Up until I was around seven years old, the best playdates were with friends who had lots and lots of Barbies. But somewhere around the time I started reading, I began racing to friend's houses whose parents had invested in stacks of board games. My favourite homes had their board games neatly organised by color or theme or alphabetised by name.

I grew up in Canada in the 80's. Nothing was "streaming to and fro" back then. It was a time when families were forced to sit around and play board games, drink hot chocolate and watch the snow fall.  It was a time when children played together--relatively quietly--for hours without breaking anything. 

For those of you who like to get things done quickly or sprinkle fun activities into your day, IPhone apps are still exceptionally useful tools. Like with everything else you own & use you do have to purge your apps once in a while so that only splendid ones that simplify your life remain. Read on to find out which 24 apps I will still be using in 2016.

As if you needed another reason to shop online!?! Right? Well, I still feel obliged to share the news of my new online shopping crush.  I have purchased 10 items thus far from this UK retailer that has a superb selection of clothing for women, men, children and babies. I guarantee you will be itching to buy something by the end of this post...read on to find out why I am so excited to share my new find with you...

Our homes are our sanctuaries. They should ideally be comfortable and calm and chic… Actually it isn't that difficult to strike this balance. Eclectic is my favorite decorating style. It is forgiving and when done well, it is visually very interesting and exudes character and individuality.

"Eclectic modern", "ethnic modern", "eclectic scandinavian", "modern organic", "modern rustic", "modern vintage" these are all different terms which signify decorating schemes which have warmth and lots points of interest without becoming too complicated, heavy or dated. When the individual pieces are chosen with care yet mixed well, rooms that are decorated in this style are simple, splendid and timeless…

Read on to find out how to achieve this style and where to shop for great pieces...

Are you ready to move outdoors? It is that time of year again…time to open the windows, set up the balcony, mow the lawn, rake the sand...

Everybody has their own way of enjoying the outdoors. Some can spend 200 dollars to make their outdoor space spectacular, some will spend 200,000 dollars to decorate their beachfront properties. The irony is that it doesn't really matter whether you are lying down on a 3 dollar picnic blanket enjoying the sun or sitting on a B&B ITALIA outdoor couch designed by Antonio Citterio or a KETTAL seating group designed by Patricia Urquiola. The sun, the wind and the beautiful air do not discriminate, they bless us all equally with their splendidness.

Having said that, most take great pleasure from decorating and beautifying their outdoor living spaces. Read on to see the inspiration gallery and my favorite basics from retailers in Turkey and online retailers delivering internationally. Enjoy!

First a few facts…Lets see if you can guess the brand...

Founded: 
15 March 1949 
Headquarters: 
Hamburg, Germany 
Industry:
Consumer Goods and retail
Revenues: 
€3.5 billion in 2013
Employees: 
Over 12,450 worldwide, of which 8,500 in Germany

As a follow up to my previous post I want to tempt you even further with beautiful selections from the Martha Stewart Collection's red, white and blue beauties…I have included home linens, kitchenware and beautiful entertaining pieces that are sure to make your next party or any everyday celebration a simple and chic event.

You know of my blue and white obsession but when red is added into the mix, I only get more and more excited. This is maybe because I was born in Utah :-)

You cannot help but think of American, British or French references when these three colors come together. But when Martha Stewart comes into the mix all I can think of is Americana and southern style entertaining and fourth of July parties….

See if these cakes and pies and beautiful products inspire you to have a lovely red, blue and white dessert buffet or brunch sometime soon...

She is the reigning queen of the simple and splendid entertaining and lifestyle movement and is a marketing/retail genius. This makes her a goddess in my books. I am sure everybody knows who I am referring to…but read on read on find out who and to see my favorite finds from her amazing line of products for Macy's…(almost all of these products are available for international delivery).

If these images don't inspire you to hop on a plane and fly to the closest Macy's store or at the very least refresh your kitchen by ordering a few of these beautiful tools and gadgets then…then…you really shouldn't be reading this blog and you really shouldn't ever come over to play with my barbies, ever!

We are all back on our diets. And some of us have even started working out…

I know that mid-May is a little late to be hitting the gym or the track for a bikini ready body in June but better late than never has always been my motto. At this rate, I should be smoking hot by about November 2015.

But if there is going to be shopping involved to get fit or look good on the beach then I guess I am going have to amp up my workout/beach wardrobe so that I can be fully invested in my new fitness regime. 

Take a look at the image gallery below for inspiration…I am sure some of these beauties--both for you and your kids--will have you clicking on the "shopping cart" icon of the amazing online retailer I am featuring in this post. As always, this tempting site delivers internationally so click with care...

If a color could be both simple and splendid at the same time, which color would that be for you?? For me, BLUE in all its shades is especially splendid and using it in home decor or any kind of styling is especially easy. 

My Instagram followers and close friends will attest to the fact that this winter I had a little bit of a blue and white obsession either capturing and sharing all related images or taking it one step further and feverishly buying blue and white accessories for my home…

If you are looking to shop for a few blue and white items for your home for this spring/summer I highly recommend you checking out the following shops and inspirational images...

In my previous post I praised the Breton striped top and hopefully inspired you to get yourself a few striped pieces. Here are a few of my favorite Breton stripes from the spring summer 2014 collections. All are easily available in international brick and mortar or online stores.