Rear View: Flirting with the new shapes of Spring

style

“I love to watch you walk away,” I say to no one. Especially not to a pair of pants that makes my butt look great.

Sit down and stay awhile, I’d plead.

But… I’m torn between two loves. The high waisted skinny and the flared cropped trouser. Fashion, fortunately, requires no fidelity.

The contenders: skinny acid wash with an ankle crop.

The contenders: cropped cullottes in a sweet print.

This season’s silhouette has a whole lot of variety on offer. Obviously these below zero temperatures, on April 1st no less (in Canada), have unfairly teased those of us who are waiting (impatiently) to bust out our open-toed shoes and some of the ankle-baring pants in our closets.

A great pair of jeans with a sky-high waistline, heels and a cute top means sitting on patios, not a whale tail in sight; never sticking to a hot chair or car seat; sitting however you please, and having your cake (too).

Just a peek of skin and a pant that plays as well with a tank and blazer, as it does with a tunic.

How could I resist you?

But, here comes my new crush; hello, variation-of-the-trouser. I haven’t really noticed you since we had that falling out in the nineties, or for that brief moment when we flirted with the idea of ‘trousers’ for work, realizing (thank god) that the lax dress-code means pretty dresses and jeans are my steady. You are so much softer than before. So much less ironing and starch. Cut so much more flatteringly!

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Tied with a bow. A gift, really.

I am smitten. High-waists are definitely on my list, but hemlines and cut are all over the map. I recently purchased a pair of flowy, wide-leg and high waisted trousers, with pleats and an ankle-length hem. With flats they will skim the floor, looking summery with a hat and gladiators, a tank tucked in, and lots of jewelry. With heels, we could go anywhere. As long as there isn’t a lot of walking.

Trousers, culottes and crops, I’ve been waiting for you. Sit down and stay a while.

Light and bright. Simply chic.

More subdued and boxy. Man-repelling? Muwah.

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Canadian-tuxedo, done right for summer.

Sing it, Sister

Open Letters, style

Newly minted website, No Woo Woo (http://nowoowoo.com/) features the scathing, witty commentary of Bronwen Keyes-Bevan, a Toronto-based writer and filmmaker. Her recent article about the feeding frenzy on the red carpets, in particular – the impact on those who are breast-feeding, perfectly sums up what I’d want to say on the subject. For a great read, that calls out the complimentary way we backhand women (in general), by complimenting individual women’s ability to ‘bounce-back’ from pregnancy, check out her full article:

http://nowoowoo.com/bounced-back-golden-globes-how-the-media-tears-women-down/

I also love the Elle interviews that she cites, where male celebs are put through the same inane series of questions that women hoop-jump through regarding their pre-event prep routines and clothing choices: (http://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/news/g15584/elle-asks-men-inane-questions-on-the-red-carpet/?slide=3 ).

No Woo Woo is full of on-point observations and includes some excellent links to support the views on offer, including the Onion’s mock report about jumpsuits on the red carpet to help people focus on the talent, not the tail.

Thanks, Bronwen, for keeping it real and sharpening our focus.

The Onion’s fake news.

Dear Gym Lady

Open Letters

I knew there was a reason you bugged me. It was more than your face, perpetually smirking and looking smug, or the smarmy way you act like you’re doing me a favour by offering to waive the ‘sign-up fee’ when I’ve agreed to your several hundred dollar membership cost. It isn’t even the way you tighten the sides of your mouth, almost smiling, if you manage to make eye contact with someone when they enter the facility, or how you flip your hair while you check your phone. It might be the gossip I hear every time I pass the front desk, or how you seem ‘busy’ if someone wants to ask you a question. I almost feel like I’m interrupting you, when I ask to scan in. Then I remember, you work here.

My wife said I was being unfair when I crinkled my nose and said, ‘she just bugs me, I can’t put my finger on it.’

Because usually, almost always, I’m fair-minded and non-judgmental. It was a gut feeling, a certain distaste … somewhere on a deeper level.

My guts were right.

You think, gym lady, that even though you must know that your gym has windows and the machines face out, overlooking the parking lot, no one noticed how you parked your SUV across two spots. Clearly over the line. Innocent mistake.

You definitely knew, because I watched you get out of your vehicle, walk around the front to see how far over you were, then casually put your bag over your shoulder, deciding not to correct this, in spite of the fact that your gym has limited parking and many times the lot is full, and we have to use the overflow parking across the street, or two lots over. Even in the winter.

You sauntered off, fully aware that you were taking up a spot that could be used by paying members. You didn’t care. A ‘Eureka’ light bulb, illuminates in my gut; right again! And it’s even worse that you work here.

That’s why you rub me the wrong way. Gym lady.

The Times, They Are a Changing

Love, Open Letters, Wedding

All photos from my own wedding are courtesy of Kate O’Connor at http://sweetheartempire.com/

—

Anyone who grows up … in North America, knows the story. You grow up, you fall in love… you get married. I certainly applaud those who challenge the narrative and, yes, there are problems with ‘the institution,’ but one of the things that shows how much progress we have made, as a nation (Canada and others) is the right to choose. Marriage. No, we are not defined by our decision to join our life with someone else, and yes, you can be whole and fulfilled without being paired, or procreating. But for so long, queer relationships were defined by their inability to participate in the beautiful, emotionally fulfilling, symbolic step of sharing the joy of your relationship with those you love and having your community show their support for that union.

Today I saw an article about a dazzling couple, who celebrated in a fusion of Western and Indian traditions: http://the-daily.buzz/americas-first-indian-lesbian-wedding/?ts_pid=2

This beautiful couple has helped to raise the profile for couples everywhere who want to marry the one they love, while celebrating their culture.

And the diversity is plain to see.

A colourful union, between two brides with a female officiant.

Two traditional dresses challenge the ‘who is wearing the tux’ assumption.

Playing with conventions and gender in a classic pose.

Hard landscape, sweet emotion.

Picture perfect little love birds.

Tattoos and lace, faux-hawk and a smitten grin.

One of the most beautiful parts of any wedding are the small details and traditions that couples integrate into their special day, to reflect their relationship, interests and cultures. For queer couples, although many face sadness and hardship around life moments that can bring difference and non-acceptance into harsh contrast, there are (at least) two things to be very thankful for: they have found the person they want to join their life with, and they have a chance to shape new traditions and challenge existing ones that might seem like a given for heterosexual couples.

Here are a few highlights from our special day.

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Allia didn’t want us to see the other’s dress. So it was an incredible surprise to see how beautifully our dresses complimented one another; and seeing her for the first time made my jaw hit the floor. She got to decide that I would walk first, accompanied by my father, while her brother escorted her, second, down the aisle to meet me.

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It was hard for us not to have her parents involved in the wedding, so we turned the traditional father daughter dance into a ‘first dance’ with someone you love. I danced with my amazing dad, and she danced with her siblings to “Stand By Me.”

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We had our friend, Riaz, an unordained ‘un-officiant’ perform our ceremony. Including some humour, our delightful friend married us from atop an apple box, because we are both 5’10 and … my wife met Riaz when they both worked in the film industry.

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The music was varied and personalized, with French and “Midnight in Paris” inspired music during the pre-ceremony, Bossa-Nova and Bossa-Marley (a throwback to our time in Spain) during cocktails. We both insisted that our dresses be comfortable enough to dance in, and we had a roaring dance party to celebrate, with tunes from Oldies (which we love to cook to), to indie-electro and some Bob Marley (of course, for her Jamaican heritage).

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We opted for a converted historic church building, with the sunlight streaming in.

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There was a surprise during dinner: amidst the childhood photos and slideshow – a video of our proposal. An onstage karaoke request for her hand in marriage. We had wine cork wreaths and all of our bridesmaids carried handmade paper bouquets by a local artisan.

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We decided to forgo the awkwardly posed shots and, instead, to go SUPER posed, for a Vanity Fair/Netflix inspired editorial look. All of our bridal party members got to choose their own attire, from a palette of colours for a vintage, soft look, with a cohesive, romantic tone. We wore two of my grandma’s vintage furs, and all of the bridesmaids were able to re-wear their dresses. Given that there was no ‘groom,’ we had no ‘groomsmen,’ but each of us had our brother step in as our ‘best man.’

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There is a special place in our hearts for our gay boy friends; our ‘g-ushers’ helped to usher in the guests (except for my brother-in-law), and wore handmade bow ties made by one of my former students.

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What is more fun than some rubber masks? As a late-night surprise, to go with the arrival of the poutine bar, panda, giraffe, unicorn, owl and horse masks turned up on the dance floor. It was the weirdest, most magical dance party, as well as tying in some of the animal themed elements from the day and creating some great candid shots.

I Heart You

Art, DIY, Love, Wedding

One of my favourite personalized details from our wedding day, almost a year ago, was the custom heart that my designer friend, Katey, created for us. She is a stylist, ceramic artist and all-round creative genius and, knowing our penchant for DIY touches, she asked if she might be able to make us something special.

Photo Credit: Sweetheartempire.com, Heart by Katherine Morley, Location: Berkeley Church, Toronto.

The results were amazing and the decorative heart, emblazoned with our names, became a key piece of our wedding day puzzle.

Berkeley Church, Toronto. Photo Credit: Sweetheart Empire, Toronto (Kate O’Connor). Heart by Katherine Morley.

Check out her beautiful designs on everything from ‘Capacity’ – a carefully curated collection of art and design by female designers in Toronto, to her ceramic sculptures for fish tanks (which address the issues surrounding human impact on our oceans and the depletion of sea coral, while providing a gorgeous, sustainable landscape for fish to explore).

Katherine Morley in her studio.

Sculptural pieces with form and function.

More of her creative pieces, featured in House & Home, including her circus-inspired ceramics, and Iceberg book ends that evoke the Group of Seven.

Supporting local artists, especially ones who are socially conscious and engaged in their community, is a great way to fill your home, event and life, in general, with good vibes, originality and beauty.

Moving Furniture is Genetic

Home Sweet, Indulge, style

Re-arranging, specifically furniture, runs in my family. On my mother’s side. I can’t go more than a few months without moving things around. People visiting are routinely treated to a double-take when things are reversed, separated, painted, flipped, and after a while, you can hardly imagine it wasn’t like this all along.

Really though, my mom, left unattended at my house, had rearranged all the kitchen and linen drawers, texting that she’d stopped herself short at moving large furniture items, only because she couldn’t do so without scratching the floor… or possibly because she felt it might be overstepping. My aunt, recently relocated to Niagara-on-the-lake, deliberately replaced all her previous furniture (heavy, solidly made pieces) with new, light Swedish farmhouse style pieces, for the express purpose of being able to move them on a whim.

The open concept living area, with mirror (a pre-existing feature from the past owner) and lots of light.

After having all our ducts, dryer vent, etc., cleaned, the urge hit me to rid the whole main floor of dust. The vent guys paid us a wonderful compliment, saying that it was obvious that ‘cool’ (‘hip’ I think he said) people live here, and that he loved all our art. So, the newest incarnation of our living space involved separating the sectional and replacing a rich, woven tapestry with a lighter spring one, as well as flipping the vertical Ikea shelving units onto their sides.

Felix loves the newly upholstered leather cushion for the ‘zen couch,’ which replaced the velvet cushions (major cat hair attraction). Hand-sewn fabric cushions are easily changed-up for a fresh look.

I created large-scale art to brighten the space, featuring the lyrics from “Sugar Sugar” (one of our favourite songs). The shelving is home to records, ceramics, an “A” made from all the wine corks of our courtship, and the paper bouquets from our wedding.

Felix loves a spot to stretch out, in front of the Urban Outfitters tapestry that makes its way from tablecloth, to bedspread to wall-hanging.

Brutus, the controversial (to my mother) long-horn skull adds some macabre irony to our very feminine space. We like to imagine that he dialogues with Betsey (who now lives as an area rug). What I like, however, is that the skull was sourced from a friends farm where all parts of the animal are utilized and animals roam free in large pastures.

A tagine hides the remotes, and colourful coasters protect the surface of Granddad’s WWII trunk.

Separating the sectional gave us a nice new arrangement for hosting, or t.v. viewing.

All lit-up: our custom ampersand and ‘A’ marquis lights help to illuminate the space in the evenings, and make the vintage cut crystal decanters sparkle. Mirrors make it possible for art to be seen from every angle.

Chester, our girl-cat, isn’t quite sure about this arrangement.

The dining table, and make-shift marking area, is warm and colourful, with art done, by request, by my mother.

Looking back into the space from the dining room, the living areas are divided, but open.

At the very least, the benefit of all this moving around is a solid calorie burn, and thoroughly cleaned … everything. Plus, it reminds me that my wife loves me very much when she puts up no fuss at all as she comes home from work, only to find me requiring her help to put the finishing touches on our space.

What inspires you to move furniture?

Body Blitz and L’Unita

Foodie, Indulge

It’s always a good time with Lindsay; now a globe-trotting sommelier, she and I have been friends since high school. We had a summer ritual of weekly visits to Body Blitz https://bodyblitzspa.com/ where, for $300, you could have an unlimited pass for the summer months to visit as often as you want. For us, this meant Wednesday spa visits to soak in the epsom salt and Dead Sea salt pools, cold plunge, eucalyptus steam room and sauna. We always followed this up with wine tasting, her day job/my pass time.

Body Blitz West Location

Yesterday we cashed in on a blog interview that I did for Body Blitz. (see article here: http://blog.bodyblitzspa.com/2014/09/in-waters-with-alison-carson.html)

As a thank you for the interview I got to try an incredibly luxurious sweet ginger + milk body glow. The treatment included a citrus-mint body wash, ginger body scrub, warm milk with sweet orange oil and almond treatment, and massage to finish, working in a warm grape seed body oil. It was an hour of heaven.

Ginger and Milk Body Scrub

After you get past the part where you realize you haven’t been ‘washed’ like this since you were a baby, and the fact that the plastic apron worn by the spa attendant is vaguely reminiscent of Dexter in body-disposal-mode, it is so amazing to be under a heat lamp having a sweet, soft-spoken angel pamper you for sixty minutes.

Dexter

Spartacus: Pampered and Luxurious, without the problematic power dynamics and violence

At one point I found myself imagining that this must be what ancient rich housewives must have felt like (without the slavery, obviously), but that if every person on Earth received this treatment we could probably solve every global conflict known to man. It was that good. I was blissed-out and elated for the rest of the day.

I joked with my wife about how delicious I smelled; “smell me!”

She told me I smelled like a white person, then smiled and said, “Vanilla.”

Day turns into night as we move on to a late dinner. We started with some bubbly, then shared an Amarone.

Huge thanks to the wonderful staff for a beautiful night of delicious flavours! L’Unita’s website: http://lunita.ca/

L’Unita at night.

We carried on our food theme as we headed to L’Unita, a decadent Italian restaurant at Avenue and Davenport (Toronto, Ontario) with beautiful ambiance and some of the best service in the city.

Grilled Octopus on a bed of greens, with fingerling potatoes and sausage.

Warm olives with herbs and lemon zest

Mozarella Burrata with beets

Classic Caesar Salad

Margherita Pizza

Evidence of a decadent meal

On to desserts, made in-house by their pastry chef.

Caramel sugared donuts

Bufala Panna Cotta with blood orange and mint

Chocolate olive oil cake with gelato

Very happy ladies. I sincerely hope you have a chance to visit L’Unita: Buon appetito!

Peller Estates and Two Sisters

Foodie, Indulge

We love visiting my parents in Niagara-on-the-lake. It’s like having our own personal bed and breakfast. This week we went to Chicks and Chocolate (a pairing event offered at Peller Estates) to sample wines and chocolate, as well as their neighbouring winery, Two Sisters.

We started in the upper tasting room with four glasses and four intriguing chocolates.

A flight of wine and chocolate

We began with the sparkling Ice Cuvée Rosé, a Champagne-style wine infused with icewine, to cleanse our palates.

Paired with a chocolate from Madagascar.

Then we moved on to one of my favourites, the 2012 Sur Lie Chardonnay: a huge, buttery Chardonnay that reminds me of oatmeal raisin cookies. We paired it with a milk chocolate, and learned about listening to the break of the chocolate, smelling the fresh cut edge, feeling the back of the chocolate and pressing it to the roof of our mouth.

Wines one and two.

Chocolate number two.

There are worse ways to spend an afternoon. Our hour took us through all four of the pairings. Next, the merlot: a ripe, fruit forward wine, paired with the third chocolate.

Santa Domingo, 70%.

A tasting table set for the event.

The final taste.

We concluded our tasting with an incredible Cab Franc Icewine, as José guided us through the proper tasting methods.

It’s always good to get a refresher. Despite working at Peller a number of years ago, I love learning new things and trying wines; the best advice: you are never wrong. No one else can tell you what you smell or taste.

As we left Peller, we decided to stop in at Two Sisters, a winery I had never visited before. The imposing facade certainly seems to have something to do with the high price-point for their wines. Each detail of the interior was equally well-chosen for visual impact.

Two Sisters Winery

The grand entrance

Tasting room and store

The bar

Tasting tables

All told, this is a lovely way to spend the day; I hope one day you get a chance to try Niagara’s unique wines, influenced by our cold climate and escarpment, and to experience the hospitality of our sweet, chilly in Spring, but wholly welcoming peninsula.

Wine. Love. Wine.

St. Patrick’s Day without Beer and Clovers

Foodie, Indulge, Love

Allia enjoying Peller 2012 Sur Lie Chardonnay

I have Irish ancestry. I love beer and I love any reason to celebrate; this year, however, family and friends took St.Patrick’s Day in a new direction. We decided to cross the ocean, but instead of Ireland, we ended up in Paris. At Paris Crepes, specifically: a delicious, French themed restaurant-café in Niagara Falls.

Mussels Mariniere with Frites and fresh baguette

Cheers to a meal of French onion soup, mussels 4 ways (for March Mussel Madness) curried, provencale, mariniere or blue cheese, free corkage when you bring your own wine and crepes, both savoury and sweet. Although we saw people running by the glass front window of the café, shamrocked and in onesies, I think this is a tradition that deserves some consideration. Cheers to friends, family and a twist on green beer that will leave your taste buds green with envy!

Images from Paris, including Le Chat Noir and Moulin Rouge

Paris Crepes Café

Homemade Sweet Crepes

With our server, Star, we celebrated St. Pat’s with a twist

Spring Cleaning: Organizing Your Life

DIY, Home Sweet, style

My Inbox is full of articles about how to ‘de-clutter’ ‘pare-down’ ‘de-stress’ ‘Spring Clean’ ‘organize’ and ‘space-save’ my life. Task one: pare down the Spring Cleaning, de-cluttering lists. Organized, de-stressed, clutter-free life? I want all these things. I want to “banish clutter and chaos.” But the 6-ways, top ten tips and 12 strategies are all a little much. Let’s not even start on the 99 low-cost ways…

Here are the best:

From “99 Cost-Saving Tips” (http://www.styleathome.com/organizing/organizing-ideas/99-low-cost-organizing-tips/a/1806?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SAH-dd_150318)

*Store all your instruction manuals in one binder. (Same for takeout menus. Recipes, decor ideas, and great articles, too.)

*Use old baby-food jars to hold spices.

*Use small jam jars to hold cotton swabs, balls and other essentials inside your bathroom vanity drawers. (I did the same thing with my teas, bulk and bagged, using mason jars and a wine-glass marker. Things stay fresh and you can recycle the bulky packaging right away).

*Don’t hold on to magazines. Just rip out any pages you want to keep for future reference, keep in a file folder, or basket. (Take the rest to the gym or a school for projects).

*Use a canvas over-the-door shoe organizer to organize small kids toys and art supplies. (I did this with all my painting and craft supplies).

*Edit your hangers. Choose: wire, plastic or wood and unify the hangers in every closet. (My favourite are the slim velvet ones. They save so much closet space, don’t warp your shoulders and let clothes breathe).

In “6 ways to conquer your bedroom closet,” Christina Ciddio recommends, http://www.styleathome.com/organizing/organizing-ideas/6-ways-to-conquer-your-bedroom-closet/a/55548?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SAH-dd_150318

*When you go through your closet, purge regularly, create zones and treat the space as a whole room, giving it an editorial look. Once it looks amazing, you are more likely to keep it that way. (I do have a whole room and because I worked hard to get it, I keep it tidy).

Don’t be afraid to put rules in place: My wife teases me about my ‘hanger system’ but it really does work. All empty hangers go back to the ’empty hanger rod,’ so you don’t have to go searching for them and you can just grab a handful of hangers when you bring clean clothes from the laundry. As I hang to dry, they go onto the proper hangers and then go back to their proper spots. Also, if there isn’t a hanger for it, something has to go. This club is at capacity; one in, one out.

And from “12 Organizing Ideas That Will Change Your Life” (http://www.styleathome.com/organizing/organizing-ideas/12-organizing-ideas-that-will-change-your-life/a/55340?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SAH-dd_150318 )

*Organize your shoes. Figure out a system. Maybe this isn’t the most practical, but it sure is beautiful:

I found that clear plastic boxes keep my shoes tidy and lets me see what is in the box so that I don’t have to go searching. They are available for just a few dollars at Home Depot. I wouldn’t wear the shoes in the boxes below, but the Tupperware-for-shoes option has really worked for me.

*Spruce up your entryway. (We have a hook and chalkboard for keys and reminders, a wall hook for reusable grocery bags to go back to the car, a basket for mittens, scarves and hats, and a lint roller. We also have a colourful mat by the door and bench to sit while you put on shoes).

*Use trays on the bathroom counter to organize products and drawer inserts to keep products neat and accessible.

*Keep jewelry organized. (Pick a system and stick to it. Check out my DIY project for the wall gallery I created to store our necklace collection).

Style At Home Image

*Find stylish storage. (Baskets, boxes, vintage tins, cabinets with doors. Put things away and keep out just the favourite items).

*Papers, pens and stationery can sometimes take over your home office. (This is my dream come true. Case in point: my friends asked what I did on my first day of summer vacation? I organized all the pens and pencils, sharpening them of course.)

Image from Styleathome.com

Tips from my own life:

*Cut the hanger ribbons from your clothes (the ones that always poke out from your clothes while you are wearing them) and use them to tie gift bags or tags onto presents.

*Keep a bin for clothes and accessories you aren’t sure about anymore. Sort through it seasonally and put things into a donation pile, or clothing swap pile.

*Get rid of things you don’t need right away (junk mail, flyers, packaging) and don’t even bring them into the house.

And if you’re REALLY feeling ambitious, this adorable American man has a how-to video for creating paper logs to heat your home using your old junk-mail as fuel. I would love to get to a point of handiness where this seems realistic! http://fb-287.dailymegabyte.com/man-transforms-mail-useful-save-money/

StyleSaVie

Life lived beautifully.