I've always loved searching for Valentine's cards for the blog, and this year is no different. There's always such a beautiful abundance of cards to choose from, which also makes it difficult to choose. But that's what makes posts like this so fun for me, still after all these years —I'm always in awe of the creativity and talent out there. Here's this year's finds, 25 dreamy cards for the day of love.

1. To My Valentine
(above) Red Cap Cards

@nuriamora - Show at @wecollectclub Jan 23/20

I was reading an article recently about trends and if they really exist anymore.  A good question to put out there these days and something I've often pondered in the face of this fast-paced world we live in. With social media, eclectic tastes/choices available and what that all reveals, what really are they then, these things we call trends? It's really a spectrum when you think about it. From things like mini-trends that are here today and just as fast, gone tomorrow or more long-lasting things that never really seem to go out of style, like modern and minimalism. Then there's future outlooks, and forecasts, lifestyle, etc., the range of a trend can be so broad and wide.

Whichever way you look at them, you can't deny that trends are always fun to write/read about, turn our noses up at, or love them to bits!

With the new year well on it's way, and especially it being 2020, (the beginning of a new decade), January is always a good time to look ahead to see whats on the radar and what we're excited about. From scouring magazines, design shows, instagram over an entire month (yes, this post took that long), we bring you our 20 for 2020 (or more), things on our radar.  Check it out!

We are excited to share this limited edition stationery collection between our friends, Hartland Brooklyn and DEALTRY. Helen Dealtry's iconic floral watercolors are paired with Hartland's neons, foil stamping, and hand lettering to create a dreamy and romantic collection.

@genevievedionne

Vancouver's biggest and longest running annual art festival, The Eastside Culture Crawl is on this week from November 14-17 with 485 artists in 68 buildings. The annual 4-day visual arts festival involves artists on Vancouver's Eastside opening their studio to the public. The event is focused on the area bounded by Columbia St, 1st Ave, Victoria Drive, and the Waterfront and involves painters, jewellers, sculptors, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, photographers, glassblowers; from emerging artists to those internationally established. A perfect place to check out the thriving art scene and pick up some early gifts for the season. Click here to see the interactive map.


Here are a few reasons to check it out.

The Beautiful Project

It's that time of year to gather up all of the beautiful cards that are new in the stationery world and create a post or two to help kick off the beginning of the holiday season. Today we start with a few we found online, we hope you'll like as much as us! Stay tuned for more holiday-inspiration! Let's take a look!

Decorator, Monica Karlstein of the Swedish-based blog, Hemmafix recently published a book close to our IKEA-hacking hearts called, 99 Hacks: from mass produced to genuine interior design. Although from what we can see, the book is only published in the Swedish language with no word yet whether the publisher will be publishing an English version; we still thought it was worth a mention because, really, hacks need no language do they? Also, these just might be the most beautiful hacks you've ever seen.  Let's take a look!

@thefive15

It's been a few years, but it seems the Halloween season has brought a surge of Blacklettering to the masses. When I think of blacklettering, Gwen Stefani has always been a big fan, but this fall, we're seeing it everywhere from wedding dresses to gig posters; the gothic script has been popping up on our radar in a big way.  Let's take a look~

One of my favourite things to do as of late is to hack recipes and make them a little more healthful.  From my Mom's homemade barbecue sauce (which I will share soon) to some good old fashioned chocolate fudge, I've been on a mission to take back our food from what has become known as the SAD, Standard American Diet.  Over the weekend I happened upon a program on the Food Network called Carnival Eats and was salivating at one particular dish, a fish pita that for the most part was pretty healthy actually, but still had a few things that could be improved.  I swapped out the pita bread for some cassava flour wraps and made a healthier chipolte sauce using plain coconut yogurt versus sour cream.  The corn salsa in this recipe is so fresh and delicious, you're going to want to eat it just like it is (as a salad), but I just made sure to use organic corn, as most of our conventional corn has unfortunately been sprayed with some really bad pesticides and in particular, one of the worst, glyphosate.  The ewg.org is a great resource for more info on pesticides/toxins in our food system.  I always follow their guides when shopping for produce and meats - they have a list you can download to your phone which is really handy when you're out and about.

For their October launch, IKEA designed a collection that creates a cozy atmosphere, with the intention of making people feel at home. VÄRMER coaxes people to share their personality in their home, and at the same time, connect to memories and traditions by cooking, eating, socializing and unwinding.

The collection lends to visiting Grandma's home with timeless and functional pieces for celebrating, giving a sense of belonging, offering a personal take on home for the season that is upon us. (Above. VÄRMER chair, $129 CAD).

Let's take a look!

Fall. A time for curling up with a good book, making brunch for friends, or taking a nice brisk walk. We've been craving some new tunes just for all of these occasions this month, and thought you might like a few new tunes to listen to as well.  Check out this easy breezy, carefree fall playlist we made for us all. Check it out below.