Satori Design for Living

Pinterest Boards I’m Hooked On

Aug

2012

It’s no secret that I’m addicted to Pinterest. If you haven’t joined the craze, I’m surprised. I feel it’s one of the best sources of inspiration and there’s really no better way to store and categorize pictures along with their links.

Although I follow a variety of boards on Pinterest, there are a few that seem to always catch my eye. First up, it’s probably no surprise that I’m drawn to a board called Beach House by Wendy Hicken. Not only do I love the softness of colors, but the light and airy rooms scream summer, meaning rest and relaxation. It’s probably my favorite time of the year, and having a cottage is definitely a dream of mine.

Schoolhouse Condos {A Unique Experience}

Aug

2012

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Hello everyone! I’ve been playing hooky for the past two weeks enjoying some quality time with family and friends. After experiencing a few crazy months leading into summer, we decided to get away and disconnect from the techie world as much as possible. Of course we’ve watched a bit of the Olympics and I couldn’t help reading a couple of my favorite blogs here and there, but otherwise it’s been low key.

We started our trip at our friends’ cottage in Sandpoint, mostly boating, playing games and relaxing. We then made our way back home, stopping in Fernie for the last leg of our trip.

When deciding what to do over the two weeks, I knew a lot of driving was out of the question if our intent was to arrive home relaxed. Our original thought was to make our way deeper into the US past Sandpoint, but the trek home would be very long. After searching for places to stay, I came across beautiful condos in Fernie that were converted from an old school, called 901 Fernie.

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Unique Spaces, Vacation

Designer Challenge: Which Outdoor Seating? {Reader Edition}

Jul

2012

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If you remember about a month ago, with the suggestion of one of my readers, I opened up the Designer Challenge to Satori Readers. Fortunately, Olioboard wanted to join in and offered to award our top three picks a 6-month upgrade to their Pro version. How fun!

Readers were given three outdoor seating options, including the Catalina Lounge Chair, Geometric Pouf and Nantucket Chair. They were asked to create a mood board using one of them.

To help select the top three mood board entries, I enlisted the help of two past Designer Challenge participants, Nancy from Marcus Design and Jackie from Teal and Lime. I just love these outdoor spaces sent in by Sheila, Shantelle and Tiffany!

Mood Board 1: Tiffany’s Moroccan Lounge

Sources: Mirror, Console, Planter, Wine Carafe, Lantern, Light Fixture, Pillows, Tray, Chairs

What Can’t You Live Without?

Jul

2012

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How is your summer going? We just got back from spending a few gorgeous days at the lake with our friends. Even though we’re all exhausted from the sunshine, boating and late nights, it’s always fun to get away and experience a change of scenery and enjoy a break from the everyday. Laughter is such good medicine!

One thing I was finally able to do over the extended weekend is read through a few of the magazines I’ve had sitting on my nightstand for a while now. I usually keep up with reading magazines as they arrive, but as I’ve added more blogs to my regular reading list, as well as few great online magazines, I’ve gotten away from reading very many in print.

One magazine I do subscribe to is Chatelaine. I like the variety of topics it covers, such as health, beauty, fashion, decor, gardening and more. Because it’s Canadian, I can usually find what they’re talking about, whether it’s a grocery item or a particular pair of shoes.

A favorite series of mine is It’s In the Air (What We’re Excited About This Month), where women are celebrated for their style and substance. I love reading about each woman’s journey to success and how great living out your dream really is- so inspirational! At the end, each woman is asked to list “5 Things (She) Can’t Live Without,” which is fun to think about.

So…If you were asked that question (I guess on a superficial level), what would your answer be? I thought about it and this would most likely be my answer…

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Filed Under: Fab Finds, Life Tagged With: Chatelaine Magazine, Inspirational People, Products I Love

It’s All in the Details {Basement Update}

Jul

2012

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We’re rounding third base on our basement renovation and I couldn’t be happier. To recap, we started with an unfinished basement and set out to create a family-friendly room for entertaining and relaxing, as well as additional space for when we have overnight guests. To date, with a lot of help, we’ve completed the framing, electrical, drywall, trim work, painting, and flooring. Here’s a sneak peek of our progress.

Like most renovations, we’ve had our share of bumps along the road, including doors that didn’t match, an obvious slope in one corner of the ceiling, and speaker wires installed backwards (to name a few). However, these have all been addressed and the room is shaping up to be just as we had envisioned.

The next step in our basement journey is re-hanging the shaker style doors, finishing off the snack bar area, and mounting the TV and speakers (in those little niches). I’m also waiting on two ceiling light fixtures to arrive so they can be installed in the stairwell and hallway. Then it’s on to furnishing and decorating the space.

While I was planning the snack bar area, I had trouble deciding on a number of factors. Should the cabinets be painted white or grey? Upper cabinets with glass doors or open shelving? Subway tile backsplash or marble? Overhead lighting or under cabinet? The number of decisions to make for this small area really added up.

Refreshing Summer Drinks Made With Berries

Jul

2012

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During the heat wave last week, I searched for some refreshing summer drink alternatives that would still get a thumbs up from my son and his friends, but weren’t packed with sugar and void of any nutrients. Although I’m a water and lemon girl, I understand that sometimes water just doesn’t cut it (especially for teens), and I set out to try some recipes (and create a couple of my own) using fresh organic berries from the farmer’s market.

{via Chatelaine}

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

2 cups fresh organic strawberries, chopped
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup organic raw honey
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 cups purified water
ice cubes

1. Whirl strawberries with sugar, zest and 1 cup water in a blender until puréed. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher. Stir in lemon juice and 2 more cups water. If mixture is too thick, stir in more water or lemon juice.

2. Pour into glasses and top with ice cubes. Lemonade tastes best the same day it’s made.

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Filed Under: Food Love Tagged With: Beverages, Chatelaine Magazine, Recipes

Summer Goals + Handy Tool

Jul

2012

3 Comments

Can you believe we’re well into July already? My son is doing summer school to allow for a spare in grade 12 this fall and it still feels a bit like it’s June around here. One thing that makes it feel like summer is slowing down a bit on client projects. I usually don’t take on big projects over the summer to allow me to focus on my own home for a while, taking care of things like outdoor staining, gardening and a few organizing and decorating projects inside. And, let’s be honest, it also awards me the quality time I need to spend with my family and friends.

{Nostalgia via MyanSofia on Etsy}

Because it’s easy to get side-tracked in the summer, I like to put a list of goals together so I don’t end up wasting my days away. Of course these aren’t as intense as the rest of the year, but I still push myself a little. We’re taking our official holidays in August this year, so I only have a couple weeks to tackle my projects (combined with a few little trips here and there). Last fall, I discovered this handy printable for monthly goals. I keep it visible in my office and love being able to check stuff off. Are you like that too?

{via Julie Ann Art}