coriumi

it's nice to see something a little different out there, something you don't see over and over again. these tribal-style geometric patterns are hand screenprinted on unbleached cotton canvas, and paired with suede or leather accents. a nice original take on the ubiquitous clutch, by coriumi out of lithuania. i totally love the top clutch with the pink -- what a fun pop of colour.

images via coriumi on etsy

it's calendar season

and i totally adore the 2013 calendar from bookhou. it is on my list for sure {i usually end up buying three or four}

images via bookhou

hay!

just so we're clear, i think i should tell you that i'm a little {ok, a lot} obsessed with designer chairs. my poor husband, though he is fairly tolerant of this little problem.
i am in need of a new chair for my workspace. the last one i bought didn't fit properly, the arms
wouldn't quite slide under the drawer at my desk, so it's back to the drawing board. i can't say i'm too upset about it though, i've always wanted a ghost chair in my room, so that's where it will go.




















so i fell for this chair a while back. i love the simplicity of the design, i think the bright colours are super fun -- why must design be serious? i think i'm leaning towards the turquoise, it would be awesome in my workspace. it's also deceivingly comfortable, the perfect firm-postured chair to sew in.
this little number is the RU chair, by Hay designer Shane Schneck. i think i need to visit copenhagen just so that i can go to the Hay shop, the designs are right up my alley. i found the RU locally at Only Human in victoria, a fab little shop that i adore.

images via Hay

wood + white + neon

i'm completely smitten by this double-dipped wood bowl, found at wind & willow home. i love the contrast of the light natural wood with that bright neon coral pink. there are loads of other goodies in the shop there too, you should have a look.

image via wind & willow home

fleeting

there's a bit of a chill in the air today, a cool wind was blowing on our way to school this morning, and it just feels like fall. crisp, sunny, cool. i'm also feeling a bit of a twinge, missing this space a little, and feeling like it will find it's way into my routine again, just around the bend. see you soon!

hello, friends. it seems as if this space has had a little bit of a break, and while unintentional, i think it's what needed to happen since we moved from vancouver back in early may. there has been so much to do, and a whirlwind of activity and settling in has happened. i have been instagramming a lot along the way, i find it so simple and fun to share photos over there, don't you? you can follow me @smidgebox if you like. here are some highlights.

vancouver said goodbye with a gorgeous stretch of weather. the sunset was spectacular as we left town on our last evening.

but we couldn't stay away, we were back for a visit only a month later!

i'm not sure how green my thumb is, but i have to say i'm loving the garden so far.

we adore our new yard, lots of space for the kids to run! a gorgeous maple shades the front, where i love to sit and watch the leaves flickering in the breeze, and an amazing mature arbutus tree anchors the corner  of the back yard.

i finally got the chance to set up my new sewing machine, and put it to use. with a new {to us}, bigger house to fill, i've been doing a little shopping! ok, a lot of shopping. there are a couple more furniture deliveries happening next week that i am very excited about.

our neighbourhood is great. we have a cool little village a short walk away, and the beach only a few minutes further along. bliss.

i have to admit, i'm just not sure how often i'll be here to write as i was in this space, for the near future anyway. i love sharing my inspiration and finds from around the web, but my life has been taking a bit of a turn offline for a while now, and i need to follow that to where it leads. i have no doubt i'll be back, when things shift again and move into yet another phase. but for now, i need to be with my kiddos and enjoy getting my hands dirty in the garden, get back to my sewing, and just be.
i will pop in every now and again with some instagrams or news to share, and will return to my little corner of the web when the winds change. thanks for listening, and letting me be here in my space.

:: my kitchen ::

my kitchen, finally. i know, it's a bit ridiculous how long it's taken me to share it here. it's been finished for a while now, but we just have been so busy getting ready for our big move. our place sold quickly, and we have bought a new home in victoria, so we are all set to go in about six weeks!

i almost forgot to take any before pictures, so in the two i've got here, we had already removed the backsplash. the tiles were a pukey grey-pink-speckled mess. went SO well with the lovely shade of brown on the wall. i never even had the heart to paint that room, i loathed the kitchen so much i didn't want to expend any energy trying to make it better until we were able to renovate.

without any further ado, a few pics of our little kitchen, along with a few notes at the end about the materials we used. i hope you like it!

my husband painstakingly scraped the popcorn coating off the ceiling, then patched and painted the drywall. i am so glad he did, it made a world of difference. we installed lots of potlights, and i love how bright it is. we also extended the cabinets to the ceiling, it's a no-brainer, but makes a world of difference for storage.

we didn't replace our appliances, as we had bought new ones when we moved in just over three years ago. we changed the layout only a tiny bit, moving the range out a little from the corner to accommodate a half-moon pullout system {love!!} and removing the short peninsula that had been where the bank of drawers is now. it opened the kitchen up perfectly, it felt so cramped before.

we also added the cabinetry and workspace along the left in the photo above. that wall was bare before, and it made much more sense to include some cabinets and a pantry unit there for extra storage, and a perfect space for me to work.

i think it turned out really well. it certainly isn't my dream kitchen, but the finishes are ones we love, and we definitely learned a lot along the way. we didn't want to do anything in the way of moving fixtures or walls, and so we worked essentially with the space the way it was. that being said, we absolutely love our new kitchen, it is light + bright + modern, and totally "us". i am also happy that my beloved eames shell chairs fit right in, they looked a little out of place in our old ugly kitchen!

cabinets :: ikea, with applad white fronts {white flat-panel cabinets are our favourite, and they fit the budget!}, along with some horizontal aluminum-framed glass cabinets.

countertops :: eco by cosentino, in crystal ash. we really liked the eco aspect, definitely tried to incorporate some earth-friendly choices in our kitchen. we opted for a modern-style 3/4" profile with flat edges. i love them, probably my favourite part of the kitchen.

backsplash :: pale aqua glass 2"x6" narrow subway tiles. we opted for a stacked installation, i like the more modern look of the vertical lines.

flooring :: forbo marmoleum plank, in volcanic ash. i adore this floor! it is warm and forgiving to stand on, comfortable underfoot, and it looks great. we chose the click, which is a floating floor system, and the seams are so tight you can barely see them. a word to the wise, the floors do scratch a little, but i find that it just melds into the pattern and creates a bit of a patina. overall, i love it.

workspace surface :: 3/4" natural bamboo ply by plyboo. love. love. warms up the kitchen really nicely, and is a wonderful surface to work on. it's a bit soft, so i wouldn't necessarily recommend it for use as a prep surface in the kitchen.

pendant light :: brushed nickel fresnel lens pendant fixture by progress lighting. i am in love with this light. it brings the right amount of industrial edge, but is still modern and polished-looking. it also has the most clever hinge-style access to change the bulb. it's the little things! i ordered mine through home depot, and it was a lot less expensive than it is on the progress site!

that's about it, i guess! thanks for taking a tour of my kitchen with me, hope you liked it.

34 things :: what to wear

just a few things i'd like to find in my closet. some for sunny days, some for rainy days. a modest splurge here, a big splurge there...

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

bamboo teal short sleeve cowl tee :: replicca clothing company

orla kiely shadow stem midi sling in multi :: orla kiely via room6

katia chambray ballet flats :: toms
hunter clutch, organic hand-printed canvas, brick pattern in green :: hazel & hunter

ilse jacobsen rub1 tall boot in black :: ilse jacobsen via room6

mamie hat - charcoal wool :: piper & paisley

shirt triangle top cotton jersey in navy :: out of line

34 things :: tea time

one thing i absolutely must have every day is a cup of tea. nothing fancy, i grew up drinking tetley orange pekoe tea, and while there are now many others i also love, that is truly my daily cup. all of these goodies would be a perfect gift for someone i know. ahem.

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

napkins, set of 2 - pincushion, in charcoal :: skinny laminx

striped short mugs :: dahlhaus

tea towel - succulents, in terracotta :: skinny laminx

turquoise striped teapot :: dahlhaus

sugar, salt & pepper set :: paulova ceramics

classic whistling enamel teakettle in flame :: le creuset, available at williams sonoma

34 things :: some art i like

sharing some art i've quite liked over the past while. i think it would be fun to have a huge wall of indie art, don't you? i've got a few pieces already, these are some i'd love to add to my collection.

images via artists as listed below

{clockwise from top left}

pheasant wing bird art large original watercolor painting :: golly bard

blue tit limited edition print :: bee things

monsieur II print :: cosas minimas by blanca gomez

les ciseaux :: evajuliet atelier

whooping crane limited edition print :: bee things

terrarium cork bottle :: quill and fox

tail feather no 2 large original watercolor painting :: golly bard

terrarium glass case :: quill and fox

{centre}

fortune favors the brave print :: small talk studio

34 things :: citrus fresh

a few more things on that wishlist, this time in fresh shades of citrus!

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

mini goals chalkboard - after tea time :: mary kate mcdevitt

gold & tangerine ipad sleeve* :: shibang designs

pink and yellow mums (set of 6 notes) :: modern printed matter

small tea cozy in burnt orange, modern "shorn" wool felt :: argyle street

pretty well any gorgeous frock made by pamela tang. i'm not too picky, love 'em all!

initial necklace, custom made :: the merriweather council

*i am still patiently waiting for my ipad. hmmm. would be a perfect birthday gift from a husband, don't you think?

34 things :: a wish list in aqua + sun

this week, i thought i'd share thirty-four things that have caught my eye. a wish list, of sorts. i'm sure you can guess the reason. it will culminate on saturday...

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

leather bracelet in white with yellow chevron, 'the pecos handpainted' :: son of a sailor

striped bottle vase {it's way too hard to choose a favourite colour} :: dahlhaus
cloth paper clay bowl :: pigeon toe ceramics, in collaboration with skinny laminx + satsuma press

pyrex amish nesting bowls {for my vintage pyrex collection} :: box of hollyhocks

ms. bennet nautical loop belt - reversible :: danielle hensley

pretty japanese washi tape - small flowers aqua blue :: pretty tape

royal mint

i love exploring new-to-me shops that i discover through the people in my circle on etsy. it is fun to see what others have discovered in the vast expanse of etsy shops, it is simply impossible to imagine that you could see it all, there is just SO much.

i was pretty blown away by the incredibly detailed miniature characters made by sabina of royal mint. they seem practically alive, their facial expressions and body language are simply spot on. sabina's photography is perfect, too, and just helps to bring these little guys to life. i am completely smitten by mr badger. isn't he fantastic? {in case you were wondering, yes that pun was intended.}

all images via royal mint

learn more about royal mint in this etsy featured seller interview.

special big thanks to local-vancouver-designer-extraordinaire melanie kimmet, who is always finding amazing + fun things on etsy. you should definitely add her to your circle. {her paper goodies are pretty awesome, too.}

city prints by albie designs

i absolutely love these city prints by portland artist kim of albie designs. the colours are amazing, i love the yellow + orange that figure heavily in her palettes, whether they're bold or more subdued. gorgeous.

really wish there was one for vancouver, i'd snap it up in a second. maybe she'll visit here someday and be inspired to make one. i can always hope!

images via albie designs

a letter for you

when my friend linda from a la mode posted about project letter writing earlier this month, i was super excited to join up. i used to write letters -- a lot! i had a couple penpals as a kid, and as i grew older i developed a total obsession with paper goods and stationery. i love it all, and have got quite a good collection. when a good friend of mine lived in korea for several years, she sent me so many awesome letter-writing sets, with cute paper + envelopes, stickers, and the like. i loved them so much i couldn't bring myself to use them! i lived in tofino for 6 months when i was 20. it was an amazing place, and i made a ton of friends, but missed my friends at home. i started writing letters again, and most of my friends wrote back. it was the perfect way to stay connected. i still have all those letters, as well the ones i received from my tofino friends in the years after i left town to come back home. reading them again brings back a lot of memories, and a lot of laughter. good times!

the problem is, i don't do it anymore. why is that? email is so easy, so convenient. when i write for too long my hand gets sore, and my writing becomes messier than i'd like. i never seem to make it to the mailbox. and now i text, more than even talking on the phone, for the most part!

it's time to reconnect, and get back to this simple art.

linda sent everyone who signed up for the project a hand-picked card to use for the letter. i received this adorable card from pistachio press, which happens to be a fave shop of mine. immediately, i knew who i would write to.

done! with two days to spare before the end of january, i wrote my letter. someone mentioned, in this day of texting and facebook and twitter, she finds it hard to think of something to write that would be worthy of a letter. i had that thought at first, too, until i realized it didn't really matter what i wrote. my friend will just be super excited to read my letter, so i just sat down and wrote what came to mind at that moment.

i was also pretty excited to use some washi tape to spruce up the envelope a little. now i have a proper excuse to buy many more rolls of pretty tape!

i can't wait for my friend to get her letter. it's been years since we wrote to each other regularly, and with us living in different cities again now and for the foreseeable future, i figured it was a good time to get the ball rolling again.

my favourite part of writing this letter was actually going back and reading some of the letters we'd written to one another in the past. i even found a little something i'd almost forgotten about, enclosed in one of her letters to me. i made a copy of it and tucked it inside, and i just know she's going to love it. i got a real kick out of some of the stuff we wrote about way back then! it helped me to realize that there doesn't need to be an occasion or something "big" to write about, but just everyday anecdotes and what i like to call "stream-of-consciousness ramblings" are perfect. it's more like a conversation that way, and that's just how i like it.

when was the last time you wrote a letter? maybe you'd like to join us in project letter writing -- it's the perfect way to get started again, and everything's always easier when you do it with a friend.

redstar ink

i've always really like the rustic simplicity of kraft paper or card, so it's not surprising that i'm drawn to these simple + smart notebooks by redstar ink. i think the twenty twelve planner might have to come home with me, it's clever layout and clean design appeal to the organizer in me.

images via redstar ink on etsy

make sure to check out all the great chevrons and other graphic patterns on cards, notebooks and gift tags. i love the modern + bold design.