Will you be mine……….
Eames Eiffel chairs are red,
The Pascal Tarabay clock says its ten to two.
A very cool bamboo magazine rack,
And a Jonathan Adler pillow just for you!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Image designed by Modmissy
Last Thursday evening I attended 1st Thursdays at the AGO – a very happening ‘art-y’ party!
On the first Thursday of every month the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) closes its doors and lets the party begin.
Designed to engage and entertain the 19+ crowd (alcohol is served!) 1st Thursdays are interactive art nights that feature performances, art-making activities (free nude life drawing and yarn bombing to name a few) artist and curator tours, talks and live events allowing people to see, make, do and hear as much art as they can. The evenings theme, City Scrawl: Urban Intersections, was to bring Toronto’s diverse cityscape inside the AGO for one night.
Of course there were DJ’s spinning tunes throughout the gallery getting the sold-out crowd in the groove.
No party is complete without food and drinks so pop-up bars located in various areas provided signature cocktails and food. The Galleria Italia before and after!
At the Wheatpasting Workshop the evening’s theme ‘Urban Intersections’ challenged the idea of city and space through the practice of street postering creating collaborative murals that are appreciated as street art.
It was a fabulous night, lots of fun and a whole new way to see the AGO. Check out the website http://www.ago.net/1stThursdays and consider booking a 1st Thursday event.
All images via Modmissy
Have a great weekend!
Image via Modmissy
Congratulations to Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) on the recent arrival of their first IKEA store!
For a city with a population of approximately ¾ million, the people of Winnipeg have been patiently waiting for the opening of their big ‘blue and yellow’ retailer.
Now being a bit of a veteran when it comes to shopping at IKEA I thought I would share my tips and suggestions on how to best tackle (shop) this big store.
(Or for anyone who may be a bit timid when it comes to shopping IKEA read on.)
Welcome newcomer, Your first trip to IKEA has finally arrived. As a seasoned shopper with valuable tips, I will explain how I have survived.
Navigating the big blue and yellow store, Initially may seem like no easy feat. But with a few of my simple tips, I promise there will be no sense of defeat.
Most important of all, Is to wear your most comfortable shoes. Because as I have already mentioned, IKEA is big and has lots and lots to view.
Don’t worry about ever getting lost, For IKEA has this unnerving dilemma sorted out. With big arrows on the floor, An easy way-finding system avoids any sense of doubt.
Before beginning your IKEA journey, With smaller ones in tow, You might like to use the Småland childcare service, Its free and yours if you choose so.
Head directly up to the 2nd floor, For this is where you will see. Room settings that will truly inspire, Designed with IKEA furniture and accessories.
Now you might need to understand, While you are on your shopping mission, That IKEA’s roots and origin, Hails from the country of Sweden.
So be prepared to be introduced, To POÄNG, KLIPPAN, LACK and LIATORP. HEMNES, OPPDAL, MALM, ASPELUND, RYKENE, PAX, and EKTORP!
Now that you are more fluent in Swedish, Head to the 1st floor and grab a shopping cart. For on this level you will begin to discover, All the kitchen ware, bedding, lighting, carpets and art.
Now keep following those arrows, And very soon you will see, The place that has made IKEA globally known, A warehouse full of flat-pack and self-assembly.
And don’t forget to take some time, To nosh on a variety of IKEA treats. For there is lots of fabulous food, Eat-in or take-away that just can’t be beat!
You have now successfully made it to the end, With the check-out clearly in view. You never got confused or lost, And had a wonderful shopping experience too!
The End!
All words composed by Modmissy
When booking an airplane ticket do you request the window seat? For the view?
Well Commander Chris Hadfield, Canadian Astronaut, currently living in space aboard the ISS (International Space Station) as Flight Engineer on Expedition 34 has the best window seat ever!
And he has been sharing the view. 
At 370 – 460 kilometers (230–286 miles) above the Earth’s surface the photos that Commander Hadfield has been sharing via Twitter are nothing short of ‘stellar’!
The ISS orbits Earth 16 times per day, so the 6 Astronauts living aboard see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets each day! How cool is that!?
I have been following the adventures of Commander Hadfield and I’m in total awe of seeing Earth from the ISS, the beauty of this planet and the wonderful colours of Earth.
Take a look.
This is the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. Who would have thought that the ‘City by the Bay’ would be coloured in lavender and teal? 
The Outback, Australia looks like a colourful abstract painting of burnt Sienna and deep blues. 
This photo taken at night of New York City matches the colours of ‘a night out on the town’ outfitted in mystic gold and blacktop. 
The Richat Structure, a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of Mauritania is a beautiful swirling composition of amber and delphinium blue. 
Thanks for sharing Commander Hadfield.
All images via Commander Chris Hadfield
Sadly today we acknowledge the passing of Penny. (1858 – 2013)
I have fond memories of Penny – at the candy store, the summer fair, bingo.
In Canada, a Penny is a coin worth one cent, or 1⁄100 of a dollar and as of today the Royal Canadian Mint stops distributing pennies to banks and retailers.
Up until 1996 the Penny was composed of ~98% copper thus giving the coin its name ‘Copper’.
Although the Penny has become discontinued currency, copper will still be visible in home décor.
The Copper Shade by Tom Dixon is a bright and shiny way to light a room.
Nanocrystalline Copper Chair by Max Lamb.
Copper Freestanding Tub by Elizabethan Classics http://www.vintagetub.com
Copper door handles http://www.ashardware.co.uk
So….‘Penny for your thoughts” if you see a Penny on the street now will you stop to pick it up?
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.
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?
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??!!
“I have bought a Condo.”
I remember hearing those words for the first time and thinking ‘Wow’.
A condominium was the trendy and cool place to live. I believed that anyone who lived in a condo had to be a real ‘jet-setter’ and lived a very sophisticated urban life.
My brother’s friend, a young hip professional guy, had just bought a condo and was throwing a party to which I was invited. I was thrilled to be on the invitee list and to see inside my very first condo!
In my mind I envisioned the condo as a large space with high ceilings, big windows and 2 levels. Definitely 2 levels. The kitchen would be state-of-the-art and the furniture would be modern. And the bathroom…..!!?? After all it was the early 1980’s and everything was excessive.
The night of the party I donned my best – big shoulder pads, big hair.
After introductions I began my own personal tour of this condo. The windows – not so big but there was a sliding glass door to a (small) balcony, the kitchen was a galley-style kitchen and the ceilings were only 9 ft. high. And try as I might I could not find the spiral staircase leading to the 2nd floor! After a while I realized that it wasn’t the fact that there were so many people in attendance but that the condo was not large.
Then reality sunk in – the ‘condo’ was an apartment with ownership.
Sometimes reality bites!
Image via Modmissy
MODMISSY 