Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful friends here in the blogging world. I am so lucky for your constant support and encouragement! 2014 has truly been a wonderful and busy year, and although I haven't been able to blog as much as I would have liked the past few months, I wouldn't trade it for the world! May you all be blessed, happy and healthy this holiday season and in the upcoming year.
So much love,
xox

This Year's Christmas Decor

This is probably my last Christmas in my little student housing rental. Apartment hunting for my own place begins in the new year! I'm okay staying where I am until June when I graduate, but if something great comes up closer to downtown where I'm now working, I won't say no.  

The design direction of my new place is definitely going to be less feminine and more sophisticated. I can't wait for a new slate (and my own kitchen)! In the mean time, I'm still loving my girl glam decor and played it up with my Christmas decorations for a sparkly, pastel Holiday!

To learn more about how I decorate for the holidays, stop by Sarah Richardson Design where my apartment decor was featured along with my tips and tricks for Christmas decor with a feminine twist!

xox

Sarah and Tommy's Gingerbread House: Last Day to Bid

Hi Everyone!
Today I'm sharing an exciting project that I worked on in collaboration with the talented Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe. The design duo partnered with the Children's Aid Foundation and Raghuram Addagada, executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, to create one masterpiece of a gingerbread house! I sat down with Sarah and Tommy, who explained their design ideas in detail. I then translated the design into some sketches which were given to the chef in order to build the house. 

 Here is the final result - it turned out so lovely! The dough has even been dyed in Sarah's signature watery palette. The back of the house is open like a dollhouse, showcasing some holiday inspired interior design.

image via @sarahrichardsondesign

The gingerbread house is being auctioned off and today is the last day to bid! The best part is that all proceeds go towards the Children's Aid Foundation, which helps children who have experienced abuse or neglect. The winner will also receive my sketches. This was such a fun project to be included on. Happy Bidding! Click here to go to the auction!

xox

Holiday Gift Guide: Black White and Gold

First and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving to all of my lovely U.S. readers! Today I am serving up the chicest gift guide around, made up of my favourite combination of black, white and gold. The lack of prominent colour means timeless charm and universal appeal for everyone on you hard-to-buy-for list. I'm especially loving this moto jacket, which is on sale right now for under $90! A new planner is also a great gift idea, perfect for keeping track of all those New Year's goals!

J.Crew Infinity Scarf / Kate Spade Bow Gloves / Moto Jacket / Elements of Style / 2015 Planner / Frends Headphones / Victoria Secret Waffle Pajamas / Candle

 Whoever said this combo couldn't be festive?!
Are you done all of your shopping yet? Less than a month to go!
xox

Cobalt Blue

I snagged 8 of these cobalt blue bowls (for free!) yesterday and I am just loving the rich hue. So sexy.
It adds the perfect splash of colour to my bar cart :)

Have you picked up any little finds lately that make you smile?
xox

My New Job - Sarah Richardson Design

Hi my loves. You may be wondering why I have been blogging so little lately, and I felt I owe you all an explanation. If you follow me on instagram, then you might have already picked up on this.

I recently started a new {absolute dream} job, working as a junior designer for one of my biggest career influencers and role models, Sarah Richardson. I still can't believe it! When I first moved to this city just over 2 years ago, I dreamed of something like this happening, but did not actually believe it to be possible. I have been watching Sarah's shows for as long as I can remember, and now to be a part of her fantastic team and learning the ins-and-outs of the business from people who I respect and admire so much is such a dream true. Every day is a new adventure and I wake up happy and excited to head to work.

I am still also doing school full time until June, so between the new job and school I don't have much time for blogging at the moment. After Christmas my course load lightens up a bit and I should be able to resume a more consistent blogging schedule. I hope that you will bear with me until then! In the meantime, I will continue to post whenever I get a chance!

Sarah and her team have been responsible for some of my very favourite rooms, including this one which I just had to draw. The warm colors were calling my name on a chilly October day last week. It was such an honor when Sarah shared this rendering on her facebook and instagram over the weekend!

via House and Home

I'm so excited for Sarah's new book, Sarah Style, where she shares her tips and tricks with all of us, and you can see this and many more gorgeous rooms. Did you get your copy yet? If not, click here to get your copy of Sarah Style today! 

xox
 
 

Pretty Rugs (and whats underneath them)

Okay guys, today I'm going to talk about a not-so-glamorous decor tip that I think is worth mentioning, and that's the importance of a good quality underpad for your rug.You all know about my love for my gorgeous hand-woven rug which I scored from an estate sale:

Well, the only problem that I was running into with it was keeping it in place. Most high-quality rugs have no added backing, meaning that there is no rubber grip to keep them in place, and this can result in sliding and bunching around furniture. This is not a great look, and good design is in the details.

When my friends over at Rug Pad USA offered to send me one of their premium-lock rug pads to try, I was thrilled! Unlike many rug pads available on the market today, Rug Pad USA offers rugs pads that are made in the US, and use natural rubber rather than synthetic rubber as well as 100% recycled felt. I'm all about sustainable design whenever possible. They also can cut it down to your custom size. I also learned that using a rug pad protects your floors from discoloration.

Since laying the rug pad down, my rug stays put and it is way more cushy and comfortable underfoot. I couldn't be happier! Thanks Rug Pad USA!

xo

Copper in the Kitchen (& My Thrifted Copper Finds)

Rumour has is that after a few years of brass bliss, copper is the new trending metal. While I will forever love brass and gold, I've always been a fan of copper as well. It's warm, rosey tone feels so rich and somehow nostalgic. Maybe that is owing to the adorable little set of copper measuring cups that my mother has had hanging in her kitchen for as long as I can remember.
For me, copper is a natural choice for the kitchen, providing a warm colour to a space that can often read cold.

via Lake Jane

via Apartment Therapy

^This example shows mixing metals (stainless appliances, brass hardware and copper accessories) is totally doable, breaking a long standing myth!

via Betty Lou Phillips

via Lonny

I've rounded up some of my favourite copper items of the moment below:

measuring cups / KitchenAid Stand Mixer / Set of 4 Cannisters / Moscow Mule Mugs / Colander

Another great place to source affordable copper accessories for the kitchen is thrift stores. This past weekend I took a trip to my local Value Village and came away with a copper sauce pan in great condition and a charming copper tea pot for only $8 each. I love them both:

Do you have any copper in your own kitchen?

xox
Bonus tip: Use a soft cloth and ketchup to keep your copper in prime shine!

Small Changes to Transition Your Decor to Fall

Fall is my favourite time of year. There is something about the cozy sweaters, dark nail polish, smell of leaves, and pumpkin anything that warms my heart as the days get chillier. While my decor is packed with colour during the spring and summer, I like to remove some of the pastel hues and stick to a crisper palette in my space during the colder months. The key to this is editing. A quick edit of some of my more colorful accessories instantly neutralizes the room, transitioning it seamlessly into fall without spending a dime!

Even an accessory as summery as my new brass crab (scored at the local antique shop) can look fall appropriate with the right styling. The rusty tones of my leopard print pillow and tortoise shell frame remind my of the changing leaves. My little DIY skull makes an appearance every October.

What is your favourite season?

xox

 
You might also like: DIY Gold Skull / Fall Looks via Instagram /  Top Five Fall Faves / One Room - Two Palettes: Transitioning your Home Decor for Fall in Five Minutes

Custom Watercolour Commission: The Fashion Cookbook

I was recently contacted by Patricia and Hannah, the adorably chic founders of The Fashion Cookbook, to help design a watercolour image for their site redesign. The pair wanted me to create something inspired by this image from their home page, with a champagne glass pouring a necklace into a glass filled with rings.

With this inspiration in mind, I painted them this charming little watercolor for their 'contact' page:

I love the final result, the whole renovation of the site looks fabulous and the girls were so lovely to work with. Congrats Hannah and Patricia! I know great things are coming your way.
Be sure to check out The Fashion Cookbook for a daily dose of the ingredients of style.
xox

In my Sketchbook: Living Room by Sarah Richardson Design

As you might have guessed from my post about 3D CAD rendering, I'm at a point in design school where we have moved away from hand rendering and into digital rendering. I love hand rendering, however, and in an effort not to lose this capability, I have started sketching some of my favourite rooms designed by some of my favourite designers.

Today's room was designed by Sarah Richardson and was featured on Sarah 101 a couple of years ago. I have talked about this room before, here and here. It is a space I seem to keep coming back to.
I can't get enough of the palette! For me, it felt only natural to keep rendering skills fresh by illustrating this lovely living room.

image via HGTV

I hope you enjoyed this peek inside my sketch book! More to come.
xox

Personalized Pencils

For a long time I've wanted cute, personalized pencils. My initial idea was to get a set with a cute/quirky saying on them, but when I saw that A Blissful Nest was having a sale on completely customized pencils, I knew that I wanted to get some branded with the name of this beloved blog.
I decided to go with two sets, one in white and one in pink. They look so cute in their jar and I've given my desk a mini 'pink' makeover to tie it all together.

If you could customize your own set, what would you choose to have printed?
xox