adding to the litter | oscar

Several months ago I wrote a post about the latest Hans Bolling wooden toy, Oscar [here].  Well lo' and behold, my clients John & Leanne read that post and surprised me with an Oscar all my own.  I was extremely touched by the thoughtful gift and every morning I rearrange Oscar in a new pose, give him a tap on the head, a tap to Lucy, and my day begins just a little brighter.  Thank you John & Leanne, you have been wonderful clients and an extreme pleasure to work with!

bruna's baby's nursery

My friend Bruna and her husband are expecting their first bundle of joy in April and have asked me to help with the nursery.  We have a fun scheme of stripes, greys, whites and some colour to create a not-so-baby-room for the new arrival.  It's a small room, but already is looking twice the size thanks to the stripes on the two side walls.  Stay tuned as we furnish the space!

going monochromatic

The bedroom painted rug has undergone yet another transformation... it's been painted a solid smokey gray to match the charcoal upholstery on the bedframe, new charcoal bedlinens and slate gray accent wall.  With just a pop of colour in the limegreen pillows, the bedroom is a cozy retreat on cold winter days.

running

I've always been an athlete but never a runner.  Short distance sprinting the length of a basketball court has been about all the running I can muster.  Last year though, in an effort to get back in shape and since I'd much rather exercise outside than being couped up in a gym, I started running.  Well, let's be honest, I started jogging with long stretches of walking.  Three times a week for several months and I had reached a plateau where I wasn't really improving on my distance, time, or intervals of running. 

With the new year I decided to get serious about improving on my running.  First I picked up a new pair of running shoes which I was in desperate need of - a pair of running shoes will only last so long before they start doing damage to your feet and muscles.  I have been a cross trainer girl my entire life, but my sister Becky (a runner herself) encouraged me to get a proper pair of shoes made for running.  Thinner soles with less cushioning ensure you have proper running form and the lightest pair possible were the two elements at the top of the must have list.  After trying on dozens of shoes, I settled on the Nike Air Pegasus, which had a bit more cushioning than some of the other runners out there, but after an Achilles tear a few years ago, I need a bit more heel height on my left foot.  They are though, one of the lightest pairs I found. (Bonus, I bought the Livestrong version of the shoe and a percentage of the profits goes to help fund cancer research.)

Next I downloaded a running app onto my iPhone that sets up a training program towards an end goal, tracks my progress workout by workout and coaches me during the run.  After 2 weeks and 7 workouts I have increased my distance by a kilometer and my split times per kilometer.  The program I am using is micoach through Adidas which lets me customize the intensity of the workouts, adjust schedules and track my progress really easily.  I am on a 47 workout training program which consists of 4 runs a week that will reach an end goal of a 10k marathon. 

There is a running app, Nike Fit, that uses a small chip that you insert into your running shoes (most Nike Running shoes have the pocket for these in the sole) but since the chip has a certain battery life that requires repurchase and involved one more gadget I needed, I opted to work with the free micoach from Adidas that measures pace and distance through GPS.  And so far it works for me.  However, Nike, if you're listening, I'm available to testdrive the Nike Fit....

golden labs

Picked up this $2 sleeping labrador decor piece at my favourite store Dollarama yesterday.  After priming it and giving it a couple of coats of satin finish gold paint - he's now a proper golden lab.  And he has my golden lab awfully curious...