Welcome to Gems & Geodes

An information hotspot for those seeking handy tips and sources for inspiration.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Mug Shot

Recently I was asked whether all of my coffee/tea mugs were a matching set, and after looking at my collection and much to my surprise (and horror) they all are!  I couldn't believe how unbelievably boring my mug selection was - plain white tapered mugs.  Although they are very cute in their design, they are all very much the same.  This is something that I'm going to have to rectify and quick!  The mis-matched/eclectic look is trending right now and in my opinion is much more fun than complete sets of identical mugs - as in my case.  Matching sets are good for large groups in which you want your pieces to have a cohesive and flawless appearance, but for day-to-day and for when the girls come over on a Sunday afternoon for coffee/tea is a fun and relaxed way to share the moment by displaying a collection of your best/cutest/funkiest mugs.

There are so many adorable, funky, sweet options out there for coffee/tea mugs that I could not resist showing off a few to help inspire you on your next trip to your local shop to pick up a few of these mugs.

















How amazing are those!  This has inspired me on the eve of the long weekend to go out and pick up some of these really fun and colourful mugs to add to my collection - see you later boring white mugs!

Happy Shopping!

Courtesy of:
Anthropologie
Crate and Barrel
Pier 1
West Elm
Viva Terra
Ten Thousand Villages

Monday, August 20, 2012

Quit Bugging Me!

More and more I've been seeing a trend in fashion and home decor aimed toward the entomologist in all of us.  The insect trend has really taken off lately and you can find these buggy creatures in everything from jewelry and clothing, to home decor and serving ware.  In all honesty I am terribly afraid of these living creatures but am strangely drawn to them in their inanimate state.  I've collected some items to entice you to start your very own love-affair with these buggy creatures:

Fashion and Jewelry
Ceramic Beetles
Home Decor

There is a whole world of items out there so why not pick up on this trend and start collecting these adorable creepy-crawlies to call your very own!

Happy Shopping

Courtesy of:
Surface View
Anthropologie
Foxy Originals

Monday, August 6, 2012

Area Rugs as Art

Most of us when thinking about art think of paintings, sculptures, photographs, etc. but rarely do we think about area rugs as art pieces - after all they'll be trampled on time-and-time again!  But area rugs can in fact add not only an architectural edge to your room, but they can also inject colour, texture, imagery, and emotion - the same way art pieces in your home already do.  You can hang rugs on your walls (typically called tapestries) but why look at it up high when you can appreciate it right under foot.  Area rugs can really pull a room together and it is also an easy way to pick up on colours to coordinate your space with - which you'll want to do anyway.  If you have an area rug that you love, but can't seem to make it work or have seen one that catches your eye but thought "that's never going to look good in my space" you couldn't be more wrong!  In fact I challenge you to think outside the wall-to-wall carpet/hardwood and conjure up that artist within to be bold and daring with a beautiful area rug to make your space sing.  I've put together rugs based on colour and style to help inspire you:


Blue Tone Area Rugs
Blue + Brown Tone Area Rugs



Colourful + Patterned Area Rugs

Neutral + Black Tone Area Rugs
Red Tone Area Rugs

How amazing are those area rugs!  It was really hard to choose only a few to sample for you but these give you a really good idea about how to see area rugs as works of art.  I've selected area rugs that are playful + fun, linear + architectural, floral + romantic and brightly coloured to neutral and any one of them (or more) can be wonderful additions to your home.  Don't be afraid to add a bit of daring into your area rug selection, you can really work it in as long as you accessorize and select your furniture to coordinate with the colour(s) in the rug you really can't go wrong!

Happy Shopping!

Courtesy of: