Old-School Halloween...

Back when Halloween was about dressing my babies in adorable, silly costumes, I even channelled my own silliness and donned a costume or two. My kids thought it was fun and no eyes were rolled (well, maybe a few adults'). Check out these old photos of my cuties when they were little... and game for whatever their mummy would encourage them to wear: 

Sophie, aged two: Aren't her curls wild?

A nerd and a ninja:

And their foolish mother. I felt really silly in this get-up, and cannot believe I thought this was a good idea.

Of course, it's probably not a good idea to resurrect this photo, is it?!

~Sigh~

Times were simpler in the old days...

Happy Halloween!!!

She Said: On the Menu...

Every friendship has its traditions and quirks. Inside jokes, the ability to be yourself, and the knowledge that you will be told when you have lettuce in your teeth. In my opinion, these are the measures of a true friendship. Equally important is the sharing of information and the bouncing off of ideas from one another...from the sharing of  weather forecasts to recipes.

What would be the benefit of being friends with Matthew Mead if you can't get the odd recipe or entertaining tip now and again? It would be silly to not take advantage of such an "in", wouldn't it? In a funny twist, a new tradition has made its way into our friendship lately. Most days, around 4pm (my time) Matthew will email me from his studio to ask, "What are the MacDonalds eating for dinner?"

I think the ritual began after Matthew and Jenny visited me this summer, and due to our crazy schedule, I ended up feeding them the same meal (seafood chowder and Mulligatawny soup) twice in a row. Worried that the entertaining guru himself might get the impression that was the extent of my culinary repertoire, I casually emailed him one day, boasting of the fancy dinner I had just made for my family.

And so the tradition began...

Usually it is Matthew, asking what I am dishing up, but sometimes it is me, looking for an expert opinion. Occasionally, Matthew sends me a photo of a delicious meal he and his team cooked up (and later, enjoyed!) for a photo shoot. Then I am inspired, and toss the frozen pizza box back into the freezer with guilt. Because Matthew and Jenny are so busy - working late and then faced with the prospect of cooking when all they feel like doing is collapsing - I think they live vicariously through me and my current state of domesticity. My cooking is borne from the necessity of feeding a growing, active family who return to me each day in various states of hunger...who are still entrenched in the nightly supper ritual. Matthew and Jenny's girls are grown and living independently, so their need to return to their nest and rustle up dinner has abated. I think my sharing of my family's dinner menu is more an offering that serves both to spark their appetite and their memories of feeding their own family.

photo: Matthew Mead Style.com

Sharing such seemingly trivial parts of our day is fun and light-hearted and has even begun to inspire me to cook better...plan more and serve more thoughtful meals. After all, when you are reporting in to the likes of Matthew Mead each day, a hotdog on a stick is not going to win any rave reviews!!

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To read Matthew Mead's take on our tradition, head on over to the Flea Market Style blog for the He Said alternative entitled, Whatcha Got Cookin'...?

A House, a Home and a Give-away...

Head on over to House and Home Magazine's website to see the Princess Margaret Hospital Sweepstakes Showhome in Oakville, Ontario, designed by House & Home. Each week they've been unveiling a new video tour of a different room. The house is quite spectacular and designer Lynda Reeves shares great design tips and secrets in every video. Those in the greater Toronto area can walk through the house in person (tours are free, here's the address and map). Those in Toronto will enjoy their cover gallery: if they upload a photo taken at the house, they can see how they'd look on the cover of the magazine! They've also included a detailed source guide for the house, which will be featured in the April 2010 issue of House & Home. Sweepstakes tickets are on sale until November 26th.

Also, be sure to check out The Design Girl's latest give-away.

She’s giving away a free photo blog makeover over at her blog and all you have to do is become a follower to enter! Sounds great to me!

And that's that!

Having Fun With Fabrics & New Friends

Today was the last workshop for Series 3, & what a fabulous time we had! Over the past 4 weeks, we have had the pleasure of meeting & mixing with another wonderful group of women, who are now rejuvenated, refocused & re-energised about their respective design & decorating projects & challenges, & I am very excited about the new opportunities on the decorating horizon!

Today we discussed new bedlinen collections, colour & texture in fabric design, & why investing in the professional services of an interior decorator & designer proves time again to be such a worthwhile investment when building, renovating & redecorating. We discussed our ideal interiors, & whilst I love inviting friends into mine, I need to move to the peninsula to create it! As a result of this, I potentially have a new client from this workshop who is just delightful & I very much look forward to helping her create hers.

As always, the mornings began with a welcome coffee & chat, with a mid morning break to follow with treats to enjoy. Today was our "Girls Morning In", our tribute to breast cancer fundraising, so to compliment our cherry pink fabric theme, we enjoyed pink smiley cupcakes (they put a smile on everyone's face), strawberries, cherryripes & melon & guava mineral water!

I would like to make special mention of one of the lovely women I have met in this group, Deb. Last week she learned that her father is very sick, & although a very challenging and worrying time for her & her family, the prognosis sounds very positive which is wonderful news in itself. Deb, your smile & nurturing nature will make an enormous difference I'm sure to your father's recovery, & my thoughts are with you:-)

Also, a very special thanks to Bronwyn Paul for her time, enthusiasm & great support behind the lens, at our workshops by very quietly but so professionally capturing the energy and essence of what designersecrets is about. She is fast becoming an invaluable member of the team, & we would highly recommend her photographic expertise to one & all!

Wishing you all a fabulous Cup Weekend, I'm off to the peninsula in search of my coastal haven!

Bronwyn Paul: rpaul1@optusnet.com.au

Take a Bow Tuesday...

This week was easy. Everyone seems to be in creative overload.

I suppose it's that fall itch - everyone feels like nesting more and the kids are back to school - and, of course, the upcoming holidays.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad; and so will you be when you catch sight of these great ideas:

• Even the title of this blog is creative: High Heeled Foot in the Door. Doesn't that just make her sound young and hip? If I was naming my blog like that I'd have to go with reasonably ugly sensible shoe in the door or something like that.

I digress...

Because she is young and hip, of course she'd have to be creative, too! Check out her oh-so-fun and practical folding chair make-over! I like this lady...she doesn't pick up a sewing needle the entire time!! My kind of girl...

• Lisa of Moore Minutes proves you can never see enough great beadboard installations. Here she added it to her dining area and it took it from good to great...heck, even fabulous! You know how we decorating types like to use the word fabulous...well Lisa's new dining room makeover is definitely worthy of that title!
•  
• Behold my final fall project feature: Stephanie of the Whispering Creek House made the most beautiful fall pumpkin chandelier! I love the simplicity of it and how naturally festive it is. Why is it my last fall craft project? Because I am Canadian, and after Halloween is over, we get to move right into Christmas!

The benefits of an October Thanksgiving...

• Amy, of Whisperwood Cottage (another whisperer!) completed her master bedroom with the addition of a barn-style door to her master bath.

I.  LOVE.  IT.

I have always wanted to install one of those; now I have found someone who I can ask the how's and where's of the project if and when I ever get the opportunity to add one to my home!

Of course, that would mean building again...

• And last but not least, Kim, of Twice Remembered, has me absolutely and totally obsessed with finding a vintage gumball machine for my kitchen! We love gum in this house, so I have been casually searching for one to use for the obvious reason. However, after resting my eyes on Kim's round-up of wonderful ways to trick out a gumball machine, I am driven by a newfound passion: must find gumball machine!!

Just in case you were wondering, my birthday's coming up. Feel free to send me one as a gift. I'd be happy to take it off your hands...!!!

 Now, take a bow ladies!!!

A Handmade Christmas...

(photo: Bethany Lowe designs)

I know this is the countdown to Halloween, but I am in serious Christmas shopping mode (and please don't hate me!). I have decided to absolutely make all my "extra" gifts this year. You know the ones - the gifts for teachers, friends, the women in my life who share my likes - basically the gifts for everyone but my children and the testosterone charged!

In fact, I have challenged myself to the $5 gift exchange: which, in a nutshell, is me making gifts for that dollar amount that look like they cost a whole lot more. What is in my arsenal? Well, glitter, of course, and trinkets from the Dollar store (which you will see later), natural elements from the outdoors, and repurposed flea market finds and junk items (of course!). I might even make a few meals to freeze as gifts, though I doubt I will bake anything as gifts. I draw the line at that. I can bake, but I don't have a love of it...

So, that pretty and sparkly glittered candle is the perfect project for me. In fact, as soon as I come up with the rest of my planned projects, I am going to host a link exchange where anyone who wants to take the $5 gift challenge can take part and share their frugal Christmas offerings. Start thinking about it, and we will aim for mid-November!

Are you in?

In The Houzz....

Will someone please pinch me? The ever inspiring Adi, of Houzz.com, has featured me and my home over on the gorgeous site. I am beyond flattered and thrilled, as I love the homes and ideas found there, and Houzz.com is a wonderful place to glean inspiration and design ideas for every type of decorating style. I am in good company, with Adi having already featured many of my blog favourites...

Oh, and if you head over  and leave a comment, you will be eligible to win a Pottery Barn gift card.

And isn't it the perfect time to win such a thing?!

Time Passages...

It occurred to me today that I feel like making a few changes around these parts. So, knowing I cannot spend very much (i.e. next to nothing), I think I will try to root out new/less traditional shades for my lamps and even some warm white bedding to make my bedroom seem more wintery - in keeping with the chilly weather - and perhaps sew (go ahead...laugh!) some new pillow covers.

Please don't hold me to that sewing bit...I just smacked some sense into myself!

Also, I would love to have new velvet curtains for the living room window to add warmth to the room and put the boots to summer for good...since there is no hope of warm weather returning it seems! Because my money will tied up with Christmas shopping and basketball trips over the coming months, I think I found a manageable option at our local Wicker Emporium...$14.99/panel. We'll see.

That is why I love November.

It is a month of quiet before the whirlwind of the holidays begins and it's the perfect time to carry out easy home projects. Seasonal decorating at its finest!

What's on your list to tackle before the holidays?

Am I Normal??

Is it normal to be daydreaming about Christmas wrappings, Christmas design schemes (especially exterior), and Christmas card photo shoots...all before I have even bought Halloween candy??????????????

I didn't think so....

Take a Bow Tuesday

Take a Bow Tuesday is baaacckk! So many great things to feature and so many great bloggers to profile. Here is my humble attempt this rainy Tuesday:

Karen, The Graphics Fairy, is a favourite of mine. Yesterday, she gave a tutorial for the most adorable transformed furniture knobs. You MUST check them out!!

Over at this beautiful blog, I found a link to one of the most lovely felted wool Etsy artists I've ever come across. I love that you can frame her work and I love how sentimental some of her work is...!

Not every Tuesday feature has to be for making something or decorating something. I have said before that some of my favourite blogs are not chosen by me just for the great photos and ideas, but for the writing. One of my top favourites is Piece of Cake, where you will read one of the most beautiful and heartfelt posts ever. Laura is the blogger who makes me laugh, snort, nod my head in agreement and in this case even shed a tear. Essentially, she's a funny girl with a big heart...

Eleven more days until Halloween! Do you want to avoid the mess of carving out your pumpkins this year? I'd never get away with it, but you might! Check out Mindy's Pumpkin Fest where she and her crew junked up some pumpkins with panache!

Layla of The Lettered Cottage and her hubby toiled away at stripping and rejuvenating an old door for their bathroom. If you have something like this on your to-do list, Layla provides an excellent step-by-painstaking step (my words, not hers!) tutorial of the process. Can you tell I'm too lazy to ever tackle paint stripping?! And what did they end up with? A beautiful, solid door that will continue them on in their journey of preserving and adding beautiful style and character to their home.

I'm at the Party! Are you?

Today, over at the Flea Market Style blog, I am visiting those who joined our inaugural I'm a Flea Marketeer blog link party. Because I am going to be pretty busy doing that, I am offering up this previously posted link to some of my favourite flea market/thrift shop treasures. To see everyone else's, head on over to the Flea Market Style blog and join in. Pretty please? You don't want us to be sad because no one showed up to our party, do you? To sweeten the deal, we are even giving away something really good...

So, off you go to the party!!!

Sunday, Sunday...

Sunday.

A day of rest?

Well, I suppose so...

I love Sundays, though I didn't always. As a child, I found them too quiet and boring, especially because I spent much of my childhood stuck in the boonies. But, that's another story. Now, I love the quietness of the day and take advantage of the lull to clean out a cupboard, weed the garden, catch up with friends, or call a family member to chat. Oh, and of course there is always the ritual of Sunday dinner. Nothing beats a good Sunday dinner!

What's on the menu tonight?

And for dessert?

Do you really think we need anything after that?

A good cup of tea will do, I'm sure.

So, what are you having for dinner?

The 2009 finishing line...

As we gallop towards the Spring Racing Carnival and Christmas, we are running one more designersecrets workshops for 2009!

Bring your own interiors challenges to the upcoming NOVEMBER ‘designersecrets Uncovered’ workshops series.

The designersecrets workshops have been designed for people who:
- Are interested in interiors & styling
- Are renovators
- Want to design, redesign, or reinvent a room or a space
- Are moving to a new home
- Are wanting to change or expand their current home
- Love design & interiors books & magazines

We are very proud to be associated with Inform Design, a Melbourne based project design & construction company, & are very excited about running our November workshops at their latest environmentally friendly display home, "The Butterfly House"

November Workshop dates:
Tuesday November 10th, 17th, 24th & Tuesday December 1st
Times:
Morning sessions: 10.00am - 12.30pm
Evening sessions: 6.30pm - 9.00pm

Venue:
The new Inform ‘Butterfly House’ in Murrumbeena...("build green with Inform!")

Bookings close by Friday November 6th and we have limited spaces, so don’t miss out!

For more information about our workshops, please contact me at:
haven.interiors@bigpond.com

For more information on The Butterfly House, The Blade, & other Inform design projects, please go to http://www.informdesign.com.au/

Wishing you all a fabulous week!!!

Claire :-)

Need something to do this weekend?

Are you on the East coast, specifically in the Long Island, N.Y. area? Me neither; but if you are, you must check out this wonderful sale hosted by Tricia Foley (former contributing editor at Country Home magazine). If you are familiar with her incredible style, then you know a trip to her fall sale (october 17-18, 10-5 pm) will be well worth the trip.

Want more details? Go here.

A Mixed Bag of Tricks!

When I upload photos from my camera, I invariably find random, funny shots that I did not take. The culprits: my kids, of course! Still, seeing what they find photo-worthy always gives me a chuckle.

Here, Sophie had her brother snap this one to demostrate her remarkable skill of blending a variety of patterns and colour. She actually went to school like this! Someone fire the stylist!!

Here sits "Cuddles" whose name I always forget, much to Sophie's irritation. What irritates me is the cost of those stupid Build-a Bears and their fashion!!

Next up is her big brother, who lives and breathes basketball:

Now, her beloved new kitten. At least he's not in her baby doll sling! Still, she is attempting to feed him water using a medicine dropper. He must have rejected a bottle!

Ever the food stylist, she snapped a few pics of her felted doughnuts and fake goodies.

This one her brother took. He thought the cat sleeping in his favourite chair looked cute. It's not so cute when she gets up and the chair is covered in white fur!!

This one is a real dud! Not sure why it was deemed photo worthy, but it shows that I keep a messy car. And I don't care!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Be sure to hook up to our Mr. Linky party on Monday, over at the Flea Market Style blog.

Halloween Crafting Party...Matthew Mead style!

When Matthew Mead sent me his newest Halloween magazine, a few pages in and I was already planning a Halloween crafting party for my daughter and her friends.  Sophie loves to create, and although I always do a seasonal craft with her, I could always stand do more. When I pull out the craft supplies I also like to keep it simple. Same day Sally is definitely a good moniker for me. There will be no quilts or knitted sweaters in my future...

What I love about Matthew's ideas are that they really are quite simple and utilize supplies and ingredients you can find readily. In fact, for this party, a quick trip to the supermarket and Dollar Store rewarded me with all I needed to get the party started. On Matthew's suggestion, I baked cupcakes for the girls to decorate using some of the fun ideas in his magazine. Living in a fairly small town, I realized finding fondant would be an obstacle to making some of the cute toppers Matthew molds for his cupcake projects. Initially fretting, I could hear Matthew's calming voice in my head reminding me to improvise, which is a tactic he embraces and encourages his readers to practice when need be. So, a quick scan of the junky candy at the Dollar store gleaned some gummy mummies which rested nicely atop the girls' cupcakes. We also attempted to re-create the bats atop them that Matthew made using black squeezable icing (again, couldn't find the recommended black gel!). The icing didn't work so well, although it was done by a little girl - if I had done it, it would have looked way better...I have a real knack for icing!

Here are our improvised gummy mummy versions:

Then I gave the girls some polished black stones ($1/bag), some chalk to write spooky words on them -again, one of Matthew's wonderfully simple ideas -and a black shadow box style frame which we glued plastic spiders and flies into. Again, it was a project straight out of the magazine!

Behold some works of art:

Matthew also embellishes some of the beautiful embossed Petit Ecolier chocolate biscuits. In the magazine, he piped an icing mask onto the young man, but we didn't have the skill to execute such intricate detail. Instead, we completely changed the tactic, with mixed results:

Mine turned out much better (it's always rewarding to compare oneself to eight and nine year olds). I used more junky bone and pumpkin candies to mimic Matthew's more refined icing versions:

The main thing is that the girls had fun, right? On my own initiative, I also made them Halloween necklaces with scrapbooking charms and bought them a trick-or-treating bag to tote their loot home. Thanks to Matthew and his can-do inspiration, I can go carve another "good mother" notch onto the mantel.

Now go buy Matthew's magazine and earn yourself some kudos!

Matthew, are you proud of me?!

A centerpiece...and I'm a guest blogger!

Is it vain to report that the Thanksgiving turkey I cooked yesterday was the best I ever ate? Of course it is, but I think lying is a bigger sin so I am taking the vanity route! I treat holiday turkey dinners with reverence, and will not eat turkey in between Thanksgiving and Christmas (that's a span of more than two months here!) because I want the taste of the meal to be special. Because the handy man and I don't really exchange gifts, our gift is the meal!

We're simple people...

Remember I said I was going to attempt to replicate the holiday centerpiece found here? Well, don't compare too closely, but here is my version (with the assistance of my girlie). If you don't like it, you can go ahead and blame her. I'm all about blaming the children...

Somehow things didn't look this pretty when we were all finished...

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Now, if you want to see what other crafting I've been up to, just head on over to

Mrs. Limestone's where I am guest blogging today. While you're there, be sure to take the tour of her gorgeous Brooklyn Limestone. Be forewarned: you might be a teensy bit depressed after!!

sharing designersecrets...

I thought you might like to see a few inside snippets of our designersecrets workshops, what fun we are having!some of our recent designersecrets graduates...a wonderful group of enthusiastic women that we shared 4 very cold & wintery sessions with, & still they were smiling!Our colleague Bronwyn has just joined our team to capture workshop activities & stories moving forward...no object is hidden from her lens, including the colour palette of the morning coffee!

Planning colour schemes & story boards for your perfect haven...

Enthusiasm & a passion to further develop your own interior style with like-minded women is what makes our workshops so interesting & enjoyable...

A combination of simple styling & quality bedlinen & accessories are key ingredients for how to make your bed look fabulous without fuss

Sharing & exchanging ideas, challenges & decorating tips make our workshops welcoming, interesting, interactive & informative

Hmmm, what fabrics do I like for that furniture scheme at our holiday house?

At our workshops, we share our knowledge & expertise on developing your appreciation for art as both an investment, a reflection of your interior style & your personality

Floor Rugs by Hip Home...tailor the design to your specific needs to create both another dimension of artistic expression & interest in your home or office

At designersecrets workshops, we introduce you to beautiful textiles, furniture, wallpapers & furnishing design from around the world that you may have never heard of...just what you want when you are renovating & redecorating...

Every week we introduce you to different colour schemes & furnishings...4 in total, all very different, very unique...

The day Susie & I launched designersecrets...5 months on, Series 3 underway, with Series 4 beginning on November 10th!! Join us at another fabulous Inform property for 4 consecutive Tuesdays (morning or evening) to let us help you with your interior design plans, or because you want to do some decorating for the festive season & Summer living...

COST: $440 for a 4 session workshop (each session is 2 1/2 hours)

For more information on designersecrets & our forthcoming workshops, email me at haven.interiors@bigpond.com

or contact me on 0408 363 529. Bookings close Friday November 6th!

As many of our participants have said..."this workshop could save me a lot of money!"