Flights of Weekend Fancy

 

To send you off into your weekend, here is a whimsical shot from wonder stylist Eva Lindh.

Isn't it pretty?

Posting About Posters

I have been fascinated by vintage posters ever since I first caught sight of a stunning massive French version in a family friend's Miami apartment.

The diverse colour palette contained shades both bright and pastel and the stunning hues were shaded together to create an illustrated image of an exotic land far away.

 

With my newfound love for design and decor, my fondness for vintage posters has come back in a big way. Thankfully I stumbled upon I Desire Vintage Posters, which luckily is based out of Toronto! Owned by Valerie and Jim Clark, , the website is easy to browse and Valerie is quite speedy with responding to e-mail inquiries.

Check it out if you are looking to add a shot of colour and personality to your own space!

Better yet, choose a destination that means something to you for a personally significant piece of art that you'll love forever and ever!

Here are some of my favourite ones:

Chargeurs Reunis, c.1948 Albert Brenet (23 3/4"x15 3/4")

Bermuda, c.1950, Anonymous (38" x 24")

Nice La Colmiane c 1950, Prandomi 39 1/2" x 24 3/4"

Cote d'Azur Varoise c.1910, B.Morera 39"x24"

Menton 1935, Charles Beglia 39"x 24"

Glass Rainbows

I stumbled upon a post by Kelly at Design Crush last week and could not resist posting the set of Horchow glasses she blogged about.  Do they not plaster a gigantic smile on your face?

 

Her fabulous find reminded me of a vibrant set of coloured glass shooters I saw in last x-mas' In Style gift guide.

 

   Set of 13 hand blown coloured shot glasses by Eastern Accents, $170

 

I went looking for other coloured glassware. Below are some finds:

 

top row: fleur-de-lys glasses $32 for 4, brasserie tumblers $36 for 6, fleur-de-lys glasses $32 for 4, Tulip Tumbler $8 each (all are from anthropologie)

bottom row: "Kassie" Drinkware, $29-39, glass stemware $35, "America" & "Mirabeau" Drinkware, $42-62 (all Horchow)

I can totally see my future children fighting over who would get the red glass...

because everyone knows juice tastes better in the red cup

Trim on a Whim!

There is something so appealing about black and white trim.

It's classic, yet bold with a graphic punch.

It has the traditional feel of a time gone by, but can be used on contemporary pieces and accents.

There are a lot of ways to incorporate B&W trim into decor: you can find it on furniture, accessories and more.

What pieces you pick all depends on what kind of statement you want to make and what other elements you have to work with, but I can tell you I looooove the look of trim on living room furniture, like the couch below.

Here are some of my favourite pieces with trim:

Quatrine's Contemporary Sofa Slipcovers

Elle Decor, courteousy of M.A. Belle

Jennifer Delonge - Eco-Friendly Classic Rock Glider ($1,019)

Jonathan Adler Mansard Rug ($600-875)

Ron's stunning yellow lamps with black-trimmed white shades on Apartment Therapy

 

Dwell Astor Natural Placemats (half-price at $48)

Beauty is My Business: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

Smokey Eye. Cat eye. Natural - when it comes to doing your eye make up, there are so many looks you can go for.

Key to executing each look though, is eyeliner.

Whether used blatantly for impact a la Amy Winehouse or spotted on sparingly between the lashes to define your peepers, eye liner is a tool every woman should be able to wield.

Most women use pencil liners but I find them limiting when it comes to the sleek liquid-esque look.

 

Unfortunately most liquid liners are extremely difficult to master. The few times I experimented I ended up with a runny mess that was the total opposite of my intended precise line.

 

 

That's where Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner comes in. It is so versatile, comes in stunning shades, and it's really all you need to create the coveted edgy smokey eye.

 

The gel consistency allows for super easy blending and layering, and with the variety of shades you can create multiple looks.

Go punk rock with saphire blue or ivy green ringed around your eyes, or be more demure with black plumb ink (my favourite neutral shade)  bordering your top lashes in a thin line.

For cat eyes, dip your brush liberally into the pot for an inky smooth line that extends beyond the outer corner, or to smoke it out, simply apply a thick line and blend out onto your lid.

I don't love the brush that Bobbi Brown sells alongside the product as I prefer to have an angled brush to work with. I find it easier to trace my lash line with (but that's just me). I use MAC's small angle brush #266.

Leya is Famous!

Well not like "Benji" famous or "Clifford the big red dog" famous but she's having her own little moment on Desire to Inspire.

Click here to read Kim's post about my Leya in "Dog on a cowhide"

Thanks Kim! One day you'll have a great dane too!

 

Design*Sponge 'Before and After' Details

Yesterday Grace from the dynamite design blog, Design*Sponge, was kind enough to post before and after photos of my bedroom.

The feedback I received was both encouraging and hilarious and Grace said she thought the response was a before and after record Thanks Grace!

To answer the questions I received on the 'after,' I have mapped out the resources and listed the links below. If you have anymore questions feel free to comment and ask. Enjoy!

 

RESOURCES:

Union Lighting and Furnishings on Castlefield in Toronto.
(They have another similar model for less than $400)

 

Macy's Hotel Collection Black Quilted Coverlet and Shams and velvet/leather decorative pillow,  on sale from $60-200

 

Riba frames from IKEA, $15 each

 

Table lamp from CB2, $49.95

 

Kate Spade Perry Clock, $40

 

ELTE Cow Hide, $695

 

Pottery Barn Ivory Fur Throw- on sale for $100

Metallic Linen

I'm still on a Calypso kick after visiting their boutique at the Bal Harbour shops in Miami, and after browsing their site I came upon this interesting item:

 

Metallic Silver linen comforter, $ 1,630.00

By: MAISON DE VACANCES

 

How do you feel about metallic sheets? I'm not really sure if it's my thing, but would you rock it in your bedroom?

A Marie Moment

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is a feast for the eyes.

The costumes and sets are to-die-for and the film has been lusted over by design enthusiasts (but not film critics!) ever since its 2006 release.

The Laduree colours, towering wigs, lace petticoats and delicate silk slippers are all works of art.

The use of one of my favourite Strokes songs in a key scene ("whatever happened") combined with the elaborate edible sculptures and bright colours is like slicing into my own custom birthday cake. All the flavours I want are packed into one pretty pastel package!

It's too bad the same attention to detail was not directed towards crafting an engaging plot, but I don't really mind as every time I watch the film, I see the world in macaroon-tinted glasses for the rest of the day!

A lovely post on All Things Bright and Beautiful on Marie-inspired fashions has reminded me to post some shots of my Marie Antoinette Halloween costume from last year.

It was by no means professional or authentic, but it was so fun to transform into such a frivolous and frou-frou character on a night usually reserved for ghastly ghouls and slutty nurses.

I somehow convinced my wonderful boyfriend to be my Louis for the night!

What a good sport!

I made him a  faux-fur trimmed cape and he even wore the wig for most of the night.

I have to say he enjoyed his Seinfeld-esque puffy shirt far more than I thought he would!

Moroccan Fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moroccan Pouf By CALYPSO HOME

Normally $250 but is on sale for $125- quite a steal.

It comes in gold, red and white- so glam!

 

Miami Condo Pics

I have returned from the blue skies and sunshine of Miami to the biting windy frost that is Toronto. Ew.

But I did bring back some lovely photos of the family condo to share with you!  The space was designed by Richard Nemec from Environ 4-5 years ago and he did a fabulous job of creating a modern oasis for us cold-hating Canucks!

Here is our entryway by the elevator.

French doors open to the hallway and living room.

The living room.

Another living room view.

The dining area.

The fixture is one of my favourite features of the condo!

A view of the den that doubles as my bedroom.

Fabulous built-ins in the den include a queen-size murphy bed that is too comfy for words and display shelves that house some interesting vignettes.

One vignette I do not enjoy is the one on the glass coffee table- the mask faces my bed and scares the crap out of me.

My sisters' messy bedroom. Who thought bunk beds could be so chic?

Their bedroom has a great built-in desk that houses the computer, a smaller flatscreen TV, ample drawers and storage.

My parents' fab bed...so glam.

More built-ins and a lovely reading spot.

An oversize mirror anchors the end of the hallway with one of Andrea Marcus' paintings providing nice contrast to the dark wood.

 

Obviously I have omitted other rooms and fun features but I got lazy with my picture-taking this weekend while on vacay. Sorry!

If you want to see more, Environ posted much nicer professional shots on their portfolio on their website.

Check out their other nice spaces while you're there!