Southern & Swampy

After the surprising announcement that the next season of True Blood will be its last, I thought I'd round up some of my favourite southern-inspired finds to pay tribute to the show's mysterious mix of gothic southern charm...

• It makes me infinitely sad that the talented musicians behind country/folk duo The Civil Wars are currently not on speaking terms. Joy Williams and John Paul White have been estranged since November 2012, but by moxie or miracle, they released a sophomore self-titled album (recorded last year while on tour) just this past month. My favourite track is called to 'Dust to Dust' and you can preview it for free over at NPR's All Songs Considered.

• This stunning digital print by Korean artist Madame Lolina reminds me of Sookie Stackhouse's sleek black Diane von Frustenberg dress in the episode Dead Meat. Off to meet her potential faerie-vampire husband, Sookie's outfit encapsulates the sexy, dangerous, and supernatural energy that makes True Blood so deliciously watchable. Madame Lolina's 'Crow Hat' print shares a similarly alluring quality with the crow's glossy black feathers complementing the model's dramatically winged eyeliner and almost stiflingly ornate dress. Available in three print sizes over at The Working Proof. 

• Southern Tupelo Honey Favours from Pressed Cotton - Of all the different honeys I've tasted, Tupelo honey has got to be my favourite. Harvested from tupelo trees that only grow along four rivers in Florida and Georgia, this swampland honey is prized for its pure and slightly floral flavour that is perfect simply scooped out of the jar and savoured. Read more about the fascinatingly tricky process of producing tupelo honey here. 

• Southern Lights Electric Co. x Pennyweight Goods - It was love at first light when I first set my eyes upon this elegant lamp by Adam Gatchel of Southern Lights Electric Co. Designed to darken and age over time, this limited edition steel and brass swing arm wall lamp makes the rustic refined with its use of unfinished steel and raw brass. Sadly this edition is already sold out at Pennyweight, but you can view more of Adam's stunning fixtures (along with his commercial work) over on his website. 

What will you miss most about True Blood when the TV series wraps up its run?

♥

(Photos via The Civil Wars, The Working Proof, Pressed Cotton and Southern Lights Electric Co.)

Natural Beauty 101: Facial Skincare

Two of the most common complaints I hear about switching to natural beauty products is that they're either too expensive or too hard to find.

But with more consumers pushing for formulas with fewer chemicals in them, manufacturers and retailers are responding in kind by expanding their skincare lines and making it easier than ever to shop natural.

As promised last month, here are some of my favourite cleansers, toners, serums, acne treatments and moisturizers I use regularly to help keep my skin soft and supple. I have combination skin but all of the products lines featured below have different options to suit various skin types and are available locally in the GTA!

Facial Cleanser & Toner: Aubrey's Organics Blue Green Algae Line

                              

Packed with nutrient-rich organic blue green algae, this oil-balancing line is vegan, animal-friendly and gluten-free too.

Cleanser: The facial cleansing lotion lives up to its name with a light creamy texture that cleanses but doesn't clog pores thanks to its castile liquid soap and coconut fatty acid cream base. Added bonus: the ingredient list is chemical and paraben free thanks to Aubrey's signature preservative made from citrus seed extract and vitamins A, C and E.

Toner: The complementary facial toner packs a herbal punch with a soothing and moisturizing blend of over 30 herbal and plant extracts including organic lavender, camomile and nettle. Although toners are typically used to prep the skin for moisturizer or restore proper pH levels, I love using Aubrey's toner to remove makeup from the gentle eye area thanks to its cooling and refreshing effect.

Priced at $20 for the cleanser and $13 for the toner (both 8 oz. each), Aubrey's skincare products are some of the best natural beauty buys on the market, and they can be easily found at Whole Foods, Planet Organic and select Loblaws/Superstores.

The Story of Cosmetics.

Watch, learn and be good to yourselves!

I'll be back soon to share some tips on where to find safer beauty products that won't break the bank :)

Happy Wednesday!

♥

Fashion Friday: Sorry I'm Late

A perfect tee & tote combo to describe my general state of being as well as my unintentionally lengthy absence from this blog. 

If you take a look around, hopefully you'll enjoy the mini makeover courtesy of blog milk. And if, in viewing my profile picture, you are concerned that I may have morphed into a tray of mini meat pies, rest assured that I remain more girl than pie, but with the summer coming, I make no guarantees!  (You are what you eat after all...)

So I hope you will find some time to pop back into my neck of the woods, and I will get back to sharing and writing about stuff that I find simply swell.

Sorry for the tardiness and now back to work! 

♥

(Photos by Print Liberation Shop)

Bento Boss.

As an admirer of the cute and compact, I am crushing hard on this Faria & Bento Cook Set from West Elm Market. 

Dubbed the "stackable stovetop", this glazed earthenware set includes a baker, casserole, frying pan, and steamer with lid -- giving grateful lazy cooks everywhere an opportunity to bake, fry, steam, and simmer their way to delicious full course meals. (I can envision myself making nightly four-course buffets for dinner.) 

West Elm is offering 50% off shipping on their American site for a limited time (including duty fees) or pop over to the store in Liberty Village in Toronto to try your luck :)

(Photo by West Elm)

Rise and Shine.

Meet the morning grind with this vintage coffee grinder spotted at Etsy shop UpHome. Well loved and cared for, this porcelain and blue beauty is functional and has no chips, cracks, or fractures though the brass basin shows a little tarnish (and character) from age. 

Besides its storybook quality, what I love most about this hand-powered appliance is it's elegant colour scheme and the way the basin seems perfect at catching the morning light.  

Happy Monday!

♥

(Photos by UpHome)

The Beauty of Everyday Objects.

Forget the Ikea catalogue!  The designs in Muuto's new fall/winter catalogue are much more inspiring though sadly less available in Canada :( Follow the little birdie above to preview the collection or flip through the pages below for the latest in new Nordic furniture, lighting, and home accessories from leading Scandinavian designers.

Happy Sunday!


♥

Back to School: Leather & Mint

Whether you're going back to school in the fall or simply taking mental stock of projects you want to tackle when the weather gets cooler, let these smartly designed work essentials be your guide...

Earhart Carry Case by Materials + Process
($88, Of a Kind)

Longitude Case in Weathered Leather by Infusion
($40, Etsy)

Colour-blocked Tote Bag by Rouge & Whimsy
($50, Etsy)

And for those of us whose bank accounts are currently in detention, here is an adorable (and free!) DIY geoball tutorial from French blog ZU to deck your desk! 

Which item is your favourite?

♥

(Photos: 1, 2: Materials + Process via Of a Kind / 3: Infusion / 4: Rouge & Whimsy / 5: ZU) 

Printmaker's Picnic

If you've ever used a lino-cutter to carve your own stamps, you'll probably get a kick out of these cute wood-handled picnic tools from Opinel + Fricote!

Packaged in a classic red and white checkered towel and tucked into a funny fake sandwich box, the aptly titled "Kit Sandwich" would make a cheerful surprise for anyone who enjoys lunch en plein air :)

Retail locations listed here.

(Photos: Thierry Vallier)

Contemporary Spanish Design

Tonight the Design Exchange hosts curator Juli Capella for a special tour of its newest show, Bravos. Showcasing product designs from 21 of Spain's most talented and successful young industrial designers, this travelling exhibition will be on display at DX for two weeks only from Thursday, August 9 - Thursday, August 23, 2012.

Tickets for tonight's event are available online or at the door for around $10.  

Want a sneak peek at some of the groundbreaking work you might see? Click on the image below to preview the exhibition catalogue!

(Images via Design Exchange)

{Thursday} Terrific Terrariums

For the apartment dweller who may lack the space (or skills) to cultivate a full container garden, a low-maintenance terrarium may be just the thing to inject some greenery into your home. 

The process is fairly simple -- selecting a unique container; layering rocks, Spanish moss, and potting soil; and then arranging a collection of small plants and objects inside the container to your liking. But if you're more of a social learner like me, ARTiculations (an art venue in the Junction) is hosting the Miracle Thieves for a terrarium building workshop on Wednesday, July 25th from 7-9 pm.  The cost is $30.00 per person and the event is a fun way to spend a girls' or date night out while making use of all those quirky Kinder Surprise toys you've accumulated over the years.  

Not sure if you ready to take on the responsibility of plant ownership?  Well you're in luck since Oregon-based stationary shop Quill & Fox offers a beautiful collection of terrarium postcards too. 

Priced at $2.25/each or a set of 4 for $8.00, these full colour prints on matte-coated white card stock would look lovely framed and displayed in a library, sun nook, or wherever else your future terrarium may live. 

Until next time, happy planting!

♥

(Photos by 1: ARTiculations / 2-4: Quill & Fox)

Good News / Bad News

When I first booked my trip to New York at the end of the month, I completely forgot that Kinfolk would be hosting a dinner in Toronto on June 30!  Luckily, the dinner in Toronto is currently listed as postponed but there's sadly no indication of when the dinner will be postponed until. Did anyone spot any clues on the Kinfolk journal?

In the meantime, here's a video of last month's dinner @ Terrain in Philadelphia and shot by Andrew & Carissa, the neat folks behind the original Kinfolk teaser.

A Case of the Giggles...

This illustration from kris atomic just cracks me up! 

Have you ever encountered this person or had this problem?  :)

I can't wait for Kristina's shop to reopen in the summer so I can score this funny print and hang it up somewhere completely conspicuous!

♥

(Image by Kristina of kris atomic)

Snapshots from the Weekend...

Queen West / Parkdale

The Drake's Chicken & Waffles

(A review in haiku: a touch too much jam, but the fried chicken was crisp, leggo my eggo.)

best. car. film. ever.

(and oh so much ryan gosling <3)

How was your weekend? 

xo.

(Images 1, 2: Lai Mai Ng, 3: FilmDistrict via Wikipedia)  

The Cat's Meow

Even though I'm generally a pug / puppy girl, my insides couldn't resist smiling when I saw this adorable print from Gemma Correll...

...And this regal feline owned by Japanese designer Yasumichi Morita:

There are only 7 prints left in Gemma's limited edition run for The Working Proof, so please pounce before they bounce if you're interested!

So tell me readers...are you a dog or a cat person? :)

xo.

(Photo 1: Gemma Correll via The Working Proof, 2: Todd Selby via The Selby)

(Smartphone) Case Detective

As a new smartphone owner (thanks sis!) I'm on the hunt for a smart, well-designed, and protective case for my Samsung Galaxy S2 but all I keep finding are adorable iPhone ones:

Print...

Pattern...

Painterly...

Poultry?!

Hehe...any leads for me fellow gumshoes? :)  Which case is your favourite?

♥

(Photos 1: Joy St. Claire  2: Alice Rebecca Potter  3: Jacqueline Maldonado  4: Charity Ryan all via Society6)

Morning Glory

7 a.m. in St. John's, Newfoundland

7 a.m. in Frankfurt, Germany 

Love the food styling in this feature on breakfasts from around the world in November's enRoute magazine.  

For the breakfast in St. John's, the combination of checked napkins, simple blue-rimmed white plates, wood-handled utensils and fried breakfast foods served fresh from the skillet feels as cozy and comfortable as a campfire. 

The breakfast in Frankfurt on the other hand, steals my heart with its antique trays on the wall, a wraparound wood chair, a delectable assortment of savoury and sweet - deli meats, jam, cheese, honey, crusty bread - and even a stylish little egg wearing a pom pom toque! 

Which one is your favourite? 

♥

(Photos by Angus Fergusson for enRoute magazine) 

Tea Towel Thursday

Cute 'kitchen shelves' tea towel from modern design & paper shop, Lagom. The primary colour scheme would be super cheerful in the kitchen and I wouldn't mind owning that entire top shelf in real life :) Screen printed in Solvesborg, Sweden.

(Image via Lagom)

Streetstyle in Watercolour

The perfect outfit: classic but modern blue on blue stripes, a splash of hot pink, tousled wavy hair, small accessories, chic leather belt, and large soft clutch. I could dress like this everyday :)

Image by Inslee Haynes

Kinfolk Magazine

Stealing a moment away from writing my crowdfunding article to share this breathtakingly beautiful video I came across on the {frolic!} blog.

Promoting a new website centred on the intimate allure of small gatherings, Kinfolk weaves together a communal love for sharing delicious food and unhurried conversation in simple surroundings.

It's worth mentioning that the geniuses behind this imaginative glimpse into Kinfolk is a Washington based new media production company called VsTheBrain. More lovely and elegant visual offerings from them can be found here.

And before you fall over from swooning, I want to make sure you mark your calendars for July 15 when Kinfolk Magazine officially launches online!

Until then, wait with me with bated breath over at the Kinfolk journal, where this growing community of artists will be sharing some inspirations that honor the rituals of everyday life.

Credits: Kinfolk video by VsTheBrain via {frolic!}