Unihom | Modern Style Mouth Blown Glassware

Monday, June 29, 2015






I cannot even handle how gorgeous this glassware is from Unihom. It's beautiful and delicate and something that would fit into any home. I particularly love the glass water jug at the top up there. I was surprised to see that they are all very reasonably priced as well. Perfect for gift giving.

Find out more about Unihom here.

In My 'Hood | Heather Meads from North Saanich on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Thursday, June 25, 2015


Hi, my name is Heather and I blog at Swell Conditions – a lifestyle blog inspired by the ocean. I've been asked to write a little about “In My ‘Hood” and about one of my favourite spots in my neigbourhood.


We live at the end of the Saanich Peninsula in North Saanich which is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island where we're surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. We are generally older and upscale exurban couples and families that have settled here for a more relaxed pace.


The area has always prided itself on being a vibrant rural community. Ancestors of the First Nations people fished here in the plentiful Salish Sea and farmed on its rich lands.


Agriculture continues to be a part of our lifestyle with our community being a mix of residential and farmlands growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables and tending to many kinds of livestock. It’s not uncommon to see horseback riders on the roadside or tractors moving equipment between farms here.


My property was once a fruit orchard, but we just grow fruit for our own use and the leftovers go to a friends’ farm close by. We have a network of bartering among our friends and since we are beekeepers and fishers, we trade honey and prawns.


Our municipality supports a “fresh food movement” which means we are encouraged to grow and buy local produce, maximizing our land’s “growing” potential. The farmers’ markets that set up in the Spring and Summer are very popular and you can find many roadside produce stands and u-pick farms to choose from.


One of my favourite places to visit in my neighbourhood is a farm bakery & winery just up the road. The Roost is on 10 acres of farmland where they grow many items used to produce the food they serve including the wheat used to bake breads fresh daily. Their organic fare with a local focus is a “passionate farm experience” and we are lucky to have them in our neighbourhood.


Thanks for visiting my ‘hood and thank you Steph for having me over ~ Heather


Thanks for sharing your special neighbourhood Heather! For more information on this series, see other posts below. To share your 'hood please send me a note!


My sister's wedding shower

Wednesday, June 24, 2015












I had a little garden party wedding shower for my sister Kaitlynn over the weekend for her friends and fiancé's family in Toronto. I was so happy that everything was in bloom in the garden and the weather was perfect that we could have it outside. It was a beautiful day! My sister is getting married August 1st and we can't wait for the big day. Love ya sis!

My favourite kitchen tools

Monday, June 22, 2015


I'm in the kitchen a lot so over the years I've come to love some kitchen tools more than others. In addition to my trusty cast iron pans and my food processor, here are the small kitchen tools I can't live without.




Ice cream scoops: I make a lot of burgers... not the beef kind, the bean kind! I discovered early on that a standard sized ice cream scoop makes the perfect burgers for us. The smaller scoop is great for cookies and 'meat' balls!

Tongs: Tongs are so versatile. I use them most to mix dressing into salads and then use them to serve the salad. A small pair of tongs is more practical than two salad spoons because you only need one hand!

Silicone Spatulas: I love my silicone spatulas and yes I use all three! I use the smaller one to scoop out the food processor, the medium one for mixing and the black one for everything including most things I sauté and fry. They're easy to clean and easy to store.

What are your go-to kitchen tools?

Links I clicked this week

Friday, June 19, 2015

Photo via detoxinista.com

I've been preoccupied with a few different things these past few weeks namely one sister had a baby and I'm hosting a wedding shower for the other sister this weekend! I hope I make enough time to share photos of the shower next week but until then you can enjoy the links I clicked this week.

20 Easy Recipes to Feed a Crowd

Chocolate Pecan Crumble Bars

Best-Seller 'Station Eleven' Acquired by 'Jane Got a Gun' Producer (Exclusive). I'm reading this book right now and I find it fascinating. I can't wait for this movie to come out!

Avocados may hold the answer to beating leukaemia

Which Probiotics Actually Work?

Feta & Lemon Dip from my book 'Sweet Paul Eat & Make'

That's it! Have a great weekend!



In case you missed them...

In My 'Hood | Lindsey Gerrish from Riverdale in Toronto, Ontario

Thursday, June 18, 2015


Hi there! My name is Lindsey, from the blog Recreated. I started blogging about 5 years ago. I originally started it when I started doing upholstery as a side business (I work as a project manger by day) and wanted to share my projects and ideas. But I very quickly realized that I wanted to share more than my projects and it developed into a lifestyle blog with posts on design, food and fashion. 

But enough about me! Today, I am so happy to be contributing to this series In My 'Hood! I have lived in Toronto since 2002, but I grew up in a small, close-knit town in New Brunswick. When I first moved to Toronto I assumed that in such a vast city you wouldn't be able to emulate anything close to that small-town feel. But what I have come to discover is that Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods which operates a little like a whole bunch of smaller towns. Sure, these towns are very much interconnected, but once you live in one area of the city, moving to a new neighbourhood is almost like moving to a new city entirely.

I live the east end neighbourhood of Riverdale and I've lived here for 5 years. Before I lived here I lived in the adjacent neighbourhood of Leslieville. Riverdale is located just a few kilometers east of the heart of downtown Toronto just past the Don River and the Don Valley Parkway.



One of the best parts of my 'hood is that there is so much greenery. The streets are lined with mature trees and gardens and I love it. This time of year, it's just so nice to look up a see this....

Greenery

Just a few minutes from my place is Riverdale Park East. It is a meandering sloping park leading down to the bottom of the Don Valley, and which boasts what just might be the best view of the downtown skyline in the city.

Riverdale Park East 2

It also has some lovely lush landscapes for reading, picnicking and even napping.

Riverdale Park East 1

The houses on my 'hood are mostly older brick homes with lost of character elements like wrought-iron fences and big porches.

Streetscapes 1

There are many lovely homes on my street but this one is probably my favourite. IT.HAS.A.TURRET. And who doesn't wish their house had a turret? Exactly.

fave house

At the end of my street is the former home of the historic and notorious Don Jail, which has been around since before confederation. It also happens to be the first and last place that a convicted criminal was put to death in Canada. In 1962, and by hanging no less! who knew they were still performing hangings in the '60s. This lovely building has a dark and sinister past, which you can read more about here.

Don Jail

The building was recently incorporated into the redevelopment of the Bridgepoint Health complex and now houses administrative staff. It is connected to the new modern hospital via a skyway. I love how they have incorporated the old with the new in this project.

Don Jail - Bridgepoint Health

Not everyone knows this but Toronto has two Chinatowns. My neighbourhood in home to the the lesser-known Chinatown East. Gerrard Street East at Broadview is brimming with Asian restaurants, bakeries and groceries.

Chinese
Gerrard Street East 1
Gerrard Street East 2

Another place high on my list of cool places in Riverdale is Rooster Coffee House. It is great and it's always hopping. They have great coffee, amazing design and has a really friendly atmosphere. And it's in a great location right across from Riverdale Park East.




Because it is always super busy on the weekends (I'm talking line ups out the door sometimes) which happens to be when I'm able to get there, it's hard to get good pictures. The following photos are from their online gallery and while they don't 100% capture the look and feel that you get being there in person, you can get a good idea how cool it is. I also love that they feature revolving art by local artists on the walls (for sale in case you fall in love with something!). Great coffee + great people + great design + discovering new art = awesome.







On to food loves.....oh how I love food, and the east end is booming with great restaurants, old and new. The first place I want to mention is a 3 min walk from my house. It's Chino Locos Burritos on the southwest corner of the Gerrard Street East and Broadview. It doesn't look like much from the outside but their burritos are UNREAL.

restos 2

About a 10 minute walk from my house along Queen Street East there are a ton a great restaurants including Chef Kim Crawford's Ruby Watchco, Table 17, La Carnita and The County General.

restos 1

One store that I frequent is the MacFab Notions shop. MacFab Fabrics used to have it's store on Queen Street East as well, but sadly it recently moved uptown. Thankfully, their notions shop remains and has all sorts of fun things like pins and bottons and ribbon.....

buttons
ribbons copy


A relatively new addition to the neighbourhood is Goodfolk Vintage and Handmade. I haven't yet purchased anything here but it won't be long because I stop in pretty regularly and they always have something new that catches my eye.

Stores

And if you travel a little farther out along Queen Street East (techincally in Leslieville) you get to one of my fave decor stores in the city, Black Rooster. They started off as an amazing online store but now have a great bricks and mortar location. And it's well worth a visit. I was just there last weekend and had my camera and I took some photos, but guess what? I didn't have my memory card in the in camera! Balls. I do have other photos from events at the store, but instead I'm using a couple of images from their facebook page (credit Nina Ber-Donker) so you can see what is currently in store.


Great stuff. Oh, and do you see that pretty beach scene on the wall in the pic above? Well, I just bought that lovely for my wall! So excited for it to arrive.

And that brings me to the end of my 'hood tour! There are so many great neighbourhoods in this city, but I really do love mine and hope to stay here for awhile. Thanks for having me!

Thanks for sharing your special neighbourhood Lindsey! For more information on this series, see the other posts below. If you'd like to contribute, please contact me.


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