Happy Friday and more coral!
August 10, 2012
Exciting things are happening around here, that’s for sure! I’m so sad to be so very far away from all the action as Lily and company set up shop, a “real” shop. Yeah! I wish them all the very best and I will make sure it is one of my stops when we visit home. I’ve got news of my own although it’s not nearly as exciting. With our recent major life change, I feel like I need to really dive into the experience and make myself available to the opportunity that lies in wait for me here in Florida. So, in order to do that, I’ll be taking a break from blogging for awhile. I’m not exactly sure for how long at the moment but at least long enough for me to feel like my feet are more firmly planted here on the ground. It’s been a fantastic couple years with Lily and I definitely miss having her only 4 minutes down the road but our paths have changed and we now need to go with the flow.
via Messy Nessy Chic
I’ll finish up with a couple posts next week and then I’m off on my own adventures. Thank you so much for stopping by to read what’s inspiring us and for leaving us encouraging comments, some of you almost daily. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
A Family Beach House + Announcement Time!
August 9, 2012
Have I kept you hanging for long enough? I believe I have! So, without any further adieu, let me present the next chapter of my life…a bricks and mortar storefront! Spruce Collective is the collaboration between Kevi, Monica, Jessica, Elisa and myself and we couldn’t be more excited!!! A retail shop full of all things vintage and well loved, handmade goods from local artisans, our favourite new products, a certain line of paint (to be announced!) and creative classes for all! We cannot wait to dig in and get started and have so many big plans that I am just itching to share with you. Spruce will open early this fall (eek!) in Downtown Abbotsford and we have a lot to do before then, although most of it is fun…once we get all of the boring but oh-so-necessary business bits behind us. I am beyond thrilled to partner up with these amazing ladies! Rachel and I have worked with each of them at our past markets and, between us, we are just bursting at the seams with excitement and creative ideas. Can you tell I’m freaking out? Because I really am! This is a huge dream come true for me and although it’s happening crazy fast (and was something I wouldn’t have thought was even remotely possible until just over a month ago), opportunity knocked and the details have all just fallen into place. Obviously, I’m scared to death too but am confident that this leap of faith is just the next step to something amazing for ourselves and for the community. Our logo and website are being “spruced” up (hehe) as we speak but for now you can stay tuned on our shiny new Facebook page…and I’ll be sharing lots here too, of course!
Shall we all just take a deep breath now? Something I have to keep reminding myself to do a lot more these days…my kids think I’m nuts everytime I drive past our new shop and scream! I wonder when I’ll stop doing that?
Totally changing the subject, this Australian home is the perfect mix of family fun and beachy relaxation. Located in Byron Bay, it combines indoor and outdoor living seamlessly with plenty of well thought out spaces for grown ups and children alike. And I’m pretty sure my son will be requesting to have an identical skate ramp built immediately in our own backyard…
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Photographed by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out. Styled by Shannon Fricke
Such a great home, isn’t it? You can see more photos over on HomeLife, here. Back to my original train of thought though…it sure feels great to finally be able to share my big adventure with you all! How about you…have you ever taken a leap of faith with business, life or love? Please share because I would truly love to hear! Rachel and her family are off on their own big adventure in Florida now and I’ve had many an envious thought about the big chances that they took to make it happen. My thought is, we only have one shot at this life we’ve been blessed with and, while we can’t control everything, we can choose to follow a lot of the paths that open up along the way. If we can get past our fears, that is! Dream big…you never know what can happen 🙂
Coral, peach, tangerine, etc.
August 8, 2012
I came across Erin’s master bedroom on Pinterest the other day and fell instantly in love. She filled it up with vintage finds and it feels modern and fresh without a hint of kitsch. I fell hard in particular for her persian rug and her coral sheets! I’m usually pretty shy with color but I’m hoping to be a bit more brave in this house. I’m picturing white walls, lots of blue with maybe some coral pick me up? We shall see.
Coral is a definitely a big contender on my list when it comes to accent colors. So much so that I’ve got more send you into the weekend on Friday! Happy Hump Day!
Feeling Creative: Inspiring DIY’s
August 7, 2012
Even though we had an extra day tacked onto our weekend, I too feel like I could use an another day just to catch up! Brad and I had a great time in the city with the kids and it was so fantastic to just enjoy the beach and stroll around without any agenda or rushed itinerary. The fireworks were awesome on Saturday night and our kids were pretty amazed by the whole spectacle, especially by how many other tens of thousands of people were also enjoying the sight! Staying only a couple of blocks away from the water made it all sooo much better (thank you Mike + Julia!) and it truly felt like a mini vacation. We walked a lot and even did a little Aquabus tour of False Creek and I think we’re all excited to plan our next adventure in the big city! But these summer days are slowly ticking away and I feel like I haven’t even made a dent on any little projects or DIY’s that I’d planned to attempt. Here are a few that I would love to try before school’s back in session…
Photo by La Dolce Vita Studio for Design*Sponge
Now, I love Anthropologie as much as the next person and know that these bright hair ties aren’t technically a DIY but I’m thinking they should be. Not a sewer myself, I can’t imagine anything easier than picking some pretty coloured elastic up at the fabric store and tying a simple knot….voila! They’d make such cute gifts too, wouldn’t they?
Elle Decor France via Iiiinspired
I’m pretty sure that I’ll soon be sharing plenty more DIY’s related to my big announcement/top secret project/never ending cliff hanger too! Changing the subject (I know, I know), what did you get up to this weekend? If you’re in Vancouver, did you check out the big pride parade? We missed it but saw plenty of colourful party boats cruising past Granville Island! Hope that your week’s getting off to a good start 🙂
The Daily Grind
August 6, 2012
Good morning! Why is it that the weekend is never long enough? We could have used just one more day to laze about. We spent the good part of Saturday tackling yard work. We put our new hedge trimmer to good use and I didn’t saw off any of my toes which is always a bonus. All that work, on top of the hot, hot heat, sure did wear me out more than I was expecting. Phew! Next time, I must drink more water. Then yesterday we head out to International Drive to take in the Gaylord Palms Hotel and their 4.5 acre atrium. Wow! I wish I would have remembered to bring a camera because there was a tonne of Floridian themed garden inspiration there and it looks like a great place to stay if you are ever heading out this way. And now, I need another cup of coffee to get this Monday started…
via Pinterest
Any big plans this week? What do you hope to accomplish? Whatever it is, I hope you have fun doing it!
