Household Vignettes

this is a bit of what our house
is looking like these days.

moved the art around, brought in a new display shelf
de-cluttered + lightened up.
feels good.

Cabbagetown Festival 2011 Day 2

my purchases from day #2 of the Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts show.
sweet.

Cabbagetown Festival 2011

my 2 purchases from day #1 of the
Cabbagetown Craft Show of 2011.

*************

stay tuned for day #2 discoveries...

Acadia Art & Rare Books, Est. 1931

Another in my series of glimpses into stores I feel are 'done right'.
This is Acadia Books in Toronto, at 232 Queen Street East.
You can't fake this; the atmosphere created as a result of the space infused with
layer upon layer of history by way of books and art.

Every spot is utilized to give you pause to stop and perhaps flip through an old crate of postcards or maps... or perhaps just gaze at the wall of fabulous cover designs on all the coffee table books...

You could get lost in here for hours.
It is a great anecdote for high tech stress in case you are of need...
When I think of simple, obvious comparisons between... let's say digital and film photography and electronic and paper bound books... you get the idea. This is the ultimate in breathe in the old school way of information transfer. Good for the soul in my opinion!

Windemere House

The family and I just returned from a 3 night stay at the fabulous Windemere Resort in Muskoka, Ontario. We stayed in the main house in 2 rooms (so that we and our daughters could have some privacy) overlooking the gorgeous gardens. Hollyhocks in all shades of pink were in glorious bloom. I decided they were one of my favorite flowers- so majestic yet so humble somehow.
There is a lovely wraparound porch that was a perfect spot for reading in the afternoon. (I read most of Keith Richards' autobiography 'Life' while there). We also enjoyed a lunch of grazing on sushi which was divine!
There is quite a history to this resort. It began around 1890 in a family home that was expanded to serve 200 guests. It stayed in this family until 1981 when it was bought by a group of investors.
In 1996 they allowed a film crew to shoot the feature film, 'A Long Kiss Goodnight" on the premises. I believe it was a spark that started the unstoppable fire that destroyed the entire resort. An unbelievable tragedy for this historic landmark although luckily, I believe there were no fatalities. By 1997 it was completely rebuilt. (thank goodness for insurance)!


We would totally recommend this place if you were looking for a pretty luxurious, stress free break from the city. The food is excellent. Oliver and Bonacini run the food service in all the restaurants there and it was first class. The only slight disappointment were the breakfasts which were served buffet style which meant somewhat rubbery scrambled eggs and soggy french toast. On a more positive note, the beds were super comfortable with high quality pillow and linens. As they say- it's all in the details!

Marimekko Sheets

Recently I spotted these Marimekko sheets for 1/2 price
at Crate + Barrel.
I finally got around to washing them and
putting them on the bed today.

I love how a minor purchase can give a room
such a significant boost!

Nils Olsson Rooster

I love the robust style of this hand painted rooster
made by Nils Olsson- maker of the famous Swedish Dala Horses.

This is the first rooster I have come across although I have sold
several Dala Horses through my Etsy Shop.

So tempted to keep this as it looks so great with my
Dala Horse collection...

For now though, it's available in my Etsy Shop!