Scenes from the Weekend

This week the list is a series of images from the last couple of weekends. I'm trying to sharpen my photography and photoshopping skills. Here are some moments captured.

Yard sale brownies: 50 cents

His majesty the spectacular rhino at the Toronto Zoo. 

Replanting seedlings.

2 boys pre cushion fight. 

Front garden version 2.0

Nap time is the nicest time. 

Making peanut butter cookies.

Warm tacos.

 

Frames I finally hung. 

Rich's coffee chaser.

 Globe crossword. 

2 of my favourite men and 1 great tote. 

Happy Weekend. I'm going to sew and play and launder and clean and find time for another crossword or some other guilty pleasure. I hope you do too.

Pretend with me that it's Tuesday

Try as I might, Tuesday Look did not happen in Calgary. I did see one terrific looking tourist at 7:00 a.m in our hotel. She was a sort of Korean Dolly Parton but she ran too quickly to her tour bus for me to try to explain why I wanted to take her picture. 

I arrived home to my life late last night to a house full of children and adult sleeping in random bedding, ill matching and ill fitting. Evidence of the continued fallout from the bed wetting pandemic that appears to have no cure. Still,  I felt somehow grateful for the debris and the not-husband who has been keeping the home fires burning these past few days.

I returned to my job today with my camera not yet unpacked from my purse feeling bleary eyed and ready to catch up with the already in progress celebrations and sales meetings which had been taking place back here at headquarters. These yearly meetings are a gathering of  style and beauty. I was bugged that I still hadn't delivered a Tuesday Look but was confident that I was in the right place.   

As the day was coming to a close, I scanned the room for a likely subject. There was no shortage of choices. It became about who I thought would accept the explanation for why I was dragging them outside in the maybe rain seconds before their shuttle was retrieving them to head to the airport and back to the town from which they came. Leah was the perfect choice. She hails from Vancouver and is a longtime leader in our Retail and Academy interests in the West. 

Always well put together with a tremendous smile and the sense of adventure which led her to trust me and ask few questions when I asked her to be Tuesday's look. She followed me to the front of our office building and snap. Recently back from a trip to New York, she is sporting skinny Helmut Lang pants, Forever 21 tee, TopShop earrings and Giuseppe Zanotti stilettos. Her West coast vitality still looking fresh at 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

Leah's probably safe and sound in the West by now and I'm safely back in the East. I enjoyed a quick meal with Steve and my daughter at Café la Gaffe and an Elementary school rendition of Snow White followed by a tournament of Battling Tops, 4 sets of teeth brushing and bedtime. Sure is good to be home. Don't you just love Tuesdays?

By the time you're reading this, I'll be gone

I'm in Calgary for work and drinking the worst coffee in the history of coffee. I'm hoping this reality only reflects this hotel (which has this strange indoor wall treatment that is suspiciously "outdoor motel"). This morning I asked for an Americano only to be told that they do in fact have Sanka. 

I've been making some upgrades on the operating systems and tools at home that has cut into the weekend blogging and specifically "the List". I have some fabulous and generous contributors to showcase this summer and I look forward to sharing their sharing with you. And about those improvements, I'm now photoshopping and lightrooming and uploading raw files directly onto the iMac. I can't wait to explore these new tools. Have a great couple of days. Tuesday look should be interesting.

In my mind I'm wearing this today:

Happy Friday. I've been doing some underground sewing this week after the kids go to bed and while I have had some setbacks, overall, I've made some progress and am likely going to be soon ready for the reveal. The Stylish Dress Books are actually pretty user friendly. So this morning as I turn to my closet to find the perfect thing for today's business, I am fantasizing about these beautiful pieces from the crazy talented Heidi Merrick. Next sewing project: ruffle blouse. 

Tuesday Look: Dar

I hope you all had a lovely long weekend. We had a great vacation in the city and I hope to make something of a list out of the great (fingers crossed) images that I managed to capture during our activities. Stay Tuned. 

I know I keep harping on the pressure I feel on Tuesday when I have a look to capture. The truth is that it is exactly the kind of  pulse quickening activity that I actually enjoy. I  like the pressure. Tuesday after a long weekend adds another level of excitement because there is a kind of wrestling that takes place in all aspects of life to bend things back into routine when an extra day of free time has been granted. This was true of today. Lucky for me I work with a whole lot of Tuesday look material every day of the week. Darlene is no stranger to Lemon Fresh. Her fabulous gams appeared in the great leg debate of the early spring. Her signature look is self-proclaimed overdressed. She looks fantastic everyday and she does hi-lo fashion with such precision it is virtually impossible to discern splurge from steal. You can imagine my delight when I discover that not only does she look great but she's working the look on her Canary Vespa in Chie Mihara heels.  Darlene is the resident event manager, throws a wicked party, crafts and sews with abandon and  I have paid witness to the reality that it's tough to go anywhere in the city and not run into someone that knows Darlene. Today's uniform?  Anthropologie dress, vintage driving gloves, handmade silver cuff, over sized shades  and ruched sleeved knitted bolero.  If everyday is any indication, I suspect you haven't seen the last of Darlene.

Farrah Fawcett and the Weekends

I watched the Farrah Story last night. While that might sound a little cheesy. It wasn't. I am quite uninformed about the debate and the scandal surrounding this documentary but as a viewer I was simply happy to look square into the face of something that reminded me to be grateful. Farrah's Story did that. Not to mention that I asked by name for her hair style in my youth and I enjoyed Farrah in her Angel days as much as anyone. Having said that, I would like to tell you how grateful I am that the people of my world are healthy and well.  I am also thrilled to have a long weekend in my clutches.  And while I'm at it, thank you for stopping by and leaving comments to tell me that you've come. It makes my day. 

Now about those weekends:

We're making them a little longer in July and August at the company where I work. Many organizations are seeking alternate ways to save money in these times of economic uncertainty. The reality is that it may be possible to achieve similar productivity standards by having unpaid half days on Fridays (stop working at 1 -with the option of enjoying the morning off voluntarily).   The global recession has had a multitude of consequences but with all of it's doom and difficulty, I am not sorry that my kids are going to see more of me or that I am going to add to my list of sewing projects. Of the things this global crisis is prescribing, innovation is the very least of it's downsides. I challenge you all to  a summer of frugalness, creativity and gratitude. I'll need to think more carefully about my purchases and I'll relish the delight in my children's voices when I tell them that today they are not going to daycare. Thank you Farrah for candidly sharing your hardship. I'm feeling pretty thankful today. I appreciate it.

Tuesday Look: Kasha of Fawn

During a recent trip to the fabulous Swan restaurant I wandered across the street into the hip, quirky, lovely boutique: Fawn. It's the kind of clothing store that I love. The kind where the small town girl in me is just waiting to be escorting out of the store for not being cool enough. Fortunately the generous social skills of its owner set me right at ease. I was exhilerated by the notion that I was being exposed to some fashion secrets that not even Rachel Zoe yet knew about. Visiting Fawn felt a little like reading an Italian Vogue from the future.  Note to self: return to Fawn-buy things there.

Tuesday's look was captured when we parked in view of Fawn. The truth is that I was scrambling again for the right shot and on the commute home from work Stephen and I decided that in, or around, Swan would be some understated trendsetter. I had all but forgotten about Fawn when I saw Kasha doing some merchandising through the glass of her happening storefront in the bottom of the Chocolate Factory lofts on Queen St. West. I knew her outfit would deliver. Kasha is a former stylist, merchandiser and buyer and her shop is filled with small brands that are gathering fans for their quality and unusual designs. Her fabulous top is the from the complex geometries collection and her jeans (which are stunning and flattering and look crazy comfortable) are anzevino and florence. If you're wondering about the boots, they're of the pre-owned variety and they are in good company with the dozens of pairs of mint condition vintage pumps that line the floor in the perfect little shop that delivered a great Tuesday Look and a wealth of inspiration for my spring wardrobe. Thank you Kasha for your hospitality. Fawn is worthy of much Fresh praise. Note to self: buy vintage shoes at Fawn this weekend.

My Three Moms

The Saturday list  will resume next week after we pay proper homage to the woman that tomorrow is  all about. My mothers.

This is my Dad. Okay so he's not a mom but my (adoptive) mother died just before I officially hit puberty.  He did the cooking and the cleaning and the shopping and the Christmases and he had a management job in a  factory and he worked a lot of overtime. I'm sure he spent most of our teenage years not really having any idea what to do about any of it.  He was sensitive and supportive and he bought me my first sewing machine. He is the best mother that I had in my teen years and I am beholden to him for  lovingly embracing an extraordinary challenge.

My Mom. She's my birth mother and I met her when I was 21. That's a picture of her taken the year that we met. She was just 39 and had 4 small sons. My brothers. She seemed like a great mom. 

At 17 (shown with my father shortly before she learned she was pregnant) after trying to mask a pregnancy  for a short time while remaining in a high school she was eventually  shipped off to a Catholic maternity home to repent, give birth, recover, and return to grade 12. In these years since we've met she has become my mother again. 

And then there was my adoptive mother. Her name was Peggy Hill. I am ashamed to say that I spent this morning searching for a picture of her and failed to find even one. I am vowing to correct this deficit.  She and my father married both for the second time and adopted 2 children.  The act of adoption didn't seem all that amazing to me until I became a mother. Both sides of the adoption equation now seem heroic to me. She was good at playing barbies and her drawings and handwriting were beautiful. She made a big vegetable garden and baked and cooked. She sewed and crafted and would rearrange the furniture in my room into more pleasing scenes while I was at school.  I have very fond memories of the thrilling feeling it gave me when I walked into the freshly fluffed space that I have rarely felt since.  During her illness, we fought ruthlessly (as only a pre-teen girl and her mother can do) about whether I would take Home Economics or French in Grade 9. She won the battle and sealed my interest and skills in sewing for good. After she died, I just kept taking Home Ec.. It was the one thing I knew for sure she wanted for me. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of the lovely mothers who are reading this (including mine). Thanks for making mothering a community affair and for setting such a good example.

The Tuesday Look: Sora

I had a long awaited  appointment  today with a plastic surgeon to consult on a non urgent procedure that does not involve facial implants, toxin injections, fillers, age reversing or the  tightening of anything. The waiting room is filled with clients and patients looking unapologetically around at one another trying to figure out who was there for what gravity defying maintenance. I wonder to myself what exactly the taut women think I'm having done. 

I felt some pressure leaving the appointment because it was close to the end of the day and although I had the fat cat camera with me I had done little to find the perfect Tuesday look. (Thank you to Jen who was a well turned out and a  great sport  but was eliminated upon the discovery of the electric baseboard heater that snuck into the image). We detoured to Queen St. as a sure fire route to find some inspired fashionista and it was there that we screeched our brakes when I saw  the beautiful Sora. She was enjoying an elegant cigarette break in the sunshine taking in the afternoon from under the cover of eyelash drowning fringe.  She works at the super hip furniture and home accessories and lighting store Quasi Modo on Queen St. and was so gracious and comfortable when I asked her if  I could snap her photo. Her great look is from right across the street at  the sweet boutique pho pa. Thank you Sora for stealing a moment in the late afternoon warmth and for making my first few frames with a stranger so lovely. 

Shelley's 10

The 10 list concept was invented for and because of people like Shelley.  List lovers. 

Daughter  of a prominent Canadian artist. Her Christmas tree every year is an installation, she makes beautiful cakes and  is a grand lover of tradition.  She was my first truly great boss. She taught me that you can be the owner, give direction, protect the needs of your business and do it all while making your employees feel that you're truly glad that they work for you.  A retail goddess, inspired buyer, merchandiser extraordinaire, trend spotter and successful shop keep. She is now the person that is called upon to source, assemble and create fabulous collections of merchandise.  Her sense of style is informed in equal parts by days gone by and next season's must haves. Shelley prepped me for my first trip to New York with a special envelope of pin money. She uses words like lanai and if you say tomato, she does indeed, in regular parlance, say it the other way.   She gives herself permission to say yes to the luxuries of life and lives by the rule that sometimes the most liberating thing of all is to simply say no. To know her is to covet some fabulous accessory that she's wearing right now. This is Shelley.

Here are ten things I love...I enjoy them each separately, but strung together they

would all be part of my idea of the perfect day.

1) MY J.SCHATZ YELLOW EGG BIRD FEEDER:

This really was the perfect gift. Given to me at Christmas by my friend Loreen, I hung it up immediately outside my kitchen door and waited. For over two long, cold months I waited. Then suddenly in mid-March they started to arrive. First the sparrows, then the red-headed house finches, then the gold finches...beautiful, chatty, musical. Best time: early morning. Open back door, check the feeder; make coffee, check the feeder; get the papers, check the feeder; sitting at the kitchen table, gazing out the back door, reading the newspapers, drinking coffee, checking the feeder. Perfect.

2) NEWSPAPERS:

As mentioned above, a very important part of every morning...I know many major North American dailies are now on life support, but I still open the door with gleeful anticipation every morning and gather up the strewn corpses of the local daily broadsheets we subscribe to (as well as the New York Times, after they seduced me with a four month free subscription). I do appreciate and use NYTimes.com, globeandmail.com, nationalpost.com, and thestar.com, but there is something about having everything strewn out on the table before me, whether it's a day when I only have time for a quick skim, or ideally, one of those days where I can luxuriate in every dense, minutiae filled article, that I find incredibly satisfying.

3) SMALL TOWN BAKERIES:

Mmm...what can I say.

I live in the city. I love the city. I grew up in the city. I love that less than 10 (walking) minutes from home I can get a perfect espresso and a melt in your mouth croissant. However, the giddiness that accompanies the sight of a classic, old school, small town bakery, is something I never tire of. No espresso (usually no coffee), but the best caraway rye, chelsea buns, butter tarts, peanut butter cookies etc. you could hope for. I also love and admire the often seen "cash only" sign, and the fact that you better get there by noon, or you're outta' luck sister!

Slim Aaron-Poolside Gossip

4) SWIMMING POOLS:

Beautiful. Heavenly. The sight and smell of a swimming pool has always been one of my favourite things. An ideal place for intense or mild exercise, or pure, floating laziness...with or without music, cocktails, lemonade or lunch. Under palm trees or oak trees, next to a beach or in the middle of a backyard... During the summer I spend a lot of time at my friend's pool in the country, surrounded by willow and maple trees, and a huge lush lawn, with a good supply of magazines, books, sunscreen and water. And, during late May and June, the heady smell of lilacs drifting by. I can't think of a better way to while away a summer afternoon. There's always one moment during one particularly perfect day every summer that we remember as THE moment, and go back to during those cold, grey, snowy days of winter, when lounging by the pool seems a lifetime away.

5) PERIODICALS:

I love magazines. From my weekly trash (People and Us) to my semi-trash (New York Magazine) to my definitely not trash (the New Yorker) to my beloved monthlies: Vanity Fair, Paper, Bust, Vogue, Elle Decor UK etc. I do have one subscription (for Toronto Life) , but still get a particular thrill from a visit to my favourite magazine store, its shelves bursting with the latest issues. As with my beloved newspapers, I also use online magazine sites to catch up on any issues I've missed, or to send articles to friends, but the real pleasure for me still lies in cracking open a new volume, on the subway, at home, by the pool, in the park, on the beach...you get the idea. By the way, a great magazine (e.g. the fashion or design issues of the New York Times Magazine), INSIDE a newspaper is particular bliss...

6) PARTY SCENES:

I've always loved parties..the fact that cocktails, canapes and cake are often involved only add to their appeal. From the pre-planning and the guest list to the menu, the decorations and the perfect party outfit, I'm interested in all the details. I'm sure that's one of the reasons why I get such a kick out of party scenes in movies: Breakfast at Tiffanys, Next Stop Greenwich Village, Auntie Mame, An Unmarried Woman, The Thin Man, Rachel Getting Married...just a few examples of movies with great party scenes that I never get tired of watching.

7) VINTAGE COOKBOOKS:

My Vincent Price Cookbook (the best cheesecake ever) and my set of mini Peter Pauper Press cookbooks from the 1950s (I learned how to bake from "The ABC of Cookies", and my friend Warren found "The ABC of Canapes" and "The ABC of Cocktails" online) are some of my favourite sources when I'm looking for dinner party inspiration. The recipes are always a bit different than what I'm used to, so I follow them exactly. Then I put on my Pucci palazzo pants and enjoy the results.

8) ACCESSORIES:

I like to wear black. Don't get me wrong, I love colour, but my wardrobe is basically black. The main reason for this is because of my love of accessories: earrings, bracelets, brooches, etc. etc. etc. ...and don't even get me started on bags and scarves. New or vintage, usually a mix of both, just adding one piece can re-define an outfit (all that black makes the perfect backdrop). There are definitely times to pile it on, but I usually follow Diana Vreeland's advice about jewellery, and "always take off the last thing you put on".

9) GOING TO THE MOVIES:

I adore the movies. Big or small, "movies" or "films". One of the things I love about going to the movies is that it's something I can do at different times with different people...I can take in an afternoon matinee by myself, if I feel like playing hookey; I can go to the early show with friends who like to be in bed by 9, or to the late show with friends who don't have dinner until 9.

Going to be the movies can be planned, slipped in on a week day " wanna catch the 6:50 show at the Varsity?" or be the spontaneous end of an evening with friends " come on, if we leave right now we can catch the 10:45 show of He's Just Not That Into You". I know they're too expensive, filled with ads and there is always the potential to be near a dreaded "talker", but there's still something about sitting in the dark with a bag of popcorn looking at the big screen with a group of strangers that can take you away and help you stay connected with your fellow citizens at the same time.

10) CHARLIE ROSE:

Ahh, Charlie. You talk too much, you interrupt and you don't always listen to your guests, but you're still one of the only places left on TV where I can tune in and hear an hour long conversation with anyone from Sean Penn or Brooke Astor to Joan Didion or Wes Anderson. Thank you PBS. Everything takes place around that great wooden round table of yours, that is usually piled high with newspaper and magazine articles about your interview subjects that you've actually read. I still tape (yes, on my VCR) your show everyday, even though I know I can go online and see all your old shows at: www.charlierose.com