Inside the Bell Jar: Cloches

 

I've always liked bell jars, or cloches. I think they can elevate a simple item that might otherwise be overlooked into something worthy of showcasing, like this shell that I put under a cloche on my coffee table. I found the darling little cloche at a local antique shop and couldn't resist its charm.

  I love the way that the pink hues in the shell play upon the pinks in my coffee table books, and that the bell jar gives my vignette a little bit of height.

One of my newest coffee table books is Nate Berkus's 'The Things that Matter'. And what is featured in Nate's place? Why a bell jar of course:

via Nate Berkus 'The Things that Matter' - Print.

I'll be reviewing his book and some other coffee table books later this month. This image demonstrates how perfectly bell jars fit with any decor. My space is so feminine and cheery, whereas Nate's is more masculine and moody. 

You guys might remember from this post that my love for library ladders was inspired by Beauty and the Beast... Could this be where my crush on cloches began as well?

 xox

Craigslist Purchase: Chippendale Chairs

We all do crazy things from time to time. For me, this includes driving nearly 2 hours to purchase a dining set when I do not have a dining room....

Maybe crazy, but I have been drooling over Jonathan Adler's Faux-bamboo chippendale chairs for a year now. At $645 a piece they are obviously out of my budget. But then I stumbled upon a real bamboo chippendale set - 4 matching chairs and a table. I offered $80 and it was accepted! And they are almost identical in style to the JA chairs. I couldn't be any more thrilled!!

I plan on selling the table. It's beautiful and in great condition but I don't love the idea of a matching set. I also know that I'm going to spray the chairs, and maybe replace the worn cane seats with something upholstered. I won't decide on a colour until I have a room to put them in, but of course I'm thinking about it already. My front runner is black:

via Christina Murphy Interiors

via Style at Home - Designed by Ray Staples

via Elle Decor

White is my second choice:

via Amanda Teal

via Tiffany Eastman Interiors

 But then again there is always blue or orange:

via Plush Palette

via

The options are endless really. My vote is black, but what is yours?

Yellow Kitchens

Recently, I had brunch with a friend who is looking into buying her first home. Number one on her list is a kitchen painted bright yellow, and she asked me whether I liked the idea or not.
 
Some inspirational images of yellow kitchens:

via

^ These yellow stools, tulips and bowl of lemons really make a bright impact in this classic white space.

via design*sponge

^Once again, the white keeps this kitchen so crisp and allows the yellow to shine. A yellow oven is fearless!

via Better Homes and Gardens

^ I think that this is my favourite! Why not paint the island yellow rather than the walls? It's such a show stopper in an otherwise all white space. 

Here are my thoughts:
1) Why not? Paint is a good place to experiment if you aren't afraid of color because its easy and inexpensive to change.

2) Because yellow is so bright and cheery, I recommend it with white cabinets. White will keep it crisp and fresh.

3) There are great ways to bring yellow into the kitchen without painting the walls.
I am a firm believer that using an accent colour in strategic ways can make an even greater impact than simply slapping paint on the walls.

via Tiffany Leigh Interior Design

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Would you do a yellow kitchen? I think its so fun!

New Year, New Goals

2012 was a great year for me, but let's be honest, my resolution this time last year was to wear sweat pants less often....
This year, I've decided to make a list of real goals for my blog and my home to keep me focused.

A lot of these goals, especially the idea of doing a monthly vlog, make me extremely nervous because they involve putting myself out there. Here's to taking risks in the new year!

What are your goals for 2013?

Now get a little glamorous and have yourself a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas My Loves

via Making it Lovely

Wishing all of you the brightest and happiest holiday season, full of ginger bread cookies, egg nog and laughter with loved ones (and maybe a pink Christmas tree or two)! I'll see you in the New Year!
God Bless, xox

My Forty Hour Project

Well my loves, did you miss me? I'm still in finals but I just finished the biggest assignment of the term, so I'm hoping the rest will be quicker and easier. I'm so excited to share this project with all of your today!

We were asked to design a loft. We were given the basic dimensions and a couple specifics, but we got to invent out client and decide if we wanted a mezzanine or not, where to put it, where to put washrooms, kitchen, living room, etc. Not only did we have to do a floor plan and two sectional elevations, we were also required to create a sample board and make a to scale 3D model of the space! Let me walk you through it:

Here you can see my hand drawings of the views of the lower and upper levels of the loft. The main living area (tv area, lounge and kitchen) are all open concept with double height ceilings. You can see that the foyer, office and powder room are located underneath the mezzanine. The mezzanine level contains the bedroom and 3 piece bath. From the bedroom you can look over into the rest of the living space. The wall on the right is a full window wall with a door out to the balcony.
Also, you can see that I stacked the washrooms and kept them horizontal to the kitchen. This is the most efficient plan for plumbing.

Here is a sectional elevation giving you a better idea of the space. I located the television under the stairs to keep it somewhat out of sight and also to protect it from the glare of the massive window wall.

This is my favourite elevation that I've done so far. This wall of the loft has the original exposed brick. A large sliding glass door leads into the office.

Now a bit about my client and inspiration. My client is a young, single man in his early 30s who has a successful career in advertising. He is a guy's guy, who loves having the his friends over to watch the game and play poker. While he loves and fully embraces the downtown sophistocated lifestyle, he also loves the outdoors. I wanted to bring these contrasting but equally traditionally masculine aesthetics together in the space. Thus, menswear became my inspiration:

Specifically these dueling looks of Ryan Gosling... I mean, does it get any better?
(Parti is the essential idea or concept of a space).

Here are the products that I used to bring this idea to life:

Mid century modern pieces, industrial touches, a grey palette with warm teak and orange toned woods, suiting fabrics, etc. I also think the ceramic deer head is the perfect blend of rustic and urban!

Finally here is the piece de resistance, my model, where my drawings and concept are brought to life:

I'm so glad to be done, but it was a very fun project! 

If this is how term one wraps up...I'm a little bit scared for term two!

xox

With a Sombre Heart

Yesterday, I sat down to write this post and was so overcome with emotion and sadness that I simply could not find the words. So I closed my computer and said a prayer, a prayer for all of those who lost their lives in Friday's unspeakable tragedy, and a prayer for all of the loved ones left behind to grieve the loss of lives taken far too soon. I pray that God will help to guide these families towards a future of healing and happiness, and that He will help them to find the strength and courage to make it through the dark days ahead. Sometimes, when there are no words, a prayer is the best remedy.
Heaven has some new angels this week. May they be safe in happy in a place much better than our own world. My deepest thoughts, sympathy, prayers, and love goes out to all those who need it during this difficult and devastating time. 

One Year of Blogging

via Confetti System

Well, it's official, with all of the busy-ness of finals week at school I missed my one year blogiversary. On December 8th, 2011, I started this blog (you can read the photo-less post here).
Back then, I didn't realize the time and dedication that writing a blog takes.
I also could never have anticipated all of the amazing friends and opportunities that blogging has brought.

It's truly amazing how far I have come in one short year.
God has blessed my life in many ways, and I am so happy.

 

Here are some highlights of my first year as a blogger:

Most popular Post:

My First Commissioned Drawing:

And my Second:


 Graduating from the University of Guelph (and being awarded the Gold Medal in English):


 Signing my FIRST lease:


 These things among so many others...

I want to say thank you to all of the friends I've made. And for each an every follower who has encouraged me through my journey, and brought a smile to my face each day! You guys are a huge part of my motivation. I love you all.
xox

 ps. Please be patient with me while I struggle to get all of my final projects done over the next two weeks! I will try to post when I can!

Tartan for the Holidays

 I'm thinking that for this Holiday season, I definitely want to add some tartan or plaid to my look. I went to a Catholic school growing up, which meant wearing a plaid skirt to school...everyday. Good old uniforms.

via Golden White Decor

I have to admit that it turned me off tartan for awhile, but seeing the shoes above has me rethinking that.
The print reminds me of gift wrapping and I think some tartan shoes or tights would be the perfect touch with a gold or red dress.

via Nordstrom

Have you started planning your holiday party outfits yet? I've got an Ugly Christmas Sweater party to attend in a couple of weeks, I'll be sure to share!

Make-Shift Christmas Vignette

One of the things that I'm struggling with this holiday season is being away at school with no Christmas decorations to keep up my festive spirit during finals. I decided to see what I could pull together to create a make-shift vignette out of things I already own. Here is what I came up with:

I tied a red ribbon around my mercury glass jar, moved my beloved brass deer over, and created the 'hope peace cookies' card using a stencil. I was inspired by this card from Kate Spade:

via nordstrom

It just goes to show you that every day decor items can be repurposed for multiple uses! I can't wait to go home and decorate my tree and put up my real decorations, but for now this tides over my Christmas cravings! xox
 

Style Staple: Fur Stole

An accessory that I'm loving these days are fur stoles.
Evidently, I was a pretty cool kid. Take a look at this picture of me for Halloween circa 2000:

 My bestie Megan and I were 'rich ladies'. Please note my amaze fur stole that I got at a garage sale.
Now, here's the bad news. I searched my old dress up box high and low for that baby and can't seem to find it. I'm kinda convinced my big brother Dan has it somewhere....

Luckily my mom had a similar stole on an old coat that she has given to me so now I can pull off a little of this:

via

And this:

via oh my heart

 So cozy and chic, and definitely classic in my opinion. I think this should be a staple in anyone's wardrobe for the chillier months.
I'm sorry if any of you are offended by fur! Faux is always a great option.
xox