Sweet Dreams, Ollie...

Today was a sad day.

Sophie's little heart broke in pieces.

Her beloved Ollie is gone.

We discovered he had cancer after a very rapid deterioration which took us all by surprise.

He was only two years old.

I am sad, too.

We all are.

He was, in a word, sweet.

And little.

He never grew very big.

We used to joke that he must have been the runt of the litter.

Our sweet-natured, gentle little runt.

Sophie worried that we didn't take enough photos of him, so this is for her. I hope she will like it.

Goodbye Ollie.

We (especially Sophie) will miss you.

California Bound...

  I have been invited to attend a spectacular creative event in February, 2012:

I am so excited to share that I will be heading to the R and R conference held (on Feb. 10-11, 2012) in San Diego.  Lyndsay Johnson and Sarah Bradford of The Blog Guidebook have teamed up with my favourite jewellery designer Crystal B. to host this wonderful creative weekend event. I am honoured to have been asked to speak at the event and am looking forward to experiencing some sunny California weather during what I am sure will be one of our typical snowy Canadian winters!

In a nutshell, The R and R event is a two-day creative gathering featuring guest speakers (Matthew Mead is also on the docket), fashion advice from stylist Reachel Bagley, great food, an evening of music from Sarah Sample, photography lessons from Wendy Whitacre of Blue Lily, a jewelry making class, led by Crystal B., a cooking class, led by Hollywood chefs Denise DeCarlo and (Season Two Top Chef's) Betty Fraser, and blogging tips from the pros, Lyndsay and Sarah...plus a whole lot more!!!

The deadline to register is October 15th...and we all hope you will join us. I am so excited to meet so many new people and I hope YOU will be one of them!

Register HERE.

Home, homey, homely...

 (my dining room, photographed by Matthew Mead)

The deep thoughts were flying today.

I am going to have a very large yard sale very soon: as in, sell anything and everything I don't truly love. Although our home is not yet sold, I am preparing for that day and going through each and every cupboard, drawer, and bookshelf and purging. My new criteria for each item is, "Do I want to pack it?" and more often than not, the answer is no. 

Over a cup of coffee today, I told my husband, "You are going to be so surprised by how much I will get rid of." He stared back at me with a dubious grin, though I am fairly certain there was a glint of true hope in his eyes. 

Later, while digging through the trunk at the end of my bed, I came across my collection of prints and paintings that I have been slowly acquiring via Etsy. Saving them for my next house, I envision a fun and quirky art wall, not-so-strategically hung to reflect my growing desire for spontaneity in decorating.

Which got me to thinking how admitting to an obsession/desire for decorating can sometimes get you pegged as, perhaps, a bit shallow. As in, sure, we all want our homes to look nice but do we really want to admit that it is a passion? 

Then I went and checked my email, answering those that required direct attention, then casually filtering through my junk email folder. And then one caught my eye: it was from Cobi Ladner's Club Cobi newsletter.

Cobi Ladner was the genius editor of Canadian House and Home for many years but resigned from her position several years ago, much to my dismay. As much as I loved (and still love!) the beautiful photos and stories in its pages, I loved her editor's letter even more. Every word was genuine, interesting, and always filled with personality and tales of her home and her insights, rather than fluff. Cobi is no snob, and even flirted with the whole decorator vs designer debate with aplomb and her typical down-to-earth style. Can you tell I love Cobi?

Anyway, as I read her letter I was struck by a quote she shared (from design icon Iris Apfel):

"Self expression is the most important thing in life. If you don't have self expression you're all bottled up and you choke!"

And it is true. Everyone has a need for expression. Some write, paint, design, decorate, garden, compete, dance, sing, exercise, Tweet, blog, comment on others' blogs, etc. We all seem to have a need to express ourselves, to be heard, even if it is in a quiet way.

Which brings me back to my deep thought of the day: Will I be able to exercise restraint in my new home? Create a blank canvas, selecting furnishings, fabrics, and decor after long, thoughtful deliberation? Or will the empty spaces on the wall call out to me...begging me to fill them quickly so the house will feel like home? Will I be able to feel at home in a restrained environment? Will such a place feel homey (or homely, as the Brits like to say it!)...or barren? 

Time will tell. As I am discovering lately on many levels, the need for patience is being imposed upon me. Certain things are beyond my control and I must wait to see how they unfold. 

I wonder what Cobi would say?

Let's Get Moving...

Happy September!

 Swim, swam, swum...

I cannot believe that summer is drawing to a close (well, the kids are going back to school, right?). I am going to miss the little buggers, but I am really looking forward to getting back to my routine and not cleaning up the kitchen 48,569 times a day. It is one of my parenting shortfalls: I am terrible at getting my kids to truly pitch in; I am a bit particular and my kids play dumb when I try to explain how I want things put away, soooo...I usually wind up doing things myself.

Which kind of gives me license to be a martyr now and then, but most of the time it just makes me feel stupid.

Well, there are lots of things going on around these parts, one of the biggest being that our house is on the market. Anyone who has ever put their house up for sale knows how much fun that is, right? Don't you just looovee all the questions you get from people about number of showings, your reasons for selling, and what you are going to do once you DO sell? It is kind of like being in your final weeks of pregnancy when you feel like giving the stink-eye to well-meaning inquiries, but instead you just summon the same, practiced reply. 

So, to answer the obvious question: we decided to put our house on the market because it just felt like the right time. We always knew we had roughly a five-year expiry date with this house, to coincide with making a bit of money for upcoming college tuition for our teenage boys. New reasons have popped up to reassure us it is the right time to make our move, so we are happy we "got off the pot."

(And no, I'm not talking about illegal substances!)

We have a tentative plan to build a new home; but with us and our penchant for spontaneity, I never commit to a plan of action. So, what will transpire is a bit of a mystery, even to me.

My eldest had a birthday in July, and I can't believe how quickly my sons are becoming young men:

As for the rest of our summer, August was a bit kinder to us, weather-wise. We did experience some high winds, courtesy of Irene, but she didn't hit us like she did others, for which we are grateful. I hope you and yours stayed safe, if not plunged into darkness for a wee while.  All of my fellow East-coasters were on my mind.

 

Scratching away at The List, I also hosted a Fear Factor party for Sophie and a few of her friends a couple of weeks ago, which was fun. They did cold water stunts (our pool is unheated!) and had to eat some pretty yucky food (a "choice" of olives, dulse, or big dates). I was kind, though, and relieved their palates with some french fries and flower pot ice-cream cakes. I'm not cruel, after all....

She has a mouth full of crumbled Oreos, not dirt!

I have been having fun finding inspiration from many of you for my new home. I do know one thing for certain, I am going to be buying myself one of these gorgeous lights for somewhere in my new abode. 

Have you ever seen anything so awesome?

I found it while perusing one of my favourite sites for design inspiration, House and Home. It is also, coincidentally, one of my favourite Canadian design magazines. If you have never picked up this magazine, you are seriously missing out. It just keeps getting better and better. I still deeply miss Canadian Home and Country, though Erin McLaughlin is doing a fabulous job transforming Style at Home to incorporate some of the winning elements of CH&C. I wonder if she still misses the magazine as much as I do?

I am also very proud to report that we have completed both Autumn with Matthew Mead (sold on the website) and Holiday with Matthew Mead 2011, which will be sold on newsstands throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is so exciting for all of us involved, and for the loyal readers who have supported us from the get-go. I hope you check out both issues and let me know what you think!

So, good-bye summer! 

(But let's not make it official...you can hang around as long as you like!)

This and that...

I am just going to pretend I haven't been AWOL around these parts and skip back into line with a little post summarizing my summer thus far. It has been a rotten summer, weather-wise, and not filled with a lot of time for fun. Still, we have managed to squeeze in some activities - which Sophie can scratch off The List - and I have been able to see almost all of my extended family during quick visits. 

In late June, my brother and his family dropped in for a couple of days and Sophie and I were happy to be able to host my niece Sarah's family birthday party:

Denise and I posed for a rare photo together (I love her!):

 

And then I wrangled my brother, Alistair, into taking one with me:

Next up was our local marathon, which is a pretty big deal in our town, and everyone but me ran in different events. (I have decided I truly hate running and was on duty to replenish my husband's gel packs and water stocks every time he ran past our house (he ran the full marathon!).

The boys and Sophie ran the 5km event:

Next up was a camping FAIL (we were rained out and packed up on the second day!). Still, we were able to have a 3-family Mexican food night, which was on Sophie's to-do list:

Back home, we headed to a local strawberry field and picked 18 quarts of berries:

Swimming (when it wasn't too cold or raining!):

 

Sophie took part in the Kids of Steel Triathlon: 

Next up, a trip to Fredericton, where we did more "it's all about the kids" activities and enjoyed a visit with family:

And that was July.

I am looking forward to sharing some news with you in my next post. Let's just say, I am ready for some change and getting itchy feet. The gypsy in me is starting to rear again...

Wish upon a raindrop...

I wish I may, I wish I might. 

Basically, I want two things: to go camping and to steal my daughter from school and take her on a full-fledged picnic, replete with a pretty picnic blanket, yummy chicken sandwiches, homemade cookies, potato chips, and a flask of a cold, sweet drink. I want to pack a frisbee, bubbles, sunscreen, and even a kite and just spend the afternoon revelling in a sunny afternoon. I want to stop on the way home for popsicles and return with newfound freckles on our cheeks and shake blades of grass from the picnic blanket. 

 

Or maybe I want more: 

I also want to have a barbecue and actually eat outside, hear the sounds of my kids jumping into the pool, and hang clothes on the line to dry in the sun. I want to plant my window boxes and not worry about them growing mouldy from the never-ending damp. I want to have to put my air conditioner in my window and (finally) paint my porch floor. I want to wear flip-flops and put my jeans away in the back of my closet. I want to think that cooking a turkey is a ludicrous idea and eat my first (and probably only) hot dog of the season.

Because, have you ever had the feeling that you are trapped in a time warp where the days literally resemble one another and you are in a state of suspended motion where someone has hit the pause button on the change of seasons?  Where the picture outside your window never changes and that picture is grey and drizzly and, admittedly, a lush green but little else in the way of colour? While we are very, very fortunate that our weather complaints are mild (especially in light of others who have been faced with forceful and dangerous weather events), those of us who have endured a long, snowy Canadian winter are feeling the lack of energy and mood-lifting sun and vitamin D that normally comes with this time of year. For it has been over a month of cool/cold, dreary, uninspiring weather. I am literally craving the warmth of the sun and all the happy things that come with it.

And I will keep on wishing.

You can dance if you want to...

I am so excited!

I once posted a photo just like this of a print I wanted with these lyrics from Men Without Hats' popular song, The Safety Dance. Of course, true to form, I misplaced the link so I couldn't find the source of the art. Lucky for me, Etsy posted this exact image and the shop where it came from on their blog last week and I whooped with delight!

I immediately contacted the seller, Marianne from The Color Bee, who agreed to make one for me in a cheery yellow and white, for the art wall I want to create in my home. I have been collecting some fun pieces from Etsy artists and have quite a collection of great finds. And as soon as I can figure out where I want this art wall to be, I will have a great way to showcase my finds.

But I LOVE this one!

Because really, if you won't get up and dance you really are missing out on all of the fun!

Treasure Hunt...

(inspiration for my new chairs!)

On Mother's Day weekend I headed to Bangor with some of the women in my family for our annual shopping trip together. It is always a weekend of good (and too much!) food, laughs, and fun. It is also the time when I try to pick up some spring/summer clothes, just in case I will ever need them.

 

(Mum and me)

 

(my sister-in-law, Denise, and I after a breakfast of champions)

 I love the affordability and feminine fashions found at New York and Company in the Bangor Mall (and online). The deals there were amazing and I came out with a bag full of spring clothes for just over $150. You can't beat that! While there, I found the best white jeans ever...perfection! I wish there had been other colors:

And some pretty new tops:

I also bought new lights for my hallway from Lowe's. They have pretty, pale grey linen-look shades:

And for my front porch: outdoor retro-inspired metal chairs, also from Lowe's:

  

I wish we had room in the van for the matching garden glider:

Now, if only the weather would warm up so I could paint the floor of my front porch, assemble the chairs, and plant some flowers in my porch planters. We NEED the warmth of the sun...any amount of it! I am itching to start a house-related project, if only I could decide upon one. It seems I am a bag full of lazy bones when it comes to getting motivated this spring. To be perfectly truthful, I just want to fast-forward to a hot day in July with kids cannon-balling around me into the pool as I keep one eye on them and the other on a great summer novel. 

So, any suggestions for a great summer book?

Marketeering!

 Christine Chitnis, the winner of the holiday home tour contest for the Holiday with Matthew Mead  2010 issue, reached out to me with her good news that she has had a book published! I am happy to share her news and a little background about her book, Markets of New England, which highlights fifty of the most unique and vibrant farmers markets and art events in the region.

Writes Christine:  " Combining my love of writing, photography, and travel, I set out to unearth the top fifty markets- both farmer’s markets and art markets- in New England for my first book, Markets of New England (The Little Bookroom, May 2011).  Although this was to be a travel book, I wrote it with a greater purpose in mind.

When we use our collective consumer power to support artisans—beekeepers, cheese mongers, weavers, and woodworkers—we are insuring that our communities remain unique, thriving places to live. In this age of big-box stores and mass-produced items, it has become all the more important to invest in our local economy. . . one artist, one farmer, one shop at a time.

 

People worldwide are discovering the immense pleasure that can be had by living a thoughtful life full of farm-fresh food and handmade possessions.  This return to the “good life” is reflected in our increasing interest in buying locally grown and produced goods, and there is no better place to ‘shop local’ than at neighborhood farmer’s markets and art events."

Chech out Christine's book...look for this cover:

 

 (all images courtesy Christine Chitnis, and used with permission)

The sun only shines on T.V...

After days and days and days and days of rainy, muggy, foggy weather - mixed in with damp cold and weather forecasters who downright lie to get your hopes up - I am bringing sunshine into my days all by myself.

"Me and my bad/frizzy hair" seek out anything that reminds us of summer. Because a big pffft to spring, we all know that isn't coming.

So, I have been donning yellow clothing, smearing on fake tanning products (orange beats white), and wearing shoes that leave my toes cold, all in the hopes that by sporting a positive attitude, I will bring. it. on.

I picked out this pretty dress from The Shabby Apple, which I wore for my story in the new issue of Summer with Matthew Mead. 

Although I also added a cardigan over top of it, it made me think summer as I smiled and posed and resisted the temptation of the beautiful food Matthew prepared for the feature.

Do you want to see a sneak peek of it?

Because it is gorgeous and centers around a summer tradition that I embrace each year with my kids.

I wasn't kidding about gorgeous, right? and that little girl? Well, she looks a lot like my little Sophie did when she was younger:

Funny, huh?

You will have to wait and see the magazine for yourself to know which tradition I am talking about.

By the way, have you ordered yours yet? 

Because if you have (or haven't) you will be thrilled to know that Matthew is tucking a golden ticket inside ten of the magazines that are ordered before noon on May 6th! 

And what will those golden tickets be redeemable for?  

Well, go here to find out!

A hint though: one is worth $1000 of goodness!!!

Which, if you are like me, will make you feel all warm and sunny inside.

Because lately, the sun really does only shine on T.V:

Shopping with a purpose!

I love nothing more than buying gifts for my mum.

I think every mother should be gifted with a beautiful, heartfelt token of love from their children on Mother's Day.

It doesn't need to be expensive and if you are up for it, you can make something using your God-given talents.

(like a beautiful meal, flowers from your garden, a special photograph set into a pretty frame, or even a day's labour - like gardening, a DIY project, some spring cleaning - especially fitting, seeing as she gave up at least a day "labouring" to have you!)

I love buying my mum something pretty to wear, as she never really  treats herself to clothes. In fact, when she does buy something, she usually hangs it in her closet for a suitable grace period until (and I am guessing here) the "newness" wears off. I didn't inherit that trait: As soon as I buy new clothes, they are on my back!

I have my gifts for my mother all wrapped and ready for when I go and visit her next weekend. I cannot wait! It has been four full months since I have seen her and I am so ready for one of her hugs.

 

Because I (like you) have the BEST mother in the world.

For real...

Now, if you want to win your mum a spectacular gift, then head on over here to enter to win the PERFECT present.

Did someone say, Anthropologie?

And while you're there, why not buy her a copy of the best magazine of the summer?

And I'm not kidding...it's really that gooood!!!!!!!!!!!

Bittersweet...

Like many, I awoke earlier than my usual time to watch the royal wedding of William and Kate (Catherine). Sure, I could have waited and watched it via the internet, but I like living in the moment. I'm old-fashioned like that.

After watching William and the other members of the royal family arrive at Westminster Abbey, I rustled Sophie from a sound sleep to see Kate arrive at the church and get that first glimpse of the wedding gown.

To say I loved it would be an understatement. Very reminiscent of Grace Kelly's gown, and flawless.

It was very different from Princess Diana's wedding gown. 

Even though I was an enamored young girl back then, I knew it wasn't the most fashion forward dress and very wrinkly...but it took my breath away. I thought she was stunning and magical as only she could be.

Which is why after watching the service today and witnessing not one, but two, brief and chaste kisses, I found myself crying. I am just so sad.

As a mum, I just wish that Diana could be here today to witness her beautiful boy's happy day. It breaks my heart that she can't and I can only imagine how much she is missed by her boys today. 

In fact, while searching for images to accompany this post, I stumbled upon one of Diana and Dodi just as they were driving off on that fateful night and I wanted to will her to stop. It takes my breath away that one moment can change so much for so many people. Mothers shouldn't die. Shouldn't be taken from their children. It is cruel.

So, I picked up the phone and dialed the only person I knew who would understand and not laugh or roll their eyes as I choked out a hello through my tears:

My sister. And she cried with me.

Ans now I am going to call my mum (who is much more stoic) and we will have a proper chat about the fashion and hats, and we will drink our tea and chew our toast over the phone, which neither of us will mind.

Because my sister will have none of that: no eating while on the phone!