Meal Plan (February 1-7)

Here's my meal plan for the week. Can you believe that it's already February?

Tuesday: Russian chicken; rice; baked cauliflower; green beans with toasted almonds

Wednesday: French onion soup; croissant sandwiches 

Thursday: Lasagna; veggies; focaccia bread

Friday: Spinach pizza; raw veggies and dip

Saturday (brunch): French toast; omelets; fruit 

Sunday: Picnic Pasta Salad (for potluck at church)

Monday: Green Curry; Pad Thai; rice 

Duvet Love

I stumbled across this post in my design blog travels and found it quite interesting. It discusses whether or not the poufy duvet is soon to be a thing of the past in favour of a sleeker look. I hope not as I've always been a fan of the duvet for a few reasons:

• Comfort - I like the covers puffed up around my face.
• Warmth - We do have VERY cold winters here in Saskatchewan and I would freeze without my big thick duvet.
• Cleanliness - You can easily remove the cover, wash it in your machine, dry it and slip it back on. You don't have to make a trip to the laundromat.
• Ease - Making the bed is a cinch with the duvet while the very sleek, fitted look takes more time and effort. 

While I do like the sleek look I really like my duvet and I don't think I'll be doing away with it any time soon. Do you have a preference between the two looks? What is currently on your bed?  

 Dwell Studio

Fantastic Fabrics from Christopher Farr & Co.

Check out these fabrics by Christopher Farr, a designer from the UK. His choices of the finest materials range from bold geometric patterns, over sized motifs and textured weaves. Gorggggggge!  They can be found at the Thomas Lavin Showroom.

 

 

Indoor - Design Company - Studioilse - by Ise Crawford - www.studioilse.com

Adras

Ravena

Carnival

Palma

Catalogue Love

There is nothing like going to the mailbox and collecting all of your favorite catalogues and magazines in one swoop MINUS the never ending BILLS!

The West Elm catalog is fabulous this month. I immediately was drawn to the scroll headboard... It's sooo affordable you could buy it and re-upholster it in a cool fabric to customize it and make it original without breaking the bank. I would try this Les Indiennes fabric "Veronique" or maybe go with something simple like "Navy Spade" from Serena and Lily. The possibilities are endless.

My decorator tip.... Try to look for furniture that is affordable with a line and silhouette you love. A new coat of paint, new hardware or a great fabric can transform ANYTHING!

Les Indiennes

Serena and Lily

Christopher Farr

I ADORE...ADORE home e-zine!

I am loving this online mag Adore. In this issue they had so much eye candy and some helpful tips to boot!
Here is just a peak our faves at KM Inc... go take a look at Adore Magazine!

"Pillow Talk"

On most days you can find me in may car jamming from client to client with a trunk full of goods. This week was an especially loaded trunk week. I met this really cool dude at the Santa Monica Flea Market who is one half of the husband and wife team behind Indian Pink PIllows. When the lovely owners JP (Phillipe) and his wife Tamara aren't traveling to Asia to purchase these fab pillows, they are living in Manhattan Beach working with numerous crazy designers(like me), and hosting Pillow Parties!!!  

Speaking of pillow parties, If you are interested in purchasing any of these please contact me! Prices start at $85 to $$$

Knitting

Last night I did something I thought I would never do. I went to a "Learn to Knit" class at the John M. Cuelenaere library here in Prince Albert. The reason I say this is something I thought I would never do is because I always thought knitting was for grandmothers (and I'm a ways away from that stage of life with two babies in the house right now). I have noticed that knitting seems to be back in vogue these days though and since I've been learning how to sew recently I thought I would try my hand at knitting. My other thought was that since we drive into Saskatoon (from Prince Albert) nearly every weekend I could use the driving time to do something with my hands. So, knitting it is!

The class is very informal with lots of one on one help. It's also free which is a bonus. I recently acquired some needles from my mother-in-law and some yarn/wool from my mother so I'm good to go! Last night we learned how to cast on and do the knitting stitch. I think I've mostly got it now. I've stopped and restarted several times though. My tension is just no good. The lady teaching the class says that can take years to master. Oh boy!


So, I can now say that I know how to knit (barely) and we'll see where this new hobby takes me! For now I just need to master the basics. Click Click Clickety Click!

Glass Knobs

So, I have this thing for glass knobs. I think they are so pretty. Any cabinet, armoire, dresser or door graced with such gorgeous goodness looks like it's wearing jewellery - perhaps a big cocktail ring (and I have a modest collection of those). There are also some glass pulls out there which are equally as lovely.

When we were looking at our current home there were glass knobs on the cabinets in both bathrooms. I noticed them right away and thought they were a very nice touch. To my great disappointment, however, the knobs had been replaced with what I imagine were the original knobs - ugly, bulky, ceramic things. 

Thankfully you can now find glass knobs around these parts so we've had a chance to go back to glass. I remember when we were refurbishing a dresser a few years back and I wanted glass knobs but couldn't find them in Saskatoon. Now there are a few nice choices at Home Depot and Lee Valley. There are likely other places that carry them but these are the ones I'm aware of. I'd be interested to hear if you know of any other "local" places to pick them up. 

Lee Valley

Home Depot

New Wall Decals

Here are those sweet (as in little 2-year-old girl sweet) wall decals I found at Winners. They were only $13. Avery and I will have fun putting them up and they will add an extra pretty touch to her already pretty room. (Sorry the picture isn't the best quality. You'll have to see them once we stick 'em up! Picture of that to come.)

ADD HERES wall stickers

bahama bohemian

I am loving this window to nowhere. Who needs a sink when you can hang out here all day and look at this fabulous tile!  I love Tom Scheere's  combination of  materials. It's a very rustic meets coastal hip kitchen. 

Coastal Living  magazine - Feb. issue -

by NY based designer Tom Scheere's

Meal Plan (January 18-31)

Three cheers for all those families out there who eat together. Cheer! Cheer! Cheer!

The MacMillan meals for this week...

Monday: Sesame Chicken; cheesy potatoes, steamed broccoli


Tuesday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup; Croissant buns


Wednesday: Beef on a Bun; chips; veggies and dip; ice cream with crumpled Skor bar (we're having dinner guests)


Thursday: Chick pea coconut curry; rice; nan bread; baked cauliflower


Friday: Pasta with fresh tomato sauce


Saturday: Spinach pizza; raw veggies


Sunday: Dad's birthday (My mom will be cooking... Yum!)


Monday: Chicken fajitas; nachos with guacamole and salsa

Sick of Being Sick

So, the kids have been sick lately and I haven't had the time or energy to do anything but the bare minimum around the house. The armoire that so desperately needs some attention is still waiting. There are dust bunnies in the corners. There is laundry to be done. You know how it goes. It does seem like the worst is behind us now though. At least the pucking and pooping (more than usual) has cleared up. (Sorry for the gross details.) My mom made an emergency trip up to see us on Sunday which was a big help. I was able to catch up on some much needed rest. Anyway, I'm hoping to get to some of the new projects around the house soon. In a few days we will hopefully be all rested up and back to normal. 
 
I did manage to get out of the house briefly today. The kids and I got some groceries and popped into Winners for a few minutes. I found some wall sconces that I think will work quite well in our entrance (once they've had a coat of spray paint) and I found the sweetest wall decals for Avery's bedroom. (I L-O-V-E wall decals.) The new "house things" will be fun to put up. I'll shoot some photos for you. We're on the mend, thankfully!

Vendor Spotlight

So I have always been a big fan of Galbraith & Paul for sometime now. They always have such fun and fresh fabrics. To my delight they have just launched a new wallpaper line. Can't wait to get my hands on a couple of rolls of these!

Chair Fetish

I think... I'm chair crazy! my mom always said I had a chair fetish!!!  check these out! LOVE!!! 

 Serena and Lily

Great FINDS at the Santa Monica Swap Meet

OMG...I scored today at the swap meet!!! 
I wasn't even going to go.  BUT...I woke up early to a beautiful morning and, I couldn't help myself from wanting to go SHOP for my fave clients!!!  Look what I found...

Earring Frame Inspiration

 

A little DIY inspiration with these earring frames. Pretty and functional. Another little something to try my hand at...someday.

Blog worthy content

Finally I stumbled upon something worth blogging about. I'll take one of everything!!!! Love the freshness of these colors!  There alive and making me crave Spring!   Maybe it's the orange border they put around all these delicious gold bobbles, or maybe it's those glittering Rose Quartz bookends. Either way if you haven't started reading HIGH gloss, sign up now!

Armoire Help

So, we moved into our place about 6 months ago now and while we're definitely settled in our new home, there are still some nooks and crannies that need some attention. One of those places in desperate need of some editing and organization is the lovely armoire in our living room. Well, it looks lovely until you open the doors (as you can see below).

The armoire currently holds an assortment of books, magazines, music books, games and electronics. While I don't think I'll really remove much from the shelves, I do hope to bring some order to them. Wish me luck!

Pretty Perch

I think this couch is oh so lovely...

www.livingroom-sofas.com

Meal Plan (January 18-24)

Here's our family meal plan for the week. If you notice some meals reappearing this week it's because I didn't get around to making them last week. We were all sick - ugh! 

You'll also notice that we're having chicken fingers and fries on Friday. That was Avery's request and I decided to oblige. We'll have a little family fun night and eat deep fried goodness! Mmmm. 

Tuesday: cream of spinach soup; bread

Wednesday: BBQ beef on a bun; veggies; chips

Thursday: Chili with buns and nachos

Friday: Chicken fingers; fries; raw veggies and dip

Saturday: Baked fish; rice pilaf; zucchini and peppers

Sunday: Omelets with toast; orange wedges

Monday: Sesame chicken; cheesy potatoes; broccoli 

Salon Six (New Salon in Prince Albert, SK)

There's a new, soon-to-be-open hair salon in Prince Albert! Salon Six will be opening February 1, 2011. They will be located at 70 - 17th St. West. I don't have too many other details to offer right now. I heard from one of the owners who is an acquaintance. I will certainly be checking it out once they open though. The salon phone number will be (306) 764-4247. I'll get some more details once February 1st rolls around and they are officially open. Salon Six...a welcome addition to Prince Albert!

Beautiful Fabric Collection

Check out the lovely fabric collection from Carolyn Quartermaine and to whet your appetite have a look at her work below.

Old Hostess Chair Made New

Before

 After

After

Here's an old hostess chair I refurbished recently. The grey velvet was difficult to work with but it ended up looking pretty good in the end. I also sewed the cushion cover which finishes it off rather nicely I think. Sorry the "before" picture is so bad. I get so excited about starting a project and forget to take that before shot.

new year; new collections

Every year I try to work on some new collections, and this year seems to be all about white, grey, black and more variations of grey! (Perhaps it is the influence of the record amounts of snow that we have recently received in Southwestern Ontario !?!)
I think to date, this is my favourite pottery collection...I love the smooth, satiny feel of the white glaze and the paintings I could easily live with for a long time....anyone who has been to my home knows how much I love variations of grey, black and white.
Some pieces of my new collection are available at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, and my new paintings are available at Canvas Gallery in Toronto.