Month in review!

Well hello! You are all SWEETAYS for your sweet comments on my aqua and pink flag cake. I cut a piece off tonight for hubby and I must say, it’s pretty cute. Not Fourth of July cute, but CUTE.  :) And as many of you mentioned, I’m just on the cutting edge with the hot colors of aqua and coral. I totally did it on purpose. NOT. I have decided to start doing a review of posts at the end of each

of peacocks & paisleys.... & drama...

I’m super excited…. My new favourite blog ‘of peacocks & paisleys’ has featured a fabulous post on dramatic walls…. And my wall is featured as well…



No.. no.. I can’t get enough… of talking about my walls… *smiles* Are you bored?

This is great (more like much needed) inspiration for me to get back into action …. Do you have a dramatic wall?? Let me know at torresp27@hotmail.com or simply email ‘peacocks & paisley’ and be part of the drama….

Four For The Fourth

Here's four simple ideas to decorate for the Fourth of July.

DISPLAY IT!

Nothing shows your patriotism more than displaying the American flag.
So hang it in a window.Drill one hole, or more, in a finial and stick in a flag.Place a bunch of flags in a vase or urn.

FRAME IT!

A simple idea---put a flag in a frame.Frame a flag in an old window.

GROUP IT!

Display your patriotic collections in a group for more visual punch.
Like these Uncle Samsor these barn stars.

DECLARE IT!

Find yourself a piece of wood, some paint and a brush (or scrapbook paper and vinyl) and paint a flagor a word.

Cake FAIL

Many of you know I share the good and the bad on this little ‘ol blog. I have shared my house at it’s worst, as well as many projects I deem “science fairs” (translation = they don’t go well). Well this one is in the science fair category for sure. One of the many things I love about blogging is that I will now try things that I may have never attempted, because if it turns out I’ll want to

Amazing wall art...

I'm simply amazed wall art..... anyone who paints on a wall and gives it their personal touch!! I love wall art... I really do!!



This is the beautiful wall of Kamini's home.. She is an artist & professional interior designer. You can tell .....

I wont bother you with my words... and will just leave you with the pictures of her awesome wall...

There is lots more in store.... in her blog Saffron & Silk... Go on.. check it out.. and dont forget to comment & follow!!! Be inspired...

Red, white and blue door decor!

Whew! I hope you had a FAB weekend! We had a great one! Today we got to visit with someone our son has been dying to meet for a very long time: ;) That would be Thomas the Train. I tell. you. what. He was in heaven. Can you tell?! (That’s his smile by the way.)  ;) Then we started out the Fourth of July week by watching the local fireworks tonight – and we are POOPED. Happy. But pooped.

Affordable + Attractive Art

Seems I’m always looking for ways to create budget-friendly art in my home as well as clients.  I think art brings life and soul into a home and creating it yourself is more meaningful than going to a retailer and buying a mass produced print.

When I saw these beautiful DIY works of art in the August 2010 issue of Style at Home (digital issue), I had to share.  There really are no excuses for bare walls!

The first image is the main living space of a cottage in BC decorated by Colleen Sawatsky and styled by Heather Cameron.   Although the art over the sofa looks like a painting, it is actually fabric stretched over an artist’s frame.   The cushion covers made from vintage tablecloths add to the charm of the room.  Inexpensive, simple and beautiful – have to love that.

Canadian online retailer Tonic Living sells fabrics at a very reasonable price.   These are just a few “retro florals” from their site which would look great as art in a main living space or bedroom.

 

Hands up if you can guess the medium used for this trio of framed prettiness.  If you said dye (as in fabric dye), you would be correct.  Instructions are given in the magazine and although I haven’t tried it, I would say it seems fairly simple to do.   Frames are from Ikea, of course!

What do you think?  Would you try either of these affordable art projects  in your home?

If you need decorating help, please contact me at vanessa@vanessafrancis.com

Labels make me happy

Whoohoo! It’s a Silhouette giveaway frenzy folks!! I’m back today to show you what I’ve been up to with my new favorite crafty tool: :) If you’ve read this blog for one hot second, you know I’m a little obsessed with labeling things. I label things that have their items in plain sight – like a basket full of cleaning supplies, I’ll label “cleaning supplies.” OK. I know. But it’s fun!!

Silhouette Craft Cutter Giveaway!

Ohhhhh you Squeeeeezays!!

I have been SO excited to tell you about this giveaway – I could barely contain myself. I am positively giddy about this one!

For about, forever, I’ve wanted a craft cutter – I have drooled over them in your posts. I have coveted your adorable crafts. I have sighed as I walked by them at the craft store.

And now…the day has come. I have one of my very own. My BFFs (

Dressing the bed…with Phoebe Howard

Erin at House of Turquoise mentioned that Phoebe Howard had updated her portfolio on her website.  

Overall, her work is stellar but it was the bedrooms that I couldn’t stop admiring.   She knows how to decorate a bedroom and has a winning formula for dressing the bed.  White/cream bedding sometimes paired with blue or brown; white duvet folded at the end of the bed; a few pillows in a patterned/graphic fabric.  Notice how she often places a round mirror above the bed – love that.

This first bedroom is one of my favourites and I especially am taken with the “beehive” ceiling fixture which she uses quite frequently in her projects.

 

If you need decorating help, please email me at vanessa@vanessafrancis.com.

KIds room inspirations..

It means a lot to a little girl when her room is all done up… decorated with flowers, butterflies, princesses…. Or just painted.. with her favourite cartoon...

There is always so much love in doing up a kids room… be it wall paper or a painted wall..

Tanu painted the wall with Dora for her little one.. … Isnt this so cute??

This is how the Ketchup girl used her magic… See the rest of her home as well...

My friends Winny & Viv surprised their kids with this.

My girls still have not decided what they want to do with their room... I've said no to Hannah Montana... not that I have anything against her... But to me... she isnt the greatest inspiration for a 5 & 7 year old now??!!! Anyway... so they are still discussing butterflies and grumbling about Hannah... Till then... Do you have a special kids room?? Send me the pics on torresp27@hotmail.com

Girls’ weekend

Well HELLO there! I’m back, I’m back! It was a whirlwind of a weekend, for sure. We had a BLAST in the city that never sleeps. I’ve told you before how much I adore NYC, and this trip was special because I brought two friends with me who are now in love with the city as well. It is now my mission to make every single person I know a NYC lovah. :) We were there for three days, which

Batiks in Sri Lanka

I’ve always admired the Indonesian art of batik making…. In Sri Lanka, batiks are a firmly established industry and are a great tourist attraction. Rows of small stalls selling batiks can be found all along the road leading to Colombo.

We visited on Batik factory… sorry about the horrible photography. I’m not sure I was allowed to use my camera here.

These Batik materials created by the artists are used as dresses, shirts, sarongs & beach wear.

Handmade Batiks are also seen as table cloths, wall hangings, wall pictures, bed covers, cushion covers, etc.

Batiks are produced by multiple waxing process and dyeing of cloth. First the desired pattern is drawn on a plain piece of material.

Molten wax is then applied to those areas of cloth that are not to be dyed (pic below)…

Next, the material is immersed in the required dye (colour) and washed when the colour has set. If more colours are desired, then the process of waxing and dyeing is repeated till the desired results are met…

I believe, even now, one artist creates the entire batik from start to finish.

These are a great gifts or souvenirs from the Sri Lankan islands.