piece of cake/peace of mind

The Daily Grind

2013-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few of my favorite moments lately, caught on instagram! My favorite part of that particular social media is the ability to look back on the moments that you felt were worth capturing at the time, and apparently for me that includes everything from froot loops to mornings filled with packing! :)

What is your instagram name? I'd love to check it out!

I hope you are all having a splendid week so far!

On the go: stylish and bright

2013-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend and a fabulous Mother's Day with the people you love. I spent the weekend with my boyfriend and his family, and I skied for the first time! It was such a rush and my boyfriend was an awesome coach. Sadly it was the last weekend of the season so I won't be able to try out my new skills until next year! But it was such a fabulous getaway and I felt so grateful to be welcomed into his family's skiing tradition.

I am trying to get better about sharing the process for my design projects with you all, because I think it's so fun to see the steps along the design journey, since it makes the end result a lot more exciting. This is a mood board for an awesome lady, and it was a joy to research and put together. Bright colours and those amazing hanging geometric garlands made me a very happy designer. I can't wait to show you the final project!

My Apartment & Studio Tour

2013-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, lovelies! I thought a little house tour would be a fun way to end off the week. I moved out of this place a week or so ago, so it's nice to take a look back at it! I worked from home a few days a week last semester and so this little apartment functioned as my studio as well. I'm also hoping to do a shoot in my new place soon once I'm fully settled in!

I hope you enjoy this little peek into my home :)

My friend bought my this adorable cream holder at a thrift store and it always makes me smile.

This cart came from Ikea and gave me so much more counter and storage space because my kitchen was teensy.

This giant photo came from this fun shoot! I spray painted that pot gold, and the tea set was a gift from my boyfriend on our first Christmas together.

Rug from Urban Outfitters, pants from GAP.

That framed polaroid is of my mom when she was a little girl, with her brothers, my grandma, and her grandma. It was taken at the university I attend now, back in the 1960's when it was brand new! It's by far one of my favorite possessions.

My mood board and workspace. I loved that space, but my new desk area is quite a bit less cluttered :)

My couch was one of my favorite purchases for the apartment because of it's big, bold print. This succulent garden is from a DIY on the blog a couple weeks back!

I always try to keep plants on my desk because they make the space feel so much more inspiring and they're just nice to look at (if you can remember to water them!)

This calendar is letter pressed and was one of my souvenirs from my Christmas trip to New York this year. I love everything about it and was thrilled when I found it.

So much inspiration and I don't think I will ever be able to purge my magazine collection! If only this were the whole lot...

A cheeky little reminder to keep on top of chores, courtesy of my mom.

What sort of place do you live in? Are you an apartment dweller or do you have a nice, big yard and a house? Do you love curating pieces for your place as much as I do?

Mugs for your mum!

2013-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mother's day is coming up this weekend but sadly I won't be with my family, so I made sure to find my mom something special to send home. No hints though, because she reads the blog (hi mom!) But I think that these pretty mugs would make a lovely little gift for your own mom, or any superstar lady that you want to celebrate this weekend. She can drink her morning cup of tea with it, and it will look so pretty sitting on her desk or nightstand.

Did you find something special to give your mom? Are you a mama yourself? I think it would be crazy to be on the other side of that chaotic mother's day breakfast in bed :)

Shop: Havana mug / Evenings in Quito cup & saucer / Dotto mug / Sissinghurst mug

Happy Monday!

2013-05-06T09:35:00.004-07:00

Welcome to a new week, my friends. This weekend was full of sunshine and yesterday I made a point of getting out to enjoy it. I walked to a yoga class with my roommate, and then had a delicious dinner in my friend's backyard to top the day off. On Saturday I worked at Anthropologie, and added to my mental shopping list there ;)

The summer semester starts today, and I have my first computer science class (insert worried face here). I'm excited because it will be a more valuable elective than some of the totally unrelated classes I've taken over the last 4 years, but it will also be lots of stuff that I don't know! So wish me luck :)

In other news, a few of you have mentioned that you would like to see a little tour of my apartment, so before I moved last week, I cleaned things up, did the dishes, and took some shots of my little abode. So look out for that post later this week! It will be fun to look back on that apartment, because it was the first time that I lived alone, and it proved to be a great little home for me.

Have a lovely Monday!

whimsical illustration found on pinterest. original source unknown (if you know where it came from please fill me in:)

When crazy and new collide

2013-05-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! This week has been a bit nutty, what with a new job, my boyfriend getting his wisdom teeth pulled, and both of us moving into new apartments! The surgery went really well and he's feeling much better now :) I woke up for the first time in my new bedroom this morning, and am currently writing this in here as well. Things are definitely not all settled in yet, but I'm starting to see how it will be looking.

Also in the big news category—I started a new job last week at Anthropologie! It has been an amazing experience so far, and I'm loving all of the other people who work there. I finished my old job the other day and it's so nice to be moving into the industry that I want to be in long-term. Working in student development (my old gig) taught me so much, but I am ready to be surrounded by design-minded people, and to learn lots about the business side of style and design!

How has your week been? I've felt so out of touch with everything online this week, but I promise I have some awesome stuff coming up next week!

Watercolor Peony wallpaper from Anthropologie

Are you a morning person?

2013-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since starting university 4 long/short years ago, I have developed a pretty classic student schedule. I stay up until crazy hours, sleep in, go to class, work and study, and then stay up crazy late again. This schedule sat fine with me for a long time, but now I'm making an effort to switch up my routine. Going to bed before midnight hasn't been a part of my life since high school, but this last week I've been all tucked in by 11 or 11:30 (one night even 10:30!) and then awake around 7:30 or 8 in the morning. I'm really loving this new schedule because it's so much more conducive to a productive, full day of work. Plus, I can lounge around with tea and blogs for an hour in the morning and it's still only 9am when I'm ready to get to work! It's also nice because I get my to-do list done during the day, and then there's time for dinner and some relaxation before a decent bedtime. It's revolutionary! ;)

Are you naturally a morning person? I never understood the appeal before, but it's starting to grow on me! Have you had to manually set your sleeping schedule, or do you just go with the flow? I feel a bit like a baby who has to be sleep trained, ha! Do you have any tips for getting to bed earlier in the evening?

DIY: Your Own Succulent Garden

2013-04-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been loving all sorts of plants and I've been making plans to fill my new apartment with nature galore. In light of this obsession, I thought it would be fun to create succulent gardens today! They aren't too difficult, and even the least green thumbed among us can be successful owners of one of these sweet little arrangements! I followed this tutorial in order to get a feel for the project before I started.

Here's what you will need for this project:

- a pot, planter, bowl, or tray of some sort (I love this one)

- potting soil

- an arrangement of succulents

- a mini gardening shovel (or if you're fancy like me, a spoon)

- hands that are willing to get a little dirty!

I picked up an arrangement of little succulents. There were 6 to begin with, but I accidentally destroyed one in the process. Thankfully, things look better in odd numbers anyways ;)

I bought a simple white planter and picked this one because of the curve at the top, which I think hugs the little plants quite nicely.

This bag of potting soil came from the gardening section at Wal-Mart and for this small sized bag, it only cost around $3. If you already have a garden or a friend with a garden then by all means grab a bowl from there but my apartment definitely did not have soil lying around.

Fill up the pot almost to the top so that the plants will peek above the edges and look adorable. I also arranged the succulents before planting them so that I had an idea of the composition that I was going for.

I started off by planting the central succulent and then worked from there. This made it a bit easier to figure out if the layout was good as I went along.

There you go! Tidy up your mess and admire your sweet little garden!

Do you love having plants around as much as I do? I think they make such perfect centrepieces or decoration in your workspace. Plus, you don't have to replace them as often as flowers!

My Spring Uniform

2013-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been itching for warmer weather and yesterday was actually super sunny here! It was a great day for hunting down supplies for DIY posts for the blog, as well as a little shopping! I tried on the sandals above and I think they would be perfect to wear all spring & summer long! White eyelet is my new favorite thing these days and this collared version is beautiful!

Shop: H&M jeans / Madewell blouse / H&M shoes / Madewell tote / Baggu pouch / Madewell earrings / Fresh lip treatment

Happy Earth Day!

2013-04-22T17:23:00.004-07:00

Nature is just so beautiful and it's incredibly important that we protect the earth as best we can. In honour of earth day I thought I would show you something fun I found recently. Good typography is always lovely, but these two designers have created something really special using just plants and flowers. That ampersand up top is my favorite and you can buy it as a print on Etsy! How pretty would that be in a bedroom?

Did you do anything to celebrate earth day? I just finished working on a planet-friendly DIY for the blog, which will be up later this week!

images 1&2 / images 3&4

Finished Project: Lydia Magazine

2013-04-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I finished up a site design with an awesome lady and I'm super excited to share it here today! Kerri was amazing to work with and it was super inspiring to create a site for someone who has such big plans. Definitely take some time and go over and check out the site!

Do you have a blog or small business that needs a facelift? Check out my studio here, and send me an email at hello{at}kendrasally{dot}com if you want to learn more about rates and such!

Work It Out: Getting Over The Fear

2013-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, friends! This week's Work It Out newsletter will be hitting inboxes this afternoon, and it's all about getting over your fears before, during, and after the launch! Sometimes the hardest thing is working up the courage to try something new, like launching a blog or a project in your business, but once you are able to conquer that fear amazing things can happen!

If you would like to get the email, just click here, or on the button in the sidebar! The newsletter will also be where I will announce any studio updates and specials that are happening so hop on board! :)

Today I'd like to...

2013-04-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, lovelies! This week has been splendid because I spent it taking a pseudo vacation at my parent's place. I spent 3 days hanging out with my mom, eating delicious food, going to yoga, sipping tea, wandering around the little town, and getting a surprising amount of planning done for this blog! Amazing what a little room in your brain can do for creativity, hey??

Today I am back at my apartment and am trying to imagine how I am going to pack all of this stuff up in a couple of weeks! Moving is no fun, my friends. If I was going to add some items to my agenda today, this is what I would pick...

Make
Bri always knocks it out of the park, and this easy peasy DIY is definitely going to make an appearance in my new place.

Wear
I LOVE this shirt and I think it would look awesome with skinny jeans now, cut-off shorts later, and some little leather flats always.

Use
I lusted after these plates for a while and finally bought a mini set. Now this Anthropologie wallpaper has me imagining ways that I could use it in a rental...

Eat
It may be getting warmer outside, but lavender hot chocolate is so ridiculously good that I could go for a mug of it any time. After trying it for the first time at Alt Summit, I've been wanting to learn how to make it myself!

What are you ladies up to today? Any fun plans for the weekend? I will be purging my closets and working on some DIYs and other fun little projects :)

Please take a seat

2013-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been obsessing over all sorts of chair goodness. I'm moving in a couple of weeks, and have been mentally filling my new apartment with pretty seating arrangements and dining room chairs. Unfortunately my new place is not very big—and neither is my wallet—so I will have to settle on just one of these beauties. I'm leaning towards number four, and although I would love to splurge on the real thing one day, for now it will have to be a pretty little impostor :)

Which of these chairs would you like to see in your home?

Shop: one / two / three / four / five / six

Florals For: Brightening a friend's day

2013-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies! Today we are doing our third instalment of what is quickly becoming my favorite series on the blog—and not just because I get to have beautiful blooms around the house for the shoots! This week we are chatting about something that I absolutely love doing, which is bringing pretty bouquets to friends and family when I visit. It's just such a classy touch to arrive with some sweet flowers, and it makes you feel all sorts of grown-up. Plus, when you add your own spin on the packaging, things get even more special. I've laid out a pretty quick and easy way to wrap up that bouquet to bring over to your girlfriend's house for tea, or for someone who might need a little pick-me-up.

For this project, I used a gorgeous bouquet of ranunculus from Whole Foods, kraft wrapping paper, some polka dot paper left over from these, two colours of twine, a kraft shipping tag, and a few different tools.

When you get your flowers home, be sure to keep them in water for as long as you can before leaving, so that they don't get all sad and wilty. When you are ready to head out and it's time to wrap up the bouquet, dampen a paper towel and wrap it around the base of the flowers. I cut the zipper part off of a baggie and used that to wrap the base in, but you could use saran wrap also.

Next, wrap up the flowers! It took me a couple of tries to get this part looking nice, mostly because I was using two types of paper, but I found that lying the flowers so they rest on one of the corners of the flat paper helps them to sit properly inside when rolled up. Once you get them rolled up and looking spiffy, tape the outside of the paper with your favorite washi tape.

Tie your twine around the middle of the bouquet, and tie it tight enough that it stays on. Next, attach your shipping tag onto the twine with another knot.

Bonus points if the flowers you pick are this bright! ;) This photo didn't even get color corrected! Mother nature is one talented lady, hey?

Et voila! Bring these to your bestie, as a present, or just to add some sparkle to someone's day.

My Style / coloured khakis

2013-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I never really considered myself the type to wear khakis, but Gap makes a bunch of them in the brightest colours, and I just bought my second pair this weekend. I'm normally a skinnies all the way type of lady, but there's something about the looser, boyfriend fit of these pants that makes me feel way more laid-back than I really am.

Today I am visiting my mom and am planning to lounge around for way longer than I believe is appropriate, make a big pot of tea, do some design work, and explore the town. Nothing like a little vacation to celebrate finishing the semester!

Shop similar items: pants / blouse / jacket / shoes / scarf / watch / bag

Photos by Angela Pavuk for Piece of Cake / Peace of Mind

Work It Out: Working from home

2013-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all! The first Work It Out newsletter is going out this afternoon and it's all about working from home. I don't think anyone begins their freelance/blogging careers from a fancy, perfect studio space, so I am going to be sharing some of the lessons I've learned in the last year that may help you freelancers, bloggers, and small business owners out a bit too!

If you would like to get the email, just click here, or on the button in the sidebar! The newsletter will also be where I will announce any studio updates and specials that are happening, so hop on board! :)

5 cross-body favorites

2013-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

With the warmer weather always comes cravings for lighter, brighter clothes and accessories. At least for me, that is! I have a brown leather Fossil cross-body that I love, but I'm thinking of adding a colourful, just for kicks bag to the mix. Going hands free is the best for weekends when the days are spent browsing your favorite shops, grabbing tea with friends, and picking up your favorite blooms at the market. I also love leeetle bags (as opposed to my daily dose of gigantic, stuffed tote bags) because they force me to pare down and really only carry what I need.

Have you seen any little cross-body bags around lately? I'm on the hunt so let me know! :)

Shop: one / two / three / four / five

Something New

2013-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, friends! This was a short week for me with Monday as a holiday, which was nice but also a bit confusing! I was constantly a day behind, thinking it was Monday on a Tuesday, ect. I think I've caught up now though :) Today I want to share a little something that I have been working on as of late. After Alt Summit I came back home with a renewed vision for my business. I had a really clear idea of what I wanted on my site, and some ideas on how to create content that fit with those visions.

Part of this meant narrowing down what the blog would focus on, and despite my passion for running a business and learning the ins and outs, I decided that not all of you are as into color coding calendars and looking for the best way to organize freelance files as I am :) So I've decided to start a weekly newsletter where I will cover topics like project management, juggling both client work and your blog, dealing with finances when you're starting out, and more. This way if you are interested in starting a business or a blog, or you are in the throes of it already then I can share what I've learned so far, and what I continue to learn!

All of the content in the newsletter will be unique, and will not be featured on the blog. I really want to make sure that you are getting valuable information from this, so if you have any topics that you would be interested in seeing in the newsletter, then feel free to send them my way!

I really hope that those of you who are bloggers and business owners (or have big plans up your sleeves) are excited about this, because I certainly am!

If you would like to register for this mailing list, there is a new button on the left-hand side there and you can do exactly that!

Beautiful office via Design Sponge

Urbanic Wishlist

2013-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ladies heard of Urbanic? It's a gorgeous little shop in Los Angeles that sells the prettiest wares. Lots of stationary and other delights. The owner's name is Audrey and she is also one of my favorite people to follow on instagram! They currently have an online pop-up shop until their new website and online shop are up and running. There are so many amazing finds on there—I browse the shop pretty frequently and would love to make a trip to the LA shop as well! But in the mean time here are some things that I'm loving from Urbanic at the moment.

one / two / three / four / five / six

PS. This post is not sponsored, I just love 'em :)

Easter in the grass

2013-04-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Things have been radio silent around here a bit lately, but with a trip home for an Easter long weekend spent with the family, and about 7x more work than I know how to fit into my day, it's been tough to get the usual amount of posts in! But I handed in a huge assignment yesterday and am feeling the load begin to lighten :) Not to mention, Easter at home with my family was just the break that I needed to recharge for the next week of final papers and other projects.

Before I left for my parent's house on Friday, I made rainbow pancakes for Easter brunch with my boyfriend. They were wonderfully neon and were super delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I totally blanked on getting an after shot of this batter!

Even though my sister and I are way too old for Easter egg hunts, we still got to do one, and things get much more competitive and intense when you're "adults" :)

After our egg hunt, my sister and I spent a while lounging in the beautiful, sunny weather and enjoying our matching headbands from our easter baskets!

Did you have a fun weekend?

Today I'd Like To...

2013-03-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Things have been a bit quiet around here this week because things have been pretty hectic on my end, with lots of end of semester due dates approaching and design projects wrapping up. But this weekend is an extra long one and I'm hoping to take advantage of it! I'm working today and then hopping on the ferry this evening to head home and spend Easter with my family. I'm beyond excited to have some down time and catch up with some of my favorite people. Today should be a lovely one, and here's what I would add to the menu if I was in the business of adding things today :)

Make
I'm dying to make a terrarium and I think a big one like this would be so much fun! It would make such an awesome centrepiece and would look pretty sitting on a stool in the corner of your home.

Wear
The weather has been beautiful this week and it's almost tricking me into thinking that Vancouver will stay sunny and warm. I would love to sport a bright and flowy skirt this weekend for Easter festivities.

Use
Smeg fridges are so fun and retro. I would totally splurge on one if I had a real house and a few extra thousand dollars lying around. For now I will just picture the organizational bliss that would ensue if I had one!

Eat
I'm making Easter brunch for my boyfriend and I today and I think I'm going to surprise him with these amazing rainbow pancakes that Joy featured the other day. Guaranteed I will be more excited about the crazy colours then he will, but I'm sure he'll play along ;)

I hope you have a fabulous long weekend! Any fun plans on your end? I'm going to take advantage of the long weekend and so I will see you back here on Tuesday! :)

Making Plans

2013-03-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

Hello all! I apologize for my absence yesterday, but this time in the semester is a bit of a gong show and sometimes balls drop in the juggle... which I'm trying to accept :) But this weekend had tons of amazing moments in it, including a tea date with this awesome lady which had me filled to the brim with inspiration. I practically skipped home with all of the new ideas in my head. We met at 49th Parallel Roasters, which was such a fun space, and if you're in Vancouver you should definitely check out one of their locations.

Since Alt—where Angela and I met—I have really understood the value of spending time with like-minded people. And I think that when you are working in a field that is a little more obscure to the rest of the world (like design blogging) it's even more important to connect with others who share a similar passion. Plus, it can really challenge you creatively and push you to work on awesome ideas in a collaborative way.

Along with realizing how important those connections are, I was reminded how much value I get out of investing a bit of money in my work. One way that I love to do this (and to feed my Alt Summit addiction) is to take the online classes that are offered. They are super valuable and a fun way to meet other bloggers as well! You can check out the classes that are offered by Alt Summit here. They each cost $15 and are so worth it. I hope to see you in one! :)

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Today I'd Like To...

2013-03-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, friends! At this point in the semester when everything is crazy, the weekends really can't come soon enough. It means a little bit more time spent with the people I love, and a little less time spent on the computer. This weekend I'm meeting my sister for lunch which will be amazing since we don't see each other nearly enough. Today I am making my way downtown to drop off some resumes for work this summer, and having tea with a new friend. If the sun shines like it's supposed to then today should be pretty awesome! If I was going to add something else to my agenda today, this is what it would be:

Make
I'm loving incorporating healthy meals into my day and this beautiful looking salad would be a welcome addition!

Wear
With the warmer weather I'm getting antsy to pull out my skirts and summery blouses. I think this outfit is just the sweetest, most perfect spring look.

Use
These new bowls from Anthropologie are adorable and would look amazing on an an Easter brunch table.

Eat
As a part of my new clean eating plan, I'm always on the hunt for delicious alternatives to sugar and dairy. This recipe from Sarah over at A House In The Hills looks fabulous! She always has the best (and most stunningly photographed) meals on her blog, so it's become a go-to for yummy and healthy recipes.

What are your plans for the day? How about for the weekend? I will be putting in time for some group projects for school, working on studio designs, and hopefully squeezing in some time with this guy!

Enjoy your weekend! :)

Florals For: Spring!

2013-03-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

How did the first day of spring treat you all? We actually had some sun in our rainy city so that was a pretty great way to welcome in the new season! My favorite way to bring the sun and rising temperatures into my home, or to counteract weather that is behind the seasons is to keep lots of flowers around. Tulips always feel so springy, so for this edition of the series, I thought I would try something other than the standard bunch of tulips. I rounded up a bunch of glass vessels from around the apartment and stuck a stem or two into each piece.

I grabbed a mason jar from my kitchen for one vase.

This vintage milk bottle was holding striped paper straws on my tea cart but I think it does a great job here too! :)

This bottle wasn't doing too much other than sitting pretty in my kitchen so I gave it a job.

I kept the rest of the coffee table clean other than a vintage doily that I love to keep around.

It was a super easy arrangement and took little time and only cost around $5!

There you have it! Now go forth and bring some spring into your own house! I think this set-up would look super pretty on a mantle, or running down the center of a dining table as well!