Yes, We’re Having Fun!!

Canadian Design & Lifestyle Bloggers WEST members always have fun!!

Take a look at Tara Lauren from Lauren Lane Decor… she just secured an old automotive shop. What’s so fun about an old oily shop you ask? Well, it’s beyond fun when you’re going to use it as a studio and shop to make and sell your fabulous repurposed treasures and other lovely things!!

Tara’s fun doesn’t stop there. She’s also the new distributor for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Tara writes of chalk paint: “This is THE paint to use for the painted French and Swedish look on furniture where the paintwork shows a patina of history.” You can learn more about Annie Sloan Chalk paint, and purchase some of your own at Tara’s Paint Boutique site!

Being a generous spirit and wanting to share in the fun, starting in September Tara will be offering classes in using chalk paint to create your own antiqued treasures. I may have to take a special trip to Calgary just to take part in a class… really!! I see a Members’ ROAD-TRIP opportunity: a Calgary-hosted Cdn.d&lbWEST Bloggers Party and furniture-painting-with-Annie-Sloan-Chalk Paint-classes anyone??!!

Just last week Nyla Free ~ Nyla Free Designs and Dabble Magazine ~ had loads of fun hanging out with Kimberley Seldon, Brian Gluckstein and Tracey Moore on the set of CityLine!

Nyla’s segment is all about custom rugs… and she was fabulous!!

The “Home Day” episode they were filming aired this past Thursday so it was fun for us to watch! If you haven’t yet seen the episode and you’d like to share in the fun, here’s a link: CityLine’s Home Day, August 18, 2011

Nyla wasn’t the only Cdn.d&lbWEST member having fun on TV…

Jacqueline Corea from The Pink Chandelier and Corea Sotropa Interior Design was on Calgary’s CityTV Breakfast Television (August 8th) where she shared fantastic tips on hanging artwork. Yep! FUN!

 

This photo has nothing to do with hanging artwork or sharing all the fantastic stuff you know on television (WooHoo Jacqueline!)… but it IS the very first photo I’ve ever seen that shows exactly what I’ve been wanting to do with an occasional chair I have. Of course for me, that’s totally fun!

I love it!! I want this Ikat in a dark orange!!

Jacqueline… you have to tell me where you sourced this phenominal and fun fabric… please!

 

Okay… enough of what I want… back to the fun!!

 

How about this: Ashli Malinek of Maillardville Manor will have her principal bedroom’s FAB faux paneled wall, along with a detailed How-To, included in the September issue of “This Old House Magazine”!! Not only that, the same feature is currently on the This Old House website. Fantastically fun stuff!!

 

We have another FUN magazine photo spread to look forward to…

Tina Barriscale from Half of What I Say is Meaningless… just spent a fun-filled-day with Erin McLaughlin, the Style at Home Editor, and photographer Virginia MacDonald. YES! Several rooms in her new home will be featured in an upcoming issue of Style at Home!!

I hope hope hope that they showcase Tina’s kitchen with its absolutely wonderful Knoll Saarinen table and Eames DCW chairs by Herman Miller in walnut veneer!! {{Sigh!}}

Oh… or her bathroom. Wow!

Tina ~ be sure to tell us what issue of Style at Home magazine you’ll be featured in!!

 

 

Michelle Gadd (Elasticpantcity) is definitely having fun! Why? She just opened a new online store she calls Repo Wear.

How fun is this sweet dress?!

Michelle has written all about Repo War HERE

Be sure to drop in!!

 

We can all anticipate a fun filled day on Saturday, September 24th… that’s the day of the Fieldstone Vintage Market in Abbotsford!

Rachel & Lily from Birch + Bird are working in partnership with the Bakerview EcoDairy to host what should prove to be a fantastic market filled with local handmade and vintage items. I have to save up all my money!!!

Barbara from hodge:podge and I (Victoria at Edin’s House) were very lucky to learn of the fun to come first hand… we were invited to sit on the Jury that determined who the invited vendors would be at the first Fieldstone Vintage Market!

Note the date in your calendar so you can have fun too!

Everything I’ve shared with you is not only fun, it’s absolutely fabulous! But I have one more totally terrific thing to share…

And it’s all about fun!

Today (Saturday morning) many of our lovely Cdn.d&lbWEST Network members are meeting for coffee and chit-chat at Colleen Sawatsky’s house!! I just want to HUG her for opening up her home. How wonderful, hey?!

On her blog Vintage Home today Colleen showed us how she’s getting ready for us! ;-)

I only hope her kitties will make room for us!! LOL!!

There’s definitely an excitement amongst members to gather again, and we’re equally excited to meet Colleen (she’s new to many of us) and see all the well-loved and vintage items in her home (‘cause that’s what she does!).

Yes… for a FUN group, we’re a bit nosey! But in the best possible way ;-)

Photos and highlights of our fun meet-up will be shared very soon, I promise!!

So tell me… are YOU a blogger in Western Canada? Do you want to have fun with us? Click on the “Become a Member” page above, share some info about you and your blog then submit!

Victoria

w/ Nancy, Karla and Barbara

cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

P.S. We have major over-the-top fun planned for September 28, 29 & 30. Watch for the news!!!

Our Members’ Successes!

What is a network like ours all about?

Supporting our members and celebrating their successes!!

With that in mind, allow me to toot some horns :-)

 

Starting with…

Maureen Funk and Sarah Swanson

They’re both celebrating 2 year blog-a-versaries this month!

 

Be sure to visit their wonderful blogs so that you can give them some blog-love!

 

Tracey Ayton of Keeping House and Everything Else

Two of Tracey’s photographs (below) have been published in the July/August/September 2011 issue of Somerset Life!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracey calls the absolutely beautiful photo above “Flower in a Teacup” and the photo on the left – appropriately – “Hangers”.

I’m curious Tracey… are these laundry and drycleaning shop hangers from your collection of vintage finds? I love them!! The photo itself speaks to me of symmetry & form, shadow & light.

Just the other day Tracey posted on our Facebook group page (members only) that she wants to participate in an out-door style Flea Market – maybe even organizing one herself – where she would share & sell some of her fabulous vintage items (and maybe some photographs?!).

Then Lily of Birch + Bird dropped into the conversation saying that she and her business & blog partner Rachel will be co-hosting an outdoor market on September 24th (a Saturday) with Bakerview EcoDairy (Abbotsford) called the Fieldstone Vintage Market. Maybe we’ll see Tracey there with Lily, Rachel and – I’m absolutely sure – many of our other Cdn.d&lbWEST members, both selling their wares & creations at booths AND browsing and buying lovely crafts, antiques and other fabulous items!!

Watch this blog for information!!

Speaking of FAB markets!!

Michelle Baldwin and Maureen Funk

Michelle, Maureen and their partner Julie hosted the Ivory Vintage Market on June 25th… and, like their past events, it was a wonderful success!!

From what I heard, the place was packed all day. Even at the end of the day when I dropped by (which was minutes from closing-time) there were still many guests exploring the venders’ tables. Speaking of the venders… I ask a few how their day had been and they all said “Wonderful!” Yes, they said it with the exclamation mark after the word! LOL!!

Here are a couple photos I “stole” from the Ivory Vintage blog showing the morning line-up to get into the market, and the day’s vendors setting up for the crowds!!

There were soooo many wonderful things to see and purchase! I bought a lovely pair of earrings from Maureen (Mo’ Funk Designs) and I can’t take them off ;-) 

If you missed this market day, be sure to attend the next Ivory Vintage Market!!

Congratulations Michelle, Maureen and Julie!!

 

Another terrific success…

Tara Jamieson from Lauren Lane Decor

Today Tara was featured in the Calgary Real Estate Board’s online magazine CREB Real Estate News!!

Scroll through to page 11 where you’ll see this photo of beautiful Tara and you’ll read all about the successes she’s having with her growing furniture refinishing business!

This is wonderful for you Tara… and the exposure will be sure to generate more interest in Lauren Lane Decor!!

 

More fun news to share…

Fiona Richards from Cafe Cartolina

June was a great month for Fiona; Cafe Cartolina was the featured blog the the June 201 issue of the magazine Romantic Homes!

 

With a full page of beautiful photographs showing vintage items special to Fiona, you can understand when she tells me that she and her team at Cartolina were very excited!!

 

This is absolutely terrific for you Fiona… congrats!!

 

 

 

 

 

Last but absolutely not least…

Andrea Johnson of From My Living Room

with Tracey of Tracey Ayton Photography

We’ve just learned that fantastic rooms decorated by Andrea – and photographed by Tracey – will be featured in the September issue of BC Home magazine!! Such wonderful news!! Like Tara, this exposure will be a boon to your design business Andrea. And Tracey… we’re going to be seeing more of your photos in all the great magazines. Fabulous for you both!!

Here are a couple beautiful and serene living rooms that Andrea decorated. We’ll have to wait to see which spaces are featured in the magazine though ;-)

To see more rooms that Andrea has designed, be sure to check out her website: Andrea Johnson Design

I’m looking forward to picking up my copy of BC Home when it comes out later this summer… we’re all so excited for you Andrea and Tracey!!

We have absolutely wonderful members!

If you’re a member of the Canadian Design & Lifestyle Bloggers WEST network and you have a success you’d like us to highlight (i.e., jump up & down & somersault about, toot horns really really loud, shout out to the world, etc.!), be sure to let us know!

If you’re a design or lifestyle blogger in Western Canada and you’d like to become a member of our network, get in touch!!

Victoria

w/ Nancy, Karla and Barbara

cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

Bloggers Helping Bloggers!

We really DO have a terrific group of Bloggers in our network!!

Case in point: after our last yummy Cdn.d&lbWEST meet-up on July 11th, it was clear to Darryl Bueckert of the blogs Darryl Bueckert and – with his wife Jodi at the helm – Simply Inspired Home that he had a skill that he could share with some of our Network’s members… photography!

As you all know, great photos really are a necessity when blogging! Photos of our projects, our loves, our inspirations; they’re what keep our readers coming back over and over again. That and our wonderful creativity and writing skills of course!! ;-)  So many of us (ME!) rely on the automatic settings of our point-and-shoot cameras to do the job and we’re more often-then-not disappointed with the results.

In steps Darryl

Darryl and Jodi volunteered to host a gathering where he’d share the fundamentals of photography… ISO and f-stop’s and aperture and more! How fantastic is THAT?!

Cdn.d&lbWEST members Rosa, Meesh, Rachel and Lily were the students who benefited from Darryl’s experience and generosity.

Be sure to check out these posts to hear/read all about it!

Darryl & Jody: Simply Inspired Home – Photography for Bloggers: Photos 101

Rosa: FlutterFlutter – Photography 101

Meesh: I Dream of Chairs – Enter the Dimension of Imagination

Rachel & Lily: Birch + Birch – Summer Roadtrips… With Kids!

Thanks Darryl & Jodi!!

Victoria

w/ Nancy, Karla and Barbara

cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

A hint of things to come: IDSwest Preview

Organizers and members of the Canadian Design & Lifestyle Bloggers WEST network are getting more and more excited about the Event we’ve planned to coincide with the IDSwest this coming September!!

In anticipation of both our Event and this fantastic, annual interior design show, Barbara Matson (fellow organizer of our network) from the blog hodge:podge and Rosa Pearson of flutterflutter took the opportunity last evening (Tuesday) to connect face-to-face with the IDSwest representatives Barbara’s been communicating with… all while our 2 network colleagues immersed themselves in examples of marvelous design!!

Like this Judson Beaumont Hollow Chair!

If you’d like to read a little about their evening, head over to flutterflutter and see what Rosa has to share about the IDSwest Preview! Barbara wanted to post about the evening too, but has been frustrated by Blogger issues. I’d wager that many of us can relate!!! She said that she’d post about it soon… maybe tomorrow… so keep an eye out!!

Also, watch for information about OUR September Event right here! As our plans come together we’ll be sharing with you!!

Keep an eye on the IDSwest website for show updates!

Victoria

w/ Nancy, Karla and Barbara

cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

Your Are Invited: IDS West Preview Night

In anticipation of the upcoming IDS West show in Septemeber...

You are invited to an IDS Preview Night! 

Location: 555 Great Northern Way

Time:  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 from 6-8PM

If you plan on attending, please email your RSVP to: shannon@hethpr.com

Barbara

& Nancy, Karla and Victoria

cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

Curry & Conversation: Our Summer Meet-up!!

Let me tell you… we have some fantastic member bloggers!

How terrific would it be if we could get everyone together; each and every writer from all 76 member blogs (about 80 people!) representing design and lifestyle interests, activities and just plain fun stuff spanning BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba? Out of this world fantabulous, that’s how terrific THAT would be!!

The next best thing? Getting 15 BC based Lower Mainland bloggers gathered together around a table filled to overflowing with scrumptious Malaysian food!

Where’s all the yummy food you ask? Well… we ate it of course! :-)

So let me introduce everyone at the table… starting front and centre with Barbara from hodge:podge and moving to the left ~ Nancy: Marcus Design ~ Andrea: From My Living Room ~ Tracey: My House of Giggles ~ Karla: Kerrisdale Design ~ Tracey: Keeping House & Everything Else ~ Rosa: flutterflutter ~ Lily & Rachel: Birch & Bird ~ Jodi: Simply Inspired Home ~ Darryl: darryl bueckert ~ Carol: The Design Pages ~ Victoria: Edin’s House ~ Sherri: So Much to Love ~ Meesh: I Dream of Chairs

We have such a great time at our gatherings (we’ve met 4 times now)! Several of us have attended past meet-ups so conversations just pick up where they left off. Love that!

Even more to love… today 7 new cdn.d&lbWEST network members joined the group and more conversations were started that will continue at our next gathering!!

One discussion we all jumped into ~ the event Barbara & network organizers are working on for late September; an event planned to take place in tandem with IDSwest (Interior Design Show West). Barbara has done a lot of work connecting with potential sponsors, but she’ll share more of that in an upcoming post. Yes, I’m a tease!! What I will tell you is that we’re thinking guest speakers, food & drinks, activities, and lots of fun! Ha!! More teasing, hey?!

Watch this blog for planning updates!!

Now really quickly, let me tell you about Banana Leaf. FAB! Each of us sooo enjoyed the wonderful variety of dishes the servers placed on our table: roti, curries, shell fish, chicken, beef, noodles, rice. Everything was terrific! If you’re in Vancouver we encourage you to plan a meal at one of the 3 Banana Leaf locations in the city.

Our new network is a large and growing group of outta-this-world bloggers, but we don’t all live in Vancouver/Lower Mainland BC. In fact, we’re spread out across the western provinces of this fantastic country of ours! That means that a whole lot of our members are sitting back thinking: “But I can’t attend these gatherings. I don’t live near Vancouver.” Well… we encourage you to reach out to cdn.d&lbWEST members (and other design/lifestyle bloggers who haven’t found our great network yet!) in communities near you and plan meet-ups of your own. Get together for coffee, lunch, a trip to the local vintage shop ~ anything! Let us help you by providing space on this blog for you to connect with your blogger-neighbours… send us your post and we’ll upload right away!

Oh… don’t forget to take lots of photos of your gathering so that you can write another post for the Canadian Design & Lifestyle Bloggers WEST blog because your member-bloggers want to hear all about it!!

Talk around the table today suggested that locally we get together before our September event. Perhaps in August! So where should we meet? Coffee and a browse at Granville Island? Ice cream and a walk in White Rock? Nibblies and antique exploring in the valley?

Share some ideas!!!

Victoria

& Nancy, Karla and Barbara

cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

It’s “Summer Meet-Up” Time!!

Back in March the Lower Mainland BC contingent of the Design & Lifestyle Bloggers WEST network gathered together for a scrumptious lunch at La Rustica pasta house in New Westminster… and we had a fantastic afternoon!
And you know what?
Four months is way to long to go between gatherings!!

That’s why we’re organizing another meet up!

If you’re a member of the d&lbWEST, you live in or will be visiting the Lower Mainland, come join us!

When: Saturday, June 11th
Time: 1 to 4 PM

Where: Banana Leaf Restaurant for yummy Malaysian food!!

Oh… and GREAT conversation!!

You definitely don’t want to miss this gathering!!

At the risk of exposing my nerdiness…
Have you ever noticed how many of Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek” visions for the future have come true? Cell phones (i.e., communicators) for example!
Well… unfortunately we don’t have transporters in the world yet (“beam me up Scotty!”) because if we did – and IF our Interior & Northern BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba members were willing to have their energy patterns scrambled and put back together again (yikes!!) – we’d be able to bring everyone together for the afternoon!! Wouldn’t that be fabulous?!

The next best thing… consider using comments on this blog post, Twitter (include @dlbWEST in your tweet), or our Facebook Group (our private page – members only – search & request membership if you haven’t done so already) to connect with bloggers in your community and organize a lunch gathering of your own!!
If you plan a meet-up be sure to take photos and write a post for us HERE!
And we promise to write about our gathering too, pictures and all!!

Looking forward to seeing many of our blogger friends there!!

Victoria

& Nancy, Karla and Barbara

P.S. More specific details are being e-mailed to our Members. If you’re a member and you don’t receive the e-mail, please contact us via the “Become a Member” tab above.

P.S.S. Interested in membership with our network? Submit a request via the “Become a Member” tab above :-)