Birch + Bird Vintage Home Interiors

Cat Coquillette | Society6

Hey there, friends! I hope that you’ve all been enjoying an amazing Holiday season and I thought I’d better check in before 2014 bites the dust. I’ve been putting this post off for quite sometime but I don’t imagine, after such a long stretch of radio silence, that you’ll find it as much of a surprise. The time has come for me to say goodbye to this blog and it’s somewhat bitter sweet. Rachel and I started this little web journal over 4 years ago as a creative outlet from our everyday lives as stay-at-home mums and so much has changed since then, most significant being Rachel and her family relocating to Florida to me opening a brick + mortar store. I absolutely love writing and sharing inspiration here but my priorities and creative outlets have shifted and there are simply not enough hours in the day. Family comes first, as always, and my passion for design is now channeled into my store, Spruce Collective. Although there are often a lot of not-so-exciting aspects to owning a business, I also get so many chances to feed my creative urges and connect with customers and it’s far more inspiring + fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. We’ve got big dreams and plans for the future but as I step forward, I want you to know how incredibly blessed I feel for all of the opportunities this little blog has brought my way. From the dear friendships grown to the markets we would eventually organize (markets where I came to meet my now-partners) and connections made both online and in person, I’m so very thankful for each and every reader that’s taken the time to pop in, read and comment throughout the years. I’m not disappearing off of the Internet or social media, you can find me over at our shop blog as well as on my personal and business Instagram accounts, but without further adieu, Happy New Year, Au Revoir & Thank You for sharing this space called Birch + Bird with me <3

The rains are settling in for the long haul, days are getting shorter and I’m starting to feel like quite the homebody these days. Not that I’m complaining…we had a fantastic summer that stretched far into fall but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a West Coast girl at heart and love a cozy evening indoors while the rain pours down outside. It’s also pushing me to put some more effort in decorating our new house (can I still call it “new” when we’ve lived here 7 months?) and I’m excited to finish a couple of small projects and maybe even paint (or wallpaper!) a room or two. I absolutely love white walls but have been feeling the urge to add some colour to our bedroom (I’m thinking a deep moody teal, on the navy end of the spectrum…thoughts?) and came across this carriage house on a Pinterest search last week. Located in a Prohibition-era back alley of Washington, DC, this once derelict space has been transformed into a Bohemian home ready to entertain…

Garden & Gun | Photo by Patricia Lyons

Garden & Gun | Photo by Patricia Lyons

Garden & Gun | Photo by Patricia Lyons

So full of personality, isn’t it? You can see more great photos of this small space over at Garden & Gun so be sure to check them out. On another note, I’m going to cut down to only a couple of blog posts a week but you can always keep tabs on what I’m up to over on my Instagram feed in the meantime. Wishing you a frightfully good Halloween and a sugar-filled weekend ahead!

Along with some other fantastic partners, some of our rental pieces from were invited to take part in this year’s KINFOLK dinner in Vancouver a few weeks ago and it came together to be a truly beautiful evening in every way. This year’s event was an intimate gathering and dinner at Union Wood Co.?s new warehouse and was based around the theme A Messy Meal: Embracing Wabi-Sabi in the Everyday. One of my partners, Elisa, and our store manager, Breanne, attended the dinner and had an amazing experience, sampling chef Juno Kim‘s seasonal and local multi-course meal and meeting new friends in Union Wood Co.’s cool new space. Have you ever been to a long table dinner? It’s remarkable how many real connections can be made when we step out of our comfort zones and break bread with strangers, isn’t it? Britney Gill captured the event perfectly and I wanted to share just a few of my favourite pics. You can see many more over on Britney‘s blog as well as Spruce Collective. Our reclaimed wood benches and enamel pitchers looked right at home at the long table gathering, don’t you think?

All photos by Britney Gill 

All photos by Britney Gill 

All photos by Britney Gill 

Britney Gill Photography | Union Wood Co.  |  Niche Wine Co.  |  Victory Gardens  |  Piccolo Design Co.  |  Pallet Coffee Roasters  |  Postmark Brewing  |  Juno Kim Catering  |  Tantalus  |  Earnest Ice Cream  |  Written Word Calligraphy  |  Greenstems  |  Woodlot  |  Dahlhaus | Vintage Rentals by Spruce Collective

Collaborations are a beautiful thing, aren’t they? Have a fabulous Monday!

Hey, there! This week has already been chugging along at a fine pace and the school district decided to throw in some half days and a Pro-D (just to spice things up!) so the next few days will be even more of a juggling act. So it goes sometimes but, thankfully, I’ve got family and friends to help me out with the kids in a pinch and Brad will be home this weekend so I’m confident that my daily grind will be eased somewhat by next week. Thank God! It’s been a loooong month. Anyway, onto more exciting things, like a little peek inside one of my all-time favourite designers, Emily Henderson‘s, gorgeous home in Los Angeles. It was featured in Domino last month and is absolutely everything I would have expected and then some. Be sure to check out both Domino and Emily’s blog for many more great photos and details on the furniture and decor throughout. Come take a look:

Photos by Brittany Ambridge for Domino | Style by Emily Henderson

Photos by Brittany Ambridge for Domino | Style by Emily Henderson

Photos by Brittany Ambridge for Domino | Style by Emily Henderson

I just love how clean and curated Emily’s family home is. Everything looks intentional, there because it’s loved or has meaning, and although it’s packed with stylish finds it doesn’t feel cluttered or “trendy” in the least. Full of personality, mid-century bones and an eclectic mix of old + new make it a definite win in my books! Hope you’re having a great week so far 🙂

Boom. Just like that, another week bites the dust! Anyone else wish that time would slow down just a tad this Fall? My days are full (we’re talking full) to the brim with kids/work/driving/life and I’m definitely counting down these final 8 days until Brad gets home from the wilds of Manitoba! Here’s a little roundup of some links I’ve loved this week but I didn’t quite make it to the usual 5 for Friday as I ran out of steam by number 3 😉

1. I love everything about this gallery wall and eclectic bedroom spotted over at The Everygirl yesterday:

The Everygirl | Michelle Lange Photography

2. Um, how flipping adorable is this Maria costume?!? I love The Sound of Music (I mean, who doesn’t) and think this is the most darling idea ever. See how to make this cutie and an astounding amount of other sweet costumes over at Oh Happy Day:

Oh Happy Day | The Sound of Music Maria Costume | Photo by Paul Ferney

3. I’ve wanted to make homemade caramels forever (I think since reading about Laura making pulled taffy in The Little House on the Prairie books when I was little…anyone else remember that?) but never have for some reason. These salted butter confections look too decadently delicious not to try:

Salted Caramel Caramels | A Beautiful Mess | Photo by Emma Chapman

Any exciting plans for the weekend happening out there? Mine’s looking fairly quiet, other than being surrounded by my brood, but it’s always a treat to take a break from the schooldays routine and put my feet up…like, before 9pm 😉 Cheers to the weekend!