Summer Obsessions: Tina Holmes' Seasonal Favourites for the Home + Garden

Summer's here, so it's the perfect time for outdoor living. Embrace your space! With plenty of sunshine to soak up, patio parties to attend and time to relax, this is the season! Here's a few of our summer obsessions from Tina Holmes, Toronto Show Manager. Whether you’re looking for a fresh summer salad, a pop of colour, or to brighten up your garden, add some sunshine to your home and garden.

Fresh Flowers

Image via Love My Simple Home

When the days are longer and the air is warm, throw open your windows and enjoy the days of summer. Bring the fresh look of summer into your home. Add fresh flowers and plants to any room, from your bedroom, living room and even the guest room. Enjoy colourful, cheery, summery bright colours. Live with what you love!

Chair Crush

Image via Tina Holmes (@tinalovespino Instagram)

Ah, the Acapulco chair. So colourful and summery. Sitting pretty, spotted at Green Light District (Roncesvalles) new outdoor space. Perfect for creating a simple little outdoor space, the Acapulco lounge chair is available in fun bright colours.  

Brighten up the Garden

Image via Colin & Justin Instagram

Brighten up the garden and even the patio. Bring in some fun bright colour accessories! I fell in love with these Colin & Justin home watering cans.   

Summertime = DIY Time 

Image via My Painted Door

Upcycling continues to be contagious with the ease of the summer months. There are so many great upcycle ideas and inspirations out there. 

Upcycling has been done for years, but it's only with the recent do-it-yourself movement that it earned a title. It's like recycling, but the goal is making the item even better than it was before. It was love at first sight with these Mason Jars painted with Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in boxwood and curio and torn napkins added to cover part of the jars.

A favourite summer retail therapy stop is a Restore, that inspires the DIY in all of us - you'll never know what you'll find.  

Summer Salad: Yellow Couscous Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Image via Healthy Recipe Ecstasy

Simple and easy summer salad. The perfect recipe for your couscous obsession: yellow couscous salad with pomegranate dressing. Couscous readily absorbs the flavours of the ingredients that are added to it, so what better way to celebrate summer flavours than with mint and pomegranate. 

Click here for the recipe.

Did you know that couscous is not a grain at all, but made from semolina (the hard grains left after milling durum wheat) that's combined with flour, salt and water (and sometimes roasted) to form tiny, pasta-like pellets?

Flavoured Ice Cubes

Image via Spoon Fork Bacon

With outdoor entertaining in full swing, it’s all about serving cool, refreshing drinks on a hot day. Super cool! Fresh fruit obsession, a perfect addition to summer. The summer season brings us lots of local fresh fruit from local farmers markets and culinary adventures. Fruit frozen into ice cubes livens up your simple summer drinks.

Summer Season Craving

Image via Food Network

Chef Corbin's Smoked Bacon Wrapped Corn on the Cob with chili & fresh lime. Summer is a perfect season to enjoy our local fare, and Ontario Corn is one of the best of Ontario Summers. For the recipe click here.

Outdoor Living

Image via ElleDecor

During the summer your most coveted space is outdoors. Brighten your backyard for those warm summer nights. Enjoy outdoor living long after dark with these illuminating ideas from white lights, patio lanterns and summer loving candlelight. 

Summer Songs

Songza is the new tunes obsession for summer. Great tunes streaming from curated lists, perfect for the home, vacation and cottage too. Make your summer patio parties, barbecues, and rooftop shindigs bigger and better with Songza. Songza is 100% free, with no audio ads, all you need is a wifi connection. A fun Summer Playlist is 'Summer Escapades' curated by Train. These bouncy beats and sweet melodies will get you excited for summer adventures with friends and family.

 

Special thanks to Toronto Show Manager Tina Holmes a.k.a. @TinaLovesPinot, for  sharing her Summer Obsessions!

Enjoy your summer! 

Toronto Home Shows "We've got you covered"

Toronto Fall Home Show (Sept 18-21, 2014)
GTA Home & Reno Show (Feb 13-16, 2015)
National Home Show (March 12 -22, 2015)

Read More

Celebrate Mom With Gifts From The Heart & For The Home!

It's time to celebrate

From Tina Holmes, Toronto Show Manager:

Don't forget it's Mother's Day on May 11th. I recon your mom will be chuffed to bits with any of these gifts from our Home Show Friends.  Treat your mum to something special this Mother's Day with some of my picks - gifts from the heart and for the home.

Pretty Organized

The Boho Dress Scarf Holder by Umbra features 16 rings on which to hang your scarf collection. Hang in the closet or on a wall or door hook for easy scarf access! 

Picture This!

 

Prisma Frames.  A beautiful photograph or a sentimental photograph is always a good choice and what better way than to show them off with theses glorious gold Prisma Frames.  I have a crush on these new stylish photo frames from Umbra.  In Matte Brass wire, a photo floats between two panes of glass.  The Frames can alternately sit on a table, desk or can be hung on the wall. Three sizes available, 4 x 4, 4x6 and 5 x 7. 

A Bit of Bling!

Colourful Triangle Necklace  A statement piece from Muizee that would make a very special gift for the stylish mom.  The colourful bunting adds pops of colour on the gold box chain. The perfect combination of colours will bring out the best in any outfit.  17.5" length with a 2.5" adjustable extension and lobster claw closure.  High quality gold alloy, handmade and nickel free metal.

Turquoise LOVE

Show the love! A beautiful Turquoise bracelet from Dainty by LouLou Beads.  You can dress it up but it's still casual enough to wear every day.  Metal: Sterling Silver  Beaded With Turquoise.  Available Lengths: 6", 7", 8"

Breakfast in Bed

Breakfast Tray.  Start Mother's day off right with a stylish breakfast tray piled high with goodness.  Moms deserve breakfast in bed, plan the perfect breakfast in bed with this stylish Breakfast Tray from casalife .  This white lacquer with black trim has a handle on style.  Casalife with it's now three locations in Toronto make it easy to shop for the perfect piece of furniture or home accessory to make your house a home.

I Heart Mum
 to larger f

Heart Shaped Candle Holders.  These charming, heart-shaped tea light candleholders are a perfect way to say I love you.  Perfect for any room, each  hand crafted stone candleholder has a distinct blend of stunning colors and unique pattern. Group all six heart-shaped candleholders together to create to a more pronounced look.  Artemano  now has a location in Toronto and a makes a great shopping trip with Mom!

The Healthy Option 

Vitamix S30

Surprise her this Mother's Day with a gift from Vitamix. Because every mom wants to shower the world with more delicious fruits and vegetables.  Meet the S30.  For the first time, high performance gets personal.  This blender creates healthy options for every meal, every day.  Designed for life,  no matter where life takes you or who's along for the ride, a Vitamix personal blender makes healthy options quick, easy, and portable.

Decor to Adore... a perfect pretty Tablesetting 

GTA Home Show Tablescape by We Create Hoopla Featuring Etsy

Pillow, StudioLiscious, Etsy

We featured Tablescapes at our GTA Home Show, which featured this pretty Tablescape designed by We Create Hoopla featuring Etsy.  With Mother's day in May, Spring is in the Air and what better way than to celebrate with a perfect pretty table setting. Bright florals and succulents mixed with the simple white ceramic dishes, to the pastel pink ombre napkins makes a lovely table.  The simple details like the gold cutlery to the Rose Pillow would be mother approved.  All of the products were sourced local so everything on the table was from Canadian Etsy sellers.

For more information on this pretty Tablescape check out the We Create Hoopla blog.  Also for convenience, visit the their product resource guide on their Etsy Page 

Framing Magic

Mother's day is an opportunity to give a gift from the heart.  If you  are a DIY enthusiast then you will love our new found love with Wordle.  Worlde is a toy for generating 'word clouds'.  You can customize your clouds with different fonts, layouts and colour schemes.  Best of all, you can create your own mother inspired works of art.  Easy as 1,2,3.... Create, frame, add a bow and you're good to go. For more information and a simple tutorial click here.

For the Love of Cooking

Does your mum love cooking?  Celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford recently made a guest appearance at our GTA Home Show and also showcased her cook book  'At Home with Lynn Crawford, 200 of My Favourite Easy Recipes'.  The cookbook  is packed with fabulous recipes and plenty of inspiring photos with each recipe looking oh-so delicious makes it a great gift for Mom.  The only thing better than getting a copy for Mother’s Day would be making something from the book ahead of time and giving your mom a delicious surprise.

At Home with Lynn Crawford: 200 of my Favourite Easy Recipes Book Cover

The best present you can give is a big hug and smile and spend Mother's day with your Mom and family. 

Mother's Day is a perfect day to celebrate your Mom.

________________________________________________________

Special thanks to Toronto Show Manager Tina Holmes a.k.a. @TinaLovesPinot, for  sharing her favourite Mother's Day finds with us!

Read More

You Decorate: Which piece of art fits best?

Today we're asking you to decorate the space above the bed. In you opinion what fits in this rustic, elegant yellow space?

Our choice... 

C was the right choice for us! The subtle colors of this rose painting work well against the bold, yellow shades.  This room was recently featuring in our Dream Home and Toronto's National Home Show. For more fun bedroom ideas, check out our 'Bedrooms' Pinterest board here and below! 

Read More

National Home Show: Getting the real dirt on Frankie 'Flowers' Ferragine

This spring, consider paying a bit more attention to your garden! We've got the perfect person to get you started, Frank Ferragine, aka Frankie Flowers! Frank Ferragine reaches over 1 million Canadians each week as the gardening expert for BTToronto, CityLine and City TV News. He is also a columnist for Canadian Gardening, the Toronto Sun, Chatelaine and Walmart’s LiveBetter magazine. Frank has authored three bestselling gardening books, Get Growing, Pot it Up! and his newest, Power Plants, on sale everywhere this March! 

Catch Frank's fresh take March 22 and 23 on the Main Stage at the National Home Show! Check out Show Manager Tina Holmes' interview with him below...

Where do you go for Garden inspiration! 

I find garden inspiration almost everywhere, it could be driving down a street in Toronto during winter admiring the structure of a corkscrew hazel planted outside a small semi, or it could be travelling to Arizona in fall to learn about better ways to conserve water when gardening, I love scanning the pages of Houzz online to look at unique and interesting concepts in landscapes many done by local members of Landscape Ontario but most of my inspiration comes from within the greenhouses of my family business Bradford Greenhouses where we always got something growing!!

What  gardening trend or item are you presenting this season?  

Power Plants: How to grow your own health!

The 49 best plants you can grow and find in your own garden to supercharge your health.

With your new book launch in March "Power Plants " you bring to life Natural remedies and how we can harness the powerful healing of plants.  Out of the forty-nine Power plants -- which is your favourite? My favorite and easiest to grow is Aloe Vera, indoors during the winter outdoors in a container anyone can and should grow Aloe it can be used for topical burns and have you seen the growth in Aloe drinks in the market..the reason it’s wonderful when ingested for overall health!!

What’s happening in gardening / trends for the upcoming 2014 season: 

So many things going on in the world of gardening and landscape for 2014, Growing your own veggies, herbs and fruits continues to surge with the development of unique varieties including dwarf pixie grapes, grafted tomato plants (bringing you earlier, and great yields of tomatoes), and of course the popularity of plants that help improve your health (kind of like your garden is almost an outdoor pharmacy for health!).  Blue is big in the garden for 2014 and not just any blue “facebook” blue you will see this in brightly coloured blue pots, patio chair cushions, umbrellas and thru the use of plants like delphiniums, ageratum and heliotrope.  The use of fire outdoors in the landscape sparks in 2014 with gas fired outdoor lamps, and even small water features that spit fire out of them too!!  The overall trend is maximize outdoor enjoyment while minimizing work, the most bloom for your buck...in fact I’m testing an Easy by Frankie line of annual plants with a major Canadian retailing in 2014...I do the work of choosing and selecting the best varieties all you have to do is plant them in the right location and presto...a blooming great garden!

If you could wave a magic wand over the gardens of Ontario what would you change? 

Pride of homeownership!!  It doesn’t take a lot to have a well maintained outdoor environment.  This isn’t just gardens it is the front door out!!  People focus on their bathrooms and kitchens but often leave budgets for outdoor landscapes last.  Your landscape is your first and last impression and feeling you’ll get when leaving and arriving at home.  A little effort goes a long way in landscaping!!

What advice have you got for aspiring new gardeners:  

Start small, ask questions and have a budget.  We've all been new gardens at some point in our life, we've all killed plants.  The key is to take some time, get to know your needs, then figure out your soil type and amount of sun your receive and finally select plants that fit your needs and your location.  I created my first book “Get Growing” by Frankie Flowers as a guide for new gardeners.  I would totally selfishly (LOL) recommend it!!

What is the most common question you receive? 

How do you get rid of dandelions in the lawn!

What’s your personal mantra? Live life in colour and live life outdoors!

What is your favourite part about our Home Shows and Canada Blooms!  The people, the ideas, the hope for spring and the buzz of activity!!

What is your gardening pet peeve? Dead plants left in a garden!!

What is your favourite garden-related phone app? Houzz ...just for inspiration!!

What songs are on repeat on your iPod?  

Stevie Wonder “Sir Duke”, Earth Wind and Fire “September”, Boys II Men “Mowtown Philly”,  Drake “We Started from the Bottom”, and many more!

_____________________________________________________________


Don't miss Frank Ferragine March 22 & 23 LIVE on the National Home Show Main Stage! 

Special thanks to Show Manager Tina Holmes a.k.a. @TinaLovesPinot, for sitting down with Frankie Flowers and getting the dirt!

Read More

The ABC's of the National Home Show: Real Advice, Real Inspiration & Real Experts!

The 2014 National Home Show is on right now! Offering you inspiration for your home and landscaping projects.  With over 750 exhibitors showcasing their best and newest products and services - you won't want to miss all the great opportunities our show has to offer you and your home.
___________________________________________________________

To get you excited about the show, Show Manager Tina Holmes has done an alphabetical rundown of what to see. Check out the excitement below...

• Appliances.  See the latest in Home Appliances.  From new technology in the kitchen to luxury laundry. 

• Bathrooms. Whether you're renovating or just need some inspiration for your bathroom, there's lots of bathroom experts and new products all under this roof.

• Canada Builds.  The 2014 Dream Home at the National Home Show designed and built by the Canada Builds Company. This year's home embodies the warmth and charm of small town Ontario with the creative touches to support today's active lifestyles. 

• Design!  Green Design.   Humber College presents this one-of-a-kind exhibit that will take visitors on an inspiring journey through the challenges of building green and will be presented in a market like setting featuring interactive multimedia environment aimed at a younger demographic and social relevance

• Exhibition Place, The Direct Energy Centre.  Come on down, free parking after 4 pm and easy access to the TTC and GO!

• Favourite Finds.  You’ll find plenty of innovative products and great home solutions to inspire a wide array of projects for your home. Find the latest ideas and hot new products like the Umbra Whiz Wisk (pictured left) in my Favourite Finds. 

• Gardens Galore!  National Home Show is co-located with Canada Blooms. 1 Ticket, 2 great events.  Canada Blooms, the flower and garden festival.  This year  the festival  theme is  Wild!  The sights, sounds and scents of the gardens, installations and fl oral displays will waken your senses from winter. 

• HGTV celebrity, Bryan Baeumler.  Join Bryan at the show as he discusses how to save your home from yourself!  Live at the show, March 23rd at 2pm. 

• Ireland.  Don’t miss your chance to win an amazing trip to for four people to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way at this year’s Canada Blooms.  Visit the Wild Atlantic Way Garden for details. 

• Jackie Morra brings to life Urban Living.  You'll find big ideas and contemporary design ideas  for small spaces in this 900 square foot modern space.   Good things come in small packages.

• Kevin Durkee, The Big Cheese of Cheesewerks.  see his popular recipe for Cheddar + Ale Soup come to life.  Delicious and so easy to make and easy to impress your guests.

• Live with what you love!  I have a chair crush on the luxe chair and half by Casalife.  Craving this in Shimmer Chocolate leather. Luscious and luxe!  

• Meet & Eat with culinary masters.  Join Cheesweks' Big Cheese Kevin Durkee as he welcomes View the Vibe.  Kevin and  Nicki will dish on all the secrets behind the best foodie and drink spots in Toronto. Listen, learn and taste.  Plus Meet + Eat with Chef Scott behind The Culinary Adventure Company. 

• North America's largest home and garden show, featuring 2 events, over 750 Exhibitors, over 45 celebrity and industry experts and gardens galore.

• Outdoor Living goes inside out, thanks to the ultra-modern CasaBubble, the newest design trend taking European gardens and outdoor spaces.  In a flash, the GrandLodge turns into a mini apartment in the wilds!

• Parking.  FREE parking after 4 pm Monday to Friday!

• Questions?  Get your Renovation Questions answered.  Free renovation advice by appointment, bring your plans and questions and  visit  Destination Renovation Booth #1916.    

• Re/max presents Get Curbalicious.  Stop by and enter the Get Curbalicious Contest for your chance to win a landscape makeover valued at over $15,000 courtesy of Landscape Ontario & RE/MAX. 

• Sip and Savor.  Enjoy free sampling from our friends at The Wine & Spirits Experience.  Visit them around the Dream Home featuring Molson Cider and Mill Street Brewery. 

• Toyota Ride & Drive.  Buckle your seat belts and put the pedal to the metal!  Plus stop by the Toyota booth for a chance to win a brand new 2014 Corolla S - now that’s a set of keys we wouldn't mind having in our pocket!  

• Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV, featuring celebrity and industry home and garden experts.  Get great advice, tips and tricks from the pros like Gardening Guru Frank Ferragine, Income Property behind the Scenes with Melissa Davis & Tim Sellars, 1 Boring Room 3 Looks with Designers Glen Peloso and  Jamie Alexander and more...  For the schedule click here.

• Vitamix Idea Stage presented by Reno & Decor.  Featuring local experts from culinary masters, Designer Advice, Quick & Easy Gardening and a guest appearance by Jim Caruk.  For schedule click here.

• What's your Design Dilemma?  This is your chance for a free one-on one,  15-minute consultation with designers and experts who will offer advice on how to tackle your next project.  Don't forget to bring your plans and your colour swatches.

• X marks the spot!  The Style Spots.  Celebrated designers Glen Peloso & Jamie Alexander of Peloso Alexander Interiors bring Style Spots to life at his year's National Home Show.  So much inspiration and great ideas featuring Designer Inspired Interiors. 

• Yamaha Canada Music.  Check out the amazing Silent + Hybrid Pianos. Plus win a year of free lessons!

• Zen Rock.  So many great new products.  The Zen Rock by Scentsy.  The new  Zen Rock, element warmer, Inspired by tranquil spa rocks  Element warmers use a heating element to safely warm fragrant wax without illumination.

___________________________________________________________

From A to Z there's plenty to see at our 2014 National Home Show, it's not too late to plan your visit and be inspired for spring.  Special thanks to Show Manager Tina Homes, a.k.a. @TinaLovesPinot for alphabetically listing her home show must-sees! 

Read More

Secret Bedroom Staging Tips from RE/MAX

We’re thrilled to have RE/MAX as the official sponsor of both the National Home Show in Toronto and the Ottawa Home + Garden Show. In Toronto and Ottawa our goal is always to bring together the very best products, services and experts for you to discover. This is why we’re teaming up with RE/MAX; a well-respected brand that has perfected the process of buying and selling Canadian homes. 

5 Secret Bedroom Staging Tips
Presented by RE/MAX

While many of you may know the traditional staging tips, de-clutter, de-personlize, and paint.  Today, RE/MAX is letting you in on a few of their simple and sacred secrets.  

1. Window Treatments

One of the selling features of a bedroom is always the view.  If you have a nice view in the bedroom, showcase it by dusting and steaming the curtains or blinds before opening them.  If your bedroom is in need of window treatments, consult with your RE/MAX agent to find the clean and simple pieces that will frame the windows nicely.  

2. Laundry & Closets

We shouldn't have to tell you to pick up your dirty laundry, but in case you forget, be sure to place all laundry baskets in the closet as you are showing your home.  If you have a full closet, purge some of your clothes to optimize space, this will demonstrate the potential storage available. 

3. Refreshed Linens

While you may like your bright or patterned sheets and comforter, crisp white or solid-coloured linens are always best for showcasing a space.  Don't distract the eyes of potential buyers, minimize the amount of pillows you place on your bed and be sure to you're sheets are fresh for every showing. 

4. Candles & Scents 

A fresh, nice smelling space is always appealing.  Without adding too much clutter, add some scented candles, flowers, or potpourri to your room.  Be sure the candles are not too overpowering, try to keep the smell subtle and sweet.

5. Use Symmetry 

Having a symmetrical bedroom is particularly helpful in a master bedroom, where couples usually shop for a fairly equal amount of space.  Having similar sized pieces on either side of the bed is always a great way to showcase a room's potential.  

____________________________________________

Looking for real estate help?  

Whether you're buying, selling or renovating - or just exploring your options - RE/MAX is the one to call on for professional advice.  RE/MAX agents will provide guidance through the home buying process and meet the needs of sellers to maximize their sales price and minimize their on-market time.  Visit them at either Ontario home show and enter either the Get Curbalicious with RE/MAX contest or for a chance to win a $15,000.00 landscaping package.  

Check out www.remax.ca today for local listings and information. 

Read More