Owls!

My love. I have never really collected any sort of animal. That has changed. Now, I know the owl is a popular bird these days, but original or not, I still love him. I started collecting him when we moved into our house last summer. I'm trying not to go overboard with our love affair. But, here are a few of my favourites. Enjoy...

My lovely owl vase at my entry

My silver owl 

Camomile tea from my owl teapot - perfection

A little owl bling (necklace)

An owl print purchased in Montreal

My favourite owl of all (is dressing up my daughter as an owl means I went too far?)

New Items for the Nursery!

A couple weeks ago, we finally got a good start on our gender neutral nursery. Months earlier I had searched for the kind of look I wanted to go for and since we don't know if it's a boy or girl, it was a little more challenging but I'm lovin the way it's coming together. I wanted something fun, fresh, modern, happy and could be easily updated with a few touches once our little one arrives. So far, so good. I ordered a few more items yesterday and one more trip to Ikea and it may be pretty close to being done for now. As for any of the actual "essential stuff" for the baby - got to get on that one! Enjoy....

Material for Roman Shade

Fabric for pillow that will go on the glider (never a fan of those gliders!)

A fun and loveable print to hang

Office Inspiration

I started working on my office about 6 months ago and have come to a stop - hence my post on office inspiration to get me going! I have a nice white desk, a book shelf, a great rug with orange as my accent and I'm hoping to clean it up a bit and get some more pics on the wall this month. Here are some inspiration photos of offices I love. I'll hopefully be able to share photos soon of our finished space. Enjoy....

Images Emily Clark, pininterest (other source unknown - sorry!)

Hollywood Glamour!

Yes, there's been a lack of blog posts lately. I'm in the midst of wrapping up my last couple weeks of work before mat leave and I have to admit I think I've started the "nesting mode." I feel like I haven't accomplished much the past 7 months but I'm feeling better now and the list is long (more on that later). Anyway...I have come across a designer who has caught my attention - Jessica Waks. She's with Style at Home Magazine and her Toronto apartment has been featured everywhere lately. She loves Hollywood Glam. This is a style I couldn't commit to all the way but love elements of it in the home. She also did it on a budget (which is totally my style) and I adore the eclectic mix. Here are some shots of her home....Enjoy!

Love the floor lamps on each side

Check out the backs of the chairs...has me thinking of this for my dining room

A simple book shelf with a mix of items - one of my favourite touches

White cupboards, white backsplash - yes!

Hello, Hollywood. Love the mix of pieces.

Images via Style At Home

Lovin San Fran!

My husband and I took a pre-baby trip to San Francisco to soak up some sun, eat yummy foods, explore the city and sleep in until 9AM without a little 3 year old gal waking us up...heavenly! Our last little bit of freedom before our baby comes in less than 2 months. We were recommended some great places to eat from my friend who is starting up a travel blog. Every place was fantastic and I don't think I've ever enjoyed eating on a trip more! I thought I'd share a few places for anyone thinking of making a trip to San Fran - I highly recommend it! Enjoy...

Pizzeria Delfina

 www.pizzeriadelfina.com

In the Mission:

3611 18th Street(between Guerrero St & Oakwood St)

*The best thin crust pizza in the city, and the line outside is proof! A great lunch time or dinner spot where you can safely dine alone at the chef’s counter and be happily entertained by the open kitchen. Get the Margherita pizza with anchovies on the side.

Bi Rite Creamery

http://biritecreamery.com/

*The best ice cream ever!! Make your way to the Mission to partake in an unforgettable yet sustainable experience. They use all natural, organic ingredients from local farms. Try the Honey Lavendar or Salted Caramel flavors.

Anchor and Hope

www.anchorandhopesf.com 

*An excellent seafood restaurant in a converted mechanic’s warehouse. The painted floors and high ceilings combined with a wonderful menu, make this the quintessential west coast experience. They have the best lunch time tuna melt, a great oyster happy hour and a fabulous dinner time lobster roll. Perfect for a work lunch in SOMA.





Located at the Ferry Building, with its windows toward the water, this is THE place for Vietnamese. The emphasis is on fresh and organic ingredients. If you’re wanting a quick fix, you can also pick up food to-go at their counter in the Ferry Building marketplace. We highly recommend the fried banana with avocado ice-cream for desert.

Slanted Door 1 Ferry Building+415 861 8032

A16 - This place was our favourite - we actually ate their twice - so yummy!

www.A16sf.com

*A marina favorite that brings a dose of southern Italy.  A small, cozy restaurant that has far too many favorites to recommend just one. It’s perfect for a quiet dinner avec 1 but don’t forget to make a reservation. Do sample the extensive wine list from Italy’s southern regions. Make sure to order the buratta cheese - it's amazing.

We took a drive down the coast to Pebble Beach - beautiful!

 

Lovin these Little Gal Necklaces

My daughter has flipped the switch and turned into a girly girl! It's all about dresses, pretty shoes and now a bit of bling. She is also very into her buddies lately and on the weekend her and one of her "besties" told us they are getting married! Hey, we support it all. I stumbled across these necklaces online and thought how cute they would be for her to give to her BFF's. Too cute! Enjoy...

Via H&M

Baby's Room - Time to get started!

Between work, my daughter, a busy couple of months of birthdays and occasions and feeling slightly ill  a lot of the time - I haven't dived into the fun stuff to prepare for our new baby yet. A couple months back, I put together some items of inspiration I wanted for the baby's room and I'm posting it so it will give me the kick in the butt to get going on it! It's gender neutral and I haven't included some of the items I have already picked up - we have a white crib, a white dresser I got off Craigs List which needs some fun accessories and I'm thinking of putting in a bookshelf for storage, we'll see? From this photo, I have checked off getting the light, the sheepskin and the rug (but moved it to another place in my home). Actually, I'm feeling better about my progress already!  Today I plan to get the paint sample - it's a funky, fresh green. I'll keep you posted. Enjoy...

Love These Bowls!

We did a home exchange last year and one of the things that we took away from that experience was the inspiration of this family's home. It wasn't that everything was completely styled, but it felt like every item in their home seemed to represent who they are. My husband and I marveled how we had only chatted with them on email but had a complete sense of this family through their home. Anyway, this set us off in inspiration and we have sort of started fresh since we moved last August. Purchasing items we love, hanging pictures that mean something to us, finding vintage things and making them our own. Well, this ramble brings me to one of the little things that I love and brings me joy - these gold gilded bowls! I first found one in Palm Desert last year and my mom added another one to my collection recently. I have placed both in our entry way right now, but what I love is that they are one of those items I will keep forever. Enjoy...

Backyard Makeover!

I'm excited to be sharing our recent backyard makeover. We moved into our home late last summer and the backyard was one of the items we wanted to do within the first year. Our house is set back, making our yard quite small, so what we lack in size we have now made up for in privacy, setting, ambiance and relaxation. My hubby and two of his generous buddies spent a weekend building us a very large deck. From there we brought out the patio furniture, pots and other accessories. There are still things we'd like to do like add a chandelier, I would like some globe lights (I'm picturing a sort of sitting outside in Italy thing) just done in the suburbs of Vancouver! Here are some before and after shots. Enjoy...

Before...

After....

Bon Appetit with Gwyneth!

When doing some shopping at Costco recently, I cruised by the magazine section (a must) and noticed that Bon Appetit Magazine was featuring everyone's favourite girl these days - Gwyneth Paltrow. I have her new cookbook and though admittedly I haven't cooked anything from there yet, it's a beautiful book to read and be inspired by. I actually just purchased a copy for a friend to enjoy as well. Anyway, the cookbook and this article with recipes included is worth a read. This girl can really do it all and looks so happy and fresh along the way. How does she do that!? Enjoy...