Monday Musings

This weekend was a whirlwind!  Loads of fun and lots on the go.  While Monday came a little too early, I'm actually enjoying the quiet as I work from home today, uninterrupted.  My peonies are blooming and my new tea towel from Liberty London has me all 😍heart-eyes😍:

:: Union Jack tea towel ::

:: with my one of my favourite flowers ::

:: closeup ::

(FYI the tea towel uses some of Liberty's most popular patterns sewn into the shape of a Union Jack.  Now do you see the reason for being so crazy about a TEA TOWEL???)  But I digress.

One of the projects I'm working on is my home office.  This room has become the dumping ground for unwanted furniture, Christmas wrapping paper and pile of files that need to be re-filed or shredded.  And I'm sick of it.  So I'm going through my design process that I would do for a client to try to ensure this project gets completed!

Here are the original floor plans for the room:

:: home office floor plans ::

Stay tuned for before (cringe!) and after (yay!) photos.

What are you up to on your Monday, web-world?

Til next time...

Julia x

Landscaping Inspo

I have neglected this blog for years!  It was my creative outlet and I've been missing that escape lately.  Here I am again to post my musings out into the ether.

This past week I've been working on a planting plan to add onto landscaping at our Beaumont Build.  My focus has been on other business and this project has been neglected, pretty much since shortly after we moved in about two years ago.   I like to think the existing hard- and soft-scaping we've got in place is beautiful, it just needs a little fleshing out.

To that end I've been searching for inspiration.  Here are a few images that have provided just that:

This design by Doyle Herman Design Associates is in keeping with the clean-lined aesthetic I'm going for:

:: concrete pavers & boxwood similar to our existing planting scheme :: 

I want to add some climbing elements to soften our planting plan.  I'll have to convince the mister, though.  I love this look by Kelly Nutt Design: 

:: gorgeous climbing rose ::

I want to add hydrangeas but plan to layer them with evergreen shrubs that will last year round.  These gorgeous overblown white hydrangeas featured in Domino.com are absolutely stunning:

:: beautiful display of white mophead hydrangeas ::

The following picture was taken two years ago when our landscapers were putting in our sod and yew trees:

:: Sterling Landscaping hard at work ::

I plan to take some more pics and post as we progress.  Until then bogland.....

x Julia

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

My Uncle Paul has gone missing off the coast of BC.  News reports can be found online here & here. He was an experienced sailor & outdoorsman, a strong Christian & loved being in the wild.  We, his family, & all of his friends are praying for his safe return.  My cousin (Paul's daughter), Marian, shared a quote & it is one that Uncle Paul would have enjoyed:

{ explore  dream  discover }

We appreciate the prayers & support of you all, near & far.  

Til next time...

J

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom;

My husband was recently at the Ace Hotel in NYC.  He took this picture of the staircase & texted it to me:

{ Bob Marley's wisdom }

I love it!  

Til next time...

Julia

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

When I am working on a large project I can get overwhelmed by the big picture.  It happens every time.  You'd think after 40+ years on this planet I'd remember that this happens to me and act accordingly, but... nope!  Mostly I just know that I know more than I did at 20 but I certainly don't know as much as I thought I did at 20.  But I digress....

In the process of working on a big job like a house build, I can, from time to time, get boggled (one of my wonderful mum's words) & stuck & paralyzed.  But as soon as I begin to break the huge project down into larger chunks & those chunks into manageable piece I breathe easier.   A 'to do' list emerges and if I can strike a few of these little 'to dos' off every day I feel productive & less boggled, stuck & paralyzed.

When doing these small tasks I will try to be mindful of Mother Teresa's words:

{ love is in the small things }

If great love is put into the smallest of details, imagine how wonderful the big picture will be!

Sending summer sunshine your way....

J xxo

Millwork Design

I am thrilled to have enlisted Simon of ESQ Design to do the millwork in our new build.  He worked on our last custom home & we were very happy with the results:

{ closeup of range & hood fan }

 {kitchen & family room }

{ master ensuite }

{ spacious laundry room ~ usually not quite this tidy! }

Simon has worked on many other projects and here are a few of his favourite shots:

{ West Side contemporary kitchen }

{ classic ensuite }

You can check out more on ESQ Design's Houzz site by clicking HERE.  I am looking forward to seeing his finished handiwork in this latest project of ours.  

Until next time...

J xo

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom - Tinza's Tiddly Bits

Since I have been negligent in doing an update I thought I'd repost something from my sister's well-written & much-followed blog:  Tinza's Tiddly Bits.  It is a wonderful definition of luxury & good food for thought:

{ luxury found in time & quiet }

Family always comes through, even if they don't know they do. Thanks, Leah!!

{ photo from anewspaper article in the early 1990s aboard the Pacific Swift }

Stay well, blogland...

J xxo