Author: avery

The Pursuit of Radness

I love Marc Johns.  He’s an illustrator based in Victoria, BC and I just can’t seem to get enough of his work.  I have his illustrations on my business cards (which always elicit a response from prospective clients), I love flipping through his book, and I follow his work on his website/blog.

So I was pretty thrilled to see his contribution to the Twitter/Etsy Artist Series.  Entitled “The Pursuit of Radness”, Johns’ piece is available as a free download to save as wallpaper for your computer screen, iPhone, iPod, or iPad.  Apparently Johns thinks that’s what 2011 should be all about – the pursuit of the rad.  I like it.

[via DesignWorkLife]

American Retail Invasion

The Americans are coming!  (in the form of more retail stores, that is).

We already have homewares shop Crate & Barrel at Yorkdale Mall, but their hipper, more modern spinoff CB2 is coming to the corner of Queen and Bathurst in downtown Toronto.  They’re taking over the space that was formerly the Big Bop concert hall.

You’ve probably already heard that J. Crew is coming to Toronto.

And move over Winners… discount fashion shop Marshalls is on its way.  One will open near King and Richmond, where the nightclub Circa used to be.

Now if only those rumours about Target coming to Canada were confirmed…

Update!  Target IS coming to Canada!  Read all about it here.

[kind of related – you can now shop Gap and Banana Republic online from Canada.  They’re doing free shipping for orders over $50, or if under that it’s $8 flat rate shipping, with no duty or handling fees.]

Baby Wishlist: Rabbit Lamp

The more I read about all-things-baby, and how to decorate a baby’s room, I have learned that having lots of different lighting is key.  Table lighting, overhead lighting, night lights, etc.  Right now all we have is a garish overhead light in the soon-to-be-baby’s-room, and that just won’t do.  Imagine turning that on at 3am for a diaper change or feeding?  No thank you.

On my baby wish list is this adorable rabbit lamp from Anthropologie.  It looks cute on its own, and when you turn it on, it provides a soft glow.  Adorable, no?

PS – would you consider a teapot as a pendant light?  Crazy.

Mom, This is How Twitter Works

Maybe you remember back in May when I wrote about my love for Jessica Hische (the amazing letterer and illustrator).  I briefly mentioned her “Mom, This is How Twitter Works” guide – which started as an image file.

Her simple guide to explaining Twitter went viral, and now she has made it into a webpage with more detail (explaining retweeting, hashtags, and a comparison between Twitter and Facebook).  Check out www.momthisishowtwitterworks.com and learn a thing or two!

Welcome Back!

Hey readers, welcome back after the holiday break.  I hope you devoured good food and wine, put your feet up, and relaxed a bit!

I had a lovely break, spending a few days with family, and then Ian and I went on a little adventure to Chicago for 4 nights.  We went a little nuts shopping – the deals were insane!  I’ve found it really difficult to get good-looking maternity clothes in Canada, so when I hit Gap Maternity, I took home half the store (or so it feels like).  Ian scored some great finds, including a gorgeous jacket at Banana Republic that makes him look like Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock, and an All-Clad frying pan at Marshall’s that was clearance priced (it was interesting trying to explain that one to the customs officer).

Now it’s 2011, and time to get back to work.  The Kitchen Reno Adventure starts today, so I’m staying in the suburbs with my parents for a few weeks while the worst of the renovation is completed.  I have an ultrasound tomorrow, and we’re super excited to see the kidlet again.  It’s hard to believe that the baby will be here in just a few months (due date is April 20). I better get some more work done…

[above image is of us in front of Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, Chicago]