from August to Autumn

I had planned to post photos of the post-wedding holiday we spent at a rustic Northern Ontario camp in August immediately upon returning home to newly married life. I had planned to share our adventures, all the goodness that happened in our lives, all the new and wonderful things I had learned and discovered. But then life happened and we became so incredibly busy as summer winded down and autumn slowly crept in.

But I still want to share those photos and the moments and moods they capture. And I think today, the last day of summer, is the perfect day to do so. I suppose in a fitting way, this is my farewell to that favourite season as we welcome a new one: to long summer days and lazy afternoons; to sultry heat and sweaty, sunkissed skin; to casual evenings relaxing on the balcony and drinking beer; to driving down country roads with the windows down; to biking to pick up our fresh CSA baskets; to the month that contained all the love in the world as it saw our family and friends gather to witness Andrew and I share our vows; to the camp I love and know so intimately, having spent my childhood summers there, and that I am lucky enough to return to every year with my dad.

And yet, the week of our vacation up North was not at all characterisitc of summer. It was cold and rainy, with the strongest winds and biggest waves I have ever witnessed at this time of year, making for a particular kind of gloominess. But it was perfect. It was exactly what we needed to relax and recover from all the work and energy we put into making the wedding happen. We wrapped ourselves up in layers of clothing to bear the weather outside and nestled inside by the fire, warming our spirits with endless glasses of wine and long conversations. Andrew passed long hours fishing at the edge of the dock and I curled up reading and slipping in and out of afternoon naps.

All around us, something about the soft, grey light contrasted against the dark greens of the Boreal Forest and golden reds of the pine and cedar was perfectly seemless.

It was as if the seasons were already turning.  

the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand

A Celtic Wedding Pledge

You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself
But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give

You cannot command me, for I am a free person
But I shall serve you in those ways you require,
And the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand

I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night
And the eyes into which I smile in the morning

I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink from my cup
I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care

I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine
I shall not slander you, nor you me

I shall honour you above all others,
And tell no strangers our grievances

This is my wedding vow to you
This is a marriage of equals

Nearly two weeks ago, on 04 August 2012, I married the love of my life. He is the sweetest, most loving, honest, sensitive, and passionate (not to mention rugged & manly!) person I know; the man who has taught me what it means to truly love and whom before meeting I never believed in the institution of marriage. So much can change when you find the right person, or in my case, when he finds you and waits ever-so patiently because he knows you are worth waiting for.

Everything about the day was truly wonderful and came together perfectly: the sense of history, family, and community; the rustic, outdoor setting and natural elements; the blue skies and sweltering afternoon heat, which is exactly the kind of sultry weather I love best; all the homegrown, vintage, beautiful details, even if we did forget to photograph and capture so many of them, precisely because what stood out the most was the overwhelming love and joy that filled the entire day—from family and friends gathering together in the morning to help us set up, write on chalkboards, hang handmade paper globes in the black walnut tree, and lay out endless displays of green and white hydrangeas, to the intimate, personalized ceremony, to all the laughter and merriment, and the final group of closest friends and family who gathered in the backyard until nearly 5 o’clock in the morning because no one wanted the celebration to end. An entire community and their unending acts of kindness came together to make our wedding happen. It all felt exactly as it should, and there we were, holding hands and expressing our deepest love in the middle of it. 

I can't believe I get to grow old with him. 

a shop update: endless summer

one-of-a-kind necklaces featuring vintage Italian porcelain watercolour tie dye & metallic painted wood beads on silk cord.

because sometimes, you just don't want summer to end.


here and here.

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.

these days

I haven't had much of a presence here lately. So much going back and forth between the city & and the country, wedding planning (some details of which I plan to share here soon - August 4th is fast approaching!), and preparing for the final move to Laurentian Valley to be with Andrew full-time, which we accomplished last weekend and was nothing short of epic. I have come to accept that moving plans never go as planned and was surprisingly relaxed (almost) the whole time. I think I have been successfully taking all the wisdom and advice from Meg Keene's most wonderful and endearing book, A Pracitcal Wedding, and applying it to other areas of my life. I have been actively practicing my wedding Zen and it has truly helped me to let go of all the little things, wedding-related or otherwise. I feel the most amazing lightness and the least stress I have felt in a long time.

Amidst all the craziness, I have still found time to savour the small moments and delicacies, from summer skies, gin & tonics, and Quebec's culinary delights to gardens both old & new.

And this. 

wishing you & yours a wonderful weekend. 

xo, 

sara

the order of things: lepidoptera

1. Pink and Mocha Moths by Amber Alexander
2.  Wings, original watercolour painting by Michelle of United Thread


As much as I might be embarrassed to admit this, I have been dealing with a clothes moth infestation all week. Not my proudest moment, to be sure, but one that has not only made me realize that this can easily happen to anyone, especially purveyors of vintage and second-hand wares (which I think was the source of my particular infestation), but has also made me reflect on these delicate little winged creatures and those with whom they share a family. I really am the perfect victim. I own A LOT of wool, much of which is fine merino wool and seemingly these little pests' preferred choice for spinning their silk cocoons and sustaining their livelihood. Almost as a way of consoling my grief (I have shed more than a few tears and have had a couple of breakdown moments over losing some of my most cherished woolen possessions, while stubbornly trying to save others), easing my stress, and reminding myself that there is beauty to all forms of life, I have hunted and gathered some moth- and butterfly-inspired favourites. It is amazing how various species of the same order can be so radically different, at once visually captivating and magical but also deeply devastating. Coincidentally, almost every time I step out onto the balcony to shake out a moth-infected clothing article, I am visited by a friendly monarch butterfly, as if to apologize for the harm done to me by the clothes moths and to remind md that they are not all of the same kind. It is actually comforting in an odd but light-hearted way. So here is to you, Lepidoptera. 

3. A kind of hush, photograph by Irene Suchoki of Montreal-based Eye Poetry
4. Papillon by Elle Moss
5. Untitled photograph by Craig Schlewitz
6. Never too late print by Montreal's Eva Juliet

7. Moths letterpress print by Aardvark
8. Butterfly Collector, original pencil and watercolour drawing by Julianna Swaney
9. Moths, original gocoo print by Anna Ruby King

10. Moth origami lampshade in pink and white from Studio Snowpuppe
11. moths paper and wax strong mobile by Amy Ruppel
12. Matthew Williamson's DNA Butterfly printed silk-chiffon scarf

these days

it rained all week long in the city.
the kind of rain that soothes your body & soul,
that allows you to slow down and replenish.
to take notice of  the small and mundane things,
like thick raindrops streaming
and collecting on windows.
rainy days adorned with silk garments
and cherished jewels.
overcast skies and sombre moods made brighter
by the arrival of much-anticipated packages in the mail,
by diluted colours and whimsical florals,
and by the attention to detail.

///

you might have also noticed
the subtle but beauitfully crafted blog re-design,
for which i am indebted to
the lovely Ana of Blog Milk.
she is such a pleasure to work with
and her designs are the perfect balance
of artistry and a clean, minimalistic aesthetic.
i am only just settling in
and have some more personalizing yet to do,
but i feel like the precision
and soothing feel of this new space
will allow me to focus more on content. 


as always, i have some exciting plans.
so many ongoing projects
and always all at once.

///

hope your weekend is as wonderful as ever.


xo,

sara

a few good things no. 5: silk edition

Lately, I have been obsessed with silk fabrics: raw silk, crepe de chine, silk charmeuse, and silk chiffon. There is something so sumptuous and sensuous, but also softly subtle and timeless, about silk. I recently read Avery Ellis' The Last Nude (a review of which is forthcoming), set in 1927 Paris, in which silk played a subtle but richly seductive role in the relationship between Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka and her model-muse, Rafaela. As she is searching for the perfect silk fabric in Le Sentier district of Paris to hand sew a slip for her lover, Rafaela describes the pleasure she experiences when she strokes a lustrous charmeuse in a cool pink: "When I palmed the silk my body jumped inside with longing." Owing to Ellis' lyrical and sensual prose and imagery, I could feel the sensuousness of the silk and the sense of longing Rafaela viscerally describes, not only in this scene, but every time silk is evoked throughout the book, touching on something I had already been feeling. However unrealistic and marked by my own wishful desires, I long to dress myself in nothing but silk this summer. At the same time that I feel this almost bodily desire, it seems that there are so many gorgeous designs in silk everywhere I look. I must not be alone in my longing.

1, 2, & 3. Toronto-based Fieldguided released their much-anticipated collection of gorgeous silk scarves this week, Light as a Feather, featuring enlarged black-and-white photographs taken in the late 1800s and lovingly hand-rolled hems, which Anabela blogged about here. Photographed by Anya Verdugo with styling by Megan Hart, the collection is so romantic and magical, I think everyone in the blogging and independent art & design community is swooning over them, and with good reason. I keep wavering between two favourites, mountain and venus, and cannot decide between them, even though I know I am only dreaming.... Andrew and I are on a tight budget as we are preparing for our August wedding, so I cannot bring myself to spend any of my graduate student funding on anything other than goods and wares for the wedding. Still, Anabela's work has a way of enlivening you and inspiring the best kind of reverence even if purchasing one of her creations is not currently in the stars. I think longing is a good thing.

4. I have always loved this detachable silk shirt collar by Angie of Montreal's Norwegian Wood produced in collaboration with artist Jen Storey. The wheat imagery was inspired by the prairies where Angie grew up, which, combined with the silk, evokes the magic of endless prairie skies.

5. Vintage-inspired Garden of the night dress from Kelly Love's SS2012 collection, Pocket Full O' Posies.The 100% sand washed silk dress with vintage lace hem is the perfect combination of playful and romantic. Swoon.

6. Speaking of weddings, in my continuous search for the perfect veil or headpiece (how is a girl to decide on only one?), nothing compares to Twigs & Honey. Nothing. While I think my heart has set itself upon this mini tulle veil with pearls, everything from the new collection is simply gorgeous, including this sweet and subtle floral petal comb with hand pressed silk organza petals and genuine swarovski crystals. Part of me is thinking veil for the ceremony, and a simple floral headpiece for the reception.

7. Galileo's Moon hand dyed silk scarf by Bre of Toronto's Scout & Catalogue, featuring Galileo's sketches together with images of the moon and victorian roses. The design is light and breezy like the rest of Bre's work, but I particularly love this combination of imagery and it's subtle astrological/scientific undertones. Bre manages to evoke the geek and the romantic at once, while maintaining her characteristic lightness.

8. Classic wide leg, high waisted pants in a lovely silk/cotton blend from Three Little Ducks.

9. I think these vintage-inspired First Date scalloped silk blouses from girlwithaseriousdream in her Etsy shop stylemadehere are so sweet! I love the scalloped neckline. It's also available for pre-order in a pale mint green here.

10. I think almost any contemporary cat lady would covet this large Picasso cats silk chiffon scarf by illustrator Leah Goren. All of Leah's designs are like a breath of fresh air and she makes the loveliest subtle floral patterns.

11. Absolutely love this petal-pink and creme silk charmeuse blouse by Jessica Kertis. She hits it right on with the simple description: Blossoms, ballet, blush. I am hoping to order one in mint and creme, which would better suit my olive skin tone. I think the loose, slightly cropped fit would be perfect for summer.

12. Phillip Lim's Draped Neck Shell airy silk crepe de chine tank.

13. I adore collaborations among friends and creatives with a similar sense of aesthetics. Anabela & Geoff of Fieldguided recently teamed up with Bre of Scout & Catalogue to shoot her spring 2012 collection, and the results are, of course, gorgeous. I know this is old news, but whenever I browse through Bre's wares, I am captivated again and again by the photos. While Scout & Catalogue designs are on their own already so unmistakable and lovely, Fieldguided, and especially Anabela's touch, brings to them that added bit of magic that makes your heart skip. The mood is one of soft & sultry springs and endless summers, to which this hand dyed Cinta silk headband speaks perfectly. Visit Scout & Catalogue for the lookbook and view Fieldguided's behind-the-scenes photos here.

14. Sweet, sultry, and romantic, this one-piece Ivory Tower Romper made from a reclaimed vintage silk blend by Under the Root might just be the perfect lingerie for hot summer days and nights.

15. The wonderful Ilana Kohn released her SS12 collection, available for pre-order, and there's so much crepe de chine! The designs, prints, and loosely flowing cuts are, yup, the kind you want to live in. Sigh. My favourite is the crepe de chine Elliot Shirt in the foxtail print. Photograph by Dustin Fenstermacher.

16. Love this simple and unadorned Silk Husband Tank by Lauren Jones of mydearthing from last year's SS collection. There is something about those raw edges.

17. Hand painted silk crepe de chine Indigo Ikat Dot blouse by Dani K of xsilk.

18. Dace, one of my favourite Canadian designers, seems to offer silk crepe de chine garments with every collection, and the Spring 2012 collection is no exception. The Thomas Dress, a 100% washed silk crepe kimono dress in a lovely teal colour, looks especially luxurious.