monthly treasures

I'm feeling a little whimsical this morning with Spring approaching. It was a very long month for me and I can't wait for April showers to wash away everything for a clean slate. I want a new bike and I want a beer holder on it, I want to ride around town with a stuffed wolf tail pinned to my trousers. I want to re- decorate my home and read all day long in my salon. I want new clothes. See treasury here marching along.


BTW I'm planning a little online garage sale in the next couple weeks. I will be selling my gently used clothing, some of which is very interesting and lots of old nokomis labels like Dace and Eve Gravel. It'll be good prices and sizes range from small to large.

OOTD

Organic cotton/ spandex leggings available in small, medium and large. (I'm wearing a medium). These are a part of my outfit of everyday and the best damn piece of  season transition clothing for only $60! Buy them HERE

Silk see through dress with a matching silk see through top all made by me. Vintage olive leather coat and olive toque. My lace up Rachel Comey rainboots that I'm still so happy with these especially now that wet spring is here. 
AND The "IT" BAG

Feeling Blue

I'm drinking the biggest Labatt Blue Beer EVER and listening to sad songs at my studio, trying to finish those orders that were suppose to ship out today. Sorry etsy, I know I said shipped today but it was a lie, they'll ship tomorrow. Do you forgive me?

 

i see the light

This is a light installation piece my studio mate Marie Chantelle made for Nuit Blanche a few weeks ago. I added a song by Massive Attack not only because I am obsessed with it lately but also my camera makes really dumb noises while filming movies, zoom noises and clicks. This was suppose to attract people into another art exhibit but it was all I could look at. (I took this video in our studio where she set it up for a trial run). 

The "It" Bag

So I've made some changes to this bag and thought I'd share. The corners are now fully stuffed so they will never collapse and there is boning in the front and back curve to keep it's striking shape. Yes i knew costume school corset making would one day work it's way into my handbags.





Also I did away with front seams, it just looks cleaner and with the slightly textured goat leather and contrasting raw handles, I think I'm in love... Maybe i deserve to keep this sample?





If you need your own buy it here online and get 20% this bag only until the end of march.
etsy coupon code: theitbag

What's in my bag?

I love this game and I love these kind of posts.  Tomorrow I'll show the purse.

Pocket knife I bought at an antique mall, the inscription says 'OLD TIMER'. I can't wait to go back to edmonton's antique mall when I am there in the spring they are the best!

Vintage gold leather purse I use it as a wallet and I have completely destroyed it :(
I love this little book and it's gold gilded edges. The idea is you write a line a day for 5 years but I think that's stupid. ha ha ha. I'm just using it as my accounts book and day timer for one year since the pages are basically blank with the date and no year. (I have to write down everything I make and spend or else I get into trouble.)



A lady always carries a hanky and I have such a weakness for buying these at church bazaars. Also I have a cheap sunglasses addiction.
Key chains are from my parent's travels. Silver one from my father in Egypt and Gold Eiffel tower obviously from mum's trip to Paris. 


editors note* since this post went to press the spring snow we got melted! it's now plus 22 in montréal! so i burnt the mittens and toque and all winter accessories (kidding). time to bike, and that's no joke.

SNAP

Late last night while leaving my studio via the crummy, scary back alley I stumbled upon a launch party for SNAP magazine. A FREE Canadian independent magazine (my favorite kind). I love the large size of it and the feel of the paper, it's that thick matte stuff. I didn't really stay for much of the party, I didn't know anyone and everyone looked about 1.5 times cooler than me. So I stole a ballon for my kitten and went home to have a bloody mary and read the magazine. I liked it. Fashion shoots were a tad underwhelming but I loved the photography and I loved the food articles. I will definitely be trying out the The Black Hoof restaurant and cocktail bar on my spring trip to Toronto, they are into cooking hearts, tongues blood and brains mmmmm.




Have you ever given a helium filled ballon with a long string to a kitten? It's some kind of wonderful, Krugman ran all over the house pulling it behind him like a kite. Even pipi was delighted.

CRAZY

SPRING clean up

Last week I did a studio clean up. I spray painted, I mopped, I bought a storage shelf and re-organized EVERYTHING. Let me show you around.....

Plants are on sale right now at home depot.


 Tea cans make excellent storage for little things.
Beautiful flowers from a beautiful friend.


 My screen saver is my current obsession, some dead bug pictures I took and hope to have embroidered on my next collection. 



Most of the artwork in my studio (and my home) is by the great Laurel Westlund. 

p.s. She's holding a hand-cut screen printing workshop at the end of march at SNAP gallery in edmonton.



 All fabric and leather is now organized safely under my table and these collapsable hampers are cheap perfect for scraps that I want to save for future quits and what not. Less waste!


Old cork board I spray painted white, I want everything white right now. Genevieve Simms monster print and underneath my attempt at fabric designing.


 Earrings are on display in studio (also painted the wood display white). I really would love a show room/corner in my studio.


 New W magazine ready to distract me, the interent is not very strong here since I steal it from the home depot across the train tracks. he he. So sometimes I need real distractions like actual magazines, remember those?



  Tea pot I purchased from the little shop, a vintage boutique run out of an old house a few blocks from my apartment (1002 Ogilvy).




A couple bag orders I was working on. I even washed the windows! Cleaning makes me feel in control :)

International Women's Day (IWD),

Originally called International Working Women’s Day.  I was awaken today by a phone call from a store eager to re-order some of my goods. Not a bad start to working women's day. As my mother says 'I am woman hear me roar!'

I grew up in the 90's in Canada so I've always known that I would go to school (for whatever I wanted) and eventually work for a living. Today for me is to remember the brave women who came before and made this path easier for us. I am very lucky to design clothing and accessories for women everyday but we must acknowledge that there are many countries where women are still treated like second class citizens and their struggle for equality is far from over.

Today CBC RADIO 3 is playing all Canadian female artists. Check out the live stream.

P R E S S

I was mentioned in the 24 Hour Montréal newspaper today! It's just one of the free newspapers they push on you at the metro but it feels wonderful to be thought of in this beautiful city. I can feel everyone reading it together in french as they commute underground on the train.

treasure this

 Latest etsy round-up leap day is OVER

Vintage + Voodoo

Smart Vintage Mart find: Grey cotton jersey 

Bugatchi button up vesty from Cheap Opulance. 


The necklace was a christmas gift from K. We both gave each other animal claw necklaces without even knowing it. I gave her a silver fox claw by Bloodmilk and she gave me this gold chicken claw. It is suppose to ward off bad voodoo. 

When I was taking this photo I swear to god it started moving back and forth slowly like a pendulum.