12.31.2013

HIATUS


I haven't been around as you might have noticed. Well, I'm very sorry about that.  But I won't be around for a little while longer.  You see - I've had this really cool opportunity come my way, and it's my main focus right now. I'm very fortunate.  It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity, where I can finally see things clearly.  So I'm going on my merry way down this path, but don't worry.  I'll be back again, and when I return I'll have so much more to share with you.  Lots of love.

J xx

11.21.2013

DIY Vintage Christmas Ornament


There’s something about vintage Christmas ornaments that warm my heart. They hint at simpler times, and their worn patina tells me they were well loved.  And in the spirit of decking the halls, I’ve made crafting vintage-inspired decorations a holiday tradition. This year's creation is a vintage-inspired tree ornament I like to call “Fawn in Winter Forest”. The best part – it was easy to make!


Tools & Supplies

ornament // glitter // mini sisal trees // mini deer // Snow-Tex // vintage Christmas greeting card
small scissors // hot glue gun // small paint brush 

Crafting Time: 1 Hour

How-to

  • Vintage inspired ornament with open centre 
    • I found this pre-glittered high-shine ornament at Sears, but any ornament with a vintage shape that has a generous open centre is suitable.
  • Snow-Tex by DecoArt from Michaels 
    • This comes in a jar and has a creamy granular consistency. Scoop it up with a small paint brush to apply your snow.  Apply generously for a billowy snow-like effect. The snow will harden overnight, so you can continue shaping the snow as you go along.  You will also dab Snow-Tex on the trees and a little bit on the greeting banner for a fresh snowfall look.
  • Martha Stewart white tinsel glitter
    • Apply glitter over the wet snow so the glitter sticks to snow surface. This will make the snow glisten!
  • Miniature sisal trees from Michaels 
    • These little bristly trees come in packs of 12. They have little wooden bases attached, but you can easily cut these off with a small pair of scissors. They have wire stems which are great for sticking the tree base directly into the snow.
  • Miniature deer figurines from Michaels
    • These miniature deer come in packs of 4 (2 small, 2 extra small). Stick one directly into the snow in the desired position.
  • Vintage Christmas card for greeting banner
    • You can find old Christmas cards at flea markets or on Ebay and Etsy. Old greeting cards have the most charming holiday greetings and are ideal because the card stock has aged and browned over time which helps give your ornament a vintage look.  Simply cut out a greeting from the card with your small scissors into a banner shape. Use your fingers to gently roll smooth bends into the card stock so the banner has curved edges.
  • Hot glue gun
    • Dab a small bead of glue between the deer head and the sisal tree for extra stay-in-place security. You will also dab a small bead of glue on the greeting banner and affix it to the sisal tree in the desired position so that the banner appears to be floating.

Happy ornament making!


11.18.2013

The Royal Wedding | a Bachelorette

This weekend my friend Lindsey and I hosted a 'Royal Wedding' themed bachelorette party for our  royals-obsessed bestie Jenn.  She's a classy lady, so this theme was an obvious choice.  We had fun putting the party together - complete with DIY fascinators, 'blue sapphire' ring pops, a British-styled table and a DIY photo booth with hilarious prop masks of the royal family.  We even played the 'naughty knickers' game which was great fun. The bride-to-be went home with William & Catherine, Their Story, a fab coffee table book that doubled as our guest book.  And in case you plan on throwing your own 'Royal Wedding' themed party, the decorating is made easy by the free printable cupcake toppers and bunting banners from The Pretty Blog and the free printable prop masks found here.  The bachelorette was a fitting tribute to one lovely lady and a final farewell to Prince William; the one who got away.

J xx

11.13.2013

Luxe Christmas Tree Ornaments

clockwise: Swarovski // Waterford // Diptyque // Kate Spade

Let it be known to all of you that I have an obsession with Christmas tree ornaments.  They're like diamonds; the more the merrier! I can't resist a decorative object any day of the week, so a tree full of them sends me into a state of euphoria.  Especially when they're as luxe as these baubles.  I reckon Ms. 'Violet Eyes' would have approved of these ornaments… They're dazzling!

J xx

11.08.2013

Christmas Ornament Vases


I had to repost this adorable holiday DIY project shared by Liz at Gimme Some Style.  Liz and her hubby are co-owners of a coffee shop in Kansas City called Quay Coffee.  Their business partners decked out their coffee shop for the holidays last year with these sweet Christmas ornament vases that adorned each table.  How cute is that!  For more on this DIY project, head over to her blog.  I'll definitely be making some over the holidays! 

J xx



11.06.2013

5 Years | Christmas at Galeries Lafayette

I just can't express how beautiful Paris is.  It's been 6 long years since my first trip to Paris and I promised myself I wouldn't wait forever to go back.  Lately I've been thinking it's soon time to plan my big return.  Winter 2014 perhaps?  The Christmas decorations alone at Paris' premier department store, the Galeries Lafayette are enough to convince me that I should plan a holiday trip to Paris next year.  Take a look back at the last 5 years of beautifully decorated Christmas trees at the Galeries Lafayette.  How magical!  I must see Paris at Christmas time, I must!
J xx



Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Swatch, the Swiss watch company.




Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the dome of the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann store, Swarovski unveiled their 'Century' Christmas tree.


'Rock N' Mode' Christmas tree, chimes to the tune of 'Rocking Around the Christmas Tree'.  Festivities included live rock music performances throughout December to enhance the shopping experience. 


Whimsical multicoloured gift boxes hang from the ceiling.


Rose toned baubles, bows and gifts make for a feminine chic Christmas tree.

11.01.2013

It's Here!


My Christmas season starts today!  
These are the only words I felt adequate to convey my sheer joy and excitement 
for all the merry festivities that lies ahead!

J xx

10.24.2013

Cloche Crush


It all started with a single glance at Cire Trudon's exquisite retail candle display (below, top right).  Those shiny cloches with bourgeoning fragrances harbouring inside the glass.  And just like a decadent cake elegantly displayed in a domed stand, styling objects beneath a glass cloche creates the very same covet factor.  So naturally, I set out to find myself a couple cloches to enhance my greek bust and diptyque candle.  Lovely, right?  Things appear extra special under glass.

J xx


10.17.2013

City of Angels


I'm off to L.A. for a mini vacay with my girlfriends!  Catch you on the flip side!

J xx 

10.06.2013

Pretty Pumpkin Roundup

Top L-R:  flowers | studded | metallic
Bottom L-R:  glitter | decoupage | carved | lace

Bloom it, stud it, shine it, glitter it, decoupage it, carve it, lace it - any way you like it!  So many inspiring pumpkin decorating DIYs to try.  Click here to see my pumpkin DIY last year;  this year's pumpkin project is TBD, but I'm especially loving the decoupage idea.  We all love a classic jack-o'-lantern, but sometimes a girl just wants to demonstrate her decorating prowess.  And pumpkins - they should be very afraid.   

J xx

10.04.2013

Hallows' Eve Tablescape



There may not be goblins and ghouls at the dinner table, but who invited them anyway.  Cire Trudon's Napoleon bust candle as part of the table's centrepiece has a ghostly vibe, while the Melody Rose gold-rimmed plate featuring an eerie image of a naked couple sets the right tone for a Halloween inspired tablescape.  Plus, the edgy Juliska urn and Kelly Wearstler vase adds a touch of gothic studded glamour.  Add a few small gilded pumpkins to the centrepiece to finish off the look, and you've got yourself a dark and fabulous Hallows' Eve tablescape!  

J xx

9.29.2013

Colette the French Poodle

Frame from The Graphics Fairy

I named her Colette.  She's a 1950s white porcelain French poodle with spaghetti detail that I purchased for $6 from the Stratford Antique Mall this weekend.  Isn't she the cutest!  She was produced by Lefton Company and originally made with gold chains extending from her collar to her two baby poodles - click here to see her in the original condition.  But I love her just the way she is; oh so French and chic!  She makes the perfect decoration on a vanity or atop stacked books on a shelf.  I recently discovered that my girl Laura from Gracefully Searching owns Colette's twin, Gigi! Check her out here.  Lucky for you, I found more porcelain poodles for sale on Etsy, here and here.  Get 'em while they're hot!  

J xx       


9.24.2013

Perfume on Paper


How lovely are these Chanel perfume bottle prints and illustrations! Each so well interpreted and designed. These babies have gone viral and you can bet the 'who's who' of fashionistas owns one. Which ones do you like best? Are you more the chic sophisticate or the ultimate pink lady? I've got my eye on the first two, top left. The good news is you can find each of these prints for sale right now (two of them are original watercolours!). And not that you could possibly need convincing, but the images below are examples of just how fab these prints will look in your home!

J xx







  

9.22.2013

Meeting Sarah Richardson


I believe that if you love something hard enough and embrace your interests just for the sheer joy of it - great opportunities will come your way.  You'll spend less time calculating your next steps and more time enjoying your good fortune.  But to be clear - good fortune doesn't stem from luck; it's the result of being your own best friend and investing in yourself, your likes and loves.  Case in point? The opportunity to meet my design idol Sarah Richardson came from winning a Pinterest room design contest through BlogPodium - a Canadian conference for design and lifestyle bloggers that I attend each year just because I love to blog about home decor.  This may sound like 'no big deal' to some of you, or pretty darn awesome for those of you who appreciate Sarah's work, but it's the little things unique to each of our interests that make us happy, isn't it? And if we invest in ourselves and embrace 'the little things', we're likely to find ourselves in good company. 

Lucky for me and a select bunch of contest winners and media folks, we got to spend a couple hours with Sarah at her studio/office on Friday.  To no one's surprise, the studio was brilliantly decorated with a mix of Sarah's custom furniture, antiques and gorgeous fabrics from her new Kravet fabric collection. The soft blues, greys, greens and peach tones were mouth-watering.  



The graduating class of Sarah Richardson Design, perhaps? Aren't we the cutest.  After the social wrapped up, Sarah sent us off with custom tote bags made from her new Kravet fabric.  I shared Sarah's personal photo of us holding our new totes on my Facebook page; to see it click here.  In our totes was a bag of Pluck Teas loose leaf Earl Grey Cream tea - Sarah's favourite from tea sommelier and founder of Pluck Teas, Jennifer Commins. Lucky for us Jennifer served us cold tea cocktails while we mingled.  In sum, the day was nothing short of fabulous. Sarah was very friendly, funny and a little self deprecating.  My kind of gal!    


I was up bright and early the next day for BlogPodium at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Toronto.  Huge thanks to BlogPodium founder, Jennifer Flores of Rambling Renovators for putting on the event.   The lovely table decor, photo booth backdrops and stationary freebies were from Minted.  I love Minted - they created my business cards and showered me with fabulous freebies back in July!  


Sarah Richardson was the keynote speaker and the highlight of BlogPodium for me. As we all sat and listened to her presentation, I secretly revelled in meeting her the day before and getting the tour of her studio/office. Her speech was so inspiring. She shared personal stories of humble beginnings and addressed a few set-backs. Sarah encouraged us to find our point of view, be consistent, be passionate and to never forget those who have helped you along the way. She continued to say that many of the people she works with today are the same people that helped her when she first started out in the business. She noted that collaboration is our greatest strategy; building relationships will cary us a long way. Also, you'll be happy to know she's developing a line of cards and wrapping paper for Hallmark and currently working on a new tips-based book on room design! And as if meeting Sarah and being on the receiving end of her kick-ass speech wasn't good enough, she later complimented me on Instagram for taking great photos of her studio on Friday.  See snapshot below. She's thanking ME? Swoon!         


After I came down from my Sarah Richardson high, I took advantage of the conference's blogging seminars and vendor displays from Para Paints, Indigo, Urban Barn, Home Depot and Moulding and Millwork to name a bunch.  Come cocktail hour we let loose, enjoyed sushi and champagne, and hammed it up for Snapshot Photobooth.  As fun and informative as the event was, making fabulous blogger friends is priceless. Laura, Amy, Brittany, Tiffany - I'm lookin' at you!  

J xx



9.14.2013

Falling into Plaid


Today the weather is brisk and fall is imminent, so naturally I'm gravitating toward warmer fabrics and heavier patterns.  And according to some of our favourite designers, plaids and checks are the perfect way to welcome fall.  But then again, plaid is a cold weather classic so "'tis the season" you could say.  I've said my goodbyes to summer and I'm ready to embrace the colder weather with all that plaid has to offer: a little drama and a touch of mystery.  It's time to get serious! 

J xx

9.11.2013

Real Potential with Sarah Richardson

I'm so excited to see Sarah Richardson work magic again on her new HGTV series Real Potential where she helps reluctant home owners see the light.  How you ask? By turning deal-breakers into focal points and problem spaces into fabulous ones!  Mark your calendar and tune into HGTV on September 19th to catch the premier of Real Potential.  I can hardly believe I'll be with Sarah at her studio the very next day chatting about all things design and getting the scoop on her new projects.  Pinch me!

J xx


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