Furniture: High / Low Comparisons

August 12, 2015 | 2 Commentaries

One of my favourite features in magazines like Style at Home is the high / low spread. Essentially, the magazine styles up two very similar versions of a room and leaves it to the reader to guess which version is expensive / affordable (before revealing the true prices on a later page). Anyway. I love this feature and I get sucked into the guessing game every. single. time.

If you love this as much as I do, go ahead and read on. I have prepared a similar high / low challenge for you.

Beds

1a.

1b.

Lights 1

2a.

2b.

Dressers

3a.3b.Benches

4a.

4b.Lights 2

5a. 5b.So? How do you think you did? Check the prices (and see the sources) below.

Answers:

1. a. Parallel bed in walnut and leather, $5800; b. Piper wood panel bed, $1149
2. a. glass ball mini pendant, $69.98; b. Soneca frosted pendant light, $229
3. a. matching Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin white lacquer chest of drawers, $3800; b. Malm six-drawer dresser, $199
4. a. Jennifer Taylor white Mongolian fur bench, $550; b. Jonathan Adler Mongolian lamb bench, $1595
5. a. 1-light pendant fixture, $23.90; b. Greene pendant large, $595

20 Below: Hello Card Set

August 11, 2015 | Leave a Reply

Here is a modern set of greeting cards at an affordable price from Rifle Paper Co.

set of cards, $16, Rifle Paper Co.

Technology: My Life with TomTom

August 10, 2015 | Leave a Reply

TomTom has entered my life…and has become my new BFF. Before I left for Florida, TomTom generously sent over two items for my trip: the Runner Cardio watch and the GO 500. I have previously written about my experience with the Runner Cardio watch, but I haven’t yet reviewed the GO 500. Well, folks, today is the day.

the TomTom Go500 unboxed

I am generally good with directions, and I have been loyal to paper maps ever since I started driving at age 16. Heading into this recent vacation, however, I knew I wanted to explore a bit more of Florida than just the beach, and I had a feeling that the TomTom would allow me to do so easily.

In the 3 weeks that I was in Florida, I felt so free with the TomTom. I felt like I could drive without stress because I knew I would never get lost. My friend and I put the TomTom to very good use to explore Tampa and Orlando, and it was amazing. It chose the fastest routes, quickly recalibrated if we hit construction, and spoke to use clearly and at ideal times (e.g., before upcoming turns).

Features that I am really enjoying in the GO500 include:
– list of voice selection (mine is currently set to American Richard)
– large clear screen with good contrast levels between image and background (worked great for both daytime and nighttime driving)
– alternate route options with time estimations (I used this quite a bit if I hit traffic or I wanted a break from highway driving)
– speed of search
– easy to use touch screen and keyboard
– zoom options for maps (I generally liked the close up version of the streets, but I also used the overview quite a bit to help me get a sense of the area)
– volume control (driving during rainstorms was loud, so increasing the volume was useful and easy to do)
– safety camera alert
– lane guidance images (to visually show what lane you’re supposed to be in)

TomTom’s screen and menu screen

The TomTom took my friend and I to Tampa, Orlando, and around St. Petersburg, and it never let us down. It was ridiculously convenient to throw it (gently) into the car and head out to discover new places in unknown (to us) parts of Florida.

heading into Orlando with the TomTom guiding every turn

the TomTom can be recharged even when it is in its windshield holder (I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t discover this for quite some time…oops)

I don’t know how many times I said “I love my TomTom” and “Why did I wait so long to get one?” over the course of the past couple of months. Honestly. For a traveler like me, it’s sort of unbelieveable that I only got one now. The TomTom makes me feel safe, and it’s going to come in very handy in the months ahead as well as I continue to take road trips near and far.

Many thanks to Meaghan B. and TomTom for providing me with these items. All opinions are my own.

The Friday Five: Gorgeousness at Anthropologie

August 7, 2015 | 2 Commentaries

Anthropologie (online and in store) always ropes me in. The store always has an eclectic and interesting mix of items for your closet and home. Here are five things that recently caught my attention.

Sila wrap dress, $295Crescendo link necklace, $78

lacquered regency three-drawer dresser, $1498

radiant alabaster floor lamp, $698Peacock Alley Overture sheet set, $88-188

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Art: Beach Vibes with Minted

August 6, 2015 | 8 Commentaries

While I was in Florida last month, I took a bit of time in between beach walks to zhush up the dining room in my parents’ beach-front condo. Minted, one of my long-time fave destinations for art, stationary, and (now!) fabric, lent a generous hand to this project, so I’m giving the company and its designers a major shout-out here!

Here’s a before of the space:

It’s a mess, isn’t it? Beach towels are everywhere, the lamp and dried flower arrangement serve no purpose, and the buffet is serving as a sunscreen station.

I knew I wanted to get rid of the lamp and flower arrangement tout de suite and hang a large piece of art above the buffet. I was looking for something light, bright, modern, and beachy. After reviewing Minted’s website and lookbook, I landed on Anchor in Ink by Two if By Sea Studios, and I knew it would be just perfect!

Anchor in Ink (available in black, navy, fuchsia, and aqua)

While I would typically be drawn to the black version, for this condo, I knew that navy would be the most suitable choice (how cool is it that it comes in different colours?).

In addition to the art, I added some fabric (Sailboat Splash by Lindsay Megahed) to my cart. At the moment, I used the fabric as a table cloth, but my mom will soon be sewing it up into pillows for the living room. Since the living and dining room are open to one another, the future sailboat pillows will work nicely with the anchor print.

This is the first time I ordered fabric from Minted, and I have to say that I’m impressed with its weight. It’s heavier than I thought it would be. It will definitely be perfect for pillows.

Many thanks to Becky L., Molly B., and Minted for supporting this project.

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