Cozy...

Hello friends...I hope you've had a fabulous weekend. It has been a productive couple of days and I didn't want to see the weekend come to a close. As you can probably tell a few things are different around here! One of the reasons I started up this blog before launching my shop is because I wanted to grow into having a web presence. I know these kind of things don't happen overnight and I wanted to get started somewhere so before I had things ready I just launched into it, and I am glad I did. I didn't have an identity set in stone, and I hadn't finalized "the look" of this space and that's stepping outside of my comfort zone to say the least. I don't usually like to share things until they are ready...I mean ready ready...like perfect ready.
But what's perfect? And how do you learn what you like, what works, what doesn't work if you don't just try a few different ways? So I am playing...but slowly settling into a good place. A happy workspace. A nice groove. The pieces are coming together. The stars are aligning. There is a good general direction and the more I do the more this becomes apparent.

I have been participating in the Blogging Your Way E-Course which is of course taught by Holly Becker of Decor8 and Leslie Shewring of A Creative Mint. I cannot say enough good things about this course. It is well worth the investment and will kick you into blogging-creative-high-gear. I definitely needed it more than I could have thought possible just a few short weeks ago.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your continued patience as I figure things out...
Photo by: me, Kinga Subject

I like it...

Photo by Carlos Alejandro

It has been a whirlwind week. Crazy busy and I'm sure I'm fighting something because I have a general ache all over and all I want to do is sleep. I have too many things to get done to be feeling that way...
Last night I was back at my high-school giving a keynote speech to the honour role students at awards night and I haven't done any public speaking in a while so I was way more nervous than I should have been. I had an inspiring message of "design your own life" for them and I'm not sure if I got the message across with all the nerves. It was fun and strange being back in those hallways though and surprisingly the school hasn't changed a bit...I even saw some of my old teachers which was a nice treat!
Today I wanted to share some things with you that have inspired me over the past little while:

House Industries for Herman Miller (image above) - I want all of these tables and their crates. This has made it's rounds on the net but that doesn't mean I like it less.

Paul DeLuna's  gorgeous photography

I love lamp...enough said.

Oh my good glory I want this camper...or at least the curtains in it. (Stumbled upon via Susannah Conway)

And finally, when you're looking for suite 404 and you somehow get lost, you might end up at this 404...AWKWARD. Ha!

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!

Baby steps...

Hello friends. Hope you're doing well! I've been busy working on some prints and things for the shop (these owl prints included) and I have also been working away at a new "look" for this blog which I will be unveiling soon. In the mean time please be patient with me as I try to make all the pieces finally come together. The shop will launch at the end of November (fingers crossed) and I have a ton of work to do before then but I will keep things updated to the best of my abilities...I'm so excited to finally get to share it with everyone. I feel like I've been working toward this in some capacity for the better part of two, almost three, years with all the lists and the planning and the drawing and the photos and the lists and the printing and the lists....did I mention there were lists? And, it's about darn time it all came to fruition...                                                                                                                                        
"Baby steps" I keep telling myself...but what I really want is big flippin' gigantic leaps already! Is that too much to ask?

Photos and art by me, Kinga Subject

Breakfast...

With all my complaining over the last little while about mornings and my general lack of enthusiasm for getting out of bed I realized that my morning routine needs to be revitalized. I am a busy person and it seems that I am always working so when the alarm goes off in the morning I let myself off the hook. I tell myself it's ok to hit snooze because I worked late the night before and deserve a few extra zzz's...and so begins the awful cycle. Most mornings I grab breakfast on the run, and lately the winner seems to be coffee and a muffin...and while I always opt for bran it's not exactly the picture of a balanced breakfast.

A while back the quinoa bandwagon rolled on by and I took off in a swift sprint and hopped right on! That's right! I just confessed that I hopped on the quinoa bandwagon. I'm not ashamed to admit that the reason I bought it to begin with was because I heard it is the new superfood, but please know that these are not claims I generally buy into, however, after I did some reading about quinoa I was convinced that trying it couldn't hurt.
And then I fell in love! For me the appeal of food is as much about texture as it is flavour and the grainy texture of quinoa really has me hooked. I love that it takes on all kinds of flavours and still maintains a hint of nuttiness. The first time I tried it I just tossed cooked quinoa with my favourite veggies and dressed it with lime juice, olive oil and a hint of garlic. I could eat this salad every day and because it keeps so well in the fridge I often make a really large batch of it and take it for lunch the next day or two.

Because I now genuinely crave quinoa all the time I find myself searching for recipes to try so I recently picked up the Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood book by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. It is my new favourite addition to the collection and has all kinds of recipes, some of which are gluten free, and most of them are vegetarian or offer a vegetarian option and the best part....breakfast quinoa. What I've noticed about quinoa is that it gives me energy (lots of it), which I seem to be lacking in the morning, so I have been playing around with some recipes from the book and decided to share this one. It's called "Raisin Spice Cereal" and contains cooked quinoa with rolled oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins topped with vanilla yogurt and toasted almond slices. Doesn't that sound delicious? Well it is! In fact, my husband likes to eat it for dessert instead...which is a perfectly fine, healthy option.

I'd be glad to e-mail you the recipe but definitely suggest the book which you can buy here and here and also check out the Quinoa 365 website.

If you've never tried quinoa, the next time you're at the bookstore, flip through the book and read the sections on why it's a  healthy option...that alone might convince you to try it...
If you have tried it and love it as much as I do, what's your favourite way to prepare/eat it?

A visitor...

It's been a while since this has happened so I figured I should document it while I have a chance. I got a visit (although brief) from my good friend sunshine while working away in the studio. We own a basement studio in a converted factory and lucky for me there are windows and it's south facing so on sunny days I get lots of light! I've got a warm cup of tea, yoga pants and slippers on and soft music playing in the background while I work away on some print designs. I haven't been this immersed in work in a while and it feels great...which reminds me...I should get back to it. Wishing you a sun filled Saturday wherever you may be...

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject 

Drawn in...

Well, by now I have definitely established that I have a deep appreciation for books and I think I may have mentioned before that the creative process fascinates me...A few times? In my own work I usually love the process more than the finished product and with most things in life I am interested in the elemental little pieces that make up the whole. I always want to know the history and the evolution of things and people. I love retracing the little steps that led to giant leaps which is partly why I love blogs so much. 

The first time I stumbled upon Book by its Cover (through the Decor8 blogroll page), I was pulled in by the multitude of books and art publications featured, but what keeps me going back is the occasional sketchbook that is displayed for the world to see. I'm not quite sure that I would be brave enough to share my sketchbooks with the world in the same way so I found this very inspiring...

The blog is managed by illustrator extraordinaire Julia Rothman, whose work I admire, and just recently her concept of showcasing artists' sketchbooks was conveyed in this book called Drawn In. There are pages upon pages of some very intriguing sketchbooks along with descriptions and answers to questions by the artists themselves...it just doesn't get any better than that! 

Then, Michelle at Viva Revival reminded me about the Sketchbook Project. I have heard people talk about this before but never really looked into what it is until yesterday (thanks Michelle) and after a little deliberation I decided to sign up. I think it will be a fun way to stay creative over the next few months. Check out the website to learn what it's all about...and maybe you'll be tempted to sign up too, but if you do let me know so I can look for your book when the tour comes to Toronto next year!

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject. Book cover design and photography for Drawn In by ALSO and Kipling Swehla

Rustic Risotto...

Hello and happy Monday to you! Hope you've all had a delicious weekend. I had this post ready to share with you last week and then didn't post it because part of me was re-evaluating whether I want to continue posting my photos of food. I love to cook, that's no secret, but I love photographing food more than cooking it. I have also been talking about finding my groove on this blog and establishing a schedule of sorts and I'm not sure where a post like this one fits in...but for now I think I will continue with it...cooking and photographing food is just another creative outlet for me and a significant part of my life so why not share it...

Anyway, a few weeks ago I was at the market and found some chanterelles which I have never seen at the market before. There were only a few small baskets left so I picked some up along with some portabellas and headed home to make a mushroom risotto. Chanterelles always remind me of my childhood because when we lived in Transylvania we used to go foraging for mushrooms (among other things). My mom is an expert of sorts and knows which ones to pick, which ones to avoid and where to find them. Foraging, berry picking, and picking herbs in the wild, like mint and chamomile, were some of my favourite ways to spend time with my family.

I followed this risotto recipe but if you've ever made risotto you probably know that there is significant room for experimentation (which I like) as long as you keep it relatively simple...I made the risotto and then for old times sake I pan fried some portabella tops with some olive oil and then sprinkled them with cheese (this was the most common way we used to eat fresh portabellas we just picked). Then I stacked some risotto on top and added some red pepper and a smidgen of balsamic vinegar.
And there you have it....a rustic risotto full of flavour!

Enjoy the rest of your day and check out this foraging video posted by my friend Daniella and also some tales of seasonal foraging over on my new favourite read Crackers (penned by another one of my design peers Jesse Senko and his wife Melanie). Crackers focuses on becoming supermarket free which is definitely a dream of mine...to have a garden, a chicken coop and to buy things locally and in season...so reading about a young family that is leading by example and making it look so easy, with great photography, is hugely inspiring!

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject

When in doubt...

I had an entirely different post set up for today but then I changed my mind and decided to post more flowers. "When in doubt...post flowers" I say. Truthfully I am still settling into this blogging thing and trying to figure out where everything fits and what kind of schedule I want to establish, not only on here, but in my personal life. As I confessed yesterday, I'm struggling with getting up in the morning and even fitting in essential things like cooking (which I love) feels like a huge chore these days so I have a ton of work to do.

Over the next few days I will be continuing to trim the unnecessary things off my list and work towards launching my shop in November. For all of you following along, I am grateful that you take the time to read my rants and I promise to return with some more composure over the next few days. I also have some more work to share with you that will be available in the shop so stay tuned...

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject

Happy...Wednesday?

I am definitely getting off to a late start this week and I think I may still have turkey brain from the Thanksgiving long weekend which spoiled us with good company, great food and summer climate. I find long weekends hard to recover from in general, but this past weekend we had a ton to celebrate. My dad's birthday was on Friday followed by some work on Saturday and some much needed laughter, family and thanks-giving on Sunday and Monday.
We are lucky enough to live directly on the Thanksgiving day parade route so we always watch it from our windows, usually with our adorable nieces (and their parents of course). I love seeing their excited faces as the horses and marching bands parade on by and we can sit comfortably and have some breakfast and coffee instead of freezing our behinds on the street (although this year people enjoyed the parade in tank-tops and shorts).

Aside from all of this, I did take some time to just unwind with a sketchbook. I find that when I am lacking focus or having a hard time prioritizing I can generally work through the chaos in my head with sketching or some watercolours. I am also really struggling lately with sticking to a schedule and it's affecting my creativity as well as messing with my shop launch timeline so I have to get things under control.
Truth be told I probably have too much on the go and should set some more serious priorities because my to do list is out of control and includes items like "write a neater to do list" and "for the love of all that is sacred, clean out the closet".

I have also been struggling with not kicking myself out of bed in the morning, which gives me a late start on the day and then I'm mad at myself and feel guilty which makes me want to slam the door in my own face and write on the list "for the love of all that is sacred, wake up earlier". I've attempted to remedy this by setting an earlier alarm which then makes my husband annoyed because I am snoozing the alarm at the hideous hour of five a.m...and again at ten after...and again at...well you get the point but I think even the dog might be done with my attempt at maintaining a schedule.

So today, I'm taking trimmers to my list, cutting out the unnecessary. It's time to defragment, throw out the unachievable (like cleaning the closet) and do some much needed prioritization.
And if that doesn't work, I might slam the door in my own face and then give myself the silent treatment...then I might sit down with a sketchbook and some watercolours.

Photos of my sketchbook by: me, Kinga Subject

Dramatic elegance...

On Saturday I was at the checkout in the grocery store and as I was waiting for the person in front of me to finish her transaction I spotted these stunning sunflowers. They are actually the normal kind just dyed "red" and I can't get enough of how dramatically beautiful they are. They remind me of rich velvet, and the colours are incredible together. That bright fiery orange next to all of the dark purple tones really appeals to me and I think these would be a nice addition to a fall table setting using deep purples, magentas and bright oranges on a black table cloth.

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject

Always inspiring...

It seems that posting about books I love is becoming a weekly thing (which was totally unintentional at first)...but this week I want to share my love for  Design Sponge At Home written by Grace Bonney.
I have been following the Design Sponge blog since 2006, my final year in design school, and it has been a favourite read and source of daily creative inspiration. Needless to say I was super excited about this book when it was announced...and even more excited when I received it in the mail a few weeks ago.

Most of you know about the blog and the book so I'm sorry for being redundant, but I wanted to share that the inspiration from the blog has been creeping into my life pretty significantly. I love the sneak peeks and the before and afters because they give glimpses into people's creative homes along with their DIY projects and they inspire people, like me, with a love for interiors and design but not necessarily the budget, to reuse, recycle and make things pretty...again.

It was due to some inspiration from Design Sponge that we decided to replace our store bought,  mass manufactured dining set with a used mid-century modern set complete with a sideboard and in need of some serious refinishing. We worked on it as a team, which I highly recommend to any newlywed couple. If it doesn't kill you, or destroy your marriage, it will only lead to other collaborative projects and a home that reflects your personality.

It was also due to Design*Sponge that we designed and built the cube shown in the photos above. I really liked the result of this painting technique and decided that I wanted to try it myself but I first needed some help from my resident carpenter (husband). He made the cube out of oak (because it has nice grain) and I painted it with  the tree motif using frisket, stain, and white paint. Then my resident carpenter put the varnish on and sanded it down until it was silky smooth. So we now have a great little coffee table cube that we use next to a storage ottoman in our living area thanks to a little inspiration from Design Sponge!

If you don't already read the blog, you should, and I highly recommend the book! It has many sneak peeks and before & afters with instructional DIY inspiration as well as a section on flower arrangements...

Happy Tuesday!

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject, and you can buy the book here and here

Adventures in baking...{4}

...Apple Crisp with Pomegranate. This past weekend was really cold here and it's hard for me to admit this, but I have officially worn my winter jacket, so staying inside to do some fall baking was just what I needed. I opted to make some apple crisp, but instead of keeping it traditional, I decided to make this
version which includes pomegranate seeds.
There is much to love about pomegranates. In addition to their great colouring, they are full of vitamin C, potassium, fiber and antioxidants. They have been dubbed a super food, but aside from that, they taste great!

This recipe turned out really well, and I will definitely be making it this way from now on. The pomegranate seeds add a bit of extra crunch with a punch of flavour! If you haven't used pomegranates much but are thinking of trying it I suggest fresh ones of course, but they require some work getting the seeds out. The first time I attempted this myself it looked like I massacred something in the kitchen. There was pom juice on everything and need I say that pom juice is not forgiving? It stains! Permanently! Now, there seems to be quite a bit of debate about how to properly de-seed a pomegranate but for me the method that worked the best is the one shown here. The bowl of water helped me keep the mess to a minimum, you just have to be gentle with the arils (seeds) so you don't burst them.

Anyway, it's officially Monday (too soon yet again), but I hope you've had a great weekend! I have been busy working on building up inventory for the shop launch and also working out some pesky silk screening issues (with help from the hubby of course)...but this week I hope to establish more of a schedule, which will include more regular and consistent blogging...so stay tuned.

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject