On hot summer evenings, our recently-renovated back patio is where it’s at. It’s private (well, as much as it can be in an urban setting) and peaceful (well, as much as it can be with kids playing street hockey a few feet away, and neighbours who love karaoke and mah jong). After a long day, […]
Retail Therapy
Coveted: Shiraleah biodegradeable servewear
The endlessly soggy, gray days we’ve been having here on the Wet Coast have me desperately craving sun and summer. They won’t change the weather, but these cheerful, but eco-friendly plates, bowls, and ice cream “cones” from Shiraleah will brighten any day. This is the time of year to stock up for outdoor eating, but […]
Window box round-up
Windowbox by Sunface13 on Flickr. I remember the first time I saw window boxes worth coveting. I was 20 years old, backpacking through Europe. Although I wasn’t yet a gardener, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the perpetual, ageless villages with their cheery window boxes spilling over with geraniums. The window boxes were […]
Postcarden
Tag this one Clever and Cute. Postcarden is a fun and simple pop-out postcard that transforms into a mini living garden. It unfolds into a little diorama, in one of three designs: Allotment (pictured above), Botanical (shown below) or City. The front of each postcarden has a garden scene contributed by a UK artist. (Unfortunately, […]
Felted stone mat
Leave it to VivaTerra to carry this gorgeous felted stone mat by South African textile designer Ronel Jordaan. Made of 100% merino wool, I can just imagine how beautiful this would feel underfoot. Yum.
My first week on the Cure, plus some inspiration from Pad Outdoors
My husband and I are attempting to (re)decorate our living room. (I’m not sure whether we’re decorating or redecorating. We’ve lived here for almost four years, and the living “room,” which is part of an open plan kitchen/dining/living space, is completely dysfunctional.) As an attempt to finally wrangle the beast, I’m reading—and following—a book called […]
Best gifts for gardeners 2009
Wait—how did it get to be December already? We just finished the Halloween candy. Since there are obviously fewer minutes in an hour these days, I give thanks every time I click “add to cart” and check another name off my shopping list without setting foot in a mall. So here’s a little treat for […]
Review: Troy Bilt lithium ion battery cordless string trimmer
A little while back, Troy Bilt sent me their new TB57 Lithium Ion Battery Cordless String Trimmer to try out. That’s me, above, holding it gingerly and looking like I’m about to stroke its hair. What can I say? I’m not all that familiar with power equipment – I felt it best to approach with […]