Get Your Irish On! - 70th Birthday



Dad had a big birthday this month so my brother and I decided he needed a party to celebrate. So, last night at my brother's studio, family and friends gathered to "get their Irish on". It was a very special night. 

The only person missing was my Mom. I'm pretty sure she was celebrating with us and maybe St. Patrick himself wasn't too far from her side ;)

Happy Birthday Dad! We love you xo

:
:
:

Typical St. Patrick's Day decor can be little tacky, right? So I opted to use touches of green that were festive but simple. Green and white paper lanterns from Chinatown, fresh flowers in vintage mason jars tied with strips of fabric as ribbon, a handmade paper clover bunting and chalk art and birthday messages from the kids.

Isabella did the chalk art and Julian created the giant birthday card.


To make the bunting, I used loose pages from old books I had in my studio. I

1. Cut the paper into heart shapes. You'll need three hearts for each clover. I know a clover is supposed to be four leaves but it just looked better this way (to me).

2. Glue the hearts together to form a clover shape.

3. Attach twine to each clover and tie onto another length of twine.

I spaced my clovers about 1 foot apart.

It's a super-simple St. Patrick's Day craft idea.

Sláinte!!


By the way, photos were taken with my "old" Iphone, so they are a little off. Oh well. It was a fun party!








Dream Catchers - a March Break craft break

How is your March Break so far? 

Enjoying the beautiful weather? We had a taste of spring here in Ontario yesterday but Mother Nature has blasted us with a winter storm today. Ugh.

So if you are home, like we are, and in need of things to occupy your kiddos, here is an idea.

Dream Catchers....



This one is made from a dollar store kit. Not bad looking...
I bought a handful of these last week for emergency crafting. You know what I mean.

These would be so easy to customize if you didn't want to just sit with a hot coffee and chill out ;)
 Really, you could use add your own colour scheme to the dream catcher with ribbon, colourful feathers, beads, doilies and fabric.

Hint: It takes "forever" to wrap the leather cord around the ring without it unravelling, so use some hot glue or enjoy the extra time with your coffee.

My kids didn't exactly follow the dollar store directions - who writes those anyways?! 

Here are some other dreamy dream catchers I spotted on Pinterest that would be lovely to make.




See them all here on my Pinterest board :)

the power of flowers ...

At this time of year aren't you craving some colour? 
I know I am. Although the snow outside is pretty, I'm done with it. Did you hear me Mother Nature?

This is the time of year when I splurge on flowers - if John hasn't brought them home for me as he often does lately - lucky me :)
Flowers and plants get me through March.




There are three books that I'm about to pre-order when I finish this post. I can't wait to have them on my coffee table, 
next to my flowers :)

On Monday, the lovely Heather Spriggs Thompson, Editor of Gathering's Magazine, will launch her spring issue. If you are craving colour like I am than you need to have your very own copy of Gathering's. It is available in print or digital format.

Here is a little sneak peek of Gathering's Magazine. So pretty and full of inspiration for the season.



By the way, I'm looking forward to contributing, once again, to the summer issue of Gatherings. 



Matthew Mead is back with his latest book Backyard Style. It is available for pre-order now on Amazon and Indigo. I'm looking forward to some backyard inspiration! 

We finished most of our hardscaping last year in the backyard so now it needs a good dose of style. Matthew can you come visit?


When I saw the cover of Matthew's book it reminded me of the beautiful collection of antique floral paintings that he and his wife Jenny collect and are displayed in their home in New Hampshire. 
It's hard to believe that visit was nearly two years ago!
Whenever I see floral paintings I think of Matthew, Jenny and their beautiful and welcoming home.

I found some floral paintings on Etsy. It's a great way to add colour and character to a space. These can even work in a modern home, don't you think? Imagine them hanging on a fresh white wall. I love mixing old and new...


Vintage floral paintings via Etsy shops Cafe Cha Cha, Charmhound,and I Want Vintage 


Here is another book I can't wait to get my hands on -- 
Decorate with Flowers, by Holly Becker and Lesley Shewring.
I have both of Holly's previous books and they are beautiful , so I can't wait to see this one. I have read Holly's blog forever and Lesley Shewring is a regular contributor to Decor8 and her blog, A  Creative Mint is also a favorite of mine.



Decorate with Flowers photo via Decor8, Hive vases via West Elm, and pretty pillows via Tonic Living


Here are some more magazines and blogs that feed my desire for spring! 

Shop Terrain - come to Canada!

I'd love to know what you're favorites are, please share in the comments below :)