The Fun Stuff

Many of the basics at the new condo are complete - the furniture is in place, the closet is organized, and the artwork is hung. Now it's time for the fun stuff; the finishing touches, if you will. Once the drywall repairs are done (hurry up already, Edilcan!) the painting can get underway and the wallpaper can go up in the guest bedroom. Until then, I've been working on the little things, like these pillows I had made for the master bedroom (thanks to Tim for setting me up with a talented seamstress).

 

 

New Year, New Thoughts

The New Year always brings with it a sense of renewal, and I always feel the need to make a change of some sort. As I look back through this blog, I can see a pattern of January rejuvenation:

January 2009:  On January 9th, Cherish Toronto was introduced.
January 2010:  Goals were set for the year 1,2,3,4,5 (all of which were eventually accomplished) and I had a quick getaway to NYC.
January 2011:  My living room got a quick & colourful makeover with a fresh coat of Flamingo's Dream.
January 2012:  Bedside tables were found and plans were coming together for guest room decor in the new condo.
January 2013:  Crickets...

So far this year I've been feeling rather uninspired. That's not to say that things aren't happening - in fact I've tackled a few projects (closet organization and an art wall), but I'm not excited about anything new. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on the problem, but I think it might be this:

 Inspirational quote via Girl Hearts Camera

The blogging community here in Toronto is made up of some very, very, very talented people, many of whom I consider "blogger friends", and I often make the mistake of comparing my efforts to theirs. Big mistake. Big. Huge! Many of these bloggers have either been a guest on CityLine, appeared on Steven & Chris, or have been featured in Style at Home magazine. Is it weird to be super happy for all of these amazing bloggers, while at the same time being just a little bit jealous? They make we want to step up my game, and I'm struggling to get there, but I often feel that what they're doing is soooo much better than what I'm doing. I mean, look at what these bloggers have up to over the past year:

Christine Dovey of Bijou and Boheme
Christine set the tone for her entire home with Project Kitchen Gorgeous:

Image via Bijou and Boheme

Jennifer Flores of Rambling Renovators

Jennifer and her husband Sean have mastered the skills of home renovation:

 Image via Rambling Renovators 
 

Vanessa Francis of Decor Happy

Vanessa is an interior designer by trade and her home reflects her talent:

Image via Decor Happy

Sarah Gunn of Sarah Gunn Style
Sarah is the Queen of DIY and is a regular Cityline Guest Expert:

  
Image via Sarah Gunn Style 

Tim Lam of Design Maze

Tim always puts together beautiful rooms:

Image via Style at Home

Lisa Mackay of Wicked & Weird
Lisa has created a comfortable home for her young family:
 

  Image via Wicked & Weird

Lindsay Stephenson of Little House Blog

Lindsay and hubby Aubrey recently finished a kitchen renovation:

 

Image via Little House Blog

 So what are my thoughts for the year ahead? I think that it's an honour to be acquainted with such an incredibly talented group of bloggers who delight their readers by chronicling their DIY, design and renovation projects online. In 2013, I hope to by INSPIRED by them, and yet CONFIDENT enough in my abilities to find joy in my own home.

Why You Should Be At IDS Right Now

The Interior Design Show is on this weekend, January 26th & 27th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street West. The show is sure to inspire you to get creative in your home this year!!

Clockwise from top left: Fun with balloons at the IDS entrance, industrial felt clocks from The Felt Store, pencil crayon wall from blackLAB Architects, a rainbow of paint colours at Farrow & Ball.

Clockwise from top left: Chic vignette at Cocoon Furnishings, modern traditional furnishings at Pearson, another gorgeous vignette at Cocoon, bath time at the Ikea installation.

From top left: Custom bird cage lamp at Eclectic Revival, a plethora of pendants at Ikea's kitchen installation, organic frosted glass sphere pendants at AM Studio, stunning custom twig chandelier at Living Lighting on King.

Art Wall

On January 15th, 2012, I posted about my plan to create a gallery wall at the end of the front entry hall in the new condo. Just one year later, it was time to get the art out of the closet and up onto the wall as planned. This was the original idea for layout:

A few of the pieces were placed elsewhere, and I added in a mirror for variety, but the art wall turned out pretty much the way I'd imagined it. I tried to keep it "organic" so that I can eventually add more pieces to the mix. Also, once the wall has been painted (I'm still thinking about an inky blue), I think it will add more depth to the art and photos.

There was a bit of planning involved to get the arrangement right before hammering multiple holes into the wall. Using brown kraft paper, I cut a piece to the size of the wall and laid the artwork out on the ground until I was happy with the placement. Then I traced around each piece and marked where the hangers would go. I taped the kraft paper back up on the wall and followed the markings. It was easy-peasy!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

Just Launched: Jeff Lewis Colour/Color

Designer and star of the HGTV series Flipping Out, Jeff Lewis has just launched his own palette of 32 paint colours. The spectrum is comprised of neutrals, touching on greens, greys, blues, beiges and browns. Currently available in a limited release to stores in the southwestern United States, I have a feeling this is the beginning of something big. It's so hard to get just the right shade of a neutral and Jeff's palette consists of so many good looking choices!!

Here are some of my personal faves from the online gallery:

Carbon

Dirty Martini

Inkblot

Clay

All photos via www.JeffLewisColor.com, and visit the website for more information.