Sharpen up!

image from the artisanal pencil sharpening site

My friend Naomi sent me this link, I think it's quirky-cool.

Although I have a love/hate relationship with my exacto and my pencil this might be a whole new level of super precious crafting. 

Put a stick on it.

image from 100layercake

Check out Patrick Dougherty's stick installations, AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL

More beautiful pics of the wedding (shown above) on 100 Layer Cake

I spy a star in Constance

Images found on Fashion Gone Rogue From left to right -  photographed  by Alexi Lubomirski Vogue Germany • Vogue Germany • Daniel Jackson for Vogue China • Nico Harper's Bazaar Spain • Estée Lauder by Craig McDean • Daniel Jackson for Bally Spring • Alexi Lubormirski

Lately I have a thing for blondes, especially the type of model that can be the sweet, angelic girl-next-door in one moment, but then also the 70's edgy editorial diva I'd party at Studio 54 with. Constance Jablonski is H-O-T!

Roger THAT.

Images from Patrick Roger website

Got Chocolate on the brain? Well, in my opinion the French got it down! Check out this David Lebovitz (awesome foodie site alert!) video on his mouth watering and decadent tour to the Roger Chocolate Factory (those beehives are going to stay with me for a long time). I don't mean this lightly when I say that this is the stuff that dreams are made of. I'm a firm believer that the proof is in the pudding, when it comes down to it taste is what matters most, but I have a feeling that imma gonna love these BARZZZZ..

Craftsmen Chocolate.

  

First image of label from Mast Brother's website. Second image by me. Third image of the Mast brothers by Mindy Best

My friend just came back from NYC and brought back one of  best gift ever!!! a Mast Brothers Chocolate Bar. I know, I know, this is super fussy frou, frou stuff that's just sooOOOooo precious - but c'mon guys this is CHOCOLATE!!! like coffee it's amazing when people take their craft to a whole new level of detail and refinement.

Real & Beautiful - Woman of Style

Beautiful woman describe their personal style on Closetvisit

Prada LOVE 2011

image found on The Fashionisto

If you build it, I will go.

Image of Drift Bar from BlogTo

Image from the Rooster Coffee House blog

This past weekend I checked out Drift Bar (first image) located at 1063 Bloor St. West (between Dufferin/Dovercourt) and really liked the pork burger. I've been meaning to check out this bar because it looks so cosy every time I pass by, so when a friend suggested it, I thought perfect!

Then while on my way to the east end of the city this past Sunday I dropped into Rooster Coffee House. Everyone that works there seems very nice, and the barista made me an excellent latte. My sweet treat of choice was a muffin with orange rind (I think), olive oil and sea salt, yummeeee. Not sure if that was a good match with the latte, it might have been paired better with an Americano or drip. I also took a buttermilk blueberry scone to go (because I'm a piggy). There aren't too many great coffee shops near the Danforth so if you like good coffee, sweet treats, and a beautiful setting you should go to there.

Grace + James = baby Janelle

I saw Janelle Monàe perform tonight as part of Canadian Music week and SHE WAS FANTASTIC! I've thought of Janelle as talented but somehow an affectation of what had come before her i.e. James Brown, Grace Jones, Outkast etc, however my opinion has changed after seeing her perform live. Although you can see her influences she is definitely an artist and committed performer. I'm very impressed by her ability to truly give 100% to her performance. Unlike most young performers who are in it for the fame, Janelle truly embodies the art of performance and entertainment. Highlights of the evening were her acapella performace of Smile, and her encore in which she body surfed right up to where I was standing, which was a third of the way out from the stage. I even got to give her arm a boost! you go girl!!! get on the TIGHT ROPE.

Folk as Queer.

Images from the Library of Congress archives. Found via the wonderful world of Miss Moss!

"The Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection features color photographic surveys of the vast Russian Empire made between ca. 1905 and 1915. Frequent subjects among the 2,607 distinct images include people, religious architecture, historic sites, industry and agriculture, public works construction, scenes along water and railway transportation routes, and views of villages and cities. An active photographer and scientist, Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook most of his ambitious color documentary project from 1909 to 1915. The Library of Congress purchased the collection from the photographer's sons in 1948." Quoted from the Library of Congress site

Wow! striking! On one level I find them kinda eerie, straight outta that video tape in the movie The Ring; but mostly I'm fascinated and inspired by all that colour, posture, gesture, cultural diversity, heritage, folklore, storytelling, architecture, design, nature, politics and so, so, sooooOOOoo much more!!!

I can only imagine what the photographer Prokudin-Gorskii must have experienced while visiting, surveying and documenting the culture, history and landscape of these places.

You can visit the Library of Congress link to see more images of people, landscapes and so much more.

image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Yes, I admit it! I'm a geek! My favourite pastime is to stalk painters (mostly dead ones) and not celebrities. I'm currently in LOVE with this portrait by Petrus Christus, a follower of Jan Van Eyck, which is in the Met Museum in New York. This is more than photo realism (which I'm not a big fan of) it's just plain REAL. It's everything a portrait should be and everything that paint can do. Look at that beard, dang!!!
p.s. can you spot the fly? hint: check out the Met link to zoom in.

Chairs for Gulliver.

 

© Images taken by my friend Anne M.

Last Friday, I checked out the Dimensions of Design – 100 Classical Seats show in Toronto. The traveling exhibit featured 100 iconic miniature chairs from the Vitra Design Museum. I had to go to this exhibit not only for the chairs but for the location. It was held at the German Consulate which is on the 25th floor of an office building in downtown Toronto, needless to say the view was killer! I love when art exhibits, or other public events, are held in unexpected locations. An interesting context can offer the opportunity for the viewer to engage with the work in surprising ways.

Life is short, you're capable (uh huh)

Image from Fashion Gone Rogue blog

Earlier today I was feeling overwhelmed and heavy but working out to Gwen at the gym gave me just the boost I needed. Working out is not my favourite thing to do, I rather be eating carrot cake and loitering, however it can make a huge difference in attitude.... and so can music. So music + gym = positive vibes!

"Naturally, I'm worried if I do it alone
Who really cares, causes it's your life
You never know it could be great
Take a chance cause you might grow"


I was also listening to the new Adele, love. love. love. Adele!!!

Another Great Kate

Image from curbsandstoops, found via the jealous curator.


Kate MccGwire's sculptures are some of the most beautiful, sensitive, profound and interesting work I've seen in quite a while.

If you live in London, or plan on visiting, check out her show
Host
February 21st – March 24th
Pertwee, Anderson & Gold
15 Bateman Street, Soho, London W1D 3AQ


Wish I could go, but for now I've have to settle for Seenandliking VERY MUCH!

Jealous of the Jealous Curator

I love these pieces by Skylar Fein. Check out other great pieces by other artists at The Jealous Curator

Workin' Blake

Image via Fashion Gone Rogue

My favourite All-American fashionista Blake Lively works Chanel's Mademoiselle handbag line, and shot by Mr. Lagerfeld nonetheless, ooohhhh!

Kiss me KATE

First image found via Bedlam of Beefy

Second image found on Fashion Gone Rogue

Who doesn't love Kate Winslet???

Simplify ART.

Photograph of installation by Anish Kapoor (he's beyond brilliant)

It seems like a lot of art today is difficult to understand and relate to. I've often struggled when looking at work, thinking perhaps it was wayyyy too conceptual or intellectual for me. Although that might be the case I suspect that some of the stuff out there is just plain silly, gratuitous, and self-indulgent.
Okay granted, we live in a very fast, consumer paced culture which doesn't necessarily facilitate in slowing us down enough to take in all this super sensitive stuff. Often times, great work requires that we spend time with it before it reveals and rewards us with it's full power. An important aspect of art should be to provide this kind of opportunity where we are left better off because we've learned something about the world around us, or even better... something about ourselves.
I've always felt that smart people are able to articulate the most complicated of ideas. I think that this should be the moral responsibility of gallery owners, curators and museum directors. It's not about being exclusive but inclusive, great art can make us great people!

Daniel

I love German painter Daniel Richter's paintings, always have, always will.

image of Daniel Richter by Oliver Helbig

Check out Jamie Beck's blog, it's great for runway and street style. I especially love her recent project in which she's photographed herself as a fashion icon and took to the tents of New York Fashion week.

I Love One Love.

So every Thursday is my vegetarian day, for me that means no meat, no eggs in anything. This is something I've been doing for years now and it's my small way of proving to myself that even I can be somewhat disciplined. I often find veggie food from restaurants or takeouts either too fatty, too bland, or just too expensive. Today I dropped into One Love Vegetarian Cafe near the corner of Bloor/Bathurst (in Toronto, Canada) and I gotta say, the food satisfied my soul!
I tried the corn soup starter and a whole wheat roti with spiced pumpkin filling, all for $8 bucks. I'm a bit of a roti expert so I gotta say that I've never tasted one quite like this. It was a fresh, flakey paratha roti but instead of the usual white flour it was whole wheat, bonus! and the pumpkin filling was the perfect remedy for a cold, wintery day. I was coming off a tough day at work but this little piece of heaven in a meal made everything all better. Thank you Universe!
Image from BlogTo, Check out their review of One Love Vegetarian here.

Baby it's cold outside.

It's minus a billion degrees outside, feels like January but it's March. Well at least the days are getting sunnier but c'mon Mother Nature enough already... a little warmth "pretty please"
Check out the other awesome greeting cards from Zeichen Press. Found them via another awesome design site The Donut Project

Font gang!

^ Will also kick your ass for using Hobo, Brush Script or Algiers :)
image from The Donut Project

Thou shall not...

All Mixed up

I've been thinking about mixing prints, texture & proportion for sometime now. The images above are so great because they show how well it works when done right - and check out those awesome Campers he's wearing!

Images from The Contributing Editor