A while ago I did a Q & A post, and every few weeks I’m answering some of the questions you guys asked :)

Now that its been a year, how are your wallpapered cupboards holding up? Do the wash well? Any tips or tircks? I love the idea for my own kitchen, which has the same fugly melamine cabinets. from Paige

Back story: Last year I did a fast, cheap & pretty little makeover on my kitchen cabinets that was featured on Design*Sponge, and part of it involved wallpapering over our basic melamine cabinets (see it here).

One year later it’s holding up up great, but I do have a couple of tips. I waited a long time to seal them, and in that time a couple started to peel back at the corners. I re-did those panels, and when they dried I mod podged them, and since then they’ve been perfect. They wash well & while it means I’ve committed us to them, it’s such a cute feature of the kitchen that I can’t imagine them another way.

Cheesy maybe, but, what’s your favorite movie? from Lisa

Hands down, the original Grey Gardens documentary. It’s such a beautiful portrait of not just Big Edie & Little Edie, but also of aging women and those weird and fantastic family relationships. I love Little Edie’s fashion sense (big surprise!) and her spirit. It’s all so delicately handled and crazy, if you haven’t seen it I would really recommend it.

What are your quirkiest habits and how do they mesh with your husband’s? from Her New Deal

My quirkiest habits all come from how right brained I am. I’m awesome at spatial things, going by instinct & inventing solutions to problems, but I lose my car in a parking lot & have trouble remembering things without writing them down. And I’m thoroughly silly. I’m always coming up with word games and rhyming things, and bouncing crazy ideas off of Mister.

Mister is my polar opposite in terms of how I approach things. He’s playful and relaxed, but he’s still very black and white, logical, and linear. He’s good at things that require lots of math or memory, and that get done fast. It makes us a great team, we balance out :)

I love how open and honest you are in your posts, but do you ever struggle with how much to share on your blog? How do you decide what to share? Any advice for how to be open without feeling like you’re sharing too much? from Caiti

I think the line is different for everyone, but for me it comes down to walking the line between what’s personal versus what’s private. For me, personal things are what I’m doing, my reactions to things in my life, my plans, projects & inspiration. Anything that I get a “Oh I have to tell this to a friend!” feeling about. Private things are the intricacies of my marriage & family, and my friendships.

Mostly, I decide what to share based on what story I’m telling. If I have a post written but have a ”Hm, I don’t know…” or “I hope _____ doesn’t read this” feeling, to me that’s a marker of a weak story or something that would be better for an e-mail to a friend. I want this to be a space that’s fun, inspiring & that draws people in – anything that doesn’t hit that mark doesn’t get published, because it’s probably not that interesting in the grand scheme of things! :)

Even though your hair is super cute short do you ever think about growing it out and wearing it long? from Iris Ashley

Actually, I’m currently growing it out! I’m posting a picture a week here & I’m aiming for a sleek (much less thick) bob. As for growing it out really long, I feel like it makes me look really young. Maybe in a while, but for now I’m sticking with shoulder length & above.

Need more answers? Find volume one here

There’s nothing more addictive for me than learning a new skill, for me the hardest thing is choosing what I’m going to learn! I love knitting, but over the past year I’ve kept thinking “I should learn to crochet”, so I do the smart thing:

1. Buy a crochet hook when I’m wandering the craft store and feeling ambitious.

2. Put it away when I get home.

3. Repeat four months later.

As a result I have a small pile of crochet hooks, and all I could use them for was eating sushi.

Thankfully a friend showed me some great online tutorials for two different styles of granny squares (purl bee + attic24), and I figured it out! I’m a crochet machine now, and I think I’m going to make a giant granny square blanket to celebrate. My success got me really excited, and I finished a new hot pink scarflette for the fall, and placed a new wool order with my favourite shop. I’ve got it bad, guys. Again. This fall will be very soft & very wooly!

On Saturday Mister bribed me away from crocheting long enough for us to get to mini-farmers market. We brought home armfuls of artisan bread, stinky french cheese, blackberries, jellies & new potatoes for $30 and promptly dove into it as soon as we could. After a deliciously carb-y lunch we made our way to see Inception-  which was fun, but much more straight forward than what I was expecting after all the hype about how complicated it is. I really enjoyed it, it is dark and lovely Joseph Gordon Levitt filled escapism, but Shutter Island still holds it’s place as my favourite movie this year. Have you not seen it? You need to go rent it tonight. It’s a beautifully crafted, complete mystery & gets even better after you watch it a second time.

Work on redecorating the house is starting to pick up, and next weekend we’ll (hopefully) be repainting the whole main floor & my craft room. It’s going to be a busy week of working ahead, but I can’t wait to have that next big project finished. I swear, we’re going to move the house into shabby chic territory this summer no matter what.

After a week of paperwork, meetings and running around from place to place, the weekend is my carefully guarded quiet space where I can recharge. I don’t think there’s anything better. More, please? :)

ps – This Thursday I’m posting my next dress for six months six dresses & will be featuring pictures of girls who are playing along. If you want to join in for a month or for the whole challenge grab the badge & details here :)

]]> http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/crochet-blackberries-matinee-idols/feed/ 38 http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/friday-finds-are-snappy/ http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/friday-finds-are-snappy/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:00:46 +0000 Kyla Roma http://www.kylaroma.com/?p=4527

I’m a little obsessed with photography. I can’t really talk tech with you, but I learned on film and while I love my digital camera, I’m too used to the squeaky clean digital look and instant results. When I see posts & pictures with lots of texture or a pretty vintage frame I go weak in the knees.

I got my Diana a little while ago and I still have to post my first pictures here, but I’ve recently become fixated with the idea of getting an instant photo back for it. And I want to an old fashioned SLR to play with when I’m in the mood!

I tell you, when I become independently wealthy, it’s on. For now I’ll just treat myself to Starbucks and dream… :)

Diana F+ – $99 CAD*

Lomo Smena Symbol – $99 CAD

Lomo Lubitel 166+ – $365 CAD

Fuji Instax Mini 7S – $104 CAD

*I got locked in the Canadian side of the shop & it wouldn’t let me out! These will probably be cheaper for  you :)

I love the etiquette notes and vintage ads the best.

Relationship Advice from the 1930s:

“Above all, do not run off and tell anyone about a difference of opinion between you and your husband – do not take it seriously. Don’t forget to smile. Kindness, patience, good temper, and good sense will always win and they build that trust and love that endures when everything else passes away. Avoid the first quarrel. Don’t have it. Do not quarrel. Stay away from it, he means well and so do you.”

It’s packed full of recipes for drinks, doughnuts and five course meals. There’s a guide on how to tell what kind of man your husband is, instructions on how to manage your household budget, and charts on how much sunshine your baby should get in a day.

I love flipping through it, but all I can say is thank goodness for the internet age. I don’t think I’d last an afternoon in this world ;)

There’s something about the summer that just bubbles over, and when festival season starts you know that sweet time you’ve waited for all year is finally here. From folk music to theatre, food, and culture July and August can leave you breathless in the best way.

This past week was crazy- I almost finished a new hot pink cowl with the help of my new friends at knitting night, Mister was away on business which made for an interesting juggling of chores and puppies and work, and all of my friends who moved away in the past few years were back in town and catching up over wine on my deck. It was one of those weeks where by the start of the weekend I was ready to curl up and sleep for days… only who can sleep when there’s a theatre festival on??

I collected Mister from the airport and we headed downtown to wander through the endless pop-up shops while bumping into old theatre friends, and eating the most delicious cake (called cakettes) that I’ve ever had in my life from a shop called Cakeology. The graffiti outside the shop doesn’t do it justice at all – it needs at least a hundred more yum’s.

This weekend was a reminder of what makes life really delicious: old and new friends, cheap & tasty Indian food, and reuniting with the people who know you best.

Oh, and cake for breakfast when you need it :)

]]> http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/the-delicious-kind/feed/ 35 http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/friday-finds-are-ice-cube-ready/ http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/friday-finds-are-ice-cube-ready/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:00:13 +0000 Kyla Roma http://www.kylaroma.com/?p=4435

.

I’ve been prepping for a mini-sangria feature next week, and with  friends in from out of town I’ve had the perfect excuse to get elaborate in the drink department – but while I’ve been perfecting my recipes I came to a surprising realization… I don’t own a real old fashioned pitcher!

So when Mister suggested we pick up the sangria ingredients for more test recipes, I may have diverted us to browse an antique mall on the way to the buy wine & fruit. I haven’t found my perfect pitcher yet, but all I can say is that I don’t want to live in a world where a perfect pitcher isn’t part of a good drink recipe, I can tell you that much. :)

My ideal pitcher is a heavy glass affair that shows off your mixing abilities – and I would be happy to have any of these in my kitchen.

blue swirl depression glass pitcher from KP Dreams – $22.50

1950’s pink blendo pitcher from Zelle’s Attic – $55

beaded glass pitcher from vintage interiors – $20

turquoise faux bamboo pitcher set from Red Lips Vintage- $36

What’s a must when you have friends over?

New Rules:

- Crocheting is fun, but knitting is still on top for now

- Popsicles are a summer food group

- As summer baking that doesn’t overheat the house, tarts are now mandatory

- When Mister suggests that we rearrange all the rooms on the second floor so we have a small little bedroom and a huge giant craft room, don’t ask questions. Just go with it.

- Dream big and out loud, and smile when people don’t get it. There’s no rule that says they have to :)

What are the summer rules you’re living by?

ps – sorry for the short post, we rearranged our entire upstairs this weekend and it was a crazy job! I’ll be back soon with more :)

Thanks so much for your great questions! I realized that without meaning to I’ve definitely missed some major points- here’s the first round of answers to fill in the gaps…

Would you and Mister ever consider moving stateside? If so, to which state? from Nora &

If I’m not mistaken, Mister is from Minnesota. Would you two ever consider leaving Canada for your southern neighbor? If so, what would it take to get you here? from Nilsa

Mister is actually a dual citizen because his mom is American, but he has never lived in the US. But being a dual citizen he has a social security number and could move over at any time, and when we started dating we seriously considered moving to Minneapolis.

We really love Canada, and it would take a lot for me to leave. But the main issue with immigrating is that if we did move it wouldn’t be like I was marrying an American who was already established, we would both be starting completely from scratch. Neither of us would have a credit score, credit history, employment history, drivers record, references from previous landlords, or anything.

We have a great life here, and if we moved it would take us many years to get our feet back under us. It’s just not right for us, but I’m fascinated by the US and I love visiting every year.

Do you cuss? from Steph Anne

Yep! Maybe not as much as I used to when I was hanging out with theatre people all the time, but I tend to use the word “like” and any range of curses interchangeably a lot of the time without realizing it lol

What do you do for work? from Liz, Chanel & Skinny Dip

Up until last year I was working in entertainment marketing (music & theatre), but after working in entertainment since I was 16 I was really worn out from all the low pay and mandatory shows after long days. I decided to leave the industry  and went back to school part time and started working part time. My part time job is as an administrative assistant in the financial / insurance industry.

My day job is dry, but I have amazing flexibility. I work mornings with a (generally) really positive team of people and in the afternoons and evenings I work on my creative projects and my freelance work. It means many very long days every week but I love being busy, and I feel like I’m really in my element. I was in school all last year & I’m currently deciding what to do about my courses for the next year – I’m undecided about how they fit into my life right now that I’m not scrambling for a job & direction like I was last summer.

When I’m not at work I’m working on my dream of having my design work & (eventually) my etsy shop become my full time job. It’s going to take time and planning, but I’m really excited to make it happen. It’s my biggest dream :)

What’s your stance on true love & soul mates? from Nora

I really don’t like the idea that there’s only one person out there for you, and if you don’t meet them you’re out of luck. My experience of the world isn’t nearly so straight forward, and I don’t like the idea that we’re all on one narrative track. The world is full of so much mystery, I think it has much more interesting stories up its sleeves for us than that.

(Yes, the universe definitely has sleeves.)

To me, a more exciting and grounded idea is that there are a whole range of people out there, scores of them even, who would make all of us happy. The idea is to narrow that down to the person you’re most fascinated by, and who you can really help and grow with. That puts the romance in the choice to be together and in making a happy life together, that sounds like much more fun to me!

What’s your favourite band or musician? What’s on your workout playlist? from Diana

Such a tough question! Some of my favourites are The Hold Steady, The Weakerthans, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleigh Bells, Tilly & The Wall, The Mars Volta, Air, Caribou, Jimmy Eat World, The Decemberists, Bon Iver, She & Him, Johnny Lang, Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Morrissey & Otis Redding… I’m kind of all over the place!

For working out right now I’m addicted to “Hurricane J” By The Hold Steady:

& “Kids” by Sleigh Bells:

I’ll keep answering questions until I’m out of them, but if you have any more add them in the comments :)

I love a good long weekend! The queen was in town on Saturday and there was an energy in the air with all the security and fanfare downtown. Mister and I went on a proper date to a beautiful little pub, and ended up talking for a very long time and finding out some new (silly & random) things about each other that were really fun. We always make sure we have our “couple” time and are talking about the big and little things, but having been together for 5 years & lived together for 4 it’s always fun when you have to do a double take and say “Wait a minute, you what?!”

I think he must have felt that way when I said I wanted to get a big giant tattoo ;)

This weekend we went to a huge Canada Day street festival full of live bands and mini-doughnuts, visited friends who have opened up a beautiful shop, listened to friends on the radio, and ate crazy amounts of watermelon. I finally received a big supply order I’ve been waiting for and made a huge push on jewelry making for my future etsy store. I have so many pretty necklaces hanging on my wall, and it made me feel like I’m finally getting somewhere! The wait time on international shipping has been killing me. To celebrate we escaped the heat and hit a matinee showing of Get Him To The Greek in a theatre we had all to ourselves.

I’m even back on track with my couch to 5k training and I’m sticking to a regular schedule like I’ve never been able to before. With the early mornings and late nights, it’s all a little exciting and dizzy.

Doesn’t everything seem to happen in the summer? Thank goodness the days are longer.

ps – hope all of you charming American’s are recovering from a wonderful 4th of July! See you later this week <3

]]> http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/the-sweet-humid-kind/feed/ 53 http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/friday-finds-are-fit-for-a-queen/ http://www.kylaroma.com/2010/07/friday-finds-are-fit-for-a-queen/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:00:30 +0000 Kyla Roma http://www.kylaroma.com/?p=4332

.

This week the Queen is visiting Canada, and I’m not sure if it was watching too much Babar as a child or reading too much about the royal tour after the blitz, but I have a soft spot for the Royal Family. I’m fascinated by our ties to England and the rest of the commonwealth, and by how such an old fashioned and wildly elitest system meshes with our modern world in the form of this grandmotherly figure who visits us once and a while.

Any time the Royal Family visits there’s much talk in the media about how the monarchy is irrelevant, and lots of interviews with people on the street rolling their eyes about it, and my response is always the same:

“… why aren’t we talking about her fabulous hats??”

So in honour of HRH, here are some hats that are fit for a queen ;)

purple felt hat from Retro Repro Handmade – $69

1950’s cream fascinator from Adrian Company Vintage – $34

vintage 1950’s velvet cap from Thrush – $54

royal blue pillbox hat from Red Lips Vintage- $16