A year of Pretty - January 31, 2104

Well here we are, end of January. One month into the year.

Today's Pretty Post is of this collection of GORGEOUS dresses. No credit was given on the photo, but I believe the collection is by Anna Campbell.

Not Anna Campbell the historical romance novelist. And not Anna Campbell the actress, but Anna Campbell the Australian designer of vintage-inspired evening gowns and bridal dresses.

I'm still working on my Great Gatsby Inspired collection, and the date has been set for the fashion show reveal. Actually, there will be two dates; and both are coming up pretty quick. The first is on February 22nd at Venue in Vancouver. The second will be on February 27th at Performance Works in Vancouver on Granville Island. Both events will be on the smaller side, but both will be a good way to start when it comes to presenting a collection. I'll be able to work out some of the snafus before moving on to a bigger audience.

Luckily, both events have the same theme, so I am able to show the same set of garments. The first show I have chosen my own model. The second show I will have to use the models the even host has chosen. This will be a bit more difficult, as the garments will have already been fitted to the one model in the first show.

In any event (see what I did there?), it should be fun and a great learning experience.

In the meantime, my fabrics and trims are selected, my sketches are near completed (will probably post a couple of these within the next few days), and the technical design wheels are moving around in my head. Building the patterns will begin next week. Super excited to see how it all turns out.

A Year of Pretty - January 30, 2014

It's a cold day in January.

So today's Pretty Post is this gorgeous gown by Svetla nad Sazavou born designer Blanka Matragi. An award winning designer, she hand dyes all her fabrics, so each garment is unique.

The colours on this dress are just fantastic. Rusts and coppers and steel blues and greys. The floral detailing provides a unique contrast to the silky flow of the gown. The fur trim really helps set the tone of this dress: old world Russian elegance.

The model's hair and make-up also compliment this gown. I could just imagine her name is Tatiana or Katarina or something equally as fabulously Russian Empire.

This dress would look great on a Hollywood red carpet . . .if ever there were exceedingly cold weather in Hollywood. So dramatic . . so mysterious . . ."Who is that regal-looking woman in her silks and furs?" Now that I think of it, this would have been perfect on Keira Knightley for the premier of Anna Karenina

Enjoy your day and stay warm out there.

A Year of Pretty - January 29, 2014

Yesterday I prattled on about the speed at which January flew by. Today's Pretty Post also is about the passage of time with this image of a vintage alarm clock and its reflection on a glass surface.

There are a couple different thoughts that this image provokes. The reflection of time. How reflection takes time. Does time reflect itself? Do we spend enough (or too much) time in self reflection?

The original image is from a listing on Etsy by Bree's Treasures by Bree Madden of San Diego, CA. She is a self taught photographer who enjoys nature and spending time on the beach.

Most of her images are muted and pastel colours of the outdoors, the beach and the nature she finds there. Seashells, water birds, pale pink blossoms and teal ocean waves dominate her collection. The images look great together as a collage, and she offers several different print sets ready to be displayed in your home.

So before time runs out (yes, I know . . . bad pun), have a wander over to her Etsy page and browse through her art work. The prints would make for some nice additions to a guest room, guest bathroom or a child's nursery.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

A Year of Pretty - January 28, 2014

I can't believe how fast the first month of the year has gone by. A couple more days and January 2014 will be over and done.

Today's Pretty Post is this simple wreath design found on Pinterest. by clicking on the included link, the result was just another window with the image, so I'm sorry to say I'm at a dead end as to the original source.

The wreath includes snowdrops and Symphoricarpos, also known as "white berry" or "snow berry".

I remember bushes of these berries used to grow begin our grade school. I can clearly remember being about six or seven years old with David Dodd and Scott Smith (the two cutest boys in my class by far) and crushing the berries under our shoes because they made a neat popping sound. I also punched David in the kidney that day (didn't know that's where kidneys were at the time) because he called me a Frizzy Head. It was a great first date.

This would be a nice image to print onto gift tags for a house warming, or if you happen to know someone named January (hey, it happens . . think of January Jones aka Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class . . . and yes, I am a geek for knowing that and yes, I see the irony of Ms January playing a role with the last name Frost).

Anyhow, enjoy the image. February will be here soon enough.

A Year of Pretty - January 27, 2014

Happy Monday ! Today's Pretty Post is this gorgeous overhead shot of some amazingly stunning ballet costumes as the dancers wait backstage.

I found the photo on Pinterest. There was no credit given to the photographer. I have no idea where the photo originated from. I know, I know....so disappointing.

You can almost feel the anxiety of waiting in the dancers . . .wait . . . wait . . . okay, GO now!

I like how each dress is a little different from the next. Knowing how many hours of handwork are involved in making a performance dance tutu, I can only surmise that these dresses would run about $5,000.00 to $8,000.00 each and take weeks to complete. Costumes are intended to last for many years; The Royal Ballet will use costumes for 25 to 30 years!

The one area of the costume that sees the most wear and damage is at the waist line, but actually doesn't come from the dancer herself. Instead, it's a result of those sweaty man-hands of her male partner when he continually lifts her or holds her as she spins. This very often causes the fabric to discolour and deteriorate.

One of my dream jobs (yes, I have a few) would be to work on dresses such as these and then see them in action under the lights, full of movement and grace as they move across the stage.

For a great video on the life of a performance tutu, be sure to watch this video from the New York City Ballet, narrated by Mark Happel, Director of Costumes. Or this one from The Royal Ballet on the making of the Lilac Fairy's costume for Sleeping Beauty.

Enjoy your day and best wishes for the week ahead.

A Year of Pretty - January 26, 2014

Today's Pretty Post is this sample of really detailed ribbon and bead / button embroidery from pintangle. Pintangle is a website with amazing examples and tutorials for Surface Embroidery.

As a gal who loves texture and design details, this is right up my alley. If only I had more time.

I used to embroider all the time. And by all the time I mean every evening, or on long car rides, or on the bus. I think I was probably the only teenage girl working with needle and thread. More than once I caught the eye of an elder woman and we shared a small smile. Embroidery takes time, it takes commitment and it takes patience. And she was letting me know she knew this.

So I can just imagine the time and effort that went into making this sample shown above. Then imagine this as part of a larger quilt. Months, years even of selecting just the right button and stitching it on in place.

To this day, there are several large embroidery projects around my parents' house. Some are pillows, some are wall hangings. But each is treasured because they were made by hand over many, many hours.

Traditionally, women would get together and work on their projects, exchange the recent gossip (who's cow had gotten out of the pasture and trampled the prize winning begonias, who was seen walking together after church last Sunday). And they would learn skills and techniques from each other. This doesn't seem (nice pun) to happen anymore; at least not here in Vancouver, BC. Which is why websites like pintangle are so essential for sharing these ideas and methods.

In our fast paced world of mass production, give me a piece of material, some thread and some beads or buttons; a comfy corner with good lighting and a cup of hot tea. And then leave me for hours at a time and I will be perfectly happy.

A Year of Pretty - January 25, 2014

Today's Pretty Post . . . is sheer beauty. The blouse, the pearls, the necklace, the brooches, the hair, the make-up . . .even the texture and simplicity of the backdrop. Just beautiful.

So the necklace is supposed to be the focus of the picture. I know, "wait, she's wearing a necklace?"

Yes, she is. And it's by Canadian-based designer Charlotte Hosten.

From the designer's website:
"Charlotte Hosten is a jewelry and accessories designer who offers her clients fantasy and feminity. Her famous fabric necklaces have reversed the usual cycle of dressing up. Women tend to wear a Charlotte Hosten jewel as the base for the outfit : creating their look around the necklace.
Born and raised in Belgium but now living in Montreal, Charlotte has traveled the world. A self-made designer, she instinctively learned to create jewelry at the age of 15. The idea of mounting a piece onto fabric was introduced in 2008,  when she couldn't find a clasp she liked to support her creations : she then started to embroider beads onto fabric. Ever since, her necklaces have become luxurious sculptures; sometimes made of one of a kind antique jewelry pieces or, for the custom made pieces, with the treasures her clients bring her. Charlotte Hosten's work was recently featured in Elle Québec, Fashion, The Gazette and Châtelaine, just to name a few. Her necklaces are now distributed everywhere in Canada.

What is unique about Ms Hosten's creations is that she is very aware of the efforts to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle within her company. Most of the trimming waste is kept to be reused; and some of the necklaces (the sari collection for example) have been elaborated using almost only trimming waste. She uses a lot of vintage beads, brooches and necklaces to which a second life is given.

Charlotte Hosten's Atelier Boutique is at 122 Bernard W. in Montréal (514)274-8511

A Year of Pretty - January 24, 2014

Today's Pretty Post is this beautiful jumble of cameos, pearls and pearl strands; all linked together to form one 'super pearl" necklace. So interesting, so unique, so . .Chanel.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find an original source except for Pinterest.

I bring you this post today as a follow up to yesterday's silver lace Chanel dress. And because I liked the image of the round, refined necklace with all its luster against the rough, weathered boards.

And because it's something I would wear.
And because it's Friday and I wear pearls with my jeans. With heels.
True story.

A Year of Pretty - January 23, 2014

I can't believe it's already only three months until my birthday. My big birthday. The big four-zero. Yikes!

Onto something more positive. Today's Pretty Post is the GORGEOUS Chanel dress, found via Pinterest, linked back to walkingthruafog. And there it ends.

This is stunning. This is glamorous. This is Chanel.

This reminds me of some lace I have that I will be using on my Great Gatsby Challenge, due in . . .a month. Yikes again!

While my design will be no where near this elaborate, it's still nice to think I haven't got it ALL wrong.

(the shoes are pretty awesome too)

Anyhow, enjoy today's post and wish me luck as I continue with designing (which right now is really just a bunch of ideas with editing and a good dose of compromises).

A Year of Pretty - January 22, 2014

Another great colour collection inspiration.

A Year of Pretty - January 21, 2014

Okay, so yesterday I posted about a chair with castor wheels on its front legs and a couple cushions and some flowing fabric that may have been too light to be a throw to keep warm. So I daydreamed that it was a gauzy, dreamy evening gown tossed on the chair after a night of dinner, dancing and champagne.

Today's Pretty Post is said dreamy dress. Well, not really actually. But we can pretend. Or at least I can.

The original post is from Pinterest and the link leads to everlytrue on tumblr. But there it stops.

So I'll have to make some educated surmises about this dress. The fabric appears to be a silk charmeuse with pleated chiffon in different lengths underneath the shirt, and ruffled chiffon over the bust and forming the sleeves. No glitter but lots of understated glam.

I try to combine different textures when I am designing, and this style of elegance is what I'm trying to achieve in the Great Gatsby Design Challenge I'm currently working on. I know the roaring 1920's were about beads and sparkle and fringe and feathers. But team this up with a couple long strands of pearls and you're the belle of the ball.

A Year of Pretty - January 20, 2014

Today's Pretty Post is this chair with distressed finish and interestingly . . . castor wheels on the front legs. It looks like it might be quite heavy, so this would make sense. Simply lift up the back and push the chair along on its wheels until you have it moved to where you want it. the front legs would need to be chopped down a bit so that the chair still remained level and not tilted backwards.

Also liking the brooch pins added to the cushions. Clever little detail. I like clever little details.

Not sure whether the gauze is a throw or a evening gown draped on the chair from the night before. Let's go with evening gown . . .makes this photo seem more romantic and a bit mysterious.

Because really, as a throw the material wouldn't keep anyone warm. But as a stunning dress it's sure to light some fires within.

Enjoy your Monday and seek beauty all around you.

A Year of Pretty - January 19, 2014

Sweet little case, looks like it's all set for a short trip to the cottage. I have a couple of these in a pale blue floral motif that I use for storage under the coffee table. Brilliant when you need to quickly get stuff off the table because company is coming, but you aren't entirely sure where to put it.

A Year of Pretty - January 18, 2014

Today's Pretty Post is this stunning pink floral watch by Chopard.

The watch band contains 140 briolette cut pink sapphires of various sizes in the flowers. The watch face contains 208 brilliant cut pink sapphires, while 208 brilliant cut diamonds surround the face. Total pink sapphire weight is 88 carats; total diamond weight is 2 carats.

Valentine's Day is coming up, right?

A Year of Pretty - January 17, 2014

A Year of Pretty - January 16, 2014

Today's Pretty Post was found while searching for images to print and decoupage onto tins for storage. I thought it was such a nice vintage image of "new beginnings", which is what January often means to a lot of people.

How are you doing with your 2014 resolution? Are you still on track, or has time / energy caught you off guard?

I find my biggest downfall is the "I'll do it tomorrow" trap. As in . . . "I'll sew this tomorrow", or "I can do the laundry in the morning". Morning then becomes afternoon and tomorrow becomes two weeks later.

So I leave little notes for myself on the bathroom mirror. "Take down the recycling", or "cut three dresses by Friday afternoon". The notes annoy me, but I can only remove them once the task is done.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still working on my Great Gatsby Fashion Show Challenge. The designs are coming along, the muslins have been cut, my model has been selected and I have the first fitting next week.

But working for yourself is hard. You have to be more conscious of your time and how wisely you spend it. It is so easy to get distracted by the computer or a text message; and the next thing . . . twenty minutes have gone by.

So here's to staying on course with your new beginnings and taking each day to get closer to your goals.

A Year of Pretty - January 15, 2014

"I love you like Vintage loves Lace"

Boots. Lace. Lacey boots. These are gorgeous. And they are today's Pretty Post from LaLaLaBonneVie's tumblr page.

Shown here, they appear to be part of this woman's wedding preparations.Delicate, but with just enough sexy. Especially if the dress she'll be wearing also has a corset detail in the back.

I am looking for something similar for my model to wear for the upcoming Great Gatsby inspired runway show.

(the bedpost is beautiful as well)

A Year of Pretty - January 14, 2014

I should be designing today. But I'm getting over this cold. My second cold in a month's time. I caught my first one about a week or so before Christmas. I was finally getting back to my usual self by New Year's Day. Then round two came along and now I am heading into the final stages of this one.

It's hard to be creative when you aren't feeling well. The problem is I have scads of ideas running through my brain . . .especially late at night when I am trying to fall asleep. (Never TRY to fall asleep. It does not work. The harder you try, the more futile the result). But setting those ideas in motion and actually getting them down on paper is the difficult part right now because of this head cold. I usually end up walking away to go blow my nose.

Case in point. It's currently 2:10am and I am nowhere near being ready to fall asleep.

I'm also up against a deadline. First fittings for the Great Gatsby themed fashion show are on January 22nd. That's in eight days. I'm only one pattern into my designs and haven't cut the muslin for it yet. Am I worried? Not really, because I'm pretty used to pulling a rabbit out of a hat in the eleventh hour while behind the 8 ball, so to speak. Should I be worried? Probably.

But it will all work out. I have faith. Just not enough sleep.

So. Today's Pretty Post, designed to inspire me to be more creative and actually get stuff done is this AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS beaded dress. The designer is Anna Sui for BHLDN. Photo source is a flickr post by Herkkupeppu. On the BHLDN website, the Aiguille Gown dress is still available in a number of different sizes, and shows some styling options such as jewelry and head pieces. There are several studio shots of the dress, as well as "real weddings" photos of the dress on different body types, which I think is pretty great because we all know that how a dress looks on an industry model and how it looks on the average female frame can be quite different.

I like how the rows of sequins above and below the waist form a chevron pattern, and how the waistband reflects this chevron design in its center. Very art deco. The button detail down the front is interesting, though I'm not certain they are functioning buttons. The silver chain and necklace also mimic the sequin patterns and provide a great contrast to the softness of the garment.

It's Great Gatsby, but with a modern silhouette.

A Year of Pretty - January 13, 2014

Today's Pretty Post is this collection of silver cutlery handles. Originally a flickr photo post by queenofheartsart. I find the Keats Poems background a nice addition, as well as the antique looking fabric rose. These silver handles would make for interesting silver jewelry, such as rings or bracelets. A while back I did a post about turning silver spoon handles into rings, one of which I now wear quite regularly. 

A Year of Pretty - January 12, 2014

Hmmm, if only I could wake up looking like this . . . .

A Year of Pretty - January 11, 2014

Today's Pretty Post comes from a collection of images at le jardindelildelle. I could look at this site everyday and be happy . . . . .

A Year of Pretty - January 10, 2014

A Year of Pretty - January 09, 2014

It's January. I have a cold. It's cold outside (though being in Vancouver, BC . . .decidedly not as cold as Eastern Canada or the United States.) It's dreary. Some candles will add some glowing warmth to the room. I love candles

Today's Pretty Post is this lovely winter white arrangement, the original source from Lovenordic Design Blog.

This sort of arrangement would look nice on the mantle of a fireplace. What I like about it is that it can be displayed both before Christmas and afterwards. I would put this out maybe in mid-November, and then around the beginning of December add some sprigs of holly with red berries or a couple of red and gold balls. After Christmas, I'd remove the festive decorations.

Mom and I made a bunch of these pillar candles using leftover taper candle stubs, melting them down and pouring the wax into empty frozen juice tins and rinsed out milk cartons. Once the wax had hardened, we simply peeled off the cardboard.

I have two of these large wooden letters, each for the initials of my first and last name. I'm sure if I talk to my dad sweetly; maybe bring him some peanut butter cookies....that he and I could use his jigsaw to cut out these letters to spell this otherwise chilly time of year.

A Year of Pretty - January 08, 2014

In a little over six weeks time, I will be participating in two design showcases; one on February 22nd, the other on February 27th. Luckily, the theme for both showcases is the same: The Great Gatsby.

Which brings me to today's Pretty Post. The photo is from a tumblr post which no longer exists, so I have no original source. Sorry.

So what does chosen theme represent to me? Besides the obvious beading and fringe and feathers and dropped waist lines, Gatsby is a state of mind. It is elegance, it is decadence. It is the beginnings of women cutting their hair into short bobs, of forgoing the previous decades (centuries) of corsets and hip paniers and other foundation garments meant to alter the female torso into the "ideal" shape. 

It's the start of a more free time, a looser time (both in dress and in morals). It's fun, it's flirty, it's here to drink champagne and dance the night away.

I am striving for six looks. I'm very excited about this challenge simply because I get excited about beading and trims and lace and whispy dresses like those shown in the picture. Although, the front beaded one probably weighs a few pounds.

I'm going to stay with a lighter colour palette; pinks and gold and champagne wishes and caviar dreams. Basically, if you took the black garments out of this picture, you'd have my colour palette. This means these six new pieces will mix well with the five looks I created for my first collection back in September. Ah ha! smart thinking !

So get out your feather boa and stay tuned while my creative process begins, my late night struggles to get things done endures and I try to recreate the fabulousness that is The Great Gatsby.

A Year of Pretty - January 07, 2014

The first Monday back to work after the holiday break is supposedly called Blue Monday. People have had a break from work (if they haven't worked through the holidays like yours truly), the credit card bills are starting to come in, and the New Year resolutions are starting to fail.

So, to celebrate "Blue Monday" I'm offering up this photo of some truly stunning blue topaz earrings by Ruth Grieco Designs for today's Pretty Post. December may have come and gone (topaz being the birthstone for December), but that is no reason why these beauties can not be enjoyed throughout the year.

And with a set of these dangling from your ears, you can't help but be cheerful. "Blue Monday" you say? No can do!

In 1975 ,Ruth Grieco started by chance with industrialized jewelry. Not satisfied, she began creating her own pieces .

She started with no formal training, and began working out concepts for rings, bracelets and necklaces by drawing directly on her fingers, arms and neck. Knowing she needed to expand her knowledge, she took several courses, and specialized in Art Jewelry (New School - São Paulo, Brazil).

Production began soon after with a team of dedicated goldsmiths, earning select clientele both within and outside of Brazil. In 1990, daughters Carolina and Paola joined the team and since then work has increased dramatically, strengthened by their youthful vigor and their combined experiences in Industrial Design, marketing and production.

Currently , Ruth acts as Creative Director and complements her research by visiting jewelry trade shows and attending and lecturing at universities . She also acts as a judge in competitions within the industry, and is part of the examination board of trainees. She has many of her pieces displayed in specialized journals and important books of jewelry, both in Brazil and worldwide.

' From an early age I was lover and collector of art, especially the Brazilian Art. This closeness and my constant visits to museums and exhibitions, coupled with my curiosity, helped educate my eyes. I started to have constant production, which has always been well absorbed by my clients in and out of Brazil, great supporters, always .

The recognized work is a good food for the spirit. I think the good performance of our work is the result of dedication, discipline, travel in search of rare, new research techniques, in short , a lot of  "sweating" ...

... joy, satisfaction in contemplating our parts, with many colors that blend, valued for diamonds that are deployed in large and small jewelry ...

The intention is to adorn women. Forgive me men, but has not learned to create for them .

Inspiration is talent? It is presumptuous to state, but the same great inspiration comes from nature. Leaves, flowers, insects, fish and all marine universe, the variety of stones that spring in our wonderful tropical Brazil, dazzling colors and shapes. I thank God for being born here ! '

Ruth Grieco

A Year of Pretty - January 06, 2014

It's a shoe. It's a boot. It's today's Pretty Post.

A Year of Pretty - January 05, 2014

Okay, okay . . . I know I've been posting a lot of cup and saucer and high tea photos this past week. But just one more tea party themed post and then I'll move on to something else.

Today's Pretty Post is from one of my FAVOURITE design inspiration sites called Design Seeds. First, I think it's a really awesome name for a design inspiration site, since each idea for design does indeed start with a seed of sorts. The seed grows and changes and grows some more until the designer arrives at the end product; the manifestation of the original design seed.

So what is Design Seeds? Basically, it's a palette search tool based around colours found in an item, such as shown in today's post. Think of it as an elegant version of paint chips you'd find at Home Depot or Rona.

Created by Jessica in 2009, Design Seeds began as a way for her to incorporate her love of colour with design blogging. Throughout her art school training at the Center for Creative Studies and her extensive design career working with companies such as Ford, Reebok and Timberland, Jessica has created original colour journals. Design Seeds is a modern interpretation of these journals.

While the colour palettes shown do not have any specific paint brands associated with them, there are many paint stores that will scan a colour swatch and create a corresponding paint colour. Just keep in mind that what you see on your screen and what is printed from your desktop printer may be slightly different.

Design away my friends .  .Design away !

A Year of Pretty - January 04, 2014

Today's Pretty Post is this collection of pink and gold Marie Antoinette inspired china cups and saucers. The original photo source was from Pinterest, but I traced it back to an Australian website called The Vintage Table.

Established in 2010, The Vintage Table is a boutique vintage china rental and and styling company that you hire to help you stage an elegant tea party. Basically, you call them up and arrange to rent their glorious vintage china and they come and set the table and make it look all fancy-schmancy and high class. Great for bridal parties, corporate events and special celebrations. Or even just because you want to get together with some special friends in the garden over a good cup of tea.

The company began with a woman named Alison collecting delicate and pretty vintage bone china for over 30 years. She began loaning her collections to family and friends to host high tea parties, and thought maybe others would like to do the same. And so the idea took hold, and she has now worked with hundreds of brides, high tea hostesses, photographers and food stylists.

I am inspired by Alison and her company because she has taken her life long passion for collecting and turned it into her dream job. Everyday she gets to continue to do what she loves and share her joy with others to help them create wonderful memories of their own.

A Year of Pretty - January 03, 2014

First, I would like to say I would like to say I survived the year end staff party with no ill effects and no embarrassing stories in circulation.

Here is a gorgeous hutch makeover from Design Sponge. I love, love, love the colour palate chosen; the gold highlights accentuate the details on the doors so nicely. It reminds me a bit of a Marie Antoinette colour theme, n'est pas? That french je ne sais quoi? or as one comment states; Alice in Wonderland.  I agree.

And again, I am still with the china teacups and saucers theme. This just shows a pretty place to store them all while still displaying the favourites.

This photo shows only the "after" transformation. To see the "before", along with other wonderful ideas for giving life to old furniture, be sure to check out the Design Sponge website.

I have a dresser with six drawers and a top shelf that I am using as a china hutch. My dad picked it up as a "big garbage day" find. I think it used to have a mirror in the open space between the top shelf and the set of drawers and it broke so that why it was being tossed out. It's white with black scroll knobs and has much the same shape of the hutch pictured here. While I think I will keep mine white, this photo has inspired me to sand it down, clean it and give it a fresh coat of paint; along with some contrasting accents like the gold shown here on the doors and drawers. Take the hardware off, clean it and spray paint it a matte black or with a pewter crackle finish. Maybe add some moldings along the top like those in the picture.

Darn! I think I just added another project to my list.

A Year of Pretty - January 02, 2014

In keeping with yesterday's Year of Pretty post, I'm continuing the theme of china and saucers and tea.

Here is a beautiful photo from Tanya and her blog dans le townhouse. Specifically, it's from a post called Tea for Twenty where she talks about and shares photos of a Royal Albert set of cups and saucers her grandma owns.

I've often thought about serving an afternoon tea for friends. People just don't host afternoon teas as much. True, there are a number of hotels and restaurants in Vancouver where you can go and have high tea, but it will usually run you about $60.00, and everybody else around you is doing the same thing, and there's a man in a tuxedo playing Gershwin in the background and it's just not the same relaxed atmosphere you'd have if you have it at home in a comfy home with a cat curled up in the corner.

I remember growing up and going to Oma's house for tea. Each of us had our own cup and saucer. Oma's was purple violets, Opa's was yellow daffodils, mine was pink sweet peas and my mom's was white roses. I think my brother's had a scene of an English hunt with hounds and men on horseback in red riding coats.

The tea cups and saucers are now gone, but the memories of those visits are still with me. There are a lot of good memories to be had over a cup of tea with friends and family.

Note: Tomorrow's post may be slightly delayed. Our staff year end party is tonight and expected to go into the wee hours of the morning. As such, I have high doubts I will be mobile before noon tomorrow.

A Year of Pretty - January 01, 2014

Today is the start of a brand new year. As such, I have resolved to be more inspired, to be more creative, and to share more. I also resolve to wear more dresses than jeans but that's another story.

I'm not gonna lie. Most of these posts are going to be from Pinterest. I will try to include original content whenever I can. But I'm finding a lot of posts lately just link to some sort of  holding tank for images and don't really give credit to the original source. ESPECIALLY with recipes (sooo annoying! I then type in the recipe name into Google search, find it and post the original link to the recipe in the comments of the Pinterest post . . I know, call it my good deed for the day).

So, to start, here is today's Pretty Post to share with you: A set of floral saucers from uncovet.com. The saucers are vintage and have some crazing and minor chipping. But I think they are still lovely. Being vintage, it also makes the set unique and one of a kind.

Makes me think of tea and crumpets and all sorts of wonderful conversations with my mom on the sofa in the big bay window of her home.