Halloween Chic

Halloween is just around the corner and I've noticed SPOOKY decor popping up all around our neighbourhood. Here are a few items I would choose to create a chic yet festive Halloween vignette in my entry...

1 - This adorable bat print on vintage French dictionary page looks sophisticated & scientific to me! $12 

2 - These ivory, orange and black poison bottles would look great (and ironic) with a single flower $15 for 3

3 - Random body parts arranged in a pretty bowl are always eery $20

4 - This skull stopper is super adorable and would look great plugging a plain bottle $18

5 - Love the subtle-spook that these "Devilish" titles provide, and they are beautiful shades of orange too! $42

Can you believe we are halfway through October already?!  

there's a nip in the air...

{via 1 2 3 4 5}

The air has turned crisp and cool where I am...and I'm LOVING it!

Target + Missoni

I just read about Target's next designer collection with Missoni and almost fainted. Wow. I need a little Italian jewel-toned joy in my home accessories collection, and thus I've already started planning a short road trip to our friendly southern neighbour in mid-September. 

{via Missoni}

Cannot wait to see the home-wares, of course, but I'm also hoping to find something to add to my closet (and its lonely Missoni scarf). Coming to Target September 13, 2011.

the perfect napkin

While at the cottage and sipping away on these...

...and browsing through the June issue of Better Homes & Gardens, I found these PERFECT napkins. The best of both worlds, MYdrap are made from real fabric (cotton or linen) but breakdown after six washing machine cycles. I love how I can offer guests real napkins, in an assortment of gorgeous colours and patterns, and don't have to worry about keeping them free of stains forever.

They also come in various sizes from cocktail napkin to placemat, and are handily unrolled like paper towel. So cool!

living in a treasure trove

We are currently squatting at my in-laws while we permanently settle into the city and find a house to buy. While helping execute a small purge of the garage and basement, I rescued a few items from the yard sale box. One man's garbage, another man's treasure right?!

I saved a few adorable vintage bottles/beakers and a glass apothecary jar, a handful of really old books (I'm talking 1800's) and my favourite, a pair of vintage silver pineapples...

I can't wait to use them to style my future home but the best part is that they are actually an old lighter and cigarette holder. So darn cute! Pineapples are also signs of hospitality, so they are great to display in a public area of your home. Can't wait to see what else is hiding down in that basement...

Have a super weekend! x

seasonal sizzle {for the home}

This past week I stumbled on a few amazing finds for our summer homes. It's too bad I can't afford to buy all of them. How hot would these look in our yards, during a fantastic bbq with friends?!

I love this new Barbara Barry birdbath so much that I've already been concocting a plan for how to DIY it - the $3,200 price tag is a tad out of my doable range.

{Barbara Barry's Bowmont birdbath by McGuire}

I just purchased a full set of these Iittala bowls, along with the small plates and larger platters. Originally designed and sold from 1964-1988, Iittala just reintroduced them this year. I absolutely love them and am excited to mix them with my casual and formal china sets. They add some much desired sparkle and texture to my white table settings!

{Iittala Dewdrop bowl}

And to help get our delicious bbq'd food into our mouths, we will all need this stunning bronze flatware, AND cheerful steak knives, available at Anthropologie. These alone will make any table fabulous and memorable.

{Bronze Age Flatware & Laguiole Steak Knives, Anthropologie}

It's Tasty Season

Settled & Ready for Summer

Yes, it has been more than a month since I last posted, but we are FINALLY in Toronto and have settled (sort of) in our temporary home. We had an amazing time driving cross-country through gorgeous Utah and Colorado, 

and enjoyed a quick stop to play in Chicago.

Now that life is slowly becoming normal again, I have started to get excited for summer to arrive. I want to share two of my warm weather MUST-HAVES for keeping your lips and feet looking great this season....you NEED these!

My girlfriend Katie had us wear Tarte lip surgence in Hope for her wedding in April and I am hooked. There are no harmful ingredients, it smells like peppermint, goes on so smoothly, and the best part is that it is matte! I love this look for summer - a nice change from the glossy lips you see everywhere!  It also claims to increase your lips' moisture by 6000% in 28 days.

{Tarte, available online and at Sephora}

Next, everyone needs a pair of Tkees sandals! Have you seen these before? They are popular with all the celebs, and come in amazing colours. The collections are named after different facial cosmetics (foundations, shadows, liners, etc) and they are perfectly simple and chic.

{Tkees, available online or at Gee Beauty & Holt Renfrew in TO}

 I have my eye on a pair from the foundation collection for this summer - love that invisible look and they can be worn with everything. I guess I'm not the only one who digs this idea...

Summer 2011 = tarte & Tkees

Online Design Mags

There has been such a boom over the last year with online design magazines! I am definitely LOVING the fact that I can easily and quickly access amazing issues chock-full of great design info at the click of a finger - not to mention, they are easy on the chequebook. And who doesn't love that?!

If you've been enjoying Lonny, Rue, High Gloss, and Domino - to name just a few - on your computer, you will want to check out Dabble. Edited by Toronto's Kimberley Seldon, Dabble is no-doubt on my must-read Canadian publication list, along with Canadian House & Home - which also has an online version although it's not a freebie!

A Springy Weekend

Bunches of my favourite variety of flower (ranunculus or persian buttercup) are waiting to freshen up my home at every local grocery store I visit these days. Their curvy stems ooze casual elegance - I just can't get enough of their organic lines and gorgeous colours. I'm currently loving my pink & yellow blooms...

We also enjoyed the decent, albeit cloudy, weather with a bit of playing in the sand and surf, and watched a family of dolphins doing the same...

And someone has been enjoying an early birthday present. This Schwinn roadster is a great tricycle for toddlers! It looks adorable and vintage, is solid and sturdy, and handles well. With big and wide rubber wheels,  it's hard to tip. This biker-babe approves...

Shiny Surroundings

Some of you may remember my November post (see below) over at GEORGE ID about beautiful, glassy and glorious lacquered walls. Well, the good news is that Alisha and Carsten have jumped on board, and we are moving forward with this wall treatment for their office. I've been a little busy helping them pull together a design for their space and will be revealing bits & pieces over the next few weeks...stay tuned!

***************************************

My girlfriend Alisha has been asking for my input while designing her husband's office. She has great taste, so she only requires a little guidance from GEORGE. BUT when I see her this week I am going to pressure advise her to lacquer the walls. I think it could make all the difference to his wee study, and in only the best way!

Don't you love when you have a friend who you can design one of your dream-rooms through?!

{not my photos!}

Minute to Minute with Sarah Richardson

I've always enjoyed following Sarah Richardson's design shows and am loving even MORE that she recently started to use her Facebook page sort of like a blog/twitter account! If you like her, like I do, I highly suggest "liking" her on the book - it's so much fun to see her daily life captured.

She updates mostly through mobile photo uploads and captions (which is why it's so fun!), and she really shows anything that she is doing that day-  travel, mummy time, TV shoot prep, food, entertaining...

...designs in progress...

...and how she spends her free time!

I already feel like she's my new BFF! :) Check it out!

Fresh & Fruity German Wreath

My girlfriend Alisha took this photo while in Germany a couple of weeks ago. I'm not GOING to pretend to know what these fruits are, but I don't HAVE to pretend to love it. Because I do. I really, really do.

Seriously, when can I live in Europe where beautiful things like this wreath are waiting for me to pick them up while on a quick stroll?! Oh, and I'd love some cobbled streets too.

Toronto's Indie Coffee Passport

I'm a little late to learn about this, but I'm pulling the "I haven't lived in Toronto for five years, or been home to visit in over a year" card for this one. I just read about how small coffee shops in Toronto have come together to create an Indie Coffee Passport at a friend's travel blog. 

Here's the idea. You pay $25 dollars and over the next few months you get a cup of coffee (up to $5 value) at 24 indie coffee spots. Very cool! I would LOVE to slowly sip away java, and stay warm, with this passport. I really hope they organize this again - if you've read my profile, you know I love my caffeine. 

Such a great idea for any city!

{via}

Flutter Cards

Lately I feel like I am constantly sending out thank you cards. I love a nice note card but they can become extremely pricey, no? Well I found these adorable butterfly note cards which are blank inside at Target and fell in love with them instantly. They totally remind me of John Derian stuff, and that's right up my alley. 

And ps, you can't beat the price - 10 cards for $2.99!

{They are really nice matte paper, AND the colours are much nicer, brighter and saturated than they appear in this quick horrible photo. The perfect card to spruce up pink tulle, and some graphic silver and white paper!}

The BIG 3-0

The BIG 3-0 happened a week ago! I've never been one to care about age, but I have to admit that the day I turned 30 I actually did feel a bit anxious. You turn 20 and while it's a huge decade for growing up, no one really expects you to get your act together and stop having way too much fun with your friends. Well, I hit 30 and suddenly felt like I had to mature, and FAST! By the end of this decade I feel like I'm expected to be fully responsible, doing well financially, chasing a few kiddies around, and only be adorned in fancy, grown-up clothes - this last part especially daunting as I currently live in leggings. :)

On to the fun stuff! I had a Christmas and birthday list which was long, and I never thought would be completed. BUT I was very spoiled this year and pretty much got everything my heart desired, and more. Here are the things I received from my parents, in-laws and hubby which I think are classic, well designed products and will no doubt help lead me into the next, mature sophisticated, phase of my life...

1. Hunter rain boots in Aubergine 

I have wanted these forever but it doesn't really rain where I live so I couldn't justify them until now. A slightly frivolous item but you need one of those for your 30th! I am loving the deep purple because it looks black from a distance but is a little more unique. This colour also goes with everything - black, grey, green, brown, khaki, you name it.

2. Marc by Marc Jacobs Suki watch

Another item I've wanted for some time. I love the gold and the shape can go either casual or dressy, perfect for work or play. Now I'll just have to save my pennies for a stainless & rose gold watch, those are new on my radar.

3. Missoni scarf

Love the classic Missoni flame/zig zag. It will easily turn a plain work outfit into something fabulous, and the colour combination is amazing.

4. Le Creuset oval oven

This enameled cast iron oven cooks so well, I'm not sure how I've ever lived without it. The white (Dune) colour looks great with my two sets of dishes and serving pieces, and it doesn't compete visually with the delicious food inside. I've already made a hunk of beef tenderloin and chunky stew in this and it is worth every dollar!

I'm nine days into my 30s, and so far, life is good!