Gotta Paint This Room

Readers, I need your help.  Remember back in November when I was so excited to get a DwellStudio duvet cover for our master bed?  (okay, I don’t really expect you to remember that, so here’s a refresher).  I mentioned back then that I hated the blue walls in our bedroom, but that project took to the back burner as we moved forward with the kitchen reno.

Now that I’m home all day with Little C, I’ve been thinking about painting the walls again.  And then I saw this post on sfgirlbybay, where she painted one wall (with Benjamin Moore’s Gravel Gray) in her otherwise white bedroom.  It looks so sophisticated, which my current room is definitely not.  Do you think I could pull this off in our room?  3 white walls, and one dark grey wall?

Please comment – I really do need help with this one.

The Leslieviller

You regular readers will know how much I love my neighbourhood.  So recently I decided to share the love, and post some of my Leslieville-related blog posts from Stuff Avery Likes on the community forum/website “The Leslieviller”.  Any time I write about the ‘hood on this blog, it will also appear over there.

The Leslieviller is great – it’s where I find all the latest news about what’s going on around me.  I particularly enjoy the insider scoop on the Queen Street East retail developments.  Check out this thread detailing all the new businesses opening soon (go all the way to the end for the latest news).

And while you’re on the site, also read this post about a new Farmer’s Market coming to Jonathan Ashbridge Park every Sunday this summer.  Sounds awesome, huh?

ReThink Breast Cancer T-Shirts

I usually get a “Fashion Targets Breast Cancer” T-shirt every year.  I love the design, and am happy to support ReThink Breast Cancer (awesome charity).  Have you seen the apparel this year?  They’re available at Joe for very reasonable prices (special sequin shirt is $14, regular shirts are $12, and the tote bag is $24).  Now I just have to choose… sequin shirt or colour?  And what colour?  I have a feeling I might get more than one…

Happy Good Friday

I love Good Friday.  Not because I’m religious, but because every year Ian and I spend Good Friday totally slacking off all day long.  We get takeaway fish and chips, and catch up on TV and movies.

One of the movies I want to watch today is Exit Through the Gift Shop by graffiti artist Banksy.  I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard from numerous people that I’d like it.  I noticed that it’s available on Netflix, so we’re set.  Speaking of Netflix, check out this list of 20 Great Documentaries to Watch on Netflix, courtesy of Paste.  It’s a list of what’s available on the American Netflix (aka Netflix Instant) so they might not all be available for us Canucks, but I’d think should be on there.

Hope you have a great long weekend, whatever you’re up to.

Glass as Art

I love glass – especially blown glass.  I’m fascinated by how it can go from liquid to solid, and be morphed into different shapes, with beautiful colours.  So I’ve been a fan of glassmaster (is that a word?) Dale Chihuly for a while.  There’s a huge exhibit of his work on at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston right now through August.  I don’t think I’ll be going to Boston to see it, so instead I have to be satisfied by watching videos and browsing through photos online.  Or I can always visit the Sandra Ainsley Gallery in the Distillery – there’s gorgeous glass there too.

Fresh Farm Produce = Yummy

I just renewed our summer share for the CSA program from Kawartha Ecological Growers.  What’s a summer share and a CSA, you ask?

“Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution; a system that connects people craving farm fresh local produce directly to the farmers growing their food.  A CSA consists of a community of folks who commit to supporting a farm before the growing season begins, in return for a regular dose of seasonal produce throughout.  In this way, the farm becomes the community’s farm and the consumers become co-producers of the food, with the growers and eaters supporting one another while sharing in all the risks and benefits of food production. It’s the ultimate model in local eating!”

Great idea, huh?  We get our share from Kawartha Ecological Growers – a group of about 20 small farms West of the Kawartha Lakes.  They have different pickup locations around the city, and we get ours every Tuesday at the Ceili Cottage (conveniently located at the end of our street). Fresh produce directly from the farm, all summer long = bliss.

Want to know more, or sign yourself up?  Check out Kawartha Ecological Growers’ website.  And yes, full disclosure, I designed the site.  But that’s not why I endorse them – I honestly really love this organization, and the CSA model.

Kinnon Draws Her Food

One of my bestest pals, design partner, birthday sharer (this Friday, April 15, holla!) and illustrator extraordinaire Kinnon took a trip to Portugal and Spain a couple months ago (she often travels solo, which is gutsy and cool).  As a way to honor the trip, and remember what she ate, Kinnon has illustrated the most memorable meals from her journey.  What a great idea for a travel diary, no?

You can see all of Kinnon’s travel food illustrations, and read the stories that accompany the drawings, online here.  Warning – do not read when you’re hungry.  Or you just might find yourself searching for flights to Spain.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.