stunning flower arrangement
No words to describe how stunning, yet simple this flower arrangement is by Nancy Chin in San Francisco (her main site can be accessed here)
living rooms: grey and white
I am in the midst of designing a condo. I have the kitchen pretty much decided as well as the master bath. What is holding me up is the open concept living space- the dining room and living room. It’s a fairly sizeable area and is one that is outlined with an angular solarium, so there is lots of natural light coming in.
There is a very long wall along the north side of the condo and a smaller accent wall on the south side of the room. The east side is all windows from the solarium and there is an open concept kitchen on the west side. I like the idea of playing up greys and whites on the walls and in some of the furniture and then bringing in colour through the accessories. I am not keen on the idea of having white furniture but nonetheless, here are some ideas that I like/have seen floating around the design blogs and magazines I read:
via coco + kelly
via living etc magazine
via good housekeeping
via interior design australia
via house to home
something to celebrate
This is going to be a year of weddings in my circle of friends. Another good friend of mine got engaged last weekend to someone I set her up with four years ago. I bet the 2011 season is going to be crazy packed with weddings. Fortunately, a packed wedding season means lots of events, parties and opportunities for pictures, event ideas and blog posts.
To celebrate my best friend’s engagement to my business school classmate, I thought I would dedicate this post to them and wish them all the best in their planning, celebration and life together.
I thought these pictures from O Holy Sweet would do the trick.
via holy sweet
via holy sweet
via holy sweet
i love my blog: abc cups
ABC cups-so cute by Papermash in the UK; and look what bloger at Tea for Joy did with them below?
Have a great long weekend if you are celebrating this week.
via papermash
via tea for joy
chicago: architecture
Some shots of my trip and my obsession with modern architecture/mixed use buildings:
toms: a social shoe
It is always nice to indulge in some retail therapy and do good for others at the same time. I am talking about what you get when you purchase Toms shoes. I have been noticing these shoes around town, the stylish looking slipper-esque/alpargada/espadrille shoes that come in several different patterns and textures. The alpargada (the shoe style of Toms), originated from Latin America and used to the be known as the cheap, comfortable shoe worn by dairy gauchos but ended up gaining popularity as a lounge shoe. They are super comfortable so I can see why the wide spread adoption.
via smcnally10
Toms, an excellent example of social entrepreneurship, was founded by Blake Mycoskie in 2006. Blake updated and produces the alpardaga shoe in a multitude of textures, colours and styles and sells them through retailers. He goes one step further in his business plan and donates a pair of shoes for every pair sold. In his One for One commitment, for every pair of shoes purchased, he gives a pair of new shoes to children in need around the world, making customers into benefactors an excellent motivator to buy shoes in my opinion. I felt really positive knowing that my sequined gold pair of Toms that I purchased was the root of a donation of shoes to someone else, somewhere in the world. As an aside, on their website, it looks like they have a cool internship program for those readers looking this summer. The interns are called “agents of change” in line with the mission and values of the company. What a nice brand to support. I heart Toms!
via chanadu
via bows and arrows berkeley
via pop the shop (the pair I purchased)
via highsnobiety
chicago: eating
I had a fabulous weekend away in Chicago. It was my first time visiting the city and I have nothing but positive reviews. I could not believe how many times a stranger would walk up to me and ask if I needed directions. So friendly. It made me reflect on how unfriendly Toronto can be in comparison to the midwestern hospitality I was shown.
My trip basically consisted of walking for eight hours a day, eating and taking photos of as much modern architecture as I could! Thankfully I had good, windy weather on my side last weekend which made the aforementioned activities a pleasure. My notable stops around the city included pizza at Quartino, Mexican at Zocalo, breakfast (aka amazing granola and a solid chocolate, almond ricotta coffee cake) at Milk and Honey cafe, drinking cupcakes (and a special tasting from Patty Rothman herself (*thanks Patty!!!) of the Valrhona chocolate, salted caramel (my favourite), red velvet and chocolate cupcakes) at More, a slice of apple rhubarb pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company, brunch at Cafe Selmarie, a lite snack at Brasserie Jo, and a pillow (home decor) from Homey.
Here are some shots- architecture shots coming soon:
Inside More Cupcakes - best cupcakes ever in Chicago
Amazing coffee cake from Milk and Honey Cafe
Signature granola from Milk and Honey Cafe
Hoosier Mama Pie Company Freshly Baked Pies
Buckwheat Pancakes from Elly's Pancakes
Argo Tea Love the Earl Grey Creme
chicago
I am venturing to a new US destination tomorrow morning: Chicago. After almost eight years of back and forth to New York with only a small detour to San Francisco and Boston, I have not done my part to explore the US. I drew the line when the talk of vacation to a US destination came up and decided if I keep going back to my usual haunts, I will never get to anywhere new. How will I bring back new and inspiring ideas if I keep going to the same cities (not that there is anything uninspiring about New York, SF and Boston).
I have a massive itinerary of food, food, architecture, food and men’s clothing stores (for my bf). We are an odd bunch of tourists if you ask me. Who goes to a city and completely bypasses the tourist stuff, the monuments, the things the city is well-known for and instead compiles a list of restaurants, coffee/tea shops, bakeries, and grocery stores as a way to tour a destination? I figure, it is via food that we will experience the city, its neighbourhoods and what the rave reviews are all about when people talk about Chicago pizza, chicken and waffles, hotdogs and a long list of other “chicago” style items I have read about while doing my city research.
In honour of the trip, I put together a selection of event ideas from three Chicago blogs: Chicagoist.com, Itsajaimething, and Chicago Style Unveiled
Items mentioned below:
Flirty Cupcakes (aka the cupcake van)
Looking forward to reporting back on my experiences this weekend.
via chicagoist (david burke's pastry kitchen at Primehouse)
via it's a jaime thing "cupcake on wheels"
via Chicago Style Unveiled
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About
Hi, my name is Lamb. I am part globetrotter, part foodie, part researcher, part writer. I enjoy travelling around the world uncovering design inspired travel experiences from hip hotels and cool boutiques to stylish restaurants and interesting small businesses.
I am currently based in Copenhagen where I am enjoying new Nordic cuisine and Scandinavian design.
To read more about me, see the about page 