Nesting the Journal

sweet bits

Happy Valentines day to all you sweet people out there. I hope it is full of lots of love, fresh flowers, a bit too much chocolate and an extra glass of red wine. We are planning on hitting up an amazing fundraiser that is happening in gastown, by our friend Kelly Deck, called The Love Umbrella Project. For more info check it out in a nutshell here. 

Luce and I got a bit festive this past week making these little bits for all her buds. An easy craft project to spread the love to all the wee's in our life. 

Get an assortment of pink/red felts. Cut out hearts.

Put two hearts together and sew 3/4 closed. Fill the inside with a bit of batting. Sew remainder closed.

Assemble hearts with pins on the back.

With a decorative letter stamp set create a message to your loved ones.

After stamp letters are set push heart pin through paper and voila your card/vday pin is done. Pop it into an old fashion mail envelope and pass out to those you love. 

home made kids gifts

Our lil Lucie turned 2 in November. No longer a bebe- we have officially entered toddlers-ville! O and I decided that until she becomes a teenager or expects more we would try to make her gifts for her bdays. Here is a little peak at what Owen and I made for her last year. 

We got given these beautiful handmade puppets from our super creative family friends aka puppeteers that live in barcelona (yes this is their official profession!). O thought it would be neat to make some sort of stand for these guys to sit on. Out of a reclaimed piece of wood he carved up this puppet stand:

I came across the idea of making Lucie a growth chart. I happened to have all of these items in my craft cupboard, so it was a real easy rainy day project.

A box filled with a roll of burlap, an envelope of mini clothes pins, and number markers. 

We hung it in her room behind a door and each year we measure her growth. 

memory box

Before Lucie was born I wanted to make something that would allow us to easily jot down her day to day changes. I came across this memory box idea on a blog a while back and decided to make one of our own.

I picked up a small bamboo box and some index cards at a local dollar store. I then assembled 12 title pages with a stamped month mark and cute image. I left the cards blank as we don't write in it every day. And then one year ends a new one can begin. We tie up the past years index cards with a pretty ribbon and store them in a nice box as a keep sake for Lucie to look at when she is older.

We keep it on the kitchen island so it is at close reach and a reminder to jot down these special moments and milestones- walking (almost), first night away from parents, said the funniest thing, lots of cuddles today etc.

We were also given this beautiful babybook as well. Every so often I take an hour in the afternoon to write more elaborately about Lucie's growth in the babybook. The days are long but the years are short.

hotties

Its a snow day. Well actually looking like a snow week. Stay warm all you westcoast nordic folk. Here is a little DIy project for the winter-y crafters out there. I made a few of these as christmas gifts this year for friends- and kept one for myself.

These hot water bottles aka "hotties" (as our british friends like to call them) are great if you just cant get warm. The kinda chill when only a bath will do to warm up your cold bones. If a bath isn't an option and you want something portable to take with you in the car or at the office- these are a great cozy addition.

I found the orange hot water bottles at a nieghbourhood dollar store (I like the orange color as they are a bit different then the standard red). I picked up some fuzzy oatmeal wool at a local discount fabric store. And then got busy sewing it up. It is a pretty easy template to follow. And the durable wool means no top stitching or finishing needed. A personal touch was adding a button to the top from Regional Assembly of Text.

This make a great housewarming (literally) gift or a nice little afternoon project to warm you up.

pallet planters

Earlier this summer we got commissioned to design and create some indoor planters for a new condo development on quebec and broadway called on que. The talented Tanya Mclean of Mango Designs was hired to design the entry way and display suites of this new build. We were super stolked to be working with her again, as we miss her around the studio. She collaborated with a bunch of local designers to implement some west coast eco friendly touches to the small entryway off quebec.

Handy man Owen from World Reclaimed aka Aloe, came up with the design of recycling pallets (which we constantly have in rotation in our storage area). He wanted keep the integrity of the simple pallet shape by reusing the reclaimed wood and even the original nails. Sourcing a pallet that had an original graphic stamp on it was part of the hunt. But we were able to find some great ones with character at a local stone supplier. The planters are situated in the window entry way of the building, housing some unique architecturally shaped indoor plants.

 

living desert by world reclaimed

World Reclaimed's third line of goods are now available at Walrus. These 'Living Desert' cactus are the perfect hostess gift for a summer dinner party, or a little treat to brighten up a corner at your desk.

Inspired by a recent visit to the desert in California we wanted to create a serene little pot of unusual shapes and textures. Although prickly, these lil guys are modern and simple, and super striking for a little nook in your home. On a bookshelf, by the kitchen sink, or even in a bathroom. As long as they receive about 3 hours of bright open light they will be happy. And care is a synch. Sources say they need watering about 2ce a month, but I haven't watered ours more than once a year and it is super happy. Regardless, cacti like to dry out well between watering, then receive a good drink that runs through the pot. Remember the number one cause of cactus death is over-watering!

nursery rhymes

Six months ago when we had oodles of time on our hands to renovate, redecorate and play house, O and I spent a few weekends getting our spare bedroom ready for a little package that was growing in my tummy. The room itself was pretty much empty, but there were a few details that we needed to tackle to get it ready for the bebe. The result- A nursery for our little girl Lucie, that, lets be honest, is nicer than our own bedroom! Here's result... with a fairly modest budget and some creative energy.

To keep the room neutral and airy we chose Silver Sage paint color from Restoration Hardware.

We kept the budget in check by using  white Ikea shelving and drawers.

And we splurged on a modern crib from Ouef.

...And another splurge/ art investment from a friend/ client.

The changing pad is on loan from a friend and covered in an organic terry cover. The lamp was bought at a second hand store and sanded down from a wild 70's 2 toned brown and orange motif. We then spray painted the base in a high gloss white and bought a new shade at Pottery Barn.

The last item to find, after a crazy obsessive hunt, was the perfect nursing chair. We wanted something deep that rocked, but still was light, becasue we didn't have alot of space to play with. Thanks to good ol craigslist, we found this Ikea rocker (that is now discontinued) 2 blocks from where we live. I bought some inexpensive canvas at Dressew and had the foam recovered. Durable and uber comfy for bedtime stories. The cozy rug is from West Elm.

Because our building is from the 80's there was no wiring for overhead lights, so we had to get creative with our electrician. We found these beautiful porceline nesting lights at a store in Bellingham and hooked them above the rocker. The lights and edison style lightbulbs are from Roost. The ABC Poster I bought online after seeing it in an old issue of Blueprint (RIP!).

We found this neat old school table from an antique store in Langley. The kids books we collected over the years from garage sales. And the cute bear "Skippy" is my dads childhood guy.

A trip to portland was a vintage hunting gold mine. Used building supply stores, antique malls and salvage yards landed us some sweet goods. This is an old printer blocks drawer adorned with some family photos, moss, shells and sand dollars found on walks and such.

A random b&w photo found in Tuscany on our honeymoon. Little boy and mama holding a rabbit- wild.

Mini vintage Radio Flyer found at an amazing estate sale down in seattle. What a dollar can buy these days!

O got these old wood farm animals up the street on main at Bakers Dozen.

The old bowling pin was also found in portland. The alder pressed houses O made from salvaged wood from his dads house. These were inspired by Bookhou's.

O spent many nights beavering away in his woodshop, not showing or telling me what he was up to. Until one night, in he came with a beautiful fish mobile. He even matched the oatmeal and orange tones that the nursery had going on. And used old splitshot weights from his childhood fishing days. What a crafty fella.

My mom saved alot of my special baby clothes. I found an old wooden hanger and hung this 30+ year old Carter's nightgown. The butterflies I picked up at Michaels and painted neon green with one army green accent. The hanging swimmer O got me for xmas from Hach just around the corner on main.The swimmer says "Ill swim to you". Some fun things for Lucie to look at while she gets changed.

My good pal Krafty Kate made this beautiful blanket. It is so special and cozy and brings Lucie good dreams for bedtime.

A quirky linen guy named Bholu and vintage name cards.

Organic yummy smelling products for bathtime.

A cozy french flannel bunny that we picked up as a treat in portland.

And the best part of all. A sweet little Lucie Ella Black, who loves her room.

mason bee house by world reclaimed

World Reclaimed's second line of goods are now available at Walrus. And just in time for spring!

This little Mason Bee House began its journey as Ipe end cuts of an outdoor bench we constructed last year.  Each leftover piece had its struggles; either being warped or split or simply just not pretty enough for the job… but after some trimming, shaping, finishing and fastening with Grandpa’s nails they worked themselves into homes for our disappearing population of mason bees.

Inside the house is a honeycomb of nesting tubes waiting to be inhabited by some tired mason bees as they take a break from a hard days pollinating.  All you have to do to lend a hand, is remove the mesh and hook this humble abode up on a sunny wall, preferably an eastern or southern exposure to energize their wings.  Providing protection from any nasty weather that might blow their tiny bodies around would help them get a good night’s sleep, too.  Think sun, they do!  To ensure some bees take up residence you can populate the house with cocoons. For anything mason bee related go to Beediverse to point you in the right direction.

Now, the mason bee house itself is created from FSC Ipe that seemingly lasts forever.  It is as hard as a rock but to keep the rich hues this house has been sealed with Penofin Verde so our petite friends stay healthy.  Left untreated or without re-applying an oil, it will silver beautifully.

Take me home, inhabit me, and make some blossoms very happy this spring.

good ol' wood

A year ago we were in search of a cool side table for our living room. Inspired by the likes of Brent Comber, O decided to try to create his own version, when visiting his dad up on Quadra Island. Last Fall he took advantage of his dad's property and the windfalls that created broken trees throughout the land.

A sweet getup of fallers pants and lumberjack shirt, a chain saw and some cold Pilsner made for a fun afternoon in the wilderness. A chunk of hemlock was hand selected, sawed down into a cube and then weeks of planing and sanding down to a smooth finish. This side table/ stool combines the beauty of a tree in it's natural state with a cross sectional view of the years it endured in the wild.

After working with such a material and creating a piece of furniture by hand, one begins to completely appreciate the craftsmanship and care that goes into a work of art like this. So in a few words- Brent Comber, you charge too little for your creations. Thanks for being the source of inspiration for our living room!

world reclaimed launches

We are proud to announce that after many nights of brainstorming and long hours in the woodshop we are ready to unveil our first product line- World Reclaimed. We are still ironing out the final details (general philosophy, products to make, branding, website, etsy) the list goes on. But in the meantime, our friendly folks at Walrus want a piece!

So, as of this thursday our first line will be available for sale exclusively at the launch party for Sloppress.com. This is a series of bread/cheese boards that O was busy making over the last few weeks. The story behind them is pretty cool and goes full circle:

A friendly nieghbour wanted to unload his age-old Grolsch bottles on us, when he overheard Owen was going to attempt to make beer with his buddy. ‘Attempt’ being the operative word. The beer sucked. In fact it resembled murky water with a hint of funky feet. The bottles were then emptied and sat in storage, taking up precious room. Later that week, a friend at Terra Nova Schoolyard mentioned he was looking for some glass bottles to make cider from the apple trees at the kids garden. In exchange for the bottles he wanted to find a home for a stack of old wood chair tops that were taking up precious room in his storage. The barter was made and an idea was born. Not to mention, the Grolsch bottles were much happier with their new tenant and the cider kicked our sad beer’s ass.

The seats were then cut to free form shapes, sanded down to smooth raw pacific oak and then oiled up. O was able to produce 24 in the series- all individually handcrafted with love, a little bit of sunshine & snow, and good tuneage from the ipod didnt hurt.

Think housewarming gift with a baguette in hand and some yummy gooey cheese. Nice work my handy creative guy. Could a new side career be brewing?

the kitchen reno

A coworker and I were talking the other day, how designers are always redesigning their homes and spaces. In fact, it's almost a bit of a compulsion. Just when you think you have nailed your favourite new style, new version of self expression, new composition, you are ready to change it all over again. We do this even on a modest budget: freshening up a feature wall with a new inspiring color, moving furniture around a room once a year, or simply adding seasonal touches to little nooks.

But when big renos are in order, you don't have the luxury of "changing it up" at a moments notice. No, big renos are- a big deal. In fact, such a big deal, that when it comes to ones own home, it becomes near to impossible to make those "big" decisions that need to last, well decades!

So when it came time to renovate our kitchen, we found ourselves 4 months later still humming and haahing over our detail choices. And like all renos, interesting things crawl out of the woodwork. Angles you didn't account for on paper, costly materials that you simply fell in love with too early on to ever look back, and the honest to goodness fights at odd hours of the night; over faucet placement and piles of debris. But we endured. Through the winter months that were supposed to be "our downtime" we demolished, framed, constructed, installed, sanded, tiled and well made it through to spring! By we, I really mean he. Don't get me wrong, every home diy project needs a home depot runner, and ikea returner and a design visionary, but to say "I" did the dirty work, it would be a complete and udder lie. Thanks to one extremely handy pair of hands and strong muscles our kitchen is officially done. 

We love: the glossy ikea cabinets that even have a slow close feature, the big yummy porcelain sink that one could bathe in, the sleek slim euro style lg fridge, the warm wood flooring, and the polished-like-concrete sexy corriane countertop. Cooking never looked so good!

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Nook

make it, heat it, eat it.

After much obsession last winter watching Jamie at Home, Owen and I decided to fashion a portion of our backyard after our foreign hero Jamie Oliver's Kitchen Garden. While we don't exactly have a large country estate with brambly hedges, chickens, a working al forno oven, a resident gardener and the most exquisite veg patch;  we do have skills, diy mentalities and a little bit of a plot in our humble abode.

What started with problem solving turned into a very creative use of space. Our yard is southern facing with a tall fence at the back (= a dark, wet, shady retreat). When we moved in 2 years ago we transplanted the existing apple tree to the back lane and espaliered it along the fence. We then planted more raspberries in lieu of the apple, because they can handle wetter, shady sites, and what was left was a blank area that we then turfed with sod. This attempt at grass led to a mud pile in the off season and a wet passage accompanied by mosquito clans in the summer months.

Our solution was to utilize this space with something different. A little digging, some serious creative sourcing and voila a bbq pit. We became intrigued by Jamie's use of coal and wood burning cooking techniques that we decided to give our propane Weber a natural friend. Our pals tipped us off to a great lighting method called a Charcoal Chimney Starter and some All Natural Coals which can be found at any hardware store or capers market. On a trip to a used building supplier we came across a great 24” silver dome with a hole at the base. We later discovered it was salvaged casing from a light that once lit a baseball stadium. My dad would be proud! We figured if it could withstand the heat of those lights, a little fire wouldn’t hurt it. We perused Craigslist for weeks in search of a second hand Weber lid, but got no where. Luckily our neighbour had an old Webber not in use and gave us her lid in exchange for some gardening help! 

To be honest our propane Weber played second fiddle all summer as the ‘pit’ got a lot of use. Pre-Party conversation, Mid Party cook off, Post Party warm up. Picture a coal Weber (but silver dome substitue) sunk flush in the ground, backfilled with pea gravel and surrounded by herbs. Crazy yummy meals and a natural heat lamp. Jamie would be proud.

hotties

With all this cold weather and the daunting price of hydro these days, we have been trying to heat our home and office with alternative solutions. Aside from adding on more layers of clothing, buying woolly insulated socks, weatherstripping all the windows and doors, making soup for lunch, lighting fires at night, and dipping in a hot tub at the end of the day- what else can one do?

My favorite quick warm-me-up-its-so-cold trick, is a Hot Water Bottle. I swear this is the best method for super instant warmth. I have to admit this idea originated when I was visiting some family friends in England. They live on a beautiful country estate in a cottage house with very old heating. Their daily ritual when they get home is to put on the kettle, enough water for tea (of course!) and their individual hot water bottles- which they jokingly refer to as their "Hotties".

For a great weekend project find some soft vintage fabric or an old cashmere sweater and sew or knit a cover. It did however take me a while to find one- apparently other people in the city had the same idea, but now that I have it, the snowy cold days aren't feeling so bad after all.