along with family and friends, i follow a number of  artists on instagram

specifically lifestyle photographers

as that is a passion of my own

♥

since i am moving

{ in 2 more sleeps }

i like to explore room vignettes online and save them for

inspiration

♥

this photo was taken by lifestyle photographer

Gillian Stevens

i emailed her hoping to discover where she found both the shelving unit and that

sweet little 3-legged stool

sadly this was a client’s home and she didn’t have any answers for me

but we all know

{ thoughts become things }

and after searching everywhere online,

i finally gave up

and decided instead to visit my local

pottery shop

to pick up a few last dinner plates and, of course, tucked way in the back corner

was a little 3-legged stool just like the one in the photo

hand-made by a local artist..

price?

$30

i know, right?

{ now i need to dream bigger }

and i need to find someone to make that shelving unit for me

♥

here is an image of Doug Andrew’s studio via the Calgary Herald

as i stepped outside

Goldgrass Home Ltd

with my new little Doug Andrews pitcher in hand

and stood waiting for the light, my intuition told me that i needed to turn around and ask

{ for the second time }

if the store owner would kindly ask Doug if he would be interested in having a student apprentice under him

and told her to suggest he look at my blog to see if we’d be a

Match

i’ll let you know if i hear anything

but i feel so drawn to doing this

♥

my new home doesn’t have a garden

so another place i find inspiration is in my friend’s massive veggie garden in Springbank

that has sunflowers running round the perimeter

and masses of wild raspberries and saskatoon bushes

{ i will weed for zucchini }

♥

my beautiful friend

Jude

has an amazing urban oasis too

{ that i admittedly envy }

i will never turn down an invitation to sip wine in her garden and have

deep conversation about life

her advice for “flying solo”:

stay in the channel of your own truth

while others will gladly share their own ideas and opinions

it’s important to take the time to think..

is this true for me

and

does it resonate

♥

my new home is a townhouse without a yard which will be easier for travel

but i wonder if i will miss having my own garden after spending an evening in hers

♥

when you first walk up to the front steps, you’ll find a welcoming border of

Japanese Anemones

she’s got an oversized green house where all sorts of plants are in transition, like these

Heritage Tomatoes

if you don’t have space for a green house, check out these little green houses made from milk jugs.. 3 gallon ice cream buckets from Licks ice cream shoppe in  Parkdale are a perfect place to grow wonderful

baby carrots

here is a close up of baby carrots seeded in early April

these goldfish began as .30 feeder fish and are now three years old

alpine irises, then and now..

lettuce basil, globe basil and asian basil.. all started from seed

here is her salad garden, merlot lettuce, swiss chard and a variety of kale

she created this lovely bicycle rim trellis for her sugar snap peas

here are potatoes growing in recycled burlap sacks from the Roasterie coffee shop in Kensington

and the artistic squash trellis she created.. for spaghetti squash, trombocini and pattypan squash

alpine strawberries

and honey berries, rich in antioxidants

of course everything has grown like crazy since i last visited.. so i need to go back soon and say hi to my second favorite pup, Jude’s rescue dog Bundi

♥

i’m off to practice cello, i’m hoping to join the orchestra again this year and that means more regular practice

i will be off-line for a bit now with my move..

Love,

Smidge