Wedding Inspiration: Cakes

I love wedding cakes. Actually I love all types of cake; whether it's a birthday cake, a single cupcake or a five tiered masterpiece. There is something about a tower of cake dripping in icing and covered in pretty flowers that makes me happy. I normally gravitate towards pastel cakes, but lately I've seen a few colourful cakes that I really like.

              I've put together a couple of collages with all my saved images for you: I hope you like it!

all photos via tumblr

Have a sweet day!

Wedding Inspiration: Bouquets

Lately I have had all things wedding on the brain. I think it's because I am addicted to the stunning photos on wedding themed tumblr sites and  because we are attending a wedding in a few weeks. I have tons of photos saved on my phone from hours of flipping through seriously gorgeous images.

I can't get enough of photos like this...

 ...or this...

I have too many images to post, so I thought over the next week I would put together a few collages of my favourites starting with bouquets.

find photos like this here and here. 

Come back tomorrow for lots of wedding cake inspiration.

Balcony Inspiration

I am trying to finish off our tiny balcony at the condo in the city. It's only about 4 1/2 feet by 8 feet so space is very limited.  So far I have purchased a love seat and a chair with upholstered cushions in grey and a few small tables for drinks. When I am done I will post lots of photos, until then here are a few inspiration shots that I have gathered.

 More of my favourite-black painted doors.

 This is the floor we have on our balcony.

I like the idea of an eating area and a lounging area, unfortunately we don't have the space.

 

 

 A little country in the city.

I wish we had room to actually grow something.

(all photos Canadian House and Home)

Buffet: Before and After

I have finally finished painting the buffet that I found way back in May. I really like how it turned out and how it brightens the front hall. Ideally I would like to repaint the walls in the hall and foyer area a lighter colour and change the blah beige tiles, but that would be a major undertaking considering the tiles are from the front door, down to the kitchen, in the back hall, mudroom and powder room. HELP-I hate these tiles!

The hall has very little natural light so I thought that by introducing a lighter piece of furniture and a large mirror it might give the impression of more light.

I used Ballet White- OC 9 by Benjamin Moore. This is a very warm white with a slight yellow undertone. This colour is great as a trim colour in older homes where there is a lot of warm woods and in spaces where a stark white with blue or grey undertones will not work.

If I had painted the buffet a bright white (like I wanted to) it would have looked out of place against the tan walls and the beige tiles, it would have actually made the tiles look more dingy than they really are.

If you need help with undertones and paint picking in general you should visit Maria over at the Colour me Happy blog. Last year I attended one of her colour workshops in Vancouver and learned so much about colour. I have always been fascinated by colour and paint and one of the first courses in interior design that I took was Colour Fundamentals, but I have to say that I learned more from Maria in four days than a whole semester at Ryerson.

 Sorry about the crap photo; the lighting is terrible.

I love the gold and mother of pearl hardware from Anthropologie. (I spent more money on the pulls than on the buffet!)

Ikat Calling Cards

I have received my new ikat calling cards from Jen over at the blog MadeByGirl. They are available in six pretty colour combinations. I picked the slate and dark pink version and could not be happier with them. They are printed on textured paper and can be personalized with up to four lines of text.

If you're in the market for calling or business cards check out Jen's blog. She also has some gorgeous jewelery and her famous "Love" prints too!

Pretty

 Yeah it's Friday! -a few pretty pictures to celebrate the weekend. 

                                                                        photos from Tumblr

Kids in The Summer

Do you need a few ideas to keep the kiddies occupied this summer? Check these out...

Home made  Pop Tarts- Spread ready made pie dough with jam and Nutella add a slice of strawberry and enjoy. Yummy!

For the next two ideas you need a bag of Oreo cookies.

 Maybe a little fruit leather and some tinted icing would be fun?

Or how about an under the sea craft?

Hope your having a great SUMMER day.

All photos from Tumblr-Sorry I couldn't trace back to original sources.

Coquine Restaurant {Toronto}

I had a very tasty brunch at a French bistro called Coquine in Toronto. Coquine is a lovely neighborhood  restaurant that offers lunch, dinner, brunch on the weekend and is supposedly quite the place to have a drink at after work. (My husband has frequented the bar-I have not, but must try it). The menu is full of traditional bistro fare as well as other delicious sounding items. I definitely want to go back for dinner and dessert too. (The warm maple apple cake is calling my name!)  It is conveniently located two blocks south of the Eglinton subway stop and has a large covered patio.

James had the maple pancakes. I am not a huge pancake fan, but I have to say these were the best pancakes I have ever had; crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The caramelized apples were amazing.

Yes that's butter-maple butter to be exact!

Jim had sliders and frites-super yummy.

I had one of my favourites; the salad Nicoise.

This post is making me so hungry. I wonder if I write about working out or doing laundry if I'll become so motivated?? Hmmm, probably not!

Hope you're having a great day.

Kitchen Inspiration {White is Right}

Pretty kitchens by Christopher Peacock.

 Amazing glossy black windows.

 Marble everywhere, gorgeous lanterns-yes!

I like the contrast of the dark charcoal walls and light cabinetry.

                                              Love the lighting and the marble slab backsplash.

                                            All white + any colour =Versatile and timeless.