I Love Lucite

I love lucite. It's clean, beautiful, and classic yet modern. It pairs well with chrome and glass. Touches of lucite, or acrylic can be added relatively inexpensively with chairs and lamps. Larger pieces, like tables, make a strong statement. I'm always on the hunt for second-hand acrylic pieces, as they can be expensive.

Here are a couple of Kijiji finds that I scored. This dining room table replaced the original harvest wood one. It was a steal at about $150 used.

Lucite and glass dining table

Dining room hutch

Another online find from Kijiji.

Acrylic and glass coffee table

Here is an acrylic desk which contrasts nicely with the black and white roman blinds.

One thing about acrylic is that it is unforgiving and understated. That means everything around it must also be clean and minimal - letting it be the star of the show.

First impressions: the entry way

The entrance to a home immediately defines a homeowner's personal style and sets the tone for the rest of the house. It is especially crucial since some visitors may never get past the front of the house.

The greatest challenge has always been shoes. I despise the look of shoes in the front. Unless you have a beautiful pair of Louboutins that have been artfully and strategically placed, shoes should be hidden.  I finally discovered a great shoe cabinet from Ikea that fits perfectly in my compact space and that can store shoes for a family of five. The white cabinet looks more like decorative furniture rather than a functional apparatus.

Of course, it is now summer and it is easy to hide flip flops and sandals. In the winter, boots are more tricky and messy. Still working on how to accommodate this situation more attractively.

Front entrance of my home

Stylist spotlight: Rachel Zoe

     If I could afford a stylist, I would hire Rachel Zoe. Her trademark boho chic look is similar to my own sensibility.
     I also love how her California home was redecorated last year by her former assistant. Coincidentally, many of the decor features parallel my own home. Note the white palatte, sheepskin rug, tufted white sofa, black lampshades and the glass table.

Rachel Zoe's living room

My living room

Rachel Zoe's home office

Rachel Zoe's backyard

     Alas, I do not have a backyard quite as big, glamourous, and palm tree-filled as Rachel Zoe's. That is where the similarities end.

Baroque but not too broke

I am always on a limited budget despite my love of home decor and style. So, when it came to looking for a white chaise for my home office, I once again took to scouring Craigslist and Kijiji, as I had always done before. In addition, I frequented the usual discount stores.

After a few months of no success, I finally came across a gorgeous chaise lounge by Baroque Addiction which specializes in modern baroque furniture. It wasn't exactly the look I had intended but it was still within my aesthetic sensibility, with the black making it fresh and edgy. After I purchased the piece, it didn't really fit my office so I moved it to the main room in my basement, re-organized the furniture, and created a different look.

I was so delighted with the look that I purchased yet another piece from Baroque Addiction - a stunning, white sofa, also reflecting a modern French look, for my living room.

I am really happy with the look. It brightens up the room with its clean palatte and feminine prettiness, without being overly saccharine.

The black chaise is edgy, yet chic

The white sofa from Baroque Addiction adds elegance to the living room

Here are some more stunning pieces from the collection:

I'm thinking the bed frame is next on my wanted list, if I can somehow squeeze it into my Christmas budget...

Facelift

My life needs a facelift. So, I'll start with my living room. I replaced my old sisal rug with a grey and white cowskin rug. How refreshing!

White, acrylic, and a pale cowskin rug

Summer clearance

   Summer is the time of year when I conduct a thorough cleansing of the house. You haven't really organized your space until you've purged some - or much of your stuff. The only problem is what to do with the stuff once you've cleaned out a drawer or closet.
   Some people toss it in the garbage or donate it to Goodwill.  However, there is a more environmentally conscious way of cleaning house. Personally, I am not a fan of Goodwill. I like to donate directly to the needy recipient.

   Here is a list of the places I give to that are worthwhile causes without a middleman taking a cut of the merchandise.

Baby items and clothing
-  teen pregnancy centre, ie. Jessie's Place accepts baby items and clothing suitable for children, babies, and young moms

Furniture/Household items
- homeless shelter, women's shelter
- ie. Furniture Bank, a charity that distributes to shelters, accepts furniture and other household items which help the homeless and refugees get started in their own home

- ie. Eva's Place accepts household items in order to help young people in need get started on their own

- ie. Habitat for Humanity, which helps build affordable homes for those in need

Books
- the public library accepts books in good condition to be sold to raise money for the library

- Children's Bookbank accepts children's books in good condition and published within the past ten years

Toys
- Children's hospital, ie. Sick Children's Hospital accepts brand new toys for young patients

Shoes
- Shoe store, ie. Running Room accepts all shoes, regardless of condition, for refurbishing, and then subsequently donates them to the homeless

For the items that can't be donated:
- medication: your local pharmacy will dispose of them safely - never throw them out or flush them, as this contaminates the landfills and waters.

- batteries and lightbulbs - take them to your local Ikea where they have dropbox for recycling


    After cleaning and purging your place, you'll feel better and refreshed, particularly knowing that you have helped someone, and our earth.

The Children's Party

   Children's parties. I've thrown many of them and the fun part is always picking a theme and venue. We've done the airplane museum, indoor beach volleyball, the indoor playground, laser tag, princess, mini-golf, hockey/skating, and indoor amusement park parties.

The beach volleyball party

   I gave home parties until my kids started school.  I simply don't have the time to prepare, plan, and clean up for a home party with my busy schedule. But this year, my son begged me to have a Lego HOME party. After much convincing, I begrudgingly agreed to it.

   What followed was:

- a failed attempt at making Lego man cake pops (and a couple of trips to Michael's which for some reason is the only store here to stock candy melts)

- Lego wheels purchased on Ebay which I later found at the Lego store for a much better price

- hours spent tracing and cutting out circles and attaching them to bristol board to create Lego block decorations (DH's job)

- a desperate search around the city for brick candy to put in the loot bags, which only one store in my city carried

- an ingenious idea to purchase bags at the local store (5 cents a bag, cheaper than loot bags), 

- researching, planning and setting up Lego activities

- downloading the Lego font, printing it at home and Kinkos, then cutting each label and banner sheet to size

- enduring almost three hours of high energy

   I am grateful to the several online blogs for giving me so many great ideas.
   However, the next party will be out of the house.

5 cent Lego bags

The Lego labels were downloaded for free from the internet

The Lego blocks, an idea I got from other blogs were made from  bristol board and attached with velcro stickers to create a 3D look.