Sitting in an English Garden Waiting for the Sun

Sometimes you go places where the people who live there swear up and down that it's not lovely, and there's nothing to see. Then you discover they're wrong, and find beauty all around you. If you're lucky, you can show those very same people that they are surrounded by lovely things and they'll be astounded. Sitting in an English Garden, waiting for the sun. But if the sun don't come, you get a tan from standing in the English Rain.

These aren't row houses you know.

The moors! I first heard about them when I read the Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Now I've stood on them. Cool.

A church peeking out from behind the undergrowth.

Rochdale Town Hall - I think it's bigger than Old City hall in Toronto, don't you?

Spring is springing there about 3 months before ours even deigns to get out of bed...

Poor angels. But lovely anyway.

He is not well pleased, his exchequer must be empty (St. Chad's, Rochdale)

I can never pass up a picture with a wonky tree. Makes me think of Ents.

So after a brief taste of spring, I'm back amongst the snowbanks, dreaming of crocuses (croci?) and moss, and daffodils.

xox

A.

Toile de Jouy - Toile de Joie

Toile has been a bit of an obsession of mine (and my mom's) for a long time now. It's gotten to the point that we're making curtains out of it (green of course), so that we can stare at it all day if the mood strikes us.

I don't really know exactly what it is about the crazy pattern that I adore, but it evokes France and the smell of lavender and warmth, while all at the same time being bold and in-your-face. It's an odd combination of dainty versus look-at-me...

Well it's a contradiction, and I know a lot about those.


Sweet sachets in purple. I'm betting there's lavender in them.

I think blue Toile is quite literally the epitome of amazingness.

Who can resist a room like this?

Red toile has its charm especially when paired with roses.

I love toile quilts, I want one in....green...or blue. I'm not picky.

This toile is so different, looks like something one of my students coloured in. When they're taking the time to colour inside the lines ;)

Toile pillows, can't beat them.

I like the idea of having just one wall done in Toile. Can't overpower you that way.

Have you ever seen a more perfect bed? This is it. The pinnacle of beds. Yellow and blue toile, with a valance and Forsythia flowers beside? It doesn't get better.


Sweet dreams, and sweet daydreams to you all.

xox

Ave.

Some Frivolity

Sometimes it's ok to just want something. Maybe you don't know why you want it, maybe you just need a little something to brighten your day. Well, I'd say lipstick falls squarely into the "I don't need this, but I want it" category. Sometimes you just need something pretty to make you smile...

Urban Decay, purveyor of grittily-named makeup... I love their eye shadow best, but you can't really beat a lipstick with a sword sticking out of it... awesome.

This one is brand new, and you know I can't say no to Hello Kitty. I mean come on, a cat with a bow in her hair... perfect.

I got this one for Christmas from Bene, and practically jumped out of my seat. Lanvin and H&M, and a pretty box... I'm a sucker for a pretty box.

Gold lipstick, so counter-intuitive, but so pretty... it's almost not there. Benefit has some great products

And you know I couldn't say no to Liberty of London for MAC. I don't really go into MAC very often, just because it's a bit over-the-top in there, but I braved it for Liberty of London. I'd brave anything for Liberty of London....well, almost.


You've gotta admit, they're all quite lovely.

What do you buy when you just need....something?

xox

Ave

Christmas has a Magic of it's own!

After my last post, I got to thinking about other things that make Christmas special. And so I decided it would be good to share some of my favourite books from when I was young - I still read them every year.

This one is very cool, as it's a pop-up book, very intricate. If you get a chance to see one, it's super super cool. Just don't let kids touch it unattended, or suffer the consequences...

Love it, very cute perspective on the Christmas Story, from the viewpoint of the animals. Sweet.

Classic, gotta love it. Anyone else out there mortally afraid of the grandfather who randomly is sitting on top of a clock? Yowzers.

Don't make me sing the song. Because I will. You know I will.

"Bloomin' boots...." and "Lovely Pud" are two things that I still say all the time. Though don't get me started on how Pudding doesn't actually mean pudding, and actually means dessert.

This is the best book, no doubts about it. This is THE christmas story book of my childhood. It's set in Calabria, which is rare, and the story is beautiful. I read it to my students last year and cried. "NO MAGIC AT CHRISTMASTIME, Christmas has a magic of it's own!"

I just discovered this book this weekend, and I'm a sucker for anything Mary Engelbreit. Her drawings are just the best.

Happy Reading!

xox

A.

Christmas at the Yaton

I have a favourite month, you know. That month just happens to be December. I don't even like winter, not a fan of the slush and the shoveling and the hats and boots and the snowpants the kids have to put on before recess. Ick. But December, now there's a magical month. I keep busy decorating the house day by day using my advent calendar. It's not even so much Christmas Day I look forward to, in fact I find that day a little sad, because then all the preparations are done. A wise man once told me that it's all in the journey, and I'm inclined to agree.

The Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto is one of my favourite places. And in this post I'm not really going to talk about the shopping aspect of the place, but more the way it kind of changes a little around the end of November. I know I know, it's all in order to sell more, but the Yaton (as I call it, for some reason) holds so many memories for me, that it isn't really about shopping then, it's just about remembering the times I used to go downtown with my parents to see the windows, or the lights, or even just the random smell of Orange Julius pervading the air. Or maybe I'll think back to those days in High School where we'd go down to the Eaton Centre on a Friday right before Philosophy class and buy ridiculous stuff at Stitches, or Urban Planet because we could afford those stores then, and then race all the way back up Yonge to burst in the door right as our teacher was getting started on some philosopher I couldn't understand...

Anyway, here's the Yaton at Christmas...


The ubiquitous Canada Geese.

This thing has gotten more and more elaborate every year, I tells ya.

I like how this pic looks crazy colourful.

This tree actually turns. Marc told me that he went into the Yaton one night and it was actually fake snowing in there. I was jealous.

Swarovski, I believe.

Yep, sparkles as it turns.

I used to call that tree the rocket-ship christmas tree. Wait, I still do.


Happy Christmas Everyone, I hope you can look past all the insane shopping and see the beauty of the season.

xox

Ave

Joie de Vivre

The other day I suddenly started thinking of France again. Perhaps it was the yearning for macarons, or even the fact that I'm planning a trip to Europe in the summer, or maybe someone mentioned Oysters again (that's another blog post entirely...). It could be that I keep reading Bardot in Blue or it could be that my friend Bene blogged about Paris too... Well, whatever the reasons, I got all wrapped up in thinking of all things French.


Do you ever feel like you're a different person in other countries? I think I'm myself, but a little more fancy. ;)

I haven't seen many gardens like these in Toronto. Parisians know their gardening, apparently.

I get excited to see Mona every time. I don't care if you're not that impressed by her, I always will be. We go way back.

Then again, me and Botticelli just seem to find each other all the time.

Call me odd, but I really love visiting Le Cimetière du Père Lachaise. There are some really fantastic graves in there, so beautiful, and you escape the noise for a bit, and you get to visit some really inspirational people. I like to visit LaFontaine and recite "La Cigale et La Fourmi". Then again, that's just me...

The Louvre at Sundown is always nice.

It's nice during the day as well...

L'Arc de Triomphe is also one of those places I've visited many times, and will never tire of.

La cour du Roi quand le soleil se couche.

Dad surprised me one afternoon with goods from the patisserie. No complaints from me!

Somehow the TTC just doesn't compare.... ;)

A la prochaine, I wish Huitres au Gratin to you all.

xox

A.

I am half sick of shadows, said the Lady of Shalott

In July 2009, I went to London with my dad. We were there for just three days, and we lucked out because I saw a poster on the underground for an exhibition at the Royal Academy - John William Waterhouse. He is quite literally my absolute favourite artist (well, he's fighting it out with Botticelli for the top spot), and I was so thrilled to see all his works all located in one spot. I find his works really do something for me, and inspire me to no end. Here are some of my favourites, even though I like all of them.

Circe offering the cup to Ulysses. Oh that Circe, she was quite the woman.

The Lady of Shalott - this one is my absolute favourite. I stood in front of this painting for a very long time and may or may not have shed a tear for her. Poor thing.

Lying, robed in snowy white

That loosely flew to left and right

The leaves upon her falling light

Thro' the noises of the night

She floated down to Camelot:

And as the boat-head wound along

The willowy hills and fields among

They heard her singing her last song

The Lady of Shalott

Enchanted Garden. I want one of those.

Whenever I need to do something that needs me to be stern, this is what I think of. Yes, odd, but just look at her.


We have one Waterhouse here in Toronto at the AGO, I enjoy looking at her for a long time. Unfortunately, they've put it in a rather horrible position and given more prominence to pieces of art that are far less appealing. But, at least she's here.

xox

A.