Pillow Talk

You might have seen this on Instagram already - I hacked this Ikea tablecloth from the Vinter 2015 collection into two drapery panels for one of our guest bedrooms.  

When I first came across this fabric, I knew I wanted to use it somewhere in my house, in the form of pillow accents, or drapes. 

And as usual, if I love it, I know a lot more people out there also do, so the said tablecloth was quickly sold out in Ontario. I was only able to secure one panel. I needed four. Fortunately they were still available in Calgary, so I ended up getting my BFF to courier the other three to me. I had them professionally sewed together, and voila, they became this fun yet lush backdrop for my custom settee. 

I love the organic geometric patterns. 

Now onto pillows. It's springtime (or is it?), so I started to declutter. I found a few pieces of designer fabrics lying around so I had them sewed into pillows. They are for sale. My blog readers get 10% off. All of these pillows have invisible zipper closure; and seams are double-stitched and serged to prevent fraying.

Pillow A: this ever-popular Schumacher Hothouse Floral linen pillow in mineral (a bluish grey shade), 17x17", same fabric in different patterns on both sides, US$95/CA$125. 

Pillow A - Side A

Pillow A - Side B

Pillow B: Schumacher Hothouse flowers linen pillow, 17x17", same fabric in different patterns on both sides, US$95/CA$125. 

Pillow B - Side A

Pillow B - Side B

Pillow C: Schumacher Hothouse flowers linen pillow, 17x17", same fabric in different patterns on both sides, US$90/CA$115. 

Pillow C - Side A

Pillow C - Side B

Pillow D: Yellow and Grey/Charcoal floral canvas cotton pillow, a la Schumacher Pyne Hollyhock, 18x18", US$35/CA$45.

Pillow D - Side A

Pillow D - Side B

Pillow E: Yellow and Grey/Charcoal floral canvas cotton pillow, a la Schumacher Pyne Hollyhock, 18x18", US$35/CA$45.

Pillow E - Side A

Pillow E - Side B

I couldn't find the name of the designer for this yellow and grey floral fabric, but I love it enough to turn them into drapes for one of our guest bedrooms. 

Unionville and House Projects

How do you like this week's heat wave? July turned out to be a hot and dry month so far here in Toronto. I am not complaining about the 12+ hours of glorious sunshine every day. 

This past weekend we took a buddy of mine who visited us from DC to Unionville. I don't remember how many times we've been there before, but I fell in love with it all over again every time. 

Unionville is such a charming and quaint town tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Town of Markham. 

The streets of the historic village are lined with colonial houses like this. Wouldn't it be dreamy to live in a house with perfectly symmetrical facade and black shutters? Sign me up for a fairytale life, please! 

Toogood Pond is another landmark of Unionville.

I am loving this shot with the winding railroad track leading up to the newly restored Stiver Mill. 

On the house project front, I finally pulled the trigger on the exterior potlights. This was yet another project I procrastinated on, out of the fear that it was going to be very messy. I thought the electricians were going to need to cut holes in walls throughout the house to fetch wires. My concern was unfounded. 

After talking to a few companies, I chose Certified Potlight. They have a team of master electricians. During the cost estimate appointment, they patiently walked me through steps of wiring & installation, where the lights and switches go, etc. Because these lights are installed in the soffit, the electricians could wire them from the attic, no mess or wall damage whatsoever. We also went with warm white LED bulbs - they are more expensive upfront but their life expectancy is so much longer and they consume a lot less electricity. Also, we wouldn't need to climb up there every time a bulb burned out. LED bulbs pay for themselves over time. 

My only disappointment was that they couldn't get the lights to the overhang of the gable roof (the pointy part of the roof). It wasn't their fault because the soffit there is not deep enough to house the potlight unit. The house nevertheless looks amazing after the installation, and I could already see how cozy it will look during our cold snowy winter when nights are long. 

Speaking of the outdoor projects, this little fella also had one of its own. This yellow warbler built a nest in our tree! Life is good when we get to wake up to the dawn chorus. 

Now let's take it inside. You know my love for pillows is profound. I lost count of them in my house, but I still couldn't resist picking up new ones. Let's call it an obsession. I've been lusting this Kelly Wearstler's Channels pillow for a long time and finally decided to go for it. Hollie from Stuck on Hue did such a great job of picking out a perfect pattern for me. The other Les Touches pillow in the pillow was also her handiwork. 

I am still not over Target leaving us. The other night when I was researching a taller vase to buy, I came across the Nate Berkus Geo Vases on Target, one cylinder-shaped in gold, the other square in white. Just what I need. I immediately emailed my bestie in the States, and days later they were here. It cost me an arm and a leg to have them shipped here, but what else could I do? A heart wants what it wants.

The Limelight Hydrangeas finally started to bloom. I couldn't wait for them to come out completely but started cutting and bringing them into the house. 

Don't they look gorgeous in this Nate Berkus gold geo vase? 

With that, I am going to sign off and start my mini vacation with a BFF from Vancouver. Stay cool and hydrated. Peace out. 

Spring Refresh - Part Deux

As mentioned in the Part I post of my spring decor refresh, I ordered a pair of these gorgeous black and cream silk velour pillows from CC Deux Vie for my master bedroom. This Spring I crave colour and style juxtaposition, so the outcome is a mix and match of my latest obsessions. 

I created two versions: black/cream pillows with pumpkin Hermes Avalon blanket. 

Or with black Hermes blanket. Which one wins your vote? 

Again, black?

Or pumpkin?

A spring refresh isn't complete without some much needed work outside of the house. This is the before with our old bronze wall lanterns above our new garage doors. 

This is the after with a larger pair of carriage style lanterns in black - they pair so much better with the black wrought iron hardware below. In case you are wondering, the new wall lights are from Lowes. I looked at many different options, and this one is my style/value choice. 

We have two gorgeous Limelight Hydrangea shrubs in our backyard. Hydrangea is known to be floppy-droopy due to its giant and heavy flowers. It's recommended to always plant edging shrubs like boxwood to support them. But of course I didn't know that, so I have to stake them. 

I call this my poor man's Hydrangea stake. I got the idea from here. We will see if it's strong enough to support the Hydrangeas when they all come out. 

In the Mail Today: Schumacher Pyne Hollyhock Pillow

It's been a while since I posted to the "In the Mail" series, but I am nonetheless still an online shopaholic. As a matter of fact, over 90% of my Christmas gift shopping this year was done over the web! 

I am finally convinced that I have pillow-philia. I lost count of the number of pillows in my possession. For this particular one that arrived in the mail today, it all started with this most amazing floral pattern I spotted in the Elements of Style book. 

Took me a while but I finally figured out it was the Schumacher's Pyne Hollyhock print in charcoal - where were you all this time? I immediately turned to Etsy and ordered this beauty from SouthernShades. I love that the owner Patricia makes this pillow with fabrics on both sides, and she lets you choose among knife edges, self cording and black linen (or a different color) piping at no additional cost! 

Side A

Side B. Which pattern do you like more? 

I chose black linen cording which enhances the elegance of this moody charcoal-colored floral fabric. 

On an unrelated note, my Paperwhite Narcissus continues to grow taller.

This flower bud popped tonight, and a cluster of small white flowers came out. They smell heavenly. 

I took the staircase print back to the framing shop and changed the matting to a warmer shade of white. You probably can't tell from this picture, but it looks so much better against various shades of whites in my house. I plan to lean it against the wall on the fireplace mantel once all the holiday decor comes down in the new year.