September 2013 - LOVEONSUNDAY

September 2013 - LOVEONSUNDAY - interior decorating and design in Toronto and the GTA Home About My Portfolio Inspiration Boards Our Humble Abode hello@example.com Thrifted Thursday with Sabrina of The Pink Little Notebook September 26, 2013 • decor , furniture , thrifted thursday • by Amy 8 Comments I am so happy to feature one of my newest blogger friends, Sabrina from The Pink Little Notebook . We actually met at Blogpodium last Saturday and it was great to chat and get to know one another in person! Your favourite thrifted item: One of my favourite and most memorable thrift item has to be my bamboo side tables. Where you bought/got the piece from: I found this piece during my first visit to a thrift store. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I instantly spotted & fell in love with this piece. I can definitely say from that very moment I knew I found a new passion. I’m now a frequent thrift store visitor! What drew you to the piece: 1-it is a sturdy piece of furniture that will probably last me forever; 2-I couldn’t resist the curvy geometric pattern; and 3-the price! At $10 a piece, I had nothing to lose! Describe any work you did to give it new life: It was a fairly simple process since the piece was still in good condition. A light sanding and a coat of primer was applied to prep my surfaces. I opted for a neutral colour and spray painted the entire thing (two coats to be exact). I finished it off by hand painting some of the geometric pattern in white paint and added some rope accent to finish of the piece. how you use/display it: Today the piece sits proudly in my family room as a side table. What I love about this piece is that it is also sturdy enough to use as a stool when I need the extra seating. It was definitely an awesome find! What an amazing find for $10! I love how the rope adds a little somethin’ somethin’. It definitely adds more interest and texture to the piece! I have to admit, I scoped out her blog before the conference and I was instantly hooked when I saw her cooler and home office update . So head on over to Sabrina’s blog and give her some love! Thanks so much for taking part in Thrifted Thursday, Sabrina. It was great to meet you and we should definitely get together soon Want to see more fab finds? You can see the entire Thrifted Thursday Series here . My First Blogpodium Experience September 24, 2013 • decor • by Amy 46 Comments Signing up for Blogpodium was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my career and personal growth. I’ve always been a little shy so attending a large conference on my own definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. But I knew I had to do it and I’m glad I did because I feel more motivated and inspired than ever. The event was organized by the amazing Jennifer Flores who is an inspiration to me and I’m sure many other bloggers out there. I admire people who believe in something, work hard, and make their dreams happen. She makes everything look so easy and one of them being this conference. I know she worked her butt off but honestly, I was so impressed. From the programs, to the sponsors down to the tiniest detail – it was amazing. photo via AnnaWithLove Sarah Richardson was the keynote speaker. It was great to hear more about where she came from and how her love for design evolved. I love how she said, “…you all know I don’t have a degree in Interior Design, right?” She spoke openly about her education and experience which I loved. Instead of going back to school, she taught herself by doing everything she possibly could to learn about the design industry. She said: “The best thing you can do is go out and do it. That’s how you learn, that’s how you grow” Some other statements that really stuck with me were: “You have to believe in what you’re doing and you have to invest in what you’re doing” and “If you keep second guessing yourself, you’ll never get anything done”. Some great advice to remember. Especially for someone like me who’s just starting out. There were some great workshops that I attended but two of my favourites would have to be The Art of Monetization by Karen Bertelsen and Negotiating Partnerships with Big Brands, by Keka DasGupta . Karen was absolutely HILARIOUS. She was candid about how much money she makes off her blog and what steps to take if you’re looking to monetize. She really did keep us laughing until the very end! I found Keka to be very informative, she provided some invaluable information on how to approach brands and what they look for. Another point that really resonated with me was her own experience of dealing with success. Some women downplay their abilities and accomplishments in fear of sounding boastful. Quite the opposite of our male counterparts. As a VP of Marketing, she herself was guilty of this and she explained how important it is to recognize your strengths and believe in yourself no matter what position you’re in. It’s so simple but I think A LOT of women downplay their achievements (I’m definintely guilty of it). Let’s be proud of our accomplishments ladies, we work too damn hard to be quiet about it! And speaking of accomplishments, one of the big moments for me was the business card contest. All attendees were asked to hang their business cards on this pretty little display: and Emma Reddington , Home Editor of Chatelaine magazine chose the best business card. It turns out she loves letterpress and gold foil just as much as I do because she chose mine!!! The prize is so unbelievable I am still pinching myself, like really hard. Never in a million years did I think I could experience something like this. A behind-the-scenes look at a decor story and learn about propping and styling at Chatelaine? Oh, hellz yeah! It’s honestly a DREAM COME TRUE. photo via AnnaWithLove photo via AnnaWithLove I had SO much fun at my first Blogpodium. I learned a ton and made some amazing new friends! I’m still amazed at how supportive and helpful this blogging community is and I feel so proud and fortunate to be a part of it! At the end of the day I left with new friends, an AMAZING prize from Chatelaine, personal notes full of great tips and to-do’s, a full belly, a huge bag of swag, a Ryobi string trimmer/edger (which I also one from Home Depot!) and a feeling of reassurance and happiness telling me that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I finally feel like I’m on the right track and being successful at what you love is absolutely possible. Tea With Sarah Richardson September 23, 2013 • decor , interior design • by Amy 24 Comments Oh. My. Goodness. Where do

P.S. A few readers have asked which furniture & lighting we actually reach for — it's Amazon.ca Associates (Home & Furniture); take a look here if you want the current details.