Image via Modmissy
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Tag Archives: nature
Spring
SPRING – it has finally arrived!!
Kick winter to the curb and do the ‘happy dance’! You deserve it.
At this time of year the days are longer and brighter.
People just seem happier. I attest this to colour – with the arrival of spring comes colour; bright, happy colours.
After a long dull winter colour is the mood booster we all need.
Colourful spring bulbs are popping up from the ground. This photo was taken from my neighbour’s south-facing garden – and the white stuff is snow! 
If you don’t have any spring flowers take a stroll through a retail venue and get your hit of colour from store displays. The Hudson Bay Company is totally decked out for spring with colour everywhere throughout the store and a SPRING STARTS HERE event now on.
While shopping for a desk lamp for an executive client’s office last week I came across this colourful display. Unfortunately not what ‘Mr. President’ required but it made me pause and smile.
I love this colourful crockery display at Homesense.
Spring spring is a wonderful thing,
All the colours make your heart sing.
Vibrant green and bright sky blue,
And hits of purple, pink and yellow too.
I adore this wonderful time of year,
It makes me happy and full of cheer!
Enjoy….
All images via Modmissy
Snow Day
Have a great weekend!
Image via Modmissy
Allen Gardens Conservatory
Grey is great, but a grey day is not, so to banish the ‘blahs’ I visited Allen Gardens Conservatory in downtown Toronto for a boost of colour.
The Victorian-style cast iron and glass conservatory, the ‘Palm House’ was built in 1910. Over the years extensions were added on and 5 greenhouses covering over 16,000 sq. ft. now exist.
Rare tropical plants and flowers from around the globe provide a spectacular showing and a big hit of ‘happy’.
All images via Modmissy
Green and Blue
Green and blue.
More specifically emerald green and sapphire blue – a colour combination that has me doing double takes.
This colour combination really hit my radar during the holidays when I realized that the Christmas outdoor lights decorating neighbour homes that I really liked were the green/blue combos.
On the visible spectrum green and blue exist naturally side by side. (Cool photo I took playing with a beam of light and a reflective CD)
In nature the peacock pairs green and blue together for a magnificent spectacle.
Not existing naturally but green and blue are truly a colour sensation seen in these 2 fabulous hair designs from JFK Salon, U.K. http://www.hairbyjfk.com/ 
STRIKING is how I would define this room decorated in emerald green and sapphire blue.
And naturally what woman wouldn’t swoon for Elizabeth Taylor’s emerald and sapphire necklace (created by Bulgari) draped around their neck!
Emerald green and sapphire blue paired together are naturally beautiful – wouldn’t you agree?
Trying to Keep Warm
Toronto is in a ‘deep freeze’ right now with temperatures dipping below minus 20 degrees Celsius. (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) Add in the windchill factor and we are talking somewhere around minus 28 degrees!
THAT’S COLD!!!!
Just how does one handle this cold???
I am taking my cue from the brave robin who has been visiting my backyard today. Sheltered from the wind and fluffing up his feathers to keep warm, this orange and grey ‘puff-ball’ has the right idea. 
Nature shows the way…..extra insulation!
So tonight I will be wrapping myself up in my orange and grey mohair blanket with an orange Mongolian fur pillow and probably curling up into a ball.
When will spring be here??!!
A New Year
Today is the first day back to school which in our house really kick-starts the new year.
The holidays were wonderful. I spent lots of quality time with family and had lots of fun with friends. For me Christmas is always about spending time with those you love.
This past holiday I learned 2 things about myself.
- While spending a lovely afternoon Christmas shopping with my niece, who is a beautiful (mature) young lady, I was referred to by a saleslady as her ‘mother’. What I had envisioned as 2 females ‘out on the town’ having fun, swapping stories, trying on clothing together was now shattered. I must not look as young as I feel!
- One of my cousins who faithfully read my blog told me that I had inspired her to re-decorate her living room. She had decided one day as she walked into her living room that it was time for a ‘change’. Encouraged by my blog she tackled the re-decoration of the room with confidence. Bravo!
In life you win some, you lose some. I am hoping that 2013 is a year of balance!
Image via Modmissy
Niagara Falls
This past weekend I visited Niagara Falls, Canada.
The Horseshoe Falls dropping about 173 feet in distance and averaging 4 million cubic feet per minute of water crashing over the crest line provide an amazing spectacle of the power of water.
But while admiring the falls I find it hard to ignore the beautiful colour of the water. The green colour is a byproduct of the ~60 tonnes/minute of dissolved salts and very finely ground rock produced by the erosive force of the Niagara River. But I am thinking paint colour – Benjamin Moore Greenwood Lake 2037-50. A fresh green that brings life to spaces, illuminating the room with pure, extraordinary colour.
Of course design takes inspiration from nature and fundamentally shapes how a person experiences the world. One only has to take a look at the Waterfall Table and can predict what the designer’s inspiration possibly was.
Design is everywhere. In life take time to smell the roses and notice their beautiful colour!
The Cottage Renovation – the after photos!
I started writing about our cottage renovation a few months back. See start, gut, build, decor. It was a renovation that took many months due to distance, weather and holidays. But it is now complete. Our initial goal was to raise the low ceiling but at the same time to create a cohesive relationship between the interior and exterior. The cottage is truly about the nature and the ability to experience it. In the end our renovation has given us more than just a new space. The cottage’s clear lines and modernist approach has given us a greater appreciation of the amazing view beyond the large windows. But more interestingly is the cohesive relationship now created within the family. We spend more time together interacting as a family than ever before. This is a space where we sit down together and share moments rather than racing through on the way to somewhere else. We slow down and enjoy together.
Have a look.
The before photo minus the furniture. (Just prior to gutting)
The After photos.
We forgo the upper cabinets opting for a larger window and a better view of the lake. The wall above the stove is presently blank but waiting for the perfect piece of art that we have yet to find.
Counter space that we did not previously have is now a place for an ‘edible’ vignette.
I chose neutral but fun pillows to keep the space calm.
We are thrilled with the outcome of this renovation and love all that this cottage now gives to us.
All images via Modmissy
Kitchen cabinets, Rug, Stools, Island, Leather Chair – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/
Hanging Light Fixtures – Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/
Chevron Cushion – Nesters http://www.nestershome.com/
Turtle Pillow, Wooden Tiered Stand – HomeSense http://www.homesense.ca/
My Summer Away
I have been remiss on my posting duties of late. I apologize but summer seemed to have had a strong pull on me. When I visit my cottage in the north all technology and ‘city’ responsibilities get pushed away – happily.
I thought I would share with you some of the reasons why I went missing.
This is the first thing I see when I open my eyes each morning at the cottage. The view from bed with the sun streaming in and the sparkling lake – what’s not to love!
Once up I go for an early morning ride in this vintage boat while the lake is still like glass.
Of course the early morning call of the loon is like nature’s melody that lulls you into awe and harmony. And even more special if you happen to witness the union of adult and offspring during feeding.
Watching nature – colourful.
Observing wildlife – amazing! Notice the little fawn I came across on a quiet walk through the forest.
Bunnies too!
An afternoon water ski!!
The magnificent spectacle following an afternoon rain shower.
And the setting sun after a wonderful day at the cottage.
What’s not to love and possibly make you forget all of life’s commitments?
All images via Modmissy
