Tuesday Look: Fashion hangers-on

This is Ginger and her son August who she calls Havi. She is a stylish person who spends little time considering her strategy or her outfit. She is and so is her look. Here she is at home in a cotton tent dress from H&M and grey suede 80's belt, both courtesy of a friend's closet. Most stylishly is her little son, pumpkin haired and attached firmly to the skirt bottom. Motherhood chic is this Tuesday's look and it never looked more relaxed than as interpreted by Ginger.

There's no place like home

I finally arrived home last night after a week on the west coast. I am never as in love with my city, my street, my house, my kids, my garden, my bed, my pillows as I am after I've been away.

The trip was incredible and I had a bit of a life tidying experience while in Victoria but the feeling of the car making the turn onto Rusholme Road brought a tear to my jet lagged eye.

I promise to post Wy's birthday photos in the next couple of days but for now I'm going to go and inhale the glorious smell of my children's hair.

Happy Saturday everyone.

Tuesday Look: Vancouver Style Bloggers

I've been in Vancouver since Sunday on business. The child in me giggles when I say that. Like the day when I got my first business cards and I handed them out to everyone I knew. I am thrilled to be back in this fabulous, beautiful city. 

After wrapping up work for the day, Ramona and I headed to Gastown to scope vintage wears and find a Tuesday Look.  When, what to my wondering eyes should appear but a vision of loveliness, style and cheer. 

I almost took Shallom's picture without asking her because she was so perfect. I didn't want to risk her saying no and thought that I could pass as a tourist. Would you just look at that outfit?It's no surprise that she writes the popular style blog stylefinds. Black strappy shoes by Chinese Laundry that I literally tried on the night before with royal blue tights that make me sad that it's summer so I can't try this fabulous colour on my legs until September. Her  grosgrain ribbon skirt is of the inspired line Tahari and her bolero and necklace are H&M. Her newly shorn hair is the work of Karyn Rudance of Derek London. Just as we were wrapping up the moment of kismet, around the corner came Shallom's friend Terri.

How could I deserve a moment so perfect? Terri is the voice behind the converyor belt and she was head to toe vintage (save for the skinny denim bird jeans). Terri is also the creator of a scarf line called larry that has me coveting and wondering how to get one before the cold weather gets here. 

Go and check out their links. They deserve it. They have great things going on and lots of people in the know already follow and support them. You should too. 

Who says Vancouver is not a mecca of style? Shallom, Terri and Lemon Fresh think differently. 

Post Party Warmth

Jack Wyatt 

It's early and I'm awake in the afterglow of the celebration of 4 years of Wy. Pictures to come. On this rainy Saturday, I'm feeling grateful for all of the goodness in my life and contemplating how important it is to treat our good fortunes with care. Watch this lovely slide show by Nathan Tedrow to the beautiful melody of Ingrid Michaelson and you're going to feel warm inside too. Happy Saturday everyone.

Party preparation teaser

cleaning up the sign

searching for wood scraps

gluing and clamping

taking shape

can't wait until Friday...

Tuesday Look: Expectant Hipsters

This is Jo and Clay. They are the real thing. Urban, vegetarian, low carbon footprinting, vintage wearing, bike riding, social working, graphic designing, blogging, tweeting, animal loving newlyweds with a baby on the way. Johanna was our nanny. She responded to our ad on a nanny website and she was the first and last person that we interviewed. She was a dream come true and she made our lives easy and fun and she was a ray of goodness in a frantic time. She was never late for work nor do I recall her ever calling in sick and she never once wore anything short of fantastic to be with my kids. No yoga pants, no stretch, no sporty anything. She was and is pure style all the time and is graced with the greatest complexion you have ever seen (she does have a sort of obsession with exfoliant).  Although she has moved across the city and settled into a career that makes Toronto a better place for youth at risk, she never left our hearts or our family. To know Jo and Clay is to know they are blessed with a very special love waiting on a very special baby who is very very lucky. 

Weekend Co-workers

Meet my other colleagues.  Above are Wyatt, Georgia, Graydie and Otis. They let me pretend that I'm in charge every night and most weekends.  This was the closing shot from our Sunday night. Sitting on the steps at the back door in the pile of sawdust from the crafting, sharing ice cream. The kids not knowing that the weekend was over. Me with the aching feeling that I get when Sunday afternoon spills into Sunday evening and the workweek is closer than it is far away. I have a big week coming up as we plan Wy's party, attend a school barbeque, volunteer, catch up with an old friend, make flags and masts, plan menu for party, fret about menu for party, make cheeseball, sew sails, paint boats, plan Father's day, pick up dry cleaning, pack for Vancouver and Victoria, throw birthday  party, go to another birthday party, go to dance recital, fly to the west for a week for work. I really enjoyed this past weekend, we all did. Otis even got to lick a ice cream cone. I am one lucky boss and I've got some serious delegating to do.

The List is back and so is Patricia.

Saturday is list day and you absolutely must follow this link and read this incredible list at simplelovely . I think I have a new crush. 

So this Saturday I'm continuing the good work of prepping for Wyatt's party next week. Lots planned, pictures promised. Homemade sailboats is all I'm saying. 

One small disclaimer: Cats keep showing up in the blog and I'm sorry about that.

patricia at Stephen's picnic

Patricia is the person that I've known  the longest. We grew up in the same suburban neighbourhood in an automotive town where our dads worked together at a factory that made parts for cars out of powdered metal. She was the northern Italian girl with blue eyes whose aunts and uncles lived close by and whose mother dragged her from bed on Saturday mornings to scrub her tube socks in bleach. 

She went to Catholic school and then studied art history, then fashion design, then moved to Milan, moved to Los Angeles, moved to Pickering, moved to St. John's became an Inn Keeper, became a professional baker, and recently she moved back to Toronto. Hey everybody, meet my old friend Patricia.

Patricia's encaustic hummingbird

my art: the art of others really, but having the space & time to paint at

this time in my life is unbelievable.

Patricia's mother and two of her friends in a small rural village in northern Italy circa 1962

  a list of my 10 favourite

people & animals. For fear of disgruntling a cat, these people & animals

shall remain nameless, but you know who you are.

 my bike: a much used & loved affair that looks like a mix between a

courier's relic & an italian nonna's bike one would take to the market on

wednesdays.  I love it.

prince edward county: the place my sister manuela & her partner lino call

home.  Having recently purchased a loyalist farmhouse, & started an organic

farm, this area is a wonderful get a away from the city where morrells grow

wild in the ditches, & a wonderful pinot gris is grown & bottled just around

the corner.

used books, books in general: my favourite shop of the moment, Balfour

Books on College where they use scrabble tiles as subject headings.

 

I am ashamed to add this, but my cell phone! It keeps me connected to

everyone that I care about & miss (back in Newfoundland), & it is not pink

dammit!

my apartment/neighbourhood: recently returned to the great city of

Toronto in under a month I have discovered that within a 5 minute bike ride

I have access to 10 of my favourite places (lisa & richard's house, andrea,

chuck & benny's house, jennifer & david's house, fiesta farms...etc etc.)

my car: a recent addition to my family, this old beauty has been

untouched by the advance of technology & one day may be converted to run on

recycled vegetable oil from double fried frites!

my piano: another recent addition to my family, this old beauty has an

acoustic sounding board, but can also plug into an amp!  Step aside Elton.

 my girls: they do need a category of their own.  Peanut & Butter,
otherwise know as the "bookends".

There it is. Happy weekend. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some shipbuilding to do.

Thursday Ritual and The 3 Headed Tramp

I went out with my girlfriend's tonight. It is the grave reality of increased responsibility that you go out less. At least I go out less. So when I do I want to go somewhere to look at people and things and eat great food and drink Cava or Prosecco. For a long time Thursday nights were a guarded ritual and after work my girlfriends and I (coined the 3 headed Tramp by Ramona's husband Dave) would meet, have a manicure and head to Bar Italia to spend an evening reflecting on the week and admiring our new manicures. My mother used to tell me to enjoy it. That those moments were fleeting and that Thursday evenings would give way to other priorities like babies and such. I believed her. We did it up in those days and nights and appreciated every moment. 9 kids and many significant life events later we still get our nails done but now it's in the moments stolen from some other responsibility. Here's to Thursdays past and present. Do it all, take it in, you've got one chance. Live it up and get your nails done.

Tuesday Look: Lori-Anne of La Krause Headwear

I've been having a new romance with vintage. We never officially broke up so it's been very easy to get back together. My pregnant self felt costume-y in vintage so I skipped breaking out the retro pieces in the summer/winter clothing exchange around the time of my babies.  I'm now feeling again like I can't get enough and I equally enjoy vintage as a spectator sport. Lori-Anne was moving pretty quickly when she caught my eye in her recycled splendor and my heels were too high to run as fast as I would have liked (note to self: more sensible shoes on Tuesdays). She kept me clipping for a couple of blocks until a wheezing, breathless me stopped and asked her if I could take her picture. Yard sale glasses that I would have stolen off her face, camel (don't you just love camel?) double pleated, high waisted 40's skirt and black beaded sweater set that completed her look perfectly. Her lipstick was freshly applied and the perfect shade of red. She was charming and lovely and I was thrilled when I walked away reading her card to discover that she was a "headwear designer". Once I checked out her website I was ecstatic.  Her attitude, look and craft all timeless. Just take a peek at her feather collection. Glorious. 

French Vogue, Gwyneth's bob and Ginger's new house

Haircuts are in style. It is not a huge surprise, I know. Carine Roitfeld would never be left behind and is as always, defining the next ten minutes.   Everybody is listening and concrete evidence to this is that when Ginger  had a party recently to celebrate the closing of her new house there were lots of women there that used to have long hair.  Without exception they were all sporting lopped versions of their former selves. They were showcasing a mix of  beautiful, modern shapes that make you immediately reach for a hair elastic in shame.  It's time, I know. Your thoughts?

A beautiful day for a wedding

My cousin Jennifer is getting married to her long time boyfriend Glen today. I am so happy for them and I love the idea of seeing all of my brothers and my mother in one place at one time. Congratulations Glennifer. In a time of many uncertainties, I love the optimism of a late spring wedding. Happy Saturday everyone.

Tuesday Look: Deluxe Makara

My day involved a lot of interesting conversations, meetings and a lunch visit to Value Village that was among my top five trips of all time. I bought a fantastic blazer (shoulder padded to perfection), two great 80's dresses, an oil painting and some fabulous fabric that Ramona and I are going to prototype into the beach blanket of our dreams. And the Tuesday Look was still ahead.

Stephen and I dashed from the office right at the closing bell because he had an errand that involved Queen Street West pre 6 pm. The plan was hatched this morning. He would drop me off and I could find the subject, snap the shot all while he avoided witnessing it.

I saw Makara crouching down to lock the glass door of the uber chic shop Deluxe. She was too good to be true. Great hair, complexion and an outfit that was fashionable and looked like it had been heavily and barely considered this morning, all at the same time. Her dress is Religion and all the rest of the goods (shoes, cardigan, belt) are vintage.

This Tuesday was brought to you by yesteryear.

My mother had these shoes in brown. I remember trying them on and wondering how she walked in them. It might have been easier with socks. It sure would have been beautiful. I like these moments of fashion bravery. I always want to shout "good job" or other  lame  statement of encouragement. To all of those enthusiasts who dress to make yourselves happy with little regard for the rules or the critics. Don't stop. It really  makes my day.