Loot Bag

My birthday was last Sunday, and this year I feel like I was really, really spoiled. The weekend itself was jam-packed with events (both of the birthday, and non-birthday variety) and I feel like I’m just getting back into the swing of things now. I finally got around to photographing some of my favorite gifts last night, and man when you put them all in one pile it sure does seem awesome. I treated myself to these with some birthday money from a lovely aunt. Activated Charcoal Soap from Rocky Top Soap Shop and a lovely pair of pink Ben & Oliver earrings, both available in the shop. With the help of my roommate, Doug managed to navigate himself through one of the biggest antique markets around to find these prints I had seen just a week earlier. The men in suits is a Eaton’s Managers group portrait, and the family portrait on the right has some of the weirdest lookin’ ladies I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t get a decent shot of the other two prints he picked out, but one of them is from a really old play production featuring people in black face. It’s both appalling and amazing, all at once. I can’t wait to frame these and get them up on my stairway. Five years ago when I lived in Halifax with my current roommate Gabby, she started knitting me a blanket. Unfortunately, it took longer than expected and this year we used the completed squares for yarn bombing. I’ve been asking for that blanket for years, and lucky for me Gabby recently took up crocheting. It seems she is much faster at that craft, and now getting this beautiful blanket once it’s finished. Plus, now it’s on the Internet so she HAS to finish it. As I was opening my presents Sunday morning, I received a text message from Doug, who happened to be sitting beside me. Confused, I read it and found out we’re going to see Mother Mother, April 16th. So good. I also came away with a gift certificate for the two of us to have brunch at The Ancaster Mill, which I am ridiculously excited about. I’ve been talking about brunch at the Mill ever since I read their menu online, saw that it included King Crab Legs, and that it also cost a small personal fortune. I can’t wait. Finally, we did some birthday antique shopping in St. Jacobs on Monday, and I came away with an amazing Wagner Cast Iron pan. Our good friend Sean became slightly obsessed with Cast Iron recently, and his enthusiasm and research has been sort of infectious. I can’t wait to bake a pizzas in this puppy. Overall, I feel so, so spoiled. And lucky. Extremely lucky.

Research and Acquisitions

Farm season is gearing up, and we're trying to take it more seriously this year. The past two years we've gotten by, and we've all learned a lot, but there's always room for improvement. I've recently been named "farm manager", which is really fun for that part of me that loves organizing and coordinating things, but less fun for that part of me that loves free time. I have a lot of research to do. A lot. I've got random piles of books from the library about food and farming and self-sufficiency everywhere in the house these days. I feel like I'm back in school. I need to start scheduling homework time into my nights again.

Mike took home this book on masks, and I must admit, I've been flipping through this one much more than my required reading. The haunting and bizarre folklore and imagery peaks my interests a little more than Nutrient Management Planning. Although that's like, totally interesting too.

A weekend antiquing trip resulted in coming home with some adorable tart tins, a 1953 coronation crepe paper banner, and a pretty incredible hat. My Queen Elizabeth II coronation collection pretty much spans our entire house now, and even though I am not necessarily planning on hanging the 10ft long banner anywhere, I just couldn't leave it at the flea market. My collection now borders on obsession, I believe.

Oh hey, just looking over there. Paying no attention to that camera in my face. I'm pretty in love with this hat. This getup made me feel a little bit like Lady Indiana Jones. Vintage leather jacket courtesy of my bad-ass biker mother-in-law. She wore it while she rode cross-country along the Trans-Canada highway on her bike in the 1970's. It is one of my most treasured pieces.

My Nebula scarf from Hand & Shadow is a wardrobe staple right now. Georgie will be at the One of a Kind show, all the way from B.C., and I highly recommend checking out her booth out if you're attending. We carry her scarves at the shop, which are always a customer favourite, and I've got a handful of her pieces myself. Her inspiration comes from the natural world and the otherworldly, and I totally dig it.

We've got a busy week ahead with lots of new product coming into the shop, and our annual winter cottage trip, complete with talent show. I've turned the back room of the store into a makeshift dance studio, and I'm planning on winning first prize for the 3rd year in a row. Yeah, that's right. Stay tuned.

Required Reading Vol. 4

It’s been a while since we last did a required reading update on here. I find that lately I don’t have a good enough attention span to keep up with many blogs, but here are a few that have been making my daily reads for the last couple months:



You Are My Fave is my fave. Melissa’s attention to detail in the parties and events she plans are stunning. The Strawberry Breakfast Party, above, is just one example of her amazing design sense. Her blog is full of personal pictures and things she finds and “faves” online, all of which have me coming back daily.


It’s no secret that Juliana Swaney of Oh My Cavalier is one of Hollie & I’s favorites; her work is stunningly beautiful. I recently started following her personal blog and I love reading it to see the inspiration she gathers, and the progress of her work. Plus, I found this video because of her, and now I am officially spooked!


Unruly Things is a great blog that showcases “ideas, fashion finds, photography, design, and inspiration from everyday life”. I love the simple design of the blog, and I find myself drooling over everything that Alyson posts. Case in point: these amazing beachcombing prints.



I’ve been following Dores on and off for a while, and not only is Stephanie’s jewelry design stunningly simple and lovely, but her blog is beautiful. Also, have you seen that house? Oh my god.


I almost feel silly posting this, because who isn’t reading A Beautiful Mess these days? I’m going to anyway, because I still can’t believe how long I went for without knowing about this amazing blog/shop/team of ridiculously talented ladies, and if even one of you out there isn’t reading it, it’s time to start. Elsie & her sister Emma opened the AMAZING vintage shop Red Velvet, complete with an adorable sweets stand inside, and Elsie has just released her very own vintage-inspired dress line. Jealous? You should be.

Busy Maker

Up until this point, all of our neighbours that we've featured here have all been relatively new faces to Jane and I. People that we've met (and fallen in love with) just by living and working and owning a business downtown. These wonderful people who are also living and working and opening businesses downtown, and who all have similar outlooks on life. Community is pretty wicked.


Errol F. Richardson, on the other hand, has been in our lives since high school. Errol and I grew up not too far from each other in the quaint mid-century Dundas suburb of Pleasant Valley. I've always been intrigued by Errol's work and by Errol as a person. I've previously featured some of his work here and here. He's an extremely talented illustrator and graphic designer whose work speaks to me in the simplicity of its design, and also in the metaphysical themes he often explores. I've always considered Errol to be somewhat elusive, in the absolute best kind of way, so I was thrilled when he agreed to let me stop by his studio on James Street North.






Errol's studio is located above Mixed Media, in a light-filled space that owners Dave and Teresa recently renovated. Original details such as wide plank floors and tall window frames were left untouched when these apartments were turned into one room artists studios. Errol moved in during the summer of 2010, and everything remains untouched. He doesn't really need much to do his work; save for his laptop, scanner, design books, sunshine pouring in from those incredible windows, and a 6 foot long wooden work table, leftover from gutting the old apartments. The walls are still whitewashed and bare, the only piece of decor being an old photograph of Hamilton framed on his windowsill.

I was left envious of his ability to be so minimalistic. It must surely be a sign of an uncluttered mind. A brilliant, uncluttered mind at that, whose clients include The Walrus and The New York Times. It's evident that with Errol's process, less is so much more.


These days Errol is working a lot in album art. One of my favourite pieces of his is the Slow Hand Motëm “Nature’s Beast” LP. The handmade type is incredible close up. He showed me a couple of things he's currently working on, but I especially was drawn to the patterns on the sleeve of Tuck In With... The Natural Yogurt Band.



The launch for his newest zine, CAVE, is happening tomorrow night, March 24th, at The Brain. Errol is one of Hamilton's most talented residents, and he just might be among our most modest as well. Stop in, wish him well, read a zine, have a drink, listen to good music. Get acquainted with the work of someone seriously putting Hamilton on the map.

10 Things Under $30

We're happy to introduce the first blog post by our wonderful and sweet intern Lindsay! You'll be seeing more from both Lindsay and Krysten here in the future. - Hollie & Jane

It was recently brought to my attention that some people out in the world who are unfamiliar with the lovely little shop White Elephant think that because it's a small store, with handmade and vintage items, that prices would undoubtedly be high. Not so! One of the reasons I first fell in love with White Elephant was because of how reasonably priced things are. Nothing is better than coming home with something you love that you didn't pay an arm and a leg for.

So, for my first blog entry, I thought I'd do a "10 things under $30" and show everyone how well things are priced down here on James North.

#1- Green Cotton Prairie Dress. Size small to medium. $27. This dress is so cute, and perfect for spring. It makes me want to bust out my non-winter footwear and splash in some spring puddles. If only Ontario would oblige. I tried on a similar dress at a big retailer recently and it was double the price and not nearly as cute. And you're doing your part for the environment when you buy vintage, so two birds one stone.

#2- "Modern Radar" screen printed cotton pouches, multiple colors. $16 each. I love the color of these little pouches, so bright and funky. Possibly a makeup bag, a unique clutch for a night out, or a craft supply storage unit. Or, if you use it for all three, the bag really only costs $5.30 per use, so get busy.

#3- Paperwhite Studios "I love you more than" canvas tote. $25 each. These bags come in multiple colours, but I'm partial to the hot pink. I feel like they are perfect to show the people in your life that they are loved, while giving them a present that can be put to good use. And they come with a free button. You can't argue with free stuff.

#4- Kate Durkin Stuffed Embroidered Whale. $23.

#5- Rocky Top Soap Shop Handmade Soap. All natural, unscented, various flavours. $7 each. From what I hear, Hollie and Jane searched far and wide to find the perfect soap to adorn the White Elephant shelves. These soaps are all handmade from natural, organic and locally grown ingredients and are unscented. I think I'm going to buy the charcoal one just because it reminds me of the black soap in Annie Hall.

#6- Grey Leather Vintage Purse. $24.

#7- Paper Owl, Sweater Bear Mug, $18. Nothing would make me feel cozier then drinking a warm coffee or tea with this be-sweatered bear. If you take it to work, then you can feel cozy at your desk. But don't blame me if you get caught napping.

#8- "Stacks" prints, by Justin Richel. $10 each. These prints are actually to die for. I just came across them in the shop the other day and I want to hoard them away for my hypothetical daughter's nursery. Or, if you don't have to share your home with a boy and can get away with such gorgeous, girly prints, they'd be perfect.

#9- Vintage Bow Ties, $22. For the male fashion plate in your life, these bow ties will hit the spot. Bow ties, they're not just for hipsters anymore. Bonus- they are clip on for ease-of-wear.

#10- Tree and Kimball, Dyed Vintage Lace Earrings. $27. Various colours. Everyone that comes into White Elephant comments on these earrings. They are just that special and unique. It's like a little piece of history dangling from your head!

Sweet Dreams

It has always been a priority of mine, no matter where I have lived, to make my bedroom somewhere that I'd like to spend a lot of time. We've been in our home for just over a year now, and I finally feel like our bedroom is coming together nicely. I love sleeping in indulgently on Sunday mornings and watching the light trickle in through the bay windows and listening to the church bells ring down the street. There's nothing better to me than reading a book in bed in the late afternoon, while a sleeping kitty snuggles on your lap.

To be honest, most of my inspiration came from Jane's old bedroom. We have many things in common, and among them is our great love of sleeping in and taking naps. Sometimes that love trumps other loves, like never being able to get out to garage sales early enough. But Jane has always had a knack for making her bedrooms incredibly peaceful and serene, and I tried to emulate her talent for that as much as I could in my new space.


Most pieces in our home are used or thrifted. I can count on one hand what is from Ikea, and I really like that. Furniture should not be so disposable, and I don't know why we've all accepted that it is. But anyways, I'll leave my rants for another time. I scored an amazing dresser set from a private estate sale for chump change. The tree painting came from Suzie's apartment above the diner, and I love the colour scheme and texture of the brush strokes up close. The "In Our Hearts" sleeve comes from Fieldguided and looks so pretty when I light the candle that is contained within the mason jar. The beautiful jewelry box was a gift from my mother-in-law.



We use stacked vintage apple crates as nightstands. I like that it feels like we have our own personal cubbyholes. I've hung this coronation photo of the Queen in three different spaces in my home, only to not like anywhere I put it. I stuck it here haphazardly and it totally fits. Although Mike thinks it is a little creepy that my collection has now moved into the bedroom so that the Queen is the first thing I see in the morning. The sequin collar was a gift from my friend Courtney, and I like to keep it there for a bit of sparkle. I would wear it everyday if it were appropriate. My Moleskine planner (aka MY LIFE) is usually found on the shelf, along with my five-year diary, of which I am currently on year four. Want to remember the exact day we went out for burritos, three years ago? I can tell you.




Hanging some of my favourite or most-worn jewelry from simple nails was something I stole from Jane. It's nice to display my collection, and also makes it easier when I'm choosing how to accessorize. A ceramic box from my sister that I've coveted since I was eight or so, a souvenir ribbon flag from my friend Crystal's wedding and some letterpress blocks with our initials sit upon our dresser. I'll usually place seasonal flowers from the market in one of my many mason jars in our bedroom, and this week I picked up pussy willows. They might stay there forever. I have a print from Oh My Cavalier artist, Julianna Swaney, framed on the wall.


I hung a vintage postcard of a view from Hamilton's escarpment at night next to my bed. Jane and I come across these often for the store, but I fell in love with the perspective and colours in this one particularly. Usually on the top of my bedside shelf are my cement pearl earrings from Metsa, my favourite accessory as of late, and a Christmas present from Mike.

There's still much work to be done. I've been on the hunt for a new (to me) bed frame forever. When I finish my quilt, it's going to lay upon our bed. I'm looking forward to arrival of my Wild Heart Banner from Caitlin at Nice to hang on one of the empty walls. But I think I'm on the right track for making it the most tranquil room in my home.

Hammer Time

Jane and I spent Friday morning tidying up the store and putting up new spring displays in preparation for Art Crawl and our weekend guests from Ottawa. We're pretty in love with the ladies of Victoire and we wanted everything to look perfect. We bought some spring blooms to brighten everything up and make our store smell heavenly.




Regine and Katie and Nick and Eloise (ELOISE!) arrived and we all squealed in delight and they gushed about our store and our artists and about Hamilton. And we gushed over them and over Eloise in her little bear hat and her little puddin' face. Because they have GPS on their phones (TECHNOLOGY!) they actually drove around the city for a little bit before coming to the store, marveling at all the architecture and diverse neighbourhoods they had seen along the way. One thing they couldn't get over all weekend was how it was evident how much wealth there once was in the city. If only Hamilton wasn't so happy with the wrecking ball, amirite?



Shortly after the Victoire crew arrived, Liz from The Arthur and Micah from Russet and Empire joined us from Toronto, and we all went for afternoon drinks at The Brain and then for dinner at Mex-I-Can. We bonded over blogs and curated vintage, over owning and operating similar stores, and over being pretty fabulous ladies in general. As the night went on, we partied in the shop, and all our guests went out to explore what the crawl had to offer.

I love sharing ideas and experiences. Knowledge makes the world go round. Thanks to all these lovely ladies for making the trip down to check things out. This is the beginning of some wonderful and inspirational friendships. I know it.