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.