Posted by Cobi on Monday March 29, 2010 at 06:00 AM
Comments (3)
Did you know there are people called Numerologists who believe in linking your name to numbers and colours for clues about your personality?
Sounds a little far fetched, but fun none the less.
Here's how it works:
Take each letter in your name and find its corresponding number in the guide below, then add all the numbers together.
A J S 1
B K T 2
C L U 3
D M V 4
E N W 5
F O X 6
G P Y 7
H Q Z 8
I R 9
EXAMPLE: Cobi 3+6+2+9= 20
Now, reduce the total to a single digit by adding it together: 2+0= 2
Here is the Numerology Key to your Colour Personality:
1. RED
The most dominant personality. A visionary and risk-taker: energetic, passionate, tenacious, flamboyant, and courageous.
2. ORANGE (me!)
Balanced both mentally and physically. Happy, loyal, takes each day as it comes. (hmmm...not so sure about that!!)
3. YELLOW
Cheerful, charming, magnetic, intelligent, confident, and creative. Somewhat psychic, and enigmatic. A good leader and negotiator.
4. GREEN
The perfect balance between the physical and mental. Grounded, logical, not easily influenced, rarely judgmental. An intensely loyal friend - and has lots of them.
5. BLUE
Optimistic, empathetic, flexible, idealistic, tranquil, patient, devoted. A natural mother.
6. INDIGO
A brilliant old soul who is intuitive, sensitive, impulsive, curious and ambitious, with a great lust for life.
7. VIOLET
Also an old soul. Intense, cerebral, wise, loving, generous, sentimental, and artistic.
8. ROSE
Main qualities are strength, love and leadership. Turns visions into realities. (I want to be Rose!)
9. GOLD
Radiates love, joy, compassion, and understanding.
I hope you meet a rainbow of good people today!
Posted by Cobi on Monday March 22, 2010 at 06:00 AM
Comments (3)
We all have a piece of furniture that's still functioning but lacks pizazz.
Maybe we're just sick of looking at it, or regret taking the safe route when choosing it's fabric and finish. Whatever the reason, it's a big yawner.
If you love traditional shapes, there are some amazing ways to wake up a sleepy piece and let it's hidden rock star show through 
.
The only caveat is: you've gotta go bold, or go home!
Any of you who read decorating magazines, saw this image run last year for a fabric company called Romo Fabrics.
What a way to energize a simple side chair...
Toronto Stylist and Fashionista Andrea Ford has figured out how to turn furniture finds into the life of the party.
Andrea believes in mixing it up with the old and the new; demure vs. demanding: "I love the process of stripping furniture down to its bare frame and rebuilding it. I spend a lot of time browsing through fabrics for statement prints and treat each chair or sofa like a couture design. It's a green venture by accident, but I love to save pieces that others have cast aside." Her pieces start at $400 and you can either take your own piece to her or shop from the ones she's already done, like these...
If you're interested in this look but want to buy new, Barrymore Furniture will paint their chair frames any colour of Benjamin Moore paint you choose. Here's a bergere chair done in Watermelon Red #2087-20 with fabric called Flame 4117.
Of course you could always try to diy! At least paint the frame yourself - and then shop for some cool fabric and take it to a good upholsterer.
You'll be totally trendy if you do - don't think of it as recycling, that's so passe - use the new hip term "upcycling" or "decurating".
Whichever way you go, just know that you'll have to blast some Van Halen when your new piece arrives. Rock on!
Posted by Cobi on Monday March 15, 2010 at 06:00 AM
Comments (0)
It doesn't take the luck of the Irish to create a beautiful room.
As I've said before, one of the easiest and most impactful ways to decorate is with a single colour palette.
In other words one colour with lots of white or neutral.
I love the freshness of a green and white with a earthy gray or brown thrown in. Even Mother Nature agrees....
If you have an all neutral room - white, beige, earth tones, try a big bunch of fresh leaves (even from the garden) and see how the crisp, cool of the green, wakes everything up like a spring morning. It's a good way to test out what green would look like in that room.
Another way to test green in your rooms is to fool around with it at Christmas time. No commitment but a good amount of time to see how it feels.
Or even try some green veggies in your all white kitchen...
I love apple green and white with wood and naturals ~ it's so fresh and happy, like new leaves popping out of the forest floor.
If you're more bold, you can try brilliant emerald or grass green which looks great with white and black ...
But if that just feels like too much for you, try your luck outside, green and white is a classic.
Or, if you really aren't sure, you could just decorate your son, like I do every year at this time on his birthday (14 today! ) .
That will give you a good sense of how lucky it feels to live with a little green!
Posted by Cobi on Monday March 08, 2010 at 06:00 AM
Comments (1)
One year Bob surprised me for my birthday with a long weekend in Paris.
It was only four days but we made the most of every second. I highly recommend it as a wonderful gift to anyone special - even yourself. Yes, it's tiring physically, but mentally it's the biggest jolt of energy you could ever get.
Anyway, I was going to tell you a story... On this trip we went to one of my favourite Saturday flea markets. It's called, Marche aux puces de la porte de vanve . There are many antique markets in Paris, all called "Les Puces" - the fleas - and many are more fancy than this one, with beautiful linens and furnishings - but who am I kidding? I'm not going to buy an armoire or iron bed linens. I just want a few trinkets for my kitchen or my jewellery box or mantle to remind me of a wonderful trip. Anyway, if you like the thrill of the hunt - I suggest this one. Just take the subway to the Porte de Vanve (line 13) and follow the crowd. Try to go as early as possible on Saturday as they pack things up by mid afternoon.
Bob had also arranged for friends to meet us in Paris as a surprise, and good sports that they are, they agreed to come with us to the market. Given it was my birthday, and (traveling with Bob) we weren't doing as much shopping as I would be doing if I was alone or with a female companion, I told myself that I was allowed to buy one thing worth a bit more than the usual fare. As we moved from stall to stall and I picked up odds and sods, I spied a framed painting in one booth that was full of paintings. For some reason it drew me in like none of the others.
I asked the gentleman how much it was and he told me. It was more than I wanted to spend, even with my special allowance. It was then I realized how lucky I was to have a friend with me who was raised in Montreal and had a much better grasp of the language...I asked her to find out if he was firm on his price. He said 'oui'. I then asked her to offer him a lower price. She did and he said 'non'. We left the booth and disappointedly I soldiered on to look for other hidden treasure. After a while I realized there wasn't anything else as lovely as that painting and I had to go back and try again.
My dear friend agreed to help (like she had a choice) and we circled round and showed up again. Thankfully the painting was still there and I looked at it again. I was smitten. Again I tried to barter with the owner but my language was so poor, he didn't understand, or let on he didn't anyway. My friend came to the rescue and tried to work with him on my behalf but to no avail. He walked away and talked to other potential customers. To his chagrin, I just stayed there - trying to come up with another tactic. Little did I know, my tactic was working without even talking. I thought I would try him one more time - what did I have to lose? I showed him my wad of euros and said the number I would pay again. He turned his back on me and said something quickly to my friend. She looked at me and said "he'll take it!". I handed him my money, grabbed the painting and headed out of the booth before he changed his mind..."Merci! Merci!"....as we wove our way through the crowds to show our patiently waiting husbands, I asked my friend what he had said when he suddenly changed his mind? She laughed and said with a bit of embarrassment in her voice, "he said, 'just get her out of my booth!'". We laughed all the way out of Les Puces.
Here is my coveted painting....
I still love it. The artist's name is Eugene de Sante and apparently he never really 'made it', although he did have a famous father or uncle who painted, someday I'll research more.... It hangs happily in our main hallway and as I walk by it many days, I don't give it a second thought. But sometimes I look at it and remember that special holiday and of course the lessons it taught me...
- If you're traveling and see something you really love, buy it. You likely won't have a second chance and things that we buy on holiday are often our most treasured possessions because of the stories behind them, and the memories they hold.
- Sometimes it's not a bad thing to be a pain in the butt .
Posted by Cobi on Monday March 01, 2010 at 06:00 AM
Comments (2)
Wow. What a couple of amazing weeks. Don't you feel proud? I keep wondering what I'm going to do without the Olympics. I miss them already.
I wish I could have made it to Vancouver - it looked like one great party was going on out there. Way to go Vancouver - you did an incredible job of hosting the world!!
As many pundits have noted, Canada isn't known for it's flag waving, but it feels like the wind is changing on that idea.
I think we have a beautiful flag - especially when you see it fly against a clear blue sky. Here's my daughter Charlotte on the upper deck of our cottage in PEI one sparkling summer morning.
I always think flags look great at cottages and cabins and I love the sound of a flag fluttering in the wind.
I bet they can't hear these ones flutter...
If you hang a Canadian flag in the woods, does anyone hear it flutter?
I guess this one only flutters when a transport truck goes by...
Even Apartment Therapy appreciates the beauty of a fluttering Canadian flag...
As do big butterflies...
So consider incorporating a flag into your decor - indoors or out, country or city...
It's a part of who we are...
Wherever we are........you go girls!
And Go Canada! We've caught the wind. Now lets hold onto this feeling.
