An Extension

Wood to Tile. The threshold. What to do? How about not having one at all? Yes, this comes with its challenges. Typically tile is not the same thickness as wood, therefore a lot of planning must happen before installation. But for this look- totally worth it. These images are an extension of my black, white and barn all over from last week, but are just too beautiful not to post. I am in love with the seamless integration of stone to wood here, and throughout the space.

Pretty great inspiration for a Thursday...

 

 

 

Now go make things happen.
Happy Thursday!
C

Images Here.

I'm Loving: Marc Johns

I stumbled across these prints by Marc Johns on Society6 yesterday. If you haven't already visited Society6, you should, it's like Etsy, but more geared towards original art and prints. If you don't know what Etsy is either, then I don't think there is hope for you. Ha... joking... Click on the links- you will learn quickly young grasshopper. I totally laughed out loud at the first one- maybe it is just my weird sense of humor, but I think these are great.

Jeffrey Was Fed Up

 

The Spherical Bear

 

Everything's Gonna Be Super Duper

 

Pipe-Smoking Rabbit

 

Polka Dot Elephants Serving Us Pie

 

 

Happy Tuesday All!
C

P.s. Did I mention you can even make an iphone case out of any of these!?

Jeffrey Was Fed Up Iphone Case

P.p.s I also think the titles are fairly hilarious.

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Hey You!
How was your weekend? Mine was great, we got in some great skiing on Saturday and I did a bunch of work yesterday that got me totally pumped for this week. You know the feeling when you're on a roll with something and you don't want to lose the momentum- that's how I am feeling right now, so I am trying to ride this train as long as I can!

As promised on Friday, I have my Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas Recipe for you today. Its the best healthy snack to have in a little bowl on your counter when that salty craving hits. I am a huge salty fan, if I had my pick over a Maple Glazed Doughnut (my favorite doughnut... weird I know, but it brings back childhood memories of commuting to the ski hill on super cold, Saturday mornings in the winter) and McDonald's fries, I would choose the fries every time.

Now, obviously you cant eat all of these in one sitting, but a little handful to satisfy a salt craving while you are cooking dinner- totally fine. Packed with protein and fibre- bring them on!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas
• olive oil
• salt, pepper and other seasonings such as cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika, etc.

Method:

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse chickpeas and drain on paper towel for 5 minutes
3. transfer dried chickpeas to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and any other seasonings you like! I used salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and smoked paprika. SO yummy.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and crunchy. Stirring every so often.

Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Happy Monday All!
xo
C

4 Favorites

Holy crazy week. Where did it go!? And how is it already 12:30!? I have asked my self these questions too many times this week- insanity. But, its been SO productive and exciting, so I'll deal. A few of my faves from this week...

[Roasted Chickpeas- a quick, easy snack I am loving- look for the recipe Monday]

 

[All the right accessories for the Leafs home opener- Thanks Dad!]



[Printing out our second round of testers for Ten & Co. SO exciting!]

 

[How I stay on track during the week, with a weekly meal plan written up on Sundays!]

 

 

Have an awesome weekend team, I am heading north to ski and catch up on work! what are you doing?

TGIF.

xo

C

I'm Loving: Black, White & Barn All Over

I think there is a barn in my future. Ahem. A barn that I will convert, to a warm, homey abode, in my future. I was having a look at my pinterest boards (follow me here), and there is a definite trend amongst my pins. Rustic, reclaimed wood, clean, white surfaces with hits of black and bright light. Let's have a gander at some of my favorites, shall we?

 

 

 

 

/1/2/3/4/5/6/

Happy Wednesday Friends!
xo
C

Vanilla Bean Strawberry Jam

I was at a friends last week and she had a bunch of strawberry jam out on the counter. I was totally impressed when she told me she had just whipped it up with her 5 year old son. Wha? Yah. Totally impressive for a Tuesday morning. I have always wanted to try my hand at homemade jam, but envisioned my self spending hours in a stinking hot field picking berries and then all of them going moldy and messing up the boiling water, canning process extravaganza. So needless to say, the jam dream stayed in my head. Kirsten (said friend), explained it was no-bake jam that took no time at all and you could even use frozen berries- say what!?

Enter liquid CERTO. Hello new friend. A pectin product in liquid form that allows you to set jams and jellies at room temperature without cooking! I made a few minor adjustments to the recipe on the back of the box, and it still set with no issues, so feel free to go with their version, or my jazzed (reduced sugar) version.

 

[Ingredients: Strawberries, Sugar, Lemon, Liquid Certo, Vanilla Bean Paste]

 

 

Vanilla Bean Strawberry Jam

*Adapted from Certo No-Bake Strawberry Jam

 

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups crushed strawberries
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 pouch liquid certo pectin
• 2 tbsp's lemon juice
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (or the beans from 1 whole vanilla bean)

Method:

1. Mix together your crushed strawberries, sugar and vanilla bean paste, and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, get your jars ready- just rinse in soap and water- no need to do the whole boiling, sterilizing thing. I used WECK jars because they are pretty, and have a strawberry on them.
3. Now stir in the pectin and lemon juice for 3 minutes or until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
4. Pour the jam into your clean jars and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the jam to sit at room temperature for 24 hours, until set.
5. Eat it.
6. Seriously. That's it.
7. Go and eat it. YUM.



 

 

 

The Jam is good in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or frozen for 1 year.

Get Jamming.

 

Happy Tues.

C

4 Favorites

I am happy the weekend is here- its been a busy, weird week for me. I've been in a bit of a funk and I am excited to reset in Collingwood this weekend! There was a little of the cold, white, fluffy stuff here in Toronto last night and I am looking forward to some serious skiing tomorrow. Here are a few of my favorites form this week...

 



[I made homemade Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam which is A-mazing]

 

[The sun creating snow sparkles on my front porch this morning]

 

 

[An inspirational poster I put up in my office this week]

 

[This one visiting me at my desk... we were sad to return her on Tuesday]

 

Happy Weekend All.

C

Thursday Morning Inspiration

Hi Team!
I am off to meet a client this morning, but this movie caught my eye and I had to share it. It's the perfect inspiration for a Thursday morning. (Thanks Matty Mo)
Totally love it.
Okay... I just inserted it, and unfortunately its a chick in a bikini to start... I swear its not a movie about my new years resolutions...Just watch!

XO
C

I'm Loving: Geometric Rugs

I'm loving geometric rugs right now. Probably because I'm in the market for one and have been doing some serious searching lately. Geometric rugs aren't exactly new on the scene, but in the last year or so they have become much more available and affordable! You can get gorgeous options at any price point. If you haven't gone down the road of patterned rugs, I would highly suggest giving it a shot. A rug can really inject some life into a room and help pull everything together. Here are a few I am currently loving...

/// High \\\

1. Modern Kilim, Weavers Art, $5000+
2. Navy Talitha Rug, Jonathan Adler, 8x10, $2300
3. Black Bridget Kilim Rug, Johathan Adler, 8x10, $995

// Medium \\

1. Jasper Aqua Rug, Crate and Barrel, 8x10, $742
2. Flakes Bokrum, Zinc Door, 7x9, $1010
3. Jaipur Maroc, Zinc Door 8'x10', $644.00

/ Low \

1. Modern Art Area Rug, Target, 8x10, $585
2. LAPPLJUNG, Ikea, 6'7x6'7, $89.99
3. STOCKHOLM RAND, Ikea, 5'6x7'8, $249 

Happy Tuesday!
xo
C

Mascarpone Spaghetti Carbonara

Mmmhmm. I did that. Made one of the richest pasta dishes richer. Although, I did remove all of the egg yolks that traditionally make the sauce (except for one), so that balances it out. For all of you that may be Spaghetti Carbonara virgins, this is basically bacon pasta- and it is AMAZING. My mom used to whip this up for my sister and I in a flash when we had nothing else in the fridge. To this day, it might still be one of my favorite pasta dishes. I made some garlic and herb bread to go on the side, because who doesn't want carbs with a side of more carbs on a Saturday night? Not me, obv.

 

Mascarpone Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a yellow onion, diced
• 6 strips of bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
• spaghetti for 2-3 (when held in your hand, about the diameter of a toonie) or half a box.
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped  flat leaf parsley
• salt and pepper

  Method:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your spaghetti as per the directions on the package.
2. In a large saute pan, add the bacon pieces and cook for approx 1-2 minutes on med-high heat.
3. Add the onion, and saute until the onion and bacon are golden brown Turn the heat to low and using paper towel, sop up the excess grease in the pan and discard. You may have to do this a couple of times- until there is no "puddle" of grease left in the pan, but the ingredients are still glistening in bacon-y goodness.
• You could attempt to drain off the fat, but I find the paper towel method easier. BE CAREFUL though, that grease is hot, hot hot!
4. While your bacon and onion are getting to know each other, combine the cheeses, egg yolk and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
5. When the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, set it aside and drain the pasta.
6. Pour the drained pasta right into the large saute pan with the bacon and onion. Turn the heat off and pour in the cheese mixture- stir until everything is combined.
• If you find the sauce is a bit thick, you can add a bit of pasta water to thin it out until you find your desired consistency. (I didn't end up needing any)
7. Gather the spaghetti with tongs and heap it into pasta bowls, top with the chopped parsley and enjoy.

 

Have an awesome Monday all!

xo

C

4 Favorites

Friday already- and a gross one at that. Its raining in Toronto and all I feel like doing is cuddling up on the couch and watching a movie... a really bad chick flick, like The First Wives Club or A League of Their Own. Actually, lets be honest, both of those movies are amazing and I love them.
Anyways... What are you up to this weekend? Dave and I are passing on Collingwood- its gross out and the skiing will be terrible. Instead I will be working Saturday and Sunday to catch up on a few projects I have on the go- fingers crossed I get some cooking in! Here are 4 Favorites from this week:

[A few pictures from a shoot that I styled yesterday for a friend.]

 

[Playing around with images and layouts for my new venture- Ten and Co.] 

 

 

[A behind the scenes shot of this post... these cookies weren't exactly photogenic...]

[I'm dog sitting this pooch for the week, she has already found her favorite spot.]

 

Happy Weekend!

xo

C

Im Loving: Pantone- The Colour of the Year

Drum roll please... The Pantone colour of the year is Emerald! It's funny, I felt like Emerald was big last year, even though Tangerine was considered the Pantone colour of the year in 2012. Regardless, I love the colour. Its moody, but classic in an old world kind of way. It's already popping up everywhere and I can't wait to inject some of it into my own life! I'm loving...

 

 

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

 

Happy Hump Day!

xo

C

Chocolate Banana Pecan Cookies

Yup, these are as good as they sound. They have a soft, almost spongy interior and crisp bottom- filled with chocolaty banana goodness. Lets be honest... I basically found a way to put chocolate banana bread into cookie form. I whipped these up on Sunday for a sick hubs that needed some cheering up. They are quick to mix up and even faster to bake- you will have your house smelling good in no time... 9 minutes to be exact!

 

Chocolate Banana Walnut Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 mashed ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup quick cook oats
• 1/8 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix together the melted butter and mashed banana. Add the egg and vanilla bean paste (or extract) and mix to combine.
3. Mix in the brown and white sugar and then the flour, oats, cornmeal and baking soda until combined.
4. Add the chocolate chips and pecan pieces, mix only until incorporated.
5. Spoon 2 tbsps of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets 2" apart and bake at 375 for 9 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
6. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the pan until transferring onto a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy and have a great Tuesday all!
xo
C

4 Favorites

Well that was a quick week, some how yesterday came and went without me so much as looking up from my computer. I also think I'm still in a bit of a fog from the holidays. I am looking forward to clearing my head this weekend and being ready to take on 2013 on Monday... even though it will be the 7th, but who's counting!?

Lots of exciting things in there right? Pancake snowmen, custom fonts and gorgeous city sunsets.... OH and the fact that I am starting another side to my business!!!! RIGHT, there is that as well. I can't even tell you how excited I am to debut many exciting designs. I hope to have my new shop up by the end of January so you can start shopping!

There will be more info to come... promise.
Happy Weekend Team!
xoxo
C

Ps. If you can't wait to buy a set of those super fantastic notebooks, shoot me a msg and I would be happy to give you more details! coatley@rogers.com There are also these...

What I've Been Up To...

Hey you!
I have missed chatting. I hope you had a great vacay- and for the lucky ones, continued fun vacay until next week!

I have been enjoying some time off and spending quality time with family and friends. It's so nice to recharge and regroup for the next year. I have a few resolutions to share with you this week, but lets start with an update:

It has been a great holiday to say the least! And yes... I got my amazing tablet for xmas... bare with me while I learn how to use it without making everything look like a 3 year old did it.

 

xo

C