March 26, 2010

Toronto photographer Leslie Thomson’s beautiful photos are perfect to take us into the weekend. For Leslie, photography allows her to create the world she dreams of.

With photoshop at the ready she has a wonderful way of taking real life to the next level – I think the results are beautiful.

A couple of the above photos remind me very much of my time living in Toronto, but transforms my memories of those months and somehow makes them even more special. Fun times at the cottage with friends, family coming to visit from the States on the weekends. It was a great summer in an unfamiliar city.

On that note – I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Click here to visit Leslie’s Etsy shop.

Category: Toronto, art | 2 Comments »
Tags: leslie thomson, photographer, Photography, Toronto

March 15, 2010

Toronto designer Hayley Gibson of Birds of North America has launched another beautiful collection for Spring 2010. Inspiration was drawn from depression era hand-me-downs, sun and salt faded fabrics on beach-house deck chairs, old fashioned institutional exercise rompers and faded summer polaroids. There are so many lovely dresses and skirts in this collection that I’d like to own!

Click here to view the entire line.

~Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion, Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: Birds of North America, Indie Fashion, Toronto

January 8, 2010

From January 14-21, you can see some of the top 2009 Canadian films at Canada’s Top Ten, an annual festival featuring ten features and ten shorts. The festival was established in 2001 by the Toronto International Film Festival to celebrate and raise awareness of Canadian cinema, and the films are chosen by a panel of experts and must have premiered at a major Canadian film festival in the previous year.

This year I’m particularly intrigued by The Trotsky, by Jacob Tierney, which is a quirky comedy about a teenager who believes he is the reincarnation of fabled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. I’d also love to check out Bruce Alcock’s Vive la Rose, the film uses stop-motion animation and oil paintings to bring a Newfoundland love song to life.

When: January 14-21, 2010
Tickets: $8-65
Where: Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

-Posted by: Lisa

Category: Events, Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: Canada's top ten, film, Toronto

December 11, 2009

I’ve worn my fair share of uncomfortable high heels, but after seeing some of the pairs featured at the Bata Shoe Museum, I am thrilled that heels have evolved as much as they have! Their latest exhibit, On a Pedestal: From Reniassance Chopines to Baroque Heels, explores the development of platforms and high heels, and it features some rare footwear on loan from museums around the world. So if you’ve ever worn or admired a pair of heels, you might be interested in seeing what the early fashionistas designed.

Where: Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto
When: through September 20, 2010 Admission: Adults $12 (Every Thursday 5 – 8 pm is Pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $5)

~Posted by: Lisa

Category: Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: art, bata shoe museum, on a pedestal, Toronto

December 10, 2009

I don’t know about you – but when I start thinking about the holidays, thoughts of sugarplums, candy canes, gingerbread and dozens of other lovely seasonal foods dance through my mind!

Toronto Naturopath, Dr. Mubina Jiwa has put together a tip sheet for staying healthy throughout the holiday season. I found it helpful to read, it’s good to plan ahead now to avoid some common holiday pitfalls!

Click here for all of Dr. Jiwa’s helpful holiday tips.

Visit Dr. Jiwa’s site for more on her practice.

~Posted by: Amy

~Article by: Dr. Mubina Jiwa

Category: Lifestyle, Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: Dr. Mubina Jiwa, holiday tips, Home Decor, mubina jiwa, Toronto, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

November 26, 2009

Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, Mubina Jiwa, will be stopping by every week or two to share insights into healthy living, work life balance and other topics. We know that many of you lead busy lives, as do all of us here at Handmade Evolution – so we know that the tips from Dr. Jiwa will be really helpful to our overall health and well being! To learn more about Dr. Jiwa and her Toronto practice visit her website here.

This week’s article is Crack the Colour Code for Healthy Eating. I know that a lot of us (including me) think of colors more in terms of clothing, accessories and home decor. In her article Dr. Jiwa breaks down various foods by color group and their benefit to your health. Looks like from here on in I won’t be looking at my dinner plate exactly the same way!

Click here to read the full article.

~ Article by Dr. Jiwa
~ Posted by: Amy

Category: Lifestyle, Toronto | 1 Comment »
Tags: mubina jiwa, Toronto, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

November 24, 2009

If you’re lucky enough to live in Toronto, get ready to shop at this year’s One of a Kind Christmas Show from November 26 – December 6, and if you attend on December 2, a portion of your ticket purchase will go to the Red Door Family Shelter!

It demonstrates how skilled the organizers are and that the city of Toronto loves to support their local artisans. It’s great that they make shopping a little easier for parents by providing childcare for little ones, and free art activities for older kids to keep them busy while you shop. Check out their website for ages and times. The show should be a huge success and it features fashion, food, craftsmanship, art, and eco-friendly products. The variety should be amazing so I bet you’ll be able to find gifts for everyone on your gift list.

They also have a schedule of fashion shows and seminars on their website, so you can plan your trip around your interests.

Here are a couple of our favorite artists that you can visit at the sale – if you’re not in Toronto both Jack and Marjorie and pilo have online shopping!

ceramik b

jack & marjorie

pilo

~ Posted by: Amy & Lisa

Category: Events, Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: one of a kind show toronto, Toronto

November 19, 2009

Chic tailoring and a great sense of style, Haley Gibson’s collection reflects the colours of the West Coast- grey, dark green, charcoal…which means it goes with just about anything. Haley doesn’t design according to trends, but rather according to her personal aesthetic stemming from uniforms, boating paraphernalia, antique furniture, and the insides of schools, music conservatories, libraries and hospitals. I’m loving the button detailing and school uniform meets milkmaid vibe of her latest collection. Dressed up with a pair of black heels or down with Wellingtons, the simple silhouette of the Ruff Dress is totally wearable!

Click here to visit the Birds of North America shop.

~ Posted by: Christine Davis

Category: Indie Fashion, Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: Birds of North America, Indie Fashion, Toronto

November 18, 2009

It is cold, dreary, and windy here in Portland today and I am already reminiscing about summer trips to the farmers market. I loved wandering the market, while loading up on fresh produce and local products. I think it is a fun alternative to grocery shopping, but it usually seems like a spring and summer activity. Now that it is November, I have to remind myself that the only option for farm fresh produce is not just winter squash (I’m already getting a bit sick of squash though I am enjoying freshly toasted pumpkin seeds as I’m typing this). If you’re like me, don’t forget about the rest of the in-season produce, including hearty greens, potatoes, carrots, leeks, broccoli, and cauliflower; not to mention apples and pears. You can find all of these and more at winter farmers markets and special harvest and holiday market days. Round out your shopping trip by selecting locally baked goods, meat, and artesian cheeses.

Check our your local farmers market to see what they offer this time of year (many have great websites making it easy to research vendors and products as well as find directions and hours). Here in Portland, the PSU market is still open on Saturday’s until mid-December and the Eastbank market has a Thanksgiving reunion market on November 24 just in time for us to grab fresh, local ingredients for turkey day. In Toronto, there are 4 winter markets and 4 year-round markets, providing shopping options over the holidays. Finally, in Vancouver, winter markets occur twice a month. As a bonus, if you need a gift for someone, Eat Local has gift certificates for purchase online! And the Holiday Market on December 12th. This is the 14th year and there will be hot food, a raffle, and musicians. If you have a great summer farmers market that is closed for the season and doesn’t offer a harvest/holiday market, then it doesn’t hurt to e-mail or call the organizers and let them know you’d attend if they offered one!

~ Posted by: Lisa

Category: Events, Lifestyle, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver | 1 Comment »
Tags: Farmers Markets, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver