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The One
It has been almost a year since my last blog post. And what a year. You see, last January, I found The One. And when you find The One you get so caught up in the glow of new love, that everything else pretty much falls into the background. I’m talking about my new house, of course. It’s actually quite an old house (late 19th century) but that’s another story. Discovering my dream home involved a deep breath and massive leap of faith, as it meant moving my family away from the localities my husband and I grew up in. It meant leaving our jobs, changing our son’s school, and saying…
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Seasonal Crafting: Scented Gift Tag Tutorial
I always want to make things at Christmas-time. Maybe it’s the connection to tradition; a century or two ago, people crafted humble gifts for one another: they knitted, embroidered, baked fruitcake and made preserves; they sewed, cobbled, quilted, whittled and wove. I’ve long since realized I’m a throwback from some previous generation, and so there is something about the spirit of the season that inspires me – no, requires me – to fashion things by hand. The best holiday decorating owes a lot to natural textures and accessories that appeal to all our senses: evergreen branches and pinecones, cinnamon and gingerbread, a healthy dose of tartan, and the clean, crisp scent of snow.…
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Simply, Christmas
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Summer: Hello and Good-bye
I’ve been meaning to write about summer since it started. Then I blinked and it was gone. So much for that idea. That, in itself, is the true spirit of summer, anyway, isn’t it? One day it’s here, and the next it’s gone. You think of all the things you intended to do at the beginning of the summer, when the long, hot days stretched ahead before you like a string of jewels winking in the sun, and then the end of August comes and you find yourself wondering exactly what you did with them. Photo credit: www.countryliving.com So… what does one write about when it comes to summer interiors? We…
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The Romantic Home
The world may celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th (or at least convince you to buy flowers and a card) but everyone knows that true love can’t be captured in a single day. Photo source: Hearth & Gable Interiors Romance needs to be cultivated in order to flourish. It’s the spirit in which we choose to live our lives; the passion we nurture within ourselves, and the beauty we seek around us. Living a romantic life is easy when you surround yourself with romantic things. What makes a romantic home? The people who live in it, of course, who fill it with the people and objects they love… the ones who provide…
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Winter White – Holiday Mantel Design
Anyone who knows me, knows my passion for fireplaces. And it is the mantel for which I have the utmost admiration and respect. Photo: www.angelandblumewordpress.com The mantel is one of my favourite architectural details, and if you’re lucky enough to have one, then you can already appreciate it as a focal point of beauty and interest in your home. And it is never more so than during the holiday season. I personally tend towards a traditional Dickens Christmas decor. In the past, my mantel designs have featured a lot of deep reds and woodsy greens, and a cozy, rustic or primitive influence. More Father Christmas than Santa Claus, if you know…
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PANTONE’S 2015 COLOUR OF THE YEAR: Marsala
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Igniting the Spark!
With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to write about an interior design feature that is unfailingly romantic in any room of the home: the fireplace. A roaring fire provides us with an almost primitive sense of comfort, inspired by warmth and safety. It relaxes us and fills our senses. Once upon a time, it was the only way to heat your home; the wealthiest home owners built fireplaces in every room. Today, the fireplace has become an attractive architectural feature that lends presence and simple elegance to every room it graces. There are few things in this world as enchanting as the mellow glow of a real, crackling fire. And…
