Another new year is upon us – welcome 2016. 
So…..any resolutions for this year?
I resolve to ignore resolutions and live life with balance.
EAT MORE CAKE!
‘Cake’ being code for what makes you happy.
Life should be happy!
Find more love, 
Spend time with your BFF’s, 
Let pent up emotions go. Chill out. 
Find beauty in simple things, 
Take time to reflect, 
And definitely take time to eat cake! 
All images created and photographed by MODMISSY
Design by Modmissy
Over the years we have shared many moments together here on this blog on the topic of “change”. 
I have written numerous times about how I enjoy “change”
“I like change and I like to change often“ talking about my 6th living room sofa.
“I like to change up my holiday décor each year” never adhering to any traditions.
“I change the linens and accessories in my bedroom” often! 
To some of you this probably sounds like way too much work.
I’ve suggested to you on numerous occasions,
“Go ahead, change it up. Embrace the new. Take the ‘Mod’ from MODMISSY and “Mod-ify”!
Well here’s the thing…..I recently found myself ‘eating’ those words!
This past year I experienced a huge change in my life – I became gluten-free.
And if there’s one thing you should know about me is that wheat/gluten played a large part in my diet and lifestyle.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all about bread, pasta and baked goods.
In fact one of my very first blog posts was Stand With Style April 2011 where I wrote that life gets better and tastes better when things are elevated. Like my delicious homemade Buttermilk Apple Cake. (made with wheat flour!) 
It has been a big adjustment figuring out what to put on my dessert tray, in my pasta bowl and my bread basket.
Definitely a year of learning and maybe now I am a bit more understanding of how ‘change’ is not always an easy experience.
I am adapting though; can you tell which chocolate cake is the gluten-free version!!?? 
Bon Appetit!
All images via MODMISSY
Today is Earth Day.
A day when over a billion people in more than 192 countries give thanks to our tiny orb and demonstrate awareness in support for the environment.
This year my nod to Earth Day occurred on my way to the recycle box.
In an “OMG” moment I realized that something I had barely used I was throwing out. Truly a blatant waste of the earth’s resources! Sinful right?
The item plaguing me with guilt was a fabric sample brochure from Keilhauer; a company whose corporate goal is to be ‘environmentally benign’. Far be it for me to mess with a company Mission Statement!
Surely I could think of some way to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’.
Back in the house I went with brochure in hand.
And got my creative juices flowing.
I started with this,
I really liked these, 
Tried this, 
But then was inspired by this, 
Came up with this, 
Which finally ended up looking like this, 
Let’s all try to make the 3R’s part of our daily lives.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!
All images via Modmissy
I love this foyer. The simple but striking red and blue striped runner creates a strong presence amidst the white backdrop. Bold but elemental in design; a real show-stopper.
Right? Wouldn’t you agree? 
Actually it’s not a foyer and it’s not a runner but rather the powerful vertical painting, Voice of Fire, acrylic on canvas, 1967, by Barnet Newman hanging in the National Gallery of Canada. 
I visited the National Gallery this past weekend and had a chance to sit in Gallery C214, where this 8 ft. x 18 ft. painting hangs. The walls in this gallery soar to almost 40 feet high toward a room-length skylight and when the National Gallery was built in 1988 it was decided that an “assertive anchor” was needed for this space.
Assertive indeed! When the painting first appeared in the National Gallery it created huge controversy. “How could 3 simple stripes cost $1.8 million?”
And many asked, “Is this really art?”
After viewing this painting I headed towards the area of International Art where the Old Masters paintings hang. I came across this painting by Nicolas Poussin, The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus, 1628–1629. 
This oil on canvas painting with its ‘forceful diagonals, rich colours and strong light effects’ definitely has history as it is almost 400 years old but I ask you, “does disembowelment make for art!!??” (Yes I’m talking about the ripping out of a person’s intestines. Yikes!)
Voice of Fire may be controversial but isn’t The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus offensive?
So I ask you “what is the definition of art”…..????
It’s all about interpretation I suppose.
And oh by the way Voice of Fire is now valued at more than $40 million!
PS. If you find yourself in Ottawa check out the National Gallery of Canada and see for yourself.
All images by MODMISSY
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These are my ‘carved’ pumpkins. Enjoy your day!
Images via MODMISSY
Yesterday marked the 44th anniversary of Earth Day celebrated worldwide by over a billion people.
Hopefully this day makes us pause and reflect on our precious planet and in its honour do something thoughtful towards sustaining this orb of ours
Keeping the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle in mind, my nod to Earth Day (and every day) is to always being on the lookout for curbside treasures.
What say is a curbside treasure? An item that is no longer useful to one person is walked to the curb and discovered by another person.
This ‘sharing’ of treasures results in keeping unnecessary stuff out of landfill sites. All good.
These are some of the curbside treasures I have found over the years.
A very recent find is an Eileen Gray side table. Amazing! 
The MR Chair by Mies Van Der Rohe. I had to replace the leather but there it was – curbside 
I also found a Wassily Chair which will be heading to university with my son next year. Lucky guy. 
I have written many posts on my previous curbside treasures. My purple stool. A coveted painting. My antique spool bed.
It always saddens me when I see something like this. As a rule I never pick up upholstered items but a perfectly good white slipcovered chair (IKEA – Ektorp Armchair) I’m sure could have been given to someone (family/friend/student) before it was ruined curbside and destined for a landfill site. 
My sister and brother-in-law just built a gorgeous new kitchen and were undecided about the style of new stools for their island. While walking the dog one evening they found this curved plywood/chrome stool curbside which was a very nice stand-in until they made their final decision. 
Another evening walk found this piece of art curbside by a friend of mine. Turns out (after a long forgotten stint in his garage) the painting is worth $$$. My friend had it professionally cleaned and re-framed and this curbside treasure now has a new life hanging on his wall. 
Have a fabulous Earth Day and please…….recycle responsibly!
All images via Modmissy
I love fashion.
Whether it’s fashion in décor or clothing both give me great visual happiness!
A very symbiotic relationship exists between the two – what’s hot on the runway will influence what’s ‘on trend’ in home décor.
I came across this blurb recently in a J. Crew catalogue that I thought summed it up well. And although Jenna Lyons, Creative Director for J.Crew is referring to clothing it easily parallels into décor.
Check it out.
We LOVE colorblocking…….. 
And pattern mixing…….. 
We think it’s better to clash than to match……… 
We like to break the rules and appreciate a good surprise…….. 
We temper tomboy with heels……… 
We pair old with new……… 
Matte with shine…….. 
High with low…….. 
Don’t believe there is just one way to wear an outfit……. 
THE MAGIC IS IN THE MIX!
Images via:
1. www.bebitalia.com 2. www.telegraph.co.uk 3. www.houzz.com 4. www.davidchurchill.co.uk 5. www.artisticdesignsforliving.com 6. www.lda-architects.com 7. www.houzz.com 8. www.freshome.com 9. www.nuevo-estilo.es
Mark Twain once said “Clothes make the man”, which is very true but clothing, shoes and accessories make the woman!
Suffice to say, I LOVE FASHION.
Beautiful clothing hanging in my closet – fabulous!
But clothing hanging as art?
Interesting.
I’ve had this photo in my inspiration folder for some time. Torn from a past issue of Style at Home Magazine I liked this room for a few reasons (ie. furniture, windows) but it was the canvas hanging on the wall that caught my attention. The wall hanging is a hand-painted Victorian wedding crinoline by Janis Gillan.
This got me thinking….’clothing as art’. So I did a little research and here are a few others I found.
Restoration Hardware amps up a neutral room with this ‘clothing as art’ above the sofa. 
This is a shot of Brooke Shields family room with portraits of herself and children and images by Annie Leibovitz and others. Once again the piece with the gauzy lace dress on the black canvas is quite prominent. 
In her Seams series, Jean Shin created art with clothing by cutting away the fabric of a shirt or a dress leaving behind a continuous linear band around the stitch referencing the body’s skeletal structure, proportion, gravity and gesture. 
Guerra de la Paz works with discarded clothing to create 3-dimensional art inspired by an essential familiarity with the ready-made and the archaeological qualities that found objects possess. 
This picture is mine. These are my childhood Barbie® doll’s clothing that I framed. My Barbie® doll is long gone but her memories ‘hang’ on! 
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
MODMISSY 