[ room envy ]

I WANT THIS ROOM. Seriously - how can you not feel good looking at it? It's so fresh and pretty - I love the paint treatment on the doors (which could be done with vinyl decals too), I love how the green cushion is picked up by the flowers, I love the floral accent fabric on the back of the side chair and the extra special touch of dark pink trim around the arm. So girly.
[pic: dominomag]

lisa

[ gotta love ikea! ]

BOOKCASES can either be utilitarian or beautiful and it's great if they can be both. Who would think that a basic bookcase from Ikea could look this good? I don't typically use such strong colours in my home but I love how this really pops. The baskets are great to hide the messy stuff and I love that the books are all organized by colour. A few carefully chosen accessories in simple white and silver break up the heaviness of it and makes a very full bookcase look orderly and chic.
[pic: style at home]

lisa

[ cookin' up an office ]

ARE YOU always trying to keep little bits and bobs organized in your office or workspace? I know I am and when I saw these ideas to use what you've got in your kitchen to hold all those pesky little necessities, I knew that I'd be rummaging through my cupboards to see what goodies I've got on hand.

lisa

[all pics Better Homes and Gardens]

[ chirp chirp ]

IT'S THE WEEKEND and I hope you are blessed with lovely spring weather!

lisa

[irenesuchoscki etsy shop] [blog]

[ spring cleaning ]

NOW THAT spring has arrived it's time to think about doing some spring cleaning to freshen things up. I came across some really pretty cleaning items on Etsy that might just help make the chore a lot more fun.

lisa

[1 CityChicCountryMouse] [2 MayleesGarden] 

[3 sunshinegrovefarm] [4 freshstudio] 

[5 PonyAndPoppy] [6 CityChicCountryMouse]

[ tlc transformation ]

ONE OF my favourite decorating blogs is The Lettered Cottage. Layla Palmer and her husband Kevin are slowing fixing up their old home and with a bit of new paint, artful display, and flea market finds, it is shaping up to be a such a beautiful space.

lisa

Who wouldn't want to curl up with a good book in this little reading room? The wide horizontal stripes help the room to appear wider than it is. I love the old baskets and the grouping of vintage art and mirrors.

This kitchen used to have ebony painted cupboards but by painting the uppers and lowers in two different soft shades, it has been transformed into a pretty light-filled room. Love the old wooden boxes hung on the wall.

The mix of patterns on this bed make it so inviting and I love the seaside touches with the antique oar above the window and the little sailboat on the nightstand.

Another blog I love is Lola B's. Kasey has a beautiful way of combining styles to make a gorgeous interior. This room from her home has such a mix of styles - the white slipcover, the ornate settee, the rustic bench as a coffee table and the industrial feel of the side table. But the gorgeous soft colour scheme marries everything together.

[ the lovely blogger list ]

A GENIUS IDEA to bring bloggers and creatives together, Rachel at Lovely Clusters has started The Lovely Blogger List so we can connect and get to know each other a little better. And so a little bit about me...

[ introduction ]
My name is Lisa Roy and I'm a graphic designer and handbag creator. I recently gave up my magazine art director career to focus on my love of designing handbags full time. I love that it has allowed me to free myself from deadlines and take time to appreciate my surroundings. My husband and I have a home on the beautiful Muskoka River where we spend part of our time and the rest of our time in Dublin, Ireland. It's a wonderful mix of nature and European culture. I enjoy photography, interior design and reading a good book on the dock.

[ my work ]
I create handbags and iPhone cases that are fun and functional. My vintage series bags are made from upcycled men's suit jackets and vintage fabrics from the 60's and 70's. Each bag is created as a one-of-a-kind which makes each one a joy to create and a bag I'd love to keep when it's complete. I've always had a thing for bags so creating my own is very satisfying (although it doesn't stop me from shopping for more!) I recently started my blog as a place where I could share the lovely things I come across in my travels and in the blogosphere.

[ my inspiration ]
Inspiration for me can really come from anywhere -  a photograph, travelling, something I might see in a shop, on a walk, in a movie, or just a new piece of fabric. There's a lot of beauty out there if you just allow yourself to see it.

lisa

etsy shop    website    blog

[ berry cute! ]

I'VE DISCOVERED a cheery online shop based in the UK that carries a nostalgic range of homeware, gifts and garden buys with such a retro feel, you'll think you've stepped back in time. At  berryred.co.uk, you're sure to find something that will bring back memories of pieces your parents had in the 70's. So vintage inspired.

lisa

[ thanks for the love ]

I'VE BEEN featured on a lovely blog today by MaddyAnne Designs! Please check it out and Madeline's pretty jewellery in her Etsy shop as well! Thank you Madeline!

lisa

[ happy spring! ]

SINCE THE BIRDS are chirping and the trees are slowly starting to bud (at least in some areas!), this DIY project from Martha Stewart is a cute way to bring some outdoors inside. The birds are made from crepe paper and look much more complicated than they really are to make. Shown here with quince branches, this could also be done with some bare twigs or pussy willow branches as well. Hot glue a few silk flower petals if your branches are bare to replicate the look. What a pretty way to welcome spring. Click here for instructions.

lisa

[ loafing around ]

I FOUND the most fantastic moccasin loafers today and I'm over the moon! I walk everywhere and I've been searching for so long for the perfect pair of soft tan leather loafers that would be super comfortable and would look great year-round with dark jeans or linen pants for the summer. And today I spotted them at Zara. These babies were definitely coming home with me!

lisa

[ anthropologie shopping ]

ONE OF MY favourite stores is Anthropologie - and even though I'm not near one of their locations, a new location recently opened in Toronto and apparently now in London as well so I'm hoping to be able to visit one of those next time I'm in the UK or back in Ontario. But for now, shopping online is a great option and I'm loving so many of their pieces right now. They have such a soft, romantic feel to them. How to choose...?

lisa

[ tweet tweet ]

THERE'S NOTHING like having spring around the corner and opening the windows to hear birds chirping outside. I've always loved little birds and there are so many, especially bluejays, that flutter around our place in Muskoka. It's really one of my favourite things about spring. Here are some other birdie faves I found on Etsy today.

lisa

[1 circlelinestudio] [2 dolangeiman]

[3 MDsparks] [4 willywaw]

[5 sjengraving] [6 nextdoortoheaven]

[7 luckybeepress] [8 Rainsend] 

[ diy vases ]

I LOVE SIMPLE projects that really make an impact and when I saw this pretty grouping of vases in the April issue of Canadian House & Home, I knew I would be trying this. These beauties are all made from standard jars and bottles from the grocery store, many of which end up in our recycling bins each week. Why not transform them into an eye-catching collection?

1 Clean and dry bottles
Search through your cupboards or grocery store for glass containers from juice, olive oil, jam and sauces. Give them a cleaning and soak in warm water to remove the labels and leave to dry upside down overnight.

2 Coat inside with paint
Sample sizes of paint are great and one will coat the inside of a larger container. Hold the bottle on a 30 degree angle, pour a dollop of paint into the bottom and turn it slowly until the paint coats the entire interior. Clean the rim with a damp cloth and dry upside down using a folded piece of paper to raise the rim on one side so excess paint can drain out (important, since if paint is too thick at the base, it will crack).

3 Show them off!
Display your collection on a window sill so that when sunlight streams in, it gives them a pretty gleam. If using the bottles with fresh flowers, slip each flower stem into a florist's water tube or if using a wide-mouth jar, insert a small votive holder or small juice glass inside to hold the water.

lisa

[ happy st. paddy's day! ]

IN HONOUR OF this special day of Irish celebration and being in Dublin to soak it all in, my Etsy faves today feature some lucky shamrocks. We could all use a little luck once in a while, don't you think?

lisa

[1 slgdesigns] [2 olivemac] 

[3 buttercupbloom] [4 feltersjourney] 

[5 ArtsNCrafty] [6 cathywalters]

[ my lovelies prizes ]

THANKS TO YOU, I won the best fashion and accessories shop on The Lovelies and so I was able to choose 2 lovely prizes. I chose this beautiful bird print by Tina Crespo and this pretty notecard set by Inkadinkadoodle. Aren't they great? Thanks again to everyone who voted for my shop - it means so much!

lisa

[ birthday girl ]

I HOPE YOU all had a fabulous weekend! I know I did! My birthday is today and the thing about having a birthday on a Monday, the celebrations seem to start early in the weekend (at least they did here!). My husband planned a day of fun for me on Saturday, starting with my Tim Hortons coffee and then a mini road trip to Howth, a cute little village on the Howth Head peninsula just north-east of Dublin. I had been wanting to visit there for a while and Saturday was a great day.

Howth holds a long history of battles from as far back as 819 by the Norse and later in 1169 by St. Lawrence (Earl of Howth), an Anglo-Norman who built his first castle near the harbour in the 1100's and later, Howth Castle.

A beautiful place for birdwatching and sailing, Howth is still a popular spot for anglers and fresh fish markets line the pier.

The wind was brisk but we enjoyed a walk on the pier and around the village and ended the day with a special birthday dinner at Cruzzo, a lovely restaurant located at the marina in Malahide, a charming village just north of Howth.

lisa 

[ ruffles! ]

IT SEEMS THAT one of this season's biggest detail trend is ruffles. From home decor to fashion, ruffles seem to be making an appearance everywhere.

These pretty examples are from Country Living and while I've been leaning towards a little less girly approach to my home (just out of consideration for my husband!), I find that I'm drawn to the prettiness of them. Maybe a few ruffles in one room?

Ruffles are everywhere in fashion this season too. There were some gorgeous gowns at the Oscars this year and here's what fashion designers have been showing on the runways.

With all of these pretty ruffle details everywhere, I thought I'd infuse some of this feminine detail onto one of my classic purse styles called Grace. I'm quite fond of how it turned out and am thinking of adding a few more ruffles to bags in some spring shades.

lisa

[ fancy a pint? ]

IT WOULDN'T be a Friday night in Dublin without a visit to a local pub to enjoy a pint. The problem is, which one to choose?
Happy Weekend!

lisa

[ pillows pillows everywhere ]

MY FAVOURITE finds on Etsy this week are these gorgeous decorative pillows. What a pretty selection and I can probably find a spot for each and every one of these! I have to admit I have a thing for pillows (I have rows of them on the top shelves of my closet) and everytime I buy a new one, my husband just rolls his eyes because he knows it's a bit of an obsession. Oh well, there are worse things to be addicted to!

lisa

[1 letterperfectdesigns] [2 dedeetsyshop] 

[3 dedeetsyshop] [4 joom] 

[5 TheShabbyChicCottage] [6 EmmaDear] 

[7 alexandraferguson] [8 nenavon]

[ bookcase before & afters ]

THOSE OF YOU following my blog have probably figured out by now that I have a thing for organizing. And I think it's just become more of an obsession since being in this temporary apartment. In Ireland, not only do you rent an apartment, it comes furnished as well so you are also having to consider whether or not you would actually sit on that couch! What you get is what you get and what we didn't get were any bookcases to store things. I guess that's why when I came across these bookcase ideas at Better Homes and Gardens, it immediately got me thinking as to how I would transform this naked bookcase. What would you do to give it some life?

lisa

ps: Thank you so much to all of you who have been leaving comments! The funny thing is that none of them were showing up until I discovered this morning that 'comment moderation' was clicked on and I had 45 comments waiting to be moderated before they would show up! And here I was thinking that no one was commenting! What a joy to read all the lovely comments this morning! Thanks again and please keep the comments coming! : )

[ iPhone love ]

SO I FINALLY got an iPhone and I am loving it! The coolest thing is that i no longer need to carry a separate phone, camera and iPod since it's all-in-one. It's funny how a new gadget can totally transform your life! And so in celebration of this huge event, I decided that I should honour it with a special case to keep it well protected when I toss it into my handbag. Need a case for your special baby? Check out my Etsy shop!

lisa

[ coffee, cows and castles ]

I ADORE WEEKENDS - and I would have to say that my favourite part is starting off my Saturday morning with a drive to our nearest Tim Hortons. It's a bit different here in Ireland in that they don't have that yummy 18% cream for my double double so I settle for a latté. Then time to plan out what we are doing for the day. Since it's a rare beautiful sunny day, we decide to take a bit of a road trip. We pick a point on the map and set our GPS to guide us there. Today it will be Northern Ireland around the Strangford Lough, just south east of Belfast.

We drive towards Downpatrick and continue along country roads, past many farms and stop to say hello to some cows. Following where our GPS leads us is always an adventure around Ireland and the UK and today is no different. It tells us to continue driving straight ahead - is that a road??

We pass through a cute little village called Killyleagh and drive up one of the streets to see Killyleagh Castle which looks over the village. Built in 1180 by John de Courcy as one of a series of fortifications around Strangford Lough to protect against the Vikings, the castle is the oldest in Ireland and is still lived in by the Hamilton family whose ancestor James Hamilton took possession of it in 1606. Imagine actually growing up in a castle...

From there we continue our journey up to Newtownards and down the other coast of the Lough. The scenery is serene and we stop to stretch our legs and look over the water and see a kayaker enjoying the calm water. It's getting late in the afternoon by now and we forge ahead to complete our drive. Finally we decide we'd better stop somewhere for a bite and come upon a diner that happens to be open in a small village called Ballywaiter, on the east coast.

The food is good, the service friendly and we're ready to navigate our way through the dark, winding roads towards Belfast where we can speed up our return home on the major highway to Dublin. What a fun Saturday!

lisa

[ cooking up a storm ]

IT'S ALREADY Friday again (don't these weeks just fly by?) and I was thinking that I might do some cooking or baking this weekend. I find that often we end up making the same meals over and over again and weekends are great for trying out something new. Wouldn't one of these adorable aprons make it that much more fun?

lisa

[1 PoppyTogs] [2 Boojiboo] [3 pamwares] [4 spicerakdesigns] [5 SashaSews]

[ wrap it up ]

IN MY CONSTANT quest for an organized life, I came across some great ideas for storing wrapping paper and ribbon from Better Homes and Gardens. I would have to call these pretty deluxe! But I love to dream!

lisa

[ for all you U2 fans ]

I WAS GOING through my ever-increasing pile of magazines which happen to be overflowing from the crate I've got them stored in and it reminded me of the story behind those wooden wine crates and it made me laugh. and so I'll share.

When we first came to Ireland a couple of years ago, we were renting a coach house in Killiney, a beautiful little village on the east side of Ireland overlooking the Irish Sea. It's a pretty exclusive area and everyone's properties are surrounded by tall stone walls so meeting or even seeing neighbours isn't really a common thing. When the agent first showed us the place, I asked her where the little narrow stone staircase in our courtyard led. She said "Bono's house". what?? "You mean Bono, Bono?" i asked. She said yes, that was his house right next to ours. Well, as it turned out, it wasn't Bono's house, it was The Edge's house.

I only discovered that it was The Edge's house a couple of months later when I was walking down the driveway that we shared with him. He was having some clean-up done on his property and so there was a skip (dumpster) temporarily sitting outside his gates.

As I walked by, my eye was drawn to a pile of 4 wooden wine crates which I immediately thought would be perfect for me to store magazines in. And so I made a couple of trips back and forth carrying these crates to our coach house. Each crate had a shipping label attached to it addressed to David Evans. And so I decided to Google it and my hunch was confirmed - The Edge was my neighbour.

My husband couldn't believe that I had brought these crates home and loves to tell everyone that I was digging through The Edge's garbage. No, I didn't actually dig through anything and I wasn't dumpster-diving - they were just sitting there nicely off to the side. And who wouldn't grab these awesome crates for storage? And now these crates are all the more special, knowing that they belonged to one of the greatest guitarists of all time, who actually graded the wines by writing on the crates with a ballpoint pen.

lisa