cool hunting inside and out

a cabinet of curiosities - Metropolis, Toronto

a little bit dangerous bringing a five year old into a shop like this -
he's usually ok and doesn't touch too much - but he couldn't resist the scale

i'm intrigued by the oversize dice...

and i keep gravitating towards bird's feet... weird

always like vintage signage that has some wear and tear

open air Brooklyn Flea - loved this mix of old and school

i wanted to take the whole wagon full!

oil cans have been popping up in to and nyc

i love multiples and containers...  here's the best of both

salt bricks?

ok who knows about salt bricks? i sure didn't and was very curious to find out what they are used for. a little research online said that you can cook with them and also use them for serving. and the first thing i thought was, ' how would you wash it?' well they say that you can wash it under warm water with a soft brush, pat dry with a paper towel and then let dry. washing removes a thin layer of the salt and if treated properly it will last for years.

if your using it as a serving platter, the food picks up a bit of the salt. anyone tried these bricks? 

behind the scenes...

taking five in saskia's backyard...

i love the smell of fresh sheets off the line -
these are our drop cloths

gorgeous garden! saskia has tonnes of fresh veggies
planted on the top tier; lettuce, beans, zucchinis... 

cutting full bolts is not easy - we have to literally
get down on our hands and knees and cut on the floor

printing madness! how many is enough? 

we're printing some t's to wear at the shows 

tea time! delicious mint tea - crush the dried mint
leaves into the pot and pour the hot water over

we've been busy little bees cutting, printing and sewing as we prepare for the wychwood barnsART shows. we're definitely learning as we go. saskia and i work differently; she's a bit more 'let's just do it' kinda girl and i'm more 'let's think about this for a sec' kinda girl so together it works. 

we thought it would be super cute to wear t's with our designs at the shows. i think i'll print the bullfrogs graphic on mine. saskia designed an apron for us too - with pockets to hold all the essentials! 

after we sew we'll have tonnes of time to watch movies or tv shows as we iron them - any suggestions? 

somebody that i used to know...

while wandering through galleries in nolita i spotted a Florence Broadhurst print. upon closer inspection i saw that the model had been painted with Broadhurst's print!

the gallery manager explained that Emma Hack, an australian 'skin illustrator' paints to fill in the background pattern voided by the model's body. this painting is part of her 'wallpaper collection' based on Broadhurst's work. Broadhurst was also australian and was best known for her dynamic and extensive designs for her screen print wallpaper company.

Emma is the artist that painted Goyte and Kimbra in the now famous song that we all find ourselves singing. i hadn't seen the video so was curious to see it knowing more about her work. Emma worked with Goyte to finalize the background image and it took 23 hours to animate based on stop motion techniques. The backdrop image is based on his father's work from the 80's. check out Emma's interview by artinfo. 

image from artinfo.com

happy weekend, happy mother's day

first mother's day

my fifth one will be this sunday!

its true what they say about time flies and that they grow up so fast. i didn't really believe people when they said that when i was knee deep in diapers, but its so true!

i remember when he was so small and just wanted to be held all the time i would wish he could just lay by himself for a moment so i could get a break. now i'm constantly reaching for him and wishing he would linger a bit longer; but its hard to keep a five year old still for very long! 

we have secret code between us  - we blow kisses at each other and after we 'catch' it we put the kiss on our cheek or forehead or nose, whatever suits, and then when we see each other we tap that part of our face and its our code for 'i love you.' this is our second secret code to date. the first one was some funny, half-winking squinting type of thing when he was a bit younger; but the meaning is always the same.

i am lucky and grateful for the many moms in my life - thank you for your constant love and support. happy mother's day everyone, hope you have a wonderful weekend. mm

our first show of 2012

i'm excited about the first show of the year. i organized my boxes and bins last night and think that i am ready... its always a bit nerve wracking to make sure you have everything. we have a few show specials to share with our lovely customers - first off is a goodie bag of our favourite things (with every purchase; while they last!) and also some totally fun colouring pages for the kiddies! i like the cupcake one the best! dexter said when i'm a grandma and he's an adult he'll drive me around in his convertable; sounds good to me!

owlie and monkey are up for a great year of markets, craft shows and fun - hope you can join us for the ride - keep up to date with us on facebook!

have a fantastic weekend everyone! wish us luck! mm

...brings may flowers