The English Muffin Blog

Chez Snips - Le film

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Chez Snips from Francis Pelletier on Vimeo.

A couple weekends ago, Edwin and I got to be a part of my wonderful hairdresser and friend Nadyne's video for her hair salon, Chez Snips. Nadyne is all sweetness and fun so I knew the video would be just that too! Take a peek, and keep your eyes peeled for the lovely Anile from Girlfriday and our favourite publication, Pure Green Magazine.

Have a great Thursday!
xo Bess

4 weeks old

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Hello! Greetings from the couch, a spot you can generally find me in since it is the preferred place for feeding Edwin. Needless to say life has changed pretty drastically over these last 4 (!) weeks. Our little baby boy is pretty amazing and watching him grow and become more of himself everyday has been really special. The time seems to have just flown by, and it's hard to believe he's been here for 4 weeks already—to be honest I don't remember too much from the last 28 days, I guess sleep deprivation will do that to you ;)

Becoming new parents is certainly a task full of new challenges. The biggest one for me is balancing meeting all of Edwin's needs with meeting some of my own (ie, I'm still in my pj's—although I have brushed my teeth and washed my face!). My friend Claudia said that I should have 4 goals everyday:

1. taking care of the baby

2. taking a shower

3. taking a nap

4. eating 3 square meals

In the beginning it was definitely hard to meet all four, but lately I've been ticking them off and even accomplishing a few extras... like a wee bit of work! Speaking of work, the English Muffin shops are currently closed, but I hope to have them open again in a few weeks. Big Chuck will be taking over for me and already has been pitching new product development ideas ;)

Eddie's ready to eat, so I'll end here for now...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xoxo Bess & Edwin

Introducing...

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Edwin Forrest Nock! Our sweet little boy was born on January 10th, a couple weeks early and a wee bit of a shock to his first time parents ;) We've been cocooning at home and focusing on getting to know our perfect little baby boy ever since. There have been a few challenges, and I will admit to a couple new-mommy meltdowns, but overall things are going really well. It's amazing to finally have him with us and we're pretty overwhelmed with love.

Our little family

Have a wonderful weekend,
xox Bess, Papa Chuck, Edwin & Tyke

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Big Chuck and I went to Ontario and spent a full week traveling from house to house visiting family and friends. We were on the fence about whether we would go home this holiday as the baby is due shortly, but in the end decided that we would risk it. We ended up packing a bag for the baby too—you know, just in case ;) Luckily, my little bun is still in my oven, although his due date is fast approaching. While up north we took this photo to mark the end of the 36th week of my pregnancy.

The beginning of this new year feels very different than the new year's that have gone before. I feel like our new year begins when the little guy arrives, I'm so busy tying up loose ends and trying to get everything ready before the baby comes, but what an exciting way to start the year!

I wish you all a 2012 filled with love, happiness and health.

xox Bess

35 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:39:00 +0000

Almost 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Big Chuck and I had some very special visitors over the weekend, his brother and his wife and their adorable baby, T. It was so nice to spend our days and nights hanging out with them, although it did take me a full day to recover from all the excitement once they had gone! Thank goodness babies come out without knowing how to move around very much, because keeping tabs on an almost 1 year old can be pretty challenging! It made me realize that I haven't been thinking too much beyond the 3 month stage with our little guy... I sort of forgot that our house was completely un-baby-proofed and when little T was carried through the door my eyes quickly scanned our place and all the potential breakables/hazards/danger zones jumped out at me. We did however make out just fine and it was such a treat to experience that adorable smile everyday :)

Today marks the end of my 33rd week of pregnancy. I wish I had a belly photo to share with you but that requires time and effort and just a smidge of organization, all of which I'm feeling a little low on right now. The little mental energy I can muster is being spent getting ready for the Puces Pop Holiday Show this weekend, if you're in town you should stop by—I hear there are going to be some delicious holiday treats on hand, and of course some English Muffin goodies too.

Have a great Thursday!
xo Bess

Pop-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Last night Big Chuck and I stopped by the Puces Pop-Up Boutique's opening night party. For those of you who are in the Montreal area, I'd really encourage you pop in and check out all the lovely pieces on offer. The boutique was curated with the Holiday season in mind, so there are some great gifts to be had. It was also really refreshing to see the work of many of the Puces Pop Holiday Market vendors displayed so nicely in a boutique environment, everything looked wonderful!

If you can't make it out to the boutique—there's still the main event to come! The Holiday Market will be held on Dec. 10th and 11th, hope to see you there!

Have a great Thursday,
xo Bess

Let's catch up!

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Hello! Over the past few days, while I've been busily working with the rest of the Pure Green team to get issue 7 wrapped up, some fun things have been happening for English Muffin too!

So here's a little run down, incase you're curious...

Puces Pop Holiday Craft Fair - Dec. 10 & 11

English Muffin will be at the Holiday Puces Pop show! I'll have lots of 2012 calendars, posters, prints and a big fat 34 week pregnant belly ;) Come say hi!

New Stockists - Buk & Nola and Emeline & Annabelle

Buk & Nola

Emeline & Annabelle

I'm so thrilled to announce that English Muffin prints and the 2012 Calendar are now available at two of the loveliest shops in Montreal. Merry Christmas to me!! And, as luck would have it, Buk & Nola and Emeline & Annabelle will also be stocking Pure Green Magazine.
A 2012 Calendar + a lovely Canadian magazine = the perfect holiday gift!

Press - The Bedlam of Beefy, Petit Eco Kids and The Academy

The following folks have been kind enough to post about the 2012 Everyday Objects Calendar, check 'em out!

The Bedlam of Beefy

Petit Eco Kids

The Academy

I think that's all the news! I'm currently working on some Holiday Printables, so stay tuned!

Have a wonderful Thursday :)
xx bess

Mini Chuck

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:10:00 +0000

On Friday after work, Big Chuck arrived home and announced that he had a present for our little babe. "Oooooo! How exciting!" I thought. I wondered what first gift a proud Papa would bestow on his soon-to-be-here son. Big Chuck rarely brings home gifts (not that I mind, we just don't do a lot of random gift giving), so I knew that this was going to be something really special. He reached into his bag and pulled out...

a Montreal Canadiens t-shirt!! Of course ;) It may take a few years for the little guy to grow into it, but in the meantime it will be in his dresser waiting for the day that he gets to wear it proudly, just like his Papa.

I have to say, Big Chuck is not the only one guilty of making Mini Chuck appropriate purchases. I bought these little booties a couple weeks ago. Baby can wear his Herbie booties when he helps his Papa work on the car.

Happy Monday!
xo Bess

10 weeks to go... (knock on wood)

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Well, it's a good thing I didn't start that baby blog I mentioned a while ago. I feel like this pregnancy is just flying by, and all my great plans to document it as it progressed are sort of out the window. I was actually going to take a belly photo every week—I'm lucky if I take one every three weeks. It's funny how that happens. In the beginning the weeks seemed to drag on, and now—well, I can't believe I'm 30 weeks pregnant today and the countdown is approaching single digits.

Big Chuck and I have been attending prenatal classes once a week for a couple hours. He asked me after our last class if I felt like I was getting anything out of them. With the internet at our finger tips you can pretty much find out everything you need to know in a matter of minutes, so why are we taking hours out of our evenings to trek (uphill) to these classes? It's not like anything our instructor has said has been a total surprise to me. I've been reading some books and talking to other moms, I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on what to expect (which seems to be anything and everything), but that said, I do find them helpful. It's nice to have the all the information surrounding what happens at the hospital drilled into me. Personally, I'm not a fan of hospitals. I'm sure nobody really is. They are so clinical and cold and all those instruments really freak me out. So, the more I can expose myself to that the more comfortable I hope to be when I find myself in the delivery room surrounded by medical equipment and doctors and nurses. Of course, Big Chuck and I have an added level of difficulty, we're giving birth at a French hospital. I had no idea that English hospitals even existed in Montreal, but we love our doctor and quite honestly I think we'll manage just fine. We've decided to make a big obstetrical vocab list en français which my doctor thought was a "cute" idea ;) I just don't really trust that either one of us is going to be operating at full mental capacity, and it's really important to know what doctors and nurses are saying to us, better safe than sorry, right?!

So, that's a little recap of what's going on over here. I'm going to try and be a better documenter over these next 10 weeks. It's such an exciting time and so much is changing!!

Have a wonderful Thursday :)
xx bess

2012 Calendar : Lake Jane Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Hello Friends! I know I've been a.w.o.l. for a while, but this quiet little blog is really a good sign - it means I'm super busy!! Currently, the Pure Green Magazine team is working round the clock (well, almost) to get the next issue, The Entertaining Issue, off to the printer's (yes - the PRINTER!!) and into your hot little hands. It's looking amazing so far and I'm really excited to share all our hard work with you.

Today, I'm happy to let you in on a little giveaway... The lovely Marie-Eve from Lake Jane is giving away a 2012 Everyday Objects Calendar. Head on over to her blog to check it out, and good luck!!

Have a wonderful Tuesday,

xo Bess

Cozy Toesies

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

When Big Chuck and I lived in Vienna we both had a lovely (and matching) pair of grey wool slippers. They were the kind where the heel is open and you slip your foot in, made from extra thick felt, that I purchased in a felt shop in the 7th district. By the end of our 3 years in Austria I had worn the soles of mine out, and decided not to bring them home with me—there wasn't a lot of room in those two suitcases we were allowed on the flight. Since then, I've been wearing Big Chuck's slippers and making expert sad pregnant lady faces when he complains about his feet being cold. All this ended however the night that Tyke got sprayed by a skunk. In addition to wiping his face on our animal hide rug, he searched for anything around that might provide a good face cleaning surface—Big Chuck's felt slippers being one of his victims. The smell was so bad, and I was so exhausted from scrubbing out skunk spary, that I just ended up throwing them out. All this to say... I need a new pair of slippers.

Ecological Felted Slippers - Sneakers

Bridal Slippers in Cashmere

Felted Slippers in Black with 2 Rose Brooches

I love these handmade slippers from Lithuanian shop, bure bure. Aren't they gorgeous? Now, I just need to decide which pair to get!

Any other good slipper recommendations out there? 'Tis the season!

Have a wonderful Wednesday,
xx bess

Last Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Don't forget that today's the last day to get your 2012 Everyday Objects Calendar at the special pre-order price! For all of you who have ordered so far, thank you and your calendars will be shipping this week - yipee!

I hope everyone had a great weekend :) I have to say mine was pretty awesome, our gathering on Saturday night was so much fun and it just warms my heart to have such wonderful people in our lives. Hooray for good friends, good food and a cozy fall get together. I made this Beet Cake for dessert and it was really yummy if I do say so myself. Isn't this a lovely little video, too?!

Have a spooky Monday ;)
xx Bess

Happy Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:16:00 +0000

photo by 280dg, from our wedding

Um... is it really November next week? Yikes! I hope you all enjoy your last weekend in October. Big Chuck will be hosting a little soirée chez nous this weekend. If you don't already know, Big Chuck is my personal chef extraordinaire and loves to share his passion for delicious food with others. We were doing a little menu planning last night and he acted out the opening party scene (you know, for authenticity...)

"Knock, knock.."
"Hello!"
"Hi!"
kiss, kiss,
"You look fabulous! Here, let me take your coat. Can I offer you a drink?"

That's how he gets his menu inspiration, and entertains his pregnant wife parked on the couch ;)

Bon weekend mes amis,
kiss, kiss,
Bess

Photo shoot : 2012 Everyday Objects Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:37:00 +0000

2012 Everyday Objects Calendar

June 2012

My giant paper order finally arrived last week (it's so gorgeous!) and I was all set to take some photos of the new 2012 calendar—the only problem: no sun. I waited for days, until yesterday morning the sun came out for a few hours, just long enough for me to take some photos of the calendar so I can start approaching stores and blogs and get this puppy in front of as many eyes as possible. I have a fear of styling and photographing my work in general, it always turns out kind of so-so. But, I think these shots are pretty good.

I've updated my English Muffin website too, if you'd like to take a peek.

Have a great Tuesday!
xo Bess

PS. Don't forget to get your 2012 Everyday Objects Calendar at the special Pre-Order Price!

Baby Wants

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:16:00 +0000

What is it about babies and quilts? Maybe it's the first of many steps in the nesting process, wanting to surround yourself and your little one with beautiful things made with love. All I know is that now that we're planning for the arrival of our little boy I really want to make him his own special quilt. The only problem is that I've never made a quilt in my life. I have a sewing machine and I can definitely sew straight lines, but I have no idea how hard a quilt would be to make. Has anyone ever attempted such a project? How did it turn out? Any leads on super simple quilting patterns? How long would it take to make?

Here are some quilts I love...

Patchwork Baby Quilt by Crafty Blossom

Lovely Design's Forest Quilt via The Purl Bee

Modern & Colourful Patchwork Quilt by Red Pepper Quilts

Summer Meadow Baby Quilt by Two Corner Quilts

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend,
xo Bess

Ps. If any of you are stellar quilt makers and would like to trade some artwork (prints, calendars, custom work) for a pretty baby quilt, I'd definitely be interested :)

The 2012 "Everyday Objects" Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Oh boy! I'm so excited to finally be able to share English Muffin's 2012 Calendar with you. As you can see, I was inspired by the beautiful everyday objects that surround us in our daily lives. But, you know me, I couldn't stop there. I also wanted to incorporate an educational element, so each illustration is accompanied by its English name along with the French and German translations. A great way to impress your Oma the next time you see here working at her Nähmaschine (sewing machine).

To celebrate the launch of the coming year's calendar, I'm offering a special pre-order price. You can purchase the calendar in my shop for only $20 until October 31st, 2011. Calendars will begin shipping during the first week of November.

A little more about the 2012 "Everyday Objects" Calendar...

The 2012 "Everyday Objects" Calendar features 12 original illustrations inspired by the beautiful things that surround us in our daily lives. Each object has been labeled with its English noun, as well as the French and German translations, making the calendar a fun tool to expand your foreign language vocabulary, n'est-ce-pas?!

Details:

• the calendar measures a luxurious 8.5 x 11 inches
• 13 unbound sheets (including cover)
• printed on a beautiful 100% recycled matte paper using archival inks
• designed and printed in Montréal, Canada
• shipped in an eco-cello sleeve and bend-proof mailer

Features:

• illustrations can be cut down for easy to frame prints
• English, French and German nouns identify each illustration and each month
• makes a great Holiday gift; ship directly to recipient with personalized holiday greeting included
• great for classrooms, kids rooms... any room!

Regular Price: $28

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
xo Bess

Inspiration or plagiarism?

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Whoa, heavy blog post title for a Monday morning—I know, but after seeing this video I think you'll be asking yourself the same question.

Beyonce's new song Countdown pays tribute to some of her biggest inspirations, Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy, Andy Warhol and Diana Ross. However, much of the choreography, sets and costumes appear to be lifted directly from legendary contemporary dance choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's 1983 work Rosas Danst Rosas.

What do you think?

Personally, I'm leaning towards plagiarism. With all the money, talented people and wealth of resources at her disposal, I really don't understand how or why a 22 second movement phrase from de Keersmaeker's work appears in Beyonce's video. And, why—if you are so moved by the choreographer's extremely popular work, Rosas Danst Rosas—you don't contact her to work on or contribute to your music video.

You can read Anne Teresa's response to the Countdown video here, and Beyonce's here.

Have a great Monday!
xo Bess

Happy Weekend + A Sneak Peek!

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Hi Friends! I just wanted to pop in to wish you a wonderful weekend and give you a little sneak peek of English Muffin's 2012 Calendar.

2012 Calendar - April

I thought the rubber boot would be a good sneak peek since it's been raining all day here in Montreal. And, did you notice? I've got the French and German words for rubber boot on the calendar too! Now, don't you feel smart?!

I hope you have a sunny weekend where you are :)

xo Bess

It's a… (part two)

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Thank you to my lovely little sister for making the most special dessert ever! Papa Chuck and I are so thrilled :)

xoxo Bess

ps. In case you didn't read part one, it's here.

It's a… (part one)

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Photo: Becky Colletti ConsumedbyCake on Flickr

Papa Chuck and I are off to Toronto today, we're heading home for the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada. I'm really excited about this trip because this Thanksgiving is going to be extra special. Yes, it will be special because I'll be able to consume more turkey than most at the dinner table (thank you little Beast), and special because I'll get to show my family my growing belly and hopefully have them feel a kick or two, but the really super extra specialness of this weekend is that we are going to find out the sex of our baby. I know—so exciting!!

Back in September when Papa Chuck and I went for our 20 week ultrasound, we asked the technician to write down the sex of the baby on a piece of paper and put it into an envelope for us. I took this sealed envelope home with me and promptly (after some holding it up to the light) addressed it to my sister and dropped it in the mailbox. Earlier in the week we had arranged a Thanksgiving gender reveal dessert with my sister. She was going to be the only person to know the baby's sex and then bake a cake where the inside would be either pink or blue. When we cut into the cake we would find out if we were having a boy or a girl.

Isn't that a fun idea?! I saw it on one of my favourite blogs, A Cup of Jo. Here's the video that Joanna posted...

Of course, I'm very excited to share the news with all of you as well. Tune in next week for part two :)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving to all you Canadians out there! I wish you lots of food, love and crisp walks outdoors.
xo Bess

Perfect Pairs

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I hope you're having a great week. Here are few perfect pairs for you to peruse...

Zen Corgi Mug • Mountains Note Cards

Wearable Planter No5 • Porcelain & Leather Hanging Planter

Knitted Baby Socks • Ribbed Bonnet

How darling are those baby socks and hat?! Now, if only I knew if we were having a little boy or girl. Well, actually... I have some fun news on that subject that I'd love to share with you, tune in tomorrow for more details ;)

Have a great Thursday!
xo bess

Just wondering...

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Photo: Erin Monett

...if you've seen the new recipe cards I designed for Pure Green Magazine's website? You can find links to download some of our favourite recipes from the latest issue here. Scroll to the bottom of the recipe and click the "download this recipe" link, you'll get a ready-to-print black & white PDF downloaded to your desktop. Just print it out on 8.5" x 11" paper or card stock and enjoy!

Collect them all! It's fun :)

Have a great Wednesday!

xo bess

Canadiana: lucky 14

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Whaler Bay Warmer

I was going to save these lovely knits from the Vancouver-based shop, lucky 14, until the leaves had changed colour and we were well into the fall season. It seems, however, like fall arrived virtually overnight here in Montreal. For the past few days I've been walking around the house in extra warm socks and fleece sweaters, stubbornly keeping the heat turned off—this can't really be the end of warm days, can it?!

Cannery Cowl

If we must bid adieu to summer breezes and long sunshine-y days, then I guess fall does have its fair share of reasons to love it. Number one on my list, knits. I love a warm wooly scarf or sweater wrapped around my shoulders, and I think a lucky 14 cowl would be right at home in my wardrobe too.

Whaler Bay Warmer

An interior designer by trade, Beatriz Rempel began selling her hand knit scarves, cowls, pillows and coffee sleeves in her Etsy shop after finding herself with some unexpected time on her hands. She chooses soft comfortable yarn and uses simple yet beautiful stitches to create easy to wear, versatile pieces.

To see more knits from lucky 14 visit Beatriz's Etsy shop, and make sure to check out her blog too.

Have a great Tuesday!
xo Bess

Fashion Weekend 101

noreply@blogger.com (Bess Callard) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

(photos from my iPhone)

On Friday, I took the day off and went to see the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit here in Montreal. It closed yesterday, and I'm so glad I got a chance to go before it left town. I'm not the world's biggest fashionista (not even close), but I definitely do appreciate inspiration, innovation and a strong point of view in any art form. Seeing some of Gaultier's most visionary pieces in one place was really quite breathtaking. I found myself being blown away by shapes, colours, patterns, textures and craftsmanship over and over again. On some of the more intricate pieces, like the beaded leopard gown made entirely from hand sewn beads, it listed the hours it took to create the piece as 1060. Unbelievable!

My fashion weekend didn't end with the Gaultier exhibit though. On Saturday, Big Chuck and I watched Bill Cunningham New York. Have you seen it? If you love Bill Cunningham's On The Street column for the New York Times, it's a definite must-see movie! We both loved it and it left me wanting to watch more films about inspiring artists who are truly passionate about what they do.

Have a passionate Monday ;)
xo Bess