Magazine haul

I went crazy with buying magazines on vacation.  The ones below are from the UK, Spain and Italy:

I'm checking into the poorhouse

Just browsing websites for London shopping ideas gets me into trouble...and then seeing their logo/wordmark -- well, consider me sold.

Cute McCute

Tiny McSmall has some carefully picked paper notes, kid's clothes, books and decor.

Folding bicycle and other practical travel items

I've been looking for accoutrements for our trip in October (we're finally caving and getting some of those tacky neck pillows) and I came across the travelling section on A+R Store. Thinking that I would find the aforementioned neck pillows (fingers crossed that they might be a notch cooler here), I instead found a few quirky items that have no chance of making it into my single checked piece of luggage, but figured it would be worth showing here.

Mark Sanders Strida 5.0 Folding Bicyle
(Sad note here, it doesn't come in green!)

Citizen Citizen 'Shoplifter' Tote Bag
(Um, I wouldn't want to push that point, especially in a foreign country.)

XXD Folding Picnic Set
(This would be great for packing a nice lunch onboard a plane...if we weren't in economy.)

As if you need another reason to got to Target

More great packaging from Target (as usual), this time updating their 'Archer Farms' brand and steering away from the country-kitsch look towards a fresher*, sharper and more graphic look.

This description from the studio that created it, sums it up better:

Target Corporation needed an upscale look for its premium food label—one that would go against the grain, standing out among the clutter, din and hue of typical supermarket shelves. Our solution centers around a fresh "sprout" logo that steers away from a barnyard look that might be expected of a brand called Archer Farms. The system is clean and simple featuring sans-serif fonts, a vivid palette and a decidedly European use of white space.

*Okay, here's where I blow the whistle on them...I've seen this shape and design done before - and it was very similar to what Target has done. I've been trying to remember where I've seen it but can't put my finger on it. Now this is going to bug me all day.

Raise your hand if you need a trip to Target

The evidence is shown below...

Rolleiflex camera

This is a retro-looking camera that's digital. Tiny, with a twin lens reflex that makes it great for portraits. You can take shots up to 4 inches away to infinity (ooo ahh!). I'll take the red one please.
via Urban Outfitters

Hmmm...smart

It's a she-mergency!

This compact case is stocked with 24 items including; a folding hair brush with mirror, hair spray, clear elastics, earring backs, hand lotion, nail clipper, an emery board, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, a mending kit, a safety pin, double-sided tape, lint remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, static remover, breath freshener, lip balm, dental floss, pain reliever, deodorant wipes, a tampon, adhesive bandages, and facial tissues.

What about mace, sunglasses, an umbrella, bolt-cutter, crowbar...
via see Jane work

I smell back to school

Yes, I know it's still July, but I can't be the only person who has seen the plethora of school supplies marching back into the stores. Target is my favorite cheapie place to hit up for all sorts of things, but their school supply section is fun to walk through (and score a few items for the office!). I've noticed this year that backpacks have made some big advancements from the design of them through to function (rolling backpacks, I would have loved one of those!). Here's a few I saw on the Target site:

Hello Kitty, more like, 'Hello School!'.Punk rocker chic, why yes, I'd like to store my math books in that.I imagine that I could make this bag go as fast as it looks.

Weekend goodness

Yes, I can really call it 'goodness' this time because we both had TWO WHOLE DAYS OFF! It was exciting around here, and we made the most of it. We booked one night down in Tulalip at the fancy schmancy hotel (it's a casino too, but we just watched people lose their money). It was deluxe! Here's a few photos of the room (and imagine the smell of new carpet...snifffff...ahhhhhh):

We hit up our favorite shopping area near the university in Seattle the next day and oooh'd and ahhhh'd at the goodies at Crate + Barrel, and ate our way through the sushi at Blue C. Delish!(Evidence of our lunch.)

Oh to still be on weekend time...

Coffee table quest

I'm in need of a coffee table for our living room. The last one we had was a *lovely* $30 pine Ikea version (circa 1992). That is long gone and we've just been living with a blank area of floor in the middle of the room. I've been scouring websites for inspiration, and there's not much out there that ships to Canada (boo) or that looks all that great (double boo).
What I have managed to find is the cream of the crop of UGLY coffee tables, which I'll share with you here:

This table screams 'I am a piece of pie!!!' to me. And a big yuck goes to the moving tabletop, and the colour.
This coffee table looks like a rolling cart, with the wheels chopped off. What's the point of having handles? Perhaps it's to steady yourself if there's a coffee table related mishap...
Ugh, another lifting table top. If I want a desk, I'll just buy a desk!
Is it a glass bug? Almost!
Oval...check. Glass...check. Fugly offset blue art palette-looking glass pieces...check, check and check.

Matt and Nat

Mmmm...bags! And they're vegan leather too! (And there's a sale on!)

Reno-o-rama

I think we were popping our enthusiastic reno pills over the weekend (Trevor more than me, I was just looking forward to getting a weekend since the previous two were spent working) and we've pounced back on the basement a vengeance. I was on paint duty with doors and moulding, and Trevor spent all his time in the bathroom tiling and we finally have a floor done now! We're very close to purging the vanity and toilet from the master ensuite and moving it downstairs (which means new fancy ensuite!!!).The bathroom floor, grouted and ready for business!

Yesterday I took a semi-day-off from work and saw Dan (long lost Dan...lol!), where I realized that we hadn't seen each other in almost 5 years (last time was at our wedding). Crazy. But it was like old times anyways. I tried to take us to a sushi restaurant that didn't exist (silly new construction) and we hung around Metrotown for most of the afternoon, finishing off the day with a trip to the mini-spa for a leg/foot rubdown (lovelyyyyy).

Wallpaper love

Just a warning before you click on this site...it's insanely inspirational! I'm almost overwhelmed by all of the amazing patterns and colours. Here it is: Walnut Wallpapers.

Here's a few (and I mean a few) of my favorites: