avery – Page 21 – Stuff Avery Likes

Awesome Drives and Road Trips

Today was a looooooong day – we dropped Clara off at daycare at 7:30 this morning, drove 2.5 hours north of the city to attend a funeral, and then drove back down to pick Clara up before dinner. It was a lot of time in the car today (thank goodness for podcasts).

Do you like spending time in the car? Going on road trips? Check out this list of 21 Roads to Drive Before You Die from Twisted Sifter. There are some good ones on there (the Atlantic Road in Norway, pictured above, looks particularly beautiful). And I would love to drive the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, although I wonder if it would look so stunning when you’re actually in the car (as opposed to the arial shot shown in the article).

Have you driven any of these amazing roads?

I was on TV last night…

I was on the news last night! A colleague referred me for a guest spot – talking about tech trends on CTV News Channel’s evening news program, Direct. I went on around 6:50pm (right in-between coverage of Hugo Chavez’s death) and chatted with the host for about 4 minutes. We discussed Google Glass and privacy issues, Code.org’s launch, and some rumours surrounding Apple’s new iWatch.

I was pretty nervous, but my pal Jenna (who has a lot of TV experience) came along with me to keep me calm. She also gave me some great tips, like “don’t shift in your chair” and “don’t tilt your head too much”. Sounds silly, but it totally helped!

You can watch the clip online here.

[photos of me outside CTV and waiting in the greenroom are by Jenna. That’s her, sampling the coffee machine and having a conversation with Michael Buble]

Tweets from Outer Space

Do you follow Chris Hadfield on Twitter? If not, you totally should. Commander Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut living in space, onboard the International Space Station, and he’s very active on Twitter. He shares breathtaking photos of Earth (like the one he posted last night, above, of the full moon over the Earth’s atmosphere), and interacts with other people. If you tweet to him, odds are, he’ll tweet you back! Technology is so amazing.

Blik Wall Tiles: An Alternative to Wallpaper

There are a few walls in our house that I would love to wallpaper, but I haven’t done so because wallpaper can be so messy, and such a pain to remove. I’d love to try the wall tiles offered by Blik as an alternative – they’re relatively easy to install (the tiles are self-adhesive), and can be repositioned and moved. I love the “fishwall” pattern pictured above, but there are other, more subtle options too.

Kinnon Elliott Illustration Prints at Telegramme

There’s a new series of prints available at Telegramme (the awesome graphic arts shop in Leslieville), and they’re by none other than my bestest pal, Kinnon Elliott. The prints are from her Toronto’s My Home and Toronto Library series. I think I need one of each. Kinnon, I am so proud of you!

[image from Telegramme’s Facebook page]

My Super Lazy Way to Wash Delicate Clothing

soak

I don’t have many pieces of clothing that aren’t machine washable, but when those few delicate pieces (hand-knit sweaters, silk shirts, and lingerie) need a wash, I do it by hand, using Soak Wash. This stuff is awesome – you add a little bit of it to some water in the sink, throw in your stuff, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then just gently wring your items out, and lay them flat or hang to dry. That’s it. No rinsing. No scrubbing. And Soak smells really good too.

Soak is a Toronto-based company, and I buy Soak Wash at my local knitting boutique, The Purple Purl. But you can get it online on their website if you want.

[PS – this isn’t a sponsored post or anything. I just honestly really like this product and wanted to share it with you.]

What’s Your “Go To” Cocktail?

Cocktails are very hip right now. And no, I’m not talking about martinis – cosmos are sooooooo 2004. I’m talking about the kind of cocktails your grandparents drink, made from bourbon and whiskey and such. My usual “go to” is a Dark and Stormy, but last week I was out with Kinnon at Leslieville’s newly opened Hitch (named after Christopher Hitchens, of course), and I tried an Old Fashioned. It was fantastic – they had it just right. A little bit bitter, a little orangey… yummy.

Toronto Life did a little feature on Hitch, and so did blogTO. Doesn’t it look great? And it’s just around the corner from my house. My neighbourhood really is the best.

[photos by Jesse Milns for blogTO]

The Funniest Menswear Website

David Fung is a graphic designer living in New York City. He has a very stylish wardrobe. The proof? He dresses his dog Bodhi in his clothes, and does fashion shoots with him.

Okay, I know that sounds totally weird. But the pictures are funny and adorable, mostly because of the expressions on Bodhi the dog’s face. See all the looks (and get info on the clothes) at MenswearDog.Tumblr.com.

[via Twisted Sifter]

Would you live in a (really) tiny house?

Nantucket

There’s a street in my neighbourhood that’s known for its small houses, and the community of neighbours that live there (they call themselves the Tiny House Society). Spacing Magazine recently did a little feature on Craven Road, and included an interview with my pal Lisa, who lives on the street.

Would you live in a tiny house? How about a really tiny house? My Dad sent me this slideshow of small dwellings. He thought it was a funny joke, but seriously, I would consider living in a few of those! Our house is 1200 square feet, and I often think it’s too big. I love the idea of a tiny house in a beautiful location, like the cabin in Nantucket, pictured above.

What about you? Do you like having a lot of space to spread out, or do you prefer a cozy little home?

PS- Cabin Porn.

Great Website for Second-Hand Baby Stuff in Toronto

MerrilyMerrily

I am SO happy to share my newest discovery for baby stuff in Toronto with you – Merrily Merrily. It’s a website run by Leslieville mom Moxie Garrett, and you can shop a great selection of gently used and nearly-new baby and kids’ gear on her charming website. You can choose to have items shipped to you, or you can opt for free pickup in Leslieville.

Moxie also takes your used gear off your hands, and sells it on the website on consignment. I dropped off a bunch of stuff for her this week, and she sells it in record time. I’m so happy I found out about Merrily Merrily!