LAX TO YVR

VALENTINE'S DAY ROUND-UP

2012-01-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Although I don't take Valentine's Day too seriously, I have to admit that it's a holiday that involves a lot of cute and pretty things. And it's a day to indulge in chocolate! The Dude and I have a tradition of going out to eat fish and chips on Valentine's. This year we'll probably go to our favourite place on Granville Island, where this tradition started.

Here's a collection of Valentine's Day themed items from some of my favourite indie online stores. I've bought items from each of these sellers before so I have no qualms about endorsing them.

from soapopotamus

from Heartfish Press

from Have It Sweet

from Paisley Baby

from Perla Anne

from Indulgent Designs

These are all great items to give to someone you care about or to give to yourself!

On a final note, this will be my last blog post before we move to our new place! We'll be spending the entire weekend packing like mad elves. So I won't be updating my blog for a couple weeks while we get settled. Both of my shops, LAX TO YVR and Sugarpush Vintage, will be closed briefly. They will re-open in early February, once I get my internet connection set up.

HANGING PICTURES SALON-STYLE

2012-01-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

I've already started mentally decorating the apartment we're going to move into next week. I have to confess that I've been doing it since I first laid eyes on it, before we even knew we were going to move there!

But I've learned that it's wise to live in the space for at least three months before even beginning to decorate it. Ideally, it would be six months, but I don't think I can be that patient! But you really have to get to know a space by living in it for a while and getting a feel for it before deciding what your decor style is going to be. Our new place is so different from our current place that I don't think the same decorating strategy is going to work. So I'm afraid that I'm going to have to throw out my "Southwest modern" look and start from scratch.

One thing I know is that I want the place to feel a bit more cozy. But herein lies the dilemma. "Cozy" usually means clutter, at least in my opinion. I've noticed that cozy spaces usually have a lot of stuff going on. Coziness is typically achieved by creating layers of stuff upon stuff. And the Dude and I are very much against having a lot of "stuff." We're trying to live as lightly as possible so it's going to be a challenge to cozify our new apartment while at the same time maintaining a minimalist lifestyle. I'm aware that you can create cozy by carefully choosing texture, colour, and shape. So one possibitlity is painting the walls a warm colour. Another strategy is by having puffy furniture rather than leggy, airy pieces. Creating a cozy look with as little stuff as possible is going to be an exciting challenge!

So, even though I said that I don't want to start decorating until at least three months after we've moved in, I've already jumped the gun and have decided I want a salon-style wall in the dining nook. This is a great way to cozify a space.

There are several options for doing a salon-style wall (a.k.a. gallery wall) of pictures. You can do it symmetrically or asymmetrically. Symmetrical configurations tend to look more formal. You can also hang pictures from the top of the wall to the bottom or you can just focus on the centre of the wall.

Symmetrical gallery wall:

from Brooklyn Limestone

Asymmetrical salon-style hanging:

from Design*Sponge

from Apartment Therapy

Here's one that takes up the whole wall from floor to ceiling (plus, the black wall makes me weak in the knees):

from Style by Emily Henderson

I love this salon-style wall because it's so clean and un-cluttery looking:

from Design*Sponge

I think it's really hard to pull off a well-curated gallery wall but here are some helpful guidelines:

Make the frames all the same colour or choose a common theme/colour for your images. Select either option to tie the whole thing together
Keep in mind balance, especially if you're using different sized frames. Distribute the size of the frames evenly. Don't make it "top-heavy" or "bottom-heavy," i.e. avoid grouping similarly sized frames all together.
Before nailing the pictures into the wall, trace them first on paper, cut out the paper, and stick them on the wall with tape until you come up with a configuration you like. Then proceed to nail the hangings on to the wall. After, pull out the paper from behind them.
If you're going to arrange the pictures around the midline of the wall, make sure that the center of the whole arrangement is around 57 inches from the floor.

ARRANGING WALL SHELVES

2012-01-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

One important thing I learned about wall shelves is that you want the space between them to decrease as you go up. By the time I got this tip from the second Apartment Therapy book, I had already put up the wall shelves in my office. I had initially spaced the shelves evenly apart; if you look at the "before" photo you can see that the space between the top and middle shelves actually looks bigger than the space between the middle and bottom ones. It's a visual distortion, and that is why it's crucial to arrange the top shelves closer to one another in order to compensate for it. When I realized this, it bugged me to no end. The Dude told me to just accept it and move on. But it seriously ate away at me.

Finally when I repainted the walls last fall, I took the opportunity to lower the top shelf by just an inch. It's amazing how just one inch made all the difference in the world! I could finally look at the wall shelves and be at peace. I mean just look at the "after" photo. The shelves look so much better and evenly spaced out!

Another tip I learned by simply looking at a lot of wall shelves on the internet is that you want to place less items on the shelves as you go up. I noticed that the best stylized wall shelves are the ones that don't even hold anything on the top shelf - they are simply left empty! You want to create a sort of a pyramid effect when arranging things on wall shelves, i.e. going light to heavy from top to bottom. It mimics how things are arranged in nature (e.g. think of cascading waterfalls) and so our eyes find it visually appealing.

Below is a set of wall shelves in our own apartment. Not the best stylizing job but I tried to mimic a cascading effect.

Here are better examples of well arranged wall shelves.

from Freshome

from The Brick House

Of course, rules are meant to be broken. Here's a set of wall shelves I love that disregards everything I just wrote.

from Manhattan Nest

SHOP UPDATE: "I'M OK" BURLAP WALL DECOR

2012-01-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

So excited to be sharing my latest creation with you! I just added to my shop this new burlap wall decor item with the phrase "I'm OK" painted in a bold uppercase sans serif font. The inspiration for this came to me shortly after I designed the LOVE piece. I wanted to make another wall hanging with a positive, inspirational message. Every morning I read one entry from a book called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff by Richard Carlson to remind myself that when problems arise or when I'm challenged by difficult circumstances, it's really all okay in the grand scheme of things. The book helps me to keep things in perspective so that I don't make life to be a big emergency all the time. And today's reading was coincidentally very relevant! It was about self-acceptance and this was my favourite quote: "I may not be perfect, but I'm okay just the way I am."

You can find the "I'm OK" burlap wall decor listing in the LAX TO YVR shop.

Also, there's a chance to win this item in a giveaway contest being held on the CAMP + QUARRY blog! CAMP + QUARRY is run by fellow Vancouverite Sarah, a talented jewelry designer. I'm a big fan of Sarah's blog, and I'm so excited that she's hosting this giveaway. Be sure to also check out the lovely CAMP + QUARRY shop, which features jewelry made with raw crystals. You can enter the contest here.

HOW TO CLEAN STERLING SILVER THE EASY AND FAST WAY

2012-01-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

Sterling silver jewelry is my favourite kind to wear. But in the past I avoided buying it because I hated that it tarnished. Because I didn't know how to clean silver well enough to bring it back to its former pristine condition, I would just chuck it aside and never wear it again.

Then I discovered a simple, safe, and effective method for cleaning sterling silver. So now I have no qualms about buying and enjoying silver jewelry.

Here's a pair of earrings that had tarnished and needed cleaning. See how fast and easy it is to get them looking perfect again using the method described below.

Supplies:

- Non-metal bowl (glass or plastic works well)

- Piece of aluminum foil big enough to line your bowl

- Baking soda

- Chopstick or any other wooden/plastic utensil

1. Bring to boil enough water to fill about half the bowl.

2. Line the bottom of the pan with the piece of aluminum foil.

3. Place a heaping teaspoon of baking soda on the foil, and fill the bowl with water (about halfway is fine).

5. Drop your jewelry into the bowl, making sure it touches the foil. Water will start to fizz and there will be a slight sulfurous odour.

6. Leave the jewelry in for about one minute. Then fish it out with a chopstick or plastic utensil and wipe dry with a piece of soft cloth or kleenex.

Looks brand new, doesn' it? Now this method of cleaning also works for other items made out of sterling silver such as wire baskets, silverware, and any other housewares made out of silver.

What I love about this way of cleaning is that you can do it with items you readily have in your home. It doesn't require buying jewelry cleaners and other nonsense. Plus, this method won't damage the silver and it's super quick and easy!

One last tip: in order to prevent your silver from tarnishing make sure to store it enclosed in a box when not in use. Oxygen is the enemy of silver! It's what causes silver to tarnish.

SHOP UPDATE: "LOVE" BURLAP WALL DECOR

2012-01-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to return to blogging after taking a much needed hiatus. My arms are feeling better, but I still need to work on a more ergonomic set-up for my workspace.

I finally added something new in the LAX TO YVR shop! Love is such a positive message to be reminded of, isn't it? It was so nice to work on a design other than alphabet letters and painting in a colour other than just black. This piece really looks great in a black frame. You find can the listing for this item here.

In personal news, we found a new place to live next month! After waffling for over a year on whether to move or not, we finally took the plunge. Our search took over two months, but hopefully this new apartment will prove to be worth all the time and trouble it took to find it. I look forward to decorating a new place! You'll see the progress right here on the blog :-)

LAX TO YVR SHOP WINTER SALE

2011-12-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

I opened LAX TO YVR in June, and it's been so encouraging to watch it grow over the months. It makes me happy that customers have responded positively to my products. To celebrate, everything in the shop (except for gift certificates) will be 20% off (before shipping). Just use coupon code WINTER at check out.

Also, I'm just six sales away from reaching 100! Having almost 100 sales is more than I expected given that LAX TO YVR has been in business for only six months.

I'm looking forward to what 2012 will bring. There are some new products in the works that I will start rolling out come January, so stay tuned! If you'd like to stay up to date in regards to new products, special offers, and discount coupons, then sign up for the newsletter to be first in the know.

Also, in case you didn't know, gift certificates to the LAX TO YVR shop are available if you're looking for a last minute gift.

Lastly, I'll be taking a break from blogging for a couple weeks. I've been experiencing excruciating pain in my arms lately due to computer use. My right arm is especially useless due to mousing so much. Hopefully, I'll figure out a more ergonomic set up for my keyboard and mouse so I can work properly without killing my arms. Until then, enjoy the holidays!

OUR FABULOUS NEW VINTAGE ARMCHAIRS

2011-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Our latest furniture acquisition has been a pair of vintage armchairs. If you follow me on Twitter, you may remember how I was agonizing over whether to get them or not. We're in the midst of apartment hunting so it seems kind of impractical to get new furniture, especially when you don't know what your future space is going to look like.

But I saw these chairs when we visited Attic Treasures on Commercial Drive - a great resource for midcentury modern furniture and other vintage goodness, by the way - and they just really tugged at my heart. I wasn't even in the market for new armchairs since I already got one a few months ago. It's always when you're not looking for something in particular that you find that piece you know is perfect for your home. I simply fell in love with these chairs and I wanted them badly. But I didn't purchase them right then and there. I gave myself a week to think about it, and when I decided that I really did want them, I hoped and prayed they'd still be there. And they were! Hallejulah!

What I love about the chairs are the tufted cushions, the strong 70s vibe, and the manly chrome frame, which also lend them an airy look. Most of all, they're just full of character. They actually remind me of E.T. for some reason; perhaps because they're short, squat, and brown. The armchairs now occupy the space where the ugly and very uncomfortable loveseat used to be.

I'm an advocate for buying used as much as possible when it comes to home furnishings. It's just a sound and sustainable way of decorating your place. That's why I'm an avid vintage home decor collector. I love looking around our place and seeing all the unique pieces I've accumulated over the last few years by scouring thrift shops, vintage shops, Craigslist, and estate sales. Hence, adding yet another piece of vintage furniture to our home feels like winning to me.

DIY HOLIDAY CARDS

2011-12-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

This holiday season I got the urge to make my own cards. I used materials I had lying around and whipped up these cards in no time - a fast, instant gratification project.

Materials:
- Various felt fabric
- Yarn scraps
- Ribbon
- Blank cards
- Cardstock paper
- Glue

Tools:
- Fabric scissors
- Pen

Ornament Card

1. Draw ornaments shapes on cardstock paper with a pen. Cut out the shapes. Then place an ornament shape on a piece of felt fabric and trace around it with a pen. Cut the shape, preferably with fabric scissors for a clean, crisp edge.

2. Spread glue lightly on back of ornament shape and paste it on the front of a blank card.

3. Pour a thin line of glue from top centre of the ornament to the top of the card. Glue a piece of scrap yarn on it. Then cut off the excess at the top.

4. Make a little ribbon with a piece of scrap yarn. Then glue it at the top centre of ornament.

Christmas Tree Card

1. Cut a triangle from a piece of green felt fabric.

2. Cut three ribbon scraps and glue them on the diagonal on the tree. Allow to dry for 30 minutes. Then cut off the excess.

3. Cut out a little tree stump from a piece of felt fabric.

4. Spread glue lightly on the backs of the triangle and stump and glue on the front of a blank card.

Trio of Pennants Card

1. Cut out a rectangular strip of felt fabric. Fold lengthwise. Draw a diagonal line from the point where the corners meet to a point on the folded edge about 1 cm in from the adjacent edge. Cut along the line. Repeat this step two times with other pieces of felt fabric.

2. Lightly spread glue on backs of pennants. And paste on the front of a blank card.

If you don't have felt fabric on hand, coloured paper would work just as well. I used felt because I've got heaps of it (it's one of my favourite materials to work with).

MY FAVOURITE HOUSE

2011-12-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I am head over heels in love with this house. It's in the Kitsilano area in Vancouver.

It's total eye candy. I love the dark grey paint job (surprise, surprise). In spite of its super modern look, the wood accents really warm it up. I'm dying to see what it looks like inside but I'm too timid to get up close to it and snoop around. Also, I'm curious to know who lives in this house.

Even the Dude likes this house, which goes to show you how much I've corrupted his tastes. He's a country boy from rural New England who grew up surrounded by by old, quaint houses.

We'll never be able to afford a house like this in Vancouver. As long as we live in this city, we'll be renters for life. Speaking of which, we've been busy apartment hunting. We're planning to move at the end of January. Not sure whether we'll be moving to a 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom. It'll probably depend on what we find. I'm very tempted to move into a 2-bedroom, but I'm afraid of accumulating junk to fill the extra space. As a reformed pack-rat, I've come to enjoy living with as little as possible. Even with the weekly purgings, I still feel like we have too much stuff.

I WON I WON I WON!

2011-12-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

If you follow me on Twitter, then you may already know that over the weekend I won a giveaway contest being hosted by Got Craft? Vancouver. My prize was a swag bag full of goodies from Got Craft? vendors. I was so excited that I won because I NEVER win anything. I rarely enter internet giveaways anyway, so this turn of luck came as a huge surprise to me.

I attended the Got Craft? show on Sunday and was blown away by the amazing stuff that people were selling. Seriously, I wanted to buy at least one thing from each vendor. Plus, I got to meet some Vancouverite Etsy sellers that up to this point I only interacted with virtually. It's so awesome that Vancouver has such a vibrant handmade community.

These are just a portion of my winnings. I picked my favourite ones to show off here.
From top left, clockwise :

1. Thistle Town Studio
2. Maked
3. Banoo

4. My Chocolate Tree

5. Sadie Designs

6. Owl + Pussycat

7. Kukubee

8. Abeego

9. The Tiny Fig

10. The Pauhaus

11. Billy Would Designs

12. Hudsonny

13. Cynthia F

14. Mélanie Kimmett

Now I got to figure out what I'm going to do with all this stuff. I'm probably going to spread the love and give most of it away.

REUPHOLSTERED CHAIRS

2011-12-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

This past summer I worked on a dining room chair reupholstery job for my relatives. I love the contrast between the simple clean lines of the fabric and the graceful antique chair. Having contrasts is one of the best ways to liven up a space. If everything is too matchy-matchy and coordinates seamlessly, then the room looks flat and sterile, i.e. booooring.

Upholstering the seat of a dining chair is the easiest type of upholstery that one can DIY. This is my favourite Youtube video on how to re-upholster a chair. There are also a countless number of tutorials out there. I read a few to figure out the best technique.

The obligatory before and after picture.

I'm a nut for stripe patterns. If I allowed myself, I'd have striped everything.

We acuired a teak lounge chair back in September. It was on sale at Sugar Barrel Antiques on Main St. so we snatched it up. Unfortunately, the cushions were friggin' ugly, and the fabric was worn through and ripped on parts of the the seat.

I wasn't confident enough to take on the reupholstery project myself. So I paid someone a lot of money to do it for me. It took almost a month to get them back because they were super busy. Hence the reason why this blog post is long overdue.

Unfortunately, I'm not quite happy with the results. It was the first time I ever had anything professionally upholstered so I didn't give specific directions. What I really wanted were boxy cushions, but of course, to my great irritation, the person couldn't simply read my mind. Anyway, I think in the future I may try to reupholster the cushions myself.

It's a beautiful chair. I agonized over whether to get it or not. But it was such a good price that I couldn't pass it up. It's only going to go up in value because there's only so much midcentury modern furniture in the world and everyone wants a piece of the action it seems. SBA is a great source of MCM furniture and accessories in Vancouver. All their MCM stuff is in the basement, and I go weak in the knees looking at their vast collection every time I go.

We recently acquired a pair of vintage armchairs (from Attic Treasures on the The Drive), and I can't wait to show them off here. But first we need to get rid of the loveseat (the last piece of ugly furniture we own) before they can take their proper place. Our living room is an unholy mess right now.

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS DECOR

2011-11-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some favourite vintage Christmas decor items I found on Etsy.

Letterpress blocks from Monki Vintage

Bottlebrush Christmas trees from Haven Vintage

Rocking horse from Recycle Buy Vintage

Sock stretchers from Little Byrd Vintage

Needlepoint stocking from Sugarpush Vintage (my own shop)

When decorating our home, I try to incorporate as much vintage stuff as I can because nothing adds more character and style like vintage does. And Christmas is an excellent time to mix in some vintage-y goodness with your contemporary decorations. I don't go nuts and deck out the entire place as if Santa and his reindeer came in and exploded. There's usually an Advent wreath, an ornament tree, and this year I added the Christmas felt garland I sell in the LAX TO YVR shop. A vintage item or two are, of course, thrown in to the whole shebang like these.

Typography is still very hot in home decor. Letterpress types are a fantastic way to add some holiday flair. I have a set of Scrabble tiles that I might use to say something appropriate for the season.

Happy decorating!

STUFF I BUY FROM ETSY: BOOKHOU

2011-11-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

Although Bookhou is an Etsy shop based in Toronto, I actually made my purchases at the CircleCraft Christmas market a couple weekends ago. I'd been eyeing the stuff at Bookhou, especially the bag above, for a while now. And when I found out that Arounna was going to sell her wares in Vancouver, I went to CircleCraft without hesitation. I wanted to see the products in person before buying.

I love everything about Bookhou, especially their products that feature geometric patterns. I also couldn't resist getting this 2012 tea towel calendar. It's hanging in our dining nook, which had a big empty wall until now.

Seriously, buying handmade is the best. I'm always happy to buy things that are well designed, and it feels good to support the creative efforts of a real person(s) behind the product.

While on the topic of buying stuff from Etsy, my own Etsy shop, is having a sale this Thanksgiving weekend. Because we live in Canada where we already celebrated Thanksgiving in October, it feels odd that today's Thanksgiving and we're not doing anything to celebrate. Oh, well. Every year I mean to do a Thanksgiving dinner but things get in the way (this year is Photoshop class). That's expat living for you.

I'll also be offering special discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So be sure to check the shop on those days for all the details!

DAYTRIPPIN' IN BELLINGHAM, WA

2011-11-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

I love going down to Bellingham, WA whenever I get a chance. At first I went down only to go shopping at stores I miss like Trader Joe's and Target. But as I got to explore the town a bit, I have totally fallen in love with it. The Dude and I went this past Saturday, and I took pictures of some of my favourite spots.

We first went to Fairhaven, a cute little part of Bellingham that's right by the water. It's a bit of a tourist-trap but you can't help but enjoy its quaint old-timey atmosphere. We had lunch at Avenue Bread where they serve excellent sandwiches! Then we browsed through a great independent bookstore called Village Books.

Then we went to Downtown Bellingham. It has a really cool vibe for such a small downtown. My favourite store to visit is Digs. They specialize in modern, vintage, and cool home decor. They carry Dwell Studio bed linens and Gus furniture! Need I say more?

A visit to Bellingham is never complete without getting a little something something from Rocket Donuts!

Violin shop storefront window.

Other cool downtown businesses worth checking out are Northwest Yarns, Mallard's (for super good ice cream), and Taco Lobo (for yummy Mexican food).

SHOP UPDATE: CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

2011-11-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've included some Christmas-themed home decor items in the LAX TO YVR shop. One is a green and hot pink felt garland. The others are JOY and NOEL painted in green and red on burlap. Also, new in the shop are $25 and $50 gift certificates.

Can't believe Christmas is next month! Have you started decorating your home yet? I start decorating on the first Sunday of Advent, which this year falls on November 27. I usually begin by making an Advent wreath, but I think this year I'll be skipping it because the fresh pine and leaves I typically use tend to aggravate my allergies sadly. Maybe I can make one by using leaves made out of felt fabric or lots of tinsel! Both are quite flammable though, which perhaps is a bad idea for an Advent wreath...

I've already gone to one Christmas craft fair this year. I'll be attending the Got Craft? holiday craft fair on December 4. Looking forward to seeing some Etsy sellers there!

Finally, stay tuned for an announcement regarding the upcoming U.S. Thanksgiving weekend sale in the LAX TO YVR shop! If you'd like to stay up-to-date on shop sales, then sign up for the newsletter.

THE SECRET TO CLEAR SKIN

2011-11-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

This blog post will be relevant to those who deal with skin problems like I do.

I just wanted to share with you about my struggle with acne. It frustrates me to no end that even in my early 30's I still have to deal with pimples, zits, whiteheads, what have you. Acne has been the thorn on my side (or face, I suppose) since adolescence. I've tried everything: topical creams, special cleansers, antibiotics, vitamins, and birth control pills. Sometimes they're effective initially but then things go back to their usual state of acne pandemonium.

But a couple months ago I accidentally discovered a regimen that's helped my skin tremendously. The best thing about it is that it doesn't cost anything! In September, I underwent laser eye surgery and so I couldn't let water near my face for a week in order to protect my eyes. That's right, I had to go a whole week without washing my face! I was really worried that this would cause a breakout of apocalyptic proportions. Plus, I couldn't wear makeup. So I went around with a bare face, and the only thing I could do to clean my face was wash it with a damp, warm washcloth at night. In the morning I didn't bother cleaning my face. To my surprise, not using soap on my face and not wearing makeup improved the condition of my skin very visibly. I think gently scrubbing my face with a warm, damp washcloth every night would exfoliate the dead skin cells, which prevented my pores from getting clogged.

So that's what works for me! I'm not saying this is the solution to everyone's skin problems. But I think face wash in general, even a gentle one like the one I use, dries out your face and causes acne. I've read that dry skin causes your oil glands to overproduce to compensate for the dryness. Oil is good for your face, but too much of it can clog your pores, causing acne. Actually, I read a tip years ago from a girl who had dealt with acne suggesting that in the morning you should just wash your face with water and that's it, since your face is already clean from the previous night's washing. I implemented this tip earlier this year and saw some improvements. But avoiding soap altogether has been the best solution for my skin problems.

The downside is that I don't wear make-up as often as I used to since if I do put it on then that means I have to wash it off with a facial cleanser. Sadly, I look really haggard without make-up. But it's so nice not to have pimples and whiteheads dotting my face. I do have occasional breakouts of course depending on my menstrual cycle, but I've seen a 90% reduction. Seriously.

So this is my simple skin care regimen for reducing acne breakouts:
:: Avoid wearing make-up or wear it as infrequently as possible
:: At night, gently scrub your face with a warm, damp washcloth (avoid soap or any facial cleanser!); follow with toner and moisturizer
:: In the morning, either don't wash your face or only use water

HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER

2011-11-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

This fall the Dude and I have been busy doing a major overhaul of our apartment. I painted the walls in our bedroom and living room. Furniture was re-arranged, purged, and acquired. Now the part of the apartment that looks the most different is my office.

My office has gone through a few reincarnations. It takes up a portion of the living room, and it's been placed in different corners of it throughout the last couple years. This and this is what it looked like just before. Now the office is completely furnished with IKEA products. I've accepted that when it comes to office furniture and accessories, IKEA is really one of the best options. Their office furniture is so modular that you can easily create a custom office for yourself. I'm quite pleased with the results.

It's definitely a luxury to have extra work space finally! And to have all my craft supplies in one place instead of in five different places around the apartment.

I love having the rubber plant at the corner of the desk. It's nice to have plants near me while I work.

The red task lamp, which I found at an estate sale, is one of the very few non-IKEA furnishings.

My vintage toolbox collection.

I read one chapter from Don't Sweat The Small Stuff every day before I start work. It provides plenty of good advice, reminders, and much needed perspective. Mountie coaster - I used to have a thing for Mounties.

The plumbing pipe desk we built is now the dining table. It's replaced the last piece of furniture from the Dude's bachelor days - a kitchen table that got sold on craigslist. He pretends to be indignant about my systematically purging his furniture, but deep down he knows that good decor means happy wife means he's better off.

Isn't it ironic now that finally when the apartment is set up in the optimal way that works for us and is starting to look decent, we've decided it's time to move?

ACE HOTEL IN PALM SPRINGS

2011-11-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Although we stayed at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs just a few weeks ago, already it feels like a distant dream. It was nice to be back in the desert. I LOVE the desert. It's one of the things I miss the most about Southern California.

I've been wanting to check out the Ace Hotel ever since I learned about all it's design-y goodness. It used to be a Howard Johnson, and now it's the hippest hotel in Palm Springs. I thoroughly enjoyed the two nights we stayed there and wished we could have stayed an additional day. This was the first vacation the Dude and I took just the two of us since our honeymoon in 2009. All our vacations since have involved visiting family, which is fun but not very relaxing. I really needed to get away to somewhere where I could go and do absolutely nothing but lounge around.

I should mention that right before we arrived at the Ace, we spent the morning going through my stuff in storage that I hadn't seen since 2004. It was super stressful as we didn't have much time. It was also physically and emotionally draining as I threw away most of the crap I saved. By the time we got to the Ace, it looked like a veritable paradise. So my experience may have been a bit coloured due to the sheer exhaustion I was feeling when I arrived.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time by the pool. I'm not normally the lounge-by-the-pool-all-day kind of gal, but that's all I wanted to do while we were there because I was feeling weary and it was too damn hot to do anything else.

Now I'll shut up for a bit and let the pictures do the talking.

I was absolutely in love with the side table on the right.

I really dug the light fixtures, particularly their industrial look.

Next time I'd like to stay in a room with a private patio. You get your own fireplace!

The hotel lobby. I really wanted to take the leather chair home.

The famous plumbing pipe shelving unit. It inspired this internet sensation, which prompted a slew of others to make their own version. When I saw it, it felt like I had reached a pilgrimage destination.

King's Highway restaurant on the hotel property. It used to be a Denny's. Gosh, I love the paint-dipped legs of those Bentwood chairs.

The first night we ate at the restaurant it just happened that it was Sissy Bingo night. The hostess, Linda Gerard, would belt out a song occasionally while calling out the bingo balls. My favourite song was "Who Do You Have to Fuck to Get in a Movie." Linda is in her 70s, but given her energy you wouldn't know it.

Love the tile work.

The Dude was cracking me up with his silly antics. Again, love the pendant lamps. Whoever designed the property really paid attention to lighting.

The food served at King's Highway was absolutely delicious. Most of their food is local and organic. And they have the BEST, DAMN coffee EVER - Sumptown Coffee. If it weren't for my bladder condition, I would have stolen more than just a few sips from the Dude.

One thing I really appreciated about the Ace is that they have an entertainment offerering almost every night. Our second night we attended a karaoke event in the Amigo Room, which is a cozy dark little bar. It was so much fun. I can't wait to stay at the Ace again as I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. And I hope to visit all their other locations, two of which are in the Pacific Northwest!

My photo collection of the Ace can be found here.

CALIFORNIA DESIGN AT LACMA

2011-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

We barely squeaked in some time to see LACMA's California Design exhibit during our trip to L.A. I mainly wanted to see it in order to check out the Eames' living room recreated inside the museum. All the contents of the living room were temporarily moved out of their Case Study house in order to do some renovations. The New York Times wrote an article on this project.

Unfortunately, taking photos of the Eames living room replica was not allowed. But it was a sight to behold. To my surprise, the living room featured a mash-up of various styles. It was more eclectic and cluttered than I imagined it would be. It was definitely modern in style, but I was also struck by how warm and cozy the space seemed.

I did manage to get these pictures, which I took with my phone so please excuse the crappy quality. There was so much modern furniture to behold and drool over.

These lamps were to die for. Wish I could have whisked them off to our apartment!

The exhibit was not just about furniture or interior decor. It featured fashion and other areas of design. I really wish I could have lingered and soaked up the inspiration that was all around. We could only spare 45 minutes in there as we were between meetings with friends. California Design runs until June 3, 2012, so if you're in the area and appreciate good design, then go check it out!

CALIFORNIA LOVE!

2011-10-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Our trip down to Los Angeles was fast and furious as usual. I always enjoy going back to the place I grew up. It seems that I never have enough time to see all my relatives and friends. This time around the Dude and I were in Los Angeles proper for only two days so we were over-ambitious in our effort to see as many people as we could. The rest of the time we spent in the desert, in Palm Springs.

The catalyst for the trip was my best friend's son's first birthday. It was celebrated in the traditional Korean way and there was a huge spread of festive, symbolic food set out on the head table.

One thing I always look forward to when visiting SoCal is the food! I become a glutton and try to eat as much as I can of all the foods I miss.

My favourite bakery is Europane in Pasadena. We went there twice in one day! They have the best egg salad sandwich ever. And their lemon bar is divine. We also went to Fred 62 in Los Feliz for breakfast, and I ordered the Bearded Mr. Frenchy, which is french toast coated in cornflakes. Decadently delicious.

I took the Dude out to see a couple of L.A. landmarks: The Griffith Observatory and Randy's Donuts, both which have been used as backdrops in multiple films. The Dude, being a total nerd, really enjoyed the Observatory. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the views in spite of it being a very hazy day. We stopped by Randy's Donuts on the way to the airport; I couldn't leave L.A. without indulging in at least one donut (it's one of the foods I miss the most). It was the first time I had a donut from Randy's, and it was okay. I've had better elsewhere. I mainly wanted to take a picture there.

Of course, I had to do some design research during our trip. We checked out the California Design exhibit at LACMA ever so briefly (which I'll blog about later). And we stayed at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, which is known for their very cool decor (I'll also devote a separate blog post on it).

It goes without saying, but we definitely enjoyed the toasty sunny climate in SoCal - a nice break from rainy, gloomy Vancouver. However, a downside was that the dry atmosphere made my vision more blurry than usual so the poor Dude, who hates driving, had to steer through L.A.'s perilous streets and freeways. We managed to return to Vancouver in one piece...and with our marriage intact.

SHOP UPDATE: GOING ON VACATION

2011-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Halloween is going to be here before you know it. Currently there are a couple of Halloween themed items in the LAX TO YVR shop. I only have one Halloween streamer left! And I'm participating in another giveaway this month! You can check out the details over at the Rikrak studio blog.

Also, both my shops will be closed October 14-19 as we'll be traveling down to Southern California. I'm especially looking forward to getting a bit of R&R in Palm Springs. I haven't been there in ages! Our family used to go there regularly when I was a kid. Can't wait to be in the desert again.

In other news, I've been very busy renovating our living room for the last month. I finally finished painting it in Benjamin Moore Simply White. I love this shade of white. It looks so clean and bright. We're also gradually acquiring new furniture for the space. Most of it is from IKEA, which I feel conflicted about, but whatevs. I'll get over it. Most of it is for my office space anyway. The last major piece of furniture we have to get is a loveseat. We're seriously considering one from EQ3, but I've read so many negative reviews that I'm scared to purchase anything from that store. We shall see.

My vision is still not 100% after the laser eye surgery I got last month. Hence, I'm not blogging as much as I'd like because staring at a computer screen really irritates my eyes. I've been dealing with a perpetual headache ever since the surgery due to straining my eyes constantly, so it's really affected my productivity and energy level. Hopefully, my vision will be less blurry VERY SOON.

I'm going to try to take some decent pictures during our trip (in spite of my vision) so I can share with you all the great things I love about SoCal.

MY FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT IN VANCOUVER

2011-10-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

There are four restaurants in Vancouver that I love to go to regularly. The food is consistently good whenever I dine at any of these establishments.

1. Bob Likes Thai Food. The best Thai restaurant in the city. I always order the chicken fried rice. It's one of my favourite comfort foods.

2. Lin. The Shanghai juice pork dumplings are a must. Hands down the best Chinese restaurant in the westside. The wait staff is not very attentive, but the food is so damn good that I put up with the bad service.

3. Salade de Fruits. When I had the pear tart for dessert, it was, ahem, an orgasmic experience (see photo above). The menu is all in French, but the servers are very helpful in translating and making recommendations. Warning: cash only.

4. La Taqueria. Finally a joint that serves up decent tacos. And all their meat is free-range to boot. I'm so happy that they opened a second location on Cambie and Broadway, which is a lot more accessible for me.

STUFF I BUY FROM ETSY

2011-10-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Every morning when I open the kitchen cabinet to grab a mug, I'm greeted by Lionel Richie. When I first saw this mug from Lenny Mud I knew I had to have it. I'm not even a fan of Lionel Richie. I don't know any of his music. But I just could not resist this mug for some reason. I also bought the Mr. Tea mug from the same shop because I used to be a huge A-Team fan.

This is the song "Hello" that inspired the mug.

I plan to sing it the next time we go to karaoke.

SHOP UPDATE

2011-09-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Over the last little while, I've been gradually adding a new line of hand-painted alphabet letters to the LAX TO YVR shop. These new letters feature a stencil style serif font.

I'll also soon be adding a couple of new felt garlands. I just sewed them up yesterday and need to photograph them.

For the month of September, I'm a sponsor on the My Girl Thursday blog. You should check out Thursday's fun blog! As part of the sponsorship I'm offering 10% off everything (before shipping) in my shop until the end of September. Just use coupon code MGTSEPT11 at checkout. The other great sponsors on Thursday's blog are also offering discount coupons. Retail therapy, anyone?

In other news, I'm getting laser eye surgery today! So I'll be taking a break from blogging until I recover from the procedure. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm looking forward to taking time off and resting post-surgery.

THE BLACK WALL

2011-09-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finally did it! I painted the black accent wall I've been fantasizing about for months on end. The black wall happened where the red accent wall used to be in the living room. The paint I used is Behr "Cracked Pepper."

The red was a lovely colour but it made our living room feel a little too "cozy." The black wall recedes into the background so it makes things feel a bit more spacious. The black wall is actually not really black. It's a dark grey that looks navy blue when it's very bright and charcoal grey when it's very dark. I wish it were a bit darker actually, but I'm sure that if I went for a dark shade I would probably wish it were lighter.

Anyway, it's très très exciting to have a black wall finally.

This week I'm starting to paint the rest of the living room in Benjamin Moore "Simply White." I'm hoping it will reflect light better than the current drab renter's white. Also, I'm excited to use a paint brand other than Behr. My goal is to finish painting the living room by the end of October.

LAX TO YVR GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

LAX TO YVR is participating in its first giveaway!

There are some great prize packs to be won over at the rikrak studio blog. I'm giving away two alphabet letters painted on burlap from my shop!

Details on how to enter the giveaway are here.

Happy weekend!

CRAFT HOTEL IN BUENOS AIRES

2011-09-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

I meant to blog about this hotel we stayed at in Buenos Aires ages ago. So back in March we went down to Argentina to attend my cousin's wedding. It was the Dude's first time there. I learned about Craft Hotel through Remodelista and booked one night there so I could see all the design goodness it boasted. It was the first time I ever stayed at a boutique hotel.

I love the shelving behind the bed and the storage baskets underneath.

The terrace was probably my favourite feature in the hotel. The rustic furniture was to die for. Plus it offered great views of the city.

I wished I had more time to lounge about while visiting.

The courtyard was also lovely. The checkerboard tile floor really gave the space a nice graphic punch. The bikes were available for guests to use.

Craft Hotel is in Palermo Viejo, which is where the young hip people of Buenos Aires like to go to shop, eat, and be merry.

HACKING A SUNBURST MIRROR

2011-09-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the summer I found a dusty old sunburst clock at an estate sale. I grabbed it so that I could transform it to the sunburst mirror I always wanted. It was the best $2 I ever spent at an estate sale.

Here's the original sunburst clock.

I couldn't wait to take off the ugly clock face. But when I dismantled it I ran into a couple problems.

Originally I thought I was going take off the hands of the clock and the little knob that holds them and simply glue a mirror on top of the clock face. But when I unscrewed the hands, the clock and the battery pack behind it all came loose as well. This called for a Plan B. How was I going to glue the mirror onto the space where the clock used to be? Additionally, how was I going to hang up this thing since the hook for hanging the clock was attached to the battery pack?

For the mirror solution, I first cut a few pieces of craft foam into circles. I ended up only needing to glue two of them together to fill in the space in the centre.

For the hanging solution, I used some picture hanging wire I had on hand and tied it to the back like so.

Then I glued on top of the foam circles the mirror I hacked together using a 7 in. round mirror and a 7 in. wooden embroidery hoop that I painted gold. And voila!

It's everything I hoped it would be.

There are lots of instructions out there for how to make a sunburst mirror from scratch. This one and this one are two pretty good tutorials.

This sunburst mirror has one little imperfection. Bonus points to the first one who can point it out.

LIVING ROOM

2011-09-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been changing a bit in our living room recently.

Last weekend I visited Stepback, my favourite vintage home decor store in Vancouver and scored a couple things that I'd been searching for a long time.

We had been hoping to add a two-tier cart to our living room to function as the landing strip and occasionally moonlight as a bar for when we have a party. Stepback had just what we needed. I love the industrial vibe to it. The Dude is not a fan of industrial decor, but he was game for this piece because it's been nearly impossible to find a cart small enough for the space we had in mind. What I love about this cart is that it's on wheels (I'm a huge fan of furniture on wheels) and that it's airy looking instead of bulky. I'm trying to avoid monolithic pieces of furniture so that it doesn't seem overcrowded in our tiny apartment.

The second thing I found is a vintage toolbox I needed to round out my collection on the top shelf above my desk. I definitely need it to store my ever growing stash of craft supplies.

It looks quite cheerful up there with the other vintage toolboxes, don't you think? Vintage toolboxes have so much character and they provide a creative storage solution.

The last new addition to the living room is the sunburst mirror I hacked. I'll devote a separate blog post to this piece. It looks fabulous on the large wall, which was bare and sad-looking until recently.

SHOP UPDATE

2011-08-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

I recently put up some new felt party garlands in the LAX TO YVR shop. They are so fun to make. I really love working with felt. They cheer me up just looking at them. Until Monday, September 5, all felt garlands are shipping for free to Canada and US.

Hopefully I'll have my Christmas product line ready for the shop soon. My goal originally was to have it all ready by the end of August. but I've barely even started working on it! August has been a crazy hectic month, and I'll be relieved when it's over.

Also I'll soon be announcing two giveaways I'll be participating in September. So you'll get an opportunity to score some of my products for free!

ROAD TRIP!

2011-08-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my recent trip down to Washington and up the Sunshine Coast. The occasion was a family reunion on my in-laws' side.

First I drove down to Yakima, WA to pick up the Dude's step-grandmother. It was a real treat to do a long drive by myself. I haven't done one of those in ages! Driving for six hours was actually relaxing for me because I was forced to do nothing but drive. It was a welcome break from my usual multitasking hectic daily life. Driving down Highway 82 was my favourite part because of the breathtaking views of the sheer barren desert. Living in lush, green Vancouver, I really miss seeing stark desert landscapes. Yakima reminds me very much of Southern California.

Then we drove back to B.C. to connect with the rest of the clan, and we all drove up to Sechelt in the Sunshine Coast. The Dude's uncle hosted a two-day 60th birthday party extravaganza in his fabulous vacation home. It was a lot of fun to have the whole family together in one place. And the weather was perfect to say the least.

View from the ferry, on our way from Horseshoe Bay to Gibsons. Riding the ferry is always a visual feast.

Birthday party. At this point a piñata was getting smashed.

TAKING A BREAK

2011-08-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Meet our resident spider. He hangs out in the balcony where he feasts on the pests. His main source of food came from the impatiens. They were infested with little white bugs so I threw out the plant recently. I hope the spider is able to find other food.

I'll be away this week from Wednesday to Sunday, so both my shops are closing and I'll be taking a break from blogging. First, I'll be driving down to Yakima, WA, and then up to the Sunshine Coast. Those two places couldn't be any more different from each other. I hope to capture some good photos at both places.

Photos from our recent visit to Bowen Island:

PAINTING WITHOUT TAPE

2011-08-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

The thing I hate the most about painting is the prep work. I absolutely hate taping the edges of a room. It's the painting I love to do. The Dude is the opposite. He doesn't mind taping, but he hates painting. How could you hate the most fun part?! So I make him do all the taping.

Anyway, I searched on youtube for painting without tape methods and found the "cutting a paint line" technique. I looked at several videos and turns out there are slight variations for this particular method. This was the one I liked the best:

I used this method to paint the bedroom, and it has revolutionized the way I paint. After a few tries, I got the hang of it. Vibrating the brush a bit while I cut a line seemed to work best for me. I also held my breath when I first began, but after a while I could cut a line while breathing normally.

Also, the secret to cutting a straight paint line is to use a damn good paintbrush that's angled. I splurged on a good one by Purdy that's 2 inches wide. And it's crucial to load the brush with the right amount of paint or you'll end up with a mess.

Using tape has it downsides: it's wasteful, it's a pain in the ass to put up and take down, and the paint usually bleeds through. Drawing a paint line by hand is a win-win...except for when you mess up. But paint is easy to clean up when it's wet. So just wipe off and start again.

PAINTING THE BEDROOM

2011-08-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I didn't do the black accent wall behind the bed. The Dude pointed out that with the dark grey curtains, a black wall might feel overwhelming in our bedroom. I'm so glad he pointed that out. I'm in no hurry to change the curtains because it took forever to find them.

Our bedroom is tiny and hence difficult to photograph. There's hardly any space to stand in. These are the best photos I could wrangle.

Here's the "Before" picture:

Overall, we're both pleased with the results. Now that the whole bedroom is painted in Behr Ultra Pure White, we like the paint choice a lot better. When I did half the room back in May, I was very disappointed with the paint. But I feel much better about it now (to great relief). It's a bright cheery white, which is exactly what's called for in gloomy Vancouver.

The one thing I want to change now is the bed linens. I got the one above in the spring when I was still planning to paint the black accent wall. Now with the white wall, it's too much white. I really want this set from IKEA. I've been coveting this duvet cover for a long, long time. I should have just gone with my gut instinct and gotten them. Oh well. I'm not ready to buy it after having just recently purchased the current one, which is also from IKEA. I may just get a colourful throw and toss it on the bed.

A made-up bed is a rare sighting in our household. I'm a neat freak about everything else except the bed. I just don't see the point. And it's also due to pure laziness. I can't be anal about everything.

We're not sure yet what to do about bedside lighting. The Dude hates our current lamps, but I'm not eager to go shopping for new ones because frankly I'd rather spend the time on more urgent matters. For example, I really need to paint the yellow nightstand, which we picked up for $2 last year at a church thrift sale.

The next place to paint is the living room. I was considering Ultra Pure White but it's too white. I'm seriously considering Benjamin Moore Simply White. And I haven't given up on the elusive black accent wall. It's going to happen somewhere in the living room. I hope.

LEARNING ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

2011-08-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

I recently completed an introductory course to Adobe Illustrator at Emily Carr. Taking this class was like drinking from a fire hydrant. Too much information coming at me at once. And we just learned the basics. I'm sure there's a million and one other things still to learn.

It was fun to learn Illustrator finally. But it also made me realize that it's a lot harder to learn new software as I grow older. I hope to practice by using it frequently so I don't forget everything I learned.

The images here are a couple of assignments I did for class.

THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

2011-07-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

I rarely bake cookies nowadays, but when I saw this New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe on a food blog, I knew I just had to try it out. After all, it claims to be the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie, and curiosity got the better of me.

Most of the ingredients were easy to source, except for the chocolate chips. When I finally did find them at Whole Foods I balked at the $3.99 per 100g price tag. For 1.25 lbs. it would have cost me almost $23. I wasn't ready to fork out that much on a recipe I never tried before, so I got regular bittersweet chocolate chips, which I also found at Whole Foods.

When it comes to following recipes, modifications are standard procedure for me. For example, I almost always cut the sugar by half. But this time I stuck to the instructions pretty faithfully. The only thing I changed were the chocolate chips, and I used cane sugar instead of regular granulated white sugar.

It's a pretty easy recipe to follow; the only quirk is the 24-36 hour resting period. Apparently it's important for the dough to rest for that long so that it does its magic. Also, when you roll the dough into 3.5 oz. balls, they're obscenely huge. I could only fit four balls into my baking pan. The size of the ball falls somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball. It's ridiculously big, and I worried it would spread out into an ginormous cookie. But to my relief it didn't.

The result? Perfection indeed. It's the best damn chocolate chip cookie I've ever had. It's also the most rich, decadent cookie I've probably ever eaten. But worth every crumb. I found that I couldn't have a whole cookie in one sitting. These are substantially sized.

The part that I enjoyed the most is the coarse sea salt that's sprinkled on top. It's what makes the cookie. I absolutely love the combination of salty and sweet.

I want to make this recipe again but with the fancy French chocolate chips it calls for. I'm curious to find out if they make the cookies even better.

PAINT IT BLACK

2011-07-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

For weeks and weeks I've been waffling over whether to paint the black accent wall or not in our bedroom. The thing that's been making me hesitate is the possibility of moving out. But we haven't been diligent about actually searching for a new apartment. I didn't want to paint the wall black and then have to re-paint it white shortly thereafter if we were going to move soon. But now it looks like we won't have the opportunity to even start looking for a new apartment until January 2012 at the earliest (it's going to be a busy fall). So I've decided to go ahead and paint the friggin' black accent wall that I've been fantasizing about for months on end.

Yay.

Now I have to agonize over which black paint to choose. This is the most nerve-wracking part of the whole ordeal.

Also, I'm thinking about painting the living room. The default apartment renter's white looks dingy and depressing. I want a bright white that will reflect light better in the dim living room. I was considering Behr's Ultra Premium White, but I think it's too white. I'm going to check out some Benjamin Moore white paint.

July's been a hectic month because I was taking another class at Emily Carr two nights a week. August is going to be beyond hectic. It's probably going to be craziest month of the year. But I'm determined to finish painting the bedroom. I'm itching to pick up a paintbrush so bad that I'm afraid if I don't give into my compulsion some very bad things are going to happen around here.

L.A. PLANTS

2011-07-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

While visiting L.A., I think I may have discovered the source of my plant obsession.

My grandfather is a master of growing and nurturing house plants. I couldn't help but admire his collection while visiting. I find it cute that he mixes in fake flowers with his plants.

I remember as a child my grampa was the first person to teach me how to grow a plant from seed. We planted a seed or a bean of some sort in a paper cup, and I was totally amazed when it magically sprouted.

The plant on the left is one of my favourite succulents of all time. It's originally from South Africa.

This little figurine cracked me up. He seems content dangling off the Sansevieria plant. Grampa's Sansevieria plants are absolutely gorgeous, not a trace of rot or blemish. Mine is full of rotting leaves because initially I overwatered it.

Walking around L.A., I couldn't help but notice succulents growing everywhere. I literally stopped in my tracks every time I saw one and had to ooh and aah over it. It's a good thing we were driving most of the time; otherwise, we would have been late to everything because of all my plant ogling.

I saw these beauties in the Sunset Junction area while making my pilgrimage to Mohawk General Store/Amsterdam Modern, a midcentury modern haven, where I drooled over everything I saw.

I guess living in L.A. for 20 years nurtured a fondness for succulents and cacti. Not only do I appreciate their beauty but also their toughness. They seem to thrive in harsh conditions. I suppose surrounding myself with these plants is a reminder of where I come from.

WEEKEND IN L.A.

2011-07-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

The weekend trip to Los Angeles was fantastic. The 405 freeway closure turned out to be totally overhyped and didn't affect our trip negatively at all. And you couldn't have asked for better weather.

The Dude and I were down there for my cousin's wedding. Got to see some relatives I haven't seen in a while and even ran into a childhood friend whom I haven't seen in almost 20 years.

Of course, no trip to L.A is complete without visiting my favourite eateries. I got a chance to go to one of my favourite Mexican food joints, Loteria Grill.

For breakfast one day I took the Dude to Clifton's Cafeteria, one of the weirdest places to eat in L.A. The food isn't bad, but the decor is something else.

There wasn't good indoor lighting so I don't have more photos unfortunately. Anyway, it's best to experience Clifton's in real person than via pictures. It cracks me up that they place desserts at the beginning and end of the cafeteria line. It's a smart strategy I suppose. People love dessert.

Other food highlights were donuts (L.A. has the BEST donuts ever) and the best non-dairy ice cream from Scoops. I cannot leave L.A. without having at least one of each.

On the last day, we hung out with my best friend and her family. We walked down to the local farmer's market.

The selection was awesome, and I wish the farmer's markets in Vancouver were as big as the ones in L.A.

If only our trip to L.A. could have been longer. It's such a fun place to visit.

NEW IN THE SHOP!

2011-07-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

I added a new product line to the shop this week. They're party streamers made out of felt circles. Aren't they so festive?

They're fantastic for hanging on a wall or across a table. And they're not exclusively for parties. I think they're quite lovely to hang across the wall behind the bed.

Ever since I became aware of the existence of felt fabric way back when, it's been one of my favourite craft materials. I love the huge range of colours they come in and their soft, fuzzy texture.

You can see more photos and get the details in the LAX TO YVR shop.

Looking forward to my trip to SoCal this weekend to attend my cousin's wedding! I'll report about my time in L.A. early next week.

2011-07-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

You know I can't go too long without painting something in our apartment. So recently I did a mini entryway makeover by re-painting our DIY shoe rack. The entryway was one of the first spaces I got in order when we moved in. But now that I have a better idea of our home decor theme, it was time to break out the paintbrush and give the ol' shoe rack a much needed makeover.

Before & After:

I'm obsessed these days with black accents. I want almost everything to be sexy black.

Next paint project: I really need to finish painting our bedroom.

2011-07-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last month when I went out to estate sales I kept finding antlers. I've been wanting to add deer antlers to our home decor for a long time so I was very excited to find them. But the Dude doesn't like having animal remnants lying around so I can't go too crazy. Though I'd love to have a pair of longhorns mounted on the wall, I think for the sake of our marriage it's best if I let that one go. I like the way antlers remind me of the great outdoors. And to boot, they are visually interesting.

I recently listed a pair of small antlers in my vintage shop. I'll be listing bigger antlers soon.

2011-07-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I completed a 6-week drawing course at Emily Carr. It was the first drawing class I ever took, and boy did it ever put me out of my comfort zone. I really suck at drawing, and guess what? I don't enjoy doing things I suck at. So this class was like squirming in a dentist chair the whole time. Nevertheless I learned a lot, and my drawing skills have improved a bit.

Before I took the class, if you had asked me to sketch a human figure, I would have produced something by drawing sticks. Now I can actually sketch a somewhat realistic looking person, but only if he's nude (I don't know yet how to draw on clothes). While I was putting together my portfolio to present in the last class, I was like, "Did I really draw that?"

I attempted to draw a person sitting on the chair above and failed miserably. It quickly became apparent that not only are people difficult in life, they are even more difficult to draw.

Taking this drawing course really pushed me to use my imagination and made me realize that I really need to exercise that part of my brain.

You can see my drawing portfolio here.

2011-06-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I quietly opened my second online shop LAX TO YVR on Etsy. Shortly thereafter the Canada Post strike began, then the shut-out. Yeah, a great way to begin an e-business that relies on the postal system. Nevertheless, I kept the shop open but didn't do much to promote it, thinking that I wouldn't see much action in the shop if I lay low. To my surprise, I got orders within days of opening the shop.

So ta-da! I'm announcing a new shop featuring exclusively handmade home decor by yours truly. I'm a bit obsessed with typography and I think burlap is a really cool fibre to work with so I was inspired to create a product that combines both. Jute burlap is natural, renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable so it's a very sustainable resource. My goal is to be as eco-friendly as possible in running my business.

My first online shop Sugarpush Vintage is still around. It's going to be interesting (and require a butt load of multitasking prowess) running the two shops simultaneously. I find that selling handmade is a totally different game than selling vintage on Etsy.

I'm super excited about my new venture. Now that Canada Post is operating again, I hope that business will pick up for both stores.

2011-06-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

My favourite summer festival started over the weekend: The Vancouver Jazz Festival!

We attended the free outdoor concerts that were happening in Gastown yesterday and enjoyed a fantastic, diverse line-up of local Vancouver musicians. The photo above features Company B. They perform swingin' old standards à la The Andrew Sisters.

This is the view from Six Acres, which is just behind the statue of Gassy Jack, where we were having dinner while listening to the concert. It's a great little joint. We dined there for the first time a couple weeks ago, and we were happy to come back. Great food and great booze. What more can you ask for? And I love the rutsic, vintage-inspired interior decor.

2011-06-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

A while ago I ordered this cushion from Etsy shop Timberline Treasures. It's made out of Pendleton wool, and I got it because of its Southwest look. It's currently sitting in the armchair (the one we never sit on because it's become a repository for things like instruments, a camera bag, another cushion, etc.).

I already want to replace the current Pendleton cushion with another Pendleton cushion that Little Byrd Vintage sells. I think you know where this is going. Yes, I'm developing a cushion obsession. I keep wanting to buy every single one I like. The madness never ends.

Well, once we buy a new armchair it'll give me an excuse to get a new cushion.

On a totally different note, earlier this year I became the editor of the ICON, which is the newsletter for St. Mary's Kerrisdale. The second issue I did was published recently. You can download a copy here to see what I do during my spare time.

2011-06-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Dude and I went down to Seattle during the weekend. We stayed in Kirkland where at every pedestrian crossing there are bright orange flags for people to use while they cross the street. Quirky, eh?

Our friends invited us to go watch the Solstice Parade in Fremont, an offbeat neighbourhood in Seattle. When they told us that there's a statue of Lenin in Fremont, I suspected that its denizens would know how to throw a zany parade, and I was not disappointed.

The parade began with naked, painted cyclists riding through en masse. Very fun to see. People were quite creative with their "costumes."

I admired these cyclists for braving the rain in their nakedness.

Then the parade began and these were some highlights.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster graced us with an appearance.

This sea creature was made out of paper cups.

The guy was dressed in an outfit made out of plastic bags. The little boy was a stray from the dung beetle group.

Spectators ran into the middle of the street to be rolled over by the giant beach ball.

Overall, it was a very entertaining parade to watch (even in the rain). Definitely worth the drive down.

On our way back to Vancouver, we stopped by Bellingham and enjoyed a little something something from Rocket Donuts. It seems that whenever I'm in Bellingham, I cannot leave without getting a treat from Rocket Donuts because they're the closest thing to L.A. donuts, which I crave regularly. Their donuts are real good.

2011-06-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Dude and I went out to downtown to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Here are some pictures I took before all hell broke loose.

A caged "Bruin bear" being paraded around.

This is Georgia Street at Seymour where the "fanzone" was located. This family hopefully fled before rioting began right on this street.

An empty whiskey bottle on Georgia Street. A portent of what was to come?

A Canucks fan getting the crowd to chant. They were sitting on top of Port-a-potties.

Check out the dude standing on top of the traffic light.

Fortunately, we were in Gastown watching the game so we hopped on the Canada Line when the game finished and were oblivious to all the rioting that was going on right above us. The violence and destruction really came as a surprise. Everybody seemed so good-natured when we were walking around during the game.

The riots got me so bummed out. The Canucks losing the Cup was sad enough, but the riots are very demoralizing. I feel sad, disappointed, angry, and embarrassed.

2011-06-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

I need to come clean about my new addiction. I finally had to admit to myself that I'm a plantoholic. If I don't check this habit, our little apartment is going to be overrun with plants. Instead of crazy cat lady, I'll be immortalized as crazy plant lady if I don't deal with my problem soon.

I paid a visit recently to my favourite garden centre in Vancouver, KJM Country Gardens. I can spend hours there. You can even pick up fresh eggs hatched by the chickens running around the grounds! KJM has an excellent selection of succulents:

I wanted to take them all. But instead I restrained myself to these two:

I also went to Old Faithful (one of my ultimate favourite home decor stores in Vancouver) to get a couple of air plants (Tillandsia):

These guys are a bit more high maintenance than I anticipated. They need to be watered quite often. But they're sooooo cool. They don't need to be planted in soil and can chill just about anywhere. You can even hot glue them onto something else. The Dude thinks that they're freaky and that they're of the devil because of their unorthodox existence.

This past weekend I acquired even more plants even though I told the Dude that I would stop. They were crying out to me to take them home! How could I not? OMG, I seriously have a problem. Someone please help me.

2011-06-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Holly over at Decor8 is hosting a Stripe Mania Party. This was my submission (sporting my new vintage sunglasses!):

You can see all the participants showing off their stripes here. Very fun to see.

I love wearing stripes so I really enjoyed participating in this virtual endeavor.

2011-06-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

We finally had a hot, sunny weekend. Hoorah! So the Dude and I did a lot of walking around town. One of the places we went to was the Love Vancouver Festival in the Olympic Village. It was the first time we visited the notorious condo development, and we encountered giant freaky birds there.

The truck behind the bird gives you a sense of how ginormous it is. And there's another gigantic bird close by as well. The bird sculptures were a surprising choice because I would have expected the more typical gigantic orca whale to be installed instead. A whale, or a beaver for that matter, would have been preferable to birds. Birds, especially really big ones, freak me out. Could you imagine what it would be like for that little boy if he got pooped on by a bird that size?

Modo, the car co-op we belong to, was there showing off their new acquisition. And I couldn't resist getting up close and personal with the new Fiat, which is incredibly cute. Cannot wait to drive it once it becomes available.

Canucks fever is running high in Vancouver. I haven't been yet, but I hear that downtown is a gong-show when a game is on.

I also managed to get to some estate sales and picked up a few things for the shop.

2011-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

The other day I was feeling really bummed out about the impending Canada Post strike, so I went out to Main Street to see what the hipsters were up to. Just kidding. My main purpose was to check out an antique shop that sells midcentury modern furniture that someone recommended and to visit my favourite clothing consignment shop, Front and Company. But I got distracted...

I went into a vintage store I've never been to: I Found Gallery. And I fell in love with a pair of vintage sunglasses. So I got them and brought 'em home. At 30 bucks, how could I resist?

They've got prescription lenses so they need to be changed. I will keep this pair forever. They're a classic and will never lose their stylish mojo. It's made in Italy. Those Italians really know good design, eh?

This stupid postal strike that's about to happen is really going to hurt my online vintage shop. Also, I was going to launch my new Etsy shop today, but now I have to delay it.

2011-05-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Canucks fever is running high in Vancouver right now. The city's beloved hockey team is going to the Stanley Cup finals...finally. The last time they came this far was in 1994.

So I was inspired to make a Canucks themed felt garland. It features the team colours: blue, green, and white. It's on sale in my shop.

Go Canucks Go!

2011-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I've been slowly transforming the balcony into a succulent garden oasis. Maybe it's my California upbringing, but I adore succulent plants. And that they just happen to be the easiest plants to care for is a major plus. They seem to thrive on neglect, which I've got plenty to give.

Because our balcony faces northeast, it doesn't get much sun other than in the morning. Given that succulents tend to be sun worshippers, I hope my new plants don't die. But I've had success with the sedum plants in the last year so I hope the new guys survive too.

I love looking out our balcony and seeing all the greenery, especially while I'm doing yoga. It's very calming.

I'm also gradually changing our indoor plants to cacti and succulents to go with our Tex-Mex theme, er, I mean Southwest modern decor.

2011-05-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

The new wall hook we've put up on our freshly painted wall in the bedroom is awesome. It's from PM Custom, and it comes in an assortment of colours. I chose black so it would contrast nicely with the very white walls. This piece came to my attention via Remodelista, a great resource for all things home decor.

I love its chunkiness and the fact that it's very functional. Your clothes will not slip off these hooks! And it always makes me feel warm and fuzzy (the way rainbows and puppies do) when I buy handmade and support an independent artisan.

2011-05-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

There was much going on in the world of retail this past weekend in Vancouver. I attended the grand opening of Anthropologie on Friday night. It was an estrogen-fest needless to say. Anthropologie is more of a source of inspiration for me rather than a place where I open my wallet. I'm glad it's finally here.

We also went to the Inform Warehouse Sale on Saturday. I've actually never been in the regular Inform store in Gastown. They have a collection of fabulous modern furniture that I'll never be able to afford. While browsing around, we discovered that perhaps a chaise lounge-y type of sofa may be the way to go for our living room. We mainly want a couch that we can lie down on to read and relax, which we really can't do with our current loveseat.

And then there was the 1 year anniversary party at Old Faithful, which I missed sadly. This is another go-to source for inspiration. So much rustic goodness there. I particularly love their gorgeous terrariums.

2011-05-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to re-painting the bedroom.

Here's the "Before" picture:

I used Behr Ultra Premium White in Flat. The result was very underwhelming I'm sad to report. Maybe it's because the rest of the walls aren't finished. I was hoping that crisp white walls would magically make the bedroom look better but it still looks blah. Maybe it's because it still lacks the right furnishings. Maybe white is just not my colour. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Anyway, I needed to paint the walls because the bedroom is where I mainly do my photo shoots, and I need a white background for my product shots, particularly for the new online shop I'm developing.

So I have half a wall still to go to paint in white. The wall behind the bed is supposed to be painted black, but now that we're planning to move it seems pointless because I'd have to paint it white again before we vacate. Hence, it shall remain light blue. Maybe. Probably not.

2011-05-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Dude and I did a sweet little weekend getaway to Victoria, the fair capital of British Columbia. Spring was in full bloom, and we enjoyed the pleasant, balmy weather. And the ferry ride there and back is always a treat. The gorgeous scenery we sail through reminds me that I live in a very beautiful part of the world.

We treated ourselves to a night at the Empress Hotel. We snatched a good deal on the internet, and we were upgraded to a bigger room with a harbor view when we checked in. The decor was a bit dated, but hey it's the Empress! Old is supposed to be part of its charm. It was a comfortable, quiet room, but the most luxurious feature was that it had two full bathrooms! No fighting over who gets to use the bathroom first.

Everything's within walking distance so we ambled here and there. We visited antique shops, boutiques, and yummy eateries. Victoria boasts of terrific breakfast joints so we visited a couple of them. I think the reason I enjoy Victoria so much is because I love eating my way through there. They have a pretty cool restaurant scene.

I always have a good time whenever I visit Victoria, and I look forward to returning again soon! I think next time I want to go with a truck in order to bring back some midcentury modern furniture because it's a heck of a lot cheaper there than in Vancouver.

2011-05-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

The last of the wall shelves were installed in the living room against the maybe-too-bright red accent wall. The shelf brackets and rails came from Home Depot. The wood is a white cedar 1x10 cut to size from Kerrisdale Lumber. It's was lightly sanded and left untreated.

Most of the stuff on the shelves is personal junk mixed in with some things I sell in the shop. The yellow vase at the very top is by Huronia, a Canadian pottery company that closed in the 1970's. I'm so taken with that shade of yellow that I'm considering hunting and gathering similar ceramic pieces by Huronia.

The cactus print is from an Etsy shop called PerlaAnne. The ball of yarn is from Bristol County Dyeworks, and it's currently being knitted into a pair of handwarmers.

The print of the branches is also from PerlaAnne. The set of pipes is on sale in my vintage shop.

The next thing on the agenda is getting a new loveseat. We got the current one when we were poor as dirt from a sketchy used furniture shop because I was tired of living months without a couch. It's not comfortable and it's too bulky looking for the tiny space it's in. Something lean and leggy would be preferable.

2011-04-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

It recently occurred to me that I'm incredibly fortunate to be pursuing my entrepreneurial dreams. I know that sounds so, so lame. The odd thing was how quietly this dawned on me. And it took me a long time to realize it too because quite frankly pursuing my dream feels rather...mundane. But it's huge that I'm doing what I love, especially because I thought it was impossible to do so.

After completing grad school, I read the career advice book What Color Is Your Parachute? to figure out what sort of job I wanted. After doing the exercises in the book it turned out that crafting was my number one skill I loved to use. But how the hell was I going to find a job that would pay me to make stuff? When unemployment was forced on me while going through Canadian immigration in 2009, it allowed me to do some soul-searching, and I concluded that I have to love what I do when it comes to a job. During that time I reconnected with my crafty self and it led me naturally to what I'm doing now.

The best thing about having my own creative business is that I get to apply my favourite skills in addition to my best job skills. Doing the online vintage shop has been an educational experiment in e-commerce, and it's confirmed that I really love running my own business. So this has encouraged me to expand my entrepreneurial effort and start working on a second Etsy shop selling exclusively handmade goods I make. I'm excited but nervous too because there's always the risk of my products totally flopping. But risk is the name of the game when it comes to entrepreneurship. I won't ever know unless I try.

Anyway, I'm not writing this simply to gloat over how lucky I am. This is to remind myself that I should be grateful for the daily grind because I'm living "my dream." And none of this would be possible without the support of the Dude, who always encourages me do what makes me most happy. I'm immensely blessed to have a spouse like the Dude who "gets me" and takes my hopes and dreams seriously.

2011-04-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

I finally did it. I got a Twitter account. And I feel very lost in Twitter-land. The fact that it's supposed to be simple and yet I don't get it makes me feel very old.

Anyway, I can be found @laxtoyvr.

2011-04-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Another trip to IKEA yielded these results:

The Helmer drawer unit and the Gilbert chair are two IKEA items I love. They offer a lot of design-bang for your buck. And the Gilbert chair is surprisingly comfortable to boot. (Please just ignore the wire-y mess under the desk).

I really wish Helmer came in black though. It'd be so bad-ass in black. I'm sure IKEA will realize this one day and grant me my wish. The other thing I wish for is drawer stoppers so that the drawers don't come flying out whenever I pull one open.

Crap, I just realized that the office is looking too IKEA-ish, especially since I'm using the Kassett boxes and Knuff magazine files as storage. And the friggin' glass shelves are from IKEA too. Noooooo, damn you, IKEA. Just kidding, sort of. Given their affordability and that I actually like these pieces a lot, I'm fairly pleased.

I think one reason that I end up getting more stuff from IKEA than I'd really like is not only because it's the most economical option, but it's also the most convenient. It's hard to find the equivalent in non-IKEA home furnishing stores here in Vancouver because the selection is so friggin' small.

One day when we have a fifteen hundred bucks just idling around, I will replace the Gilbert chair with the Eames Management office chair. One day...

2011-04-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Founds lots of cool stuff when I went thrifting last weekend, one of which was this lamp. I really like it, so I'm considering keeping it for myself rather than selling it in my vintage shop.

Its woody chunkiness is what got my attention. The current lampshade on it though is a tad bit too small. If I were to keep it, I would dress it up with a big sexy black lampshade.

Below is the lamp that it would potentially replace. I found this lamp at an estate sale last summer. It was a gem in the midst of piles and piles of junk. Love its midcentury modern coolness. Airy and graceful. The very opposite of the specimen above.

Hmmm...not sure what to do. I have a feeling I'm going to agonize over this decision. Can't keep both because we don't have space for two.

The horse is a new addition. I got it from my favourite Etsy vintage shop, Hindsvik. It's a ceramic horse bookend. I love, love, love it. It's the first time I bought something vintage from Etsy. The Dude thinks it's butt ugly and doesn't get it, *sigh*. Maybe if it were a robot or Godzilla he'd appreciate it.

2011-04-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

After being away for two weeks, it was nice to return to Vancouver and see cherry blossoms in bloom. Spring is here! Finally.

I had fun showing the Dude Buenos Aires, the city where I was born. It was especially great to be there in March when it's still summer. My relatives enjoyed meeting the Dude. As I expected, they pointed out how skinny he was and blamed it on me - every time we saw them. The best way to summarize our trip to Argentina is that we ate, and ate, and ate some more. It was a meat-fest. And a dessert-fest. Everything tastes so much better down there.

Then we went up to Massachusetts to visit the Dude's family. It was nice to be back in the US and to be among relatives who did not badger us about having kids, like, tomorrow. Anyway, I relished the opportunity to visit stores that I miss frequenting because they don't exist in Canada (e.g. Target and Trader Joe's). A highlight was seeing Brookfield, the Dude's hometown, which is a small rural community in the middle of nowhere. To say the least, it's a very different environment from the kind that I grew up in.

Most of the shopping I did on vacation consisted of stocking up on yarn (as if I don't already have enough). Seriously, if the apocalypse were to occur tomorrow and the world became a nuclear wasteland, I'd have enough yarn to keep me busy until I die...maybe. It would depend on how fast I knit.

2011-03-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Very little has been accomplished in the way of home decorating because things have been so hectic lately. But I did manage to make a terrarium finally. They're still all the rage it seems.

Terrariums are super easy to make, especially when using succulents. Plus, they require very little care and maintenance. For the one above I just lined the bottom with some river rocks, then placed a layer of charcoal, and topped that with some cactus soil. Lastly, I inserted a jade plant, and voilà, a terrarium! So easy, so fast. So I wonder why it took me months to get to this project.

What's been keeping me busy lately is my new volunteer gig. Last month I agreed to become the editor of my church newsletter. My first issue comes out this weekend. It's been a fun project, but I'm glad I only have to put out four issues a year because it's time-consuming work.

And time is something I'm sorely lacking these days. I'm putting in more time into running my shop. It's been encouraging to see sales steadily grow. And I hope to expand the products I offer.

But running a business, I'm learning, results in working seven days a week. I realized recently that I don't have a single day off. Since I also have a part-time job at Granville Island, I end up working on the days I could potentially have off. So it's no surprise that I had a mini-breakdown last weekend due to sheer exhaustion. Somehow I need to figure out a way to carve out time off. But my workaholic self doesn't know how to relax. The only way I can do nothing is if I'm away from home and have no choice but to relax.

Starting tomorrow I'll have two weeks off to do anything but work as we'll be traveling down to Argentina and then up to Massachusetts visiting our families. I'm going to relish every minute that I get to relax and have fun.

2011-02-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

There's No Place Like Here: Hindsvik from Etsy on Vimeo.

I'm sure this video is making the rounds in the design blogosphere. Valeria and Daniel are the duo behind my favourite Etsy vintage shop, Hindsvik. Etsy recently produced a video tour of their Scandinavian-style home in Ontario.

I don't know if personally I can live in a space with that much white, but I do appreciate how beautifully they've decorated their home. All their vintage goodies set my heart a-flutter. And they've done some awesome DIY projects as well. Their website, which is full of inspirational home decorating ideas, is worth checking out.

2011-02-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is what the home office looks like currently. Originally the office was set up in the darkest corner of the living room, but it was relocated next to the balcony window so that it gets flooded with natural light.

The glass wall shelves are from IKEA. I love how they look, especially in contrast to the DIY desk. (I don't hate all things IKEA). We did make the mistake of spacing the shelves out evenly. I learned later that height between shelves should decrease as they go up to create visual balance. That's a tip for next time.

The task lamp is one of those that clamp on to the desk. Originally I wanted a black one (I still do), but I saw this red one at a garage sale for $3 and I couldn't resist. The orange boxes are from IKEA as well. I think I should have gone with the black ones. Oh well.

The square painting on the middle shelf is the inspirational source of the colour palette I'm going for in the living room. It's a thrift store find, like a lot of stuff in our home. The little painting on the mini easel in front of it is from a fellow Canadian Etsy seller, emmarts, who is based in North Vancouver. I have a few of her works around the apartment as we often buy from each other's shops.

I wish the desk looked this clean all the time. I think having a drawer unit would help with clutter management. The other mess to deal with are all the wires below the desk. Ugh.

The office chair I'm coveting these days is the Eames Aluminum Group Management chair. If I get one, it would have to be a knock-off because there's no way we're spending over a $1,000 on a chair again.

So sexy beautiful. If I want Eames anything it would have to be a knock-off.

2011-02-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

Remember the sad empty wall I was crying about?

Allow me to remind you:

The Dude and I finally got around to putting up the troublesome wall shelves. And voila!

Initially, we put up three vertical rails, but decided to take the middle one out. It was unnecessary. Plus, because the wall is not even, the shelves were not flush against the wall, and taking out the middle rail solved that problem. It's weird how walls can be uneven because they look deceptively straight to the naked eye. The cedar boards are just resting on the brackets. Don't want to bother attaching them together. Crossing my fingers that it won't be a problem.

If I had all the space my heart desired, this is not how I would curate the stuff on the shelves. But the shelves were mounted so that I'd have more space to store all the thrifted objects that I'm selling in the shop, and they don't necessarily mesh very well colour- and style-wise. Anyway, the items on display will be in constant rotation as things come and go so I'm not going to worry too much about it all looking pretty and shit.

The shelves are holding a few personal items as well, one of which is the cat picture, a recent thrift shop find. It's a print from the "Sam" the cat series that Andy Warhol did, and I love it. The Dude thinks it looks weird, but I don't care.

More wall shelves are slated for the future, which means another trip to Home Depot(s). The plan is to fill the red wall with similar shelving. The landlord is sure going to have a lot of fun spackling all the holes we've drilled into the walls once we move out.

2011-02-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

I am totally captivated by a song called "Take Care of Yourself" by Teddy Thompson. It's lush, haunting, and oh so sad. I'm trying very hard not to listen to it too much so that it never gets old. You can listen to it on his facebook page (it's track #9). It has that old-school, Roy Orbison-esque sound that I love. Can't wait to get the whole album, which comes out tomorrow.

Anyway, we had another successful craigslist weekend. More purging, yay! We sold the IKEA bookcases (remnants from the Dude's bachelorhood) to make room for the new storage chest we got. We'll soon be putting up more wall shelves to replace the bookcases.

And the Dude's big-ass ergonomic chair also sold - miraculously. We thought it would never sell because we were asking a lot for it since we paid a lot for it. Getting rid of it allowed us to re-position the IKEA Expedit bookcase/room divider in the living room so that it lies horizontally. When it was standing vertically its proportions didn't fit the rest of the room. Its new horizontal position seems to create better "flow" in the living room.

It's amazing how much we purge weekly from our little apartment. Whenever I think we're done purging I still manage to find things for the outbox. The fact that I volunteer at a thrift shop probably has something to do with it. It encourages me to find things to donate on a regularly basis. The less stuff we live with, the better I say.

2011-02-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

(via apartment therapy)

We have a loud neighbour problem. He blasts his music at random times during the day, like 5 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 2 a.m. It's been like that since we moved in more than a year ago. We've complained to the building manager, who's given him numerous warnings, but he doesn't seem to give a shit.

Now that he's acquired a girlfriend, who seems to have moved in with him, we're subject to her vocal theatrics when they have sex. And in the last couple days they've taken up the habit of having loud sex at 4:30 a.m. That's right. 4:30 A.M. Really, is that really necessary? You can't let the ol' cock just lie until at least sunrise?

I'm a light sleeper and being woken up by loud sex noise, which is coming from his bedroom that is separated from our bedroom by at least his living room and kitchen, sucks (yeah, she's really loud). Once I wake up, I can't go back to sleep. Needless to say, I've been very sleep deprived and feeling like a zombie during the day.

We're hoping he gets evicted real soon. Meanwhile, I'm debating if I should post a note similar to the one above.

2011-01-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

I have a love-hate relationship with craigslist. I suppose most people who use it do. Trying to sell stuff on craigslist is usually a pain because of flaky shoppers. And trying to buy stuff is a pain because of flaky sellers. Nevertheless, I have to admit that it's a great internet tool for buying and selling crap. Well, this past week I had two consecutive good experiences selling and buying on craigslist. It was as if all the stars were aligned or something.

First, I bought an awesome, old storage chest for $50. It's got the right dimensions and even the loud turquoise colour works for the colour palette I'm going for. I've been hoping for months to find a wooden chest that would function as storage/coffee table/extra seating for the living room. And I can't believe I found one that fits the bill perfectly. We just need to slap some casters on this baby and it's golden. The best thing about it: not IKEA.

Second, we finally sold a black armchair that I've been trying to get rid of for months. After taking a hiatus, I re-posted it and it sold within days - huzzah. Now the living room feels a bit more spacious. The armchair had the wrong proportions that made it look odd with the rest of the furniture. I bought it last summer at an estate sale and it turned out to be one of my "early mistakes."

Now we only have three more pieces of furniture to purge: the Dude's big-ass ergonomic chair and two bookcases that are standing in the place where the new storage chest/bench/coffee table is going to go.

2011-01-29T08:12:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I'm up to no good again. I'm thinking of re-painting our bedroom. It was the Dude who proposed it. For once it wasn't me who came up with a home decor idea. After having attended a design competition where we saw six beautifully decorated condo suites, I whined to the Dude that our bedroom had too many colours going on. Currently we have blue, brown, white, red and gray going on in the bedroom. There's really no main colour.

So the Dude gave the most brilliant suggestion: paint three of the walls white and one wall black (the one behind the bed). He said the blue walls weren't really helping our colour scheme. Oh my goodness, I have trained him well. LOL! He's heard me coo at sexy black walls enough times to suggest it. I'm très excited about the possibilities newly painted walls present.

The photo above shows all the paint options I'm considering. They're all Behr paint chips from Home Depot (I'm quite happy with their paints based on previous experience). I'm probably going to go for Ultra Premium White (it's the whitest white paint), but I'm afraid that it may feel too sterile and clinical. When I see pictures of spaces painted in this colour I adore it, but I'm not sure how it would feel actually living with this colour. Anyway, I'm going to paint a sample swatch of it before I commit to it.

Now it's a matter of finding time to paint. Too much going on for the next four weeks. Maybe early March? I'm going to start with the white walls. Then choose the black paint. Yay, yay, yay, I finally get to have a black wall.

2011-01-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

I'm learning how to use a sewing machine. Actually, I'm re-learning. I first learned in middle school home ec class, and then shortly thereafter lost all my sewing skills. Looking back I can't believe I made all those projects when I was a little teeny-bopper, like cushions, bags, and shorts! I made a pair of shorts! They were constructed out of flannel fabric because grungy fashion was all the rage back then. I have no idea how to make shorts now...very sad.

Well, I recently made a garland as my first sewing project. I cut a gazillion little felt circles (by hand) and then sewed them together very badly (who knew that sewing straight is very hard?). I put them up as decoration for our New Year's Day open house that we just hosted. Fortunately, they were hanging high up enough so that you couldn't really see all the mistakes.

Maybe one day when I've practiced enough I'll be able to sew up some shorts again.

2010-12-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

via

The internet is evil, evil, evil. It makes me want to paint black walls like this one. I just discovered Door Sixteen, and I've added it to my list of inspirational homes. I've been intrigued by walls painted black for a while now. Every time I see one I'm struck by how warm and sexy it is, not gloomy at all. I want a black accent wall so badly. Gosh, and I'm in love with that wooden shelf right above the bed.

Another home blog that inspires me is The Brick House. I am so friggin' envious of everything Morgan does for her home, and I wish I could harness her thrifting prowess. That woman finds the best deals ever, which is not surprising given that she has a $100 rule: she doesn't spend more than $100 on any one item. Whenever I visit The Brick House blog I'm drooling over all the vintage furniture and decorative items that are strewn about in every nook and cranny of Morgan's home. There's also has a black wall in the house and a black fireplace.

The Dude thinks I'm addicted to design porn. Maybe that's the reason I constantly stress about how our apartment looks. Trying to beautify our place on a microscopic budget gets wearisome real fast. (Plus, I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time). It's very difficult to source affordable vintage furniture in Vancouver. Attempting to decorate our place following the $100 rule in Vancouver would be impossible. If we tried, we'd end up with either an empty space or a place full of ugly, dilapidated furniture.

2010-12-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

When I finally began feeling Christmas-y (about two weeks ago), I got me two holiday albums: Pink Martini's Joy to the World and Shelby Lynne's Merry Christmas. The first one took a while to grow on me, but now I absolutely love it. My favourite track on it is the Hebrew song "Elohai, N'tzor." It is absolutely sublime and so moving. I can listen to it a million times and not get sick of it. The other track that really got to me is the Chinese song "Congratulations (A Happy New Year Song)." So fun!

Shelby Lynne's honky tonk Christmas album is a nice break from listening to jazzy Christmas songs, which make up the bulk of my holiday music collection. I love her voice and the way she interprets the classic Christmas songs we're all famliar with. And included in the album are two original tracks she wrote.

I think the selection of these two albums was appropriate for this season because of their atypical offerings. Now I'm kinda sad that Christmas is over because I was just starting to get into it.

2010-12-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

rib & hull

My purse diet officially ended when this tote arrived from rib & hull. It's the first handbag I've bought since 2006! I'm pretty sure that was the last time I bought a purse, and what a fabulous purse it was, a vintage snakeskin clutch that I use for special occasions. Anyway, I've been gifted a few purses during the dry spell, but I'm proud that I resisted buying a handbag for myself in all these years. My purse addiction is no more - I hope.

Bought this fun orange tote from an Etsy seller based in Poland. It's constructed very well and worth every penny I forked over. I love buying handmade. I also bought from the same seller a case for my scratched up iPod touch, which I mainly use as an alarm clock these days. But now that I have this cool iPod sleeve maybe I'll take it out more often.

2010-12-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

This blank wall makes me sad. The plan is to put up wall shelves using the cedar 1x8 we got a month ago. But I haven't been able to find the right hardware to put up the damn shelves. I was waffling between white or black brackets. And when I finally decided on black, of course nothing comes in the size I need. ARRRRRRGH.

Here are the cedar shelves just sitting in our entryway looking rather forlorn. They remind me every day how slow this project is going.

So the hardware that I need is at the Home Depot in the U.S. Home Depot Canada for some stupid, stupid reason doesn't carry the shelf brackets in the size I need. They carry it in white, but not black. jfkajfslafowiejsalkfjsajfklajfdsaklfjsalkfs!!

I've wasted so much time going here and there looking for shelf brackets. I'm just hoping with all my might that the Home Depot in Bellingham, WA will have the goods. While I'm down there I'll pick up other things that I can't get in this third world of a country I call home.

2010-12-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

The Dude and I have been having half-serious conversations about moving for a while now. Although we enjoy living in Kerrisdale, the bus that gets us to the places that promise us fun is infrequent and unreliable. Hence, we don't go out as much, and our social life is suffering as a result.

Well, last night we had our first fully serious conversation about moving. We're shooting for next spring, probably in May or June. Exhaustion overcomes me just thinking about moving. But we really do need to move. Ideally, our new place will be near Broadway and Cambie where the 99 B-line bus and the Canada Line are readily accessible. It's such a central location, and we can easily get to all the places that promise us fun. So no more excuses for staying in!

Although I have mixed feelings about moving, in the long run it'll be good. But there are things about Kerrisdale that I'll definitely miss. For example, I particularly love the yoga studio that I frequent, and I'm not sure if it'll be realistic for me to keep going there once it's not within walking distance. This makes me very sad.

Well, one advantage about moving is that I'll have a whole new space to decorate! And I'll get to apply all the lessons I learned from the mistakes I made in our current apartment.

2010-12-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Finally picked up the pine armoire I mentioned before. This is now the second biggest piece of furniture in the apartment. I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon polishing it up with some Feed-N-Wax. I don't think it made a difference. Maybe I should have cleaned it first with wood cleaner before polishing it. Anyway, next month I'll give it another polish and see if it visibly makes an improvement. In the far, far future I want to sand it down and refinish it.

Now the pine armoire has one outstanding flaw, among other problems. It's not square - it does not stand up straight at all. It drives me nuts that it slants very obviously to the left. Sometime in the future I hope to fix this problem. Other than that I love it. It provides a lot of storage, and the dimensions are perfect for our living room. But I feel it's not worth the $369 we paid for it. IKEA had an armoire for $200, but I went with the pine armoire instead because I want as little IKEA furniture that I can get away with. I just tell myself it's worth the price because it's not IKEA, and it replaced a crappy IKEA dresser that used to be in its place, and it's made out of solid wood, and it looks rustic, and we saved it from becoming firewood. Now I don't want to come across as an IKEA hater. I do love some of their products. I just don't want our place to look like an IKEA showroom.

2010-12-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

After seeing this project and this project, I was inspired to make a plumping pipe desk in the same style.

First, I found a table at the Salvation Army that I liked. And I took off its ugly legs.

Then I went to Home Depot to get the following supplies to make new legs:

6 - 1/2" x 24" black plumping pipes
4 - 1/2" x 3" black pipe nipples
4 - 1/2" diameter black tees
8 - 1/2" diameter black floor flanges
round felt guards

Before joining all the pipes I washed them with dish soap and water to get the grease off.

I joined one 24" pipe to one end of the tee and then screwed in the pipe nipple to the other end of the tee. Did this 4 times for the 4 legs. Then the remaining two 24" pipes were used to make the crossbar, so you end up with a pair of legs like this:

Next I screwed in the floor flanges to the top of the nipples so that the legs could be attached to the underside of the table like this:

To make sure the legs were going to be attached right I outlined the four holes in the flange on the desk with black marker and drilled pilot holes for the screws that were going to go through the flange holes. I screwed up a bit at this part in that I didn't care to align the flange in such a way so that the crossbar wouldn't be in the way when I used the power drill to screw in the screws. Hence I had to redo the pilot holes in order that they wouldn't be right underneath the crossbar. By the way, the screws I used were the ones that were used to hold the former legs.

Then I attached the rest of the floor flanges to make the feet and stuck some felt pads on them to prevent them from scratching the floor. And, voila, my dream desk!

The Dude, of course, helped me with this project. A hiccup we experienced in the project was that the pipe nipples we originally got were too long (4" nipples) and had to be replaced with shorter ones (3" nipples) so that the desk wouldn't be too tall. The desk ended up being just short of 30" high, which is the standard desk height. Really, it's good to measure twice. Overall, this was a very simple DIY project.

Last thing to do is figure out a way to hide all the wires and cables. Can't stand them.

2010-11-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

by Kyu Hwang

The Dude and I checked out the Eastside Culture Crawl this past weekend. We visited a handful of artists' studios, and we were both taken by Kyu Hwang. He's a Korean artist who works out the Parker building just west of Commercial Drive. His work consists mainly of illustrations that are weirdly whimsical. Above is an example. His drawings make you both smile and furrow your eyebrows. His flickr page is worth checking out.

This was the first time we've participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl. Every year I have intended to go but crappy weather usually dissuaded me. We did it for only two hours, but boy oh boy, we were pooped out by the end. It was yet another sign that we're getting old. Seriously, I sometimes feel like the oldest 30-year-old.

2010-11-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

We had our first snow fall of the winter over the weekend (well, I guess it's technically still autumn). I don't like snow, especially when I have to go trudging about in it. But I have to admit that when I'm inside all cozy and looking out, it's not too bad.

We had a busy productive weekend. The Dude and I put up some glass wall shelves over the new desk. It looks so awesome. Then, we went to Home Depot and got a super great deal on a 16' long piece of cedar (only $10!). It got cut into four equal parts, which will become wall shelves above the loveseat. Not only do the cedar shelves look rustically beautiful, but they also make our apartment smell divine. It's as if we're deep in a forest. Now I have to find the right shelf brackets. The ones I love are too expensive so I'm looking for a more economical option.

I can't believe our office area is finally coming together. In its former state, it was making me so unhappy. But now it's well on its way to fabulous. It just needs a few more finishing touches and it'll be done.

2010-11-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

Ever since deciding on our apartment decor things have been a-changin' here. A few days ago I painted an accent wall the same red as I did the kitchen (Behr Premium Ultra Plus in Carmine Red). I love it. It's such a warm and stimulating colour. It goes very well with our "modern meets the Southwest" decor, or "Southwest Modern" as I like to call it.

We also re-arranged the furniture in the living room, and the red accent wall helps to bring some balance to the layout since all the furniture is pushed up against one wall. Don't want the space to have that bowling alley feel. I also built my dream desk to replace the two desks we got rid of in order to make more space. Pictures of that project will soon be posted.

I have my eye on a rustic pine armoire to be used in our entryway. It'll provide lots of storage of which we are in desperate need. The Dude and I went by the furniture consignment store last night to take another look at it, but it just got rented to a movie production. Hopefully they'll return it in good condition, and we can bring it home in two weeks.

The other piece of furniture we need is a storage bench with multipurpose functionality. Ideally it will be on casters so that it could act as extra seating or a coffee table. It'll be parked against the red wall when not in use. IKEA has a piece that fits the bill, but it will be our last resort. I'm hoping to find a trunk that has a bit more character.

This weekend we're planning on making further progress in our living room makeover. Maybe by next week our apartment won't look like we just moved into it anymore.

2010-11-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

By this time in November, I usually get into the swing of Christmas, but not this year. I'm not feeling it. I get annoyed when I hear Christmas music while I'm out and about - and I normally LOVE Christmas music. I guess I'm just not ready. It came too fast this year. And also I was super annoyed that some stores started putting up holiday decorations in October, way before Halloween. WTF?

Anyway, the Christmas season doesn't really kick off for me until Advent, which this year begins the last Sunday of November. Hopefully by then I'll be in a more Yuletide-ish mood.

2010-11-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

Painting the kitchen red was a fortuitous act because shortly thereafter I finally decided on our decor style: modern meets the Southwest. I came to this realization when the Dude and I attended Interior Design Show West back in October. We went to hear interior designer Kelly Deck give her spiel on how to decorate your home. She said one place to find inspiration is to think about a place that really struck you. For me it was a resort I stayed at in Palm Desert, California a long, long time ago. I totally fell in love with the hotel's decor, which was a very updated, modern Southwestern palette. I used to think Southwestern decor was the tackiest way you could decorate your house, but when I saw how tastefully it was done I was bowled over. I told myself that I would want to decorate my home in that way someday. But then I forgot all about it. Until now.

I'm so relieved I finally have a focus. Ever since we moved into our apartment more than a year ago I've been waffling between various decor styles, and it was driving me up the wall. When you try to decorate without a particular look in mind you end up making bad choices, which have been plenty around here. But now that I know what sort of decor I want to do in our apartment it's so much easier to make decisions on furniture and colours. I'm very excited about my "modern meets the Southwest" idea, especially since I feel like it's genuinely me rather than me trying to adhere to what magazines or the design blogsphere dictate I do. I've always loved the desert, and I want to bring part of it here to rainy Vancouver.

So a rusty red is going to be the main colour accent in our Southwestern palette, or as the Dude likes to call it, "Tex-mex" decor.

2010-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

A paint job that I'm satisfied with very much is our kitchen. Unfortunately, I have no "before" pictures of it. The kitchen was originally painted your typical white. Then, I painted it a pale yellow. But the colour I really wanted it to be was a red-orange. So finally, after a year of living with yellow kitchen walls, I went about finding the right shade of red. I paid a little visit to Home Depot and got a bunch of paint chips. Then, I put up on the wall the top four I liked. For a week I observed how the paint chips looked during various times in the day and finally made my choice. It's Behr Premium Ultra Plus in Carmine Red.

Red is supposed to whet your appetite. I also find it to be a very stimulating colour.

2010-11-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

Last year I painted our IKEA Gorm shelves a very bright blue. Superman Blue is what I called it. I quickly realized I had made the wrong colour choice.

A couple months ago I repainted them white. I like them a little better, but I'm still not satisfied. I guess no matter what you do, Gorm shelves are just always going to look crappy. These shelves were intended to be used in the garage.

2010-10-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Behold, the best croissants ever. EVER. I have searched high and low in Vancouver, and these are the best in flavour, texture, density, flakiness, and buttery goodness.

Baked by the chefs-in-training at PICA, which I pass by whenever I go into work at Granville Island.

2010-10-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Blogging more than usual these days. I guess it's moving up my priority list.

I'm addicted to heirloom tomatoes although I don't eat them. Wish I could, but my bladder doesn't like it. Damn IC. I enjoy them vicariously through the Dude who loves eating the luscious fruit. Anyway, I went to the farmer's market today to get the yummiest heirloom tomatoes, melons, and cucumber from my favourite farmer. When it comes to quality food, I don't mind spending a bit more than usual. It's totally worth it. And farmers need all the support they can get.

2010-10-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know which font I hate more: Papyrus or Comic Sans. Both offend my eyes whenever I see them. If a business uses either I will seriously reconsider being a customer.

2010-10-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

My mother calls the Dude an angel, which I find very amusing because I thought hell-bound atheists aren't qualified to be angels.

In the beginning of our relationship, I was worried sick about what my conservative Christian parents would think about my being with a non-Christian guy. Well, it turns out I really had nothing to fret about because they absolutely adore him. I sometimes seriously think they love him more than me. Well, he's a lot nicer to them than I am so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if they fawn over him more than me. Ha!

Nevertheless, my mother still reminds me each time we talk on the phone to pray for my husband's salvation.

2010-09-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

I found out the day after that Hall & Oates were in town to do a show. I was devastated that I missed them. Not kidding. Devastated.

2010-08-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

I wish I had more time to blog.

2010-07-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a long time because my days got a lot more hectic since the end of May. I started a new job, and although it's only part-time I have a lot less time to do the stuff I used to. My new job is at the Granville Island Public Market, one of my ultimate favourite places in Vancouver. I work at a specialty foods shop that mainly sells ethnic food products.

Of course, I still run my vintage shop on Etsy. And I volunteer at the thrift shop. And now the UBC Farm is in full swing so I'll be back on the fields.

2010-06-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

My shop Sugarpush Vintage was featured on the Etsy blog again. Yay! This Swingline stapler was chosen for this week's edition of Etsy Finds Decor. I found it at an estate sale in my neighbourhood. Anyway, being featured in the Etsy blog brings a lot of exposure to my shop, and my fairly new shop needs all the publicity it can get.

Also, an artist who's a fellow Etsyan just approached me today about using this product shot of the stapler for a painting she wants to do. I feel quite flattered! I gave her permission, and I'm looking forward to the finished artwork.

2010-05-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago the Dude and I went to the CBC studio to watch a friend compete in a radio game show about Canadian trivia. I learned that the province of Newfoundland (oh, excuse me, officially it's Newfoundland and Labrador) has weird town names that sound like sex toys. One of them is actually called Dildo. God, I love this country.

While on the topic of sex...I recently saw the infamous Paris Hilton sex tape. Yeah, it takes a me a while to catch up with pop culture. It was incredibly lame. It shouldn't even be really called a "sex tape" because there is no sex happening at all. It's just her half-naked, prancing around or rolling around in bed showing off her tits. Now I find her even more annoying than ever.

2010-05-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

{photo via www.stepback.ca}

My favouritest store in Vancouver, maybe even on this planet, is a vintage home decor store in Kitsilano. It's called Stepback and what I love about the store is how well curated it is. They display their merchandise in such a way that you want to live in the store among all the beautiful vintage things they sell. I bought a few items there for our wedding reception that I still dearly love to this day. Whenever I pass by the store I look into their window and salivate, longing for all that's inside. I dare not go in because it's so hard to resist from buying something. I seriously wish I could live in that store. It's like a brick and mortar version of a fabulous Etsy vintage shop.

And it's the store that inspired me to collect vintage and start an online shop selling what I find on Etsy. I asked one of the owners where they find all their fabulous things and he said that he goes out to the Fraser Valley. I don't have a car so I can't go that far to treasure hunt. But I'm glad that someone's rescuing all this fabulous vintage stuff that would otherwise be discarded. The people at Stepback are very good at cleaning it up and displaying it in such a way that restores it's worth and value, as a result making it desirable to someone who would take it to a good home. Doing this sort of work is both an art and an eco-friendly practice.

2010-05-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ever since my lactose intolerance got really bad, I've been painfully off ice cream. When I lived in L.A. I used to treat myself to the best vegan ice cream ever at Scoops. It wasn't sorbet. It was a soy-based gelato that was pretty darn close to the real deal. In Vancouver, I've been virtually deprived...until recently. I've modified a recipe for a creamy frozen treat that I got from Alive magazine. It tastes as good as ice cream but it has no dairy! And it's super, super easy to make. And I always have the ingredients on hand.

Chocolate banana peanut butter frozen delight
Makes 6-7 servings

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup of smooth natural peanut butter (I'm sure crunchy is OK too)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 - 4 Tbsp honey (I like it with just 2)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it becomes a thick liquid. (You can also mash the bananas by hand using a potato masher or a fork first, then mix in the rest of the ingredients).

Prepare a muffin tin by lightly greasing it with vegetable oil. Scoop mixture into each muffin cup. Place in freezer for at least 2 hours. Then enjoy!

2010-05-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I made my rounds at estate sales and yard sales as per usual. During each outing I always encounter that one very special find, and this time around it was something very special indeed. I scored at 1947 printing of Dorothy Draper's Decorating is Fun! for 50 measly cents (it was first published in 1939). I mentioned her in a previous blog. Draper's book is a classic, and as someone who's very into interior design, I'm so stoked to have this book in my possession. The part that tickles me the most is that it still has the Eaton's price sticker on it for $3.49. I'm not planning to sell the book in my vintage shop. This one's for moi.