the best type of pant

Kate,

I had to get in a quick post since I don't want you to order anything before you see these!  I especially love how they are styled with the oxfords, moto jacket and black top on shopbop. Only problem is that I'm going to buy them so if you don't mind that we match have at 'em. After our discussion about you wanting my zara pants or ones just like it because they have an elastic waist and yet look like you're trying, I came home and was checking out lunchpailsandlipstick and stumbled upon the above beauties!  They fit the bill. Stylish and super comfortable.  Gotta love them. FYI - they also come in leopard for all you animal print lovers out there.

Enjoy your friday night everyone!  It's a pizza and wine kinda night here.  Simply the best.

-Amanda

It's mint

It is so difficult finding affordable art for your home but it has such a huge impact on your space. That's why i've relied on my mother-in-laws painting skills and our personal photographs when adorning our walls. But I just discovered the art marketplace on that website Minted. So many options, such a variety of prints and they even offer framing so that when it arrives at your door it's ready to hang. Amazing. The best part is that the artists are all independent and include some background on their pieces so that you really know what you're buying. Here are some examples:

Go to minted.com for more browsing. I think we are going to curate a gallery wall for our client's dining room. Just need to narrow down the choices.

-Kate

Hello again, here's my new obsession

Kate, My blogging record has sucked for the past few months.  I'm sorry!  All I can say is that trying to navigate this new piece in our lives has taken some adjustment and sometimes something has to give and unfortunately it's been the blog.  Also, Isla is at this stage that lasts a good 8 months where you feel like you can't get much accomplished because she is a constant danger to herself. Luckily I'm a few months in already so I think I have about 6 months more to go...but I have a few posts in mind this week so I'm vowing to do better.

I thought I would share something I'm considering right now for my living room.  Ta da!  The sheepskin stool!  

 Via La Dolce Vita

A little bit soft, a little bit glam and a whole lot of cool.  I've liked them for a while but just recently have been having one of those can't stop thinking about them obsessions.  I'm going between the stools or the bench but I think I may ask for these for Christmas.  That or a treatment at W skin care but that's a whole other post.

Back to the stool or bench.  I found these here and here so far but I'm kinda digging the gold on the ones on the pic above.

-Amanda

Project Kings Lynn

Project Kings Lynn is all wrapped up like a pretty package. The story goes like this. Our clients wanted a formal living room to host guests but also a tranquil space to read a book and relax. They requested a monochromatic, soft and neutral palette. So that was our goal.

The room was a good size so we immediately thought to fit two couches into the space, with the intent that positioned on either side of the fireplace the room would feel balanced and draw your attention to the coziest part of the room and facilitate good conversation and easy entertaining. We spent a sizeable part of the budget on the two couches and the coffee table leaving us to be creative about everything else: art, accents, console tables.

The carpet, the couches and the soft woods were all neutral so we chose to accent with black detailing on throw pillows, frames and rods. Then subtle lavender pieces that are easily interchangeable on the mantle, one of the pillows and vases on the shelves. Should our clients choose to switch up their accent colour down the road they can do so very easily.

When you walk in their front door you can only see the east side of the room so we needed to make that wall impactful. A window on one side meant that anything we did would be off centre. The two shelves with curated decorative items was what we decided on.

The art on either side of the doorway is from sarah swanson gallery wall art on etsy. It is simple and fresh.

Then the last piece was making the room personal. The frame on the mantle is a picture of our clients' kids and one of the pictures on the shelves is a photograph taken by our clients' close friend.

Oh, and no room is complete without a fiddle leaf fig tree.

Photographs courtesy of Nicholas Theodorou

-Kate and Amanda

We've been busy

So we are finishing up a project and we're so excited to share it with you. Pics should be up on the blog next week. But we thought we'd share some before pics. Here is Project Kings Lynn - it was a bare bones room, not a piece of furniture or a rug, just some nice grey paint on the walls and a fireplace in the centre of the room.

Our client's have been nothing short of wonderful and gave us a budget and let us pull together a formal living room for them that is warm and inviting.

Here is the design we came up with.

There have been lots of tweaks and changes along the way but it has all come together. Oh and did I mention that we might have bought one of these for the room:

Love those fiddle leaf figs!

-Kate and Amanda

These ones are affordable

Amanda, I meant to tell you about these today but they just slipped my mind. Andrea told me about a denim company out of LA called Articles of Society. Their jeans are apparently a great fit, created by people with previous experience working for high quality denim brands except they were determined to offer something more affordable. The average price point is $54!!!!

Stark contrast to my post about the $500 jean...

Does anyone out there own a pair?

They have a charcoal motto jean that made me think of you. They can be found here.

-Kate

Riverdale House

Amanda, I'm a real estate junkie. I love the thrill of the list, the staging, the wait, then the bargaining and the sale... it's all so exciting. I also really like seeing how people live - it's fascinating being able to see inside peoples homes. So I watch mls every day to see what's out there even though we don't have any intention of moving.

I found this one today in South Riverdale. I love the exterior. It reminds me a bit of those NYC brownstones I blogged about a while back. I also love the kitchen - modern and clean. Take a look:

This listing can be found at mls.ca, E3019779, 100 Hogarth Ave.

-Kate

Happy Thanksgiving

Amanda, We had such a beautiful Thanksgiving. We were up at the cottage and the leaves were turning and the weather was warm enough to be outside all day but cold enough to cozy by the fire at night. My mom and aunt, in usual form, made a delicious dinner - all the fixings. I particularly love her stuffing. It's crusty on the outside and is perfectly seasoned.

The highlight this weekend, however, was watching Max play outdoors. I had a moment on Sunday when I watched him charge through the trees with a stick in his hand, immersed in boyhood play, so carefree and lost in his imagination. It was beautiful.

I am so thankful for him. I am also thankful for his beautiful sister and my amazing husband. I am thankful for the rest of my family and all my friends. I am thankful to have the opportunity to eat a fantastic meal in an autumn oasis.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too.

-Kate

Holly & Ivy

Kate,

There's been a lot of talk in the last few years about products that are safe for your children, your body and your home.  I try to do some things but without a doubt I could do better. I buy safe bath products for my kids, I use vinegar to clean almost everything, I use Dr. Bronner's body wash and a free of sulphates shampoo but that's about it...so yes, I could do a lot better.

Some companies market themselves as being free of chemicals that cause cancer without being completely truthful.  They are supposed to be "safe" and then I'm reading on goop that it really isn't all that it's marketed to be which leads me to be angry at myself for not being more thorough. There's a list of chemicals that we are supposed to look out for when buying products but to be truthful, in my case, I don't actually pick up the bottle to look through the list of ingredients.  I do a quick scan at the packaging of the products and if I see "free of sulphates and parabens" I throw it in the basket the majority of the time.  I need someone else to do the research for me because when I'm in a store with my kids it's a quick in and out with no time to peruse slowly through the aisle's.  I'm sure a lot of you feel the same.  That's why Holly & Ivy is such a great find.  Holly & Ivy is Donna Sheenan's brain child and passion. The link between breast cancer and the products we put on our body is real and she recognized a need for a one stop shop for all beauty related products that are both"luxurious and healthy."  Which is HUGE for me because I really, really do not want to sacrifice a great product/outcome for a product that is healthy or vice versa.  I want both!  The best part though is that 50 percent of their net profit is donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Support Fund.

Donna was kind enough to send me a few samples. I love samples! I was pretty giddy when I opened the pretty box full of samples.  I used the One Love Organics product line in Hawaii and I have to say that I loved Skin Saviour Waterless.  It has an awesome orange smell and moisturizes really well.  I love that it has many uses-makeup remover, moisturizer, hair tamer.  It feels greasy initially but then miraculously is absorbed into the skin quickly and leaves it baby soft.  I also loved the Morning Glory Complexion Brightening Booster.  It made my skin feel silky and gave it a nice glow. (My aunt actually literally told me out of nowhere that my skin was glowing!) I have to say I'm huge on the glow.  I use a vitamin C serum because it's anti aging but also because I notice a difference in the glow factor.  My serum is pretty expensive though so I would happily trade that in for this product.  My favourite is Brand New Day.  You can use it as a scrub or a masque, I've only done the scrub, but it leaves your skin feeling super clean and smooth.

I'm now about to move on to the Elizabeth Dehn product line.  There will be a review of them after I use up my samples but from the write up and the packaging, I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, I think I'm going to love it.  I'm also going to purchase the John Masters Organic hair care line because I've read about it several times and have only heard excellent things.  I'm that girl with the frizzy dry hair, which I also bleach, so I need a really great conditioner.  I've yet to find one that is a healthy option that is good enough to tame my mane!  I'm very hopeful that the above conditioner will do the job.

I know good products are an investment but I really believe investing in your skin is money well spent.  I always notice if someone has beautiful skin and it's only going to become more important as we age.  I also love putting something on my skin that is guilt free.  So check it out, get some samples if you feel unsure and be good to yourself.  Here's to health and beauty!

-Amanda

Things that make me...

Amanda, I was reading that blog Decor Happy today. Vanessa Francis has a really great voice - I mean, you can hear her talking through her blog. I actually feel like I kind of know her and I hope that our blog has the same effect on people.

Anyway, she talks about how her goal as a designer is to make her client happy in their home. She talks about being "decor happy." So it made me think about that - what makes me decor happy?

So here's a shortlist:

1.   This couch from Restoration Hardware that we just purchased for a client. I am so absolutely excited for them that they not only get one but two in their living room!

2.   I love pillows. They make a space cozy and these below from West Elm are textured and fun.

3) I bought this sheepskin at Indigo today and it thoroughly excited me - so versatile - throw it on the floor, on your couch, on a chair, on your bed, under your christmas tree... the possibilities are endless! Found here.

4. A great candle. Bet you didn't know this was one? Found here.

5.   Anything monogrammed. I'm a sucker for personalization. You can definitely overdo it, but here or there, it makes you feel special! These sheets are from pottery barn.

What makes you decor happy?

-Kate

House in Mimico

Amanda, There is a house for sale in Mimico that i happened across and it's cool. A different look and feel than you normally see.  It's got that craftsman exterior and I love the mix of grey and black and cedar shakes. The interior is modern and quirky. For some reason, I've always liked stairs at the back of a house that start in the kitchen. There are tonnes of windows and the layout is open but still divided.

-Kate

Caitlin Flemming and Sacramento Street

Kate, Have you ever noticed that you tend to pin the same persons pins repeatedly on pinterest? Almost to the point that you may as well not even bother having a pinterest because really you can just look at the other persons page because it so accurately describes what you love.  I feel that way about Caitlin Flemming and her pinterest page.  I repin A LOT of her stuff.  She also has a blog that I love with great fashion picks, recipes and design.  Here are some of the images that I recently pinned from her that I'm finding very inspirational at the moment.

via designsponge.com

via blog.jelanieshop.com

via tomschereer.com

via hegeinfrance.com

via domainehome

On a personal note, I've decided to get a head start on Halloween and by that I do not mean sewing costumes...I mean eating an unspeakable amount of mini chocolates.  The trick is to fight the moment of weakness when the little devil on your shoulder tells you can just have one because that never happens.

-Amanda

$500 JEANS

Amanda, So I was perusing Madewell's site and came across a pair of jeans that reminded me of the old-school 501's that every model wore growing up and managed to look so comfortable and so stylish in at the same time. Since I have a pair of Madewell jeans, I didn't even glance at the price because I was assuming they'd be around the $150 mark, since that's what I spent on mine and I'm getting excited because they are kind of like the boyfriend jeans that I own and would wear everyday, but a bit more tailored. Then I notice the price tag and gasp. $506.00!

Now I'm thinking, what is so special about these jeans that they are worth this much? The description talks about how they are made out of a special jean that you can only get in Japan call Chimala and while all of this information and the price tag should turn me away it actually does the opposite - I start obsessing about how amazing they must be!

Take a look.

And anyone reading, let me know if you have these or know anyone who does? I'm intrigued.

Here's the link if you want to check them out yourself: madewell chimala denim

-Kate

Reblog: Smitten studio bathroom

Amanda, I love Sarah Sherman Samuel's style and so much that she posts on her blog, Smitten Studio. She recently wrote about her bathroom renovation and the details are beautiful: square sinks, gold hardware, honeycomb tile and a touch of marble. You will love it.

-Kate

Look at this bed

Amanda, I saw this bed in the latest issue of Style at Home and have never seen anything like it. The lines, the simplicity, the wood. It's beautiful.

Via cb2

What I like most about this bed is how low it is to the ground - our bed is the same. Since our kids often end up sleeping with us it means they can crawl in and curl up without even waking me (not chris since he is a super light sleeper.)

Here are some cute pillows from cb2 since i was already on the site perusing. They would look great propped on this awesome bed.

-Kate

White bedroom

Amanda and I visited with a client today and discussed the idea of a white bedroom. Like many people, she was skeptical. Would it look clinical? Cold? So I thought I'd gather some fantastic examples of white bedrooms that make you relax, that lift the stress from your shoulders, that remind you of clouds and help you sleep because of it. That's what I think of white bedrooms. So clean. So fresh. So calming. What do you think?

Via monikahibbs

Via Apartment Therapy

Via Digs

Via tendances & habitat

Via Domaine

Sleep is so vital and so many friends and family of mine struggle with getting a restful sleep. So I hope tonight is the night for all of you out there needing some extra zzz's.

Sweet dreams everyone.

-Kate

Valley eyewear

Kate,

I bought new sunglasses for myself in Hawaii and I can honestly say I have never had so many people ask me what kind of glasses I have.  I have received so many compliments on these puppies!  Three things I love about them- the Carl Zeiss lenses, the matte black frame, the shape. The only issue is that you cannot buy them in Canada...I know, this blows but you can buy them online.  Here's what I can tell you if you're brave enough to order them.  The frame is a bit heavy but unless you are wearing them for hours and hours at a time it's not an issue.  After about 3 hours of wearing them straight in Hawaii they began to hurt me a bit.  If you're from Canada and you take your sunnies on and off all day, you'll be just fine.  Also, they look good on pretty much everyone that has tried them on unless you have a small head/face.  In that case they are too big on the face!

The glasses above are the DB matte black/black lens.  I also loved the snow leopard and almost got them instead.  Check them out here.  Definitely my favourite purchase in a long time.

-Amanda

Tomatoes

Kate,

As you know, we jar tomatoes every year.  My parents and their friends started it when we were kids and the tradition continues with my parents, their friends and all of my parents friends' children and our spouses.  Recently there have been some additions and people just drop in as the day goes to say hi and have a bite and a drink.  It's a fun day and a full day.  We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together and as the sauce comes out we pour good olive oil, chopped feta and basil in a bowl and dip copious amounts of bread in it.  There are no assigned jobs as we all just move around to avoid boredom.  It really is one of my favourite days of the year.  What's better than friends, great food, a few bevy's and a nice big yield of great fresh sauce.

-Amanda

This and That

Amanda, I went to the Fall Home Show today and thought I'd gather some inspiration there but was sorely disappointed. I discovered a Garage Organization company that would be the thing of Chris' dreams but can't happen right now... I'd love to surprise him at some point - like a "Pimp his garage" kinda scenario. But that was it.

Anyway, we did have a beautiful weekend, packed with new activities and outdoor fun. Two swims in the pool, lots of socializing and some great food. Consequently, not much got done around the house.

However, this week I did feel inspired by your mantel post. It reminded me of this idea I had a while back to make a garden out of my mantel. So I gathered all of the potted plants I had around the house and arranged them in a couple different formations until it felt right. The true test was that when Chris got home he immediately said "that looks nice." When normally he sighs in exasperation that something again has  been changed.

On another note, Meg sent me a link to this recipe for Strawberry Cream Scuffins!  A combination of muffin and scone. ha. I especially love that there are strawberries involved so will definitely try to make this soon. Beware you have to log into BHG to get the recipe. Here's a pic:

-Kate

A different mantel

Kate, Remember yesterday when we were talking about my mantel that STILL isn't installed and what I should do over it?  Well I continued to think about it last night and I remembered that I had seen pictures of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Brodericks' home when I was in Hawaii and that I had loved their mantels.  Btw, they have SEVEN fireplaces in their townhome.....S E V E N!  Can you imagine!?  Most of the mantels have art hung over them but as you can see below two of the walls above are bare and several urns line the mantle.  I love it!  I love that it doesn't take away from the art on either side and that it looks so clean.  I think I'll be off to Homesense today after gymnastics to see if I can start my collection for my mantel.

Just as an aside, here are two links to her townhome.  The first is what it looks like now and this one is from when they tried to sell it 2 years ago.  As you can see the now is a streamlined version of what it was before.  I think we would both prefer the now but I'm interested in what everyone else thinks?

-Amanda