The Marilyn Denis Show - Ultimate Garage Sale Challenge

July 10, 2019 Chloe McPherson

Click HERE to watch the segment! — Click **HERE** to watch the segment!

When the producers of the Marilyn Denis Show first pitched the “Ultimate Garage Sale Challenge” to Michael Penney, I knew it would be a fun segment for him—he is a pro at shopping thrift.. What I didn’t know was that they asked me to join him. In true Michael fashion, he kept the news to himself until just before filming (probably for the best—less time to get nervous!). So without much time to overthink it, I joined the Penney Team and we were off to Mississauga to film the first half—competing to find the best garage sale pieces. The sales were small to say the least, and we were feeling a bit panicky that we would not find enough stuff to fill a full room vignette. Luckily, Michael is great at finding treasures and pulling the trigger (there was no time to hum and hah). After visiting three locations, we felt confident that we had our vision.

Day One of filming: Garage sale shopping

Next step was re-working the pieces we bought and turning it into a room vignette. With a few coats of paint, some good old fashioned cleaning and a few DIY’s we had ourselves a guest room/office!

The final phase was filming the in-studio segment with Marilyn and the live audience. I have been with Michael many times on set, and let me tell you, he makes it look easy! I can’t bring myself to watch it (we are our own worst critics!!), but I hope it showed how much fun we had doing it. It really is “just another day in the life working for Penney & Co.”

Click HERE to watch the segment!

Brewsavory - Soir Blanc

June 26, 2019 Chloe McPherson

I recently had the pleasure of providing the event decor for Brewsavory - Soir Blanc for the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation. The event was a pop-up dinner with a surprise location—Historic Downtown Whitby’s Old Fire Hall!

The empty space, set to be torn down for cool condos and retail space, offered the perfect shell. Concrete floors, exposed rafters—it was the perfect blank canvas for our all white theme. Edison lights, family-style dining, and flowers and decor donated by Penney & Co. softened the hard finishes of the firehall.

The dinner offered guests a three-course meal with wine pairings by local restaurant KB Food, as well as a bar hosted by another local favourite - Town Brewery, and dessert by M&R Catering.

The glow from Brock Street really showcased the event’s intimate and cozy atmosphere. It was really magical to see a formerly abandoned space transformed into a vibrant, happy celebration. It was such a pleasure working on this project!

Holland Marsh - Amanda and Mike

July 28, 2018 Chloe McPherson

Navy blue, gold and white dictated the colour scheme for Amanda's winery wedding. Fun fact: Amanda and I go way back, all the way to Sinclair High School! When she asked for help with her wedding decor and day-of planning, I knew it would be a fun excuse to gossip and reconnect, while picking linens and browsing Pinterest.

With a winery as a backdrop, we were looking for subtle, rustic accents that would compliment the beautiful setting outside the barn's windows. My favourite part? Amanda's husband is a talented carpenter by trade, so the centre pieces, head table decor and guest "book" were all handmade with love by the groom himself. Oh, and a close second, the smores kit favours (that I put to good use at the fire pit that night, and then ate again cold when I got home...!).

Congratulations Amanda and Mike :)

Photographer: Beautiful Life Studios Inc.

Venue: Holland Marsh Winery

Flowers: The Willow Branch

Merlot and Gold - Caitlin and Travis' Fall Wedding

January 3, 2018 Chloe McPherson

On my first drive down the tree-lined driveway of Penryn Park Golf & Country Club, I thought for sure I was somewhere more exotic and beautiful than 45 minutes east of Brooklin! The grounds were meticulous, the view of the water from the Penryn Mansion was seriously breathtaking, and the staff were lovely. I could not believe I hadn't been before now. I knew Caitlin and Travis picked the perfect backdrop for their merlot and gold, Fall wedding right away. It would be an easy job brining their vision of a warm, natural, October wedding to life. I started by bringing the cozy factor to the permanent tent structure by adding layers of fabric to the tables with lace overlays, and filling the round tables with pumpkins, greenery, and a subtle pop of her accent colour--burgundy. Oversized wreaths hung from the ceiling helped make the large room feel more intimate, and softness was added with a fabric backdrop, highlighted with small twinkly lights. Bringing in harvest tables for the bridal party was definitely worth the added expense... it really added a casual elegance to the white shell. This venue was a great example of allocating your funds. With such an organically beautiful site, there was not a lot needed to the house (where the cocktail party was held), or the outdoor ceremony. Instead, we focused our efforts to the tent, which was a blank canvas. We got the most impact here, instead of spreading the budget and resources across the entire place. Caitlin, Travis and Baby John were a pleasure to work with, and I know there are even more exciting milestones ahead for them!