We're back!

Our shop is open now!  (it has been for a few days, we just forgot to tell you here, so sorry!)  Anyways, we will be adding new stuff over the coming weeks as we were busy with lots of things during our vacation time.  In the meantime, here is a sneak peek at what we were up to on one of our "get-togethers".

Happy Canada Day, eh?

In celebration of Canada my husband, Kevin, myself and two of our friends went out and picked strawberries, and boy did we ever have a glorious day for it! If you've never picked strawberries before, it is quite a lovely experience! You pay for the strawberries you take home, but while you're out in the fields you are welcome to eat as many berries as you can!

We ended up leaving with 5 cartons of fresh strawberries. The car smelled like fresh fruit all the way home. When we got home we cleaned all of them and divided them into the "eat now" and "freeze for later" categories so we can be sure to have some fruit for during the long winter months.

Here are some pictures from our beautiful Canada Day!

If you don't live near a u-pick strawberry farm, here are some lovely strawberry inspired creations from some very talented Etsy creators

Enjoy!

(Click on any of these Etsy store names to be redirected to their shops)

All Organic From My Garden Strawberry Jam
from HippieMade's shop

Luxe strawberry necklace
from joojooland's shop

Mossy with Red Strawberry Screen
Printed Shirt
from WrenWillow's shop

Strawberries and Cream -
Cotton - Reusable - Table Napkins
from MaryLittfin's shop

my new ring from Morado and the Keel's Simple Diary...

...a few days ago i ordered a ring from morado.  well, it's here and it is stunning!  it came beautifully and thoughtfully packaged and was such a treat.  i asked purva if she could create a ring with a specific color i had in mind and she was able to match it exactly.  her creations are beautiful and well worth the purchase, i highly recommend morado's shop!

                                    

...and yes, that is my keel's simple diary.  have you tried one yet?  they are so much fun and make a great gift too, which is how i got mine. they come in a rainbow of colors to choose from and are resonably priced here:

 
...hope your having a good week!  grace has been very busy painting her new house, it will be exciting to see some pictures when they are done.

~monica

Antique Textiles Vintage Fashion Show & Sale

...yesterday i went to the antique textiles vintage fashion show & sale in sturbridge, massachusetts and had an amazing time! andrew took me and i don't think he realized what he was getting himself into, but he was pretty good about it.  i read about this show in the may issue of martha stewart living and being from canada the shows they talk about are always too far away for me to go.

...but this time it was not!  only 40 minutes away from us here in boston so we had to go. i had it planned a month ahead but little did i realize just how good it would be.  i discovered these handkerchiefs there and it was love at first sight.  i didn't buy them nor did i think to take into account who designed them.  after a little online research later on in the day i found the name of one designer who (i'm pretty sure) did the first handkerchief shown: Pat Prichard.  but who did the others, does anyone know?  i've decided to start collecting these awesome handkerchiefs, eventually...

...i did buy one thing though, and the lady selling it gave me a deal, thank-you to her very much!  it is an original drawing, probably from the 40's but there is no signature or anything.  i love it soooo much.  i can't wait to frame it and hang it up in my studio.  

                                                       

                                    

...this saturday we're going to the brimfield antique show, i've been hearing good things!  2 weeks today is the move date, starting the 3-day trek back to canada.  maybe 3 more weeks and house hunting, possibly/hopefully? maybe it won't be too much longer before i'll have a studio to call my own.  :)

~monica

happy mother's day

...happy mother's day to all moms out there, and especially to our own!

..."sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you mom.  i have every confidence that dad and aaron (my brother) will make it a very special day for you"

...my mom is so much fun, she always has been.  when we were little she would throw us the greatest birthday parties!  when i was a young girl she indulged my obsession with unicorns by renting the video "the last unicorn" at least once a week and she also decorated my bedroom in a complete unicorn utopia.  she always took us on creative outings: skating, tobogganing, sleigh rides in the wintertime and when the weather grew warm the zoo, tinker town, picnics and of course the beach!  thanks mom, my childhood was filled with excitement and wonder.  and of course we still have loads of fun together!

..."a toast to many more fun times ahead, i love you mom."

...andrew and i are moving in about 2 weeks!  i'll see you soon mom!  as i mentioned previously, we are moving back to canada, to winnipeg.  and just to let you know, i'm having a sale in my other shop to hopefully lighten our load a bit...


 ~monica

my beach day

hello!

...oh boy!  i can't believe i haven't blogged since march!  so sorry. this time of year is very busy for both of us here at EmenGee Designs. 

...grace and her husband are getting ready to move into their first home.

...and andrew and i are getting ready to move back to canada, we still have about 5 more weeks though.

...the weather in boston has been pretty good, there was even a beach day a little while ago.  i actually went to the beach, swam (well, kicked around in the ocean), soaked up the sun and played catch.  it was so much fun. 

...here are a few memories of my first 2010 summer day,

a summer day in april, hard to believe!

...the beach in Ipswich, MA.

...a little boy's kite.

  

...my husband andrew, throwing a stick and trying to

get it to land vertical.

...the tide was out, the ripples in the sand went on

and on and looked really cool.

...hope you enjoyed this little post and maybe some warm  

beach days will come your way too, if they haven't already!?

~monica

Gracie's Dream House

So, as Monica had mentioned last week Kevin (my husband) and I have just purchased our first house! The whole process was exhilarating. When I mentioned to Monica that we had been pre-approved for a mortgage and were starting to look she warned me that the entire process would likely happen very quickly but I had no idea just how instantaneously we would become home owners! We  looked at 6 houses the first day (which actually ended up being the only day) and when we set foot inside the second house we both instantly felt like we were home! We still kept our schedule and saw the other 4 houses but they only made us want to bid more on the one that we had initially fallen in love with. We decided to put an offer on it, which was a huge decision. Some people put in five, ten, twenty offers before they actually purchase a home (that's what the market in Manitoba is like right now). We put in our offer and then had to wait for a day to hear what their decision was. When we got the call letting us know that our offer was chosen and that we had got the house Kevin and I were overjoyed!

To recap what I meant by quick:
Sunday - We see the house
Monday - We put in our offer
Tuesday - We are home owners!

Our possession date is May first. We've already successfully sublet our apartment for June first which means we will have one month of overlap where we can go in and paint, refinish the floors and decorate! In celebration, I've selected a few of my favorite houseware items from Etsy that I would own in heart beat if my financial situation would allow, but, after just making such a large purchase, they might have to wait for a bit!

Painting: This splendid painting from Catalin's Shop is streched across 5 10"x30" canvases. This item has been a favorite of mine for well over a year and I like to visit it on a regular basis. It is so full of life and color. It would be a wonderful addition to any home...but especially mine!

Spoon Rest: This beautiful Stoneware Spoon Rest from Martisart's Shop is beautiful, functional and affordable! With a real soft spot for ceramics, I'm sure I could find a place for this in my new kitchen!

Wall Clock: Having been obsessed with analog clocks for as long as I can remember (Monica will remember a time when there were 5 ticking analog clocks in my childhood bedroom) I was struck by the clean cut simplicity of this hanging clock by Uncommon. A new twist on an old classic.
This would look great in my new front entrance!

Napkins: This adorable set of napkins by OlofsDaughters would make a wonderful house warming gift for a trendy young couple (hint hint...). If you like these, you'll have to check out all of the other houseware available in their shop including adorable couch cushions!

Rug: This amazing rug has found a warm spot in my heart! Created from 100% recycled T-shirts this amazing piece by PlowGirl is sure to make a grand statement in your front entrance (or mine)! A truly remarkable idea!

Wall Decal: Always a fan older styles I was immediately drawn to this brilliant green wall decal of a vintage dress form by WillowCreekSigns. Once we've moved in to our new house and I have my own room for crafting and music (!!!) this would be an ideal decoration. It makes a statement but doesn't take up any space which is pretty great for a girl with as much stuff as me! WillowCreek makes a HUGE assortment of wall decals so if this one isn't quite your taste, you'll just have to visit their store and find one that suits you!

Hanging Planter: Just look at this! I don't think I can even explain the simple joy that this little hanging planter by MonkeysAlwaysLook brings to me! It is just so full of life!
This store is just filled to the brim with amazing finds, so be sure to check them out...

Bicycle Glasses: And they're off!...for a drink! These fun summer-time glasses by VitalHome are just too cute to pass up! I imagine filling them with homemade lemonade and then carrying them out to my friends on our new porch as the sun begins to set in the distance! These glasses are also available in an assortment of colors.

Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

Even if I can't quite afford to run out and buy all of my favorite things, they can certainly act as the inspiration for what we make of our new little house! Lots of color, life and love! I'll leave you with a simple picture of our new humble abode. I will certainly be posting more as we start to work on it!

~Gracie

The Green Dress

...shortly after the winter holidays i had mentioned that i would show you a few pictures of the green dress i made alongside Katherine Penfold over the holidays. well, here it is!




...we had about 1 week to complete the dress so that katherine could wear it to a performance, she's a singer like i had mentioned before. i have not had many opportunities to make clothing and was a little nervous but thought it would be a fun project, especially with help. then katherine mentioned she'd rather not use a pattern because that's the way she always goes about making all her dresses!



...we were heavily inspired by a dress worn by Keira Knightley in the movie Atonement. we lucked out with the fabric, finding a very low priced source in vancouver, where we were at the time.



...we also had a lot of help from Holly, my mother-in-law whose help was paramount in the design and construction of this garment. hopefully katherine will be able to wear this dress a few more times.



photos by Lucas Starbuck

~monica

Small Pleasures

...sometimes just the simplest things can bring about a sense of joy and calm relaxation.

...today my small pleasure is a $5.00 bouquet of pink ranunculus . i don't even have a proper vase but i like the quaint look of this jar, the lace ribbon complements of grace.




...a smile spirals and swells from deep within, a long and cooling breath of fresh air, just close your eyes and feel the sun wash over your face.

...p.s. i heard somebody just bought her first house, hopefully she'll tell us all about it!

~monica

First Sign of Spring!

....i'm so happy and i don't mean to rub it into grace's face, but it really is spring here. ooops, shhh... hopefully i didn't jinx it.

...i went for a walk yesterday and saw flowers! i wore capris and a 3/4 sleeve length jacket. today it's supposed to go up to 22 degrees celsius.

...i heard it's going to snow in winnipeg. sorry you can't be here with me grace... :)



~monica

my trip to quebec city

...what a busy couple of weeks I've had! sorry you haven't heard from me in a while and thanks to grace for keeping up with our petite blog. i went to Quebec city with my mom in early to mid february. what a beautiful city, i had never been! i ate a few yummy crepes, practiced my français a bit and saw a lot of snow. glad i wore my winter boots since there's no need for them here in boston... hope you enjoy a few highlights of my winter get-away.

...we stayed in the heart of old quebec city at le château frontenac which overlooked the st. lawrence river.

...we explored old quebec city a lot on the first day with its narrow roads and old stone buildings. we even went on a horse drawn carriage ride!










...we saw a haute couture exhibit with pieces ranging from 1947-1957 and it was fabulous! dior, givenchy, chanel, oh my! (i wasn't allowed to take pictures...)



...ate in some cool restaurants




...and had a few bol de café



...and one of the most interesting things was visiting an ice hotel. we weren't adventurous enough, but some people actually do spend the night! plus i got to roll up *and eat* hot maple syrup on snow, a winter tradition.
















~monica