8FOOTSIX

A field of paper poppies

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 23:08:00 +0000

I have an image in my head - the local soccer field covered in red paper poppies - made and planted by students in our community.

I approached my son's school, and the paper poppies were quickly accepted

I made a poppy, then a template, and finally an instruction sheet for the teachers:

Materials:

Two red construction paper squares about 10cm x 10cm with petal pattern
One black construction paper square 2.5cm x 2.5cm
scissors
glue
tape
skewer

Step 1: Cut out the petal pattern. One stays in a full piece, one is cut into four petals

Step 2: Take the attached petals. Make three accordion folds in one direction, three in the opposite direction

Step 3: Fold each petal with three accordion folds

Step 4: Glue individual petals to the solid petal, staggering them (not lined up)

Step 5: cut out a circle from the black paper & glue black circle to center of poppy

Step 7: Tape wooden skewer to back of poppy.

If you decide to forgo the accordion fold, you will still have a nice flower:

Bonus: Have students write a fallen Canadian soldier's name on the back of the poppy. Canada At War records the names of 63,322 Canadian soldiers who died in World War I, alone. In order to plant enough poppies to honor every soldier, in a school with 300 students, each child would need to make 211 poppies.

Stools and Kitchen Chairs - Not Matchy Matchy

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 17:55:00 +0000

A friend of mine is in the market for new furniture after a whole house reno. First on the shopping list are three kitchen counter stools for the island and six chairs to use with her Crate and Barrel Avalon 45" White Table.

Picking chairs and stools that work together in the same room feels impossible!!! Before we started online shopping, we went looking for inspiration from pinterest and the experts - blogs! I found slightly outdated counter stool round ups on pinterest, and Emily Henderson has a great piece on what chairs for what table. Except, when the kitchen table is right next to the island, what do you do? Most kitchen photos from magazines show off the table grouping or the island - so I didn't find much help there. It felt like over and over again we would find the perfect chair and then get stumped by the stool. The stool is definitely the more difficult item. I mean I was this close (*holds thumb and figure about an inch apart up to the screen*) to going matchy matchy. But I knew we could do better than that!

Here are some of the combos we came up with:

1. Silas - CB2
2. Soots - Mobilia
3. Riviera Backless - Serena & Lily
4. Lyla - EQ3
5. Germain - CB2
6. Vienna - Crate and Barrel
7. Twist - Urban Mode
8. Metal and Rattan - Williams Sonoma
9. Skol - Allmodern
10. Lace - Allmodern
11. Zariyah - Wayfair
12. Woven - Allmodern

We ended up picking chairs and stools that in no way relate to each other. The stools relate to the kitchen (more specifically the lights and drawer pulls), and the chairs are awesome on their own. The Spenser Stool and the Lovell Chair, are both from Anthropologie (also pictured, Flint by CB2)

Thanks!
-S
(For C and Nat!)

ps. This is how you do it! Prospect Heights Kitchen by Interior Designer Louisa G. Roeder

Inspired by Grethe Wittrock

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 22:15:00 +0000

Today, my new friend Mirena and I created a backdrop for the Artbarn Raising Artists fundraiser. We used a 9'x12' drop cloth from Home Depot, acrylic paint and miscellaneous round things to stamp out this circular pattern.

It took us all day to plan and create. We started to rush near the end since we had to pick up kids from school.

I found the inspiration for the circle via Pinterest - the work of Danish artist Grethe Wittrock. Wittrock uses sails as canvas that she treats with print, perforations and dye.

The next step is installing grommets. Then installing the wire it will hang from at the art studio.

(That line down the middle? The drop sheet had a seam)

Artbarn School

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:40:00 +0000

Shogo Okada - sold!!

Silkscreen, 21 3/4" x 16 3/4", "Lovely Day"

Ian Mackay

Oil on Canvas, 12"x10", "Coterie I", 2017

Marina Nazarova

Oil painting on ceramic tile, 6"x6"

Mirena Lopez Corvetto

Oil on Canvas, 16"x20", "Home"

Sean Galbraith

Fine Art Photography, 24"x48", framed (without glass) "Farwell-Lightwell, Detroit"

Did I pull you in with new photos of art? I really love all these works and want to own every one!

A few months ago, I joined the board of the Artbarn school. It is a small not-for-profit art school in midtown Toronto (where I've taken a bunch of drawing classes - and I am taking a print class next!). We are having a fundraiser on February 9th called 'Raising Artists' and I wanted to get the word out.

The event is a night for anyone who likes art! We are holding a live auction of a large Ken Kirkby Inukshuk painting. We will be having an art challenge with three painters: Sandra Iafrate, Catherine Shea and Jim Thierry Bravo. You have a chance to win one of their paintings for $5! Plus the evening will mark the end of the online auction (open now!) and winners will take home their new art (or if not in attendance, make arrangements to come in and pick it up)

All of the artwork above are all listed in our auction. Sean Galbraith is the photographer of the large photo in our basement. I have wanted one of Ian Mackay's block paintings since the boys were in a double stroller.* I found Marina Nazarova on etsy and then saw her amazing oil paintings! I was recently introduced to Shogo Okada's artwork and bought two of his prints before Christmas. I met Mirena at the Artbarn - she is also on the fundraising committee. I probably shouldn't highlight her painting because I really really really want to 'buy it now!'

Thank you for giving me a few minutes to plug the Artbarn! If you place a bid, win, or stop by, please let me know!

*My boys are huge now, btw! Ian used to live in my neighborhood, and we were pleasantly surprised to find his booth at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. That was years ago, when I had both boys with me! Oh and Margot Austin has blogged about Ian Mackay, too!

CLICK HERE FOR ARTBARN RAISING ARTISTS 2017 ONLINE AUCTION

Update: Shogo Okada's work sold during the first few hours! He will be showing works at the Artist Project in February, and a solo show at Will Kucey Gallery in March!

Update: We have an event website with some interesting tidbits about the artists and art in our auction!

A place for homework

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 18:17:00 +0000

It's been a while since I rearranged furniture! Today, I moved the Expedit shelves and black dresser to make room for a desk for the boys. Now I have to find a desk that works. I temporarily used the two long sides of a bookshelf on top of two Lack side tables. I like it but it's too low. I might keep the planks and find a couple of filing cabinets to go underneath. I have a yellow and a white stokke chair to put with it.

ps yes I walked into those floating paper-mache balloons at least 1,000 times

Drawing a day

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 21:51:00 +0000

I've started a new hobby - a drawing a day. I would like to draw photo realistically, even though I lack patience and can't blend. I've got a long way to go.

Here are a few pages in my sketchbook so far. My first attempt at a light bulb was drawn from life and it is too heavy handed. For the second bulb (final photo), I followed along with a drawing video on Youtube.

I am not sure what else to say because I have a small and extra small person standing on each side of me, begging to play on the computer. I leave the pictures with you - enjoy.

Messes

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 13:34:00 +0000

If you dropped by unexpected for coffee (no one ever does), this is what you would find: minions, hot wheels, discarded socks, books, ABCs, blue couch. Plus a mountain of clean tupperware that refuses to dry itself.

What will you do with all your free time?

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:48:00 +0000

This year, the kids are both at school full time, and I'm figuring out the new routine.

Everyday after I drop them off, I come upstairs to the office, and take care of my "administrative duties": fill out school forms, research products (my miele hermes vacuum bag coughed up debris again, killing the motor, I want to know why this keeps happening), shop online for the perfect Halloween costumes (race car driver and minion), print out recipes (focus on anti-inflammatory foods), book appointments with contractors and doctors, look at hundreds of bathrooms on pinterest, and update our calendar with book fairs, art shows, class schedules, and pizza lunches.

For the rest of the day, I might read, workout, walk somewhere, buy groceries, comb my hair, open all of the windows and close them again, sniff things to find out where that smell is coming from and blast the stink with vinegar or baking soda, collect half empty cups (mostly mine) and do dishes, change garbage bags, fold laundry, windex fingerprints, water plants, mow the ratty clover, put away toys, wash floors, cook, meet a friend or thrift for books.

I would like to do more than play secretary, keep house and feed my family. I want to use some of my energy beyond our circle of four people. Things will hold together, even if I spend time at class, lectures, volunteering or free events.

I've booked a continuing education class at University of Toronto and enrolled in a follow up drawing class (which starts today!). I've considered applying for a degree program, and decided that the time, stress, and scheduling conflicts are not worth a second diploma. If I already knew what second career to pursue, I would use school as a stepping stone. Self study for now - I think I can guide my learning better than an institution!

I'm looking for opportunities to volunteer in Toronto. I've searched the listings on volunteertoronto.ca but haven't connected with anything. I don't have a sense for how the volunteer market works (common positions, where people are most needed) or where I fit in. Selfishly, my goal is to enjoy the time I spend helping out. I'm interested in environmental causes - perhaps cleaning up or planting. Two organizations that caught my eye are clearcause.ca and evergreen.ca. I would volunteer to rake leaves (shovel sidewalks) for seniors, if such a cause existed. I put my name forward to help at my children's school.

So that's what I'm doing, what I want to be doing, and what I am doing about it. From the moment I told my former employer I was stepping out of the workforce, I've expected this day, but never made a plan. Now a month in, I'm still grasping for the right answer. I want to establish a routine now that lasts until the children take their independence, then I can dive deeper into whatever not-for-profit cause, hobby, or learning path.

Last to know

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:34:00 +0000

Vonnegut and Zinsser, authors I've stayed up late into the night with, both urged me to read E.B. White. From Vonnegut,

"White is, of course, one of the most admirable literary stylists this country has so far produced. You should realize, too, that no one would care how well or badly Mr. White expressed himself, if he did not have perfectly enchanting things to say."1

and Zinsser,

"White was the writer who had most influenced me. His was the style—seemingly casual but urbane and wise—that I had long taken as my own model."2

I've read Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, of course, but was oblivious to White's acclaimed non-fiction work. I wasn't even sure I had the right guy.

I picked up a copy of "E.B. White Writings From the New Yorker 1925-1976" from the Toronto library. A blue hardcover book with 159 short pieces of writing. White wrote about life, current events, window displays, nature, whatever was on his mind. He wrote in a way that was fun for the reader, and made you care. Immediately, I realized, this is what blogs could be (realized I was doing it all wrong.) I've heard blog advice about branding (confuses me), finding your voice (write until you start to sound like yourself), content calendars (tell your future self what they should say), inspiration (stealing ideas), and Didion. Six years I've spent tapping on my keyboard, and only now uncover the main point of the blog/personal essay: be interesting!

Give me more essays.

I didn't know that the "personal essay" existed. High school never hinted that the essay could break loose from the five paragraph structure. I avoid articles in magazines with large blocks of text and no pictures. If I accidentally read something interesting, I would call it ~~nonfiction~~ a fluke and turn back to novels and short stories. Now that my blind spot has been revealed I have work to do. I put "The Best American Essays", by Joyce Carol Oates & Robery Atwan, on hold at the Library. The library has only two copies of the book, and there are 15 holds placed. While I am waiting I have second book, "Essays of E.B.White" to finish, and the free essays available here.

Here is a taste of the writing that got me to come back, a line or two from pieces in the blue book:3

Dressing Up: "One of the male sparrows in Turtle Bay garden made a wonderful discovery at quarter past nine the other morning..." 4/20/46

Dismal: "The most startling news in the paper on February 13 was the weather forecast. It was "Rainy and dismal.". When we read the word "dismal" in the Times, we knew that the era of pure science was drawing to a close and the day of philosophical science was at hand. (Probably in the nick of time.)" 2/25/50

Unwritten: "Sometimes we regret our failure to write about things that really interest us. The reason we fail is probably that to write about them would prove embarrassing. The things that interested us during the last week, for example, and that we were unable or unwilling to write about (things that stand out clear as pictures in our head) were: ..."4/26/30

Seeing things: "The new reptile hall was officially opened a few days ago in the Museum of Natural History and we visited it amidst a group of youngsters who kept crying "Good night!" and their mothers who kept murmuring "Mercy!" The place is like that." 2/18/28

Tadpoles and Telephones: "There was a large bowl of tadpoles in the window of the Telephone Building as we came wandering along, lonely as a cloud. We stopped of course - we stop for anything in windows, particularly tadpoles." 6/2/28

Split Personalities: "The voices of radio and television are the voices of quick-change artists; they move rapidly from selling to telling and back to selling again. They are losing their sharpness because they have divided their allegiance." 2/19/55

Making Do: "A female friend of ours recently moved into a small apartment so full of defects as to be really quite charming." 8/11/45

Walking to Work: "From our home in the cinder belt to this Forty-third Street pent-up house where we work is a distance of some nine blocks - in a southwesterly direction. It has sometimes occurred to us that we take an unconscionably long time walking it, the time ranging from fifteen minutes to two hours and a half. Three-quarters of an hour is about par." 2/13/37

1. Source: How to Write With Style by Kurt Vonnegut
2. Source: The American Scholar.org "Visions and Revisions",Writing On Writing Well and keeping it up-to-date for 35 years By William Zinsser March 1, 2009
3. Source: Writings from the New Yorker 1925-1976, E.B. White, Edited by Rebecca M. Dale.

What ever happened to...

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 12:22:00 +0000

Take a look at my front yard! It is overrun with crab grass, wild flowers, broad leaf weeds, dandelions, and many more of the wrong kind of weed. It's impossible to keep the clover alive.

It's green, and pretty in a way. If only it looked the same as the first summer it was planted:

It's over.

I will mow it bi-weekly to keep it short, and eventually rip it up and try something new.

RIP clover.

ps. I've written about how great it looked initially, crab grass taking over, muddy in the spring, accidentally adding dwarf seeds, a source for seeds, and my denial that the yard was doomed.

pps Changed the post title from "Clover yard looks awful" to "What ever happened to..." because I am a softy

Pillows

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 18:39:00 +0000

Forget anything I've said or even thought about pillows. Now that I have pillows-I-love, I love pillows! I found ten bright, cheery, incredibly preppy pillows for the outdoor sectional at Indigo.

Here's the scoop:
- citron, blue and orange
- indoor pillows with down inserts (we bring them inside when not in use)
- 50% off right now, between $19.95 - $27cdn

I thought I wanted bohemian/southern Californian deck accessories: a sectional that stepped out of the urban outfitters look-book, or even better, a deck that was styled by Morgan Satterfield. I pictured loads of kilims in many sizes, with rugs and brass and hanging plants. Still, I was reluctant to buy ten or more kilim pillows because as soon as I do, someone will sound a gong and declare them dead. Also, kilims are scratchy.

Next, I would like to cover the seats with something that isn't white. White does not mix with kids. Bad idea. Even Sunbrella fabric, with two incredibly filthy little boys, is not good. Sure you can wash it, but it gets dirty again within 30 minutes, and some stains do not lift*. I am on the hunt for a reasonably-priced chartreuse overdyed rug or two, or killer blue shibori cloths. Both would lend that boho vibe. (I know I can mix boho and preppy, because I searched on pinterest and it is a thing)

If you have used indoor pillows outside before, please raise your hand!

ps. Not sponsored
pps. The 16x16 sunbrella pillows that came with the sectional are not comfy, and squirrels ate half of them.
ppps. One of my river birch behind the deck doesn't get as much light as the other. We had the large maples trimmed (just this morning) to allow more light to filter in.
pppps. Indigo has everything in these colours, tea towels, dishes, throws...etc...and check out Anthropologie's Lemlem collection, too. Pretty close, but not.

*Knowing all this, I still buy white pillows!

The Getaway Car

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:44:00 +0000

Ann Patchett, "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage".

The big library close to our house has four racks of books near the entrance, to tempt you, or encourage you to explore. I give them a glance to see what I'm missing. What's this? Shouldn't I know Ann Patchett? Ombre - and look at the back cover! Who poses for a cover photo swamped by a thousand books?! I think I've found my new favorite person!

The second short story in the book, "The Getaway Car, A Practical Memoir about Writing and Life" is the best thing I've read this year. I had to hurry up and finish so I could push it onto three* people I know who have to read it too (three is a lot - I really don't know that many people). She tells you how she accomplished success as a writer (spoiler: hard work). She talks about the doubt involved in taking an idea out of her head and turning it into words. She explains why she doesn't believe in writers' block. Plus, she clears this up for me: why books from our teen years stay with us, and now, books that are equally impressive, are forgotten a month later. "I think that what influences us in literature comes less from what we love and more from what we happen to pick up in moments when we are especially open."

Read this if you want to write, if you want to create, or nourish any hobby outside of your day job. Consider it an assignment, one I know you'll enjoy!

ps. Bel Canto next
pps. I can't find a decent link to the essay. It was published standalone in 2011, but is no longer available on Amazon, you might have to get the book.
ppps. if you ever day dreamed about writing a novel, this essay is for YOU! YOU! YOU!

The Getaway Car Quotes: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/17455290-the-getaway-car

*make that four

New print, new watercolour

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 13:31:00 +0000

My first win from MaxSold - a cheap thrill!!

I love the red figure print by J.Joel. I know his work from artinteriors.ca, and this is his best! I like the implied youth, androgyny and the colour mix. The silver tee sparkles, and the same sheen is present in the mat.

The water colour landscape was a bonus. I can't make out the artist's name, which is something like Celia d. There's a white rectangular sticker on the back with "$12.00" and "243" written in a shaky hand, perhaps this owner bought it second hand themselves? The frame backing is old, and has been opened and re-taped with masking tape that lost its stick. I peeked inside and at the bottom corner on the back of the water colour is another price, $2.85. It's like finding an old treasure. I think, for now, I will place it on the living room bookshelves.

Have you used MaxSold before? There was beautiful art listed this week out of Hamilton - but we already had the day planned out and couldn't sneak away from the city.

ps. I should be cooking right now! I want to make a tofu and black bean scramble this morning. ttfn!

Rummage Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:32:00 +0000

Here's what I bought at a church rummage sale last weekend:

potato masher
two cutting boards
ladle
Kensuke Wakeshima* print "Sunrise Valley"
(Russian?) countryside painting

What can I say, but: needed it, didn't need them but will use them, needed it, loved it and loved it! The print was $50. I already tossed out the frame and I will re-framed in white. The painting was $5. The biggest score was the potato masher - only twenty five cents, yo!!!

*Kensuke Wakeshima's art was part of the summer 2014 exhibition, titled: “Artists from Postwar Japan Days of Struggle in New York, 1960s–1970” I came across very little biographical information online.

ps. to the people in line, the ones who jeered at the CHURCH VOLUNTEERS when they didn't open the doors on time, I am judging you.

I would love to tell you about what I am reading!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 21:26:00 +0000

Are you kidding, this is my favorite question of all time/these days.

Yesterday, I started reading two books, James Baldwin's "Go tell it on the Mountain" and Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals".

I am working my way through Kurt Vonnegut's works. I wanted to read them all back-to-back-to-back, until I realized he published three billion books. I've read twelve:
Slaughterhouse-Five
Cat's Cradle
Breakfast of Champions
The Sirens of Titan
Mother Night
Galápagos
Welcome to the Monkey House
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Slapstick or Lonesome No More!
Timequake
Hocus Pocus
Deadeye Dick

I rated "Slaughthouse Five" (one of my favorite novels of all time), "Welcome to the Monkey House" and "Mother Night" five out of five stars (on Goodreads). The only book I didn't get into was "God Bless You, Mr Rosewater" (It was ok). I appreciate Vonnegut's wit. He sees through society's bull crap. Watch him express his opinions on Youtube - you will be hooked! BUT, I needed to step away for a while when his stories started to tangle together (overlapping characters and themes), and I developed my very own old-man-chip-on-my-shoulder. He is part of the reason I dropped the Internet. (Kids these days, jeesh!) So, I read Douglas Adam's "Watership Down" to cleanse my palate - who doesn't love little bunny stories (five stars, fantastic book!).

After her Celine Ad came out, I read a few Joan Didion books. I started with "Blue Nights" (not for me), then "A Year of Magical Thinking" (Who is this b*tch?). Then I wanted to see for myself how she earned legend status and checked "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" out of the library. Ah, ok, I gave it four stars. I fell in love with her essay, "Goodbye to all that", and I am not surprised to hear they are making it into a movie. I read the "White Album" too, and then had my fill.

Instead of reading Didion, I switched to her list of recommended books. I gave Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" a second reading (loved it again), and two days ago finished Orwell's "Down and Out in London and Paris". The James Baldwin I am currently reading is on that list.

Otherwise, you will find me reading about food, catching up on Time's List of Top 150 English Language novels of the Twentieth Century (I've read 76/150), reading books I should have read by now (Sherlock Holmes, for example), and reading what friends have recommended: "Paradise Elsewhere" by Kathy Page was haunting, and I put "Big Little Lies" by Liane Moriarty on hold at the library, I bought a used copy of "Rebecca's Tale" I am excited to read.

You can find me on Goodreads. I don't write up reviews of the books I've read, I only rate them.

Thanks for asking "Betty" (is that you, mom?!)

His and hers

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 21:49:00 +0000

In the master bedroom, his & hers dressers, instead of one long dresser.

When we transferred the furniture into the new room, we placed our existing dresser on this wall. It looked too small. I was nervous to try twin tall dressers because I couldn't find examples online. Well, here you go, Pinterest*. It works! Maybe I will pin this to kick things off.

*now worth $11billion? What!?

ps. I IG'd the dressers ages and ages ago, wanted to get it up on the blog
pps. My big idea over the bed is done! but I just can't share it online. I don't have a thick enough skin. I might change my mind.

New Prints

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 14:22:00 +0000

I bought two new prints from "...Of Things Past" consignment store. I bought the tiny tree first, and went back for the fish. I had to have the fish.

"Pasaje" (?), numbered 45/50, by Elizabeth Schippert (the tiny tree).
What I love? The itty bitty tree (4cm high) and the pen strokes. The minty colour is very Blogger 2014 (or was that 2013*?). I hung it high on the closet door in the office, leaving space for more.

"Shipwreck Dreaming/Approach", numbered 12/20, by Wendy Cain (the fish).
Wendy Cain is a teacher of printmaking and papermaking at OCAD university. You can find her work for sale at Open Studio in Toronto. I love the layered black on grey; the texture of the grey net; the thick creamy paper; the fine, evenly spaced lines of the comb shape at the bottom; the fish going up. I like the wacky creativity. I hung it in the hallway for now.

*I haven't been online over the last few months, I wanted to put the time into reading books and drawing. Everything is well! I am feeling out of touch with the trends (are there still trends? If you don't know about them, do they still matter?)

Recycling fun

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 15:54:00 +0000

A few months ago, I saw something like this online*.

We tried hotwheels, squinkies, those disney cars drifter things and trash wheels. Marbles or squinkie balls work the best (of course).

*I like to google image search for cardboard box race track to keep up with the latest!

New Print: Far & Wide Collective

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 18:46:00 +0000

**Sponsored post**

Far & Wide Collective sent me this beautiful Limited Edition Miniature print by Tamim Sahib Zader.

I love the rich inky blue, the movement, the crispy delicate lines and the shape against the white background. The print is numbered 72/100.

**Keep reading to learn about a great company**

Far & Wide Collective is a Canadian company that connects artisans from developing economies with consumers in North America. In a short video on the Far & Wide Collective website, the founder, Hedvig Alexander, says "As a development person, I think people should feel much more comfortable buying from us, than investing in charity; I think it is more efficient." This is a strong statement, one that they stand proudly behind. They believe that supporting artisans through trade is the most sustainable way to improve people's lives.

We believe that supporting individual craft producers and small businesses through trade is the most effective and sustainable way of improving people’s lives - See more at: http://www.farandwidecollective.com/pages/our-story#sthash.oMcQRjvQ.dpuf

The company pays the going market rate to craftspeople for their goods. In most cases, about 30% of the retail price goes to the artisans. The markup reflects shipping, logistics, and developing the market costs. Far & Wide Collective is currently reinvesting profits back into the business, to the benefit of more small businesses. They provide artisans with support, including help to get ready for the market. Currently, they are raising funds to empower Afghan artists, the "Afghan Small Business Fund"

What I love about Far & Wide Collective: Hand crafted, fair-trade, authentic, free shipping over $100, Canadian, beautiful, traditional, feeling good about spending, every item has a story.

**See who else is talking about Far & Wide**

Lainey Gossip (Sasha's Into it) -"a stunted gift givers dream"
Toronto Life - Get the Eyeball clutch, "you’ll be able to prove you’re not a fast-fashion follower. $199" (SOLD OUT! Others, here)
Toronto Star "What she has done with this noble commercial experiment is to connect the dots between the makers, who need a way to sell their creations more than they need well-intentioned yet ultimately unsustainable aid dollars."
Macleans - "she decided to go after the buyers interested in museum-quality pieces rather than souvenir trinkets"
...and more, here

ps. First sponsored post in some time. They provided me with a gift card of $100, and I was immediately drawn to the Tamim Sahib Zader print. It is beautiful! Subsequently, after becoming familiar with their goals, I donated $100 to their Afghan Small Business Fund.

pss. Note that most of their artisans would not be able to sell on Etsy. Whether it's the ability to upload the content (literacy/English), having paypal or a credit card, or shipping products off one at a time. These conditions would leave many artisans in the developing world out

psss. Thanks for reading, guys. and check out the baskets from Kenya!!!

Tamim Sahib Zader

Master Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 16:23:00 +0000

Master bathroom. I like it a lot.

The sconces are vintage from France (via Ebay). The chrome plates on the back (back plates?) are a duller finish than the fixture because the original slim boxes that came with the sconces would not cover the giant holes in the mirror. I am happy that the lights are installed and I figure future generations might come up with a prettier solution. A problem for another day. (No one is gonna notice.)

The vanity pulls are from Dayvan in Toronto. I insisted on this style. Everyday, I lay down with my youngest son at nap time until he falls asleep...one day, I heard my contractor on his cell talking to the cabinet maker about pulls. I was in a bit of a dream state when I heard this....you know, when you aren't fully conscious and snuggled into a warm bundle of little boy. Well, I ran out all bushy eyed and yelled: "STOP! NO HANDLES! NO HOLES! DON'T MAKE ANY HOLES!" How the hell does anyone renovate a house when they go to a real job*? Anyways, I think these pulls are 80's? (Yes, I'm making that up)... I don't know where I saw them before, or where the idea came from (online, of course). If it's not a thing, I would like to make it a thing. The handles were in the $5-$8 range, with contractor discount.

The hooks are from Restoration Hardware. No towel bar. I hate sharing towels. His and her hooks. Solved.

We need a shower curtain. The shower bar is one of those adjustable/tension bars, so it can be moved a smidgen higher. I need to get the height straight before curtains.

The wall between the vanity/toilet and the three way mirrors make my life. Who doesn't want to see the back of their head sometimes (all the time? never enough mirrors!!)

*This brings up the topic of how contractors decide when to make the call themselves, and when to ask the client. Whatever logic they use is beyond me. Also, when you 've waited months for something, and then they need a decision within 24hrs - that gets me too. Ahhh good old renos...definitely worth the trouble.

Curb Appeal: Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:09:00 +0000

Here's the front of the house today, and a few years ago. We've done it all: windows, trees, paint, porch, bushes, shutters, light...

I wanted to go dark...once I settled on a window colour, the rest of the woodwork was done up to match. I hesitated over the door colour. It had a fresh coat of black for a heartbeat, before I decided to paint it out the same as the rest.

The brick porch was rebuilt and new limestone caps replaced the concrete caps. We still need to get the it power washed.

Originally, the house had louvered shutters. They were tossed out before we bought the place so I was free to try something new. I sketched these out and my contractor made them.

The peak was rebuilt, and the original detail was scrapped in favour of wide straight boards. I know the new clean lines will not please everyone, but I felt the original was dinky and oddball. I didn't want to be the one to destroy (change) something that has been around for 80 plus years, yet who's to say they were right? We are looking at faux tudor style here...and this embellishment was a bit much.

The dirty white aluminum fascia board was removed to reveal the original dental molding. An awesome surprise! We had it stripped and restored. Also, the portico was stripped and restored.

What do you think!??

Trinity College Book Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 20:01:00 +0000

Oops! A duplicate copy.

New books from the Trinity College book sale: novels, writing guides and a duplicate copy of "Open Secrets" (inevitable, I should keep better track).

ps. "Master of Middle Earth". I read and reread (times four) the Lord of the Rings in my teens and early twenties. This isn't a bio on Tolkien, it "examines the sources that Tolkien drew upon in fashioning Middle-earth and its inhabitants—and provides valuable insights into the author's aims and methods." Awesome, right?
pps. The writing guides: it's about time!

Cedar garage

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 17:42:00 +0000

Check it out!

Here is the old aluminum garage door, fully clad in cedar. The rest of the front was finished in cedar so that all horizontal boards lined up. The back and fence side of the garage were repaired, plastered and painted. And I think you know about the light wall on the pea gravel side? Those translucent panels light up at night.

Apparently, the garage door motor and spring work together to pull up the door. The spring needs to be adjusted to handle the extra weight, and that's it! We are still waiting for the guy to come make the adjustment, in the meantime, the door opens and closes very very slowly.

and that's a $20 black cylinder light from Lowes (we moved the electrical box down about a foot).

I think this might be a do-able DIY. I'm not sure, since it is way beyond our skills, and the guys had giant power tools. It seemed like it was a cinch. They removed the manual key lock and reattached it using a longer wire. The key pad was also taken apart temporarily.

We are getting to the end of our home improvements around here. It seems endless, I know.

Before:

Cedar Garage Door

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 18:45:00 +0000

This is happening in our backyard right now!

- Existing aluminum garage door
- Plywood panels
- Tight-knot cedar boards screwed to the plywood, every fourth board is ripped by 3/4 inch to fit the panel
- 300 screws in the panels, 90 screws in the back of the door
- Back of garage door predrilled, then wood panel screwed to the door from reverse side

Try not to get too excited!!!

Junk

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon) — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 16:42:00 +0000

I picked up stacks of dishes today at Goodwill and Salvation Army. 12 Steelite oval pie platters (or bread plates), 1 Duraline Grindley Hotelware platter, 1 Red Pyrex platter, 2 Johnstone brothers platters in Snowhite.

The "Beit Hayoster" vase was $10.01. I wasn't sure if I should cough up the dough, but I love it!

The enamel bowl will go into the play kitchen. Perfectly blue!