Elbow Grease: One Dresser, Two Ways {Ikea Rast}

Do you know what I love? How many amazing design blogs there are out there, waiting for me to discover them and be inspired. I seriously CANNOT keep up with reading current favourites and finding new ones! It is really sad because I know I am missing out. 

Today, however, I did stumble on a great blog - and what makes today even better? The fact that I found this great blog through an amazing DIY furniture makeover. Two scores!

On the left is the fabulous Dorothy Draper style dresser by Vancouver blogger Nancy from Marcus Design (the blog I just found), and on the right is the equally remarkable two-tone dresser created by Toronto blogger Lindsay from Aubrey + Lindsay (who copied the Rast dresser she saw in Style at Home magazine). I would honestly love to recreate both of these dressers, just need to find the right room for both of them!! It seems that Canadian girls are really stealing the show when it comes to Ikea Rast makeovers - these are stunners and look pricy! Who knew a  $30 DOLLAR DRESSER, with a little elbow grease, could look so good!?

Can you believe they started like this?

And don't they look exactly like their $$$ counterparts?! I am in love.

{via & via}

For full step-by-step details on how these ladies went about their makeovers, check out Marcus Design and Aubrey + Lindsay. They have many other great projects too!

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!

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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!}

Titch of Green...

As I mentioned last year, my favourite colour is green so I was happy to collect some fun green kitchens to mark this St Patty's Day! I think green is such a fresh and versatile colour - perfect for the kitchen.  

Go can go dark and vintage...

{via}

...soft & rustic...

{via}

...vibrant & shiny...

 {via}

...or clean & subtle.

 {via}

As long as you work with the style of your home and, of course, your personal tastes, you can't go wrong with a green kitchen!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

A First Taste Captured

It was strawberry.

Welcome to Fun

{via}

I just LOVE how this large, convex mirror adds a perfect dose of fun and whimsy to the otherwise clean and simple entry space. My daughter - ok, and myself! - would enjoy "moonwalking" in this thing!  

Easy, Fast & Tasty Cauliflower Soup

I arrived home to find California dark and rainy on Monday - but I can't really complain because spring has officially arrived in SoCal and it is now too toasty outside! On Monday, however, this was not the case, and so a homey soup was the perfect choice for dinner. I have been loving one pot soup wonders ever since reading about this tomato soup on Southern Exposure, and while it remains a staple in our dinner rotation, I ventured out to find an amazing cauliflower version.

If you have 30 minutes, give this soup a go! DELISH!

Silky Cauliflower Soup w/ Parmesan

1 head cauliflower

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarselychop, and reserve. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot. Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

{recipe via}

So, what's for dinner tonight in your home?

I'm planning to make this (but with chicken - soooooo yummy!) & this.

I've Been Busy Busy Busy

I am finally back from our trip to Canada which was supposed to be six days yet swiftly turned into 16 while we were away - whoops! I wasn't prepared for blogging from my iPad, so it has officially been nearly a month since my last post, but I'm now back and ready for heavy duty blogging.

While braving the chilly North, we...

1. CELEBRATED OUR 5th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY in Quebec at Mont Tremblant with our good friends. My husband was thrilled to spend the weekend with his three groomsmen and their young families. 

{Reportage Photography}

2. With five kiddies under four, it's no surprise that more than half of the Tremblant lot GOT SICK, including my daughter and hubby, so we laid low for a few days after flying from Montreal to Toronto.

{My daughter mid jump - but really appears to be attempting some sort of Michael Jackson impression}

3. Next I soaked up the sights and sounds of my hometown. I truly love Toronto, and urge everyone to visit! There has been so much building going on since we moved to LA five years ago, and GAWKING AT TORONTO's NOTEWORTHY ARCHITECTURE which is nicely sprinkled throughout the city, was one highlight of my visit.

{Clockwise: Sharp Centre for Design (OCAD) - Alsop Architects with Robbie/Young + Wright Architects, Art Gallery of Ontario - addition by Frank Gehry, Royal Ontario Museum - "crystal" addition by Daniel Libeskind, Four Seasons Centre - Diamond+Schmitt Architects} {ps. these are not my photos!}

Now I'm home and back to the daily grind...and there will be more on that to come!

Happy Valentine's!

 Hard to explain how music makes you feel, but Avett Brothers' songs always bring me back to reality and keep me in check about what is most important in life - LOVE & FAMILY! Just the kind of music I like to listen to while playing with my daughter on the floor and discussing the days' events with my hubs. 

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loves!

I and love and you, Avett Brothers.

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!

ELTE's Second Life Rugs

I know I can count on one hand the number of people who visit this blog right now, but either way I'm sorry I've been MIA! I just got back from a quick trip to Denver to co-host a bridal shower. It was super busy before I left, but all the work was paid off! We had a wonderful weekend and I think the bride enjoyed herself, which is most important!

On to something from the design world...ELTE's "second life" rugs! These old 100% wool rugs were treated with gorgeous saturated dyes and now will easily steal the show in the right modern or eclectic space. Imagine how darling they would be in a child's bedroom! 

Old and frumpy no more - these are new, cheery and FABULOUS!