Hey friends and happy weekend! Hope your start to December is going well. Just popping in here on the old blog to catch up with any followers that are still receiving updates from here. A few links of what’s been happening as of late!  If you’re looking for a budget, friendly way to decorate your holiday table this year, check out a few DIY’s I created using items from the grocery store like coffee filters, lunch bags, brown paper, grocery bags, and skewers. Click here for a preview and here for the how-to! The 2022 Gift Guide is in full swing featuring things for the Homebody, y ..read more

Located in a small town east of Santander, Spain, a former stable was recently converted into a seasonal home by architects, Zooco Estudio. Consisting of stone walls and a wooden-structure gable roof with tiles, the nature of this architectural intervention was based on respect towards what already existed and the space created inside. Loving the linear pattern of the living spaces all under the same roof, characterized by the elements specific to each room while keeping with the same neutral colours. Let's take a look! The master bedroom is concealed behind  the liv ..read more

Through the years we've developed an amazing collection of delicious and beautiful holiday recipes. Some from past contributors like Jeannette Ordas and Lyndsay Sung and others like guest posts from favourite local baker, Rosie Daykin of Butter Baked Goods beautifully photographed by Janis Nicolay. So today I thought I'd feature a selection of some of our most cherished and delicious for this holiday season to try out (if you haven't already). Check them out below. 1. Chocolate Almond Batons (Above) by Rosie Daykin of Butter Baked Goods Photographed by Janis Nicolay 2. Nanaimo Ba ..read more

  Exciting news! I have taken the plunge and have moved Poppytalk onto Wordpress (well, a good portion of it anyway —many of the archive posts are still here on the archive site (archive.poppytalk.com). It's been a long time coming and a bit of a process (after 17 years of being here on Blogger). If you have landed here on this archive site (archive.poppytalk.com), I invite you to hop over to the new Wordpress site (still the same URL — poppytalk.com) to take a look around. As of today, February 1st, 2022, all of our new posts will be appearing on the Wordpress site. And like I men ..read more

With the current evens being what they are, this year's IDEA Grad show at Capilano University has become a virtual browsing experience. This year's grad show theme is Get "Em While They're Fresh, suggesting a marketplace for industry professionals to inspect the program's new crop of creatives.  Fresh aptly decribes their 2020 grads: they're irreverent, cheeky, exuberant — and bursting to demonstrate their design and illustration capabilities. The Bachelor of Design program at Cap offers a flexible curriculum to meet students' specific goals, including opportunities to specialize in ..read more

Gathering up cards for a holiday post just never grows old. After all these years, I still love a little papergoods round-up! And this year doesn't disappoint.  21 festive cards for Holiday 2021. Check them all out below! 1. Winter Wishes by Nicholas John Frith for Red Cap Cards   2. Happy Holidays by Hartland Brooklyn 3. 2022 Card by Ashkahn 4. Holiday Books by The Regional Assembly of Text 5. Piece On Earth by The Regional Assembly of Text 6. Making Spirits Bright by The Beautiful Project 7. Ice Animals by Kate Pugsley for Red Cap Cards 8. Sle ..read more

Loving this summer retreat designed by Isabel Lopez Vilalta and Associates based in Spain. The dwelling was constructed in the ’70s in the seaside fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, where the only way to spend one’s time is to enjoy the sea and beach and meet up with friends and family.  Isabel and her team designed the project based on the owner's desire to update the dwelling to the needs of the family, creating a comfortable setting while respecting the preexisting architectural structure. A large family inhabits the house during the summer months, so providing s ..read more

It's that time of year again when everything seems to rhyme with RAD!  And so we're back with a round-up of a few cards for our favourite father figures and 2021 grads.  Check them out below! 1. Super Dad by Regional Assembly of Text 2. Heck Yeah by Eggpress 3. Camping Dad by Kate Pugsley for Red Cap Cards 4. Cheers Dad by Blackbird Letterpress 5. Yo, Rad Grad by Yellow Owl Workshop 6. High Five by Blackbird Letterpress 7. Candy Marble Congrats via Leif Shop 8. My Dad is a Rock via Leif Shop 9. Dad, You're So Fly by Idlewild Co. 10 ..read more

  A few budget-friendly finds today I happened upon while visiting IKEA's newest products. It's always fun to find affordable alternatives, and especially useful ones. All of these worth throwing into your FRAKTA shopping bag next time you're there.  1. PIVRING Backpack Made of recycled polyester, there's space enough for a lunch bag, extra clothes and a 14” computer or tablet. Both water bottle and baseball cap fit in the mesh compartment. Click here to eee more. $2.99 2. UPPSNOFSAD Storage Box A durable, sturdy and slightly smaller plastic box that you can have in all k ..read more

I was introduced recently to Calgary-based photographer, Sofia Katherine and was immediately struck by her night photography; most especially the ones with the Rocky Mountains and starlit skies in the background. Since a majority of her work involves wedding photography at night (a niche I now love), I invited her for a little Q&A on the blog today to celebrate Valentines and feature some of her stunning couple photos.   Let's take a look! Q. Tell us how you got started as a night portrait artist: I have always been a night owl. I blame my Mexican family teaching m ..read more