Recent Project: Diner Chair

The last one for the day is this retro diner chair!

BEFORE

AFTER

This chair is available for sale in our Etsy shop.

Recent Project: Yellow Table

Next up is the yellow table!

BEFORE

AFTER

There are two of these tables available for sale in our Etsy shop.

Recent Project: Queen Anne Chair

I was so excited to finally let out the big secret yesterday, so today I thought I would share some of the before and afters from our projects for Salvage Interiors. First up is the Queen Anne chair!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

This chair will be available for sale at Labour of Love opening in Toronto on July 8th.

Introducing...Salvage Interiors!

Steve and I are officially launching our new business called Salvage Interiors! We've been working our butts off for months getting everything ready and I must say it feels amazing to be finally ready to kick start this new venture.

Salvage Interiors uses reclaimed materials and vintage finds that are incorporated into hand crafted unique pieces. Some of the projects we've been working on include tables, chairs, lighting and store fixtures all made using pieces of salvage. Check out our website and Etsy shop for more information and for more images of our work. Let me know what you think and spread the word :)

DIY: Woven Lamp

LOVE this DIY woven wood veneer lamp!!! For instructions, click here.

PS. I'm finally going to announce the big project I've been working on tomorrow!

Style Idea: Same Accessories, 3 Different Looks

I hope you had a great weekend! I celebrated my 27th birthday yesterday (27 on the 27th = champagne birthday) and enjoyed the day with my girlfriends at the spa and then for lunch on a patio. I pretty much drank champagne all day which makes any day a great day doesn't it?!

Now lets talk accessories. I tend to pick favourites when it comes to my accessories . For example, I wear my black leather bucket bag more than any other bag in my closet and I wear my flat black sandal booties more than any other shoe I own. Does anyone else do this too? I like to think it saves me from buying more bags and shoes, but sadly this isn't the case. I have more shoes and bags than I know what to do with! But if you are on a strict budget and/or tend to wear the same accessories over and over remember that your look doesn't have to be the same each day. Here are some examples using the same accessories to create three entirely different summer looks:

Feminine Summer by eatliveshop featuring Dolce Vita shoes

Black Cotton Cross Strap Dress, 205 GBP
Dolce Vita Tahoe Folded Cuff Flat Sandal, $245
Hayden-Harnett WELLES Drawstring Pouch, Black, $298
Rosarietto necklace, $495
Straw Fedora in Beige, $60

Jean Shorts and Fedora by eatliveshop featuring James Perse tops

JAMES PERSE 4121 GREY COTTON DEEP V RACERBACK TANK, 61 GBP
Levi's Denim Roll Up Shorts W26 - Vintage clothing from Rokit - denim...
Dolce Vita Tahoe Folded Cuff Flat Sandal, $245
Hayden-Harnett WELLES Drawstring Pouch, Black, $298
NATALIA BRILLI TYLER BLACK LAMB TYLER BRACELET, 114 GBP
Rosarietto necklace, $495
Straw Fedora in Beige, $60

Easy Chambray by eatliveshop featuring Dolce Vita shoes

Light blue chambray shirt, 18 GBP
Dolce Vita Tahoe Folded Cuff Flat Sandal, $245
Hayden-Harnett WELLES Drawstring Pouch, Black, $298
NATALIA BRILLI TYLER BLACK LAMB TYLER BRACELET, 114 GBP
Fossil Tan Knot Bracelet, $28
Straw Fedora in Beige, $60

Pick of The Week: Custom Art

How cool is this custom artwork by Toronto-based Graphic Designer Miss Crowland? You can order a custom silhouette or portrait of yourself, your pet or of someone for a gift. All you have to do is email her a picture of what you would like her to digitally recreate. She then sends the finished image to you in a PDF file for you to get it printed and framed. I think I might order a family portrait of me, Steve and Nathan!

DIY: Flower Pot

I don't have much of a green thumb, but I was feeling ambitious and bought a tin watering can last year with the plan to plant flowers in it. I finally got around to doing just that (over a year later) and I love the way it turned out! So for all you gardening novices, here is a super easy DIY project that's essentially foolproof:

Materials:
-tin watering can or bucket
-screw driver or something you can punch threw metal
-gravel
-soil
-flowers that hang nicely - I used Bacopas because they require little maintenance

1. Punch holes with your screw driver into the bottom of the watering can (this is for drainage).
2. Fill the bottom of the watering can with gravel (also to help with drainage) and then top with soil.
3. Dig little holes in the soil so you can make room for your flowers. My watering can had a very little hole at the top, so I was only able to fit in 3 bunches of flowers.
4. Drop your bunches of flowers into each hole and cover with more soil pressing firmly on the soil.
5. Give the flowers a good soak with some water (soak until you see the water come out of the bottom) and in a couple of days your flowers should be hanging perfectly over the sides of your new planter!

Boutique Spotlight: Vocado

Vocado is a boutique that can easily be describe as my hidden treasure chest for clothing and accessories. When I went to their shopping event a few months ago, I wanted to buy everything! I only allowed myself one item, but I'm still thinking about the pieces I left behind (the Badgley Mischka mini bag and the over sized yellow silk top by Graham & Spencer). Last week Vocado celebrated the opening of their 2nd location just outside of Toronto in Oakville. Both locations carry some of my fav collections such as Dolce Vita, Mink Pink, Alternative Apparel and Biko. I also really love the cool design elements in each space like the random tree trunks placed in the middle of the floor, the use of antique pieces for display and the exposed bulb drop lighting.

Here's a peek at their new Oakville location:

Vocado
171 East Liberty St.
Unit 121, Toronto, ON
M6K 3P6

AND

312 Lakeshore Rd. E.
Oakville, ON
L6J 1J2

Sneak Peek: Biko Fall 2010

Corrine Anestopoulos, designer of Biko jewellery, did a kick ass job with her fall 2010 collection which will hit boutiques next month. She used a combination of mixed metals, vintage findings and unique materials such as silk. Here are some of my top picks!

quartz stone and copper earrings

mixed metal chain with quartz stones

hand woven chain and silk necklace

crystal and chain earrings

silver and copper fringe necklace

Black Diamonds

I'm not a diamond girl and I don't dream about getting that big rock on my finger. I'll admit I don't know a single thing about diamonds and ring settings. I'd much prefer a vintage cocktail ring over a diamond any day. BUT when I saw this black diamond ring from Sex and the City 2, I decided that maybe I am a diamond girl after all!

For more information about this ring, click here.

Current Obsession: Cake Stands

I have an obsession right now with cake stands. I don't own a single one, but I would love to start a collection asap. Cake stands come in super handy when you're entertaining. They're not just limited to cakes - think hors d'oeuvres, main courses, drink platter etc. They're perfect for any buffet setting, for a sit down dinner and of course for a dessert table. I think I'll start with one of each of these for my collection ;)







From top to bottom: REfreshments, Lenneke Wispelwey, My Milk Glass Shop, Rosanna, Anna Kraitz

Pick of The Week: Deborah Adams Backpack

When I laid eyes on these babies, I knew I had to have one! They are available in 2 sizes - a mini and one slightly larger. Montreal designer Deborah Adams makes this bags entirely out of recycled leather. And the best part? They start at $60! These are seriously the best summer bags - great for cruising around on your bike and perfect for summer festivals and traveling! Aaand sold! I'll take 2 please.

Images via Victoire

Spotlight: Drake Scoops + Tees

The Drake Hotel is becoming quite the empire and is slowly taking over the West Queen West strip. Their latest addition is a new pop up shop called Scoops + Tees which is an ice cream shop that features all natural ice cream and Shared tees.

The shop is reminiscent of an old fashion ice cream parlour with details such as a vintage fan wall, a mini bowling lane, a retro pinball machine, a butcher block counter top and retro colours such as sea-foam green and butter yellow. The best part of course is the delicious ice cream and with flavours like banana nutty chocolate crunch, green tea and maple walnut, how can one go wrong? My tip is to go big or go home because the waffle cone comes topped with a homemade truffle! The tasty goodies don't just end there because they also offer ready-made treats like mojitos popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. While you're enjoying your yummy treats, be sure to check out the t-shirt wall. The Shared tees feature limited edition prints for men, ladies and even kids!

Drake Scoops + Tees
1142 Queen St. West, Toronto

Hopscotch Rug

We're going to be doing a little revamp of our den/office area in the near future and I've been hunting for the perfect area rug that will bring the room together. I've been having the toughest time finding cool rugs in our colour scheme but came across this hopscotch one from CB2. I'm not sure if it'll be large enough but it is pretty awesome isn't it?! Have you seen any cool rugs lately?