The Things That Matter: Guest Posting at York Avenue

You've all read Nate Berkus's book 'The Things the Matter', right? It's about how possessions become important to us for sentimental reasons, it's a great read. Today I'm guest posting over at York Avenue in her series 'The Story Behind my Favourite Piece' inspired by Nate's point that things do, in fact, matter. I'm sharing the story behind one of my most beloved belongings. Head on over and check it out! You will love Jackie, her studio apartment was recently featured on the Everygirl. As a fellow studio apartment dweller, trust me when I say it's amazing! What items do you own that have a special meaning?

Business Cards & Guest Post

This Saturday is Blogpodium. I'm so excited, and also a little bit nervous. This will be my first blogging conference and I can't wait to finally meet so many of my local blogging friends here in Toronto (not to mention hear all the great speakers including Sarah Richardson and my girl Steph).

One 'must' for every blogger is a well designed business card. I made the careful decision to custom design my own using photoshop and have them printed. I love how they turned out! The little watercolor zebra I painted is my favourite touch.

I spy me in one of these pictures...can you spot it? Amateur hour over here. Also, you can see that I started to gold leaf the edges for an extra touch, but my beloved gold leaf pen ran out of ink. I will have to get another one. I also used my gold leaf pen to add the leopard sports to the little lucite tray that I'm using to display my business cards, which you can read more about here.

Speaking of girls I'm dying to meet at Blogpodium, Sweet Elyse from Peonies and Brass is going to be there and I just so happen to be blogging over at her site today about my favourite furniture hack.
Do you have an guesses what it is? Head on over to find out!

Will I be seeing any more of you on Saturday? I hope so loves.
xox

Project Pimp my Dollhouse & Some Big News

Happy Monday everyone! Is it weird that I love Mondays? (Probably because it is my only day each week with no school or work...does it even count?)
 Today I'm so excited to be over at Kim's fabulous blog, The Green Room Interiors, participating in her fun series, 'Pimp my Dollhouse'. Basically Kim asked a few of us here in blogland to each create a design board for the living/dining room in her own place, which she calls the dollhouse. Today is my day to share what I've created! The main guideline was that we had to incorporate the following elements:

 I mean with these as starting points, you can already tell the room is going to be amazing!
To see what I designed, head on over to Kim's Blog!

 I also have some very exciting news to share with all of you!
 On Saturday I found out that I got a new part time position as a KITCHEN DESIGNER for a particular hardware store that we bloggers absolutely adore. I have worked with this company for the past 8 months in the flooring and decor department, but this new position is much more in line with my career aspirations.
I couldn't be more thrilled, it is an excellent opportunity for me while I complete my degree and I can't wait to take on some clients and start designing!

Lastly, it's time to pick a winner for the $50 Minted Giveaway!
Congratulations to another Kim, who said "If I won, I would spend the money on one of the beautiful art prints, like The Peony Bottle! :)".

Hope you all have a great week! xox

Father's Day and Guest Post!

Happy Monday my loves! It's been a busy weekend for me with my birthday and Father's Day all rolled into one. I came home from the hospital today exactly 23 years ago. In 1990, the 17th was a Sunday and it was Father's Day, and really, I probably peaked at good Father's Day gift right then and there. Here's a picture from that day. Let's be real - how styling was I with that hair bow? Right on point.

Today I'm also guest posting over at Laura Dro Designs. If you have followed my blog for awhile now, you know I am a huge fan of Laura's art. I'm sharing how to style this painting:

Gorgeous, no? Head HERE to check it out!
I wish you all the very best of weeks! xo

Baby Blog Party: I'm Hosting!

Hey loves! Today I'm hosting the blog party over at Simply Baby where I'm thrilled to be a style contributor. 
Do you think I created a mixy-matchy nursery, or a matchy-matchy one?
You'll just have to head on over to find out ;)
But I'll give you a hint, it features this fab jumping off point:

via The Animal Print Shop

Click on the image below to head on over and check it out!

Room on a Budget

Today I'm over at Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget Sharing some tips for decorating on a budget. We all know that as a student, I'm always looking to stretch my pennies!

Hannah herself is amazing at style on a budget.
Remember this chair makeover?:

via Favourite Furniture Fridays

All her!  Be sure to check out my guest post here!

Favourite Furniture Fridays: A Creative Day

A man who makes furniture this beautiful? Now that's a keeper. Seriously guys, you need to check out Eileen's blog! She just did an amazing DIY gold wallpaper that you won't believe!
Thanks so much for sharing with us today Eileen :)

Gracefully Searching

Today I'm honoured to be guest posting over at Gracefully Searching, a new to me blogger who also lives in Toronto! We are already planning to go thrift shopping together! If that's not the start of a lifelong friendship, I'm not sure what is. While you are snooping my post, get a little nosey and check out her amazing home. Here's a sneak peek of it:

Totally magazine worthy, no? YES.
xo

Favourite Furniture Fridays: LiveLaughDecorate

Hi peeps, I'm Nicole from LiveLaughDecorate and I'm thrilled as punch to be chillin here with Tiffany this morning. Let's dish shall we? Among my favorite pieces of furniture is this little Louis XV Salon chair that now holds court in my office.

This little gem once had a twin. Seven years ago, I rescued the two from a guaranteed trip to the trash. Battered, bruised and broken, they were the casualties of a bitter divorce of a dear friend. I happily took custody, knowing right away they could be things of real beauty (so, so sorry that I have no before photos).
At the time, I had a very contemporary space but I didn't care and just knew the chairs would fit in somehow. I fell in love with the purple fabric combo on a trip to the fabric store. Again, there was no purple to speak of in my condo but I didn't care. Purple it would be. I had the frames painted white for additional drama and two new beauties were born. Alas, I sold one to a client a few years ago because it blended perfectly with the bedroom I'd designed for her daughter. 
The other has been the perfect pop of color and pizazz to my home office and I happily hold court in it every day.

That's all folks. Thanks so much Tiffany for allowing me to reminisce about one of my favorite pieces. Brought back so many memories!

 Thanks so much for sharing Nicole! I've always wanted a Louis chair! Yours is so fun! Happy weekend :)

Favourite Furniture Fridays: Powell Brower Home

Hi! I'm Nancy from Powell Brower Home.

I'm happy to join Tiffany for her Favorite Furniture Friday series! It really made me go around my house and analyze what pieces I like the best, and I was hard pressed to come up with only one.  I love my mom's antique round tilt top table, and I still love my Mid Century solid teak dining room table, but my new favorite is this sofa I got last year from Room and Board.  It is my third white sofa in 25 years, so I'm not afraid of white since it has survived my kids, my animals, red wine stains and so on.  I will always have a white sofa, and have never tired of it. 

This is the Hawthorne, 85" long and in the Doss microsuede fabric. It is super comfortable and so versatile.

I will add a 2nd favorite furniture piece and that is my glass coffee table that I found at Salvation Army for $40.00.  It has solid brass hinges and is 1/2" glass top and bottom.

Thanks for having me Tiffany, and I look forward to following your design projects this term! Best of luck!  Come see us at Powell Brower Home!
Nancy

I just love the velvety look of Nancy's sofa! I agree, I can't get enough of white sofas. I was really nervous about keeping one clean but surprisingly it has held up really well. And what a great deal on that coffee table. Thanks for sharing Nancy!
Happy Weekend lovies.

She Loves Me

I'm over at Michaela Noelle Designs today sharing my current love and less-than-love list.
I hope you will hop over and check it out!! xo

Favourite Furniture Fridays: Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget

Hello Tiffany Leigh readers! I'm Hannah, hailing from Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget.

I am so excited to be posting for Favourite Furniture Fridays today!  Tiffany's blog has quickly become a must-read for me, and this series is one of my favorites in the blogosphere!

My number one piece of furniture has to be my $30 Craigslist chair.  I bought the chair and re-painted and re-upholstered it with the help of many bottles of wine and a mom-of-the-year.

The left is indeed, the before picture of the chair.  A lovely cane chair with an unclassifiable velvet fabric.

A little high gloss white paint, black greek key fabric, and nailhead trim helped me transform the Craigslist grandma chair into the chair of my dreams!

It is my favorite piece of furniture because it's original, classic, and a lot of love and labor went into it. 

If you're interested in getting the tutorial, you can find it here.

Thanks again Tiffany for having me!

xoxo, 

H

You all know I'm truly envious of anyone who can pull off an upholstery job. One day I might try my hand at it! Go show Hannah some love!

 

Red

Last night, my boyfriend surprised me with Taylor Swift's new cd 'Red'.
It's the little things like this that remind me how blessed I am to have him in my life!
In honour of the album's title, I thought I would explore a color I'm actually terrified of...red. Not red per se, but red in interior spaces. I'm not sure from where this fear stems..but I may have found the cure...

Enter Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook, one decorator who knows how to use red in an interior flawlessly.
I've seen her advocate in more than one post about using a little bit of red in every room.

via LGN

via LGN

via LGN

via LGN

via LGN

 I think her trick is the type of red she chooses : tomato-y

When I was a little girl I always said my dining room would be red one day.

Was I fearless or what? Time to get back a bit of that edge.

Also, today I'm over at Brittany's blog Classically B sharing some of my favourites of the moment.
She's pretty amazing and has a textile line coming soon.

Check out my guest post HERE!

Happy Monday sweet loves! xo