What I Got: Furniture from the Curb

Do you know the online magazine Covet Garden?  Each issue features one amazing home in Toronto and the people who inhabit them. This photo is from the July/August issue. I like it because of the wooden seating under the staircase.

Why? Because I own it too! And its even more special because my brother and I found it in someone's basement covered in dirt. 

Gross eh!? Mike was walking to the hardware store and he passed a home that was undergoing a demolition. All the left over furniture was being thrown on the curb. There was a lot! He spotted some good dressers, started talking to the person in charge of the project and next thing he was invited to come in and pick anything he wanted. He called me to come and tag along. The people in the house didn't like me as much because I couldn't hide my disgust for the filth and smell of cat piss permeating the air. 

But when I saw this piece I knew it had to be mine, cat piss and all! We walked it home in the pouring rain. I cleaned it 6 times. And let it air out for about a week. 

Actually, Mike saw it first. But he let me have it because he is a very nice brother. 

Bev Hisey

On Dundas near Ossington there is a little textiles/furniture shop that houses Bev Hisey's carpets, pillows, and some furniture that she's sourced. I love peeking in and checking out the carpets she has displayed on the wall. Not surprisingly, her home in Toronto is as punchy and artful as her designs. I especially love the gem carpets and the unique artwork.

Sigh. This scissor print is by Alanna Cavanagh.

  

These are 10" records from the 50's and 60's that have been put on wooden boxes so they float from the wall. 

How unexpected to have a yardstick in this bathroom. Random but now unwelcome! 

This is my all time favorite element from her house. The original Jansen swim signage. If I ever see one of these I will snatch it up no questions asked! 

More photos of her house can be seen over on Design Sponge! 

(My house) before and after

When I purchased a mid-century modern couch on craigslist this spring, I bargained with the girl to throw in this unit for free. She was using it to store some shirts but I knew it would make a perfect little bar...I finally got around to painting it bright green, reinforcing the shelves and sanding the legs. I'm so happy with it now! 

Cottage Cocktails

I wasn't really sure how cocktails would factor into cottage living but I brought up my muddler and shaker *just* in case. It's not as easy as cracking open a beer, but who can resist a fresh cocktail on the dock? This one has blackberries, meyer lemon peels, whiskey and apple cider in it. YUM! 

We called it the Apple Andrews, because we were thinking about Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music when I made it.  

1 1/2 ounces of whiskey

3 or four blackberries

juice of half a lemon plus the peels

3 ounces of apple cider

Muddle the blackberries, lemon peels and lemon juice at the bottom of your shaker. A wooden spoon will also do if you don't have a muddler. Add the whiskey, cider and ice and shake. Strain into a glass full of ice and garnish with a blackberry.

How cute is this chipmunk? He's about to put a third peanut in his mouth. 

Molly Turners Apartment

I am just in love with this apartment that I saw on Apartment Therapy. Its uncluttered but cozy and every time I look at it, I just want to go home and clean my place! I love the simple lime green carpet, the coral painted closet, and the quirky colourful furniture with clean lines and a good comfort factor.

Stay-Cation

Last Wednesday I went to the Toronto Island and now I'm hooked. Happily, I'll be going back tomorrow for a bonfire on the beach.

Despite the fact that I've been living downtown for two years where the island docks are just a bike ride away, I haven't made the short trip over once. I reasoned that it was a schlepp, not that fun, something I didn't have time for. I was wrong. Going to the island is so rewarding. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed and it's incredible to be in such a drastically different and beautiful environment without even having to leave the city. I came back to the city with the same feeling you get coming home from a great vacation. 

This wine is delicious! (And cheap!) 

                  

Gavin and I spent some time at the beach and then went over to the Island Cafe to see Matthew Bailey and Charlotte Cornfield play a show! It was so nice. Then I rushed off to the Cameron House to see Dear Sister, a band that I recently made a cocktail in honour of! 

It's always nice to have those days when you realize you are happy to be exactly where you are.

The Dear Sister Cocktail: Strawberry Rhubarb Smash

I'm so excited to present this next cocktail, inspired by one of my favourite bands Dear Sister.  My boyfriend Lucas Gadke hit the nail on the head when he described them as: "Dreamy folk in the vein of Gillian Welch. Effortless Americana. Two girls harmonizing to the sounds of the south, well beyond their years". 

It was important for me to make a drink with ingredients that blended together as beautifully as the voices of Raven Sheilds and Bri Salmena. I knew the cocktail had to have whiskey in it. Then Raven picked some rhubarb from her garden and presented it to me at the last show. Not only was it one of the most thoughtful gestures I've ever encountered, it was the jumping off point for this delicious drink. 

You can catch them this Wednesday June 26th at the Cameron House. I won't be able to make it. So grab yourself something to sip on, sit back and enjoy this amazing music. 

 To make this cocktail you muddle a lemon wedge, 5 fresh mint leaves and 3 strawberries with 1 oz of rhubarb simple syrup in a shaker. Then add ice and 2 oz of whisky to the muddled mixture. Shake it all together and strain into a glass with a few ice cubes in it. Garnish with a strawberry and mint. 

To make the simple syrup combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of chopped rhubarb in a pot on the stove. Let it simmer for half an hour until the rhubarb gets totally mushy and syrup thick and pink. 

Big thank you to Michael Morris for taking these photos, and for single handedly making this drink look like it spilled from the pages of Food&Drink.