Happy Weekend

Well I woke up to a sunny Saturday - a welcome relief from the very wet start we've had to our sumer here in BC. I hope you have a lovely weekend. I'm going to work in the garden a little and read my book in the sun - 2nd weekend in a row that I'm not working - I could get used to this! See you Monday!

Image from Pedlars

Changes

I've made a few small changes around here in the last few days. I've had a nice quiet week so I have updated our web site with some new images, changed a few things around here on the blog and spent 10 minutes making a little Cartolina iPhone icon. I thought you might like to make one for your own sites so the directions are below.

iPhone Home Screen Icons

Did you know that when you're checking out one of your fave sites on your iPhone that you have the choice to ADD BOOKMARK or ADD TO HOME SCREEN. So yesterday I figured out how to make a little icon that will appear on my iPhone home screen as a short cut to our site - see the little elephant, bottom right next to NYTimes? (Just ignore the fact that I have 193 unread emails!) here's how you do it. Make a little icon 45 x 45 pixels. Name it apple-touch-icon.png and add it to the root directory of your website. When it loads on your iPhone it will have nice round corners and the 'wet look'. Voila!

Inspiration

Thanks to one of our readers, Simon, I have something really special to show you this morning. Check out these long lost posters hidden in a disused tube tunnel at Notting Hill Gate in London. They are fabulous. 1956 - 1959. I especially love the River Thames poster, last picture. Imagine switching on a flickering light and finding these? They are apparently going to stay right where they are! Thanks Simon!

All pictures from London Underground.

Inspiration

You know how much I love vintage store fronts? Well I was alerted to a fabulous book of New York storefronts yesterday - thank you Linda! the book is called STORE FRONT- The Disappearing Face of New York by James and Karla Murray (Gingko Press) ISBN:978-1-58423-227-8 $65.00. I am definitely going to buy this book. Enjoy . . .

Inspiration

Vintage bridge score cards from here. Super cool, would love to find a set of these!

Inspiration

In my dreams I'm going to paint my house all white inside - I know, I said that a year ago. But the thing is that we have such an open plan house with high ceilings that if I start to paint in one corner of the living room I will end up painting the kitchen, the front hall, the dining room and the bedroom corridor - not to mention the entire ceiling which would need a trapeze group from Cirque du Soleil to complete that task. And I just can't bring myself to hire someone to paint - know what I mean? Oh well - when I do eventually have an all white house I'm trading in some of my earth tones for some of these cheery numbers from IKEA!

Change

More white interiors - with wood accents that I really think could work at our place. We have medium dark coloured wood floors and a stone fireplace. I like the idea of 'white and wood.' I really want to do this, just have to figure out the logistics of painting such a big space and so many surfaces. Have you ever hired someone to do your interior painting? I feel like if we could cover furniture and floors we could just spray the whole place with the same white - and voila!

Inspiration

I don't know what's going on but suddenly everyone has become really good photographers - have you noticed that? Everyone's snapshots just got a whole lot better. Maybe it's because with our digital cameras we can take hundreds of pics and then choose just one perfect one - and then adjust it in Photoshop? Maybe - or maybe we are just more patient and creative - I like that option better! There is a collection of images on this Tumblr site that is so consistently beautiful it will make you very happy - go now - French Knot. Or just enjoy this selection . . . . .

Inspiration

Great vintage jewelry from a wonderful selection on Flickr.

Found

I spotted these cool crocheted pieces at Modern Paper Goods blog - which you should check out when you have time - I love the concept and the colour - it's clever and interesting, each piece being unique. Available here at Lavendar Field.

Inspiration

This is fun - reminds me of The Princess and the Pea - but only 2 loose cushions on top of an upholstered bench. The Collage Cushion Bench from Anthropologie. Wouldn't it be fun to make something like this - upcycle an old coffee table maybe?