from the ever-lovely dace.

images via d a c e

i'm a huge fan of the gorgeous clothing by local designer dace moore. her collections are always beautifully thought out, cohesive, and elegant. from casually chic to sophisticated edgy pieces, there are some really amazing items in this spring's offerings, as always. i especially love the blossom one-piece, top left. not sure that i could pull it off, but it's so fantastic!

the gals at d a c e emailed to let me know about a super holiday sale happening this week for canada day, save 40% until july 4 {use code mycanada}. this is a pretty rare opportunity, i love the fact that you can have twice as many amazing pieces for practically the same cost. shopping, anyone?

lace for spring

very pretty vintage-inspired spring collection by vancouver fashion house dru's design. i love the tweed dress on the bottom right, very chic. visit dru's design to find out where to buy.

images via dru's design.

airey indeed.

pardon the tongue-in-cheek title to my post, but this vancouver residence by local firm airey homes is like a breath of fresh air. with the open space flooded by light from the many tall windows, this contemporary home is a pleasing juxtaposition of cold + warmth. the polished concrete floor and unfinished concrete walls are brightened by warm natural wood + a crisp white kitchen. there is a definite long, linear feel to the furnishings and fixtures. the low profile sofa and extra-long dining table add to the feeling of space. nothing is crowded, nothing is cluttered.

of course i had to share the stairs. you all know how much i love a great set of stairs, and these concrete steps does not disappoint. the open risers add to the airiness of the space by allowing the eye to be drawn up to the second level.

speaking of, i'd love to have seen some pics of the bedrooms in this house, i can only imagine they would be just as stunning. you can find the rest of the photos on the airey group website under projects, private residences, drummond drive.

all images via the airey group

:: edit, march 3 2011 ::

with big thanks to gaile guevara, i can provide a little more info about this amazing home! gaile worked on the interiors of drummond drive, alongside interior designer donna toppings. together, these talented ladies created an inspiring + gorgeous interior, including those smashing cantilevered concrete stairs. great work, ladies.

ps - you can see more pictures of this home on gaile's site, right here. thanks, gaile!

bowen island escape.

one of my favourite things to do online is to browse architects' portfolios, particularly local ones. i find it so inspiring, and love reinforcing the styles i am drawn to and what i'd like to strive for in my own home.

i fell head over heels for this bowen island residence, by west vancouver firm burgers architecture inc. the open, airy space is kept streamlined + simple with white walls, natural wood plank vaulted ceilings, and concrete floors. built on an ocean bluff with amazing 180 degree views, it just seems to fit perfectly in its' surroundings of rock, trees, and cliffs. also notable is the use of geothermal heating and a 10000 gallon rain cistern, which make this home not only stunning, but kind to our earth. love.

the sightlines in this home are my absolute favourite. i am a total sucker for a good sightline. look at the expanse of smooth concrete, juxtaposed with the perfectly angled beams in the ceiling. the trees seem to to float at the end of a tunnel in the photo above.

all images are from burgers architecture inc.

the yellow bel air

or, how a chevrolet stole my heart.

the curves, the hubcaps, the shiny chrome grill. beautifully detailed dash + creamy leather seats. sleek rear wings and white-walled tires. perfectly polished mustard yellow finish.

i think i'm in love!

laura bucci :: vintage illustration series

i first met local artist + designer laura bucci last winter at the got craft holiday show. we had chatted a little back and forth prior to meeting, and it was so lovely to greet her in person. she is as warm + sweet as she is talented.

i have admired laura's work for a long time, and am super interested in her newest goodies.
laura's new series involves vintage illustrations from the 1930's, which she has reworked + enhanced, and paired with vocabulary lists to round out her story. she has put each image together with colours that perfectly suit the vintage appeal of the series. printed in an eco-friendly manner, laura is continuing with her quest to create low-impact earth-friendly designs that are also gorgeous to look at.

the series started out with a vintage spin on her already fabulous eco cup cozies. i have the aqua bicycle one shown below [and i love it], but have a look at that exhausted laundress. how fun, i can certainly relate to that!!

laura is continuing her series with these awesome textile wall art panels. she has kindly shared her process with us here on her blog. it's really great to see what exactly goes into creating a piece, from the design to the trials, to the actual production and even marketing of a new piece. definitely check it out. i love these new pieces, and can't wait to see them in person. where would you hang them? kitchen, classroom, office?

if there's one thing i know about laura's work, it's that these pieces will be just as wonderfully made + fantastic looking as all the rest. you can find laura's shop on big cartel right here.

all images via laura bucci

a rainbow of cars

there was a vintage car show in edgemont village yesterday, just up the street from us. my little guy is a total car buff, so of course we went to check it out. it was fun, and also a great spot to practice some photography [i know i've still got a loooong way to go]. while i was editing my pics last night, i came across a veritable rainbow of cars. pretty, no?

want to hazard a guess at my favourite?

west coast lovelies

yesterday i happened across the gorgeous work of helliwell + smith blue sky architecture, a west vancouver firm whose work seamlessly integrates nature with interiors. the views seem to leap in the floor-to-ceiling windows, local wood is incorporated all over their designs, curves and beams repeated throughout the structures. and the stairs, oh, the stairs! these two have a knack for designing a pretty set of risers.

here is just a taste of the west coast style that helliwell + smith bring to their work. visit the project portfolio for more. i'll be there, swooning as i flip through the pics over and over again.

images via blue sky architecture

small choices

i try to make good choices. buy local, buy handmade, buy organic when i can. fewer junky plastic toys, more wooden or well-made. but like everyone else, i am often swayed by a deal, the easy out, or a multitude of other reasons that seem to crop up. the other day, scoutie girl blogger tara wrote a lovely article about buying handmade. you should really read it, and visit scoutie girl often. it is a virtual treasure trove of handmade. there is always an "easier way" but is it always the smarter choice? i'm going to go ahead and say here that i will be making a concerted effort to do these things.

and take a good long look at what my family actually needs to consume

and own. quality, local, less. i'm going to try.

quality, handmade clothing. organic? even better! while i know i won't be able to make this choice all the time, i will certainly be looking to more quality over quantity. longevity in our clothing saves the earth, let's keep all those disposable clothing items out of our landfills! i love love this shirt. while i look terrible in yellow, it is available in other colours. love!

sandmaiden organic cotton jersey blend draped cap-sleeve shirt :: sandmaiden

since christmas, my husband has been packing his lunch in one of these reusable food wraps. they are awesome, and they are local! a great product, i highly recommend abeego. get rid of that plastic wrap!

abeego reusable food wrap :: abeego

and for my coffee, if i can't remember my own mug, the least i could do is use this gorgeous cup cozy by local artist laura bucci, made with her own fabric designs. so chic!

eco cup cozy - vintage bicycle :: laura bucci handmade

and in case you need a reminder, this is definitely something that helps our planet. find your nearest farmer's market, or at the very least make local choices at your grocer. i have an awesome little produce shop just a few minutes away, and there are a multitude of local goodies!

near here shirt :: original silver

city love :: olympic fever

this past weekend, we took the kids downtown to spend the day amongst the olympic revelers. locals + tourists alike were out in force. we explored the sights at livecity yaletown, then wound our way through town to the library, ending our day at the vag + robson square. i thought i'd share a few pics i snapped along the way.

first up, here are some shots from inside vancouver house. local artists, designers + media with eco-minded practices are highlighted in this minimal, stylish space. i love the lighting installation at the centre of the pavilion, shown below. curved natural plywood slats surround vellum bulbs lit with leds. very cool. there was a lovely + quiet lounge area, showcasing some coffee tables from brent comber's shattered series. i only wish i'd had the chance to read the various written blurbs, but with two busy kiddos running around and getting impatient, i had to be satisfied with a quick tour and a few hasty snapshots.

next up, the library. since the new building was completed in 95, it has been one of my favourite spots downtown. i love the extensive use of glass, and how the angular construction cause it to reflect its many panes over + over. downstairs, you can write a wish for peace on a sheet of vellum, fold it up into an airplane, and launch it up to land in a net suspended above in the atrium. at night, tiny led lights at the tip of each plane twinkle like stars in the sky.

and the crowds. by far the craziest thing, i've never seen so many people out in this city. the excitement and the buzz, along robson street especially, is just amazing.

my little guy, enjoying some music in front of the art gallery

while i've had many mixed feelings about these games [which i'm just not going to get into here, i'm not here to chat politics!], i must say i definitely felt proud to be able to call vancouver my home.

a strategically placed building wrap, reflecting a perfect canada flag.

{edit :: march 17 :: some of these links may no longer be live, as many of the olympic websites seem to have been removed since the end of the events. sorry for any confusion!!}

vancouver fashion for spring

definitely loving seeing some of the new spring/summer collections coming from local vancouver fashion designers this month. i highlighted some of my favourite looks from lily + jae last week. today i'm sharing a few more of my faves, from three more local lovelies.

images via lav & kush

images via nixxi

images via dace

i love the flirty feminine ruffles over at lav & kush. the denim romper is my fave, for sure. i was also happy to see a lot of black punched throughout both the nixxi and dace collections. it's nice to see black used with the lighter summery silhouettes, rather than just reserved for the heavier looks of fall/winter.

as we continue to have crazy mild + spring-like weather here in vancouver, i'm definitely looking forward to donning some sweet dresses very soon. i'm kind of over the lack of winter around here, let's hope the usual march chill doesn't put a damper on my desire for spring.

swag

i'm in the home stretch. my first big craft show is coming up on sunday, and i've been sewing like mad! [hence my lack of presence here, and all the cataloguing posts]

the first thirty people to come through the doors at Got Craft? receive a swag bag full of goodies from the vendors at the show. for my swag donation,

i used some of my favourite scraps + turned them into fabric bookmarks.

i added a loop of twill tape at the top, meant to hang out of your book so you can easily find your spot. i hope people like 'em.

i've got loads more sewing to do this week, wish me luck! i'll share some pics along the way to give you a sneak peek. in the meantime, enjoy your week, and the beginning of december. [wow, seriously?]