Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The great glebe garage sale

The GGGS did not disappoint!  The weather was fabulous, buyers and sellers were in good spirits and both Ashley and I found some great items without breaking the bank (at all!)  We saw some amazing musicians, belly dancers, enjoyed some street meet and even witnessed a flash mob!

Here are some pics from our day:



The day is about more than just a garage sale raising money for various charities.  It's a big street festival, and it's awesome!

Here is the flash mob.  It was organized by The Community Cup.  



No outdoor fest is complete without some spicy street meet.  


Here's Ash, rockin' her new 10 cent shades!


As for what I purchased, I didn't go overboard, but I think I did well!

As I mentioned, I was looking for an old antique briefcase/suit case to use as a card box at our wedding.  I love the look of all these ideas:


My budget was $30 and so I was totally pumped when I found this gem for $25!



Not bad, eh?  I haven't decided if I will used it to hold some of my favours (coffee, I think) or use it as my card box.  I am envisioning some type of fabric (a tea towel or a pillow case, even) draped along the bottom to create a lining, and some pretty wooden letters strung at the top.

You probably thought that chest (trunk? box?) was the greatest find of the day.  Well, I'll tell you - I was pretty excited about it, but NOT as excited as when I saw this adorable moose head staring up at me from the a table!


Isn't he the cutest ever!?  I'm not sure if you know that faux taxidermy is quite chic and trendy in nursery decor these days. 


Did I mention my moose head is brand new, with his price tag on and everything?  For $8 he was in my bag quicker than I could pay the sweet lady.  

If you think I'm just crazy, with no design sense at all, here are 2 beautifully styled nurseries featuring this fun trend, along with some beautiful (and expensive) animal heads for sale.





This adorable elephant is $139.




Is my moose not looking amazing to you right now?  If not, that's ok.  Derek loved him, or maybe just loved how much I loved him?  Ashley made fun of me for an hour after I purchased him, but hey, to each their own, right!?

My other purchases were gifts.  The GGGS is a great place to buy gifts, by the way.  And really nice baby/children's clothing.

Here's a pack of 50 Beau's Beer coasters for Derek's brother.  He loves Beau's beer and is moving into a new condo he purchased in about 9 months.  I'm planning on including these in a gift basket for him.  Don't let me forget about them!  They were $2.


I purchased this 15 pack of recycled golf balls for our friend Ted.  He lives in the country and hits balls into the field behind his house.  For 20 cents/ball I'm sure he won't care if he never sees them again.


I must have had our Brockville friends on the brain, because the next thing I picked up was this adorable fork and spoon set for our friends' Karen and Ryan's little munchkin.  


Conveniently, we were heading to Brockville for the night so were able to give our gifts right away as opposed to forgetting about them in the back of the closet.  I definitely do that sometimes.  Reminder: Don't let me forget about the beer coasters!

We wanted to buy this cute little puppy, but he wasn't for sale.


It's too bad I didn't take more photos of the beautiful homes in the Glebe.  This one, for example, was renovated beautifully and the second level has a garage-like door on the balcony that opens up to their kitchen/dining/living room.  Hello dream home!


Ashley and I spent a good 5 to 6 hours at the GGGS and were parched by the time we got back to the car. Thank goodness we parked near a pub so we could rehydrate.


Did anyone else visit the Glebe last Saturday?  If so, did you see or buy anything amazing?  We definitely saw some pretty happy shoppers and a ton of happy people.  I can't wait for next year!

Friday, May 25, 2012

The greatest weekend since last weekend

Did everyone have a great long-weekend last weekend?  I hope so.  But not to worry if you didn't because this weekend is one of the most exciting weekends in Ottawa, and one of my personal favourites.

Our beautiful city is hosting Ottawa Race Weekend which creates so much buzz and energy.  

I've participated in the Ottawa Race Weekend's half marathon twice.  The first time was in 2009 with my best bud, Ashley (yes, those are matching outfits) and my other girlfriend, Jenny.  It was a first half for all three of us.  Since then I've done one more, Ashley's become a super star and completed 4, and Jenny had had enough after her first!


I was at the race in 2010, but had a different perspective.  It was still exciting and I loved cheering on my girl, but I missed the actual running part.  


Last year, I was back in the race!  Ashley and I decided to wear different hats ;)


I had to include this picture because it really shows what type of man I am marrying.  Derek is the most supportive and encouraging person.  He was so proud of me that day, and clearly, very excited!  Here he is coming in for a hug - so glad my sis caught it on camera!


So now it's 2012 and thought I should stick with the pattern I have created and take the year off.  Obviously I only run on odd number years.  

I will enjoy seeing the running spandex everywhere and feeling the energy in the air as thousands of inspirational athletes prepare for the big day. As a nice, flat, picturesque qualifier for the Boston Marathon, there are many elite runners gracing our city this weekend.  I am sure I will miss being a part of those pre race jitters though, so next year the plan is to run again!

You think that's enough excitement for one Ottawa weekend?  Well, it's not!  There is debate on whether this second event is ranked higher on the scale of amazing-ness.  For me?  It's a tie.  

I know some people who are as excited about the Great Glebe Garage Sale as kids are about Christmas morning!  This local garage sale is legendary.  If you are not familiar with Ottawa, The Glebe is an upscale neighbourhood just south of downtown.  It is known for it's main street which is full of trendy boutiques, great restaurants, coffee (and tea) shops, a plethora of spas, and art galleries.  

It's a very desirable (and expensive) place to live; many of the beautiful large homes on the tree lined streets are a century old, and are walking distance to downtown, the Rideau Canal, farmers markets and lots of green space.  

All that to say - these rich people sell nice stuff!  People have been known to walk away with anything from rare pieces of fine art, traffic lights, bicycles, antique jewellery and loads of kitchenware.  So tomorrow, Ashley (who is also taking a year off from running the half) and I will be participating in another type of sport - garage saleing.  

My favourite purchases from the past are: 
  • our outdoor wooden bistro set seen in the background here:

  • my vintage pyrex mixing bowls seen on top of my fridge, here:

  • And thirdly an awesome tennis racket that Derek is now calling his own.  


Tomorrow I won't be going in with much of a plan, which is just fine by me.  It makes for a less stressful garage saleing experience.  It's when your mind is clear and open that the real gems shine through.

I will be keeping my eyes peeled for one specific item though, and that is - an antique briefcase/suitcase to use at our wedding.  Something like this charming case from etsy, but that doesn't cost $60 plus tax and shipping.  I'm thinking more like $30.  


Other than that, I'm just planning on enjoying the day with my friend, and strolling through those lovely tree-lined streets to see what catches my eye.

If you are planning attending but don't have much experience I would suggest checking out this site for more information and helpful tips.  You can also search #gggs for twitter updates.

From my experience, here is what I think you should know: 

  • arrive early (like before 7am), and pick up a coffee from Bridgehead 
  • bring a travel mug which you can then use for discounted lemonade (there are kids selling lemonade EVERYWHERE!)
  • if you are driving, park outside the Glebe, as it will be a nightmare to escape the madness
I'll definitely let you know what Ash and I end up purchasing.  If anyone finds something really neat, I want to hear about it!  

And if you see a wicked antique suitcase tweet me the location @loveleehoneybee!

Have a great weekend and good luck to all the runners (and garage salers!)

Monday, May 14, 2012

The perfect pear

How was everyone's mother's day?

Mine was lovely.  I went to my mom's choir concert.  She sings for the Village Voices and they put on their annual spring concert Saturday night.  Sunday was spent at my parents' house, enjoying breakfast (veggie omelettes made by my brother, Keenan), walking the dog, visiting the nursery and planting our new flowers, having bbq for dinner and just enjoying the day.  

The weather was beautiful - about 25 degrees and sunny.  Derek and I actually braved the freezing water temperatures and jumped in the swimming pool!

This year, for mother's day, I decided to craft a gift instead of giving her a purchased one, as I usually do.  All these weddings, new babies and moving into our new home have created a tight budget.  But I came to realize that it didn't mean my mom's gift had to suffer.

I found this idea on Pinterest:

(Sorry, I cannot locate the original source)

I had pinned it onto one of my boards a while ago, and thought this was the perfect occasion to put my rediscovered crafting skills to the test.

My girlfriend, Ashley, came over for a ladies night on Friday and we got started.

To successfully complete this craft you will need:

  • light bulbs
  • twine
  • twigs
  • a glue gun
  • scissors
  • wine 
  • chocolate
  • if you have a friend - double the wine and chocolate



The craft was super easy.  We just began gluing the twine at the bottom of the light bulbs and worked our way up.


Make sure to glue the twine as close together as possible, or else you will end up with gaps.  And once you reach the top, just snip the twine and glue your twig to cover the end.


Since we were going for the whole rustic chic look, we didn't mind if it wasn't perfect.  It just adds to the charm.

Here is the finished product!



I finished off my package by wrapping the pears in a pretty pink linen dish towel and tying it with twine.  I actually felt like a little kid, mother's day morning.  I couldn't wait to give my mom the craft I had made her!  

She loved her pears and was so impressed that I had made them!  I don't think she believed me at first.  Once she finds the perfect resting place for her gift I will post a picture from her house.

In the mean time, let's talk weddings...

I love the wedding theme "A perfect pear", and I think these handmade pears would be the perfect addition.


Someone please use this wedding theme.  Think of the amazing details it would involve
  • A soft greeny/yellow and crisp white colour pallet 
  • Pear and brie appetizers
  • Pear seating cards
  • A butter cream frosted cake with pear accents
  • Bowls of pears

Has anyone else tried out a craft you've had bookmarked for a while?  I have been enjoying crafting a lot lately and am thinking of learning how to embroider.  I love the whimsical, charming look of hanging embroidering hoops in nurseries.  And I've always wanted monogrammed bedding - maybe I'll just do it myself!

Friday, May 11, 2012

The countdown is on!

We will be moving into our new condo in exactly 73 days!

or

about 2.5 months!

or

1 752 hours!

or

105 120 minutes!

or

6 307 200 seconds!

Sorry, I got carried away there.  I just thought this website that helped me with those calculations was really funny.

All that to say, we are getting super excited.  Especially since we came across this MLS Listing for a Bennett unit in the Tiffani I.  (We purchased the Bennett model in the Tiffani II)

The realtor describes our unit as being a "rarely available 760 square foot bright and beautiful Bennett unit with the best views in the building!"

Yes - BEST views in the building!

Even though looking at the floor plan, and using my Urban Barn Make Room tool definitely help get a sense of the space and layout, pictures are always fun, which is why I was so excited to see this lising.

Here's the layout to refresh your memory:


Here's the kitchen/dining area with the front entrance in the far right corner.  I love the walk through kitchen. Since the space is quite small, I think it definitely helps the flow of the unit.  There is an opening behind the half-wall you see against the kitchen island.


Another view of the kitchen from a slightly different angle.  The den is in behind the kitchen to the back left, which they have actually set up as their dining area.  We plan on using the space beside the kitchen (in front of their white shelving units) as our dining area.  I can't wait to find the perfect bar stools to pull up to our island!


Here is the living room with the sunny balcony beyond the patio doors, which I think actually looks shorter than it is.  In reality it is 15'3" feet long. 


Here is the floor plan I am envisioning for the living/dining area (this is a mirrored image since the Tiffani II units are on the opposite side).  I used the exact dimensions of our couch and dining table, and estimated the measurements for the coffee table, chairs and hutch by researching pieces I might actually want to purchase.  


And as another reminder, here is our new furniture that we purchased over boxing week last year.



This is a photo of the den.  The double doors lead to a storage area and the washer/dryer.  Our immediate plans are to fill this space with our current living room furniture to create a typical "den" and guest room, but eventually this will become a nursery.  I think it looks smaller than its actual 8'10" X 7'3" square footage.  


Here is the bedroom.  I'm so happy with its size and the beautiful large windows.  I can't wait to be lying in bed, enjoying that view.


This is the layout I'm hoping to achieve in the bedroom.  I was originally going to place the desk in front of the window, but I didn't realize it went all the way to the ground.  I'm going to sneak it into the corner so that I don't obstruct our views.


And speaking of the view - here is it!  This was taken from the 14th floor (we are on the 8th).  There is a lot of beautiful green space across the Vanier Parkway and along the river.  One of the main reasons we chose The Bennett is the fact that we are facing South/West which will allow for plenty of afternoon and evening sunlight for us to enjoy.


So, there you have it!  A little update on how excited we are and what we have to look forward to in about 6 million seconds.

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Etsy love

I have been loving Etsy lately.

Probably because I've been scouring the internet for all things wedding, home décor and baby (still have a few baby showers to go!)  Etsy has a lot to offer, so I thought I would put together a collection of my favourite stores and items!  FYI, all of the Etsy stores I'm profiling have 100% positive customer feedback and very good reviews.

Festive Home Decor

Here, you will find a fun assortment of throw pillow covers in an array of beautiful and bright fabrics.  Michelle, the chief owner, prides herself on hunting down only the best of fabrics to create her pillow covers, and her attention to detail shows.  She sells quirky designs well suited for a nursery along with more modern and elegant options which would look great in a bedroom.  I plan on purchasing some of her covers once we move into the condo and figure out colour pallets.







Erin, the shop owner, is a very creative gal with a love for typography.  When she recently came across other passions of gardening, cooking and canning, Articipe was born.  The deal is, you send her your favourite recipe and the colour scheme you are looking for and she will create a personalized and very charming piece of recipe art (articipe) just for you.

I think this is a fabulous mother's day gift.


If the wall art isn't your thing, you will definitely love these adorable get well cards.  *must be delivered with homemade chicken noodle soup*



I think Michelle's nature inspired water colour art is just beautiful and I found it very difficult deciding which pieces to upload here.  You can check out her featured profile here, where she says that in 10 years she would like to be painting, hopefully in a studio detached from her own home, write a children's book, hike the Patagonia and own a greenhouse filled with lemon and olive trees.  Don't you just want to be her best friend?

Obviously I couldn't say no to "Bee Hive".



I think we need the stacked whales somewhere in our new place.  Derek looooves whales!






Artist and owner of Cultivar, Katie, is truly talented!  So talented, that she is no longer able to accept orders because she's so busy!  She creates bouquets, hair pieces and other embellishments to make your wedding just that much more beautiful.  The material she uses to create these pieces are all second hand and include lace, vintage fabricl, broaches and other jewels.  Best of all, they are completely customizable to your wedding colours.

Thankfully I discovered Katie's work months ago and was able to put my name on a waiting list, as I am hoping to walk down the isle carrying one of her beautiful bouquets.  I love the idea of being able to keep this as a wedding memory for ever!




I have been researching bridesmaid clutches on Etsy, as an option for my girls to carry instead of flowers.  I 


David and Chiyo, a Vancouver based shop, creates beautiful clutches which can be used for bridesmaids.  I like the Bridesmaids Set below since each clutch is a little bit different.  I think a gold/silver combination would tie in very nicely to all the girls' dresses and the style of our wedding.  


It's nice because they will provide 30% off your order if you purchase 5 or more purses.  Just think of the fun gifts I could fill them up with!



This London, UK based shop offers the same services as David and Chiyo with a slightly different style.


I know this is probably a very personal taste, but I think carrying a nice clutch is pretty cute!


Do you guys have any favourite Etsy shops I should know about?  I love the feature that allows you to shop in your own city or at least closer to home.  I definitely try and do this as much as possible to support my local artist community.  Maybe I'll have to write another post specifically for those peeps!

One of my favourite parts about online shopping is receiving a package in the mail.  Isn't that the BEST ever!?!?

Happy shopping!