Tag Archives: Celebration

O Canada!

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This Sunday July 1st marks the 145th birthday of Canada.  Canada Day, originally called Dominion Day, celebrates the anniversary of the July 1st, 1867 union of colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire.

It’s the day when Canadians don their red and white, fly the flag and celebrate with parades and parties.  The Canadian flag adopted in 1965 is a red flag with a white square in the centre with an 11-point red maple leaf.  I like the design of the Canadian flag; there is a balance to the flag that gives a sense of stability and reassurance.  Good qualities for a country.

And just as important in the world of interior design is the scheme of balance.  A room in our home that is in harmony gives a balanced approach to everyday living.

This seating arrangement, mirroring the design of the Canadian flag, has a balance to it that indicates comfort and reassurance – a sense of welcome.

Whether you are celebrating Canada Day or not may your weekend be full of harmony and happiness.

Cheers!

Images: Flag via Modmissy,  West Elm Sweep Arm Chair, Eero Saarinen Tulip Side Table

Summer Porches

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Yesterday I wrote about my front porch and how in summertime it is my oasis.  Today I thought I would share some other porches.  Enjoy.

Nothing says ‘hazy, lazy days of summer’ better than a porch swing.  This one from Better Homes and Garden magazine is the ideal spot for an afternoon nap with its green and white ticking on a watermelon colour swing piled deep with vintage-inspired floral pillows.  Languor away!

Wicker, rockers and wood suggests a country cottage feel.  This porch from Canadian House and Home says “you’ve arrived”, now sit back and unwind.

Nothing says ‘calm and cool’ like a porch decorated in blue and white.  This porch’s appeal is the combination of indoor furniture – a drop leaf dining table and mirror, mixed with director’s chairs and vintage finds.  Cut flowers from the garden appeals to the senses with both beauty and scent.

A porch doesn’t have to be big to be great.  Carving out a spot needn’t be about large square footage but rather any nook can fit the bill.  This porch from Houzz shows how a small space, appropriate sized furniture and a great view is a perfect recipe for ‘drinks at five’.

While away the day drifting into a dreamy evening on this all white porch.  The mixture of a white wicker settee with an industrial-style coffee table provides a nice contrast.   But what I really loved was the unique table.  This large white table top sitting on 2 huge white bases combined with wooden benches is a fabulous update of the age-old ‘picnic’ table.

So…..where will you be spending your lazy, hazy days and relaxed evenings of summer?  Let me know.

Images: 1,3,5 – Better Homes and Garden  2 – Canadian House and Home  4 – Houzz

Breakfast in Bed

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Mother’s Day. A celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March, April or May. This weekend is my time to honour my ‘Mothers’. And what better way than to start the celebration with honoring thy Mother with breakfast in bed brought to her on a beautiful breakfast tray. Thought I would share some beautiful examples of breakfast trays.

The first tray is the Tiffany from Habitat, UK. www.habitat.co.uk. Constructed from oak with folding legs this handy wooden wonder will work every time.

Next is the Bent Wood Bed Tray from The Bed Tray Shoppe www.breakfasttray.com. Molded from birch veneers this tray includes 2 cork-lined beverage holders and a side slot to hold Mother’s morning paper or favourite magazine.

For a pop of colour there is the injection molded Le Petit Dej from ByWhiteDesigns available from Dwell. www.dwell.com. Peter White designed this acrylic tray with a built-in vase to solve the problem of ‘wet toast’ caused by the inevitable topple over of a water filled vase containing Mother’s flowers.

The X-Tray designed by Claus Langhoff available from dk Vogue www.dkvogue.com makes the delivery of Mother’s breakfast a cinch with the addition of the chrome base equipped with castors.

 

I love the Clear Acrylic Breakfast Tray with Magazine Rack by Wrights Plastics Ltd available from www.amazon.co.uk.

Whatever your style, breakfast in bed whether it is for Mother or yourself is a surefire way to start your day. Have a great weekend. And Happy Mother’s Day to all.

 

 

 

Birthday Celebrations

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Ok, no one likes to admit they are getting older but is there any day more special than your birthday!? It is the one day of the year when it is ‘your day’. There are ~7 billion people on this earth but the day you were born feels as if it belongs to you! Whether you choose to share the celebration with anyone or keep it all to yourself the day you were born is special.

As tradition goes balloons are often part of the celebration like the Balloona Stool from Umbra www.umbra.com with its playful personality and punch of colour. With over 500 balloons this stool is guaranteed to make a ‘pop’ in any décor.

Who doesn’t love cake on their birthday! The Modular Kar Sofa makes lounging a piece of cake chair. Each ‘slice’ clicks into one another creating a piece of furniture that allows you to mix and match towards a design of your choice. 4-6 slices creates a chair, 10-12 slices forms a sofa.

Flowers, another beautiful addition to your day just like the striking design of Giovannetti’s Flower Chair. A true centerpiece with wit, style and naïve simplicity in visual impact.

And not to forget – the birthday toast. One must raise a glass and the Martini Chair designed by Zoran Svraka www.svrakadesign.com does just that. A flexible molded plywood chair connected with rubber string is both screw-less and glue-less.

To anyone celebrating a birthday today, this weekend or this month – enjoy!

PS. Happy Birthday Modmissy!

Images via: 1. Umbra 2. & 3. Opulentitems.com 4. Contemporary-home.co.uk 5. Svraka Designs

 

My Pysanky

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One day when my son was very young he asked me, “hey mom, what’s with the Easter bunny?”  Wanting to set a good example by always telling the truth I explained to him that actually there was no bunny that secretly came hopping into our house leaving eggs behind.  I explained that the eggs (that I hid for him) represented spring and all the new life that is born at this time of year. Ie. Spring flowers, baby birds, buds on the trees, and of course bunnies.  He thought this was a good answer.  As traditions go, each year at this time my sister-in-law (SIL) has an egg painting/tea party for all her female friends and family.  All of us gather on a Sunday afternoon to share stories, eat, drink tea and paint eggs.  My SIL inherited her mothers collection of beautiful bone china tea cups, so to honour her mother and the tea cups we celebrate.  A good friend of my SIL has taught us, or ‘patiently’ tries to teach us, the Ukrainian method of painting ‘pysanky’.  Pysanky are Ukrainian Easter eggs decorated using a wax-resist (batik) method.  Using a stylus or ‘pysak’ the design is written with beeswax melted onto the egg.  The egg is then dipped into coloured dye and then more beeswax is applied creating a layering of pattern.  The application of beeswax in sequence with dipping into dyes in order of light dyes to dark dyes creates the pysanky.   Historically in Ukrainian culture the pysanky were made at night when the children were sleeping.  The women in the family would gather together secretly and create the pysanky to give to their family.  The patterns and colour combinations were handed down from mother to daughter and carefully guarded.  To give a pysanka is to give a symbolic gift of life.  Each year at this time I display my pysanky in a crystal bowl that I inherited from my mother.  My pysanky designs are improving but it is the gathering of women, drinking tea and sharing that I think is real special.

Images via Modmissy

The Christmas Tree

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Have you ever wondered about the Christmas tree?  Not so much about the history of it but rather just the idea of it.  The thought of going to the all the trouble of bringing into your home a big ‘dead’ tree and then decorating it!!??  Think about it.  I mean at some point I am sure you have had a vase of flowers that have been in the house way too long and you think, “OMG, these flowers are so dead they are gross” and disgustingly throw them out.  But for some reason we continue on with the Christmas tree.  Our first Christmas together, hubby and I had no living room furniture as we would rather wait until we could afford what we really wanted.  Therefore the Christmas tree was huge, filling the space.  When we finally got furniture there was no space for the tree.  So because I did not want to rearrange the furniture to allow for a big tree we got a ‘Charlie Brown’ tree which I totally loved.  Mind you the tree was quite tall but very ‘scant’ and could hold no ornaments!  This year I really wanted to find a new alternative; something different in regards to the Christmas tree.  Some ideas I came across were from CB2 www.cb2.com.  There is the chalkboard tree. 

Or the picture frame tree.

Or the outlined in lights on the wall tree.

Of course I could always go with one of the numerous ‘artificial’ trees that are available in an array of colours (white, pink, silver, blue, green etc.) and material (feather, tinsel, PVC).  But lack of storage space is a problem at my house.  I am now thinking that next summer I will venture into the woods up at the cottage and find a ‘Christmas’ tree and start trimming the tree into maybe a topiary or a cylinder-type shape.  But this would take planning and who thinks of Christmas in July??!!

 

 

Gifts under $25

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Happy Friday!  If you happen to be out this weekend doing a little retail exercising or with the wonders of technology shopping on-line I have gathered a selection of gift ideas for the home that are under $25.  First up from Restoration Hardware www.restorationhardware.com are the Cast Metal Letters.  Made of heavy cast aluminum in a choice of 2 finishes these letters are perfecting for adding to a bookshelf or hanging on a wall.  Everyone loves to see their own initial.

  

Next are West Elm Square Lacquer Trays. www.westelm.com .  These 12” trays in a choice of many bold colours are perfect for serving drinks to organizing a dresser.  I love the pop of colour on a coffee table too.

The Pottery Barn www.potterybarn.com 12” square pillow printed in metallic gold on natural linen/cotton is a wonderful addition to any room’s décor.  And who couldn’t use a little more peace in their life. 

You can never have too many décor books and who better than Jonathan Adler, potter, designer, television personality and author.  Known for his penchant for colour, Adler’s 132 page hardcover book Happy Chic Accessorizing details how “your home should make you happy”.  And one can never have too much ‘happy’ in their life.

No holiday is complete without the flicker of a candle.  The Brixton Hurricane from Crate and Barrel www.crateandbarrel.com is a colourful departure from the usual.  The golden-yellow base made of solid sustainable shesham wood with a handmade glass pillar stands 11” high and 7” wide. 

Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

Tis the Season

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Well….December is finally here.  And with it come lots of festivities.  Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Ashura, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Bodhi Day, Santa Lucia Day or Christmas, I wish you all the best for your celebration.  I myself celebrate Christmas and so during the month of December I may write about some of the traditions of this holiday.  But pretty things, sparkly items, twinkling lights, flickering candles and gifts pertain to everyone whether you are celebrating or not.  No better time than now does “Home for the Holidays” ring true.  Getting your ‘nest’ ready to celebrate can be lots of fun with so many choices for style and décor.  Parties, Open Houses, so much to do, taking the time to attend them and enjoy them all is key.  Tis the season, so let the decorating celebrations begin! 

The photo below is me, Modmissy, ~3 years old on Christmas morning, holding my new doll.  Notice in the background the artificial tree with mounds of tinsel, wood paneling (see post https://modmissy.com/2011/09/29/new-interpretation-of-70s-paneling/) and a kid size folding chair (see post https://modmissy.com/2011/10/12/folding-chairs/).  Considering the times of which this photo was taken check out the gift of a toy gun (inside red circle) and ‘The Happy Puppy’ record (inside red square), the LP released in 1962 by Bent Fabric, well-known for the famous ‘Alley Cat’ song.  Truly a blast from the past!