I can't believe it's mid-August already. I'm pretty sure I blinked and the whole summer went by. What happened? However, we have an absolutely perfect looking weekend ahead of us, so I thought it was about time I shared some good-looking events happening across our fair city!
Cambie Grand Opening - The much anticipated shop of Camille Byrne opened the other week, but join her on Saturday, August 17th for the grand opening! Transitioning from her design services and now focusing on beautiful housewares that will help expose us to design, craftsmanship and sustainability, while continuing to feature unique and beautiful products from Peru (have you seen the blankets?) The opening will include a lemonade stand and lots of yummy treats. Saturday, August 187th, 12 PM to 6 PM. Cambie, 1535A Queen Street West.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Truck - Okay, this event's for the wee ones, but I remember these books from when I was a kid and had to share because I love the idea. To promote the new book, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid truck will be outside Type Books providing us with ice treats and free swag! Saturday, August 17th from 2:30 PM to 5 PM. Type Books, 883 Queen Street West.
Foundry BBQ - An all-day showcase of forward-thinking music, alongside food and art, featuring a unique collection of international and local music acts, custom A/V installations, and innovative food vendors including A-OK Foods, Heo Yeah and Philip's Ice Pops (have you read our interview with them yet?) All details on their Facebook event page, including set times and A/V artists. Saturday, August 17th, 2 PM to 3 AM at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCCA) and 99 Sudbury. Tickets are $20 for an all day pass, $15 for a day pass (MOCCA only) and $15 for a night pass (99 Sudbury only.)
CraveTO - A combination of street food, craft beer and DJ culture (why not?) CraveTO takes over Honest Ed's alley way and back parking lot to help satisfy some of your "cravings" while you groove along to some sweet sounds. Divided into day and night, each time will feature separate food vendors so be sure to check out the website for the lineups. Tickets gain you general admission to the event, but food and beer is $5 each so make sure you have some smaller cash denominations on hand! Saturday, August 17th at Honest Ed's. Tickets are $14.50/day (12:30 PM to 5 PM) and $17.50/night (7 PM to 11 PM)
The Leslieville Flea - The east end counterpart to the ever popular Junction Flea and the newer Parkdale Flea, Leslieville has got into the swing of things with their own collection of vendors and antique dealers featuring furniture, hand crafted designs, vintage clothing and designer pieces. Sunday, August 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM behind The Duke (at Queen & Leslie.) Free.
I hope everyone has a fab weekend! I need to go get mine started! See you next week!
A Good Good Day on the street with... Philip's Ice Pops
Hi everyone! I am so, so excited to introduce to you to a new post series that I've been keeping secret for awhile now. This was one of the biggest reasons to start this blog and I am so thrilled to be sharing my first post of the series with you. You know I am a huge supporter of crafters, designers and independent shops. I admire so much of what these folks do and the creativity they bring to Toronto and cities around the globe. For years I have loved to stop and chat with them and learn about their process and story, and over time I developed an idea. I can talk a lot, but I can also take photos, why not combine the two and do photo interviews? From local studios, shops, cafes and those abroad, I hope to share with you people I admire (and people who I am yet to meet) so that you too can learn their story, and what makes up their Good Good Day. So, without further ado...
What's your name and what do you do?
I'm Katie Rachael Walker and I am the owner of Philip's Ice Pops.
What's the story behind the bike and the name? Not to mention the cute cat themed branding!
Philip’s Ice Pops is named after my cat Phil! He is 5 years old and is a real cuddler. I figured that the name went along with the fun and playfulness of the flavours. Plus who doesn’t love a good cat pun! I came across the bike pretty randomly while I was taking a trip to Hanlan's Point on Toronto Island. A bike shop owner named Manuel, who has lived on the island his whole life, was selling a old, rusty, orange vendors bike he had picked up in Mexico a few years back. I bought the bike figuring it would be a fun project to fix it up and turn it into the Philip's Ice Pop Mobile. Manuel took us on his rickety old rowboat with the bike to bring us across the harbour back to the city! My boyfriend and I scraped the bike down, repainted it white and polished up all the rusty spots. My friend Jake Bonnetta, who owns Woodchop, got together with his woodworking buds and made a custom insulted box for the front of the cart!
What were you doing previous to Philip's and why did you start making the pops?
I was a flight attendant for Porter Airlines for 3 years before Philip's Ice Pops started. I always wanted to be my own boss and was always looking for the right business to start. In the winter I bought an ice pop mold to experiment with different flavours with no intention of starting this business. After I served my ice pops to friends at dinner parties and hangouts, everyone raved about them and it grew into a business from there.
Your flavours include strawberry-basil, orange-vanilla and salted watermelon: did any previous cooking experience contribute to your flavour combinations? What flavours can we expect in the future?
We try to adapt our flavours to the Ontario harvest schedule to use the freshest, yummiest in-season fruit we can get our hands on. We just started our late summer flavours: Cantaloupe-Honey, Lavender-Lemonade, Peach-Ginger and Rhubarb-Strawberry. I don't have any professional cooking experience but I have always been surrounded by a lot of really great cooks. I have picked up a thing or two from my parents, brothers, and boyfriend over the years. I love cooking at home and experimenting with new flavour combinations, I guess this is just an extension of that!
Homemade popsicles are all the rage on blogs and Pinterest lately, why do you think there's been a resurgence in artisanal pop making? Did you derive inspiration from other homemade pop makers, such as People's Pops in NYC?
It is crazy how fast the ice pop trend is growing! I think people are looking for flavours that are a little more exciting and maybe even healthier. There are a lot of strange chemical ingredients in the ice pops we used to eat when we were kids, most people like that Philip's Ice Pops are made with fresh fruit and raw sugar. I still have yet to try a People's Pop but I do think there are similarities to Philip's Ice Pops in the sense that we are both making pops with fresh local fruit. It's on my list of things to do to get down to NYC to try one!
What is a typical day for you like when you're prepping a fresh batch of pops?
My weekdays starts at my production kitchen in Kensington Market. I start by prepping my workspace and machines then I head across the street to Augusta Fruit Supply for a fresh batch of fruit. I get to work making simple syrups and juicing all my ingredients. Once my batch of ice pops are ready to freeze I get my caffeine fix at Jimmy's Coffee around the corner. Sending emails, updating social media websites and paper work occupy about half of my day. After a few hours I go back to my kitchen to package all the pops and fill orders! By late afternoon I drop all my deliveries off at the respective shops and usually stay for a coffee or two while chatting with the business owners!
You started Philip's Ice Pops this past Spring: what has the response been like? Have you encountered any difficulties so far?
So far the response has been great! Even though we have only been opened for a few months we have covered a lot of the festivals and events! An interesting man I met at Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Market the other day told me that my Peach-Ginger ice pop took him to another universe- he ate 6 pops that day! There are always little bumps along the way when you're starting a business, but that's the fun of it. In particular when the flood happened last month my whole kitchen was in 2 feet of water including all my freezers. I lost quite a few ice pops that day!
If I was interested in having Philip's at an event or party, would you be available for catering or do personalized flavours?
I will be catering a wedding at the end of the season with the Philip’s Ice Pop bike and customized flavours to match the couples wedding colours! We've done a variety of different events from office parties to a school dance! Ice pops are fun for everyone!
What are your favourite vendors in the city that you think don't get enough exposure?
There are really great vendors popping up throughout the city it is hard to pick a favourite! The Caplansky's food truck is a classic and I could never turn down one of their BBQ brisket sandwiches! It's my guilty pleasure.
And finally, what can we expect from Philip's Ice Pops in the next year?
Next year I am looking at turning Philip's Ice Pops into a mini food truck. I just found a small trailer that I am going to transform into the new Philip’s Ice Pops mobile. I am remodelling this 1960‘s trailer into a huge cat! Whiskers on the headlights and ears on the hood. I am sure I will get some “crazy-cat-lady” glances but it will be so much fun!
You can find a full list of cafes and shops that Philip's Ice Pops are stocked at on their website and Katie and Philip's Ice Pop Mobile will be at various events around the city this month, including:
Friday, August 2nd from 12-6 PM outside La Merceria
Sunday, August 4th at The Parkdale Flea
Wednesday, August 7th at The Night Market at 99 Sudbury
Every Thursday in August at The Open Roof Festival (weather permitting)
Saturdays & Sundays outside 214 Augusta Ave in Kensington Market
Be sure to follow Philip's Ice Pops on Twitter for the latest event updates and more! Thanks for talking with us Katie! I'll have to get my paws on a lavender lemonade pop soon as it sounds just purr-fect! (Sorry guys, I had to join in the cat pun fun!)
In my first post, I expressed how I love seeking out independent shops whenever I travelled. From Edinburgh to Budapest, it's awesome to either stumble upon a store or have a local recommend you to somewhere you would have never found in a regular guide book. These shops usually carry prints, accessories, gadgets, clothes and more that are unique to that city's culture or that neighbourhood's personality, and you end up purchasing something that you may not find anywhere else. So when I came across Shopikon a few months ago, it was love at first click! Though the website only currently covers shops in 7 cities (San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona & Vienna), they do a great job of making each city easily searchable by breaking it down into both neighbourhoods and categories including home and design, markets, books, clothing and more. So if I'm looking for unique shops in Nolita in New York, I can specifically look up stores in that neighbourhood. Alternatively, if I want to indulge my sweet tooth while in London, I can look up all the candy, chocolate and bakeries in the city in the Food category.
Shopikon also offers free apps that you can download for each city individually so that you can look up places on the go. I'm going to be in New York in the Fall and hopefully travelling to San Francisco as well, so I can't wait to explore these cities with the apps loaded on my phone!
They recently released this beautiful video to showcase some of their featured shop owners in San Francisco, Barcelona, Vienna and Paris. Be sure to take a look to see what to expect from this awesome service- thanks Shopikon!
Ps. Be sure to check back here tomorrow for a sweet post that I can't wait to share with all of you!
I hope everyone embraced the lovely temperatures brought to us by the quick downpour we experienced on Friday evening! My boyfriend and I enjoyed a change of pace as we house-sat for friends out in Toronto's east end. I discovered the beauty that is Riverdale Park East and we indulged in some cupcakes from Desmond & Beatrice after a Sunday night barbecue.
Now for some exciting news! With my days finally starting to quiet down this week, I thought it would be great to get back on my social media game, especially with Pinterest. So when Ama and Yuli, the gals from Fat Girl Food Squad asked me if I'd be interested in guest pinning for them for a week I was ecstatic! I've been dreaming of being asked to be a guest pinner for a blog I admire, and with the FGFS being all about food and body positivity, I was totally on board (no pun intended.) Be sure to follow along all week, as I'll be pinning my favourite recipes, kitchen inspirations, entertaining ideas, accessories and gadgets, food and drink and of course a good dose of wanderlust too (locations around the world where I'd love to eat at!)
Be sure to follow the Fat Girl Food Squad as they spread the good, thick word on their blog and check out their Pinterest too! You can find my guest board here. Woohoo!
Photo: Candy filled mason jars at Desmond & Beatrice by Becca / A Good Good Day
I’m here! It’s me! Yes, after a (longish) break I’m back with a fresh new 5 Faves. Freelancing has taken me for quite the spin and I just couldn’t squeeze in the time for a post among all the other things currently keeping me occupied. I know I promised to be back a few weeks ago, but things have been unexpectedly popping up so frequently that I could barely catch my breath! This all being said, I’m loving every moment, and shooting or assisting on a regular basis has been quite the exhilarating experience. And this is just the beginning! I never planned on sharing too much of my personal life on the blog, but I'm happy to keep you up-to-date if you're interested! (Leave a comment below, on Twitter or Facebook!)
Anyway, with the absolute downpour that Toronto experienced yesterday, I thought I'd give a salute to the one room in the house where it's okay to get absolutely drenched with water- the bathroom!
All the products ended up having a nautical theme, maybe it's because I long to be by the ocean.
Sea Life Towels from Thomas Paul
Timber Trail Toothbrush Holder from Anthropologie
Swedish Dream Seaweed Soap from West Elm
Maritime Soap Dish from Izola
Four-Bin Wire Hanging Shelf from Vivaterra
I'm so happy to be back, and I can't wait to reconnect with all of you again (I missed my little home on the Internet!)
I like plants. Not in a “crazy plant lady” kind of way, but there’s no doubt that I like a little foliage to brighten up the dark corners of my apartment or cascade down the side of my bookcase. However, my current apartment plants are constrained to such planters and pots that don’t do much in adding any character to the room. Let’s try something different. Let’s hang out.
I love hanging planters because not only are they suspended adding a completely new element to the room, but they come in so many unique and beautiful shapes and sizes. They would liven up an office or add a touch of whimsy to a covered patio or deck. The ones above were chosen for their mix of contemporary as well as more retro-inspired designs but there a ton more to be found online.
Clockwise from right
Hanging Jelly Planters from Angus & Celeste
Squash Blossom Hanging Planter by Ingleside Pottery
Bell Hanging Planter by Plantworks PDX
White Porcelain Triangular Planter by Elizabeth Benotti
I definitely have my eye on these when I’m ready to re-decorate! Happy planting!
I apologize for the lack in posts this past week, things have been a little crazy and there have been a few unexpected incidents that have kept me a little preoccupied. I promise to be back on schedule next week! However, good things come to those who wait, and I have a little story to tell…
Okay, first thing's first: I nearly missed the event that I’m about to tell you about. I know, I know, I was quite ashamed. But thanks to our good friend social media (or more specifically Instagram) I was at Kid Icarus thirty minutes after seeing Bianca’s photos, camera in hand, crouching down among the other attendees and sippin’ on mango lemonade. So what was it exactly? Uppercase magazine was in town for the National Magazine Awards (of which they were nominated for 2, including magazine of the year!) and invited illustrators, crafty folks, designers and general creative souls to take part in their “Show and Tell” and share their pieces or pitch an idea to the magazine. I loved this idea, and forgot how much fun it was to get up one at a time and share our work. It was definitely a step up from demonstrating how to tie one’s shoes in my JK class (though that was a pretty big deal at the time, am I right?)
Ashley Barron
Christopher Rouleau / Blog
I thought this would be a great opportunity to not only meet Janine Vangool (publisher, editor and designer of the magazine), but also meet some talented new friends (aww). Because I arrived there “a little” late, I missed most some of the presenters (sorry guys!) but thoroughly enjoyed the work I did see and got to mingle with a few of the attendees afterward during our little meet ‘n greet. And yes, I got up to talk about the blog, and yes got surprisingly nervous which isn’t usually in my nature. But we saw a variety of work, including typography, paper collage, zines and illustration, and when everyone was done Janine shared the story of Uppercase and how each issue comes to be, and believe me, it’s not an easy task! She may have let us in on some upcoming issue themes as well…
Mélanie Daigle
Jordynn and Kid Icarus co-owner, Michael.
Happy show and tellers!
I was standing beside these prints all night and totally have my eye on the Ontario poster because it’s all sorts of amazing.
Naturally I had to ask Janine and Erin (marketing, publicity and development coordinator for Uppercase) for a photo. Thank you ladies for obliging to it and my many inquiries!
It was such a pleasure crowding into the back of Kid Icarus on a rainy night and meeting the team behind Uppercase. The store was definitely full of warmth and creativity and imagination, just the way I like it. Thank you to Janine and Erin for taking the time to view our work and listen to our ideas, and the yummy treats too! I hope you enjoyed your time at the National Magazine Awards and the rest of your weekend in Toronto. Come back soon!
All photos by Becca / A Good Good Day. The Uppercase Magazine Show & Tell took place at Kid Icarus in Toronto. I’m hoping to get a full list of attendees, so be sure to check back!
There are so many great events taking place in the city this weekend, it's almost overwhelming! Let's get to it!
Field Trip - The Arts & Crafts 10th Anniversary Celebration - Tickets are still available for the highly anticipated festival which brings the long-awaited return of coveted Toronto band Broken Social Scene and all their counterparts, friends and kin back to the stage (be still my 16 year old beating heart). Celebrating 10 years of the Arts & Crafts label and the release of their much loved sophomore album You Forgot It in People (which is going to be performed in it's entirety, yes you read that correctly), other beloved A&C label mates Feist, Stars, Jason Collett, Bloc Party, Zeus and more will also be performing. For all you crafters out there, 10 hand-picked local vendors will be there as well thanks to Etsy, who also put together this little doozy. June 8th, 12 PM till late(r), at Fort York & Garrison Commons. Tickets $93.50
Dundas West Fest - Dundas Street West is a full day of arts, music, kids' activities, food, drinking and shopping! Aiming to unite businesses, residents and the many communities that together make up our neighbourhood in a car-free, participatory, community-inspired celebration of everything local! The street will be closed from Landsdowne Avenue to Roxton Road, for pedestrians to stroll the street without the concern of traffic. June 8th, 11 AM to 10 PM. Free.
Toronto Flower Market - Enjoy an outdoor oasis, as flower growers from across Ontario bring their best and brightest blooms to the Queen West/Liberty Village area. Pick up your favourite cut, potted and bedded varieties to take home. June 8th, 10 AM to 3 PM. Free.
WORN Fashion Journal Presents: Secondhand Prom - Time to redeem your prom night. WORN Fashion Journal provides the much-needed opportunity to relive the big night, without the stress of your nemesis showing up in the same dress as you or worrying whether or not Matt will ask you to be your date. Ball gowns, Converse, costume jewellery, and Molly Ringwald inspired dresses are all welcome and encouraged. This is also the launch of WORN issue 16! Time to get down, with, or without Matt. (Who's Matt?) June 8th, at 9:30 PM to 2 AM. Church of the Holy Trinity. Tickets $10 advance, $15 at the door.
Junction Flea - Fingers crossed that the second Junction Flea this Spring will be a lot drier than last month's which featured high winds and a downpour. The curated Flea takes place in an empty parking lot, but is filled to the brim with vintage vendors, antique acquisitions, crafts & design delights, fine fare and more! Keep your eyes peeled later this month for a special night market on the 22nd! June 9th, 9 AM to 4 PM. Located at the corner of Dundas St W and Indian Grove, one block E of Keele St. $2 entry.
As for me, on Saturday I'm second shooting my first wedding of the season with Danijela Weddings (exciting!) otherwise I would totally be rocking out with all my fellow 2006 indie kids at Field Trip. On Sunday I'm hoping to check out my friend Jess Baumung's photography exhibition All Ages (19+) before checking out the Junction Flea (my first Springtime flea, how embarrassing! I missed it every time last year due to being away or working.)
Whatever you guys get up to this weekend I hope it's fun-filled and wonderful. Remember you can always leave a comment below telling me what you got up to or events I may have missed (though I tend to keep it to 5- I apologize if I missed yours!)
Field Trip poster by Ross Proulx. Dundas West Fest logo courtesy of... The Dundas West Fest!
Happy June everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend and got up to some fun and interesting things, and had good good days all around!
For today's Loving Lately it's my pleasure to introduce you to Papirmasse, the affordable art subscription. My goal in writing this blog is to introduce you to something new and unexpected, and Papirmasse founder Kirsten McCrea (who you may remember from my City of Craft roundup) does just that. Launched in 2008, Papirmasse delivers a monthly dose of inspiration straight to your mailbox, and I'm not talking email. For $5 a month, you receive a real print, which features a work of original art on one side, and a written piece on the other. It's like a beautiful union of creative expression.
Called "a magazine, work of art, and social experiment all rolled into one", Papirmasse wants you to get excited about work well travelled, and open your eyes to fresh landscapes, graffiti inspired portraits, illustrations, short stories, essays and poems and maybe, just maybe, encourage to take down that old poster from university and replace it with something different and unique. Their mandate is to start a "new generation of art collectors by making art accesible for all" which is something I can get behind. Plus, just think of the sweet gallery wall you could put together with all this art sliding under your door every month! Thanks for the awesome service, Kirsten!
Though the weather this weekend looks a little iffy, there are plenty of events happening in the city to keep you either outdoors or in! Here's a handful of what's up in TO!
Bloorcourt 101 - Shared skill lessons happening at various participating businesses in the Bloorcourt neighbourhood. Lessons include DJing 101, Latte Art Exhibit, Yoga, Iced Tea Buffet, Tips for Successful Apartment Renting, Fun with Flowers, The Art of Cocktail Making (featuring Northwood bar's summer cocktail menu, yes please), Starting Your Own Business 101, How to Make Bacon, Craft Beer Seminar, and much more! Because girls like guys with skills. June 1st, 10 AM to 10 PM. Bloorcourt, between Dufferin Street & Montrose Avenue. Free, free, free!
4th Annual Toronto Etsy "TEST" Springtime Marketplace - Featuring 40+ handmade vendors, vintage finds, craft workshops, all to the sweet sounds of a live DJ. Followed by a cocktail reception offering refreshments, a charity raffle and more! June 1st, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, at 918 Bathurst Centre. Free.
The Commonwealth - The first exhibition by this new Toronto collective who's aim is to bring together Toronto's creative community with a focus on DIY, small press and independent print and publishing. Their first event will feature 25+ local vendors, and include a small run of books, zines, t-shirts and more, along with the launch of Go Home Magazine's third issue. June 1st, 8 PM to 12 AM, 163 Sterling Road. Free (donations gladly accepted.)
Burger Day - In celebration of the end of Burger Week, the 67 participating restaurants will have a slider version of the special burger they've been featuring on their menu throughout the week. Beef, brisket, lamb, chickpeas. Don't bother with breakfast. Music and crafts too! June 2nd, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, at Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. $30 for all you can eat.
Kensington Krawl - Spend your afternoon exploring Toronto's most eclectic neighbourhood, view the landmarks and learn the history of the sights in the Market while meeting the characters that make up this colourful community. Not to mention enjoying the culturally delicious food and drink the Market has to offer along the way. June 2nd, 11:30 AM, meet at Bellevue Square Park. $40. Register on the Facebook event page (link in title.)
As for me, I'll spend my Saturday exploring Bloor on my bicycle, as I have my eye on a few of those Bloorcourt lessons, and may pop by the Etsy Marketplace before joining some friends for my first Second City show, The Meme-ing of Life. I hope Grumpy Cat is there. Sunday may be spent consuming burgers. So much to look forward to!
I hope everyone has an absolutely beautiful weekend!
Congratulations to Flora Cheung for winning A Good Good Day's first giveaway with Crown Flora Studio! Now you can treat yourself to a hanging terrarium of your choice at their shop in Parkdale at 1537 Queen Street West! Happy shopping Flora, and thanks to everyone who participated! I can't wait until the next one!
A big thank you to Adam and Davis at Crown Flora Studio for generously offering this giveaway, you guys are the best!
Squiggly arrow brush courtesy of Creature Comforts. Download your own here.
I've been a fan of Irish artist Nigel Peake's work ever since discovering his prints in Edinburgh's Analogue Books in 2010 while on exchange. His beautiful book In The Wilds came out two years ago, and graced my computer screen numerous times as blogs featured it over and over again before finally gracing my book shelf a short time after.
Peake recently self-published a new book called In The Dark, which is a story about a boy who makes boats and is content except for one thing, he is afraid of the dark. He currently has a exhibition up at collette in Paris, and on June 8th will be at Analogue for a small talk (about things) and a book signing. To my friends in Scotland, please go and support this wonderful artist and one of my favourite local shops! I will be there in spirit.
Happy Friday, friends! It's a sunny but chilly one today, so be sure to bundle up before you head outside! I haven't done one of these in awhile, and I apologize for that. My dining table is feeling a little uninspired, so here are my 5 Faves for A Pretty (Patterned) Place Setting.
Brushstroke Placemat
Gold-Dipped Flatware
Ferm Living cup
Iittala Sarjaton arrow plate
Pehr Designs napkins
Pretty pastels, cute patterns and blingy cutlery- why not?
Stay tuned next week for Part 2! 5 Faves for the kitchen. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! If you're looking for some cool stuff to check out around the city, I recommend Artscape Wychwood Barns Art Market, The Tintype Studio's exhibition and portrait session at Campbell House Museum and Doors Open TO. The Toronto Star has an excellent guide to the event.
As for me, I'm excited for my cousin's wedding tomorrow! It's always so nice to see the whole family (I have a big one), and I'm anticipating lots of photographing before dancing away into the wee hours of the morning. Can't wait!
Terrarium 101 with Crown Flora + our first giveaway!
A few weeks ago I posted a video from Crown Flora Studio saying that I was excited to be signing up for their upcoming terrarium workshop. Well, two weekends ago on a cloudy Saturday morning, I, along with 4 other ladies tucked into a small table covered with tools at the sweet-smelling shop in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood. We were ready to get our hands dirty and I was bubbling over with excitement as our excellent teacher Adam took us through the process of first creating a small round hanging terrarium, and then a larger terrarium in a vintage mason jar...
We would first be working with an air plant which don't require soil and can thrive on their own with the help of a good spritz of water every few days. We filled our hanging terrariums with small pebbles and gravel, and tucked in our air plant. I decided to go with a "desert" look to mine, and chose a Tenuifolia Bronze air plant, a small stone and a piece of black moss for contrast.
Simple, right? Well the mason jar terrarium required a couple more steps. As with every potted plant, the base of our terrarium has a layer of pebbles for drainage. The stones create a base for excess water, and through the magic of capillary action, water can move up into the soil to keep it evenly moist. The next layer was 1 inch of charcoal. Though terrariums don't necessarily require this, it's useful in keeping your terrarium free from mold and fungus. The charcoal helps purify the water as it moves through your terrarium, and the carbon in it helps to cleanse it.
Next, about a 2 inch layer of soil was added, which was then lightly compacted with a wooden dowel. Then came the fun part: choosing our succulent. Though there were several different types to choose from, I had my heart set on the Burro's Tail. A droopy plant with overlapping pale green leaves which I think look like little squishy fingers. As cute as this little guy is, I learned the hard way as I began to plant and decorate my terrarium, and one by one the small leaves fell off. I felt like I was playing a high-stakes game of Operation: Foliage Edition. Thankfully with the help of an oversized pair of tweezers, I was able to Indiana Jones through my mini jungle, and fill in my terrarium with reindeer moss, sheet moss, bark and another beautiful stone. Though there were different coloured gravels and sand to choose from, I decided to keep mine au natural, for this would be my forest themed terrarium.
The ladies and I with our finished terrariums. If you say "cheese" when you smile you will look crazy: fact.
My two finished terrariums at home.
The workshop was a lot of fun, and Adam was a great teacher. The class was well paced and just the right amount of materials were available to choose from and get creative with. Crown Flora just opened up another workshop on June 22nd, but there are only 5 spots available per class, so be sure to get in touch with them soon to secure your spot! Otherwise keep your eyes peeled for some more advanced classes coming in July.
Now for the fun part: I've teamed up with the guys at Crown Flora for a GIVEAWAY! This is A Good Good Day's first giveaway, and I couldn't be more excited. Adam and Davis have generously offered a $45 credit to be used in store! This can be used toward a terrarium, a bag, a t-shirt, whatever you like. To enter, you need to do two things: to help launch my new page, click here and "Like" A Good Good Day on Facebook, then come back and leave a comment letting me know what you'd purchase at Crown Flora. Check out their Instagram for the latest images from the shop or you may want to watch their video again to get some ideas! I can't wait to hear from you guys!
Giveaway runs till Thursday, May 31st, winner will be announced Friday! Winner will be chosen at random and please remember to leave your name so I know it's you! Open to Toronto residents and those in the GTA. The credit must be used in-store at Crown Flora Studio at 1537 Queen Street West. Good luck!
Happy Monday guys! For a fresh start this week, I wanted to share a new series called Loving Lately which will feature a new product, artist, designer, etc. that's caught my eye as of late. These posts will pop up every couple of weeks- I hope you enjoy them!
I'm really loving the work of the Quebec design studio Six Point Un. Their designs are clean, minimalist and primarily made out of wood. My favourite of their products? Unsurprisingly, it's The Night Light. An updated version of the typical night light from your childhood, the light takes it's cues from the classic birdhouse. My favourite part? The studio teamed up with 11 designers from Quebec City to create a unique collection on the theme "The Suburbs". Here are my picks!
From top:
Pascal Blanchet
Pascale Bonenfant
Mira Gauthier
Olivier Bherer-Vidal
What can I say? I just really like house shaped objects.
Ps. A big reason as to why I write this blog is because I love Toronto and sharing the greatness that is this city (well, parts.) So when I had the chance to be on the cover of Toronto Life magazine, I jumped at the chance. Better yet, it was the annual Reasons to Love Toronto Now issue. It was a lot of fun, and sitting in an empty Rogers Centre was quite the experience. The issue is out now, but check it out here! Can't find me? Well, let's just say that I love T-O! Cover by Daniel Ehrenworth.
I'm coming to you late on Friday night due to the busy two days I've had with Alt Summit's Alt for Everyone! It's been exhilarating and a little overwhelming, there has just been so much information thrown at us, but I've been loving every minute!
This weekend is "May 2-4" aka May long weekend aka Victoria Day weekend! It looks like it's going to be a beauty weather-wise, so I just wanted to share a few things going on in the city that you may want to check out!
Dunas West/Ossington Food Tour - Enjoy the best of this salivating strip while learning about the history, culture and architecture of the vibrant neighbourhood. May 18th at 12:30 PM, meet Bathurst & Dundas W, $60 with limited space
IGToronto Does Distillery - A fun and creative meet up of photographers both new and old. May 18th at 1 PM, Distillery District Free
Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival Bike Tour - Join CONTACT's Artistic Projects manager Sabrina Maltese as she leads a bicycle tour throughout the city to the festival's public installations. May 19th at 1 PM, meet in MOCCA courtyard Free
We Should Know Each Other "Invites you to stretch the limits of your social circle and meet the fantastic diversity of people that surround you. Introduce yourself to artists, doctors, labourers, accountants, politicians and more, in a comfortable, safe and fun environment." May 19th at 7 PM, at #Hashtag Gallery, 801 Dundas St W. Free
Ashbridges Bay Victoria Day Fireworks - Catch the annual Ashbridges Bay Park firework display, which features 2,000 fireworks and a spectacular finale. May 20th at 10 PM, Lakeshore Boulevard East & Coxwell Ave. Free
As for me, on Saturday I'm going to be catching up on CONTACT's numerous photography exhibitions, before tucking in to my last class with Oh Happy Day's Jordan Ferney, super excited for this one! Sunday will involve picnics and barbecues- I expect to be very full. But whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope you have a lovely time and enjoy the extra day off!
Ps. You can now comment on the posts using Disqus. Submit a comment by logging into your Facebook, Twitter or Google account, it's that easy! I can't wait to hear from you!
Appropriately Canadian Queen Victoria by Ian Turner Illustration
Just a quick midweek update to share some exciting news. For the next three days I’ll be “attending” the blogging conference Alt Summit from the comfort of my own home with their new online series Alt for Everyone! I’m excited and nervous as I don’t quite know what to expect but am anticipating a lot of wonderful and useful tips and tricks from such esteemed bloggers as Liz Stanley from Say Yes to Hoboken, Jordan Ferney from Oh Happy Day and of course Joy Cho from Oh Joy! who will be doing a special Keynote presentation on The Art of Being a Goal Getter- what could be better?
From PR on a shoestring budget to utilizing social media, working with brands and a little creative advertising as well, I’m going to be learning a lot that will help motivate this blog to create fresh new content. Thank you for all the support you’ve shared in these past few months and here’s to a flourishing and exciting future here at A Good Good Day!
