Griffith Park Observatory. Los Angeles

The past week was spent working in LA, but we had the opportunity to spend our evenings enjoying the city. The Griffith Park Observatory was a "must visit" to capture a west coast sunset and take in a view of the entire Los Angeles Basin. I recommend!

All pictures by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Going Back to Cali

Off to LA again for the first buying trip of the season.

I'll be back soon!!

Paris + Flea Market

I yearn to travel to Paris, and although I haven't yet made it across the pond, I know I'll get there eventually. And when I do, one of the "must visit" places will be the famous Parisian flea market, Le Marche aux Puces (Les Puces). In an ironic twist, while trolling Toronto's Sunday Antique Market, I came across a beautiful pair of street scene paintings featuring la tour Eiffel et Arc de Triomphe.



I make purchases based purely on the pretty factor, so I don't know if these paintings are valuable, but they are definitely oil on canvas. And although the frames are in fairly good condition, they are blue, one mat has some water damage, and there is a slight musty scent, so they will need to be re-framed. Can't wait to see them freshly framed and hanging in the new place - I have just the spot in mind for them!

Progress!!

I doubt I'll really be moving in on July 17th, but it's good to see there is significant progress being made on the construction of my new building. In fact, they're just about to top it off. Yay!!

Front Entry Thoughts

Am I losing it? I can't decide if this is a good idea or a bad idea. Follow my thoughts:

I came up with an idea for the front entry of the new condo while lying in bed last night wondering what to do with this Louis XV style lamp table I bought at auction. Estimated to sell for $600 to $800, it was a bargain at $150 buckeroos. I mean, check it out, people, it's inlaid and cross banded rosewood for crying out loud!

Photo courtesy of Empire Auctions Toronto

So I started thinking that this table would be just the right size for the two foot entry wall, and the three tiny drawers would be perfect for dropping keys and hiding miscellaneous clutter. With my thrifted Syroco mirror hanging above, it would make a great little entry vignette.

The only problemo? Waaaaaay too traditional :-(

So what to do...what to do...?

Lightbulb moment!! Chevron!!

Using the table top as inspiration (note the pattern), I could paint one zig and one zag of pink and white on the wall to give the entry a modern edge. Can you picture it? Here, let me help you out:

What do you think? Is is Good? Bad? Ugly?

Edit: After much discussion, here is a mockup
with a Navy chevron. Better, yes?

Want List, Need List...Same Thing

Chances are I'll be moving for realz in about 6 months, and there are three more BIG purchases I need to make for the new condo. It may be somewhat debatable whether or not I NEED all of these, or whether or not I just WANT them, but hey, to me there's no diff.

Priority #1: New Bed

Since the entire point of purchasing a two bedroom condo was to get a second bedroom for visiting friends and family, I think a new bed is definitely first on the list. My fairly new box spring and mattress will move into the guest room and the headboard is being recovered in a textured grey velvet. Soooo that means the master bedroom will get a brand new bed, and I've officially found the bed of my dreams - a fully upholstered, tufted bed with nail head details:


When imagining the master, the vision has always been for a calm space bathed in lavender, so the best option for this piece will be an ivory velvet with brass nail head trim. By keeping the investment pieces neutral, I can always change the colour scheme in the future with a quick coat of fresh paint.

Priority #2: Living Room Rug

I'm still on the fence when it comes to finding a rug for the living room. I can't decide if I want something graphic & modern or colourful & traditional. I'm hitting up another Empire Auction in a few days, and you never know what I might bring home...it's just so tempting!! The entire living room scheme is on hold until I find just the right rug, but once I find "the one" I'll be able to pull colours for the rest of the decor.

Priority #3: New TV

Okay, okay, okay, this is absolutely a WANT, but it's just so good!! This sweet LED television is only 2.97 cm deep, with a super sleek clear trim. Plus it's so cool that I can stream digital content, navigate the internet, and login to my favourite social apps. It's perfectly stylish and smart!!


Now...who's paying for all this? Please contact me to find out how to donate ;-) Ha!!

West Elm Spring 2012 Preview

This week I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural bloggerwalk at West Elm in Toronto's Liberty Village. Hosted by the store's enthusiastic manager, Neil Gazmen, our group was led through the trends and highlights for spring 2012.

We started off with the indoor garden, which consists of an amazing collection of terrariums, wall planters and vases. The air plants and succulents are easy to care for, and apparently "impossible to kill". We'll see about that - since I received one as a gift from West Elm, I'll let you know how it goes.

Thank you West Elm :-)

West Elm worked in collaboration with Shane Powers to create this very cool collection of hanging glass bubbles. These are such a modern and easy way to bring a bit of plant life indoors, which makes them a fab idea for condo and apartment dwellers.


This well stocked table top highlights the chalk white trend for spring 2012. You can never go wrong with white dinnerware and accessories since they marry well with anything else you throw into the mix. This table display has a combination of pottery created by Shane Powers and Stephen Antonson in collaboration with West Elm.

Shane Powers Bud Vases:

The Stephen Antonson Collection:

Having enjoyed great success with collaborations in the past, West Elm has chosen to embrace new ventures in the kitchen with Schmidt Brothers knives and with Greenpan natural nonstick cookware.

My personal fave? The Starter Set with City Block:

And the Greenpan 10 piece set?
You're pretty much covered:

Swinging back to colour trends, West Elm loves all things turquoise, sapphire and pacific blue - they call this colour palette Aquamarine Dream. This spring these water colours are on trend for every room of the home.

This seersucker duvet and Lola quilt may
help you set sail on your dreams:

I saved my absolute favourite for last - the Kantha quilts. Part of West Elm's Discovered collection, these quilts from Jaipur are made by stitching two or more old saris together to create a light blanket. Each Kantha is unique, so it takes a lot of looking to find just the right one!!

Introducing: The Kantha Collection:

No two are alike!!

Since I always seem to "drink the Kool-Aid" every time I go to one of these events, I couldn't leave without purchasing a little something for myself. But just look how beautifully my new Kantha ties into the guest room colour scheme!! It's just so pretty :-)

All in store photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.
All product photos courtesy of West Elm.

Have you been to West Elm lately?

Snapdragons So Pretty

Here's a little snapdragon action for your viewing pleasure while I work on my next post. Mother Nature is expected to treat us to some springtime warmth and sunshine tomorrow, and I am so ready for it. Happy Weekend!!

DIY Week & Weekend

Despite the fact that I frequently get frustrated by DIY projects, I'm working on several little things right now - this past week has seen a lot of sanding, painting and staining. First off, I'm painting a couple of thrifted mirrors for a store window display (check the store's Facebook page for sneak peeks). Stage one is priming and then they will each get a coat of trendy neon paint:


Also in the spray paint category, I'm working on a little metal table with pretty fretwork. It's primed, but I'm having a hard time finding Rustoleum brass paint...so far I've been to two Home Depots, Rona & Walmart with no luck :-(


Lastly, I'm sanding and staining the legs of my slipper chairs. I'm not a fan of the current orange finish, so I'm going to stain the wood a lovely dark walnut. I've sanded down the first four, and I'm hoping to finish this up tomorrow afternoon. Here's a shot of the work in progress:

What are you up to this weekend? Any DIY projects?

Bedside Vignettes

After I recently "instagrammed" my bedside table vignettes, it got me thinking about what we like to keep close. I love to have fresh flowers at the bedside, since they are the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning. But I also keep an alarm clock, a small dish for jewellery, and a coin bank. What do you keep on your bedside table?

Photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.