The Classy Colourful Cobi Ladner

I have to start off by saying I don't really know Cobi Ladner, but I feel like I do. Well I actually did see Cobi once at a mutual friend's funeral - from a distance.  I'm terrible at recognizing people so it was my husband who pointed her out.  She is quite distinctive, being tall with gorgeous red hair.  However, even though I've never spoken to her I feel like I know her well.

I first met Cobi when I began reading her editorial pages in the Canadian House and Home magazine which she was the editor of for more than fifteen years.  The editorial page was the first thing I read when the magazine arrived each month and I loved reading them.  Cobi had a way of making me feel like it was a chat over a cup of tea and always talked about things that I could totally relate to. 

 

 
In 2008 Cobi resigned as editor of Canadian House and Home after the sudden death of her much loved, much admired father.  She took some time to re-focus and begin some new adventures.  One of the first things she did was start her lovely blog Cobistyle.  She used her unique first name as an acronym to mean Collection of Beautiful Ideas and that is just what her blog is. 
 

 
Cobi has also made numerous appearances in magazines and on TV shows, including regularly appearing on the Stephen and Chris Show.  A woman of diverse talents, she also has written a children's book.

Just before Christmas I noticed that she was the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) Lifestyle Contributor.  You have to realize that I have an unhealthy obsession with the LCBO advertising flyers because they are just so beautifully done.  The photography is exceptional and they have a wonderful sense of style making it a natural place for Cobi to contribute.

And just so you can see why I'm obsessed with something designed to sell beer, wine, and alcohol, here is the spread they had for a modern Christmas dinner. I have no idea if this is Cobi's doing or not as they don't specifically credit the photos, ideas, or text, but I adore it.

I just read recently that Cobi has a new venture that she is launching next month.  She is coming out with her own products in four categories -

• upholstered furniture
• decorative accessories
• upholstery fabric for indoors and out
• ready-to-wear drapery with coordinated cushions.

I'm looking forward to seeing what she has come up with.  I can say without even having seen the products that they will be gorgeous, tasteful, and totally drool-worthy, because that's just how Cobi is.

Here are a few reasons to keep your eye on her:

1)  She loves vibrant colours and isn't afraid to use them in decorating or dressing.

2)  She has the most amazing kitchen - check out those shelves full of dishes, the skylight with a chandelier, the beadboard ceiling, and the bank of windows with sweet floral drapes.

3)  She has impeccable taste and is able to make a home both stylish and family and pet friendly.

4)  She isn't afraid to follow her heart and make drastic changes in her career.

You go Cobi!

(All photos used with kind permission from Cobistyle with the exception of the LCBO catalogue which are from my very own camera. )

Heart Bunting on our Valentine's Day Mantel

I usually don't change the decoratations on our mantel very often, but I rose to the challenge this year and decided to decorate for Valentine's Day.  After all, not only is it Valentine's Day, but it is our 30th Wedding Anniversary on February 14th so it seemed like the perfect time to do a little something special.

Right beside the fireplace is a brown and gold sofa that just doesn't look very good with red and pink so I thought I'd be creative and decorate with cream and blue.  I decided I wanted  the mantel to have something a bit sentimental after all it is a celebration of love; something with hearts only they couldn't be red or pink; and I wanted to use things from around the house.

 

 My first inspiration was to use books that represented something everyone in the family is interested in.  The fireplace is in our family room and has an entire wall of windows so it is quite sunny which means that I didn't want to put any of our good books on the mantel.  So I stuck to using paperbacks that nobody would mind if they got a bit faded in the sun.  There were fossil and English literature books for the hubster, books by C. S. Lewis and Tolkien for Malcolm, for Kate books about New York City and Harry Potter (notice how the spine is upside down - that's how they print books in France), an Eastern philosopy book for William, and a book on Bangladesh for me.  I tied them all with a jute twine and put a couple of heart-shaped rocks on top.

I thought our tea cups would look pretty across the middle of the mantel - a sweet combination of delicate flowers and gold trim and a reminder of a relaxing cup of tea.  The tea cups were bought by my mother shortly after they were married over 55 years ago.  My parents no longer used them so they passed six on to us and we use them when we play bridge.   I think they are all so pretty that I can never decide which tea cup is my favourite.

I've been a bit obsessed with how cute those mini-bunting flags look strung across cakes that I see all over blogland and decided I wanted to try my hand at making a Valentine's Day one.  Now there are some people in the family who don't like my bunting, but then again long-haired 16-year old guys aren't usually the ones you poll for opinions on your Valentine's Day crafts.

To make the bunting I cut heart-shapes out of some drop-cloth material and then taped them all side-by-side so I could sew them together without them moving around.  I sewed a little closer to the top of the hearts than the bottom so that gravity would hold them upright and I used the bottom edge of the masking tape as my guide for sewing.  I also made sure I left long threads on both ends so that I had enough to tie it to the sticks.  When they were sewn together, I removed the tape, tied the bunting to the bbq skewers, and put a dab of glue to hold it in place.

I had some serious issues getting them to stay up-right in the tea cup and I'm sure there were better solutions than the one I found, but here is what I did.  I used a lump of sticky tack at the bottom of the cup with the skewer stuck into it, then put some rocks over top and then covered them with white pea beans.  It was an efficient, but not necessarily elegant solution.

 
On the right-hand side of the mantel I put a chocolate-coloured Valentine's Day subway art that I got free from Today's Fabulous Finds.  They are available in ten different colours and are yours free for the printing - thanks Janet!   I chose the brown one so it would balance the weight of the books on the other end of the mantel and would coordinate with the sofa.

I put our last tea cup on this side, because I wanted an uneven number across the centre and this one is brighter than all the other ones. 

 
Since the tea cup was turquoise, I wanted to have two more aqua blue accents so added my new mason jar and a Tiffany box.  Aren't those bubbles in the mason jar too much - I love them.

Don't think I'm too silly, but I still haven't opened my present from Tiffany's that I got for Christmas.  I didn't want to ruin the bow so I'm waiting to open it for my birthday which is just before Valentine's Day - I know I'm strange.  What can I say?  It seemed appropriate to include the Tiffany box since the Valentine's Day mantel is about love and family and this was bought for me by Kate and hubby in New York City just before Christmas.

The sun was shining brightly this morning and I just kept clicking photos as it moved across the mantel.  A lovely way to spend a chilly morning.

And one last view of the whole mantel.

Linked to DIY Project Parade at The DIY Show Off,
Project Party Weekend at Bubbly Nature Creations
Valentine's Mantel Linky party at The Stories of A to Z 
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Strut Your Stuff Valentine's at Somewhat Simple
The Valentine's Party at The Holiday Haven

Storing China

As I mentioned recently I really love dishes.  I have quite a few sets (which I will be doing a post on as soon as I get photos taken of them) that I really enjoy using.   Whenever I go to the thrift store or the sale section in stores I'm always looking out for pretty sets of plates or bowls.  However along with the thrill of finding new dishes comes the problem of where to store them.  Several of you commented in my last post that you were fast running out of places to keep your china.

I did a Google search and apparently there are many people who enjoy collecting china.  In looking at all the lovely collections, I was impressed with some of the beautiful images of  cupboards and shelves full of dishes.  Seeing shelves filled with pretty dishes makes me want to get them out and play with them - to set a pretty table, arrange different colours and patterns together, examine them up close...

Here are some of the pretty ways I found to store dishes:

Some people stored dishes on open shelves,

Coastal Living via The Old Post Road

or in a slotted plate rack on the wall,

Un Petit Dream

or in a zinc-lined pharmaceutical cabinet,

Eddie Ross

 or in cupboards with glass doors,

Canadian House and Home

or wooden doors.

The City Sage

Some dishes were stored on open shelves in the kitchen,

Willow Decor

or in kitchen cabinets,

Martha Stewart

or in kitchen drawers,

Garden Web

or in closets or rooms devoted entirely to storing china (for more photos and a great post about butler's pantries and china closets see here),

House Beautiful via S. W. Designs

 or in hutches or china cabinets in the dining room.

JPD School of Design Palm Beach

Some collections included complete sets of dishes with bowls, side plates, dinner plates, cups, and serving pieces,

Martha Stewart

and others were specialized, like this amazing collection of cafe au lait bowls,

 Martha Stewart

 or this impressive collection of Pyrex bowls.

In the Berry Patch

 Some displayed only neutral-coloured dishes,

Country Living

some pastel dishes,

Beautiful Things to Share

and some were a rainbow of bright colours.

The Little Round Table

I keep mine on open shelves in the kitchen and in an over-flowing china cabinet.  What about you?  How do you store your dishes?

6 Must-Have Sets of Dishes

I love dishes!  I love setting the table with different plates and bowls, I love matching the dishes to the type of food we are serving, I love coordinating the linens and plates - I really love dishes!  Recently though, I've been thinking about how many sets of dishes are the right number to own.  At what point do you step over the edge and move from dish lover and dish collector to dish addict.  I've been getting some flak from Kate, who has talked me down from the edge when I've wanted to buy more dishes at the thrift store, and my friend (you know who you are) who thinks I have too many dishes.  So I've been pondering how many sets of dishes are optimal.

While I love all dishes, for me the thing that makes the biggest impact on a table is the plates so I don't buy all the side plates and bowls that go with every set.  Plus I love the mismatched look so I'm happy to pair bowls and plates from different sets.  I'm a bit cheap so I only buy plates that are from the thrift store or on a great sale somewhere.  Until now I have only bought dishes when I could get eight or ten plates or bowls so that there were enough to set a complete table when we had guests.  It has recently dawned on me that soon there will only be two of us at home (tear, tear) and I have started to look out for sets of four plates. 

I do realize that all we really need is one set of basic white or cream dishes, but where's the fun in that.  So here is my list of the six sets of dishes that I see as being just the right number - not too many to store, but enough variety that you can have fun setting the table.  There is definitely overlap between the categories so you may or may not need all six types.

Here's my list of the six must-have sets of dishes.

1) WHITE (or CREAM) DISHES

I think a set of plain white or cream dishes are a basic minimum and always look classic and pretty.  

 Pottery Barn

White dishes can look modern or traditional depending on their shape and style and on what type of cutlery, drinking glasses, linens, and centrepiece you put with them.

Canadian House and Home

You can add other colourful dishes to change the look and add some interest,

Sarah Richardson's table via House of Turquoise

or change the linens on the table to take the same dishes from casual to formal.

Style at Home

2) FORMAL FINE CHINA DISHES

I love the look of a table set with porcelain dishes that have some silver or gold trim and maybe a thin decorative line around the edge or some pretty flowers on them.  They make such a lovely table setting for a more formal meal.  Many people have some fine china that they received as wedding presents or inherited from family.  If your formal china is sitting in a cabinet not being used, then I say it is time to get it out and enjoy it.  Nothing elevates an occasion like setting a pretty table with cloth napkins, fresh flowers, and fine china.

House of Turquoise

 Country Living

 Canadian House and Home

 Seattle Times

3) CHRISTMAS DISHES

By Christmas dishes I really mean ones that look good on your table at Christmas.  While some of the dishes that are specifically meant for Christmas are lovely, I think it is a pity to have to store something that is only used for one month of the year.  In my opinion it would be so much better to find some cute red and white patterned plates (like the ones in the first photo below, which I adore), or green plates, or white with gold trim - whatever makes a Christmas table special to you and can be used again at other times.

Martha Stewart

PennyAnnPoundwise

Country Living

4) POTTERY DISHES

When you are having a hearty stew or a home-style dinner, these are the dishes you need.  They make the table seem warm and comfortable with a down-to-earth charm.

House of Turquoise
 

 Country Living

5) ASIAN DISHES

When it's stir fry or sushi that's being served, then some Asian-inspired dishes are just the thing.  There are a variety of styles of Asian dishes from rustic glazed dishes to white ones with stylized flowers, birds, and dragons on them.  Asian dishes are also sometimes square-shaped.  

Canadian House and Home

Fine Cooking

Misha Cuisine

Source

6) JUST FOR FUN DISHES

To add a little variety, you need a few dishes in the just for fun category.  They might be some nice bright dishes like these sunny yellow plates,

 Southern Accents

or some lovely pastels ones,

Country Living

or some blue ones like these pretty transferware plates,

Southern Accents

or these gorgeous navy floral ones,

BHG

or some charmingly quirky ones that speak to you.

TrueWestHome

Etsy

To me those six types of dishes cover most seasons, events, and meals, but aren't too many to store.  What about you?  How many sets of dishes do you think is the perfect number?

Later this week I'll show you which ones I have.

Linked to Inspiration Friday at Southern in My Heart