I wore this statement piece I handmade to the One of a Kind show and got so many compliments! The best part about it is that I got compliments from jewelry artists I admire. It’s sort of like meeting and talking a celebrity :) 

This necklace is made of three white turquoise stones and antique brass curb chain suspended from black suede cord. It’s a bit on the heavy side, but it’s worth wearing and making a bold statement. 

You can get your hands on this unique piece on my Etsy shop. 

Have you ever got a compliment from someone you admire? How did that make you feel?

When I attend arts and craft shows, I tend to take a business card from each vendor in hopes to visit their website and get inspired. But I’ve never done so. I usually tuck them away in my drawer and never see them again until spring cleaning. So this year when I attended the One of Kind show, I was very selective and only grabbed business cards of the artists that I really loved and hope to buy from some day soon. Here are some artists I admire and their products I’d like to one day own. 

With my own place, I’m constantly trying to find new art work to put on my walls. Lately I’ve been into photos of nature… maybe because I’m longing for those warm and bright spring and summer days. This beautiful photograph is taken by Matt Kowalski. 

Again with a place of my own, I want to implement more items that reflect my style and that are functional. These beautiful cutting boards are made by Objects Mécaniques. I love the touch of white paint on the handles, it adds a little personality and style to your kitchen!

Last on my wish list is this versatile purse that can be worn four ways! I like when a single item has many functions. This small patterned purse is perfect for travelling. This summer I plan to travel and attend many concerts, so this would be perfect! I can easily clip it on my jeans or wear it over my shoulder. Perfect for all my essentials. This purse is handcrafted by Rachel F.

What are some items on your wish list? 

Over the Easter weekend, I went to the One of a kind show - an event that showcases over 450 artisans working in various mediums like glass, ceramics, textile, and wood. I’m amazed at the number of talented artists and all the unique and fantastic art pieces - from furniture to pottery and jewelry to flavourful jams and dips. I spent a good 5 hours walking from booth to booth, getting inspired and trying not to buy everything I loved. There are so many talented artists, it gets a little overwhelming. Every year I attend the show, I try to leave with at least one handcrafted gift for myself. This year I splurged and bought two things. The first a Pure Gold Ring #madehere by DConstruct. Every piece is made of recycled resin. The second thing was a flower crown by Headmistress - perfect for the spring and summer days. 

Thank you to Interior Design Show for the complimentary tickets. 

The best part of the show was the food. I tried organic dips, a variety of jams, mustard, chocolate, indian sauces and olive oils, along with gluten free spring rolls, and garlic spreads. It was unbelievable! It wasn’t ideal mixing all these different foods but that’s why I had to sample the natural lemon water. 

In love with my flower crown! 

DConstruct gold ring! Can you say environmentally friendly!

Did you attend the one of a kind show? What did you get?

I didn’t realize how much time went by since my last post. I’ve had a pretty hectic week which involved watching the Superbowl, game night with my girlfriends, handcrafting lots of new baubles, attending my jewelry class, and hosting a hex nut bracelet workshop. 

Last Saturday, I’ve spent the whole evening making new bracelets and necklaces. After buying lots of semi precious stones, chains and Chinese crystals, I’ve had so many ideas rushing through my mind I had to bring them to life. 

Above are some highlights from my week captured via Instragram. Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/HouseBauble), Instagram and Twitter (@HouseofBauble) for behind the scene photos, promos, my inspirations and anything that catches my eye. 

New baubles will be posted on Etsy very soon. 

Lately I’ve been seeing more polka dots on packaging, clothes, decor and walls. Today, I’m featuring some of my favourite polka dot items. I love the vase, the shoes and outside the house - how fun would it be to come home to a polka dot house!

Every time I get sick, I pledge to cut out junk food, exercise more and eat healthier after I recuperate. I start off steady but along the way sneak some bad sugar and skip on exercise. Occasionally you need to allow yourself to cheat and getting sick is sometimes inevitable, especially if co-workers come to work sick.

Yesterday, I got out of the house for the first time in 3 days to breathe in the fresh air, not ideal when it’s -10C. I went to HomeSense where they have great deals on decor, furniture and snacks, to find some knickknacks for my place. I rummaged through the sale section to find Raw Maca and grounded Flax Seeds. Maca is a root vegetable grown high up in the Mountains in Peru. Some of the benefits of Maca are: 

• Contributes to overall well-being
• Increases energy level and stamina
• Improves physical endurance
• Reduces adrenal stress
• Read more benefits here

Maca has an unpleasant smell (people say it smells like dirt) but add it in a smoothie or cereal and you won’t even taste it! Flax seeds are gluten-free and provide essential omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits such as helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and helps protect against certain kinds of cancer (Canada.com).

Instead of buying decorations, I left the store with nutritional foods, a perfect addition to my diet. This morning, to kick start the day full of energy, I made myself a Reese cup protein shake (minus the sugar).

In a blender, mix 1 cup of chocolate almond milk, half a banana, 1 tbsp of peanut butter, 1 tsp flax seed, 1 tsp of raw maca and 1 scoop of protein powder. Pour into a cup and add a colourful straw. Enjoy!

(image from Pinterest) 

I woke this morning a quarter to six unable to breathe freely and coughing like mad. Sleeping in a room with dry air and having a cold is a bad combination. To pass the time I browsed through Pinterest to get ideas for my next project - coffee table styling. 

The How to: Style a coffee table video on the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog outlines the key items to have on your functional yet stylish coffee table.

I have a large double layer coffee table, probably to big for my living, with a few magazines, pot of flowers and candle on the top and coasters. box of Kleenex and blanket on the lower level. To me, the table seems empty and incomplete. So to get my creative juices flowing, I logged unto Pinterest and pinned some of my favourite set ups. 

Ideally I would buy a smaller table, but unfortunately, I’m living on a budget and can’t afford new furniture. For now, I will have to work with what I’ve got. Key items I’d like to incorporate on my table are fresh flowers, pop of colour, visual books, a tray and of course candles. If possible, I’d like to work on a DIY project that I could include on my new coffee table to add a personal touch. 

Do you have any table styling tips? What key items do you have on your coffee table? 

This week didn’t start off on a good note. I ended up getting sick and stayed home for 3 days (still recuperating). It was great timing in the sense that I didn’t have to fight the unbearable cold weather that everyone’s been complaining about. Since I’ve been in bed for most of the week, I wanted to dedicate My Favourite Things post to my favourite sleeping items.

Onesie - I received my first onesie for my last birthday and I am in love with it! It’s a green button up onesie with a button up flap in the back with a picture of a donkey and the words “Trailing behind”. It’s the most comfortable pj I’ve ever had!

Pillow - I love the pixilated and “&” pillow above. Patterned pillows add character to the space and the best part about it is that you can always mix and match. You can change up the vibe in a room by simply switching up the pillows.

Socks infused with shea butter - I previously mentioned these socks in my Essentials for a me day post and will mention them again because I feel like they are definitely a must have. These cozy lounge socks moisturize and keep your feel warm and soft.

Sleeping mask - In order to have a long and restful sleep, your bedroom should be free of distracting lights, for example lights beaming through your window, alarm clock or iPhone. If you don’t have good enough blinds to block off all the light or cannot avoid your partner turning on the lights to get ready in the morning, this sleeping mask is your saviour.  Say goodbye to those sleepless nights and interrupted naps!

Now that I’ve put away the Christmas decorations, I wanted to add a little more color to my bedroom - something cute and fun. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I created this Paper Heart Chain. You will most likely find all the necessary materials in your home so it’s inexpensive. 

Materials
Coloured paper
Scissors or Exacto knife (Paper cutter works best) 
Ruler
Cutting mat
Stapler 

Steps
1. Using a ruler, cutting mat and craft knife, cut coloured paper into strips measuring 1”. You’ll need 2 for each heart link. 

2. Stack 2 strips on top of each other and staple one set of ends together.

3. Bend the stapled strips around to match the unstapled ends together, creating a heart shape. Layer 2 more stips, one on each side, aligning all 4 ends. Staple through all 4 layers. 

4. Repeat step 3 until you’ve reached your desired length. 

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON

Monday isn’t quite done yet but I had the urge to write about how my mon-day (me day) has been so far. My main priorities for Monday was to relax, create and recharge. After a busy day at work, I decided to stay home to recuperate from a soar throat and not exhaust  myself. I got into my favorite polka down jeans, thick Roots hoodie and comfy slippers. I watched the latest episode of Revenge and devoured an entire bowl of salted and buttered popcorn (definitely not a cold remedy).

After dinner, I made myself chocolate pudding as a treat. I must say, it was by far the best pudding I’ve ever had and I encourage you to try it for yourself. In a blender (you can also use a hand held blender), mix 1 avocado (yes, an avocado), 1/2 cup of almond milk or rice milk, 1 cup of cocoa powder, 1.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of raw honey. Mix it, pour into a bowl and add 3 rasberries on top. A healthy snack you can indulge in. 

Once I tidied up, I ran a hot bubble bath, lit some candles and sipped on hot ginger tea. It was very calming. Here are some of my essentials for a relaxing me day. 

Gem-dot robe (spotted with tones of emerald, jade and amethyst) - How cute is this robe! A robe is an essential item for post baths. Who wouldn’t want to jump into this cozy robe after a warm bubble bath?

Cold+Flu fighting tea - Usually I would opt for a nice white wine but tonight I make the exception due to my soar throat. Pour boiling water over fresh ginger root and add a table spoon (or two) of honey and lemon juice. This tea will instantly warm you up. 

Aromatherapy Blackcurrant vanilla sensual candle has a beautiful fragrance and is very soothing so you feel at ease. The scent of the candle is so light and refreshing, you’ll want to let it burn for hours. 

Red stripe shea-infused socks I got these socks for Christmas and I couldn’t wait to try them! These cute and cozy lounge socks moisturize and keep your feet warm and soft. And the Shea butter lasts up to 25 washes! 

Philosophy’s Melon daiquiri body wash is perfect for bubble baths and softens, smoothes, and leaves your skin and hair silky-smooth. And smells delicious!

What are your top pampering essentials? 

Have you heard? According to a psychologist’s scientific formula, today appears to be “Blue Monday” - the most depressing day of the year. How can one be so blue when so many pretty things come in the blue hue? 

Blue monday by houseofbauble featuring genuine leather handbags

So I’ve had this blog up for almost a year and I started out taking pictures and writing posts. After some time, I’ve given this blog less attention and just linked my Instagram posts to the blog. Today, I am changing that.

This morning I woke up feeling a little blue (I call this the Sunday blues) and wanted to accomplish so much but felt lazy and uninspired. After tossing and turning for an hour or two, I decided it was time to do something. I tidied up my place, made myself pancakes and smoothie (apple, orange, ginger, sweet potato and grapes, it’s seriously amazing) and sat down to read my February issue of Chatelaine. I felt relaxed and re-energized. I definitely function better when my place is tidy. 

In the afternoon, I attended BarreNourish which was informative and inspiring. The seminar focused on the benefits of healthy eating. We were all siting in a half circle on single blue mats in a dance studio facing the speaker who had a few food items scattered in front of her. She went on to list a variety of foods (dates, gogi berries, quinoa, raw cocoa powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, raw honey, kale, sea veggies) and their health benefits. At the end of the class, using the majority of the foods listed above, she made everyone a smoothie. It was delicious! 

I don’t know what it was (I think it was the smoothie) but I felt inspired to better myself and take action. First thing I plan to do is try and look forward to Mondays. I’ve been working a 9-5 job for a year and half and I still haven’t gotten used to it. The constant repetition and not being able to distinguish one day from another is exhausting. Starting tomorrow, I am taking a me day. If you break it down Mon-day means my day in french (or me day). I’ll be a day to re-energize and create. I will also try to minimize my time using electronics so I can get through the 4 books I’m currently reading and take a creative pause.

Until next time…