saving the lilies

So, on Saturday night, the Bloomers decorated a wedding at the Boulevard Club. It was lovely - there were tall white calla lilies everywhere! (yes yes, pics coming as soon as we get them back). I went for a sleepy late night 1 a.m. pick up of all our decor stuff, and mostly everyone had left the building, sadly leaving all the beautiful lilies for garbage. So I saved them! Mission Save the Lilies indeedy. At 2pm, I was lugging them all upstairs, with the help of my new "Friends" neighbour (thanks Aliya!), cursing the lilies, until we dumped them into the lime green bucket in my kitchen. And they looked soooo lovely just sitting in the green bucket against the grey kitchen wall! Who would've thought just a green bucket of calla lilies could be so satisfying?!

special jewellery

My friend Darlene makes the most amazing jewellery ever, and I just have to share it with everyone! We met a few years ago when her company, Bijouxbead, donated a necklace to The Breast Darn Show (a fundraiser we planned and designed to honour women with breast cancer), and since then, I've seen her jewellery take off to the moon! In fact, no word of a lie, Monika Schnarre wore a Bijouxbead necklace to the Toronto International Film Festival just a few weeks ago (see pic below). I love the pics of her jewellery above (taken by photographer Max Wellander) - these photos really do Darlene's detailed and intricate bead work justice. So beautiful - I would gladly wear her stuff any day, all day...sigh. I also think her jewels would be perfect for a wedding party. Brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom, take note!

Monika Schnarre wearing Darlene's jewellery! {Pic from fashionmagazine.com}

black chandeliers

I was going to write an entirely different post today, on an entirely different subject. But digging through my design inspiration images {I keep a folder on my computer called 'Things I Like' which seems to be expanding exponentially by the day} and soon realized that I have clipped quite a few images with black chandeliers...so I decided to post on that instead! If you ask me, a chandelier in any colour is pretty cool, but the contrast of these black ones against the white or light interiors are simply delish. {top to bottom: Domino Magazine {sniffle}; not sure; Living Etc.; Canadian House and Home}.

And speaking of delish...I have a fun project that I will start reporting on next week that involves yummy morsels of deliciousness. Stay tuned...

Have a wonderful weekend! 
The Bloomers

tel aviv beaut

On our trip to Israel we stayed with our friends in Tel Aviv. It was the first time we had a chance to visit them in their apartment and holy moly it was quite the treat! I was taken with the big open space and the neutral colour palette and clean lines of all the furniture. It was simplicity at its best!

Check out this fab door that divides the main living area from the guest suite and office area!!

For some reason they aren't that fond of this amazing stone wall but I think it looks like Jerusalem stone and it is an awesome focal point that I was drawn to stare at. Notice the window covering that is similar to the beautiful door?

For an adorable pop of colour and girly delight this chair is the perfect compliment to the otherwise neutral decor.

The stairs leading up to a beautiful master suite, sitting room and roof top patio!

This beautiful sofa sits perfectly in a litte book nook and looks out on to the rooftop patio! I would love to curl up here on a rainy afternoon!

Now that's a rooftop patio complete with pool!

Thanks friends for letting us stay there...we will definitely be back...wink wink nudge nudge!

inBloom featured on black eiffel!

inBloom is featured today on one of our very favourite blogs, Black Eiffel. We are honoured. Thanks, Rachel, for the shout out! Click here to see the entry.

grey hardwood?

dark "vintage" grey hardwood?

a country grey hardwood?

a lighter, softer grey hardwood?

a more roughened, antique-looking grey hardwood?

almost a brown-ish hue to it - I like it with the pops of orange

A white-washed "zebra" hardwood?

Ok, so I saw my friend Tahlia the other day, and we got talking about my new house and the choices of hardwood. Lo and behold, she mentioned that she saw someone with grey hardwood floors and it looked very nice...wowzers, this blew my mind and got me thinking a bit. In my head I had my house decorated in espresso, almost black, hardwood floors; but the prospect of grey really through me for a loop. So I've been searching around online, and while there isn't a whole lot out there in terms of inspiration, I've posted some of my favourites for you to see. Now, Shayna Bloomer did say she saw some grey hardwood in IKEA the other day, which excited me greatly, but I haven't been able to find any pictures online, nor did I see it when I went there myself on Friday. In general, there appears to be different shades available... tell me, what do you think about it and what's your favourite shade?!

Different Samples of Grey Hardwood:

{pic 1 + 2 from flooring2floors; pic 3, 4 + 7 from lvwoodfloors; pic 5 from treegfrog veneer; pic 6 from ? (let me know if you know!); sample pic 8 from Berti via Treefrog}

ork poster love

When P. and I were in Chicago for a mini-break in July, we passed by a frame store and saw this cool graphic poster. I have a thing for typography, so I just had to have it! And what a great momento from our trip - a decor statement without the cheese factor of the usual gift shop junk! 

Created by Ork Posters, I just took a boo at their website and was happy to see that the poster was printed on 100% recycled paper with soy-based inks! And that they have a city neighbourhood poster for many other places. The Toronto poster is coming soon! Be sure to check our Ork...I really like their heart poster too.

Happy weekend! 
~ The Bloomers

shayna bloomer's israel wedding {hairs and makeups}

After 5 long hours of hair and makeup, I looked and felt like a superstar! I totally got the star treatment and I have to say I could really get into this!  I had extensions, a few more eyelashes thrown in, layers upon layers of makeup that somehow ended up looking like I was naturally born that way, and the messy side bun of my dreams! No wonder celebs look the way they do! Thanks to Sharon Pur {the hair genius} and Sigal Grushka {the make-up genius} for such an amazing experience. I had so much fun with them and am currently plotting another reason to hire them again! But fear not...it won't be for wedding #3!
Here are a few shots of the process that Sharon took throughout the day!

Look at her glorious makeup kit!

She starts with the eyes and then goes on to create a base on the rest of the face...see the shadows she creates under the makeup that accentuate all the right areas? So that's how you get a vogue cheek!! She has such delicate artist hands too...she just lightly brushes the face with all the patience in the world!

My team!

A sneaky shot by photographer Shahar Drori...it totally looks posed but I swear it wasn't!

The finished product! My perfectly beachy makeup and my coveted messy side bun!

tissue paper flowers

Lately everywhere I go I see tissue paper flowers! I see it in storefronts, on many pretty wedding blogs. And it makes me remember my mom. When my mom was young, she had her own business making Mexican tissue paper flowers - the big bright poufy kind. The were so awesome! She tried to teach us how to make them, but our little hands just couldn't handle it. I'm thinking of trying it out again...maybe my older age has improved my finger dexterity.  Click here for an article on how to make them.

{pics 1 and 2 from Pink Paper Peppermints

pics 3 and 4 from OnceWed}

trendy trash in tel aviv

We were walking on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv and I was tickled pink when I saw what someone did to this recycling bin! It sure is marvy! I wonder how long it took them to do it...they wove different pieces of fabric all over it and they even added strange old pictures of brides and grooms. Just marvy...

indian design inspiration

Oh me oh my, my best friend Aliya sure scouted out the marviest blog that I would like to share with all of you! Aliya is going to be moving into my apartment building in only a few weeks - can you imagine?! It's going to be just like Friends. And in her search for inspiration pics for her new apartment decor, she found an awesome blog called An Indian Summer. This blogger has a love affair with interior design, but design inspired by India and Asia, mixed with vintage at the same time! Some of my favourite rooms, which are all from that same blog, are pictured above. But believe me, there's no shortage of different colours and exotic design inspiration there...check it out!