A gift for you...

Here is a ‘big thank you’ to all of you who stop by my blog…. I’ve got a little gift for you.. You don’t even have to be a blogger, or a follower… If you are here, you deserve this…


Sign up for Exclusively.in’s unique code for Colours Dekor and receive a USD 20 credit within 24 hours.

Exclusively.In

is
the first private sale site to bring you the best in contemporary Indian style,
design, travel, home decor and artwork.

Our buyers scour the boutiques, markets, and designer showrooms -that have long
made India a global destination for knowledgeable fashionistas- selecting
one-of-a-kind products and luxury services to be delivered straight to your
doorstep.

Under the growing influence of international style and trends, India's
centuries' old artisanal traditions have flourished into a coveted fashion
aesthetic that feels vintage yet modern and sophisticated.

Read the press release - Exclusively.In Launches the First Private Sales Site for Indian-Inspired Style.

Hope you will register and do some fabulous shopping... Enjoy.. and keep coming back to visit me. Once again.. Thank you!!

My heart is full

I truly cannot thank you enough for your incredible comments and emails over the weekend and today. I’m humbled and so grateful for of your prayers and thoughts. Each and every comment made my weekend. The past few days have been filled with so much sadness, but SO MUCH joy and love as well. Our friends and family have gathered around us with real and virtual hugs – YOU included. It always

A little stars birthday party..

‘Twinkle Twinkle Little star’…. is N’s favourite nursery rhyme… and what a perfect theme for his first birthday party…

Simran says ~~

I had blue and white table cloths, with "star" centre pieces on each table that
I made.

Please check out the tutorial on the centre piece.


I love the choice in colour, shades of blue & white… Looks so so gorgeous..

We had a clown lady who made crowns for the kids with stars on it.

Isn't this gorgeous??

The cake was in the shape of Number 1 with stars and moon on it to go with the
theme.

This was the awesome backdrop...

And some tasty food..

Also on every tablecloth there were pictures of N with each of the guests - kids
and adults loved finding their own pic.

Hope you enjoyed Simran's well planned birthday party... If you'd like to share a party that you've planned, decorated or baked a cake for... email me on torresp27@hotmail.com

Where I Blog

Kate at Centsational Girl is having a linky party where bloggers show the space where they blog.

 

My home office is a separate room on the 1st floor of my home where I have tons of storage and desk space.  As a decorator, storage is key. 

These photos are reminding me of all my to-dos related to prettying up the office!  I don’t really use the drafting table any more and am thinking of  replacing it with a round table that I already have.  (A painting I did at art school adds some colour.)   The bookcase for  magazine storage is built at this height so I could accommodate the drafting table or table below.  I really must get rid of that clunky all-in-one printer as I haven’t received or sent a fax in ages!

I built this chalkboard because my daughter loves to play “teacher” or I can leave important reminders for myself.  This is probably only 1/2 of my magazine collection which is scattered throughout the house.

Before the house was built, I had the builder bump out this wall (on the left) by two feet to accommodate the large storage drawers and to have ample room for a desktop with two workstations.  My daughter loves to do her crafts while I am working or blogging.

Yes, these chairs aren’t the most comfortable – I only brought them in for the photos!  Our regular desk chairs are not that pretty, but oh-so-comfortable and are similar to the one at the drafting table.

So, there you have it!  I’m probably the only person on the planet that doesn’t own a laptop.  I would love to have a more portable office and be able to work/blog in other areas of the house, so a laptop is definitely in my future!

Painting out Wood

My sister lived with the orange stained wainscoting and faux grasscloth wallpaper for a dozen years (at least!)  Well, she had finally had enough  and called me over to help her choose paint colours.

Before:

Before:

Before (they removed this unattractive 80’s light fixture as well):

Before:

After:

After: Doesn’t it look all fresh and bright?   I chose Benjamin Moore HC-173 Edgecomb Gray (one of my all-time favourite colours) for the top and Cloud White for the wainscoting.  They wanted colour (yellow or red) but I suggested keeping it neutral and fresh because they planned on hanging their lovely collection of original art (painted by talented family members) throughout the room.  Edgecomb Gray is neither gray nor beige – somewhere in between and it changes throughout the day.  It also works beautifully with the colours of the stone in the fireplace.

My skilled (and oh so nice) painter did a lovely job and when I went to see it yesterday I was blown away by the transformation.  My sister and brother-in-law couldn’t be more pleased as well.

They still have a few things left  to do in the room.  They had the table and chairs made by a local craftsman who is also making a wood mantel to fit over the existing stone one.  They were going to replace the stone fireplace but decided to keep it as they really didn’t mind the look.  The mantel and a larger, more neutral area rug will be installed over the next few weeks. 

When am I coming over for dinner, Sissy?  (Did I mention that my brother-in-law is a talented chef?)

I’m linking up to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

If you would like to transform a room in  your home, please email me at vanessa@vanessafrancis.com.

Iftaar get together…

I love having a reason to celebrate and having huge family get togethers... … This was our annual Iftaar party… Do you remember seeing last years?? My brother was in town, so there was lots & lots of food.... I missed him truck loads this time... :-(

You must see pics of our Iftaar party last year, my brother cooked all the food and we had loads of fun....




Don’t miss, the latest addition to hubby’s trophy collection. It will be here for a few days till I get fed up of seeing it… *grins*

The bare walls are annoying… isn’t it??? I’ll get to them soon…

The mood is always set with a few candles.. .... And we had some basic food….

The awesomest brownies..

They were delicious…

The chillies (oh gosh!!)

Then my favourite…

All together, an evening filled with food, brownies, tarts, ice-creams, a few songs, dances and pictionary. Hope you all are having a great weekend…

Project 1 – the happy room … cont…

I am so very proud of these girls… I won't take any credit for this wall at all… It was completely Ramya (my creative genius’) idea…



These three made the stencils on their own… and then decided on the colours.. and went ahead and painted this… Its simply gorgeous!!

There are a total of 6 ballerinas… here is one of them for you..

So much attention to detail… that the ballet tutus and shoes were painted a darker colour..

They were finished with glitter… and this one being the star performer had extra glitter to look glamorous.. Hope you’ve seen my plans for this room, the happy cabinet and the butterfly wall… I’ll soon show you how it looks altogether!!

I simply love pink.

There was a lot of mess, a lot of paint, a lot of colour.. above all… loads & loads of love!! The girls room is my favourite room in the house.. Thats where I spend most of my time (after work).... from homework, to dancing, to arts & crafts... to falling off to sleep with them... Memories are made of these... ballerinas, butterflies... fairies and princesses... smiles & hugs!!

I'm linking to -

Tanu's table top

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about ‘August table top’. Its awesome to see your pics and know a little about you…

Here is Tanu’s table top. When I saw the pics I had to post it instantly.

You do know how much I love lanterns, don’t you?? So the minute I saw this.. I simply had to post it!!

Tanu's images are so gorgeous... serene and calm...

‘Cozy Corners’ is our subject for September. So bring in your photographs and a little story about your Cozy Corner. I cant wait to start this link… *smiles*

Retail Inspiration in Toronto

This little stretch on Yonge Street in the tony Rosedale area is one of the best design and decor shopping areas in Toronto.    (This photo doesn’t show two other stores just north of 12|12 that I visited.)

First up is  Boo Boo and Lefty named after the shop owners’ dogs – how charming.  One of the owners is an equestrian, hence the homage to horses and masculine furniture like the tufted leather chesterfield.  Contrast that with the beautiful linen settees, crystal chandeliers and botanical prints and you have a shopping destination that appeals to a wide range of design sensibilities.

This button-tufted linen settee can be used as a dining banquette or occasional sofa.

   

I love this gold-leafed chandelier called the Genie.

Most people would notice this handsome chesterfield but what caught my eye was the pretty floral wall hanging on canvas that has been antiqued and stained for an aged look. 

This baluster style dining table is hand painted and comes in over 25 finishes. 

If you read Canadian shelter publications like Canadian House and Home and Style at Home, then you probably have heard of Decorum Decorative Finds (1210 Yonge Street.)  It seems to be the go to place for decorators, designers and stylists looking for something vintage or unusual, especially lighting.  Matt, the owner, has a passion for vintage and antique finds but in recent years, his offerings have included new pieces.  Contacts in Italy, France, the US and Canada allow him to bring in pieces that you won’t see anywhere else.

I love these Chippendale-esque chairs and gold gourd lamps.

Next up is 12|12, aptly named for its location on Yonge.  The large, posh retail space filled with exquisite pieces opened its doors last year and caters to its discerning clientele.

I was drawn to this area featuring this Anne Selke canopy bed.  This is a favourite with designers, especially in the gold leaf finish.  I love all the bright, happy fabrics – pure gorgeousness.

   

Don’t you love the fabric on this side chair?  

L’atelier (1224 Yonge St), in it’s location for 22 years, has some unique finds like these branch chandeliers made from hickory trees.

They also have a great selection of bell jar pendants which I absolutely love.  They carry vintage pieces as well like the lucite base table below.  I snapped this because I love this over scale pendant.

Isn’t this river stone lamp unique?

  More lovely pendants.

Our last stop was Absolutely which has two stores on Yonge St.  Kelly from Design Ties would love it as there were a lot of animal prints!  I loved the framed maps and unique accessories.

 

We didn’t have time to visit other design shops like Chair Table Lamp (1156 Yonge) and  Hollace Cluny (1070 Yonge) which are just south of this area.  All, well worth a visit too!