The House Dressing Company

I absolutely love fresh flowers- they make my day- and bring me energy- All winter I display them in my home and when summer arrives I still can’t get enough!   I soak up the images in my mind but can’t resist an opportunity to capture them forever with my camera.  And what better place than the garden of all gardens- Butchart Gardens.  We are really blessed to live so close to this floral beauty that I am compelled to have a seasons pass to encourage regular visits all year- Most guests of the gardens take planes, trains and automobiles to get there and I only need my shoes to walk me there!  I live so close, I can see their fireworks on Saturday evening!  So with a passion for blooms, especially June blooms, I made my photographic visit.

But snap happy, that was me- 1 miiiiiiillllllion photos later- I couldn’t help myself.  But all along, as I was photographing, I had numerous thoughts as to what I would do with the images which had me taking even more shots!  With todays digital technology it’s absolutely limitless as to what you can create with some excellent photos.  I thought I would share some of my shots on flicker for you to download in case you have a project in mind that these might work for.  I am happy to make them available for you and hope you receive the joy by sharing them or surrounding yourself with some of the images in your own home, even if it’s just a new summer screen saver for your computer which would be lovely!

As I walked thru the June gardens at Butchart Gardens I became more and more obsessed with taking close up shots of textures and bunches of blooms - I’ve been collecting textural images for a few years now- maybe one day I’ll print a book of these images as an inspiration for colours, shapes, and the flavour of environment thru texture.

The more I took, the more I imagined the plethora of uses for these shots - as cards, enlargements, framed in groups as photo walls, wrapped photo canvases, blog images of course, sharing on flicker, grouped as art collages, a bound custom colour photo album, photoshop artistic alterations to these images, colour themed inspiration, and plainly for their exquisite beauty.  I pretended to be Karsh, taking photos from obscure angles up to the sky to take in the beautiful blue in contrast with the botanicals, zooming in on the insects, cropping close to blooms, capturing masses of blooms, and playing with the light.  And to tell you the truth as lovely as my images turned out, I am no expert- I have only taken grade 12 photography and I have a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera with a wide angle lens and that’s it.  So you too can take lovely shots even with a simple digital camera- the beauty now a days is if the shot looks wrong you know instantly by being able to view your shot-vs having to wait for the lab to develop it.  This is amazing to me as it allows me to instantly try different settings to brighten or darken the shot by adjusting the aperture of the lens and re-shoot the image.  This saves much disappointment upon returning home as you off load your images to your computer.

My recommendations for a successful day photographing your favourite places;

- only take others with you that are also passionate about capturing the beauty- ie invite a fellow photographer, or you will forever be pressured to hurry your shots if your companion isn’t on the same page!  That’s what I did- I took my sister who actually took more photos than I did! and I thought I took a lot!  We also shared ideas of what we thought were good angles, lighting, settings etc.
-have an extra battery with you fully charged up in case you burn your first one out- nothing more disappointing that a dead battery-It’s put me in a cranky mood before:(     -take an extra memory card for your camera in case you reach your cards full quota-if not you will find yourself trying to delete images that you should really view full size for detail and you may lose some good shots for the sake of making room for more.
-leave all unnecessary items behind in the car and have your hands free so you can be really be creative without cumbersome baggage.
-an overcast day with thin cloud cover is ideal for shots and provides even lighting as a full sun day creates very contrasty shots leaving you with very bright image areas with dark shadows that can be tricky to brighten up on your computer-
-avoid shooting into the sun- have the sun at your back and you will end up with much better shots and better lighting.

Once you arrive home be sure to off load your images.  Sort thru the images and remove any that are not successful images. Then make back up copies of them on a labeled disk or thumb drive for future reference and safe keeping.  These steps will avoid disappointment and keep you organized. Then create an on line link for sharing- there are many- facebook is popular for viewing and a flicker account if you wish to share them as downloads.

A lovely website I found for turning some of your shots into unique art for your home is this silhouette site- I am in love with what she does- It’s dead easy too as you just email your images and choose your style and she does the rest and then sends  you the final image- they are affordable and irresistible and make fab gifts for grandparents, or just great images in your home.  I have always loved silhouettes but my images of my kids have come from the scissor cutting gals on main street in Disneyland!  This is a whole lot easier than getting to Anaheim!

Another fun idea is to enter your shots into a contest if you have some real unique favourites.  National geographic often has a contest and so do the photographic magazines- google photo contests and you’ll be amazed where you can enter- even the Saanich Fair has an array of categories that you can enter!  Maybe we should have a contest?  Hmmm, will have to give this some thought!

I hope you enjoy the shots!  And perhaps I have inspired you to get your camera out and photograph your own garden, your neighbors, head to Butchart Gardens or another local community garden for free!  I would love to hear your thoughts on your favourite places to photograph. Maybe you can even set up a flicker page for some of your favourite shots and leave the link in our comments below so we can all check out your favourite snap shots!! I hope you get snap happy!

I know everyone loves winning stuff so I thought we would start off our Launch week with 2 winning opportunities.  We are sooooo anxious to hear your feed back so we are asking you to send us a comment on one or two of our posts and by doing so you will automatically be entered into one or both of the free draws.

How to Enter

For a chance to win one of two $20.00 Fresh Cup Roastery Gift cards, all you have to do is click here for our post titled ‘Coffee anyone?’ and leave us a comment at the bottom.  You have until July 12th to enter.  We will post the winners on our site, and contact them via email.

For a chance to win a $50 shopping spree at The House Dressing, all you have to do is click here for our post titled ‘Summer Solstice & Colourful Entertaining’ and leave us a comment in a line or two down at the bottom.  You have until July 23rd to enter this 2nd opportunity.  We will post the winner of this shopping spree on our site, and contact our winner via email.

That’s it and you’ll be well on your way to the possibility of winning a wonderful prize!

Thanks for participating!

We’re glad you made it here. If you are looking for some inspiration for design and lifestyle here on the lower island you’re at the right place! “Julie’s Favourite’s” is where you’ll want to visit, better yet you can sign up to have it sent to your In-box. If you have arrived here in need for some clever design tips that will inspire you to be creative in your own home, our “Snips and Tips” Blog by Helen is the one for you. Helen and I are both looking forward to our weekly commitment to sharing our ideas and inspirations- we might love it soooo much that you might even end up with bonus tips each week! Thank you for visiting and be sure to share your comments along with some of your favourites too!

The first day of summer and the longest day of the year, known as the Summer Solstice, represents the beginning of outdoor BBQ’s, entertaining with friends and dining al fresco at home or at the family cottage.  This is when I gear up for setting a fun colourful table for my guests.

As I was pondering the longest day of the year this week I decided to look up the true Wikipedia definition of “Solstice”.  Thought you might like to read for yourself!

” A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun’s apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun’s path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.” It also said “In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year (near June 22) when the Sun is farthest north. In the southern hemisphere, winter and summer solstices are exchanged. The summer solstice marks the first day of the season of summer. The declination of the Sun on the (northern) summer solstice is known as the tropic of cancer (23° 27′).”

So to be ready for the long lazy days of summer I thought I would share some ideas for freshening up your dishes for entertaining.  We just received mountains of Maxwell Williams “Mix & Max” dishes at the store. They come in a striking new range of 4 amazing, vibrant summer colours!  Take a peek!

Mix & Max allows you to liven up your breakfast, lunch and dinner tables with a wide selection of bowls, plates, mugs, serving pieces, cups and saucers. You’ll have fun mixing these bright dishes with your existing white basics. You can use all 4 colours at one time or pick one colour that is your favourite! You may even choose to use a different colour for each course you are serving!

The cappuccino cup and saucer would make a great dish for summertime desserts like sorbets and chocolate moose with fresh berries! Yummy!  The cute little bowls have already been a great hit with everyone. Use them for condiments such as olives, cocktail onions, nuts and pickles. They are also great for dips, salsa and spreads. There are also big serving bowls available that are great for entertaining. They would be useful for serving pasta salads, grilled veggies, gazpacho soup and my favourite…. fresh corn on the cob. Take your potluck salad in one of these great bowls to your next family gathering.

Pile stacks of different colours and sizes on your outdoor table for a fun buffet style meal. Your guests can choose their favourite colour to eat from!

I’d love for you to stop by and check out the new “MIX & MAX” colourful outdoor entertaining window display that I just put together!  And by the way we have a Maxwell & Williams promotion happening right now on boxed sets of white dishes with 25% off  - great time to get started if you need some new dishes!  Now thru July 1st.

….and since we’d love to hear from you we have a free draw for a $50.00 shopping spree in our store if you leave us a comment below.  You will automatically be entered into a draw for this prize. The contest closes July 23rd at which time we will post the winner.

If you need a caffeine fix there is no better place than Sidney to satisfy the need.  Walking down the main drag, Beacon Ave, you’ll find an incredible selection of coffee houses offering their unique way to present you with the ultimate cup of java.  You have only to walk a few paces before reaching one hot spot after another to find your fresh cup!  I’ve tried many and enjoy each and every one for their individual offerings.

One that opened just last year nearby our shop on Beacon Ave is the Fresh Cup Roastery.  Co-owner Jim Townley is passionate about coffee and makes it obvious by going that extra mile to create a coffee house that draws you in, even during the evening in sleepy Sidney!  His concept of offering an ‘open mike’ on Thursday evenings with his Sidney Acoustical Series has really taken off.  ‘Sidney Idol’ is the result which has lead to the creation of a CD with 9 selected musicians ranging in age from 20-53 performing 17 songs!  This collaborative CD titled ‘Feed The Soul’  along with a new website are being launched this Sunday, June 28th to share the talent of these artists while raising much needed funds for the local food bank.  Way to go!  The event takes place at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa.  Contact Jim at Fresh Cup Roastery for further details to participate in this wonderful musical event featuring ALL of the 9  local musical artists.  And if you wish, sample a few bars from the cd with this audio file.  sidneyacousticfeedthesouldemo If you love this, you’ll enjoy the full length CD which will be available at Fresh Cup after this weekend with all proceeds going to the Sidney Lions Food Bank. 

I have to say I love a great latte especially one with a rich robust espresso.  And I especially love how the barista makes it pretty with the feathered design on the top of the foam.  However, I have curbed my appetite for caffeine opting to drink considerably more water these days in an effort to hydrate my body and generate greater energy so when I do have a latte it’s a rare indulgence that is so deserving of a beautiful pattern like this!  I have to say though, that my ultimate latte is one that is made with steamed and frothed almond milk.  Sadly, I have to make my own at home since I seem to be a little ahead of the local coffee houses with this tasty and extremely healthy choice.  Hint, hint!

If you do enjoy your coffee at home with some gorgeous fresh roasted beans be sure to take a peek at some of the lovely coffee cups that Maxwell & Williams offers below that will surely make your morning ritual more enjoyable.  We stock a number of designs but we can order many others for you.

White dishware is a very trendy right now, you’ve probably noticed.  It’s seen in most store displays and numerous magazines. I am looking to upgrade my 25 year old white stoneware (that by the way has lasted incredibly well with 3 children) but can’t decide which one of the Maxwell & Williams collections is for me- tough decision!  But even just the mugs are so fresh and simple, with elegant lines that they can be added to any dish collection you may already have with ease.  Choose from an array of mug styles, a cup and saucer or perhaps a demi- tasse for that shot of zesty espresso!  Take a peek at the entire Maxwell & Williams core catalogue and the supplements and let us know if you wish to order anything.  We have a large inventory but could never stock every item as there are thousands!  And by the way we have a Maxwell & Williams promotion happening right now on boxed sets of white dishes with 25% off  - great time to get started if you need some new dishes!  Now thru July 1st.

What I love the most about the idea of cup of coffee is the social aspect that goes along with it.  I really got excited about this 12 years ago as we strolled along the Champs-Élysées and joined the countless others enjoying a daily ritual with a close friend, lover or associate.  We sat and just soaked up the wonderful site of people chatting, sipping, & hugging, in the numerous cafes lining the street. The French are passionate about enjoying their coffee socially and to be seen doing so you pay a premium, as a cup of coffee when seated on the strip vs indoors costs you more!  It is unheard of to take a cup of coffee to go!  I tried to get a cup for the road as we were heading south to Provence and they thought I had lost my mind.  In France you sit and enjoy your coffee, period.  It’s a far cry from our world of cardboard cup wielding, frenzied commuters, talking on their cell, heading to work!  But I have to say that in Sidney, even on the chilliest of days, our coffee houses are hosts to many whom enjoy a visit with a friend while sitting amid the wonderful street scape of Beacon Ave.  Rather reminds me of Paris!

Now, if you would like a chance to win one of two coffee cards from Fresh Cup Roastery just leave us a comment about this posting and we’ll automatically enter you into the free draw for a few cups of java!  You have until July 12th when we will announce the winners!

Well for starters this whole notion of sharing with the world, our passion for design and lifestyle, has me in a complete tizzy. It opened up an entire new way of looking at absolutely everything! It’s quite astonishing because my brain just hasn’t stopped coming up with idea after idea since I decided that The House Dressing would begin to write blogs. What it means for you is that you”ll learn from the experts how to pull looks together, why we group items, what the colour trends are, the latest looks season by season and a whole lot more!

It’s not just the blog that’s new and exciting, but our site has had a face lift to say the least! Rose Cowles, a talented artist & friend created our site banner above that collages a clever mix of elements giving us a fresh new look. As you tour thru our site feel free to share what you would like to see on our site and as we build on it we will do our best to incorporate your ideas. We have great plans to evolve the site and over time I hope it will become quite the hang out!

In this “What’s New” category we will keep you abreast of new products, new promotions, new in-store displays and any new news! So stay tuned!

In great anticipation of this blog I have had so many ideas as to what I would choose as my first topic of interest for my “favourites” blog. I have so many favourites which is why I decided to write about them all but to choose one that would start this whole series was tricky. I have to say that when I look at the top couple of things in my world that really get me jazzed and have always gotten me excited it became obvious. I simply can’t get enough of accessories, accessories for the home of course. After 18 years of owning my retail store filled with home accessories and furniture it is still the looking, buying, merchandising, sharing, selling and decorating with accessories that makes me lose my mind. No matter where I am, in the grocery line up I pick up the magazines to peruse them, I sneak peeks in distant window ledges as I walk the neighborhood, I meander thru retail home accessories and gift shops, I surf on line, and I scour over supplier catalogues. To me the most exciting visual is an accessory that I have never set eyes on before, my personal coach calls this the shiny syndrome- always wanting to see the shiniest, newest thing.

Pineapple Shaped Cutting Board

I remember going to The Conran store in London and soooo enjoying the incredibly unique collection of accessories- I only wish I had some way of transporting a good lot of them home! I am forever on the lookout for the newest the neatest and the latest great looking accessory- if I find me one that looks great and has a clever function, I am in heaven. I have often written articles about the importance of surrounding yourself in your home with things you love including found items from your travels that offer a story each time you see it - it brings you joy and the story can be shared with others .

These are a few of my very favourites.

Veggie Plate House

We just returned from Maui 2 weeks ago and I couldn’t resist this cutting board in the shape of a pineapple to use up at our summer cottage- love the function and each time I use it I will be transported back to maui and all the yummy tropical fruit we enjoyed, the sun, the beaches…

This is the bowl I bought at the Conran store at least 10 yrs ago that we still use each day for our crudites - the kids love the little house in the middle and it’s way more fun to eat their veggies! which of course makes me happy!

My favourite accessory that we have in the store right now has to be the fun teapots in various designs- I especially like the swan and it’s gracious lines. It certainly makes teatime a pleasure to indulge!

Fun teapots in various designs.

I also can’t get enough of seashells- I have them in almost every room and we carry them almost year round. My husband is such a good sport and knows the deal when I am racing down to the beach on the last vacation day gathering ziplocs of beach sand to bring home. I swear I have sand enough to make my own beach! But I love having the reminder of the memories of all the wonderful beaches we have seen. Life can get so filled with mundane daily chores, so having these in your space can offer an escape for the mind! If you haven’t been, you must check out Glass Beach as it is often referred to, at the end of Beacon Ave in Sidney BC, directly in front of the Sidney Hotel as it was once where the recycling of glass and ceramics was carried out and it is completely littered with beautiful beach glass for you collectors!

Fun teapots in various designs.

But my all time favourite accessory that I am forever collecting or buying for the shop are birds- my staff are often giggling when they see some of my countless bird themed purchases but they sell time and time again so it can’t just be me that is cuckoo over birds! Here’s a couple and there’s no doubt I will share more on another posting!

We all have our favourite things that bring us simple joys that we tend to surround ourselves with. For me, it’s lovely accessories all the way! There’s no better way to do this than to own an accessory shop but what I love most is sharing them with all of our loyal customers.

Bird themed purchases

I am sooo excited to write about some my most favourite and wonderful experiences, shops, restaurants, decorating tips, excursions, quotes, colours, recipes and much more in a manner that will inspire you to appreciate the things that get YOU jazzed. I invite you to join in and gather yours so you can share them too.

Countless bird themed purchases

This is my first attempt at writing a Blog and I am excited to share my thoughts and design ideas with you on a weekly basis! My first topic is suiting to this time of year……..Its all about “SUMMER-izing” your home.

Enhance the feeling of summer

I don’t know about you, but I find at this time of year my home is feeling like it needs a bit of a facelift. Your home will be sure to look refreshed after following these simple, cost effective and fun design ideas.

No matter what colour, pattern, material or style your sofa is – a change in cushion covers will completely alter the look and feel of your room. Try patterns, solids, bright colours, great textures and even different sizes for that great summer feel!. Mix and match to create a playful look! After you are finished with them for the season pack them away for next summer, when they will feel like new again!!

You will be amazed!

We are all so lucky to live on the West Coast by the soothing waters, blue skies and sandy beaches. Bringing these natural elements into your home will enhance the feeling of summer. Fill large glass or ceramic bowls with shells and sand and place them on your coffee table, sideboard or your kitchen counter. Incorporate coral and starfish into your existing decorating schemes. (on your bookcases, side tables, bathroom counters, entrance consoles etc… Group your favourite glass vases on your mantle and fill them with different size shells from the beach, sand that you have collected on your holidays and pebbles from your last trip to the lake! You will be amazed by your remarkable creation!

Impress your guests

It’s entertaining season!! What better way to spruce up your table setting and impress your guests than by adding new, vibrant, colourful linens. Try a runner down the middle of your table or add placemats and coordinating napkins. Don’t forget the napkin rings!!! It’s a great way to add some sparkle, colour and great texture to your table.

Start with these great little projects and your home will be feeling “SUMMER-ized” in no time! More great tips and ideas to come next time. HAPPY accessorizing and thanx for reading my very first blog!

18th Anniversary Sale

It’s our 18th Anniversary so we’re celebrating with a Sale!

Stop in now through July 1st to celebrate the savings!

• up to 60% off discontinued collections
• savings coupon with every purchase
• double loyalty points with every purchase
• selected savings throughout the  store

Love white dishes?

Get started or add to your collection while quantities last during this promo!

• Save 25% on Boxed sets
• Save 35% on Boxed cutlery
• Enter to win $100 in Maxwell Product with every Maxwell & Williams purchase