Kate Spade’s kitchen with antique brass hardware – Source

So we will be building a wall unit bookshelf in our living room soon. I am looking for antique brass hardware (antique brass referring to a more vintage-looking and duller version of the bright brass that was popular in the 80s and 90s) – specifically latches for the cabinet doors and cup pulls for the drawers. Restoration Hardware is the obvious choice since all of our other hardware is from there. I was able to find these antique brass latches but no luck with cup pulls in the same finish at RH. Any recommendations in the Toronto area?

Just a quick post about our ‘styling’ job on our kitchen shelves. This is one of my favourite views of our kitchen. My husband and I went through many different accessories and tried out different heights and colours. This combination seems to work just right.

We renovated our kitchen several years ago, and the one ‘regret’ that creeps up every now and then is whether we should have put marble in our kitchen instead of granite. So I wanted to outline my thoughts on the marble vs granite debate, to pass on to any of you who are going through the same struggle.

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Do you ever find yourself evaluating why you do what you do? My intent was never to get too personal on this blog. I wanted to focus on handbags and home decor, nothing more and nothing less. But if you saw my previous posts on whether I should even continue blogging (so early after starting), I do think about why I’m doing this blog and what it means in the grander scheme of things.

Lately I’ve realized that many endeavours outside of one’s job, aren’t considered worthwhile unless they have some monetary gain. Starting a blog led me to some extensive conversations with my husband about it. I followed a couple of fashion blogs years ago, to learn how to dress better, as I was tired of throwing away clothes that frankly made me look awful. But those same blogs have changed over the years. It’s less about education and more about sponsorships and ads and affiliate links. I hate the ‘business’ aspect of these blogs and how it makes the content less personal and more marketing-like.

So I decided my blog would be like an online journal focussed on a few hobbies that I enjoy. I like hearing from people but I’m not doing this to make money or generate a ton of followers. This blog is more of a quiet space to write in the less than hour of free time I have every couple of days. I’m not complaining as I love my family life.

We were waiting through many cold, icy, miserable months for summer to arrive and then bam it’s here! Well spring/summer…I always think of spring as a short gateway to summer anyway. Enjoying our time in the backyard. We aren’t big gardeners so the backyard is more of an outdoor extension of our house. We did start a little vegetable and herb garden (with the help of two green-thumbed grandmas). I love being out here, it makes you stop and be grateful for all of nature’s great blessings, your loved ones’ health and security.

So we have visited Ikea many times due to their outstanding magazine ads, flyers and commercials, and everytime we walk out without buying a single thing. So on one visit, when my husband said “hey check out this mirror” I grumbled and walked over and my jaw dropped. This mirror does not look like the $49.99 that we paid for it! We’ve been looking for a mirror to hang above our fireplace for a really long time. We debated on square vs round, and wondered whether one of those starburst mirrors would work. But this just works perfectly and it’s cheap cheap cheap! I never end up buying cheap and cheerful accessories because I am reallly picky, so this one surprised me.

Single flower arrangements are my fave…I think they always look stunning.

I was looking for something, anything really, to inspire me to start blogging again. As I mentioned, the consumerist focus of other blogs was making me feel like I should stop blogging. Many bloggers that I follow have self-imposed shopping bans and I can feel their guilt whenever they mention new purchases. I can relate as I don’t shop very often for fashion. A few years ago, I realized I’m no longer interested in donating garbage bags of rarely worn clothing after every season. I also reached my closet limit for handbags. I am no longer an avid shopper; I’m now a very selective shopper. This comes with understanding my personal style and also from realizing when enough is enough!