Mea Culpa.

I'z a busy busy girl and my social life has been overtaking my blogging time on top of being crazy busy at the office which is still in the middle of renovations where do you find the time??  Stalking suppliers - Summer Classics I'm looking at you.... scouting projects with fabulous magazines, setting up shoots with others, speaking to a great set of up and coming designers, admiring the hard work of the fashion designing set and heck set design at last night's amazing Rock of Ages performance in Toronto - it is all stimulating and exhausting at the same time.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

I've got presentations to clients including numbers today...

I wanted to make a point first and foremost for y'all to marinate in.

Budgets. Many people set a specific budget for their projects. It's usually helpful if it is a realistic budget and informed. We're currently trying to shave off a few hundred dollars on two chairs for a client who wants them to come in at a certain number. It struck me though, that between the time it is taking to do this and the long term inclusion in the big picture these chairs possess is it worth it to sacrifice the fabulosity that they are in order to have the short term gain of hitting a target number?

I don't think it is.

And I'm off to email them that very thought.

Have a great day!

I don't know how Social Butterflies do it. I really don't. Out evening after evening with multiple engagements all on top of a busy work day. Holy Hannah from Hanover. I just got home from my first ever Toronto Fashion Week or #TFW or #WMCFW hashtags if you are into all that...  I was lucky to be invited to the David Dixon and DUY shows. Gots to say - David Dixon blew me away. I mean I adored almost ever piece. Like in the I MUST OWN kinda way. Beautiful structure and architecture. Not to mention the palette and patterns are right out of my design plans for #Brooklin, #Boston and even a bit of #PKG.

UHHHHMAZING.

Our floors are DONE at the office. Kitchen cabinets arrive in the morning which means mayhem. We are running out of actual floor space to put things on. Walls need to be painted Blacker than Black and we are ready for cabinetry to go in on Thursday. SO FREAKING EXCITED.

I just wrapped a lovely dinner with an even lovelier designer and friend Alison Habermehl at Pizza Libretto and now I'm ready to slip into a coma. If you are reading this TOMORROW meaning Wednesday I may still be in said coma. Too many insanely fun things to do though so I doubt it will last long.

Okay the coma is on hold. The three year old just insisted I run upstairs and give him one more hug. Oy Vey. NOT conducive to a relatively easy digestion when you do such a thing. Have you had Pizza Libretto? Soooooooooooo worth it.

There is just so much excitement in my life right now I don't know whether to lie down with smelling salts in hand or run a marathon. Okay, let's be real, I'm not going to be running any marathons any time soon. Hell, my husband would just be thrilled if I went out and walked for 15 mins each day. It's hard to tear yourself away from the list of to dos though when there is this level of excitement.

Where do I even begin?

Margot Austin delivered me some advanced copies of a little feature we shot back in December with Stacey Van Berkel. Can I get an AMEN? #Wineva Road is in print in the upcoming House and Home Special Best Makeovers feature. If you have a subscription, this is a special issue so you still have to go out and buy it. The earliest it will be on the shelves is March 25th. I'm DYING to share it. The shoot turned out even better than I'd expected. I mean I saw the shots but there is just something about the crop + the glossy paper.... SWOOOOON.

I FINALLY made decisions about Luke's room. As you know, it is in the current issue of Style at Home and it is sweet and adorable just like him but he needs to be sleeping in an actual bed before he turns 4 or I will forever feel that I've somehow damaged him later in life. Designing the bed itself was pretty easy, but choosing the fabric for it was harder than I'd anticipated because I couldn't find the right colours to work with the existing drapery. I also wanted to reuse some amazing pillows and blankets that I had from when we had a store that are in a blue black and rich deep red. They are uber luxe so I think that his room will now have a timeless feel to it with the right amount of cheeky - just like him.

Also in the Luke department. He is a budding young artist and had his first sleep over this weekend at his grandparents' house. I arrived home later in the day to find the most amazing piece of colouring he's done to date. His progression has been rapid in terms of his artistic ability. He only started drawing stick people 3 weeks ago and then BAM he produced this piece of colouring that stopped me in my tracks and had my jaw on the floor. HE IS BRILLIANT! My fears that he would grow up to become an accountant completely unfounded!!!

I have a week of fashion shows ahead as Toronto Fashion Week kicks off. Seriously, I don't know how people can go out to events every night? I'm liking my shut in life let alone having to worry about hair/makeup/what to wear. I should have stopped eating a week ago. Oy. There's also going to be a big announcement this week in regards to another little project I've been asked to be involved in... more on that shortly!

Oh and then THIS happened....

We are turning up the heat in the kitchen so to speak over here at MHD as we get ready for the imminent arrival of our brand spanking new Home Depot Canada kitchen. Martha Stewart will be in the House as will Thomasville. Y'all know I'm weak in the knees for my blueberry cabinetry from Thomasville in the bathroom.

There has been a few heart stopping moments already and the old kitchen is still installed... let me recap for you:

1) My sexy sweet Karbon faucet from Kohler has been discontinued, lost, found, lost again and FOUND Again. I am tempted to NOT let it out of my sight once it finally gets here. IT WILL GET HERE!!!!!!!! UPDATE: It's coming Toooomooooorrrrrrrooooowwwwwww!!!

2) The Delivery company called to tell us a week or so ago that they were delivering our kitchen in two days. Ummm.... Houston we may have a problem here. They were so excited to get our kitchen done they were set to deliver it almost a month before we'd expected it. Talk about overdelivering!!! Fortunately, we were able to push them back until the week of the 18th so that we could get the old one out, new hexagon marble floors down and at least some painting done. This starts today. Don't worry, we've been very smart and already found the exact new home of our coffee maker in a temporary set up. We have priorities. All wine will be relocated to my office. I'm a giver what can I say.

Otherwise, smooth sailing. Once you've renovated a kitchen one time, I swear to you it's like childbirth, the pain is vague and you are over it easily. Oh wait, I've only had one kid and have sworn to never do it again - ignore me I really don't know what I'm talking about... actually renovating a kitchen is ... you can't get an epidural for that but I think it is easier than childbirth at least in my own experience. And in all sincerity working with Home Depot and specifically Janet out of the Leaside location has made the entire process easy and stress free. The delivery people have all been a dream. We're on the 3rd floor no elevator. That fridge... All the way up.... hats off to them! The marble yesterday, was a glute work out if ever there was one! Glad I just had to watch!!!

I think I have a slightly Obsessive personality. I can happily sit in utter squalor and mess (if it is my own) but if a dust bunny hangs from the ceiling I can't sleep until I've cleaned it up. Same with a chandelier in my house - it's crystal. If I notice that it is dusty, I've been known to interrupt conversations to wash it. If I spill coffee on myself, I can't rest until I've got the stain out. To the point of distraction. It's totally bizarre.

Fortunately, I have better obsessions than these totally weird ones.