Here's some of our four-legged friends

The main thing that you want to look for when choosing a fabric is how tight the weave is – if you’re able to slip the tip of a ballpoint pen under a thread, I would avoid it. Even if your cat or dog doesn’t deliberately scratch, claws will eventually get caught and pull the threads. An example of a nice tight fabric we offer would be the “Polo” collection – a tweed-like polyester fabric available in lots of great colours (which at the time of this writing, the Lure, Tribeca and Manhattan floor models are covered in). Save a looser weave for a pillow instead if you really love it.

Here's Simba after a brush. Doesn't he look happy?

Another reason the Polo fabrics are popular is the texturing and depth of colour – fur will show less clearly on a textured fabric that uses several different colours of threads than on one that is relatively flat. When it comes to shedding, hedge your bets – unless you really really feel strongly one way or another, I would suggest picking a shade that your pet’s fur won’t contrast too strongly with, and keep a lint brush or roller handy (believe me, with a dog whose undercoat drops twice a year, I sympathize with your battle. This photo was taken after only one minute of brushing! But ain’t he cute?).

Here's Phoebe and Tiamo out for a shopping trip. Looks like Tiamo's being put to work!

Another easy way to extend the life of your sofa would be to invest in arm covers (starting at approximately $70 / pair) – the arm is usually the favourite launch site for cats, and rear claws can leave tell-tale marks. It’s a modest investment that can make a big difference in the long run. Even if you don’t love the look of them, you can just throw them on for when you’re out of the house and your feline prowls with impunity. I’ve read several sites that give advice on how to deal with cat-clawing (such as double-sided tape on the couch arms for the first week or so), but another thing to think about would be your pet’s history. Cats generally have personal preferences about what they will destroy – if they’ve avoided microfibre in the past, it might be wise to think about another piece in that texture.

If you have specific questions regarding your pet and furniture, feel free to post them below, or reach out to an associate at your local Urban Barn – even bring them in to the store! We’ve got a lovely parade of pooches at our King Street location (I’ll admit, we stock treats behind the desk), so enjoy a little gratuitous cuteness here on us!

(Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE our Moms!)

One may think of masculine design as shades of grey, dark wood tones and sharp lines… But we know that today’s modern man demands something a little more interesting!

Here is a sneak peak at some of the trendy items we have to offer our Urban Barn men this coming season.

Image courtesy of grillnation.com

The Classic BBQ

Something I look forward to every year is summer barbecues. They can be as simple as you want and you’re sure to have a good time. All you need is a good group of friends and a few patties on the grill. Although this is a very simple way to gather a group, there are some things you may want to take into consideration to make your BBQ a success:

• Plan ahead.  Get your patio/deck clean and organized. Marinate your meat 24 hours in advance (you will definitely notice a difference from the burgers you threw straight onto the grill).
• Don’t play around with your meat! More often than not, people will move their burgers around on the grill and flip them multiple times. Resist your temptation to look important at the grill! Place your patties down, rotate them once 90 degrees, flip them and rotate 90 degrees again. That way it will lock in the flavour and you’ll get those perfect criss-crossed grill marks.
• Be food safe. If you’re cooking up some chicken burgers make sure to cook them thoroughly and not to cross-contaminate. Nobody will be raving about your BBQ if anyone left with salmonella poisoning.

Image courtesy of examiner.com

Theme Party

Who can resist a theme party? I definitely can’t… in my opinion, if you’re going to have a theme to your get-together, you might as well go all out. Everything from the food to the drinks and the decorations. Have a Texas BBQ, throw a black tie outdoor dinner party, host a tiki luau, a patriotic Canada Day party… there are tons of different themes to choose from. You might think that it would cost you an arm and a leg but a quick trip to the dollar store may be all you need.

Image courtesy of picnic-basket.com

Outdoor Party Games

Simply enjoying your friends’ company is great, but it can also be fun to have everyone join in on some games. This is a great idea if you’ve invited a variety of people that may not all know each other. Here are some of my favourites:

• Water balloon dodgeball: it’s played exactly how it sounds. The team with the last person dry wins!
• Toilet paper mummies: form groups and wrap someone completely in toilet paper as quickly as possible.
• Three-legged soccer: like a three-legged race, tie two people’s legs together. Each pair acts as one player and can only kick the ball with the feet that are joined.

These are some of my favourite outdoor party ideas. What are yours?

Items shown: Zazi Cushion - purple, Mumbai Lantern, Rio Throw - orange, Amara Charger - purple, Tuk Patio Set, Cordelia Wine Glass - turquoise, Armstrong Tray - pink (all from Urban Barn)

Decorating your outdoor space with an exotic theme is so much fun – furniture mixed with vibrantly coloured accents makes for a perfect outdoor oasis. The Tuk Patio Set is a great option – the rattan style is both organic and polished in feel. Accessorize with bold blues, greens, reds and oranges for a perfect amount of impact. Add lanterns for soft lighting (the Mumbai and Bombay lanterns are both perfect for this theme) and lots of cushions (the Zazi collection is a great choice) to create a comfortable outdoor space. Adding lounges for additional seating makes an even more relaxing area.

The food….summertime is synonymous with barbeque time for this blogger. I simply love to grill. Nothing mimics the flame grilled, seared in taste of a good barbeque. Kebabs are the perfect summertime grill food, and keeps with the Moroccan style of your patio. Whether you’re a meat lover, or a vegetarian, there are kebab recipes for all types! Below are two quick and simple kebab ideas (one meat, one vegetarian). Serve with an assortment of pita and hummus, crisp veggies and dried figs and dates and your Moroccan Inspired Patio Party is complete! Oh! And don’t forget the wine…

Citrus-Tarragon Chicken

• 1 orange, zested, juiced, remainder discarded
• 1 lemon, zested, juiced, remainder discarded
• 1 lime, zested, juiced, remainer discarded
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, discarded
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes

 Balsamic Veggie Kebabs

• 2 bell peppers
• 1 red onion
• Handful of cherry tomatoes
• 2-3 portobello mushroom
• 2 Italian squash
• Handful of baby potatoes, boiled until cooked through first

Balsamic Basting Viniagrette for Veggies

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Tablespoon salt and pepper, to taste
• Minced basil and oregano
• Pinch of garlic powder

Directions:

• Soak skewers over night
• Lightly applied basting before grill
• Set grill on medium to high
• Cook kebabs accordingly, lightly applying 2-3 glazing’s of Balsamic basting.

Images courtesy of zara.com, aldoshoes.com; Zazi Cushion green, Globe Birdhouse yellow, Blush Table Lamp, Buddha purple, Piazza Bistro Set, Davis Tin Bucket aqua - all from Urban Barn,

Tangerine is one of the “it” colours this season, and is showing up from head to toe, and Marni to Michael (Kors). We’ve got some great examples of it, like on the Piazza bistro set. While all shades of orange are making a stand, super-saturated colours in general are making their statement. Any shop that sells denim right now is almost guaranteed to have that “pant rainbow” laid out on one of their tables, and bright colours were a main point for the spring 2012 campaigns of both Gap (“Be bright”) and Calvin Klein. Urban Barn is featuring this trend with everything from toss cushions to lighting and everything in between. Our stores are bright and full of colour!

What else in our stores have you seen strutting down the streets?

To my dismay, I kept coming up short! Everything I saw was either not quite right or not quite in my price range and of course, buying something on line is out of the question as I would have to wait for it and patience is definitely not a virtue of mine. It has to happen today. Right now.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and dragged my husband to the hardware store to see what we could come up with. The results are an interesting and VERY inexpensive DIY that I’m hoping you’ll enjoy and be inspired by.

Here are the items that you need.

Fasten the metal flange to the top of your lighting fixture but first be sure to spray paint the fixture (which I neglected to do at the time) to match the rest of the lamp. This way you can avoid doing it after it’s all assembled… like I had to do.

Assemble all of your pipe fittings to your liking (the possibilities are endless as plumbing parts come in all shapes and sizes) and thread the wire through the fittings.

This is the part where you need a trained professional so let your electrician friend know that you’ll be calling in a favor. You will need to wire your lamp together and install a rocker switch and plug. You can also have these lamps hard wired to a wall switch but that’s a whole other ball game.

Fasten your lamp to the wall and voila!

For those of you considering hosting the first get-together of the season amongst your own crew, I’d like to offer some simple advice.

- The internet is your friend – don’t fight it – it’s the 24-hour food network and party-planner all in one.  Lately I’ve been leaning on my new passion (and possibly my first addiction), Pinterest, for new recipes and party ideas.  I love this site!  This is where my cooking inspiration often begins.

- I highly recommend testing all new recipes prior to the big event.  There’s nothing worse than being stressed over a failed new recipe at your own party!  Start with something you’ve done before and build your menu around that.

- Keep it simple, prepare as much as you can the night before.  With only one exception, my entire meal was prepared the night before the party.

My menu was a rustic, down home feast consisting of slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, corn bread, quinoa salad and cheesecake-stuffed strawberries finished off with a refreshing white sangria.  It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was filling, especially with the addition of a few appetizers.  I put out a cheese & fruit platter and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus…trust me, no one left hungry that night!

Image courtesy of rachelleb.com

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin (pork shoulder or butt can also be used)
1 (12 ounce) can of root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.
2. After pork has cooked, drain and discard the root beer. Shred the pork and place it back in the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.

Recipe courtesy of tablespoon.com

Image courtesy of epicurious.com

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa (small disk-shaped seeds)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

Dressing:
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve.
2. In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).
3. While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeños, and coriander and toss well.

Recipe courtesy of epicurious.com

Image courtesy of thesweetlife.ca

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:
1 lb large strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract
graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Recipe courtesy of thesweetlife.com

For the mom with (or without!) a green thumb  - the Mom who loves her garden (or wishes she had one) will love these gifts.

Items shown above: Alice Vase, Hydrangea – Pink, Mary Market Planter, Bellis Potted – Pink, Davis Tin Bucket – Aqua, Le Jardinier Pot – Round - all from Urban Barn

For the lady of the house – these gifts are perfect for the mom who loves to be a girly girl.

Items shown above: Shoe Envy, Marlowe Mirror, Icelet Jewellery Hanger, Little Black Dress Jewellery Hanger, Ringling Ring Holder - all from Urban Barn

 For the hostess with the most – if your mom loves to entertain, these will be perfect gifts for her.

Items shown above: Joe Placemat, Reece Tray – Square, Queen Bee Wine Stopper, Cordelia Wine Glass – Turquoise - all from Urban Barn

See a whole bunch more great gift ideas here.

Do you have something special planned for Mom?

  -The Princess Bride

Whether it is a glittering Will & Kate-type affair or a homespun gathering in the backyard, a wedding is a special event for not only the happy couple, but the loved ones that attend too. Coming into the opening stretch of wedding season, I’ve been fielding questions from both the betrothed and the attendees for about the last month, so here are some tips and ideas for those on both sides of the equation!

If you’re the one that is planning and preparing…

Get clear inspiration. If you haven’t decided on your colours yet, theknot.com suggests that you consider your season, venue, and style (a more modern look will probably have only a few bold colour choices, while a more traditional one might use a more diverse, less punchy palette).

Image Courtesy of greenweddingshoes.com

A little care and creativity with centerpieces can really save you some big bucks. weddinggirl.ca has a great blog post with cost-saving ideas here – some of my favourites were using creative fillers like coffee beans or split peas in your arrangements, or even tinted water.

Images courtesy of weddinggirl.ca, marthastewart.ca, and weddingbells.ca

Image courtesy of weddingbells.ca

Candles give a great romantic glow, but do try a test burn first! Take note of how long your lights will stay lit – I think an 8-hour tealight is probably a safe bet to keep the room glowing while the dance floor is going, while 2-3 hours will usually fizzle out mid-meal. Also, double-check with the venue whether the candle must be within glass.

Image courtesy of bride.ca

Look for fun solutions for mundane tasks. For example, this antique-style birdcage (shown below: Tweet Square Bird Cage – small $19, large $29 – from Urban Barn) is a great option to put at the gift table as an envelope box, and is an accessory that can easily be used again in your home. (I really like them with a small potted plant inside – super cute!)

If you’re one who is eagerly attending… 

Gift registries can be your ticket to stress-free shopping. If you know the last names of the couple, we can pull up the registry at any store across Canada (though it helps to know which location they signed up at). What I’ve found works well is actually calling the store you plan to shop at ahead of time – if you tell us around how much you’d like to spend, we can pull certain items to be ready for when you arrive at the store.

Truthfully, many couples do appreciate gift cards. They’re especially great for couples that are planning to move into a new home, since they can count towards large items that they wouldn’t normally put on their registry (like a sofa or bed). And if you’d like to add that personal touch, you can actually order them online with a photo where the two look particularly lovey-dovey (you can probably snoop on Facebook for something appropriate)!

In life, there are 3 decorating stages:

The Beginning, in which you spend your early years where your parents determine everything.

The Solo, in which you have your own place – free reign to do whatever you want!

The Couple, in which your opinion needs to be considered before execution of design.

Once you’ve been released from the family nest, it’s time to go out and invest in some key pieces to make your home truly yours.  However, like any good investment, you have to think of the long-term: when your bachelor/bachelorette days are over and you marry your one true love – and their furniture. How might some key pieces potentially carry forward into your future living situations?

The Solo: Masculine Man Cave

Men like dark spaces. Whenever you hear a man describe his ultimate personal domain, it always has the word “cave” in it. And like any good cave, dark furniture sets the tone for a room filled with hard lines, deep colors and strong statement pieces.  A dark wall color sets the mood in a room filled with espresso-coloured furniture and charcoal and navy blue textiles. In a room like this, the Meridian collection is a perfect partnering for the Ella bed. The combination creates a space that is mysterious, moody and brawny – all characteristics of the perfect man(cave).

Items featured: Ella Bed, Meridian Nightstand, Wall Street Bedding, Fable Forest Print, Gustavo Table Lamp, Buddha (white), Grandfather Clock, Vivid Rug, Tessa Pleated Pillow (charcoal) – all products from Urban Barn

The Solo: Glamorous Diva Quarter

Women love beautiful things. We thrive on creating the ideal lifestyle: beautiful clothing, fabulous friends and the perfect bedroom. We love things that glitter, light colors, and sensational textures.  Why not add a little glamour into the bedroom by bringing the Reflection dresser together with the elegant Boudoir bed? By painting your walls a pastel lilac and introducing white and taupe elements through the use of textiles, accents and lighting, you can create a sensual space filled with all things that sparkle.

Items featured: Boudoir Bed, Reflection Dresser, Adora Bedding, Liza Table Lamp, Shoe Envy, Lira Cushion (Grey), Geometric Cushion (Grey)

The Couple: Masculine Diva Quarter: The Best of Both Worlds

With 2 sets of values/styles/opinions, finding that perfect balance in any relationship is tough. Finding it when decorating the bedroom: NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. The key to finding that perfect mix of his and hers is to blend together the essential elements of both male and female. It’s important to keep colors neutral, but punchy – light and airy, yet hard.  Taking the Ella bed from the man cave and pairing it with the gorgeous Reflection dresser allows for a happy marriage of a strong, hard masculine piece with soft and glamorous design. It’s important to keep both parties’ personalities in tact in the room – you want both to feel comfortable and at ease in the room.  Lastly, while with larger pieces of furniture it’s always nice to repurpose in a new space, take the time to shop for new accents to help bring together your vision: the cohesion of 2 bedrooms, 2 looks, and 2 lives.

Items featured: Ella Bed, Reflection Dresser, Gustavo Lamp, Wall St. Bedding, Lira Cushion (Grey), Geometric Cushion (Grey)