A Fresh Take on Pumpkins..

Canadian Thanksgiving is in just over a week, and we are hosting dinner, as always.

This year we are only having my husbands family, last year we had both sides, back-to-back dinners.

Lets just say I was off the hook for Christmas!

I haven't even dug out the box of Thanksgiving linens and so on yet -

 think I've been holding out hope for the return of summer..

don't think the orange raffia pumpkins are going to make the table this year :)

Here is some lovely inspiration, though - found over on Divine Distractions-

Sally loves fall, and she has kick-started my table plans with this image.

Isn't that wonderful?

Sometimes the harvest colours just seem tired..

and this is a fresh take - painted pumkins and gourds, and those darling owls.

More... with bits of blue,  fading into flax tones,  mauves and plums..

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White with green, my favourite colour for the table - any food looks good served up on a green platter..

I like the craft paper and ribbon idea on the right - that may be just the thing for the kids table.

The girls and I always head into the woods before the guests arrive

 and they make a centrepiece for their table with some flowers and their forest finds.

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Simple and elegant from Martha. 

The guys would like this - there is plenty of space left for the copious amounts of food..

Turnip people - would be a great activity before dinner for all the kids - 

something tells me the boys wouldn't end up being smiley faces..

Two meetings today, and have to re-paint a navy wall in the living room where we did some repairs..

Hope to get pics up of that space soon!

have a lovely day!

til next time..

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The Imperfect Home

Last week I met with a friend for dinner.

She is trying to work through a hurdle in her marriage -

a husband who likes the house in perfect order.

(oh, how many times did I wish for that, LOL!!)

With two young children that's nearly impossible,
and although he is willing to do his share of the cleaning,

it's a constant battle between them.

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Listening to her, I thought about how many times I have raced around the house,

 cleaning like a madwoman, because someone has called to say they are dropping by..

and I made a realization - it's never necessary.

Although I'm too much a type A to ever let my house get truly overwhelmed by clutter,

looking a thousands of perfectly styled rooms gives you a warped perspective on appearance.

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The people we love, and who love us, 

don't care how many newspapers are piled on the kitchen counter,

 and aren't bothered by the kids forts that appear daily in various rooms :)

I am always more intrigued by interiors that include the "stuff" the inhabitants live with.

These bits and bobs reveal the true nature of the home.

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While I'll still drool over the sheer beauty of those perfect spaces,
 it's time to embrace our homes for what they are
- the places where our hearts and spirits rest.
Cheers to the imperfect home - the real home, our favourite place to be.

til next time..

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Yea or Nay: Bookshelf Wallpaper?

This weeks Yea or Nay is bookshelf wallpaper.

On the plus side, it's a space saver, and adds interest when you don't actually have loads of books to display.

On the flip side, it just keeps bringing me back to those incredibly tacky huge sunset murals...

Where do you stand?

Tracy Kendall has created three: The Paperback

I could see this in a mostly white, slightly retro coffeeshop.

     
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The Magazine Version -  I have PLENTY of these around already - and I'm pretty sure you do, too!

The Stack Version 

Here is a flocked paper - over black panelling - maybe in a hallway?

Bookshelf Classics Vintage Wallpaper

I quite like the cheeky name of this one - "Genuine Fake Bookshelf"

Deborah Bowness

Looks great off-set with a bit of juicy orange or red..

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Rich mossy green velvet and bright navy carpet?!! Love it! 

Oh yes, the paper... it serves as art here, really. 

Hmm, this space may have me skipping over to the yea side..

For all you Belgium Linen lovers out there, an understated version from Y&B..

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I still prefer the real thing!

I suppose we can't all be lucky enough to have this...

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But most of us can manage something like this..

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What about you? Could you see any of those bookshelf papers in your home?

til next time..


(Hopefully tomorrow the Pixel Project post will be up - we had company drop in twice this weekend!
It was wonderful, we caught up with some old friends over wine and had a great visit with family :)

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Artist Profile: Andrew Bick

Loving the work of Artist Andrew Bick.

As I continue to search for an affordable piece for over the fireplace,

I will drool over these and keep saving :)

Many of his works are created on wood, layers of various mediums built up:

acrylic, watercolour, oil, marker, wax, pencil, plexiglass...

Hesitation

OGB (badge)

My favourite! So beautiful.

Variant (south west) 3 part invention, double spider

His work explores the relationships between materials, and how these can be transformed.

I love the movement of the metamorphosis how he looks at hesitation and revision.

Andrew Bick lives in London and does not have a website, but you can find more of his work displayed on various gallery sites across the web..

What do your think?

What do you have hanging over your mantle?

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Leopard Love

It started in high school.

I found a silk leopard printed scarf and it became my signature bit.

tied in my hair, on my bag, as a sash..

that scarf could have told some stories :)

Oh yes, the knee-length faux leopard coat was so hot in 1999..

moving from the city to the burbs, I still wore it out to the grocery store,

much to our neighbours amusement.

Onward to my first apartment, which looked nothing like these spaces below, LOL.

 My first purchase was a leopard carpet - I was sleeping on a futon, but had my carpet!!

 There is always a few leopard pillows floating about our place..

it never fails to impress me how versatile this print is - 

moving from room-to-room with ease..

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Currently, I am trying to convince D. that the old Chippendale sofa 

sitting in our bedroom could really use a little leopard love..

It may just skip off to the upholsterers one day, ready to be re-invented...

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I like animal prints when used with RESTRAINT- 

they add that bit of kitsch and take the edge off.

Do you use any?

Which is your favourite?

on a side note, I was trying to find an example of a chippendale sofa done up in leopard to sell D.,

and have learned that searching chippendale leopard in google will bring up many results,

 most of whom are male and scantily clad :) 

didn't impress him, for some reason!

til next time..

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