One week till Bake-N-Blog: Holiday Edition!

Wow, where did November go?! I can’t believe next Wednesday is the first day of December – which means it’s one week till Bake-N-Blog: Holiday Edition! You can read all the details here, but here’s a quick recap:

• Select a cookie recipe from Food Blogg (here, here, and here).
  
• Leave a comment on the Bake-N-Blog post and let me know which cookie you’ve selected.
  
• Some time between now and the Official Bake-N-Blog Day of Wednesday, December 1st, whip up a batch of your selected cookies. Don’t forget to take pictures!
  
• Write a blog post about your baking experience. Was the recipe easy or hard to follow? Did you like the results? Would you recommend the recipe to a friend?
  
• On Wednesday, December 1st, upload your Bake-N-Blog post to your blog. And let the party begin! I’ll add Mr. Linky to the Bake-N-Blog party post on December 1st, and then you can make the rounds and see what all the participants have baked.

As an added bonus, I have a little gift that will go to one randomly selected Bake-N-Blog participant :-)

Here’s who’s signed up so far and what they’re going to bake:
I’m SO SORRY that I missed a few of you! I hadn’t thought to check comments that were waiting to be moderated. I’ve published your comments on the Bake-N-Blog post and added you to the list of participants. Thanks for taking part in the baking fun!

1. Shannon @ What's Up Whimsy: Nanaimo Bars
   
2. Christy @ A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit: Still to be determined
   
3. Wendy @ Desire to Decorate: Still to be determined
   
4. Louie: Kokosmakroner - Danish Coconut Macaroons
   
5. Staci Edwards: I'm going to do Mary's Butter Balls because they are cute, look delish, and my grandmother's name was Mary, and she's my favorite lady!
   
6. Maya @ Completely Coastal: Either Chocolate and Ginger Cookies or the Brownie Roll out Cookies, or possibly the Basler Brunsli (just because they're Swiss!).
   
7. Carissa @ the Fabulous Design File: Vegan Spiced Molasses cookies
   
8. Sally @ Pink.Vanilla.Love: Chocolate Nutella cookies
   
9. Margaret @ Hydrangea House: I've narrowed it down to 10 recipes - now I have to choose!
   
10. Nancy @ Marcus Design: Still to be determined
    
11. pk @ Room Remix: Mint Brownies from Mama
    
12. Lisa @ Lisa Goulet Design: Chocolate Nutella cookies (these ones are popular!)
    
13. christine @ just bella: I want to make the "snow cookies”
    
14. Sarah @ Sugar and Shimmer: I'm going to make Scotcheroos mostly because they just sound fun!
    
15. Jill @ Meal Plan-It: I’m in for "Pummies"
    
16. Steph @ TheGraniteGurus: Chocolate Orangey Chocolate Chip cookies. I'm glad you are keeping the Blog-N-Bake alive. :).
    
17. BubBLeS @ Our Journey: Easy choice for me! "Chocolate Crackles" it is! :D
    
18. Marsha: Best Oatmeal Cookies Ever
    
19. Nick @ Cupboards: Thumbprint with Earl-Grey/White Chocolate Ganache
    
20. Kelly @ JAX: Swedish Almond Wafers
    

Party wrap-up

Whew! Parties #1 and #2 are in the books, and both were fantastic!
Party #1: Ottawa Home Style and Wine Networking Evening
There was a great turnout of Ottawa decorators and designers at the Thursday party. Katherine Cornfield of girlaboutOtown talked about how technology is effecting the business of decorating and design. I totally agree with her that technology + decor = a good thing :-) Unfortunately, Katherine’s technology crapped out on her – hope your computer is back up and running soon!
Joanna Proulx also talked to us about how her business, Disturbing the Piece, evolved. Joanne finds old pieces of furniture and gives them new lives with funky fabrics. Check out these three beauties she brought along to show us. This back & white fabric is beyond soft and luxurious. I could have rubbed it all night long!

Love the bright green piping on this one.

And my favourite of the three – I’m still trying to find a spot for it in my house, because I want it! It’s gorgeous AND comfy.

Joanne is also an author, and recently sold the film rights to her book, Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet. Yay Joanne!
And the star of the night was Kellie & Warren’s beautiful home. On Hallowe’en night in 2008, a devastating fire destroyed their home.They lost everything that they owned and literally had to start over from scratch. The wood word on the bookcase in their sitting room represents both their new home and the new business they’ve started, ReNewHomes:

You can read all about the evolution of the house on Kellie’s blog, Renewal on Morris Street.
Thanks again to Kellie & Maureen for organizing such a wonderful party, and to Kellie & Warren for opening their home to us and being such lovely hosts.
Party #2: Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup
Saturday was the big Canadian Design Blogger Meetup in Toronto, and it was a blast! Totally worth the drive to TO, the $27 cab ride to Hotel le Germain, blowing up an air mattress with my own personal hot air, and sleeping on an air mattress on my aunt’s floor.

Proof that I’m full of hot air ;-)

NOT a comfortable place to sleep!

I showed up at the party alone, and left having made a great big group of blogger buddies, both old and new :-) Vitania, Staci, Shannon, Vanessa, Wendy, Dane, Tara (every time I read her blog name, I want cinnamon toast!), Grace, Jen, Emma, Christine, another Christine, and Amy just to name a few. I also met and talked to Lisa and Gwen from House & Home, and Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault from Cityline was there too. I didn’t have a chance to meet and talk to everyone, but the room was just electric with chatting and laughter and lots of ladies having a great time (and drinking some wine!).
There were great giveaway prizes from sponsor Delta, and a lovely swag bag for everyone that included products from sponsor GKHair, issues of Style At Home and House & Home, a free alphabet print from Lindsay at Penny People, a ticket to the One of a Kind craft show, and a coupon for 10% off eco-friendly store Pistachio.
To read more about the party and see pics of the party girls, go to the Canadian Designer Bloggers Meetup blog and check out all the links to the attendees blogs. Here are a few pics I borrowed from Jen at Rambling Renovators…

Me, Christine (Bijou et Boheme), Vanessa (Decor Happy), Emma (The Marion House Book)

Me, Tara (The Cinnamon Post), Vanessa (Decor Happy), Emma (The Marion House Book), Jen (Rambling Renovators), Lindsay (Aubrey + LIndsay)

And I have to show you Staci’s shoes that she wore especially for me :-) SEXY!!

 

Christine from Decor by Christine got in on the shoe action too:

A huge thank you to Vitania, Daniella, and Jen for organizing such an amazing event, as well as Hotel le Germain, Delta, and GKHair and everyone else involved for ensuring that we all had a great time. And a huge thank you to my fellow bloggers who made this Ottawa orphan feel so welcome :-)

Party time!

One thing I love about being a decorator and blogger is that my decorating and blog peeps know how to party! Woot! Tonight, I’m going to a party at one of the houses on the Glebe House Tour that I told you about over at DesignTies. There are going to be lots of decorators and designers there, including my TBBs Donna, Lisa, Sonya, Maureen, MaryAnne, and Nicole. And Katharine from GirlaboutOtown is going to give a presentation. I’m really looking forward to going back to this beautiful home and meeting the gracious homeowner and our hostess for the evening, Kellie.

 

Then on Saturday, I’m heading to Toronto to attend the Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup.

Vitania at Verdigris Vie originally came up with the idea of organizing a get-together for design bloggers, and it’s evolved into a huge event! Vitania and Danielle from dress, design & decor are putting together what’s sure to be a fantastic party at Hotel le Germain.

More than 50 bloggers are going to be there, and I’m excited to be one of them :-) Nervous too, because I know I’m going to be surrounded by so many beautiful and talented ladies! I’m looking forward to meeting my blog buddies Vitania, Shannon, Staci, Vanessa, and Wendy, just to name a few. And I’m also looking forward to meeting and making lots of new blog buddies :-)

The evening will include food, drinks, door prizes, giveaways, a few intriguing speeches, and some possible special guests. Hmmmm… I wonder what Sarah Richardson & Michael Bublé are doing Saturday night? ;-)

And if that that isn’t enough partying, plans for the first annual Ottawa Design Network Group Christmas Cocktail party are in full swing. It’s going to be another fantastic evening of mingling with awesome decorators & designers, and I can’t wait!

Whew! Throw three or four Christmas parties into the mix, and that’s a lot of partying over the next few weeks! Which has got me thinking about party decorating. Which has got me thinking about event planner extraordinaire, former Olympian Preston Bailey. I’m not even going to think about how much one of his designs costs. If you haven’t seen Preston’s work before, your eyes might explode out of your head. Ready?

  

     

Just a few little low-key, intimate affairs ;-) I'll have some far more more attainable party decorating ideas for you soon!

And speaking of parties, don’t forget to sign up for the Bake-N-Blog: Holiday Edition blog party that’s happening on Wednesday, December 1st. Click here for all the details.

Love x 10

Ann at Rooms of Inspiration passed along the Happy 101 Award to me recently. Thanks Ann! And way back in July, Shannon at What’s Up Whimsy gave a Beautiful Blogger Award to Victoria and me over at DesignTies. Have I mentioned that I’m a bit of a procrastinator? ;-) Shannon, I hope you think my new blog is worthy of the award that you gave DesignTies.

The Happy 101 Award requires listing ten of your favourite things, and the Beautiful Blogger Award requires listing ten things about you. I think listing ten of my favourite things also covers ten things about me, so I’ll combine both awards into one Love x 10 post.

{Of course, I love my hubby and my dogs and my family and decorating, so I won’t include them on my list.}

1. Glass floats

A few months ago, I discovered glass floats through Maya’s blog, Completely Coastal. The floats were originally used by fishermen on their fishing nets. These glass floats made their way across the ocean from both Asia and Europe, and washed up on beaches in North America and the Caribbean. I’ve become a bit obsessive about collecting floats. I think they’re so beautiful, especially when the sun shines through them – they sparkle and shine, and the sunlight highlights the bubbles and swirls in the glass.  And holding one in your hand is like holding a piece of magic – how did something so small and fragile survive months, probably years, of being exposed to the elements as it traveled across an ocean?

2. Nova Scotia

I love everything about the ocean, and my favourite ocean spot is the South Shore of Nova Scotia. The Atlantic water is cold, but nothing beats walking along the beach, collecting stones and shells, and dipping my toes in the water. I could spend hours just hanging out on the beach!

3. Thai food

As much as I love pizza (which has to be the most perfect food ever), my very favourite food is Thai…. mmmmmm! And my very favourite Thai dish is Pad Thai, followed closely by Panang and Tom Kha soup. If you live in Ottawa, I highly recommend Pookie’s Thai. Cute name, great service, and awesome food!

4. March Madness

March is one of the best times of the year. Winter is finally winding down, and it’s time for March Madness. College basketball junkie bliss – three straight weekends (plus two Thursdays & Fridays) of some of the BEST basketball games you’ll ever see. For me, the second-best game ever was in 1993 when #15 seed Santa Clara beat #2 seed Arizona in the first round, with Canadian Steve Nash leading the way. And THE best game I’ve ever seen – 1992, Duke vs. Kentucky, double-overtime, Duke down by one with 2.1 seconds left… I still get goosebumps!

5. Funky jewelry

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but I love funky jewelry. Canadian Christophe Poly (Crono Design) has been one of my favourites for years. I just discovered another great Canadian jewelry maker, Jeelee Joolery. And Melanie Roy is both a talented jewelry maker and a friend :-) If you have a favourite funky jewelry maker, let me know – I’m always on the lookout for more!

   

Christophe Poly

jeelee joolery

Melanie Roy

6. 1993-1998 Mazda MX6

The sexiest car of all time, in my humble opinion :-) I bought my cousin’s used 1993 MX6 back in 1997, and when I met my now-hubby later that year, my pick-up line was “So, I hear you have an MX6.”  My MX6 is long gone, and hubby’s was just towed to the scrap yard a couple of weeks ago (yes, I cried!) But that’s OK, because we have Sparky – a 1994 V6 MX6 that’s been modded to the max. (I know, it’s weird to name cars, but it’s just what we do!)

And how freaky is this – around the time that we were debating buying Sparky from a guy in Mississauga in 2008, I was going through some old files on my computer. And guess what I came across…

Different rims and front skirt, but same car! I’d saved the picture in 2006 because at the time, hubby was planning to mod his MX6 and I liked the colour of this one and wanted him to paint his green one grey. So I guess Sparky was destined to be ours :-)

7. Big Band music

From the originals like Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller to Brian Setzer, Colin James, and Johnny Favourite – big band music gets me In The Mood!

8. Cottage season

Every weekend from June till September, I go to the cottage. It’s not fancy, but it’s right on a lake so I can swim and kayak to my heart’s content. I start and end each day with a swim –  there’s nothing like swimming under the stars :-)

9. Chuck

Hubby got me turned onto Chuck. It’s so much fun to watch. I mean, how can you NOT love a TV show where the sexy leading lady kick some serious ass every week? The sets are fab – check out the  apartment that Sarah lived in before she moved into Chuck’s place (images from notcot.com):

Every girl needs a punching bag in her living room – much more useful than a coffee table ;-)

10. My blog buddies

My blog buddies make the whole blogging experience so much fun. I love reading your blogs and being inspired by your posts and projects and pictures. So because you and your blogs make me happy, I’m modifying the rules of the Happy 101 and Beautiful Blogger awards and giving them to all my blog buddies :-) I hope you’ll play along and share ten things that you love and/or ten things about you so I can get to know you a little bit better :-)

Kitchen cabinet mini-makeover

Last spring, we finally finished our kitchen makeover. YAY! It felt like it took forever – come to think of it, it DID take forever! But it was worth the wait, because I’m thrilled with how it came out:

I love everything about it, but there’s one small detail that I’ve been wanting to address. There are three cabinets with glass doors:

I had originally planned to frost the glass, because I’m not crazy about how the cabinets look inside. We tried frosting one door, but I wasn’t happy with how it came out. So we removed the frosting and I decided to try prettying up the insides of the cabinets instead. I really like the look of cabinets and bookshelves with a painted back. So I thought about painting the backs of the cabinets red, or maybe metallic copper.

Girl Meets Glamour

And then Atticmag came to my rescue! A few months ago, they had a giveaway for a new backsplash material from 1005 Design. It comes in six different designs in either stainless steel or copper. Yes! The perfect solution!

So I entered the giveaway, and was lucky enough to be one of the winners :-) Weeehooo! I selected the brushed copper, because I wanted the look to be subtle and not take away from the backsplash. Here’s what we started with – definitely some room for improvement!

 

The kit from 1005 Design included enough copper to cover the three cabinet backs (I sent the measurements, 1005 Design calculated the amount required) and three tubes of adhesive (we ended up needing four tubes). We’d already used one tube when I realized I should have taken a picture of what came in the kit.

Because the product is designed for backsplashes (which are typically 18”), the copper comes in 18” x 30” sheets. We ran the sheets vertically, and were able to hide some of the seams behind the shelves.

The instructions say to cut the copper by scoring it a few times with an Exacto knife and then bending it along the scored line till it snaps. Hubby was impressed by how easy the copper was to cut, and that he able to cut a piece as narrow as 1/2”.

We dry-fit the cut sheets before applying the adhesive, just to be sure!

I applied the adhesive following the instructions. As I mentioned, we needed to buy one extra tube. But knowing me, I was probably squeezing on a bit more than I was supposed to.

The adhesive is spread across the back of the sheet, and then it’s ready to install.

First sheet attached to the back of the smaller cabinet.

Here’s the larger cabinet before:

And voila, the final result!

The seam in the center isn’t noticeable at all when the doors are closed, which is 99% of the time :-) And the horizontal seam is totally hidden by the bottom shelf.

 

Here’s the smaller cabinet:

A semi-artysy shot ;-)

The corner cabinet was a bit complicated because of the row of holes down the back for adjusting the shelf height. Hubby created a template to mark the hole locations on the sheet of copper, and then he used a modified spade drill to drill the holes.

  

And that’s it, our kitchen cabinet mini-makeover. Thanks to Atticmag and 1005 Design for the opportunity to try out this new backsplash product. Just because a product is designed for one use, doesn’t mean you can’t modify it for another use :-)

Linking up to Metamorphosis Monday, hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to check out more of this week’s makeovers at Susan’s place.