Blogger of the Moment: Lily Ellis from Birch + Bird!

Our Blogger of the Moment today is Lily Ellis, a blogger from Abbotsford, BC, who shares her creative thoughts and design inspiration through her blog Birch + Bird!. We've asked her some questions to discover the story behind Birch + Bird!...

Photo: Lily Ellis

What’s your favourite thing about living in Abbotsford, BC?
The best thing about living in Abbotsford is the location! We're surrounded by mountains, prairies, lakes and rivers (it's nicknamed "the city in the country" for a good reason!) yet we're only an hour east of Vancouver and less than 10 minutes from the Washington State border. 

As a native of Abbotsford, BC, do you think your style is influenced by your home? How? 
I definitely think that my style is influenced by living on the West Coast. Deciding factors in the purchase of our current home (built in the late '60's) were its cedar tongue-and-groove ceilings, large windows and 1/4 acre lot dotted with Douglas Fir trees. I'm always drawn most to homes that bring the outdoors in. We get a lot of rain (we're talking a LOT) in the winter months so the more natural light that comes in, the better!

You own Spruce Collective store. Can you tell us a little bit more about the store and what we can find there.
I co-own Spruce Collective with 4 other creative girls and it's quite the mix of vintage and new home decor, with plenty of handmade + locally sourced items in the mix as well. On any given day you can find us digging through a local junk barn, styling a glamourous photo shoot for our vintage rentals or simply chatting with happy customers and local craftspeople within our shop. Spruce is constantly evolving and, as we come up to our 1-year anniversary, we're pretty amazed at how far we've come and excited to see what happens next!

Are you still hosting your four vintage and handmade markets - The Old School Market, the Fieldstone Vintage Market, the Scout Handmade and the Vintage Market? What can we find there?
I co-hosted The Old School Market, Fieldstone Vintage Market, Fieldstone Christmas Market and Scout Handmade + Vintage Market with my previous blogging partner and took a big break to focus on starting up our new brick and mortar store. But, due to popular demand and a fantastic location, the Spruce girls and I are pretty thrilled to be hosting our first collaborative event, The Urban Market, at the end of October. The space itself is quite modern and industrial (hence the name) but visitors will find a large mix of vintage home decor and everything from handmade jewellery, soap and woodworking to knit-goods, baby clothes and much, much more! It's the perfect place for local craftspeople (many of them moms like ourselves) to showcase their wares and get started on their own small business dreams. The past markets are where I met my current Spruce partners and it feels like a very full-circle moment for us to be hosting The Urban Market together!

Is there a story behind the name of your blog?
I wish there was a good story behind the name of my blog but, alas, no!

What blogs do you read for inspiration?
I read a number of blogs for inspiration but some of my current favourites are: pinecone camp, katie’s pencil box, and A Beautiful Mess.

What's your personal art taste when it comes to decorating your home?
I personally love decorating with vintage art and am currently collecting nautical seascapes (in addition to quirky paint-by-numbers) in my thrifting and antique shop travels. But I also love unique, one-of-a-kind art and am always a sucker for a good framed quote. And of course, art created by my own 3 children is my favourite of all! :)

What's your favourite piece of art on Rise Art?
There are so many amazing artists and works to choose from but I'm pretty taken with this whimsical print 'From the Menagerie' by Kareena Zerefos... 

From the Menagerie by Kareena Zerefos

Check out Lily's blog HERE. And if YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT GREAT WORK OF ART, Take the Rise Art Style Quiz to BECOME A MEMBER and access the best art from top Museums, Galleries and Artists worldwide.