fieldguided

hello, spring

2013-05-14T14:48:00.001-04:00

I’m just so happy you’re here.

(MAGNOLIA FACE)

repository pt. 8

2013-05-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

1. I posted about this cake on Instagram, but for Geoff’s birthday on Saturday, I decided to try something a little challenging for me and made him the birthday cake from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. It took a couple of days (I made the crumb & frosting on one day, the cake the next, then it had to freeze for at least 12 hours, then thaw out... recipe is here if you want to try it). I’m not much of a baker but it was satisfying to have it work out, and I was pretty proud of myself. I am nuts about sprinkles so I’ll probably make it again at some point, although I’ll double the frosting because it seems to me that I didn’t have quite enough. Geoff and I had such a lovely birthday weekend, full of blossoming trees and bike rides and friends.
2. Some of you may know that my sweet friend Caitlin (formerly of Nice) has been through some challenging times lately as the result of health issues, but she recently relaunched her shop as Fun Cult! Exciting! I know she worked so hard and wanted so badly to get back into it. Maybe she can be rewarded with a new kidney!
3. A while ago I was asked to participate in a fun project called Change of View for Bettery Magazine. I asked my friend, the excellent photographer Johan Hallberg Campbell, to collaborate with me as he is originally from Scotland. It was a little challenging because if given the chance, I prefer to photograph details, indoors, close up, etc., not urban settings, and also it was winter and I swoon most for Toronto in spring and summer, when everything is green and lush and beautiful. But it’s always fun to be pushed out of my comfort zone, and Johan’s pink umbrella picture is the best. The picture above is an outtake; I took it from the top of Robarts Library. I love the dome of the planetarium peeking out.

4. Such a pretty dress from Beaumont Organic.
5. My friend Caitlin added a few original paintings for sale in her shop and I got this one because I have been so incredibly lazy about going to the gym lately and maybe these girls can inspire me to get back into it (I actually LIKE going to the gym & feel out of sorts when I don’t go, yet it’s always such a struggle). I love her Rose Garden painting.
6. Kristiann has printed versions of her sewing patterns available and they are so beautiful!

I have been enjoying all the violets growing all over the lawns in my neighbourhood lately! So pretty.

reading 4ever

2013-05-02T17:34:00.002-04:00

So, my latest obsession is my eReader. I never thought I would ever care to own an eReader (I thought I was firmly in the camp of the I WOULD NEVERs), but I recently had to teach myself how to make ePubs at work and it became important to use one and to become familiar with them. I’ve had conversations with friends of mine who are not convinced, but I’ve been reading a lot more since buying it. I think it might be because of the novelty of it (so cute and tiny, tap tap tap), which is fine by me.

When Geoff and I moved into our current apartment I spent a week carrying my book collection up our steep side stairs, sweaty and overwhelmed and furious with myself for spending too many paycheques on books when I worked in bookstores. Thinking about how we’ll have to move again eventually makes me want to throw all my books into a dumpster. Don’t get me wrong: I love most of my books, and I love collecting books. I worked for a rare & fine book dealer for a time, cataloguing every bump and bit of foxing in his collection, sniffing the pages, and appreciating every detail that made a book collectable. When I see a physical copy of a book I typeset, of course it feels more exciting than when I look at the same book in PDF format. Part of the joy of books is the book as an object. But this is just different, and it’s so much easier on my shoulder than carrying a book or two in my purse.

I chose a Kobo Mini for a number of reasons: I got it on sale for about the cost of two hardcovers, so it wasn’t that crazy a splurge; I like the look of it and the interface; you can borrow eBooks from the public library. Some independent bookstores use Kobo to sell eBooks, and you can also get eBooks through lots of independent publishers directly (e.g. Coach House).

Anyhow! All that to say that I made a very specific type of leather good!

I don’t really like the covers you can get for eReaders, because they’re usually bulky and/or hideous. It was pretty simple to make because I kept it basic and as light as possible. I had a false start with one that I tried to make with a lining, so I left it unlined. I took a 12x12” piece of leather and trimmed it to size with a rotary cutter, using the reader as a guide.

I got some cute stretch velvet ribbon (pink, duh) from Mokuba, and sewed little triangles of leather to hold it in place on opposite corners. A button stud & a hole made with leather punch (borrowed from Falconwright—thanks, guys!), with a small circle of leather glued over the back of the stud so the metal wouldn’t scratch, and ta-da, done. It’s pretty secure and the reader has yet to fall out.

As IF I would share some of the more embarrassing books I have on here!

A pretty ANN-YA pouch to store the cord & reader together, hashtag pouch addict.

introducing n. historiae & giveaway (now closed)

2013-04-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

Today I am happy to introduce a new line of jewellery, N. Historiae, created by my friend Flora, based here in Toronto.

Founded by Flora Lam, N. Historiae’s collections are objects made to endure and unconfined by seasons. Guided by instinct and intuition, our creations are inspired by beauty from the natural world, marked by the stories of extraordinary lives lived.

Each piece is beautifully hand-carved using gold and accented with Japanese ribbon. I was drawn immediately to the two collections, The Dweller and the Fly-Fisherman’s Wife, because they reminded me of being 12 and signing out every book on Greek mythology that I could find, and of learning to translate Ovid in university. There is something so Classical, in the literal sense, about the imagery used.

I had the chance to examine the pieces and they are so stunning, so well-crafted. I kept thinking that they look like pieces that could be found in the ancient Mediterranean collection in a museum (always my favourite section of a museum).

Together with N. Historiae, I will be giving away one Wheat necklace. To enter, please visit the N. Historiae shop and leave a comment below telling me which piece is your favourite (please be sure to leave me a form of contact, either an email or a website link; also note that I have turned on comment moderation to combat spam and your comment will not appear immediately). For an added entry, please follow N. Historiae on Twitter and leave a comment below letting me know that you have done so. I will close the giveaway on April 24 at noon EDT, and choose a winner at random. This giveaway is open internationally.

Good luck!

ETA: This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Stephanie!

underwater pony

2013-04-18T11:33:00.001-04:00

I took these pictures of the Magic Pony window last month, when this was the current installation and when we were still deep into the gloom of winter. The window was done by Diana Vandermeulen and to me, it looks like a beautiful deep sea kingdom. I loved walking by it.

gnd patterns

2013-04-10T16:31:00.000-04:00

I took these black and white photos a few weeks ago, when I had started learning how to knit. It took me a long time to get to this point, but I can say now that I can read simple patterns and make simple pieces, and it’s exciting to me! I never realized that I could enjoy knitting until I started looking into the beautiful, luxurious types of yarn available, and knitting has really become a source of pleasure and calm.

Because I have enjoyed Good Night, Day knits for years and years now, it made sense that I would start with Tara-Lynn’s patterns. Incidentally, have you seen her latest lookbook, shot by Arden Wray (of Boots & Pine)? They made magic together.

I got the Good Night, Day pattern book, a few instructional books from the library, looked up some video tutorials, spent a few hours in yarn stores, and eventually, with quite a lot of practice, it clicked. Some long-remembered hand-mechanics kicked in after that, it seemed.

The first piece I made was the Elora toque. I used a heavy yarn for it, Blue Sky bulky alpaca in fawn, and it made the hat rather large but I love it that way. I love this yarn.

I was so excited when I finished the brim that I wrote to Tara-Lynn and gushed about how I couldn’t believe that I had actually knit something that wasn’t just a scarf with irregular edges. She very sweetly offered to send me some of her DIY kits to try, which was even more exciting because she uses the loveliest yarn, which is carefully sourced.

After I finished the Elora toque I also made the cowl from the pattern book—I took a couple of winters off cowls but I like them again. I made this one with Cozy Wool from Michael’s but I’m going to re-do it in the Blue Sky alpaca for maximum coziness and with, I hope, fewer mistakes.

DIY knitting kits! The Elora toque in white merino and the Windsor turban in camel, in the softest silk, merino, and alpaca blend. I carted mine around for a few days and they got a bit crinkled.

I am the type of person who loves to wear hats and things on my head so I could not be happier about this new development in my life. Hats forever!

Thanks, T-L!

new york, pt. 3: the floral district and ps1

2013-04-04T08:52:00.000-04:00

This post contains pictures that I find disappointing, because they capture only the tiniest fraction of the beauty we saw that day as we visited the flower markets and MoMA PS1 (with a pizza lunch in between, and a walk through Soho & Chinatown after). I share them here, though, because both of these places are excellent ones to visit.

We got a map from the hotel upon check in and while looking at it in our room, I noticed something that said FLORAL DISTRICT. I pointed and gasped, “What’s that!” I knew florists got their flowers somewhere, obviously, I had just never really thought about it. I had always pictured a huge warehouse, closed to the public, something like the food terminal where grocers and chefs get their produce in the night (eg. act one of this episode of TAL), but florists are one step removed from that process. When we were having coffee with Amy I asked her about it. This Floral District is made up of a number of shops that sell wholesale but that are open to the public. Amy advised us to go to Stumptown at the nearby Ace, get a coffee, and wander around the flower shops, but to get there before 10. Geoff & I are utterly hopeless in the morning, and compounded with hotel mishaps on that sunny Friday (a pipe burst above the elevator, leading to no water and no elevator service to our 38th floor room, and to Geoff helping another guest with her heavy suitcase all the way down all those stairs...), we got there just before 10. We took the 1 to 28th Street and wove our way in and out of the shops with flowers piled up on metal shelving and bursting out of buckets. Cut flowers, potted plants, blossoming branches. I wished I could take all the flowers home with me! I didn’t want to be intrusive and take too many pictures while people were going about their business of unloading and loading flowers, making deals, and wrapping bundles in kraft paper. But that hour surrounded by flowers was a highlight of the trip. We even made a couple of cat friends! Recommended.

Instagram photos here, here, and here.

After lunch we took the G train to Queens (it was pretty quick!) and visited MoMA PS1. We caught CONFETTISYSTEM’s 100 Arrangements on one of its last days, which was lucky. I was also pleased to see that they have a long-term James Turrell exhibition at PS1 (the Turrell piece at the Albright-Knox in Buffalo is one of my favourite things ever). If we make it back, I would like to eat at the M. Wells Dinette. It looked seriously top-notch, especially if you love meat, but we were still full of pizza and got coffee to go.

I have to admit that I think my pictures of 100 Arrangements stink (!!) but that's what you get with no natural lighting and ISO 160 film. Similar views posted to Instagram here and here. Gimme those peaches.

new york, pt. 2: the met

2013-04-03T09:37:00.003-04:00

The Met! I hadn’t been to the Met before and was glad we managed to spend about four hours there on our trip. What a wonder. We caught the current show on Impressionism and fashion and met Kaitlin there (loveliest!), so it was truly the best day. These pictures are from a few of the rooms that had brilliant natural lighting.

I posted this detail on Instagram but I just love it! This is a (relatively modern) statue of Sappho. My heart!

new york pt. 1

2013-04-02T14:24:00.003-04:00

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that Geoff & I were in New York last week. A few people asked why we were there, but it was just a trip! When you have a blog & a (super-) small biz you might go to New York for meetings, but not this guy. The only meetings we had were with a whole lot of food and the socks section at Uniqlo (although if anyone wants to fly me to New York for a meeting, feel totally free to do so). Some of our friends very kindly gave us a Porter gift voucher last year and we wanted to wait until the weather warmed up a bit before using it.

We were ambitious before we left: we’ll spend a whole day at The Cloisters! Nope. We’ll hang out in Central Park a lot! Nope. We’ll make it to MoMA PS1 on Tuesday! No, Wednesday! No, make that Friday! We ordered a box of film from B&H and had it sent to our friend Annie in Brooklyn thinking that we would use it all up; we finished a mere two rolls of film that we had brought from home, and mostly took pictures with our phones (my favourite ones, in fact). We didn’t contact too many people to set up lunches or coffee because it seemed an overwhelming proposition, but luckily we did manage to coordinate plans with a few lovely people while we were there (not enough, but we will be back!). We ate like the most gluttonous of kings and walked for miles and miles and bled money as though we had an endless supply of it.

I think this is crucial information so I am posting it immediately: a few good eats below! I wish we had been able to get through more of the recommendations we had, but that would have taken about a year.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House on Pell Street. Recommended by a friend. We went there the day we arrived and ate a late lunch that was so filling we didn’t need dinner. $22 for both of us and every bite was delicious.

Roberta’s. Yum. This was our biggest splurge (bottle of wine and appetizers along with our pizzas) but worth it. Afterwards we went to the Tiki Bar in the back for micheladas. Thanks, Annie! I think they filmed a scene here on Girls (lolololol).

Caracas Arepa Bar. We went to the location on the east side. Delicious, but trying to get a table there was a bit of a bloodsport. I’ll never forget you, dude (a patron! Not staff) who was astonishingly rude to my friend for no good reason except maybe that he was in desperate need of chilling out. I had the La del Gato.

Momofuku Milk Bar. We ate so many cookies last week. The birthday cake shake was so good, as was the chocolate swirl bread (and the kimchi-bacon croissant, says Geoff). I hope we never get a Milk Bar in Toronto.

Motorino. We had lunch here with Natalie and HENRY (cutest)!! Amazing Neapolitan style pizza (think Libretto in Toronto).

The Smile / Smile to Go. Yum. Good cookies & coffee at To Go, great lunches at the restaurant. Thanks, Derrick!

Xi’an Famous Foods. So cheap, and the best, freshest spicy noodles. We went to the location in Chinatown because it had more seating. I had noodles with vegetables and a side of soft tofu and I am getting so hungry just thinking about it. Thanks, Trevor!

Doughnut Plant. I think I read about this place on a blog or Instagram? Overwhelming menu. I had a pistachio... something (a yeast doughnut? A cake? I don’t remember), and one with a rose petal on it. Geoff had a Meyer lemon thing and a matcha thing and it was all so good. Pretty good pour over coffees too.

Wythe Hotel. We didn’t eat here but had some drinks and the rooftop has the best view of the city.

Iris Cafe. Our last meal was at this lovely spot in Brooklyn Heights. This would be a nice place to take your mom and I mean that in a very loving way!

One Girl Cookies. I waited outside with Annie’s brother’s dog while Annie went in and got me an Americano and a whoopie pie from this place (Dumbo location). Love that Annie.

El Beit. This is just a coffee shop but it’s where we met Amy while we were with Kaitlin (we met Kaitlin at the Met; more on that later) so it will always be special to me. Aw.

I wore my Samantha Pleet cloak (from Robber) all week because the weather was just right for it; I am a closeted (?) Doors fan so I loved the staircase at Opening Ceremony.

Geoff at Creatures of Comfort with his favourite plant ever.

Remember when Toronto actually had real bookstores? I loved Rizzoli.

Bookmarc; Synagogue for the Arts.

We went to the opening for a painting show in Hell’s Kitchen (-ish) and had a nice view walking back to the subway.

Rose II at the New Museum.

We had to visit the J. Crew Liquor Store and Geoff found something there within seconds (a Penfield jacket).

the weekend

2013-03-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

I dusted off my film camera to take some pictures over the weekend, except that it took so long for me to finish the roll that I ended up having two weekends’ worth of photos. I know that I’ve posted similar photos to Instagram already, so if you happen to follow me there, sorry! So, a little peek into my life. Or, rather, my life during daylight hours.

Skates are hung up for the season. RIP!

We finished up a huge batch of totes for Summerland. I got to use my lips purse (from Aldo) for the first time (I had originally purchased it in hot pink but this is a little more appropriate for me).

Ugh, winter. I’ve been getting a lot of use out of this.

Testing out my Thief & Bandit pillows on Erin’s sofa since hers is much nicer than mine and I had picked up the inserts for them while on my way to her place.

Erin’s apartment is so nice. Katie gave her that bowl.

I cut out this fabric to make a light jacket back in December, cut the linings last weekend, and have yet to start sewing it, mostly because I’m afraid it’s going to look like a lab coat. Shades of this Alyson Provax print I have hanging in my apartment.

From the White Squirrel coffee shop.

I spent a Sunday working at Robber and when I had a few quiet moments I tried on clothes, including these sweatshirts from BASE Range out of Copenhagen. Who knew I would ever call a sweatshirt pretty?

I am no Phoebe Philo but when I saw these Liberty X Nike sneakers, I really wanted them! Last year I vowed that if I went to the gym regularly I would treat myself to a pair of Nike Frees, and even though I did go regularly I never bought the shoes. I just kept admiring other people’s brightly-coloured Frees. I’m pretty glad I waited until I found the perfect pair for me. Love the watercolour floral and the peach accents.

At the library. This branch (Gladstone) is such a funny mix of old & new.

Flowers from Sweet Woodruff, a thoughtful gift from Geoff.

Visiting Katie in her new apartment.

Treats from Nadège. So good.

spring equinox

2013-03-20T12:01:00.002-04:00

We’ve all been waiting for it and it’s finally here. What a relief.

I’ve been really into daisies lately, but only in white and pink, never yellow (sorry, Lorelai Gilmore).

in my bag pt. 2: clutch version

2013-03-18T16:55:00.001-04:00

New year, new “in my bag” post, only this time with 90% less shoulder injury than the last. Still overstuffed, but that’s just what I do.

I just keep on collecting clutches! I love them, especially for carrying with capes and cloak-type outwear, when you can’t do a shoulder strap as easily. This is the Libro Grande clutch in Constellation from perennial clutch favourite, Scout & Catalogue. Thanks, Bre! Look at that excellent deep blue. This one is quite large and as one can see, fits quite a lot.

I always have to have a book in my bag, and I’m currently picking through Madrid Tales, selected and translated by Margaret Jull Costa and edited by Helen Constantine. It’s the next best thing to visiting Madrid (that’s a monstrous lie). Also always in my bag: Jetoy 2013 cat planner, and this little Korean diary that I have been trying really hard to scribble in every day (Anthropologie had them, but I found mine on eBay). Lots of Muji pens, always. I’ve gotten really into the ballpoints lately? Felt tips have fallen way out of favour.

These are just boring ol’ keys but I wanted to point out my super cute cat keychain from Fangirl (Enthusiasm & Goods!), pizza slice Baggu that I keep my subway tokens in (okay, they actually call it “wedge purse” but “pizza slice” is way better), and naturally-shed painted antler keychain from byNORTH. I guess I like my keys to take up a whole lot of space in my bag.

Little things! Jessica Jensen round pouch to hold my ear buds; cheap plastic card case from H&M to keep ID and debit card and maybe cash if I have it (rare), because my wallet won’t fit in my bag after shoving in this giant floral sunglasses case, which contains my oh-so-beloved Something Else Moonstone sunglasses; Laura Mercier pressed powder that I bought for my wedding and that does an adequate job when I remember to use it; phone (essentch! No room for a camera, so I just use my phone as most of us do these days); rose lip salve that Becka very kindly sent me from New Zealand; Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick in L'exubérante, my fave; violet candies; gold hair pins from COS because I’m growing out my bangs and it’s a nightmare and why did I ever cut them in the first place?

This foil stamp: next level! So good!

period piece

2013-03-12T11:53:00.003-04:00

On Friday night I went to the opening of an exhibition entitled “Period Piece: The Gynolandscape,” curated by Sonja Ahlers and Petra Collins, held at the OCADU Student Gallery. The artists included are Hanna Antonsson, Sonja Ahlers, Arvida Bystrom, Shary Boyle, Petra Collins, Rebecca Fin Simonetti, Minna Gilligan, Sandy Kim, Kristie Muller and Allyson Mitchell. The idea behind the show is: “[to celebrate] female sexuality and the power of women’s bodies. Period Piece questions the current ideology of femininity and recasts women in positive/dominant roles. The works in this show are produced by international female artists whose practices demonstrate their struggle with female identity and sexuality.” If you're in Toronto, the show is up until April 6.

The opening was packed full of so many beautiful young art students having the best time, and there was even an amazing cake by Corey Moranis. The following day Geoff went to look at the show and took these photos since I couldn’t make it that day.

I love when Sonja gets to create site-specific installations.

Work by Sonja, Kristie Muller, Hanna Antonsson, Petra Collins

Allyson Mitchell, Arvida Bystrom, Hanna Antonsson, Kristie Muller, etc.

It’s a marbled copy of Hounds of Love! Buried like the treasure it is.

dear canada

2013-03-07T14:24:00.001-05:00

As you may have heard, Zara now offers Canadians the ability to shop online. They sent me a gift card and an invitation to shop a few days before the official launch date, which was yesterday, and I picked out a few pieces in anticipation of our trip to New York at the end of the month (the floral jacket below, some trousers, and a blouse; comfort above all!). I haven’t been able to buy new clothes in a while so it was a pretty fun mini shopping spree. It was hard to narrow down my selections, though! Here are a few things from their site that I really like.

Clockwise from top left: dress / dress / jumpsuit / heels / belt / blouse

Clockwise from top left: loafers / bag / shirt / blouse

Clockwise from top left: printed jacket / heels / clutch

five things

2013-02-28T17:54:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Natalie to write five things about myself. If you read this, please picture a shrug after every point. I’m not that fascinating!

About the pictures in this post: today I was looking at a photo blog that I really enjoy, Hawaiian Coconut, which collects photos by Emily Faulstich (one of the founders of Wildfox), who is now based in South Africa, when I saw my blog’s name listed here! What a treat! Thank you, Emily. I’ve included a few of my favourite of her photos with this post. They can be a silent sixth item about what I wish my life looked like. It certainly wouldn’t be raining slush in my dream life, but there would be quite a few Byredo candles, pink candy, plenty of Veuve, and palm trees. And so, so many roses.

1. I don’t enjoy cooking or baking at all. I find it tedious and if I’m preparing food all I can think of are all the things I would so much rather be doing with my time. Unfortunately for me, I love eating fresh, good food and I prefer eating at home than at a restaurant. Fortunately for me, Geoff does most/all of the cooking (he makes lovely meals with beautiful ingredients such as farro and mushrooms and black kale and caramelized onions). Incidentally, I haven’t eaten meat in over a year. It’s not for any particular reason; I just don’t think I need it, and not buying it certainly keeps grocery costs down. I do eat fish and seafood from time to time, because when I was a vegetarian years ago I really missed it and broke years of vegetarianism for a tuna sandwich. Too bad I don’t live on the ocean.

2. I was engaged to my first boyfriend when I was in my early twenties. I don’t talk about this because it’s not a big deal and I rarely think about it (it was so long ago!). At that time I thought it would be romantic to be married young, the first of all our friends. But it felt wrong. It was the greatest and most true “It's not you (or marriage, or marriage at a young age), it’s me.”

3. When I was in high school I went through a period of being, I don’t know, religion-curious? I went to a few different meetings, including one for a very sexual, science-fiction based religion. I pitched it as a story for a teen publication I worked for at the time. I took some friends with me and we ran out of there at the end, laughing breathlessly, because we thought for sure there would be an orgy (!) and we were just kids. I am no longer curious.

4. I left journalism school after two miserable years so I could study Latin and read a lot of books and think about them (so much more enjoyable than calling people at City Hall for interviews, especially at 19. I cried on the phone a lot).

5. I love lists of things that people are into, or not into. My favourite Beatle is George. I love movies set in New York in the 1970s (Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon, Panic in Needle Park). One of my favourite things at the moment is an audiobook of Lolita narrated by Jeremy Irons. I could watch an episode of Seinfeld every day. I use the public library three times a week.

(This last one is Turkish Delight ice cream. Are you kidding me)

a story told well

2013-02-26T16:58:00.002-05:00

(Quick note: the Of a Kind giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Sam!)

On Sunday night Geoff pulled up a video, and told me to watch it, that I would love it. I watched it without looking away once (such is the sad state of my attention span that this is unusual), rapt, and was thrilled / surprised-but-not-actually-surprised when I saw the final credit: A film by Derrick Belcham. It just happens that Derrick is someone I have known since 2006 when I met him while sitting in some grass at Alexandra Park. I was impressed by both his height and his knowledge of sports trivia. In the meantime, he moved to Vancouver, then back to Toronto, and now lives in New York, and has developed an increasingly impressive body of work collected at A Story Told Well. This Tasseomancy video is a particular favourite; I posted a video he made for Fortnight Lingerie after I visited the Fortnight studio last year.

And so. This video. For Marissa Nadler’s “Wedding.” The light, the mirrors, the hair, the dancing, the dreamy music: a few simple (or simple-seeming, because I can’t make my body do that), natural elements to create something so poetic.

Somehow I missed this earlier this month because I forget to look at Facebook and my Twitter feed is cluttered or I would have been all over it two weeks ago!

Derrick took inspiration from Francesca Woodman for this; as an aside, I recommend this post on Francesca Woodman written by Hila (and the documentary as well, which Geoff & I watched a few months ago after reading Hila’s post, and which lead to a good discussion at our house).

Also: an interview with Derrick on some of his earlier work on Friends with Both Arms.

Marissa Nadler, “Wedding”
Directed by Derrick Belcham
Dance by Emily Terndrup
Edited by Derrick Belcham and Emily Terndrup

of a kind giveaway: iacoli & mcallister

2013-02-20T11:16:00.000-05:00

I’ve admired the work of Iacoli & McAllister since I first saw the necklaces for sale at a friend’s shop, so today I’m happy to host a giveaway of their beautiful Necklace No. 12, courtesy blog sponsor Of A Kind. This necklace was designed and handmade specifically for Of A Kind in an edition of 47.

If your winter look needs some lightening up—and something tells us it does—this necklace, with its nude ultra-suede and brass, black, beige, and mint beads, is the perfect antidote to all the bulky and scratchy stuff that the season holds.

To enter, please subscribe to the Of A Kind newsletter by following this link, and then leave a comment here (if you already subscribe, you can leave a comment here to guarantee an entry). This giveaway will close on February 26, and I will then select a winner at random. This giveaway is open internationally, although please note that you may be responsible for customs charges upon arrival.

Good luck! I am already jealous of the winner because this piece is so gorgeous!

ETA: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Sam!

roman de la rose

2013-02-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I was on the subway reading Stephanie LaCava’s book An Extraordinary Theory of Objects, and halted when I read “sugar-dusted violet candies.” I pulled out my notebook and wrote it down. Such a simple phrase, and no doubt one I have come across before, but it made me long for spring like nothing else. Then Amy posted a photo of a bouquet of violets, then Amy, Becka and I discussed making our own candied flowers, then a recipe for candied rose petals appeared on the Wilder Quarterly blog, and then Geoff came home on Valentine’s Day with a beautiful, demure bouquet from Coriander Girl that featured two perfect roses, one cream and one blush, with the most intoxicating scent. Candied flower petals were definitely in the air, so I decided to try making them. It sounded so easy and yet so decadent, and it was.

BHLDN sent me these vases to try out from their decor collection, and they are so pretty & feel light as air. If they had been available when we were planning our wedding I would have used them for the centrepieces! Just a small posy is enough to fill them (we actually used hobnail vessels I ordered from BHLDN, which were also lovely).

Geoff & I were given this Diptyque candle as a wedding gift. It is precious, and I light it maybe once every two weeks for a few minutes at a time, drawing out its life as though I were Charlie with his birthday chocolate bar. The candle and this blush rose smell the way roses are meant to smell, a true rose scent I encounter so infrequently and that always makes me inhale deeply.

Plucking the petals was bittersweet as I would have loved to look at the roses until they turned brown, but candying them would give them a different sort of life. That bit of cheerful yellow that popped out was a happy surprise. Coriander Girl uses high-quality locally grown flowers have not been sprayed with pesticides (thank you, Alison!), so I felt safe turning them into candy. My dining room smelled so good.

I followed the Wilder post, which was based on this Chez Panisse tribute post, painting the egg white onto the petals and dipping them into the sugar. Pony was fascinated and wound up with some sugar in her whiskers despite my attempts to shoo her away.

I don’t know of any reasonable substitute for egg whites, personally, if one doesn’t want to take risks or doesn’t consume eggs, but there must be one out there.

Petals, drying.

I baked a simple cake (boxed mix of course, shhh) and topped it with the petals once they were dry. This cake stand is also from BHLDN—I love the bold coral paired with the subtle creams and pale pink in the rose petals.

The petals taste incredible, delicate and divinely sweet, with a slight crunch. Come, spring!

to st valentine

2013-02-14T21:28:00.003-05:00

Picnic at Hanging Rock, my favourite film to watch on Valentine’s Day. It’s not a romantic movie, although it’s full of romantic, sumptuous imagery in the first part of it; its connection to Valentine’s Day is that the main action begins on February 14, 1900. I spent my day resting after having a brief surgery yesterday (I’m fine, and lucky besides), sitting with the imagery and the cinematography (not to mention the gorgeous typography in the opening titles) while reclining on the sofa. I wanted to share some screenshots here, although I’m afraid I got a little carried away. Check out the trippy double exposure sequence! One can definitely see the influence it has had in fashion, art, photography, and in publications such as Lula (I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it here approximately one hundred times myself). I’m not supposed to sign any important papers for a few days because of the anesthetic, so I’ll extend that to sparing you from any half-baked deep thoughts I might have about Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Also, very importantly, this film features my personal favourite cake in all of cinema (my second favourite is the ballerina cake in Black Swan).

Happy Valentine’s Day to all, especially to the birds who, according to medieval tradition, would chose their mates on this day. Hearts and hugs to all of you. xoxoxo

the cold show

2013-02-12T15:53:00.005-05:00

A few months ago I was invited to participate in The Cold Show, a show that “explores the feeling (both physical and emotional) of being cold. The feeling of your lungs sticking together when you breathe, the sound of snow crunching on dirt roads, a quiet, desolate nighttime space.” Typically, I waited until the last minute to get my act together, but this was the reason for our trip to the island: there is something about cold that is otherworldly, isolating, and lonely. City cold is never quite like that, and I needed the conditions to be just right. I submitted a photo that I thought looked as though it could have been taken on another planet.

The show is going to be held in an unheated space; information about the opening is here. The Cold Show is organized by Jenn Kitagawa and Chelsee Ivan.

love and rummage 5

2013-02-06T15:33:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that this Sunday, Geoff & I will be participating in the Love & Rummage trunk show at The Workroom. We’ll have our usual totes and prints for sale, as well as clearance-priced Dreamcats calendars, some cute pom-topped wool hats that I have hand-loomed, and lots of vintage treasures we have been storing away (cameras, dishes, arrows, etc.). We’re also going to have limited edition prints of some of our island photos available.

Personally, I’m trying to get into Valentine’s Day this year because this winter has been so cold and has felt eternal & particularly bleak. I will happily eat my share of pink frosted & heart-shaped cookies, and will probably be doing it right in front of you this Sunday. Fun! (Related: check out these adorable e-cards from Fashion and Worn. The H&M/Margiela one is my fave.)

Sunday, February 10, 12-5PM
The Workroom
1340 Queen Street West, Toronto
Free admission

(Love letters via Terrain)

hey daydreamer

2013-02-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

In September Neil Halstead (Slowdive, Mojave 3) released his latest album, Palindrome Hunches. A few weeks later I came across this post on Nowness featuring the video for the single “Hey Daydreamer” (posted to Nowness on me & Geoff’s wedding day, where we danced to a Mojave 3 song in front of everyone —just an adorable coincidence for me). I’ve spent the past few months thinking about it and trying to articulate what it is about this song that makes me listen to it on repeat, but because I am not so good at confessional writing, I’ll just say that this song fills me with hope. It’s pretty rare that a song will affect me in the way it might have when I was younger, so when it happens I embrace it wholeheartedly. “It’s about chasing rainbows, but not really chasing them, just dreaming, dreaming about chasing them.”

I love the video, directed by Hilary Walsh and starring Nastassia Lindes, as well, with its deeply carefree feel, toothy grins, and sun flare. It feels like a collection of snapshots of a relative when she was 19. The start of something beautiful in this lonely world.

glacial

2013-01-28T16:48:00.003-05:00

If you live in Toronto and ever want to feel as though you’re the only person on Earth, visit the Toronto Islands in a snowstorm.

Geoff & I took the ferry to Ward’s Island on Friday because we had a photo project to work on, and we trudged across to Gibraltar Point and back (a total of about 7 kilometers). We saw a few people out walking their dogs, but once we got past Centre Island, we were—or seemed to be—alone. We walked through Centreville, the amusement park, and the only sound was the groan of ice. The snow was coming down pretty hard on our way back and our fingers were too frozen to take pictures properly. A few pictures ended up having the shadows of my wet mitts in the corners, and a few were blurry.

One of the things I like best about visiting the Islands is the colour, which surprises me every time since we are so cut off from the water, despite being on the water. Suddenly everything is shades of mint and ice and aqua, and this is intensified in winter. It was surreal and beautiful, and walking on the beach over sand and snow in heavy boots is such a strange experience. Ordinarily I would have been miserable feeling so cold and so damp, but I was enjoying our mini adventure too much; I knew that soon enough we would be in a heated cabin on the ferry, gliding along the frozen lake. The skyline was obscured and I felt a million miles away from everything—at least until we got back to Union Station at rush hour. Afterwards we ate Korean food off sizzling plates to thaw out, and talked about how glad we were that on that day, we went headlong into winter instead of hiding from it.

The photo above was taken a few feet away from where this photo was taken.

winter scenes 2

2013-01-22T16:57:00.004-05:00

A few recent photos taken with the Canon A-1. Winter is starting to feel endless even though we’re barely a month in; Sibylle Baier makes an ideal soundtrack. I try hard not to give into the dreariness of it all.

I posted other “Winter Scenes” last year, taken with a different camera.

The window of Art Metropole on January 1; icicles at the back of the house we live in; a hotel in Burlington; Gather Journal; Tew’s Falls; the peony I planted last spring; flowers from Sweet Woodruff; a December birthday.

print & pattern

2013-01-10T13:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve gotten to that irrational and irritable stage of winter in which I fly into a rage (exaggeration alert) when I come across stark, monochromatic photographs. I’ve been craving bold colours and prints in a way that is completely atypical for me: going down early 1990s United Colors of Benetton rabbit holes, for example. Of course, I still prefer my muted tones above all else, but I still haven’t let go of NARS Schiap or bright pink blush. Pale pink lipstick makes me so sad right now.

I received a copy of Beci Orpin’s Find & Keep as a gift recently, and it has been so inspirational to me. It’s a beautifully styled project book, and the photos are brimming with life and excitement! Just the perfect thing to soak in on grey days. (You may remember that Melinda had one of Beci’s pillows on her bed when I went over to take photos.)

I treated myself to a hat from ALL Knitwear for the holidays. I think I managed to pick out the most conservative one, but hey, baby steps towards a moderately patterned life.

Aside: my January post for Frankie went up last week. Check it out! Scalloped faux leather envelope clutches to shove your papers in.