mosaicworks.ca

The Silver Pencil Mirror

2012-01-26T06:00:00.010-05:00

Last June I posted about gathering supplies for a new version of my Pencil Mirror. Seven months later...it's finished (been busy:). The timing was right as I was ready for our living room to have a new look.
The Silver Pencil Mirror is 40.25" in diameter and made with hand cut grey vitreous glass tiles, clear glass seed beads, chain rhinestone and 228 silver personalized pencils that read ARS GRATIA ARTIS, latin for 'art for the sake of art'. It's lovely and fits in nicely with our newly renovated kitchen. I'm pleased.
William appears to be indifferent to all the excitement. I think he fancies himself a cat?

I'm in the process of gathering supplies for another pencil mirror. It'll be my ode to The USA and our global economy:). The personalized coloured pencils are in the mail. Stay tuned...

Moving stuff around

2012-01-23T14:10:00.001-05:00

When we redid Emma's room last May Emma's mirror came down and a light turquoise mirror went up. For the past 8 months Emma's mirror has been in my room, on the floor, leaning against a wall. Knowing it deserved better then the floor I decided to hang it. But where?
Hannah suggested the front hall. No, I said, it won't work in the front hall. Try it, she said. So we did.
This is our ever changing front hall as of today.

Our ever changing Front Hall.

P.S. I have a new design consultant (that's wise beyond her 10 years:)

Best Breaks + a snowfall:)

2012-01-19T16:45:00.001-05:00

The Best Breaks

2012-01-16T13:30:00.001-05:00

Because I work out of my house and for myself I can take a break whenever I want. The best breaks are with William. I walk and he runs and runs and runs... and when we get back I work and he sleeps.
I'll spare you the sleeping Vizsla shot (saving it for another post:)

The Creative Process

2012-01-13T12:22:00.004-05:00

I like to divide my creative process into two parts. The first part is the hard one, coming up with a design that works. Taking many different elements and having them work together or "play nice" to quote Sonia King is a tricky task.
Part 1. Every new mirror that I make begins with something that inspires me. That inspiration leads to lots of ideas dancing around in my head which leads to a couple of sketchy designs (still in my head) which leads to gathering supplies (many never used) which leads to laying things out (not everyone wants to play nice) which leads to a finished sample or swatch board - my well laid out plan. When part one works I move on to part two, the easy one.
Part 2. Construction.
I thought I'd share a new design/sample board that I've been working on. It's all about teal blues and turquoise and should make for a stunning mirror. Can't wait to get started on part 2.
BTW: the ideal of working with different colour variations on this design has the right side of my brain spinning!

My inspiration; beautiful bridal sarees

First new year switch up

2012-01-04T08:45:00.108-05:00

Our Front Hall gets switched up a lot. The first before shot was taken over the Christmas holidays (our shortest lived vignette to date). I bought the red table at HomeSense, in early December, with the intention of painting it white and putting it in Emma's room. When I brought it home everyone loved the colour! It was so very festive (and notably? Pantone's colour of the year). On Hannah's ~~begging~~ urging we decided that it would stay red and become part of our 2011 very simple Christmas decor scheme.
We ended up liking it there so much that it almost stayed there. Almost. Three days after Christmas I painted it white, changed the knobs (Anthropologie:) and topped it off with a piece of clear glass.

It's now in Emma's room where, as you can see, it was desperately needed - yikes! And our front hall is back to the way it was - for now.

Inspirational photos for 2012

2012-01-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

Dance barefoot in the snow! Eat with gusto! Be the kind of woman...

Photo 1: Hannah and William enjoying the first big snow fall.
Photo 2: Sylvia Dorosh, Miss Red (now Stella) enjoying a meal. Our William is on the far left.
Photo 3: Artistic Reflections

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T08:15:00.000-05:00

Goodbye 2011. We enjoyed you! You had your moments but overall you were a good year.
We did Disney in January and took on New York City in July (the week of the heatwave!!!). Mosaicworks kept making stuff and Marathon Man kept running. We said a sad goodbye to our second Vizsla Rita and a happy hello to our third Vizsla William. We renovated our Kitchen and bought a new car ("Das Auto"). We all got a little older (and some got a little taller). Hopefully we all got a little wiser...
And now we're ready for 2012!

Happy Holidays:)

2011-12-23T21:41:00.000-05:00

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Made me smile.

Tangerine Tango, The Colour of 2012

2011-12-22T13:12:00.010-05:00

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,”
“Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

Pantone recently revealed The Color of the Year for 2012:
CARLSTADT, N.J., Dec. 8, 2011 – Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, a vivacious, enticing hue, as the color of the year for 2012.
The 2011 color of the year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.

I think Pantone would like us to...
"Dance into the New Year with this vivacious and appealing reddish orange"
Ok. I'll try.

Big is good

2011-12-08T07:53:00.009-05:00

Its been a busy couple of months at mosaicworks. I made a record number of mirrors (some very big) in an unusually short amount of time. Some were hard to say goodbye to. This was one of them. It was a custom order, through 1212, for a front hall. The design is from my Glam Series. It measured 36"x62" and weighed 50lbs. Before being delivered I put it in our dining room. It fit in nicely and added a well needed punch to the space. I loved how the ceiling seemed higher and the room felt grandeur. I wanted it to stay there...unfortunately it wasn't made for our dining room...
I've added make big mirror for dining room to the 2012 to do list.

For the love of White

2011-12-02T15:44:00.003-05:00

I recently finished 2 of these mirrors. They were a custom order for BedfordBrooks Interior Design.

The design is from my Shag Series. It's the tight shag in pearl white. They're 24.25"x40" and weigh 25lbs.

My love of white on white has been reignited.

The 'Biggest' One

2011-11-30T21:47:00.014-05:00

The finished product
This is the biggest mirror I've made, to date. It was delivered to the client's house yesterday and installed today. The installation which can be stressful (lots of glass!) went very well. Everyone was happy, especially the client (yeah!). The design is from my Shag Series. This one being the loose shag in light grey. It measures 9'x5' and weighs about 120lbs (we think). Its big and definitely made a big statement in its new lovely bedroom.
The process
There's only one way to do a mosaic and that's one piece (of whatever) at a time. There's no high tech machinery to speed up the process or little Disney mice running around cutting tiles in the wee hours of the night. The process is tedious, laborious and always seems endless...but in the end when everything is neatly in it's place all that is forgotten. And I start another one...

Hmmm...

2011-11-22T06:37:00.003-05:00

Hmm...I'm wondering...
1. Why has William decided to claim our newly reupholstered white chair when we very thoughtfully gave him a very cozy, grey chair to call his own?
And...
2. Are the antlers safe?
Photos: William at 5.5 months.

Rememberance Day...

2011-11-11T09:31:00.002-05:00

I made/finished The Poppy Field November 2005. I always liked it and when I sold it I missed it. I often think about it, for the obvious reasons, around this time of year...

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:31:00.006-04:00

Alice, are you alright? he asked, in a thick British accent...

Simply William, a book of Will

2011-10-26T07:03:00.008-04:00

About a month ago I started putting together a book using the very cool site Blurb. It's amazing. They supply the layout, you supply the photos and copy and voilà your very own book is born!
My two copies arrived in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be more pleased with them.
Thank you Blurb. I think I'm hooked. Simply William, a book of Will is my very own, special coffee table book that I'm thinking will make two very special Christmas gifts.

SimplyWilliam a book of Will by Karen Johnston

Make Your Own Book

Never tire of being noticed

2011-10-24T19:38:00.010-04:00

I'm very busy right now, making mirrors, which is always a good thing. It doesn't matter how busy I get I never get tired of my work being noticed.
The other day I came across about.com, interior decorating by Lauren Flanagan. I know it was written in May but it's never too late to say Thank you. Thanks Lauren!

Then today I saw that Bedford Brooks Design started a new blog series that features stores and design finds.
And there I was. Thanks Peter!

Inspirational Artists

2011-10-17T07:40:00.005-04:00

Sonia King is a well known contemporary mosaic artist who teaches, writes books, lectures and exhibits around the world. Sonia King and her work, a great source of inspiration for artists working in any medium.

"Mosaic is hard. Art is harder." Sonia King

Beautiful Kale

2011-10-14T12:38:00.004-04:00

Kale. Had no idea it would make such a stunning bouquet. A lovely shot for my inspiration board.

For the love of Dogs

2011-10-09T08:17:00.003-04:00

Photo1: Miska. Photo2: Diva, Miska and William. Photo3: Miska and William.
We dog sat two lovely Vizlas last week, Miska, Will's Mom and Diva, Will's big Sister. They went home today. We loved having them and miss them (especially Will) already.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend

2011-10-07T08:06:00.004-04:00

More Mosaic Magic

2011-10-01T07:42:00.008-04:00

Was up early this morning, reading my regular reads when I came upon the work of Jane Perkins via Blue Velvet Chair (thanks Mike, tried to leave a comment but kept getting errors?).
I'm not usually a big fan of mosaic portraits but Jane's portraits 'work'. Putting this many elements with so many colours and textures together is a difficult task then having it 'work' is mosaic magic to me.
What I liked even more, after reading Jane's bio, is that her work is as inspirational as her story...

After 17 years as a nurse and 10 more as a full time mother, I decided it was time to develop my creative potential and pursue my longstanding passion for textiles. Jane Perkins

Always good to be inspired - a great way to start the day.

Our Kitchen Makeover is finished!

2011-09-29T10:42:00.020-04:00

Finally! This is our new white kitchen. We took a big box builder's mess and turned it into the kitchen that we've always wanted. It took 8 months, involved 5 big projects, a few smaller ones and cost around $12,000. We went real slow (started in early February!) and tackled one project at a time. Here's the breakdown...

Project #1, better lighting, was in my opinion the most important of all the projects. Why a big box builder would put just 1 light in a kitchen I'll never know!?! It makes no sense.
We now have 10 pot lights and 3 pendant lights over the island:)
Project #2, The Island, added some needed character to the space. Because the island increased in size we are now able to seat 4 people at the counter rather then 3. Bonus plus - because we added a bookcase to the end my cookbooks are now on display which I love.
Project #3, The new Corian Countertops, sink and new faucet, was the most expensive project (half the budget) and our big splurge!
Here's the thing - if you're going to change the counter tops then you might as well change the sink and if you're going to change the sink then you'd might as well change the faucets (this is exactly what I told Marathon Man. He agreed). I'm now a huge Corian fan.
Project #4, The Backsplash, was the least expensive project mainly because we did it ourselves (thanks again Handy Man Dad!). Subway tiles were an easy choice - simple, clean and timeless.
Project #5, Painting The Cupboards white, seemed to drag on forever. It was painful staring at open cupboards for 3 weeks but in the end it was worth the wait. I love the white - simple, clean and timeless:)

Everything really came together with the addition of the new old Chair and the Deer Antlers, the matching roman blind and of course the wallpaper (the small !#*@? project that grew).
I'm loving my our new white kitchen! Now, onto the next thing on the list.

Running in the zoo with my cub

2011-09-24T13:37:00.015-04:00

This morning Emma and I ran 5k in The Toronto Oasis Zoo Run. I was too late signing up for the 10k (it filled up quickly) so I opted for the 5k and asked Emma (13) to join me. It was so much fun running through The Toronto Zoo with her ('with' for 3k actually - then she left me in the dust). I was happy with my time, 29:21.9 (yeah! I broke 30) and thrilled with Emma's, 26:25.0 (the girl is fast).

Looking forward to next year. And I'll be sure to sign up early as it'll be Emma's first Zoo 10k:)
Top photos: brightroom

Deer Antlers in The Kitchen?

2011-09-16T11:25:00.015-04:00

Photos, September 2011
Sometimes it's hard deciding where to put stuff (for me it's mostly about furniture and art). I like moving stuff around a lot, always looking for just the right spot. I decided to put our new old chair in the kitchen. I think it's in just the right spot.
I've been looking for just the right spot for our Deer Antlers for years. I think I've found it, above the new old chair.
Where did our Deer Antlers come from you ask?...
The Deer Antler Story: It was the winter of 2007. The girls (9 and 6 at the time) and I were out walking the dogs, in the woods behind our subdivision, when we came upon a deer carcass. It was in the final stages of decomposition so it was mostly bones. The antlers and skull were beautiful and my first thought was how cool they'd look in our house plus I saw a 'teaching moment'. Which one motivated me into action you'll never know;). We went home and returned with the necessary supplies - gloves, a green garbage bag, a hammer and a saw. I think you know where this is going...no girlie girls here. Teaching moments are too important - no time for that s*#t). Removing the skull from the top vertebrae was surprisingly difficult. It took a lot of muscle and a little help from the hammer and saw. Stay with me...and remember it was DEAD and had been that way for a long time. Eventually we got the job done. On the way home I couldn't help but wonder what I'd say if a neighbour asked, "whacha got in the bag?"...
At home we simply googled how to prepare Deer Antlers for mounting and followed the instructions. Yes, it was that easy. My only mistake was that I boiled it IN the house (not the smartest move) the smell was nasty and lingered for days! I'll know better for next time.
This was definitely one of my more memorable Mommy Moments and lucky me that it came with a bonus, Deer Antlers that are now in just the right spot, in the kitchen, above the new old chair.

Photos, Winter 2007

From Granny to Graphic

2011-09-13T06:55:00.009-04:00

This is our new old chair fresh from The Upholsterer. Wow! that's what I said when I picked it up.
Many years ago my parents passed this chair onto me. It belonged to my paternal great grandmother. When I first got it the back was caned and it was painted white. Since then it has been stripped, stained, painted and reupholstered three times - if only it could talk.
I love the new look. I figure it'll be around for at least a couple of years:)
Now, where to put it?...
The paint is Benjamin Moore's Black and the material is from Mood fabrics in New York. I bought it when we were there in July.

Monday smile

2011-09-12T13:06:00.003-04:00

Head on over to desiretoinspire and see our William in this Monday's pet's on furniture post. Desiretoinspire is great site that showcases incredible homes and their interiors. Every Monday they feature a bunch of wonderful shots (submitted by readers) of their beloved pet's lounging on furniture. Guaranteed to make you smile.

What makes me smile...

2011-09-11T09:02:00.008-04:00

Watching Emma running her ass off at soccer. Watching Hannah enjoying her new toy (purchased with her Birthday and Christmas money). And William. Turned my back on him, for a second, while folding laundry.

Our Kitchen Makeover continues...project #6, !#@? Wallpaper

2011-09-09T12:05:00.008-04:00

Last weekend I added another project (#6, Wallpaper) to Our Kitchen Makeover, which is almost done by the way. I decided that instead of painting the walls above the cupboards, for a change, I'd wallpaper them. My thinking was that it would add some warmth and texture to the space. I chose a very subtle floral print from Lowes (on clearance for $8 a roll). I figured that at that price I couldn't go wrong.
I thought it would be a small, easy job. I thought it would take about half a day. WRONG.
It ended up being a big job that ate up most of my our long weekend. There were a number of issues...
#1. Getting in and above the cupboards was a pain in the ass - very awkward!
#2. There was a lot of cutting to be done because the wall area was so short - very time consuming!
#3. The paper colour (white on white) made it almost impossible to see when matching up the pattern - very annoying!
There was a lot of swearing. It went painfully slow. Eventually it got done. The amusing part (but not to me) is that it's so subtle that if you blink you'll miss it (lol).
In the end I think it looks good. Would I do it again? Hmmm, probably not. But like I said it looks good. And isn't that all that really matters?:)

Thanks Design*Sponge!

2011-09-08T13:02:00.027-04:00

Happy Thursday! My Big Wood Ruler Mirror was featured on Design*Sponge today (Before and After). Design*Sponge is a regular read of mine - Your home for all things Design. It's a great source of information as well as inspiration. Thanks again Design*Sponge, for sharing some of my world with yours.

Wilma, Wilma, Wilma...

2011-09-01T18:11:00.019-04:00

These ~~are~~ were a pair of my favourite heels...
Somehow our little William (Wilma when he's bad) managed to bypass the baby gate and make his way into my closet. It all happened very quietly...
Ultimately I know it was my fault. I shouldn't have let him out of my sight and I should NEVER have left my closet door open. Lesson learned.
He's lucky that he's so damn cute! Cue the angelic music...

Note: Don't let William out of sight. Close all doors. Don't let William out of sight. Close all doors. Don't let William out of sight. Close all doors.

Sunday Love

2011-08-28T16:53:00.004-04:00

Doesn't get much better then watching your kid play'in hard and lov'in it!

Recycling A Mirror

2011-08-20T09:33:00.014-04:00

The Big Wood Ruler Mirror that I just finished has an interesting story. This is how it came to be...
These mirrors (photo below) are sitting in our unfinished basement, waiting to be recycled.

They came from the bathrooms in our house that we've slowly been changing up. They're a big box builder thing. When we moved in, 5 years ago, every bathroom looked like this one (left photo below). Big boring mirror topped with cheap Hollywood lights. It's a good thing I make mirrors:)

The Process: I took one of those big plain mirrors, added a big fat frame then worked some design magic. In this case the magic came from 234 wood rulers, 408 brass screws and 156 brass hex nuts.
The Big Wood Ruler Mirror was the first of these mirrors to get a new life. Three more to go. Stayed tuned...

Bigger is better, especially with mirrors

2011-08-19T14:35:00.028-04:00

I just finished a new mirror. My biggest to date. It's part of my School House Series.
It's 5'x 6'9" and weighs about 110 lbs. It's made with 408 brass screws, 156 brass hex nuts and 234 wood rulers.
It's big.

Marathon Man and I managed to hang it with minimal swearing. And I think we're still friends?:)
I love the impact of big stuff!!! Happy weekend.

I'm officially obsessed...

2011-08-09T12:22:00.001-04:00

Obsessed with photographing Will! I can't put the damn camera down:)?
Photo: Marathon Man and Will 7:30pm

More ridiculously cute puppy photos

2011-08-08T07:46:00.010-04:00

All you need is;
1. A NikonD5000 and 2. A riducously cute Vizsla puppy (named Will).
Ok, ok enough with the puppy photos! I've got to get some work done.

Welcome Will!

2011-08-06T16:45:00.066-04:00

It's a happy hello after Thursday's sad goodbye.
This is our new boy, Will (William when he's up to no good). Will will be our 3rd Vizsla (hard to believe) so we know what we're in for:)!!! Vizsla's are a lovely breed - affectionate, loyal and very active (not a problem with Marathon Man milling about).
We're very happy to welcome Will into our world but at the same time very sad that he didn't get to meet Rita. We had a plan. It changed :(
Rita would have embraced Will...we're positive...pretty positive...

Rita, August 2011. We miss you.

Rita (October 28, 1996 - August 4, 2011)

2011-08-04T11:15:00.008-04:00

We said goodbye to our girl Rita today (14 years, 9 months old). Her health started declining about 2 weeks ago - lethargic, not eating, having a hard time getting up...we knew it was time.
Rita was a bit of a loner who liked everyone around. She was sweet. She was bossy. She was smart. She was loyal. She was a beautiful dog.
Two years ago we said goodbye to Bob and now Rita. It's never easy.
I have a scenario in my head that's helping me through this. It goes something like this...
Rita arrives at the happy dog park in the sky. She finds Bob. He is curled up, on a cozy little couch, having a nap. Rita ignores the fact that there is very little space for her and climbs up. Bob growls. Rita nudges him over. Bob growls again. Rita nudges him over again then curls up beside him (and maybe a little on him). Bob sighs. They nap...
The End.

The above photo is of Bob (left) and Rita (right), August 1997. It makes me smile.
Bob will be so happy to see her...I'm positive...pretty positive...

Farm fresh! Ontario Raspberries

2011-08-01T06:00:00.014-04:00

We go to Linton's Farm Market about once a week, sometimes twice. This week we picked our own Raspberries. When we got home we googled 'cookies with raspberries' and found this amazing recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cookies. I made one small change. I doubled the amount of raspberries that the recipe called for (because I could:). They were delicious!!!
Farm Fresh. Nothing better.

Our Kitchen Makeover...Project #5, Painting The Cupboards

2011-07-29T19:56:00.007-04:00

This is what Our Kitchen looks like right now. I took off all the cupboard doors to be sprayed white (Benjamin Moore's cloud white). Very exciting. Apparently more for me than for Marathon Man. What is it with men and painting wood!?!
Hopefully everything will be back to normal, by next week, when the new puppy arrives. A puppy, right...our normal is about to morph into a new kind of normal:)

WHO could resist this!?!

2011-07-25T06:00:00.188-04:00

I love dogs. I grew up with dogs (Honey, Bj and then Bucky). Marathon Man and I had Bob and we have Rita, who's almost 15!. But for the past year or so I've been thinking about taking a break from dogs (after Rita goes - hard to even think about it)...right...
Yesterday we spent the afternoon with 6 Vizsla puppies (7.5 weeks old). One of them will be coming home with us in a couple of weeks (yikes!). It's been a long time since we've had a baby, of any kind, in our house. This is a huge decision that I've decided to embrace, not because I have to (Marathon Man and the girls were very persuasive) but because I want to.
Right now all we know is that we're getting a male (from a litter of 2 females and 4 males). I'm hoping that he'll be sweet like Bob was and smart like Rita is. Not that Bob wasn't smart - but the eating toilet paper off the roll thing always kept us guessing?
We're all very excited, especially Marathon Man - happy that there'll be some more testosterone in the house (always trying to level the playing field, lol!?!).

P.S. Rita, I'm sorry for turning your world upside down. We'll try and make 'the change' as smooth as possible? I've got your back Honey.

Why we love NYC!

2011-07-24T06:00:00.006-04:00

Last week we spent 4 days in New York City. We stayed at a cool hotel, saw a ball game, saw a Broadway show, ate great food, walked The Brooklyn Bridge, ran in Central Park, went to The Guggenheim, went to The Met (saw the amazing Alexander McQueen Exhibit, Savage Beauty) and shopped 'til we dropped at an outlet mall!

That's why we love NYC. And that's why we've got to go back!

The Durham 1/4 Marathon 2011

2011-07-23T18:10:00.003-04:00

Today was The Durham 1/4 Marathon. It's a great run for a great cause. This year they added The 1/8 Marathon (5.27 km) to the event. Apparently it's the first 1/8 Marathon in Canada. So...this year instead of doing the 1/4 Marathon (10.549 km) my sister and I decided to do the 1/8 and make it a family affair. I ran with my daughter and she ran with her son. It was the first organized race for both of them. We all finished, without stopping (yeah!) and we all got medals (bonus yeah!). It was a day full of big sweaty smiles and lots of high fives:) Thankfully this year it wasn't as hot as it was last year. But we still welcomed the hose that The Oshawa Fire department offered up for those who wanted a quick cool down.
I've got to give a big thanks to Mr. Fireman for providing us with a great photo opt! And thanks again Sue, Jesse (12) and Emma (13). I'm really looking forward to next year as our crew is growing.
Next year, plus Hannah (10), we'll be a crew of 5.

My Perfect Birthday Breakfast

2011-07-15T06:00:00.072-04:00

What to do with lots of fresh picked Ontario Strawberries?...
Crumbles/Cobblers (of any kind) are one of my favourite desserts. My perfect Crumble is served cold, with not too much sugar in the fruit (tart is good) and a little extra crumble on top (to counter the tart).
This Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble recipe is from Closet Cooking. I put my stamp on it by adding 1/2 more of the crumble stuff then what was called for:)
Served first thing in the morning with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and you've got yourself a breakfast for Champions or even better (since today is my birthday) the perfect Birthday Breakfast!
The real celebrations begin with a dinner, tomorrow night, in New York City. That's right NYC. Why NYC? because it's MY Birthday;)

Small change, big impact

2011-07-11T06:00:00.013-04:00

We have one more big project left to do in our Kitchen Makeover, painting the cabinets white. In between these big projects I've been working on some smaller ones. As you can see I changed up the roman blinds in the window and painted the trim.
I have to admit that I was a little nervous about painting the trim BLACK. The chatter in my head went something like this...be fearless, just do it, you can always paint it back, stop rethinking it and just @*&#!! paint!!
Obviously my fearlessness paid off. It's amazing what a difference such small changes can make. And the best part is that it didn't cost a thing. The blinds were changed up from another window and the black paint was left over from my console table makeover.
We're almost there:)

Sunday at the Beach

2011-07-10T16:57:00.001-04:00

Sunny, cloudy, then some rain. Didn't really matter. Sunday at the Beach.

Our Kitchen Makeover...Project #4, The Backsplash

2011-07-08T06:30:00.013-04:00

I haven't posted about our Kitchen Makeover in awhile. I'm happy to say that it's still moving right along.
We just finished Project #4, The Backsplash. This project was by far the quickest (2 days), the cheapest (under $200:) and the easiest (I do mosaics) of all the projects so far.
That's not to say that there wasn't any glitches...
I thought we could hand cut the tiles that needed to be cut, around the electrical etc, without a wet saw. WRONG!!! I do mosaics. What was I thinking!?! A quick trip to Home Depot's rental department and said glitch was fixed. But by the end of the day, when tired, cranky and hungry were setting in, there was another glitch. We were running dangerously low on tiles. Why? because so many were wasted trying to cut without a wet saw! It got a little tense but in the end it all worked out - with not one tile to spare.
So far everything is looking great. And I'm now seeing the light at the end of the makeover tunnel. A very shiny and very bright one!

P.S. As always, a big thanks to my Handy Man Dad who, very patiently, put up with my perfectionist ways, even when tired, cranky and hungry set in.

~~Project #1, Lighting~~
~~Project #2, The Island~~
~~Project #3, New counter tops (plus sink and faucet)~~
~~Project #4, The Back splash~~
Project #5, Painting The Cupboards - white

Farm fresh! Ontario Strawberries

2011-07-04T07:04:00.002-04:00

There's nothing better then getting your fruit and vegetables fresh from the farm. And it's especially fun when you can pick your own. Linton's Farm Market, our go to farm, is open everyday until the end of October. If you're in the Durham (Ontario) area it's well worth a visit!

Durham Farm Fresh is a great site with a list of local farms selling their goods (at their farms).

Farm Fresh. Nothing better.

Happy Birthday Canada!

2011-07-01T05:54:00.035-04:00

Lovely photo from Honey Nutbrown's.

Today is Canada Day.
How Wikipedia defines it: Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", particularly in the popular press, the occasion marks the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867. Canada became a kingdom in its own right on that date but the British Parliament kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

How your average Canadian defines it: July 1st is Canada's BDay! A day to kick back, relax, watch some fireworks, have a beer and make a toast to this big, beautiful country that we proudly call Canada. This year July 1st falls on a Friday giving lots of happy Canadians a long weekend which means more time to kick back, relax, watch some fireworks, have a beer and make a toast to this big, beautiful country that we call home. Happy 144th Birthday Canada. Cue The National Athem!!!...

My sentimental pillows

2011-06-27T09:19:00.006-04:00

A long time ago (1990, yikes!) Marathon Man and I took a trip to Vancouver. On that trip I brought along my very first Visa card which of course was followed by my very first Visa purchase. I remember it well...it was a $300 Ralph Lauren chintz skirt (before kids I spent my money very differently!?!). It was all so exciting, when I left the store it felt like I was walking out with a freebie (so naive).
I loved my RL skirt. It was ankle length and had tons of pleats. I wore it a lot. But as styles changed it spent more and more time in my closet. Years went by before I finally decided that it was time for it to come out. And it did...
My very first Visa purchase is now not one but 4 lovely chintz pillows that I look at everyday and love. They're my special RL pillows with a little history and a lot of sentimental value.
As I see it my $300 went a long way:)

A lovely end to a busy weekend

2011-06-19T21:50:00.051-04:00

Last Tuesday I posted about a Guinness chocolate cheesecake. I made it for our Father's Day dinner. I summered things up with some big fat strawberries drizzled with Lindt chocolate. It was heavenly. The perfect Father's Day dessert. And the perfect ending to a very busy weekend.

Hopefully my two favourite guys had a great day:)

For the recipe go to my new favourite food blog, Closet Cooking.

Gathering supplies...

2011-06-17T06:00:00.018-04:00

Recently I posted about a package arriving with the wrong order in it. The company said that they'd send the right order asap and they did. The right order arrived today. Yeah:)! Quick, considering there was a mail strike going on - wasn't there? No worries. I'm good to go now that I have 288 silver pencils that say ARS GRATIA ARTIS on them! Stay tuned...

Running Thoughts

2011-06-14T06:40:00.016-04:00

The other day Marathon Man and I were out for a run. I'm his warm up. When I'm done he carries on for a gazillion more miles. Anyway, he was telling me how much he loves running. How he thinks things through on his runs and how it helps him to clear his head...
Me on the other hand...I don't love running. And I pretty much think about what I'm going to eat when I get home! It's why I run actually - because I love food:)
Speaking of food I discovered Closet Cooking not too long ago. It's a great blog full of great recipes. I know because I've tried a bunch of them out. Kevin, from Toronto, spends his free time searching for and trying tasty new recipes in his closet sized kitchen. The Guinness chocolate cheesecake (shown above) is from Closet Cooking. Visit Kevin's blog for the recipe and many more!

Sunday Love...

2011-06-12T16:12:00.002-04:00

Our girl, Rita, making the best of her Sunday.
At 14 years and 7 months (that's around 92 in human years according to this website) she can do as she pleases. She's my girl, my lady, my silly bitch:)

Vibram fivefingers follow up...

2011-06-06T06:00:00.004-04:00

I've been running in my new Vibram fivefingers® for a little over a week now which pretty much makes me an expert;) So what do I have to say about them? They're great. I'm converted. I love my new Virbram fivefingers!
The best part is that I actually feel lighter on my feet (always a good thing when running) which makes sense because I am. And the second best part is that I never have to worry about finding a pair of running socks (always a mystery where they go?) again!
I'm officially joining Marathon Man in singing the praises of Vibram fivefingers. If you're really quiet you'll hear us:)

What the @#*!?!

2011-06-03T06:00:00.041-04:00

I'm in the process of making a silver version of my Pink Pencil Mirror. I ordered the pencils a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday the package arrived (always exciting:) Then I opened the box. What the @#*!? An order gone horribly wrong!!! Definitely not the silver pencils I was expecting:(
What the @#*! will I do with 288 multi-coloured, smiley face pencils that say ARS GRATIA ARTIS (Latin for 'art for the sake of art') on them?...
The good news is for me, the company is sending the correct order asap. The bad news is for the 100 or so trick or treaters who'll be knocking at our door next Halloween...
Candy is overrated;)

Emma's Bedroom Makeover

2011-05-29T17:06:00.012-04:00

I have a thing for Before and Afters. I love looking at them and I love doing them. After Emma saw Hannah's bedroom makeover she asked if we could do her room. Not that there was anything wrong with her room. It just needed a little freshening up.
It all started with the colour choice - turquoise, with more blue then green in it. And that's how we went from pretty in Paris to happy in The Hamptons.

That's Alice. She's been around for a long time. The odds are good that she'll be around long after we tire of The Hamptons;)

Paint: Benjamin Moore, Tranquil Blue

Ceiling light: Ikea

White lamps: HomeSense

Mirrors: Mosaicworks

Wicker chair: Pulled out of a trash bin (Emma's idea) a couple of summers ago (she's my girl!:)

If you can't beat'em...

2011-05-27T16:56:00.004-04:00

Marathon Man started running barefoot last summer. That's right no shoes. Just his bare naked feet slapp'in the pavement. Crazy? I thought so. But guess what? Not one of the ugly predictions made by many (including me) came true. He hasn't had one injury. No sliced toes from broken glass. No holes in heals from embedded rocks. No Avian (bird) flu from stepping in poo (damn those Canadian Geese!). Seriously not one injury.
When winter came (and remember we get chilly ones) he kept on at it but obviously his feet needed some kind of protection. So he started running in Vibram fivefingers®.
A year has past and he's still running barefoot and still singing it's praises. So...when I went off the other day on how much I hated my running shoes, couldn't wait to get them off after every run and how my feet felt like the were on fire...he suggested that I try Vibram fivefingers. Hmmm...(that's about how long I thought about it). Why not?
I'll let you know how my silly new shoes work out...

This is us in our Vibram fivefingers.

If you can't beat'em...

Still Gardening...

2011-05-24T12:26:00.004-04:00

We spent most of our long weekend gardening and we'll probably spend most of next weekend doing the same thing. I have to say that at the end of the day, after all the weed pick'in and dirt lugg'in is done, it sure looks mighty pretty! With that said I've contently conceded to the fact that 'gardening' will remain on 'the to do list' for the rest of summer:)
P.S. I'm still loving my NikonD5000!!!

Happy May Two-Four!

2011-05-20T07:29:00.013-04:00

This weekend is The Victoria Day long weekend - Monday being a holiday. It's also called, by many Canadians, The May 2-4 weekend. Which, by the way, we also call a case of beer 'a 2-4', as in "I'm going to the beer store. Want me to pick up a 2-4?" Get it? there's 24 beers in a case. It's all very Canadian:)

The big 'to do' job (as you can see) this May 2-4 is our garden. It's a bit of a mess.

I'm thinking that Marathon Man and I should have a 2-4 standing by for when we finish the job!

Our 'new' old Coffee Table

2011-05-15T15:21:00.004-04:00

Finding a coffee table for our living room has been on my 'to do list' for a while. I found this gem at Value Village a couple of weeks ago for only $24! The thrill of the find - I love how it happens when you least expect it.

I primed once, painted twice (leftover Benjamin Moore's Dune white), added a piece of clear glass ($54) and it was ready for it's close up.

Decoratoritis!?!

2011-05-11T10:42:00.001-04:00

This is our Front Hall. All the shots were taken within a year (and yes there have been a few more changes in between). The bottom right is how it looks right now...
Ok, you're right Mr. Stylenorth, I've got Decoratoritis! Not to worry. As long as I stay on my meds; Design Inc reruns, New issues of Style at Home, back issues of House and Home...everything will be just fine;)
P.S. I'm thinking wallpaper might be a nice addition to this space?

Our 'new' old Console Table

2011-05-06T06:00:00.041-04:00

We bought this Console Table on Craigslist ($80) about a month ago. It was all about the 3 drawers. As you can see in the before shot it was a little sad looking. Marathon Man didn't say anything but I'm pretty sure he was thinking I drove all the way to Etobicoke for this?! Little did he know...

We added some trim to the front of the drawers, replaced the knobs (love you Anthropology), painted it black and topped it off with a piece of clear glass. Now he knows...

It looks fabulous in our Front Hall (it was due for a change;) and we all agree that it was worth the drive to Etobicoke.

P.S. Thanks again Marathon Man for driving to Etobicoke* twice! (on the first trip it wouldn't fit in his car - oops).
*For everyone from away - Oshawa (where we live) to Etobicoke is about 60kms (37miles). That means Marathon Man put in 240kms (148miles) for this baby:)

Hannah's Bedroom Makeover

2011-05-04T17:55:00.065-04:00

We started Hannah's bedroom makeover during our March Break and finished it today, which happens to be her 10th birthday. We said goodbye to Benjamin Moore's 'Million Dollar Red', painted the walls and chandelier white and punched things up with yellow. We couldn't be happier, especially with the accent wall! This was our first experience with wallpaper and we just might be hooked. Happy Birthday Miss Hannah. If you were a colour you'd be yellow - a bright, beautiful burst of sunshine.

Dog Print - from Etsy, by a Toronto based Illustrator

Lamps beside the bed - Value Village, $7.99 each

Night tables - Craigslist, $12.50 each

Yellow Daisy Mirror - Mosaicworks
White Glam Mirror - Mosaicworks
Wallpaper - From 'The Ink Book' through Benjamin Moore

Our Kitchen Makeover continues...

2011-04-29T13:25:00.019-04:00

We've been busy working on our Kitchen Makeover. I'm happy to say that Project#2, The Island, is done. It tag teamed nicely with project #3, The new counter tops, which ended up including a new sink and faucet (how couldn't we!?). I finished painting the island last week, the counter tops and sink were installed Wednesday (after a lot of research we decided to go with Corian - Which Hazel) and the new faucet was installed this morning.

So far so good.

The undermount sink is sleek and sexy and the Delta faucet with Touch2O® Technology is pretty damn cool! But I think it's the counter tops that I'm loving the most. I can't stop running my hands over the corian - it's so smooth.

Now it's onto Projects #4 and #5.

P.S. Re: Project #5 - The decision has been made - the cupboards are going white!

~~Project #1, Lighting,~~
~~Project #2, The Island~~
~~Project #3, New counter tops (plus sink and faucet)~~
Project #4, The Backsplash
Project #5, Painting The Cupboards - white

So Pretty in Pink!

2011-04-21T06:30:00.030-04:00

I thought I'd try making my Pencil Mirror in a different colour...

I found these stunning pink pencils online and had them 'personalized'. A great colour and a great message (ARS GRATIA ARTIS, latin for 'art for the sake of art') made for a fabulous new mirror. Which in turn gave our living room a fabulous new look.

The Pink Pencil Mirror is 40.25" in diameter and made with hand cut pink vitreous glass tiles, pink glass seed beads, chain rhinestone and 226 very pink pencils!

Thank you canadianoriginals!

2011-04-20T06:30:00.004-04:00

Yesterday mosaicworks was featured on Joyce MacFarlane's blog canadianoriginals. Joyce is a Toronto writer and interior decorator that shares stories about creative Canadians who inspire her.

Thank you Joyce, for 'spreading the word'! It's wonderful to be considered a creative Canadian who inspires.

Hannah's Yellow Daisy Mirror

2011-04-17T11:12:00.004-04:00

Recently I've been having a love fest with yellow. We're in the process of making over Hannah's bedroom. We're going from red walls to white and accenting with hits of yellow. Here's a sneak peek of the mirror I made for Hannah's new room. It's made with white vitreous glass tiles, chained rhinestone, a lovely cotton daisy trim and yellow and white glass seed beads. Stay tuned for the before and after shots. We're trying wallpaper for the first time!

Inspired by TRADhome

2011-04-13T13:53:00.063-04:00

Traditional Home + Lonny = TRADHome Magazine (online). The premier issue is full of beautiful and inspiring shots!
P.S. I'm loving lemon yellow right now. It's such a happy colour.

Meet The Steel Ruler Mirror's Sister

2011-04-02T12:54:00.006-04:00

This is The Wood Ruler Mirror. It's 40" in diameter, weighs 25lbs and is made with 90 wood rulers, 90 brass hex nuts and 135 brass screws. It's not as flashy as it's sister, The Steel Ruler Mirror which BTW is being shipped to California next week (yeah!). Thanks again Design*Sponge for exposing my work to a much bigger audience.

Again! with the front hall

2011-03-25T14:40:00.034-04:00

Yes, our front hall has changed again...

A couple of weeks ago I noticed some brown spots on the white ottoman in our front hall (most likely the result of dirty winter boots being kicked off in an unstoppable mad frenzy?#@*!).

I remained calm. Dabbed with a wet cloth. Dabbed more. Things smeared. Started rubbing. Got panicky. Rubbed more. Grabbed The Prosolve (if it works on pet stains?...). Sprayed without thinking. Sprayed spot turned yellow! Panicked more. Got water! Tried diluting! Stopped and watched the yellow stain grow...finally walked away (admitting defeat). Maybe, I thought, just maybe when it dried somehow the now huge yellow stain would magically disappear and our lovely white ottoman would be lovely and white once again. Didn't happen.

The next day the stain was still there - bigger and 'yellower'. I tried to cover it up with a white throw (magazine-like). Didn't work. It just reminded me of what a mess I'd made!?#@*!?....And so, that's how the 'new look' for our front hall came to be.

The church pew was moved from the upstairs hall, the pine box was moved from the basement, waiting for it's moment, and the mirror is one of mine (Marathon Man has been calling it 'black beauty' which I have to admit seems rather appropriate).

Note to optimistic self: Continue to buy white furniture, regardless of the little people milling about.

Note to Margie: You can always move the vase over if you want to sit down.

Looking for mosaic supplies?

2011-03-22T07:48:00.002-04:00

Mosaic Beach Studio, in Toronto, is a good place to start. Owner, Tanya MacFarlane is a self taught mosaicist and Mosaic Beach's full-time instructor. On March 1st Tanya opened a new studio - a working studio with classes and some retail hours (right now it's "by appointment" or "by chance" - of which she's very accommodating). It's located at 6 Carlaw Avenue, unit 201, and is a great complement to her long time running and easy to use online store.

If you're a newbie to mosaicing or a seasoned pro you'll find just about everything you'll need at Mosaic Beach Studio. Tanya knows her stuff and her passion for mosaicing is palpable!

It's almost here...

2011-03-18T07:41:00.003-04:00

And I'm very ready for it. Spring.

The Rose Chair

2011-03-14T07:47:00.006-04:00

This is The Rose Chair. I mosaiced it years ago. Few have seen it, some love it, some hate it. It quietly sits in the corner of my studio with a big pile of, 'I'll get to that later', stuff on it. I don't really pay much attention to it but the other day while looking for something I stopped and gave it a hard look. Man, I thought, I spent a lot of time on that baby...I don't love it nor do I hate it but I do like it being there. It reminds me of where I've been and where I'm going.
I have a feeling that I'm not the only one that keeps this kind of reminder in their studio and/or work space.

A well laid out plan

2011-03-12T04:28:00.015-05:00

The best part about creating mosaic mirrors is that the design possibilities are endless. The worst part about creating mosaic mirrors is that the design possibilities are endless. With that said it's no surprise that things can get ugly, real fast - unless you have a plan.

I try to keep my designs clean and simple and start every project with a plan. My plans come in the form of 1'x1' sample boards or swatch boards (if you're a knitter). Over the past couple of years I've made a lot of sample boards! Some work and some don't. Even the smallest design changes merit a new board. The most important thing about these boards is that they're huge time savers and make the construction stage of any project effortless (mindless really).
It's like that with anything, isn't it? A well laid out plan is always a good thing.

I'm kind of liking that these sample boards, as a collective, have taken on an interesting life of their own. That's what I love about mosaics!

Happy Thursday!

2011-03-10T12:14:00.004-05:00

Wow! What a day. I haven't even had lunch yet and 2 wonderful things have already happened.
Mosaicworks is featured in styleNorth and my Ruler Mirror is featured in Design*Sponge.
I'm strolling into the weekend and our March Break doing my own little version of the happy dance (it's very subtle). A big thanks to Design*Sponge! And an even bigger thanks (again) to stylenorth!
Now...what to have for lunch?

The Turquoise Bead Mirror

2011-03-07T13:34:00.007-05:00

I just finished another 'new' mirror. There are a few glitches to work out but I'm very excited about this prototype. The Turquoise Seed Bead Mirror is 34" in diameter and made with vitreous glass tiles, chained rhinestone and a variety of coloured seed beads (lots of them). Seed beads come in a huge array of stunning colours opening up a whole new, crazy, exciting world of design possibilities. Maybe 'excited' is an understatement?

What to do with 78 rulers?

2011-03-06T08:22:00.008-05:00

Just finished a new mirror and am happy with the results. The Steel Ruler Mirror along with The Pencil Mirror will now be part of 'The School House Series'? not 100% sure about that name so if you can think of a better one I'm always open to suggestions:)
The Ruler Mirror is 40" in diameter, weighs 30lbs and is made with 78 stainless steel rulers, 78 nuts and 78 screws. As with ever new mirror it has given our living room a whole new look.

Kitchen Counter Tops

2011-03-04T10:13:00.009-05:00

For the last couple of weeks I've been busy checking out what's available in the world of kitchen counter tops. It's been sort of overwhelming. I've looked at granite and marble slabs, received corian samples in the mail and have even pondered staying with laminate. I had no idea there was such a crazy huge selection of the stuff! In the end I kept going back to Corian. Dupont's 'Which Hazel' is in their private collection. I liked the look and after getting my hands on a sample, the decision was made. The stuff is as smooth as...(you know the rest).
Now that we've chosen the material (Marathon Man liking it too was really the deciding factor) the next big decision needs to be ironed out - do we do the entire kitchen or just the island? Damn budget.
Note to Marathon Man: See Honey, your design opinions are never over looked - sometimes it just seems that way.

Sunday Love

2011-02-27T16:49:00.010-05:00

While our Miss Rita snoozed away the afternoon I worked on two new mirrors. I love Sundays. They're usually very productive and often very quiet.

Our Kitchen Makeover...Project #2, The Island

2011-02-22T17:00:00.180-05:00

I've found the inspiration shot (bottom/left) and drawn the sketch. We're* ready to start Project #2 (The Island) of our Kitchen Makeover.
The plan is to make our island look more like a piece of furniture by adding a bookcase to one end - giving us a place to display our beloved cookbooks (yeah). We'll pretty things up with some trim, half newels and knees (carpenter talk) then paint it black. The island will grow from 64" to 80" long giving us enough room to add a 4th stool (yeah). The icing on this cake will be changing up the yucky laminate top for a white corian or quartz top (still looking at samples and gathering quotes on that one).
Stay tuned...
* 'We' meaning Handyman Dad and me. I draw it, he builds it - doesn't get much better than that!
~~Project #1, Lighting~~
Project #2, The Island
Project #3, New counter tops
Project #4, The Backsplash
Project #5, Painting The Cupboards - to go white or not to go white?

And then there was light!

2011-02-19T10:13:00.072-05:00

Our Kitchen Makeover is moving along nicely. Project #1 is done and we're thrilled with the results.
Hard to believe that only14 days ago Marathon Man and Handyman Dad we're slamming away at our kitchen ceiling while I cleaned up after them. Since then The Electrician came and went (after which I cleaned up). The Drywall guys came and went (after which I cleaned up). The ceiling was painted (not my favourite job) and The Electrician came back and when he left I cleaned up (happily). And now we have light and lots of it!
It's on to Project #2, The Island.
Have already invited Handyman Dad over for Sunday dinner to discuss.
~~Project #1,- Lighting~~

Project #2, The Island
Project #3, New counter tops
Project #4, The Backsplash
Project #5, Painting Cupboards - to go white or not to go white?Looking back it's hard to believe that we only had 1 light in this kitchen! What was the builder thinking!?!!!

Our Kitchen Makeover begins...

2011-02-06T17:30:00.052-05:00

Our Kitchen Makeover. Project #1 - Lighting
I'm writing this post with a beer in hand. A well deserved beer I might add. A) because I did some manly work today and B) because said work is now done and was done at warp speed thanks to Marathon Man and Handyman Dad. We make a good team. While they tore things down I cleaned things up.
Now we're ready for the Electrician who can see exactly what he's dealing with and "do things right". Rewiring starts Thursday. Can't wait!

Inspired by 1212

2011-02-05T06:00:00.040-05:00

Every time I deliver some mirrors to 1212 I take a little time to walk around the store. Their showroom is huge (8500 square feet) and full of inspirational vignettes that are brilliantly styled with wonderful splashes of colour and glamour. Hard not to be inspired.

New photos for my website

2011-02-04T06:00:00.015-05:00

On Tuesday we photographed a couple of mirrors for my website. Every time we do this I'm reminded of how much time and effort (lighting, styling etc) goes into a single photograph.
P.S. When I say 'we' I mean me and my (retired?) photographer Dad. I'm very lucky, he's my Handyman too!
Photo 1: Loose Shag, white Photo 2: Tight Shag, dark grey

Delivering my work

2011-02-03T16:00:00.014-05:00

I delivered some Mirrors to 1212 today, one of them being my Pencil Mirror. I like this Mirror a lot. Whenever I looked at it I felt happy. Not sure why? Perhaps not something that needs to be analyzed? It's been hanging in my living room (last photo) for the past few months. I loved the punch of orange that it gave the space.
The bad news: I'll miss this one (even though I know I can always make another one).
The good news: maybe, just maybe it'll make someone else feel happy every time they look at it?
1212 is the only store in Toronto that sells my work.

Another unexpected makeover

2011-02-02T06:00:00.036-05:00

We've thought about it, we've talked about it and now we're actually doing it.
Finally, after 4.5 years in this house, our Kitchen is getting a well deserved makeover!
The plan is to go slow, working one project at a time, so we won't be 'without' a kitchen for more then a couple of days. Most of the work (back splash, trim, painting etc) will be done by me and my handyman Dad (little does he know).
Here's the big picture...
Project #1, Lighting
Project #2, The Island
Project #3, New counter tops?
Project #4, The Backsplash
Project #5, Painting The Cupboards - to go white or not to go white?

Project #1, Lighting.
Obviously we need more.
The Plan: There will be lots of pot lights and 2 pendants over the island.
I've met with the Electrician and unfortunately, the joists (in our ceiling) are not 'running' in our favour so in order "to do things right" our ceiling is going to take a beating (cutting into a big chunk of the drywall).
Action: Handyman Dad is booked for this Sunday (to lend a hand with that little job) and Electrician guy is booked for the following week.
*Note to Marathon Man: Cutting into the drywall is the only ugly/messy part of all our projects and we'll still have full access to our kitchen...except on the days that the drywall guy is here:)...actually the black splash grouting could get a bit messy too...but we'll get to that when we get to it.
Stay tuned for the 'messy ceiling' post (she said with a giddy giggle)...

Looking for something to do this weekend?

2011-01-25T06:00:00.028-05:00

The Interior Design Show kicks off Thursday night and it looks like it's going to be an exciting one. Although you won't see me in the show this year (you'll have to wait for IDS12) you might see me at the show taking in all that it has to offer.
It's no surprise that my favourite part of the show is Studio North which was created by IDS to showcase emerging and established design talent within Canada. It's the place to see new and exciting designers with one of a kind works and limited edition collections, Zac Ridgely, Kevin Wiggers, Tsunami Glassworks, Modern Revision, Rollout, Manor12 - just to name a few.
Enjoy the show. I know I will (stress free).

From curb-side trash to sofa-side treasure

2011-01-23T06:30:00.056-05:00

I finally got around to working on my great find from last summer. I found this lamp in someone's trash while out for a morning run and am now so happy that I lugged it home.
It didn't take much to take it from 'curb-side trash to a sofa-side treasure'. It was rewired (Home Depot's all in one kit), painted grey (Benjamin Moore's escarpment) and topped with a new shade (HomeSense). Sweet.
P.S. The pillows (I purchased two) are my salute to 'Honeysuckle', Pantone's colour for 2011. They look fabulous with grey - like most colours do.
P.S.S. Marathon Man thinks I've made the room 'too girlie' with these pillows. What does he know? Hello, he runs in his bare feet for Chr@#st sake!!!

A new edition to The Client Gallery

2011-01-19T06:33:00.021-05:00

(#7) 'The Client Gallery' showcases mosaicworks mirrors and the spaces that they end up in...
Sometimes I get more excited seeing where my mirrors end up then when I sell them. Sometimes.
Hannah's Mirror found it's home in Nova Scotia, not far from where we lived from 1996-2002 (small world). Colleen's bold choices of colours and patterns has me wanting to see the rest of this room and more of her house! What do you say Colleen? please...

Switching up our Front Hall (again)

2011-01-17T19:00:00.041-05:00

I don't think our Front Hall has stayed the same for more then 2 months? The other day I started moving things around again (the nature of the beast).
It has a bit of a French Provincial feel now, non? The white mirror is one of mine, from The Glam Series (Karen's Mirror).Why do I switch up the Front Hall so often? I secretly like to put Marathon Man's observation skills to the test. Sometimes he notices the (frequent) changes and sometimes he doesn't (the nature of the beast!?!).

Mosaic Magic

2011-01-13T06:00:00.008-05:00

Sometimes I come across a mosaic that reminds me just how beautiful they can be. This mosaic, Elephant Eye, 15.75"x22" (marble, smalti) was done by Sandra Groeneveld of kalimera design company. For me it has that inexplicable magic that every great mosaic has. You can see Ms. Groeneveld's 'Work in Process Series' at Mosaic Art Now.

Back from 'Another World'

2011-01-09T13:30:00.011-05:00

We're back from vacation and I'm very happy to say that fun was had by all!!!
Not much more to say. Disney definitely does it right.
The whole experience has me optimistically jumping into 2011 - just like Walt would do.
P.S. My new Nikon D5000 rocks!

Today we're off to another World!

2010-12-30T03:30:00.012-05:00

We're going on vacation!
Destination: Disney World.
Excitement level: High! None of us have ever been.
All packed and good to go. Ciao.

Sunscreen
Swimsuits
Passports
My Nikon D5000!

Thank you Santa!

2010-12-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you Santa. I'm loving my new NikonD5000! Stay tuned for photos extraordinaire...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T06:00:00.005-05:00

Thanks Desire to inspire. They make me smile.

2010-12-20T13:00:00.009-05:00

Every Monday I look forward to Desire to inspires 'pet's on furniture' post. For one simple reason, the photos submitted make me smile. Thanks again Desire to inspire!
Shown are a Vizsla named Indiana, An Italian Greyhound named Zoey and A Great Dane named Olive.

A little lighting switch up

2010-12-15T16:00:00.012-05:00

I liked my old Front Hall light when it first went up but then it started to bug me (not a good thing).
The problem: It was too small for the space.
The solution: A new 'bigger' light was purchased (I love you Restoration Hardware).
Then my Dad was invited over for lunch (you have to feed your Electrician) and tada! I'm anything but 'bugged' right now and am loving my new Front Hall light (hopefully for the long-haul).
If you're wondering where the old light went...stayed tuned.

'Honeysuckle' declared the colour of 2011!

2010-12-13T05:30:00.029-05:00

“Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.”

Pantone Color Institute has declared the red-pink hue, Honeysuckle, the colour of 2011. The Honeysuckle colour of 2011 has replaced the previous turquoise of 2010.

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going, perfect to ward off the blues.
Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute.

Interesting...I've been looking for a fabulous pink tile (that can be hand cut) for ages. Perhaps I'd better step up the search!

mosaicworks.ca

The Silver Pencil Mirror

Moving stuff around

Best Breaks + a snowfall:)

The Best Breaks

The Creative Process

First new year switch up

Inspirational photos for 2012

Happy New Year!!!

Happy Holidays:)

Tangerine Tango, The Colour of 2012

Big is good

For the love of White

The 'Biggest' One

Hmmm...

Rememberance Day...

Happy Halloween!

Simply William, a book of Will

Never tire of being noticed

Inspirational Artists

Beautiful Kale

For the love of Dogs

Happy Thanksgiving weekend

More Mosaic Magic

Our Kitchen Makeover is finished!

Running in the zoo with my cub

Deer Antlers in The Kitchen?

From Granny to Graphic

Monday smile

What makes me smile...

Our Kitchen Makeover continues...project #6, *!#*@? Wallpaper

Thanks Design*Sponge!

Wilma, Wilma, Wilma...

Sunday Love

Recycling A Mirror

Bigger is better, especially with mirrors

I'm officially obsessed...

More ridiculously cute puppy photos

Welcome Will!

Rita (October 28, 1996 - August 4, 2011)

Farm fresh! Ontario Raspberries

Our Kitchen Makeover...Project #5, Painting The Cupboards

WHO could resist this!?!

Why we love NYC!

The Durham 1/4 Marathon 2011

My Perfect Birthday Breakfast

Small change, big impact

Sunday at the Beach

Our Kitchen Makeover...Project #4, The Backsplash

Farm fresh! Ontario Strawberries

Happy Birthday Canada!

My sentimental pillows

A lovely end to a busy weekend

Gathering supplies...

Running Thoughts

Sunday Love...

Vibram fivefingers follow up...

What the @#*!?!

Emma's Bedroom Makeover

If you can't beat'em...

Still Gardening...

Happy May Two-Four!

Our 'new' old Coffee Table

Decoratoritis!?!

Our 'new' old Console Table

Hannah's Bedroom Makeover

Our Kitchen Makeover continues...

So Pretty in Pink!

Thank you canadianoriginals!

Hannah's Yellow Daisy Mirror

Inspired by TRADhome

Meet The Steel Ruler Mirror's Sister

Again! with the front hall

Looking for mosaic supplies?

It's almost here...

The Rose Chair

A well laid out plan

Happy Thursday!

The Turquoise Bead Mirror

What to do with 78 rulers?

Our Kitchen Makeover continues...project #6, !#@? Wallpaper