Happy New Year from Palm Desert

 

Wishing you a Happy New Year and All The Best for 2011.

Image R.Nichols

A Dog's Rules for Christmas

#1 A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night. DON'T BITE HIM! Believe it or not, he comes bearing gifts.

#2 Don't pee on the tree.

#3 Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.

Wishing you a happy holiday season filled with love and laughter with your dear ones two-legged or four!

Courtesy of Barking Babies

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm in Vancouver who blogs about Lifestyle and WHAT'S HOT in the world of Interior Design. 2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Home for the Holidays Christmas Tree

 

Patricia Gray Inc is honoured to have participated along with Linda Sale Interior Design in their 3rd Annual “Home for the Holidays” fundraising initiative benefiting Canuck Place Children’s Hospice at Sutton Place Hotel. This festive fundraising initiative partnered with local Vancouver businesses to create signature trees that are showcased in the lobby of The Sutton Place Hotel for the month of December.  Please drop by and feast your eyes on the beautiful trees and cast your vote for your favourite.  Thank-you to everyone who voted for their favourite tree and helped us raise proceeds for this important cause.

   

The tree is decorated with handmade Canuck Jerseys for each team member, and Gingerbread Cookies to represent the Children of the World dressed in their native costumes with each holding the flag of their Country. Click here to see more pictures of the decorations. For more information, please visit Canuck Place Children’s Hospice or Sutton Place Hotel Home for the Holidays.

Photos top left to right: Patricia Gray with clients Arnold & Audrey Armstrong; Patricia Gray with client Linda McGibbon; Patricia Gray with Sara Tye, Creekside Tile; Patricia Gray with Hanan Arabatlian, Aura Interiors.

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about Lifestyle and WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Knitting 101

This year for Christmas presents I am knitting a few scarves for special gift giving. My Grandmother taught me to knit when I was 5 and I have continued to knit on and off over the years. I love going into yarn shops and feasting my eyes on all the colors and textures available. On my last trip to the yarn shop I was captivated by this most exquisite shade of teal blue. It is a blend of wool mohair and silk, and knits up as soft and light as a spider's web. I love working with bamboo needles. This scarf is super easy. Cast on as many stitches as you need to make the scarf the width you want and then just knit every row until it is long enough. For this season extra long and very narrow scarves seem to be all the trend.

Happy Knitting If you have any knitting projects on the go please leave a comment [here].
PS I am going on a plane trip...does any one know if knitting needles are allowed through security??

Helpful Videos:
Knitting 101 Casting on Stitches
Knitting 101 The Knit Stitch
Knitting 101 Casting off Stitches
Knitting 101 Knitting Tips

Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who blogs about
"WHAT'S HOT" in the world of Interior Design: New and Emerging Trends, Contemporary Design, Modern Architecture and Travel,
as well as how your surroundings can enhance the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog™ 2009

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas!

WOW this month has been insane! I'm finally finished work, shopping and apart from Xmas day I've pretty much got all the friends and relo's festivities out of the way so now I'm well and truly ready to relax and enjoy the summer! After the boxing day sales (naturally) we are all going up to the lake house for 2 weeks of sun and fun. I can't wait!

This year has been an absolute BLAST! Discovering blogland has been one of the best things I've ever done. I have loved every single minute of it. Meeting each of you and delving into your inspiring and adventurous lives has been the ultimate honour and pleasure. I simply can't wait to see what the new year brings.

I wish you ALL a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year! May all your wishes and dreams come true *HUGS*

Anna xox.

p.s Following are just some poor quality pics of Christmas around my home ;)


(try to ignore the big ugly navy sofa in the corner, it's going next year! lol)

(my attempt at a quiche hehe)

(I remember last christmas saying I was going to paint my mirror white, well hopefully i'll get around to painting it before next christmas lol)

(I'd never make it as a stylist, who leaves the loo paper in the shot? lol)

(again, candle should have been lit!)

(some beautiful pastel baubles, my friend Brook gave me last year)



See you all in 2009! Stay safe and eat yourselves silly! ;)

More Chrissy inspiration...

I'd say most of us have finished decorating our homes for the Christmas season but incase you're unfinished and uninspired here are some gorgeous festive rooms that have certainly inspired me!

Some have a nordic flavour and others are comfortably colonial. My home features a little of each.

(the three images above are all from Swedish Interior Design)

(the seven images above are all from country living)

(Liz Williams via VT Interiors)

While my children are still little, I have alot of decoration my children have made at school and such to which I cherish eg: the handstitched tree on a piece of linen my daughter made. My tree is very disorganized with mostly figurine and handmade ornaments as opposed to perfectly proportioned baubles.

Here is my latest edition, I found this lovely santa who I fondly refer to as my Nordic santa from the flea market this past sunday.

He stands proudly on my hall table :) My love for vintage finds certainly doesn't stop at Christmas. After seeing Tracey's post I'm now on the hunt for mercury glass baubles to place in a pewter bowl. LOVE IT!

More pics of my Chrissy decor to come...

New Book Alert and a Christmas giveaway!

Aussies, Hear ye! Hear ye! A fabulous new book has just arrived on the market that ALL Aussie francophiles should own. This beautiful handbook is filled with all the French food, wine and design places you need to know about to live your best French life in Australia.

With an abundance of glorious colour photo's, this book will become your new bible. This book would also make a wonderful gift for travellers.

If you have a French based buisness in Australia and you'd like to be featured in future copies you can email your details here!

Once again sincerest apologies for my poor photography but the images in this book are divine.





.........



To coincide with the worldwide release of "Australia" as well as being the season of giving I thought I'd put together a little package to give away with a distinctly Aussie flavour :)



Australian Vintage Living by Bronnie Masefau is definately a favourite, the large glossy photo's are filled with colour and detail.



This book is filled with wonderful vintage inspiration.




Mz Masefau's home is absolutely beautiful.

Plenty of eye candy for the girly girl in all of us.

I also thought I'd include a very popular stocking filler for most country loving Aussie's, The Australian Country Style calender 2009.

The images are simple and beautiful. This calender wont be a bold statement but a subtle sweet accent.

Of course I'm definately including a copy of this new fabulous book.

And for a little added extra I thought I'd throw in this little sweet Koala Christmas ornament

He's tiny but he looks real! Well I think so anyway lol.




No matter whether you are in Australia or Siberia if you would like to win these wonderful items just leave a comment with a link to your blog and I'll draw a name out of a hat on sunday.

GOOD LUCK!



p.s Happy Thanksgiving my American blogging pals!

pp.s Brooke, I received my bottle of Cote Bastide bubble bath the other day and that evening enjoyed the best soak of my life :) Thank you!