at the river's edge

I grew up in the City of Lakes, but ever since I first left home for University almost ten years ago, I have moved again and again to river cities and towns. While I deeply miss being immediately surrounded by so many freshwater lakes, I have learned to embrace river communities & cultures, which have a charm of their own different from that of lakes. This weekend we explored the shores of the Ottawa River close to where we live in Laurentian Valley. Most of the waterfront within walking distance here is private property, but we found an easily accessible stretch of what seems to be Crown land. The water level is low this year, exposing enough of the muddy and rocky shores to walk along with Glasgow, who not surprisingly spent most of his time in the water. The breeze off the water was perfectly refreshing and as we gazed out at, listened to, and breathed in the sights, sounds, and scents of the river, I found my thoughts silenced and absorbed by its humbling currents and underwater mysteries. It was pretty close to perfect.

a home is made of love

It's Friday and my first week back in the city, away from my family, is coming to an end. I miss them all so much. When I saw this lovely new print by Rebekka Seale the other day, I thought that it perfectly captured the way I have been feeling since Andrew and Glasgow left after bringing me "home" to Montreal last weekend. Except that Montreal isn't my home anymore, even though most of my belongings are here, and my daily life will be here for the next couple of months. If "a home is made of love alone," then my home is with my lovely little family in Laurentian Valley, where all three of them are patiently (or perhaps not-so patiently) waiting for me to come home. It is strange living in two places and leading what feels at times like a double life, but it is also deeply comforting and warming knowing that I have a real home somewhere, even if it isn't here. Where do you feel most at home? Is home a place or more of a feeling?

On a happier note, the weather forecasted for this weekend is full of sunshine and warm temperatures, so I think I am finally going to break out of the house and explore the city, and maybe even participate in some St. Patrick's Day festivities. 

I wish you a wonderful, love-filled weekend, whether you are at home or away....

xo, 

sara

a few good things no. 4

i am writing to end this long week with a few good things.
i need this slight repose, as i will be working all through the weekend.
andrew is going ice-fishing with the boys tomorrow,
so after a lazy morning filled with good coffee
and our regular Saturday morning waffles
drenched in real local butter & pure Canadian maple syrup,
i will cozy in for what i hope will be a mellow
but productive afternoon of writing.
of course, i still need to get through today's long day of writing,
but there are some lovely things
and a nice big gin & tonic (or several!) waiting at the end
to get me through it.

1. i am loving these pants from the Canadian-line Thieves. they are even on sale in my size! i feel like i could live in them, though i suspect they might be too short on my long legs.

2. hand-crafted camano coffee mill from Old Faithful. 

3. i have been wanting to check out this Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the National Gallery in Ottawa, but it is almost coming to an end. it's been on for almost a year (!), but every time we pass through the city it is so rushed. this tiny little installation view from the Personages series and Forêt (Night Garden) is not at all satisfying me! must try to go.

4. also must have this wood table and brush set from Toronto-based Mjolk. i will be buying one very soon!

5. i have long loved ceramic artist Vanessa Villarreal's work and i was so happy to see her as Etsy's featured seller this week. these black spruce porcelain tumblers have always been my favourite. there is something so romantic and dreamy (but also at times sad and haunting) about spruce trees, and of course, i love anything porcelain.

6. Cold Spring Apothecary has been on my list of things to try for awhile now. i love their philosophy and branding, and their products sound perfectly divine: like this juniper wood soap. actually, i need new shampoo, so it might just be the perfect time to try something from their hair care collection.

7. how lovely are these compostable bowls from Cachette? they're made in Japan from recycled sugar cane and reeds fibre. yup, lovely.

8. if i hadn't already bought one almost exactly like this from Scout & Catalogue (handmade in all cream wool), i would have pounced on this gorgeous vintage wool cape from Dear Golden as soon as i saw it. oh, and it's on sale along with all other coats in the shop too! i am so SO tempted but i am trying very responsibly to listen to my voice of reason.

9. oh-so pretty and elegant ivory lace-trimmed silk-chiffon slip from Rosamosario. this is one timeless beauty....
10. i'm pretty sure these are the perfect nude leather ballet flats. a "wise" investment? good thing a girl can dream!
11. i find myself returning over and over again to this simple but richly layered work by artist Matthew Jensen. it is available as a set of four prints from Little Paper Planes. i share in and have a deep appreciation for his humble, "unassuming methods..." and attention to detail., and love the stories these prints have to tell. i would be more than happy to add them to my collection.


happy weekend; hope it's a good one!

xo, sara

weekend in the city

i am making a quick jaunt to Montreal this weekend, primarily to gather library books that i need to write my comps. andrew is taking me to Ottawa this evening so that i can catch the train, where he will spend the weekend catching up with old friends. although it will be a quick in and out, i am hoping to find time to visit some of my favourite shops and stock up on a few of the delightful things the city has to offer.

i love this colourful and quirky map of the city from Issue 6 of Pure Green Magazine, illustrated by Bess Callard of the English Muffin. my apartment is pretty much between the Mile End cup of coffee and the Petite Italie flag at the top right of the map, in what i would argue is one of the city's best neighbourhoods.

have a wonderful weekend, friends!

a print version of the Illustrated Map of Montréal is available here.

51 - happy weekend // music video

ever since i followed a link to this music video for Gotye's "Somebody that I Used to Know" (feat. Kimbra) via andrew + carissa, i can't stop watching it. it's so infectious! i love how the animated painting envelopes their bodies. perhaps it's the art historian in me that's naturally drawn to it (i study contemporary body art), but i just can't seem to get it out of my mind. i'm sure i'll be re-playing it all weekend....

have a lovely weekend, friends!

i am leaving tomorrow for a rendezvous with andrew and a week-long "work(ing) vacation," but i will be posting throughout the week. hopefully.

xo

46 - wishing you well // friday favourites

i love this imaginative wishing well made with bricks, acrylic paint, and dura-lar and installed directly onto a gallery floor by artist Michelle Blade. it even includes coins contributed by viewers, presumably tossed in as they each cast their own "wish." in the spirit of wishing wells, real or imaginative, i wish you a warm and wonderful weekend.... i am leaving tomorrow morning for a two-week visit (less a vacation or getaway than a much-needed reunion) with andrew, who completed his year-long, condensed forestry technician program today, received his Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) silver ring, and is now officially a forester! i am so proud of him and i can't wait to celebrate with snuggles as we continue to build our lives together.

i leave you with some favourites, new and old and mostly forestry-inspired:

this song. it melts my heart and reminds me of my love with andrew.
this forester-architect's tree house, built soild using whole trees.
this dreamy woodland cottage. yes, please.
all this green.
this reclaimed wood table, made from an old hatch.
this worker-styled shirt. rugged, down-to-earth & pretty all-in-one.
and these canadian poplar trousers. named after the tree?


xo

41 - friday favourites // happy weekend

what are you doing this weekend? i have SO much work to catch up on before i head to visit andrew next week, and given that i have a minor injury to my foot (which, it turns out, might be tendonitis), i will be staying in for a quiet weekend filled with research and reading. my kitty is also sick from eating the leaves from the beautiful bouquet of flowers i bought last weekend, so i want to stay home to keep a close eye on him. i just realized that i have yet to properly introduce him - his full name is dr. hunter s. thomcat, although we typically call him hunter or any one of the following nicknames: stinkles, sir meows-a-lot, count scratchula, superbad, professor pukaface, mr. snuggle-up-with-us, general good boy, and simply, the kitten. he is a true sweetheart and is the best animal personality i have ever known. the above series of photos was taken on our balcony this summer as he was eyeing his backyard friend, squirrely. he is an endless source of snuggles, love, and happiness.

here are a few of my favourites from this week:

this photo from this portfolio. it makes me feel so grounded.

this organic cotton dress in olive green. comfy & chic.

this sweet birch wood decor for the future baby bear.

this classic 1959 song. always a favourite.
this nightwood bedroom makeover video. 

this inspiring photo blog.
these small stumps.

have a wonderful weekend! xo

37 - happy weekend: celebrating sisterhood

this weekend my older sister's childhood best friend, who is like a second sister to me, is coming to visit us in Montreal! we have so many fun things planned: dinner tonight at a sweet little thai restaurant; a morning excursion to the famous Jean Talon market, where we will gather local, seasonal foods for a Saturday evening home-cooked meal, wine, and martinis, followed by a girls' night out (there will be lots of dancing!); Tam Tams in the park Sunday morning; and of course, sunny daytime adventures and shopping at local shops in le plateau and mile end neighbourhoods, as well as a visit to Old Montreal. i think we might be a little ambititous in trying to squeeze TOO much in, but what matters is that we are spending long overdue girl time together.i can't wait!

the above photo of the three of us together was taken in September 2005 at an outdoor Jack Johnson concert in Toronto. so much has happened in our lives since then and we have all grown in different ways, but no matter what, we maintain a close and honest friendship.

to celelbrate our sisterhood, i hand-selected a bouquet of fresh flowers at the market this afternoon. it's waiting in the front entrance to greet our guest when she arrives this evening....

what are your weekend plans? what, if anything, are you celebrating this weekend? whatever your plans or whatever you end up doing, may your hearts be filled with love.