Interior Design Show Gala 2011

The witty introduction that I had in my head earlier today at work has now left.

I am too tired to try and pull it out.  Or perhaps it wasn't as witty as I thought.  Forgive me.

Instead, I will post some pictures from my night at the Interior Design Show Gala and let them speak for themselves.

It was a treat to attend with Grace of Sense & Simplicity who kindly invited me after she won the tickets at the Design Bloggers Meetup.  Thank you Grace.

Jennifer at Rambling Renovators was behind the prize and Grace and I were both thrilled to spend a little time with her and her Handyman last night.  Jennifer said we would love the Sibling Revelry exhibit featuring sister Sarah Richardson and brother Theo Richardson, among others, and she was right. 

Sarah Richardson

Tommy Smythe

The charming Adrew Metrick from Elte proudly explained their new Second Life rug collection which I LOVED so much...

along with this hanging light in their exhibit.

I was drawn to the industrial at Metropolis Living...of course.

The Style at Home booth was just so....



Alanna Cavanagh Artwork



pretty with a capital P. Check out the painted floor...and the light fixture made with paint cans.

UpCountry is going across the pond...

and ohhhh how much do I ♥ Montauk.

Awesome.

sniffles

Is it possible to drink too much ginger tea?

Because I can't stop sipping it, in between sniffles...

from a cup and saucer, thank you very much.

Yesterday, I was grateful for the time to heal.  And also for my toasty wool sweater that I found lying on one of our hot radiators.

What a gift it was to be able to snuggle in here...

and not have to dash off to work.

I may have folded some laundry.

Or cut out some hearts.

A $15 Starbucks gift card to the first person who can tell me whose little heart project I am working on.

It appears that Ashley Ann may be working on it too. ♥

Five things

1. It's cold. I can barely see outside what with all the frost.  I'm also fighting a bit of a cold, Charlotte has just gotten over one and Court is completely wrapped up in the middle of one.  So...anyone want to come over?

2. Court discovered Charlotte's long lost Barbie castle and has set up shop in my front hallway.  At one point I saw a Bionicle riding a pink horse.  It was all worth it for the forty minutes of peace it afforded me.

3. It is no wonder the Barbie castle ended up in the hallway. The playroom looked like this...

up until yesterday, when I spent almost the entire day cleaning house.  I managed to keep going knowing that when it was all done we would go and check out the place I read about here.  As we walked into the shop, a man leaving said to us "It is amazing." and it was.  
 
4. Charlotte is blogging. Kind of. She asked for a vintage typewriter for Christmas and I'm finding these little notes everywhere...

5. Weekends mean waffles. My waffle maker makes 3 little round waffles.  I make a big batch and all the leftovers are frozen for the week ahead when they become toaster waffles.

Today I will enjoy my clean and shiny house while I can.  Court has assured me he is well enough to attend a birthday party, thank goodness, so Charlotte and I will hit the library just the two of us as she hasn't been in a while.  I am always surprised at how much my kids love the library and a little special time with my girl is definitely in order. ♥

This little light of mine...

Kevin is driving us all crazy looking for the television remote.  I just walked by Charlotte and told her as much and she responded by saying "I know! Boys are so weird."  Ummm...yes...yes they are.

Last week when I checked into Ikea during my lunch break to peruse the as-is section, I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to change this light in my kitchen...



 (do not be distracted by the spring blossoms people) and bring it out of the 1980's.



Although I will continue to look for something a little more industrial or vintage this makes me so much happier and only set me back $15.



Now I'm itching to replace those chairs.  Because I've realized my $3 garage sale chairs are worth...well...just about $3.  I'm thinking some modern chairs that are easy to wipe down and that may, just may, entice Court to sit his but down during dinner would be perfect.

I love that shot of Charlotte above...memorizing all the provinces, territories and capitals of Canada.



And I love this shot of Shirley MacLaine...



Source

which makes me want to go and be silly with my kids. And makes me wish that someone would be around to take our picture.

What I was wearing when I...

Hat: Julie Sinden - bought at the One of a Kind Show 2009
Coat: Mackage - surprise! gift from Kevin 2008
Mittens: made from recycled sweaters by Annie Clifford - bought at the One of a Kind Show 2010 - Annie hails from Kingston where I went to University, plays in a band called the Gertrudes and sold her wares on a sliding scale asking us to pay what we could afford - brilliant.
Grey Leggings: bought in Wicker Park, Chicago, 2008
Socks: men's, Joe Fresh instead of these that were sold out
Boots: Bean

~

I'm finding irritation with everything today (crumbs under couch, the realization that immediately after cleaning the kitchen of the breakfast mess, it is lunch time) and it is no ones fault but my own.

My decision to remain wrapped up in a tatty quilt whilst watching the BBC production of Emma these past couple of wintry mornings, as lovely as it was, was wrong.  The skipping of Booty camp or even a morning run has proven to be ill-advised.

Even the oh so supportive husband can do nothing right and I am certain to feel badly for my treatment of him later.  I am hoping some take out Vietnamese food and a cuddle on the couch while watching the Golden Globes will set me right....and I'm sure he is too.

My hood...

Ugh.

Yesterday was a rough one.

I think the worst part of it was the fact that I just kept trying to save it...

to make it into a good day.

I should have just let myself fall into the roughness and wallow around in it.

At one point last night Court was halfway down our long driveway...crying and running away (thank you Ramona and Beezus).

Every time we would pretend to walk towards the house he would get scared and start coming back up the driveway...

and then we would want to make sure we could see him so we would walk toward the driveway....

and he would see us and start back down again.

This went on for a little while.

Finally he just came running to me and I picked him up.  He was so heavy and I realized he isn't such a little guy any...

more. Sigh.

~

One year ago, I had recently returned from a lovely little jaunt to New York City.

somewhere on Waverly

Soho



a playground somewhere in the West Village...I think

 And it seemed everywhere I looked...I loved.  The storefronts...the restaurants...the streets.

On Saturday I ran out of the house and decided to find a little New York in my own backyard.  I ventured out to a neighbourhood nearby that I had read about and wanted to check out. 

The street was tree lined...

with pretty lamp posts.

There was a coffee shop...

with yummy carrot cupcakes. 

Where I sat and nibbled...

and wrote...

and drank delicious hot coffee.

It was my little hour getaway.

And it was sweet.

field notes

I got up early on Saturday morning...

which isn't that unusual...

except that I decided to try a two hour boot camp being offered free to parents at Charlotte's martial arts academy instead of my usual run.

I looked outside and saw fresh snow.

Our house is surrounded by evergreen trees and that morning I looked outside...

and decided to really see those beautiful trees. I wanted to be so grateful for the view.

And then I got my but in the car and drove to boot camp...

and I haven't been able to sit that but down without wincing ever since.

Sunday evening I thought a nice hot bath was in order.

Am I the only one who is unable to take a bath without interruption?

Because it wasn't long before Court was at the side of the tub...

and he proceeded to tell me that I did "have a big booty" as I got out.

So needless to say I will be returning to booty camp next Saturday.

~

In order to keep up with my goal of more frequent blog posts, I realized I needed somewhere to jot down all of the projects, thoughts and ideas that come into my head.

I found this old sketch book amongst some things during a post-holiday purge but wasn't too inspired by the cover.

So a couple of coats of leftover blackboard paint and a hot glue gunned ribbon later and I have myself a little notebook...

just waiting to be filled up.

I am so not cool...

I have walked upstairs 4 times to get my teapot and forgot it each time.

That is what happens by the end of the week and I'm running on empty.



Yesterday Kevin walked into the kitchen as the kids and I were hopping around and singing Frog Song by Charlie Hope at the top of our lungs and he shook his head and asked me to please not turn un-cool. 

Now Charlie Hope sings beautiful songs for children (the lullaby Little One is also a fave) that are VERY cool however I guess no one ever bothered to tell Kevin that I have never been cool.  I don't know how I've managed to trick him so far ♥.

Court and I have been enjoying the book I got him for Christmas...

we snuggle up at night and follow along to the tune. Peter Yarrow was the Peter in Peter, Paul & Mary and I remember them on my parents television as a child singing Leaving on a Jet Plane and my mom humming along.  The TV was black and white and you had to get up and turn the dial to change the channel - so cool.  Peter's book is sweet and the illustrations are beautiful.

Charlotte's Christmas book was...

 due to our mutual love of Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee.

My delight over this fabulous book was most definitely un-cool.  How much do I love Gollie's modernist tree house and Bink's garden of carrots and her galoshes I simply cannot express...

"I have brought you half of my pancakes, " said Gollie.

"And I've removed one of my outrageous socks," said Bink. "It's a compromise bonanza!"

What is a bonanza?

Whatever it is...I adore it:)