client highlight: introducing...sonny jackson

I has the pleasure of working with Sonny Jackson recently to design a website for her new company, Sonny Jackson, Chartered Accountant Professional Corporation.

What a wonderful experience it was! Sonny had a vision of what she wanted for her website: a bulletin board that had her information 'pinned' to it. Something rustic with a vintage vibe - not to stuffy or dry, as many accounting websites can be. She wanted a bean counter image to add some relevance and interest. But it was important that the website be professional enough to present to bigger clients.

I love the colours and the feel of the site. It came together beautifully {probably because Sonny was so organized and efficient and easy to work with! I would definitely hire her to be my accountant, no doubt}. Please take a peek at her brand new website, and the services she offers. Congrats Sonny!

cool kitchen

My dad bought this little beauty for Christmas our Sage. It's the KidKraft Espresso Kitchen. And she is going to love it. Hey, I think I'm in love with it! Many-an-hour will be spent playing with this kitchen set, opening and closing the doors, drawing on the chalkboard, and making cool 'meals'. Her Grammy is getting her pots and pans and fake food. I'm so excited for her to see it! Boy Christmas is just so much more fun, seeing it through the eyes of kids.

goop app

I got my GOOP email today, and they introduced a new GOOP City Guide app. The illustrations for the app really caught my eye - I love these little delicate watercolours, and they remind me a bit of the Daily Candy watercolours that are so pretty too. Illustrator Bernadette Pascua created these. They are so cute and are reminding me to break out my watercolours! I haven't painted in forever.

The next time I'm in NYC I hope to check out some of Gwyneth's fave spots.

here we grow again

During my first pregnancy, I documented my burgeoning belly in photos each month and I decided to do the same this time around. I am four months along now. These are my belly bump photos so far. Here we go grow again!

i'm on pinterest!

Yes, I'm a bit behind the bandwagon. I've been resisting the urge for a while as I figured it was just one more thing to add to my To Do list...but last week I activated my Pinterest account and wow is it a lot of fun, not to mention a tad addictive. It's exactly what I love to do - finding inspiring images, sharing them, viewing other inspiring images too. I'm still working on my collection so my boards are still rather empty. But check back soon {or follow me!}...because it really seems like a lot of nerdy fun.

$4 vinyl tablecloth solution

We don't have a dog that gobbles up all of the spills and crumbs that end up under Sage's high chair. And our floor was getting quite stained and crusty with a medley of old rotten food pieces {the worst is avocado...did you know they eventually turn a horrid black colour? Yuck.}.

As it turns out, a $4 pretty vinyl tablecloth from Loblaws has been the perfect solution! I folded it in half and stuck it under the high chair - and it has protected the floor and my sanity ever since. Since it's plastic, it can easily be wiped, or else turfed and replaced if it gets really grotty. I've had many mommy friends come over recently and comment that it was such a great idea. It seemed simple enough to me, but I just wanted to post it here in case it helps out another mommy {and floor} too!

client highlight: design for conscious living

I'm sure I've mentioned Design for Conscious Living before. They are an interior/exterior design firm based in Toronto and run by the lovely and talented Celia - and one of my favourite clients! 

First of all, I would like to mention that Celia is a natural beauty, about 6 feet tall. I basically come up to her waist. She has a wonderfully keen eye for design, and when I first met with her in her home office a few years ago, my mouth dropped - it was simply my dream office, done in colours of green and gray, beautifully organized and professional yet warm and welcoming. 

I created the Design for Conscious Living website in 2008, however each year we work together to make some changes or additions, and just last month we completed the latest update to the site. Some gorgeous new interior designs that really are worth a peek! Check out some of these new layouts, and then be sure to go to their website to see more. 

50mm lens

Just bought a 50mm lens. One of the cheaper lenses out there! And oh boy, so far I love it.

picnic party!

Now that winter is arriving {cold blustery days, darkness, freezing rain, yuck!} I thought I would share a little summer with you. I was a pretty terrible blogger in the summer, so I didn't properly feature my daughter's first birthday party! Her birthday is in July which is actually quite lovely because we were able to hold it outside and make the most of the warm weather and swimming pool.

The theme was a Picnic Party, and I collected all sorts of red and white fabric to make table cloths, a flag bunting, and picnic blankets strewn across the lawn. Actually I found the decor for this party quite easy - red and white is a popular combo! And I threw in some turquoise accents just for fun.There was swimming, there was a jumping castle and trampoline, cupcakes, stripey straws, a popcorn machine and a fab cake made by Auntie M. Pictures tell the story much better, so here is a bit of summer for ya!

Ruche Clothing

How did I not know about this online shop before? Guess I've been hiding under a rock. When you are occupied with a little one, it sometimes does feel that way. Anyway I discovered Ruche Clothing the other day and the clothing really has an Anthropologie vibe, but with a much cheaper price tag. If I wasn't pregs then I might go a bit click-happy. Why is shopping online sooooo easy?

Here are my picks:

Paper Birch Cutout Dress

{out of stock now unfortunately but sooooo pretty!}

Mulberry Street Print Dress

{funky, a bit retro, and easy to wear}

Mexico City Diamond Print Dress

{not sure what drew me to this one except the pattern is pretty cool and also Mexico sounds really great right about now!}

Well I guess I know where I'll be shopping once I'm back to my normal size! And once I'm done nursing which presents a whole different wardrobe issue {easy access is key!}.

some news!

font nerd strikes again: Kewl Script alternative

As mentioned once before, I'm a font nerd. I love fonts. I could stare at typography all day. I could spend a lot of money on fonts {ok, I could spend a lot of money on just about everything!}. But just as I found a free alternative to Feel Script a while back, I found one for a new font called Kewl Script.

I actually had purchased Kewl Script for a project, and I do think it's pretty cool. But then I found this free one called Channel. Not exactly the same but it definitely has the same vibe. Kewl Script is better...I like it's flourishes. But hey - free is pretty great too!

Thank you Little Party-Goers!

A big thank you to the lovely Maria of Little Party-Goers! She featured inBloom Studio today on her Goodie Spotlight and I really appreciate the wonderful shout-out! Click here to read the spotlight and interview.

happy birthday canada!

I am so proud to live in this beautiful country of mine.

Took this Instamatic iPhone App snap today...I thought it was pretty cute that this fire hydrant was painted red to match the flag behind it.

Happy birthday Canada!

clever and herby escort cards

As someone also in the event design field, I love keeping my eyes open for clever wedding and decor ideas - and I love this idea for escort cards, rather than the simple and mundane folded tent cards on a table. Adorable! You can see more of this beautiful English wedding here.

west elm

I was in the area of West Elm yesterday so I popped on in. And OK....WOW!! One of everything please! And while I can't do that at the moment {can you imagine?} I did walk away with these cutie little owl measuring cups. Just a little purchase to stave off my hunger! Aren't they adorable?

white kitchen...yum!

We recently chose our finishes for our new home...that is definitely the best part of buying a brand new house! We decided on a white kitchen with earthy gray floor tiles, and a dark gray countertop. Here is the look we are going for, except I'm thinking soft light blue walls.

Photos from Style at Home magazine via Black Eiffel.

i just bought this print...

...for my new house. Yes, we bought a new house! It is currently being built and will close mid-July. I am pretty excited - it has all of the features we were hoping for: a big backyard, a fireplace, upstairs laundry, pantry, walk-in closet {yes!}. A wonderful place for kids to play and grow. The only catch - it is farther into suburbia than I am now. Only about 10 minutes or so, but when I tell you that not long ago there were cow patties where my house will stand, I am telling the truth. Project De-Suburbanization, here I come too!

Anyhow, and more importantly - about the above print. One of my favourite things to do is to get lost in blogland and then happen upon a cool link or inspirational story that I would not have otherwise found. And that is what happened last night. Long story short (you can read more here) I came across this cute print which is also helping to raise money for a lovely little lady named Davy who captured my heart. I think you will be inspired by reading their story too.

A cute design for a great cause - what a wonderful combination.

redfish kids clothing

My sister bought my baby girl the most adorable kimono onesie {above} for Christmas. I know it's a year not about 'things'. But there are some things that are so special that they are worth having! Seriously, I want to hang this little piece of clothing in Sage's room as art. It is truly beautiful! It's made by a Vancouver company called Redfish Kids Clothing and I checked out their website. Oh my. My heart is aflutter! What gorgeous clothes and incredible dresses! Here is a peek at their wares...just stunning.