Scenes from my weekend : June 23 & 24

This weekend was supposed to mark our first camping trip of 2012. While, we did get out to Kananaskis Country for one night, the rain and damp ended up being too much for us and our friends so we packed up on Saturday and headed home. I'm sad we didn't get a full weekend out at the beautiful Mount Kidd RV Park but I'm happy I got to sleep in a warm bed and we still had fun exploring the small towns near the city on Sunday.

Stunning drive but the weather definitely had us worried for our camping prospects. This is why most people in Alberta camp in RVs.

 On Sunday we took a drive South of Calgary down the Cowboy Trail. There has been so much rain (and mountain run-off) that the rivers and streams are swelling their banks and flooding roads.

Just a quick pass through Black Diamond.

 

We headed down to Longview to pick up some of their famous beef jerky. The first kind we tried was Sweet with Heat - so good!

It was still a little early for dinner so we popped in to Ian Tyson's Navajo Mug where I had what was possibly the best London Fog of my life.

We debated Mexican or local homecooking for dinner. The Heartland Cafe and their awesome food won out. I had bacon-wrapped, mushroom-stuffed bison meatloaf with house-made tomato-peach chutney. Yum!

We ended the evening with a quick swing at the park. I can't believe she's big enough to sit on the big swing now. *sniff*

How was your weekend? Did you attempt to camp in the rain?

Spotlight on: Elle Design

Today I am shining the spotlight on another extremely talented interior designer from Calgary. LeAnne Bunnell is the principle designer at Elle Design and says she has been designing since she was a little girl! I'll let LeAnne tell you about herself in her own words.

"My design training has been mostly self taught and in hands on work through many personal renovations and work for friends.  I did take the certificate program at MRC (when it was MRC back in the day) before I launched my business, but I have been ‘designing’ for years.  I recently ran across drawings for my bedroom that I designed from the IKEA catalogue when I was 10.  I even had a spec sheet and all the details for the installation worked out in the plan.  I have apparently been into project management for a looong time!

My particular style when I complete projects for clients?  Hmmm. I always try to use my clients as my muse (of course), but I would say I have a clean and classic filter through which my client’s personality shines through.  

I love working with fabrics, and merging finishes in kitchen and bath projects, although I am hesitant to say it is a specialty.  

The best thing about what I do is that is a completely different job every day, from hour to hour, and from client to client.  And I have the best clients.  Eventually, through the progression of a project, I think of them all as friends."

I find it so exciting to see all of this fantastic talent in my city. I personally think that LeAnne has an incredible future ahead of her!

All photos courtesy of LeAnne Bunnell.

Real estate stalking : Eagle Ridge

Even though I've lived in Calgary since the early 90s (minus 5 years in Vancouver and 6 months in Afghanistan), I sometimes forget that little enclaves like Eagle Ridge exist.  Eagle Ridge is easy to miss. The only access is a little side road near the Rockyview General Hospital and the houses are on the far side of expensive. Luxurious and opulent are two words that could easily describe Eagle Ridge. That being said, it's always nice to dream and looking at a house like the one below on a sunny day, you could easily believe you were in Beverly Hills.

So, do you have $4,875,000 to spend? Then this 6000 sq. ft. stunner is for you.

Check out the crown light fixture!

I just wish that the realtor had uploaded higher res images. They are quite blurry in the large size.

Spotlight on: Linda Trenholm Design

Next up in my Calgary designer spotlight is Linda Trenholm Design.

Linda Trenholm, a graduate of Mount Royal's Interior Design Program (can I just say that the MR program seems to be giving Calgary some serious design talent?!), has been creating inspired spaces for clients for the past 10 years. While she calls her own style "contemporary with an Asian feel, very organic" she's designed spaces covering a wide range of styles and enjoys traditional design with a contemporary twist.

Love, love, love the blue in the above two images!

All images courtesy of Linda Trenholm Design.

Local designers donate services to non-profits

I picked up the October issue of Avenue Calgary yesterday and came across an article about some local companies and designers that donated their time in order to renovate three local non-profit spaces.

 The renovated "spa room" at Hospice Calgary made a huge impact on the comfort of residents.

The three organizations that were highlighted are Hospice Calgary, Aspen, and Highbanks Society. One of the designers that donated her time was Jacqueline Corea who I recently featured here.

What a fantastic cause and use of local talent!

Read the whole article in the October issue of Avenue or on their website.

Spotlight on: Corea Sotropa

If I had a touch more talent, education and drive there are two careers that have long peaked my interest, the first being chef and the second being interior designer. I am truly in awe of those that can look at the bones of a room and instantly have a vision and the means to execute it. On that note, I decided to spotlight four Calgary interior designers/firms.

Up first is Corea Sotropa Interior Design. Lead by principal designer's Jacqueline Corea and Reena Sotropa, both graduates of Mount Royal's Interior Design program, they take on projects as large as full home renovations and as small as furniture placement. Judging by their portfolio, these are two incredibly talented ladies!

All images courtesy of Corea Sotropa Interior Design.