Is it really Friday already? I can’t believe what a complete whirlwind of emotions and activities this week has consisted up! Let’s break it down, shall we? Our family started the week off sunning ourselves and running wild for days at the cabin of our dear friends, where we had such a fabulous time! As I’ve shared many times before, the ocean is my happy place and being beachside with family and friends is the ultimate! Our weather was perfect, our hosts were even better and it felt so great to be outside all day, to share meals (ok, feasts!), wine (lots!) and nights around the campfire. The calm before the storm! As we made our way back towards the border on Wednesday afternoon, I left my family for a little antiquing detour into Lynden with Monica before picking up the shiny new keys to our shop. It felt so surreal to be inside the empty space and to realize that, yes, we’re actually doing this! Yesterday, we got down to work and between the five of us, I have no doubt that amazing things will happen. Our creative juices are overflowing and I cannot wait to share the shop’s progress with you along the way. I did get really emotional yesterday though, reading Rachel’s farewell-for-now post, and can’t even begin to express how much I miss having her nearby. For now, I’ll focus on happy thoughts and thought you’d enjoy a little sneak peek and a few Instagram pics I snapped of the new storefront…

Did you see that to-do list? Good thing I left the full roll of craft paper attached because we’ve added many a task to it since! Our timeline feels extremely tight but with the amount of creative talent between us (not to mention our spouses!) I’m actually feeling confident that we can pull it together in time. Can’t wait to show you the after pictures of Spruce Collective and you’ll looove the logo that Jessica‘s been working on! Have a great weekend everybody…I’ll be posting Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week. Cheers :)

Birch + Bird elsewhere this week: 

• Bright yellow inspiration in our guest post over at Oh Hello Friend! on Wednesday
• Indoor/Outdoor living at its best in my guest post on Poppytalk today
• Plenty of new “likes” over on the Spruce Collective Facebook page

Well, this is my last post for awhile and like Lily said, it is bitter sweet.  Next week we’ll dive right into the routine that we’ve all been craving for so long.  I haven’t decided what I’ll do with the extra time once I’ve tackled my long to-do list but I hope it includes taking care of my family, meeting new friends, volunteering at the girls’ school, refinishing some furniture, exploring the vintage and antique gold mine where we now live and planning my next move.  My step back from the blog is to gain some perspective and focus.  I won’t be too far away though, I can’t wait to watch Lily’s new adventure unfold.  Life is always changing, isn’t it?  Here are some neutral spaces that are calm and serene…just what I need.  How about you?

Whitecliffe Imports

Hope

Apartment Therapy

Femina

Martha Stewart

Agent Bauer

Volang

Incorporated

Farewell for now and take care!

Brad and I are finishing up our beach time with the kids and friends in Birch Bay right now but I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce you all to a new company with our first sponsored post. Rachel and I have hesitated featuring any sponsored products until this point but we hope that you’ll agree with our thought that Fashion for Home would be a great fit with our readers. Although they are based in the UK, they do have an American eshop (with free shipping in the US!) and customers can buy direct from the manufacturer, keeping price tags very affordable. The main challenge with decorating on a budget is always finding well designed pieces that are built to last. Fashion for Home’s key concept is to build made-to-order pieces (this skips costs associated with storage) sustainably and to fit every budget. I love finding companies who are thinking outside the box and making good design available to everyone! But not just good on paper, their furniture is what really caught my eye so come take a peek at a few of my favourite looks from Fashion for Home….

I’ve fallen pretty hard for the Grand Sofa in the last picture and can picture curling up in it as we speak! With plenty of modern and more traditional designs to choose from (and some great nods to Mid-century classics too) , I really like how versatile Fashion for Home is for all decorating styles. Any pieces that caught your eye? And how is your week going so far? Hopefully you’re soaking up some sunshine like we are! The Spruce girls and I pick up the keys for our new shop tonight and I cannot wait to get inside and start planning the layout, etc. I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to get very busy! With Rachel on a break, I likely won’t be blogging every day and it might take me some time to get settled into the new routine…please be patient with me :)

*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Fashion for Home. Birch + Bird will only feature sponsored posts from shops/products/services that we would share with you all anyway. Anything we feature will always be because we truly enjoy the way it looks and we will always disclose when we have been paid for a feature. This is our first sponsored post.

This is our last week of summer break!  Eek!  The start of school is much earlier than we are used to but I have to say that after having the girls home for 6 months, it is more than welcome to come early.  We’re as prepared as we can be with all the recommended school supplies, back to school clothes and brand new back packs to start the year off right.  This week the girls are excited to visit the school, their classroom and of course, meet their new teacher.  They are in the same classroom, thankfully, after a quick call to the school for a last minute switch.  Phew!  Here are some back to school picks from one of my favorite Etsy shops, AMRadio.  Enjoy!

All images from AMRadio.

We’ll be treasuring these last few days with much anticipation for what’s to come with some ice cream and pool time thrown in for good measure.  Have a great day!

What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been…I almost can’t absorb it all at once! Planning the new shop with the kids home on summer holidays isn’t exactly the easiest thing ever and I’ve been clocking some very late nights to catch up on things after they’re tucked in tight. It’s also been a little bittersweet with Rachel’s decision to step back from blogging for awhile. Although I completely understand her desire to focus on their new life in Florida, I’m worried it will make her feel even farther away.  Thank goodness for today’s technology like Skype and Facetime though! And I’m hopeful that she won’t be gone for too long ;)

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

I recently came across this stunning West Hollywood home, designed and lived in by Mark Egertrom, and I would be more than happy to call it my own! The combination of glass walls, concrete floors and natural wood blurs the line between outdoors and in. I love the warm neutrals throughout accented with unexpected bursts of colour like the graphic paintings, area rugs and Pop art…

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

That mossy backyard is just begging for my bare feet to run through it! And the rooftop patio? Perfect for all of the swanky LA parties I’d be bound to host here!

Photo by Lisa Romerein for House Beautiful

We’re off to Birch Bay today to enjoy a few days of R&R at the cabin of some close friends. It’s become a bit of a tradition for our 3 families over the past few years and we cannot wait for days spent beach combing and nights by the fire. We’ll be home on Wednesday, just in time to get the keys for the new store! And then it will be gung-ho to get started painting and setting up shop…eek! Feeling this excited and scared all at once feels pretty similar to the emotions I felt right before childbirth…hopefully it won’t be nearly as painful! Wish us luck :)

PS…We’re getting started with the schedule of creative classes for the Fall. If you could, what kind of DIY’s or creative skills would you like to learn in a group setting? Painting, hand lettering, candle making?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!