Nesting

I have been nesting. This is the term given to the urge that pregnant mothers feel to clean & organize. It is an instinct shared with many other females in the animal kingdom. There seems to be an intrinsic need for all mothers to prepare her 'nest' ahead of the birth of her precious little one.

{ Bird's Nest by Julie Nightingale; available at art.com }

{ Vintage Postcards available on Etsy }

We are not going to set up a separate nursery until after baby arrives & we know whether he is a boy or she is a girl. We'll have a bassinette in our room for sleeping. I'll set up our chest of drawers as a change table. I have to clear out the drawers for all the itsy bitsy teeny weeny bits & bobs that baby needs {or this Mama wants!}:

{ baby clothes reworked from vintage sweaters }

{ rompers from Baby Hank on Etsy }

{ doesn't every baby girl need a tutu? }

I'll be sure to do a separate post on baby's corner of our room. For now, back to nesting...

This weekend, I made soup. Lots of it. It's a hearty, winter recipe made out of chorizo sausage, kale, red chard, potatoes & yams:

{ red chard }

{ all ingredients }

Even my kids like it. It's that good {even if I do say so myself} & it's good for you: chock-a-block full of vitamins. It's great with a loaf of crusty bread & served with a bit of asiago cheese sprinkled on top right before serving.

{ final product }

{ a close up ~ MMMmmmmm! }

I made 3 pots so I could freeze 6 bags of soup that will each serve 4-6.

{ three pots of soup }

If you want the recipe, email me at info@bakerhillhomes.com. You don't have to be nesting to enjoy it!

Robbie Burns Day

In honour of Robbie Burns' Day, this post is inclined to things Scottish...

Firstly, where would we be in our Scottish themed post without a tartan? Here is one which was created for Buccaneer Bay {where we have our family cabin}. Herewith, our very own tartan designed by last year's Sports Day committee:

{ Buccaneer Bay tartan }

The 4 colours of the Tartan are reflective of the the blue of the ocean surrounding Thornmanby Island, the green of the island's many trees, the yellow of the sunny beaches, sandy coves and inlets on the island and the red of the stunning sunsets we are treated to many nights.

I could imagine this in a country home in the Scottish highlands quite nicely:

{ Ralph Lauren tartan wallpaper }

Is this a bit much for you? Perhaps a more subtle use of the tartan would suit:

{ Isabelle tartan from Ralph Lauren }

That looks a perfect spot to curl up for afternoon tea with a book of Robbie Burn poems! And for those vintage lovers, a plaid sign for a quirky spot in your home:

{ from Three Potato Four Shop via design*sponge }

And then there is the beautiful {albeit prickly} thistle. I love the colour combo of purple & green. I love that the plant itself is stunning but a bit standoffish. I love that designers have taken the thistle & run with it. Examples below...

Here is a lovely hand print on linen from Giardino on Etsy:

{ Scottish thistle print }

And then there's the rug by Timorous Beasties who always do up a pattern right {& ought to be included by the sheer weight of their name, coming from Robbie's poem, "To A Mouse":

{ Thistle Rug in stone }

From Umbra, who I have been tempted to erroneously lump in with "all that molded plastic stuff", here is their version of thistle-themed wallpaper:

{ Colada in beige ~ designed by Stuart Li }

And last but certainly not least, some items from West Elm's collaboration with Patch NYC:

{ a thistle tray perfect for nibblies }

{ pillows in sumptuous colours }

Happy Robbie Burns' Day for "auld lang syne" & here's hoping that this post will inspire "thy wee-bit housies".

This post is dedicated to my maternal Grandfather, G. Angus Hills. A proud Canadian of Scottish heritage, a highly regarded soil scientist, an environmentalist before his time & a central figure in the development of landscape planning in Canada. We miss you Grandpa!

{ Grandpa on his wedding day (I think they were all happier than they look!) }

Martha Sturdy's Retreat featured in Architectural Digest

A local artist with world-wide appeal, Martha Sturdy has made an international name for herself with her minimalist pieces "at once pared down to a bare essence and scaled up for a bold presence" (AD Feb 2011).

{ alabaster-coloured resin club chair }

Her island retreat just north of Vancouver on is featured in February 2011's Architectural Digest:

{ stunning dining room view - table & globe pendants by Martha }

{ artwork & furniture that complement the natural surroundings }

I could handle spending summer days up here & perhaps snuggling up for the odd winter storm as well. How about you?

Wading through laundry

We are home & I'm wading through the last of the laundry. I have a ton of blog topics that I want to share with you but in the meantime, check out these adorable baby boot & shoes from JoyFolie:

Precious!

Holiday Hiatus

I'm bound for southern climes with the family for a couple of weeks. We wanted to get a trip in prior to baby #3 arriving. I figure they are a bit easier to care for "in" vs. "out". I'm hoping the view from our room looks a little like this:

{ ahhhhhhhhh..... }

Bags packed? Check. Sunscreen purchased? Check. Pile of good books & trashy mags? Check. Sinatra, the Siamese cat, & house well-taken care of? Check. Ahhhh... I love vacations.

12 Days of Christmas Finale

There are only 7 more shopping days 'til Christmas so I am going to combine the last 5 days of Christmas lyrics into one.... EIGHT maids a milking, NINE ladies dancing, TEN lords a-leaping, ELEVEN pipers piping, TWELVE drummers drumming. Phew! That's a crowd:

{ stained glass colouring page ~ click HERE to print out }

There is A LOT going on in this picture which is usually what happens around our house during the holidays. (Who's kidding who here, there is ALWAYS A LOT going on around our house!)

One of the few people who can take a picture of my chaos & make it look wonderful is Becky Chalmers of Bee Chalmers Photography. Check out her website. You will be amazed.

{ gift certificate for photos by Bee }

Becky's sessions produce great photos & you have fun doing it. She is not scary, not even a little bit. Trust me. If you want a gift certificate in the mail in time for Christmas you need to order by December 19th (this Sunday). Check with Becky {604-317-1693} for more details. I'm planning on getting belly shots done in the new year. CAN'T WAIT!

Another gift idea for your little lord-a-leaping or lady dancing is dance lessons taught by Alix of Pink Petal Ballet. Alix is fun, funny, smart & Paulina so looks so forward to her weekly lessons.

{ Paulina as a candy-cane princess }

A stocking stuffer... wine charms with the 12 days of Christmas. Buy on Etsy at Wilma & Betty:

{ so your maids a-milking don't mix with your pipers piping

...unless you want them to! }

Are you thinking of a drum set for that budding rockstar/drummer drumming? If you succumb, make sure you get the earplugs {or would a framed vintage ad work instead?):

{ Slingerland Drums }

To finish off this post I'll leave you with a series of images showing homes wonderfully decorated for the holidays & ready for a slew of guests (including 8 maids a milking, 9 ladies dancing, 10 lords a-leaping, 11 pipers piping, 12 drummers drumming plus!) or a small gathering of your closest friends & family:

{ chandelier decorated by Domino }

{ design*sponge's wall tree }

{ beachy tree by Coastal Living }

{ Apartment Therapy's gold & silver theme }

{ recycled plywood tree featured on Apartment Therapy }

{ Tobis Decor's Christmas hearth }

{ Lonny Magazine's mantel }

{ Charlie Brown Christmas tree from Shelter Design }

{ Elle Decor's Christmasy kitchen }

Merry Christmas, blogworld!!!

Decor & Gift: Seven Swans A-Swimming

"On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Seven Swans A-Swimming".

I spent 2 years in England as a young girl, one of which was on the Isle of Wight living aboard a refurbished Norwegian fishing schooner called "Nylund". (For more info click on my parents' website Clarks Maritime.)

{ Nylund under full sail }

I remember the swans around the Isle of Wight and they weren't much friendlier than the geese I've encountered. However, they do look beautiful & are a good starting off point for gift suggestions. So here goes...

Pier One has some glass swan ornaments that would look lovely in bird-themed tree.

{ swan ornaments }

{ both images above from Country Living }

Or would your true love enjoy a getaway to Victoria & Swans Hotel? Located near Chinatown & Market Square, Swans is a great spot to make your homebase while in Victoria.

{ Swans ~ early 1900's }

{ Swans present day }

{ View from Swans out to Victoria's Inner Harbour }

I have a soft spot for Etsy & have sourced artwork from various Etsy shops that would suit our swan theme. This one from BalletArt shows incredible movement in it's rough grace:

{ Black & White Swan }

This one from Ching Levy Studio is peaceful & calming & would suit a library or den or a spot where your recipient would sit & read with a cup of tea:

{ Swan Lake I }

Sweet without being sickly so, this print from The Black Apple is one of many of Emily's creations I would love for a child's room.

{ Springtime Parade }

There is also this vintage image which I found at LabelStone in magnet form. Perfect for a stocking stuffer but a larger image would be wonderful framed in a kitchen, pantry, cottage or cabin.

{ White Swan Canning Label }

An inexpensive digital download from Found Objects provides you with a 8"x5" image you can print onto hand towels, fabric for pillows, whatever your heart desires! Could be used as a theme for an upcoming wedding or milestone birthday invites.

{ French Swan No 22 Rue Jolie }

For the hard to buy, funky types this retro Swans travel bag may be just the thing:

{ book bag or carry-all }

And last but certainly not least, if an Aston Martin is good enough for James Bond it's good enough for me ~ Aston Martin's new 4-seater:

{ The Cygnet }

Does the apartment building pictured & Daniel Craig come with??!!