maraca

It is in my humble opinion that everyone should have a set of maraca's for those stressful moments of your day.

The boss would just love it.




all images from Papa Stour

IndiB

Yes, these are part of IndiB's kid's collection over at 2modern, but I'd still put any one of these area rugs in my living or dining room.








The "adult" collection is just as wonderful. Let's hope our new apartment has a good layout in which I can possibly purchase one of these. And no, we still haven't decided on an apartment yet. We are looking at another place tonight, so keep your fingers crossed for us!








all images from IndiB

the bread

This is why I can't loose the 50 lbs that I want to lose. Bread. And butter.




If there was cheese involved in this I'd have a freakin' heart attack. Literally. Right now.

Ree, you are my food goddess and savior.




all images by ree drummond

twig hutchison

The exquisite work of stylist Twig Hutchison can be seen in Toast UK, and Marie Claire Maison. She has worked with the very talent photographers, Sarah Maingot, and Catherine Gratwicke, just to name a few.

If only I could live in these photographs. Or even just have Twig make my bed to look like any of these.












all images via twig hutchison

it's here

Fall, you are my favorite.



photography by sofia wolff

stripe infactuation

I've had an infactuation with stripes for as long as I can remember. This isn't helping.



Damn you wallpaper, damn you.




image from ferm living

my yorkville

I live in the city that hosts TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival. Every year, the center of the city (Yorkville), is FULL of paparazzi, movie stars, and tourists.

I, was one of those tourists last week.



I happened to be downtown with hubby, the squirt was at daycare, and we had some time to kill, so we thought we'd lurk around Yorkville for a bit to see if we ran into Colin Firth at Starbucks, or Bruce Springsteen at the PharmaPlus.

No, we didn't see anyone famous, but I got to visit Anthropologie. Yay! I finally scored a monogram mug, and this journal for myself, along with this super cute initial that i've put on the squirt's door.



We also walked around some of the back streets of the neighborhood, something I haven't done in years; I forgot about the beautiful understated homes in the area. Nothing like what you would think would be there, unless you looked at their price tag of course.




Yorkville just has this vibe lately; there's not so much snootyness as there once was. I will have to visit more often I think.




all photos by me

open closet thoughts at 505am

I've already been up for an hour and half. The squirt had a nightmare or something, and I just got her back in her crib. My alarm is going off in 30 minutes anyways, so I'm up. Coffee is on, and since I don't have to get her back up until 7am, that gives me 2 whole hours to spend with you guys. Although I really hope you are all sleeping comfortably in your own beds.

Back to bedrooms. I know, I'm going to be talking about this topic A LOT until we move, so I hope you all don't mind too much. The bedroom is the one place that almost everyone leaves until last to decorate. In our house, it's a 'catch-all' type of space. No one ever goes in there except for us, so at the moment, it's holding some extra weight that we really should either get rid of, or just put where it really should be.

There is luggage; an Ikea Ektorp chair that should really just be thrown out it's so old and gross; Boxes that we still haven't unpacked from our last move; golf clubs; about 20 books that I started to read, and just have never finished or got bored of too quickly; an old metal bucket thingy that I used to have in the living room to hold magazines but moved into the bedroom as the squirt was getting into it all the time; and of course our bed and dresser. Those are supposed to be there, right?

I'll admit it, I'm not exactly the neatest person in the world, i'm actually a bit of a slob when it comes to my bedroom. Always have been, and probably always will be. Although I can honestly say it's gotten better over the years.

I barely use my closest. Instead, my clean clothes are stacked on an old trunk, and I go through the pile everyday trying to find something to wear. I'm a visual person. I need to see everything at once. Maybe an open closest is something I should look into? Or maybe I should just take off the damn doors.











Not a bad idea, eh?

Now, did you you notice the one consistent thing in EVERY. SINGLE. PHOTO ?????

WOODEN HANGERS. Is that the secret people? Really? Is it?

I think there is a wooden hanger conspiracy out there. Or somethin'.

all photos from apartment therapy and desire to inspire

stressed.....OUT

I'm tired today. Probably because I woke up at 430am when hubby left for work. Rather than fall back asleep and fell worse when my alarm went off, I got up and started to get ready for the day. Thank goodness the squirt co-operated and didn't wake up until 630am.

photo by TheDizzyPixie

So, yes. I'm tired.

I also started my new day job this week. Can't say much about it just yet, so much to learn and get used too, which will come in time. I also expect to be a bit brain dead over the next few weeks as well, so consider this an apology in advance.

Also, we're not taking the apartment after all....at least not YET. There are a few kinks that we need to work out first. Yes, I'm sad, as I LOVE THIS PLACE, but we just can't commit to the location just yet. We have until mid-January to move, so lots to time to find something, hopefully in a bit of a better location! Please cross your fingers for us, and maybe we'll even find something better! EXCLAMATION POINT!!!!!!! I know, that's annoying, eh? QUESTIONS MARK!!!!

In the meantime though, I've managed to start hunting for bedroom inspiration. Have you visited the Canadian blog Kitka yet? Juli & John own and run Mjolk, an outstanding design shop here in Toronto focused on Scandinavian and Japanese design for home and office. I've written about them before, and I still avidly follow their adventures remodeling their apartment above their shop, as well as their cottage. Most recently, I can't take my eyes away from their bedroom at their apartment. Not sure what it is, probably the minimalism of the space, especially since i'm such a slob these days. It just seems so damn peaceful and serene.

all images from Kitka

I think this is the feel that I'm going for when we do find our new apartment. We already have a Malm bed to get us started, it can't be that difficult, can it? I'm trying not to worry about moving by finding inspiration in beautiful bedrooms. It's not working yet, but I'm still trying.

rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair!

Well, that was easier than I thought. It looks like we found an apartment. The very first one we looked at.

Wow. I honestly thought that was going to be a lot more difficult.

This apartment is 200% better than what I thought it was going to be.



We have a view. We have morning sun. We have privacy between the living space and the bedrooms. We have a HUGE balcony. We have a dishwasher.

Did I mention we have a HUGE balcony? Did you see the size of the living/dining room? It's massive! Well, compared to what he have now anyways.

We have until Wednesday to get our application together, then it's ours!!! Yay!!! I'm actually excited about moving. I can't freakin' believe it.

Now all of you can watch me decorate it.

Now, off to look at paint swatches. The master bedroom is first on the list!

light it up.....

.....glam style





all images from the Vivre lighting shop

Apartment Quest - Episode #2,568,988

So, in the span of one day, we're decided to buy a condo.

Changed our mind's, and decided to rent an apartment in a high rise.

Changed our mind;s, AGAIN, and decided to rent a townhouse.

Changed our mind's, AGAIN AGAIN, and am back to looking into condo's to LEASE.

I know. Go ahead. Shoot me in the finger. That way I can't surf the real estate listings anymore.

Just to give you guys a peak as to what is available in my city, here is a sample floor plan of 99% of the apartments (in high-rises) here in the big smoke.




I swear this floor plan has NOTHING special about it. All of the apartments in this town are so cookie cutter. PLEASE SOMEBODY CREATE SOMETHING WITH SOME CHARACTER! MAYBE A CROOKED WALL?

Ok, i'm done for the day. Nighty night everybody.

dana oldfather

While perusing Design Spotter today, I noticed this beautiful dinnerware by artist Dana Oldfather. This is a new venture for Dana, and she is usually accustomed to paper and canvas.

I can't wait to see what she does next, can you?

You can pre-order her dinnerware collection at InkDish.

all images by dana oldfather

bottle bloom

.....so pretty

as seen on design spotter

the kitchn

Apartment Therapy announced today that they are reorganizing their "departments". And I can honestly say THIS EXCITES ME IN A WAY YOU JUST CANNOT UNDERSTAND!!!

How many times have I Google'd GREEN KITCHEN only to have a half hazard result such as posts about recycling to paint color. It's annoying I tell ya.

Well, they started their reorganization with The Kitchn, you will soon be able to search by room type, and by colour! Yay for AT!

I knew I still loved you.

As we will be moving in the next few months, my brain has been spinning with decorating ideas. Here are a few kitchen's that caught my eye today, that would probably work in a rental apartment with boring cabinets. What do you think?

decisions

So, it's official.

We have to be out of our condo by January 15th.

This. Just. Sucks.

The landlady couldn't have waiting one more year to sell. Noooooo. So now we have a huge decision to make. Do we rent for 1-2 more years and then buy a house? Or do we suck it up and buy a fixer upper condo NOW, then sell in 2-3 years, and then buy a house?

Hmmmm. Decisions...decisions...decisions.

We could rent another condo, but then we run the risk of it being sold again. We could rent in a rental building to avoid this issue, but then chances are there will be no dishwasher or washer/dryer in the unit (doesn't exist in the neighborhood). Did I mention we need to be within walking distance of hubby's work due to his crazy hours? Yeah, there are soooo many factor's to consider and it's stressing me out!!!

ARGH!!!!

Any suggestions or advise would be greatly appreciated. Now i'll just go dunk my head in the sand and scrrreeeeaaammmmm

mural

Usually when someone tells me they just installed a wallpaper mural in their house I immediately think about ones from the 70's and 80's, you know the one's I'm taking about. The one that looked like you were sitting on a desert island. Or the one of the pine forest. Or even worse, the grande fish tank.

Wallpaper mural's have made a comeback in recent years, thanks to the popularity of feature walls, focal points, and boring cookie cutter condos. Mural's are an easy and very interesting way to enrich your living space, and even create a theme in your home.

all images from anthropologie

What's your opinion on wallpaper murals? Do you have a favorite, or have to put one up yourself? If you have, I'd LOVE to see them all! Please email your photos to me, at decoraddict@gmail.com.

remembering

Yesterday was the 9th anniversary of 9/11. I remember it vividly, and well. Unfortunately. I have not revisited NYC since that tragedy, but I do plan to in the near future. When I remember my visit there almost 15 years ago, it is one that I will never forget.

My old schoolmate Adam Shalaby captures the bright vivid image of NYC unlike no other. There is a sense of happiness that comes through in his photography.







If you live in the greater Toronto area, join Adam's Facebook group to stay on top of his current showings and events.



all photos by Adam Shalaby, aka Adam Shax Photography

moving living rooms

We just found out recently we may have to move; our landlady has sold the condo we are leasing.

Bollocks.

The only good thing about this is I MAY have a new living room to decorate.

YaHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hence the reason for this post today.

Now, we just bought a new sofa not so long ago, it's quite generic and boring, but it has to stay for now. It's sooo easy to clean, which is a super bonus considering the squirt has super sticky fingers these days. It was also under $400. Total steal. It may not be the most stylist sofa in the world, but it's neutral and workable.

If we do have to move, I really really really really want to incorporate some turquoise into our new space. I've been playing around on Olioboard over the past week or so, and here is the result so far, which will probably be tweaked again another 8 billion times or so.




What do you guys think? I'm loving the combination of chocolate brown and turquoise, or is this dated? Just looking for opinions at the moment, no final decisions are being made just yet. :-)