Monthly Archives: April 2011

Today could not go by without saying something about The Wedding of the Century. Even though I’m not gaga over the royal couple, I will jump on the bandwagon for a quick second. (You gotta admit, they are kinda cute.) Wouldn’t it be fun to imagine what type of “thrones” Kate and Will would sit upon were that still the formal tradition? Here are my picks…..

I’d like to think (in my romantic imagination) that the newlyweds would sit, arms around each other, on the royal blue settee. Do you think the Queen would approve? Haha!

Anyways, Congrats William and Kate!

Chairs!                                                                                                                           Meesh

Row 1: (Hers) Royal Armchair White and (His) Royal Armchair Black, both by Modani. Row 2: (Hers) Union Jack Chair Traditional and (His) Union Jack Chair, both by Jane Hornsby. Row 3: (Theirs) Blue Armstrong Sofa by Lockwood Design on Etsy.

Did you know today is Earth Day? Our Earth is a precious and fragile, living Being and we need to take better care of Her. So, today I am going to implement 3 new activities, no matter how small, that will help and protect the health of our planet. Here we go…

1. I will: Say no to plastic shopping bags.

One area I know I could improve upon is grocery shopping bags. Usually if I am just picking up a couple things I won’t use a bag, but when I’m doing a big grocery shop, I need to carry all those morsels of yummy goodness home somehow. I have many reusable bags, but I’m guilty of not always using them. They end up in my pantry, instead of back in the trunk of my car, awaiting the next grocery shop. From this day forward, I will vow to use those reusable bags! Unload the groceries, and before I do anything else… I will put the reusable bags back in my trunk where they belong so I have them when I need them!

2. I will: Replace all incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient ones.

Since we’ve just moved into a new place, I’m working on replacing all the builder’s bulbs. I’m a little slow, but I am working on it. Go to Home Depot today to get a few more…

3. I will: Buy local.

It’s unrealistic for me to say that I will buy everything local- I’m not doing the 100 Mile Diet- but local fruits and veggies are doable. I am blessed to live in a green belt that flourishes with fresh fruit and veggies in the summer and fall months. I will stock up on local produce and freeze what I can to reduce the amount of imports I buy in the winter. (I went to a creative dinner party last fall where all the meal’s ingredients were grown and produced within the local community from pumpkin soup and zucchini salad to lamb chops and then blackberries for dessert. Even the wine was local – it was pretty neat!)

Here are a few other places to stop by for more ideas:

22 Things to Do on Earth Day

How to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day Canada: Top 10 Actions

What will you do?

Make every day Earth Day!

Luv Meesh (and Gigi the Sock Monkey)

Hello Sunshine!

The weather forecast for today -rain- does not have me down because this morning my inbox delivered the clubcobi newsletter. Bursting with bright, vibrant and sunny color I just had to share cobistyle with you.

Have you seen cobistyle yet? It is a new collection of accessories, furniture, drapery and fabric created by former House and Home Magazine editor, Cobi Ladner. And it is a prescription for happy! (I know….happiness comes from within, but a gorgeous teal chair doesn’t hurt!) Cobi’s entire collection is full of vibrant hues with a global vibe, like a bowl of tropical fruit and a cup of jasmine tea.

Photo Credit: Virginia MacDonald Photography

Photo Credit: Virginia MacDonald Photography

Photo Credit: Virginia MacDonald Photography

Want a little pretty in your space? These lovelies are available at select retailers across Canada. You know I’m crazy about color so I’ll be keeping an eye out!

Have a great Monday!

Meesh

PS. There was a feature and interview on cobistyle in the April ’11 edition of Style at Home Magazine. I cannot find my copy anywhere. It must have been a good one…I think my mail lady swiped it! Lucky for me, there’s a link to the article here.

I’m resisting the urge to spell out words (my name) and phrases (sit on it!) with this unique chair alphabet! It’s so awesome! But that would mean chopping up this work of art into little bits and I could never do that! (Plus the artist asks not to do so – )

Pretty neat, eh? It helps if you squint a little. And you thought chairs were just for sitting on didn’t you?

Bravo! to the artist Alessandra Amandine for her clever vision and Thanks! to Design For Mankind for bringing this creative project to our attention.

Chairs!

Meesh

I’ve been hunting for new drapes lately. My poor living room windows, are still partially naked, wearing only 2 inch faux wood blinds in white. Not wanting to blow the budget, I’ve been checking out ready-made drapes…at Pier One, Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie, Ikea, Urban Outfitters…well that’s just at handful of the sources I’ve scoured. I just can’t find anything that speaks to me, ya know? Any ready-made panels that I kinda like are around a hundred bucks each. I need eight panels and hardware. So… I’m thinking….I have a sewing machine. I can make these myself!

Ooooh! All the pretty fabrics!!!

At the fabric store, I swoon amongst the towering bolts of silk and linen; mull over samples of printed cottons in teal blues and soft greens. There’s even butterflies. See!!!

For about 5 whole minutes I am a sewing goddess! Strands of gossamer thread running through my hair…

Then I come to my senses! “Umm, excuse me? How much would eight custom made, 98 inch long, pinch pleat panels in this fabric cost?”

Budget Blown!

Meesh

P.S. Stay tuned for a photo of my new drapes. It may be a while….

In a usual rush at the grocery store check-out, and without reading a word of the cover, I recently grabbed this month’s issue of  dwell magazine (April 2011). So, I was pleasantly surprised when I unexpectedly came across my favorite subject in “The Cheap Seats” a Dwell Reports article by Jaime Gross.

Jaime and her team put 9 stylish lovelies, priced at $250 or less, to the test and have given us a comprehensive list of these chairs’ good sides and back sides….I mean bad sides. Even if you’ve read the magazine article, be sure to check out the online edition where 5 more fabulous cheapies are tried and tested. There is something for everyone, from the elegant Era Chair by Michael Thonet to the angular Real Good Chair by Blu Dot. My favorite is the Supernatural Chair designed by Ross Lovegrove for Moroso. After sitting in it, you can read minds and manifest rainbows!! Haha! Seriously now, I love this chairs’ curvy organic shape and cheerful orange colour. For which one would you part with your pennies?

The photography in the dwell magazine and website article is by Peter Belanger.

Chairs!

Meesh