A Monday Giveaway!

HAPPY MONDAY & Happy Remembrance Day! It's a long weekend here in BC, and today we take time to remember all of those who have served, fought and died for us. We plan on taking in some of the ceremonies that are happening here in our new hometown today.

I know things were silent here last week! I was busy working on a project that I hope to share by the end of the week, while also preparing for a show that Halle Handmade will be a part of this Saturday. 

And speaking of shows, you know what's coming up SO SOON!? The One of a Kind Show and Sale in Toronto. You know, only my favourite show ever!? Well, since I can't go this year to support my new artist friend, Olivia from Anonum Design Ltd., we'd like to send TEN of you + a friend each to this years Christmas show.

So, how do you win? It's easy, just check out the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So there you go! FIVE chances to win one of TEN PAIRS! All ten winners will be announced on Friday morning! Good luck!

(**Please be aware this giveaway is only for ENTRY tickets into the show in Toronto. Each winner will be responsible for their own transportation to the show at Exhibition Place. Only one pair of tickets can be won per person.)

My Top 10 Holiday Cards

If you're anything like me, you are already thinking about Christmas, especially Christmas cards. Ever since Halle joined us, we love sending out photos cards every year to document our family, especially with us being so far away from so many family members and friends. (You can see our 2011 cards here, and 2012 card here) This year, to help others with their selection, I've rounded up my top 10 favourite cards from Minted! No matter what your family situation this holiday season, I've got a card for everyone that you will just love...

1. silent-less nights holiday postcard: did you welcome a new addition in 2013? This postcard is just too sweet to share a photo of your precious bundle, and I'm sure just about every new parent can relate to the wording! You can completely personalize it from colours, to holiday wishes! This sweet card also comes in the new foil pressed holiday cards as well, which I absolutely adore! 

2. family year in review holiday photo card: have a big year like we did? I love the idea of a year in review card to share all of the exciting news you have with those that you may not have seen very much! Of course not every person may need a play by play update of what you got up to in 2013, but maybe order 10 or 15 to send to some of your closest family and friends? Also a great keepsake for you to hold onto (I our leftover photo cards every year)

3. holly jolly wishes foil-pressed holiday card: I am IN LOVE with the new foil-pressed cards  that Minted has introduced for this holiday season! There are so many to choose from but I must say, this beautiful gold card was just too much to resist (you can also choose it in silver if you prefer it)! Not into the foil-pressed cards? You can also choose it as a regular photo card!

4. frosted pinecone holiday postcard: the postcards are so great to save on paper (no envelopes needed!) and your recipients will open their mailbox to some serious pretty right away! I loved this one for the larger subtle photo, and the way the family name is displayed! If we were to go with this card, I would put a family photo as the large photo, and highlight some pretty photos of Halle along the bottom. Let's be honest, most people just care about the kids anyway, right?

5. holiday squares christmas photo card: one of the best parts about Minted is the unique shapes you can apply to your cards! This wavy edged border looks so great on this multi-photo card. A great way to share more than one of your beautiful family photos (or maybe vacation photos?) from this past year. The muted colour options are beautiful as well - dark blue or two different shades of grey! Which would you choose?

6. first holiday as mr and mrs holiday postcard: Just married (like us)? Looking for a way to share a great wedding photo and share your excitement!? This sweet postcard is absolutely perfect - and I'm just really loving the whole postcard idea this year! Don't you agree? 

7. all ye faithful holiday postcard: While I'm gushing over the postcards, I just had to share this one! I'm always a big fan with anything containing lyrics to traditional carols - they always remind me of Christmas with my parents, listening to Bing and Frank sing those songs. The fonts and set up of this postcard is perfect - especially set next to your perfect personal photo!

8. multi-peace christmas photo card: have too many family photos to choose just one for your card? No problem - this sweet card is perfect the perfect way to share them all! Plus the range of colours it comes in, means it will work for any personal preference! 

9. snowflake holiday ornament card: there are so many creative ways to display all of the Christmas cards you receive, that sometimes it can be hard to choose! Make it easy for the people on your list this year by sending an ornament card! They are brand new to Minted this year and I had such a hard time picking a favourite... so I picked two!

10. merry holly holiday ornament card: another fun shape, but more space to share a great photo! Leave a sweet message on the back and send off for your family and friends to hang on their tree!

So - are you inspired to start planning your holiday cards for this year? If my round up wasn't enough, what if I told you that if you ordered by the end of today you will save $10 off on all of your holiday cards!? What are you waiting for!? I already know what cards we're ordering - I'll be sure to share in December!

** this post does contain affiliate links and I was compensated with a credit towards my purchase of our holiday cards from Minted. However, I only choose to share this round up as I do love Minted and their work and would only share something I really and truly love with all of my readers!

What's New At West Elm

I love any chance I can get to head out and browse stores to see what's new - especially at this time of year when all of the holiday items are hitting the shelves. So, when West Elm in Vancouver invited me in for a store tour, I just couldn't resist. On Tuesday evening, I dropped into the store on Granville Street and was so excited by everything that I saw.

West Elm has just released three new lines at their store; the Heritage Collection (my favourite), the Snow Drift Collection, and the Enchanted Forest Collection. Each of them offered something that I really loved, and some really great options for Holiday decorating, entertaining and gift giving.

The Heritage Collection

Since returning from Scotland B and I have been craving richer, deeper colours, and more textures and natural elements in our home. The Heritage Collection is delivering all of that right now. More than anything, I really wanted to snap up some of these gorgeous plates and the serving platter that came about from a collaboration with New York based Shanna Murray - aren't they lovely? I want all of them on my Thanksgiving table this weekend!

The Heritage collection is just bringing a whole lot to love - like the gorgeous throws that are made in Michigan, and the fun plates with the dapper little animals on them! Great for entertaining or to pack up as a gift for your holiday hosts! 

I also fell in love with the Dekalb Premium Leather Sofa (pictured in the front of the photo above). It's so squishy and buttery soft, and really wants to come and live at our house! Perfect for a family with a little one and two dogs - easy to clean and still family friendly! 

The Snow Drift Collection

Looking for a bit more giltz and shimmer this holiday season!? Then you will love to shop the Snow Drift collection. With some beautiful shimmery knitted throws and pillows (in both silver and gold), and lots and lots of mercury glass this line is so much fun! 

It's all warmed up with some natural textures and some cozy soft faux fur throws - similar to that gorgeous white pillow on the sofa above.

I'd love to add some of that mercury glass to my own collection! They would look fantastic grouped on our mantel, or even in the centre of the dining table. Always great for Christmas, but perfect for Thanksgiving too! Something like this pretty collection of mercury glass and pumpkins, over on Villa Vanilla, would be lovely as a centrepiece for this weekend!

The Enchanted Forest Collection

The bright punchy colours of the Enchanted Forest Collection are so much fun. They are fresh and vibrant, but those greens and golds could really work for all seasons!  

Those velvety pillows are gorgeous, and I think they would really warm up that pretty leather couch - don't you agree?

I didn't get a chance to grab any photos, but the dinnerware from the Enchanted Forest collection was just too lovely. My favourite were these lovely glass butterfly plates. Not only pretty for dining on, but would be perfect to add to a plate wall! 

There were a few other lovely pieces I am ready to add to our own home. 

The Parker Mid-Century Bar Cart would be great in our dining room (which we are getting ready to start piecing together), and the price point is fantastic! (It's on sale for $321.82 right now on West Elm's Canadian website!)

I'd also love to add the Emerson Six Drawer Dresser to our bedroom. The texture it would add would be excellent, and it would do a great job of filling the wall at the foot of our bed.

Not pictured, but incredible and the perfect gift for a friend or family member who is big into crafting and DIY is the awesome three tiered Crafting Box that West Elm now has out. We all ooh'd over it for a little while. It was a really versatile piece, but I would be thrilled to add it to my own office / craft room to keep some of my things a little better organized.

There is plenty more to see and love at West Elm right now! I wish that I could share more, but this post would get completely out of hand. So, why not pop into your local store and check out all of the great ideas to spruce up your home, decorate for the holidays and of course to find the perfect gift for all of the people on your list! (No, West Elm did not ask me to write that... it's just how I felt when I left the store).

What's on your "Want" or "Need" list these days? Are you already getting into the "holiday spirit"? Thinking of all of the time to come spent with family and friends celebrating! I for one cannot wait, and I'm so glad it all kicks off this weekend with Thanksgiving!

A "One of a Kind" Experience

As much as we love our new life on the west coast, there is still a lot that I miss from our life in Toronto. Friends and family aside, one of the things I really truly miss is visiting the One of a Kind Show twice a year. Even the trips where I left empty handed were well worth the visit, since there are always so many neat things to see and interesting people to meet.

This year, I was so excited when the One of a Kind Show got in touch with me and asked me to be a part of their Blogger + Rising Star Feature that they are running during the lead up to this years Christmas Show (which takes place November 28 - December 8th at the Direct Energy Centre). Even with all of the wedding and honeymoon craziness, I just had to take part and help them highlight some serious awesome talent from out West! 

I had the chance to meet up with Olivia from Anonum design to find out a little more about her ideas, inspiration, work and some of her favourite local digs. Olivia repurposes old print blankets, giving them new life as belts, tech cases, wallets... and well, she has some new fun designs she is working on as well.

I had such a great time visiting her in her workshop, and felt really excited and energized when I left. I just know that Olivia and her work are going to be a big hit at this years show - I just wish I could be there in person to see it all happen! Make sure you pay her a visit since photos absolutely can not do her work justice, and the feel and look of these blankets in person is INCREDIBLE! I even came home from her visit with a wallet that I absolutely fell in love with.

To find out more about my conversation with Olivia and see some shots of her at work, head on over to the One of A Kind Show Blog! I know you'll all be just as smitten with her work as I was. Oh, and just as a head's up, be sure to come back next month for your chance to win tickets to the show! 

A Table & Chairs

Well - we've been busy bee's around here. In just over a week we have FOUR house guests coming to stay with us - two for one week, and the other two for two full weeks. All four will be staying here for the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday so we are doing our best to have a mostly functioning dining room for the occasion. So what have we been up to?

Let's start with the table situation, shall we? When Halle and I arrived back to BC last Monday, B had our dining room table "mocked up" in the garage. As in, he had most of the pieces cut, and clamps holding it all together so I could get an idea of what the finished product would look like. I was thrilled, but there was still a lot of work to be done. So on Thursday evening last week, after dinner B headed back outside and spent a couple of hours  cutting a few more pieces and getting the base assembled. 

Unfortunately, that one night did not complete the table. B mentioned that night he had a lot of sanding ahead of him, and that he may even need to borrow a plainer to get our table nice and smooth and pretty looking. 

Even with an unfinished table, new furniture has made it's way into the dining room. Let me start from the beginning.

The week before I arrived back in BC, I had been online looking at different dining chairs. I somehow ended up on Cost Plus World Market and fell in love with the Plaid and Teal Green Wes Dining Chair. It immediately reminded me of a number of chairs we had seen in Scotland and loved, and as a bonus, it was on sale! I sent the link to B, commenting on how great it was. Turns out, he thought so too because he arrived home on Tuesday last week with two of them for either end of our dining table! True love people! He apparently ordered them almost immediately after I sent the link and then drove to our mailbox in Washington State after work to deliver them home for my birthday! I married a good one!

Two down, 10 more to go. (Yup, this table is going to be a BIG one!). 

... Now to start preparing the guest rooms! What did you get up to this weekend? 

Truly One of a Kind

Happy April everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. We got to spend a lot of family time together and eat some really delicious food. 

I'm a little late on this post, since I spent the latter half of last week nursing our little girl, but I wanted to share my visit to the One of Kind Show in Toronto last week. I hope you didn't miss the show because it was fantastic! The whole set up was beautiful (as always), and it really evoked the feeling of Spring... even when it was still cold outside...

We were served an absolutely delicious brunch by Chef Toben Kochman of Toben Food by Design. I decided to enjoy my breakfast with a tasty lemon meringue tea from Tealish - so tasty!

Each of the little bites we were treated to tasted fantastic. I tried one of each and could've gone back for more, but was itching to get out and see the show floor. Unfortunately, my time at the show was limited to just over an hour so I had to make quick work of my tour. I did manage to find a few really fabulous vendors, and even picked up a little something for Halle. Here's my love list from the show (I've included links so if you missed the show, you can visit them online).

bookhou

I was drawn in by her beautiful totes and bags, but fell in love with everything. If you are in Toronto, you can visit them at 798 dundas street west.

FLAKES PAPERIE

I wish I had, had a chance to go back to this booth. There were a few cards I adored, but I was especially in love with the idea of the Stationery Survival Kit they offered. Never be without a card for special occasion.

little BIG WORDS

This sweet set up was located in the new section of the show, which showcased a number of local Etsy sellers. I loved exploring it, and was happy to get to chat with the owner, Kelli. She actually quit her corporate job to start her business and is a completely self taught illustrator. Her work is fun and cute, and she has cards for every occasion. If you're looking for something cute and clever, make sure to pop by her Etsy shop!

babywrappers

This was the only booth on my adventure that I stopped to make a purchase at. We have one towel at home that we absolutely LOVE for Halle. It's really big and easy to wrap around her, even now that she's a toddler. After having a little chat, I realized that towel was a babywrapper towel (it had been passed onto us from a friend)! Knowing how much I already LOVED this product, I grabbed a second one for our baby girl. If you're looking for a great baby shower gift, or even a great towel for your own little one, this is a great option.

red thread

If I had more time, and a bigger shopping budget, I could've spent every second, and every penny, shopping here for Halle. The designs and fabrics were gorgeous and I know that Halle would look beautiful in these dresses. 

Other booths that I visited, but didn't have too much time to hang around are below. Pay them a visit - they deserve it!

baby magoo - I loved their handmade hooded towels

love at first blush - these stunning leather accessories caught my attention as soon as I saw them in the show books. They are just as beautiful in person, and I will be adding a few to my own wish list!

Handsome and Lace - Also located in the Etsy section, their ties caught my attention in the show book as well. With our wedding fast approaching, I was hoping I could find some ties for B and the groomsmen. These pieces are beautiful! I'll be paying a visit to her Etsy shop for sure.

Monster Lab - I adored these monsters, and was drawn in by how adorable they were. I would've loved to by one for Halle, however, I'm not too sure how she would react to them right now... but possibly in another year these may be the perfect toy for our little girl. (she's going through a phase where she is scared of very odd things - trust me, these adorable monsters are in no way frightening).

So there you have my morning at One of a Kind Show Toronto. It was a short trip but so great, and I do hope that I can come back to Toronto and visit the Christmas show this year as well. Did you attend the show this weekend? What were some of your favourite booths? Did you pick up anything fun? I'd love to hear from others who went!

Tiny Easter Treats

Growing up, Easter was always a fun holiday for us. We never had an Easter Egg hunt as children, but my brother and I would always race downstairs to find our baskets filled with tasty treats and often a little gift. I can only hope that Halle will have similar fond memories as she grows. I don't want Easter to become all about the stuff, but who doesn't love a little treat every now and then. With Halle still being so young, there's no need for her basket to be filled up with chocolately treats, so I came up with my own ideal Toddler Easter basket...

1. Purple bunny ears - $2 - Real Canadian Superstore. There is nothing cuter than some bunny ears on your little one's, and it's always a fun way for them to dress up for the special occasion. I loved these purple one's and at $2, how can you turn them down?

2. Graduates Juice Treats - All toddlers deserve a special treat on a holiday, but I for one don't want to hop Halle up on chocolate. Instead, some yummy fruit snacks are a great alternative and the light colours of these Graduates treats fit in with the Spring holiday. I picked these up at Real Canadian Superstore, but you should be able to find them at most grocery stores.

3. Pink Woven Easter Basket - $1 - Real Canadian Superstore. I always remember having my own yellow basket that we would put out every Easter for the bunny to fill with treats. I wanted Halle to have her own as well, and when I saw that Superstore had these cute one's on for $1, I had to grab one for her. Not too big and not too small, it's the perfect size for a few treats and a little gift or two.

4. Bright Baby Touch and Feel Easter Boardbook - $4.95 - Indigo. Halle loves books, and we love reading to her. It's one of our favourite things to do, especially right before her nap or bed. It was a no brainer that we would want a book to be a part of her Easter basket and these touch and feel books are always a win. 

5. Plastic Egg Fillers - $1 - Real Canadian Superstore. Rather than putting juice treats into the basket in their little packaging, why not make them a bit more festive and place them inside these Plastic Egg Fillers? 12 Eggs for $1 - there's no reason not too!

6. Green Toys Race Car in Pink - $9.95 - Indigo. We love Green Toys around here. They are cute, and eco-friendly. When I saw the small pink race car, I knew our vehicle loving toddler would be a fan and the colour worked well in our basket. They also come in red & blue.

Easter shouldn't be all about chocolate. I'm most looking forward to special time as a family, and playing with Halle and her new toys.

What are some of your favourite Easter memories? What treats do you love the most? Are you a Cream Egg fan, or is your weakness Cadbury Mini Eggs, like me? Spill the beans on your Easter plans, and what would be in your ideal Easter basket.

A Whitby Must

Happy Monday everyone. We had a pretty great weekend. Swung by the old neighbourhood with my brother and Halle on Saturday afternoon and in the evening Halle and I visited with some friends and watched the Leafs win their first game of the season (GO LEAFS GO!). Yesterday we enjoyed a lunch date with some great ladies and then hung around at home, napping together, and sadly seeing the Patriots lose to the Ravens (Boooo). 

The weekend sure did seem to fly by, and now it's Monday and I'll be heading back to B.C. on Thursday. Though my stay was a full two weeks, I feel like I've been trying really hard to squeeze in everything that I needed and wanted to do while I was here. Of course, one of the things at the very top of that list was popping into the new location for Michael Penney's beautiful shop Penney & Co.

Michael recently moved to a larger location (303 Mary St East in Whitby to be exact), and I'm so glad that he did. As usual, Michael worked his magic, transforming this rather sad looking empty building into a cozy and stylish space. There is so much more room for beautiful furniture and other treasures, and I could spend all day taking my time to look over everything single thing. Take a look at my favourites from my visit...

I am in love with all of the beautiful Canadian made furniture that he sells, as well as the gorgeous pillows. I wanted to bring home just about every pillow that he had.

A perfectly lovely dining room table, and chevron napkins! 

This set up (above) has me thinking summer! Pretty florals, gorgeous striped totes and all of that beautiful blue glass that I saw during my first visit to his shop back in the summer.

Cake plates are always a win in my books, but I'd love to serve up a tasty treat onto those checked plates as well. How cute are they?

The floral pillow above was my favourite in the whole store. It would be perfection in our living room!

If you aren't that far, and haven't popped in yet, I urge you too! He's always getting beautiful new stock, and that's why I plan on stopping in for another visit before I head back out West. OH, and if you're in the area and thinking of visiting him, why not drop by on January 31st to meet Cobi Ladner! I know I'd be there if I was still in town! Happy Shopping!