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I’m probably late to the party here but have you heard of Freeart.com? The site has millions of photos to choose from and the small 8 x 10 size is free! You can order up to 10 prints and pay just the shipping cost. The larger sizes are reasonably priced and can be printed as large as 60 x 90. Most astonishing,  they ship to Canada!  You really have to sift through the photos – many are clip art type stuff that you would never want to put on your walls, but there are some gems. There’s bound to be something you’ll like.

Here’s just a sample of some of the pictures they have:

The website says the watermark will be removed on ordered prints.

They also have some cute watercolour prints like these:

Perfect for the cottage!

I spent way too many cups of coffee looking at this site!

Another great place for amazing pictures is the New York Public Library’s Digital Collection. There are over 700,000 digitized items in this collection that range from incredible photos of the city through the decades, to public domain art, to fashion prints to scientific and medical illustrations.

Here’s a peek at what they have:

From the New York Subways collection. These would look great printed as a triptych.

Or these old photos of National Parks.

Love these illustrations of space.

Fashion prints.

And lots of photos of old New York.

Toronto Public Library also has a catalogue of digital photos of the city through the years. Each photo has a link of where to contact for orders. Here’s just some of my favouites:

Of course there are tons of cute printable quote art, drawings and illustrations that can be downloaded  (legally of course) for free from talented artists and bloggers who make them available on their sites. But if you’re looking for something different try searching these sites first.

Happy Hunting!

 

 

 

It starts every July. The sound of the mailbox opening makes my heart jump. I rush to it with eager anticipation of what I will find. My pulse quickens as I plunge my hand into the darkness of the black metal box. Did it arrive today? Is it here? My fingers feel through the thin envelopes and then suddenly they stumble upon something thicker – with pages and a spine. Could it be…? Yes, this is it!! The Ikea catalogue had finally arrived!  There’s nothing like curling up with a big cup of coffee and taking in each year’s new products, displays and inspiring designs. Although I received the catalogue back in July I haven’t been able to visit the store until last week.  I was super excited!

Last year we renovated our new house (new to us – it was built in the 1970’s) and we installed an Ikea kitchen (which we LOVE). From August to November we went to the store so many times it sort of lost its magic. It became like a hardware store – a necessary place to pick up forgotten cabinet hardware, hinges and mislabeled drawer fronts, instead of the inspirational decorating wonderland it had once been. So I decided me and Ikea needed some time apart. By the time July rolled around this year I was in love again and couldn’t wait to see what was new.

Of course the store didn’t disappoint me. With coffee in hand, my friend and I wandered around the displays visiting each little pretend living room and fake kitchen. Not only do I like to see the furniture, but also how they use what they have to style each room and make it feel lived in. Here’s a few my favorites from last week.

Decorating with baskets.

A simple mantel (love the rough hewed wood) with a basket as its focal point with some simple glass vases. I’ve been seeing baskets as art for while:

Here from The Nester – she totally does it better than Ikea!

Here

Plus lots of other awesome things to hang on your walls from this site!

And here (if you have $90 in your baskets-to-hang-on-the-wall budget then these are a nice choice!)

Speaking of baskets here is a pretty one from Ikea that would look as good carrying your produce at the farmers market as it would holding blankets (or Lego) in your living room.

Creative place settings.

Here’s a fun take on place mats! Cutting boards at each setting.

Navy Blue!

New this season the Billy series of bookcases introduced a dark blue. It’s only on this bookcase here but hopefully they will add more pieces with this colour.

To make this piece extra special swap out those puny dark blue knobs for these or these both from Anthropologie – gorgeous!

My favourite chair this year is the Strandmon Wing Chair in yellow.

From the catalogue:

It’s a little smaller than it looks in the catalogue or online but for the price it’s a decent chair in a great colour! Although I don’t have a place for this guy at the moment if I did I would definitely add some of these pillow made from handwoven kilim rugs – such beautiful colours and texture.

. I had planned to buy this broom and dustpan set.  I loved how pretty and simple it looked but when I actually saw it in person I was disappointed. It was cheap feeling and the broom head was small and looked like it would fall apart after a week’s work.

I left Ikea that day with a stomach full of smoked salmon, a pair of curtains and lots of fresh inspiration.

There’s nothing like the changing leaves and the crisp breeze blowing through the open windows to get me in the mood for autumn. It’s my favourite season! Back to school, back to routine, back to sweaters and back to soups and baking. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer, but there’s something about the fall that makes me feel content and cozy. After a summer of non-stop pool parties, trips to the beach and just kicking around with friends and family outside I’m looking forward to spending more time inside. We closed our pool this weekend and somehow that spurred me right into fall cleaning. As we officially said goodbye to summer and hello to the new season I felt compelled to make take care of all those areas in the house I’ve neglected all summer. Full disclosure – I am a teensy bit of a clean freak. Okay, well maybe more like a full blown addict. But there were still lots of jobs around that house that were overlooked because on a beautiful summer day even the freakiest of clean freaks know when to put the mop down and head out for a picnic. If you are not on Team Clean then perhaps you need some inspiration to start your fall tidy up.

I’m in love with beautiful cleaning supplies and tools. They take the ick out of some of the worst jobs and they don’t leave your house smelling like Mr. Clean just threw up a pine tree in your kitchen. (Just who IS Mr. Clean anyways and why do all those people look so happy when a huge bald man dressed in white shows up in there house as they scrub the shower? I think at any moment he’s going to whip out a strait jacket and take those poor people away!)

I’ve gathered a few of my favourite cleaners and tools that are as beautiful in form as they are in function in the hopes that you will be encouraged to refresh your home for fall.

This pretty feather duster will not only get rid of cobwebs and dust you will also feel like a french maid while you clean – maid’s uniform is optional – I’m not here to judge.

 

Of course the dream team of any clean freak’s arsenal is the broom and dustpan – this pair gets top marks for performance and looks.

This toilet brush is so nice you could leave it out-

but please don’t! Why is it that it’s acceptable to leave on display the cleaning tool that we use to clean the dirtiest, germ-iest thing in the whole house? You probably wouldn’t keep your broom propped up in the middle of the kitchen so please don’t keep your toilet brush beside your toilet. Here’s a thriftier version.

For everyday scrubbing (that’s right I said everyday – I know I have a sickness) these brushes from Redecker are beautiful and hardworking.

In fact, every product from Redecker is gorgeous, sustainable and made with renewable materials. I bought a few brushes from this family-run company over 4 years ago and they are still going strong!

Upgrade your dish washing experience with these and your family will be fighting over who gets to clean up after dinner (well…maybe…okay, probably not but these items may make washing up not so horrible). 

1. A copper dish rack so striking it should be kept on the counter so your guests can see how stylish and on trend you are.

 

 

2. Who needs to go to the spa when you can have an aromatherapy treatment at home while soaping your dirty dishes in one of these:

 

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3.  The world’s best dishcloth and pot scrubber. Really.

This & these are also kind of great:

Of course you’ll need a cleaning caddy that is equally attractive as your cleaning supplies. I’ve chosen these just for you:

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I use natural and homemade cleaning products whenever I can. Vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice are all staples in my cleaning cupboard.  I also use Dr. Bronner’s in my laundry soap and all purpose cleaner. My favourite scent is lavender but I also mix it up with rose or citrus if I’m feeling really adventurous!

 I hope this has inspired you to channel your inner Monica Geller and make your home fresh for fall.

Happy Autumn!

When I first read the news from New York Fashion Week 2016 that pink and yellow were prominent in many designers shows, I immediately thought this-

Yikes!

But my fears were relieved when it turned out this was what was making news.

Much better! I love the cheerful sunny yellow next to the soft pink. “What a pretty colour scheme for a room!” I though. After a quick search I happily realized that I wasn’t the only one who thought this. I found this.

And this.

I love this.

And how sweet is this?

Pink and yellow are pretty and feminine but decorating an entire room in it may not be for every taste. Try the sugary sweet colours as accents and accessories before committing to an entire room. Here are just a few ideas to get you inspired:

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Happy hunting!

Even though we haven’t reached the middle of August yet, I’m thinking autumn. The fall has always been my favourite season. The cooler temperatures mean I can open all the windows and let the breeze in and turn off the AC.  It’s been so dry and humid this summer here in Southern Ontario a break from the heat will be a relief.  I’m looking forward to the crunch of the leaves under my feet, the smell of apple sauce cooking on the stove and pulling on my coziest sweater. The other thing I love about September is seeing all the new fall and winter trends for the home.  Here are some that I think are taking a deeper look at.

The 1970’s is alive and well again this fall in home décor. Think tan leather, wood accents, shaggy rugs and fiber art like macramé. Most major retailers have jumped on the band wagon (or in this case the Ford Pinto) offering 70’s inspired accessories and furniture with a edgier, more contemporary feel than the original.

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My favourite 70’s inspired piece is this oversize macrame wall hanging by a local artist who owns Simply Macrame. Isn’t it gorgeous? A piece this big would work above a bed in place of a headboard, warm up a empty large living room wall or cozy up any space that could use some texture!

Crate & Barrel are selling these beauties on their Land of Nod site here:

Or a beautiful DIY option  with instructions can be found here.

Fur!  Another ode to the decadence and fun of the 70’s.

Try one West Elm’s fuzzy footstools alone or grouped together in place of a coffee table. The gold legs ensure that these guys will be at home in traditional spaces as well as modern ones. And they kind of remind me of this!

***Update: Found this cute stools that look similar to the pricey West Elm ones at Hobby Lobby in the U.S. Aren’t they cute?

Want something more authentic looking? Drape this reindeer hide rug from CB2 over a sofa or chair or layer it with other rugs (although Santa may not appreciate you messing with reindeer this way come Christmas!)

 

I’m happy to see that gold and brass fixtures and accents have stayed around and are holding their own with silver and nickel. This table from West Elm is a beautiful way to incorporate gold with this season’s go to – marble.

 

I think every room needs some drama – even if it’s just the tension between mixed materials that have no business being together – like wood and concrete,  marble and metallic, or matte black with shiny gold or silver. There’s plenty of dramatic tension this season and here’s the proof:

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Geometric and patterned tiles are popping up everywhere from bathrooms to kitchens to entry ways here are some of my favourites:

 

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I hope this quick round up of fall trends has you feeling inspired to hunt and gather your own unique look for your home!