Wednesday 19 September 2012

Summer Feeling

The weather here in the lower mainland has been spectacular all through September! It has kept me in summer mode, so to continue with that feeling I would like to share this stunning residence with you.
 
 



 
The Finestre Villas in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo designed by CC Arquitectos look like an ideal place to rest and rejuvinate.  I had the pleasure of spending a week in Zihuatanejo last spring. The scenery was breathtaking, and the food and people fabulous!







The simplicity in this design allows the eye to travel outward to fully experience nature's beauty. The designers and architects have done a wonderful job of blurring the line between indoors and out.







 
 
 
The forecast here in the Vancouver area is calling for sun for another week! Time to get outside and enjoy it.
 
-Amanda

Friday 14 September 2012

This weeks colour play.

 
The inspiration:
 

Revlon Smoky Canvas


This might seem a funny place to start. It harkens back to that compulsion to collect nail polish that I had as a young person. I have always loved colour and a bottle of polish was affordable.
 
 
via
 

I saw this palette on Pinterest and loved the approach. The natural setting offers a base and example of how we can take cues for colour coordination from nature.



 

via
 
Now off to my favorite upholstery section. Fabricana is a playground for me. I often will start with the fabric that I have fallen in love with and draw the colour choices out of that, but there are no hard, set rules. We are playing after all.   


 
 
via 
 
 
 At this point I saw these carpets from Restoration Hardware, and realized they were a perfect fit to my palette.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I imagine this room to be in my house. The kitchen has an adjacent dining room with stone floor. Because this room is full of hard surfaces, any one of the cozy, wool carpets works. Now I think, I have those chairs in the garage. What colour shall I paint them? I will use that floral fabric to reupholster the seats. The fabric offers a feminine touch to balance the masculine feel of the space.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hmmmm.....and then again, any of those choices that we have made above works in this space as well.
 
 
 


 
...and then again, this room as well! Now we're really having fun!
 
 
 
 via


 

 
Now for some finishing touches. These accessories may already be in another room. I can shop at home first, I am thinking about those taupe cushions I once used on the bed.  Or go shopping. The other day while at Chapters, this example of their assorted frames caught my eye. Now that I have this fabric I am going back to get the frames!
 
Some of these rooms have been fun to practice with. The room I am actually working on is my hallway, painted in Inukshuk by Benjamin Moore.
 
-Liz

Thursday 13 September 2012

Lasting Impressions

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
 
 

 Sunlit Letterpress has exceeded our expectations with the design and production of our business cards and product tags!





Erin McCall, award winning owner and designer of Sunlit Letterpress, guided us through the whole design and printing process. Erin has been instrumental in manifesting our vision through the collaborative process of designing our logo, tag line and blog among other details. Erin's own process of printing is described on her website, "using vintage printing presses from the late 1800's and early 1900's to craft each piece of stationary by hand". www.sunlit-letterpress.com
 
"A job is what we do for money; work is what we do for love."
Marysarah Quinn
 



 
 
There is so much more to a project than the product that you present in the end...there is a story to this one that isn't entirely ours to tell. Erin fleshes out what this year's challenges are from her perspective on her blog www.adventuresinletterpress.blogspot.ca 
 
Our new business is all the more precious in meaning. We developed this vision in the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle.  Considering the many loved ones, their needs, as well as our own to be creative. As mothers we have experienced the constant challenges to carve out the shape of our lives pursuits while keeping relationships in balance. 
 
The deep gratitude we express here is beyond words. The layers of intangible are now a historic part of what you see in these beautiful, tactile examples of the art of weaving life, craftsmanship....
 
"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master." Ernest Hemingway
 
All our best of blessings to Erin and her family.
 
-Liz
 



Monday 10 September 2012

Weekend Wanderlust

How was your weekend? We had a busy weekend exploring Vancouver, Tsawwassen beach and Ladner. Seems we were able to squeeze out some more summer fun. Here is a sampling of our weekend in pictures.










 





 



 Happy Monday!
- Amanda
P.S. Stay tuned for more items coming to Etsy very soon.

Wednesday 5 September 2012

In The Navy


Well another school year has begun and fall is quickly creeping up on us.  The early mornings are a little crisp and the sun is setting a little earlier each night. As a family, we had a great summer break but are happy to be working on establishing the regular school routine. It is the first full day of school today and my older son is starting Grade 1. His little brother is saying that he misses his big brother but I can see that he is also enjoying his independent free play and the individual attention that he is receiving.

As we transition to the cooler months I am loving the return of darker colours. In particular I am admiring the mood and sophistication of Navy Blue. It is popping up all over in both fashion and home decor. Check out some of my favorite uses of this classic colour.

Photograph by Laura Resen for Elle Decor July/August 2012

Photograph by Laura Resen for Elle Decor July/August 2012





J.Crew Schoolboy Blazer



Kate Spade Giraffe Scarf




Design by Eric Cohler Via Traditional Home





'Vivien' dress by Theory


 



Photograph by Christopher Sturman for Elle Decor July/August 2012



Ridgecrest love seat by Barclay Butera Home via Elle Decor July/August 2012


Photograph by Simon Upton for Elle Decor

Another one of my favorite perks of fall....Pumpkin flavoured treats! What are some of your favorite things about fall?

Hope you are all settling back into your routines nicely.

- Amanda