colourful knives

I am trying to do a bit of spring cleaning this weekend and for me that means, sorting, organizing and (gasp) disposing of some of my old magazines.  It’s a pity that I cannot keep all my magazines because if I did, I would be a candidate for one of those hoarder shows.  Again and again, will power takes over, as does my interest in living a somewhat minimalist lifestyle, and my precious magazines go to the recycling box.  In this particular clean up, I flipped through an old issue of Bon Appetit and came across these vibrant, fun knives by Swiss brand, Kuhn Rikon.  They remind me of a fun accessory for spring to brighten up the kitchen.  Now don’t be fooled by their colour, my friend has a set and they are incredibly sharp- no play toy. 

via gadget grid

via what makes me happy

via aspen grove home

via bon appetit

moovboots

March in Toronto is always unpredictable.  Sometimes it snows, sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s nice and over the past couple weeks, we’ve had all of the above.  In light of the recent cold spell and snow storm this week, I started thinking about my feet and how important good footwear is for every occasion (read: weather situation).  I have two pair of winter boots, a pair of Sorel’s which are amazing for trekking through deep snow and slush, but that are heavy to wear.   I also have a pair of UGG-esque boots in aesthetic from Denmark that are supposed to be warm and waterproof but are neither which brings me to the topic of my post.  Next week I’m getting a pair of Moovboots, think rubberboot meets the warmest, thickest, wooliest inside, with style.  Moovboots are from Australia and are created for style, fit, warmth and durability.  I tried a pair on from one of my colleagues at work and I was sold.  There is no denying they are a dense, heavy duty, quality boot.  Fortunately Moovboots has a Canadian distributor located in Toronto and the can be found at a bunch of stores around the city.  Mine aren’t in the pictures below but if you go on the website, mine are the “Le Signature” tall in gun-metal grey.  Sooo excited for warm, dry feet. My luck, we’ll have a heat wave next week and i’ll have to wait for next year.

via moovculture

via moovculture

urge studio

Etsy is always great for inspiration especially for the home.  One of my favourite vintage home accessory/furniture vendors is Urge Studio out of Pittsburgh.  My favourite is the second picture below. 

via etsy.com - urge studio

via etsy.com (urge studio)

via etsy.com (urge studio)

Pounding Mill Press + Ming Makes Cupcakes

I am getting ready to go out tonight and waiting for my friend to finish dinner.  What better to do than blog?  I just found two cute sites by the same person that I thought I would share.

The first is Ming Makes Cupcakes, a website dedicated to cupcake, cookie and savoury recipes. The site is laid out in a minimalist style with nice photography of the desserts and a corresponding recipe on the right side of the page.  Ming Makes Cupcakes no longer is updating its content but the information on the site is terrific.

via ming makes cupcakes

The second site linked to Ming Makes Cupcakes is Pounding Mill Press, an Oakland, California based paper goods company.  Pounding Mill Press does ready-made and custom-made cards, invitations and several other cute gifts/paper accessories.

via pounding mill press

via pounding mill press

via pounding mill press

pussy willows

I love the simplicity of pussy willows in a tabletop arrangement.  They are simple, elegant and clean and are a good transition between winter and spring. 

via Kuidaore

via decor mama

via the martha blog

via rinne allen

hand drawn invites

I was speaking to a friend tonight who is getting married this year, and she was telling me about her invitation selection process.  In passing she mentioned that she was wondering whether an all text invite is okay for a wedding.  If you have seen any of my previous posts on wedding invites, you’ll know my answer to that question is YES! YES! YES!  There is no need to go the traditional route of calligraphy on a cream background. 

Thank goodness for all the wonderfully talented and creative graphic designers out there who have pushed the boundaries of stationery to include colourful, contemporary, and sometimes minimalist designs.  I say anything goes as long as it reflects the couple.  In the spirit of my conversation tonight, I dedicate this post to you my friend. 

I love these invites from NY based, Erin Jang.  They were designed to be part of Bella Figura’s 2011 collection.

via the indigo bunting

via the indigo bunting

via the indigo bunting