Bright Lights Big City

In Hamilton, we’ve all grown up so close to Niagara Falls that almost none of us really appreciate it the way we should. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it’s also surrounded by a pretty tacky tourist area, and that’s what usually comes to mind. Tell someone you’re going to Niagara Falls for the night and the answer is usually “why?”

Last weekend I decided it was time to be a tourist in my own backyard, and Doug and I took off to Niagara Falls for the day. At my part time job, I get to be part of a program that gives me free access to almost all the attractions in Niagara Falls, and we decided to take full advantage of it.

First stop: The Midway on Clifton Hill. This attraction might have something to do with the bad rap Niagara Falls gets among locals, but I have a confession: I totally and completely love midway games. As long as I get to put a token into it, and in the end some silly paper tickets shoot out that I can redeem for a plastic ring, I’m sold. Completely and utterly.

Next stop: Fallsview Casino. Doug aptly pointed out that their fountain (on the left) is kind of steampunk, no? We walked around a little, realized the acre upon acre of slots wasn’t for us, and decided to leave. On the way out we had a change of heart and decided to play just one slot with the $5 dollar bill Doug had in his pocket. We won!

The picture on the right is Doug scrambling to pick up all his dollar billz after he threw them up in the air to make it rain, only to discover those people in the background walking around the corner at that exact moment. Good job Doug. I should note that this picture was taken after the 10 minutes Doug spent walking around with all his money fanned out in front of him, refusing to put it in his pocket.

Day two was our big tourist day. Attractions included: The Niagara Falls Imax, The Daredevil Museum, the Skylon Tower, Journey Behind the Falls, White Water Walk, and a “4D” movie where the 4th Dimension was actually just getting sprayed in the face with water. Conclusion: none of them were as good as just looking at the falls. Man, they are pretty.

Other attractions we visited but didn’t get pictures of: Nightmares Fear Factory, which actually scared the crap out of me but had Doug laughing the entire way through, and Dave & Busters. That was my first Dave Busters experience, and I’m really curious if they are all like that? If so, count me out.

I’m amazed this photo turned out and that my camera didn’t break in the process. We were just a few steps away from the base of the falls here, and we couldn’t see anything at all through the mist and spray.

The Whirlpool Aero Car is the only attraction we missed, because it was closed by the time we arrived. It was probably good news because I think I would have freaked out in the middle of it, for sure.

In end the, Niagara Falls is exceedingly beautiful, and spending the day there was a good way to remind me not to take it so for granted.

Bird Seers

We finally got some farm action in this long weekend, as it's been quite wet and subsequently quite swampy up there. A group of us spent the better part of the afternoon spreading manure, planting onion sets, checking out the progress of our garlic that was planted last season, and doing some general tidying up and exploring of the land. We came across a mama duck and her nest in some of the brush behind the barn, which is pretty exciting when you think about the fact that we'll have little baby ducklings wandering around in a couple of weeks. It felt good to get our hands dirty. Fresh air in our lungs, the sun on our faces, the earth on our hands. Nothin' better.

While at the farm I found the tooth of a deer, and on the car ride home I caught a glimpse of a hawk carrying a snake in its beak. An auspicious day.

Gluttons for Punishment (but really just for food)

On Sunday morning I went to the Ancaster Mill for brunch.  I was there for over two hours, and then promptly went home and slept for another two. Hibernation, I think.

I swear to you I ate things other than chocolate and berries and whip cream, but it was definitely my favorite part.  These waffles were covered in some sort of delicious chocolate sauce rather than maple syrup, and it was so so good.

This was Doug's plate. He looks most respectable than I do right now, but I guarantee you I just forgot to take photos of the rest of his food. He continued to eat for about 30 minutes after I stopped, so there.

Also? Unending, complimentary mimosas and sparkling wine. Yes please.

This was actually my first experience with a chocolate fountain. Verdict: delicious and messy. I wished the chocolate would harden after you dipped your fruit in it, but it just stays gooey and melty.

The view from the restaurant. So so pretty. So pretty.

The Ancaster Mill is open Tuesday - Sunday, but only does the delicious all you can eat brunch on Sundays. It's a little pricey ($39 per person) but so worth it for a special occasion or birthday present.

Downtown Illinois

This weekend our beloved James Street North got turned into downtown Illinois. They spent Sunday shooting some scenes for the upcoming movie Red Lights, starring Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver and Robert DeNiro. I never had any star sightings, but I saw lots and lots of Illinois evidence.

Look ma, American mail boxes! They dressed up most of the street on Saturday afternoon, and left it overnight for filming Sunday.

The door on the right is a dressed up (or dressed down?) Leon Furs. That doorway was used for a scene they were shooting with Cillian Murphy and Joely Richardson, so look for it when the movie comes out. The “Liquor Store” is Joe’s old Canadian European Children’s Wear shop. When the crew was taking everything down at the end of the night, I heard two of them debating whether they could just leave the sign up there, by “pretending they never looked up”. I had kind of hoped it would happen, but alas, it came down. The signs in the window are still there.

They made this sign and put it outside of our store at some point on Saturday. It was still there when I left for work this morning, so I’m hoping we get to keep it! They may not have matched our fonts or logo, but they did an excellent job with the colors.

By the way, I had to sign a release saying I was ok with them using the name/image/likeness of our building and store, and that I was ok with it even if it was “defamatory”. PLEASE DON’T DEFAME MY STORE, CILLIAN MURPHY.

See? Illinois.

On the right was the closest I could actually get to the set (except by looking out my living room window). On the left is what I found when I went downstairs in the morning to take my dog for a walk. Directors chairs! Set up in my back yard! At first I was excited that DeNiro might possibly be hanging out in my backyard. Then I was mortified by the apple crates full of rotting cabbage.

Dig For Victory

Gary started our lettuce, leeks, broccoli, celery and cabbage seeds in his living space a couple of weeks ago. They're mostly all up and looking so healthy and bright and strong. Mike and I went by to check on them, watering them in the "pool" table that Gary rigged up, and turning their trays so that their fragile stems don't lean too far over, ever trying to follow the sun.

The juxtaposition of (what I know to be) the vacant and decrepit (albeit beautiful) buildings in the background with the new growth of what we will tend to, and toil over, and in turn it will help to nourish us, is very moving to me. I love the farm because of the self-sustaining principles that it promotes, and because it is so important for us to reconnect with our food and where it comes from. But I also love the farm because to me it's kind of a metaphor for a greater change in this city. Life will always prevail. Even if it begins in aged and abandoned structures that have sat ignored and forgotten for so long.

First real farm trip of the year this weekend. I need to get my hands in that earth. Hope your weekend is filled with all the things you love to do.

Big News! Big!

I am so excited to announce this amazing Pop Up Shop, coming to the May 13th art crawl weekend. Our good friends from Victoire, Regine & Katie, are teaming up with Preloved, Robber, Fieldguided and Yarn Over Movement to bring a seriously amazing selection of clothing, accessories and deals to James Street North.

Ladies, the clothes are going to be unreal, and the accessories even better. Plus, White Elephant has some very special plans up our sleeves that you aren't going to want to miss. We'll talk more about this as we get closer to May, but seriously, go mark this in your calendar RIGHT NOW.

What's In Those Crates

I’m slowly but surely working away on decorating my apartment, and one of the spaces that is really important to me is my bedroom. I try not to clutter it too much, but surround myself with things that have special meaning to me. A couple months ago I hung some crates on the wall beside my bed, and over time I’ve filled them up with things that make me happy.

I know they’re pretty similar to what Hollie is doing with her room too, but part of the reason our White Elephant partnership works so well is that we have extremely similar tastes. It’s only natural that it would creep into our decorating style as well. When Hollie first did her post, she put the pictures up and in her head thought “oh god, I’m totally copying Jane’s room”. When I saw her post online, I immediately sent her an email being like “OMG HOLLIE I COPIED YOUR ENTIRE ROOM!” So yeah, it’s not our fault. Twin brain!

In the picture on the left, you can see the one and only souvenir I brought back from my trip to Chicago: a tiny plastic train that I got from the Museum of Science Industry. I put a dollar into a machine, chose my mould, and got to watch as it was filled with hot plastic magic. There’s also a couple prints that I got for my birthday, still waiting to be framed and hung on the stairway.

On top of the crate on the right, you can see a pair of vintage frames I bought a couple of years ago but haven’t put my prescription in yet, a Jadite eggcup that was my mother’s, filled with a clipping from our growing-at-a-crazy-pace spider plant, and a folksy cup from “Amish Country U.S.A.” that I couldn’t pass up at a flea market.

Behind those, there is a gorgeous Hollie Pocsai original that I just received as a birthday present. I had requested this specific print a while ago, because it was actually taken of my current bedroom, before any renovations had ever taken place. I sort of wish my room still looked exactly like this.

Inside the crate are some of the books I have on the go right now (I’ve been on a big Vonnegut kick for the last year), an Oh My Cavalier print, a vintage hankie that Hollie embroidered my initials on, a carnival glass jewelry box that I love love love, and a boutonniere that I got Doug for the Prom Party at The Ship.

On the left are more books, a “demi-litre” bottle of wine from a recent Montreal trip, a box that holds some keepsakes, and a vintage post card I fell in love with years ago. I should mention that I first experienced the demi-litre years ago on a road trip with my friend Erica, and this time when I returned to Montreal I scoured the city and wouldn’t stop talking about them all weekend until I found it. They’re just the perfect size wine bottle.

And that's about the longest post ever written on two wooden boxes. I included one shot of the other side of my room, because it's still a work in progress. Hopefully I'll finish that up soon.

Look How Far We've Come

Spring restock! So much new stuff in the shop this week. And just in time, as tonight is Art Crawl! Again! Already! Party!



Touch the Dutch is one of our favourite artists, for her undeniably Canadian pieces. Using sterling silver and wood, she creates iconic brooches, rings, and necklaces that any hoser would fall in love with. When out-of-towners ask what would be a good Canadian souvenir to bring home, I usually point them in the direction of her work.




I love the look of vintage arrows used as decor, but often find that, at least in my experience, that they are usually pretty beat up. Lucky us, to discover Verla Ivans handcrafted arrows. They are crafted with Poplar wood from sustainable forests, hand notched and tapered, with feathers and paint applied in bright and whimsical colours. And the included canvas carrying case featuring a screen-printed arrow? It's like the best icing on the most delicious cake.

My jaw just about dropped to the floor when Erin Templeton got in contact with us about carrying her beautiful leather bags. If there was audio to go along with the email I wrote back, it would have been me screaming in a breathless and shrill high-pitched voice. Of course we would love to carry her line! Made from the softest and most supple recycled leather, these bags are to die for. I've already snatched up one of the card cases for myself, and am seriously considering putting in some extra hours at the market to buy the Good Girl bag. I think I've been a good enough girl to justify that.

Will you guys ever get sick of hearing about how much we love Jenna Rose? No? Good. Because we love her. A lot. We've got brand new tea towels, scarves, pillows and bags in new colours and designs all available for you to take home and love too. Jenna tried something new with her spring line of bags - the addition of a leather strap. As if her work could get any closer to perfection.

When we opened the box from Yes Jess, a shipment of brand new knits, I immediately thought it was a bad omen. This winter is dragging on. But, I have to snap out of it and be realistic. It's still kind of cold. It probably will be for another month. So we might as well look super cute and make the best of it. The twist front earwarmers are the perfect lightweight piece to transition from winter into spring. And I don't care how warm it gets, I want to live in her chunky knit scarves for all of eternity. They are so soft and so dreamy. We also got in some dapper knit ties for all the men out there. Adorable.

While visiting last month, the ladies of Victoire also brought us a whole bag full of goodies from their new jewelry line, Steel Magnolias. Seriously, is there anything these ladies can't accomplish? Their line consists of vintage pieces reworked, with a heavy emphasis on geometric designs. Their signature "Rebel Girls with Good Manners" style certainly shines through in these pieces. They're selling out fast, no doubt.



Probably the most exciting thing we've gotten in the past week is OUR NEW SIGN. Oh my gosh, it's just too good. We won't have it hanging by tonight's Art Crawl, because we're still working with some welders to come up with the STRONGEST BRACKET KNOWN TO MAN to keep this one from being stolen, as was the fate of our last sign. It was envitably a good thing to happen though, because this one is breathtakingly beautiful. At least we think so. We're filled with joy that people from the community pitched in and helped us to rebuild what we lost. We are forever grateful for all the contributions.

Nicole who runs Bantam Signs crafted it for us using a CNC machine to laser cut into wood, and then handpainted it. She did an incredible job, again. My mom also did an incredible job making cushions for our new couch in our backroom. Ever since we opened the store, I dreamed about having a backroom with a couch. I don't know why. I have yet to sit on it. But to me, that was kind of like the sign that we made it.

We've made it, guys. Come out tonight and celebrate with us at Art Crawl. The usual, candy, jams, cute things looking for good homes. We've got it all. Stop by.