feeling silhouettey

Silhouettes have been a huge design trend in home decor lately. I love the idea of a couple incorporating their silhouettes into their wedding stationery - a nice, personal touch! Sometimes silhouettes can look a bit creepy, but I thought the below silhouettes were done beautifully {by KC and Sara as featured on Once Wed}.

And take a peek at this beautiful silhouette cut out of a leaf...exquisite! This is by silhouette artist Jenny Lee Fowler.
I was shocked to find out that some of these silhouette artists cut the silhouettes directly from paper {or leaves!} without even drawing them first. This boggles my mind...how can they be so accurate?! Check out this Silhouette artist from the U.K. who attends weddings and events and cuts silhouettes on the spot. {For a bit of a chuckle, below his YouTube video, see the comment left from his embarrassed, over-critical teenaged daughter perhaps?! Just a guess here, but it made me laugh}

wee things

So once again I was reading my fave new blog Something's Hiding in Here, and I have to say, they never fail to entertain me! Look at this teeniest tiniest letter ever that was sent to them by the World's Smallest Postal Service! So then it got me wondering...what other wee things exist out there that would just make my day? So sorry to digress from the usual design and decor talk...I really needed to share all the adorable wee things I found!

{Tiny Pies}

{Tiniest Egg}

{Tiniest Monkey...awww!}

{Tiniest Purse}

{Tiniest Tomatoes}

{Tiniest Snail}

Stay tuned...I've got more wee things coming!

a perfect little barn venue

{picture from Massey Barn Events}

We've always, our whole lifelong, been searching for the perfect little barn event venue, and in the GTA it was nowhere to be found! Until my good friend Brooke (who has fantastic taste and a keen eye by the way), sent me a link to a cute little barn in Cobourg that she had heard about once before. Called Massey Barn, it has a lot of a history behind it, built by the Massey family in 1837. And it is REALLY super cute - the renovations are a perfect blend between rustic but still a little upscale. It's like a pretty canvas just waiting to be made even more spectacular! Our clients (and friends...clients sound so harsh, doesn't it?) Ryan and Tahlia asked inBloom to help decorate the venue for their wedding...and inBloom says a resounding OK! We'd be THRILLED to help...we've been waiting a LONG time for this!

I'm a little fascinated by this chandelier. Such a perfect contrast between rustic and upscale decor.

The barn in all it's beautiful glory - just waiting for inBloom's personal touch!

this is the view behind the barn. apparently there's a clearing in the forest for a ceremony. tahlia loves the idea of using this trail as the aisle.

Ryan and Tahlia - they look happy ... obviously!

ketubah crisis!

I've been scouring the web for a Ketubah {Jewish marriage contract} design that suits my fancy. Its not an easy task! Most are kind of hokey and would most definitely NOT be found gracing my wall. It took me a looong while but I was able to come up with some designs that definitely better suit my style. I can't tell you how happy I am right now to know that there are at least a few others out there designing Ketubahs with the modern couple in mind!

Tsilli Pines was a bride just like me who was not very happy with her choices out there. I guess being a graphic designer helped because she made her own really awesome one! Her friends liked what she did and a new biz was born! You can order her creations from her online store New Ketubah. Here are some examples from her collection.

This home-made Ketubah was posted on Something Old, Something New. Me likey...

I also like the idea of just having plain Hebrew text on some nice paper. Some of the old text is so beautiful...it is art in itself. I found this simple one from The Design Lab that was kind of what I was thinking of but I would like to put it on some beautiful paper. You know how you can spend hours drooling over paper in stationary shops but you can't quite justify it because you don't really know what you'd use it for? Well I'd use it for this!

i dreamed i wrote a blog in my maidenform bra

Our mom always jokingly quoted the famous Maidenform Bra ad campaign from the 1950's and 60's where women 'dreamed' of being in certain situations - 'riding a gondola, painting the town red, playing Cleopatra' - in their Maidenform bras. I remember shouting 'Mom where are you?' to the response of 'I'm making spaghetti in my Maidenform bra!'.

I can imagine that these scantilly clad ads were quite risqué for their time, but they seemed to allow women in that era to 'dream' they could be free and sexy and do what they pleased {I'm sure there are a ton of feminist views on these!}. The successful ad campaign always intrigued me though, and I was lucky enough to find a calendar from Urban Barn that featured these vintage chic ads! Looking for something to jazz up my bathroom, I decided to frame some of my favourites to add a bit of quirkiness to my decor. Here is a picture of my wall, and some ads...they are just too good not to share!

DIY in style!

I was reading my new-found blog obsession of the moment, Something's Hiding In Here and am digging their fantastic loft and all the quirky DIY elements they've incorporated.

They just finished this yummy bookshelf they've been working on. They couldn't decide on one colour...so they used them all! Now that is my kind of thinking!

They even put a porch swing in their pad!! The envy...

They also have a salvaged-globe collection! And check out the little pony centrepiece on their table! Hee hee...

Just when you think you're pretty crafty someone always comes along and trumps you! But oh how it inspires me to do more!

For more photos you can see a tour of their home here.

library link love

A lovely surprise...thanks to Elizabeth Anne Designs who added inBloom Event Design and our sister company inBloom Studio to their list of vendors in their library! They also have a great section where you can add a review for a company on their list. So, if you feel up to it, we wouldn't mind at all if you gave us a shout-out or two! Just click here and submit a review! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

sweet cotton candy

Shayna Bloomer and I found a similar picture the other day that inspired us for her practice wedding! I thought it deserved a post, as it's probably the most delightful looking treat I've seen in a while. How adorable?

{from Martha Stewart Weddings}

{from Snippet and Ink}

happy hope day!

{photo from Hyperakt Design Group}

I can't help it, as cliche as it might sound, i just watched The Inauguration of Obama at my grandma's house over lunch, and i feel filled with inspiration and hope. It was actually quite a fun little experience - my grandma was all dressed up, complete with fancy red lipstick on, and the two of us clinked a toast with our wine glasses as Obama was sworn in. Whatever may happen, I think he's one of the most sincere, eloquent speakers, and I was so impressed that he addressed the troubled groups of the world so courageously. He's so normal, but so special. And at the least, even if nothing comes of his intentions, I am so proud that the faith of the world has been rested upon the shoulders of the first African American President. It's been a long time coming, and I'm happy to be part of this historical day. Oh yah, and I kind of think Obama's sexy...is that ok?

i heart domino

To avoid the bone-chillingly, yucky, greyness of the weekend past, I took my weekly peek into the new West Elm store that opened up in Liberty Village. Joelle Bloomer and I are slightly obsessed with this store and last week they told us that they were bringing in their new stock so if we came back in a week I'd be in for a nice surprise. Not that I was even tired of the old stock but being surrounded by the new West Elm Eco Chic collection was certainly a huge treat! We really have no more decorating space in our condo but I fancied some large frames for our bedroom wall. We want to put some of our black + white travel pics on display. On my way to the cash, my eye caught this maginificent piece of eye candy! Domino: The Book of Decorating! Normally I don't buy these kinds of things, I just stare wishfully, but I just couldn't help myself. AND it comes with a year's subscribtion to Domino Magazine!

So, I've spent the rest of the weekend flipping through this masterpiece and each time I somehow find something new that I didn't see before. Right now I'm in a bit of obsession with designer Rita Konig's entryway. The book has this cool section called 'the domino effect' where a designer breaks down the inspiration behind certain rooms in their homes. Get this...her mother who is also a decorator, designed the wallpaper in her entryway! She was taken by the black and birdies in the decor at a Paris floral shop called Odorantes, and so was then inspired to design the wallpaper. Holy moly creative family!

I love the little table and how she uses hats that she didn't have any other storage space for as part of a very functional decor! And she has been carrying around this pink antique ashtray from apartment to apartment because she loves it so much...even though she doesn't smoke! She sounds cool...I'd like to meet her.

wedding succulents

Reading last month's Domino magazine, I fell in love with this succulent centrepiece on Adrien Grenier's table. I have always been fascinated with succulents! There are so many shapes and sizes and colours. But especially because they are 'neglectable' - read: it is hard to kill them even with a non-green thumb. So wouldn't they be perfect as a wedding centerpiece? These luscious plants will not only last through the ceremony, but they can continue to be enjoyed long after the wedding. A quick search on the internet found these beautiful images:

They look fab in bouquets, boutonnieres, and as favours too...

Recently actress Samantha Mathis {remember her from Pump up the Volume - am I dating myself here?!} opened a floral design firm called Succulent where they specialize in only creating succulent floral arrangements. And a bonus - they ship worldwide. What a great idea! See ya later, wilty hydrangeas....

{images from Domino, Martha Stewart Weddings, Toast and Tables, The Knot, Green Wedding Shoes}

Silks and the City

Shayna and Melanie Bloomer are part of a fabulous group of women, cleverly named Silks and the City, who share a passion for the aerial silks. We have been training together for over five years and our group has become more than the best exercise out there, it has become a place where we can let go of our life stresses, a place to giggle and gab with our best girlfriends and play like little kids again with no judgement.

Since we just moved into a new space, we are very excited to be able to offer the same experience to new women out there. This is an opportunity to get in the best shape of your life while giving you a place to unleash your creativity. We will be starting beginner aerial silks classes on February 1, 2009. There is limited space available so act quick if you want to try it out! The cost of our 10-week session is $200. Contact us at 416.238.7873 for more information!

chalkboard envy

I'm trying to decide how I want the office in my new house to look. I am tempted to do one wall of chalkboard paint so that I can doodle as I please. I think you can even get magnetic chalkboard paint, which would be even cooler. What do you think of this new trend? I think it's a pretty awesome way to jot down your to do's while still looking artsy and funky. Still trying to decide my accent colours.

{Carolina Herrera Jr.'s apartment via Decorology}

{from Martha Stewart}

what a funky crazy office!!

{pic from New York Times via The City Sage blog}