They say it's spring...

Blossom Dearie is a jazz musician from the 1960s that I have been fond of for several years now. I first heard one of her songs from watching the movie, The Squid and the Whale and was enamoured with her child-like voice and lyrics.

Today, as I was walking around my neighbourhood and enjoying the spring-like weather, Blossom's song "They say it's Spring" unexpectedly popped into my head. When I got home, I went onto YouTube and tried to find that particular song so that I may listen to it. I stumbled on someone's tribute to Blossom Dearie and quickly came to the realization that she passed away recently.

I leave you with a random YouTube clip featuring Blossom Dearie's song: "They Say it's Spring."

R.I.P. Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 - February 7, 2009)

Kitchen update

I finally managed to add a little something to the kitchen wall in order to make my life easier and more organized when cooking. As you can see the walls are still that seafoam green shade that I wanted so desperately to change. We didn't get around to painting the kitchen walls before winter set in so we plan to definitely paint them this summer.

Ikea is so great for providing a wide selection of inexpensive, decorative accessories to jazz up your living space. And make it functional too! These kitchen wall organizers have been extremely helpful in freeing up some drawer space. The knife magnet is especially fun as it makes me feel one step closer to becoming a better chef. Yeah, wishful thinking! I think Jamie Oliver has one too in his kitchen.

On my next trip to Ikea I plan to pick up one of these shelves to store some often used cookbooks, hang some additional kitchen utensils, a cluster of dry chili peppers, a strand of garlic bulbs, and perhaps a pot of fresh herbs.

It's a painfully slow process of making a kitchen become functional when you can't afford to totally gut it and start from scratch. And don't get me started on the existing, unimpressive kitchen appliances that came with the house and the lack of modern ones like a microwave and a dishwasher.

LEGO: Decades later, I'm still a fan

How cool is this? I want one!!

LEGO Business Card, Feb 2009

Do we really require all this packaging?

What do you think about excessive packaging? I often shop at bulk stores just to avoid it.

I recently purchased a new cell phone and it came in this monstrous plastic spaceship. I am so annoyed by this unnecessary packaging, that I have been compelled to write to the CEO of Virgin Mobile and share my concerns with him.

What are your thoughts about too much packaging? Would you avoid purchasing this product because of the use of too much plastic?

I did see a recycling 'triangle' symbol on this package. Chances are I can probably throw it into the recycling bin and not have to worry about it any more, but I'm still bothered by it.

Below are the specs from an on-line source which lists the various commercial products that can be manufactured from recycling this particular plastic packaging:



Statistic: In 1999 PET accounted for 48% of plastic bottle resin sales, making it the most widely used resin in plastic bottles.

Packaging applications: Soft drink bottles, water bottles, beer bottles, mouthwash bottles, peanut butter containers, salad dressing containers, juice bottles, vegetable oil bottles.

Recycled products: Fiber, tote bags, new PETE containers for both food and non-food products, fabric for clothing, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery, furniture, carpet, fiberfill for sleeping bags and winter coats, industrial strapping, sheet, and film, and automotive parts, such as luggage racks, headliners, fuse boxes, bumpers, grilles and door panels. (taken from http://www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html)

Inspired

white mother of pearl beads and sterling silver

Lately, I've been feeling more inspired than I have in a LONG time . These designs are for a friend of mine. I hope she likes them.

I will also be working on a ring for another client. We picked out the bead on Friday. It's a large, round, pink, natural stone bead. I will be wire-wrapping it with square Argentium silver wire. It will be similar in style to this ring:

14K gold-filled wire and jade bead

I'm not sure that I will be opening up another Etsy shop, but if you happen to be interested in having something custom made for you for a special occasion or for a friend or family member, let me know and I'd be happy to create something for you.

You can still contact me by message on Etsy, as I have not closed down my account. Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=9468

You Gotta Go to the AGO

Recently, I went to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) with some friends and was pleasantly surprised.

As a designer and a graduate of OCAD, I had spent most of my student years visiting the AGO over and over again and ultimately, I grew tired of it. However, I was eager to see the new renovations and so when our friends suggested that we plan a visit to check out the AGO, we woke up early on Sunday morning and made it there for 10:30 am. For those of you that don't know me well, I am NOT an early riser on weekends!

Well, what can I say about the new AGO! What great changes have taken place! There is something there for everyone. It is not just the art work on display that is impressive. There are definitely some newer, post-modernist pieces of art on display, although a lot of the classical pieces are from their existing collection. But what REALLY amazed me was the architecture and the design (staircases and support beams) inside the building. Breathtaking! The things that the designers did with the wood, it just blew my mind!

The furniture throughout the AGO was very comfortable. I was pleasantly surprised. It's not very often that you find comfortable seating in public places. I took my time sitting on the various postmodern playful, foam chairs and cube stools, which were more mostly sized for children. Likewise the chunky leather and curved wood seating and tables (see below), which from a distance appeared rigid, were incredibly comfy and ergonomic beyond belief.


What also appealed to me was the lookout points with large glass windows which allow you to view the cityscape from an elevation. And the natural lighting streaming inside the AGO was so warm and wonderful (perfect for us sun-starved Torontonians) and very sleep-inducing. If I were a cat, I would curl up in the sun by the window and sleep for hours.



The gift shop had some interesting pottery, houseware decor and jewellery. (Can't forget the bling!) And there were plenty of items to appeal to the younger crowd as well...educational toys, children's books about artists, and fun stationary. The AGO also offers plenty of art classes for adults and children.

And being a foodie, I just have to mention the food at the basement cafe (one of many spots at the AGO to grab some food and drink). The orzo salad with grilled portobello mushroom that I had was tasty and plentiful. My husband's smoked turkey sandwich was warm and the bun was fresh. For dessert, the lemon macaron was tangy and gooey. It tasted good but - I have to say - it was a bit on the dry side. Not the best I've had - but I ate it anyway!

So, if you want something fun and different to do on a weekend with your family and have not yet seen the AGO renovations, I suggest you go. There is so much to see and do, two hours alone will not allow you enough time to cover everything.

I would also suggest a subsequent visit in a few months time with perhaps a sit down meal at the fancy pants "FRANK" restaurant (named after the architect Frank Gehry). I hear the food is very good but the minimalist decor is not very appreciated.

Go and see for yourself and then come back to my blog and let me know what you thought!

Form Follows Function

It's winter. It's very cold outside. I've been spending a lot of my time indoors. Examining the space with the eye of a designer and the budget of a pauper.

I have a tendency to try and solve problems in my head. All kinds of dilemmas from what to cook for dinner based on what I have in my fridge, to what kind of job to apply for based on my credentials. Yup, I'm at it again. Job-hunting. Anyway, I digress. But lately, since I've been spending a lot of time indoors, I have mainly found myself addressing decorating challenges afflicting the new house. I have a LOT of ideas swimming in my head. Too many to afford.

In November, when we moved into the new house, it was suggested by many that we take our time and gradually (over time) upgrade the house. No rush! However, when you see something on Craig's List, like this antique Chinese room divider, I just had to leap. It was definitely a need, not a want.


The dilemma: The house has a sunroom at the front - an enclosed porch area that acts as a storage space for coats, shoes, bags of salt and shovels (for the snow), empty boxes, etc. I once made the mistake of leaving my winter coat in that space and could not bring myself to wear the coat afterwards, as it was freezing. Brrr! The sunroom is not insulated and whatever temperature it is outdoors, can also be found inside that room.

Which got me thinking...Where on earth are we going to hang up our wet and snowy winter coats when coming indoors? (For the past three months we had been hanging up our coats on the backs of our kitchen chairs.) There is no closet or alcove to hang up coats in the main entrance to the house. And although there is a wall that I could install some wall hooks, I just thought that would obstruct the overall flow of the house and create clutter in the entrance way. I had to think fast and come up with a solution to this problem before Summer arrives.

I decided a folding Chinese screen would do the trick. Craigs List is great for finding inexpensive used items and I have seen many of these screens / room dividers over the past few months but nothing I was strongly compelled to purchase. Either I didn't like the style, or the colours, or the price, or the painting on the divider...for instance, Chinese warriors on horseback...um, no thanks!

When I mentioned my brilliant idea to J, being the analytical one, he hemmed and hawed over the idea, finding reasons that it might not work...functionally that is. Let's just say, I proved him wrong.

The room divider is situated to the side of our entrance way, between the living room and the entrance. This past weekend when the in-laws were over, the divider held up not one or two coats, but four winter coats in total. And it did not fall over or collapse under the weight. Hurray! It served it's intended function perfectly.

I also found out something else about this room divider. It blocks cold air from entering the living room when the front door is opened. So later today when I go out, not only will I have a warm coat to wear but when I open the front door to exit the house, the cold draught blowing into the house will be stopped by the room divider. Two problems solved with one product. Don't you just love dual purpose products? I do!

I plant to 'fix-up' the folding screen in the Summer by sanding and varnishing/painting it. For the time being, I will be fastening some 3M removable wall hooks on the side that faces the hallway.



Do you have a product you love that also serves two purposes? Leave a comment and tell me what makes this product so great and what two roles it serves.