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...

The Sofa of Enchantment

This whimsical, captivating sofa designed by Judy Hoysak reminds me of Alice in Wonderland (where's the hookah smoking caterpillar?!)...
It's forest enchanting AND it's made from sustainable materials: bamboo plywood frame, reclaimed pine legs, natural latex foam and organic cotton batting. Very eco-cool!
Check out Emma's "green" design week as she blogs about eco-unique and chic products...

Symbolize Peace

"Each one has to find his peace from within”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

I so revere this sterling silver Peace Pendant designed by Jenn at the RedCatRun Studio in Ontario. Peace is the way...

Emily Carr Undergraduate Exhibition 2007

Intriguing works designed by local art students at the Emily Carr Institute 2007 Undergraduate Exhibition...

LACK, Ikea coffee table and plastic bags by Monica Otero
Interchange by Anh Le
Our sacred home our natural and artificial surroundings. The images are of a highway interchange, mirrored and repeated to create an ornate, luxurious pattern connoting wealth and affluence.
One Time Use Only, the plywood BBQ designed by Warren Stagg
The title says it all.
Trash Scans designed by Jill Alison Banting
The silkscreen on paper art piece is an urban interpretation of the Tibetan mandala (the mandala is an object used for visual contemplation on the beauty and perfection of Creation). This collage is created with trash from the everyday... a reflection of our disposable, junk food culture. Spirituality and the pursuit of self-knowledge are replaced by consumerism and self-indulgence. Very symbolic.

Bloom Upwards with Style

I love this container garden idea from Living Etc... the strawberry red is so delicious! Metal planters from Barbed adhere to a vertical magnetic wall (their designs are sensational!) Great small space idea...

Light Therapy

The Barton Lamp designed by Kevin McElroy
The modular light fixture and table is inspired by an intravenous medical device... a warm, favourable design is modelled after an otherwise sterile medical apparatus. Light and table can be used seperately or as an ensemble...

Breathing Space

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty

outvalues all the utilities of the world"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring flowers in all their vibrance flourish and shine in my garden...

Twenty2

I am loving these fabulous wallpaper, grasscloth and fabric designs by Twenty2


Their collection of wallbands and pillows are just as gorgeous...

Postcard Pizazz

I love this idea... a row of vintage postcards as a snazzy looking backsplash!
Image from Creating Vintage Chic

Nicolas Baier

Visual poetry by Montreal artist Nicolas Baier ...
Digital photographs are reconfigured so that the elements within them render new distorted and mysteriously appealing images. Abstract impressionism... beautifully surreal.

Silly or Sassy?

Coat Rack designed by Nick Fraser at Small Factories
Indoor plumbing as an entryway organization system.
Turned on or off by the waterworks? Innovative galore or an incredible eye sore?

My Mother...♥

"The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven"
~William Goldsmith Brown

Mom and me on an adventurous outing... oh, how I love thee!
An amazing woman of beauty, faith, strength, and grace... a neverending song in my heart of love, happiness, and being.
How blessed I am to have *you* in my life...
Happy Mother's Day, dearest Mom (and to all the Mom's out there!)
Namasté xo

Mother Nature

Happy Mother's Day!
A day to honour Mother... Mother Nature. The magnificence of mountains, the beauty of animals, the serenity of nature...
Thee oh so symbolic Polar Bear art print by Gracia Habey and Louise Jennison (this so resonates with me! Knut, so Kute... could be Kaput! Water wings for polar bears!! Yikes! Mother Nature must weep...)
Honour our beautiful Mother Earth every day...

Happy Al Fresco Weekend!

Adopt the pace of Mother Nature (it's an appropriate weekend!)...

Soak up the great outdoors In Style (at Miami's Biscayne Bay)

Art as Punctuation

I love art, and I especially love the variable, powerful impact of art in a setting. One of the most significant ways to make a space unique and personal is by the addition of artwork to the walls. Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us; and thus so, art can make or break a space. It is the punctuation mark in a room. And so, what is the affect: a question mark or an exclamation mark...?!

Jeffers Design
Magni Design
M Design
Donghia
Elle Decor, seascape by Marine Hugonnier
Annie Schelchter
Canadian House & Home, photo by Joy von Tiedemann
Apartment Living, Rob Ostan painting
Canadian House & Home, art by Kim Atlin Elle Decor, framed Rolling Stone magazine covers
Home Style, cherry blossom image
Magni Design
Kerry Joyce
Alex Papachristidis Canadian House & Home
Woodson & Rummerfield
Elle Decor, wood panels painted by Charles Mary Kubricht
House Beautiful

Knitted Bling

Cool knitted rings from Twisted Twee...

Stump for yer Rump

I think this is one timber terrific idea!
The Stump creation from ReadyMade. Bore out the entire cavity of a (fallen) tree stump to create a cubby for storage and a sawed top for a lid. Voilà! Instant storage, seat and sidetable!

Dream-World

Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas...
An inspiring image from Kerry Joyce. I love the idea of putting a large world map on a wall (and bedding) in a child's bedroom. Why not give them a geography lesson, and an important message that dreams can change a world?

Miles at Mile Zero

A Poem:

Our Sky Has Many Colours
Blue is Just One of Them
(For Miran)
"I watch cherry blossom petals
Fall from a tree
Like spring snow.
I would like to have given you these flowers
But I can only tell you they were there"

~ Miles Eldredge

I am enamored with these works of art by local artist Miles Eldredge. I love the sincerity and etherealness of his paintings... he uses plants and trees that are native to Vancouver Island, and he evokes a powerful symbolism of heaven on earth : "one can tell a true paradise because its inhabitants usually have no idea that it is there... if they would just look around, they would see the beauty that permeates everything" [Well, that is an exception for this enchanting place called Victoria (aka Mile Zero)... we know its paradise! (; ]
Miles' work is currently on display at my favourite local eating joint, Mo:Le. Be sure to peruse his poetry (hence above)... he is a remarkable talent.
At Dawn No Light Shines
(top) Segaki - for Miran A Red Flowers Blooms Red

Kermodi

Luscious greenery from Kermodi in Vancouver...They have the most bewitching collection of indoor/outdoor plants. I am smitten with the whimsical, sprightly beauty of the Whirly Girl (top)

Oh Mama Mia!

I am loving this Mama coffee table from Bravura Interiors in Vancouver. I think it's an ingenius design... the middle compartment can serve as storage and the "lid" can be an additional seat, table or tray. I love multi-functional pieces!

Sitting quietly, Doing nothing, Spring comes...

Radiant images from renowned photographer Debi Treloar...

Nature is Design

Our majestic Great Blue Herons here in James Bay (check out the webcam in Beacon Hill Park)
Images captured by Studio 7 Designs located in my lovely hometown... they are amazing local talent, and provide exceptional design work. Check out their extensive site!

Balcony Beauty

I soooo need this! The Balcony Planter can be attached to any banister with a maximum diameter of 6 cm. The planter has two separate compartments so you can mix and match greenery (like herbs...!) From Up To You based in Toronto

Crazy for Corks

Crazy for corks?
Here are some quirky-cool ideas on how to recycle your towering collection of wine and champagne corks...

Home Cheap Home, art from Andy Warhol's cliffside house in Long Island Cork Chalkboard/ Message Board Cork Lamp Flat cork coasters Cork bulletin board Cork placecard holders, as seen on eBay Corks in plants Cork Table, House Beautiful Cork-Filled Lamp (or vase), from Wine Enthusiast Cork Baseboard Cork Art, Modern: Creative Living Spaces Cork under lid handle Cork Chair, by Gabriel Wiese Cork Coaster made with CDs
Corky Roof, The Crafty Wino's Birdhouse
Cork Wall, from Strat'sPlace

Consumerism

I am captivated by Frieke Janssen's digital art...
What an incredibly "power-full" reminder! Lest we forget the colossal amount of energy we consume day in and day out...

Lovely Lu

I received a lovely email about Lisa Komuro and Ulla Clark's gorgeous Spring designs at LU Prints based in Pemberton, BC. I adore the fun and fresh hand-printed textiles like the Zen Napkins, Owl Tea Towels, Geese Apron, & Leafy Napkins. You can see them at the Portobello West market monthly in Vancouver...