Scotch Naturals

Though certainly the fact that Scotch Natural nail polishes are non-toxic is a draw, I think the real knock-out factor is the gorgeous colours.

Heather Blush

Highland Fling

Hot Toddy

Velvet Kilt

Caleigh

All from Scotch Naturals.



I think Heather Blush is my favourite.

Aren't the colour names genius, too?

Crank it to 11

Loving this volume knob brooch from the Curiosity Shoppe. Note that it goes to 11.

Abigail Ahern Designs

Atelier Abigail Ahern is a British designer, and I asolutely love her ecclecticism and how she's not afraid of dark paint. She designed her sister Gemma's apartment and I absolutely love the moody dark paint

All photos from here.

vs.

I'm going to make a bold statement now.

vs.

I'd take a Tolix chair over an Eames chair any day.

Schoolhouse Electric

I love love love Schoolhouse Electric!

How fantastic are these vintage-inspired lights???

I am still searching for the perfect light fixtures to my house, and one of these just might be it!

Opti

My vacuum's name was Bumblebee because he was a yellow cannister vacuum. But Bumblebee died. His carpet attachment stopped working, and it would have been $200 to fix it. I thought it would be better just to buy a new one.

I wanted a dyson, but surely couldn't buy one for $200. Thankfully, my mom stepped in! She said she'd pay for half as a belated birthday gift (My birthday was in January, but we hadn't celebrated).

So I bought a Dyson! We named him Opti, which is short for Optimus Prime, because of the whole Transformer's theme with Bumblebee, and I am so so so glad I spent the extra money and bought it.


The Dyson really IS worth the extra. It's amazing. It is so much more powerful than a normal vacuum. I would highly highly recommend it!

Tell me: do you name your appliances and electronics?

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

It's my turn to bring snacks to choir Thursday night. I also have to help supervise at my school's fringe festival on tonight so I wouldn't have much time to make anything time consuming tonight. It sounds like the perfect opportunity to make aged chocolate chip cookies!

I've made these delicious cookies before. I read about the recipe ages ago in a New York Times article which featured pastry chef Jacques Torres's ultimate chocolate chip cookies.

The secret to his cookies, aside from the fact that he serves them warm, is that the batter is aged 24 to 36 hours in the fridge before baked. This really develops the flavour of the dough and the cookies end up being way more delicious than regular chocolate chip cookies.

So I made the dough using Jacques Torres' recipe on Tuesday night and will bake them up Wednesday night. With a sprinkle of sea salt, they will be heavenly.

We Like, We Love

Online magazines are pretty awesome. It's so much easier (and cheaper!) to find inspiration. I just recently discovered a Calgary-based online magazine called We Like We Love. Through a serendipitous connection between a mutual friend, my adorable sister Selby was asked to model for them for an upcoming issue.

Don't you love those gree stockings?

Anyway, I hope that you will check out this magazine. It's fantastic!

Snow snow go away.

It snowed here in Calgary all weekend AGAIN. I am sick and tired of snow. To cheer myself up, I'll post some pictures of my favourite flower, ranunculus. They start appearing in flower shops in the spring, and I am just itching to get some!

From here.

From here.

From here.

Maybe I'll try to grow some this year! I don't think Calgary has the ideal climate for ranunculus, but you never know! Come on spring!!! I neeeeeeed you!!!!!

HBC

The Hudson's Bay Company is an icon in Canadian history. It's actually older than Canada itself!

The blanket itself is pretty cool:

via here.

But I love it when companies do something creative from the blanket.

Isn't this chair fantastic? I found it via Bright Bazaar, which is a fantastic blog, by the way.

The Hudson Bay point blanket is an icon of Canada, for sure. And I adore Canadiana.

Otomi Madness

I wish on everything that I ever loved that I could afford this Mexican Otomi bed cover:

I would have SUCH a hard time deciding between the yellow one and the rainbow one!

WHY oh WHY do they have to be $450?!?!?!?

Alternative to Hollandaise Sauce

This sauce is absolutely delicious. It reminds me a bit of the vegetable spread you see on Italian panini sometimes. It's easy!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 4-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped
3/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 ounce capers, drained
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Instructions: In a blender or food processor, combine the sauce ingredients and pulse until creamy.

The recipe is from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook.

I spread it on toast and ate it with a poached egg. Yum.

Music Art

I love that Grace has been posting her favourite music on DesignSponge lately. It's fun to see what other people enjoy and even discover new music.

I know it's no secret that band posters can be beautiful art. My sister and I went to see one of our favourite bands, the Deep Dark Woods, in concert a couple of months ago. We decided to buy one of their screen printed posters. They're numbered and orginal, which makes it pretty awesome.

I just have it leaning up against my art wall, which I kind of like. I just set it there temporarily, but I think I might leave it there.

Though their art is beautiful, so is their music. You should probably have a listen:



I spotted this other type of music art, which is shockingly beautiful. Bespoken Art makes art by printing a visual of the soundwaves of a song or other audio clip. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a visual of your favourite song on your wall. Now the question: What song would you get???

This one is to commemorate a wedding. It's audio of the two people saying "I do." Isn't that adorbs?

I love that music can be audio AND visual art.

Chickadee dee dee!

How sweet is this chickadee tea towel from ModCloth?

Oddly

I hope you're having a relaxing start to your Monday morning. Oddly sure is.

Giant Wooden Xylophone

Am I allowed to admit that a little tear came to my eye when I saw this video?



It's just so beautiful!

via swissmiss.

Tulips of Holland

Aren't these photos absolutely breathtaking??

Via Poppytalk from lemmemakeit.

I wish it were that spring-like here! We still have snow!!!!!!

I win!

I want one in every colour.

Woolly Pockets

I would quite like to get three Woolly Pockets to put up on my wall that goes up the stairs to the second floor.

The wall faces East, which would be perfect for the morning sun.

I'd grow something lush and prehistoric in them.

Sweet, sweet lulu

Sweet Lulu is a shop that has the prettiest party supplies.

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