light in the house

One of our favourite activities to do during the Christmas season is to simply drive around our neighbourhood   to see all the light displays along the street.  Although there are many tree lighting ceremonies throughout the city, some of the most unique and inspiring ones are those around the block.

Every house meticulously prepared for the holiday season, showcasing a twinkle of lights like stars in the sky. The vibrant personalities of homeowners shine through as you drive by a lawn covered with displays of Santa, reindeer and a multicolour of lights.  Or a quiet house with pretty winter wreaths, simple white lanterns, and a soft and subtle flicker of Christmas tree lights peeking through the front window.    

As school pageants, concerts and parties bring in the joy, what strikes me the most is the diversity of this celebration, and how each of us celebrate holidays differently.  Different traditions, rituals and food...all seemingly on a quest...to bring loved ones together.

Sometimes it's difficult to appreciate this or any "holiday quest".  It's easy to get caught up with all the glitz of decorations and the glam of appealing storefronts enticing you to buy, buy, buy!

So this year, I decided to take a much more laid back approach...at least with my Christmas decorating.  I used simple white ornaments to decorate the tree. I cut up some burlap for the garland.  I just placed little white bows on our mantle garland.    

Just as the lights on the neighbourhood houses represent the personalities of their homeowner, for me, beyond the "reason for the season", our lights represent a peaceful time to reflect and to be grateful for what we have at home.  

Because no matter how many lights are displayed on the rooftops, driveways and sidewalks, it's what's inside our homes and the love within, that makes the light in the house, truly shine.  

Simple Paper Tea Light Candle Holders

(for battery-operated tea lights only)

Inspired by the little porcelain ornaments that house some of the Christmas lights on my tree, I wanted to create something simple and easy to house my battery operated tea light candles.  (please use battery operated for this craft...we don't want any fires started!).  This also makes a sweet little Christmas themed night light for a child's room, with little cost and effort.

Tools

• Wedding favour gift boxes (found at Michaels or your local dollar store).
• Ruler
• Scissors/exacto knife
• Hole Punch
• Battery operated tea light candles

Directions

• Open the boxes until it is flat.
• Using a ruler, draw out the roof (at the top of the box). Draw out the door and windows, or just hole punch (using various shaped holes, if desired).

• Cut along the lines.
• Assemble the box.
• Place the battery operated tea light candles inside.

Display...and enjoy the light in the house, and in your home.

northern dreams

It's that time of year again...where we start heading north to enjoy nature...camping trips and visits to the in-laws cottage. 

It's also that time when I start renovating and designing...in my head at least.  I begin looking at available real estate listings of waterfront properties (very few and far between in our price range), and start decorating. My imagination usually runs wild... "If I just paint that white, or add a bunkie there..." as I fantasize of the kids playing in the water, and sun and sand inspired parties with family and friends.

The most fun part of dreaming about recreational homes, is looking at ones that are out there right now and imagining how to personalize it.  Something that represents a sophisticated point in time where you can enjoy nature and life.  A place where you can enjoy the elements of all seasons...water and snow.  I see so many designs that speak to me...appealing to my classic and sophisticated aesthetic, but comfortable and "rugged" enough to take all the skis, boots, dirt bikes, canoes and equipment that is required in a recreational home.

I stumbled upon this beautiful place.  It has a mini golf course for putting practice (for the avid golfers in the house). It also has a fresh beach feel to it...a place where you can imagine leaving flip flops and beach towels by the door. Enjoying the sand.

The wide planked floors are solid, strong, beautiful against the stone beams, and the beamed ceilings.

In the kitchen, you can see an island where you can casually entertain...the bar stools remind me of an old english pub where friends meet and everyone knows your name.  

Just beside the kitchen, you can see the dining room...a little beach inspired, with a clean aesthetic and sophisticated elements for more formal occasions.  But the rustic table suggests that formal entertaining doesn't necessarily mean stuffy...guests can be refined and sophisticated while still feeling comfortable in sandals.

Antiqued wood, seagrass elements and colour schemes suggest warmth...a place for active winter guests.

 And beautiful bright, light filled rooms with views of the water and summer breezes.

The interior designer/architect firm, Jauregui Architects designed this beautiful place.  They've appropriately called this place "Hill Country Modern".  It's a little country.  A little modern.  

It's really...simply beautiful.

{ Photo source for all pictures (except the 1st picture of the water dock):  Jauregui Architects}

a place for friends

This is the location of where the exterior of the
"Central Perk" coffee house was filmed for the television series, Friends.

Almost a decade has passed when the popular show, "Friends" was on air.  It was a show that was centred around the personalities and relationships of those who frequented a coffee house...where friends would meet at a place that was almost like home to them.  It was refreshing to hear the teenaged daughter of our friends "hang out" at Starbucks...I know when I was her age, coffee shops were destinations after a night out...not a destination place in itself.

Coffee houses and cafes have evolved to become cozy, amazingly beautiful and sophisticated spaces. The design of these spaces may not be the focal point for it's patrons, but more of a supporting role in creating a comfortable space where friends can meet and spend time together.  I like to look at the designs of public spaces to give me inspiration for the private ones.  Places that evoke a sense of warmth and friendliness that remind you of home, but designed to serve large groups of people efficiently and effortlessly.  

Below are samples of how you can incorporate elements from these public spaces and use them in your own home or cottage...a comfortable place for friends to hang out.

Retro Style

When my husband and I were in New York last autumn, we enjoyed our cafe breakfast at The Standard Grill, which was just below the hotel we were staying at.  I loved the checkerboard floors, slick black schoolhouse chairs and wood tables and countertops.  

The above pics were from our trip to New York

{above pic: source}

You can see the same mix of black, white and wood in this home, giving it a cool, retro feel.

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Sophisticated Lodge Style

Here is the Wildwood Restaurant, in Portland, Oregon.  Elements of wood and grey provide a rustic, warm feeling. A cozy nook could be created in a kitchen or breakfast area.  

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Or taking the colour scheme from the above restaurant, you can incorporate the grey and wood into a kitchen like here...

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Casual/Beach Cafe Style

Here's the Sweetwater Cafe, in Melbourne Australia.  I love how the white subway tiles and marble counters work with the natural rattan chairs.  It's fresh looking but still comfortable.

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You can see the same mix of marble and rattan in this cottage home...how bright and inviting is this?

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I love all these styles, and hopefully I can incorporate elements of all of them into my home, to create an inviting environment for friends.

may flowers

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Mother's Day is synonymous with flowers.  The giving and receiving of them.  Here are some beautiful flower arrangements using every day household items as vases.  They make the flowers seem so much more personal...and easy to create for Mother's Day.

Here's a floral arrangement using a 3 tiered serving tray (with floral foam).

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Simple votive candles hold little flower tops, or single roses with the stems removed.

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Here's a simple candlestick holder, topped with floral foam and carnations.

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Here's a very very easy arrangement I used one year for Mother's Day...just use pretty colour coordinated gift bags.

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April showers definitely brought May flowers.  Enjoy!

in vogue

Givenchy sketches of Madonna's Super Bowl costumes {source}

A lot was said this past week, about Madonna's halt time performance at The Super Bowl.  Twitter went off the charts during her performance (it apparently was the second highest twitter traffic that night, second to the end of the game).

I hate to admit this, but I've seen almost all the Madonna concerts (pre-Guy Ritchie) so for me, I wasn't as impressed as my friends were with her show (although I was impressed with the gorgeous Givenchy costumes and Philip Treacy hats...I loved that!).  Although the dramatics of the show was the best one I've seen for a football game, it seemed like she needed Nicky Minaj and LMFAO to help her appear relevant.

Photo courtesy of Vogue

However, one thing that is typical Madonna is her ability to be on the pulse of trends.  She might not be the trail blazing trend setter she was in the 80's and 90's, but she still knows when to spot it and flaunt it.  During her performance, she wore black and gold, the au courant colours that harken back to the era of opulence.  Her choice of Givenchy were also a throw back to an era that also heralded old world wealth and power.  A time when, the famed interior designer, Dorothy Draper was the doyenne of good taste and design.

This is the Greenbrier Hotel's Victoria Room, designed by
Dorothy Draper, one of the most photographed hotel rooms in history.

This "España Bunching Chest" is one of the hottest pieces of furniture to acquire (or DIY copy)
in the home decor industry right now.  Dorothy Draper was commissioned by the Spanish government
 to design this to raise the profile of Spanish design internationally.

You can see how modern interior designers are using this aesthetic right now, with plenty of gold and dramatic black.

{source}

Designed by David Jimenez

So although the economy is still going through difficult times, as Clint Eastwood said in Chrysler's Super Bowl ad (you can see it here), "our 2nd half is about to begin"...and we just might see more gold in our future.

And even if we only see the gold in aesthetic terms, like in fashion or furniture...Madonna, I tip my (Philip Treacy) hat to you, for still being, in vogue.

the art in life

As I seek balance and quiet simplicity in our lives, I sometimes just sit and take in the beauty of nature and the simple things that surround us.  Clouds.  Flowers.  Fruit on the counter.  Especially in the winter light where the sunlight is crisp, my surroundings seem very still, and I can focus and take that perfect photograph.  Capturing all the intricate details and textures.  When I look back at the photographs I've taken, it evokes a type of sensory memory (the way you'd smell freshly baked cookies and think of Mom) or a sense of calm.  

I love how nature can be inspiration for how we can recreate those feelings in our homes.  For me, it's the colour of a room that sets the tone for how it should make you feel, and hopefully evokes a wonderful childhood memory or create a sense of calm.  I don't necessarily follow the latest design trends, but instead use a simple approach, using nature as inspiration to  create a classic home as a backdrop for creating beautiful memories. Here's how I've used nature to inspire our current home, and some samples of how colour in a room can evoke emotions.


White roses (or roses in general) are always classically beautiful. Taking a cue from the various shades inspired by this rose photo, you can see how white with platinum/mink, silver and grey tones were used in our home, making it elegant and classic. (The paint shown are from the Sherwin Williams "Chip It" app).

Every time I see the vibrant pink in this photo (a dahlia flower from last year's garden), it evokes a playful memory...pretty in pink tea parties when I was a little girl.  When you take the pink to inspire colour into a room, you can see how the colour makes a room feel vibrant and playful.  

This is the $1000/night Eloise suite at The Plaza,
designed by whimsical fashion designer, Betsey Johnson

Some of our our most beautiful family moments happened near white sand and turquoise water, and this photo represents that relaxed, vacation feeling.  When using beach inspired colours, you can see how it makes a room feel calm.  A place where a family can relax.

This was photographed during our visit to Turks & Caicos

Room designed by Victoria Hagan

I particularly love this last inspirational photo...I hope that the art of nature will translate into our own future (dream) recreational residence, a place where we will always feel calm and relaxed.


And I hope you too, discover the art in life.

put your hands together

One of the things we try to instill in our children is the understanding that more hands make less work, and if we all contribute, even just a little, the next generation (or even a whole society) can do wonders and make great monumental changes.

My husband is one of the board of directors at our children's school.  They are trying to raise money to build a new building, to provide a facility that will meet the educational demands of our children today, and many generations to come.

It is hard work.  Long hours, conflicting personalities, administrative frustrations...all things that naturally derive from a passion for something much bigger than all of us.

And I'll admit it.  Sometimes I wish he could pull back a little, as it can be at times, overwhelming for him to balance a high stress career, home, school and just life!  However, he pushes forward because fundamentally he always wants to lend a hand.  And I appreciate and love him not just because he is doing good for the community, but our children have a first hand look at an amazing role model.  

Someone with kindness, generosity, and community spirit, that will help and inspire others to do the same.  A legacy of not just being a contributor to building a monument for the future, but an inspiration to those around him...to inspire others to lend a hand. 

Our son's class had created sand prints for Mother's Day last year.  To represent both kids,
we created a clay print of our daughter's hand, placed both hand prints in individual shadow boxes,
and showcased them as art with "plaques" underneath (printed date and ages of our kids, on business cards).

Forever Hand Print

(recipe from Kaboose.com)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup of water (if you'd like colour to your clay hand, add food colouring to the water)

Preparation

• Mix flour and salt. 
• Slowly add water to get a firm clay-like mixture.
• Create a ball with the dough and press it into a circular shape (or use a rolling pin) on wax paper (the dough should be approx. 1/2 inch thick and large enough to fit a child's hand or foot.
• Push child's hand or foot firmly into dough.
• Let dough dry for several weeks or put in oven at 225 degrees for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the thickness of the dough.

Paint or keep it as it is, as a keepsake of a moment in time.

{Editor's note: Happy Birthday Dude...we love you lots!!!}

it's beginning to look a lot...

...like Christmas.  Ev'ry where you go.  Take a look at the five and ten glistening once again.  With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Toys in ev'ry store.

But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be...

...on your own front door.

-Lyrics by Meredith Wilson