Overuse of "scapes"

I'm now seeing the word "mantlescape" being used all over the place. I drew the line with tablescape.

What happenned to vignettes?

image from casasugar

AT: The Homies 2008

Merry Christmas Everybody!

I just thought I'd stop in today for a visit and to say Ho Ho Ho !!! I have today off from my "day job", so I'm catching up on some blogs I just haven't had time to read in the past week or so with all the holiday festivities going on.

Guess What!!! Apartment Therapy is hosting The Homies: Best Design Blogs of 2008.



"There's awards for all sorts of blogs, but no one ever pays enough attention to the home blogs, so we're starting a little impromptu reader nominated and voted awards ceremony this year, and we're calling it The Homies. There are five categories and none of our five blogs is eligible (we're hosting). The prizes? $100 to the winner of each category and lots of traffic as we publish the five winners in a big congratulatory post across our network on January 6th. We want to elevate good home blogs, see who you love and gain awareness for the home niche."

Click Here, and head down to the comments section to nominate DecorAddict!

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! See you in '09

I'm sure like most of you out there, Christmas and the Holidays bring not only Joy, and a sense of family, it's just so busy! Bouncing from party to party, store to store, and wrapping up the year at the office is always crazy, especially this year due to the economy.

commemorative dove keepsake ornament, $22, from Paloma's Nest

I'm going to wrap things up for the year today, and I'll see you all back here in early January for a BETTER DecorAddict!

Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!

Trina & the DecorAddict Team

Etsy Love: Plaksels

Dutch Love = Plaksels

snowflake winter vinyl wall decal, 26.50

branch vinyl wall decal, 39.50

three birds vinyl wall decal, $9.95

Open for debate: two-tone sofa

I am one of the 20 thousand or so people that have an Ektorp sofa from Ikea. It's served me well over the past 8 years, but it's time for it to go, as it's literally almost falling apart.

I will miss my Ektorp, easy maintenance Ektorp. Washable slipcovers are the BEST invention this decade I think, and have saved my sofa from numerous red wine stains.

As you all know, my hubby and are moving into a new, larger apartment next month, therefore we're on the lookout for a few new things. I've already talked about a new dining table, a new sofa is also on the list. This past Saturday, the hubby and I once again made a trip out to search for the perfect sofa.

There is one thing that I've noticed, and I don't like it. What is the deal with the two-tone sofas that are all over the place this year? I don't get it! It's just gross! I don't get it!

Mateo Sectional Sofa from Structube, $1699

I LOVE the Mateo Sectional above from Structube, but WHY are the cushions a different colour than that base? I would buy this in a second if it weren't for the fact that it's 2 colours. Eesh.

Mid-Century Dining Table, the search begins

Our current apartment doesn't really have a dining room, it's just really an extension of the living room and kitchen which essentially one room in itself. The table we have right now is our landlords, but we don't use it as a dining table either, it's more of desk, actually I'm writing this from it as I type.

Our new place has an actual dining room. With Space! Enough room for a decent sized table, and maybe even a credenza or buffet. I can picture a curved/rectangular mid-century modern teak dining table in that spot, and I've been on the hunt for one even since we signed the lease. Unfortunately, so far, I'm not having much luck.

Yes, sure Craigslist has lots to choose from, but it's just not right.

THIS is what I'm drooling over at the moment.....

Lima dining table, from INCH Furniture

Unfortunately this is manufactured in Switzerland, and only SOLD in Switzerland, so I'm truly S.O.L with this one. It's so sad. Sniff.


Then, I found this!

Teak Coffee Table designed by Ib Koford Larsen for France & Sons,
Denmark, 1950 from Still Design

But, it's a coffee table. ARGH!!!! I need just a little more leg! And, they're in Victoria, BC. ARGH!!!

I'm still looking for that perfect table. I will not rest until it has been found. I refuse to settle for anything less, and so the journey begins.

Bollocks!

Love This! {via West Elm}

I'm on the hunt for whimsical shelving options, and i've fallen in love with this gorgeous shelf from West Elm.

branch shelf, on sale, $69.99

image from West Elm

Love this! {via design*sponge}

I can remember a telephone table almost exactly like this at my grandparent's house. At the time I thought it was ugly, but look what you can do! I love this!



You can find the full post on design*sponge here.


all photos from design*sponge

DIY Gift Wrap {via Creature Comforts}

I've printed out my templates already, what about you? Find full instructions here.

Love This! {via apartment therapy}

How-to's can be found here.

Trend Tuesday: buy local, buy handmade

In keeping with my mantra this season of buying local, handmade gifts from independent retailers this holiday season, I thought I'd share with everyone the best places to do so, both online, and in your local town and city.

The best online handmade retailer by far is of course Etsy, just do to the pure fact that they offer the most variety, and the most sellers. A neat trick to Etsy is yes of course we all know it's handmade, but you can limit your search to your own local area, to ensure your goods are coming from your own town, province, or country.

(screenshot from Etsy)

Good Egg Industries is similar to Etsy, but all Canadian, and priced in Canadian dollars.

(screenshot from GoodEgg)

{Toronto}
If you're not keen to shop online, there is sure to be a craft fair in your town or city. In Toronto, the first place I check to source any local art or craft fair is Toronto Craft Alert. Their calender will keep you in the loop for all local happenings in the GTA.

{Vancouver}
One of my favorite Canadian cities has a HUGE handmade/craft movement. The Vancouver Craft Mafia is the place to reference to all local events in Vancouver it's surrounding areas.

{General}
Poppytalk, the Canadian blog based in Vancouver B.C. is THE place to visit, search, and find anything, and everything handmade, local, and vintage. From craft fairs in Kelowna, BC, to online shopping. Although not limited to Canadian content, they love Canadian design just as much as the rest of us. Definitely worth a peek for this season. See their top reasons for buying handmade here!

Slacking Economic Concentration {ho, ho, ho}

I admit it, I haven't been as attentive to DecorAddict over the past month or so. Not that I haven't wanted to, other obligations and commitments have had to come first, not to mention I think it's a stressful time for everyone right now considering the economic crisis affecting Canada, and the rest of the world, which makes me writing about decor trends a little bit superficial. Christmas is right around the corner, I know that I , as well as most of you are consumed with various events, and shopping for all your loved ones.

Have any of you cut back on gifts this year? I don't know about everyone else, but I can honestly say there isn't any one thing that I need or want for Christmas this year. Well, maybe some new slippers, but that's about it really :-)

Our family has decided to keep Christmas about the kids this year, which saves us from buying gifts for 30 adults that already have everything they want. Christmas should be about the kids, don't you think? Even my husband and I are forgoing gifts this year, especially since we are in the process of moving and buying new things for our new apartment. That can be our Christmas gifts to each other.

With the slowing economy this year, I think that if/when we are buying gifts for the kids in our family or for friends, we are going to try to go the handmade route, and if not, we'll be buying local from independent retailers, and will try to avoid the big-box stores. After all, how many Hanna Montana t-shirts can one kid own?

Here are some fantastic gift idea's taking the handmade/buy local aspect into consideration, I hope you all will do the same, as it's the little guy that's going to suffer this holiday season, and we all must support them!

all by lu prints (via GoodEgg Industries)

coaster sets

table runners

placemat and napkin sets

all by handmadenbc, (via etsy)

coffee sleeve, $10

apple sweater, $14

travel tissue sock, $12

all by Country Lanes (via Etsy)

from top left, Primrose Lime Pillow Cover - 12X18 Inches, $14.50; Branching Out Pillow Cover -12X18 Inches, $14.50; Branching Out Pillow Cover 12X18 Inches, $14.50; Retro Marimekko Black Floral Pillow Cover - 16X16 Inches

Knitted Slipcover {via apartment therapy}

Would this not be the most comfortable chair in the universe???!!! Thank you AT !!!

See their full post here.

YOUR house {KiwiPunch Designs}

Yay!

KiwiPunch has shared her apartment with us via the DecorAddict Flickr group, YOUR house! Isn't it cute? I love her chandelier painting in her dining nook, she painted it herself ya know. ;-)






I'm anticipating all of you to add photos of your favorite room in your own home, and I'll share them here!

House Tour Love - Chad Maltby of Sandbox Studio {via design*sponge}

Gorgeous, just gorgeous. See the full tour here.

I'm Back!!! NEW Surface Collective

I'm officially back from Colorado! What a great state in the grand US of A!!! Although the altitude unexpectedly bothered me, overall it was a great trip! Fresh air, beautiful rocky mountains, not to mention fabulous shopping! I have a few pictures I'll share with you later in the week.

I spent most of yesterday going through a gazillion emails, making this weeks to-do list, not to mention catching up on laundry, I'm so sorry for the wait everybody! While I was gone, a whole whack load of new exciting things filled up my inbox, the most exciting for me being Surface Collective, remember I talked about them here a few months ago? Well they've just released some new wall decal designs, and they are better than ever! Kudos to my fellow Canadians!

clockwise from top left, sunlight is gold, weekend in Miami, undermine, & incognito

Surface Collective has also reduced their prices on their most popular designs, they've introduced 4 new designers, and will be releasing laptop skins! Yay Surface Collective!

clockwise from top left, damask, flo, lost lenore, & bamboo

Has anyone tried out these wall decals? I'm seriously considering some for our new apartment that we're moving into next month. Wow. We're only a month away from our move already. Here are a few that I'm considering for our combined living/dining room.

top - bye bye blackbird, bottom - woodcut

What do you think?

Green Your Decor {Jennae} & Happy Weekend !!!

Jennae is the genius and passion behind this important blog promoting and discussing sustainable and eco-friendly products for your home. Green Your Decor is the number 1 source for eco-design on the web!

screenshot of Green Your Decor main front page

I hope you all enjoyed the week of my favorite blogs while I'm away, I'll be back starting Monday with some new and exciting posts for everyone to love, enjoy and share. Happy weekend !

EyeSpy {Suzie Q}

This blog authored by graphic designer Suzie Q is chalk FULL of fantastic idea’s and inspiration for your home or office.

Creature Comforts {Ez}

This is one of my favorite eye-candy blogs out there. Everything featured on Creature Comforts is carefully chosen by it’s author, Ez. You can read an excellent interview with here over on decor8 here .

image & inspiring post from Creature Comforts

dooce {Heather B. Armstrong}

Dooce is probably one of the most read blogs out there right now, in the top 100. It’s author Heather B. Armstrong started her blog before anyone really knew what a blog was. Her whit and humour make her almost daily entries absolutely hilarious as she discusses everything from parenting, dog poop, Chuck the wonder dog, and her favorite hair products.

images from dooce

Kelly Rae Roberts {mixed media artist & author}

I’ve already blogged about Kelly Rae’s most amazing book here a few weeks ago, but I bet you didn’t know that she had a blog as well! Kelly Rae just returned from an artist retreat in Italy, and you can read all about it on her blog here. She’s one of the most inspirational bloggers out there I think. Hugz to Kelly! Yay!

image from Kelly Rae Roberts

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Happy Friday everyone! I’ll be away from the computer for the next week as i’ll be visiting with some family down in the states, Colorado to be exact. It’s been a few years since i’ve ventured down to this rocky mountain state, but I can hardly wait! Fresh air, and clear skies await me! Unless of course we get snowed in, but that’s OK too. :-)

I’ve prepared some blog posts for everybody for next week since i’ll be away with very limited access to a computer. I thought I’d introduce and talk about some of the blogs that I read on a daily basis, some that I havn’t talked about too much recently, but are of course so worth the visit! I wish you all a fantasic week, and give a holla to my blog friends next week.

image from wild basin photography

Yummy Colour

It never seizes to amaze me the huge difference that a colour can make in a room; any room for that matter.

Marie Claire Maison magazine has illustrated this example on their site here, definitely worth a surf, you're surely to be inspired!

images from MarieClaire Maison

Get Christie Chase's Look {via Etsy}

Etsy's online news page often feature's a get the look feature. This time around they're talking about Christie Chase's home. She has an Etsy shop here as well.

image from etsy

I'm loving her greige walls (yay greige!) and the yellow accents, although i'm not sure if i'd choose yellow personally, however she's used just enough for punch factor.

You can see a full tour of here home via design*sponge as well.

image from design*sponge

Trend Tuesday: Carpet Love

The new condo that we're moving into this Januray has laminate flooring throughout, including the bedrooms. Although this is great news for our alergies, this also presents us with the uncomfortable feeling of waking up in the morning to stepping on a chilly floor. Hence, the search for bedside area rugs has begun. My darling hubby isn't a rug fan thanks to his ahsma, so he may have to settle for slippers.

My favorites are below, notice a trend? Anyone? Anyone? :)

sheepskin rug, Ikea, $69

brattby cowhide rug, Ikea, $299 (in stores only)

tricolour cowhide rug, from Pure Rugs, from usd$1296 and up

sheepskin rug, West Elm, from $149

Poppytalk Handmade {Holiday Market}

Poppytalk Handmade's Holiday Market opened today! Get all your shopping done all in once place! This month's market ends December 12th.





image from Poppytalk Handmade

Dreamy Comfy Bedroom Inspiration

I love sifting through online photo galleries of UK and European shelter magazines. Always eclectic, always different compared to their North American counterparts.

I'm browsing through bedrooms right now, looking for some inspiration for our new greige master bedroom, here are some of my favorites!

from Living Etc

from Living Etc

from Living Etc

from House to Home UK

from House to Home UK

from House to Home UK

from Point Click Home