the call of the disco ball

Cheers!

wishing the happiest of Happy New Year to you all… 

may your next year be filled with all the glittery joyousness that you deserve! x

how we decorate our tree for maximum sparkle, step-by-step

yes, I'm posting this on Boxing Day :) Pretty much sums up the pace of the holidays around there! Hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas, and that you have been fortunate enough to be with you family and friends.


I took photos of the tree as it progressed this year - and the kids announced that they were going to decorate it - so I just sat back with a cup of tea and watched!

We decided to use "sparkly nature" decorations - kind of embarrassed to admit that we have so many tree ornaments in storage that we can choose different themes on different years, and we don't have to buy anything!!!

The crocheted snowflakes are some of my favourite ornaments - my Mum made them one year when I was small, and they were on our childhood tree for most of me childhood. She gifted them to me a few years ago :)

We use wired ribbon woven throughout the middle of the tree (Miss N is allergic, so we have a fake tree) to fill it in a little, and we added in some glittery and mercury glass onion-shaped ornaments at the last moment.

Here are the pics:

being fluffed by Miss N

the darling boy taking a break for a puppy snuggle

light reflectors going on - these are the bane of my existence! 

They don't quite fit the lights, but the kids love adding them, 

so we end up steeping on them for the entire holidays!!

ribbon throughout the middle, and large pinecones place toward the centre of the tree for sparkle :)

small pinecones and snowflakes on...

onion ornaments and a small wreath for a topper...notice all those reflectors on the floor?!! 

and somehow I've lost the pic with the tree skirt :)

 finally, presents!

Happy Holidays, lovelies!

Am working on a post about the lovely colour of the year from pantone - it's gorgeous, isn't it?

xo

a Queen's summer home

It's Victoria Day in Canada, which celebrate's Queen Victoria's (England) birthday. We view this as the unofficial start of summer round here, and have celebrated all weekend out on the deck with friends, and it got me wondering where the Queen spent her summer days.....

When I think cottage towering pine trees, lakes and cedar lined rooms spring to mind. Muskoka. The Queen, apparently, had designs on something a wee bit grander. Somehow I can't imagine our wet dogs, popsicle-toting children and margarita maker fitting in at The Osborne House!

I actually love this garden area, below. Imagine how wonderful that lavender smells!

venturing inside....

This room, while being madly over-the-top, appeals to my colour loving side. If you could simplify the furnishings, and the lighting, and the details (everything, really !!), 

the way canary yellow is used here is spectacular..

Slightly different from your dream cottage?!!

Hope you are all having a lovely day... we're off for the first boat ride of the season, picnic lunch in tow - x

blue monday - what does it mean to you?

Apparently today is blue monday.

Have you heard about this?

When I heard "blue monday" images of azure, cobalt and sapphire flashed through my mind,

it sounded gorgeous!

However, that's not what they meant.

It's supposed to be the most depressing day of the year.

 I like my version better.

source

cheers!

it's glitteriffic...

This year I'm all about sparkle...

and the way to my heart is through glitter!

(I've even glittered up the blog header, it's a madness)

Since I've bought about ten kinds of glitter at the craft stores recently,

 and went looking for some clever ways to use it.

So here's a collection of amazing glitteriffic holiday DIY's....

first off, just in case you want to go organic, glitter made from salt.

Not sure how this would do when mixed with liquids, but maybe spray adhesive?

How about skipping the tired old bows and wrapping your presents up 

with a wee strip of glitter tape, 

velvet ribbon and some mod glitter discs?

Serve champange in these sparkly flutes (wouldn't they be cute done up with 2012 for New Years?)

pack some pretty flatware for a winter picnic,

or elevate cupcakes to new heights with this charming, simple DIY cake stand.

Add bits of shimmering art, hang some chichi lanterns (you can also buy them, here),

add a scalloped border (these are from Etsy, but so cute - why make them?) 

or some sparkly love to your mantle...

Glitter in pinks, 

glitter in blues,

glitter on fingers, bags and shoes....

Small hits of glitter might just make me happy every day of the year.

how about magnets or tacks at your desk, or a

GLITTER FLOOR! LOVE!

Who's going to the store to buy glitter?!!!

If you are, a little tip I picked up along the way...

to prevent glitter from getting EVERYWHERE (unless you want it that way, in which case, go crazy :)

mix the glitter with the glue/paint/etc PRiOR to adhering it to whatever surface your shushing up -

 a LOT less messy and it stays put after.

Happy last day of November, darlings - x

gather round and give thanks...

 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for all of you south of here,

and so a table setting with just the right amount of rustic and sparkle...

I particularly like the idea of wrapping glass cylinder vases with birch bark....

lots of impact, but doable, right?

(found via the ever-fabulous Will of Bright Bazaar,

head over there for more details and a few words from the stylist that created this beauty)

Since I won't be posting tomorrow, Happy Thanksgiving, all - 

hope you spend the day surrounded by those you love - x

an homage to Black Friday

via

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Tonight should be a breeze after the party we had this weekend!

25 12-years olds, some spooky decor, heaps of junk food and really LOUD music

all morphed into some unforgettable memories....

Bones kept bar..

and watched out over the action...

empty wine bottles filled with coloured water and re-labelled upped the creepy factor...

even water became arsenic :)

the gallery wall beyond...

The food table -

a folding table, with a piece of wood placed behind, 

the whole shebang covered with dollar-store tablecloths and destroyed old cheesecloth.

Added some string lights and strobe lights for twinkle, black lights for effect.

Pickles became ogre fingers,

spider dogs became baby arachnids.

The tray was heaped with pizza later..

Chips served up in cauldrons.... such a healthy menu!!

We had a guest with life-threatening nut allergies

and so have been nut-free for a month..

but I was still relieved when they all went home safely.

First guests arriving, checking out their "fortunes"

(we did up a basket of spooky ones)...

On the floor you can see a few of the balloons -

this was the greatest idea, and so simple -

we placed glow bracelets inside 30 white balloons and they floated around the floor all night, luminous.

That was the last moment of calm,

from here on in it was all shrieks and giggles...

Miss N was Katy Perry, and in true form she danced the night away :)

Hope you all have a happy halloween,

we'll be walking the 'hood,

spiced apple cider in hand....