weekend pursuits { 03.02.12 }

I don’t know about you, but the second the calendar turns to March, I can’t think of anything but spring. I know it will be more than a month before flats will be even remotely a consideration, and before we can think seriously about packing away the wool coats, but something about March stirs me into action. Here’s what I’ll be pursuing this weekend:

Eat | From the “Why didn’t I think of that?” files, three fancy butter recipes from A Beautiful Mess. I’m considering a blueberry jam and lemon zest variety for Sunday snacking.

Make | I’m pretty proud of my ribbon addiction collection, and this super easy project from Shannon and Robin at We Create Hoopla is a lovely way to showcase it. And also because it’s a chance to use up those strangling strands I can’t bear to toss.

Grow | Even though my housewarming blooms are still thriving, I can’t stop eyeing the huge bush of forsythia outside our front door, waiting for a warmish day to clip a bunch of branches and bring them inside to force some yellow flowers. Could that shade be more of-the-moment? Last year I rounded up all kinds of tips on forcing bulbs and blooms over At Home with Kim Vallée, which is worth a read if you’ve never tried it before. (Photo: Berno Hjalmrud via The Marion House Book)

Happy weekend!

weekend pursuits { 02.17.12 }

A few years ago, Canadians in select provinces received a lovely gift from their governments: Family Day. An annual holiday on the third Monday in February, which basically equates to a day off to stay cozy and enjoy family time. It’s almost like an extra Sunday in the middle of the month. For me, the family day long weekend almost always coordinates with my birthday, which means a day off to stay cozy, enjoy family time and eat a lot of cake.

On the day, I’m planning to spend some time getting reacquainted with my new old city – a birthday farmer’s market trip, a skate on a new rink, a warm-up-from-skating cupcake – followed by dinner with friends. And, as birthdays tend to make you do, I’ll squeeze in some time thinking about the year gone by and the year ahead. It’s going to be a big one.

If you feel like celebrating with me, here are a few birthday-like pursuits to keep in mind.

Weekend Wear | Let’s face it, heels are a pretty birthday thought, but the majority of my weekend will be spent shuffling around home in my slippers, curled up on the couch watching movies. I am digging these navy pompom shoe clips though (they’d look equally lovely on a pair of spring flats). Anyone else smell a DIY?

Weekend Make | Birthdays call for confetti, no matter what your age is. This colourful painted tablecloth project from Oh Happy Day would brighten up miserable un-birthdays too.

Weekend Sip | Also of the confetti variety: a chocolate + sprinkles mini milkshake rimmer (via Hey Gorgeous). Oh-to-the-yeah.

Here’s what I was blabbing about over at At Home with Kim Vallée this week:

• Packing our bags
• Cooking heart-shaped bacon and eggs
• Planning a winter white party

Happy (birthday) weekend!

Photo: Kim Bost

weekend pursuits { 01.27.12 }

Today I’m off to check out the Interior Design Show, but not before sitting in at Blogpodium – a super genius mini conference developed by  Jen, Lindsay and Shannon. These ladies are tremendously talented as individuals, so I can’t even imagine the kind of triple threat they pose when working together on a project this amazing. I’m sure Blogpodium is going to rock the collective socks off the community of bloggers they’ve attracted for the event and I’m so grateful to be able to attend.

Saturday evening is also the third Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup – the creation of design blogging duo Vie and Daniella. I’m excited to catch up with a few of the gals behind my daily reads, and reconnect with a few I’ve met at previous meetups.

Expect recaps of both events, plus highlights of IDS itself, next week.

While I’m off trying not to be a wallflower soaking up the design and blogging inspiration, here are a few things to keep busy with this weekend.

Weekend Wear | A whole lotta arm candy, like style maven Iris Apfel. (Also, meet Into The Gloss: your new favourite beauty read.)

Weekend Listen | What kind of 12-year-old listens to Bright Eyes? A Swedish one. Discovering the voices of Swedish sisters and musicians First Aid Kit early in the week (via NPR’s First Listen series, which my musical diet could subsist on), meant I had learned most of the lyrics by, oh, Wednesday afternoon. Um, repeat much?

Weekend Eat | Cupcakes for two. Or two cupcakes for one. A perfect small batch recipe from Brett Bara.

Once you get through with those, here’s what I was up to over at At Home with Kim Vallée this week:

• Setting a creative table
• Discovering candy-free Valentine’s
• Figuring out how not to forget to buy birthday cards
• Adding colour to the kitchen

Happy weekend!