Enhance our space

I like very much the wall prints seen at http://2modern.com/Jefdesigns. Thinking a set of 4 would create a nice focal point on a wall. With our pending purchase of a bigger house in Nashua, this would be a great affordable option to enhance our space.

Beautifully Delicious

I chanced upon this cake while surfing on the cambriacove.com site. Doesn’t it look absolutely beautiful?! The colour scheme is very elegant and the confection sounds oh so delicious, flavoured with authentic, old-fashioned bourbon vanilla! While I am not likely to splurge $100 on it, I would like to file away the design for future reference. I won’t be able to use it this year as we are busy trying to find a house and close before Christmas. However, perhaps next year, we can host a Christmas party where I can serve this cake. I would love to try and make it!

When November is upon us…

With Thanksgiving being all about family, I decided that I was going to make Thanksgiving cards for our family and friends. We are very lucky to be located close enough to Albert’s parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle that we are able to spend this holiday with them. However, I would also very much like to share our thoughts and good will with our loved ones who are too far away.

I love making cards, but not just any cards. I usually go for a sophisticated look – not so cutesy, not too crafty. So for this project, I decided I was going to make silhouette cutouts of traditional Thanksgiving symbols: the pumpkin and turkey.  

My inspiration came from watching Albert carve out the face for the jack-o’-lantern and also from the cards of Cambria Cove, particularly this one featuring Vintage Silhouettes for Christmas. 

Vintage Silhouettes Assorted Holiday Cards from Cambria Cove

The colours I chose for my cards were then inspired by the following holiday cards, also by Cambria cove. I absolutely love the green and thought it very appropriate for the season!

Filigree Foil Ornaments Holiday Cards from Cambria Cove

So, after deciding on my images, cutting the silhouettes out, and a little magic later, here are my cards, ready to be written and mailed out to our lovely family and friends!

A touch of whimsy

I love to daydream about entertaining! While I don’t do much of it in reality, I love the planning and details that go into putting an event together. It is just so much fun to show off your personality and tastes; the food, the tableware, the centerpiece, the decorations… Most of all, I like the part where my guests are wowed by the end results (in my dreams, at least). 

During the winter holidays, we often do not have the luxury of space to have a real Christmas tree so when I saw this decor in the West Elm catalog, I thought that it was a great idea! Not only does it add a touch of whimsy, it is a whole new twist on the tradition.

Furthermore, it presents me with the challenge of creating the decorations for the “tree”. I can just imagine the great pleasure I will derive from the craft projects that are bound to follow!

A Personal Touch!

Albert and I love taking pictures! Especially Albert, who I think has a great talent for capturing great shots. I have often asked him to create a series of shots for me which I can then enlarge to hang  on our walls. It is a great way to decorate and add a personal touch to our home.

By chance, Albert came across this site: http://www.CanvasPress.com/. Talk about simplifying the process further! 

CanvasPress takes your photos and turn them into canvas art (for a reasonable price, in my opinion), and there are several size choices as well as canvas types. Furthermore, the examples shown on the site provide some great inspirations for me.

I look forward to taking some of our favourite shots and seeing them turned into art for our home!

Inspiration from CanvasPress.com

In lieu of a tree…

I have been looking for a Christmas gift for Le Conrads; something that will be fun, relevant and importantly, easy to ship to France. Initially I thought of Christmas ornaments – cute ones from Hallmark and Lenox to commemorate their first Christmas in France as a family, and also Damien’s first Christmas.

Then I thought that it is a shame that they will be spending their Christmas this year in their aparthotel, as they will not be moving into their house so soon after they close.  Because of that, it is very unlikely they will be getting a real Christmas tree this time.  

So it led me to think that perhaps we could find something that they could use in lieu of a tree and what I found on www.potterybarnkids.com is perfect! It is a Christmas tree advent calendar which I hope the Conrads can put up on their wall in the hotel and add a festive flair to their holidays.

French Omiyage

We often go to France and during our trips, we would make an effort to visit Albert’s uncle and aunt near Rethel. They are also very near Reims, a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. In fact some people say that Reims is the capital of the province of Champagne.

I came across these delicious-looking Champagne Butter cookies when I was flipping through napastyle.com. From the Maison Foissier in Reims, they would definitely be a great souvenir or the Japanese would say, omiyage to bring back for our friends and family (aside from the usual chocolates and champagne).

And if we are not going to France yet, then I am glad to know that at least I can order them here in the US.

Art and Function

Every time I look through the RedEnvelope.com catalog, I am drawn to this Jewelry Tree. Not only is it useful, it is also lovely to look at, like a piece of sculpture. I would love to have it on my dressing table or on my desk, even if I don’t use it for jewelry.

A Family Keepsake

I am constantly on the lookout for great gift ideas. Any occasion, in fact no occasion needed! Today during my usual browsing through catalogs, I found this great journal which I thought would be perfect for Eric’s grandparents’ anniversary and would be a lasting family keepsake…It is a journal, especially for the grandparents to chronicle their life stories with each other and it would mean a lot to us to have it.

It is being sold exclusively by uncommongoods.com and my only dilemma is whether I should get it now or wait until later and hope that it is still for sale! The price is not too bad at $28 but as usual, I am wondering if I should make it myself! The cover is not bad, reminds me of Marimekko but I would prefer a different theme if it were meant for Albert’s parents. Perhaps something asian-themed with tones of gold or silver like Marimekko’s Ginkgo (2008) design. 

Marimekko Gingko (2008)