Happy, Happy Summer!

"Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare,

And left the flushed print in a poppy there"

~ Francis Thompson

I'm still breathing... deeply and fully. (;

Enjoying the song of this splendid season. I have temporarily put aside my favourite toys to savour this dreamy and magical time of year. I will be out and about this season, so I wish everyone's summer to be filled with beauty, love and light.

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart... Namasté!

(Image from my retreat on Mayne Island)

My Breathing Space Continues...

Enjoying the view from the cabin deck at low tide...

Oh the peace and quiet and solace of nature... the poetry of Earth.

Good tidings! I am still on mini-vacation (tis so hard to tear myself away from this sanctuary splendour)

Will be back soon... I promise!!

My Breathing Space

Deck time at the lovely cabin on Mayne Island...

Time out for Terramia... I will be enjoying a much-needed hiatus to this quiet, quaint little Island with very limited internet access. I will return in a few days. Peace & joy...

Namasté!

A Branch of Treasures

Fun, whimsical display made from dried tree branch and paper clips to hold favourite photos and treasures...
Idea from Pottery Barn

Sol Sugar

"When people see my work I would like them to smile, to be filled with a rush of warmth that causes their cheeks to turn pink, to giggle…

I want them to feel alive with colour"

Dazzling acrylic paintings by Brandy Saturley of Sol Sugar Designs here in Victoria... I showcased some of her colourful, curvaceous pieces from her Toe collection awhile back.
Literally a neighbour of mine (James Bay... yah!!), Brandy's art is incredibly vibrant and full of exquisite detail. She is inspired by the ocean and the colour blue which resonates as a dance of rigorous patterns throughout her pieces. So lively and whimsical... I adore her work.

Kozai

Soft ambient Japanese lights from Kozai Designs in Vancouver on West 6th Avenue.
Designer Toshiyuki Tani has developed a very contemporary line of gorgeous lights utilizing traditional Japanese woodcraft techniques. His Wappa series of pendant and floor lamps employ bent cedar from Akita in northern Japan. The Mocoro table lamp is a cylinder of soft ambient light nestled within a layered globe of turned Japanese hemlock disks. And his newest light, the very delicate Sen, is hand-built from many hundreds of tiny strips of bamboo by traditional bamboo craftsmen in Shizuoka prefecture.
Top: Sen Table Lamp, Kazaguruma (Pinwheel) Pendant/Floor Lamp, Shuriken (Ninja Star), Hanabi (Fireworks), and Mocoro Table Lamp

Fan Tan Fabulous

This is by far one of the most amazing stores I have ever stepped foot in... Fan Tan Gallery located in Victoria's historic Chinatown, just steps away from the famous 5-foot-wide Fan Tan Alley. Bette Patrick and her son Alan are the shopkeepers and maintain a superb home décor store. I don't think I have ever seen a more remarkable merchandise display that changes *weekly* (see a post I did back in February showcasing some fabulous examples).
It is always a treat to stop in for a browse whenever I go for a pitterpatter downtown. And Coal the gorgeous cat is sure to greet you at the door, or at the cash register (sooo darling!).

Breathing Space

Nothing exists until or unless it is observed...

Tis the weekend... relax, and enjoy a view furnished by Nature.

Image from Tropical Houses

Happy, Happy Swiftsure Weekend!

Swiftsure Weekend is here!
The 64th annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race starts this morning off the tip of Clover Point in Victoria...
With over 250 boats and up to 140 miles to sail, it is one of North America’s most challenging overnight offshore competitions.
What a sight!!

Beth Dunlop

Awe-inspiring art from local Victoria talent Beth Dunlop...
She specializes in watercolor & pen works and creates a style of her own that is imaginative, ethereal, and gloriously emotive. Inspired by the beauty of nature, the power of love, and the splendour of our being, Beth's creations are truly breathtaking...

From That to This

The weekend is near, the season is here... time to go treasure hunting!
I love how this vintage hotel lobby key box finds new life as a mailbox system.
From Pottery Barn

For the Love of a Summer Dress and a Happy Horse

Nothing spells summer like a gorgeous, flowy dress and a majestic, handsome horse... two of my favourite things!
Together?... well, why not?
I love these stunning designs from the spring/summer collection of Vancouver clothing company DACE
(from top: Lucky, Rocket, Maisie... names of the clothing pieces not horses!)

Jenna Rose

I adore these Jenna Rose pillow covers, storage bags and (my personal favourite) ottomans --like the Granville above-- created by talented Canadian designer Jenna Greenberg. Available at Mooncruise Gallery in Vancouver...

Time is of the Essence

Captivating AIGA/DC fundraising clock designed by Canadian artist Marion Bantjes... glorious and whimsical

A Moment with Nature

A couple of darling ducks and a drake... our aquatic, waddling Mallard friends downtown Victoria.
How does it go again? Happy as a duck near water.
Or be like a duck.... Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath (;

The Very Pink of Perfection

Softness, affection, innocence, and love...
Hues of carnation, fuchsia, cherry blossom, magenta, lavender rose, puce, amaranth, cerise.
Oh the beauty and bliss of being tickled pink...

House Beautiful
(top) Style at Home
At Home with Color
House Beautiful
Steven Miller
Canadian House & Home
Madeline Stuart
At Home with Color
Drake Design
Mrs. Me Bedtime Stories
House Beautiful

Normal Room
Robin Pellisier
Shootfactory
Tom Scheerer
Ghislaine Viñas
Living Etc
Kelley Interior Design
Continentale in Florence
Jane Churchill
Jan Showers
Ikea
Ghislaine Viñas
Artus Hotel
Jeffrey P Elliott
Manuel Canovas
Boligtorvet
Betsey Johnson
Better Homes and Gardens
Home Cheap Home
Living Etc
Country Homes & Interiors

Steven Miller
House Beautiful
Miles Redd
Shootfactory
Ruthie Sommers & Chapman Radcliff

A Perfect Fit

A beautiful round table and awkward, out-of-place rectangular placemats?
This is sooo ingenious and sooo what I need... placemats that are a perfect fit for a round table! No more overlapping standard mats, or having corners hang over the edge. These clever Wedge Placements fit a circular outdoor table perfectly and are completely weatherproof... from Solutions

Dawn MacNutt

"I will continue to be a sculptor or to make art in some form for as along as I breathe, I believe. In this pursuit, one never 'arrives'. Hopefully... the journey is the thing."

The unique weaved sculptures of Canadian artist Dawn MacNutt. The formations are interpretations of featureless human figures or large architectonic columns created from natural and non-traditional materials. Her compelling life-size willow, grapevine, seagrass or bronze works (sometimes upwards of 12' tall!) are used for outdoor installations, sculpture gardens, and indoor spaces. I like how the bits of copper glisten out from the interlaced basketry in her works...

The Beautiful Baby Blues

I love the captivating beauty of baby blue... and it simply shines in Sheila Bridges' apartment in New York. A spacious, airy and elegant space... the sophisticated blue and the complementary soft green provides a perfectly classy background for her collection of antiques, collectibles, artwork, and favourite quotes.

Erin Cee

A marvellous collection of bags designed by Erin Cychmistruk of Erin Cee...
Erin is an incredibly gifted Vancouver artist who works with a multitude of mediums such as textiles, wood & fabric wall panels, illustrations, and mono-prints & intaglio prints (top: Weeds, cloth batik). I find her collection of bags especially appealing (I *love* to collect big, fabulous bags this time of year!!). They are made from cotton and linen, and each bag goes through several processes of waxing, dyeing and silk-screening.... her designs are so whimsical and fun! I absolutely adore...

Rollin Rollout

Bold, bright, and full of whim...
Cool custom wallpaper by Rollout in Vancouver
Forest Paper (so Spring inspired), Assembly Point, Warbabies 2, Kelpy, and Sentence Structure

Lotus Love

Oh, I am so charmed by this dinnerware... how gorgeous would this look for a springtime dejeuner? Very chic.
The Green Lotus Leaf Collection from Chintz & Company in Victoria...
Each plate is a delicately ruffled, hand-painted lotus leaf. What a dramatic table effect to stack each guest's place with the largest leaf at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Stunning!

Bunny Williams

The beauty of books and art a la Bunny Willams...

Lauren Marsden

Lauren Marsden is a talented Victoria artist who creates some of the most amazing artistic creations I have ever seen. Her indoor/outdoor carpeting gallery space of Home Sweet Home (above) exhibit blew me away. Her latest artistic endeavour is called Territorial Knittings... she is knitting street sign covers for every street she has lived on in Victoria. The pattern is an exact duplicate of the sign itself... very clever, very creative!

Oh Cartolina!

I adore these Cartolina cards created by Fiona Richards (of Dominion Post & Salvage) here in British Columbia. Every one of the cards is a Canadian multicultural collage of recycled paper and eco-conscious inspiration. Ancient patterns and contemporary colours, detailed type-ornaments and old wood block prints... it's a world of texture and an eyeful of sizzling colour. Completely eco-unique and delightfully refreshing!

Grilled Garden

I saw this while I was in the Kootenays for a fabulously fun (Italiano-style!) wedding this past weekend...

Spark up a garden on the ole retired BeeBeeQ!! What a "grilliant" idea...

Happy, Happy Looonnngggg Weekend!

Live, Laugh, and Love... enjoy Canada's Victoria Day long weekend!
Image from Tropical Houses

Let There be Fire... and Beauty

Visually beautiful, captivating and enchanting... tis the ever-intriguing fireplace. It adds character, warmth and depth to a space. Not to mention an enduring dramatic presence...

David Netto
(top) Shootfactory
Real Simple
Wish
Amie Weitzman
Jonathan Adler
Living Etc
Home Cheap Home
Nate Berkus
Tom Scheerer
At Home with Color Wish Apartment Living

Posch so Pretty

I love these eco-pretty designs created by Luce Beaulieu of Posch designs in Montreal. The sweet Handbags are made from recycled bed sheets and pillowcases, and the "I *Heart* Kyoto" silk-screened tees are made from reclaimed old shirts. The Hang Tags are created from 100% post consumer laser paper and vintage wrapping paper. Super charming and *très* eco-trendy!

Jim C. Brown

The fabulous mixed media artwork of Vancouver artist Jim C. Brown...

Bungee-o-rama

Oh the noble, ever-useful bungee cord! How I adore thee...
I am hooked on the idea of stretching a bungee cord to create a great place to drape mags, books and newspapers. An inexpensive space-saving DIY... especially perfect for an outdoor space like a makeshift tented canopy. Handy dandy!

Image from Pottery Barn

Dirty Girl 16 1/2

Super cool pottery by Victoria artist Faro Annie Sullivan of Dirty Girl Clayworks. I showcased some of her talent in a previous post back in February... her work is currently showing at Studio 16 1/2 in Fan Tan Alley located in Victoria's Chinatown. I bought the Namaste vase for my dear mom as a gift for Mother's Day (I have been dying to post this piece for a long time, but of course I had to wait until after Sunday so my mom wouldn't see her special surprise in advance!!). I just love it... I might have to get one for myself!

Cardboard Slumberland

The Cardboard Tube Bed by local design talent Jeff Werner... not sure if the support is sound, but it's one eco-cool idea!

Dazzling Drake Design

The fabulous art and radiant colours of Drake Design...