let love rule

Okay, hi there, I've been kinda awol, I know but I'm back. As you might have guessed from my last couple of posts this summer brought some interesting challenges to my door. But my horoscope has improved dramatically and so has my life!

"You have cosmic clearance to fall deeply, madly, and frequently in love, Gemini. In fact, it's OK with the gods of fate and the angels of karma if you swell up with a flood of infatuation and longing big enough to engorge an entire city block. The only stipulation those gods and angels insist on is that you do not make any rash decisions or huge life changes while in the throes of this stupendous vortex. Don't quit your job, for instance, or sell all your belongings, or dump your temporarily out-of-favor friends and loved ones. For the foreseeable future, simply enjoy being enthralled by the lush sexy glory of the liquid blue fire." Rob Brezsny, Free Will Astrology

I'm gonna go with that. Here are a few new things that are making me love my kitchen even more than before.

one step forward and two steps back

Progress is being made in the spare bedroom - yay! But then this happened in the bathroom.

Yes, that's right, the ceiling is falling down.

And thar she blows!

Unfortunately, now the spare bedroom is full of everything that was in the bathroom! And guests are coming on Saturday!! Hopefully the ceiling will be fixed by then.

new ideas in progress

Here's a small peek at what's happening in the spare room - the curtains have arrived and I actually lined the one for the door!

There are still shelves to be hung, wood to be painted and mirrors to be re-situated, but I think it's already so much better!

new ideas

I've been a bit mia lately. I'm actually working a bit right now to fund birthday plane tickets for both my siblings. Very excited that they'll both be visiting in August - yay! Not only are they coming but so is my girlfriend from NYC with her hubby and my two most favorite kids - Tomio & Julia! So it's a good thing I've got some new ideas about how to spruce up the spare room!

I really haven't done anything in here since I quickly set it up for my first roommate about two years ago. So yes, that ugly rice paper blind is still there.

But not for long! Thanks to Emily from Secrets of a Stylist, I'm getting curtains for this room! No, I didn't win them, but when I saw them I thought they would be just the thing I didn't know I was looking for.

As I was thinking about how lovely these beauties will make things, it occurred to me that there might be a better way to organize the space. Now that I've rearranged the furniture, I know I'm right! I'm pretty sure I can get an extra mattress in there now, which will be crucial for the kids to have their own beds, particularly since Tomio has grown taller than me! Once the curtains arrive, and I've primped and spruced, I'll show it all off.

for the love of pattern

I love pattern, I love florals, I love fabric and this seems to manifest itself in ...

an embarrassment of skirts & dresses.

This is only half my "closet" - the dress & skirt half.

And now that these ladies are out of winter storage, I don't seem to have enough hangers ...

how did that happen?

bedroom spring clean

I did a quick tidy-up in the bedroom with the intention of taking some "before" pictures of the whole room. But an entire spring clean is clearly in order as it is definitely time to retire the winter clothes and break out all my happy-bright-swirly skirts (and I seem to have all kinds of crap under my bed that is a total mystery to me).

(mccoy there next to a card my sister made me with a photo of us as babies)

I've been thinking about this wall quite a bit now that the mirror is happily perched there and I can get a sense of how much/little space there is around it compared to the inspiration photo - so I've got some new thoughts percolating about that.

But I'm not sure when I'm gonna get around to all these things because I have plans to spend the better part of the weekend on this boat with the fine fellow who owns it - yay for me!

"Bronze" mirror

Bronze closed early on Friday so Perry kindly offered to drive me out to the east end to pick up my mirror on Saturday.

I guess she was feeling a bit shy ...

or she knew I was coming for her and didn't feel the need to show off like she was the day I spotted her.

This store really is like a box of treasure.

I didn't want to look too closely at anything because although the mirror was only $85 cash, she really wasn't in the budget and I could abolutely not afford to "fall in love" with anything else.

But I think this mirror is awesome-ness too.

These candle holders are very sweet,

and this coral makes me nostalgic for my 70's childhood.

But Perry was waiting hungrily in the car, so we popped my pretty mirror in the back seat and went back to the west end for Dim Sum - soooooo gooooooood!

Then when I got my little pretty home, it occured to me that there may be a small problem with the reflection ...

Let me clean this place up and I'll show you the rest.

bedroom inspiration

OK – so I’ve been slacking in the bathroom and have yet to hem the shower curtains, but it is supposed to rain all weekend and as of yet I have no plans (but the movie version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo opens today …)

(yes, I made most of that jewelery)

I have however been jolted into action on the completely empty wall in the bedroom above my dresser. I’ve had no vision for this space but thanks to Shari at little blue lamb now I do:

Then on Tuesday eve I saw a very affordable, very adorable vintage mirror with etched flowers at Bronze, the antique store next to Damzels, when I was on my way to work-out. I called Rory at the store and asked her to go and put a deposit on it and I plan to pick it up after work (photo forthcoming).

(Damzels is on the right)

Now I just need a shelf with some hooks to display some more of my wares and an adorable vintage clock (I love clocks) and I’ll be in business.

(too pink? ebay)

This is the fabric from whence the room takes it’s colour scheme. Perhaps I’ll get around to all my hemming projects if indeed the rain does fall …

bathroom mccoys

Okay, mmm, yeah ... haven't gotten much done in this here bathroom since last week.

but I did turn my Mccoy love birds into a q-tip holder ...

and brought in mr peacock ...

and put a bunch of hair elastics in mr frog.

Wondering if I should paint the cd insert in the Billy bookcase?

There will be progress this weekend! Handy friend Matt is going to come over and put up shelves over the comode and I am gonna fire up the sewing machine and sort out the shower curtain.

spring decorating

I think it's time for the bathroom to go from Ikea,

to Anthropologie.

Mccoy would like to help.

So would Amy Butler. 

a house I would like to live in

I love the fireplace.

I love the window!

I love the reclining girls on the mantle.

I love the colours!

I love the bench & the light fixture.

I LOVE the green kitchen!!!

I love the huge doors.

I love all that colour.

I love to eat outside,

and would love to lie in the sun next to that pool.

From House Beautiful.