I am rushing to get things done because I am heading out to celebrate my cousin’s 16th birthday. Which is crazy because I used to live with her when she was about 2 or 3. So HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY CRISTINA (Dude)!!!

(That’s her on the left with my niece)

In my rush I simply put together some photos from one of my favourite magazine sites – Bolig Magasinet. All kinds of Danish loveliness can be found there – glossy black floors to drool over, pretty outdoor spaces, funky light fixtures, creative and gorgeous kitchens…

For as long as I can remember I’ve always dreamed about converting a building, such as a barn, a mechanics shop, a church, into a home. Well, some folks in the UK have converted done just that. They purchased a church for £92,000, spent £300,000 in renovations, and it’s now worth about £650,000. I’m not sure that I could live in a home surrounded by gravestones though….EEEKKK!! Would you want to live here?

I am so disappointed with the decor. So much to work with…those blue sofas gotta go. I think the hole thing is just way too church-y. Photos found here.

“Combining a strong design sense with an international background, Sophia Vayda creates clean, elegant, warm spaces. Her influences are far-ranging, from Parisian eclecticism to Scandinavian modernity. Weaving a blend of the contemporary and the classic into every project, she creates a timeless style with unexpected touches.” I love Boston-based interior designer Sophia Vayda‘s use of calm colours to create wonderfully serene spaces. Perfect shades of blue and grey.

Carolyn Barber, based in London, is a photographer I admire for her talent at shooting interiors, particularly vignettes. Perfectly composed. I see why she’s worked for many top shelter mags such as Elle Decoration, House and Garden, Homes & Gardens and Living Etc. Now I want to go around the house, re-accessorize and take photos (and stick some plants into concrete blocks).

I have been quite busy around my house (as usual) and because of this I don’t have a Flickr find post for today. Instead I thought I’d show you all one of the projects I have been working on. My backyard. I love LOVE L O V E summer and since it’s so short up here I wanted to put everything else on hold and get going on making my backyard a space I want to hang out in. A couple weeks ago I was out back on my deck and it was HOT. Really hot. The fence surrounding my yard is super tall and there are tall houses and big trees all around so it gets almost no wind and is very sunny all day long. So I decided I wanted a small deck under the 2 trees that shade the back part of the yard. That way when it gets too hot I have a place to chill. My boyfriend came over last weekend to help (thank you Jeff!!!) and we knocked out a deck. Yesterday I bought some plants and got all that in place and VOILA!, I have another place to hang out.

Here’s a “during” photo. I removed all the grass from the spot and dug down a bit because I wanted the deck just hovering over the grass level. (I say I because I did ALL the digging while Jeff built me a cat house/bench for my front porch).

Before you check out the end product, let me warn you to pay no attention to the stuff going on to the left and right of the deck. Those are projects for another weekend.

Yesterday I also did some planting of pots for around the rest of the backyard. It all took about 4 hours and resulted in a bit of a sunburn, some mosquito bites and some aches and pains. It was worth all that. And now you’re all invited over for a BBQ. Bring booze. (Another warning – pay no attention to the peeling mess that is this deck. I’d like to shoot the former owner who thought it was a great idea to paint the deck instead of staining it or just letting it weather. That’s yet another project.)