Spring is Here... Summer Looms Ahead

With each spring, we welcome the warm weather and embrace the chance to shed a few layers and soak up the sunshine. For me, spring heralds the calm before the storm: summer. This is the time of year when my "real job" workload increases and blog posts decrease. Very soon my boss and I will be off to Los Angeles for the first buying trip of the season, and if all goes well, we'll do it again in July.

In summers past, blog posts have been few & far between because to be honest, I just didn't have the time or inclination to work on home projects. By the same token, my job becomes my creative outlet and this year I'm hoping to share more of my work here. It's hard to describe what I do for a living, because it's so multifaceted. I work in the clothing industry for a small business, and I do whatever is needed. My duties include selling to both retail & wholesale clients, preparing invoices, accepting incoming merchandise, packing outgoing shipments, tagging & pricing new goods, organizing the warehouse and keeping the office clean. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! My favourite "duties" include buying trips, store merchandising and visual display, where I can be more creative. We buy from many sources, and throughout the process I'm thinking about how the clothes & accessories will look together in the store.

2012...

 

 

2013...

Last year I started bringing items from home to use as props. Did you notice the champagne bucket holding quilted purses and the faux bois tray full of bracelets? This past weekend I hit up a few local thrift stores to pick up some interesting store props. I hope that this summer I'll have the opportunity to share some of my fun display ideas with you.

Weekend Activity: Work, Work, Work

As some of you know, spring & summer is a busy time for me at my "real" job. The company I work for operates two retail clothing stores from Victoria Day long weekend until Thanksgiving, and I am largely responsible for the merchandise assortment and presentation. This holiday weekend I'll be at our Grand Bend location, doing my best to help out on the sales floor. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday - have a lemonade for me ;-)

(Please excuse the sunset glare off the window)

All photos via SOUL Underground Facebook Page.

CB2 Opening Preview Party

They're here!!! CB2 held a preview party this evening for media, industry insiders, twitter followers and facebook friends. It was quite a crowd!! Canadians welcomed the retailer with open arms, and if tonight's turnout is any indication, CB2 will enjoy the benefits of this new relationship.

CB2
651 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario

I took as many photos as I could, but with so many people in attendance it was hard to get a clear shot of the fabulous furnishings and accessories. I will definitely have to make a trip back to the store soon to get a closer look. This post features some of the cool items I spotted.

These Swirl Sculptures are very industrial and dramatic:

This set of 3 lavender sachets smelled like heaven:

How cool are these Ous hanging tealight holders,

made from hammered brass:

The geometric shapes of the Coup pillow pair
beautifully with the curvy patterns of the Lasso pillow:

These Cage brass pendants were my fave!!

What a fun Relax bedroom vignette

featuring the white Andes bed:

The lines of this Club Piping chair are just as linear
as the 3.14 storage bookcase behind.

The Saga Credenza works as a media center in the
living room and the Yield coffee table wheels away
when it's time to break out the Xbox Kinect.

These shallow, space saving Tesso bookcases
mount directly onto the wall.

Aren't these 15 minute glass timers so whimsical
when filled with chartreuse sand?

How about this Chartreuse TPS File Cabinet &
Bubble Leather Office Chair?

Decorative Grasses & Feathers tuck nicely into the corner.

These Glass Terrariums are so dainty,
used here as bird feeders.

Everything in its place with multiple storage solutions:
coat rack, 3+3 organizer, format shelves,
wall magazine rack and el shelves

Isn't this the coolest cuckoo clock you've ever seen?

This Cloud 16 lounge chair has a Scandinavian vibe:

This Julius sofa is hiding a secret - a full length twin bed.

A salute to recent history:

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

What I've Been Up To Lately

Have you been wondering where I've been for the past 6 weeks? It's an incredibly busy time of year for me at my "real" job, and it's obvious that my time management skills aren't up to snuff. With the exception of a few quick posts, I haven't been able to spend much time here at Cherish Toronto, but I'm hoping to get back into the rhythm again soon.

A buying trip to LA at the end of March kicked off the busy season at my job, where we operate clothing retail stores at beach locations. In addition to my numerous regular duties, I tend to volunteer for extra work, but it's only because I have so many great ideas :-) For example, among several other projects I thought it would be a good idea to create fabric banners for one front window. These banners serve three purposes: (1) block out the hot afternoon sun, (2) provide a backdrop for mannequins, (3) conceal a messy cash counter.

Project Requirements:

6 wooden dowels, each 30" in length
6 eye hooks
3 yards of 110" wide fabric
fishing line
6 strong magnets

I got a great deal on this 110" wide printed cotton at
Designer Fabrics - total $30.00!

I turned and stitched the sides of each panel, and also stitched in a rod pocket at the top and bottom for the wooden dowels. Then I screwed eye hooks into the ends of the top dowels, and attached fish line to suspend the panels from the ceiling. Because this store has an industrial metal ceiling, I tied the other end of the fish line to strong magnets to hold each panel in place. Voila! A fun and functional window display:


For those of you who are curious about what I do, I generally don't mix my "real" job with my personal pursuits, which is why I haven't mentioned the store names. But just for fun, I'll reveal a few photos from inside the store:

Cheers to a great summer season!!!

Apres LA

The week following a buying trip is always chaotic at the office, so forgive me for such a prolonged absence from the blog. Although I've been back for several days, the suitcase sat in the kitchen until just a few hours ago, and I finally feel like I'm getting my groove back.

Tonight I also found the time to put together a DIY project for the store. I created an accessory display by wrapping inexpensive fabric ($3) around a square cork board ($10). Then I hung necklaces from colourful straight pins ($1).

Voila! Instant display!!

And they're all so pretty!!

Homesense Launches New Online Site

It's no secret that Homesense is one of the best places to go for well priced home decor items. Now there is also a great Homesense website featuring tips & tricks for decorating and all things related to the home.

Some great highlights of the "Get Inspired" section include:

• Hanging Pictures
• Lighting
• Setting the Table
• The Perfect Wineglass

For the upcoming holiday season, Homesense.ca has some inspirational decor ideas. It's definitely worth taking a browse through the website to pick up some pointers, while at the same time checking out what's in store right now.

Photo courtesy of Homesense.

Anthropologie in Canada

I'd like to send a shout out to my big sis in Milwaukee for the heads up on Anthropologie's new store opening right here in Toronto at Don Mills & Lawrence!! I knew it was coming, but since I've been so busy with work recently, I totally missed the grand opening of Shops at Don Mills this past April 22nd. I can't wait to check it out!!


View Larger Map

Alongside unique clothing & accessories, Anthropologie offers a myriad of home decor items. I've selected a few eye catching items from their website. If you have the opportunity to visit the store, plan to be there awhile since there is so much to browse!!

Dinnerware

Mila Rug

Barking Mad Wallpaper

Garden-In-the-Round Doorknob

Estrella Bedding (So Pretty!!!)

Teatro Verde

Today I had the opportunity to visit Teatro Verde's brand new flagship location at 100 Yorkville Avenue. After several years of preparation, the doors have finally opened, and it has definitely been worth the wait. Teatro Verde is a treasure trove of unique home decor accessories and amazing gifts items. They also offer floral services which are absolutely stunning!!

The new store is spread out over two luxurious floors - an entire mansion full of goodies!! Be sure to stop by for a browse when you're in Yorkville.





Visit the Teatro Verde website for more information: www.TeatroVerde.com