One of our favourite looks for decorating your home is a collage wall! If you have a large wall space that you are looking to decorate you may face a few challenges, it can be expensive or hard to find a piece large enough to fill the area. A great solution to both of these concerns is using a number of smaller pieces to create your own mini gallery. But you don’t have to have a huge space to be able to create this look. You can chose to make your arrangement as big or as small as you like depending on how many pieces you would like to include!

We’ve put together some of our best tips for creating your perfect collage wall!

Step 1. Determine your space

To begin, measure the size of the area. This should help you determine roughly how many pieces you’ll need, although the number will also be affected by how large your main pieces are. It may help to choose at least one or two focus pieces. Your collage may take time, you won’t necessarily know exactly how many pieces you need right off the bat. You will probably want to play around with your arrangement a few times before deciding if it's done or if it has holes to fill. If you need inspiration on layouts, you can find a variety of templates online.

Step 2. Pick your pieces

If you have found an inspiration template or focus pieces this will help you search for more items for your collection. Follow a theme – similar styles and repeating colours or textures will help the grouping look cohesive. Balance is also important, if you have one round shape in your collage, make sure to include at least one other one somewhere else in your wall. An assortment of sizes and shapes will keep the arrangement interesting and help you fill gaps.

Step 3. Determine your layout

There are so many different ways that you can create your own collage, so feel free to use your creativity. Trace each of your items on to paper and cut out the shapes. Use these to practice arranging your collage on the wall where it will be hung. Watch for blank holes in the grouping and try to keep it visually balanced (colours, shapes and textures distributed evenly throughout).

Step 4. Get ready to hang

Once you are happy with the layout you have created with your cut outs, you can start replacing the papers with their actual items. If you were nervous about making lots of holes in your walls, a great option is to use damage free picture hanging strips! This also takes a lot of the technical difficulty out of the hanging process!

Ta Da! Your wall is complete! You can freshen up this your wall by replacing your original items with similar shapes or updating picture frames with new pictures. Picture hanging strips allow you to change things up regularly without creating a mess! If you're looking for pieces to create or update your own collage wall shop our collection of wall art & signs here.

Here are a few of our collage walls!

There are many things that I feel prepared to tackle in the homemaking world however, in gardening, I am quite a novice. I found myself asking Becky, our resident gardener at Pineridge Hollow, pretty much the absolute basics. Whether you dabble in gardening more than I do, or this is your first lesson as well, I'm sure you can find something new or useful in what Becky had to share with me.

We talked about putting together a great planter. First things first, you need a container, plants and soil. The most important part is of course, the plants. Let's start there.

When choosing plants for a container you want to select your plants from 3 categories: spiller, thriller & filler.

• The "spiller" is a plant that will climb over the edge of the pot and grow down as opposed to up. It's purpose is to blend the pot with the plants.
• The "thriller" is a plant that really catches your eye - something bright, colourful and tall.
• Then you fill in the rest of the pot with the "filler" plants. These are medium sized, any colour or variety you like. You are going to be caring for these plants and looking at them everyday. Pick colours and shapes you love!

Make sure you have at least one variety of plant in each of these categories. You also want the size of the plants to match the size of the container, so choose at least one plant that's about the same height as your pot. This keeps the arrangement balanced to the eye. (Becky also says to not worry about the rules, it's your planter so do what will make you happy!)

Stuff your planter full! You want it to look nice for the entire duration of our short summer season. If your planter starts to become overgrown later in the season you can always pull plants out at that time!

Now for some care tips!

• Make sure all of the plants that you choose for the planter have the same sun requirements.
• Water your plants in the morning or evening (twice a day when it's really hot or later in the season). As your plants grow they are going to need more water! Keep that in mind.
• Fertilize your pots in July. Typically the fertilizer that comes in the soil of the plants you buy will be used up in about 6 weeks. That makes July a great time to fertilize again!

So there you have it. Lesson one in gardening from our friends at Digging Deep Greenhouse here at Pineridge Hollow. We can't wait to see your beautiful planters! Happy gardening!

It's that time of year again, the end of June is fast approaching. The students are anxiously awaiting those final days before summer break. But perhaps this year is the last year that the student in your life will be taking a summer break. This is the year that they graduate; the year that they prepare for the "real world" and get to choose their own path to "what's next".

Now the question - what is the perfect gift for the graduate? It could be something useful, something inspirational or something sentimental. We've put together a collection of graduation gift ideas that will pass the test!

"My Wish For You" Book - Compendium $18

A thoughtful book sharing inspiration and love to the one who receives it. A beautiful gift and memento that can continue to motivate and enlighten for years to come. 

  Mini Backpack - S&Q Inc. $68

  Replace that bulky, beat up book bag with this beautiful, grown
  up mini backpack. Petite and adorable this bag is functional
  and much more fun than your old book bag. 

Things They Don't Teach You In School Game - Hygge $28

A game perfectly suited to someone who has just finished learning all that they thought they could. This game is full of unique trivia questions that will get a group laughing and discussing.

  "There Are Daydreams..." Notebook - Compendium $10

  "...and possibilites and far-off cities waiting." A place to jot down
  their thoughts and hopes for the future.

"Be The Change" Necklace - b.u. $70

A gorgeous, dainty piece for your graduate to wear in reminder of their impact and ability to shape the world.

  Macaron Workshop - Pineridge Hollow $70

  Your graduate just spent 12 years learning reading, writing and
  arithmetic, so why not give them the gift of a different kind of
  skill. This workshop takes place August 6th with our
  Pastry Chef, Connor.

  If sweets aren't their thing, check out our other workshops in our
  amazing Tuesdays at the Hollow series.

"Do What You Love..." Book - Compendium $19.95

Filled with spirited quotes and uplifting statements, this book is a call to follow your heart’s desires, to hold nothing back, and to make amazing things happen.

  Gold Corkcicle Canteen $58

  Keep your drinks hot or cold for hours in this beautifully
  useful Corkcicle canteen. Perfect for your graduate to take along
  for travel, work or any of their future endeavors.

"Dream On" Pillow - Indaba $50

A fun bedroom decor item to inspire the graduate to dream big, but to also make sure to get some sleep.

You can shop our Class of 2019 Gift Guide on line and in store. Congratulations to all of the graduates out there! We can't wait to see what you'll become!

One of our all-time favourite furniture manufacturers, LEE Industries, is about to celebrate their 50th anniversary, and we felt it was fitting to share why we admire and stand behind this company as a vendor. Their story is one of steady growth and care for the environment, craftsmanship, and a dedication to the well-being of their employees. They inspire us to keep doing what we do and to continually grow our leadership opportunities.

Earth-Friendly 

LEE has partnered with some of the world’s leading innovators in earth-friendly solutions to create naturalLEE. Through this they have:

• Introduced an option in upholstery that features soy-based cushions 
• Began using fibres made from recycled plastic
• Began using organic fabrics for all upholstery
• Began using wood panels certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) 
• Initiated waste reduction and recycling programs in all parts of the manufacturing process

Customizable 

With the LEE Custom Fit Studio, the possibilities for a new, custom furniture piece are endless! Beyond fabric selections, you can personalize most styles to fulfill any project or specification.

• Change width, depth or height
• Change seat height
• Change leg style
• Change cushion configuration
• Omit skirt
• Change pillow size

When selecting a piece of quality furniture, consider:

• Who is going to live with it?
• Which room is it going to be in?
• What other objects will share the space with it? 
• Who made it, how did they make it, and what is their story?

Have a look at what LEE Industries’ favourite trends are for Spring 2019 http://www.leeindustries.com/favorites_trending

With only 6 ingredients, you can create this delicious, vegan, and gluten-free burger. Pair it with a salad and some sugar-free lemonade for a nutritious meal!

Ingredients:

1 cup baked and mashed sweet potato  
1 cup canned black beans
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
½ cup bread crumb (choose the gluten-free ones)
½ cup finely diced green onion
burger buns

Seasoning: 
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder (sub cayenne for added spice)

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. If mixture is a bit wet, add more bread crumbs. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Form mixture into patties. In a pan, cook the burgers on medium heat until brown and slightly crispy on both sides. Serve with your favourite toppings!