two favourites

A macaron birthday cake for Geoff, from the beginning of May, from Nadège. This cake make me reevaluate my anti-macaron feelings. It was so delicious.

Peony season, how I love you.

custom kicks

I wrote about my love of hi-top sneakers a while ago, and since then I’ve been thinking about the Reebok Freestyle, that staple of the 1980s. Remember? When I mentioned them on Twitter, Natalie said they were like walking on marshmallows, and I think she’s right.  

I got pretty excited when I found that you could customize your own pair. It seemed like a fun thing to try, and with parts called “Puff 1,” “Puff 2,” and “Puff  3” it really was fun. The pair I ended up customizing are not flashy and colourful in the slightest. They could have been, though. I had the Isabel Marant Bekket sneakers in mind at the time, so I was aiming for a similar feel, although a little more budget-friendly and old school. The taupe colour wasn’t quite as dark as I had hoped it would be (the sole and the inside lining are taupe), but I’m pretty happy with them! I am going to wear them with maxi skirts this summer, à la Susie Bubble. I think I look pretty dorky in hi-tops but whatever. They still are like walking on marshmallows! See you, me, and Julio down by the basketball court!


(The custom Reeboks only ship within America; thanks, Marissa, for being my shipping agent! You’re the best, girl.)

marmora

I recently finally saw I Am Love, a lavish and intensely beautiful film that I had been meaning to see since it came out. In a movie filled with enduring imagery, the one image I haven’t been able to shake off, beyond the incredible opening title sequence, is one of Tilda Swinton’s character standing in a bathroom fully covered in marble. I just really love marble! 

Faux marble statue on the cover of Acne Paper and editorial with marble floor / Venus scarf / redline marble and hammered brass earrings from The Vamoose / hilarious marble bonus: Mike’s Marbleopolis / “marmora” is Latin for “marble”

dreambike

This morning I quickly calculated how much money I have saved on subway fare since I’ve had my bike, and it’s already halfway to paying for itself. Well, that isn’t a totally accurate figure since some days I would have walked, and I have my old bike which was probably not safe to ride without major work, but still! I have been enjoying it. It didn’t have so much as a bell when I got it, so I added a few accessories.

I took this when the hawthorn was blooming in the backyard. Glamour shots! I love the white walls of the tires, even if they are a bit dingy, and the chrome chain guard.

We bought an inexpensive rack, $15 at Canadian Tire, and Geoff affixed this wine crate we had to it. I know this probably looks heavy, but it isn’t that bad and it fits my giant purse and my lunch. It would probably fit a few stray kittens too.

So yeah, it’s been renamed ROAD KITTEN.

I added the bell, as I mentioned here. I got this coffee cup holder at Cycle Couture. It’s come in handy a few times when I haven’t had the time to sit in a coffee shop but was in the mood for a good coffee. Even though the coffee occasionally gets cold by the time I arrive at my destination, or splashes out...

I got this light for the front (no one is surprised that I got one with the word “cat” in the name), and this one to attach to the rear fender. I would like to upgrade the saddle at some point, but I think I have everything I need for now, including a pretty good lock, pump, helmet, and container of oil.

Even though I love my bike, I couldn’t help but keep a mental list of dream bikes when I was looking for one of my own. These are all so super cute (keep in mind that I am not a bike expert. I like these for their aesthetics and have not tested them, although I am sure they are comfortable to ride around a flat city at a moderate pace). They will have to remain in my dreams of paved country roads lined with wildflowers, however.

I like bikes that are smaller in size, and the mixte frame is my favourite. Some of the huge Dutch-style bikes are just too much bike for me, personally, as beautiful as they are.

Click to view large: 1. Abici Primavera in verde (I also like the Sveltina, but I love the green colour, name, brown saddle and grips, and chain guard of the Primavera), 2. Linus Mixte 3 in cream, 3. Bobbin Bicycles Birdie in mint green, and 4. Creme Cycles Caferacer in pearl pink doppio (aahhh!). All these brands but Creme Cycles are available in various bike shops in Toronto, so I have visited the other three and looked at them longingly. I am pretty sure that Linus is the official bike of my neighbourhood.



For those of you in Toronto, here are some shops I like (definitely downtown-biased, but it’s what I know):
Curbside Cycle (Abici, Pashley, Bobbin, Linus, etc.)
Bikes on Wheels (Bobbin, Linus, Norco, Gary Fisher, etc.)
Cycle Couture (Public, Velorbis, etc.)
Repairs & tune-ups: The Bike Joint

If you are looking for a restored vintage bike, Toronto Vintage Bikes does beautiful work.  Or buy an old beater and take a workshop at Bike Pirates!

around here

I finished off a roll of film this weekend; these were taken with Fujipro 400H, which I find hard to go back to after Kodak Portra.

Geoff and I designed this tote for Little Paper Planes! Their theme for 2012 is “prolific,” so we were asked to play with the word. We went with a simple, text-based design, since that is what we do. I’ve been getting a lot of use out of mine. It’s available exclusively through LPP.

More carnations. These were part of our display for the City of Craft show we did recently. Thank you so much to everyone who came by! These guys are still going strong.

At City of Craft, I snagged a Falconwright clutch that had my name all over it (not literally). Softest leather, best print, prettiest colour.

I got a very special delivery of some beautiful Vega rings from Paper & Chain, one skinny and one thick, and they are perfect little stacking rings. Thank you, sweet Ismay (and Naomi, too!).

On Friday after a visit to Eye Love to get my brows cleaned up, I stopped by Magic Pony. The window display right now is so pretty. Mushroom tutu by Tania Sanhueza.

Wooden tutu by Noel Middleton. It’s displayed in two halves because it’s quite large.

repository pt. 6: bicycle edition

(I took so many of the items here from the Adeline Adeline website because, wow, what a beautiful bicycle shop it is.)
1., 2., & 3.: Helmets! I threw in that picture of Jane Birkin in the middle for a little “cute girl in a helmet” inspiration (it exists!). Of course, that’s a scooter helmet that she’s wearing, but it’s a similar idea. Speaking of scooter helmets, the Ruby helmet on the left is so pretty—if only bicycle helmets could look like that (who wants to buy a helmet factory with me? Kickstarter? Anyone?). The helmet here is the Ruby Pavillion St Exupéry and it costs quite a pretty penny! The one I use is the Bern on the right. It’s the Watts model, and I have it in gloss white. As far as bike helmets go, it’s cute, and no one is looking at me anyway. If they do look at me, I doubt they’re thinking about what a dork I am, or caring in the slightest really. I used to hate wearing a helmet but it’s really not a big deal, even when I have to pull out my high ponytail or whatever.
4. Faux bike short leggings by Norwegian Wood.
5. Wet & Wendy mini cape, via tifamade.
6. Crane Karen Spring Strike Bell in brass. I had to get a new bell because the one I had had a long lever that caught in the brake cables of my new bike. I went for small and adorable (I got mine at Bikes on Wheels).

7. Who needs a handbag indeed, Hanneli.
8. Brooks saddles are so nice! They can make any bike look so much more fancy.
9. And then a trouser strap to go with your new saddle.
10. This Collina Strada bag is one of the prettiest bike bags I have ever seen, and I love that it doesn’t  scream “bike bag!”

a new bike

On Friday something very exciting happened to me: I got a new bike! For years now I have been using an old Raleigh bike, as seen here, as well as here—incidentally, the plastic ring on the cupholder split after a while, so sad. That bike, which I hope to restore one day, is precious to me because it was given to me by my sweet friend Sarah after another bike I had was stolen. Unfortunately, it isn’t the best ride, which is one of the reasons why it came to be in my possession in the first place. It is so heavy! I live only 3 kilometres from where I work, and biking is the quickest, most economical, and most pleasant way to get there in the spring, summer, and fall. My new/old three speed is a dream! It rides like a happy cloud, and it was so much more affordable than a brand new bike would have been. I had been complaining about my Raleigh for months and Geoff decided to monitor Craigslist for me, an activity I consider to be a huge drag. He knew that, after rejecting so many of the bikes he showed me (I sound so lovely right now!), I would go for the bike that had the word “beautiful” in the description.

I am a very timid and careful cyclist, mostly because I have witnessed a few horrifying bike accidents, but I do ride my bike at night quite often. Chelsea posted about these nautical-inspired reflective vests in 2009, and I have never forgotten about them. I don’t remember if they were actually available for purchase or if they were made for the lookbook (which is no longer online). I haven’t used my sewing machine in ages, and with my new bike excitement propelling me, I decided to make myself a reflective collar.

It was really easy to make. I used the collar from this dress that I made a few years ago, which I made with a vintage sewing pattern. I have since misplaced the pattern, so I had to trace the collar, making it a little longer so that my hair wouldn’t cover the reflective tape at the bottom. I couldn’t wrap my brain around how to draft and sew the front bib part of the Bobbin vest, and decided to keep it simple. I used black twill fabric, black twill tape, and sew-in reflective tape; the iron-on kind is a little trickier to use on a curve.

I have a few more bicycle-related posts filed away in my brain, and they may make an appearance here over the week. An informal Bike Week, maybe.

upcoming

I am going to take a break from posting pictures of my face to make a few announcements; we have a few all-local events coming up. Lucky you, Toronto.

First up is City of Craft’s first-ever spring show, on April 21. There will be so many cool vendors, although you guys had better get in line early to get your hands on those Falconwright pouches (check out mine below, which I got last December)! Plus the venue is really beautiful: Trinity St Paul’s Church at 427 Bloor Street West. We’ll have a few rummage items as well as the usual totes, prints, and scarves. More information here.

We will also be taking part in this traveling market, hosted by our friends at Muttonhead. This event will have items for sale from more awesome vendors (hi, Bre!) as well as beer tastings, gardening installations, men’s shaves and cuts... pretty amazing. April 17 to the 21, at 709 College Street. More information is available here.

blue as your blood

A favourite song / blue and white.

Just a few more cherry blossom pictures (my sunglasses are Karen Walker Number Ones from Summerland), these ones taken with my Canon film camera. We had first stopped by the blossoms around noon and then, later, riding our bikes home again, we stopped for a second time. With the sun lower in the sky, the petals sparkled.

A beautiful record. I may start collecting these old ballet LPs. I don’t think I’ll try to dance to them, though.

cherry blossom girl

We visited the small stand of cherry blossoms outside of Robarts Library to take a few Instax photos the other day. Amazing how even a small amount of trees in bloom can make passers-by seem so happy as they pull out their phones to take pictures. We are so bloom-starved!


Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on the Light as a Feather collection (I am feeling a little comment-replying fatigue, but I appreciate the comments, of course). Thanks again to Anja and Megan for doing such a lovely job with the photos. The scarves will be available in limited quantities tomorrow, April 9, starting at 2PM EDT, in our shop. Thank you!