String Pocket by Nisse Strinning

Small storage for smart living!  I love this shelf unfortunately shipping from Sweden to Canada is 78$.  So I’m on the hunt to find a retailer in North America.  If you know of one, please leave a comment.

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Friday Splurge

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Available in the following unique flavours:

Peanut Butter Salted Caramel - Dark Chocolate Bacon - Dulche de Leche - Raspberry Cassis -White Chocolate Pistachio - Passion Fruit - White Chocolate Blueberry Swirl - White Chocolate Hazelnut - Raspberry Passion - Peanut Butter and Jam - Banana Caramel - White Chocolate Creme Brulee - Honey & Rhubarb - Vanilla Carrot Cake - White Chocolate Candy Cane - Milk Chocolate Hazelnut - Egg Nog - Cranberry Orange - Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier

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Best Regards, John

I always hoped blogging would make me popular, but I never expected to garner this kind of attention...

"How are you doing today? I guess you are fine and living good. my name is John, I find you and I'm interesting to know you and establish a serious relationship with you. I wanna be your friend for first friendship cannot be seen or even be touched, it must be felt within the heart.Hoping you feel just the way i do. Wow! friends are like clothes without them you feel naked!I guess am right.I will tell you more about me, my family and all that maybe necessary in this relationship, If this is okay by you feel free to contact me as to enable us get to know each other better. Have a wonderful day with lot of happiness..
best regards,

John."

Has John contacted you lately?

Big Splurge

I’m so excited I can’t wait till Friday to share. After meowing about this dress since I first saw it in Real Simple, I finally bit the bullet and did it... Or I should say the Dr did it for me. It’s ordered and I expect it to arrive via my lovely Aunt in West Palm Beach sometime in the very near future. Some people might say it looks like a couch, I think it looks like heaven.

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Eva Zeisel

Bless her soul, she’s 102 and still designing! 
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Little Red Wagon

When my brother and I were wee, my mother would pull us around our local garden centre/petting zoo/bird sanctuary/play centre in a red metal Radio Flyer wagon. I hadn’t thought about our adventures in the little red wagon for years until Saturday, as we were walking around our neighbourhood community street sale and we spotted the exact same Red Radio flyer wagon for sale. We bought it immediately and despite the fact that people could hear us coming for a mile, I couldn’t have been prouder of our purchase. For the time being we’re using it as a plant stand in our backyard, but I can just imagine the adventures we will have with it in the future.
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Splurge Monday :: Kate Spade

It’s probably a good thing I live in Canada otherwise I’d be buying this, this, these for sure, and these too.
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Oh Canadiana - Solair Chair

On our way home last night, we rescued this abandoned 70’s era aquamarine Solair Chair.  The chair was designed by Fabiano and Panzini in 1970, manufactured by IPL in St-Damien Quebec, and was available for purchase through the Eaton’s catalogue in Canada.  We noticed when we got it home that the plastic is broken on one part of the seat so we’re trying to come up with DIY repair solution vs. buying a new seat.  I toyed with the idea of sewing a seat cushion from oilcloth, but the best option we have come up with so far is to weave nylon cord through the seat to create stability and give it an interesting detail.

“The Solair also provides the template for the fruitful domestic-foreign partnerships that recurred throughout the decade, and that de Winter’s MOMA piece epitomizes. It’s the first instance I can find of foreign designers being attracted to and producing work for Canadian manufacturers, and it’s an extremely inventive piece. The seat plastic pops out and the frame is readily stacked for storage and shipping purposes. The series has a sophisticated palette too, a combination of bright and muted colours that predates a lot of ’70s stuff.” - Highlights of the Canadian Design Resource by David Balzar
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Favorite Finds

If you’re anything like me, and you love to find out more about the person behind the blog, this is the article for you.  In the June edition of Canadian House and Home magazine, Grace Bonny of Design*Sponge opens up about her blog, her passions, and her favourite finds.  It’s still no Domino, but I am really liking the small changes that are happening at H&H now that Suzanne Dimma is at the helm.

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Tea Time

Combining my love for vintage and linens, in November I started collecting vintage linen tea towels. They are both functional and beautiful at the same time, and my friends always comment on how lovely they look.  My favourite one so far is turquoise and red, and the print is a recipe for apple pie.  I reserve it mostly for when company comes over as a decoration for the oven, but after seeing this article in the June edition of House and Home, I think I might frame it as an instant piece of vintage chic art. 

 

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Sewing Station

Since signing up for sewing lessons, I've been thinking about creating an appropriate space for my new craft. I need a small station that I can incorporate into my second bedroom and I want something beautiful that transitions easily when company arrives. When I found this picture I had one of those "aha" moments. This idea is brilliant for my small space; the work surfaces tuck away like a nice set of nesting tables making them functional and classic at the same time. Ideally I would like a chair but in this case the ottoman fits the feel of the station better and I am imagining it opens up to reveal storage for materials and notions. My patterns could hang on the wall along with photos for inspiration and serve as a rotating display for guests. How do you indulge your hobbies without letting them take over your entire home?

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Theory Pixel Flower

It's sale time at my favorite retailer and lucky for me, I had an inside scoop. I'd been oogling this top from Theory since it arrived in February and I snagged the last one left in my size. I wore it on Saturday, and again on Sunday and I couldn't be happier with how it has integrated itself into my closet. Normally I'm not a huge fan of Theory, but this one is a keeper! For those of you who are interested, the pattern also comes in a tank and a dress.

Victoria Day!

It's Victoria Day in Canada and what an absolutely lovely day it was. Today we cleaned the garage, looked at a few homes we'd love to live in, did some work around the garden and went to the movies to see Angels and Demons. The movie seems to be getting mixed reviews but both the Dr. and I thought it was fantastic.

Yesterday our beloved dog turned 4. We celebrated with BBQ, beer and ice cream cake, and yes, he had a wee bit of cake. Before anyone comments and tells me dairy is not recommended for dogs, I will just say you've never met this dog. He has a history of pouting and acting out if he doesn't get what he wants, and he really wanted some cake. This picture was taken when he was still just 3 but it makes me smile everytime!

New To Me :: Design Mom

Ok so I’m a bit late to the gate on this one, but I just discovered Design Mom’s blog and I’m in awe of all her great ideas and fantastic pictures. I’m not in the habit of revealing other people’s lives on my blog, but I will provide the link to this series of pictures and tell you that her children have A.W.E.S.O.M.E names.

Another discovery - these two talented ladies are sisters. It’s a small world.
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On Target

Again, they hit the bulls-eye. Tracy Feith for Target is set to be released May 17^th and if I could, I would own one of each of these pieces for Summer. Kudos to Target for keeping things fres
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Decor Great :: Home Improvements

If you've been reading here for a while, you will remember this post and my inspiration board for the backyard. I am happy to report that less than two months later, our inspiration has become reality and I am very happy to share our backyard oasis with you all...

As you can see many of my original inspirations have taken shape and we managed to pull off an eclectic backyard setting. For our main seating arrangement we incorporated picnic benches {made by the Dr} for a relaxed feel + maximum seating, and a folding table which will make storage easy come Fall/Winter. Originally I had planned to incorporate our two vintage fiberglass Eames chairs at each end of the table but instead we decided to repurpose to leftover chairs we had kicking around for an all-weather option. We opted for the Weber Genesis grill {just barely shown on the right edge of the photo} and we couldn't be happier - it's stylish, it's hot, it's fast and it makes outdoor cooking fun again! The plant boxes and lattice {built by the Dr} were a bit of a change however we decided they worked much better in the space than galvanized tubs, and it gave the Dr a project to complete during the nasty month of April.

The plants in the boxes and around the garden are mostly perrenials {lillies, iris, sedum, hostas, ferns and hens &chicks} but we plan to add in some marigolds and impatients once the weather cooperates. Our herb garden will be housed on the bakers rack we managed to score for a song. Our intention is to paint the rack antique white to better suit the space, but the weather hasn't cooperated to date.

We decided againt a second seating area and opted instead to make the boxes a bit larger and more of a focal point for the space. That however did not discourage me from picking up a lifeless iron chair and updating it with a coat of bright turquoise paint and the following oilcloth for the pad.

It took some time to really come together, but we couldn't be happier with the outcome. With a few final decorate touches, and some sun, we'll be able to entertain in style.

Sew U... Me?

I've got the sewing bug. When I see things for sale (like this and this) I start thinking that I could make it. After looking through my vintage fabric stash, I am now more determined than ever to sew *some* of my own clothes. One trip to my local bookstore this afternoon, and a whole lot of inspiration in the form of Sew U and Sew U - Home Stretch, and Sublime Stitching by one of my favorite bloggers, Alicia Paulson, and I'm ready to go!

I've been following the sewing that's been going on here, here and here and I've decided to start with a Built By Wendy top (#3835). It looks simple enough and with a couple modifications, I'm excited to see what I can come up with.

Yay for trying new things!

JCrew for Summer

This is the perfect summer schlepping around dress, and with so many different ways to dress it up / dress it down, it’s the perfect addition to your summer wardrobe. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a pretty pattern and bright colours!

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