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its been a fantastic easter long weekend full of decorating, a lot of cooking and several visitors. we hosted a dinner on good friday with hubs family and had mine for sunday brunch. i spent a lot of time in the kitchen but loved every minute of it. at times i could use to make life easier on myself and not do everything from scratch but it is really incredible when you can embrace the cooking process. i had music playing, candles burning and tried a few new things. all turned out great and most importantly, my home was full of love and laughter. kiddies were completely smitten with the goodies the easter bunny had delivered. missed my mom this weekend since she is moving in to her new home but lots of chats kept her seemingly close by.
sloane was a big help decorating the easter eggs, the table and helping her dad with little chores around the house. she has grown in to this incredible little leader, so independent.
hubby and i escaped for a little date night on saturday. it was so great to do something just for us. we were well rested and ready to take on the day today with our second round of visitors. everyone left with very full bellies and a relaxing visit together. i snuggled up with my family feeling full of gratitude for the tremendous love in my life.
i hope each of you had equally lovely weekends, oodles of treats and embracing the spring ahead!
x, m
one more day to think up something sparkly and gorgeous! or for that matter, maybe this year means comfy clothes and snuggles by the fire. whatever plans you have, i hope they are with the ones you love.
x, m
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can you believe it? 4 days until the big day! holy smokes, december flew by. i had such an amazing day baking, wrapping presents, doing some last minute decorating around the house and enjoying a sweet little dinner with my two favourite people. there is a very traditional side of me. it comes out often at special times of the year but on any average day, i tend to go against the grain a little. i like different things, fun things, things that other people may wince at at first blush….but then love it. when it came to decorating the house this year, i kept to a pretty simple green and white theme. i have pops of mercury glass and silver throughout and in subtle areas a little red. all in all, it is pretty traditional. i partially defaulted to the traditional colours based on the plethora of decorations i already had and the lack of time to start re inventing the wheel however, this pink and gold theme has been recurring in my day dreams. its feminine yet chic and modern. there is this class about it that i am dying to have in my own home. i think i may rationalize my day dream with some post christmas sales on this stunning colour combo for next years theme.
x, m
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inspired beyond a thousand words by the work of maria del mar sacasa. from someone who knows how difficult it can be to style, i must say that maria has a true talent. the biggest challenge with styling is knowing when to stop, knowing when there is something missing and quite frankly deciding to completely flip the scene. colours, textures and balance are critical to the shot and if you are styling editorial like maria, your pressure for perfection becomes increasingly prevalent.
for me, planning is the most critical part of styling. you must have a vision on paper! its not an option to wing it. propping is such an important part of the style shoot that if you don’t plan, you are likely to miss something. your colour scheme needs to work together, they should be complimentary and if you are styling food, make sure that it is always the focal point. don’t let the props take away from what you are trying to achieve in your food romancing. simple is always best, less is most certainly more and lighting is your best friend!
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x, m
it is pretty rare that i talk to anyone who doesn’t love a little cottage in their life. that sweet spot that instantly brings relaxation, laughter and family by the plenty. i must say that i put cottaging pretty high up on my list of favourite things to do. the water sign that i am, i love nothing more than the sounds of waves crashing against the boat house. most of all, i love a rustic cottage full of family memories, big blankets and board games galore. don’t forget the wine of course!
of course the hat hooks are a must!
finally, the worker barn. one day..can i please have this one day?
x, m
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good saturday morning! i am pretty pumped to share my new site with you. i have been working at this for months now and am very happy with the result. milk and cotton has gone through a small re brand with more emphasis on my styling work for interiors and private events. everything from styling your next dinner party to creating the coolest office spaces in the city.
while going through the process of reflecting on the last year that milk and cotton has been in existence, i found myself with a more clear direction of the opportunities i wanted to create and the vision i wanted to share with all of you. my passion for art and creating is endless. i don’t sleep most nights because my brain has a hard time shutting off. to release my creativity, i started painting again and before i knew it- T H E A R T S H O P was created. launching officially on Monday, i am so excited to share my first collection and hope they can bring beauty and purpose in your home.
a few great projects on the horizon for the back half of the summer will have you swooning over the endless beauty in this big bad world.
the new home page is here.
thank you all for being such rad people to keep coming back for a little inspiration.
x, m
there was a time when i was a little more adventurous in my cooking. i used to love to get recipes in my email. you know those silly ones from your girlfriends that are like a chain letter where you have to pass them on. they were actually pretty useful. now, i am exhausted at the end of the day and admittedly look to the easiest, fastest way to feed my family. one thing i have not compromised on is health. even if it is a quick meal, i always make sure that it is healthy. the biggest challenge i have with being so rushed is that i tend to stick to a predictable menu. i don’t change it up all that often. i am completely inspired by people who are professional chefs or just naturally incredible in the kitchen. i want nothing more than to wow my family and my guests with dishes that are unique and drool worthy.
i made a decent little investment in to this goal and have committed myself to a few classes at the Calphalon Culinary School. i will be learning about cooking with Sustainable Fish, Mediterranean and French Bistro. i am so excited and cannot wait to share my experience with all of you! wish me luck.
image from my favorite food blog roost
x, m
my beautiful girlfriend Stephanie has been blessed with the upcoming arrival of her handsome baby boy. with only about a month to go, Steph and her husband Scott are over the moon with excitement. Stephanie shares a very special birthday with Sloane and is the kind of girl that I would be proud to call my own. I see so many amazing traits in Sloane that I have always seen in Steph. Not to mention an incredible sense of humor, tremendous dedication and a creative, spirited soul.
a couple of weeks ago, we celebrated this little man who will soon join us, with a beautiful shower hosted by Natalie, Caroline and Kari. The girls did such a beautiful job pulling everything together. a grey and mint themed party, everything looked simple and classy.
caroline and her fiance have a beautiful home in the city and she did a great job with all the little details in her presentation. her table ( gorgeous in and of itself ) was well placed with vintage bottles, mason jars and shades of mint cake plates. her collection in candy certainly impressed me with tasty treats that were also beautiful.
i am so grateful for my friends and for our time together. thank you ladies for hosting a lovely afternoon, one i am sure Steph will remember forever!
these pretty images were snapped by Ms. Jani Blake who is a budding little photographer and quite frankly a beauty to look at herself!
x, m
good morning! it’s grey and gloomy in the city this morning and the neighbourhood feels quiet. i think every took some extra time to snuggle this morning. i on the other hand was up with sun and quietly brewed a hot cup of love ( otherwise known as coffee, or my addiction ) and wrapped myself in a blanket to read and blog. i have said it before, but this really is my favorite time of the week. i love the stillness, the ability for me to concentrate on reading beautiful blogs and enjoy my solo time. this morning while reading the latest issue of sweet paul mag┬á i dreamt of,
the sun beating on my face at the beach, taking in the fresh smell of the ocean and sand between my toes.
and a studio to create organic beauty like this!
happy saturday!
x, m
who doesn’t love washi tape and stickers right? it seems every day there is a new little project involving this decorative tape and i loved this one! easy as can be, you can find all the details here. super cute to use them as vases but if your bottles are smaller, throw a straw in them and use them as glassware for a party.
x, m
