Places & Spaces: My Bathroom

It has been a BUSY few months for Ryley and I. We are getting ready to sell our house and thus, have been working like crazy on all those little things that need doing before putting it on the market. I have to say that we would never have gotten the amount of things done without the help of friends and family! Thank you guys!

Some of the renovations are recent and some have been done for a while, but I thought I would take this opportunity to share my home with you one room at a time. I've been taking photos for the listing, but also for the memories. It is bittersweet putting this house on the market since we have done a lot to it over the years and have so so so many memories here. Part of me doesn't want to leave this place!

So (since it was just cleaned) I thought I'd start this process by sharing pictures of my bathroom with you that my husband and his dad painstakingly tiled, dry-walled, painted, etc, etc, etc. Thank you Ryley and Larry, I love my bathroom!

What is Done in Love, is Done Well

To my regular readers: I'm sorry. It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog. I haven't been inspired by anything in the design world. Normally I would just push through and make myself write something or find a way to get inspired. The stubborn side of me would kick in and I would just make it happen, will it into being, power through. But this time I just couldn't.

Don't misunderstand me, I love this blog. I love everything about it. I love design. I love writing about design. I love taking or find beautiful images of design and then sharing them with you. But lately its just been difficult.

So instead I'm going to share not a design, but a quote I came across today that was so inspiring, I've made it my new motto:

"If only we try to live sincerely, it will go well with us, even though we are certain to experience real sorrow, and great disappointments, and also will probably commit great faults and do wrong things, but it certainly is true, that it is better to be high-spirited, even though one makes more mistakes, than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent. It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love, is well done."

 Vincent van Gogh

Fuck, I love this quote! It reminds me to be open and to love openly, freely and often. Fall in love with old friends, new friends, lovers, life and nature as much as you can. Be love. Be open to others who are different than you. Someone from a different religion might teach you something about God. Someone from a different culture might show you something about life. Sure you'll get hurt sometimes, yes there will be rejection. But how rewarding to live this way? It's worth the pain. It's worth the rejection. It's so much better then living a life closed minded and cynical. Let your vulnerability be your ultimate strength!

DIY: Succulent Mini Garden

Ever since I received this large, round, acid green bowl as a gift from a dear friend I've thought about how good it would look as a planter for hens and chicks as well as other succulents. But for some reason never got around to making this idea into a reality. I don't know why, because this is one DIY project that is so simple to do, yet so fun and rewarding! So about a month ago I finally got down to business...

I love succulents because they are so easy to care for and require very little watering or other maintenance. Come autumn, I will bring it inside and attempt to keep it alive all winter long.

All you need for this project is a wide mouthed, shallow container, pebbles, soil and succulents. The pebbles are for the bottom of the pot to provide for drainage so the roots don't get root rot (this step is only necessary if your container does not have a hole in the bottom). Next fill your pot about 3/4 full of soil and place the succulents in the pot. This is the time to arrange and rearrange the plants into a pretty visual formation. I like to make sure I have a combination of sculptural plants with sprawling plants that can be planted near the edge so that as they grow they cascade over the edge. Lastly, fill in any gaps between plants with soil. And voila! You have yourself a succulent mini garden!

Places & Spaces: The Happy Camper

Cutesy Camper

It's summer (yay!), and with summer comes thoughts of getting away, camping, cottages and the great outdoors. My husband and I recently had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days thanks to friends who lent us use of their lovely little cabin on a lake, and it got me thinking about finding ways to make our own little getaway. We are far from being able to purchase our own cabin, but camper? Maybe.... How fun would it be to buy and renovate a little vintage camper or RV? While we are still far from making such a decision I thought it would be enjoyable to research vintage renovated campers and share my findings with you.

Red & White Delight

What a little blue paint can do

Modern and Minimal

Eclectic Camper

Tonke Camper

Airstream

Modern Airstream

Loving this cozy white camper

Adorable Hugo Camper

Colourful Camper

Happy Camper

Pretty in Pink

Seriously, how much do you love these little beauties? Way cuter and way more personality than the ones you buy straight off the production line with their notoriously ugly upholstery. So fun, so summer. Makes me want to get back out into nature again!

Currently Loving: Artist Andrew Salgado

I recently came across a new artist I had never heard of before and guess what? He is from my home town of Regina, Saskatchewan! Currently based out of London, England this super talented up and comer is creating such beautiful and original work that I just had to share it will all of you. Abstract portraits have become one of my very favorite styles of paintings, it just adds so much more depth and emotion to the piece than a standard portrait. To me you actually end up seeing more of the real person under the mask of the exterior and you see more of the artist and his interpretation of his subjects emotional state and essence as well.

I give you Andrew Salgado!

 Wouldn't you love a portrait done by this guy? I know I would!