Recipe for a Rainy Day

ugh.  it has seriously been raining (and sometimes snowing) for two days now.  and there`s more coming tomorrow.

to make myself feel better, i went to etsy. :)  here are some things i found!

courtesy of Atavios Artefacto 

i know i hate it when my hair gets wet  .... it gets all curly and frizzy.  what a beautiful way to cover up!

courtesy of meerwiibli

so fun and so dry.  the only thing that would make this rain coat better is a hood. (again with the hair issue)

courtesy of JoulesJewels

bring on the puddles!  these pink beauties will keep your feet bone dry.

courtesy of ananwang

ok, this sweater is just gorgeous all the time!  but for rainy weather it is the equivalent of getting a long hug.

courtesy of madebyagah

too cute!  this brooch will banish the clouds and keep you smiling.

courtesy of LennyMud

funky little soup bowl . . or tea or hot chocolate or coffee or ovaltine . . . whatever warms you up.

courtesy of wintersymphony

keep your tootsies warm.  socks or slippers :)

courtesy of padandquill

this is just genius.  looks like a moleskin book, but it is actually and i phone case.  sooo rad!  protect your gear discreetly!  a great way to keep your phone dry on wet days . . . and also protection for the bottom of the purse.  you know what i am talking about ladies . . .

courtesy of woolgatherings

juicy green alpaca wool.  if i was able to spend my rainy days inside at home, i would be knitting with this wool.  just looking at the picture makes me happy. :)

as i get my etsy shop up and running, i find myself learning more and more about it.  my crawl today started when i discovered i could curate my own treasury!  awesome! (oh man i am SUCH a newb!)  

check it out at http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d798d84fd176d918c40a6da/recipe-for-a-rainy-day

anyway, i hope if you are stuck in this current weather maker you are managing to stay dry and positive,  i know this kind of weather gets me down . . . and it feels like it has been a LONG winter.  my only consolation is that we are almost at mid-march and summer and sun is inevitably on the way.

until next time!

cheers,

V

stairways to heaven

i had a client yesterday who needed their staircase painted.  although my job dictates that i play it safe and recommend neutral colours that appeal to the masses, it got me thinking about other options for the risers of the staircase.  the riser is the part of the step that runs vertically and takes you up.

in my last post, i featured a staircase that had drawers built in. what a great way to maximize the space!  the risers are the most visible part of the staircase . . . if you can't use them, why not make them a piece of art?

[courtesy of decorpad]

fantastic graphic art.  the bold black and white design is emphasized by the bold bursts of colour from the art and accessories.

[courtesy of apartment therapy]

applied with a stencil, the neutral colours make this design easier to live with and less bold as say, the next example . . . 

[courtesy of blab pictures]

mmm, gradient green.  i included this one because it seemed so fitting for st. patty's day :)

[courtesy of the freckle wonder]

i am OBSESSED with multi coloured stairs.  they are wicked awesome! ps. i kind of love the wall paper too!

[courtesy of bright as yellow]

oh so tim burton!

[courtesy of apartment therapy]

love this sweet blue stair paint.  it almost simulates a stair runner.  this is a good solution if you don't want to actually put a carpet on the stairs, this will save the part of the stairs that get the most traffic.  

[courtesy of designer's block]

freakin' amazing.  i can't even imagine how long it took, but it looks like it was worth it, no?

[courtesy of bright as yellow]

ok, not painted.  this is a wallpaper application.  but i like that it looks like it could have been hand drawn. 

whew, i feel better!  i KNEW there were better alternatives to painting them out cloud white . . . blurg.  but alas, i am the mercy of the real estate market.  i guess i'm waiting until i own my own staircase too! :)

cheers,

V

small is good too :)

today was a teeny tiny day.

staged two downtown condos, each with their own challenges.

these spaces have their pros of course; convenient location and cost.

but they're sooooo small.  it got me thinking about really rad storage solutions that would maximize space, be functional and pretty all at the same time.

now this is small space.  all of the elements fit neatly into this cube.  crazy! the sofa whips around and turn into a bed.  it is even complete with stools for guest seating and a table.  to be completely honest though, this reminds me of the episode of seinfeld where kramer wants to turns his apartment into levels and jerry bets him that he won't do it . . . golden jerry!

i am a huge fan!  a really great solution for book collectors or avid readers.  instead of having heavy bookshelves dominate a room, take advantage of the vertical space and utilize the bit above the door!  in especially small rooms, it would create the illusion of a vaulted ceiling.  i have a similar solution in my stupidly small bathroom.  a shelf above the door is a great place to store things that i don't use everyday like the first aid kit or my curling iron. :)

this stroke of genius is courtesy of am australian company called unicraft joinery.  this is quite possibly one of the smartest things i have ever seen!  i run into this ALL the time, stairs and doorways don't mix.  what a great way to utilize the space under the stairs . . . 

i feel like this would only work if there are multiple closets available, which, as we all know, in small spaces are hard to come by.  nonetheless, i love that the doors can be closed and the office hidden.  all of your home office needs are kept neat and central.

blue and i are thinking about moving soon.  since we clearly are only making a marginal upgrade in size, variations of some of these ideas will probably be carried out. :)

cheers,

V