Basement Gallery Wall, Check!

Summer vacations and activities have been fun and keeping us busy, but I was really itching to be back to blog about decor and styling. I am such a decor adrenaline junkie. As I was running out of major reno projects to work on, I started to procrastinate. This gallery wall over my fauxdenza in the basement hallway looks simple and straightforward enough, but it took me five months to complete! It was challenging finding the right artworks that are cohesive to a mid-century modern theme. 

These two prints from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice pushed me over the finishing line. On the left is the print of Rene Magritte's Empire of Light; and on the right Alberto Giacometti's Woman Walking. 

I played with different layouts on the floor until I found the most visually-balanced option. 

The rest was all math, a lot of measuring and hammering. 

While I was sorting out the artworks for the gallery, I also found an old acrylic painting of mine, a reproduction of Monet's Agapanthus. While the colours and style didn't work for the gallery wall, on a whim I had it framed anyways. 

Luckily I was able to find a spot in our kitchen dining room for it. I like the touch of colours it adds to the space. 

I had shared this picture on my Instagram last week, the black white and gold theme I had on my coffee table in the living room. I had an orchid plant there for the longest time, but it wasn't doing too well because there's not enough sunlight reaching the middle of my living room. Once I relocated the orchid, I was in desperate need of adding variations of heights to my tablescape. Then by chance I saw these vintage brass candlesticks right next to my TV, adorned them with plain white stick candles, and done! I really should try to shop at home more. :) 

I will be back to write about our trip to Dubrovnik in the next post. 

Homemade Cherry Preserves

It finally feels like summer outside. I don't know about you but this year I am not having much luck with summer fruits. Cherries are one of my favourites, but this year they are not quite as sweet for enjoyment. A little tartness in cherries however makes them perfect for homemade jam/preserves. 

This is the recipe I used which makes 6 x 250 ml jars of jam. It's based on a BC Cherry Jam recipe on allrecipes.com. 

• 4.5 cups of pitted, chopped fresh cherries.
• 170 g powdered fruit pectin.
• 185 ml unsweetened apple juice.
• 15 ml lemon juice.
• 3 cups of white sugar.

The pitting and chopping was the most tedious and time-consuming part. Once you get past that, you will find this jam-making recipe quite easy and fun. 

Place fresh cherries, apple juice, lemon juice and powdered pectin in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, then add in sugar. 

I started sterilizing the jars and lids in boiling water while cooking the cherry mixture, for 5 minutes. 

Cook the jam at a rolling boil for 2 minutes or longer, stirring constantly. Stop cooking when you see solid chopped cherries gradually disappearing, and the jam achieving a more consistent texture. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

Pack the cherry jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.

Remove the jars and let cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight - you may hear a popping sound when the lid squeezes out the air bubble inside the jars. Store them in a cool and dark place and enjoy them throughout the winter. Remember to always store an opened jar in fridge. 

It's so delicious that Anthony and I have been eating it out of the jar! Our party guests were fighting over who got to bring one home. :)

Venice, Italy

We love the Mediterranean. We love the food, the weather, the lifestyle, and the people, pretty much everything about it. So every other year we would take a two-week vacation in the area, usually in early June before the temperature soars and the cities are packed with tourists. 

This year we started from Venice, then worked our way along the Adriatic and Aegean coasts. Venice is busy anytime of the year. As much as it's a very photogenic city, it's also small and very touristy. So we sampled a few key points of interest that are considered as must-sees, then quickly made our way out of the main Venice island to other smaller surrounding islands, where I believe you would get the best Venice experience. 

While in Venice, I would suggest spending a couple of hours at the Caffe Florian right on the Piazza San Marco people-watching. We took our afternoon breaks there, and I loved their food and desserts. Note you would be paying for the live music (they spelled that out in your bill) but it's totally worthwhile. We found a little bit downtime there from all the bustling scenes. 

Piazza San Marco at dusk, the best time to take pictures of the square in my opinion. 

We also lined up to climb the Campanile (bell tower) at Piazza San Marco for a panoramic view of the city.  

This is the view of the San Giorgio Maggiore Island from the Campanile. 

Another unique and interesting spot I would suggest you see inside Venice is the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, a small palace well-known for its external spiral staircase. It's not as grandeur and intricate as the Palazzo Ducale; rather, it has a more rustic mixture of the Renaissance, Venetian Gothic and Byzantine styles. Getting there was very challenging as you could easily miss the turn (and multiple times) into the narrow alleyway where the palace is, but once you get there you'd totally love it. 

Of course you can't miss the Bridge of Sighs. We walked by the iconic Rialto Bridge so many times but I never had the urge to take pictures of it. 

If we have 2-3 hours to spare, I would strongly recommend the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery. You are going to find a lot more amazing shots of the Grand Canal en route to the museum. 

This was our Grand Canal view from the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery. 

Cafe inside the gallery. 

The famous Marini’s “Angel of The City” sculpture by the gallery entrance in front of the elaborate wrought iron gates. 

As I mentioned earlier in the post, we preferred to spend more time outside of the main city, so we took day trips to the Island of Murano and Burano. 

The Simone Cenedese 'Comet Glass Star' sculpture.

When we were in Murano, we took our time strolling down the boutique-lined streets. The most coveted Murano chandelier lights are everywhere but having them shipped all the way back to North America can be a daunting task. Most of these boutiques would charge an arm and a leg for shipping, insurance and broker fees, which makes you wonder whether it makes more sense to try our luck on local classified or at consignment stores instead. 

You can't miss the colourful homes-lined Burano island. 

Each house is painted in a different colour which needs to be approved by the municipal government. No two houses in a row should be painted in the same colour. 

I will be back to write about our next stop which was my favourite from this trip, Dubrovnik, Croatia. 

Our Trip to the Adriatic, Aegean and Mediterranean

I am sure you've seen the feeds on my Instagram about my trip in the Mediterranean. I am back now from our two-week vacation in the Adriatic and Aegean, and just want to put up a quick post with a few highlights. I will be back in a bit to write about each country/city we've been to this time. 

This is the King's Landing, the otherworldly Dalmatian coast in Dubrovnik, Croatia. 

The picturesque Venice, view of the Grand Canal from the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. 

Burano.

Murano.

Split, Croatia.

Acropolis, Athens, Greece. 

Ephesus, Turkey.

While we were away, our Limelight Hydrangeas wasted no time and are now taller than the fence. Looks like my poor man's stakes worked. I can't wait for them to start blooming. It's going to be epic!