Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Merry Christmas From My Home To Yours


(my home | Instagram)

Merry Christmas dear friends! I wish you a fabulous next few days surrounded by your family & friends ... I hope you get everything on your wishlist, and eat too many desserts to count. It's a time of year where we can often get distracted by 'things', all those shiny & glittery material items, we even get caught up in what we're going to wear and how we'll do our nails (I'm speaking for myself here!). But I encourage us all to remember what this season really is all about. It's about showing love to our neighbours, spending time with our families, doing random acts of kindness, and most importantly celebrating the One who gave it all for us. Jesus is the real reason for the season, He's the historical basis for this holiday that we have modernized, and it's something that's easy to forget as I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Holidays.

I've been trying to focus on that more and more this year; even when writing my Christmas cards out, shopping for the perfect gifts, or baking batches of cookies for loved ones, I'm trying to remind myself why I am doing all of this. To show love to those around me, to give to those in need, and to celebrate the birth of Christ even through tasks that may seem "commercialized."

Luke 2: 8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
PINTEREST    |    INSTAGRAM    |    TWITTER    |    FACEBOOK    |    BLOGLOVIN

Monday, September 29, 2014

Recap | IDSwest 2014


I had the pleasure of attending the annual Interior Design Show West (IDSwest) this past weekend, and there was so much wonderful décor & design to take in! And as a long-time Sarah Richardson fan, having her as the keynote speaker was a definite highlight for me. Here is a little recap of the show:


Did you know that in the past 15 years Sarah has designed 300 rooms over 5 tv series? I've been watching from the very beginning - Room Service, Design Inc (by far my favorite!), Sarah's House, Sarah's Cottage, Sarah 101, and Real Potential. She'll have another Sarah's Cottage airing soon - so stay tuned for that! She also mentioned doing a large renovation on her own home which will eventually make it's way to our tv screens as well :)

Oh, and you can now pre-order Sarah's book 'Sarah Style' which will be released November 4th; it's filled with tips and tricks and is only $20 on Amazon!


And if you are a die-hard fan, get excited because this is happening:

It'll be fun to see what she comes up with! Let's take a look at a few of the other exhibits and products that caught my eye at the show. I loved that brass was still going strong - these chic & whimsical faucets from Cantu were like jewelry:
 
 
Another great booth was from Ocean Pacific Lighting Inc, I fell hard for this geometric fixture, and the Lucite & brass combo on the right:
 
 
There were a few lovely booths set up for Dinner by Design - showcasing tabletop décor at it's finest. This first one is by the talented Gillian Segal, all the jewel-toned flowers and gold flatware made for a perfect setting:



There was a really fun booth set up by Endeavour Neon Signs, you've likely seen their work in the home office of Monika Hibbs:




And lastly, tartan was a real theme at this years show - every where you turned there was a handsome dash of plaid! Love the touch with these pillows:


How about a sea of tartan? The Montauk Sofa booth was probably the most popular spot to be sneaking in a selfie!!


Those were a few of my favorite things this year; it's always so much fun to get inspired by such creative minds, I already can't wait till the next show!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

{bits & pieces: my life lately}


Happy mid-week! As I had mentioned last week, I wanted to post a few photos of my staycation! It was a perfect week to be off work - we had some summer-like days here in Vancouver, and we managed to visit some of our favorite spots. It was so much fun playing tourists in our own beautiful city!

We took tons of walks around our neighbourhood - and I snapped a few iPhone photos of my favorite house - I always stop and take in all the details when walking by. The landscaping alone is meticulous, but I think one of the details I love most is the strip of black trim around all of the windows. Oh, and the uber charming awning of course:



We did a lot of eating. A LOT. Why does that always seem to go hand in hand with vacations? One of our favorite spots in the city is Meat & Bread. Perfect name, clean branding, and amazing sandwiches!



We got a few pretty shots of the city in all of it's sunny glory! Just below is a view from Granville Island {taken only with an iPhone, I'm proud of that, lol!}:


And English Bay was looking fabulous trimmed in tulips:


We had high tea at Soirette; a definite highlight! Aren't macarons the most photogenic food?




It was a great week! And if you've been following on instagram, you may have noticed that last week hubby & I began working on a little succulent garden in our backyard, we got some pretty pots yesterday and once we've completed it I will definitely show you the finished product, so stay tuned!

Monday, May 5, 2014

{my home office before & after}


Happy Monday everyone! I'm back to work after a restful yet productive week off of work. Today I'm showing you a little mini project I recently tackled in my home office. I purchased a new desk and shelves from IKEA and did organizational overhaul - how cleansing! Thank goodness I took a few iPhone before shots so I could give you a peek at what a mess it once was:


We purchased a laminated desktop (Linnmon - $39) with metal trestle legs (Lerberg - $10 each), a very budget conscious option. To glam it up, I sprayed the trestle legs brass with Rustoleum paint. I added Billy bookcases in white (with the height extensions) to both sides of the windows. The extra height is definitely handy for additional storage space, and I like the look of the shelves nearly the height of the room:



Before & after side by side:


I still have many 'accessorizing' plans for this room, but it has come a long way! I'm going to purchase a rug, add roman shades over the windows, and get creating a gallery wall along side the desk. I'll be sure to post the finished product eventually ;) But seriously, just having all my books and paper-work organized has felt incredible! Spring cleaning is good for the soul, isn't it?

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

{bits & pieces: my life lately}


Guys, I am having WAY too much fun over on Instagram. I know I'm likely preaching to the choir when I say this, but it is an incredibly inspiring place to share & view lovely images. Here are bits & pieces of my everyday life via my Instagram feed:

{the fabulous display of tulips at my local market}
 
{my collection of ginger jars}
 
 
{#tbt - a London snapshot from my 2012 trip}
 
{workday outfit planning - I adore all black & white stripes!}
 
 
{my dining space on a sunny day}
 
It's fun to have a social media outlet that forces you to think creatively and see the beauty in the every day. I've also had a lot of fun playing with editing apps - so far I've downloaded Mirrorgram, Instasize, Picfx, and PicFrame. Any others you recommend? And any IG accounts that are a must-follow I should know about? Thanks for all your tips in advance!
 
I'd love for you join me in my Instagram adventures, hope to see you over there!
 

Monday, February 17, 2014

{my trip in photos: the bahamas}


Happy new week! We are mid-way through February already - can you believe it? Call me crazy but I think it's about time to be counting the days down until spring! I felt totally blessed to get a good dose of sun in the Bahamas earlier this month, boy does that change everything. I feel refreshed and renewed and ready to hit the ground running again. We had so many neat experiences, including swimming with reef sharks {I can't believe I did that!}, feeding iguanas, snorkeling, sun-bathing, and taking afternoon naps. We even saw Beyoncé and Jay Z's house from afar!

We purchased a GoPro Hero3+ with a GoPole before we left, and we are so thankful we did! Not only did it take amazing photos underwater, but above water as well! They say the pole keeps the camera more stable, and a bonus is that it floats *just* in case you were to drop the camera while under water.


You can see the pole in this 'selfie' shot:




Seriously, what more can describe this place better than 'Paradise Found'? Here are some additional photos I posted on instagram:


Speaking of Instagram, I'd love for you to leave me your info in a comment so that I can find new people to follow! I feel like I'm missing out on all the action as it's all still so new to me. And who are your favorite Instagram accounts that you follow? I'd love to know!!

I would definitely go back to the Bahamas in a heartbeat. We visited Exuma and Nassau and both were completely stunning islands. Have you been to these, or other islands nearby? I'd love to hear your experiences so that we can start making our wishlist for our next vacation! One of the things I TRULY wish we could have done was swim with the famous pigs in Exuma - but alas we were just slightly too far away to travel to them by boat. If you haven't heard of these swimming pigs please do me a favor and watch this video on Youtube, it will be guaranteed to put a smile on your face today!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

{a new york minute ...}





I've finally sifted through some of my favorite shots from NYC. As I looked through our photos, I quickly came to realize we were quite smitten with all of the fabulous architecture at every turn! We did a lot of the classic tourist-y stuff, as my hubby had not been to New York before. I was happy to have a second chance to take it all in:

viewing the Empire State from the Top of the Rock


The view from our hotel room window was pretty incredible:


Fifth Avenue

Upper East Side

Bryant Park


Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station, that breath-taking ceiling!

The iconic Chrysler Building

Times Square

Taking in Lady Liberty

So as you can tell I was basically bundled in my down-filled coat the entire time, it was chilly!! And boy it was a whirl-wind of a trip - we packed in a lot of sights, sounds, and tastes in a mere 3.5 days, but it was so worth it. I'm already dreaming up what I would see and do on the next trip! What are your favorite things to do/see in NYC? I'd love to save your suggestions for the future!

Related Posts with Thumbnails
 

© 2010-2017 Nancy Marcus. All Rights Reserved. | Blog Design By Brittany Douglas