Happy CANADA DAY long weekend!!!

After gardening all day long, which my hubby calls the "impulsive landscaping" and being eaten by a million mosquitos, of course I had to go prepare "stuff" for our little garden party today celebrating Canada Day.

WE HAVE 2 little boys (our son and a friend's son) at the party and they will have some fun activities besides enjoying the food, like tracing the maple leaf with a maple leaf pen...ok maybe not the most invenntive mama idea but hey I am trying.

In fact, the weather will be lovely, sunny and a scorching hot day so they will likely play with the water guns all afternoon, right? 

Here is some more ideas if you need them:  @ PARTY IDEAS PAGE

I wish you all a very very happy day despite the floods and other troubles we all have had to face, enjoy it and if you fell like it...try my recipe for the BBQ chicken marinade:

In a bowl: 

- juice of 2 lemons

- cup or 2 or more extra virgin olive oil

- salt pepper to taste

In a food processor chop very finely:

- garlic cloves about 15 large ones

- hand full of fresh rosemary

- hand full of fresh sage

- hand full of fresh oregano

- half a hand full of mint leaves

- half cup extra virgin oil

Add it to the bowl and mix with a spatula....

Then spread over the boneless (but keep the skin) chicken thighs over night.

BBQ next day! 

Have Fun! 

Have the most wonderful long weekend...and CANADA day too! 

XO, Z

White Continues: The Future Style

Perhaps with all the flooding in Calgary and muddy views everywhere, what we need is new fantasy living and strong faith in better future: white dreams help me! Also Tina has plenty great white ideas: Enchanted Home.

Dreamy!

YSL to wear in the future.. Is a YES.

Accessorize! Future is bright and SEXY.

Have a great white summer, XO Z

Summer Whites: what do I mean?

Lately, even with the plentyful rain, WHITE is on my mind. It goes well with everything and especially summer. It is the first time I have heard about white dinners: at YOU MAY BE WONDERING. 

Well, that means that I am looking into all white outfits as we speak. Always good to have a white dress, just like one may need a black one, in summer it is the white one we go to for help. 

Katie wore it so well at a Chloe dinner party:

Not a bad idea to Get a WHITE DRESS by Oscar De la Renta for yourself?

Valentino knows best: 

Chanel creates white drama that is sexy:

Jardin des Fleurs in White: wanna be there for an afternoon tea.

Tina's Enchanted Home Terrace: 

chateau style is always in style, white seats with a hint of blue.

White Sails and Blue Water & Sky: addictive activity of mine.

White Mountain Peaks and Clouds during our hikes:

French Doors, bathroom, walls in an old London home, I have been seeing white everywhere I look!

Great with the earth tones or the gray-black contrasts....

To freshen up my tired eyes sometimes a bit of white eyeshadow makes wonders:

Givenchy Le Prisme Shadow

Hope you are enjoying some white in your day dreaming...

XO, Z

This is

"an addition on June 21st, 2013"

ON ANOTHER SAD NOTE:

CALGARY IS FLOODED AND miraculously we are near the river yet dry. I am thankful. 

Surrounding areas just few KMS away from our house are under water and I pray it doesn't get worse and that all the people can go back home as they must feel dispair. 

The spirit in this town is amazing and people never disapointing. 

Downtown is shut down:

River near our house is still not out wild:

Wishing everyone is safe!

Breakfast room: Hydrangeas and more.

 Our last year's planted hydrangea has yet to blossom ...but in our local farmer's market flower shop you can buy anything and arrange your own choice of flowers and so I did hydrangea with carnation and rose and more...darring me?

It has been lovely for our breakfast room:

Also loving the breakfast rooms that Tina has posted at the Enchanted Home.

In the end, I also managed to re-do our family living room from having the oversized giant couch there to elegant blend of seating options (one of them being a fabulous bergere chair by the fireplace) in gray colour scheme: 

Still in search for the perfect painting for above the couch wall...must be oversized and feature the Rockies in gray, blue-green and some pink hues ...simple really (smiles). 

No, I have not found anything yet at all!

Before my Dad left, I have been very sad and still am missing him dearly, we all had a lovely hike in Kananaskis country and a goodbye "father's day" lunch which was very special.

Plus I got to use my new "chateau Jemniste" table setting with new Czech porcelain on it...fun. 

I also love how the Chateau Jemniste where we had our wedding presented hydrangeas for someone's wedding ... marvelous! 

Saying Goodbye WAS HARDer than one can imagine.....

If you want the merino wool top (which I can't recommend enough!) click here.

Skirt is by my most favourite designer: Paul Hardy!!

We miss our grandpa! 

XO, Z

Stone Facade: it is worth the effort.

Hello Ladies, or shall I say home improvement lovers?

As it so happened and we had to exchange our bedroom balcony doors, it seemed only reasonable to fix up the existing stucco with something nicer that goes with a french style door.

We continued the theme on our front house pillars, STONE. 

No complaints here, it looks lovely and so I deciced to also put them around the area of our front doors, and again, best idea ever.

How about you? Do you love stone or stucco or other on your house? 

We were in Vancouver recently and saw some lovely old stone buildings ...but Europe is my constant inspiration nonetheless.

Here are some ideas and examples ... what is your fancy?

It always looks brilliant, don't you think? So everlasting and regal....and simply stays good with hardly any effort. 

Have a lovely day. 

XX, Z