Bijou and Boheme

Saturday Shopping - Blog Shop Love...and an Announcement

2012-03-10T09:17:00.002-05:00

On the positive side of things, it's the weekend...woot.

On the flip side, I woke up this morning....after feeling finally better for a couple of days...with a GD sore throat and head full of snot...I swear someone upstairs is out to get me this winter...just can't seem to be healthy for more than 2 days in a row...beyond over it.

Anyhoo...back to the glass is half full side of things, the one good point about being sick is that my sweet hubster loves any excuse to take the kids out, which means yours truly gets lots of computer time...and that equates to some good old fashioned online shopping in my books.

And that my friends, is where you come in.

As you know, I've been away and pre-occupied these past few weeks and as such, have missed the launch of two shops, from two of my absolute faveballs bloggers.

So today, I'm making up for it with a little preview of these sweet like honey endeavors.

First up, I'm sure you've all already seen the beauty that is Ms. Mackenzie's...aka Design Darling's...new site...

...tailored to the 'preppy twenty or thirty (I should hope so- wink;) something,'

Design Darling {the boutique} is a perfect reflection of Mackenzie's aesthetic...which I like to call...Palm Beach Prepster Pretty...or PBPP for short.

I'm in love with what she has put together...the shop holds a collection of fabulous that is so charmingly her...

...which PS, means you'll ADORE it!

You can see more of Design Darling {the boutique} HERE...so hope you have your trusty credit card on stand-by...there's a lot of goodness and if you're anything like me, you'll find any attempt to be fiscally responsible VERY difficult;)

And now...to change gears a bit...I'm so proud of my second blogger entrepreneur friend, Ms Amber...aka Amber Interiors.

It seems though this girl is on the un-stoppable train.

A few weeks ago, she was featured in Elle Decor...yes that's right...effing ED...the Holy Grail of design publication bliss.

And on the tails of such fame, Amber has ventured into the world of merchandising with her new online store...

Reflecting her World Traveler Bohemian Chic style...or WTBC...Shoppe by Amber Interiors is filled to the brim with heaven sent pillows...all made with vintage textiles, these one of a kind creations are a true reflection on Amber's coveted style...the girl can combine patterns like nobody's buiziness so buying something from her store will pretty much instantly make your home cooler and more Amberific...tis a VERY good thing peeps...the girl knows what's she's doing...see...

Pillow utopia.

You can click HERE to see more of what's she offering up...bliss, bliss, bliss.

So there you have it...two bloggers who are taking over the wold with online shops that perfectly represent their shtick...so impressed...the talent in blog land just never ceases to amaze me.

And just so you know...yours truly might just be venturing into the world of e-commerce soon too...if all my ducks line up as they should, a little corner of the web will be belong to a B&B shop called....

Project Kitchen Gorgeous...Hood

2012-03-08T09:13:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought Project Kitchen Gorgeous was completeski's...I've got an update:)

I've been living in and LOVING every inch of my gorgeous kitchen...it's absolutely, positively my dream come to life...adore, adore.

Except for one little thing...the stove hood.

Don't get me wrong...it's a perfectly lovely stainless steel number...but...there's just something about it that I'm not completely in love with and since every other inch is exactly as I hoped it would be, hubs and I have agreed to switch it out.

So...after discussing ideas with Meredith, we've come up with a few options

Now...here's where you come in.

I've got quotes on three possibilities and let's just say some are less than others...and, I'm not entirely sure I know exactly what I want.

Of course, I've gathered a ton of inspiration.

My dream of all dream hoods would be this one...

{via}

...but it's far too rich for my blood.

I also adore this little beauty...

{via}

...but again, even in white (rather than the metal,) it's still about double what our budget is.

It's still on the 'maybe' list but...I'm trying to decide if I love it enough to stretch the spending.

So let's count that as choice #1.

Choice numero deux is one of Meredith's designs...

...the beading on the bottom would echo the detail on my Barbara Berry desk in the foyer.

It would be finished like my cupboards in white and would go to the ceiling.

This is the most economically friendly option.

And then there's number 3...Meredith and I both noticed this at the Interior Design Show and I snapped a photo on my iphone to show hubby...

...his response killed me....'but there's not brass/gold in our house'....hard not to laugh...men...not exactly observant;)

Anyhoo...this hood isn't brass but a painted finish on wood....it would be about the same price as #1.

I love the shape and the brassy goodness.

So...what say you?

Which is your favourite?

Keep in mind that below the hood is a solid piece of marble....on either side are open shelves.

Would you spend double to get option #1 or #3, or do you prefer the less fussy #2?

VERY much looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Sponsor Welcome - MKaltenbach

2012-03-07T07:48:00.001-05:00

Good morning love bunnies.

I'm so excited to introduce my newest sponsor to you...MKaltenbach...pretty damn sure you're about to fall deeply in love with her divine jewelry designs.

Designed and hand made with beautiful pieces of carefully selected agate, Megan's necklaces are absolute pieces of art...true statement pieces.

Her work is beyond gorgeous and I'm beyond honoured to feature her stunning collection.

So without further adieu...ta da...

Are you still breathing?

Absolutely stunning.

I'm obsessed with every single piece and whispers...stay tuned because there just might be a little chance to win one of these pretties sometime very soon.

In the meantime, make sure you link over and have a gander at MKaltenbach...the collection of pretty is most definitely, something to see:)

House Plans - Chassity or Look, Linger, Love

2012-03-06T06:05:00.001-05:00

Goodmorning peoples.

I'm delighted to be introduce the fabulous Chassity, of Look, Linger, Love here today.

She has been one of my absolute best blogging friends from the start and I'm always so inspired by her gorgeous style and sweet southern charm.

As some of you might now, Chassity just up and sold her beautiful Charleston house and is about to dive into a full scale renovation/re-style of her newly purchased abode.

I'm thrilled to have her sharing her dreams for the new place here today.

As you'll see...she's got lofty ambitions that are sure to make her new home TO DIE FOR!!!!!

.......

Hi Everyone! Chassity here from Look Linger Love, and I'm honored to lend Christine a hand while she spends some time with her grandmother.

While thinking up a topic to share here today, my mind went to a big project preoccupying my mind lately. My husband and I just started a large renovation on a new "old" home, so naturally my Pinterest Page has been seeing a lot of me. And since I like to talk about it, I thought I'd share a few of the details I'm planning to see in our new home.

Brass. Duh.

{via 1st Dibs}

White Tile + Dark Grout:

{via Waterworks}

Large Soaking Tub:

{via Veranda}

Black Windows:

{via Lonny}

Cathedral Ceilings:

{via Houzz}

Beautiful Hardwood Floors:

{Photography by Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer}

And Of Course, Wallpaper:

{via Apparatus}

If you'd like to follow along on our journey, come to Look, Linger, Love and visit me. Thanks for having me, Christine.

xx,

......

What did I tell you?

Heaven that house is going to be.

I must admit...I'm a little jealous of the whole start from scratch scenario.

Oh how I'd love tons of subway/dark grout, black windows and brass...and wallpaper...yup, all of it.

Pretty sure Chassity's house is going to end up being off the charts and am tickled she decided to share her plans with us today...a big giant mwah to her:)

Wink of Pink #19 - Pink and Black

2012-03-05T08:27:00.001-05:00

Hi there friends.

I'm still in PEI...all is going OK...hard to see someone you love sick but I'm trying to stay positive...my Nana has now had cancer 3 times and has beaten crazy odds with every one so I figure, why on earth would she stop now:)

I'm off to the hospital soon so this is will be a quick post...just some pretty pink and black boards to start everyone's day off on the right foot;)

Hope you like.

{via}

I'll be back tomorrow with a delish post from the fabulous Ms. Chassity...a peak at her new house plans are coming your way:)

Congratulations!!!!

2012-03-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

I'm waking up to a sunny PEI day and am SO excited to be drawing the winner of this gorgeous

Zoe Pawlak 8x8 original oil painting...a giant...

to...

Chic n' Cheap Living....you've won!!!!

Lucky ducky!

A ginormous thank you to the incredibly talented Zoe Pawlak...I was beyond honoured to feature her stunningly gorgeous work...I'm actually quite jealous of the lucky winner;)

Thank you as well to my dear readers for entering...you're all aces in my books.

Saturday Shopping - Sponsor Love

2012-03-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend my friends.

I thought it a perfect Saturday to show you a little pretty, brought to you by my fabulous sponsors...and for today, I'm focussing on bag love.

First up...the divine k.slademade...

TO DIE FOR.

Her new selection of clutches has me breathless...this one in particular must be mine...

And I'm also loving these rose hued pretties...

Click HERE to see all of the clutch gorgeosity.

Next up, the divine Cooper Grey...

How lovely is this satchel?

...and these clutches/ipad covers...

...glorious.

Click HERE to see more bag/pillow/furniture/decor/lighting bliss.

And finally, have a look at the new beauties from the truly lovely Cory Renee...I ADORE this gold and hot pink number...

...and am also quite enamoured with these...

...click HERE to see more.

So there you have it...a little sponsor bag love;)

I hope you all have a fabulous day- don't forget it's your last chance to enter my Zoe Pawlak oil painting giveaway...

...winner will be announced first thing tomorrow morning.

Fashion to Room...Thanks to Alex of Things that Sparkle

2012-03-02T07:45:00.003-05:00

Good day lovelies.

As you know, I'm in PEI at the moment so I'm very excited to be passing over the old blogski to literally, one of the most talented and amazesauce bloggers a girl could ever hope to know.

Alex, of Things that Sparkle fame...

... is truly one of my absolute blogging besties and I'm so happy to have her visit...she was actually here way back when, as my very first Style in 7 poster...in case you missed that beauty of a post, click HERE and enjoy.

Alex is a gem among gems and an insanely talented one at that...her fashion to room post below...we'll you'll see...delish!
.......

Anyone who knows Miss Christine knows about her love for blush and leopard (with a touch of gold), and I am right there with her.

I love this combination in fashion.

But I especially love it in interiors.

Room by Alexandra Berlin Design

*sources: rug, sofa, paint (Ballet Slipper by Martha Stewart), art (see the leopard in it?), lamps, side table, pillows, and coffee table.

Can't you just see the Dovey crew moving right in? And if they don't, I most definitely will.

xoxo

Alex

.......

Yes sweetness...I SO see my family moving right into that room...adore the pink walls, leopard rug, gold lamps, artwork...yup...ALL of it!!!!

Happy almost weekend everyone...I'll be back tomorrow with a little sponsor love and don't forget about the ginormous original Zoe Pawlak art giveaway happening as we speak...I'll be drawing for the winner bright and early Sunday.

Style in Seven - Sam of The Peak of Tres Chic

2012-03-01T06:41:00.002-05:00

It's time for another fabulous....

...and today, I'm very happy to be welcoming Sam, of The Peak of Tres Chic.

Her blog is a relatively new one and in only a few months, has become an absolute oasis of design pretty.

And what's more....Sam is one of the sweetest and most gracious bloggers around...she always leaves the most genuine and uplifting comments...totally one of those girls you'd love to have on your team.

Her Style in 7 is totally delish and packed full of some of my personal faves...Sam is totes a girl after my own heart...enjoy!!!

.......

Bonjour, Bijou & Boheme readers! I am so thrilled to be here posting on Christine's blog. Although I have many blogs I adore, B&B speaks to my heart. Christine's love for pink and feminine glamour also resonate deeply with me- I am a complete girly girl. Which brings me to my first Style in 7:

I find such inspiration from timeless Hollywood beauties like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Brigitte Bardot. Their classic glamour and elegance is so present in every image and movie they did. They were the true original divas! I love looking back to old Hollywood for style inspiration.

{1 2 3 4 5 }

My next Style in 7 is black & white fashion. I love the simplicity and elegance of a simple color palette. Black+white seems to look great on anyone, no matter one's size, shape, or style. It's no wonder the LBD has been a fashion "go-to" for years. All one needs to do is look to Angelina Jolie's classic all-black ensembles to see the power of simplicity. Although I adore color, I naturally gravitate towards classic black and white in fashion.

{1 2 3}

My inner French girl squeals with delight at all things French shabby chic. I love the warm lived-in feel of French-styled interiors. The French live a different lifestyle full of rich cultural history and experiences. They take time to enjoy the finer things in life, while also not taking themselves too seriously. I believe their lifestyle is evident in the way they design their homes, which I would describe as laid-back charm with a touch of sophistication.span>

{1 2 3}

A defining element of my style is being willing to take risks. Whether it be fashion risks, interior design risks, career risks, or relationship risks, it's so important to believe in yourself enough to take a leap of faith. I've always said fashion rules were made to be broken. You can't be afraid to make a mistake- because mistakes are how we learn and grow. Although I love high fashion and expensive decor as much as the next girl, I try to allocate enough money to see a new place each year. It's important to get out of your comfort zone and learn about other cultures. On a trip to Switzerland in the summer of 2010, I took a literal leap of faith!

{1}

My next style in 7 is sexy tablescaping. I love a well-dressed table for a fancy soiree, but for me it is important for my guests to feel relaxed and at home when coming over for a party. That's why I love a good sexy tablescape. Rich elements combined with luscious flowers, lots of candles, and dimmed lighting create a great environment for guests to mix and mingle.

{1 2}

I was once told that artwork is furniture for your walls. Choosing art for your home is such a personal decision. I always try to only buy art that truly speaks to me. Often, that means artwork with bold colors and thick, wild brush strokes. I like to make a statement with art. Instead of adding it as a "final touch" to a room, I have been guilty of buying a bold piece of art and designing a whole room around it. What can I say? When a piece of art speaks to me, I just have to have it!

My last Style in 7 is well-dressed tabletops. One of my favorite elements in a person's home is what they choose to decorate with because it tells so much about the person~ who they are, where they've been, and what's important to them. I love it when people decorate with photos, coffee table books, and other pretty little things.

{1 2 3 4}

All in all, my style is very feminine, shabby chic, with a touch of glam. Thank you Christine, for helping me divine my style in 7 elements! I had a great time putting all of this together. Feel free to come visit me at The Peak of Tres Chic. Big hugs to Christine and her Nana!

.......

Loving all the femininity and personality in this post...so delightful!!!
And PS, how amazeballs are those sky-diving shots? LOVE!

A big giant thanks to my three Style in 7 ( Aubrey, Nuha and Sam) posters this week and to you my dear readers...you've all made my heart swell up with the support you've given me...appreciated more than I can say.

Stay tuned for another great guest post tomorrow...we're switching gears a bit with some fashion to room fabulous, thanks to my dear blogging friend Alex of Things That Sparkle. And then on Tuesday, sweet Chassity from Look, Linger, Love will be here with a little preview of the fabulous she's cooking up for her new house!!

As for me, I'm leaving today for PEI to see my Nana so I'll say later skaters for now.

Mushy hugs,

xo

Style in Seven - Nuha of Habibi

2012-02-29T07:28:00.007-05:00

It's day two of the guest post train here on B&B and I'm thrilled to introduce a simply GORGEOUS...

For those of you who might not already know and love the fabulous Habibi...and it's curator Nuha...well...you're missing out...in a ginormous way.

Firstly, it's absolutely one of my favourites to look at it...the pink, gold and black layout makes my knees weak and admittedly, a little jealous- it's aesthetically beautiful.

And what's more, Habibi is packed with so much gorgeosity...fashion and design inspiration galore.

Nuha's Style in 7 will give you a stunning glimpse of her gorgeous take on all things pretty...picture board bliss I tell you.
.......

Hello B&B readers, Nuha from "Habibi" here. I'm thrilled to be sharing my Style in 7 with you! Christine's blog is by far one of my favorites and she is definitely a girl after my own heart. Many of times I'll be thinking of something and check her blog to see that she is thinking the same thing - it's weird, but definitely exciting to know that I'm on the right style track ;-) Oh, and I absolutely cannot wait to see the big reveal of her home in Style at Home!

After a bit of thought, it was suddenly hard to narrow down my favorite things to only 7, but I tried my best to give you a brief glimpse into my mind. Let me start out by saying that gold has been my favorite color ever since I can remember. I’m a bit embarrassed to add this to my list because it feels like every other blogger/ girl out there is currently obsessing over gold. I promise I’m not hopping on the bandwagon! So because of that, I nixed the gold, and went with a few other things that make my heart pitter patter. Enjoy!

1.) X-Chromosome: Let me start out by saying that I am over-flowing with the x-chromosome. I am unabashedly obsessed with all things girly, flirty, and pastel. The number of dresses and skirts I have probably outnumbers my pants by 3:1, and romance movies make me weak in the knees. You know the girl who loves to bake, get dressed-up, and sew things? That is me. Nice to meet you.

2.) Classic: I’m an old soul at heart and anything vintage/classic/ antique is right up my alley. While trends are fun now, I’d rather not look back at a picture of myself ( or my home) and think “What was I thinking?!” That’s why I tend to lean towards classic pieces in both my wardrobe and home, I know that I'll love them now and forever. Oh, and buying and renovating an old mid-century home is high up on my bucket list. Baby steps, Baby steps.

3.) Fashion: To me art is so fun because each person portrays it differently. Which leads me to my main point- fashion is the most powerful form of art. In what other way can you portray your emotions to the world without uttering a single word? And equally as important, I’m a firm believer that if you look good, you feel good.

4.) Flowers: This should come as no surprise after my excess x-chromosome confession above. Nothing makes me more weak in the knees than a bouquet of flowers- or better yet, a whole garden of them. I simply cannot wait for the spring to roll around so that I can get started on our garden. I’m thinking to cover the backyard within an inch of it’s life with hydrangeas, peonies, and herbs. It’ll be grand!

5.) Books: Wherever shall I begin?! Books are my fool proof way to relax. And even better is sitting in a whole room devoted to them. Don’t get me started on the smell of old books- so relaxing!

6.) Glamorous: Maybe it’s because I’m from the Middle East and we're used to going all out but I simply adore all things glamorous. Dressing up and being a girl is basically my idea of a fun time. Lipstick, baubles, hair & make-up- tell me these things don't excite you! Trust me, you will never regret buying a one of a kind piece that screams love me- or looking like a million bucks.

7.) Quirky: Life is wayyy too short to take yourself seriously- that’s why God invented awkwardness. No one is perfect and the best way to deal with that is to embrace your quirkiness. I love adding a little bit of something unexpected to my house as well as wardrobe.

A big thanks to sweet Christine for having me take part in her series!

xo N

......

Gah...wasn't this post just heaven? So pretty.

And PS, any girl who loves glamour, flowers and quirkiness...so my kindred spirit!

xo

Style in Seven - Aubrey of All Things Bright and Beautiful

2012-02-28T07:23:00.006-05:00

I am SO happy to welcome one of the true gems of the blogging world to B&B for a completely delish....

If you all aren't familiar with Aubrey...aka...All Things Bright and Beautiful...then let me just say you my friends are missing out...large.

She's well...a total peach...period...simple...end of story.

Aubrey is one of those people who manages to perfectly combine dry whit and heartfelt kindness...trust me...not always an easy mix...she's totes one of my 'I've never met you in real life but know we'd be girl soul mates if we were ever face to face' internet peeps.

I also adore her blog- filled to the brim with fashion and decor prettiness I tell you.

So...I'm tickled/touched/delighted that she happily agreed to put a little Style in Seven swag together for all of us to enjoy.

.......

Hey there good lookin'...

Aubrey from All Things Bright and Beautiful checkin' in...and no, I don't do much cookin' (in the kitchen), but style I *LOVE*!

Which brings me to how much I just adore Christine and her adorable style-speak and devastatingly amazing eye for gorgeousness. Don't you wish you could just stick her cute self in your pocket and carry her everywhere???

I guess that is a big advantage to a smart phone, right? (c:

Anywho, I won't pretend for one second that my eye is anywhere near as honed in as Mrs. Fabulous here, but I do love me some pretties! So my style seven would have to include...

Numero Uno:

COLOR

Live in Color via The I Am Project

I don't think I ever put anything together without putting some sort of bright color in the mix...not even furniture, as evidenced by my latest endeavor:

If you couldn't tell already, I thoroughly enjoy being a girl so #2 is Feminine Frills...everything needs just a dash of girl to it (c;

And it also has a shot of my fave color and number 3:

PINK

#4 would have to be the favorite metallic hue of GOLD...

And I what kind of girl would I be without my #5...GLITTER (c:

#6 is ANIMAL PRINT...I don't discriminate: zebra, giraffe, python, tiger, dalmation...they are all pretty fab in my book. But leopard will always be my favorite (c: And a little goes a *looooong* way, dontcha think?

#7 is BEING ME. Now that might sound like a cop out for the last one (and hey, maybe I should've added "lazy" in there as one of my style 7), but seriously, I've found that when I stick to what I love and feel good in is when I really feel like it's my style...

So what if I want to wear sequined Sperry's when I'm thirty??? Or wear 4 (or more) different bright colors at the same time??? So what if my 5 year-old son tells me "Mom, your hair looks crazy!" when I try out some new 'do??? Or someone walks in my house and tells me my fantastic velvet tufted chair looks like I stole it from my grandma's house???

So that is my cray-cray style in a nutshell...I think Christine has gotten to the bottom of this post and is really debating whether or not to push "publish"...(c:

Thanks for letting me kidnap the blog-o today!

.......

I could eat her for breakfast...such a charmi-pants...and as further proof of our bossom buddy status, I think she likes pink and leopard just as much as I do...aces my friends.

A big mwah to Ms. ATBAB for joining us today- such a treat!!! xoxoxoxo

And to all of you, guest posts galore will be filling the pages of B&B for the next week or so...enjoy my friends...beaucoup goodness coming your way!

Oh and don't forget about my abstract art giveaway...a stunning Zoe Pawlak original could be yours...you have until early morning Sunday to enter:)

Giveaway - Zoe Pawlak

2012-02-27T07:12:00.004-05:00

I am beyond...and I mean BEEEEE-YOND...excited/thrilled/honoured to be sharing a very special giveaway with you today.

Let me start with a little glimpse of what's to come...a little preview if you will....brought to you by the stunning work of artist...

{via Jamie Mann}

...Zoe Pawlak...

I hope you're sitting....

Absolutely to die for stunning.

There's such a beautiful variety in her work and yet, it's so consistently full of movement, passion and gorgeous colour...I'm officially obsessed.

And because I love you so so much and am eternally grateful for all the support/kind words you've sent my way (especially these past few weeks,) I thought it a perfect time to feature Zoe and giveaway one of her divine pieces...and PS, I'm still pinching myself over this one.

So...without further ado...

...this original oil on canvas painting.....

...entitled Truly, the Mighty......could soon be yours!!!!!

Are you still conscious?

Jumping up and down?

I would be.

Now...to enter:

1. Leave a comment below

For extra entries:

*And please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry*

2. Follow Zoe Pawlak on Twitter

3. Go to Zoe Pawlak's website and tell me which of her pieces is your favourite
4. Pin your favourite Zoe Pawlak piece to Pinterest

5. Follow Zoe Pawlak {@zoepawlak} on Instagram

6. Tweet the giveaway

{enter to win a stunning original painting from @bijouandboheme and @zoepawlak http://bijouandboheme.blogspot.com/2012/02/givaway-zoe-pawlak.html?spref=tw}
7. Become a new follower of Bijou and Boheme

8/9. Blog about the giveaway for 2 extra entries!

I'll be drawing for the winner this Sunday morning so get your entries in quick!!!

xoxo

Congratulations !!!!

2012-02-26T08:47:00.002-05:00

It's winner time...

{via}

Congratulations to Ms....

who said...

"pretty pretty! i have 2 of her necklaces and love them!"

February 20, 2012 9:41 AM

You've won a gorgeous pair of quartz and gold earrings from the fabulous Friedasophie!!!

And to everyone else, make sure you check back first thing tomorrow morning...I've got another giveaway rolling out that I know you are going to love, love, love!!!

xoxo

Friday Fancies - Travel

2012-02-24T10:06:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday ladies and gents.

It's fancy time and since I'm jetting off next Thursday for PEI, I thought why not put together a little travel ensemble.

And because I'm generally in a pretty sucktastic mood these days, I went for a little outfit pick me up....lots of colour...lots of jewelry...lots of pink.

Inspired by this post from the fabulous Nicole, I also went with a little floral/leopard action...god knows I adore the two together...so here she is...my fancy Friday frock for this week...

Toast leather jacket * Blugirl Blumarine cardigan * Marc by Marc Jacobs watch

Proenza Schouler striped t-shirt * Erickson Beamon ring * Reed Krakoff bag * True Religion jeans Repetto Zizi oxfords * Assad Mousner bracelet * Miu Miu sunglasses

Ta for now friends...I'll be back here Sunday with the draw for my current Friedasophie earring giveaway...make sure you get your entries in before 9 a.m. Sunday;)

xoxo

Daisy Love

2012-02-23T10:13:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the missed post yesterday- I had a rather bananas kind of day.

Anyhoo....

I'm back for now but it looks like I'll probably be out of town next week so that I can jestison off to PEI...lucky for you, I've got some fabulous guest posts lined up...and a little surprise too- stay tuned.

For now, my brain is thinking of little else but my Nana.

I woke up this morning trying to come up with an idea for a post and it hit me...how about a little....

...love?

A post inspired by my sweet grandmother's absolute favourite flower...here's a little picture pretty a la this dainty bloom...hope you like:)

{via}

I so love a little photograph to room action.

Hope you're all having a great, great week and again, thank you so very much for all the sweet support- you're all aces in my books.

Oh and don't forget to enter my current Friedasophie giveaway...you wouldn't want you to miss out on a chance to win these beauties would you?

Later lovebunnies.

xoxo

Some Prettiness

2012-02-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

I'm going to break the cardinal rule of good blogging and just post some random pretty pictures...with a few notes because I just can't help myself;)

Truth be told, I'm not inspired to do much else at the moment.

My Nana has taken a bit of a turn for the worse and at present, I'm stuck here because I can't seem to get rid of this ridiculous headache that I've now had for 3 weeks...it's beyond frustrating.

Whatever the case, I'm likely flying out to PEI in the next few days and thanks to some gems blogging friends, will have have lots of fabulous up here while I'm away...PS, blogger buddies are the bestest...do damn supportive...can't possibly put into words how much I appreciate it.

So for now, here's the collection of room greatness...all of these have definitely caught my eye or inspired some thoughts/ideas as of late...

{vintage chandy and Beni bliss}

{masculine but still pretty...a hard balance and this does it perfectly in my humble opinion}

{don't think I need to say much about this one...gold, white fur, velvet, black walls...glamorous as all get up}

{lux}

{animalia greatness...want that swan}

{mirrors with crystal sconces = heaven}

{art in the bathroom- check}

{not so chuffed on the sofa or green pillows but the rest of it is fantabulous}

{tub with a real curtain treatment = want...adore classic black and white in the bathroom}

{pillow fabric is heaven...also love all the masculine glamour going on...this room feels like it belongs to the same house that great boy fabulous bathroom does}

{over the top perhaps but I'd give up an arm for that chandy and/or mirror}

{Barrie Benson is my hero and I want those dogs}

{I need those lamps...the wall to wall curtain panels are also quite delish...and as always, ikat is great}

{I need to know what the fabric is on that chair and on the valance...and I need wall to wall leopard in some room...like yesterday}

{everything here should be mine...this bedroom has my name ALL over it...want, want, want...it all...minus the ceiling fixture...way to small}

{KW edo linen has to make an appearance somewhere in my house...adore the ugly prettiness of it}

{I am and always will be a total sucker for feminine pretty}

{all via}

{I've never seen a room so close to my idea of perfection...I ADORE this...I'd copy every inch of it if I could and please gods let me find a giant brass deer/gazelle like animal...I NEED one...also, I really want to rip out my fireplace so I can replace it with a marble one with a glass screen just like above...soooooo never going to happen but a girl can sure dream}

And with that, I'm off to drown some sorrows in some streamed episodes of Shark Tank...don't ask...I have no idea why but I'm totally addicted to it at the moment...good times.

Oh and don't forget to enter my latest giveaway...these GORGE earrings are up for grabs...

Hugs and smooches,

Giveaway - Friedasophie

2012-02-20T09:16:00.001-05:00

Well hello friends.

It's family day here where I live so husband is home and it sort of still feels like the weekend...hence the late post...still lounging in bed.

Thankfully, I've got something fabulosssssso to share so worth the wait I think.

You might remember a little giveaway I did a while back for a pair of gorgeous Friedasophie earrings....well...I've got another one to share today...and I dare say, I love it even more!

First, a look at Friedashophie's new Limited Edition One of a Kind collection...aka...heaven...

What did I tell you?

GORGEOUS!!!

And because I love you to the moon, I'm happy to tell you that this pair or divine earrings are up for grabs...

To enter:

Simply leave a comment below

For extra entries:

1. Make Friedashophie an Etsy favourite

2. Follow Friedasophie on Twitter

3. Follow Friedasophie's blog

4. Like Friedasophie on Facebook

5. Tweet the giveaway....{enter to win a pair of double chain quartz earrings from @friedasophie and @bijouandboheme http://bijouandboheme.blogspot.com/2012/02/giveaway-friedasophie.html?spref=tw}

6. Post the giveaway to Facebook ....make sure you include @Friedasophie Jewelry and @Christine Dovey so that I see it;

So there you go....7 chances to win.

The giveaway will run for this week and I'll draw the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!!!

Friday Fancies- Week of Pink

2012-02-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

To conclude...

I've got a little ensemble pretty...and it's 100% in keeping with the theme, which means it's allllllll pink;)

I'm keeping the words short on this one so if you want any of these goodies, links are below:)

* trench. dress. sunglasses. earrings. shoes. clutch *

And make sure you visit the rest of this week's fancies over HERE.

Happy almost weekend.

xoxo

Week of Pink - Inspired By...

2012-02-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

Very sorry for the late post.

I've had one of those mornings.

It started off with a 3 hour wait at the doctor's office walk in clinic...only to find no apparent explanation for my feeling like total and utter shit for the last 3 weeks- love that...not.

On the flip side...the extremely awesome flip side that is...I finally heard some news about my Nana.

It turns out she does infact have cancer....for PS, the 3rd time...but thankfully, it is very limited to one spot and hasn't spread beyond the tissue...so...it's completely treatable...amazing news.... I'm ecstatic, thrilled, filled with joy about this...words can't express.

In celebration, I'm going to kick it awesome photography styles with a little portfolio fabulous...of course, all that's coming will definitely be in keeping with...

Welcome to the sprarkly pink infused world of Aaron Ruell...

Can you just imagine pink sparkly walls?

I sure can.

And do you know what else I can envision?

Using these beauties...

...to inspire a little project I'm working on.

Background....

A friend of mine asked me to help with putting the finishing details on her home.

At present, she has a lot of rooms...all painted brown.

She also has dark wood floors and plenty of leather/wood furniture.

So...long story short, she needs some colour.

After seeing the above, I knew one of the rooms just had to have some pinky violet/ pale blue thrown in.

So...here's the living room planski...

Notes:

Mirror for above fireplace...vintage panels for either side of said fireplace...bottom left fabric for curtain panels, zebra rug on the floor, cushions in geometric pale blue/gold and KW bengal bazaare, Ziri chandy for ceiling.

Purty and will totes break up the brown/still play nicely with it.

I've got the whole house to sort out so more plans are a comin.

For now...happy Thursday peeps.

I'm off to clean my house...parents are rolling in for a short visit before heading to PEI, so I've got to throw some neatness together;)

Loves,

Week of Pink- Guest Posts...My Nightstand and My Top 10...and V Day

2012-02-15T09:01:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone.

I want to start the day by saying a giant thank you...reading all of your comments yesterday was a bright spot in an otherwise pretty crap day.

I didn't end up hearing any news on my Nana...today I hope.

I'm also dealing with this ridiculous flu...on week three and still not at all better...over it in the largest way.

Anyhoo...to brighten things up, I'm continuing with...

...and directing you to a couple of guest posts that are up today.

The first one is over at the divine...

...you all know I'm a HUGE fan of Melissa's stunning self and I'm tickled to be taking part in her 'In Ten' series...to see some my list of topsies...

...click HERE...PS, I picked the pink ones to show you here, for obvious reasons...my 10 isn't entirely pink...though there is a lot;)

Of course, Veranda Interiors is packed the brim with goodness of its own, so make sure you stick around and browse through all the yumminess...Melissa's design boards in particular...hours of inspiration!!

Moving on...I'm also delighted to be here today...

...while taking part in Emily's 'Send Me a Picture' series.

The topic this week...nightstands.

I VERY rarely post photos of my bedroom, since it's usually in a state of total disarray but I managed to clean things up so I could snap a few...

Click HERE to see a wider angle look...and PS, all of the nightstands collected are amazing...I want to trade mine for all of them! And PSS, I realize this isn't totally pink but there's a little in there...quite sure I couldn't have any space in my house without at least of touch of rose.

And of course, I know you all already are great appreciaters of all that Emily A. Clark has to offer...totally one of my all time fave blogs.

Now since it's pink week and I haven't given you much of it today so far, I thought I'd show you my Instagram V Day shots...they're definitely all about the rose:)

Despite feeling like I had/have the plague, I went the handmade route on the kid's cards this year...just really wanted to spend a Sunday doing fun stuff with them...sitting down that of course;)

So...2 hours and 100 cards later, we had them all done...and then I had a drink.

My daughter painted in the hearts, I wrote all the words and little guy did the pink/red abstracts.

The final step was adding the chocolates...but apparently they went against the School A's 'no outside food' policy and got ripped off anyways...Hubster wrote everyone's names on them for this batch {School A}...another set went to School B, where they had to remain blank. PS, my daughter goes to two different schools on alternate days....PSS, that means there's lots of kids, lots of newsletters, lots of fundraisers, lots of teachers, lots of snowsuits, lots of sneakers, lots of having to keep things organized...PSSS, for the reasons just noted, I often feel like I need an assistant just to keep kindergarten in check...ha!

Flowers for teacher at School B...PS, between both schools, daughter has 6 teachers...School A has 5 so they got a dividable bouquet...School B teacher got to keep the one above all to her self:)

A perfect Valentine's gift from husband...he knows me too well...I've been wanting this pink and red pretty for a while now:)

Though I adore my new book, and have already eaten up all the chocolates that came with, this card was my favourite of Valentine's treats...for those of you with kids, don't homemade cards make you weep with joy?

I shed a tear or 10 over that little number.

And even a few hundred more after staring at this for a few minutes...

...the two littles of course...the big one had already left for school...not wearing pink;)

I love that I have documentation of little daughter's ensemble...she insisted on having both pink {my favourite colour- duh} and red {her favourite colour- duh} represented, so layered two dresses on top of each other...totally her idea and I ADORE her for it...

Blessed I am.

Happy day to everyone...and thank you again for all the support- you so do a girl's heart good.

xoxoxo

Week of Pink- Happy Valentine's Day...A Rainbow of Rose...and a Personal Note

2012-02-14T08:09:00.002-05:00

Well it's the big lovefest day...happy 14th friends...hope you have someone to share it with and if not, crossing fingers that you've gone ahead and purchased lots of wine and chocolate for yourself;)

In honour of V-Day, I am continuing with...

...and attempting to prove my assertion that pink is the perfect neutral...i.e. makes friends with every other colour.

So...with that, here's a little rainbow of pink...

Which is your favourite?

I'm a die hard pink and red fan...though of course, my fave is pink/white/black/gold/leopard;)

I also think that with pink as your base, you can throw every colour all at once in the mix...which ends up looking a little something like this...

AKA...heaven.

And with that, I'm going to sign off for now and leave you with this...I'm sending it to you, my family and most of all, to my dear sweet Nana...

{via}

As much as I try to shield the not so happy stuff from this diary of sorts, today I feel like I have to share...I need you to know why I've been a little distant and perhaps, not as focused here as I usually am.

Today might turn out to be a pretty crapola one for me...I'm waiting on news of my dear Nana in PEI, who was taken to the hospital a few days ago.

I'm not sure what news is coming but for now, I'm spending most of each day reflecting on the amazing force she has been in my life...perhaps the one person I've always known has truly 'liked' me...sounds crazy as I know my parents love me, as does my husband and sister etc. etc....but my Nana is different...she's always been a bit of my kindred spirit and to imagine my life with out her is something I'm not sure I can do...I treasure her guidance, her love and her spirit more than I can aptly put into words.

I feel bad about dumping all of this on you on a day that's supposed to be a happy/celebratory one but I guess at it's essence, Valentines is meant to be a time to celebrate love and today, my heart is filled to the brim with adoration and sweet thoughts/memories of my Nana most of all.

So, I ask you to send her your thoughts right now....I might be jumping ship this week (depending on what I hear today) and flying to PEI, so if any of you feel like you could help me out with a guest post, I would so appreciate it.

As always, I thank you all so so much for being such a fabulous support- means the world to me.

xoxo

Pink Week, a Guest Post and a Happy Birthday

2012-02-13T09:40:00.002-05:00

Well it's the day before Valentine's Day and in honour of all that's romantic and pink, I've decided to dedicate this whole week to my favourite hue.

{Artwork- Kim Davies}

For today, I'm sending you over to the home of one of my bestie's...the utterly fabulous Tim of Design Maze.

I'm visiting his delightfully chic blog with a little splattering of Valentine's inspiration, which looks a little like this...

...to see the rest of what I've put together, click HERE.

And you know what I'm going to say next...you MUST stick around and love up all the goodness over at DM...most especially, there's adorable Tim himself...

I mean really- could he be any more fabulous?

And then there's his apartment...hello heaven...

Divine.

And with that, I'll leave you for today...it's my hubster's b-day so I want to take a minute to say a giant I love you to him...couldn't imagine my life without his sweet face in it...

Smooches.

Friday Fancies - Valentine's Day

2012-02-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

Word...it's Friday.

This makes me VERY happy.

And do you know what else makes me kick my heels up?

Valentine's Day.

Now I know it's commercialized and really just invented so that card companies and the like can make billions of dollars...yadda, yadda....but...it's also one of the few nights a year my hubster and I get of our lazy asses and you know...go on a date.

It's also an excuse to flaunt my favourite colour everywhere.

And if you throw a little red into the mix, I love my pink even more.

So, in honour of love day...here's my lovey dovey outfit...and PS, with a last name like Dovey...would be kind of wrong to x-nay this particular holiday- ha!

Now I know this ensemble isn't exactly subtle, but that's the fun right?

I've long been obsessed with that Wildox heart sweater...truth be told, I'd probably go for the gold heart one if given the choice, but that's just because I seem to always pick gold over silver these days...which I think I might need to get a handle on...my house is getting VERY gold y'all.

Anyhoo...I paired the red with a pink tulle skirt...the fashion stylist that often works with my daughter at her modeling gigs is always wearing one and though she's like 20, and I'm well...not, I still think maybe I could pull one off...adore....especially when it's a Dolce & Gabbana maxi version {which sadly, appears to be sold out...sad fac/relieved face...have no money to spend on pink tulle skirts}.

I'm pretty convinced that most outfits I wear these days need a good blazer...they just make me feel so much more put together/bad ass {PS, I never say ass really and I've dropped it twice in this one post...not sure why...digressing} ...this Rag and Bone black number {or dark blue perhaps..hoping black for the purposes of this outfit} is pretty killer...hence why one would have to pre-order it at Barney's....as a sidenote, and speaking of R&B...this caplet would also be smashing with some sort of tulle skirt i.e. one that's still available.

As for the accessories, I went full stop with the love garb...I'm loving these Dorothy Perkins love rings...and at $17, they're actually totes attainable...on the higher end of the spectrum, this Avanessi rose gold version is also delightful. And what V-Day outift would be complete without a little vintage Chanel heart brooch? None I say...you could also go full stop with the heart necklace version...either or;)

The Karen Miller black and white clutch bag is a chic staple and as the owner of a pair of lace up booties, I have to say...they're are sooooo necessary in any shoe collection...I heart these R&B ones.

So there you go...a little red/pink and a little black/white/camel Valentine's fabulous...make sure you have a peak at all the pink and red fancy fabulous HERE.

Now...as an added treat and because I love you so so much...I've got some great news.

Actually, I have nothing to do with this...you have the fabulous Eleni Sofroniou to thank;)

After drawing the winner for her art giveaway, I got an email saying that she'd love to pick a runner-up!

So...

to...Vanessa of Decor Happy!!!!

You, lucky girl, have won an 8.5x11 print of your choice.

Happy almost love day everyone!

xoxo

Winner...

2012-02-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well it's that time....

{Guy Aroch}

...to Miss Twist....you've won your choice of print from the gorgeous, Store Around the Corner.

Bravo:)

Thank you all for entering and a giant extra big 'adore you' hug to the divinely talented Eleni...so delighted to have been able to feature your beautiful artwork.

Designer Spotlight - Lauren Flax

2012-02-09T09:24:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty excited to be featuring a very talented designer who hails from my city...giant high fives are in order for Ms. Lauren Flax...beyond talented I tell you...and as proof of this, I give you photos of her latest project...a redo on her own Toronto loft.

I love how Lauren embraces her environment, when she designs...you can tell she considers her surroundings when coming up with a concept...and of course, any girl who loves busts, gold and fur, is totes awesome in my books...I also adore how she uses clothing/fashion in her styling...tres pretty.

Lauren was kind enough to write me and give me a little more info on this project...have I mentioned that she's my new favourite?

Well she is.

In her words...

.......

"I live in the Trinity Bellwoods Park area, directly opposite the park; in a loft building. I've lived in the space for about four months now, and it’s just about the closest neighborhood to New York I could find in Toronto. I very recently moved back to Toronto and I'm missing New York a ton! For this space, I wanted to start from scratch in terms of the furniture. My New York apartment was an elegant Beaux Arts building in the Upper East Side which was very classic in terms of the furnishings and decoration, but they did not belong in a modern Toronto loft at all.

When I design spaces, I always like to have a concept that drives the aesthetic. For the loft apartment; the idea was 'Refined Urban Cabin'. The space has clean lines and a fresh look, mixed in with unexpected finds. I did a lot of vintage furniture shopping. My favorite piece is the sculptural Art Deco desk that I found at the St. Lawrence Market. The lines on it are so unique, I've never seen anything quite like it! The wreath-like piece that over hangs my desk is another great find. I have a soft spot for anything unconventionally beautiful, I picked this up at Chatelet on Queen West.

I combined rustic vintage pieces together with minimalist, modern pieces, like the Eames chair (from Design within Reach) and the refined sofa that I bought at Elte. As a designer, I often have to get crafty and I decided that buying art at this time was not an option, so the art you see over the sofa was painted by me. DYI art projects seem to be the way to go these days, I cannot afford original Damien Hirsts...yet :)

Some more information about me: I am a born and raised Torontonian. I’m an interior designer and blogger, and I live with my incredibly spoiled dachshund, Hudson."

.......

I love getting the scoop first hand...so helps paint a picture of a designer's inspiration and process.

After reading up on Lauren a little more, I also discovered her stunning portfolio, which you can view HERE...gorgeous.

Oh and one more tinsy little thing that I feel I must share about Lauren...you know this shot that's being pinned like crazy as of late...

...well it turns out that Ms. Lauren styled it, alongside...wait for it...Ryan freaking Korban...yup...ah-mazing.

Here's the rest of the apartment, just in case you haven't already soaked up all its goodness.

{via W magazine}

Again...heaps of fur...pretty feminine detailing...lux gold...hits of pink...mirrors everywhere... incredible lighting...busts a plenty...and brass cougars/jaguars this time...LOVE her.

You can follow along with Lauren on her scrumptious blog Splendid Objects.

You're very welcome for the introduction;)

And before I go...a reminder...don't forget that my 'Store Around the Corner' art giveaway ends tonight so enter away...I'll be back later this evening with the draw.

It's Guest Post Day

2012-02-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

Good day all.

I've got a few places to direct you to today so hope you're in the mood for some travel.

First up, I'm visiting the lovely...

...and taking part in her 'Bits and Pieces' series.

If you'd like to see what must haves I need for a future dream home...

...or who my fave designer is...

and/or more little 'bits' about me...click HERE.

And PS, Lark and Linen is one of my long time fave blogs...Jacquelyn is always posting just the prettiest as can be photos....see...

Gorgeous.

Next up on the our tour list...I'm also over here...

...sharing a what...

...at the moment...a little of this might be involved...

Click HERE to see more.

A New Found Treasure is a new blog to me but I'm loving what it has to offer...

Beautious.

And last...but certainly not least....I'm thrilled/honoured/tickled pink to be over here...

...sharing my favourite budget friendly decorating tip...a hint, it might have something to do with this little DIY...

You can click HERE to see what I'm talking about, along with a 5 other fabulous tips...courtesy of some mucho talented bloggers:)

And with that, I'm finito for today.

Kisses/hugs/high fives

An Object Obsession Leads to a Bijou Room

2012-02-07T08:16:00.001-05:00

Morning.

Or maybe it's later in the day when you read this.

In any case...hello;)

I wanted to share a little goodie I came across yesterday thanks to the latest issue of Veranda...which PS is fabulous...the cover is verrrrry pretty and looks splendid in my foyer...thanks magazine peeps for thinking of me and putting lots of pink on the front-ha!

Anyhoo...I spied this piece of gorgeousness....

It's a giant 42" square ottoman from Lee Industries and I LOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE it.

If I didn't already have a large tufted ottoman or have to worry about a white upholstered 'table' with 3 kids and a large dog, this would SO be happening in my house.

Only...I'd do this to it...

Yup...I'd gold leaf the shit out of the base, which would make that ottoman tufted sex.

Gorge.

And do you know what else I'd do?

I'd design a glamorous room around it, which would look a little somethin, somethin like this...

Pretty right.

I don't want to give away all my sources but I will tell you the rug is from West Elm and I'm going to get it for my master...eventually. Also, the artwork is courtesy of the ridonkulously talented Jessica Rae Sommer...her new portfolio is KILLING me.

I'm pretty sure I need the painting above...or maybe this one...

Both...Heaven.

Now, if you perhaps want me to put together a room like the one above for you, please do give me a shout...e-design/styling/personal shopping is happening around here and I'd LOVE to make your space a little more bijou;)

Oh and on a side note, can someone please tell me how the hell I remove backgrounds on Publisher? Why can I not figure this out? Suckage.

Ta ta for now and don't forget about the little art giveaway happening around these hear parts...you have only until Thursday to enter to win a little 'Store Around the Corner' illustration bliss...

Good luck, happy day and hire me please;)

Giveaway - Store Around the Corner

2012-02-06T09:15:00.003-05:00

Well hello.

I trust you all had a lovely weekend.

My dear friend was over last night for dinner, which was absolutely beyond peachy...I also got the house all cleaned up, which is nice.

Sadly, I'm still feeling absolutely horrible - not sure if I've got a crazy ass bug or what but I'm officially over it!

On a brighter note, I've got ANOTHER giveaway for you today- it seems as though 2012 is the year for free stuff here on B& B...I've got two more lined up after this one so I hope you're feeling lucky;)

Today, I'd love to introduce you to...

...a delightful shop that features the beautiful artwork of Eleni Sofroniou.

For today, one lucky winner will get their choice of any 16x11 print from this store...and the best news, the lovely Ms. Sofroniou has promised to send the lucky winner their illustration so that it arrives in time for Valentine's Day!

Here's a sampling of what could be won...

Pretty, pretty, pretty!

I'm already the lucky owner of this beauty...

so obviously count myself as a super giant fan of Eleni's work.

Now...on to how you can have one of your own...for freezies.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below.

For extra entries...and you MUST leave a separate comment for each to count:

1. Go to Store Around the Corner and leave a comment saying which illustration is your favourite

2. Make Shop Around the Corner and Etsy favourite

3. Follow Eleni Sofroniou on Twitter

4. Tweet the giveaway

{enter to win an illustration in time for Valentine's Day from @EleniSATC and @bijouandboheme

http://bijouandboheme.blogspot.com/2012/02/giveaway-store-around-corner.html?spref=tw}

Good luck my friends!

I'll draw for the winner on Feb.9th at about 9pm ;)

Congratulations and a Sale

2012-02-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

I've got a few announcements today...all good;)

Firstly, I feel compelled to tell you about a ~~little~~ giant sale that's happening...this news will apply mostly to peeps in the GTA area BUT I'll add a cravat after the few snapshots...

This store is one of my local ABSOLUTE faves...it's filled to the brim with gold goodness...lots of ornate French pretty and those quirkly little finds that make a house come to life.

Happily, an online store will be happening soon but in the meantime, us locals get to enjoy a huuuuuge sale that has most things in the store priced at 50% off...yes you read that right...half price!

If you're currently looking for vintage baby finds, your luck is even better...75% off for you!

Happy, happy.

I was there yesterday and came home with these...

Now I know they perhaps are not everyone's cup of tea but just think of them in a little girl's room paired with that Nina Campbell wallpaper...yum to the yum! And PS, they're HUGE...almost half the height of her wall...adore.

I was also lucky enough to find this little beaut...

Black and gold ceramic head...yes please.

Now...if you are reading this from far away thinking WTF...this is of NO help to me...I'm at your service.

If there's some antique you're just dying to have, email me and I'll see if the shop owner has it...I'll even send you a photo and help with the shipping...yes, I know...I'm swell.

For those of you who can shop in store...it can be found at 114 Kerr St...just off of Lakeshore Rd. in downtown Oakville...the sale will run for two weeks and the store is open 7 days a week...plenty of time for some solid purchasing.

Now...on to news #2.

It's time to announce the winner of my Three Bird Nest giveaway....

{Richard Bernardin}

to...

lucky #6....Megan of The Nola Ruth!!!

Please shoot me your email address and the $25 code is yours to shop with:)

And with that, I wish you all a happy Sunday...the sun is out here again and it's truly feeling very much like spring...bliss;)

Magazine Love - House of Fifty

2012-02-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

As you know, I'm a HUGE lover of both online mags and traditional print ones...especially when they're good.

I have a collection of shelters that definitely helps with the 'I might be a hoarder' argument...this isn't really a good thing I suppose so....e-zines are a great alternative.

One of my faves is...

I so appreciate how the magazine covers all of my love list in every issue.

There's fabulously pretty...

and...

and to add to the decor pretty, there's also...

which always makes me happy...finding new art talent is VERY high on my fun list;)

And since I now have started to become more domestic (this is new...I'm about two weeks into the experiment;) I'm also loving all the...

I found this latest issue beyond delightful...you can read all 184 pages of winter/spring 2012 HERE....which reminds me of another e-zine perk...don't you just love how ginormous each issue is in these type of publications...jam packed with goodness!!!

Happy weekend boys and girls.

I'll be back late night tonight to draw for the winner of my Three Bird Nest giveaway...if you haven't already thrown in your hat on that one, click HERE....you know you want to win a little hat, scarf, headband, leg warmer or ascot fabulous...oh and make sure you also check back tomorrow...I've got more giveaway fun just in time for Valentine's Day:)

Friday Fancies - Spring Fling

2012-02-03T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well it's dark and gloomy here at the moment but fairly warm and what's more, since Mr. Groundhog did not see his shadow yesterday, apparently a short winter is ours for the taking...praise the lord.

So, in honour of the sunshine and warmth glory that's seemingly just around the corner, I give you a little spring/flower/colour/fling pretty...

{via}

...and my ensemble version...

I think I might have to own that pink Paul and Joe floral skirt (though apparently not...just noticed that it's sold out) and god knows, I'd sell my soul for a PS1.

Apparently a denim shirt is also on my want list since I've used one two fancies in a row and as always, I'd happily take some new Kate Spade earrings...or a Mallarino ring...or a fabulous Triwa watch.

The Toast green ballet shoes, though adorable, would probably slip off my feet...damn high arches...so those will have to stay as pretty inspiration for this cat.

So there you have it...my ode to spring, even though it's still winter.

You can have a look at the bevie of other spring fling fancy pretty HERE.

Happy 'thank farking god it's Friday because this has been the longest week eh-vah' ;)

Giveaway - Three Bird Nest

2012-02-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy month for giveaways here on B&B and I figure why stop the fun now.

Welcome to...

...and your chance to win a little piece of fabulous...

First off, that girl is gorgeous and takes a mean photograph.

And second, her handmade treasures are quite delightful indeed.

And lastly...but certainly not least...you have a chance to win one little goodie of your choice...a $25 gift code will be yours and you can use it to buy up whatever your little heart desires.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below

For extra entries:

Please leave a separate comment for each!!!

1. Go to Three Bird Nest and make them an Etsy favourite

2. Go to Three Bird Nest and leave a comment saying what your favourite item in the shop is

3. Like Three Bird Nest on Facebook

*** as a special promotion, the shop will give 25% off anything in the store this Friday if they achieve 3500 likes***

So there you go...4 chances to win.

This giveaway is a quick one...a winner will be drawn this Friday at 10 p.m.

Good luck love bunnies.

Guest Post - Sadie & Stella

2012-02-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

Happy 1st day of February all.

I can't believe we're half way through winter already...has been such an easy one in these parts so far...I probably just jinxed it by saying so but wowzers...good old global warming does have it perks- ha!

I'm happy to be starting the month of with a little guest post over at the most delightful...

...and the topic of the little posty wosty...my living room.

Now, because I hope this room is going to grace the pages of a publication soon, the shots I delivered are mostly of the close-up/vignette variety...it is those that really make a room feel alive anyhow...the special moments that make a space yours.

...you can see more of my 'arrangements' by clicking HERE.

Of course, a bevie of gorgeous fills up all the pages over at Sadie & Stella.

If I was you and I had a few minutes/hours to spare, I'd most certainly stay for a gander.

You'll see all kinds of ballsy bliss...here's some I curated up, while browsing through S&S...and PS, I finally invested in a little Publisher action yesterday so hooray...I can do pretty boards again!!

...you have no idea how happy the idea of never using Google Documents again, is making yours truly...thanks Christ is all I have to say.

And one more thing...I'm hoping to make it around to say hi today...I've been kind of knocked out with this weird headache/vertigo/nausea flu bug so pray god, I get back to normal soon and can actually stand reading words on a computer...miss you all.

Kisses and bear hugs,

Art Love - Betsy Podlach

2012-01-31T09:03:00.001-05:00

I wanted to pay homage today to an artist whose work I find to be completely and utterly mesmerizing...

I feel beyond lucky to own an original piece of this artists work...

and count it as a purchase I will never do anything but be incredibly thankful for.

That pink hat and those haunting eyes...heaven in my books.

Here's Ms. Ophelia....as I like to call her...in my living room...

I adore her.

She truly is enchanting and makes my entire living room come to life.

I wish I could show you in photos the real beauty that is her face...hard to come across in pictures...her eyes seem to follow you as you move around the room...but not in a spooky way...in a moving/soulful way.

A look through Betsy's portfolio, and one can start to see how incredibly arresting her work really is...

Most of Betsy's work is large in scale, which makes it even that much more captivating...you can see more of her gorgeous portfolio HERE.

Doesn't get art just give you goose bumps?

Does me.

Designer Spotlight - Commune

2012-01-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning peeps.

I had a cray-cray weekend...lots of good fun but I'm sort of oldish, and 3 days of fun in a row means an equal number of recovery days.

So....the party recap will have to wait and for now, I'm going to shower you with pretty portfolio pictures.

I might not even write anything...though I know (thanks Blog Podium;) that not presenting your point of view is bad blogging, I'm just not sure I have the energy to really think clearly today...And besides, I do sometimes think that pictures speak for themselves...and thanks to Commune Design, I can use that excuse to inch my way out of thinking this morning.

Ha.

So let's get to it.

I'm sure you've all seen this facade...

...which PS, will be the colour scheme of my yellow house once my bank account recovers from #pkg...which might be never but one can dream;)

Anyhoo...I know most of you have seen it...along with this one...

...the stair side of it that is...I've never seen the shot of those farking fantastic dining chairs.

Well it turns out that both these shots come from inside the same house and thanks to Commune, there's also this 'good as good gets' pretty...

...which PS, makes my knees buckle...if ever I longed for a giant leather chesterfield, it's now...thanks to this. I'm also digging the slightly gimmicky movie light- totes works in here... partially because it's beside a pretty leaning mirror, which as a rule, acts like super hero in any room...I'm of the belief that a large mirror (preferably ornate) instantly rescues any space/makes it waaaaaaay more resistant to evil ugliness...I think the same thing about gorgeous antique carpets...want one...or 5.

Here's the dining room...

It's a little moody glam to float my personal boat but I certainly wouldn't throw it out of bed for crackers.

I'd also happily shack up with most of the homes/rooms in Commune's portfolio...like say this beauty...

...it feels like the man/bearded version of the pretty girl chesterfield room above...all moody and dark...handsome.

Same with this one...

...black walls and yellow office chairs...perhaps a little buzzy as a colour combo but most definitely arresting in its entirety.

And on the flip side of the coin...i.e. back to the girly end of the spectrum...i.e....my favourite feminine pink/ornate/maximalist side....the Juicy Couture showrooms...

I will tell you that my brain is hurting from thoughts of the things I'd love to do to my house, thanks to the inspiration above...starting with an Aubusson/Persian in every room...and a giant hunting painting that's framed in gold for my yet to exist office...you know the one...it's coming as soon as I maybe...you know...get a job or something.

I'm also thinking that lacquered pink something must probably find a place in my abode...perhaps in the master closet...hum....I wouldn't mind a dash of the plaid wall to wall carpet either...SJ's room? Along with the Perroquet paper...are you reading this Meredith?

So...it seems as though I can't simply give you pretty pictures...apparently my brain is just too damn tangenty (god I love made up words...see...another tangent) to every let that idea slide.

As always, I digress;)

You can see more of Commune's pretty HERE.

Congratulations !!!

2012-01-29T10:28:00.001-05:00

After a beaucoup fun night, I'm up and ready to divulge the winair of the fabulous Milk & Cookies pillow giveaway.

So...without further ado, congratulations....

{via}

You Me + Sophie...you've won your choice of two pillows!!!

I'll be in touch via email;)

A big thank to everyone who entered and remember, Milk & Cookies is offering 15% any pillow in the shop for this weekend only so get buying my friends...trust me when I say, you can never have too much cushion pretty!

These Were a Few of My Favourite Things

2012-01-28T09:22:00.001-05:00

I'm home for a quick bleep before round 4 of my weekend fantastic continues.

So far, I've been to:

1. A Business of Design party, hosted by the fabulously talented Kimberley Seldon...PS, she's he-larious...so speaks my language...also...if you're in the design industry, this website/resource is a must!

2. The Interior Design Show opening night gala....PS, way too many pretty gay men in one place to focus on much else.

3. Blog Podium...PS, learned so much and can't wait for the next one...apparently the next panel will discuss blog monitization...ears perked...god knows I'd love to figure out a way to really make this venture PAY....hard!

And tonight...it's the Canadian Design Bloggers meetup...PS, that's party, party fun time...the ladies and I are even getting a limozeeeene...only because Toronto taxis are a total rip off and it would cost us more to pile our bums into a stinky cab as it would to get a stretch 7 seater...it's hard to believe but the return taxi ride would literally be at least $50 bones more than the limo...ridiculous.

Anyhoo...it's going to be tres tres fun.

I'll post photos of the whole weekend soon but in the meantime, here's a little snapshot of the standouts for me at the design show...these pretties all most definitely caught my eye.

Gold bowls from Elte...the perfect warm hue...would be perfect on top of a small stack of books on a coffee table or on a hallway console as a key/change depot...getting one.

These rugs from Elte are actually made from Saris that are all sewn together with silk...I DIE a thousand glorious deaths. Remember my earlier thought about monitizing...let's just say employment really must happen just so I can farking buy one of these rugs....I need one...like really...tell me I don't...rug gods...are you hearing this?

These Japanese paper prints...so pretty and feminine...they can be purchased at Open Studio in Toronto...a fabulous source for original Canadian art...on my list of places to visit verrrrry soon.

Um...this is wallpaper people...are you still breathing? I passed out when I walked up to the

Mushaboom Design booth (will be posting more about them this week).

Each pattern is hand drawn, painted and then transferred into a digital file that can be adapted to any palette.

All I can say is that my mind is reeling with thoughts of that left pattern in a paler pink, mint, pastely combo...can you see it? I CAN!!!!

Rug Company nirvana.

How fabulous would these be in a teenager's room? My big girl would volunteer babysitting services for months for one...and that's saying alot folks;)

She's probably have to child mind for the next 20 years to pay for one but details people.

I snapped this one without noting where it was from...slap my hands...I'm blaming the fog created after seeing a large architectural pink velvet chair...I can't be held accountable for such things...only natural.

In any event, it's a reeeeeal good chair...if you're into minimal/every piece must be sculptural and arresting...this piece is most definitely for you.

Kate Thornley-Hall carpet pretty...I'm sad that I didn't get a shot of her newest venture...large scale wallpaper...de-vine people...think giant crowns and huge scale damasks in baby pink...glorious.

And with that, I'll say ta ta for now.

I've got a mall to hit...need a little skirt action for tonight's festivities.

Oh and before I forget, make sure you link over to my latest Milk and Cookies pillow giveaway if you haven't already entered...the draw is tomorrow!

And I've got another treat in that regard...Misty, the very talented owner of M&C, has offered up 15% off anything in her shop (this weekend only)...use promotion code IDS12 at checkout.

Later lovers,

Drama

2012-01-26T08:40:00.003-05:00

Hair is done.

I'm not blonde anymore.

And here's the good news...so far (and it's only been 12 hours so things could chage) I kind of maybe, sort of love it...makes me feel kind of bad ass.

It's got me thinking about punchy stuff that's a little different from the norm...because god knows, after 30 years of blonde hair, this new do is most certainly a whole different can of kidney beans for me.

Here's what I mean...

It's not everyday that you see a large brass gazelle holding a red velvet purse...and PS, I still NEED a brass animal...and when I say need, I mean it...gazelle gods...hope you're listening...I wouldn't mind the purse either.

Moldings...I don't have to say anything more about that.

Chrome bed...ah-maaazing art...schwing!

Hotness and sex..that is all.

With a name like Lulie Wallace and the talent to paint a picture like the one above, me be loving her hard.

I. MUST. OWN. THIS. PAINTING...I probably can't but wow...the colour and roughness of it...pretty and ugly all mushed together in a gorgeous art fantastica...love.

Why on god's green earth would you have a boring white bookcase when it can be hot pink and blue?

Crushing on this hard and PS, a certain master closet might be getting something a little apropos of this very soonly:)

If I could marry floors and moldings, it would be these.

And if only I could speak french...I'd so rip the family from their comfy beds and move to Paris...just for the apartment bliss.

Ridonk modern kitchen, antique fireplace, hood...gah.

And since we're on the kitchen front...let's discuss this...aside from the white gloss/brass House and Home favourite and my own #pkg, this is definitely a top 3 all time favourite kitchen...that hood makes me weep...as does all that black millwork.

Perhaps a little over the top for this cat but for realz...stuff to learn here...emerald velvet, floors, mirrored cabinets...check and check.

All. of. it.

Twin chionoise day beds in a living room...yes thank you please.

Nicole Cohen {edit...the hair dye must have affected my brain - I originally posted the bloody wrong shot- sorry Nicole...this one is what I had meant...and PS, it's more gorgeous than the first;you're my hero for hand painting that fabulous on the walls...sort of want to try something similar in my playroom area...maybe in pink?

Black and white giant houndstooth, in pussybow blouse form..yup.

{via}

Oh Daphne Guinness...your mirrors, cray art and red velvet make me feel all warm and gushy inside.

And since my parents don't have Twitter or Instagram, I must end this drama parade with the 'after' shot of my attempt to jump the normal ship...

And mom...I know you're reading this and your ticker tape is saying "eee...it's awful dark" ...don't worry...it's a little brighter/lighter in real life;)

So what say the rest of you...do you like a little 'out of the norm' in your house...space...life?

I'm embracing...hard.

Hair Today, Red Tomorrow?

2012-01-25T08:43:00.001-05:00

It may come as a shock to some of you, but that lovely being in my header is not yours truly...the settee is mine but sadly, not the face;)

I always giggle when people seem surprised when I tell them this...truly, if I looked like that, pretty sure I'd be on a plane to Milan/making millions...not sitting in my half made bed with semi-cold coffee and a laptop all up in my face;)

The girl in the shot is actually Karen Elson.

She's reeeeeeal purdy...

...and I like her hair...

Those of you have been following my Twitter and Instagram feeds already know that on the weekend, I went to the hairdresser with the hopes of a BIG hair change.

Let me give you a little background info...

I've been highlighting my brains out since the tender age of 13...and let me just say, that means (and I realize this is going to date me) that I started the process in its infancy...you know (if you were say born in the 70s)...when it was a plastic cap, a hook and eye/needlepoint tool, and your hair being pulled through tiny holes...yup...not pleasant...anyhoo...point is, I've been doing it for a LONG time.

I did a little math last week...hold your hats folks...if I use $150 as rough estimate for each highlighting visit (and I realize it was less in 1987 when I started but it's way more now so I figure it evens out)...and multiply that by 6 times/year...and then hit the equal sign....

*****$21, 600*****

No other made up word for it than fucksticks.

So, I'm over it.

Officially.

It's time for some greener...or in this case... redder pastures (or don't I wish, pinker) pastures.

If highlighting is out, I need to dye the whole bloody thing.

So...I went to the hairdresser and came out of the little consult with a firm plan...and it looks like this...

...with our well beloved header friend/shot being my top colour inspiration...

According to Meredith, I'm supposed to ask for copper auburn...with emphasis on the copper...no dark magenta or brownish red can happen with this girl...I've gone dark once before and let's just say, not so much...cadaverous on my pale white see-through skin.

Now the good news with this plan is that I come from a long line of redheads and was in fact a ginger until I was about 7...my family is either cursed with muddy ashy blondish brown or gorgeous red...I'm sick of being the former...sick of it I say.

So...today at 4 pm, this cat is going rouge.

Apparently it's going to take 3 hours and if I want blonde back, I'll have to wait almost 2 years for it to be possible again.

Yikes.

I feel good about the decision though...variety is the spice of life right...and it's only hair- I've never been one to get too hung up on changing it out every once and a while.

In fact, if I was 27 instead of 37, I would SO be going this route...

...oh how I'd love to be able to pull off pink hair- if ever there was a person who'd embrace the thought, it's me, me, me...and I'm not talking tips...

...though they are quite enchanting.

I do like the idea of blonde, blonde with pale pink highlights...something like this...

...only all pale pink rather than blue.

Or...why not throw balls to the wall and just go all out...candy floss pink ladies and gentleman...

If an Olsen can do it...

{via}

Crap that logic sooooo doesn't work...I think they were born in 1986 or some shit like that...and they're you know...superstars/rich/gorgeous....yadda yadda...bitches.

Anyhow...the point is I can't do pink because I'd look ridiculous with candy floss hair and crow's feet...plus hubster would likely draw the line on my pink obsession if it transferred to hair...damn him and my ever advancing age.

Red it is...wish me god speed please.

I'll be back with snapshots of the 'after' goodness...god(s) willing...tomorrow...pray for me please.

Giveaway - Milk and Cookies Canada

2012-01-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

My Internet is FINALLY working- thank the gods...it went offline again just minutes after I posted yesterday and only came back up a few minutes ago.

I'm praying to the same noted computer gods (who PS, I think must not be my biggest fans) that it stays in operation from now on...amazing how utterly weird a day without a computer seems...on the silver lining front, I did at least 4 loads of laundry and cooked a mean potato, cheese and dill soup for dinner.

Pretty sure my husband enjoyed our day of Internet woes way more than I did;)

Anyhoo...we're back in business and I've got something rather ah-maazing to share with you today.

A GIVEAWAY!!!

What kind you might ask?

Well...we're taking a break from artwork to share a little home decor magic and it's brought to you today by...

For those of you not familiar with Milk & Cookies, let me just show you some of its fabulousness...

Believe me...this is just a start...the shop has literally over 400 pillow patterns to choose from.

And guess what?

For this giveaway, the winner will get their choice of any 2 pillow covers (exludes KW Imperial Trellis, Chiang Mai Dragon and hand printed pillows) !!!!

To Enter:

1. Just leave a comment

For Extra Entries:

***And remember, to get your extra entries, you MUST leave a seperate comment for each***

1. Follow Milk and Cookies the blog

2. Like Milk and Cookies on Facebook

3. Add Milk and Cookies to your Etsy favourites

4. Go to Milk and Cookies Canada and tell me which cushions you would pick if you won

5. Tweet the giveaway

{enter to win a pair of pillow covers from @bijouandboheme http://bijouandboheme.blogspot.com/2012/01/giveaway-milk-and-cookies-canada.html}

That's a total of 6 chances to win.

I'll be drawing for the lucky lady or gent on Sunday January 29th at around 9 a.m.

This giveaway is open to all readers...wherever you are:)

Good luck my friends!!

A Plant and Flower Tour

2012-01-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

My computer pox continues...came home last night to no internet...apparently there was some local technical problem that has just now been fixed.

Ay-Carumba....I feel like a broken record when it comes to my tales of computer 'woe is mes'.

For now, things seem to be working so it's post time.

.......

As you probably have already ascertain, I'm a fresh cut flower kind of girl...I spend at least $20-$50 a week on pretty blooms and although perhaps indulgent, my house just wouldn't be a home without them.

I've always loved orchids in pots as well.

What's new however, is my love for potted plants and greenery in general...

The Fiddle Leaf Fig, Clementine and potted orchid are all fairly recent additions to my abode and I'm praying to the almighty plant gods that I can keep them alive...the green prettiness is making me very happy.

So how about you? Plant lover much?

Events

2012-01-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

Good morning lovelies.

I'm up and out of bed at an ungodly hour because my sweet redhead is auditioning for a TV show...woot.

We're excited...but it's early.

Anyhoo...I've got some other news as well.

As most of my Canadian friends are aware, next weekend marks some big events around these here parts.

The Interior Design Show kicks off...

...which means it's gala time!!!

And...we've also got the Canadian Design Bloggers meet up...

and Blog Podium ...

...to get all excited about.

Of course, this many events in just one weekend means we're all going to need some outfits.

And luck for you, I've dreamt up a little gala pretty for you to peruse...

You can find out my inspiration and where to buy all this pretty by clicking over to the Blog Podium website HERE.

Oh and while you're there, scroll down and read about all the featured bloggeres/speakers...an amazing line-up...whispers...they even did a wee write-up about little old me...

...which you can read HERE...count me honoured to the moon!

Happy weekend!

Friday Fancies - Inspired by Pinterest

2012-01-20T09:10:00.001-05:00

Today's fancy mandate is to create an ensemble inspired by Pinterest or the like.

LOVE this idea.

A quick peruse of my favourite time suck website gave me plenty of pretty to pick from...it will come as no big surprise that I was lulled in by the pink.

And today, I was particularly drawn to...

{via}

Taking that first outfit with the pink pants and jean shirt, I came up with...

top. pants. earrings. watch. ring. bag. shoes. belt

Happy Friday all...to see this week's inspired fancies, click HERE.