This Bottle Marked Poison...

I was perusing and admiring "vintage" style apothecary labels in my search for Halloween decor awhile ago, and thought, (in my insatiable need to troll ebay) that buying some actual antique poison bottles would be cool. And they would be if any of them were marked POISON with the skull and crossbones that we have all come to know and... er... love.

It turns out that very few are marked that way, and most are not at all creepy looking! Not only that, but they are crazy tiny! Which, of course, makes sense because who really needs a gallon of poison in their medicine cabinet, right? A couple of drops will usually do it. Many are only two or three inches tall or smaller.

I did discover though, that they come in all colours and designs and are actually rather pretty. Also, they are not as expensive as I thought they would be, even two weeks before Halloween!

One of the things that is visually AND historically interesting about them is that they are all ridged or hobnailed. Apparently, due to the fact that many were in use at the turn of the last century or before, when gas lighting was in use (so reading labels wasn't always an easy task) and when most people's skill at reading was fairly basic, it was a good idea to have a tactile warning on the bottle, so you didn't slip your husband a teaspoon of nasty instead of cough tonic. Huh. Nifty!

The other thing that I think is pretty fab is that there is an entire world of OWL bottles! Being a lover of all things owl, I am particularly impressed with the choice of logo for the Owl Drug Company that started up in San Fransisco in 1892 (look at me all historian-like lately!) and used various depictions of owls embossed on their bottles.

The closest thing I found to scary (the way a drag queen in an onslaught of silver sequins is scary) is so far out of my price range it found its way into my "covet" file. Not because they cost from $2000 to $4000 apiece, but because they come in PURPLE and are shaped like SKULLS! How freaking awesome is that? Now I need one.

Obviously more time and energy is needed in the research department before diving into a collection of poison bottles... but they are definitely going on the list for next Halloween ;)

Recycled Glass Gorgeousness

Serene Sol dishes from Viva Terra

I know, I don't think gorgeousness is an actual word either... but I'm gonna use it anyway, because that is what these dishes from Viva Terra are. I love recycled glass anything. I love glass and I love recycled, and I also really love dishes, which anyone who has hosted a party with me can attest to. These are the first dishes I have seen though, made from recycled glass, that have that light and airy look but with the sturdy build that everyday dishes need. The cost is beyond reasonable and they are dishwasher safe. With a ribbed outside, they have a texture and softness of seaglass.

Serene Sol explains, when glass is recycled, it is broken into small pieces called cullet. The broken pieces are crushed, sorted, cleaned, and mixed with other raw materials in the glass-making process. When glass is made from scratch, high temperatures are needed to melt all the ingredients. Since cullet melts at a lower temperature, the more of it you add to the process, the less energy required to melt it.

Recycling glass is not only energy-efficient; it benefits the environment in other ways. Glass produced from recycled glass instead of raw materials reduces related air pollution by 20% and related water pollution by 50%. And, recycling glass keeps used bottles and jars out of landfills, thereby decreasing the need for them. So in short, they are a great deal for your table, and the planet it sits on! Oh, and wait... they are gorgeous.

Teeny Gardens

Gardening is on my mind! I have been searching the entire house for the stash of seeds I found just before we moved, stuck in a silver teapot. I had put them there so that I would remember where they were, but just in case, I moved them as I was packing. If I had left them in the teapot, I would now be gleefully flipping through packets of flowers and veggies to be, but I put them someplace practical and obvious, so that I could find them come spring. Of course, now I can't for the life of me figure out where I put the bloody things!

Anyhoo, I digress. I have had thoughts of starting seeds indoors for weeks, and long, intense internet searches have somehow taken a side road into little and innovative terrariums. When my youngest was born, I was in the middle of finishing a stained glass class. I absolutely was hooked! Breaking glass (intentionally) is incredibly therapeutic. Unfortunately for my creative process, it turns out that tiny apartments inhabited by two boys is NOT the place to set up a glass studio. It will happen though, I may just set up a shed in the backyard, now that I have one! So when my search fell upon terrariums, I immediately looked into glass boxes of the sort that Victorian era manors would use as mini greenhouses. SO gorgeous, and I am sure I could just whip one up!

The designs really can stretch as far as the imagination. I absolutely adore this steampunk inspired terrarium slash nightlight...

From Steamed Glass

 ...and this totally adorable one made from a Christmas tree ornament!

From In The Blue House

This one made the rounds last year and has been living in my inspiration files for quite some time...

Instructions HERE

So I think a new project is on the agenda. I just need to find a few fabulous apothecary jars, or some such thing...

 ...because let's face it, I simply cannot bring myself to use a mason jar like I should. (Not to mention, I have two sitting beside the sink.) Although, I do really love the look of the blue....

Such Pretty Things in Matramoniville

OK, so now I am on a roll... I am trying to send out some PR for these Celebration Quilts for wedding season and having done the last post, I seem to just be happy getting sidetracked into hours spent going from one exquisite photo to the next. How unbelievably stunning is this? I am so doing this this summer, even if it seems extravagant for a barbecue. Seriously, anyone who knows me at all would not be surprised :)

The image above comes from Dog n'Bird, which is completely worth all the button pushing it will take to get over there and peruse through the pages of stunning ideas... whether you are in the market or not. SO many nifty ideas and pretty things to look at.

I found them through weddingawkers.com which is just a compilation of fabulous wedding details and links to their surrogates. Worth checking out also because, let's face it, weddings are just fun to look at. Hey, is it spring? Must be. They also had a pic of the most amazingly divine cupcake in existence from Sugarbloom in Perth (via love and lavender, also a pretty brilliant site).


I am all about anything with random script, if I could get a pattern for it I would sew everything with script on it. This is my plan for my upcoming Marie Antoinette party, but shhhh, do not tell anyone! Speaking of which, which we were not! Anyone know where one can purchase online good quality chocolate quail eggs? Just curious.

Unique and Modern Wedding Ideas

I have a long tradition of being on the fringe of the wedding industry. One of my first jobs as an apprentice costumer for TV and movies eventually led to designing wedding gowns for a pretty fabulous boutique. I was in my early twenties and while I had no plans to get hitched to my adoring and very committed partner, I absolutely dove into my love of the actual "stuff" that goes with weddings. It became a passion of mine to study them and catalog the best, most unique and beautiful ideas I happened across. Then my little sister got a job at a boutique across the water (think west coast) in the very uppity town that I grew up in, and she would give me a weekly update on who was marrying whom and which dress they had bought and how much it cost and whether or not they should have chosen another. I ended up being involved in the planning process of many high end affairs. What I realized was that although many people would spend a fortune on their event, they very seldom took the time to think about whether or not the details actually meant anything to them. The point was definitely to trump whatever it was that the last girl in the group had done with a higher price tag and a flashier brand name. I became very frustrated with the entire industry.



Eventually, many tiara wearing parties later, I moved on and eventually found my way to my current quiet home where it seems that people do not get married. If they do, it is a bbq at the beach. This take on the whole thing actually fits my values and ideals far better than the extravagant affairs that Martha likes to sift through. But the reality is that still, I covet the idea of having an excuse to pull together all the pretty ideas that I have never stopped filing away. This is why I get excited whenever I run across something I have never seen. I mean, people have been doing this for ages, LOTS of people. It is really hard to find something unique. And there are probably seven thousand bridal monthlies out there... at least! And as a handmade anything devotee who shuns anything conventional, I especially get happy shiny thoughts over special, one of a kind, sentimental and individual touches. These products and ideas are some of my favourites, old and new.


My favourite thing to give the couple as part of their gift is something that I have never seen copied and it has brought every bride to tears. I use it at baby showers too. The only thing is that you have to give it to them after the fact. I usually ask the brides mother to steal a blossom or two from the bouquet and then take a few choice samples from the rest of the flowers... a boutonniere, from the cake, table centerpieces, etc. Press them and then arrange them on parchment or some stunning paper that you have copied either the vows or a beautiful piece of poetry. Sign it with something sentimental and the dates and then have it professionally matted and framed.


Another thought is to have one special blossom pressed and placed into a glass frame pendant for a stunning necklace.


As far as decor is concerned there are FAR too many ideas to list them here. A sampling of things that have caught my eye...

nifty table numbers

Love moss on a table

a cloud of butterflies

love the hanging vases with the ribbons

A new super brilliant idea?

...it is now possible to engrave a band with an ENTIRE poem! Or your vows if they are not crazy long.

I have a certain kind of attachment to neato place card settings. I don't know why, but when I come across a new idea, I get all excited, thinking that someday I will throw the perfect party to use it at. I love these...

These are cups of chocolate pudding with cookie crumbs for dirt :) YUM!

Guest books have become sort of the new tradition to mess around with. The ideas that some people have come up with are pretty fabulous.

A pretty plate collection integrating signed plates


I don't actually know what this is for but it looks
to me like it could be a great polaroid camera setup...
IF that were a polaroid camera.


BellaPuzzles custom jigsaws lets guests sign
a piece, engagement photo on reverse... way cool!


I adore tiny envelopes.

Years ago, a good friend got married, and when she sent out the invites to her friends and family, she included a square of silk and pretty instructions to turn it into something beautiful that represented their relationship and that of the bride and groom. Coming from a background of artists, this woman ended up with a hand painted, beaded, embroidered and batiked collection of squares that her mother stitched together into a STUNNING quilt. It was hung at the reception and each guest had a great time picking out their square and telling everyone about it. The couple took it home and those happy thoughts and memories still keep them warm today.

I turned this idea into my current business of embroidering Celebration Quilts. These quilts are meant to either take the place of a traditional guest book, or be used as an extension thereof. Each guest purchases a square and sends a wish for the couple that is embroidered onto luxurious natural fabrics and when everyone has responded, the quilt is sewn up and shipped in time for it to be hung at the wedding. So far this has been a very rewarding endeavor and more than once it has brought a tear to my eye when I hear the background to a particular sentiment, or see the emotion it brings out in those who receive it. It means that people who are unable to attend the wedding can still get in on wishing the couple well and knowing that it won't just sit on a coffee table gathering dust is a bonus!

If you would like more information on the quilts, please follow these links...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tapestri
http://fleurishstudio.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much to Scoutie Girl for making me get my butt in gear and setting up the listings for Etsy so i could do a proper post! Check out her blog for more great ideas.

OH! Canadaaaaa...

Truth be told, I am more than a bit miffed about the way Canadians are puffing up about the Olympics happening shortly in my original hometown of Vancouver. I am fairly political and as far as I am concerned, this is exactly the time to be standing up for people's rights, not rolling belly up for the sole benefit of catching some of the cheap swag being handed out by the big corps who are leading the whole procession. Don't get me wrong, I am 110% behind anyone who has been devoted enough to their passion to actually make it to the games, and am patriotic enough to care about the Canadians involved... unfortunately though, the past couple of years has meant a whole lot of bad news for anyone not on the upper class end of this bandwagon. Many have been removed from their homes, programs for the area have been pulled while gentrifying the area and a ridiculous amount of money that should have been going to health care and education has been earmarked and overspent for "getting the city and province ready" for said event. Supremely uncool in my book, and yet all of a sudden, in spite of all of this, most people seem to be suddenly catching Olympic fever and rah-rah-rah-ing along with the Coca-Cola anthem.

Having had that rant, some good is coming from the event whether in the form of arts grants such as Legacy Now and the APCD (which funded over 6 million dollars worth of theatre, music, arts and cultural organizations,) to set the stage for the games. There were many artists who were able to tap into the Legacy Now funding to produce merchandise to represent BC while the world comes to visit, and many companies will, I'm sure, be able to expand their networks and their customer bases if the are paying attention.

This week I am tracking down some of the Canadian talent you might want to look for if you are visiting for the Games and are not familiar with those of us North of the American border. Some of us don't define Canadiana as moose heads and antler chandeliers, although I suppose it is true enough that "rustic" has seen more than its share of the spotlight as of late. For today though, we will focus on a more modern approach :)

First off, I can't go further without mentioning a few publications that I know can be difficult to find if you are not in a big city in the rest of the world and might be worth a subscription. I can't truly relate them to Domino or Blueprint, as they are a little less graphicly hip and slightly more sophisticated, but for those of you who are on the desperate hunt for replacement rags for the former, let me introduce you to House and Home and Style at Home magazines. The quality of these magazines have yet to be found (by myself anyway) in most publications and although I loved both Domino and BP, I have always wondered why the photography, styling and substance of other mags didn't quite live up to magazines made by a much smaller publishing company. Maison et Demeure is the french adaptation of House and Home and while I am sure there is some crossover, there is also plenty of ID eye-candy from in and around Canada's french quarter.

Looolo is one of my favourite "comfy things" designers on the market. Based in Montreal, their cushions are just stunning and are something you most likely have seen posted about because they are just so nifty. They are very careful about their impact on the planet as well, which always gets major bonus points from me. They have a waffly blanket that is currently ranked way high on my list of items I am dreaming of...



Molo devises sculptural furniture that is brilliant fun. The design team is made up of architects whose forays into what you can do with kraft paper boggle the mind. They have pieces in MoMA to back up my accusation of genius. I covet their Float champagne and martini glasses.



Fluf Design out of Toronto creates soft products such as pillows, napkins, bags and the like with both a modern aesthetic and a commitment to sustainability. They also make available their textile prints as yardage to the trade, which is pretty brilliant.


Manor12 creates lovely pieces of furniture, pillows and lampshades with funky patterns and designs. I am trying to figure out where I could possibly fit this bench into my apartment...


Centrifuge is one of my favourite places to find accessories that work as tiny pieces of art around the home. Their salt and pepper sets are gorgeous and their crayola pack of modern mailboxes are a welcome walk in another direction for those who are just not happy having their mail contained in "typical" little lunchbox-like contraptions.




Ceramic and glass is brought to new dimensions with aj from Montreal. I adore their cylindrical vases but their mortar and pestle sets are what really had me hooked on them... as are many others in the blogosphere I have noticed. They make a nifty teapot as well... I can't find a web address for them, but they are available for purchase here at Modern Karibou.



Gus Design Group from Vancouver is represented everywhere so it is easy to track down their most fabulous pieces...




Holtzundmetal is also based out of Vancouver and mixes industrial and sleek into some of the most stunning modern designs on the market. I don't know why these guys have not received more attention...