Canadian Pride

I'm all about Canadian pride right now! My beautiful hometown is hosting the Winter Olympic Games right this very moment and the city is awash with athletes, tourists and a ton of local pride. Everywhere I look people are swathed in red and white and I just had to join in on the fun! My toque is courtesy of The Cross and is a crazy steal at only $13.00! Get yours and show the world your true colours! GO CANADA!

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

The Last Time I Will Mention Valentine's Day

Oh, Valentine's Day. You are everywhere right now. I don't love you, nor celebrate you, but you sure are pretty (for some people).

If I were to expect or wish for a sweet, little present this Sunday, then these would seriously make my day. Everyone needs a little romance, after all, like this incredible bouquet (above). Peonies aren't yet in season, but my goodness, do they make my heart skip a beat!

(Photo via Style Me Pretty)

A pale pink volume of incredibly beautiful and soulful poetry would be incredibly thoughtful. Goose bumps guaranteed.

This sweet, little message in a bottle from Anthropologie would be ultra romantic for any girl wishing for a tiny love note on the 14th. The best gifts are always heartfelt and sentimental

(to me, at least).

La Perla's lacy corset is seriously sexy and would definitely set pulses racing. Every girl deserves pretty lingerie... can this be mine?

Irene Suchocki's beautiful photographs of Paris transport me there in a moment. I would love this whimsical one framed for my prettily painted bedroom.

They say the best things come in small packages. Well, I happen to agree! Amanda Vogler's pink amethyst and white topaz earrings (below) from The Cross would be my ultimate wish list item this Valentine's Day. So elegant, so feminine and as able to add the perfect finishing touch to a tank top and jeans as they would to a sexy, little frock. Sigh.....

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Olympics Are Coming!

Our city of Vancouver has been morphing into Olympic land for months now~ and we are finally getting so close! The games will officially start this Friday the 12th and people from all over the world are already starting to infiltrate our lovely city. They will be pleasantly surprised~ it's spring weather out there!

There are so many things to see, enjoy and experience but my favourite thing so far are these breathtaking light beams that bisect English Bay every night. They are truly incredible to see as I've been walking through the downtown core after work at night. They light up the whole sky. Amazing. Thank you to The Cross for the above incredible photo.

I'll be filling you in on more Olympic madness/fun as it unfolds throughout February!

Amanda Vogler at The Cross

There is not much more I love than the sparkle of perfectly feminine, delicate jewelry. I adore the way it can change an outfit, the way it can make everything I put on look that much more polished and pulled together, the way it can lift my mood just to see something pretty at my ears or throat throughout the day. I looooove jewelry! Amanda Vogler is a local Vancouver jewelry designer whose stunning earrings and to die for necklaces make me weak at the knees whenever I get the chance to gawk at them at my favourite store, The Cross. Amanda's designs showcase gorgeous semi-precious stones, such as pink topaz and aquamarine,  set against the most delicate of gold chain and I goggle at her beautiful creations and incredible talent. 

Visit The Cross online here to view or purchase a piece of your own. 

I reach for my 8 stone aquamarine drop earrings constantly and I know you will love Amanda's jewelry as much as I do. Trust me, it's impossible not to! 

Aquamarine with leaves earrings

Grey moonstone 42" necklace

Rose Quartz Drop Necklace

It May Be Way Too Early But....

The stores are filling up with Christmas decor and ornaments and I hate to admit it.... but I'm already planning my holiday decor! Christmas is by far my favourite time of year. I love the smell of apple cider brewing to sample in Williams Sonoma. I love the persistent cheer of carols in the stores and (I shamefully admit it) on a permanent loop in my car. I love sending and receiving cards in the mail, if for no other reason than to express love at such a time of the year. I love it all, the happiness and gushiness of it all. 

I decorate my place faithfully on the 1st of December. Sadly my apartment building won't let me have a live tree so mine is a fake. It does a good job but I love the smell of a real tree. Still, there are plenty of pretty decorations to sustain me through the holiday season and I love to spread them throughout my entire apartment, even the kitchen and powder room. I'll certainly post on the upcoming holiday more as it draws closer but I wanted to share some of the holiday decor seen at my favourite place, The Cross. Isn't it all heavenly? 

I utterly love this white Christmas tree. I want one for myself this year!

Owls are my absolute favourite! I adore both the owl lamp and the tree ornaments like crazy! 

Cupcake and pink reindeer ornaments? These are so on my list! 

Snowflake scatter is perfect for a seasonal party! 

(Photos via The Cross' Facebook Fan Page)

Palm Springs Style

After brunching with my gorgeous friend Christina today we wandered through Yaletown and into (wait for it.... where else?) The Cross, naturally. Knowing me as thoroughly as they do and being as thoughtful friends as they are, both Christina and my roommate Nicole bought me gift cards to my "happy place" for my 30th a few weeks ago. Now, normally gift cards of any kind burn a hole in my pocket so intensely that they need to be spent within days (the gift of shopping, what could be better?), but this time I wanted to select pieces that meant something to me, something of significance rather than an item I just thought was pretty (not that I suddenly have issues with pretty, no way). After three laps of the store I bought the 

very thing I knew I had to have.

 Since I was a little girl my favourite stories told to me my parents or my sweetest memories involve Palm Springs. Long before I was born my parents, aunt and uncle and grandparents would migrate to the desert two hours outside of Los Angeles to soak up the sun on vacation from drizzly, grey Vancouver. I was ten the first time I went and that trip still sticks out vividly in my memory. I had never seen such beauty in my life~ the ruddy San Jacinto mountains, thrilling palm trees and manicured lawns, sparkling swimming pools and, best of all, the air heavy with the scent of lemon and orange blossom from all the fruit trees everywhere. It was magical, and continues to be so for me and my family to this day. We can talk endlessly about "the desert" and where we will go, stay, dine the next time we visit. 

The book Palm Springs Style has been in my Amazon cart for ages but today I decided to snap it up in person. Even flipping through the glossy pages and admiring the beautiful photographs makes me giddily happy. Palm Springs was the most chic and decadent of getaways for the movie stars of the 40s and 50s (my parents pointed out Frank Sinatra's house to me on my first visit), yet it experienced a decline in popularity in the more recent decades. However, in the last few years its glory has been revived. Many iconic hotels have been renovated and redecorated and none more spectacularly than the Viceroy. Decorated by famed interior designer (and Vogue regular) Kelly Wearstler, it has been transformed into a quirkily glamourous resort and spa~ and has again become a playground for the young and beautiful Hollywood set. The book, for me, is one part childhood memory and two parts luxurious fantasy~ and I can't wait to one day soak up the desert heat from one of the Viceroy's poolside loungers! 

I Would Die Happy Living Here

Isn't this the most breathtakingly beautiful perfection of a gloriously white home you've ever seen? (I know that sentence is ridiculous and it still doesn't do this house one ounce of justice) I could die happily living in such a place. Waking up in a poofy white bed, putting on a white silk robe and having cafe au lait from white china while perched on this dreamy white sofa. 

Yes, please. 

Where do I get me one? 

You won't be even remotely surprised to learn that the home belongs to Darci Ilich, co-owner of (you guessed it, my happy place) The Cross. I worship her. She has flawless taste. And she is nice, to boot! One day I hope to cultivate a home even one tenth as lovely as this. 

And maybe if not a whole home.... 

then one room?

 

(Photos via The Cross' Facebook Fan Page~ become a fan yourself!)

Big Style In A Small Space

Sometimes it is very cool to be on a "hello" basis with someone you admire from afar. That happened to me the other night and I got a little kick out of it. It might not mean much to other people but to me it was a small thrill.  

As I have mentioned before my favourite store in the world (think of the way Holly Golightly feels for Tiffany&Co.) is the Yaletown home decor mecca, The Cross. When I walk in the doors and the 5000 square feet envelopes me, I weirdly feel like nothing bad can happen to me. To be surrounded by so much beauty is a heady thing. I often feel transported to an entirely different place~ a gentler, English-speaking Paris perhaps? No matter~ I adore everything about it. My consistent wanderings through over the past five years has gotten me on a hello, chit chat basis with the staff while there. I experienced role reversal a few evenings ago when Peter, one of the store's amazing designers, stopped by my work and we exchanged genuine greetings of the "nice to see you" variety. A solid friendship it is not, but a little random connection in this city is a funny, lovely thing. 

At any rate, the exchange reminded me of Peter's gorgeous home, featured in the August 2008 issue of Canadian House & Home. He lives in a 625 square foot apartment in the downtown core and though the physical space is small, as it is apt to be in the centre of a city, it is broad with impact and style. Besides, as many of his furnishings are from The Cross, it was inevitable I would absolutely love it! The juicy hits of colour and wall of books makes me swoon! 

(Photos via The Cross from Canadian House and Home)

Vintage Style At My Place

My love for vintage style has crept into my apartment and is trying to take over! I just can't seem to help it that all my favourite things are ancient or made to look as if I just found them at a flea market! I think that's the wonderful thing about home decor and personal style~ the mixing and matching of all kinds of different items somehow band together to form a charming vignette! Here are a few of my favourite places around my little home. 

The picture above is in my living room. The mirrored chest (my favourite piece) is from Chintz & Company, the lamp belonged to my grandmother, the French clock a Christmas gift from Greg and Leah (love!!), birdcage tealight holder from Liberty, vintage gold jewelry box from my Auntie Barnie, art book from Chapters, silver bird and picture frames from Pottery Barn. 

My bedside table has a crystal block stacked lamp from The Cross, an Eiffel Tower purchased on the actual landmark, two books including a very old Alice in Wonderland and a new Wuthering Heights (a gift from Leah) plus fresh flowers, tealight holders from Anthropologie and buttons from Etsy with my favourite quote on them. The marble and gilt table is vintage itself, given to me by my grandmother.

My bedroom dresser has another crystal stacked lamp (this one a total steal from Home Sense for $40), twig earring stand and vase from The Cross, a stack of 70 plus years old Shakespeare books that once belonged to my grandmother, vintage teacup that holds more jewelry and an antique mirror from my other grandmother.  

My absolute favourite thing when I wander into any decor store are the inspiring vignettes on display (perhaps why I adore The Cross so much, they are masters at this). I've tried to introduce this into my own home and it is easy to do, as you can see! Books, flowers and odds and ends go a long way to make a space look homey. Now.... my big project~ I'm working on my mantle! Stay tuned! 

Room Inspiration

I love everything about this living room! Isn't it just girly heaven? Featured last year in Canadian House & Home magazine, the apartment itself is a rental belonging to a fellow Vancouverite. Although it's a fairly small space I love that she chose the oversized bevel glass leaning mirror~ mirrors always make rooms look bigger because of the reflection. It's no wonder I love everything about this room so much, as much of it was bought at my absolute favourite store, The Cross. I'm completely inspired by the flokati rug (so soft!), carved armchairs and pretty painted blue side table. I could move into this exact room and not want to change a thing. I think it's time to visit The Cross again! 

Preview The Cross here. 

(Photo courtesy of Canadian House & Home)