Until the Next Time...

Here are some images from James Merrell to keep you going for the next little while.... I'm going to need longer than I thought to recharge!

Monday Snoozes?

Yes it's Monday... I had the whole weekend to sleep and I have the whole week in front of me... but of course... I am still on weekend time and I have a little bit of the Sunday Snoozes... Wouldn't it be lovely to be curling up here instead of going to grab a coffee?...

Country Living

Via Apartment Therapy via Apartment 34

Sorry for the lack of creative posts my dears. Hopefully a little more in one of these will bring me back for tomorrow!... Until then!

Easy Eco Mondays - Transportation Habits

My work calender has a sustainable tip each month, and I thought I would share... February's focus is on Transportation. This is what it reads:

"Change your habits so that living green isn't a daily task but a natural behaviour. If everyone left their car at home one day a week it would make a huge difference. Biking is good for your health (and possible here in February!!) and the health of the planet. Don't like to ride a bicycle? Try walking, walking just 30 minutes a day has numerous health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, boosting good cholesterol and reducing your risk of a stroke. Share a ride one or two days a week and you'll get to know a neighbour or co-worker better, save fuel and reduce your carbon footprint."

Via Copenhagen Cycle Chic

I think the tip is trying to portray that it only takes minimal extra effort to make a environmentally sustainable transportation decision. The difference between talking about it and actually doing it is small. 10 extra minutes of planning can make your environmental wants a reality...

Check out this guy - he is training for a Marathon by actually running all of his errands! Via TreeHugger

If driving is the only way to work, then try and be more sustainable in other transportation areas, walk to get your groceries, or run errands. I know I am going to take transit more even though it is longer. Today I spent the time on the bus reading instead of trying to dodge poor drivers. I also just remembered that one of my co-workers lives near me, I am going to ask her today if she would like a ride tomorrow. It's the little things that really add up!

Saturdays are for....

Not writing blogs!  Apparently neither are Fridays this week either!  I'm on a bit of a girls weekend, so time has flown by! 

Wouldn't it be lovely to entertain in a setting like this? via Desire to Inspire

I hope you are all having a good weekend too! 

Afraid of the Dark

Does anyone remember that series "Are you Afraid of the Dark?" based on the novels by Sidney Sheldon? Well, I felt like one of the characters in that show last night...and I will fully admit - I am afraid of the dark. I am still asking myself why voluntarily I in went into a forest outside of town at night... (ah what we do for skiing!) And why I let my imagination get the best of me? I'm 25 years old, I should be able to reasonably convince myself that the bogey man doesn't exist! But the forest was eerily, quiet, and full of shadows... Several times I jumped around sure that something was behind me ready to attack! I think this means no more scary movies if I ever want to grow out of my fear of the dark!

Good thing I am not afraid of rooms with a dark pallet!

Martyn Thompson via Designers' Brew

Via Coco + Kelley

Marie Claire Maison via Designers' Brew

Out for Lunch

Today at lunch I did something completely out of character. I got up and just started walking. I wasn't going to get food, or meeting anyone, I just decided to go outside...it was like I was possessed. With my camera in hand I took photos of everything. I tried to keep my focus on taking photos close up, focusing on the texture, and form. I have never taken a photography course before so I had no clue what I was doing... I am sure I looked especially weird, walking around a suburbia office/light industrial area taking close up photos with my mini point and shoot camera! But I didn't care, I crouched down on the road, pointed my lens to the sky and crawled around in a playground until my memory card was full. Please be kind, this is my first random photo session....

(Note: Thinking back on this random act of mine - I realized that it was a culmination of many things - Finding my camera, returning to civilization, realizing that I didn't document my last work assignment very well, commuting to work, the time of year and the sunny skies. Not so random after all!)

Shrug Love....

The sequence mini dress is cute, the photo is original, her legs are envy worthy but the over the shoulder sweater is to die for! I love the curvy and slouchy sleeves that become the body and the fine stripes add to the flow! Now if only I could find a pattern - or even see the back of it... then maybe I could use my new sewing machine to re-create this!

French Vogue via trust your style

In the Neutrals

Lately light, airy neutrals have been popping up, and after all the colour predictions from the beginning of this year, I am embracing these calming neutral tones.

Paul Whicheloe Via Desire to Inspire

Michael S Smith

Photography Mikkel Vang Stylist Christine Rudolph via desire to inspire

Terri from Wind Lost

Martha Stewart

H & M via Apartment #34

Petrina Tinslay via Emma's Design Blogg

Domino via Sfgirlbybay

David Tsay via Sfgirlbybay

Via Garance Dore

Has anyone else noticed an increase in muted tones and neutral colour palettes?

Clever Living

Ferm means clever in Dutch, and is a very telling word for the company Ferm Living, who make very ferm products.  They also have a blog (Clever Spaces) showing clever creative uses for their clever and creative products... 

I love the gold and purple of the tree bomb wallpaper....clever name!

Wallpaper stuck on the inside of a lamp, you can only see the design when the light is on... clever, yet again!

I love this workplace!

Would go great in a black and white room!!

This wall decal was scribbled over, and then removed... the reverse effect!

Messy Boots

As the rain poured down yesterday I went rain boot shopping with one of my friends. I must admit, it is surprisingly hard to find a good pair of rain boots in this wet town! Well that is, it is tough to find a good pair that does not have a nauseating busy/tacky pattern, are not more than 100 dollars (come on they are rain boots after all!), do not have heals or aren't some drab cold weather colour. We didn't have any success yesterday, but it did remind me of this great project posted on Apartment Therapy Boston last week on how to manage your wet and muddy boots once you seek comfort in your cozy abode.

This DIY is simple and cheap. Katie, the mastermind behind this idea explained that she took two unrelated IKEA items and put them together to form a boot tray. She used the lid of the"Ladis" plastic storage bin and some shiny garden stones. Together they became this innovative, easy to use, and smart looking boot tray!

This will give me one less excuse to not fulfill my new years resolution!

Easy Eco Mondays - Be fish Aware

Since moving to Vancouver I have developed an appreciation for fish... not only because they are tasty and so readily available here, but more that they are almost intertwined with life. Fish design, and drawing are found everywhere, while remnants of fish can also be found washed up on the shore. This constant reminder makes me question... what fish (or seafood) can be consumed in a sustainable fashion? I am of course not the only person wondering this so I went on the hunt for some resources.

Keller + Keller

Jocelyne Beaudoin

• David Suzuki's Green Guide has some top choices: Catfish (US farmed), Clams (farmed), Halibut (wild, pacific), Pollock (wild, Alaska), Rainbow Trout (farmed) and Tilapia (US farmed).
• The Environmental Defense Fund also has a list of fish ranging from Eco-Best to Eco-Worst. Everything from Mussels to Crab to Shark are on the list. They also have a sushi fish list.
• Monteryey Bay Aquarium has a Seafood Watch Pocket Guide and now a feature where you can have it synced to your iphone, so you are up to date and can make informed decisions on the go.
• Foodgal a fellow blogger even recommended a sustainable sushi bar Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar in San Fransisco (if you are every visiting)

As I go out to buy my weekly groceries, I will keep the Seafood Watch guideline close to me!

Victoria Granof

(Note: This week is the State of the Salmon Conference here in Vancouver, it is the second international conference dedicated to the conservation of Pacific salmon. Fitting time to be thinking about fish consumption!)

K.T. Tables

My dear friend Katie moved into her first one bedroom apartment. It's a beautiful pad with huge windows tons of sunlight and a great open flow. Now comes the fun part - decorating! She already has a couch, TV and bookcase, so now we are on the hunt for coffee tables.... simple right? Well not quite, Katie has strict thoughts of what she wants from her pieces of furniture (and rightly so!) For the coffee table Katie wants something with an open bottom so she can put her feet under the table, no glass or metal and a simple design (and maybe some storage...). So with that criteria in mind, I have found some that I think will fit, and are available in Canada.... Take a peak Katie....

I know you don't want metal, but these ones are dark and feel lightweight, might be what you need next to your couch!

Modular Coffee Tables by West Elm

Haven Coffee Table from Pottery Barn

Remember the table we saw last Sunday? These are other options... and not as expensive! The second one even folds out if you want to make it into a low dinner table!

Delmonte Coffee Table from Sears

Marakech Flip Top Cocktail Table from Sears

Simple and sleek, storage, foot room, no metal or glass and about the right size.

Kelsey Two Drawer Cocktail Table from Sears

I think you can fit your feet under these ones! I love the natural wood of the first one (although it might be too country for you, and the second one is pretty much my classical favorite! There is a storage shelf, but it looks high enough - some baskets or IKEA boxes on there and you will get your storage and coffee table in one!

Cordoba Coffee Table from Pottery Barn

Chloe Coffee Table from Pottery Barn

Last but not least - simple but perfect. Great wood grain, nice solid legs, and a smooth top. You could put baskets/boxes under the table for storage and then move them when you want to put your feet under the table.

Jackson Coffee Table from Sears

A few things I figured out while searching. There is a surprising number of coffee tables without room to put your feet under them. For simple designs The Bay and Sears are good options, they are starting to carry more modern designs. Check out Crate and Barrel, (see below) there are some great ones on that website, I don't know if they ship to Canada but it might be worth a trip to the US!

Sundays are for cozy couches....

I was side tracked by beautiful weather and a heated curling match yesterday, so I missed my post on coffee tables. But no worries, I have just finished it and it will be up in a few minutes! Until then, I thought I would inspire you with a beautifully warm image... something a little cozy on this rainy Sunday morning!

Living Etc....

White walls can still be cozy right?