#HelloProKItchenReno: The Big Reveal of My Kitchen Renovation
What a year… 2015 came with a lot of change, the biggest of which came in the form of my home transformation! If you followed along with my journey with the hashtag #HelloPro
Life Lately: December iPhone Photo Dump
This months photo dump features a few snaps from my life, most of which I’ve shared on Instagram. After selling my Gus* sofa on Kijiji (found it uncomfortable although the qu
Music Mix / 11.15
It’s been a while. I know, I know. Life has been busy and hectic and full of all kinds of stuff, but all the while, this music has been keeping me going. Enjoy this 22-track
#HelloProKitchenReno: My DIY Kitchen Renovation
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably know that, for the past few months, I’ve been planing and gearing up for a kitchen renovation, which I’m proud
October Woes, a Stuffy Nose, but The Coffee Flows
Last month, I blogged about my first experience using Caffeine Rebel‘s coffee subscription service, and this month, I was met again with three aromatic bags of the good stuff
My Small Bedroom Makeover
Recently, I partnered with Leon’s Furniture to transform my bland, dark, storage-less bedroom into a cozy sanctuary with plenty of space for jammies and plants. Check out the
Styling My Shelf The Neutral, Minimal Way
I recently re-arranged the furniture in my living room (again, I know, I know) to accommodate our upcoming kitchen renovation, and I love it. My couch and TV placement has seen thr
Is This What They Call Burnout?
Lately I’ve been shuddering when a new work email lands in my inbox. And it’s tough, because I feel so grateful to be “successful” in work, but on the other
Things I Like: Artifact Uprising’s New Layflat Photo Album
I — like many — take a ton of photos. And most never see the light of day, let alone get printed and bound into a book. It was about time I actually printed my photos, and wha
Leon’s Launches Hello Yellow (+ Psst, I’m a Blogger)
Leon’s Furniture has stepped up their game. Over the past 6 months of working with them and frequenting their stores, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by their selection
Life Lately: ‘Making It’ in Miami
A few weeks ago, I flew to Miami to speak at Making It, a conference for women in creative industries. It was amazing to say the least, and I had a blast exploring Miami. For the 4
My Home Tour on Design*Sponge
A few weeks ago, Grace, my Editor in Cheif at Design*Sponge asked the entire D*S team to open up their homes and show them off on the site. I was hesitant at first, as up until rec
Week in Review: How Freelancing Has More Job Security than a 9-5, a Personal Essay, Desktop Wallpapers + More
1. I Quit My Job Today, And So Can You. Really enjoyed this article and found myself nodding along with my experience of quitting my job, tears and shame and all, only leading to h
Fun Work, Rejected Offers, and Cathardic Gardening
It’s been an odd, unpredictable, but generally nice spring. I’ve been busier with work than I anticipated, which is always a welcome surprise since, as a freelance
Playlist No. 40
I’ve been busy lately with work and life in general, so I don’t have time to craft a pre-amble. But I will say, though this one is short, it’s also very sweet. An
Playlist No. 39 – Introspective, Slow & Headphone-Worthy
This week’s mix is all atmospheric, headphones-necessary songs that are down-tempo and a bit moody and introspective. And apparently, an all-male mix this week! Enjoy and ch
Playlist No. 38
I had a bit of a crazy weekend in my personal life; in exciting ways and not-so-nice ways. I don’t quite have the energy to craft a big intro, so forgive me, but trust itR
Week in Review: Pingszoo, Java Elixr, the freelancer’s dilema, Royal Doultons + more
1. Pingszoo, one of my favourite illustrators, has been keeping me smiling (and kicking my butt too work harder on my illustrations!) 2. Ah, time or money, the freelancer’s d
Behind the Scenes Process of a Portrait Illustration
I often get asked how I create my illustrations, so today I’m tearing down that wall of mystery and walking you through my file, layers and process of a recent illustration o
Magnolia’s, Cherry Blossoms and a Dog Named Piper
I’ve always been a fan of pink, but at this time of year, that love blooms tenfold (pun intended). The smell of spring is in the air—which, in my neighbourhood, is the smel
New Life For a Foliage Embroidered Canvas
A few weeks ago, I scored this awesome framed hand-embroidered canvas artwork at my local Re-Store for $8. And I completely ruined it. The shot below was taken in the store (next t
Spring Changes Around My Home
My living room has gone through a few iterations when it comes to furniture. Rugs, couches, plants and side tables have come and gone. But up until last week, my gallery wall had r
Playlist No. 36
LEISURE, a new band from Auckland, NZ leads the way with my favorite kind of song — one that has a slow melody and fast beat. After that is an instrumental track that is anything
Inspired By: Light Teal
For the longest time, teal conjured up images of nautical-themed rooms or distressed vintage furniture for me, all of which aren’t my cup of tea. But lately I’ve been h
Playlist No. 35
Today’s mix features an impressive track from 18 year old Aurora Aksnes from Bergen, Norway who goes by her first-name only, some good fun from Jordan Bratton ft. Chance the Rapp
On Quitting Your Job, Freelancing, and the Pros and Pitfalls of Both
I feel like everywhere I look lately, I’m spotting articles encouraging people to quit their jobs and freelance instead. For those of you who hate sitting at a desk for eight
Week in Review: Cactus paintings, a levitating light, win $100 to spend on ceramics + more
1. Wednesday was National Earth Day, which is the perfect segue to Kwang-ho Lee’s gorgeous and romantic paintings of cacti and other plants. The exhibition opened this week at
Meet Piper the Blue Heeler, Border Collie Mix
Okay, I thought I wouldn’t be that person, but here I am, sharing a video of my dog. Shawn made this video the other day and I keep re-playing it and watching it over and ove
Playlist No. 34
This week’s mix features half hip-hop (from Black Milk ft. BADBADNOTGOOD, Kanye ft. Kendrick Lamar, and De La Soul ft. Nas) and half alternative electronic (from NoMBe, Véri
Ceramic Loveliness from The Pursuits of Happiness
I totally resonate with April Brimer. After working digitally as a commercial photographer for years, she was craving something more analog. In 2013, April caved and dove head-firs
Playlist No. 33
This week I’m so utterly pressed for time I nearly dropped the ball on this playlist, but I could never do that to you guys–or myself. Music is one of the only things t
Raising (and Training) Piper, my Blue Heeler/Border Collie Mix Puppy
Piper is one month old, but it feels like a year since I got her at just 8 weeks young. It’s been an overwhelming month of bites and interrupted sleep and sacrifice—and lov
Week in Review: Behance, New VSCO Presets, How To Self-Promote Without Being Annoying + More
1. Are you on Behance? When I first graduated, I used Behance all the time to explore creative work and publish my own portfolio, and it let to a lot of work for me! But I seem to
Seven Years and Four Blogs Later: What I’ve Learned From Blogging
I first started blogging back in 2008 when I was 18 and attending art school. I mostly shared video skits (before Vine, people!), scribbles from my notebook and excerpts of self-di
Playlist No. 30 (And a New Design?)
A mellow mix of some new songs from some of my favorite artists, perfect for the office or your commute. A bit of folk, indie, instrumental, low-key hip hop and alt. electronic. En
This Week in Photos: My Life (and Home) Has Forever Changed Thanks To A Dog Named Piper
My gosh, what a week it’s been. On Sunday March 15th, we got a puppy. It was a decision we had been in the midst of making for years, but it finally dawned on Shawn and I tha
Music Playlist No. 29
Good thing I made most of this playlist last week because I’ve been a bit distracted this week with the newest addition to our family, Piper! Yes, we got a puppy and I’
Ello… Is It Me You’re Looking For? (Where The Ladies At?)
A few months ago I got an invite to join *Ello and I finally did just that. I don’t really know how it works, but nonetheless I’ve spent some time on there and I’
Playlist No. 28
This week’s mix features Fyfe, Black Honey, Elle King, Flako, The Weather Station, Freedom Fry and Jay Electronica, for good measure. Enjoy! [soundcloud url=”https://ap
Week In Review: Vice’s ‘Killing Cancer’, Firefox Emojis, 300 Free Resources +
1. Vice HBO just released a YouTube mini-documentary report on killing cancer (and how they can now). It’s a fascinating 45 minute watch that everyone should see. 2. A massiv
The Unexpected Result of Laziness
It’s not in my nature to sit still. Even when I don’t have anything to work on, I make work for myself. But lately, I’ve been singing a different tune… Last
Playlist No. 27 – Hip Hop ft. Logic, Drake, Action Bronson, Rob Viktum, Kanye & Flip
Alright, it’s about that time for a hip hop playlist! It’s old news by now, but Drake’s new album, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, is pretty awe
Playlist No. 26 ft. Young Fathers, Absofacto, Hippo Campus, EXGF, BinkBeats & Sylvan Esso
Ola! I’m coming to you from the past (which isn’t as exciting as the future, I know) to share this week’s playlist, which is numero 26! I’m likely lying on
My Small Galley Kitchen Made Better With Wire Chairs from Structube
A few weeks back, I visited Structube’s Liberty Village location and fooled around hand-picked my most coveted furniture pieces from their store to create a curated collectio
Lately, in Photos
I’ve been a long-time Warby Parker fan, but I’ll just come out with it — my head is wide, and a lot of their trendier frames aren’t large enough for my fa
Playlist No. 24 – New Kendrick Lamar, Amason, Waju, Rag’N’Bone Man, Hollow Coves, Other Lives & Dorthia Cottrell
This week’s mix features the new Kendrick Lamar track, The Blacker The Berry, and some Waju before mellowing out with songs from Amason, Rag’N’Bone Man, Hollow Co
Why It’s Time To Burn Your Business Plan
I once heard that planning is actually just guessing in disguise, and it’s stuck with me since. I mean think about it: You don’t plan to have a brilliant idea—rather, it
Music Mix / 02.19
I’m feeling super chill this week, which calls for a chill, indie electronic mix this week. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/77517531″ params
Hustlers: Jon Lo of The Happy Mundane
I first found Jon Lo on Instagram and have been following him every since. He’s a seasoned blogger who helped pave the path for the rest of us, all while running his design b
Playlist No. 22 – 50 Track Wonder!
This week I, for no good reason, decided to put together a 50 track playlist with a random mix of slow, fun, folk, hip hop and everything in between for a solid 3 hours of listenin
Propagating Succulents: An Update on My Plants
I’m obsessed with my plants. It’s borderline concerning to my friends, but it makes me so genuinely happy to watch a leaf uncurl on my pothos or a new shoot to grow fro
Playlist No. 21 ft. Marika Hackman, Ghostly, BADBADNOTGOOD, Violents Music, George Ezra & More
Eight tracks this week, guys. One of which is from Elsie Larson (of A Beautiful Mess’) husband, Jeremy. And some Ghostface Killah ’cause why not? [soundcloud url=”
What I Learned from Hosting a Collaborative Art Project On Social Media
Organizing a free-for-all open-source art project is a huge undertaking. If I’m being honest, the first year of #365DaysofType was easier–and I made and designed every
This Week Month in Photos
I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve shared some of my life behind the scenes, so feast your eyes on some shots from my Instagram and some that have been sitting in
