{bunting obsession}

{via bird+birch}

For those of you following me on pinterest, you'll realise I'm slightly obsessed with bunting (I have a whole board dedicated to it). In fact, I can't quite get enough of it. I bought this oh-so-cute bunting from Sass&belle--perhaps my favourite shop in London:

I could spend hours in their shop--but their website is pretty delicious too!
Anyway, I've hung this lovely British bunting in my bedroom...and now I've started thinking about decorating my fireplace (which is not-so-nice--very 70s in a bad sense) with bunting. I've got some fabric and am just trying to figure out how to hang it (since I'm lacking a sewing machine). I've got plenty of more before & afters to do (particularly because I'm not yet in the 'after' stage) but you can see how simple bunting & a changing of a coverlet & curtains can transform a space:

{my bedroom before & after}

In the mean time, I've been googling bunting & pinteresting bunting...and there's so much lovely bunting out there! Par exemple:

{from ashley ann photography}

{via all sorts}

{via sis boom}

{I found this on pinterest but the original url is no longer working unfortunately. so I can't give credit where credit is due}

{from antiquitea}

{Lovely way to make any space feel like an occasion. via unabashed bliss. check out her directions on how to make bunting here}

I also really like the looks of these ribbon tendrils and loose cloth as bunting. Adds a bit more of a rustic detail: 

{via snippet & ink}

{I just think this is simply gorgeous. & the italian blog from where it comes is simply bellissima: valdirose}

With my obsession for bunting, an interest in other types of garlandy, pom-pom & what-have-you decorations has developped. I'm currently loving this amazing 'coffee filter garland' made by Pam Garrison (she's got instructions on her site). So simple yet so elegant:

I could say (& show) a million more things & images on bunting & pom-poms as it has become an obsession but here are just two more of my favourite examples:

{from opulent couturier}

{via maison boheme}

Stay tuned for more!

{Happy Birthday Samundar!}

{Samundar aboard Passat}

Our family cat (who I've had from childhood) turns 19 today! Now that's a pretty big achievement for a creature so small. She's a blue-point Siamese--a sea-going Siamese at that. She's sailed internationally, travelled across Canada a few times (she moved in with me in Montreal when my parents were barging in France), and is an adventurer. She's been the mother of numerous litters of kittens, and is a caring sort of cat, who loves those around her. Her name means the sea in Hindi--an appropriate name for a cat who currently resides on a boat and whose paws are the colour of light blue (hence blue-point Siamese). She's got a whole long list of nicknames: wools, woolly, rat, ratty, mammadoo, lamby, lamben...the list goes on.
So happy birthday dear Samundar the sea-going Siamese! we love you!

{sniffing the sea breeze}

{Samundar & my nephew, Christmas 2005}

{wools in my flat in Montreal}

ps: a particularly cheesy ditty my sis & I came up with to the tune of 'It's a small world after all':

She's a cat we call woolly, 

a cat we call lamb, 

she's a cat full of tuna

a cat full of ham, 

There's no doubt when we say, 

we are loved everyday, 

by a good, good, cat.

She's a good cat after all, 

She's a good cat after all

She's a good cat after all

She's a good, good cat

{shopping in & around London}

Well, there's always plenty to see in lovely London. On one of my last days in that lovely city (before it was set to flames by rioters) I ventured into Marylebone-close-ish to my old 'hood near Paddington & a wonderful spot. High street Marylebone is especially lovely & often goes missed by tourists & Londoners alike.

{spent ages in Cath Kidston & bought some lovely things}

{spotted this old car}

{this kids' store was oh-so-cute. love the mouton in the window}

{reflection in the looking glass}

En route home, I stumbled upon an excellent shop in Islington that had a collection of cute stuff for kids, gifts, as well as funky furniture. Quite an eclectic store as the pictures demonstrate: 

{funky old chair}

{ecclectic mix of things}

{downstairs they had a bunch of random things--like these tea boxes discovered in a  wharehouse near the Thames dating from  ages ago}

more to come for sure...
xo
L

{Vermont Introductions}

I've been in Vermont almost a week now. I've been busy settling in, unpacking, finding my way around, doing HR stuff etc.. etc...
I live in Winooski, a town that's just outside Burlington (and by just outside, I mean really a suburb of Burlington-about an 8 minute drive away). Winooski is named for the river that runs through it (a mere few minutes walk from my house).

{Winooski River & park}

Winooski has a long history--it was home to a paleolithic settlement and became a fort for settlers in the 18th century. It's probably most famous for the 19th-c mills, whose buildings still stand today.

{downtown Winooski}

A 3 bedroom house is included in my contract--a lovely change from the studio apartment I had last year. Plus, it's completely furnished, which means I didn't have a huge amount of unpacking to do. Still, I'm very picky about interior design so I'm going to spend some time making it as much my own as I can.

{my house}

I'll be sure to take some before & afters to see what a few small changes can do to a place. I have already made a friend--a resident froggy who lives in my mailbox. He was shy at first, but he's become more friendly. I've named him my petit prince, in hopes that he's a prince just waiting to be kissed by Princess Leah.

{shy froggy}

{an invitation to be kissed?}

So first impressions? Burlington is a lovely town, full of shops (BR, Macy's, Urban Outfitters etc...) & restaurants. The main drag--Church St.--is fully pedestrianized, which gives it a lovely feel.

{Church St, Burlington}

But there are also one-of-a-kind shops off the beaten track--Just the type of stores I love:

{Anjou...& the Little Pear on Main St.}

{funky metal recycler down on Pine St.}

{great shop selling old books--I found a 19th-c Dickens' complete works for $5.50 (which I'm now regretting NOT buying)}

{this place has got great finds--I found a silver hot mustard container for my roast beef dinners for $4}

{this store was a tad crazy--down on Flynn St. there was no one to be found in the entire store--but it had some great finds}

Just outside this store, I came across this crazy tower:

{notice the filing cabinets with the date on the side it was added}

There's a farmer's market in Burlington every Saturday and one in Winooski every Sunday. Plenty of fresh veggies, breads, & local stuff...

There's tons of hiking/cycling/walking to be had in this area. Just minutes away from where I live are a bunch of trails. Hoping to get some walking in before the snow sets in...

I also have yet to go to the beach...so stay tuned for more. I still have loads to report from Europe too. all in time!
ciao for now,
L