My Mom and I are at P21 with a booth stuffed with new spring goodies, so swing by and say hi!
3/29/2012
one of a kind!
It's on! I'm writing this from the Direct Energy Center in Toronto, where I'll be setting up shop at the spring One of a Kind Show until Sunday, April 1!
My Mom and I are at P21 with a booth stuffed with new spring goodies, so swing by and say hi!
My Mom and I are at P21 with a booth stuffed with new spring goodies, so swing by and say hi!
3/15/2012
up in smoke
I'm not going to lie to you, it's been a tough week.
Since September, the apartment below us has been empty. If you're a renter, you can imagine how nice it was to not be disturbed by (or disturb) the downstairs neighbours. But we also had a bit of trepidation over who would move in. Would it be partying college kids? A professional couple? Your standard Mile End hipster crew? Or my worst nightmare - a smoker? We kind of laughed that last one off, because who smokes inside their apartment anymore?? It seemed like a slim possibility.
Let me just say - I have nothing against smokers, but I live in an old building where I've traded structural integrity for character. There is just no stopping the smell of smoke from entering your living space when smokers are around, and it's invasive and - let's face it - toxic.
Imagine my delight and surprise late Saturday night, upon returning from the PDC Cabane, when we discovered that the apartment downstairs had finally been rented. We were extremely tired, full beyond possibility of rich food, and ready to just pass out for the night.
And then we were hit by a wall of sour smelling smoke.
You see, my friends, we've had not one, not two, but three smokers move into the apartment below us. And they are not casual smokers, my friends. Not even close. And even if they were, with three of them jonesing for a cigarette, you're pretty much guaranteed to have at least one person smoking at all times. Why my landlord didn't foresee this as an issue is beyond me.
I'm devastated, angry and trying to spend as little time as possible in my apartment. The first couple of nights were really bad, and I kept waking up with knots in my stomach, anxious about smoke inhalation. We've since narrowed down the main source of the air pollution to the bathroom and two closets to either side of it, and it's not pleasant. We've been trying to control the smell as much as possible, keeping doors closed and using spray foam and caulking to fill holes, but at the moment, we're only able to enjoy about 1/3 of our living space.
Case in point: this morning I felt like I was showering in a grimy old pool hall. Except that no one was calling me lovey or handing me a stiff drink.
I know this sounds dramatic, but it's been really hard. Our lives have been disrupted, and we're trying to cope with this new (and harsh) reality. I really love my apartment, and didn't want to move anytime soon. We're hopeful that this issue can be resolved, but at this point it looks like we may have to move out of our home, and most likely our neighbourhood as well.
I know that someday this will seem like no big deal, but right now it's taking up all of my mental energy.
The small blessing in all of this: all of my fabrics and products are housed in my new studio space, so they aren't being affected. This is a huge relief, and I'm so thankful for that.
Man, being a renter can really kick you in the ass sometimes...
Since September, the apartment below us has been empty. If you're a renter, you can imagine how nice it was to not be disturbed by (or disturb) the downstairs neighbours. But we also had a bit of trepidation over who would move in. Would it be partying college kids? A professional couple? Your standard Mile End hipster crew? Or my worst nightmare - a smoker? We kind of laughed that last one off, because who smokes inside their apartment anymore?? It seemed like a slim possibility.
Let me just say - I have nothing against smokers, but I live in an old building where I've traded structural integrity for character. There is just no stopping the smell of smoke from entering your living space when smokers are around, and it's invasive and - let's face it - toxic.
Imagine my delight and surprise late Saturday night, upon returning from the PDC Cabane, when we discovered that the apartment downstairs had finally been rented. We were extremely tired, full beyond possibility of rich food, and ready to just pass out for the night.
And then we were hit by a wall of sour smelling smoke.
You see, my friends, we've had not one, not two, but three smokers move into the apartment below us. And they are not casual smokers, my friends. Not even close. And even if they were, with three of them jonesing for a cigarette, you're pretty much guaranteed to have at least one person smoking at all times. Why my landlord didn't foresee this as an issue is beyond me.
I'm devastated, angry and trying to spend as little time as possible in my apartment. The first couple of nights were really bad, and I kept waking up with knots in my stomach, anxious about smoke inhalation. We've since narrowed down the main source of the air pollution to the bathroom and two closets to either side of it, and it's not pleasant. We've been trying to control the smell as much as possible, keeping doors closed and using spray foam and caulking to fill holes, but at the moment, we're only able to enjoy about 1/3 of our living space.
Case in point: this morning I felt like I was showering in a grimy old pool hall. Except that no one was calling me lovey or handing me a stiff drink.
I know this sounds dramatic, but it's been really hard. Our lives have been disrupted, and we're trying to cope with this new (and harsh) reality. I really love my apartment, and didn't want to move anytime soon. We're hopeful that this issue can be resolved, but at this point it looks like we may have to move out of our home, and most likely our neighbourhood as well.
I know that someday this will seem like no big deal, but right now it's taking up all of my mental energy.
The small blessing in all of this: all of my fabrics and products are housed in my new studio space, so they aren't being affected. This is a huge relief, and I'm so thankful for that.
Man, being a renter can really kick you in the ass sometimes...
3/09/2012
cooking through the chaos
Breakfast, captured by Instagram
I've been trying to cook more lately, partly because of some dietary restrictions, but also because I saw the need for both me and J to cut down on our meat consumption and increase our veggie consumption.
My obstacle is that I've never loved cooking like some people do. I don't spend afternoons dreaming about what to do with truffle oil tonight, or easily concoct glorious dinner parties out of thin air. I'm completely the opposite - extremely self-conscious about my cooking in a way that far exceeds anything else in my life. I cringe at the thought of cooking for other people, which can pose a problem when you're friends with a bunch of foodies as I am. Luckily they seem content to let me just quietly observe and eat their delicious meals without really returning the favour.
Which makes me one lucky and well-fed girl.
But lately I'm starting to turn a bit of corner, culinarily-speaking. Nothing monumental, but I sense that I'm developing a new relationship with food. I'm starting to understand the satisfaction that comes with making something from scratch that looks as good as it tastes, and really enjoying the small rituals involved. I find that making an effort to be more conscious of this process - buying good ingredients, taking the time to prep properly, making a nice meal, and sitting down to enjoy it, to be very calming.
Cooking as therapy - I think I'm finally starting to get it.
As mentioned previously, things are getting crazy at chez coucou, which is even more of a reason to take this small moment within the chaos and enjoy.
And speaking of enjoying - this weekend we're throwing the cooking reigns to a local master, and going to the PDC Cabane. It's something that we've talked about doing for awhile now, and it's sure to be an extravagant, gluttonous, button-bursting event.
And I'm going to enjoy every last delicious second of it.
3/02/2012
new
Hey out there!
I moved!
Into a new studio last night!
I'm so excited about this. Moving generally sucks, but I was able to get moved and pretty much settled in 2 nights, which is awesome.
You know when you reach that point in a living space, be it a room, an apartment, or whatever, when you know that you want to fix it up, but realistically you're not going to put the energy into it? That's where I was with my old studio. I've been itching to move to awhile - spending a lot of time looking at studios online and dreaming about a new space - so when a spot opened up across the hall, I decided to go for it.
I moved across the hall in the same building, and the space already feels so much better. My old spot was great - it was 1/6 of a large room that I shared with artists who practiced a variety of disciplines, and I liked the communal feel of it when I moved in. It had some issues: my "walls" were made of up shelving that marked boundaries of my space, and recently there's been a lot of changeover, which was getting tiresome. Also, I'm not a super neat and organized person, so having to stare at someone else's mess while trying to contain my own was surprisingly draining. And not to mention that the exposed brick wall - although very charming - is extremely drafty and the space gets darn cold in the winter.
My new space is only 25 square feet larger than my old one, but feels so much bigger. And having walls is life changing. I can put up shelving! And a better drying rack! And inspirational tapirs!
My studio is seriously about 5 minutes from my house, so I'm able to go back and forth with ease (which is amazing if you're like me and only have 1 to 2 hour blocks at at time in which to be productive). It's also amazing if your studio bathrooms are kind of disgusting, which mine kind of are. Recently I've been dragging my feet to get to the studio. Once I'm there, I'm OK, but I've been going there as a means to get what I need to get done, and then darting back to my nice and cozy home. I'm already noticing that I just feel more comfortable in this space - which will be great for productivity.
And super productivity is what I need right now, because - typically me - I decided to do all this right in the middle of a crazy time when I'm prepping for my spring shows. I have a few things in the mix, but I'm happy to announce that I'll be attending the Spring edition of the One of a Kind Show in Toronto at the end of this month! I'll be in booth P-21, once again in the Rising Stars Section.
The Christmas sale was a huge success for me, and I'm excited to go back and see some old (new) Toronto friends and hang out with my Mom for the week. I have my work cut out for me - I have so much left to do!
I hope to announce a few more sales and shows soon, along with some new products and designs.
Until then, it's time to work. Work work work. I hope everyone is as productive as they need to be this weekend!
I moved!
Into a new studio last night!
I'm so excited about this. Moving generally sucks, but I was able to get moved and pretty much settled in 2 nights, which is awesome.
You know when you reach that point in a living space, be it a room, an apartment, or whatever, when you know that you want to fix it up, but realistically you're not going to put the energy into it? That's where I was with my old studio. I've been itching to move to awhile - spending a lot of time looking at studios online and dreaming about a new space - so when a spot opened up across the hall, I decided to go for it.
I moved across the hall in the same building, and the space already feels so much better. My old spot was great - it was 1/6 of a large room that I shared with artists who practiced a variety of disciplines, and I liked the communal feel of it when I moved in. It had some issues: my "walls" were made of up shelving that marked boundaries of my space, and recently there's been a lot of changeover, which was getting tiresome. Also, I'm not a super neat and organized person, so having to stare at someone else's mess while trying to contain my own was surprisingly draining. And not to mention that the exposed brick wall - although very charming - is extremely drafty and the space gets darn cold in the winter.
My new space is only 25 square feet larger than my old one, but feels so much bigger. And having walls is life changing. I can put up shelving! And a better drying rack! And inspirational tapirs!
My studio is seriously about 5 minutes from my house, so I'm able to go back and forth with ease (which is amazing if you're like me and only have 1 to 2 hour blocks at at time in which to be productive). It's also amazing if your studio bathrooms are kind of disgusting, which mine kind of are. Recently I've been dragging my feet to get to the studio. Once I'm there, I'm OK, but I've been going there as a means to get what I need to get done, and then darting back to my nice and cozy home. I'm already noticing that I just feel more comfortable in this space - which will be great for productivity.
And super productivity is what I need right now, because - typically me - I decided to do all this right in the middle of a crazy time when I'm prepping for my spring shows. I have a few things in the mix, but I'm happy to announce that I'll be attending the Spring edition of the One of a Kind Show in Toronto at the end of this month! I'll be in booth P-21, once again in the Rising Stars Section.
The Christmas sale was a huge success for me, and I'm excited to go back and see some old (new) Toronto friends and hang out with my Mom for the week. I have my work cut out for me - I have so much left to do!
I hope to announce a few more sales and shows soon, along with some new products and designs.
Until then, it's time to work. Work work work. I hope everyone is as productive as they need to be this weekend!
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