4.03.2012

:: my kitchen ::

my kitchen, finally. i know, it's a bit ridiculous how long it's taken me to share it here. it's been finished for a while now, but we just have been so busy getting ready for our big move. our place sold quickly, and we have bought a new home in victoria, so we are all set to go in about six weeks!
i almost forgot to take any before pictures, so in the two i've got here, we had already removed the backsplash. the tiles were a pukey grey-pink-speckled mess. went SO well with the lovely shade of brown on the wall. i never even had the heart to paint that room, i loathed the kitchen so much i didn't want to expend any energy trying to make it better until we were able to renovate.



without any further ado, a few pics of our little kitchen, along with a few notes at the end about the materials we used. i hope you like it!


my husband painstakingly scraped the popcorn coating off the ceiling, then patched and painted the drywall. i am so glad he did, it made a world of difference. we installed lots of potlights, and i love how bright it is. we also extended the cabinets to the ceiling, it's a no-brainer, but makes a world of difference for storage.


we didn't replace our appliances, as we had bought new ones when we moved in just over three years ago. we changed the layout only a tiny bit, moving the range out a little from the corner to accommodate a half-moon pullout system {love!!} and removing the short peninsula that had been where the bank of drawers is now. it opened the kitchen up perfectly, it felt so cramped before.


we also added the cabinetry and workspace along the left in the photo above. that wall was bare before, and it made much more sense to include some cabinets and a pantry unit there for extra storage, and a perfect space for me to work.



i think it turned out really well. it certainly isn't my dream kitchen, but the finishes are ones we love, and we definitely learned a lot along the way. we didn't want to do anything in the way of moving fixtures or walls, and so we worked essentially with the space the way it was. that being said, we absolutely love our new kitchen, it is light + bright + modern, and totally "us". i am also happy that my beloved eames shell chairs fit right in, they looked a little out of place in our old ugly kitchen!

cabinets :: ikea, with applad white fronts {white flat-panel cabinets are our favourite, and they fit the budget!}, along with some horizontal aluminum-framed glass cabinets.

countertops :: eco by cosentino, in crystal ash. we really liked the eco aspect, definitely tried to incorporate some earth-friendly choices in our kitchen. we opted for a modern-style 3/4" profile with flat edges. i love them, probably my favourite part of the kitchen.

backsplash :: pale aqua glass 2"x6" narrow subway tiles. we opted for a stacked installation, i like the more modern look of the vertical lines.

flooring :: forbo marmoleum plank, in volcanic ash. i adore this floor! it is warm and forgiving to stand on, comfortable underfoot, and it looks great. we chose the click, which is a floating floor system, and the seams are so tight you can barely see them. a word to the wise, the floors do scratch a little, but i find that it just melds into the pattern and creates a bit of a patina. overall, i love it.

workspace surface :: 3/4" natural bamboo ply by plyboo. love. love. warms up the kitchen really nicely, and is a wonderful surface to work on. it's a bit soft, so i wouldn't necessarily recommend it for use as a prep surface in the kitchen.

pendant light :: brushed nickel fresnel lens pendant fixture by progress lighting. i am in love with this light. it brings the right amount of industrial edge, but is still modern and polished-looking. it also has the most clever hinge-style access to change the bulb. it's the little things! i ordered mine through home depot, and it was a lot less expensive than it is on the progress site!

that's about it, i guess! thanks for taking a tour of my kitchen with me, hope you liked it.

3.08.2012

34 things :: tea time

one thing i absolutely must have every day is a cup of tea. nothing fancy, i grew up drinking tetley orange pekoe tea, and while there are now many others i also love, that is truly my daily cup. all of these goodies would be a perfect gift for someone i know. ahem.


images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

3.07.2012

34 things :: some art i like

sharing some art i've quite liked over the past while. i think it would be fun to have a huge wall of indie art, don't you? i've got a few pieces already, these are some i'd love to add to my collection.


images via artists as listed below

{clockwise from top left}
monsieur II print :: cosas minimas by blanca gomez

{centre}

3.06.2012

34 things :: citrus fresh

a few more things on that wishlist, this time in fresh shades of citrus!


images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

pretty well any gorgeous frock made by pamela tang. i'm not too picky, love 'em all!

*i am still patiently waiting for my ipad. hmmm. would be a perfect birthday gift from a husband, don't you think?

3.05.2012

34 things :: a wish list in aqua + sun

this week, i thought i'd share thirty-four things that have caught my eye. a wish list, of sorts. i'm sure you can guess the reason. it will culminate on saturday...

images via shops as listed below, clockwise from top left

striped bottle vase {it's way too hard to choose a favourite colour} :: dahlhaus
cloth paper clay bowl :: pigeon toe ceramics, in collaboration with skinny laminx + satsuma press
pyrex amish nesting bowls {for my vintage pyrex collection} :: box of hollyhocks

2.06.2012

royal mint

i love exploring new-to-me shops that i discover through the people in my circle on etsy. it is fun to see what others have discovered in the vast expanse of etsy shops, it is simply impossible to imagine that you could see it all, there is just SO much.
i was pretty blown away by the incredibly detailed miniature characters made by sabina of royal mint. they seem practically alive, their facial expressions and body language are simply spot on. sabina's photography is perfect, too, and just helps to bring these little guys to life. i am completely smitten by mr badger. isn't he fantastic? {in case you were wondering, yes that pun was intended.}




all images via royal mint

learn more about royal mint in this etsy featured seller interview.

special big thanks to local-vancouver-designer-extraordinaire melanie kimmet, who is always finding amazing + fun things on etsy. you should definitely add her to your circle. {her paper goodies are pretty awesome, too.}

2.03.2012

city prints by albie designs

i absolutely love these city prints by portland artist kim of albie designs. the colours are amazing, i love the yellow + orange that figure heavily in her palettes, whether they're bold or more subdued. gorgeous.





really wish there was one for vancouver, i'd snap it up in a second. maybe she'll visit here someday and be inspired to make one. i can always hope!

images via albie designs

1.31.2012

a letter for you

when my friend linda from a la mode posted about project letter writing earlier this month, i was super excited to join up. i used to write letters -- a lot! i had a couple penpals as a kid, and as i grew older i developed a total obsession with paper goods and stationery. i love it all, and have got quite a good collection. when a good friend of mine lived in korea for several years, she sent me so many awesome letter-writing sets, with cute paper + envelopes, stickers, and the like. i loved them so much i couldn't bring myself to use them! i lived in tofino for 6 months when i was 20. it was an amazing place, and i made a ton of friends, but missed my friends at home. i started writing letters again, and most of my friends wrote back. it was the perfect way to stay connected. i still have all those letters, as well the ones i received from my tofino friends in the years after i left town to come back home. reading them again brings back a lot of memories, and a lot of laughter. good times!
the problem is, i don't do it anymore. why is that? email is so easy, so convenient. when i write for too long my hand gets sore, and my writing becomes messier than i'd like. i never seem to make it to the mailbox. and now i text, more than even talking on the phone, for the most part!
it's time to reconnect, and get back to this simple art.


linda sent everyone who signed up for the project a hand-picked card to use for the letter. i received this adorable card from pistachio press, which happens to be a fave shop of mine. immediately, i knew who i would write to.


done! with two days to spare before the end of january, i wrote my letter. someone mentioned, in this day of texting and facebook and twitter, she finds it hard to think of something to write that would be worthy of a letter. i had that thought at first, too, until i realized it didn't really matter what i wrote. my friend will just be super excited to read my letter, so i just sat down and wrote what came to mind at that moment.
i was also pretty excited to use some washi tape to spruce up the envelope a little. now i have a proper excuse to buy many more rolls of pretty tape!



i can't wait for my friend to get her letter. it's been years since we wrote to each other regularly, and with us living in different cities again now and for the foreseeable future, i figured it was a good time to get the ball rolling again.
my favourite part of writing this letter was actually going back and reading some of the letters we'd written to one another in the past. i even found a little something i'd almost forgotten about, enclosed in one of her letters to me. i made a copy of it and tucked it inside, and i just know she's going to love it. i got a real kick out of some of the stuff we wrote about way back then! it helped me to realize that there doesn't need to be an occasion or something "big" to write about, but just everyday anecdotes and what i like to call "stream-of-consciousness ramblings" are perfect. it's more like a conversation that way, and that's just how i like it.

when was the last time you wrote a letter? maybe you'd like to join us in project letter writing -- it's the perfect way to get started again, and everything's always easier when you do it with a friend.

redstar ink

i've always really like the rustic simplicity of kraft paper or card, so it's not surprising that i'm drawn to these simple + smart notebooks by redstar ink. i think the twenty twelve planner might have to come home with me, it's clever layout and clean design appeal to the organizer in me.




images via redstar ink on etsy

make sure to check out all the great chevrons and other graphic patterns on cards, notebooks and gift tags. i love the modern + bold design.

1.30.2012

coveting these days

i'm really liking the mix of bold colour with brass + copper toned metals in the jewelry i've been coveting lately. not that i'd wear them all together, but i think they'd bring a welcome punch to a simple t-shirt and jeans.





1.24.2012

my vancouver.


second beach

burrard street bridge, from granville island


dundarave beach




grouse mountain

mosquito creek park

vancouver skyline, from my 'hood


panorama park, deep cove

cates park

capilano canyon


cleveland dam



vancouver skyline, from lonsdale quay


{my vancouver. my heart}
there's a reason i've been waxing poetic about vancouver of late. beyond the obvious, that is, that i absolutely love this city. in july, my little family will be moving to victoria. not too far, and very beautiful in its own right. but my heart will remain here, at least until i can give a piece of it to victoria. i will miss my city and all that it holds. but the time has come to move along, for now, for a while.
this will mean some slight changes around here. we have a mountain of stuff to accomplish before we go, with the house + with life itself. moving is tough! in so many ways. but i will keep myself attuned to the new doors and windows that will open for us, and i know there will be many.
vancouver will always be my home, and we will return, one day.

1.23.2012

little monkey

this sweet little monkey blanket was whisked away to a new baby last week. it was fun to come up with a colour palette to suit a monkey design -- i thought these shades of purple, mauve and magenta worked really well with brown for the monkey's face, instead of the more common bubblegum pink + brown combo.