Dreams Do Come True

So, guess what I did today? My last, most recent post should be good enough of a hint! I had some issues with The Bay website, but then was happy to find out I could order it for even $30 less from Costco! Now, you may be asking… but Ellysa, how did you decide what color you wanted? As it turns out, neither of those three colors wound up being the color I ordered. I was in The Bay about three weeks ago, saw and loved aqua all over again, enjoyed a little green apple… but what I really fell for, was Pistachio:

It’s perfect, isn’t it? Kind of minty fresh. The website said delivery would be in 7-10 days, but there’s a chance it will be sooner if they have it in stock in a warehouse somewhere here in the city. In a few short days, maybe in a week or two… this beautiful contraption will be making a new home in my arms!… er, kitchen. I can’t wait!

In the meantime, I am back in Calgary for my last semester of school. I’m suffering some serious withdrawal from Vancouver, but it’s raining today, which makes me feel a little bit better. I wore my Hunter Wellies out, and I think tonight will be a good night to curl up with a pot of tea and my philosophy homework. Tomorrow, classes begin. Part of me is dreading the stress and pressure, but the majority of me is overwhelmed with excitement for my final project and being finished school in just three quick months! So, as a heads up – you might be seeing a lot of posts relating to yoga studios and residential design over the next little while, as I work through my final project!

P.S. Anyone with ideas for what I should name my new best friend – I am open to suggestions. :)

Wishlist Wednesday

I made cupcakes last week. I’m sorry, there are no glamour shots. But I promised my mom I would make them when I get back in town, so I’ll try harder next time. Anyway, they were matcha green tea cakes with a classic strawberry buttercream frosting. They turned out beautiful and the green was far more electric than I ever expected. But making cupcakes in this tiny kitchen, with a horrible hand-held mixer… well, let’s just say my kitchen looked a little something like a toxic waste ground. I foolishly doubled the recipe, making controlling the ingredients and keeping them in the small bowl darn near impossible. I spent a good half hour after, wiping down the cupboards, stove, fridge and walls that were all assaulted with an alien-green batter.

I have been baking for at least five years, now. Always with a hand mixer. My patience is wearing thin. I need a standing mixer. But tell me please, how is a girl suppose to choose just one?!

I used to think I wanted a pear mixer. I saw one in the store once and was immediately hung up on it. But I’ve since discovered and fallen for two more colors: a candy green apple, and a more soft-spoken aqua blue. Now I’m throwing my arms up, because I want them all! How am I supposed to pick just one? I think I’m leaning towards the aqua one, but what a tough call and I can’t tell you my decision will be the same tomorrow. And even if I could make up my mind, I’m not quite sure where I’m going to find an extra $350 in my bank accounts to fund such an ambitious luxury!

Oh but the thought of fresh baked goods (in my tummy rather than across the walls) is such a lovely thought!

Scandinavia

Just in case you didn’t know:

“Scandinavia is a historical cultural-linguistic region in Northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and related languages.” (Wikipedia)

Also in case you didn’t know: I think this may be where my heart lives. I bring this up because I think I have determined that my soul-style is all about Scandinavian design. The pale, honest woods. The clear canvas of clean white. The pops of playful colors. The simplicity, the functionality, and the luminance. I love it all. From the architecture to the interior design. I’m pretty sure my heart beats for it.

1. I want the mirror, I want the rug, I want the floor, I want those big open windows full of light. To me, Scandinavian design is homey, friendly, classy and beautiful all at once. It’s one of those “you can dress it up or you can dress it down” kind of things. This one in particular is a beautiful home in Sweden, photos by Magdalena Bjornsdotter and found here.

2. This kitchen is brilliant. Small and smart. Scandinavian designers can even convince me into loving pink as an interior color. And that’s tough to do. You have to see the whole house to understand how they do it, but oh they do it well. I love the counters, the smooth face of the millwork and cabinet fronts, the slick hardware, and I love the glass front upper cabinets – what a unique way to break up a bit of the monotony cupboards usually do so well.

3. Effortless. The photo of this living area makes me speechless. I want to cuddle into that couch with a pot of tea and read design magazines until the sun goes down. The simple frame of the table, the color generated solely by fresh plants and flowers. I love sofas on legs. They feel less heavy, less like a block of weight, especially when in competition with high ceilings like this. So simple, tasteful and tranquil. Photo is by Daniella Witte. And as a side note, I think the photographer is just as beautiful as the room. Her blog is full of treasures.

4. So I have to tell you, I really dislike Tumblr these days. It makes travelling back to find original posts and images really quite difficult. I could not find the source of this image, but I am out of my mind crazy about claw foot tubs and I just had to share it. And how about that rug! If I had a bathroom like this, I think it would be difficult to drag me out of there for work every morning. Beautiful. Refreshing. And again with the herringbone wood floor!

I think all that’s left to say is… what languages do they speak over there exactly? I’m going to have to learn them, so I can start subscribing to their magazines. Maybe pick my own house and home up and go learn from the pros overseas for a while. What a dream that would be!

Pavillion

One of the things I love about working in a design office is the e-mails that pass around full of inspiring designs. The Scarpetta Dining Pavillion was the topic of one said e-mail not too long ago, and it is still on my mind. How couldn’t it be with a presence like this:

Not only would it be gorgeous during the day but I can’t imagine just how much magic there would be in the evenings, with the glow of those lamps. The steel is startling, the color bold, and the framing wild. The whole thing is nothing short of dazzling.

I love the concept of the long running table that cuts up from a standard table height, to counter height, and then to bar height, all with chairs and stools to match!  Believe it or not, the whole thing is actually a sort of pergola, bordered by water on one side.

The magical event of a restaurant, if you can call it that, is settled in the middle of Victoria Memorial Park, Toronto. Nice to know Canada is sporting some design goods these days, too!  I boil with envy hearing about all the amazing things going on overseas, especially in Europe and The Middle East. Great to see inspiration that’s a little more close to home.

The masterpiece was designed by gh3 and I have to say, I hadn’t heard of them before the e-mail made its rounds in the office. But I can promise they’re on my radar now! Especially with a company intro like this:

gh3 works in the increasingly complex realm where architecture, urbanism and landscape overlap. Informed by the past and speaking to the future, we design with a modernist’s eye to order, beauty and social possibility, and an environmentalist’s awareness about sustainability and long–term planning.

I could work for a firm like that. Too bad they’re all the way in Toronto.

Wishlist Wednesday

So I thought it might be kind of fun to start kind of a hypothetical wishlist, or in other words, a collection of beautiful things that I wish I could have but likely won’t ever, especially on a student’s budget. It will be fun. Maybe one day I can look back and laugh at how ambitious I was. And by dreaming about things instead of impulse purchasing them, I can practice some non-attachment, right? Enough talk, let’s drool:

This week, my inspiration comes from my most recent Pinterest pinning session, and from a website I recently discovered called Z Gallerie (it’s dangerous – only click it if you can promise yourself some self-control).

1, 6 & 8 are all from Z Gallerie. They have the most brilliant assortment of awesome accessories that I would die to have. I’ve been searching for a Buddha. Correction: the perfect Buddha. I thought I found one down on Granville Island the other weekend, but my friend convinced me out of it, and it was probably for the best. This one is so nice though – it’s so serene in it’s white-ness. PLUS, you can “float your favorite flowers in the bowl it’s holding”. It doesn’t get any sweeter! It’s only $39.95 and seriously… well, who knows. It might still happen.

No. 4 is another one that honestly just might happen. It’s an awesome top from ModCloth. The color is what originally sold me on it. It’s not a very common color and it’s a shame, because it’s gorgeous! And uh, I’m pretty sure it has pockets. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a sucker for pockets.

As well as the gingham shoes in 7 would totally match, I think they might be a liiiitttle out of my price range. But thanks for the eye candy Mui Mui.

5 has got to be my favorite piece. It’s kind of what inspired the colors of this wishlist. It’s an adorable little dress from eShakti. Thank goodness for Pinterest or I wouldn’t know about so many of these things and shops. It’s quite possibly the cutest little dress I’ve ever seen, especially with its collar and the little buttons up the back! I would really like to have it for the spring!

I wish I knew where 2 was from, but I found it on Pinterest, linked from someone’s Tumblr that no longer exists. If anyone knows – I would love to find out!

And lastly, 3 is supposedly from Rouche, but I couldn’t find it on the website. So either it has come and gone with the seasons, or that’s a lie. Either way, I wish it were mine!

Well, that’s a wrap for the very first Wishlist Wednesday! I can’t promise I’ll be able to do this every week, but maybe every other? We’ll see how it goes!