OUTSTANDING

Saturday we spent a great evening dining with friends in the middle of a field.  The Outstanding in the Field  bus rolled in to town and we couldn't be happier. Held at Lake Meadows Naturals, we arrived to a group of friendly local bartenders offering signature cocktails and locally brewed beer. It was then on to a delicious meal prepared by chef Brandon McGlamery and the lovely staff from Prato, our favorite go-to restaurant here in the WP (Winter Park). And yes, it was outstanding. 

Our local community of growers, makers, and doers came together to provide a wonderful experience orchestrated by the fun and friendly Outstanding crew.  Head to the Outstanding in the Field  website and see if the bus is headed your way. 

WISHES AND PANCAKES

Hello! I hope your 2016 is off to a wonderful start. I've been nesting, reflecting regrouping, and realigning. Which I tend to do very slowly. So excuse the dust on the blog. I feel pretty strongly that until inspiration kicks in I just don't want to ramble on about nothing. It must feel authentic and organic and inspired.

What is authentic is the construction zone that is our home right now.  If you follow me on Instagram you have seen the mess that was our backyard.  I can happily report that we spent a lively NYE in our new 'shed' with dear friends. We dusted off the paver dust and sawdust just in time to celebrate (the carpenter was still working the morning of new years eve).

We had a houseful of friends for days during which time we made lots of wishes and pancakes. As it should be.

Here are a few snaps of the backyard craziness start to finish. Moldy bricks (we do love Chicago brick, just not for a pool deck) and cracked concrete out. New creamy pavers in. And a pavilion, pergola, cabana thing. All of those words sound funny to me so we call it 'the shed'. 

demo day:

taking shape and getting input:

 old deck. dirt. new deck.

 the  'shed' going up

 at long last the table is set

ready.

Thank you for spending time with me here today. Next up on the reno list is enclosing an unused porch and remodeling the master bath.  Tune in here. 

And ps: you can find the outdoor sofa and tall white dining chairs at Canvas Interiors. Go figure! :)

SECRET GARDEN

I am completely immersed in searching for garden gate ideas as we lean in to a small reno chez K. We have a decent sized porch off of the master bedroom that is never used (Florida = mosquitos) and we are getting ready to enclose it and turn it in to a little master suite office/den.

Outside this porch there is a small area that is a lost lonely space. Leave it to my Mom (she is really good at this stuff) to figure out how to reconfigure the fence and claim that little patch of dirt as a proper garden area. This mini-reno is going to change the whole feeling of the bedroom from the inside out.  Imagine looking out the window at a little secret garden. Which brings me to fences and gates. The gate on the bottom left is the one. Practically the same paint colors as our house and just the style I was looking for. 

This is going to be fun. Oh and did I mention I have envisioned exactly that pool cabana situation since we moved in to this house? Fireplace in the middle, same colors, same layout - seriously just what I had in mind. I am so excited by these images. 

Get ready Mr. K. My wheels are turning.  

beautiful images by Ann Stratton for Milieu Magazine 

SLIGHTLY OBSESSED: MARK D. SIKES

I'm sure you have come across this image in your visual travels. It literally flashed in to my head yesterday. It seems somewhere in my noggin I have a filing cabinet for visuals and they pop back into the forefront of my mind at any given moment. I have been dreaming about freshening up our outdoor living situation so my subconscious filing cabinet brought me this:

Mark D. Sikes'  LA garden. 

I so love the feel of this garden and hope to recreate a small bit of it here. 

Mark's work is a delight to take in. Just looking at these pics takes me back to my Silver Lake apartment and the easy breezy LA lifestyle. I can never get enough of that LA light. Thankfully I can achieve some of that here in FL although the 'breezy' part of 'easy breezy' is a little questionable.  

Here is some more inspiration from Mark's website.  I am a sucker for a good Hollywood Hills home.
This is one of them.

A fun fact: Mark is getting ready to launch MD Stripes, blue and white striped knits (tops, bottoms and dresses). Read about it here.  I am very excited about it as you know how I like a good striped tee.

More cool stuff to see from Mark:  his instagram  feed and his blog.

images: Mark D. Sikes // Veranda // House Beautiful  // Lonny 

GET OUT

At this time of year in these southern parts we are excited to begin our fall outdoor living season.  We do live outside in the summer but it must involve a body of water or an early morning. With the arrival of Fall comes the promise of cooler weather and outdoor living without mosquitos and sweat. Weekend afternoons are about to get a whole lot more relaxing.

As I showed you last week, our backyard looks like it has been abandoned, which it sort of has. We have not really used it since April aside from the quick dip in the pool here and there. It is a dust bowl construction zone and looks pretty unloved.

Now that the inside of the addition is wrapping up (still waiting for marble countertops, long story, don't ask) it is time to turn my imagination to the backyard and show it some love.

Here are a few pics that have been inspiring me to get ready for outdoor living:

I am really excited to do sort of a homemade casual shed type thing.  I have invented a narrative, a story of our home as you walk in the door and move through the rooms from front to back. It goes from slightly formal to casual family room, to our new 'cottage' dining room addition. For the backyard the story concludes with 'the shed'.  I want to feel like I have stepped outside my back door into my Cali roots. Or the South of France.  Light and white by day, cozy and rustic by night. I think I can pull it off right?  

We will build a more permanent structure someday. But for now we are excited to throw down some new grass, hang some twinkle lights and finally uncover our favorite outdoor sofa.  A few flea market finds and a make-shift roof will complete the vibe.

images 

top L to R: 1 // 2 // 3   bottom L to R: 1 // 2 // 3 

get out

So my latest and greatest plan for chez K is to build a version of this:

A few posts and a roof and a fireplace. Easy right?  Currently we have a big empty space on the side of  the pool that is begging for this.  I am calling the builder today.  

I put together my own mood board of things from Canvas Interiors (my other side job) that I would use.  The slipcovered pieces are outdoor. Yup. They can get rained on and presto - good as new.  The other pieces would survive outside in a covered area.  

you can find these pieces here

Here are a few other outdoor spaces that I will be showing the builder for inspiration:

imagine this one with a roof but the fireplace at the end is what I'm thinking.

light and airy

and I love the symmetry and style of this Beth Webb version

I am determined to make this happen so we can enjoy the summer with a bit of outdoor living. 

Get ready Mr. K.  We will have a construction crew in our backyard very soon.  

image 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

pool house love

As summer approaches I am once again thinking about outdoor living. This pool house is one of the many images I have collected in my quest for making our backyard more usable. I love the simple geometric structure created by From the Desk of Lola. 

 This pool house is calling my name. 

See more work From the Desk of Lola here

all images FTDOL

from the desk of Lola

giveaway: GORGEOUS coffee table book IN THE GARDEN

Today I am excited to share with you a fabulous new coffee table book and guess what?  I will be giving one away! Instructions to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

The book is called In the Garden by photographer Stacy Bass, with essays written by Suzanne Gannon.  It is a peaceful visual journey through some of the most beautiful and private gardens in New England.  Stacy has an eye for composition and an ability to make you feel like you are standing in the garden at sunrise. This isn't just a pretty picture book of flowers, this is beauty and inspiration all rolled into one.

image #1

It is made all the more special by the stories of the people who created these gorgeous settings. The thing that strikes me about this book is that I actually sat down to read it. There is a unique story behind each garden and each one is told by Stacy's images with care.  It makes for more than just a pretty coffee table book.

One woman pined away for 7 years for her dream property and finally left an "I would love to buy your house" note for the owner in the mailbox and it worked. Two fashion industry insiders sought a weekend getaway and created such a gorgeous garden it is now on the local garden tour. Each story illustrates the creative process that goes in to not only designing a garden, but having the vision and passion to make it a reality. Stacy captures this passion beautifully. 

One gentleman whose 'hobby' has spanned 13 years has created a rambling classical English garden free of chemicals.  His story includes wine-fueled weeding parties with friends and a treehouse built over a stream.

This book is a visual journey through the hearts of the people who have created beauty around them.

 image #2

image #3

image #4

 image #5

image #6

image #7

image #8

Now, for the fun part!

Do these two simple steps:

1.  go to the canvasstyle facebook page  and 'like' it
2.  PLUS, leave a comment on the canvasstyle facebook page about which image you like the best and why
(be sure to do both 'like' and comment or the entry won't count)

Make sure to leave your contact info (email address preferable) with your comment so we can get in touch with the lucky winner!

My favorite is image #5 for the symmetry, pristine white pool house and the silver balls floating in the pool!

the GIVEAWAY is open from Wed August 1 thru Sunday August 5th.   

We will contact the winner Tuesday August 7th!  

dispatch: Harbour Island day 2

I am always amazed and inspired by my time spent on this magical island.  There is inspiration everywhere you turn.  Here is a little tour of some of my favorite places.  This is a place so full of creativity and spirit and I hope you can see it from these images. This is a little tour part one... so much to share that I feel it has to be done in a couple of posts.

BLUE ROOSTER:

Fresh white paint and colorful clothes are a breath of fresh air when you step inside this boutique.  Filled with fabulous dresses, beach cover ups and accessories it is a great place to find something special.  

The Pink Sands Resort is one of the most enchanting properties on the island.  The lobby bar is stunning.  Lit from within, the giant dripping shells glow in the evening and make for a cozy place for drinks.  The oceanside Blue Bar is a fantastic restaurant with the best seat on the island for dining.  A small bar and delicious food await.  The staff is lovely and we had a fabulous dinner for 16 here. Lots of wine and laughter this night. 

The Princess St. Gallery was such a treat.  We spent quite some time here browsing and admiring the beautiful art, jewelry, linens and accessories.  The owner is charming and friendly and has an amazing eye.

The Rock House is an elegant boutique hotel on the harbour side of town which means you get a beautiful sunset from their dining room.  We had our rehearsal dinner here 7 years ago and each time we come back, the food is phenomenal and the owner and manager greet everyone with genuine smiles and a warm handshake.  The bar and pool area are gorgeous.  One of our favorite places to have a drink.  

I have so much more to share with you from this gorgeous island but the rest will have to wait.  The plane home is awaiting (boo-hoo) and I must run.

Tune in tomorrow for a giveaway!  

And Thursday I will bring you the rest of my Harbour Island favs.