vintages: Coriander Girl

Don't you ever feel like if you met someone, you would instantly be friends?  That there is something about what they are doing that makes you smile?  That's how I felt when I came across Coriander Girl in my latest issue of House & Home, and I felt I just had to write about her amazing shop!  Does it fit into my vintages column?  Kind of... Coriander Girl is actually a florist, but she uses adorable vintage vessels for her arrangements...no generic glass vases here.  She scours flea and antique markets for everything from mason jars, apothecary bottles, to sap buckets.  How adorable!  Shabby chic with a touch of industrialism, very classy and very eco!  What's more, Alison Westlake, the curator and floral designer, sources flowers from responsible local providers, and not carted from halfway around the world by jet plane.  So, why does Coriander Girl appeal to me so much?  Because I love flowers, but I don't buy them because they hurt my eco heart.  I pluck them from my garden and decorate with branches instead.  If I weren't an eco shop owner, being an organic florist would definitely be my second choice.  And everything about Alison's shop, the vintage, the industrial, the chic, the eco, is wonderful.  Great job Alice!  And congratulations on being featured in House & Home!

p.s. I read that Alison makes a mini-bouquet called 'In a Pinch Posies' for $5, with lovely little messages attached, but her website didn't feature them. 

{alison & her dad}

{vintage delights}

{where the magic happens!}

{puppies!  love the vest!}

{and the flowers...feast your eyes!}

{eco} style: BTC Elements

I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce a new Pure Green partner, BTC Elements, a clothing company made for the eco glam.  With a twist of beach meets mod, BTC's clothing covers organic, natural and upcycled rather well; there are certainly a few surefire wardrobe staples for the ethically chic.  I picked a few of my favourites for you, but be sure to check them out for yourself...and enjoy their great sale and a free shipping coupon below!

{these are made with a vintage chain and charms.  quite like!}

The Green Traveller: The Crosby St. Hotel, NYC

Wow...I feel like I hit the jackpot of sustainable, designer hotels.  This place is amazing.  The Crosby St. Hotel, situated in the heart of SoHo on a quiet cobbled street, is simply stunning.  The website doesn't give much detail about what aspects of it are green, but the hotel is in the process of acheived LEED Certification, so I have an idea of what the minimum requirements are.  NYC is high on my list of must sees, but I've always said I'm going to wait until I can afford to eat at all the best restaurants, visit the high fashion eco-boutiques, see the shows, and now, stay at the Crosby (ya, I know, you can do NY on a budget, but it just screams splurge to me!).  Enjoy the beautiful images, and if you ever pay a visit, make sure you write me with a review!

The Organic Kitchen: Maple Syrup

For this week's installment of The Organic Kitchen, I wanted to share with you the results of Jonathan and I's maple syrup making.  Jonathan did this every year as a child, and I, well, lets just say one somewhat disastrous attempt by my father (who still can't live it down) put a stop to it.  But, honestly, its a quintessential Canadian experience, and in Jonathan and I's quest to cut out processed food, we felt inspired to give it a try.  So, we collected buckets, tapped some trees, boiled it down (the old school way, with a fire), and here we are!  The results are fantastic!  Even with our off kilter spring, we were able to gather about 200 gallons of sap, which created about 2.5 liters of syrup, which we divided up amongst our family.  We use maple syrup quite a lot, as its a natural sugar with many health benefits.

Here are some of my favourite uses:

1. Over cut, fresh strawberries for dessert.  Pour a tablespoon over berries and let sit for an hour.  The syrup brings out the sugar in the berries.

2. A splash in coffee...mmmm...simply delectable!

3. Pour a splash over plain yogourt, with some homemade granola (recipe coming soon!)

4. Over oatmeal (use rolled oats), and add fresh fruit.  Our favourite combos are apples, cinnamon and raisins, bananas and coconut, strawberries and mango.  So good!

What are your favourite uses for maple syrup?

{eco} design: Samantha Pynn

Hello friends!  I felt like giving you a little extra something today, something to juxtapose the modern feel of Hufft. I came across this lovely room that I thought I would share - it's very spring like, with a robin's egg blue, pale celery green and white.  The design comes from Samantha Pynn*.  She has a show on HGTV Canada that featured green design in its first season, but the designs have become a little less green, I'm afraid.  However, I'm still happy to feature this room, as it features two of my favourite Toronto destinations: the table, from Urban Tree Salvage, and the light fixture, from LampCage.  UTS salvages wood cut by the city, and Lampcage uses recycled metal in their designs.  Be sure to check them out! 

{note the mismatch china collection - create an instant collection by painting interestingly shaped plates a common shade, and arrange them somewhat haphazardly}

*Last time I posted about Samatha, everyone thought I was her because our design names are similar, even though I very specifically identified Samantha as the designer; I had to remove the post!  Any similarities in our names are by coincidence ONLY, and have nothing do to with the other.

{eco} Design: Hufft Architect

This week, under {eco} design, I was thrilled to discover Hufft Architect, a firm dedicated to unique individuality, modern simplicity and practical sustainability.  I love their philosophy..."We understand that as the creator of objects and environments, we are also creating a peice of each of our client's identity."  With regards to sustainability, Hufft covers all its bases: energy conserving designs, low VOC paints and finishes, minimal waste, and quality. 

{the modern and striking exteriors of their projects is perhaps what I like best}

{simple, open loft interior...love the angled island, made with reclaimed wood}

{this picture is a 'before' shot, so you can get the proper perspective on this next project...}

{can you believe it?  similar to Andrew Maynard's style, this reno makes zero effort to hid the addition, and the result is unique and stunning.  the owners of this home were willing to make a statement, and it certainly works.}

{from the back}

{some interior shots...nice sideboard}

{these built-in's are definitely on my wishlist!}

Be sure to check out their website for more.  I'll keep you posted with updates.

Coming this afternoon: a room with a pretty pastel palette for spring!

Vintages: Jeanne Connolly

Boy do I relish my new issues of ReadyMade!!!  I find myself full to the brim with project ideas after reading a new issue...it just leaves me pining for more free time.  A favourite find from this issue was Jeanne Connolly, the creater behind Vintage Renewal - she takes old ugly furniture and gives it a new lease on life with a coat of paint of some great fabric (although I don't think the fabric is organic...but maybe she'll do something custom).  After admiring great refurbishers like Jeanne and Barb from Knack (a girl after my own heart), I'm wishing I lived nearer to flea and antique markets than I do.  I'm left with a local Sal-Y An, which is limited on choice and pretty expensive, garage sales and a re-store.  Oh well, I quite enjoy my weekly forages anyway, and where's the thrill without the hunt.  At any rate, if I find any treasures of my own I'll keep you posted.  Until then, enjoy Jeanne's lovely work, and pay her a visit too!  There are many more goodies where these came from!