Saturday 27 August 2011

My Back to School/Fall Wishlist

Autumn Wishlist 2011

Autumn Wishlist 2011 by newromanticism featuring a purple coat

Here are a few things I would love to buy myself for the fall. I'm trying to think classic and versatile, not overly trendy. I'm particularly obsessed with the wedge boots, knit tights and berets. Love love love. 

Thursday 25 August 2011

My Bedroom Inspiration

Good Morning!

Today I thought I'd show you two spaces that have really inspired the plans for my new bedroom (5 days till move in day -- Yay!).

1. I have a huge crush on this NYC bedroom from Elle Decor, and especially the crisp white sheets paired with the printed burgundy throw. I love how the bones of the room are all in neutral colours (black, white, woods) but the accent pieces keep it looking vibrant and full of texture.


2. Once again I am crazy about the bedding in this room from Chatelaine magazine. I love the layers of printed textiles, the unusual shapes of the decor and the pops of gold.

Chatelaine
I can't wait to post pictures of my new room once it's done!



Sunday 21 August 2011

5 Lovely Things

  1. Beautiful Eduardo Recife prints. Worth clicking the link to see more:
Eduardo Recife
2. These fancified ice cubes are an easy way to liven up a glass of water:
Martha Stewart
3. Just tease and braid for this pretty hair idea:
musingsinfemininity
4. Multi-purpose wordsearch cards, how cool! Just circle the words that apply:
coolmaterial

5. Newsprint nails! Click on the link for the surprisingly easy tutorial:
Passion Nail Art

Thursday 18 August 2011

Decorating with Tape

Maybe you're a commitment-phobe when it comes to decorating your apartment. Maybe you live in a dorm or rental where you aren't allowed to paint, or put nails in the wall. Whatever the case, I have the solution: creating big statement wall art using tape! Here is some inspiration:

1. Faux Paneling: For those who dream of crown moulding and embellished architectural features, here's something to tide you over for now.
Dabble Mag
 
2. Portrait: Granted, it might take a bit of skill to create this super cool pop art look, but for the artistically gifted among you, why not give it a shot!

3. Fluorescent Shapes: Go graphic with this bright and bold optical illusion idea. 

4. Crane: No need to stick to a flat surface! This tape crane brings the wow factor with big contrast and dimension.

Happy Wednesday!

Saturday 13 August 2011

Treasures from my Grandparents' House

My Grandparents are selling their house and a lot of their things have ended up with my family. Here are some photographs I took of a few things that I thought were interesting.


I Dream of Elie

Words can't express how completely stunning Elie Saab's Fall and Spring 2011 Couture collections are so I will just let you see for yourself.

Fall 2011

Spring 2011

A girl can dream!

All images came from Style.com: Spring 2011 and Fall 2011

Cut Me Some Slacks

I was flipping through Rue Magazine  this morning and came across this awesome pair of pink pants from Net a Porter :

However, I don't exactly have $390 dollars floating around to spend on them. So I looked around for some cheaper alternatives, like this cute $59 black pair from Urban Outifitters:
And I hit the motherload at Forever 21 where I found a cool shiny blue pair, and some fantastic tribal print varieties all under $30!
View

View
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Love!

Friday 12 August 2011

Two Small Parisian Apartments

Check out these two very different and very lovely small Parisian Apartments.

First up, this calming and classic space from A La Parisienne. I absolutely love it! The colour scheme reminds me of roses and chocolate and cream. So dreamy.

The second apartment found via decor8 is more cluttered and modern, but still full of beautiful feminine design elements. I love how the bed becomes a cozy nook by putting the bookshelves in front of them.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Rainy Wednesday Chocolate Banana Pudding


While going through the motions of my usual hour and a half commute home from my summer job yesterday, the coolest thing happened. I was standing on the sidewalk waiting to transfer busses. The sky was grey, but not overly threatening. Then, as I was looking off in the distance I could see what looked like a cloud of white smoke with a bus driving through it. As the bus got closer, I could see that it was soaking wet. I did a double take, and sure enough there was a wall of intense rain speeding towards me, even though where I was standing was dry. A few seconds later it was total downpour and everyone was running towards the bus shelter, where I took the above picture.I thought it was all quite exciting.

Then I got home and made pudding based off of THIS Eat Clean recipe, which is basically heaven in a bowl. It's super duper healthy, with a full serving of protein sneakily added in. Don't be afraid of the tofu! It still tastes good, I swear.

Recipe (Serves 4 - 6):

  • 1/4 almond/soy/skim milk
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 12.0 oz package of Silken soft tofu
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 medium bananas
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
  1. On Low-Medium heat in a saucepan, stir cocoa powder into almond milk.
  2. In a blender, combine all other ingredients.
  3. Add cocoa milk mixture to blender. Blend again, stopping to scrape down sides.
  4. Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes before eating.
Enjoy!

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Framed! Easy Decorating Ideas Using Empty Picture Frames


      It is my belief that picture frames are a neglected species in the student world, with many undergrads opting for sticky tack or double sided tape as their primary wall art display method. Mostly it's because we generally don't have the time or money to size up our photos and posters, buy the necessary materials, or bring it into a shop to get it done. But I say it's time to bring this elusive decorating item back into university housing!  I present to you 6 creative ways to use those old empty frames that most people seem to have lying around somewhere--without putting too much effort into it!

1. Running on Empty: Just put them up as is! For a high contrast and geometric look, paint them white if it's a brightly coloured wall, or black for a pale coloured wall. And embrace the assymetry!
source
   2. Inspire with the Wire: I love the idea of crisscrossing wire through a frame as a way of making an inspiration board. A great way of dealing with all that pretty paper clutter you don't want to get rid of!

source
3. Objectified: This is just the coolest thing. Framed objects! Oh how I long for a built in flower vase, but I'd settle for a framed key hook.

source
4. All the Pretty Lights: Here's a way to make fairy lights look a little more put together. Just wrap them around an empty frame for wall art that deserves to be in the spotlight!

source
 5. Branch Out: What an interesting and creative way to bring some nature and texture into your space! Head over to Cleverly Inspired for more awesome ideas like this one.
source
 
6. All that Glitters: Think your jewellery deserves a better home than the tangled bowl on your dresser? Get easy access and aestethic appeal by using frames to display it on your wall!

source
7. 'Tray' Chic: Last but not least, check out this lovely decorative tray made out of an old frame.I envision it atop a coffee table, or you could even add handles for a classy way to serve up some refreshments!

source

Over and out!


Monday 8 August 2011

Forget New Year's! How about New School Year Resolutions?



Happy New Semester!: $650 worth of new textbooks, oh my!
 Well, it's that time of year again. That time of year when caffeine induced twitches, hand cramps, and surprisingly unproductive 10 hour library study marathons seem like nothing more ominous than a poorly recalled bad dream. Forgotten is the snail-paced summer countdown you had started way back in February. Forgotten, the screeching techno music of your alarm set to 4:30 in a last ditch effort to squeeze in some cramming for your 9:00 a.m. exam. Yes, it's a time of year when thousands of students find themselves wishing that the summer they had so anticipated would end, and the new semester would begin.

And if your anything like me, you begin to construct a mental list that can be summarized as you vowing to somehow morph into a 4.0-wielding, club-participating, community service-doing, all-rounded, overachieving superstudent. We all know it's easier said than done, but I'll give you the breakdown of my list anyway (I prefer the term 'optimistic' to 'in denial').

1. "A"-mazing Grades: This is less about hitting the books than it is about beating the books to a pulp. i.e. rather than sleeping through a morning class, the new and improved new school year version of myself will have already been up for two hours reviewing the problem sets and readings. Oh, and as a rule of thumb: library before beer, I'm in the clear. 

2. Do-Run-Run: I really want to keep up the healthy habits I got into this summer, like running and paying a lot of attention to nutrition. Even if I'm faced with three midterms and two essays to do in the space of  48 hours and all I want to do is drown my sorrows in a box of pizza and bag of gummy bears.

3. It IS About the Price Tag: My tutition is of ridiculous proportions this year, not to mention my Toronto-sized rent. I hope that given the choice between buying a 26-er of smirnoff, and buying groceries, I will see sense and choose the latter option.

4. Keep it Classy: You know...Less of a Marilyn, more of a Jackie. Put aside a little more time to ask the all-important question, "What would Audrey do?" or at the very least, "What would Audrey not do?".You gotta love A-Hep.

5. Extra Extra-Curriculars: There is a whole lot more to me than the economics diagrams and math problems that make up my academic life, and I really want to push myself to join some stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with it.

That's about it, we'll see how it works out!

Saturday 6 August 2011

DIY: Hanging Framed Poetry


 After finding a couple of empty white frames (I think they actually might have something to do with curtains but anyway) I knew that I wanted to make something with them. And then I found a really old poetry textbook that used to belonged to my Mom. That's when I came up with idea for framed poems.They're really easy to make and I think they are a pretty cool alternative to the posters and magazine clippings you so often see in student housing decor.

I started by looking through the book and picking out my favourite poems. I chose 'Golden Slumbers' by Thomas Dekker, 'Sonnet 116' by Shakespeare, and 'I Love All Beauteous Things' by Robert Bridges.


 I carefully cut out the pages I needed. If you don't have a book, you can just as easily print poems you like from the internet. Or maybe you'd rather use a script of your favourite film, or a picture book from your childhood that you never look at but don't want to throw out.  

Next, since I wasn't using real picture frames, I taped the poems to the back of the frames. I trimmed the edges to make sure you couldn't see anything sticking out in the front view.
I recycled some black ribbon from a gift bag, and made them into little bows. I cut the thicker polka-dot ribbon down the middle to make the hanger (or whatever you call it!).

Using a hot glue gun, I glued the bow to the polkadot ribbon, and attached it to the back of my frames with tape. Finally, I used some of the leftover ribbon to cover the heads of three push pins, which I then used to attach the poems to the wall. 


 And there you have it! An easy little DIY project made completely out of bits and bobs I found around the house.  I'm excited to put them up in my new apartment!