Santa hat craft

Hey there! Have you checked out the Holiday Home Mantel Party at Layla’s yet? Some serious inspiration going on!! (You can see ours here.) Even if you don’t have a mantel, you’ll be sure to find some great ideas for your holiday decorating. :) Late in the season last year I did a Christmas craft that I absolutely LOVE – I wanted to show it to you again in case you wanted to try it out yourself

Christmas Mantel

 

Rustic, organic, gold

I wanted to do something a little different on the mantel this Christmas.  I usually have lots of shiny Christmas balls and glitz in glass jars.  When I saw the burlap for $1.49 at my local nursery, I knew I had to include it and thus my mantel theme was born – rustic and organic.

The cedar boughs and red huck (in the pitcher) are also from here. You can buy fake cedar but there’s nothing like the real thing.  I have had the 3 pillar candle holders from Pottery Barn for a few years and will add my bronze stocking holders which spell JOY about a week before Christmas.

I bought the three ceramic bowls from Dottie Potts at the Toronto One of a Kind Spring show.  I just love them and am glad they are on display where I can see them.

I will probably change it about a dozen times before Christmas as that’s just what I do!  Do you remember that I had painted the mirror a blue/green.  Well, I didn’t like it and changed it to a glossy black – much better.  I will probably add more gold accents like those cute little birds and I know I have some gold balls somewhere in the basement from years ago.

What do you think?  I’m linking up to Layla’s Mantel Party, Julia’s Hooked on Holiday House Tours and Between Naps on the Porch.  Head on over for some holiday inspiration. Happy Holiday decorating!

Let the magic begin! (The mantels.)

Well hello there!! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving week! We had such a fantastic time, but there wasn’t much resting, shopping or decorating going on. Just a lot of this: And this: And this! And watching our sweet Bub experience many firsts – first subway ride, first musical, first trip on an airplane: That’s him watching our plane pull up to the gate. Giddy. Adorable. :)

...Christmas is coming

Hey Everyone,...guess, everyone must be settling down from the Thanksgiving holidays and starting to get ready for the Christmas festivities and year ending parties. Don't we all love this season!! As most people in the US, I was looking forward for this long weekend, not for Retail therapy [Black friday et al], but for having a good relaxing time with family and friends.
This year's holidays was a little different...with my cousin Ashu's anniversary on Nov 29th, Ashu and her hubby decided to fly to New York and spend the long weekend in the Big Apple...I call it, their romantic rendezvous... And moi, the doting aunt babysat her two kiddos...Sahana, a three year old going on thirty and Sanjiv, a Dragonoid and Beyblade loving, creative and imaginative six year old. What followed was 3 days of bonding, cartoon watching and creative fun time. The kids made some Christmas gifts for their school teachers and for their Ajji [grandmother] in Bangalore...bringing in the holiday spirit into the weekend. Sharing the fun times and the gifts made by the kids...

- Supplies picked up at Michaels, the local craft store...
- Wooden boxes to paint and decorate...

-Next Sahana painted a pink box for her Leela Ajji and an orange box for Miss Stacy. Pink, because it is a Princess color and Orange because, it is bright and fun!...And yes, Sahana glued jewels on the inside, as the boxes had to be pretty pretty [translated as BLING...BLING] on the inside as much as outside...

- And Sanju created the red jewelry boxes for Miss Caryn and Miss Anna for keeping safe their beautiful earrings and necklaces...
- and an elegant centerpiece for Mr. Josh...a striking addition on his table, or on the mantle...well I managed the Mr Gluegun, while Sanju arranged the leaves, the acorns and the berries...

- and yes, the kids also decorated the Christmas tree with ornaments collected lovingly by their mama, over the last couple of years...

Also linking into these awesome blog parties.
...You can imagine, the pleasant surprise that awaited Ashu and Ravi, when they were got back home!...Yes of course, the parents loved the gifts and decorated tree!!... I had read somewhere, that the season is made magical with candlelight, sparkling ornaments and gifts being shared amongst family and friends...Gifts that tell a story beyond just the gift itself. This year is special, as my darling neice and nephew started a tradition of making gifts and spreading joy everywhere...Leela Ajji, Miss Caryn, Miss Anna, Miss Stacy and Mr Josh - hope you all enjoy the gifts, ....and my dear friends, hope you enjoyed the post...

- Anpu Somanath

Our Workshop

Our kitchen is beginning to resemble a workshop (an odd place for a workshop but with a foot of snow outside, it's warmer than the garage). We've been hired to decorate for a December wedding. The young couple will be having both a reception and an open house. We're decorating for the open house which will be less formal. I'm thrilled because I've been able to be more unconventional with the design. We'll be using an old door and weathered wood to build the backdrop and more weathered wood for crates that will hold bare branches.

These boxes made from rough cedar are a part of the centerpiece design.They'll be topped with wire trees that I'm creating.It's so exciting to be given the creative freedom
to make what I see in my head!

Cool People Making Cool Things: One of a Kind Show

The Toronto One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale is on now until December 5th.   With 800 artisans, it’s a great venue to shop for yourself or for those on your Christmas list.  It’s almost twice as big as the Spring show so you will be sure to find something that catches your attention.

A few of my favourite things:

Skart screen prints whimsical images onto wood blocks – perfect for a child’s bedroom or playroom.  Love the owls!  P.S. They have a $3 off coupon for the show on their site.

 

Speaking of owls,  how adorable are these owl pillows by Hilary Cosgrove?   (photo taken from her Etsy site.)



I bought some  swanky earrings from Calgary-based metalsmith Gillian Hillerud.

 

Love these pillows from Rock my Soul.



Love the use of colour and the detail in Tammy Shane’s paintings.



Photographer Sarah Tacoma applies paint and resin to her photographs.  I’m loving this window and door series – these small pieces are a great way to start your art collection.



Love the linen tea towels and organic cotton yoga mat totes (I bought the green dragonfly one!) from Rain Goose Textiles.





I love, love, love the work of photographer Charlene Serdan. I bought the print of the ferris wheel and the cupcake photograph on a wood block for my daughter’s playroom art wall.  She is only 8 years old but has a real appreciation for art and couldn’t wait to hang them up!



Sculpted Light makes organic lights and lanterns from handmade paper which is made from plant materials gathered from her garden and her neighbourhood park.  Now that’s eco-friendly!



No, I’m not usually a fan of animal print anything but these zebra ceramic pieces from Montreal-based Catherine Auriol are eye-catching and unique.









I loved Erin Vincent’s art when I spied it at the Artist Project earlier this year.  I would be quite happy owning  the “settee” or the “ball jar” paintings (honey, are you reading this?)



My friend Lisa checking out the headbands, hats and mitts from This is J.  I would love to own every single one of their headbands - so pretty!



It’s becoming more difficult to find locally made clothing.  Not only is the children’s clothing from Redfish Kids made in Canada but your little one will be oh so fashion forward.



Love these aprons from Domistyle which come in adult and children’s sizes. I bought one a couple of years ago as a gift for my daughter’s friend.  All of the designs feature hand drawn original artwork that is silk screened onto the fabric.



Besides the items mentioned above, I also purchased lavender shortbread from the Coach House Shortbread Company (great hostess gift) and handmade glycerin soap from Demo (great stocking stuffers.)  Lisa, you were right – the shortbread never made it as a hostess gift, they were gone in a few hours of bringing them home!

If you have some time this week or weekend, you must visit the show.  Let me know what your favourite finds or purchases were.

If you can’t make it to the show or live out of town, be sure to check out the websites and etsy shops of the artisans.  Supporting home-grown talent and owning one of a kind pieces is an opportunity not to be missed!

Weekend Wrap Up - Wk 8

Hello my lovelies…. I’m sure by now, you know what I was upto this weekend… Yes!! It was a weekend of de-cluttering… Started with my girls room and managed to pack away two boxes of goodies!! From new toys, to clothes still with tags, birthday give aways like pencils, colour pens, colouring books, new bags etc… Then went onwards to the rest of the bedrooms.. My hubby and girlies are true hoarders… From golf tee-shirts, to golf bags, books, towels. Even if you don’t use things that have a logo on it…. you sure have to keep it safe!! *wicked grin* But I managed to put out a few bags and boxes…. Packed away all my Diwali decorations in pretty boxes, tagged them so I know exactly what is in them! Sorted out stuff for my girls birthday in two weeks… So now I have two boxes consisting of birthday stuff… I was done by Friday night and totally exhausted by then!

Have you checked out the other blog link parties?




Saturday was spent making the house look pretty. Here is a new addition to my table top… The Golf book obviously doesn’t belong to me… *smiles* Nevertheless shows you what is important to the people sharing this space!



Normally we put up our Christmas decoration after Sims birthday… We made ‘JOY’ out of newspaper.. Tutorial to follow this week. It was a test run!! We will change it to Simone for her birthday… *smiles*



Then we started work on our ‘Advent Calendar’. I don’t really like to buy new Christmas decorations unless I really need it. The girls and I are putting away money that we would spend for gifts and decorations aside and are hoping we can make one other persons Christmas special. So Advent Calendar tutorial to follow this week as well…


Hope you had a joyful, relaxed weekend... Do join the Weekend Wrap Up Party... Here is how.. -

1. Do a Weekend Wrap Up post on your blog. It has to be 'your' photograph !! (post atleast one picture... its nice to see!!) and it can really be anything you did over the weekend – example – a fun recipe you tried out, a craft project, a DIY, a table top, a few candles, coffee with friends or a good book or a movie review… The list is endless… just about ANYTHING… and anything about YOU !! *smiles*
   
   












2. No images from other websites or magazines please!! This is about YOU.














3. Link back to my blog.... only as a courtesy, so we have more people joining the party.














4. Copy the 'permalink' from your 'Weekend Wrap Up' post (not the link to the front page of your blog).














5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.














6. Click the link before you. Don’t forget to comment and if you like the blog, please follow.

Any questions, email me on torresp27@hotmail.com.

Please note, you DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog to join the party.. I'd love to see you here!!

For all my non blogger friends, please email me on torresp27@hotmail.com pictures and a write up of your Weekend happenings… and I’d love to see you here!!

Please grab the Colours Dekor Weekend Wrap Up button!!

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Eight more hours!

Well HELLO!

The Silhouette giveaway is open till tonight at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) -- and I had no idea Blogger limits comments to 5,000. Probably because I never thought I'd hit 5,000 ever. :)

So if you haven't entered yet, please do so on this post, and I'll include you in the giveaway! Good luck!

1. Leave a comment here.

2. Visit the Silhouette site here, take a look at what it can make,

Declutter you space… ??

What does de-clutter mean to you?? De-clutter = De-stress!! to me! I’m passionate about de-cluttering…. I really am!! Are you having a laugh?? Infact… if my home is clean and clear… I can tackle the stress and pressure at work with so much ease!! I don’t know why! Basically means that I am at utmost peace when my home is clean, clear and simple!

De-clutter is the art of removing anything that you don’t really need. Be merciless… If you haven’t used it for 6 months, you sure don’t need it. That’s my simple policy towards have a clean home. I don’t have ‘maybes’… I either need it or not… Today I spent the evening clearing my girls room… which means.. I have two boxes ready to go to charity… with toys (some new – unopened… some old), clothes, bags & books.

I am the queen of de-cluttering… I do it nearly once a month I think!! *smiles* I can write a book on de-cluttering…

So… here are a few simple tips on de-cluttering…

1. Start TODAY.. No!! Start NOW!! Once you start… you wont be able to stop.. so start NOW…
2. If there its lots of clutter, even 15 mins a day will be a great start.
3. Make a schedule – will you do one room in one day?? will you be able to do one closet in one day?? What ever is convenient.. make a schedule.. stick to it!!
4. Have a deadline for sure!! So you have to de-clutter before your guests arrive… or de-clutter before Christmas?
5. Don’t expect a clutter free home overnight… It’s a long process. Be ready to invest in your home.. and in your life in return!
6. Be realistic – You haven’t used it for 6 months now!! You sure don’t need it… It will not come in handy one day!!
7. Don’t move clutter from one room to another.
8. Have a charity box or bag ready.
9. Try investing in new storage items – boxes, wicker baskets, bookcase, filing cabinets, shoe racks, photo albums, etc. There are lots of pretty options out there..
10. De-clutter again… maybe after a month, after two months… but repeat the process.
    
    

De-cluttering is a way of life… Not a one off chore!! Change your habits to –
‘one in, one out’.. and if you need any more help on de-cluttering simply write
to me on torresp27@hotmail.com

Have you seen my purple rug?? Linking in to these blog parties....





Did you notice my little box… In one of my de-clutter moods…. I decided to store my ‘remote controls’ in there… We’ve got three in the living room – projector, amplifier and DVD player.. I kept them there.. and hubby darling couldn’t find the remotes for three days.. But he wouldn’t ask me… Only coz he knows I cant be bothered to use them… Finally three days later.. the girls showed him where they were!! Do you like my ‘remote control’ box!!

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity;
From discord find
harmony;
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
- Albert
Einstein

Handmade greeting cards

I attended a 4 year old little girl's birthday party this week; she is my son's friend from the time they were in nursery last year and is quite a little cutie!

I decided to to give her a handmade greeting card and plunged into thinking about ideas. For girls there are way too many options, and all are equally interesting. Just last month I had used a butterfly pattern for another little girl's birthday - and this time after dilly-dallying, I finalized a princess. I was still unsure about the final result, whether or not it would match what I had visualized it to be!

I came up with this :)

Work in progress

The cover of the greeting card

and....the final piece !

I so hope she likes it!! It took a lot of time to paint the pieces separately and carefully without the colours running into each other. With limited time on hand - in between household chores and my son's demands for attention; I managed it somehow and I think this looks really pretty! What do you think? Do write in!!

Work in Progress Wednesday: Bathroom Reno

I am so delighted to feature my blog friend all the way from London, England – interior designer Sarah Berry.  I discovered Sarah’s inspirational and informative blog earlier this year and have been enjoying it ever since.  She is an accomplished interior designer, plans weddings and parties (when she has time!) and was featured in Vogue magazine (British edition.)

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Firstly, I'm so excited to be featured on Decor Happy, one of my very favourite blogs and such a wonderful source for design and interiors inspiration.  Thank you so much Vanessa for inviting me!
I thought I would use this bathroom project for my Work in Progress Wednesday post.  While I don't have the professional photographs yet, I feel that  this bathroom shows really well how much is involved in the design process.  This project has taken several months to complete.
It is the refurb of an ensuite master bathroom for a client in South West London.  The design brief was to create a classic, contemporary and luxurious space that felt like a retreat for the owners.

You can see from the original plans that the space was poorly laid out, not  maximising the light or available space with built in partitions to create a shower which divided up the room and created a small, dark and damp cubicle and a weird angled wall for the basin (or sink as we know it in North America!)  To start with, we knew that we wanted to open up the space entirely, stripping out the stud partitions, angled wall and use as much of the space and natural light as we could.  My client wanted a spacious and roomy bath, a large shower and a big basin, they also wanted under floor heating, a recessed mirrored cabinet and ambient lighting.

 
I worked closely with a bathroom designer who created the computer generated plans and images.  We deviated slightly in the final product as you can see in the final images, namely changing the specifications of the basin and towel rails but the overall layout remained the same.  This was a heavily client led project and involved a great deal of work and revisions and even sketches from the client!

 

The owner saw a design in a magazine of a stone basin with mirrored cabinet.  He snapped it on his iphone and sent it over to me and from that we recreated it with some tweaks to accommodate his specifications.

The basin looks as if it were carved from one piece of stone which would have been very expensive.  In fact, this was created around a wooden frame cantilevered from the wall and is constructed with an 'apron' of stone (marble) around the wooden frame and the joints appear seamless (the stonemason did an incredible job).


The cabinet above the basin was designed by my furniture maker who also did their dressing room.  We continued the American black walnut we had used for their built in wardrobes and added a bevelled mirror and recessed the cabinet into the wall above the basin so that it appears at first glance to be semi flush but is in fact 4” deep.
The Vaughan mirror lights add a touch of glamour and also contribute to the ambient lighting scheme that I designed.  I used John Cullen bathroom lights which all comply with EU standards for use in wet areas.  I added wall washing recessed downlighters on the back wall to create a scalloped effect on the stone and tiny recessed downlighters in the shower recesses.  There are three separate circuits in the bathroom, one for the ceiling recessed downlighters which are on a dimmer, another for the ambient lighting, including the wallwashers and the recess lights and another for the cabinet lights and the LED's which are discreetly hidden in the custom made open walnut shelves above the loo.


I think we achieved what we set out to and feel it is a glamorous and sophisticated bathroom that exudes luxury.  Some ways we achieved this without breaking the bank was the use of square 16” tiles rather than larger pieces of stone for tiling the floor and walls, but splurging a bit more on the bath top which is cut from one piece of  stone and templated on site.  We initially started out with a mid sized budget but as the scheme developed so did the budget and we were able to create something very special and bespoke which my clients are very happy with.
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Sarah, what a beautiful design!  I would have felt very claustrophobic in the original shower and now the shower and bathroom are so open and airy.  The use of one type of stone throughout makes it feel modern and calm.  I love the design of the sink and how you described the mechanics of it.  I look forward to seeing the styled photos early next year!
Thank you so much for participating in my Work in Progress series.  It was a pleasure having you!