coveting :: the magazine version

today i'm sharing some goodies i've spied recently in my magazines that i'd like to bring home. most are doable, one will likely never happen, but a girl can dream, right?

marimekko kimara napkins would bring some pop to my patio this summer.

available at crate & barrel, spotted in canadian house & home april 2010.

the return bench by gus modern would fit in nicely in our bedroom, a perfect spot to pull on my slippers in the morning. spotted in style at home may 2010.

this bev hisey hand knotted runner would be a knockout in our front entry [but not till after we renovate!], spotted in house & home april 2010.

i'm dying over this oval saarinen dining table, shown in style at home design editor ann marie favot's gorgeous home, april 2010 issue. while we're on the subject, i'd like to take inspiration from favot's entire space, stylish + serene in white on white. swoon.

sunstreaked

well, it certainly doesn't feel like spring in vancouver just now. in fact, the weather has been completely miserable these past few days. but i'm still on the lookout for happy spring stuff, after these posts last week, i thought i'd carry on with the yellow. and doesn't it look great with turquoise? i know what you're going to say, pantone beat me to it. but seriously, how sunny and fresh do these bangles look?

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left.

set of 5 wool wrapped stacking bangles :: mystic fibers

pau amarello wood bangle :: in bloom designs

set of three resin bangles - teal, aqua, green :: milkwood design

it wood be blue-tiful :: showmart collections

copper modern art bracelet :: maandaa k jewelry

paper-wrapped eco friendly bangle - abstract sunshine :: squishy sushi

on gratitude, community, and letterpress

on friday afternoon, the mailman knocked at my door, handing me a few packages. i order loads of stuff online, so this is nothing out of the ordinary, though much anticipated. after looking through a couple padded envelopes [more fabric, yippee!], i saw a small box, the return address reading simplesong design. hmm. i wracked my brain, wondering if there was any way i could have forgotten ordering something from one of my very favourite letterpress shops. surely, i would remember that, wouldn't i? and so, mystery intact, i opened the box. what i saw just floored me.

truth be told, tears pricked my eyes as a smile spread wide across my face.

this is what i saw inside.

and this is why.

i can't remember exactly how i was first introduced to molly. it must have been several months ago now, on twitter, or perhaps through her delightful blog. i was instantly hooked after reading charlotte's fancy the first time. molly has such a beautiful style of writing. clear + concise, informative yet light, familiar, friendly, and just plain lovely. she shares just the right balance of crafts, art, handmade finds, and her own family. molly has been kind enough to share some of my goodies with her readers, and i truly appreciate that. i love seeing what her newest finds are, and delight in the fabulous art + handmade kids' items she discovers. she has introduced me to many new favourites, and may have caused a couple new obsessions [wink].

molly and i share a passion for stationery, especially letterpress. so imagine my delight when i saw this unexpected and incredible birthday gift. letterpress is my absolute fave. i've featured simplesong's blind impression letterpress notecards on more than one occasion, and now i am the happy owner of my own set of cards. there it is, my name, pressed into the soft, thick cover stock. swoon.

i've often said that the community in this blogging, handmade, indie world blows my mind. supportive + friendly + welcoming, creative and inspiring. cheerleaders everywhere for the indie craft and art movement. so many people willing to help, and who genuinely care.

i am so lucky to have found a place here, as i truly believe that i am meant to be doing this, sharing my thoughts, and making + creating with my hands. all these like-minded people, people who i feel i was meant to cross paths with, even though it's not in person. some closer than others, some across oceans, some across the country, and some just across town. these people are my friends, my colleagues. you all know who you are, and i thank you for your part in my handmade life, in my little corner of this community.

molly, your generosity is overwhelming, and your thoughtfulness has touched my heart. i, like you, have the tendency to hang on to beautiful paper, not wanting to use it all up. i promise to try and use them, but they'll be saved for the most special of notes, on select occasions. and one will make it's way into my paper keepsake box, where it will no doubt stay.

thank you.

pink lemonade

yesterday's yellow shoes put me in the mood for spring shopping. i'll likely be doing more of the virtual sort this year [saving up for that kitchen]. today

i thought i'd find myself a new spring coat, and came across these lovelies. the colours bring to mind ice cold glasses of pink lemonade, lounging on

a teak lawn chair, wearing a floppy brimmed hat and jackie o shades.

want to come?

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

avery in fuchsia :: soia & kyo

nick & mo lightweight topstitched trench :: nordstrom

the marlo coat :: modcloth

lemon squares jacket :: anthropologie

i need some yellow shoes

and i'm thinking that those little dorothy cuties in the middle are the ones that i want. oops, i mean, need.

{clockwise from top left}

anne klein sestina :: piperlime

ecco lite :: ecco

bp 'halee' peep toe wedge :: nordstrom

lucky brand 'birna' flat :: nordstrom

{centre}

miz mooz dorothy :: infinity shoes

spring fever

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

5x5 S :: jacquelyn lee photography

p - ephemera art block - 1924 french dictionary illustration :: sushipot

initial letter R - vintage aluminium letterpress necklace :: gwen delicious

hand drawn monogrammed print, the letter I :: jen skelley

letter N custom moss hanging wreath initial :: simple sweet design

the letter G :: photo node

perfect spring day

after spending a gorgeous spring morning at the park + beach with the kiddos, i wanted to bring that feeling into this space. the photos in cassia beck's etsy shop fit my mood to the perfect degree. i love the vintage, earthy elegance, and nostalgic feel that her prints conjure in my mind. light + fresh, springtime beauty. enjoy! and happy weekend.

images via cassia beck

pencils as stilts

i am absolutely smitten with illustrator julie morstad's work. i've long been a fan, and i have to say i love pretty much anything and everything that she produces. it makes me smile to think that she's a local talent [yay, vancouver!]. every time my son + i read one of her books, we both giggle over the delightful drawings. my daughter's room is adorned with the artist's abc flash cards, hung with mini clothes pegs on baker's twine. i think julie's work touches such a wide range of people. the hauntingly beautiful faces, saturated colours, playful scenarios. adults will have a little chuckle from the tongue in cheek imagery, while children are drawn to the whimsy + fun.

images via julie morstad

i just love the idea of pencils as stilts. i'd like to see what these girls draw with their feet, as they dance and twirl through their day. birds as kites, gluttonous girls who've imbibed in too much tea, men growing in fields of poppies. it's all just too wonderful. head over to julie morstad's site for more of her portfolio, and her shop, stocked with a handful of delightful prints.

kitchen daydreams

i've got my kitchen on my mind this week. i've been super busy working on multiple orders, and that has unfortunately led to a couple mini-breakdowns directly related to my lack of work space. i work in a tiny cabinet in the corner of my kitchen, which is in dire need of a renovation. while it's mostly functional, i just can't stand it any more. a typical late-eighties build, all i see are the old yucky laminate counters, the faux wood trim on the cabinets, the terrible plastic u-shaped pulls. i know, i could have changed them out easily, but i just didn't want to spend a dime on this kitchen until we could really redo it. no walls will come down, the layout will change only a teensy bit, but best of all [for me!] is i'll be adding a full wall of workspace. oh my, i just cannot wait.

i have definitely got colours, style, and a plan in mind, but i love pouring through flickr pools to get a little more inspiration.

image via

i've always been interested in trying out the two-tone cabinetry look. while this kitchen as a whole is a bit country for my taste, i do really like the combination of creamy ivory uppers with smooth grey-taupe base cabinets. oh, and i also really like the homeowner's boots. nice! doesn't she look happy, standing there eating cake?

image via

it's no surprise that the kitchen belonging to heath ceramics' owners would be stunning. the yellow brings a hit of sunshine to the space, and i love that the linear tiles are placed vertically. very current. i'm also very drawn to the bleached birch look of the cabinets. and i love the bertoia barstools, topped off with a buttery yellow seat pad to echo the tile. i could definitely eat breakfast there every morning.

image via

this picture really reminds me a bit of the kitchen at my old condo. in fact, we'll probably end up with something similar. i am always drawn to watery tones [i'm a typical west-coast water baby] and we'll likely end up with white cabinets and a dark counter. these tiles are almost identical to those we had on our old backsplash. if we do them again, i might opt for slightly larger rectangles, and install them lined up in vertical rows rather than staggered. as for the counters, they are made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper, by paperstone. how great is that? i saw this at the prefab house next to the vancouver pavilion during the olympics, and was definitely intrigued. on first glance, they looked a lot like soapstone [the countertops of my dreams]. this is a little more accessible, i'd say, and good for the earth to boot!

well, i'm off to dream of a perfect-for-me kitchen, with seven feet of workspace and cabinets galore to store all my fabrics, trims, accessories...oh, please soon!

easter buckets + bear

just popping up for a breath of air, in between sewing and parenting. who thought up this two week spring break idea, anyhow? thank goodness for some decent weather heading our way, or i fear we all may go crazy.

here's a little peek at one of the easter buckets i shipped off yesterday. customers have their choice of a bunch of fabrics, tell me the initial they'd like monogrammed on it, and voila, a one-of-a-kind easter bucket for years to come.

etsy imagery :: snow day

the local ski hills got some much needed snow over the past week, so i took my son up skiing yesterday morning. it's the first time i've been up with him, as until now he's had lessons. it was pretty incredible to watch him rip down those hills. he absolutely loves it, and it was a joy to watch.

i haven't posted an etsy imagery in a long time. so today i thought i'd share a few items that make me think of the snowy wonderland i got to play in this weekend!

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

snow felted wool acorns :: fairyfolk

snow day [8x8] :: urban pink photography

aran earrings :: marie fly fly

happy baby shower, lindy!

just one last post about this blog baby shower. i wanted to wish the best of luck to lindy, and i know she will just absolutely have the best time watching her two babies grow up together. enjoy, lindy!!

today, linda from a la mode stuff is giving away one of her awesome seatbelt handbags! these are so great, what a fun thing to do with excess seatbelt! fun, functional, and good for the earth, too :)

to enter to win this bag, leave a comment here, or you can head over to linda's post or candy's post to leave one there!

it would be great if you wanted to stop by lindy's blog to say hello, and give her a little congrats on her impending arrival. she's in the home stretch!!

[march 14 :: giveaway is closed! winner was announced on linda's blog saturday, here]

encroaching

i'm trying to peek around the fog. things have gotten quite busy around these parts! i'm not complaining, i promise. in fact, i couldn't be happier. while the spring weather seems to be on hold at the moment, spring cleaning seems to have taken hold. i've gotten about a zillion requests for these handy little organizers this past week. off i go a-sewing!

[this photo is from my best-roadie-ever, across canada and home again through the us, back in what seems like another life. this tranquil spot is just outside of peggy's cove]

thirty-two

my baby girl's first birthday balloons

up and away, another year has passed. today is my birthday. normally i get pretty excited about this day, but for some reason, this one has kind of crept up in a decidedly unexciting way. maybe it's the number. thirty-two, it just sounds kind of dull, you know? really i have no problem with age or getting older, it's just that i find nothing electric about the number thirty-two. and so, today i will celebrate my birthday in a quiet fashion. just my family, a yummy home-cooked meal with my aunt and uncle, and of course, copious hugs from the kiddos. yes, i do like those hugs.

wish list :: the motley version

today's birthday wish list is the last from this wee series, i hope you've enjoyed seeing the things i'm coveting the most, and maybe found some items you'd like for yourself, too! this is a collection of motley items that didn't really fit in anywhere else. a few accessories, paper goodies, and one awesome looking radio. why hello there, tivoli.

images via shops as listed below.

{clockwise from top left}

candela :: spinthread

essential box rhodia :: rhodia boutique

brianna feather headband :: LiveinStyle

sugar lemon eau de parfum :: fresh

the flight bound leather belt buckle :: flightpath

blind impression simple custom letterpress notecard set :: simplesong designs [oh, and some letterpress classes too, please!]

{centre}

tivoli model one radio :: canoe

wish list :: affordable art version

lately i've found myself a wee bit obsessed with some amazing affordable art prints around the web. there are just so many goodies! i've been thinking i need some art for the walls in my office space [ahem, kitchen corner]. here are some etsy finds that have made my shortlist. now wouldn't these make great birthday gifts? yes, i thought so too.

images via shops as listed below.

{clockwise from top left}

the snowman :: lauren castillo illustration

autumn girl :: nan lawson

les ciseaux :: atelier eva juliet

imagination [girl] :: studio mela

office letterpress :: eight hour day [thanks mr yen + molly for recommending it]

bird no. 19 :: geninne's art store

{centre}

puffin limited edition print :: bee things

a blog baby shower

so this is something i've never done [nor heard of!] before, but i am helping to shower my friend lindy [of crafted by lindy] in an online baby shower being held this week. isn't that fun? before christmas, lindy + i bonded over a mutual love for some classically cheesy christmas songs, and realized that we have a fair bit in common. sometime quite soon, lindy will be welcoming her second baby, a little girl, into her family. i am so excited for her to watch her little people grow together + love each other the way only siblings can. congrats, lindy!

this baby shower was thought up by the delightful linda of a la mode stuff. she will be blogging about it all this week, and introducing a few fun giveaways, too! be sure to visit her shops [via her website] and her blog.

the other virtual co-host is the talented candy of candied fabrics. she will also be sharing a giveaway later in the week. you must check out her shop and blog, too. she makes some of the most delightfully whimsical + colourful fabric creations.

i'll be posting a bit more this week to let you all know about a couple giveaways being held in lindy's honour. i hope you'll join me in dropping in on lindy and wishing her congratulations!

blog it forward :: inspiration

blog it forward. the seed was planted during a twitter conversation between victoria of sfgirbybay and ez of creature comforts, discussing how to create a community driven, feel-good event, something that would bring bloggers together to share the basis of why most people blog, anyways. inspiration. and so the blog it forward mashup was born.

what inspires me the most? i could go on all day long about my love + obsession for mid century modern design, furniture new and old, clean modern architecture, blueprints, paper, letterpress, photography, fashion, fabric, colours, magazines. i love it all, live it and breathe it. this is why i share my thoughts in this space. day after day i fill these pages with the things that i love. it's why i feel a connection to other who have the same interests and similar aesthetics.

so today, instead of all those things, i thought i would share the basis of my being. the pieces of my life that inspire me to create, design, make. it's pretty basic, really. something that we all have, but that for each one of us, it is unique. the people + the places. my family, my home, my favourite spots. childhood to adulthood. memories.

hands down the best trip ever :: iceland, 2001, with d.

beautiful bc, my favourite spots.

watch lake, 70 mile house :: the alders, merville

thormanby island :: savary island

my all-time favourite place, forever + always :: tofino, bc

my parents. thanks, mom + dad.

my siblings. [i'm the wee one]

my family.

o, february 2005 :: d, june 2008

derek, my partner in life since 1999

these kids. watching them grow, learn, love. as different as two people could be.

i love them more than i had ever thought possible. they are my very best inspiration.

i don't often post such personal images and topics on my blog. i have been hemming and hawing of late, wondering whether i'd like to share a bit more of myself in this space. it really came to me as i wrote this post. this is me, my life. i am not sure that i can separate my business, the things i love, and the people + places that i love, who inspire me. so there may be a little more 'me' showing up here in the future. not a lot, just enough.

in the spirit of the mashup, please be sure to visit sloe gin fizz, who posted her lovely inspirations yesterday. and on monday, i am blogging it forward to snippet and ink. head on over to have a look at what inspires her.

if this is your first time here, then welcome! i hope you will stay awhile, look around, and say hello. i am so happy to meet you.

wish list :: home version

today's wish list consists of a couple pipe dreams paired with some more tangible desires. I've wanted a set of four white eames molded plastic side chairs for as long as i've been obsessed with design. love love love. i know it's a bit of a stretch as far as a birthday present, but someday, they will be mine. and speaking of splurge, isn't that bookhou chair just divine? as it's child sized, i'd let it reside in my baby girl's room, just so that i could ogle it often.

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left.

mugs in gooseberry :: skinny laminx

eames molded plastic side chair in white :: design within reach

child's felt chair :: bookhou

sweet pea in yellow :: kim westad

white teapot :: sophie conran for pontmeirion

serif typography wall art :: peppersprouts

wish list :: clothing version

so, it's finally march, my favourite month! i can breathe a sigh of relief that spring is just around the corner, that always brings a smile to my face. it doesn't hurt that it's my birthday month, too. i'll be celebrating the big day next wednesday, and i thought i'd lead up to it with a series of wish lists in this space. when i was a girl, i always wrote a pretty lengthy list of my greatest wants. who am i kidding, i still do. you know, just in case anyone's wondering.

for the first installment, here are a few things i'm coveting for my closet. yes, i know, they're all grey. i can't help it, i just gravitate that way.

images via list below, clockwise from top left.

ivory and grey ruffle top :: la marquise des anges [item currently sold out]

avery jacket in carbon :: soia & kyo

optical hopscotch belted tunic :: fink

fayette :: makool loves you

lo profile grey converse :: converse [available at gravity pope]

this grey cowl tee :: replicca

our golden city

yesterday morning, we took a short jaunt downtown with the kiddos to see these guys skate at robson square. it was their absolute hands-down favourite moment from the olympics, and they were beside themselves with glee. those 2010 marketers sure did their job well with the mascots, our kids went totally nuts for them. we returned to north van before the throngs of revelers flooded the streets, making sure we got out with both wee ones before getting swallowed up in the crowds. our seabus docked just in time for us to see the city bathed in glorious sunshine, perfect for celebrating olympic hockey gold. i thought i'd share a few pictures i snapped from the pier.

it was an historic day for canada, filled with spirit + pride. golden memories and a buzzing city, alive with the excitement and enthusiasm of a successful olympic games. today i am feeling pretty proud + lucky to be a canadian and a vancouverite. cheesy, i know, but it's just a feeling i have.