All Decked Out

I'm not really one for outdoor plants. I had a summer job at a garden centre in university - so you'd think I'd have a knack for it or something, but I really don't. Although, I can appreciate a beautiful garden, I have very little interest in taking care of one myself. But something about this long long LONG winter is making me crave time out on our back deck... and it was in ROUGH shape. Old rusty BBQ, random half empty planters with grass and/or chives growing all askew, and an assortment of miscellaneous house-related paraphernalia. Not exactly Better Homes & Gardens. So I've made it my mission to deck it out. We WILL enjoy the patio this summer. Here's how it looks so far:

I spotted these rugs at Target a few weeks ago and suspected one might be just what we need to brighten up the patio. (Can you tell I go to Target a lot?)

I also picked up a few awesome and modern little concrete planters to house the herbs and peppers we picked up. I also grabbed two planters of kale because I'm a kale maniac. Side note: Apparently, I am interested in outdoor plants if I can eat them. Not otherwise.

I also popped into Home Sense (I was on a patio SPREE) and found this super cute gold garden lantern and an indoor-outdoor LED candle (safety first, yo). It casts such a cozy glow when on at night and adds structural interest to all the greenery during the day.

I picked up these adorable little globe string lights after spotting ones my sister had bought. We strung them around the lower portion of the X that connects our deck with the upper deck and it makes for such an awesome bistro-patio feel. I want to spend all my time here. We were initially planning to string two sets of lights all the way up the X but these ones are SO bright already that we decided not to overdo it. I don't really want our deck to feel like an interrogation room.

Other deck plans include replacing the BBQ (the current one is 10 years old and has more than paid its dues), a fresh coat of paint, and finding a pair of small-scale comfy chairs for sitting out and reading. Although the current bistro set is great for dinner, it isn't comfortable enough for an afternoon of patio-ing. Adding chairs will require a little reshuffling of the layout, but I think it can be done! 

Side note: the colour of the rug mimics the front door of our house, which makes me SO happy even though it's not physically possible to see both at the same time and chances are - no one but me will EVER notice.

If you need me, I'll be on the deck.

Etsy Loves

A few things I've been loving lately.

Vintage Kilim Pillow  |  Reservation Wooden Watch

Engraved Cutting Board  |  Shot of Whiskey Poster  |  Lucite Curtain Rod

Chevron Turkish Towel  |  Vintage Silver-Plated Trophy     

Apple, Appropriately.

If you've been reading for awhile, you may remember this poster from Pop Chart Lab that illustrates the many iterations in Apple's illustrious history.

I gifted it to the (tech-geek) boyfriend last year and after we made a frame for it (see here), we hung it in the bedroom because it really didn't seem to fit in our main living space. But the bedroom wasn't exactly the right spot for a vibrantly coloured geometric ode to technology either... so the poster was eventually replaced with my "little" typography art project from last month (see here). Now, it seems we've finally found the perfect spot for this piece:

In the office! Uh, obviously. I can't believe it took so long to move it. I think the delay was because I honestly wasn't really sure where to put it in the office, given that our 4 walls were already spoken for (by windows, our degrees, the bookcase, and a chalkboard wall).

After a little brainstorming, I came to the realization that we don't really use the ENTIRE chalkboard wall, so why not hang some art in the little corner over the chair and make this space look intentional. We rarely use the door behind the chair - it stores gift wrap, board games, etc. - so this is the perfect reading spot.

We have a few more tweaks to make to this corner (plus, you know, the whole rest of the office), including adding an interesting lamp (like this one) to the bookshelf for reading, swapping out that too large side table for something smaller (a place to rest your caffeine whilst perusing your tomes, of course), and a little footstool. I had my heart set on this one from Target but it's sold out everywhere. If you're local and find one - please let me know!

I'm liking how things are starting to come together! And I just realized that the colours on the bookshelf pick up on the colours in the poster. #AlmostlikeIplannedit

The Shimmer

After much deliberation (like, MONTHS worth), I finally made the decision to rebrand this blog. If you take a peek at the top of your screen, you might notice that we've got a new name! From here on out, the artist formerly known as Glitter Glimmer Sparkle Shimmer will be...

Simple. Straight-forward. Not embarrassing to say out-loud. *Cough Cough*

Honestly, when I first started this blog over 2 years ago - Glitter Glimmer Sparkle Shimmer was the perfect name. It was girly and light-hearted and just plain fun - exactly what I needed at that point in my life. And although, I'd like to think this space is still light-hearted and fun - my style has evolved to be more sophisticated, mature, and even a little masculine (thanks, boyfriend). The Shimmer gives a subtle head nod to its past but with an eye on the future - and where I want this blog to go. 

So, I hope you like it! And I hope you're not too confused! 

Glitter Glimmer Sparkle Shimmer will redirect to The Shimmer for the next while, but if you'd like to change your bookmarks to www.theshimmer.ca (note the .ca), I'd be much obliged. 

Merci, mes amies!

Update: A few problems sorting out the redirection but it will happen soon!

Dining Room Gallery Wall: Complete!

It’s done! It's finally done! These frames have seriously been sitting on the floor of our office for almost two months.

I have a legitimate fear of hanging things on walls. My last apartment was built in the 1920s... and had the crumbling plaster walls to match. Hanging art was practically impossible. The walls always crumbled to the pressure... either right away or 6 hours later in the dead of the night when I was fast asleep. Half of my old ikea frames are cracked in the corners thanks to those freaking walls. So, obviously, I'm a little scarred.

In a burst of bravery, I tackled this gallery wall in THIRTY minutes last weekend. (Please ignore the slightly crooked frame above. Rest assured, it's now fixed.) I wish I could tell you the ins-and-outs for how I painstakingly planned the layout... but I didn't. I knew if I didn't act fast, my bravery would subside and the frames would continue to sit on the floor. I basically just started with the largest piece, and then gradually worked my way around it, stepping back after every frame to contemplate the layout and ensure everything looked balanced. See below for the play-by-play I texted the boyfriend in between hammer-wielding. 

And that's how I conquered my fear of hanging things on walls in 30 minutes. Now, I want to hang things EVERYWHERE. ALL THE GALLERY WALLS. 

Oh, and I also sprayed 3 of my basic black frames gold for a little interest! I used Design Master spray paint in Antique Gold to tie into the vintage gold mirror on the other side and the as-yet-not-shared gold plant pot. You'll see all that soon!

Art, clockwise from top left:

Kiki and Polly; Minted; Minted; Wall Blank (old, no longer available); 

Janet Hill Studio; The Black Apple; Elizabeth Mayville; 

Benjamin Chee Chee; Wall Blank (old, no longer available)

June Prospectus

What are you up to this month?