As I was saying about the Swedes

This is where I want you to begin.  Forget about IKEA.  I had a momentary lapse as I struggled with packing, moving, real estate deals, lawyers, and yes even the FLU!  The other day, I was flipping through pages of pictures on desiretoinspire.  Yes, they are 2 very talented and creative women, one being Canadian. 

They had linked over to this blog Dos Family by two women that live 7 hours apart in Sweden named Isabelle and Jenny.  I love the Swedes again because they relate their distance from one another in time, a favourite pastime in Canada.  And so I began my journey of getting lost on the internet. 

I went here to mikodesign where blogger Erika blogged about her textile designs.  Ok, I don't believe that she's Swedish, but what do I know.  She has a daughter named *Mila*, so that makes her a wonderful thing.  And her textile designs are to die for.

Then I went to freshly found and found myself spot on in South Africa. 

Next I wandered into kids haus.

And next to one of my all time faves:  Skinny laMinx.  Faves because my Grampa called me Skinny MaLinx or Skinny LaMinx when I was a little girl.  And well, my Grampa is always looking out for me from above and I'd do anything to make him proud that I became that unique individual he said I would be.  Again, Skinny's not a Swede, but a South African.  Not that there is anything wrong with being a South African.

Because my mom, Lady of the Lake, and I are big paper fans:  Papier Mache magazine.  Now I've hopped over to Australia.

And lastly for today, some Aussie goodness, lmnop.  As simple as that.

signed, the willow

 

Oh to be a Swede

Why are the Swedes so damn stylish? 

We have IKEA

Then there is IKEA

And furthermore IKEA

signed, the Icelander

We did not buy the farm

But we bought a store.  Downtown Huntsville, Ontario.

Come and visit us really soon! 

We're busy with a big move and a change in lifestyle.  Must be something in the air in 2009, it seems as if we are all smitten with some new venture in our lives.  Be sure to stay tuned for the misadventures of Willow and her family.

signed, the willow xxxxxxx

Location Location Location

They say that location sells a house and it may be the reason we bought this house.  Take a walk with me.

Outside meet the big trees out front.

The house is solid and needs a good power wash, but the roof is new and let's walk around back.

Yum!  What's that I see?  More BIG TREES?  Yippee!  And a playhouse to boot.

Let's zoom in and see what that thing is beyond the trees.  Oooooh a lake!

And now, we'll take a walk indoors where we meet some fugly carpet and mahoghany trim. 

The window coverings are sure to block the view.

We've lived with avocado green fixtures before and we'll have to put up with these for the next year or two.  But they are clean and functional.

My brother drew up a floor plan of the place for us and listed a few light fixtures....

See?

Now couldn't this kitchen win the ugliest kitchen contest.  Here's the bonus, what you can't see is that there is a pantry on the left blocking lower cabinets.  Someone actually went to the trouble to match up the pantry to those cabinets thus blocking off the functionality of the cupboards.  Ugh.  Hello IKEA kitchen event.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

signed, the willow

This is Why I Love the Internet

"A Daily Dose of Goodness", ABC DEFG!  It's the design alphabet of course, silly billy.  OMG, I L-O-V-E this blog. 

If you are a bride, or even if you're not you need to read Style Me Pretty.  Oh, heck have a wedding for your dog and the neighbour's guinea pig if you must.  It's all too darn fun!

And I'm one step closer to taking a Swedish as a Second Language course, thanks to Skona hem.  Yes, first IKEA, then Lotta Jansdotter.  What would we do without the Swedes?

Design Within Reach carries just about every single dining chair on the planet that I love.

I can pretty much tell you that the Origami Club is not like the Chess Club.  Hello!  Don't you want to run out and buy some delicious paper to make a dozen of these:

No kidding!

And I can't forget about Michelle Forsyth.  She's phenomenal.  What an artist!  I couldn't decide which work to link up to her name.  There's too many favourites.

So, many more reasons to love the internet and take the internet out for dinner, maybe on a picnic or on a long romantic walk along the beach.

Until next time.

signed, the willow

It Hurts To Be Away From The Wild Things

On rainy days such as this, I like think and create and imagine.  Today *Mila* and I have been doing just that.  In between the mountain of phone calls and paperwork I have sitting inside of my wee brain, we've been tubing, "you tubing" that is.  I can't help but wonder about the new movie 'Where the Wild Things Are' and wonder what Maurice Sendak, author of the "Wild Things" book, is thinking to himself. 

There are a few creative imaginations in this world that I have carried forward from my childhood.  The imaginations that make you feel comforted in sadness and rain.  Mr. Sendak's creativity and imagination has carried my family through a very weak period. 

You see, we lost our own Wild Thing to Where the Wild Things Are.  He never sailed back.  As hard as that is, sometimes I can't help but wonder what our Wild Thing is up to with those yellow eyed monsters from the pages of Sendak's book.  I have a dog-eared copy that the Wild Thing's big brother gave me.  It was new when he gave it to me and we've loved and cherished that book just like we did 30 odd years ago.  *Mila* learned to read it as one of her first reads and I love the layout, the illustration and the emotion in the story.  It can be interpreted in so many ways by so many generations.  For us, the book has personal meaning, and I try to take the sadness away from the book each time I read it. 

While the movie is released into theatres today, my eyes are welled up with tears.  I can't bear to go to it and sit in a dark theatre with boxes of Kleenex.  I have to wait until it's released on DVD so I can watch my very own copy over and over and over. 

Thank you Spike Jonze for bringing this story to life.  I'm sure that you've done a wonderful, tasteful job and thank you and thanks to Maurice Sendak for the reminder.  The reminder to put our imaginations to work and share our vision with the world, no matter how crazy it may seem.  'Where the Wild Things Are' was a banned book.  To those 'diots who banned the book:  You Just Don't Get It!

Oh and for my brother's sake, "Trailer Park Boys:  Countdown To Liquor Day" opens tonight as well.

signed, the willow

Reno Steno

Keeping track of all the changes that need to be made in the house we bought is challenging.  So I decided to share it all here so I can personally keep track and look forward to your input.

First, picking a paint colour is never easy.  We want something fairly white, but we want to have white trim, so we do need a splash of colour.  We want to paint the whole house the same colour to begin.  It will be fresh, clean and create a new beginning.  Will it be 'gray horse'?  Will it be 'moonshine'?  Will it be 'ashwood'?

 

*Mila* and went to Rona and we daydreamed about this chandelier for her bedroom.

Tembec offers a few choices in flooring and I've narrowed it down to classic maple or clear maple.

When we decided to get these silver front loading washer and dryer, we expected to find a deep countertop to match the kitchen countertop and there begins that dilemma.

Yet another light fixture option for *Mila's* bedroom.

signed, the willow

When I Grow Up I will wear Chocolate on my Smile

One day you are playing Hot Wheels with your 2 year old nephew and the next day you're wandering down the street with his 15 year old self, admiring an Audi R8 at a Huntsville Car Show.

Seriously dude.  When did this all happen?  When did my niece give up chocolate on her face for boys and basketball?  Okay, she didn't give up on the chocolate on her face and I'll love every minute of it until the millisecond that I take my last breath. 

These are things that make life so important and make all the groans and complaints so unimportant.  It will continue to be the chocolate on a girl's smile, a car that makes your heart beat faster when you see it in real as compared to that Hot Wheel - the feelings that make you feel alive.  The fact that we were together for those moments and now we're about to be together a heck of a lot more and I can't wait to have chocolate on my grown up face too!

signed, the willow

The Bespoke Ent

My little *Mila* (who is still 5) took this using my camera.  I let her experiment with black and white, sepia, zooming, etc.  But it was really important for her to take this picture of the "tree with a face".  See, that matters way more to a 5 year old than it does to you or me.

I have to say that one of my most favourite places in Ontario is Hidden Valley Park in the Aldershot neighbourhood of Burlington.  This photo doesn't even capture all that it has to offer.  The trail, the trees.  There are Shagbark Hickory trees here that just stun me.

And of course, we love love love La Salle Park in Burlington as well.  The swans, the geese, the ducks, the sailboats and our walks on the trail that just could go on forever with laughs and gigles along the way.

So, my list today is my 5 favourite places in Ontario:

5.  Grindstone Creek, Hidden Valley Park, Burlington, Ontario

4.  Dorset tower in the Fall in Dorset, Ontario

3.  Stratford, Ontario by the Avon River

2.  Dundas Valley Conservation Area

1.  My parent's lakeshore property on Pelican Lake in Sioux Lookout that looks across to Sioux Mountain

signed, the willow

The American Gene Pool is Filled with "Marcia Brady" Look-Alikes

In case you haven't noticed, the gene pool in America is suffocated with "Marcia Brady" look-alikes.  Here is Marcia Brady (played by Maureen McCormick):

Next came Christine Taylor.  She played Marcia Brady in the movie "A Very Brady Sequel" and she's married to Ben Stiller:

Then the tv show 'The Hills' came out and all of a sudden, another "Marcia Brady" look-alike.  Meet Lauren Conrad.  Okay, maybe it's just my spouse and parents meeting Lauren Conrad for the first time.  The rest of the Universe has probably met her:

I have a theory and you can decide whether you want to believe this or not.  But, I'm pretty sure that all "Marcia Brady" look-alikes are actually sent here from another planet and are in fact ALIENS.  If she was that good the first time, would she be that easy to replicate on planet earth again, and again, and again?

signed, the willow (co-founder of I'm Sure Lauren Conrad and People Who Look Exactly Like Her are Born in Pods and are in fact ALIENS)