20. Sheepskin Rug

image by livingetc

do you know where i can find a rug like this one.
i really really want.

19. Tag - You're It!

because i was tagged by
Jennifer at My Designing Life and Michelle at Just Image whose blogs by the way are great reads full of amazing eye treats!, i decided to post today on my 7 random facts.

5 random facts about me
(i'm only doing 5 because i don't have much time to do this)

1. i never liked small dogs until my parents brought home little miss june a couple years ago, and i'm not just saying this because she's my parent's dog but she's the prettiest, most cutest maltese you'll ever see!




now i love little dogs. i want a house full of little junes!


2. don't let my passion for design, small frame at 5'4, soft spoken voice and kind hearted demeanor fool you. hehe. i'm a 3rd dan black belt in tkd, have trained in a variety of combat sports at a national level and have instructed kick boxing and womens self defense classes as a hobby throughout toronto.

where as many women would want to associate themselves with being these girls


when the subject of mma cage fighting comes up, i want to be these girls!


don't get me wrong, i don't promote violence, in fact i hate violence but if two professionally trained athletes want to duke it out in a ring to see whose better than who, i'm all for it. when done professional with rules and regulations, it's a sport and a sport i've fallen in love with.


3. i don't drink coffee. but every morning i have to have my cup of natural loose leaf green tea.




4. my third passion in life is photography. especially wedding and engagement photography where i get a chance to build new relationships and really get to know my clients on an intimate level. the photos just make more sense to me that way!




5. i have an obsession with scarves! i wear them all 4 seasons out of the year!

THE END

18. Prefab Homes, Can You Do It?

prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled. many of the current prefab home designs on the market have jovial, eclectic elements of postmodernism or the clean, simple lines of futurism.

the word "Prefab" is not an industry term like modular home, manufactured home, panelized home, or site-built home. the term is an amalgamation of panelized and modular building systems, and can mean either one. in today's usage the term "Prefab" is more closely related to the style of home, usually modernist, rather than to a particular method of home construction.



could you do it?

17. Tea2 Architects

TEA2 Architects are a residential architecture firm with work consisting of about 50% new houses and 50% additions/renovations. as a fan of older modeled exteriors, i really appreciate the way they create new exteriors of homes being remodeled yet meld it seamlessly into the old, elevating the vintage vernacular while creating a more modern layout for the interior.


the seamless neighbour


the carriage house

minneapolis home

16. Cosmo

i was so excited to see the new Cosmopolitan Hotel & Spa being designed by the Designer Guys on one of their episodes that i vowed one day i would stay a weekend in the super designed penthouse suites. if you want to see what i'm talking about, take a look at these photos.



tell me you wouldn't want to throw a party here!!! that dining table is so gorgeous, i want to bring it home with me!!!

15. New Blogger - Welcome Just Imagine

i've been blogging for almost 5 yrs now. along the way i've met some fantastic people who have helped me become the person i am today :) blogging started off as a hobby or a means to let my creative juices flow and mend with other creative people but now it has become more.

so i decided to welcome new bloggers into the world of blogging one blogger at a time. this week i want to introduce you to


Just Imagine Design who is a new blogger :)

she has some great posts already and i'm really anxious and excited to see what else she has in store for us in the future. if you haven't checked her out already, do yourself a favor and check her out.

14. From Anyway Artists

i'll let the images speak for themselves. all images are from Anyway Artists.

by photographer hallie burton


by photographer paul whicheloe


by photographer justin bernhaut

13. Toronto Interior Design Group

ever come across this man on city tv?

he's the face behind Toronto Interior Design Group, one of the country’s only firms primarily devoted to the concept of Transitional Style Design.

12. My Valentines Update

an update on our valentines day get-away adventure.

this is actually more of a valentines / birthday getaway since our birthdays are coming up the following week after valentines day. our birthdays are 5 days apart so we usually celebrate it together. i created an invitation for my husband and it will be presented to him in his lunch bag (which i wrap for him) this week. he will then have to purchase 10 small gifts for me and wrap them up himself in secret and also write out 10 personal questions on himself as a quiz.

the whole point, i've booked reservations for 3 nights and 4 days at taboo resort in gravenhurst muskoka, one of our favorite places in the world!


i have a day of couples spa treatments in our very own 495 sq.ft. deluxe spa room equipped with a private bath on the balcony overlooking the lake, dinner at one of our favorite huntsville resturants in the hills and a day of winter horse back riding, sleigh riding and intimate nights by the fire.

and of course the game - with our 10 question quizes, for every answer we get right, we get to open a gift :)

i can't wait....!!!!

11. Murray Fredericks Photographer

fellow blogger kim from desire to inspire just posted on my favorite interior detail stairs and had this great image i just had to look into.

the image is that of photographer murray fredericks and it's brilliant. tell me that's not gorgeous!



after purusing around on his site for a good little while i came across many more wonderful photographs of amazing spaces. the way he works with lighting, the architectural details of the objects he photographs and brilliant composition equals to, i am a fan! take a look for yourself and enjoy...

10. Photographer Roger Davies

i first saw Roger Davie's photographs in this months Elle Decor Magazine and instantly thought to myself wow-za.

i don't know how i feel about the animal brawl happening on the coffee table but the rest of the space - i like!

9. Fluff For Hire

i get emails all the time from fellow bloggers and newbie designers who are looking for answers or just simple guidance in the industry. to be completely honest, i too am a newbie and haven't been doing this for very long but i still feel the pressure and the responsibility to help others along the way. to share as much as i know and to assist in any way that i can. i've been working freelance for just over 2 years now and along the way i've had my share of inspiring individuals who have showed me the way and helped me get to where i am today. many of these people have been bloggers as well, along with great inspiration stories such as Amy Lenahan.

i've been keeping my eye on amy lenahan's i-interiors for a while now. i even wrote a post on her a while back but after reading so many different articles and blogs on her i thought i'd write about her again. why - because she inspires me!

i have a saying ...
"a home is a necessity, not a luxury"

i feel very strongly about this. most everyone has a house, a place they come to after a long day at work, but not many people have a home. a place they can call home! coming from a middle income family with middle income friends, i see on a daily basis people who desire and love style but just don't have the time nor the finances to live in it. mind you, everyone's idea of style and comfort is different, but one thing always remains the same...the concept that design is for wealthy people and stylish homes are for those who can afford it. i took a vow, when i start designing homes - i will reach out to those on a budget before those with a budget! and this is exactly what Amy Lenahan does!

"Amy Lenahan, an interior stylist, has established design i interiors to cater to "design-conscious yet budget-savvy homeowners and renters!"

she stands for many of the things i stand for and has a very parallel life story to mine. from calling ourselves interior stylists instead of interior designers to starting from marketing firms to small freelance projects. a greatly inspiring interview with her can be read here at Decor 8.

8. Is Less Really More?

i just read an article in Toronto Life on this 500-square-foot condo which starts by stating "is this 500 sq.ft condo the insane brainchild of greedy developers or a triumphant symbol of the new downtown?"

i don't know about you but i've been noticing there are a lot of condominiums going up around town and 90% of these condo units are less than 800 sq.ft. in size. if you go back to my earlier posts you'll notice i mention these tiny spaces quite frequently.

i read somewhere once that where we choose to live directly reflects what we’re lacking in the rest of our lives. i love how it's put...

"Toronto condos have been getting smaller and smaller since the ’90s. About three per cent of new ones are truly teeny: 500 square feet or less. In other words, a few thousand people in this city have opted to live in a space the size of a suburban one-car garage.

And what happens when young people trade backyards for café patios, dining rooms for restaurants and private cocktail parties for picnics?"

what do you think?
do you agree or disagree with the shrinking sizes of our homes in the city?

personally, as much as i love my cafe patios and restaurants, i couldn't imagine life without a great bbq in my backyard with friends & family or a great evening around a lavish dining room table sipping on cocktails with good company in the comforts of my own home. i'm an entertainer - not an outter so the idea of loosing space breaks my heart. 500 sq ft, could you do it?

mind you, i've seen some great small spaces - and i know many who live in them and love them, but i guess for the price, the lifestyle and the things i would miss out on, i pass.

7. Lisa Sherry Interiors

If you have never come across designer Lisa Sherry, well let me be the first to introduce you.

"I believe in breaking the rules of traditional design, mixing old and new, classic and modern. I am inspired by tranquil, calm neutral colors, elements of nature and found objects."

Lisa Sherry




I was absolutely captivated by the ooze of comfort and style in her spaces. Everything I appreciate and love in a space she incorporates. For me, it's important for a home to feel like a home and Lisa is excellent at transforming spaces into homes. That feeling of wow at first glance followed by a continual sigh of relief of comfort in a space. That to me is the perfect space.



Contrary to what people may think, it's not easy creating a "white on white" room without it looking to stark and cold. The trick is use lots of textures on textures, patterns and layering to give the space a feeling of depth and warmth. I love how Lisa warms up a space by brining in lots of natural woods and blending them with different elements!