The Glow of the Outside World

Coral Chandelier, in Rust

"It's the whimsy of nature,

the chaotic beauty of the unexpected,

and the primitive attraction to light..."

This is the inspiration of Shannon Shapiro for the design of these gorgeous organic light fixtures... each piece reflects the memory of a specific time and place in her past. Shannon is an interior designer from Los Angeles who is the founder and principal designer for Moth Design. She finds creativity in her natural surroundings as she strives to bring "the outdoors in"...

Her absolutely stunning handmade coral replica lamps are available at Industrial Storm in Toronto

Coral Kiki Sconce

Twiggy Lamp, in Green

Tree-like Tree Sconce, in French Plaster

Coral Floor Lamp

Danny Sconce

Find Time...

Oh, the weekend is here!
Finally, a time to encourage the quiet expressions of peace, beauty, and simplicity. A time to decompress, to turn our thoughts inward... to breathe for rest, relaxation and reflection. It is an invitation to retreat... to seek solitude and respite (and one only hopes to find that sacred space without interruption!)
Here are some Trey Jordan designs to please the senses and nurture the spirit... Namasté!

Simple

Subtle

Composed

Balanced

Satisfy

Dearly Beloved

A custom plate design from Cul de Sac... this is one my favourite pieces by Vancouver designer Laura Mckibbon.
Her fabulous work is currently on display at the On the Table, 100 Years of Functional Ceramics in Canada exhibition at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, honouring great Canadian ceramists... ongoing until April 22nd, 2007

Moss Covered Memories

A moss covered branch holds precious memorabilia atop a stone mantel, adorned in a motley assortment of treasures...

From Pottery Barn Bedrooms

A Plastic Bag is a Metaphor

The Symbolism: a Plastic Bag, a Cross, and a Gull...















An inconceivable amount of plastic bags litter our neighbourhoods... seek and you will find! They are a painful sight and devastate the natural beauty of our surroundings. Each year, a single person mindlessly uses and discards an average of 700 plastic bags! That is an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags that are being consumed worldwide. And these non-biodegradable billions end up in our dumps each year as rubbish, leaching toxic chemicals into our earth...
A sustainable alternative to those evil, evil plastic bags:
Eco-chic reuseable Tote Bags made from organic cotton, handmade and printed here in Vancouver... from BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag. Available at Plenty on Fort Street in Victoria

*US IKEA will soon start charging customers five cents for each disposable plastic shopping bag, akin to Superstore's policy here in Canada
So do the eco-cool boogie woogie BYOB...
(and I don't just mean 'beer' which is the accepted acronym in my past love, Ozland. Just remember to recycle them bottles and cans!)

(Trilogy Image par moi, at Victoria's Christ Church Cathedral on Quadra Street... I had to say a prayer)

Aubergine Dream

Gorgeous royal purple velvet sofa from LA Design in Toronto
The lush texture beckons me...

Pretty Plum

Some lovely Spring treasures from the ever-enchanting Plümo....

Vintage Door Knobs, a selection of crystal-glass melon and ceramic roses





Bird Nest Key Holder, whimsical metal branch with little bird nest to hold anything adorably dangly








Letter Garlands, hanging garland with inspiring words decorated with beaded butterflies and flowers


Buddha Luggage Tag (my personal favourite!), featuring a golden Buddha made from vegan eco-leather

Invasion Toile

Toile With A Twist pillow from the funky and original Up to You in Toronto...
Here's a spin on the classic toile print... traditional stitching meets contemporary quirkiness. All pillows are hand embroidered and one of a kind. Shown is a close-up of the "Alien Field" print.
The toile invaders from outer space...

A Tribute to the Bald Eagle

Hello feather friends!

Remember the famous Bald Eagles of Hornby Island that intrigued people from all over the world last year? Twas Nature's Reality Show... Biologist David Hancock of Hancock House streamlined live video of the wonderful pair of eagles as they nested on Doug Carrick's property on Hornby Island and took turns caring for their precious eggs. Unfortunately their eggs did not survive, but another live web feed of a pair in Sidney successfully had two beautiful offspring...


I have to admit I had the video minimized in the corner of my computer screen at all times as I could not turn away from the opportunity to peer into the lives of Bald Eagles in their natural habitat. I was endlessly fascinated as mom and dad built their huge nest, jumped in glee as the eggs hatched successfully, and watched in total awe as the two gorgeous fledglings (appropriately named Victoria and Sidney) took to the air for the very first time!
What an enthralling educational experience for the thousands and thousands of people who tuned in daily! Since then, Hancock has streamlined other live camera feeds at the estuary in Goldstream Park, and the Heronry in Stanley Park.
No doubt, the intimate and *natural* look at nesting eagles (and all birds) have made people think twice about threatening the species' indigenous habitat...

Hence, the Campbell River Bald Eagle Festival is about to hold its 2nd Annual Event this Saturday at Maritime Heritage Centre at Discovery Pier...
Sponser Maj Birch, organizer and passion behind the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society, promises a record number of eagles this year (last year counted nearly 400!)...
Unlike the other West Coast eagle festivals, the Campbell River one is set when all the local breeding eagles are on their natural territories. The area also gets hundreds of additional northern birds still heading north and hundreds of sub-adults that do not have to stay on a nest territory. So the festival is doubly special...
There will be heaps of information, fun activities, and special guest speakers such as David Hancock himself (here's a link to David's article on the event last year). The goal is to bring awareness of the life of the amazing Bald Eagles in the area.... so, if you can spread yer wings and fly on over as it should be a flock of fun!

(Above image: Cry of an Eagle painted by local environmental artist Judi Wilde who will be a guest at the event)

Ochre Orange Obsession

Orange peel, burnt orange, tenné orange, amber orange, rusty orange, browny orange, carrot orange, tangerine...
A Pappas Miron love affair with all shades of orange in the colour spectrum

Soft Tea au Naturel

A perfect cup of tea calls for the perfect seeping instrument...
Put a scoop of delicious loose tea into this Organic Cotton Tea Pouch, slide a chopstick through the holes, and suspend over a teapot or mug. Et voilà.. the taste of love is purrrre!
This eco-fabulous reuseable tea accessory is handmade by Lesley Roberts (and family) of Hankettes. Their business is located in a large semi-trailer on a co-op acreage on the beautiful countryside of the Sunshine Coast where all the cotton products are homegrown, cut, sewn, silk screened, packaged and shipped...
Oh, a cuppa all round local goodness!

A Farewell to Vancouver's 24

The 24 Sculptures of Vancouver Biennale will be auctioned off by Christie's today after 18 months of display. They seemed to have been a part of the city's landscape for much longer...
Every time I walked along English Bay beach, the double Engagement Rings (top center) would catch my eye. I always wanted to know what a knuckle-buster of a ring looked like up close and personal...
And the impressive 217 Arcs K 13 (bottom left) at Sunset Beach were always there to greet me on an oceanside stroll.
I wonder where home will be next?

Merry March

"Where the wind-rows are spread for the butterfly's bed,
And the clover-bloom falleth around"
~ Eliza Cook

A field of clovers...


From Ken Rockwell