New Buildings Can Be Nice.

On Sunday, Chris and I visited one of my most favourite buildings in Toronto: The Terrence Donnelly Center (for Cellular and Biomolecular Research). If you live in Toronto and haven't been, it's on College Street just west of University and I implore you to go for a visit.

Designed by architectsAlliance (Toronto) and Behnisch Architekten (Stuttgart), the University of Toronto research centre was a challenge to design in part because of the tiny parcel of land - which I believe was a parking lot - that was allotted to the site. It also had to respect the older University buildings around it while reflecting the very modern research that goes on inside.

I think it's an absolute smash.
Sustainability was important to the project, and this is quite clear when you visit the remarkable Winter Garden, a 5-story indoor landscape site that uses a neighbouring historical building for its lovely brick wall .

This view is on the way to the washroom. Pretty classy.

The garden is filled with 45-foot tall bamboo trees and grass, an there is an additional garden on one of the upper levels of the 12-story building as well.

The space is light and airy and truly beautiful. I'm really hopeful about the possibilities for architecture in the city with nuggets like this. I'm also pretty grateful that there are so many good ice cream places within walking distance of this place. Yum.


Pear Top: Anthropologie, Skirt: Gap, Sandals: Winners. Last photo by Ben Rahn.

Windowshopping.

Old Man Style.

There were a few heart breakers out and about today. Warm weather is no excuse for sloppy dressing, as these gents prove.

(Suspenders = Love)

Righteous Fashion.

Christian TV is one of my most favourite things ever - the passion (for Christ), the horror (of the coming apocalypse) and the sheer showmanship of it all. It's pretty awesome. I've known for some time that while Jesus can apparently save, He cannot save us from bad, bad fashion.

This fact hit home hard this morning when I turned on my FAVOURITE Christian show and was confronted with this:
This is Rexella Van Impe, the co-host of Jack Van Impe presents. Now Rexella has the smallest eyes ever. EVER. I think they're small so that you have to look really hard to find them and then she sucks you in to the bosom of the Lord. But that has yet to be confirmed. Anyway, I was not prepared for sunglasses. But wait! Is this a trend?

Flicking through the channels, I decided that I needed to document the fashion goings-on of our televangelists. They need some help. Shouldn't they be Snazzy for the Love of God?

One thing I've noticed is that there are tons of boring, boring suits. And beckoning eyes.



This is pretty basic church garb (I imagine), but I'm posting it because the name of his show is Mass for Shut-Ins. This fills me with glee.

I feel like my jew-brothers are gonna be mighty hot in the summer time. And maybe, just maybe, God would like to see us in colour.


The ladies here are rocking the floral trend, but I would suggest removing the lace and opting for a smaller sized print.


This guy was bold and went for red, but I cannot forgive him for the mustache. He seems nice though.


More Rexella, because she's so great. Her hair is otherworldly.


And lastly, her lovely husband Jack in action. He is basically perfect.


I'll be keeping an eye on televangical fashion for y'all, so you can get back to your own business.

Welcome to the club.

Carrot Cake Ring, bobbinforapples

Please join me in welcoming my little sister to Club Diabetes. It's pretty awesome here. Now we both get to test our blood sugar before meals, so everyone else is surely twice as jealous as before. I do extend my congratulations to her - she's dealing with it very well and has taken to the needle nicely.

In honour of this event, I've put together some inspiration items for spring/summer, seeing as though she may not be able to eat this stuff for a while.

Vintage Chanel Ice Cream Print (from dress)

Popsicle Dress, from A Dress A Day

Candied Fuschia Heels, from Anthropologie.

Cherry Blossom Blouse. Not that one would eat a cherry blossom. From J Crew.

Still Life Skirt. To represent lemonade. Oh lemonade, I miss you so much. From Anthropologie.

I'm gonna learn how to sew eventually.

Which is why my mum took me to her studio to look through some extra fabrics.
Linen, raw silk, and a gorgeous cut velvet:
It was a long car ride home. Through rugby fans and Saturday traffic.
Dress: Forever 21 with my own embellishment on the bottom, Clip-on earrings: Value Village, Hat: H & M, Sandals: Winners.

Drawings from last night.

Drew these while watching the worst TV ever. The paper is from a weird little book published in the 19th century.

Welcome Back!

Sea-horses are super-cool.

I heard on the CBC this morning that the Thames is now clean enough to have welcomed sea-horses (and other creatures) back into its waters. Welcome back, sweet sea-horse!

In honour of this news, I've put together a few cute tidbits for celebration's sake.

You can also find quite a few sea-horse specimens preserved and made into pendants, but I declare that to be weird.

Sea-horse Love Card by foxyandwinston, Sea-horse Note Cards by piggyback, 24K Gold Sea-horse Necklace by soularwave, Tank top by Old Navy, apparently.

Poison Rings.

Okay, so I've always really wanted a poison ring. Not because it would feed my dark side or anything - I just like the idea of a design with secrets. 

Here are some really interesting specimens from Blind Spot Jewellery, on Etsy. They are all handmade from either sterling silver, copper, brass or iron, and they range in price from $170-185.

In the spirit.

With the first real breeze of spring this weekend we went to the greenhouse across the way to visit the flowers. It seems that folks are beginning to get inspired by the promise of warmer weather and a more colourful palette.




Me! In an old dress by Tristan, a Hilfiger cardigan, a Tahari blazer and a ridiculous necklace from Forever 21.

Community Building.

So they're building a dog run in the park across from where I live, which until now has mostly been used for smoking crack. It's pretty amazing to see how quickly the demographic of the park is changing - dog owners from all walks of life are now hanging out, chatting and picking up poo together. It has completely changed the feeling of the park - it now feels like it's really being used. The crack dealers are still there, but now it's more of a multi-use public space. Also, watching dogs play together in the spring might be the cutest thing ever.

Old Man Style.

No one does grumpy better than grandpa.

Mission Accomplished?

Ashley Rowe, Toronto-based designer for Miss Rowe, has been lauded for her all-white, perfectly executed debut SS08 collection. But I question whether she achieved one of her ultimate goals. According to Inside Fashion (Nov 07): "All white was all right for Miss Rowe, designed by former Holt Renfrew staffer Ashley Rowe - in fact, it was the lack of a high-quality, fashion forward yet affordable blouse for her HR interview that lead to the line's creation."

Miss Rowe offers us the following blouse for a steal at $450.

I understand that fashion can be expensive, but it irks me when something is framed as being highly affordable when it's not. Especially when said thing is a white shirt.

Alter Brooklyn.

Farm girl done right. But really, is there such a thing as farm girl done wrong?

Sweet little picture & clothing from US Rags @ Alter, Brooklyn.

Bad Fruit. Good Shoes.

I brought a mango for lunch and it was mostly rotten. Which sucks! But these shoes don't. I know that ankle straps and my legs don't get along that well, but these are very very fantastic.

I love the ballet slipper colour with black, and the woven detail on the back is di-vine. And if I could afford them, I would probably also be able to afford a driver to take me around town, which means they wouldn't even hurt my po feet.

By Vanessa Bruno.