WISH Wednesday #60

I adore this Canadiana Christmas living room.  I love the old wooden beams, the stone fireplace, the touches of red, the rustic wooden furniture, and the simple natural Christmas decorations.  Definitely calls for a mug of hot chocolate by the fire, don't you think?  

Style at Home

WISH Wednesday #59

Isn't this a lovely way to display special Christmas decorations.  Each ornament is framed by being in its own cell.  I love the rustic wood of the box juxtaposed against the shine and glitter of the ornaments.  Keeping all the ornaments to white, silver, and glass helps create a cohesive display.  Love it!

DigsDigs

Do you display ornaments around the house or keep them all on the tree?  I put a few in bowls, but most go on the tree.  This year I'm creating something special for the mantel that involves some of our ornaments - stay tuned.

WISH Wednesday #58

It's both Christmas Cookie Week and Wednesday so I've found a beautiful cookie photo to share for WISH Wednesday.  I have absolutely no time to make such intricate cookies, but I think they are beautiful and would make such a pretty addition to a Christmas tree or hanging in a kitchen window.

Delish

Have you ever made really ornate cookies like these?  I'm not sure I would want anyone to eat them if I spent so much time making them.

WISH Wednesday #57

Having seen John and Sherry Petersik, from the blog Young House Love, on Monday at the book tour party (which you can read about here), I thought I would post a room from their home for WISH Wednesday. I was surprised that some of you had not heard of them so this is my opportunity to introduce you to one of my favourite rooms they decorated - it is their daughter Clara's nursery from their first home. 
I love the blue and green colours they used on the walls and ceiling and the floral drapes.  I usually am not a fan of painting the ceiling, but I think the beautiful aqua colour they used works so well to tie everything together.   You can see more photos here.

Have you ever painted a ceiling in your home?  We have always had white ceilings, but I do love this aqua colour.  Would you consider it?

WISH Wednesday #56

The days are getting shorter.  Night seems to fall almost before I get home from work.  I've been super busy at work this week with parent-teacher interviews.  Maybe all that explains why I was so drawn to this beautiful, light, white kitchen.
All the right ingredients are there - white kitchen cabinets, glass-fronted upper cupboards, a pretty eye-catching venthood, a built-in eating nook, a beadboard ceiling, French doors that open wide to the porch, and pretty little pops of yellow here and there - oh, and a beautiful view out the window.  What more could you ask for in a kitchen.  

images via Ken Linsteadt Architects {in San Francisco} via houzz

This is my dream kitchen!  What's on your dream kitchen list?

WISH Wednesday #55

When I saw these Pumpkin Die-oramas over at The Art of Doing Stuff I just knew they would be fantastic for a Hallowe'en WISH Wednesday post.  Are these not perfect. Kind of like Faberge was into pumpkins instead of eggs and had only the dollar store at his disposal.

The Art of Doing Stuff

If you go to the website you can see more details and read about how to make your own die-orama.  Should you decide to make one you absolutely must include the glowing skulls - are they not the best.

WISH Wednesday #54

I have been absolutely and completely obsessed with Margot Austin's PEI getaway for weeks so I thought I would show you my favourite room for WISH Wednesday.  I kid you not when I say that I couldn't stop thinking about the cottage one night as I was trying to go to sleep - I was thinking about where the bathroom was.  The next day I watched the video yet again and my suspicions proved correct.  The bathroom is near the stairs.  

House and Home

Margot and her husband painted the interior of Whale Cottage white and the floors gray so there is a nice clean background for simple furnishings and some nautical island decor. I love the relaxed vibe and the colour palette of blues and grays. 
You can see more photos of her adorable cottage here, and watch the video of Margot giving a tour here, and see some 'before' photos here.  Can you tell that I'm quite taken!  Here are some of my favourite parts - 

• the marine blue in the mud room entry
• the penny round tiles and the enamel sink in the kitchen
• the rope railing for the stairs
• the yellow headboard and antique chair covered in black (or is it navy?) gingham in the master bedroom
• and, of course, the whale weathervane on the roof of Whale Cottage.

WISH Wednesday #53

Last week I asked if anyone wanted to do a WISH Wednesday post and Ricki Jill from Art @ Home volunteered.  I love the photo she selected - it is a pretty front door decorated for fall.  
Here's what Ricki Jill said about it:
I love the simplicity of it and the colors: the golden yellow door, the orange stripe on the antique bucket, and the hypericum berries and hydrangeas are a pretty early autumn arrangement.

BHG

Thank you Ricki Jill. Great choice of an inspirational photo. I finally got around to putting up some Indian corn tied with a pretty brown bow on our front door.  Do you decorate your front door for the season?  What have you used to create a pretty entryway for the fall?

p.s. If you would like to contribute a WISH Wednesday post then feel free to drop me a line (aliasgracie@gmail.com). Here's what you do - find a picture that totally inspires you and relates to the season we are in and then you write up what you find compelling about it.  One of the things I love about the internet is all the great inspiration out there so the more people finding amazing photos the better.

WISH Wednesday #52

Today I have the perfect photo to share with you. I saw this photo (okay, I poured over this photo) in my recent Style at Home magazine and was hoping I would find it online so I could use it as a WISH Wednesday photo and today I found it. 
Isn't this dining room rustic and cozy and warm?  Perfect for setting a fall table.  I love the fieldstone fireplace and the rough wood table.  I love the white pumpkins decorating the table and the simplicity of white dishes and a white runner. And I love the tiny bit of colour in the red berries in the middle of the table.  

Style at Home

Did you notice that - we are on WISH Wednesday #52 which means I have featured a picture every Wednesday for the past year - amazing. I hope you are enjoying the series as much as I am.  I've really enjoyed searching out the best of the best and am going to keep the series going for the near future, but I had an idea the other day.  I wondered if any of you would like to do some WISH Wednesday posts this year as well.  
If you would like to contribute a WISH Wednesday post then feel free to drop me a line (aliasgracie@gmail.com). It is really quite easy.  You find a picture that totally inspires you and relates to the season we are in and then you write up what you find compelling about it.  One of the things I love about the internet is all the great inspiration out there so the more people finding amazing photos the better.

WISH Wednesday #51

It's Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday so we are off to the cottage in a few days for the long weekend.  We will spend a lot of time talking and reading and going for walks and at least an equal amount of time eating yummy food.  I can see that Thanksgiving and all things autumn have finally taken hold with me as my WISH Wednesday photo is definitely on topic.  
Aren't those mini-pumpkins made into little vases for the chrysanthemums the best.  In fact I'm not just infatuated with the pumpkin vases, but I like the styling of the whole table - from the twig placemats, to the earthenware plates, to the bits of bittersweet vine nestled around the plates.  And apparently I'm still obsessed with including the colour blue in fall decorating. 

via House and Home

What do you usually use to decorate your Thanksgiving table?  We usually just put some colourful leaves around and call it a day.
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I also want to announce that the winner of the Rubbermaid Lunchblox giveaway is Jackie.  If she could please email me then I can get the prize out to her.  If I have not heard from Jackie by Friday then I will redraw a winner.

WISH Wednesday #50

I'm all about blue for fall decorating this year.  It's a bit different than the usual fall colours, but I love blue with orange and gold so it works.  I used blue in our dining room (which you can see here and here) so when I saw that someone else had used a blue tablecloth I had to feature that for my WISH Wednesday photo for this week.
Isn't mercury-glass the best - lots of sparkle, but it doesn't have to be polished and it looks a little vintage and worn.  I love mercury-glass pumpkins - not that I have any, but I love the look.  In the photo below the tablecloth looks a little folksy with a batiked or stamped pattern all over it and is a nice contrast with the sparkly mercury-glass and the more formal white china and glassware.  
Have you been smitten by the mercury-glass fad?

Earl Richardson via The Detroit News

It's the end of the month already so here is the September WISH Wednesday photo mosaic. By the way, did you notice that I didn't have an extra photo to use to even out the numbers - it is the first time that has happened all year.  I used a photo I took of some asters and goldenrod at our friend's farm a few weeks ago.

WISH Wednesday #49

To my mind, fall decorating is all about golds and oranges and natural woods, so this dining room seemed perfect for a WISH Wednesday photo.  I love the light wood against the gray walls with the orange chandelier and flowers.  I'm not sure I would ever buy such a daring chandelier in case I got tired of the colour, but I love it in this room.

Martha Stewart

Have you started decorating for fall yet?  

WISH Wednesday #48

I've had a busy couple of weeks since returning from Nova Scotia and still haven't found time to finish the rest of my blog posts about our trip - coming soon.  However I'm now off to Winnipeg for a wedding this weekend so that was my inspiration for this week's WISH Wednesday photo.  Nothing like travelling from the ocean two weeks ago to the prairies this weekend.
I wanted a room that reminded me of the prairies and yet wasn't too far over into the log walls, leather furniture, and cowhides camp.  This living room evokes the prairies to me through the golden leather chairs, the golden fields in the painting on the mantel, the soft yellow-orange wall colour, the wood shelves and furniture, and lots of animal references (the faux goat head, the photos of animals on the shelves, and the dog fabric on the footstool).  I think the golden yellow-orange is a lovely colour, but not one I would immediately think to use in a living room.  It reminds me of butternut squash and golden trembling aspen leaves in the fall - both lovely images.  Does this room remind you of the prairies?

BHG

Would you use such a daring colour in your living room?  I would have to have a lifelong love affair with the colour to use it in such a prominent place.

WISH Wednesday #47

Since I just got home at 8:00 last night from my trip down east and I have fallen truly, madly, deeply in love with Nova Scotia all over again, I have another east coast room for this week's WISH Wednesday.  This one is from Bedford, Nova Scotia.  
I'm all about white traditional-looking kitchens so this one had my vote right there. I love that there is real art in this kitchen - sure wish I could see the rest of the wall and check out the other paintings though. The lantern is out-of-this-world gorgeous and apparently comes from Stadacona Lodge in Halifax.  Isn't the aged bronze finish perfect in this kitchen.  The floors cork tiles are a great link between the beige on the walls and the dark counters and are a nice twist on the classic black-and-white checkered floors.  I love the texture of the baskets on the shelf on the island and the patterned material used for the window covering.  I hope there is a lovely view of the sea out the window - perfect for staring at while you are doing the dishes.

Canadian House and Home

Not surprisingly I took lots of photos while I was in Nova Scotia and will be sharing some with you just as soon as I get them uploaded to my computer.  

WISH Wednesday #46

Do you see the view out the window of this adorable bedroom - that is Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) - one of the most beautiful spots in the world.  When you read this I will be down in Nova Scotia myself, so this bedroom seemed a perfect choice for my WISH Wednesday photo.  Kate goes to university in Halifax, Nova Scotia and will be sharing a house with two other girls this year rather than staying in residence.  I'm helping her get her room set up - you know - visiting thrift shops etc to find furniture and getting a big load of groceries. We are going to squeeze in a little sightseeing as well. I love Nova Scotia so I'm really looking forward to my week there.
This house was built as a family vacation home. The whole home has a spare, clean, modern look. I'm not usually a fan of modern as it can look stark and cold, but I find this home very appealing in its simplicity.  You can see more photos here.
I think the children's bedroom is one of my favourite rooms with the similar, but different Indian quilts on the bed, painted floors, and soft gray walls with white trim ... oh, and a breath-taking view out the windows.

The outside of the house is also stark and modern, yet echoes the cedar-shingled traditional homes of the area.

I'll be back from the maritimes next week and I'll show you pictures of what we visit.  I'm not going to Cape Breton Island, but I know that I'll be taking a bazillion photos of the areas we do see.

WISH Wednesday #45

I fell in love with this patio and had to share it (although I can't even remember where I got it from - bad blogger ... hanging head in shame).  I thought it would be perfect for a late summer WISH Wednesday photo.
I love the gorgeous stone building in the background. It looks French to me, especially with the pea gravel patio. Aren't the chairs painted such pretty shades of turquoise and teal - they are the perfect compliment to the rustic wood table.  I'm a sucker for simple table settings like the one shown here with jugs and vases filled with pink flowers, runners across the table, lanterns, and bowls of food.  I would love to have a quiet lunch here.

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And as always, here is the collage of all the August inspiration photos.  I see lots of cottage and outdoors photos along with plenty of soft blues and greens.