Introducing my new best friend

A little while ago I received an email from Dyson Canada, about one of their new products. Now first, let me tell you how exciting it is for someone with EIGHT cats to hear from a company as fantastic as Dyson (who in my humble opinion make the best vacuums out there) about trying out one of their new vacuums. A vacuum is like an extension of my arm.  It is what keeps me sane in a house with 8 four legged furry monsters and a husband who does wood working in our basement for a living. I was totally game when one of the first sentences in the email was "newest Dyson cordless technology". CORDLESS?! OH YESSSS!!!!! Introducing the new Dyson V6 Absolute:

BOOM! I opened the box and pulled out all sorts of attachments that got me so freaking excited....

Everything you could possibly need for all of your vacuuming needs. That may look like alot but all of these bit and pieces are very small and can easily be stored away. It comes with a handy wall-mount so it can be strategically placed within easy access in a closet or wherever is handy.

The V6 Absolute is the only Dyson machine to come with two cleaner heads which means this beast of a machine works on every surface imaginable. The one of the left in the photo above features a direct-drive motor with stiff nylon bristles to better agitate carpet pile and tackle ground-in spills and stains, which keeps your carpets looking fresh. The one on the right is the soft roller cleaner head for hard floors, which tackles big and small debris. It has a full-width roller covered in a soft nylon material and rows of carbon fibre filaments. Large debris are enveloped by the soft material and flung inside the cleaner head, while the antistatic qualities of the carbon fibre filaments gently remove fine dust, without damaging your hard floors. I discovered very early on that this material is SUPER easy to clean. Of course, one of my biggest issues with vacuums is keeping them from getting clogged with cat fur, and with the bristles and fabric they're a cinch to clean up (as you can see in the photo above - this was after using all of the heads several times). The head on the bottom of the photo is a mini-motorized tool that is perfect for upholstery (YES!) - it remove allergens and microscopic dust from mattresses and furniture. 

Ok, so how about I get started with my new V6 Absolute. I first gave it a shot on some rugs around my house, and within about 5 seconds was totally blown away. 

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Pitchi

Pitchi is a new platform based out of Melbourne, Australia that allows folks to buy and sell products using video. It redefines the way consumers create, use and interact with video and is soon to become the premier buying and selling destination for young and innovative Australians.
This method of pitching products online allows the sellers to be more personal and engaging while showing passion for their products.
We wanted people to be able to sell as they would at a local market or if they had their own bricks and mortar store, forming a connection with each customer they encountered. This personal connection allows buyers to form a genuine appreciation for what’s on sale, which then inspires purchase.
Our aim is that each and every pitchi video is a tool for the empowerment of the entrepreneurial spirit. Everyone that makes a pitchi video should be proud of what they have for sale. Everyone that buys from a pitchi video will know the story of where that item came from and can appreciate the true value of what they have bought. I really love this concept.
It is simple yet so effective in this day and age where we are bombarded with advertisements and every product you can think of is readily available from a variety of sources. In this case you know exactly what you're getting, and the creative person behind the product who put themselves out there to promote it. 
I went through Pitchi and found some really entrepreneurs and local designers while watching many videos. It is such an unconventional way to shop - I love it! Plus, some of the videos were a HOOT! (Like this one)

First up - Corn + Celeste berber rugs. They are gorgeous!!!

Next I found the Onada Siesta chair. Because everyone needs the perfect place for a siesta, so why not do it in style. 

Furniture as works of art. Definitively the case with this bench by Sawdust Bureau.

One more I had to share - the Freefold popup boxes. Really clever totally customizable storage that looks really cool to boot. 

~ This post is in collaboration with the folks of Pitchi ~

Cyrus Rugs

I have been searching for the perfect rug to change up my living room with the New Year coming. I had gotten a bit tired of the polished white and modern area rug that had been gracing my floor for the past six years. As a Minnesota resident, I had been struggling to find what I was looking for in terms of a contemporary rug. I wanted a hand knotted rug on a larger scale, as my living space is large. My furniture is inspired by modern Nordic decor and I have white walls. I was hoping for a contemporary rug with cool, blue colors but I was open to different pops of color.

Initially I visited the rug department at Macy’s and Gabbert’s. The stores had some nice pieces but I was not overly impressed with the lack of selection in terms of colorful contemporary rugs, and they did not have the best variety. I had very high and particular expectations of what I wanted and envisioned for my room, but was unable to find exactly what I was looking for. I was recommended by an online forum to check out a Minneapolis luxury hand knotted rugs store called Cyrus Artisan Rugs. I live in Edina, which is a suburb just south of Minneapolis, so it was an easy trip for me to make one Saturday afternoon.

The moment I showed up at Cyrus Rugs, I was both surprised and impressed at the size of the showroom and huge variety within. A lovely woman, Alison, was extremely helpful and provided me with a ton of knowledge regarding different brands and different materials. I explained what I was looking for and she showed me some colorful contemporary rugs in from the Vintage Reserve Collection, including the VC-3 design and the PT-8 design. I really found both rugs to be beautiful, but I ultimately settled on the Cyrus Artisan AK-4 design in the chocolate brown palette.

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The 12 hour store – the iZettle stunt that made small businesses shine

This post may not be related to interior design, but when I heard about this event I had to share. I am a big proponent of supporting small businesses - especially when my husband is about to embark on his own. A company called iZettle builds game-changing payment services and apps with the mission to make it easier to run a small business (ie. you can run your business on a tablet or smartphone and take card payments wherever you are). This company did something pretty remarkable last month. During six days in October, to show that iZettle is all about supporting small businesses and helping them take on the fight against domination by big brands, they did something no company has ever done before - they invited six of Britain's smallest businesses to open up their very own flagship store on Britain’s greatest shopping street (Oxford) - for 12 hours each.

This is what happened.

Redbubble

If you're looking for cool artwork, funky throw pillows, a duvet cover that did not come from Ikea, an original tote bag, then head on over to Redbubble - a diverse creative community and marketplace offering more than ten million pieces of everyday art that have personality, wit, soul and meaning. Redbubble connects more than 350,000 artists with people in more than 150 countries across a variety of canvases – from apparel and accessories to wall art and more. There is so much to choose from it's sort of ridiculous. And so much fun. 

Art prints - they are 100% cotton rag Giclée, printed on stunning 240gsm natural white archival paper with archival inks and floated so they fit all standard frames.

Throw pillows - one thing most art has in common is it’s quite dangerous to hurl at other people. Until now. Welcome to Redbubble’s Throw Pillows. As soft and comfortable as an alpaca full of marshmallows but considerably better looking. :-) They're 100% spun polyester pillows that come in 3 sizes, with the design printed on both sides. 

Tote bags - made from a durable, poly poplin fabric, double sided, full bleed printed....with a comfortable black cotton shoulder strap and available in three sizes.

Duvet covers - available in twin, queen and king, these are a brushed polyester printed topside with a soft cotton/polyester off-white underside and a concealed zipper and ties for securing your duvet inside.

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