Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all are showing your appreciation to all the mothers in your life (some families, like mine, are complicated) and/or enjoying being appreciated today. I just arrived home after a visit with my lovely step-mom, and have had a long, sweet call with my amazing mom...so wish I could be with her today, instead of across Canada!

On a somewhat related note, the following stylings remind me of old pictures I've seen of both these gorgeous women from the 70s. I've always loved wide-leg, high-waisted pants, and when I saw this month's Vogue's feature "Americans in Paris" with Daria Werbowy (a stunning Canadian!), I experienced pure visual pleasure. It gave me the taste of Paris I was craving and unable to satisfy in April, and I reveled in the best menswear-inspired styling I've seen in a long time (not to mention Daria's super sweet haircut).
The Vogue photo spread reminded me of the following gorgeous pictures. Unfortunately I cannot recall where I sourced these photos; so if you know please leave a comment and I'll give credit where credit is due!
I love my skinnies, but have loved the wide-leg silhouette for years, and will definitely be working it this Spring. So tell me...how do you wear the pants?

xo Chloe

I came across the following candid shot of Kate Bosworth this evening while perusing people.com with my nightly cup of tea:
 
This picture reminded me why Kate is one of the modern queens of casual cool; she incorporates trends (such as the military/cargo pants and the batik tie-die top) in a way that is fresh and never over-accessorized. I love how she works the same accessories over and over (such as her Ray-Ban aviators) and favours simple hair and little makeup. Her look above is both comfortable and gorgeous, and absolutely perfect for an early summer stroll, a weekend shopping sojourn, or brunch with the girls. Her following casual looks are appropriate for all those outings, and more:

She also looks great in the evening:

Not to mention her appearance at the recent MET Ball:

If you're similarly inspired by Miss Bosworth's killer style, pare down your makeup and jewelery, rock those gladiators and aviators and style your minis/denim/cargo in classic ways, with a twist of colour here and there. And give those hair appliances a rest - summer is a great time to work the air-dry!

xo Chloe 

Image 1, 2-15

On Sunday night I convinced one of my amazing girl friends to spontaneously go see Jennifer Lopez's new rom-com, The Back-up Plan. I say "convince" because my girl really isn't the type who typically enjoys chick-flicks, with the exception of SATC or Bridget Jones (both brilliant!). And while she was a valiant sidekick Sunday night, I am concerned that some of the birth humour might have scarred her for life...

Zoe (J-Lo's character) is a relatively young (mid-thirties?), successful (she left the corporate world to open an ethical pet store) NYC gal who is ready to start a family...but despite her desire to be married and have children with someone special and dating a "couple hundred" men in the previous five years, she has not met the "One". So she decides to become a mother on her own, and begins the in vitro fertilization process. On her way home immediately after she is inseminated, she is caught in a downpour and meets Stan when they both hop into the same taxi (and proceed to argue about who stole it from whom). It's a very cute meet-cute, and while Zoe initially resists Stan's advances, she ends up falling for him (it doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous...I think the copious amounts of topless scenes may have mollified my girl!). And the movie begins...

This film is a panacea of cliches about women, babies, ticking clocks (time-bombs?), men and romantic relationships. But while I could write an essay analyzing these various aspects, what I really want to share with you today is the absolutely gorgeous space that is Zoe's NYC walk-up.  

The colour-scheme, which is carried throughout her entire apartment (a great idea for small spaces), is a combination of soft-turquoise, sea-foam green, gold, cream and mauve:

I love the gorgeous gold pair of lamps on her sofa table (above), and the layout of her apartment in general (how pretty is the entryway to her bedroom?):

Not to mention her stunning slipcovered & nailheaded bed (on my wishlist):

And this beautiful, super-femme damask wallpaper:  

In addition to Zoe's sweet space, I also wouldn't mind a little Nuts to call my own (my parents have a Boston Terrier named Miss Molly I adore!): 

 If the pictures above haven't convinced you of the sheer aesthetic pleasure of watching this film, the following also make it easy eye-candy:

1. J-Lo's gorgeous hair (I seriously wish I could make my bangs behave this way every day without having to re-wash my hair): 

2. Her styling wardrobe (both pre-pregnancy and during):

 

3. And last, but certainly not least, Stan's shirtless scenes (for the ladies!):  

Enjoy! xo Chloe

Images 1-8, 10, and 13-15, 9, 11 and 12

While recently browsing House Beautiful's website, I came across their profile of Melissa Warner, of the design trio Massucco Warner Miller, and her sunny, feminine L.A. apartment. In the interview, Melissa shares that her boyfriend calls it "Disneyland"...doesn't it make you smile?

I love that she has little sour watermelon candies in a decorative bowl on her coffee table (it's the little details that make a space a home!), and agree with her advice that in small spaces, using "open" furniture (like her glass coffee table) can make a space appear much larger than it actually is. I also agree with her "grounding" advice - i.e. not using all furniture with the same style of legs in a room, but mixing it up with different legs, skirts, etc.

In the second bedroom (below) Melissa created a home office, and ingeniously dealt with the closet's unwanted sliding mirror doors by reversing the doors and wallpapering them, all of which can be removed when she moves out. Brilliant!

Definitely check out the House Beautiful article and her design firm's portfolio on their website (both links above), and if you're looking for more ideas on how to make a rental a gorgeous home, visit La Dolce Vita's profile of Jayme Armour Leffler's beautiful Atlanta cottage here.

xo Chloe

 

...and I can't believe that April 2010 is over. It went by in a blur of highs (birthday and Easter celebrations with great friends and family, European vacation, time with my amazing BF) and lows (said European vacation delayed by 6 days and partially cancelled due to the Icelandic volcanic ash situation), and now it's practically the beginning of summer. Hello May!

I'm ashamed to admit that, with the exception of my initial day of being quite stoic and hopeful as the flurry of flight cancellations and airport closures commenced (I had been scheduled to fly that evening for birthday celebration #3, which I blogged about here), I really struggled with major disappointment. Let me preface this TMI with the caveat that I fully realize I was very lucky - I was home (Toronto) and thus able to continue to go into work without losing my vacation days, and my employer was beyond understanding. Many people were not so blessed; thousands were stranded far from home and loved ones, in shocking and sympathetic circumstances. Yet despite understanding this and feeling sad for all those stranded and affected by this unparalleled flight interruption, I felt really sorry for myself. Yup...I was that girl. And during this period of time, besides frequently calling Canadian Affair for flight updates, it was all I could do to go to work, focus on doing a good job, and come home again. I felt very down, and it was the first time in my almost two year long distance relationship where it felt like we were really separated, as there was no other way to see each other. As various news stations preached doom and gloom, each day was lived in 6 hour increments (i.e., the amount of time between official airport closure updates), and the gym, blogging, and even making plans with friends fell by the wayside. I was, well, pathetic. And so I decided I will not be that girl again!!!

I was completely surprised and beyond excited and grateful when on Wednesday, April 21st, my flight was rescheduled and it actually took off. Without going into the dramatic details of finally getting on that plane (Pearson airport was complete chaos; there were probably 300 people in the check-in line alone), I finally made it over to London at 5 am the next morning.

As it was impossible to reschedule our flights to Paris during my trip and the Eurostar was packed, we decided to defer my Parisian dream getaway to an as-yet-undetermined future date. Instead, we spent our days wandering Windsor (yes, where the Queen lives) and Oxford, and spending time shopping, eating and drinking with friends in London (Soho specifically).

 The picture above is from my first day in Windsor, pondering serious thoughts (i.e. a big change; hope to be able to share more with you in the coming months!) with a delish Baileys coffee and a great view of the Thames (wearing my super comfy motorcycle boots that I mentioned here). Stay tuned this week as I plan to share more of this trip with you, especially my first-time experience at Liberty of London and my Paris "consolation prize(s)".

xo Chloe 

Oooh!!!! The new issue of Lonny is out and it is even more spectacularly inspiring than the past two issues! This online, free home decor magazine is the brainchild of Michelle Adams, the beautiful stylista of the blog M.A. Belle  and the founder of the organic, gorgeous textile range Rubie Green (formerly a market editor with the beloved shelter mag Domino, R.I.P.), and photographer-extraordinaire Patrick Cline. If you haven't read Lonny before, you are missing out! I highly recommend curling up with your laptop and a nice cuppa (lately I'm really into my Bambu faux-coffee with Silk soy creamer) for a cosy hour of pure visual bliss!

Below are some pictures from the latest issue. The focus of April/May 2010 is eco-friendly home design, and Michelle and team do a fabulous job of sourcing, creating and sharing numerous beautiful ideas. It was particularly fun to check out Michelle's new apartment (I loved what she did with her old apartment, and she definitely tops it here), and I absolutely adore Laura Day's and Laurann Claridge's homes (among many other gorgeous home profiles). This issue is a cornucopia of interior design ideas. Enjoy!

A little peak at Michelle's new dining room:

A couple pics of Laura's stunning downtown home to whet your appetite (I love the bright light, copious amounts of white (with hints of my fave colour - pink!) and the contrast of various glamorous elements (the chandelier and gold accents) with the raw wood side table in the foreground...not to mention her adorable little girl!): 

 

Laurann's très chic home, complete with a deliciously feminine home library: 

And finally, a tiny view of Ashley Putnam's pretty living room (love the black cabinet and grey sofa!):

P.S. The triple-birthday party went down this past Saturday night at the Fifth Social Club in Toronto. It was a super fun evening full of my gorgeous girls all dolled up, copious amounts of celebratory prosecco, dancing, a whip (long story...originally part of my birthday guy friend's Halloween costume but our fellow birthday girl found it and it seemed to complement her outfit PERFECTLY, lol), catching up with various old friends and peanut M&Ms. Sunday was suitably low key (i.e. spent recovering on one's sofa!!!)

P.P.S. Birthday weekend #3, a.k.a. my London and Paris vacation, starts Thursday. Can't wait!

 

Images 1-8

I am now officially 29 years of age! My birthday fell on Easter Monday this year, and birthday weekend #1 (as always, I am dragging out the celebrations!) was fabulous: A delicious Easter/birthday dinner at my dad's where I had lots of quality time with Archie (more on this handsome guy below), a visit from one of my fabulous out-of-town best friends, and beautiful roses (with a HUGE surprise) from my man. I feel so blessed!

On Friday I headed home to my dad's for an Easter/joint birthday dinner with my little sister, and spent lots of time cuddling with this cute little redhead: Archie. While I am not a cat person and rarely home, since my visit I have been using considerable brain power trying to figure out how him and I could become roommates. I'm in love!

Another highlight of my birthday weekend was when my new sofa (which I wrote about here) finally arrived on Saturday afternoon. It was a few weeks early, and I was literally jumping up and down with excitement when I saw it in my space...once the delivery guys left, of course! Here's a pic of it below, with my gorgeous sale Anthropologie pillow and steal-of-a-bargain Pottery Barn Verona floor lamp (I lucked out when I got a massive discount on the floor model this past February):

The walls are looking BARE...my apartment is a work-in-progress, and I'll post more pictures as I decorate! Stay tuned...

On Saturday night I headed out for dinner and drinks with my girls to one of my favourite Toronto restaurants, Blowfish. After devouring Ebi Shooters (I get serious cravings for these randomly) and a number of amazing and unique makimonos (our fave is the "coconut bay"), the manager kindly sent over a couple rounds of girly shots that "matched" my top (his words, not mine!).

The top (peeking out under the leather jacket):
 
The shots (some kind of fruity concoction):

Sunday was spent brunching at Le Pain Quotidien and having an SATC marathon in the evening with the ladies...and on Monday these gorgeous pink roses arrived at my door:

This was how my BF told me he's taking me to Paris for a couple days when I visit him in London mid-April. *Le Sigh* A total dream birthday with a dream man!

Birthday weekend #2 is this upcoming weekend (I'm having a three-way birthday party with another best girl friend and my closest guy friend on Saturday night) and birthday weekend #3 is in just one week. I leave for London next Thursday...

I'm a lucky girl. Beyond spoiled. Truly!

P.S. as part of my birthday gift, my mom has done a very complicated Cards of Destiny reading for my upcoming year. I am simultaneously intrigued, excited and terrified...apparently this is a big year of change for me!

After a busy weekend of planning a three-way birthday party with two close friends, finding the perfect dress for said party, cleaning my apartment from top to bottom, reviewing 1400 documents(!!!) and re-discovering Oreo cookies (someone, please come take them away!), it is 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night and I am ready, finally, to relax. So I'm making a cup of Sleepytime Tea (a childhood favourite), running a bath, and cuing this past week's episode of Cougar Town.

Now before I get into how much I frickin' love this show...let me clarify that I fully appreciate that this sitcom is not HBO caliber. It's actually quite formulaic, but Courtenay Cox as Jules, a newly single 40ish divorcee, is stunning, and her friends and family, especially Laurie (as played by Busy Phillips) and her ex-husband Billie, make me giggle. This show has completely replaced trashy magazines as my guilty pleasure and my sure-fire escape route from the daily grind.

The real reason that I love this show; however, is Jules' cosy home in sunny Florida (or, a Floridianesque set in L.A.). Much of the show takes place in her open-concept kitchen and living room, and the combination of natural light, bright and cheery colours, overstuffed furniture and abundance of white makes me daydream about stepping out of my cold, hectic Toronto life for a slower Sunshine State pace. Granted, Florida is low on the list of my dream places to live, but Cougar Town is definitely making it a contender.

In the picture below you can see Jules' pretty kitchen. I love how the set designer (Archie D'Amico) used Ikea's Hendriksdal bar stool at the counter (in the background), but had new covers made in a sweet blue and white print. I actually have those stools at my kitchen island and am considering doing something similar. Anyone know someone in Toronto who's crafty and would take on a project like this?

In the next picture you can see hints of her super feminine and upbeat living room, which utilizes white, turquoise (and other shades of blue) and a statement coral sofa.

Mr. D'Amico added a mix of different seashells to Jules' clear glass table lamp (you can get similar lamps at Pottery Barn here), a detail that brings the beach into her sunny home in an unexpected manner.

He also chose very colorful pieces of art. The blue piece is gorgeous over her console in the second picture below, and I love the contrast of the lily pad work, in all its green, pink, white and black splendor, with the gold gilt frame behind her sofa. 


I'm off to watch Episode 18 now while I daydream about sunny days...hope you all are having a relaxing Sunday night. Here's to a great week!

xoxo Chloeblossom

Images 1-5

While the temperatures in Toronto have cooled considerably (from a high of 20°C on Friday to a low of 3°C today), last week's warm thaw has me and millions of my fellow Torontonians itching for more Spring sunshine. And dreaming of weather warm enough to rock (a) bare legs, (b) open toe shoes of all kinds and (c) hot Spring fashions! C'mon Mother Nature...pretty please?

Between my internet surfing and magazine addiction appreciation, I've been devouring various pictures of Spring 2010 trends constantly. I'm loving the lingerie-as-outerwear trend (especially the nudes...when appropriately tempered!), military/safari chic and structured colourblocking. However, both my budget and my space require that I be very selective. So now it's time to take a step back and plan my Spring wardrobe strategically...perhaps a little Type A or superficial for some, but I'm sure a few of you can relate! Since I moved into a tiny junior one bedroom condo 4 years ago, I've mastered the art of editing my wardrobe (and all other belongings) out of necessity. It wasn't easy...but it did bring a sense of calm into my life (clutter is so distracting). Plus, there is something incredibly freeing about only keeping what you love, and giving away or selling the rest; it's kind of like my own paying it forward!

As such, this Spring I'm planning to add only a few items to my casual wardrobe (all pics purely representative): 

 

1. skinny white (classic, but I love them and somehow have a gap where these should be in my wardrobe! LOL) or light-washed jeans (trendy).

2.  off the shoulder tops (both casual and for nights on the town)

3.  mid-size gold hoop earrings (another classic, but are having a bit of a resurgence!)

4. platform sandals (it's time to replace my current pair, and these are a dream pair for me)

5. something lacy...

 

I'm keeping:

 

1. skinny dark jeans

2. gold gladiator sandals

3. ballet flats

4. aviator-style sunglasses

5. leather jacket

6. shrunken blazer (so flattering on EVERYONE!!! Mine is currently being re-lined by my amazing tailor...let me know if you need a great tailor in downtown T.O.!)

7. classic trench

8. interesting, structural wrap cardigans, long cardis (hey, I get cold all the time! Ask my man..."but baby, I AM cold")

9. gorgeous printed scarfs

 

And I'm digging out from the back of my closet:

My cut-off denim short shorts. In the words of one of my very fashionable bfs, "shorts are the new leggings!" All it took to convince me of this was seeing one spectacularly styled girl wearing cut-offs, high CFM boots with bare legs and a blazer this past Saturday night at Cheval.

But as I run around Toronto in my off-hours during cold March days, I'm working my deliciously comfortable and sexy-tough motorcycle boots à la Cameron Diaz, albeit with a jacket...

What are you planning to wear this Spring?

Images 3 and 4  

I've lived in downtown Toronto for the past seven years, and I was fortunate to discover Noah's Natural Foods early on (my mother would be so proud!). Noah's is my regular grocer: I count on it for healthy, organic, locally sourced food, supplements, and health and beauty products (in conjunction with Front Door Organic's wonderful delivery service - check them out!). I highly recommend this local store for its friendly service, knowledgeable staff and excellent products, as well as the fact that it is Toronto-born (a 1981 baby like me) and based.

Not only am I blessed to live only a couple blocks away from one of their stores on Yonge Street, but I was super lucky today when I won not one, but TWO gift baskets:


These include my favourite raw granola by In The Raw (seriously so good...if you think you can't eat raw you HAVE to try it), Earthscience's great almond-aloe moisturizer, a variety of Kosmea beauty products (including their organic rose hip oil), and more.

While grocery shopping a few weeks ago I had completed a couple ballots but then promptly forgot about the contest, so when the call came today I was beyond pleasantly surprised. Thank you so much Noah's!!!

I hope you all experience plenty of luck this weekend :-)

xo Chloeblossom