Art: Beach Vibes with Minted

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:

Florida-before-dining room-2 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!

MIN-UU4-GNA-007_A_APZAnchor 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?).

White-Cabana-art-Minted-Florida-3In 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.

White-Cabana-art-Minted-Florida-6 White-Cabana-art-Minted-Florida-4    White-Cabana-Minted-art-Florida-7 White-Cabana-Minted-art-Florida-5This 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.

Art: Go Big with Minted

After a very busy week away, I’m back home, and I’m back to blogging! I have so many things to share. Get ready for a few fun weeks ahead.

I’m currently planning a couple of projects with one of my all-time favourite online shops – Minted. I’ve used Minted many times in the past for Christmas cards, party supplies, and small pieces of art for my gallery wall. Today, though, is all about big art! Move over gallery walls – big art is coming through.

I’ve been looking for a piece for my basement lounge. A few months ago, I painted the bed (made from two Ikea twin frames that came with my house) high gloss black and the walls white (shout out to CIL). I threw on every black and white pillow that I had lying around and called it a day. The blank wall above the daybed is definitely in need of something beautiful and this is an easy fix thanks to Minted.

Here’s the starting point:

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Minted has a huge selection of art by artists from around the world. I love that you can customize each piece in terms of size and framing. It makes is super easy to find a piece that is exactly right for your space.

Here are some prints that made my favourite list for my basement:

White-Cabana-Minted-5Moth No. 2 by Peter Loves JaneWhite-Cabana-Minted-44 Robins by Kim JohnsonWhite-Cabana-Minted-3Quorum No. 3 by Stephanie NowotarskiWhite-Cabana-Minted-2Palm Trees in the Wind by Simone KleinWhite-Cabana-Minted-1Stepping Stones by Little Bird Paperie

They’re big, graphic, and black and white – my favourite combo! That said, I think many of you might end up being surprised by my final choice. I’m so excited for my new print to arrive. Now I get to keep you all in suspense!

Thanks to Minted for sponsoring this post.

Personal: I’m Taking a Few Days Off

Hi all, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I’m busy at a conference in Ottawa this week, so I’ll have to take a few days off from the blog.

small-talk-kate spadesmall talk placemat, $10, Kate Spade

I’ve also got some exciting posts that are currently in draft form that I’m eager to finalize. News from Minted and more reviews of the Canadian real estate market will be coming up in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, have a browse over at Kate Spade. The current collection is summery, bright, and fun.

Holiday: Minted Cards

I cannot believe it’s October and I opted to write a holiday post. What has come over me? I’ll tell you what – Minted has come through once again this year with a beautiful selection of amusing, traditional, and whimsical holiday cards.

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grand new year

 

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vintage library card

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modern confetti

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poinsettia pattern

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someone dear

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sign of peace

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elegant wreath

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sparkle and shine

My order arrived last week and I am thrilled (once again) with the design and paper quality of these cards. The cards are also very customizable – flat, folded, booklet, photos, curved edges, gold foil, etc. There’s no reason not to order holiday cards now.

Friday Five: Minted Party Supplies

It’s been a while since I featured Minted – one of my absolute favourite stationery store. Since my birthday is less than one month away (hooray!), I thought it would be the perfect time to feature five essentials that set the backdrop for a pretty celebration. MIN-040-GLB-001_A_PZ

rice paper globe, $8

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white petal fan, $5

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white paper cups, $4

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white paper plates, $4

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large modern cake plate, $35

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!