Twenty Eleven

Wishing you a night of fun and fabulousness! Happy New Year! xo

{image via LF}

Favourite Recipes of 2010

I'm obsessed with Reese Peanut Butter Cups, so I decided to make my own version! Click here for the recipe and full post.

I love how cute these apple pie pockets turned out - thanks to my apple mold from PC! Click here for the recipe and full post.

I love the combination of peanut butter and ginger in this recipe - so delish! Click here for the recipe and full post.

Favourite Table Designs of 2010

I absolutely love doing tables for events - its a HUGE passion of mine! Here are some of my favourite ones I did in 2010.

I created this rustic Italian themed buffet table for my brother and mom's birthday. Click here for more details and for the full post.

I designed this orange and blue dessert table for a client's 65th birthday. Click here for more images and for the full post.

I created this sundae bar this past summer for my sister who was visiting from London, England. She loves ice-cream so I thought it was highly appropriate! Click here for more details and for the full post.

Favourite Style Ideas of 2010

I love BBQ's and I love summer dressing which is where the inspiration for this outfit came from. Oh and I LOVE rompers! Click here for the full post and for more summer BBQ looks.

I'm a tad bit obsessed with bags which was basis for this post - it was all about lusting for bags and pairing outfits to go back with. I love how bold this outfit is without being over the top. Click here for the full post.

My favourite part of fall are the warm colours, the layering and of course the boots! I absolutely love this outfit and the rest of the looks for this fall inspired post! Click here for the full post.

Favourite DIYs of 2010

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season so far - I know I am! The next few days are going to be some of my favourite posts - fav DIYS, fav style ideas, fav table designs and fav recipes.


I turned this old frame into a decorative mirror for a gift for a friend - it was super easy and turned out great! Click here for the full post.


I loved putting together this Valentine's Day homemade surprise for Steve! Click here for the full post.


This easy and affordable key rack turned out great and I love the way it looks in our loft. Click here for the full post.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas and fabulous holiday season! xoxo

DIY: Thread Ball Ornaments

I really loved how these thread ball ornaments turned out! You can find the directions on my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot.

Holiday Recipe Swap: The Someday Blog

Our last recipe in the holiday recipe swap is the fabulous Jill from The Someday Blog. Jill and I first did guests post swaps over a year ago (she was my first blogger friend!), so it was only natural she's a part of this series. Jill has a gorgeous home in Dallas, Texas and was featured on Design*Sponge's 'sneak peek' a while back (shown here). The Someday Blog is full of everything amazing - like this great gift guide, this colourful round up and this DIY project!





I wanted to thank all the amazing bloggers who participated in my first series, the Holiday Recipe Swap. I'll sadly admit, I threw it together last minute, but thankfully almost everyone I asked jumped on board! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending me your amazing recipes and images during this hectic holiday season. xoxo

Holiday Recipe Swap: Marion House Book

Next up in the holiday recipe swap is Emma from The Marion House Book. I was introduced to Emma's blog through an online course we were both participating in a couple of months ago and boy was I blown away. I'm a huge fan of Emma's design aesthetic (you can hire her design services to make your house look fabulous here) and love what she did to her own home (check out here dining room makeover). The Marion House Book is an amazing source of inspiration with great design advice (like here). And not only is Emma a fellow Torontonian, but she also lives in my Parkdale neighbourhood!

Here's Emma!

I like making these classic cookies both for eating and for hanging on my tree! To hang them on the tree, just poke a little hole through the top of a cookie with a skewer and thread with ribbon.

Happy Holidays,
Emma

{recipe via Martha Stewart}

Holiday Gift Wrapping

I decided to go with a natural theme for my gift wrapping again by using a lot of brown kraft paper, but this year I mixed in a bit of plaid (paper made by photocopying fabric as seen here) and touches of red. Here are some of my gift wrapping ideas:

Holiday Recipe Swap: Made by Girl

First up this week in the holiday recipe swap is Jen from Made by Girl. I've been following Made by Girl daily for a couple of years now and love how it's so full of inspiration. Whether Jen's taking us along with her through her home renovation or one of her DIY's, I'm always learning a thing or two along the way. Jen is also a very talented Graphic Designer and has an online shop dedicated to her gorgeous prints (like here and here) and quirky cards (like here) - perfect for holiday gifts!

Tree Ornament Ideas

I can fully appreciate traditional ornaments, but I like thinking outside of the box. I love coming up with ornament ideas you normally wouldn't think to hang on a tree. Here are some of the ones I hung on my tree this year:







{vintage bus tickets via Imagine Art 7 and wooden gift tags via Spitfire Girl}

Holiday Recipe Swap: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to try it out. I've been dying to make some whoopie pies and this recipe was the perfect one for the holidays!

{recipe via Better Homes and Gardens Food Gifts guide}

Holiday Party Ideas

I had a great weekend that was full of friends, fun and relaxing. After weeks/months of non-stop work, it was a much needed weekend! My closest girlfriends and I have a tradition that goes way back to our high school years where we all get together for an annual potluck and this year I offered to host. I didn't have a whole lot of time to plan something spectacular but I came up with this mini table last minute that was filled with signature cocktails, spiced nuts and goodies to take home.


I wanted to have cocktails ready for when the girls arrived, so I came up with this raspberry champagne cocktail: drop in 3 frozen raspberries, then pour a tbsp of Chambord (raspberry liqueur) and top off with champagne.


I've never made spiced nuts before but decided to try Emeril's recipe and I really loved the flavours together. They were a bit sticky but very yummy!


I also wanted to have something that the girls could take home with them so, I made French Chocolate Bark (thanks to Audrey's fab recipe - I decided to use one of her suggestions and went with the pretzels and drizzled caramel). I lined these mini boxes with parchment paper, put the chocolate bark in and then finished them off with a little ornament.

I also made a cheese fondue and the girls brought tons of goodies - Swedish meatballs, a layered shrimp dip, bite sized hors d'oeuvres, cheesecake and Oreo triffle. Needless to say we were beyond full by the end of the night but it was a great night of girlie catch up!

Pick of the Week: Sarah 101

This isn't a normal 'Pick of the Week' but it's too exciting not to share! On Wednesday afternoon, me along with a few other bloggers got to hang out with Sarah Richardson and Tommy Symthe in their Queen E office space.

I wasn't off to a great start because I forgot to bring my camera and notebook AND so wished I opted for my Kenneth Cole lace up platforms instead of my rustic Jeffrey Campbells boots.

Sarah and Tommy quickly put us all at ease as we sat in a big circle discussing their new show, Sarah 101, along with everything else we wanted to know about the duo. The two of them have such a great dynamic and had us laughing for an hour+.

Sarah 101 is a back to basics design school - Sarah style. The duo will be designing spaces while breaking down the design process one step at a time, to show us the why's and how's of creating a balanced space. The first show will air on HGTV Canada on January 4th at 9 pm. Can't wait!





{pictures via Emma from The Marion House Book (top left and bottom) and Vie from Verdigris Vie (top right)}

For more details about Wednesday check out Emma's post here.

DIY: Holiday Centrepiece

Head over to my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot today for instructions on how to make this super easy holiday centrepiece!

Holiday Recipe Swap: Joy from Oh Joy!

The last recipe swap of the week (only one week left!) is from Joy from Oh Joy! Joy is a super woman and really does it all. Not only does she run two successful blogs, Oh Joy! and Oh Joy! Eats, she is the author of Creative, Inc (such a great read - I learned a ton from the book and totally recommend it), and is also a very talented Graphic Designer where she offers custom work and has items available for purchase through her online shop (I'm in love with her notebooks especially this one and this one). Joy has been a total inspiration to me!







{recipe is written with Joy's notes & slight modifications based off an Ina Garten recipe}

DIY: Wood Tree Ornament

I love making homemade ornaments for my Christmas tree - it's more fun that way and it keeps our tree unique. And homemade ornaments go hand in hand with the aesthetic of our tree which is boho meets vintage meets a touch of glam! This DIY project takes no time at all and you can coordinate the colours of the washi tape to match with the colour theme of your tree.

Supplies:
a piece of wood
coloured or patterned washi tape
a drill
ribbon, twine or ball chain

Directions:
1. Choose which way you would like your piece of wood to hang and drill a hole through the top of the wood.
2. Plan out a pattern for your washi tape on your wood and apply the tape to the wood. Be sure to smooth out the tape.
3. Loop ribbon, twine or ball chain through the hole and hang on the tree. Done and done!

Holiday Recipe Swap: Daniella from Dress, Design, Decor

Next up this week for the holiday recipe swap is Daniella from Dress, Design, Decor. I love Dress, Design, Decor because Daniella truly always finds the best images (like here, here and here!). They all tell a story and make me want to jump through my computer screen to be in each of the settings. I had the pleasure of meeting Daniella a few weeks ago at the Canadian Design Bloggers meet-up (she was one of the hosts for the evening) and she seriously is the sweetest person ever!

Here's Daniella!

Each year during the holiday season I bake up one of my favourite Christmas recipes – soft, whipped shortbread! It's the perfect Scottish treat, reminding me of my Granny and family abroad, plus it's great to have some of this kind with a nice cup of tea. It's super easy to make too. Hope you like them!

Style Ideas: Sequin Dresses

Why not have some fun this holiday season by wearing a sparkly sequined dress? If you do dare to wear some sparkle, the holiday season is THE perfect time to work it. Be sure to keep the accessories simple and to a minimum (black tights, tonal shoes and clutch and simple stud earrings) because otherwise the look might be overkill. A sequined dress is a definite showstopper so let your dress do the talking. So will you do a sequined dress this season? Outfit number 2 has my name all over it!

{for information on where to buy each item, click on the outfit}

ps. 10 days until Christmas!!!

Holiday Recipe Swap: Shannon from What's up Whimsy

First up this week in the holiday recipe swap is Shannon from What's up Whimsy. I first met Shannon when she emailed me a couple of months ago with her creative pumpkin ideas (shown here) and then again through the Canadian Design Bloggers group. We were able to meet in person a few weeks ago and we totally clicked! What's Up Whimsy is full of amazing design ideas (like this), DIY ideas like this dip dye pillow and I absolutely love her 'House is Not a Home...Without Craigslist' series!

And here's Shannon!

Okay, so let me start off by saying that I'm not much of a baker...or cook for that matter, so when Renee asked me to participate in her Holiday Recipe Swap Series, I was a tad nervous. When I try recipes, I usually go for those that involve 3 -4 ingredients MAX with easy directions. I was pumped to find this recipe in my Mom's repertoire because, not only does the recipe call for 4 ingredients, even I couldn't screw up the simple directions. The recipe is called Breton Brittle and, not only is it easy, it is delicious!! I am a "chocolate bark" type of girl and this brittle does not disappoint - brown sugar, butter, chocolate chips and Breton crackers - YES PLEASE!! I plan on putting the brittle on cute little Christmas plates and handing them out to my neighbours because I just know they will enjoy it as much as I do. I hope you give it a try! And thanks again Renee for letting me share this recipe with you and your readers!