Monthly Archives: January 2010

I love the hurricane lantern. It is classic and can go with every style. This one is very practical and whenever I suggest a hurricane lantern to a client I always discuss the pros and cons of each – as there are so many to choose from! Some are open at the top, some at the bottom, some open on both ends and there are really ornate ones or extremely simple ones. The one posted here is a simple design and what I consider to be the most practical. It is open at the top as well as the bottom, which allows the flow of… dust! The ones open just at the bottom collect dust at the top and the ones open just at the top, are even worse – they collect dust and bugs at the bottom – yech. So, unless you like to keep on top of cleaning (because there are some gorgeous ones that will make you want to consider the extra work to keep them fabulous), stick with an open ended top and bottom.

Transitional you ask? That is a style that is so classic it can go with anything from modern to country to traditional. Like this gorgeous hurricane light… by the way from Restoration Hardware.

www.FlikandCompany.com

I don’t go to this store often enough but was reminded about it when searching for a large Harvest Table on Craig’s List for a client. I linked to their site and just went – ahh!

Have a look for yourself and pop by if you get a chance. You won’t be disappointed with the treasures to be found in that store.

I love everything Shabby Chic. To me this style just feels so perfect – clean, fresh, unpretentious and feminine. It is also, surprisingly, easy to care for even though the total look is all white! The finishes are anything but perfect and added dings and imperfections simply add to the patina and overall look, making mishaps just additional charm.

Rachel Ashwell is the founder of shabby chic from back in 1989 (yes, this style is over 20 years old and it is still perfect). Check out the heritage of her style on her site.

Give me anything white and add a few dings and I’m a happy girl!

www.luislondon.com

Luis London has a great talent! He is a friend of my nephew’s living in Montreal and I was so impressed with the painting he did of my niece Melissa that I decided his talents needed to be shown to all my friends, family and clients. Check out his website for more information and consider his talents for your decor. He can use any paint colour you like so it can match your individual spaces, and it’s a great idea for a baby gift or wedding shower gift. He can do them in many different sizes.

Email Luis from his site for pricing. Let him know I sent you and he will be sure to give you a good price.

FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2010, I WILL BE DONATING $1 FOR EVERY COMMENT I GET ON ANY ONE OF MY BLOG ENTRIES. COMMENT AWAY – IT’S FOR A GOOD CAUSE!

CHECK BACK ON FEBRUARY 1ST TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU ALL CONTRIBUTED!

The Laundry Room – a great place to start

Today is a slow day for me. No work, nothing pressing. It is good though – it gives me time to organize things and to re-charge my battery. Organizing feels good. There is a sense of peacefulness at the end of the day as things are put away as they should be, and ‘to-do’ lists become shorter. Some of my favourite organizing tips are:

1. if you don’t love it or don’t need it, get rid of it
2. designate a family donation box – put things in there as you discover you don’t need them – when the box is full, take it to a local charity and then start again
3. put things back where they belong – when you set something down, ask yourself if that is where it belongs
4. if you have sentimental things but realize you have no use for them, take a photo of it so you still have it to see – open a new file in your picture files for this specific reason
5. always choose organized over neat – the neatness will follow

I could go on, but these are some really important general ideas.

To get started, begin small and don’t expect it all to happen in one day. Give yourself 10 minutes and work really fast. Set a timer to go off. In all likelihood you’ll keep going after the timer goes off, but it is much less daunting to think about 10 minute blocks to start.