A new year means 365 days of new possibilities!
I’ve always been an agenda girl and I take my time finding the perfect planner. Some of my preferences in design change year to year. Like the changing Pantone colour of the year, I’ll go from loving red, to purple, to grey, to good old black and white. Then there are the endless patterns! From vibrant polka dots to bold giraffe prints, here are five agendas that have caught my eye for 2012.
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This may up my lame factor, but I have a confession to make…I always seem to be the last of my friends to buy the latest and the greatest gadgetry. In fact, when I finally make a purchase, there’s usually a new latest and greatest on the market (but hey, at least that means I get the item on sale, right?!). Still with me? Hmmm…probably not, but in my defence I do drool over the newest tech goodies just as much as the next gal…it’s just that my eyes don’t match my wallet. Thus, I get left behind - spitting dust, if you know what I mean!
Anyways, such is the case with my cellphone. While all of my friends have been happily glued to their smartphones (for several years), I’m still lugging around the standard mobile. I’ve got my eye on the new iPhone4 in white (doesn’t everybody?!); and, someday I WILL cave. Just not yet!
So here was my dilemma: I wanted to glam up my ol’ phone without putting a giant gouge in my wallet.
Enter GelaSkins. Made of laminated vinyl with a 3M adhesive backing, these “skins” are an easy and inexpensive way to dress up and protect all of your fav tech treasures (cellphones, laptops, tablets, e-readers, etc.)! Choose designs from their artists’ gallery or design your own. The “skins” go on in minutes and come off residue-free. The best part is that these beauties are made right in Toronto!
I’ve been obsessing over all things chevron and chose to design my own pattern in a lovely palette of grey-blue and creamy white (shown below). I’m gushing over the result and feel much better about my lil’ ol’ phone. What do you think? What prized tech goody would you cover with a GelaSkin? Leave a comment and let us know!
GelaSkins Inc., 201-2738 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M6P 1Y3, Canada, www.gelaskins.com
Cheers, amy*
Amy Walters is a Winnipeg-based design enthusiast and blogger. For more design inspiration from Amy, check out her blog aDESIGNdock.
Anyone who knows me knows that my beagle Wendel is the apple of my eye. They also know how picky I am about the way my house looks — I’m not a fan of anything that will stick out like a sore thumb. Most dog beds and other accessories generally fall into this category, but I’m still not about to drop $1000 on a Gucci dogbed in order to keep everything pretty.
I recently came across these beds and pet accessory bags by a company called Blueblood who specialize in stylish goods for your pooch. The beds come in a variety of sizes and patterns, and you can buy just as a case or with the insert as well (starting at $76 US for a small cover). I love the bags as well ($125 US)– they’re great for storing pet toys or grooming products, or to use as an overnight bag for your dog when traveling (carry food, treats, toys, leads, etc.).
xo,
Lauren
At the beginning of every new year, I always make sure to pick up a yearly planner, otherwise I would never remember a single thing. I fill it with birthdays, meetings and upcoming goals for the year {such as cleaning out our junk room by the end of January –it’s currently behind closed doors always}. And even though I live by my iPhone’s digital calendar, I like having a hard copy as a back-up.
This year’s search lead me to Sarah Pinto’s site, where she sells her weekly planners and notebooks. Available in a variety of fun styles, her clean and modern aesthetic reminds me of Kate Spade {which is clearly why I was drawn to it!}. What sets Sarah apart, however, is that she donates a portion of the proceeds to the pediatric cardiology ward of the California Pacific Medical Centre, where her son has been treated for a heart defect.
I chose the cool nautical-themed agenda, and with shipping and taxes it only came to $35. Not bad for a year’s worth of planning and a donation to a great cause.
xo,
Lauren
The holidays are upon us and two of my favourite things about the season are sending Christmas cards and wrapping gifts. I’m super picky about my choice of cards and gift wrap, and nine times out of ten, I can’t find what I’m looking for at retail stores. Instead, I click through Etsy.com and order from the artisans themselves.
One of my favourite Etsy sellers is Adele, a British designer living in Toronto, who has created a fabulous eco-friendly paper goods company called modernemotive. She has a very simple, modern style and I find myself buying cards, gift tags and notepads from her all the time. I adore her new line of holidays gift tags for this year {above}. The tags come with vellum envelopes and you can get a set of eight for only $8.50 US. And if you’re looking for some fun holiday gifts, Adele has also introduced her line of 2011 calendars and sassy notepads.
Since it’s the season for giving, from now until midnight on Thursday, November 25th, we’re offering a 20% discount on all products from the modernemotive store on Etsy. Just enter styleathome when it asks for a promotional code.
Happy holidays!
xo,
Lauren
Digital cameras have allowed us to keep hundreds upon thousands of pictures, and if you’re anything like me, these pictures are stored away on a hard drive, or, at most, posted on online photo-sharing accounts, like Facebook and Flickr. Allow me to introduce you to the newest innovation in the age of digital photography (and one I’m super excited about): IndigoStudio.
I was lucky enough to receive a personal preview of IndigoStudio, which is being rolled out in Indigo stores across Canada (as of now, it’s in two GTA locations). It’s seriously cool! In a matter of minutes, I was able to customize one of their products with pictures of a recent vacation to the east coast of Canada. I didn’t have my camera’s memory card or a usb stick with me, but was fortunately able to access my photos through my Facebook account. I selected the product I wanted to customize (a brag book, perfectly sized for purse or pocket), the pictures (or let auto-fill randomly select them for you) and…that’s it! I sent the project to the printer. It was ready in just 45 minutes. Looks like my friends and family will be getting these personalized and professional-looking photo projects for all major gift-giving occasions – Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Fridays. Products available to customize include collage and individual frames, greeting cards, calendars and brag books.
The best way to be green is to reuse things. But let’s face it — sometimes you just haven’t got what you need. Secondhand stores are a fabulous source of goods, and it’s likely there’s one near you. In my neighbourhood, two great stores are Redrawn and The Elegant Garage Sale.
Redrawn specializes in draperies, rugs, cushions and linens and is a veritable treasure trove of colourful goodies (pictured above). The high-quality offerings often include items from houses such as Brunschwig & Fils and Pierre Frey, Blanquettes (super-soft blankets) from Yumi and Laurie (previously posted about on Natural Chic!) and — for die-hard greenies — an eco-friendly line of fabrics from Seattle-based O Ecotextiles.
The Elegant Garage Sale is well on its way to being made famous by Samantha Pynn, style editor of Style at Home and host of HGTV’s “Pure Design.” She features furniture finds from the store on almost every episode of her show; each piece has been made over by her team and looks absolutely incredible! Along with furniture, the store also features small accessories and artwork. As with any consignment shop, you need to go often to score real finds, and you need to look beyond a piece’s existing upholstery/colour/condition for the most part to see what it can become. But that’s the thrill of the makeover!
Happy hunting!
Redrawn, 616 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto, 416-487-1030; www.redrawn.ca
The Elegant Garage Sale, 1588 Bayview Ave., Toronto, 416-322-9744
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Do you have a pretty product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email me at naturalchic@styleathome.com!
Baby, it’s cold outside, and leave it to Canadians to come up with the steamy stylish eco solution: The Sauna Box. Toronto-based design firm Castor has a created an entirely self-contained sauna made from an unlikely suspect — a recycled shipping container. Powered by the sun and heated by wood, the sauna is custom fit to your site, and comes with all the necessities one should expect: iPod and guitar hook-up, carved stools, a magnetic truck light, a wool toque and a set of bronze antlers
Visit: www.castordesign.ca and check out the product video (to the tune of Broken Social Scene). For more information and pricing, call 416-994-1232.
Rocky Mountain Soap`s savoury selection of scrubs, suds, soaks and salts are a foamy retreat from stress. With fragrances like Alpine Air, Avalanche, and Forest Fresh and all-natural ingredients from fir needles to horse chestnuts and pumpkin to spinach powder, it`s clear just how much the young family behind Rocky Mountain Soap is inspired by their mountainous Canmore, Alta., surroundings.
The company mantra, “natural matters,” means that every ingredient they use is found in nature — check out a complete list of ingredients and glossary on their website. If you`re still not convinced, owners Cam Baty and Karina Birch invite customer feedback and visits (should you be in the Rocky Mountain neighbourhood). You`re also invited to join the company`s on-property women`s run in April.
Prices: Valentines Gift Pack, $25; Cold & Flu Body Rub, $8; Alpine Air Hand & Body Wash, $14; Pumpkin Soap, $5.
Visit www.rockymountainsoap.com for a list of store locations and retailers.
Médias Transcontinental
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