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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We wish we could be in Toronto to attend the Craft Off the Lot sale this weekend. The sale features dozens of talented handmade artists and will help you get the head start you need for all your Christmas shopping! Shop from home decor, jewelry, clothing, and much more.

Click here for their website.

The below flyer features items from these online shops: Handbags by Sew Mo, Jewelry from Tryst by Kerry, and photography from Under a Blue Sky