Holiday Road Trip Destination : Sugar Tools

With the holidays right around the corner (how is that possible?!) we are making our lists and checking them twice before planning our gift shopping. With the convenience of the internet, you could do all of your holiday shopping from home… buuuut there is just something so special about wandering around a beautiful shop and exploring the treasures and gifts carefully and beautifully displayed.

We personally love to take little road trips in the month or so leading up to the big day and explore other coastal towns- like Camden! First on our list is a visit to Sugar Tools. Discovered many years ago, we have always looked forward to the full sensory experience of walking through Amy O’Donnell’s thoughtfully curated space. She has brought together a diverse collection of home, gift, garden, wardrobe, stationery, and accessories… (just to name a few categories she stocks) the list is endless and every sweet space is brimming with unique finds.

Set your GPS for 29 Bayview Street in Camden, Maine for a shopping trip that is almost guaranteed to provide you with a little something for everyone.

Happy gifting! Hayley + Blair

P.S. And if you’re like us and shopping works up an appetite – we highly recommend taking a short stroll down the road to stop in at Long Grain for a delicious bite! The Asian cuisine will leave you so satisfied, and simultaneously hungry for more!

11.6.15

Dressing Up The Dining Room Table

Who else has been enjoying roasted seasonal root vegetables, soups, and comfort food galore? We’ve got our hands raised! Due to a certain exciting adventure, Blair won’t be around for Christmas or New Year’s Eve this year so we’re going big for our family Thanksgiving. We’re talking the ultimate shebang of seasonal delights- food, festivities and décor alike. As we plan for the big day and divvy up the menu between family members I’m in charge of setting the mood so I’ve been on the lookout for tablescape inspiration.

This year, I’m drawn to a theme of counterbalanced accents. I’m breaking out my favorite antique silverware from an estate auction to pair with brass candlesticks and basic white dinnerware, picking up some little white pumpkins and cool hued cabbages to arrange next to some vibrant honey/amber candles, and throwing in luxe linen and a warm wooden serving board to top it all off. Now we’ve just got to work up an appetite!

Happy tablescape hunting (I’m not the only one who does that, right?), Hayley

1. White Pumpkins 2. Flowering Kale 3. Duralex Glasses 4. Organic Linen Napkin 5. White Wine Glasses 6. Gold Dipped Seashell Pinch Bowls 7. Vintage Silver Plated Flatware 8. White Dinnerware 9. Handmade Beeswax Taper Candles 10. Walnut Cutting Board 11. Cabbage 12. Swedish Polished Brass Candlestick Holders

http://www.themarthablog.com/2015/07/whats-growing-in-my-vegetable-gardens.html

3.18.15

Surprise! It’s Spring This Week!

This has been an exciting week, but unfortunately I’ve been behind the ball for a lot of it. On Sunday, Maine turned 195. Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day and, luckily, I accidentally wore a green sweater. But- the big celebration that I’m not going to miss? This Friday is the first day of SPRING! No matter that it’s been snowing this week and the temperature was in the teens at my house this morning. Overall, the snow has been melting and the sun has been shining and I’ve placed a big order of seeds. (Too many seeds, maybe!) Also, I’m noticing a lot of birds. Good signs!

As soon as there is grass/deck exposed I’ll be moving out! Outside that is. In anticipation of that day, here’s a round-up of some fun games, tools, accessories and food/drink (because of course I can’t help myself!) that will make warm weather outdoor living brilliant and beautiful and all of the things I’ve dreamed of this winter.

In the beginning, anyway, there will be the chill of spring that can’t keep us inside but requires a little planning. Fire pits, stylish axes for firewood and blankets should do the trick. I can envision The Night (it’s gonna be a big event, so it deserves capital letters)- sitting cozy around a fire while a cool breeze plays the porcelain wind chimes and washing down a s’more with a spring cocktail. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Bring on spring! Blair

1.12.15

New Year, New Walls

We aren’t suggesting any demolition projects unless that’s something you had in mind already, in which case may we suggest some décor ideas for your new walls! With big ideas and milestones planned for 2015 we’re just ready to breathe some fresh inspiration and creativity into our space. A gallery-style wall is a great way to create a diverse collection of meaningful pieces that can fuel your work, focus your attention, and/or create some inner calm.

We found several displays that we really like, varying from a more traditional framed gallery display (2) to several parallel shelves (7) to a more temporary taped installation (9) that can change with the seasons. Each of these displays allows for easy rotation of photographs, artwork, or even pieces like pennants (with a kickass message!) or dried flowers.

Artifact Uprising is a fabulous option for calendars and prints to display your own photography. Alternately, Minted and 20×200 offer affordable artwork, prints and photographs with custom sizing and framing options.

Whatever you find beautiful and worthy of your space, surround yourself with those special things and images. Here are some of our favorite pieces that ignite our creativity, inspire our work, bring us joy, and center our minds.

Here’s to a peaceful, productive, and beautiful New Year! Hayley

11.21.14

Bedroom Reveal!

It’s been a long time coming… I let you all in on the plan for a white weekend project a while back (in September?! is that possible?) and the finishing touches are finally complete. So today, it is with much excitement that I finally reveal to you my bedroom makeover! This little space has relished quite a bit of elbow grease and the room really cleaned up beautifully. Right down to the tarnished knobs and locks, every inch of the room was polished and revitalized.

Much like the minimal and Scandanavian inspiration I mulled over before starting, the final look is uncluttered and crisp. It makes such a difference to have this space in the house to call my own where I can breathe deep- and Blair isn’t sucking the air off “my side” of the room like back in the day. Ohhhh, little sisters! A far cry from a closet bedroom, the space is definitely not a palace and it serves double duty as my bedroom and office. I try to keep my space neutral with just a few pops of color like the vintage tartan throw, the vintage paint by number lighthouse paintings, and maidenhair fern. The varied natural fiber touches like the jute rug and woven baskets mix nicely with the mismatched wooden furniture. My favorite parts of the room are the tiny nautical touches, shell dishes and old glass fishing float.

Enjoy the tour and happy weekend! Hayley

11.14.14

Harvest Wreath DIY

Who here has ever been inspired by Pinterest? Yeah, thought so. Us too. In fact, this project is inspired by a wreath Hayley spotted on Pinterest. It’s a beautiful weighted design- the lopsided arrangement is a nice departure from those perfectly round wreaths. It’s a little Charlie Brown. And that is wonderful. However, we’re not quite ready for a Charlie Brown Christmas or evergreen so we struck out on a bittersweet excursion for something a bit more harvest.

We came back with a variety of three branch; bittersweet and two others, which we were unfamiliar with. We later learned they were a viburnum dentatum (blue berries) and a multflora rose (red berries). Our Master Gardener neighbor assisted with the diagnostics.

Once we got home, we jumped right in forming the base of the wreath with bare bittersweet branches. Given the natural tendencies of bittersweet, it was very easy to bend and weave into a circular form. Using small clippers and green gardener’s wire we secured the base branches in a few places.

Then the fun began! Starting with bittersweet we tucked and trimmed branches into place. For the most part they were easy to weave into the base and only required a couple twists of wire here and there. Layering the red viburnum branches in and finishing with the blue viburnum berries with a burgundy leaf we filled out the wreath. The toughest part was feeling compelled to use everything we gathered and overstuff it. But we resisted!

This was a much quicker project that I anticipated and it turned out really lovely. The beauty of a homemade wreath is the opportunity to use whatever branches and brush you can find in your yard or around your city. (We found ours next to a highway! A safe distance away.) With Thanksgiving coming up in just a couple of weeks this makes a beautiful seasonal and festive abode adornment.

Go crazy! Blair

9.19.14

DIY Driftwood Frame

“Oh, look! A hefty, telephone-pole-sized log of driftwood! Picture frame DIY time?…” said no one ever. Well, except for Hayley and me. We said that. Simultaneously.

It all started here. Innocently enough, we hauled that gorgeous piece of driftwood from the neighborhood beach with a grand vision. It was high on the beach, not waterlogged and nicely weathered… the makings of something beautiful, no doubt- and with a perfect range of gray hues for the bedroom that was just renovated in our dad’s house. It made the perfect picture frame for this space… after a fun, albeit prolonged, DIY attempt.

* I would like to acknowledge that this DIY was, to us, a deceptively straightforward project that quickly turned into more than we bargained for. We don’t have a table saw in our basement and we don’t expect that you do either. We invaded our dad’s workshop and consulted with neighbors and friends to help with this frame. There are many ways you can interpret and execute this concept, so don’t let our trials deter you.*

Download the how-to here: DIY Frame Instructions or shop Etsy for something similar.

First amateur hour error: we started with hand tools. Ha! Right? “It’s cool, I work out,” I said. I grabbed a handsaw off the wall of a friend’s workshop and broke a serious sweat sectioning the log into the correct lengths for the frame. Hayley and I took turns, thank goodness. Seeing minimal progress with major elbow grease we eventually got tired and hungry and packed it up for another attempt on another day. Then our next-door neighbor, a fairy godfather of sorts who has been a hobby woodworker for years, took us under his wing. He whizzed through our project and proved that it’s all about being properly prepared and educated about the tools you’re using.

After we had the frame to hold in our hands, we went to the frame shop and had glass cut to size to fit the lobster boat print Hayley ordered from Shutterfly. If our DIY attempt has frightened you off, Shutterfly has wood wall art in their home decor area that you can customize- much easier!

Remarkably, the final product looks just like a picture frame! The mat and print make the whole thing look pretty professional, too. The soft image of Monhegan lobster boats blends into the wall color and one day we may stain the edges of the frame a gray to match- but for now the driftwood frame is too beautiful to take back down. It ties in nicely with the colors of the room, the buoys in the photo even calling out the nautical throw pillow (a much easier DIY) on the bed.

Overall, we would deem this fall project a success!

Triumphantly yours, Blair + Hayley

8.29.14

All White Everything

In one month I will be leaving my tiny house and starting fresh with new walls. Because I’m currently renting I never had the opportunity to paint or really decorate much. I’m super excited to have free rein to create a personal sanctuary. My greatest design inspiration has always had a minimalist and Scandanavian bent. I’ve started to pull together images that feel clean, bright, open and airy to me. White used to not appeal to me (I coated my bedroom in a bold pink Ralph Lauren paint back when I was in high school! Ah!) but I’ve come to appreciate the tranquility and calm it creates. White is sophisticated and timeless, and in my next space that is exactly what I’m going for, with a touch of driftwood, perhaps. My mind is swirling with shades of white- I can’t wait to share my new space with you!

Have a fantastic weekend! Hayley