Pull Up a Tea Cup and Pop a Squat

Bizarro ottoman – but oh so fun!

Stripe Marks the Spot

No Joke – ever since I settled on a palette of black, white and gold for my combo living/dining room, I have been haunted by the glamorous vintage inventory of Stripe. It is definitely on my list of must-visits for my next trip down south, but I will literally have to restrain myself from leaving without the harlequin coffee table…

60's Brass Chest of Drawers

Set of Six Lucite Chairs by Vladimir Kagan

Glam 40's Grand-Scaled Mirrored Double Dresser

Pair of 70's Springer-Style Brass and Lucite Lamps

60's Solid Brass Center/Dining Table

Fabulous 50's Harlequin Brass Coffee Table

Toronto International Art Fair- Visit #2

I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to the Toronto International Art Fair last year, so I was quite pleased when I happened into some tickets to check out this year’s exhibitors. The focus was heavy on Montreal and Toronto galleries, but there were a handful of galleries from more exotic locales, such as Japan and Mexico, providing the fair with its namesake international flavour.

In addition to usual favourites, such as the work of Paul Beliveau, of  Gallerie de Bellefeuille, here are some of the pieces I enjoyed the most from the fair:

 

James Robert Durant’s eye popping beach ball

Eloise Brodeur’s moo cows

Sangbin Im’s  photo of photos

Nicolas Ruel’s archways

 Marcel Barbeau’s feathery scales

Luke Painter’s gothic ink

He Zhang greys and violets

 

Phil Shaw’s bookcases

 

David Lafrance’s carnival magic

Gerald Ferguson’s pattern

Magda Trzaski’s playful shadowbox

Darlene Cole’s lucious cotton candy leaves

John Ross Palmer’s swishes of passionate purple

James Lahey’s perfectly blush Peonie

Also worth a mention was Castor’s tent of bubblewrap. I didn’t really pay attention to any cards on the wall that may have explained the significance- rather I stomped away to my hearts content!

The Sofa Chronicles

With an apartment to furnish from scratch, the biggest purchase is the sofa -- the epicenter of the communal living space and the priciest piece of upholstery the boy and I will be investing in. The pressure of choosing the perfect piece is high – the sofa has to be a haven for both of us and serve its purpose as a place to snuggle and watch movies together, a place to lie out and watch football (him), a place for me to settle in to read my shelter mags (me), and most of all: it has to be comfortable!!!

Finding a comfy couch isn’t so hard, but finding one that has the design elements I am going for that so that it not only looks good, but feels good, is tougher than I thought it would be.

As a collector of refurbished vintage finds, I want my sofa to have some character and tie in the various elements of my design scheme. Shapeless bunchy square cushions and a boxy silhouette will not do. Microfibre, leather and slipcovers are also out. Give me tufting! Bring on the rolled arms - I want character!

My dream is Montauk’s tufted beauty, but that is obviously not within budget, so I went looking to the more wallet-friendly Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ Chester for answers.

What I found is that a tight seat and tight back won’t cut the mustard. If it was a formal living room that didn’t get used much it could maybe fly, but for the single lone couch in our apartment it has to have enough of that sink-in quality that invites guests in instead of repelling them like a dusty stiff antique.

Enter a possible candidate for sofa love: a model from Southern Furniture that not only has my requisite tufting and rolled arms, but also deep seat cushions and a sloping back and arms that looks hella comfy. Ignore the pukey calamine colour upholstery and forget the odd faux-fur toss cushions nestled into the corners, if I can find a floor model for the boy and I to test the search could be over!

to be continued…

Jackie O Jacket

I recently picked up this boucle jacket with shiny gold buttons at anthro:

I’m loving it’s Chanel Jackie-O vibe and how it adds instant polish to a boots and jeans combo- plus it’s a refreshing change from the more common boyfriend blazer.

Glamorous Handmade Goodies

This week I was responsible for making loot bags for a 10 year old’s fashion-themed birthday party. I have never done such girly cookies before so it was a lot of fun to decorate the dresses, handbags and high heels.

If you’re a Torontonian looking for custom cookie creations for yourself, don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information!

Grown Up Rugs from PB Teen

I know they are meant for the Miley Cyrus set, but I am so loving these floral rugs by PB Teen:

 

Nouveau Floral Rug, 8 x 10, $599.00

Garden Party Rug , 8 x 10, $599.00

The garden party pattern would look especially perfect in a cozy all white-on-white plush bedroom. If only they delivered to Canada!

Fabulous Fedora

I was not blessed with naturally beautiful hair. Instead I inherited a coif that is more Sideshow Bob than supermodel, so I rely on the aid of hats and messy buns to get me through the day.

Corta Fedora, $375.00

If this stunning chain-embellished fedora by Erik Javits, wasn't so darn pricey I would snap it up as a solution for my bad hair days (aka everyday). I love the hit of glamorous gold and the polished silhouette of the brim.

A Closer Look at Courtly Check

You’ve probably spotted the signature black and white checks at your nearest Neiman’s, and some of you may have been lucky enough to make it to a freestanding store, but for those of you new to MacKenzie-Child’s, it’s worth a visit to their website to explore the hundreds of handmade goods boasting feminine and whimsical designs.

Clearly not for everyone’s tastes, M-C’s fans are often diehards who make pilgrimages to their headquarters in Aurora, NY to watch the artisans in action (hi 2D!), but one of the most popular and enduring patterns most people can agree on no matter their tastes is the classic black and white courtly check. Being a black, white and gold person, I am all over it!

Here are some of my favourites:

Courtly Check Small Oval Dish

Courtly Check Enamel Grill

Petit Four Round Knob

Courtly Check Enamel Tea Kettle

Courtly Check Three Tier Sweet Stand

Courtly Check Enamel Colander

Courtly Check Compote

Small Vessel Sink

Quack

I swear sometimes I have the culinary tastes of a 60 year old woman. Most of my peers would cringe at the very notion of duck hash, yet as soon as I saw Daniel Boulud’s recipe in the new ELLE Decor, I conspired with my mother to try it out within the week.

Ever the sport and putting her professional culinary training to good use, my mother cooked up 2 individual servings in her adorable All-Clad’s. They not only looked divine, but they tasted delicious as well. A scheduling error on my part meant we didn’t sit down to eat it until well after 11p.m. but that just added to the bizarre element of our odd meal and made it all the more amusing.

I probably wouldn’t rush to make this meal again, but for a fancy shmancy brunch it definitely would fit the bill! Thanks mom!