there is no money left in the budget for them to have the attention they deserve.

In this series I will address the constant question of, how to calculate yardage, solid or pattern fabric & what style of treatment. 

Also, how to deal with “tricky” windows, & the off the shelf drapery VS custom debate.

The things to consider are:

This is what I feel, an easy decision to make.
Do you want the window treatment to stand out or to almost disappear so you see what is beyond?
If you want to simply frame the window and highlight what is beyond, like a beautiful garden, then select something that is similar in colour to the wall but with some added texture.
By opting for a fabric in a bold colour or pattern, this will draw attention to the drapery.
 I love a colourful or patterned fabric.  I have chosen to use 3 different silk fabrics and created a wide vertical stripes in my living room, and in other areas I have added embellishments to more subtle fabrics. In general I love mixing fabrics, colours, patterns you name it!

Subtle fabric choice similar to the wall colour

This definitely a bold and exciting selection of fabric.

 Lining is important.
Lining not only gives protection, it also gives your main fabric the extra body that it requires, especially if they are drapery panels. Silk fabric most definitely needs to be interlined in conjunction with the outer lining. Depending on the room and the use of the treatment an out-black lining may be required to keep the light out. Having you drapery lined will also keep the exterior of your home consistent so all of the windows will show white / ivory to the outside.

The example of the left shows a combination of lining and interlining and the right is a standard lining.

Custom is just that. Custom made to the specifications of your windows, in the fabric & style that you selected, with the correct lining, you can choose you pleat / heading & added embellishments if you so desire.
I will break the myth here – Custom does not automatically mean having to BREAK THE BANK.
If your budget is realistic and you let your specialist know up front, it is most certainly possible.
Now, you might not be able to have the super expensive fabric as the drapery but perhaps a chair can be upholstered in it or cushions made.

Off The Shelf drapery are available almost anywhere now & I have to admit the selection is pretty good. I find the fabric selections to be more focused on the solids, because that is what the majority of consumers are after, and frankly they are easier to sell. Many times they are lined & silks are interlined. Sometimes different length are also available. They are sold by the panel (50″-54″w) and if you require more than one panel per side or they need hemming then you will have to have them joined, and once you add all this up, it can become pricey.

I have both in my home. After much experimentation I have discovered that I like to have colour & /or pattern on my drapery, out black lining (so the colour is consistent when the sun comes through), decorative hardware & they need to fully operate.
 In cases where I have off the shelf drapery, they were white linen and I added a vertical lead edge band. 1 Pair has a Kelly Wearstler decorative 4″ tape and the other has both horizontal and vertical  grosgrain ribbon to create a pattern & they are hung on beautiful decorative rods.

To help you weed through all that is drapery I have added a new section to my shop, Pick my Brain.
For $10 per question you can ask for yardage calculations, options for drapery styles, fabric choices and pillow / fabric combinations or anything else decor related.

I look forward to your questions.

Monday I will have the reveal of Operation Sewing Room.
Have a wonderful and hopefully dry weekend!

Hollie xo

Sorry for the post yesterday – one thing lead to another… I’ll try and make up for it today with some pretty eye candy.

It’s time for another instalment of 

&

The more I see this colour the more I adore it. 

It can virtually be used in conjunction with almost any other colour. 

Do you feel minty???

Have a great day and I’ll be back tomorrow with a new series.

Hollie xo

Happy Tuesday! 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we plan on moving my office / sewing room to the basement. 

This way I can get my sewing machine off the kitchen table & we can create a family room – you know the one I’m going to try and pull together for $1000!

Too bad the sofa I am lusting over is way more that the budget allows.

Anyhoo… I plan on tackling Operation Sewing Room this week and my hope is to have it completed by Saturday – my husband is away in Sin City for a conference and it would be nice to have it done while he is away.

Here is what I have to work with, it’s not pretty, but I have faith that I can turn it around.

This wall will be covered floor to ceiling in white sheer.

This wall will be painted white & have the desk peninsula out from the centre.

2 Ikea Kilby bookcases will sit on this wall to house all of my fabric and supplies

It is a very small space 92″ x 53″.
I don’t need a lot of room, just plenty of organization.

Here is what my plan looks like

The sheer, rug, pendant light, and bookcases are all from IKEA.
Hello, IKEA if you are listening reading maybe we can work something out???

I am going to challenge myself to 2 things:

1) complete this for as little $$$ as possible
&
2) done by Saturday

Wish me luck friends:)

Hollie xo

Well today is the day, I promised the reveal of Project Ensuite Evolution.

As a reminder, here is what the space looked like before.

Here is the deign board I created. 

These were my inspiration.

So with out further ado here is the finished project…

We are thrilled with the outcome.
With the few changes we are also making to the bedroom, it’s going to feeling like we are in our very own hotel suite. I will be sharing the Master reveal with you in the next few weeks, there is just one major thing holding it up!

I want to give a handful of ginormous THANK YOU shout outs to everyone for all of their hard work
Olympia Tile (marble)
Jeremy @ Classic Tile for the impeccable tile installation
Ann @ Holmar (taps, toilet , shower fixtures)
Mark @ Waterdown Glass & Mirror
Calvin the guy on Kijiji (tub)
Chip @ Oakville Fine Hardware (mill work hardware)
Kuldip @ Beechwood Kitchen
Concept Lighting
Leigh Viner
Danny the Electrician
Wink of Pink
Terry the Plumber
Wayne the Painter
Lara Gogishvilli the Auto-CAD-er
My AWESOME Uncles Eric & Al

If you like what you’ve seen & would like to work together, contact me. I would love to help you create the home you’ve been dreaming of.

See you tomorrow!

Hollie xo

For Christmas my hubby got me this book.

Now, I had not asked for this book, nor had I ever heard of it. He said he’d heard that it was a hilarious read & I would really like it.

Well, I have to admit I don’t read as often as I would like. Although, in the last year I have done a bit more than usual, but they are all what I like to call, “fluffy” books. Can anyone say Fifty Shades Trigoly?

Nothing too serious for this gal.

I read the back, and it went like this:

“Babe Walker, centre of the universe, is a painstakingly manicured white girl with an expensive smoothie habit, a proclivity for Louboutins, a mysterious mother that she’s never met, and approximately 50 bajillion Twitter followers. But her “problems” have landed her in shopping rehab – that’s what happens when you spend $246,893.50 in one afternoon at Barneys. Now she’s decided to write her memoir, revealing the gut-wrenching hurdles she’s had to overcome in order to be perfect in every way, every day.

Hurdles such as:

*I hate my horse

*Every job I’ve had is the worst job I’ve ever had

*He’s not a doctor, a lawyer, or a prince

*I’ll eat anything as long as it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, sugar-free & organic”

After reading that bit, I knew I was going to love it!

How could you not with a head shot like this.

White Girl Problem is a must read for those of us who appreciate fashion and a wicked sense of satire & humour.  

This book is filled with fab fashion illustrations.

The chapter names / descriptions are pretty good too!

If you have NOT read this book, it is a must, trust me. Everyone can use a book like this every once and a while, or if you have a copy pass it on for someone else to enjoy.

You can find more out about this character in all of these places

 Babewalker.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Ask Babe.

The reveal of Project Ensuite Evolution will be happening Monday, so come back!

Hollie xo

Good Morning, as promised here is Part 2 of #thebigapple

B&O woke up to an egg hunt and baskets from the Easter Bunny.

We lunched at The Palm Court.

The dessert table was quite impressive & very chocolaty. 

We joked that one of us should take one of the massive eggs or bunnies for dessert, just to see if any of the wait staff would comment, but we were trying to be on our best behaviour, and resisted the urge.

After lunch, I took B for a horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park.

A brief stop was made at J.Crew to fetch a pair of these.

 Next, we were off to get the boys & see the view from the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Centre.

The Easter display at Rockefeller Centre was very whimsical & fun.

Brandon and I went out for dinner to Southern Hospitality.
The food was delicious BBQ & we quenched out thirst with a few different types of beer. 

We walked Times Square and finished off the evening with a slice of cheesecake Junior’s.

We made our final visit to the Toys R Us in Times Square, for what felt like the 100 time in 4 days for one last ride on the Ferris wheel.

NYC is a great place to visit and I bet an even better place to live.
I’m not moving so I’ll just keep going back again and again and again and again…

Have a fab day.

Hollie xo

Hi

It was a long drive back from NYC and sleeping in my own bed never felt so good.

We had an great trip and are already planning on going back next summer.

B&O were awesome little travellers and wanted to stay, they thought hotel living was pretty cool.

Here is a little recap of what we did

I do love that you can pick a doll that looks just like you & wear matching outfits, for every occasion that you can think of, if you want to.

B chose her bitty baby who she named Edaline.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch in the sweetest restaurant that was all black, white and pink.

As a Mom to a little girl I really like that AG promotes self confidence, loyalty, friendship, sportsmanship & that being yourself is the best way to be, everyone else is already taken.

While we ladies did lunch the guys went to the Museum of Natural History and saw some dinosaurs, and ate hot dogs Central Park.  

Unfortunately, O was running, with his hands in his pocket, tripped and did a real number on the left side of his face. The “Magic Cream” (polysporin) is working so hopefully no scars.

For dinner we stumbled upon 

Let me just say that if you are in NYC and you love burgers, it’s a must.
I happen to be married to a burger aficionado, and he thought that the 5 Napkin Burger was the shiz.

The atmosphere and food are excellent, our waiter who I affectionately referred to as Fantastic Greg also made the evening a good one.
5NB also has locations in Miami & Boston.

Saturday
The boys had planned to go see the soccer game so that left the whole afternoon for my Mom, B & I to do a few things that the guys weren’t interested in like…

The store was great. I loved the simplicity mixed with lots of colour & I scored a new black and white fabric that will be added to the shop very soon.
See what Marimekko has in store here

We also went into the mecca of all ribbon, notions, chains, I could go on and on.

I picked up some gold studs & am going to create some loveliness for the shop too.

I had the best gelato EVER at this little place

I love this store, I could very easily have spent an entire day on the main floor alone.
One of the things I like about it is, the interior is really old & rustic & it’s like they just dropped in place tons of beautiful things, a perfect setting if you ask me.
So, my Mom had a magazine clipping of some bathroom accessories she was wanting to purchase, but the few items were going to come in around $1500, so that was a no go!

I just have one question –
How can someone possibly purchase a $1200 for a waste paper basket and think that’s OK?
This is not a joke I saw the price tag with my own two eyes & if you would like the soap dish it too could be yours for $280.
Holy Dina!

On the upside, I did discover a beautiful collection of tableware
Bella Porcelain by Jan Burtz

Each and every piece is hand made. There are ready made pieces or you can go the custom colour route
You can see more of Jan’s here

Well that’s all she wrote. I’ll be back tomorrow with #thebigapple Part 2

Hollie xo