Style Ideas: Skirts

I'm all about skirts this season and I love that there is an endless amount of options out there right now. There's everything from mini's, midi's and maxi's. And then you have options like printed, solid, jersey, silk, pleated, high waisted etc etc etc. Hmm what's a girl to do? Perhaps this means we should just buy them all....

{click on the whole outfit for information on where to buy each piece}

Wish List: Hayden-Harnett Tote

Even though I purchased this bag a few weeks ago, I kinda want one of these bad boy totes from Hayden-Harnett. All the colour options are perfect. Which one would you pick?

Crush: Kokocandles

I recently came across Kokocandles and fell in love with their quirky, fun candles. These babies seriously look good enough to eat. Each candle comes with an amazing scent that corresponds with each food (except for the mac & cheese which comes non-scented). Adorable or what?!

Inspiration 5.30.11

{print via Lucius Art as seen on Decor 8}

Always be awesome.

Weekly Round-Up

{via Arren Williams}

The perfect DIY hammock from Going Home to Roost.

I love this kitchen makeover via Arren Williams.

An adorable wedding full of colour via Sarah.Wandering.

A super sweet outfit with pleats and lace from Blush.

Great herb garden ideas via To Be Charmed.

I'm still getting over the flu so I'm going to try to rest up this weekend. Have a good one!

DIY: Flower Arrangement

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Alison from Coriander Girl while she showed me how to make my own flower arrangement. I have to admit that I'm pretty clueless when it comes to flowers. She broke it down into a few easy steps and gave a few tips along the way. You can head over to my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot for all the instructions.

Recipe: Tomato & Goat Cheese Skewers

Last night I hosted our Bold & the Beautiful book club meeting and squeezed 10 girls into my tiny apartment. It was a great night full of food, sangria and catching up. I'll post pictures of my table set up next week but in the meantime here is a recipe I tested out last night which was a hit!

1 (8 ounce) log of goat cheese - chilled
1 cup of pistachio nuts, finely chopped
20 cherry tomatoes
1/2 bunch of fresh basil leaves
20 small skewers

1. Fill a pitcher with hot water. Dip a knife into the hot water and slice the goat cheese log in half lengthwise. Slice each half into 10 pieces making sure to dip the knife into the hot water in between slicing to ensure a nice clean cut. Roll each piece of goat cheese into balls approximately 1/2-inch in diameter and put onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

2. Add the chopped pistachio nuts to a shallow bowl. Roll a goat cheese ball into the pistachio nuts and coat 1/2 of the ball. Return to the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining goat cheese balls.

3. Thread the goat cheese ball, basil and tomato onto the skewer. Repeat with remaining skewers. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

{recipe adapted from The Food Network}

Wish List: S'more Maker

S'mores just scream summer weekend getaways. Cottage and camping yes please! Sometimes its tough getting out of the city for the weekend, so having this little s'more maker handy will help bring a little nostalgia from the cottage to my home.

{via Kim Vallee}

Boutique Spotlight: Jersey Ice Cream Co

Since I wasn't able to attend Brimfield, I really enjoyed reading through other blogger's experiences there. The Design*Sponge girls had a few round ups about their Brimfield trip and mentioned some of the great items they found at the Jersey Ice Cream Co booth. I decided to check out their Etsy shop and I fell in love! It definitely reminded me of one of my favourite stores in Toronto called Metropolis.

Theatre seats, maps, luggage, lockers, judy's - yes please!!!!

Cool Shit: Rainbow Hair

{via Java Dear}

Amazing.

I did a guest post on Staci Edwards' blog yesterday about my favourite design space. You can check it out here!

Crush: Is a Virtue

Is a Virtue is a sweet little online shop with adorable paper products with handmade touches. The shop carries everything from mini notebooks, cards, thank you notes, envelopes, and envelope seals. I really love how simple and clean everything looks!

Inspiration 5.24.11

{Golden Rules letterpress print from Print for Love of Wood}

This print kinda says it all!

Between a first communion, a bridal shower and patio season, I feel like I ate my way through the entire weekend. It's time to get back on track asap. Hope you had a great weekend!

Weekly Round-Up

{image via Ruffled}

Adorable lady like outfit from Keiko Lynn.

Perfect Father's Day DIY project via Flourish.

Dreamy engagement photos/the perfect date via Ruffled.

Flower covered balcony from Think Simple, Now.

My ideal bra in my new fav colour via Highsnobette.

It's a long weekend here in Canada, so I'll be back on Tuesday. Have a good one!

DIY: Jewellery Frame

It's jewellery organizing time! All of my necklaces right now are in a massive clump (yay can't wait to work on getting out all those knots). I haven't had a chance to hang up all my hooks (and this frame) in my new apartment to start organizing, but this weekend it will finally get done. My new bed is ready, the armoire I painted is complete, and my accessory section will be finished. I can't wait to see my bedroom come together!

To learn how to make this jewellery frame, head over to my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot.

Recent Project: mini mioche Spring II Window

The inspiration for the mini mioche spring II window came from the lemonade stand I found last year at HomeSense. I came across the old wooden ladder at the antique market a couple of weeks ago and I just built the window from there. I did a few DIY projects including the little chalkboard I made from particle board and started filling in the window with bursts of yellow and green. Happy spring!

Cute Packaging

I'm a sucker for cute packaging. Isn't this packaging adorable from Twigs & Honey?!

Boutique Spotlight: Brighton Pod

I was recently introduced to Brighton POD and have since become a huge fan! POD was created by Robin Rothwell, a Brighton-based furniture designer. The concept of POD is to unite independent designers with consumers who are seeking original and unique products. The online shop is full of handcrafted products from talented UK designers. Quite a few of the designer stood out to me and below are my top three picks.

DIY: Mini Re-Upholstery Kit

Enroute Studio has created this amazing little DIY Re-Upholstery Kit. As someone who has some upholstery experience, I know how hard it is to find the proper tools and materials. When you do find the items you need, they are quite often sold in bulk which is not ideal for home projects. Enroute Studio's kit includes everything you need to re-upholster a chair:

-Custom Designed Fabric (in 100% cotton duck)
-Interactive Fabric Design Process with Renderings
-Instructions with illustrated re-upholstery tips + hints
-Stapler
-Staples
-Pliers
-Screwdrivers
-Marking Chalk
-Batting
-Cambric
-Pre-Sewn Cording in same base fabric

Grey & Pink Onesies

We got a small taste of summer last week in Toronto and I have to admit I got a little panicked. Summer time means swimsuit time and I'm so not even close to being ready for that. I've always been a two piece girl but this summer I'm totally going to be rocking a one piece especially after seeing all the amazing options available. So what kind of swimsuit girl are you?



1. Urban Outfitters, 2. Red Carter - Anthropologie, 3. Zimmermann - Shopbop, 4. Urban Outfitters, 5. Tiger Lily - Anthropologie, 6. Rodarte for Opening Ceremony - Shopbop

Cool Shit: Pocket Box

I think everyone should have one of these instant comfort pocket boxes.

Crush: Caroline Gomez

I'm crushing big time on French Designer Caroline Gomez's new collection called TRA (which means wood in Swedish). I really enjoy the whimsical and quirky details of each piece. This new collection includes both wood pieces and design prints. I am completely head over heels for the microphone standing light with the hot pink cord! Love, love, love!

{seen on Design*Sponge}

Nineteen Seventies

I had a couple of family/friend's events this weekend in the east end so I spent the weekend at my parent's house. My mom and I went digging through old pictures and we came across these photos of my parents from the 70s. I have to admit my parent's were pretty rad back in the day!

DIY: Cupcake Liners

I made these super easy cupcake liners to dress up my cupcake display. Head over to my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot for all the instructions.

Blogger has been down for the last 12-24 hours and recently got back up running. All the posts from yesterday got deleted but I just finished re-adding them. I'm off to the 'burbs for a weekend full of friends and family! Have a good one!

I Love My Sponsors: Part Two

Here are some more of my lovely sponsors!

I've been a huge fan of Avril Loreti's quirky creations (see the 'crush' feature I did here) and I'm thrilled to have her as one of my sponsors. She recently launched a collection of paint chip placemats which I love. Everything is designed with a playful 'wink' in mind. Avril Loreti's extensive line also includes tea towels, totes, wine totes, handkerchiefs, cocktail napkins, coasters and even lobster bibs!




Biko has been my favourite jewellery collection for several years now (I mention Biko here, here and here). Designer Corrine Anestopoulos combs New York and Europe for unique pieces and materials to add to her designs. I love that each piece tells a story! Biko's collection of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are made from a variety of materials such as cool metals, vintage finds and natural stones.




Salvage Interiors holds a special place in my heart. I used to be one half of this team, but I have decided to part ways so I can focus on another project I'm working on. Steve Wallin continues to run Salvage Interiors and creates unique, amazing designs using reclaimed and salvaged materials.

Cool Shit: Bowery Lane Bicycles

I usually lean towards vintage bicycles but I have to admit that these bikes from Bowery are pretty sexy.

If you're in Toronto, they can be purchased at the Drake General Store.

I Love My Sponsors: Part One

I wanted to do a little shout out to my amazing new sponsors which are all local Toronto based independent companies.

First up is Edited. Joanne Maharaj from Edited hand-makes these incredible little bags using everything vintage and re-purposed. Whether it's vintage buttons, re-purposed leather and suede or vintage fabrics. Each Edited pouch is one of kind and range from $16-$24 each. Every single detailed of these pouches have been looked after including the super cute lining!

Joanne will be selling Edited pouches this Saturday at the Movies & Makers Sale at the Fox Theatre in the Beach. Stop by to say hello!





Next up is Bicyclette. I've been a huge fan of Bicyclette ever since owner Paige Boersma started popping up temporary shops around the city. Bicyclette now has a permanent location at 880 Queen Street West which is full of whimsical clothing and accessories mixed with an edgy downtown feel. And if you don't live in the Toronto area, don't worry because Bicyclette also has an online store full of amazingness with brands such as Trinity, Central Park West, Wildfox Couture, Motel, Dolce Vita, Funktional and so many more!

I also mention Bicylette here, here and here (see told ya I was a fan)!

Cool Shit: Porcelain Tin Can

These 'tin' cans are actually porcelain. Love!

DIY: Turban 3 Ways

Geri from Because I'm Addicted is getting ready to launch a new lifestyle/how to site called LEAF. This amazing video is a sneak peek as to what we can expect. The video shows how to tie a turban in three cool ways. I'll definitely be putting these tips to use with some old scarves I have kicking around!

Field Trip Pop-Up Shop

The Field Trip Pop Up Shop is bringing together six independent businesses from across Canada. Included in this shop is Toronto`s Robber, Preloved and Fieldguided along with Ottawa`s Victoire and Hamilton's White Elephant and Yarnovermovement. Together in a stunning 1940s building in Hamilton, they will create a weekend of non stop fun shopping. All of the out of town shops are bringing items that will be exclusive to this pop up shop event, so get ready for some amazingness. They`re calling it a mini mall of independence!

Hamilton's Art Crawl will also be going on this weekend, so it'll be quite the weekend in Hamilton!

Crush: Michelle Ross

Michelle Ross is a Toronto-born jewellery designer and is known for her statement pieces. She combines semi precious stones, a variety of metals, glass, and ceramics along with vintage findings to create pieces that are unique and magical. Each piece has a feeling of elegance mixed with something unpredictable. Absolutely stunning!

Happy Monday + New Fur Baby

Let me introduce to you my baby French bulldog Harper! Isn't he just the sweetest little pup?! He's only 6 weeks old so I won't be able to take him home until the end of the month. This will be my first experience with a puppy so as excited as I am I'm shitting my pants a little. There will definitely be a huge adjustment period but I'm so happy to have a little monkey that is all mine!

I had a great weekend and am sad that it went by so quickly. Not only did I get to hold my new fur baby for the first time, but I cleaned out the antique market and had a great day with my mom and family yesterday. I was able to check off some of my vintage 'wants' list: chandelier check, marquee letters half check, maps check! My apartment is so close to being finished and I can't wait to show you it once it's complete.

Weekly Round-Up

{via Hostess with the Mostess}

Cute whimsical castle wedding via Ruffled.

My dream bathroom makeover on Lake Jane.

Love this farmhouse styled baby shower brunch via Hostess with the Mostess.

Perfect DIY wrap jersey skirt from A Pair and a Spare.

I'll take a pair of these Alex Wang booties via Style Scrapbook.

DIY: Tray Makeover

I spruced up a plain wooden tray with some printed paper, spray paint and a sewing machine and voila! You can get the full directions on my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot.

Spotlight: Marie Nichols

I'm a huge admirer of Interior Stylist Marie Nichols' work. Her general aesthetic is a mixture of vintage, rustic and crafty which are all so me! When I first laid eyes on her work, it was mostly images of her interior work, but more recently I was introduced to her food styling. I love the relaxed vibe to each of these images. Everything looks so carefree and easy, but I know from experience that these type of shoots take lots of time and are carefully laid out. Big fan!

Cool Shit: Ninja Cookies

I kinda love everything about these ninja cookies.

{via The Whoa}

Current Obsession: Chandeliers

I'm obsessed with chandeliers. I love how they add that girly touch to any space. I'm off to the antique market this weekend to hunt one down for my new apartment. I love the idea of mixing that super glam feminine look of a chandelier with the edgy industrial pieces I already have. I can't wait to find the perfect one to finish off my apartment!

{first three images are from Design Sponge and the last one is from Apartment Therapy}

Duvet Cover Dilemma

When I was figuring out the plan for my new bedroom, I knew for certain I wanted a grey duvet cover. Originally I thought I wanted a solid plain one but now I'm not so sure. I really love the look of the ruffled and textured duvet covers. So now the question is, do I go plain or textured? Help!



1. Urban Outfitters, 2. Anthropologie, 3. IKEA, 4. Bed, Bath & Beyond