Inspiration

How are you being inspired this year in your holiday decorations? I'm feeling inspired by orange, hot pink and turquoise, reindeer motifs, embroidery and a global bohemian flair. Our jumping off point? This pillow.

Bookshelves

In carrying out our den's mini makeover this morning, I took inspiration from these bookshelves. For more great book storage ideas, look here. Images via Design*Sponge.

Offices

I alluded to the possibility of new prospects here before, and these work spaces make me excited to continue to watch my thoughts come into focus. All creative studios via Brooklyn Bride.

Inspiration

I admit it; I have taken inspiration from absolutely EVERYONE in planning our wedding. We decide to forgo a wedding planner (including even a day-of-coordinator) and instead have planned every inch of our day ourselves (well, with the help of many generous family members and friends, that is) by borrowing from the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings and a short list of wedding style blogs. Our day will be a celebration of our love accented by the culmination of everything beautiful I've seen on the web since our engagement.

This fake wedding left me with tonnes of ideas!

Kara Underwood and Michael Gordon got me to thinking about a 'paper concept'.

Cory and Chris threw my 'paper concept' into over drive.

Mike and Michonne's wedding offered me the perfect project to combine something special from both sides of our family.

And finally, Grace Bonney and Aaron Coles's Savannah day truly converted me to a DIY bride (watch for our similar favours decorated with buttons from the Busy Beaver Button Co).

Playroom

Sarah Richardson's rule is that children need stimulating, not juvenile, places to live and play. Dos Family has created just that. I love it. I feel ready to make a multi-stacked ice cream cone from playdough, set up a toy train and build a tower of tinker toys just from looking at this space. Aren't the cloth garlands delightful? They seem like something the other Katie would endorse. Photos via Desire to Inspire.

Salon

As our wedding planning begins, purchasing a dress is on the top of my to-do list. This reality, combined with a serious crush on all things Brooklyn Bride, is making me wish there was a Junko Yoshioka studio in St. John's. White walls and soft non-meringue dresses: what more could one ask for? Images via Brooklyn Bride (again)!

Peek

I love Design Sponge sneak peeks. I often spend an hour a week trawling through them to find snaps for my inspiration folder. While doing just that last night, I came across this delightful home of Jean Pelle.

Alberta

After deciding to pack up camp and head east, Greg and I spent time thinking about the mementos we'd like to carry back to Newfoundland and Labrador with us before departing Edmonton. We decided that we'd like to carry back memories of our weekend trips to Banff and Jasper National Parks, the mid-century modern buildings around Edmonton and the neon signs on Whyte Avenue.

Banff welcomed us on Saturday afternoons when we headed due south-west of Calgary for a break from the glitz. Jasper was our getaway for Thanksgiving 2008 and Victoria Day 2009. Scattered in gift shops around the parks are vintage and replica 'vintage' posters of the parks and the Canadian Pacific rail lines that crawl through them. To remember our weekends away, we purchased one such 'vintage' poster and framed it in an ever-popular Ikea Ribba frame. It now welcomes visitors in our foyer.

We also chose to keep guests informed, and visually stimulated, by adding to our collection of coffee table books with the Art Gallery of Alberta's Capital Modern. A flick through the pages of this picture book reminds me of the long walks Greg and I weaved during our first months together in the city. The history of buildings that I walked past daily was largely unknown to me until making this purchase. I'm always fascinated to learn more about the history of seemingly common-folk places in my very neighbourhood.

Finally, we purchased a yet-to-be-assembled picture rack that will eventually hold photos Greg took of neon signs in the neighbourhoods of Strathcona and Garneau, and across British Columbia on our summer vacation. I've long had a soft spot for neon signs and look forward to expanding on our collection as the list of our past travel destinations continues to expand.

Floors

I'm seriously swooning over painted white floor boards. Delightful. See more at Desire to Inspire.

Skirt

This Monday, while dressing, I took inspiration from these ladies with their full skirts above the knee, looser t-shirts and pointed-toe flats. I've switched the white t-shirt for a grey one though, in hopes that the grey makes me look a little more tanned... here's to hoping! I'm also hoping my smile is as infectious! Images via Frolic and The Sartorialist.

I'm also discovering and enjoying Vancouver's Hey Ocean. Check out there tune, Alleyways, here.

Shoes

I finally felt in the footwear loop this morning when I came across this snap on The Sartorialist depicting two pairs of shoes that mirror recent purchases of mine. Now on to finding belted dresses and fabulous sunglasses... 

DIY Wedding Consulting

I'm a DIY wedding consultant specializing in inspiration boards. If you're looking for help pulling your wedding or other special event into focus, you've come to the right place.

To get started, you might ask yourself: am a Horizontal Stripes bride or a Sequins bride?

I offer a range of services, four options of which are outlined below. If you're looking for something different, please feel free to get in touch to discuss. I'm always happy to help and take on special projects.

To discuss, please contact me at horizontalstripes@hotmail.com.

Option 1: DIY Inspiration Boards (see sample)

Who you are: A bride or groom looking for an original wedding with many personalized touches who envisions wielding a glue stick or paint brush throughout their wedding planning process. You're not afraid of arts and crafts. You're looking for some ideas that you can personalize to help get you started on this process.

What I do: Chat with you on the phone or via email to discuss the type of wedding you're looking to create and to help you articulate and discover your design aesthetic. Following that, I will provide you with an electronic inspiration board of DIY projects, complete with instructions, that you can complete with your bride or groom, attendants, friends or family.

What you do: Send me an email or telephone me to discuss your wedding vision, your level and experience with crafting and identify any specific sorts of projects you'd like to undertake to personalize your day (for example, pew ends, programmes, or favours). Once I hand over the inspiration board, you'll put our joint vision into action by making the various DIY projects to prepare for your special day.

Option 2: Event Inspiration Boards

Who You Are: A newly engaged bride or groom in the beginning stages of planning who is looking for assistance to help shape a vision for your day. You plan to hire traditional vendors, such as a banquet hall, florist and photographer, for your day and are looking for a launching off pad to aid in your early discussions with your vendors to help visually describe the look and feel that you're aiming for.

What I do: Engage with you over email or the phone to help you realize your dream wedding. Ask you questions about colour, texture, theme and atmosphere to help decipher your goals for your wedding day. Pull together an electronic inspiration board for you that reflects our conversations. Include images of such as dresses, venues, DIY projects, stationary and inanimate objects that together create a clear vision for the event.

What you do: Over phone or email, describe any preliminary ideas you have for your day, as well as any specific elements that are on your must-have list. Answer any questions I might pose to help solicit information to help bring your ideas into focus. Print and use the inspiration board to help in your discussions with vendors throughout your planning process, and to help keep focused on a coherent theme for your day.

Option 3: Homemade Inspiration Boards (see sample)

Who you are: A bride or groom who loves the DIY-look but who lacks the time to pull that look together on your own.

What I do: Get to know you over email or the phone to help determine what defines your ideal wedding day and discuss ways to bring that vision into reality. Source vendors online who create homemade goods that, when taken together, help to create your vision. Help you find other peoples' completed DIY projects that reflect your personality.

What you do: Provide me with your ideas and budget. Use the vendors included in the inspiration board provided to purchase homemade items that will help make your special day unique and personalized.

Option 4: Menu Inspiration Boards

Who you are: Someone who is looking for some menu help in planning a small wedding or another wedding event such as a shower, rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid lunch or gift opening. You are cooking yourself, or are hiring a chef to prepare the meals for you, but are looking for some ideas on how to pull a great menu together that fits within your wedding theme.

What I do: Discuss with you over phone or email your tastes, level of formality and budget, as well as preferences such as organic foods, seasonal menus, specific must-have ingredients or allergies, to help determine the sort of meal that would best suit your event. Pull together an inspiration board that takes you from hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, to amuse-bouches and main courses, to dessert and aperitifs. Recipes will be included.

What you do: Provide me with a description of the sort of meal you'd like to be able to provide, as well as any preferences or limitations you might have (i.e. hosting a wedding in a remote location). Use the inspiration board and recipes to help plan a meal for your family and friends to enjoy.

Pricing:

Services for all inspiration boards range from $50 to $250 depending on the scale and scope of your project, as well as the level of specificity you require. Boards that provide me with more creative freedom and flexibility tend to cost less as they're easier to scope and compile. I accept payment via Interac money transfer, personal cheque and PayPal. For further information, please email me at horizontalstripes@hotmail.com.

I'm so excited to work with you on your project!