[ dough! ]

I'VE BEEN in love with antique rustic dough bowls for a long time. There are so many ways to display them...

Are you hooked? 

I've been searching for one for many years ~ one that wouldn't break the bank as they can be quite expensive. I stumbled across one on sale at Pottery Barn, from Hungary in the 1800's and even though it was huge, I knew I had to have it!

I love the pale colouring of it ~ it almost looks like driftwood...

...and it's huge ~ 43" long!

I love the metal mending patch...

I think it's a great addition to our big table. And I think it looks beautiful even empty...

Do you have a dough bowl? How do you display yours?

lisa

[houzz; pink postcard; mustard seed interiors; fortheloveofahouse; houzz; 

alabaster rose; rustyhinge.blogspot; vintage-house.blogspot; keepingitcozy; 

missmustardseed.com; rustyhinge.blogspot; theoldpaintedcottage.com; 

pinterest; blue egg brown nest; bjdhausdesign.blogspot; paigeknudsen.blogspot]

[ friends with fire pits ]

WE'RE having a long weekend here and what better way to enjoy it...

Sitting around a fire, roasting marshmallows, it's one of the things I really miss about being in Muskoka.  Our fellow Canuck friends here in Dubai have the sweetest fire pit set-up in the back yard of their villa and so we've kicked off the weekend with some s'mores. Gotta love January in Dubai! Have a great weekend everyone!

lisa

[ may I take your order? ]

NO surprise that I love this kitchen ~ white, huge island, marble, farmhouse sink... pure yumminess. But the thing I really love about it is the built-in banquette...

My parents still live in the house they built when they got married. And in the kitchen, they have a built-in banquette similar to this. I loved it as a kid ~ I would hide underneath it, I would play "restaurant" and do up menus {of the few things I could make like toast, tea, cereal} and then take orders like a waitress. It's been the gathering spot in their kitchen forever.

I don't see these kinds of built-in banquettes very often ~ they're usually a bench against a window or wall, with a table and a few loose chairs on the opposite side. But having it built-in like a booth in a restaurant is so inviting. Knowing how much we've all loved it growing up, I'd love to have one in my next kitchen if space allowed. And seeing it in this gorgeous kitchen has me convinced.

Do you have banquette seating in your home?

lisa

[virginia kitchens]

[ oh the anticipation! ]

SEEN today at Dubai Mall...

Woohoo! I've never lived near a West Elm so this is very exciting! Do you have a West Elm near you?

lisa

[ weekending ]

NOT a lot going on around here,

just a movie...

{we both really enjoyed it ~ good for a laugh!}

breakfast out...

{yes, they opened an IHOP here in Dubai a few months ago and let me tell ya, the lineups have been huge! who would think?! we finally decided to check it out now that things have settled down a bit and I must say the pancakes were pretty yummy, even with my own sugar-free syrup ~ yes, I carry my own condiments!}

and my latest obsession...

{I've had to really cut back on the sugar in my diet which isn't always easy when I've got a sweet tooth. I came across these recently and I have to admit, they're really addictive!}

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

lisa

[ rug shopping ]

SO, armed with my inspiration pics, I've done a bit of looking around for a rug. You'd think that it would be easier to find something in the Middle East, but let's just say that if budget were no object, it would be a breeze. I love the worn look of antique Persians but it's just not what I want to spend right now and prices are steep, especially in Dubai.

My guy needed to take a little road trip to Fujairah so I decided to ride along. I remembered the last time we drove along that highway, there were market stalls selling everything from rugs to cookware to swing sets...

We decided to stop and take a look. The quality and styles {some were very over-the-top and definitely not my style} varied greatly but I had a feeling we might find something for a reasonable price. So did the guys that suddenly appeared to help us...

Eager to help us find just the right one, they started rolling them out and rolling them out, while we tried to slow them down and explain what colour/style we were looking for {a slight language barrier}...

After rolling out over 20, we managed to settle on one and they packed it up for us...

So what did we buy? This lovely cream/taupe silk rug...

I wanted something fairly neutral so it would still work with the light/seaside feel of our place and not be too overwhelming. Even though it's a very traditional pattern, it works well with our white/natural linen fabrics and I can still mix and match any accent colours to go along with it without clashing.

Someday I may layer it over my seagrass rug in the living room but for now, I think it works well under our dining table. 

While it may not be the antique Persian I would love someday, I think it's a great starting point. I'll still keep looking for a great antique one. 

But for now, I like how it really defines our dining space. And for some strange reason, I feel kind of grown-up now!

lisa

[ my rug inspiration ]

THERE'S one thing in a room that always seems to make it feel cozy and complete ~ a rug. With all of the sheepskin, zebra hides, seagrass and chevrons and geometric patterns we've been seeing lately, it's nice to know that there's still a place for the oriental/persian...

Even though we weren't seeing them as often in decor magazines, they've never fallen out of style and they're showing up more and more in both modern and contemporary spaces. I love that no matter the room, you can always find a spot for one. 

I had a small one in our Muskoka kitchen and I've been considering getting a large one for a while. What about you? Do you have one in your home?

lisa

[elle décor; 2,5 house beautiful; via thedecorista; houzz; 

via belligerenthousewife.com; rugnewsanddesign; 

via apartment therapy; via s752.photobucket.com]

[ happy weekend! ]

IT'S weekend time here again and it's nice to see the weather has cleared up a bit and the skies are blue ~ it was so windy and gloomy this morning and apparently the hotel beaches along the Gulf were flooding from the big waves rushing in.

No big plans around here ~ just some quiet time, maybe go out for a little walk. Blueberry pancakes tomorrow could be a plan. So what's on your agenda for the weekend?

lisa

[via plumprettysugar]

[ something new ]

THERE'S nothing like starting the new year off fresh. Putting away Christmas decorations and moving some stuff around, maybe buying a new thing or two.

Hmm... what's in there?

It's a new table! With a pretty, scrolled base...

and a lovely rustic top...

I think it pairs well with the tufted end chairs we have...

and will work well later with our Louis chairs we have in storage...

But for now, I may just pull up our white IKEA bench along one side for extra seating. I can always pick up a couple of chairs for the other side if need be...

So what started as my first real outing in weeks, turned into a bit of shopping. I hadn't planned on buying a larger table while we're here but when we saw it, we both fell in love with it. And since we sold our farmhouse table before moving here {the skirt piece under it was too low and our legs would rub against it with our Louis chairs}, we'll need one again anyway. And this one disassembles easily which is a bonus. Now all I need to do is to style up this area a bit.

{and yes, that is a bit of a sneak peek at our new cabinet as well. I like the punch of black in the space to ground all the soft, beachy colours}.

So what about you? Have you moved stuff around or picked up anything new?

lisa