Gatherings Joins Lonny and Rue In The New World Of E

Quite some time ago there was a big commotion over the launch of the online mag, Rue as being the "new" competition for Lonny (which launched in October of '09). I love the idea of web based e-zines because I am an eco girl at heart (no trees hurt in the making of), and also they are so much more accessible... although shelter glossies are my major vice. And movie popcorn. Those two things top my weakness charts. Thoroughly evil, I know. Good thing there are not many good movies these days. But I digress... I tend to think of it as culling, as there were so many magazines on the shelves it was a little much at one point. In the period of one year, nearly every magazine I read just disappeared, leaving a huge gaping hole for those of us who eagerly anticipate a monthly dose of rugs, wallpaper samples and pretty vignettes of mirrors and seashells. (One of my male friends, while enduring my whining over coffee one day pointed out my "house porn" addiction. Since I can't have ten houses and unlimited funds to decorate said houses, I covet them through magazines, and it is an unhealthy addiction that literally covers bookshelves and piles around the sofa. Point taken.)

Rue Mag

 The news of last September's launch of Rue Magazine was good news for those of us who simply can't get enough of the eye candy provided by such compilations, and the endeavor, started by blogosphere diva Crystal Gentilello of Plush Palate and Anne Sage from one of my favourites, the City Sage has proven to be worth the wait. I think it would be fairly easy to garner attention during this period of mourning. It could be said that a team could make a half-hearted attempt at this and it would still fly... but these talented folk have seriously outdone themselves.

Gatherings eMagazine: interior by Annette Tatum

 Now, for the past few months I have been eagerly awaiting new issues of Gatherings. Strangely I haven't seen or heard much about it at all in media. I can't even remember how I happened upon it, always these voyages through cyberspace takes me on interesting paths and I can never seem to follow the breadcrumbs back. Either way, it is another feast for the aesthetically inclined eye that crosses the boundaries between interior design, gardens, food and pretty much anything... well, pretty. While the others sort of have that "mightier than the average home" feel of designers and stores trying to outdo each other on the "casually thrown together on an ample budget" scale, Gatherings is the type of read where you literally want to save it till you have a hot cuppa in hand and your scone perfectly prepared before you hit the browse button. It is warm and comforting and a bit more real... in kind of a dreamy sense. But real dreamy... you know what I mean?

Crochet Blossom Garland craft project

 Gatherings is only partly leaning toward my style. The creator, Heather Spriggs is an interior designer from Tennessee and we really obviously lead different lives and styles. Still, there is so much that appeals to the girl in me. It has that romantic vintage thing going on and  the photography is gorgeous. I am more inclined to drool over the recipes than to try making any of them. I really appreciate the look of most of the rooms, but it's not how I decorate my home. And yet, there is something very satisfying about how the publication is arranged and I adore the crafty look. I just think it is a really nice addition to the mix. I hope she expands a bit, as it is currently only a quarterly. I am excited though to see where the whole thing goes. Worth a look.

Tick Tock... Wood Clock

This is the most beautiful thing I have seen in a while.

Best New Designer

Many many (many) years ago my horrid stepsister introduced me to one of the most delightful girls I have had the pleasure of knowing. She and I instantly hit it off regardless of the fact that she is nearly ten years younger than I am (we both hated pink). I was in my twenties and it probably seemed to my sister's friends that I was all fabulous and exciting (and I had a car that drove them around, a lot...) but Jenn was one of the few that I actually found... well, not annoying. So not annoying in fact, that I tried really hard to take her to what I think was her first real concert (Coolio I believe, LOL) and I immediately became the hot topic at the next parents meeting with many of them insisting that I had to be a bad influence simply because I was not fifteen. If only they knew...


Anyhow, now that Jenn is all grown up she is showing me a thing or two about how to live life, and I am duly impressed. After finishing up at Ryerson and doing grand things in Toronto, she moved back to Vancouver, married one of the only men I would have approved of for her (possibly my brother being the only other) and had the most gorgeous wee baby girl you could imagine. She also has mastered the fine art of launching herself full force into the interior design industry. I understand that she has a great deal of experience with PR as that was her last gig on the other side of the country, but to be able to back it with the talent she is showing is pretty phenomenal. I imagine she gets tired of hearing how proud I am of her, she is the type that would roll her eyes, (also, it makes me sound old somehow... go figure) but she is like the little sister that I liked, and I am so happy that she turned out so wonderfully. I am going to take some credit for that.


I should also note (no, I don't forget) that she is not the only talent in this design duo. She has teamed up with her adorable friend Rachel to become A Good Chick To Know Design Consulting, and you can consult with them on everything from what dress to wear to a party to how to sell your house faster and for way above the asking price. Not too shabby, and I guarantee a lot of fun as well!


Jenn recently entered the BC's Best Young Designer Competition and while I had a post in the works on one of her recent home transformations, I had to scrap it for this suite, I am so blown away! I know from her other work that she has an intensely good eye for sourcing on Craigslist and thrift shops, as well as access to the amazing world of design that Vancouver has to offer. If you ever visit the city, be sure to budget for some of the best shopping you have seen for interiors! Apparently this entire space started with the orange lamp (can you spot it?) and it makes me think of how much fun we will have if I ever get my butt back to Vancouver and spend some time treasure hunting with this fine lass! I may have a few disgruntled people in my life who will tell you that I don't simply go on and on about somebody's talents just because they are a friend, but I will let you decide for yourself. Here is the entry for the Best Young Designer Challenge...





Unfortunately you cannot vote for this suite online (although you can visit the site for more pics and info,) you have to actually visit it at Morgan Crossing in South Surrey. There are six talented finalists who have contributed a suite. Each had a $10,000 budget to work the space so they had to be inspired, resourceful and creative. I imagine it is worth the trip if you can get out that way! Why not do something different this weekend?

Small Town Frocks

I have a new project. You know, to fill all that free time that I have... stop rolling your eyes. OK, so this isn't totally new. My good friend and I have been tossing this one back and forth for quite some time now, we just needed a bit of a kick in the pants to get started. Mostly because neither one of us are computer gurus and we REALLY were hoping those elves that exist in our heads would materialize to do the WWW stuff for us. Not going to happen. In true Kootenay style, we jumped all over the fun parts (the parts we know and understand) and like the nutbars that we are we decided to do a photo shoot before we had an outlet for the photos... but it turned out so brilliantly that we knew we had to do more.

Me doing technical type stuff...

You see, this lovely lady Lara, (that I refer to regularly,) and I met working in the bridal industry designing gowns over a decade ago. We share a deep understanding and respect for the lifestyle that we live which we see as being the core premise of couture. A wealthy life has nothing to do with "the House of" or a price tag that you need to sell a kidney to achieve, hours clocked on the red carpet or fame beyond the Kardashians. Rather the understanding that style is intimate and personal, authentic quality does not compromise and comfort is not the opposite of luxury, but rather the ultimate example of the same. Coco would tell you the same thing. I do not lie. We also firmly believe that a lighter footprint is entrenched in this way of being and is definitive of the culture we inhabit.

Lara Blackman, designer for Jayne.

Cut to Lara's ridiculously brilliant skill as a dressmaker. Whilst mulling the supreme languidness of her summer on the beach and working out a plan for where to position her future floating home on the lake, she realized that while she found enjoyment in the handwork she was doing, where her heart truly resided was with couture gowns. Having been immersed in the wilderness for the better part of ten years, her take on fashion has evolved into something exquisitely organic and she knew that what she really wanted was to be exploring the idea of gowns created from reloved and natural textiles and constructing them entirely by hand (and foot) using her antique treadle sewing machine. Her goal: to create one fabulous gown every month (12 in all) using only locally available supplies, that are to challenge her both creatively and technically.

In the workroom making
ridiculously fabulous wool wigs.

She also decided to use this opportunity to search out and liberate the massive talent that resides in the Kootenays. Creative people tend to flock together and it was inevitable perhaps that such a stellar group would end up working together. While I have known Lara for nearly fifteen years, it has been a long time since we have collaborated. I am thoroughly enjoying the co-conspirator slash stylist slash PR position. We have enlisted the help of the immensely talented Avrell Fox for make-up, hair and general fabulousness, and amazingly we have found the sweetest raw talent in a budding photographer, Louis Bockner, who has surprised us all with his insane photographic abilities. Of course, Nelson is chock full of stunningly healthy and beautiful people to model and since we don't know anyone adept with Photoshop (not that we are the type to airbrush raw beauty to begin with) we will be showcasing how gorgeous actual beauty is.

I styled the November photo shoot using some of my antique pieces. Some of the silver is c1800s.

And so Small Town Frocks has been born. The idea is to not only create the garment, but to also showcase the evolution, from inspiration to technical information to behind the scenes of photo shoots and window displays. Other talent in and around the area will be spotlighted and we may even find and/or inspire a few new gems along the way, who knows? This project is all about discovery and process (and the attainment of said floating home) and the sheer passion that is what couture is truly about. And so we begin...

Linked to http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

I have a new love.

I really should have started this affair months ago when my good friend Lara tried her best to introduce us, but I was preoccupied and a little arrogant and figured he would wait around for me. Well, I am not sure that he noticed, because he is a man coveted by many (according to the number of comments he receives daily,) and I am not going to pretend that he has been pining away the days, as he has kept himself very busy... but I finally went over and introduced myself today and I couldn't be happier with the results :)


Meet Joel. A man of great taste, imagination, devotion and love for his children (and, I am sure, his darling looking wife). Joel is an at home dad who takes his role very seriously in a not so serious manner. An artist in residence, he has taken it upon himself to enrich his life, the lives of his three year old twins and thankfully, through his blog Made by Joel, our lives as well. An almost daily account of his simple and manageable but stylin' projects is not only supremely useful to any parent... but hugely inspiring!


Joel is very good at taking a good sense of design and showing the rest of us that it really is a good thing to keep things simple and doable. It is a product of a consumer based society to believe that things must be complicated and expensive to be worthwhile. I like to think I am less consumer minded than many, but I always take things that are simple and do my best to complicate them. As a parent of two boys, it is so good to be reminded that this doesn't need to be the case.


I found myself scrolling through Joel's simple yet stunning ideas and realizing how many areas of my life are more complicated than they need to be. While he does not skimp on quality design-wise, he uses such simple techniques and supplies in each of his projects that the reader is left with no other conclusion than to say "I can do this.... and I want to." And this, my friends, is good.



More playing with our kids, less stressing out. Yes, thank you! Joel and I will be spending a great deal of time together from here on in. And he can wear what he wants, doesn't need to be fancy. It is about time I found a good man.

... Up Where the Air is Clear

So today I casually brought up the idea of planning a treehouse for next year at my parents new property. I have always wanted to build a tree folly and I believe every child should grow up with one but until now we simply did not have a place to put one. While my boys would most likely be happy with a ladder and a platform (and a coat of turquoise paint as my six year old is intent on adding as much colour to the world as possible...) I have always come at a project with the "go big or go home" mentality.


A few years ago I became obsessed with the Duchess of Northumberland's tree castle at the Alnwick Gardens. The project was a collaboration with the Prince of Whales to create what was to become the largest public gardens in Europe and the creativity and talent that went into them is nothing less than astounding. I followed their progress until the website changed over to basic tourist information. Many of the photos were unfortunately removed, but if you are ever able to put this on the itinerary for an excursion, I believe it would be more than worthwhile!




Not so long ago, the spherical treehouses from Free Spirit Spheres that originated on Saltspring Island (a place I once lived) made the rounds on sites such as Inhabitat and other design oriented blogs.

These are funky... still not my style though.

But these! Now this is something I could spend a great deal of time in... hell, this is something I could throw a great deal of martini socials in! I'm sold. They are prefabricated in Germany and I may have to sell a kidney just to cover the shipping, but there are some things in life that you just have to sacrifice for...

Baumraum has created dwellings that sit amongst the treetops in countries all over Europe and as far as the U.S. and Brazil. Just a trip through the galleries on their site has me dreaming of what fantastic things can be done thinking outside, and in this case, waaaaaay above, the box.

What do you suppose the chances of hoisting a retrofitted Airstream into a tree are? Fabulous, me thinks.

To Market, To Market We Go...

So, I make pretty things. Well, I think they are pretty. This would be why I make them. I make pretty things for living spaces out of eco friendly stuff. I LOVE fabric and the best kind is the kind that isn't covered in formaldehyde. You might be surprised to find out how much ickyness goes into the fabrics that cover your home and body. But I am not into preaching, I simply intend to infiltrate as many houses as possible with my eco-warrior ideas via pillows and linens.

I am not going to make a habit of posting my own stuff, (cause there is a chance somebody would tell me it isn't as pretty as I would like to think,) and normally wouldn't... but I am doing some market research and want to ask people that I don't know or rather, who would tell me some honest things. I need some questions answered. So I am posting them here because... well I don't really know how else to do this. I thought about standing out on the street but quickly dismissed this as a) it is friggin cold out this time of year, and b) I am looking for people with good taste AND who put at least a smidgen of thought into their nest. That rules out a good percentage of Nelson. I love this town, but home decor is not really at the top of important things around here. Snowboarding, drinking good coffee and a crazy vibrant arts scene yes... sofas, no. And it woud be hoped, that you, dear readers (all three of you at this point, lol) are at least a bit interested. Definitely you are stylin, or you wouldn't be here, right? Hahaha... yes. Well.

So. Some Questions:

1) What was the last thing you purchased for your home that was of a decorative nature (ie, not a lightbulb)?

2) Where did you purchase said item?

3) Roughly how much did you spend?

4) Do you consider the purchases that you make for your home to be well thought out, impulse buys, "I only buy what I absolutely love" or filler (like as in, "I need a pillow for my sofa. Oh, here's one, I'll take it.")?

5) Do you ever purchase anything (that is not "safe to buy without actually seeing up close" like CDs or books) online?

6) How important is the eco-factor in your purchases? Mucho, kinda or not at all?

7) How often do you "upgrade" the look of your abode? Are you the seasonal type? Or have you just decided on a look and stick with it? Or is your space a collection of items from the past decade that you have added to a bit at a time?

8) Wal-mart, Anthropologie, Hermes or the artisan market?

9) Are you sick and tired of answering questions yet?

I cannot tell you how much it means to me to get you to answer these... :)

THANK YOU!
(PS. Yes, Bee, the bee was inspired by you!)

Inside the Box

Some people just see things differently. It's a good thing too, it keeps the rest of us humble. People such as David Gardner from the UK for example. When he sees a light bulb in a package, he thinks "Hey, why couldn't that packaging be more lamp-shaped?" Well, apparently, it can.

This coarsely pulped paper is molded so that when the bulb is flipped around, it simply needs to be plugged into the wall to create a rather warm and cosy ambience.

I am not completely sure of how the local fire chief would side on this one, but it is an incredibly nifty idea. Sort of thinking inside the box. Or maybe inside the box's thinking.

Woah, deep.