Friday Five

The Friday Five: White Orchid Plants

April 3, 2015 | Leave a Reply

I ended last week on the blog with white tulips. This week, I’m sharing five gorgeous photos of white orchid plants. Orchids are such a great floral option because they bloom and rebloom if you take care of them. I have a couple of orchid plants at home and at work, and they’ve rebloomed numerous times. I water them weekly with a bit of water and keep them in sunny spots. When the last bloom has fallen, I trim the stem back about halfway just above a node. I’ve also cut the stem back all the way so that it’s only a few inches tall. I honestly don’t know which option is best, I don’t pay too much attention to it.

white orchid plants via Southern Living

via JK Kling

via DroomHome

via Kelly McGuill

via Adalmina’s Secret

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Tulips

March 27, 2015 | 4 Commentaries

Ah – spring flowers are the best, aren’t they? I haven’t regularly bought flowers over the winter, but now that spring is here, I won’t be able to stop! The Kitchener and St. Jacobs markets always have a great selection, and it’s not unusual to see my market bag filled more with flowers than food. Last week, I bought yellow tulips and they’re still looking lovely. Here are five white tulip flower arrangements that I think would be easy to replicate.

via Bored Fast Food

white tulip arrangement, Style Me Pretty

via Sylvia’s Simple Life

via Brooke Allison Photography

via Vintage Interior

Have a happy weekend, everyone.

The Friday Five: Tablescapes

March 13, 2015 | Leave a Reply

Christmas and New Year’s seem like they were ages ago, don’t they? We’ve then had Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day is in just a few days. It seems as though as soon as one major holiday is over, another one is around the corner. Whether or not you celebrate all of these holidays, I don’t think that the celebrations should be on hold for special holiday days. Enjoying cocktails, dinner parties, or brunch with family and friends is an excellent way to reenergize and toast everyone’s successes! A beautiful table setting – for small and large gatherings – provides a warm welcome for your guests, and is a lovely preview for a delicious meal!

via Style Me Pretty

via Oui Oui Oui Studio

via Style Me Pretty

via Weddingomania

via A Low Country Wedding

The Friday Five: Things I Learned in February

February 27, 2015 | 1 Commentary

Following my end of January post called Things I Learned This Week, I thought it would be appropriate to end this week by sharing five things I learned this month.

1. February is a month that really just whizzes by in a flash. I never really paid too much attention to this before, but this month was really just a complete blur. I was sick for almost three weeks of it, but other than that, I have barely a recollection of what I did! I hate feeling like this.

via Me and My DIY

2. The Waterloo Public Library in uptown Waterloo is awesome. I love libraries and I think we should continue to show them our support. Right? Who’s with me?

3. I love doing the Saturday Toronto Star crossword when I’m at my parents’ house. I can actually do it (or most of it)! I don’t actually get the newspaper at my own home, but it’s one of the first pages I turn to when I see the Star sitting on my parents’ kitchen table. I liked this one especially since the clue for 67 down was “Ontario city”, and the answer was “Waterloo”. Do you see it in the photo?

4. Showering my cousin’s baby with well wishes on this sweet display made me happy.

5. I had a great time at The Home Depot spring preview event earlier this week. I can’t wait to BBQ and start planting in a few months. The HD has quite a few new BBQs in stock, so I encourage you to check them out if you’re in the market for one. Here I am pretending to water some herbs in a space designed by Tim:

While the month went by in a flash, and it was generally decent (from what I remember), I’m glad it’s coming to an end because I cannot wait to ditch my winter coat and enjoy a warm spring.

The Friday Five: Hearts Galore

February 13, 2015 | Leave a Reply

I didn’t actually mean to have such a Valentine’s Day-focused week on the blog this week, but my posts just ended up that way. I wonder if this is when I’m supposed to realize that I should be moving towards using an editorial calendar for my blog posts? I’ve resisted using such a calendar because I have always taken more of a let-the-blog-evolve-naturally-my-life-is-already-over-scheduled approach to blogging. Anyway, I digress…this post isn’t actually about how to be a blogger. It’s about how to live with hearts! It is February, after all! So, let’s get to it, shall we?

Living with hearts…do you? will you? could you? I’d love to know if any of these spaces strike your fancy.

Bodie and Fou via French by Design

heart-print-chalkboard-Caravan-shoppe via Caravan Shoppe

Tutze store in the Netherlands via Jelanié

via Vtwonen

via The Design Chaser

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Enjoy your weekend (it’s a long one for us in Ontario…Happy Family Day, too!).

The Friday Five: YouTube Videos

February 6, 2015 | Leave a Reply

Ah…the end of another week. I got sick at the end of this week, so I have big – as in major – plans to lay low. I might get hooked on another television series as I’ve got nothing on the go at the moment. In the spirit of a weekend of rest, I’m sharing some YouTube videos that wowed me…in various ways…I’m sure there are some other goodies online that I’ll discover this weekend from the comfort of my bed. Here we go…

One:

This video teaches us how people in northern Sweden say “yes”. See – learning languages can be so easy! (via A Cup of Jo)

Two:

Will Ferrell vs. Jimmy Fallon vs. Kevin Hart. I guess everyone’s a fan of Beyoncé.

Three:

Lennon & Maisy performing Boom Clap (you may remember them from Nashville)

Four:

I am such a novice when it comes to makeup and beauty stuff, so I am completely impressed by this video about contouring.

Five:

My students introduced me to this salmon cannon video a few months ago, and it still makes me laugh. A salmon cannon?! There is such a thing!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

The Friday Five: Things I Learned This Week

January 30, 2015 | Leave a Reply

It has been one helluva week. I worked a lot, tackled several chores, met up with friends, and battled the cold weather (it’s always a battle!).It’s been a week of long days and nights, that’s for darn sure! Today I’m sharing five things I learned this week:

1. The Tiny House Movement. I had only vaguely heard about this trend, but I had a lengthy conversation with a colleague about them, and then that obviously led to several Google searches. Check out this tiny house in North Vancouver.

via POD Idladia

Could you live in a tiny house?

2. In my MBA world, I learned about linear regression. Scatter plots are not my favourite, but I do like polka dots. Ha ha. As if I would ever say that in class!

linear regression

3. I got on a greek-yogurt-for-breakfast kick this week, and it totally worked for me. Big change from my usual toast and jam combo.

photo via Bon Appetit

4. I realized (again) that my Black and Decker Matrix with air inflator attachment is pretty darn convenient. I won this set a while ago via Twitter, and it has definitely come in handy over the last few months.

Black and Decker Matrix inflator

5. I’ve been pinning bathroom photos like crazy. I would love to renovate my small laundry/bathroom this spring, and I’m gathering loads of inspiration photos. I love that this small bathroom even has room for art and an air plant:

via Apartment Therapy

Did you learn anything new this week? I’d love to know!

The Friday Five: Curved Windows

January 23, 2015 | 5 Commentaries

I’m a little late in writing today’s Friday Five, but the week was a full one! I was in Toronto today at a work meeting (academic work, not IDS-related), and on the train ride back to Waterloo, my colleagues and I got talking about our various approaches to design. Needless to say, they didn’t think that my all-white way of life was the ideal way to live (ha – don’t knock it until you try it, I say!). Anyway, in between talking about chandeliers, window seats, and cathedral ceilings, we chatted quite a bit about windows. All of our design talk has inspired tonight’s late-night Friday Five post.

Today’s five interiors feature some incredibly gorgeous (in my opinion) curved windows. I’ll have to poll my colleagues to see if they would agree.

via Domesticated Desk

via Ana Rosa

source unknown

via Desde My Ventana

via Coco Cozy

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Friday Five: Designer Stripes

January 16, 2015 | Leave a Reply

Phew – another full week of work, blogging, school, and snow. Hope you all had a wonderful and productive week! Today I’ve got stripes on the brain. And I’m not referring to the conventional painted or wallpaper stripes. The stripes that appear in these five photos are of a completely different variety.

stripes and shadows

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

The Friday Five: Gallery Walls

December 19, 2014 | Leave a Reply

Gallery walls continue to make a major art statement as we near the end of 2014. Do you think it’ll be an ongoing design element in 2015?

via The Glitter Guide

source unknown

via SF Girl By Bay

via Pinterest

via Typical Domestic Babe

I am continuing to add to the gallery wall in my office, and I love that that each image reminds me of a trip or special moment.

The Friday Five: Coat Racks

November 14, 2014 | 1 Commentary

Winter is near…and so are puffy coats. Where do you store yours? How do you feel about coat racks?

Nadia Coatstand, Matsuso T

Ennuden hat and coat stand, Ikea

Flapper coat rack, Umbra

Splash coat rack

coat rack, Artek

The Friday Five: High vs. Low Furniture

September 5, 2014 | Leave a Reply

I love the high-low columns that magazines like Style at Home feature. Sometimes it’s so darn tricky to spot the differences. Inspired by these columns, today I’m featuring five high-low pieces.

high: Thompson sofa, $5565, Elte

low: Tristan sofa, $1199, Leon’s

high: Jimmy sling chair, $2285, Elte

low: chrome and leather sling chair, $70

high: Hampstead painted sofa frame, $694.99, Pottery Barn

low: Coral Coast pleasant bay bench, $179.98

high: Brinkley demilune single sink vanity, $1699, Pottery Barn

low: Bella vanity, $720, Empire Industries

high: luxe faux fur stool, $348, Anthropologie

low: faux fur stool, $125, Etsy (also: DIY stool 1, DIY stool 2)

So? Were they easy to guess this time? Have a great weekend!

The Friday Five: Backpacks

August 15, 2014 | Leave a Reply

Well, I was only half-certain that my PhD was going to be my last degree. I was right! Earlier this week, I learned that I have been accepted into an MBA program! It’s part-time so I’ll continue on with life as “normal”, and my studies will take up “just a bit” of my free time. Ha!

Anyhoo – I’m pumped! I’m excited to learn and to push myself in a new direction. I’m also excited to buy school supplies (let’s get real, right?!). At the top of the list is some sort of backpack. I’ve been using a one-shoulder tote forever, and it’s just not cutting it anymore.

via Stylight

via LA Cool & Chic

via LoLoBu

Here are five backpacks that look to be super sleek and fashionable (any just may even hold a textbook or two!).

via Kokosina

via Amazon

Stella McCartney backpack

Asya Malbershtein backpack

Harper Ave Philip backpack

I must got check out some affordable options in person one day soon!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Will you be back to school shopping?

The Friday Five: Lace Details

August 1, 2014 | Leave a Reply

Even thought I think lace is too delicate for me, I am still drawn to it every now and then. Today is one of those days. Lace is light, airy, and perfect for hot summer days indoors and outdoors.

via This is Glamorous

via Style Me Pretty

via Pinterest

via Totokaelo blog

via Daily Mail UK

The Friday Five: Rattan-erific

July 18, 2014 | 2 Commentaries

I’ve been back from Florida for less than a week, so naturally I’ve still got the beachy lifestyle on the brain. As such, today I’m featuring Florida’s go-to accessory – rattan. If you live on a Floridian beach, some dose of rattan is a must!

pair of decorative rattan mirrors, $3700, 1st Dibs

set of four bentwood and rattan chairs, $2800, 1st Dibs

pair of rattan sconces by Louis Sognot, $2502, 1st Dibs

hanging rattan chair, $304.17, Etsy

rattan arm chair & stool, $1900, 1st Dibs

Who am I kidding? Rattan works outside of Florida, too. I have a rattan set for my own patio, and I love it!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

p.s. I also think this bed is pretty cool.

The Friday Five: Hammocks

June 6, 2014 | 2 Commentaries

I think if I had an enormous backyard, I would definitely make room for a hammock as I think it would be an ideal spot for napping and reading outdoors.

cotton fringe hammock, $398, Shop Terrain

hanging hammock chair, $198, Shop Terrain

hammock, $99.99, Ikea

cotton rope hammock, $79.99, Target

hanging hammock, $39.99, Canadian Tire

Who’s with me on this one? I’m actually thinking a hammock may fit on my patio…I must take measurements!

Enjoy your weekend…wherever you may lounge.

The Friday Five: Lexon Clock Radios

April 11, 2014 | Leave a Reply

I know we’re all super hi-tech now with iPhones and iPads and blue tooth and wi-fi, but I am in the market for a basic – and stylish – clock radio that I can put in my kitchen. I’d like something small but mighty – and white (obviously). I haven’t found anything in stores as of yet, but my online searches keep bringing me to the very sleek Lexon collection.

Thkyo radio designed by Marc Berthier

Titan LED clock radio designed by Jeremy & Adrian Wright

Prism clock radio designed by Joe Doucet

Hybrid designed by Mathieu Lehanneur

Flow radio designed by Philip Wong

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

The Friday Five: Stylish Mugs

April 4, 2014 | Leave a Reply

I have featured mugs numerous times on the blog, but I can’t resist posting more. They’re such easy things to buy, aren’t they?

Marimekko Hetkia Moments mug, $27.86, Crate & Barrel

castle peak mug, $16, Kate Spade

hat’s entertainment mug, $23.99, ModCloth

mug, $4.95, CB2

Do what you love, $10, Chapters-Indigo

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Friday Five: Getting Ready for April Showers

March 28, 2014 | Leave a Reply

So, after many many months of snow, we should now be prepping for April showers, right?

clear plastic hat, Hussein Chalayan

markable umbrella, Muji

clear plastic mac, TopShop

white rainboots, Tretorn

transparent camping tent

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

The Friday Five: Side Tables

March 21, 2014 | Leave a Reply

I need two little side tables for my living room. Preferably really cool and interesting ones. Here are five that have caught my eye recently. They look like they’d fit in my space beautifully.

molded brass side table, $299, West Elm

faceted mirror side table, $199, West Elm

hex side table, $179, West Elm

Simone end table, $199, EQ3

Tate end table, $99, EQ3

The Friday Five: Laurent Scheinfeld Photography

February 7, 2014 | 8 Commentaries

In a week – I’ll be in Paris. Eek! Although I’ve been to Paris about a dozen times or so, I’m always eager and excited to go back! This trip is work-related, so I’ll be spending half of my time with other academics discussing everything that there is to discuss about language and writing. The rest of the time, I’ll be wandering the streets, taking photos, eating as many croissants as possible, sipping on hot chocolate, shopping, and going to Cartier exhibit! I’m going with two amazing colleagues and friends, and we have booked ourselves into one heck of an apartment (here’s hoping it’s as beautiful in real life as it is in the photos).

I recently came across the work of photographer Laurent Scheinfeld when I was browsing the Marché aux Puces website (one of my fave spots in Paris!). His photos series featuring the Eiffel Tower are really quite beautiful.

boy running in front of Eiffel Tower

woman walking near the Eiffel Tower

woman with her dogs in front of the Eiffel Tower

woman in front of Eiffel Tower

father and daughter playing in front of Eiffel Tower

Besides the Cartier exhibit and a visit to Christofle, I have plans to: eat a lot of croissants, visit design shops like Merci and Colette, stock up on tea at Hédiard, visit one of my favourite European clothing stores COS, find my (and my family’s) favourite chocolate, purchase a cool piece of art, bring back a French magazine (or several), and speak French! Oui, oui!

The Friday Five: Staying Warm

January 24, 2014 | 4 Commentaries

Oh my goodness. It feels like -30C this morning. What?! How do you stay warm during these days of frigid temperatures? Here are five of the ways I’m staying warm (or trying really hard to).

1. I wear layers of wool sweaters. This week I’ve discovered that wearing two wool sweaters is much better than wearing one.

I wish I looked this chic in -30C weather, via Fashionsy

2. My office is fairly cold, so I keep my space heater on for most of the day. At home, I keep my house at about 72F and it’s working out well.

Anna Little space heater

3. I love blankets, so I make sure there’s always one (or several) within reach of my seat on the couch.

Hudson’s Bay blanket

4. Tea. Coffee. Mulled wine. Warm drinks of any kind are a must.

mug

5. Boots. I don’t think I can live without my Sorel boots and UGGs. Happy feet. The. Best.

Sorel boots

Have a great weekend dear readers! And do send over any tips for staying warm, please!

The Friday Five: Busts

January 17, 2014 | Leave a Reply

Last week Christine from Bijou & Boheme suggested that we will be seeing more heads/people/busts in 2014. I tend to agree. I can definitely see their appeal. They’re strong, classic, and are usually in museums. What do you think? Would you want one in your home or would you feel like all eyes would be on you.

19th century marble bust, $9730

plaster head of Apollo, $2500

white marble bust of flora, $4000

Greek god bust, $195

Caesar

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend! Happy Friday!

The Friday Five: Art

January 10, 2014 | Leave a Reply

Ah – the first full week of 2014 is coming to an end. How is everyone doing with their resolutions?

One of the things that I want to do this year is work on my art – making and collecting. I’m getting tired of some of my old pieces and I think it might be about time to paint over them or ditch them completely and buy some new pieces. So I’m ending the week with some art inspiration.

via Snob

Folding 3 by Monica Trastoy

Black Dress, Homemade by Leanne Shapton

by Polka Dotty Dolls

The Interior Design Show is in a couple of weeks and I am sure to find inspiration there as well. I have definitely enjoyed attending IDS in the past.

The Friday Five: Cozy Bedrooms

December 20, 2013 | Leave a Reply

One of my grand plans for the Christmas holiday is to sleep. A lot. Stay in bed, sleep, read, watch TV, and drink hot chocolate. I do love my crazy work life but I’m so looking forward to some time off.

via

via Miss Moss

via SF Girl By Bay

via

via Snob

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Nutcrackers

December 13, 2013 | Leave a Reply

I haven’t posted anything about nutcrackers since 2010 even though these men are some of my favourite Christmas decorations. They can be placed on the mantle in a group, hung on the Christmas tree, or serve as colouring entertainment for the little ones in your family. They’re multi-purpose and they look great too.

nutcracker, $6.59, Crate & Barrel

wood nutcracker, Lowe’s

nutcracker with glitter, $15, Amazon

nutcracker, $38.24, Linens n Things

nutcracker colouring page

Thanks for tuning in for another week of white goodness. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Diamonds + DIY

December 6, 2013 | Leave a Reply

DIY and diamonds don’t seem to go together, do they? Oh, but they do! Have a look…

via Design and Form

diamond cookie cutter

A Beautiful Mess

A Merry Mishap

via I.De.A.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Bath Accessories

November 22, 2013 | 1 Commentary

My powder room isn’t quite done but it’s almost done. I’m hoping everything will be working and my mirror will be up next week. I haven’t yet ordered my towel bar and toilet roll holder but here are some of the options I was contemplating.

Emtek towel bar & paper holder (total $175)

Dynasty towel bar & paper holder (total $73)

Delta Trinsic towel bar & paper holder (total $84)

Gatco Bleu chrome towel bar & paper holder (total $67)

Pfister modern towel bar & paper holder (total $90)

Thoughts?

Have a great weekend!

The Friday Five: Church Architecture

November 16, 2013 | 1 Commentary

High ceilings. Big windows. Lots of seating. I’m talking about churches, of course! The architectural features of these white ones impress me.

St. Moritz church by John Pawson

via Capriciously Inspired

photo by Jordana

via Curious Details

via Pinterest

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Saturday! (I’m a day late, I know.)

The Friday Five: Bathrooms

November 8, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Let’s end the week with some bathrooms, shall we? How about five gorgeous bathrooms? Yes? Yes.

via Country Living

via Style At Home

Michelle Peek Photography; designed by Hettel Nana of HN Design Consulting

via NIB

La Maison Champs Elysees

The Friday Five: Words of Wisdom

November 1, 2013 | 1 Commentary

I’m not sure about you, but I’ve had a hectic week and I feel like I really need to get some good sleep time this weekend. I thought we could celebrate the end of the work week with a few reminders. I like these sentences because they’re encouraging and positive.

via

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Ian Stevenson’s Art

October 26, 2013 | Leave a Reply

A day late with the Friday Five this week but nevermind…here we are now. I hope you all had a wonderful week. What are your weekend plans?

I was due to attend Art Toronto but I couldn’t make it in the end (the first time in a few years). I know it was another great success and I hope to be back into my Art Toronto-attending routine next year.

Thought I’d wrap up the week with some art anyway – this time with black and white line drawings from UK-artist Ian Stevenson.

The Friday Five: Rope Accents

October 18, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Ropes aren’t just for summer and boating, right? I am seeing them everywhere!

white coil rope bowl, $38 , Waiting on Martha

rope + metal knob, $9.74, West Elm

rope lamp base, $194.87, Pottery Barn

rope bin collection, Serena & Lily

Javelina rope necklace, $208, Anthropologie

The Friday Five: Dinnerware

October 11, 2013 | 4 Commentaries

I’m on the hunt for dinnerware. I know I want a white collection but I’m not sure if I should go for round or square, detailed or plain.

Camden Bone Chine Dinnerware, Crate & Barrel

Mercer Dinnerware, Crate & Barrel

Pillivuyt Coupe Porcelain, Williams-Sonoma

Flow Dinnerware set, West Elm

GlucksteinHome Prescott Coupe collection, The Bay

Do you have any advice to share?

Happy Friday and have a most wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

The Friday Five: Helvetica

October 4, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Helvetica. It’s one of my favourite types. You too?

Helvetica poster via The Positive Posters

Helvetica cookie cutters via The Donut Project

Albert Son’s “Helvetica Hotel” via

letterpress card via Power and Light

Helvetica scarf via The Little Factory

I recommend the Helvetica movie if you haven’t yet seen it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Friday Five: Art

September 20, 2013 | 3 Commentaries

I am leaving you with five impressive pieces of art this week. Have a super weekend and I’ll see you back here on Monday*!

Petites Ailes by Nathalie Boutté

Origami by Akla Ali

Loris Cecchini, Gaps Airborne (thanks to Adrienne S. for sending this to me)

via Snob

Double-Sided 01 by Monica Trastoy

*Or maybe I’ll see you at BlogPodium tomorrow! I’m so excited to present with Giulia Doyle of Audrey’s, meet some of the sponsors, and congratulate Jen and the BlogPodium team in person for all the work they have done to make this event happen.

The Friday Five: Lace

August 30, 2013 | 1 Commentary

I’m curious as to what your thoughts are about lace. I personally love it but I think it’s too delicate for me in terms of both fashion and home. It’s just so dainty and fragile. Or is it?

Blair at Atlantic-Pacific

Laced Solstice Shell, Anthropologie

via Au Lit Fin Linens

Lace Dessert Set, at Zara Home

Lace table runner, at H&M Home

What’s your opinion? Do you wear it? Own it? For what purposes?

Happy Friday! And happy weekend!

The Friday Five: Tea & Teapots

August 23, 2013 | Leave a Reply

As much as I love coffee, I love tea. There are so many flavours and I am a fan of most of them! Earl Grey, yes please. Vanilla Roiboos, don’t mind if I do. Chamomile, indeed. I’m not too particular when it comes to loose leaf or tea bags – I like it all. I take milk with most of my tea and sometimes I add a drop of honey. Delicious! Since I talked about coffee last week, I thought I should give some attention to tea this week.

Swans Upon a Time teapot, Modcloth via Luxe Life

Enamel Teapot, West Elm

Maxim Teapot, Marks & Spencer

Alice’s Teapot 4, Anthropologie

Weave Teapot, Crate & Barrel

What do you prefer – coffee or tea?

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

***

Did you enter this week’s giveaway?

The Friday Five: Coffee Pots

August 16, 2013 | Leave a Reply

I have been drinking more coffee than usual over the last few weeks. I go through phases of preferred coffee types. I normally rotate between Café du Monde drip coffee, espresso, and lattés. While I love French pressed coffee too, I don’t have a French press so I never make it. My local café has pour over coffee which is kind of – sort of – like French press. I love the taste of pretty much every kind of coffee (and I’ve written about my interest in coffee here).

Toddy Cold Brew Coffee System

Chemix Coffee Maker

Black & Decker Coffee Maker

Cuisinart Compact Single Serve Coffee Maker

Bosch Tassimo

What about you? What’s you coffee of choice? Do you frequent the cafés or do you prefer your own make-at-home coffee?

The Friday Five: Bedrooms

August 9, 2013 | Leave a Reply

It’s Friday! Who is excited for the weekend?

I’m a month into my new job and it’s been going great. I love the work and I love where I’m living in Waterloo. What I could use is a bit more sleep-in time. Days are busy with work and nights and weekends have been busy with prepping for my dissertation defense (11 days!) and planning out home reno projects. Who can sleep-in when there’s all this excitement? There are boxes stacked in my bedroom so, at the moment, it’s nothing like what a serene bedroom should look like. Soon enough, right? I’m hoping that by the end of September I will feel much more settled.

via Desire to Inspire

Rebecca and Dan’s Toronto home, via Style North

via 79 Ideas

via Snob

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The Friday Five: Bathrooms

August 2, 2013 | 2 Commentaries

I have a feeling I’m going to be talking about bathrooms for quite some time here. Let me know if you’re bored. I’ve got two bathrooms in my house that I need to do something with. I’ve ripped off the wallpaper and although I don’t have the budget to do full-on makeovers, I do need (want) to do some updating. I’d like to replace the vanities in each bathroom asap. The paint, faucets, and lighting are also pretty big priorities. Eventually I’ll replace the floors and figure out a better use of space in the main bathroom upstairs. I’ve been floating around online searching out some great white bathrooms for inspiration. Mine are going to be white…no surprise there.

In this first space I love the free-standing tub. This is definitely on-trend for 2013 (and a few years after that, I predict). My own main bath is big enough to do the same so when I get more money (a big lottery win?) I may consider doing something like this. It’s so sleek!

Town Hall Hotel

In this second bathroom I love the thought of putting the mirror over the wall of windows. The windows act as an artistic backdrop for the gorgeous gold mirror.

via The Perfect Bath

I think the layout in this third bathroom is pretty unique. It looks like the shower was installed in between the two vanities. I think this is a pretty interesting use of space.

via Style at Home

The fourth bathroom has the most incredible window and molding details. It’s just so striking. The vanity seems too small for the space and the grand ceilings though. What do you think?

Julie Charbonneau’s home via House & Home

Finally, in Sarah Richardson’s design, the tiling is an obvious eye-catching statement. I love the shades of white used in this space and the vanity is beautiful. But am I the only one who thinks that the sconces and mirrors are completely out of proportion in this space?

Sarah Richardson design via House & Home

So, I’m curious – what are your essentials for a worthwhile bathroom reno? Do you go for the whole room or is it possible to update the space without tearing out all of the existing fixtures?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! It’s a long one here so I’ll see you back on Tuesday if I am too relaxed to post on Monday!

The Friday Five: Waterworks

July 26, 2013 | 2 Commentaries

I have bathrooms on the brain these days since I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in my own removing strips and strips of wallpaper. Waterworks is an amazingly beautiful bathroom store and their online shop is just as gorgeous. Some of the prices I find completely hard to justify but, oh jeez, are these bath items ever good looking!

Crystal wall mounted mirror, $631

Lawson wall sconce with mirror, $453

Asscher soap dish, $110

Mercury bathroom tumbler, $95

metal stool, $1800

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Happy Friday!

The Friday Five: Living Rooms and Windows

July 19, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Leaving you this week with five absolutely gorgeous white living rooms with exceptional windows. The spaces are bright and the windows really stand out.

via El Palauet

via Coco Cozy

Paris apartment

via Design Lovers Blog

via Powell & Bonnell

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Bird Watching

July 13, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Dear Readers: It has been one heck of a week! Things have been chaotic on my end (re: house, job, travel) that I did not have even a second to post – or even schedule a post – yesterday. So although it’s officially Saturday today – here’s this week’s Friday Five! We’re bird watching…

via The Alternative Life

via Anthropologie

West Elm rocking bird

bird postcards via Lupen Grainne

diamond pave bird pin

Have a most wonderful weekend everyone! Thanks for reading another week of White Cabana!

The Friday Five: Office Spaces

July 5, 2013 | Leave a Reply

For the last few weeks I’ve had office spaces on my mind. I’m inspired to re-do mine and make it as bright and white as possible! I need to come up with a way to effectively de-clutter the desktop while making it work efficiently for me. Papers and books are usually piled high!

Studio Toogood via Desire to Inspire

via Real Simple

photo by Kristofer Johnsson via La Maison d’Anna G.

Belinda Love Lee‘s bright white workspace, via DesignSponge

Becki’s white office, Curious Details

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Five: Treasure Boxes

June 28, 2013 | 1 Commentary

I have many little boxes around my place that hold everything from jewelry to safety pins to coins. I find they are quite useful as well as decorative. But I’m curious, do you have a collection of treasure boxes? What do you use them for?

opaline box, $495; modern lacquer box, $29.50; studded charade box, $175; monogram jewelry box, $78; lacquer stash box, $78

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful treasure-filled weekend!

The Friday Five: Buntings

June 21, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Bloggers love buntings. And I’m sure a lot of readers do too. They are an easy DIY (using everything from colourful crepe paper to doilies) that can be on temporary or permanent display.

felt foliage garland via A Subtle Revelry

via 79Ideas

via KoJo Designs

source unknown

via Forever Love

What are your thoughts about buntings? Where would you use one?

Happy Friday everyone!

The Friday Five: Living Rooms

June 14, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Sun-filled living rooms – yes!

photo by Karl Anderson, via 79 Ideas

Lake Martin, Tracery Interiors

Rebecca & Dan’s Toronto home, via Style North

Miami home, Chahan

via Sous Style

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The Friday Five: Paper Crafting

May 31, 2013 | 1 Commentary

My friend Adrienne is not only a wiz at cross-stitching (it’s more advanced that just crosses, though, let me say) but she is an excellent paper crafter. She makes such thoughtful cards for me that feed my obsession with white. Today’s Friday Five are some of the cards that have inspired her to try new techniques and create lovely cards for friends and family. My favourite is the second one with polka dots!

Less is More

Just Jingle

Cheiron Brandon_white card

Cheiron Brandon

Sending Hugs

Libby Stampz

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Many thanks to Adrienne S. (paper crafter extraordinaire) for sending this my way.

The Friday Five: Carousels

May 24, 2013 | 1 Commentary

I don’t know what made me think of carousels today but I did. I think it all started when I was browsing Anthropologie and landed on this sweet carousel clock: