good egg

This post is long overdue.  There is a fabulous store in Toronto that has all my favourite things: yummy smelling candles, millions of beautiful cookbooks (I think I could buy all of them if my budget permitted), great house gifts, le creuset products and the list goes on.  Good Egg is located in Kenzington market and while I was on my lunch break a couple weeks ago, I stopped in the store and snapped some pictures with the intention of getting them up a bit sooner than today.  Unfortunately, I lost the cable that connects the camera to the laptop which delayed the process.  Without further ado- Good Egg: 

moroso couch

I bought my first pieces of furniture last weekend.  I have never purchased anything before aside from the odd Ikea bookshelf or desk while I was at university.  Everything else was handed down or purchased from when I was a child. 

As part of moving out and starting from scratch, I am excited by the process of researching and thinking about what I want, what matters with respect to design and comfort and obviously what can be purchased for my limited budget.  Comfort seems to be at the top of my boyfriend’s list when it comes to furniture.  We go around to stores and sit on everything and have numerous discussions about smushiness, bounce, firmness and shape.  I am learning quite quickly we have a different tolerances for what is comfortable and what is not.  My first couch purchase last week came from the Pavillion warehouse in downtown Toronto. Along with it I bought two clear plastic Eames shell chairs to complement the caramel leather in the couch.  However, as my boyfriend said, the plastic chairs are for me, not for him because he finds them uncomfortable. 

On a mini tangent I was researching stylish furniture leading up to my couch purchase and came across this Italian sofa company.   It has been designing sofas for a long time and has secured some interesting partnerships along the way.  Seeing that the company has been in the business pumping out fabulous piece after fabulous piece,  it is no wonder Moroso has super creative looking designs and are able to partner with some well known and innovative designers.  Their website is very informative with lots of pictures, product specs, ideas, and news about design.  I wonder what he would say about the Moroso chairs?  They look pretty comforatable to me.

via yliving

via hello francis

via real living

via clusterflock

via modern chair design

popbar

As the summer heats up, and you are looking for something cool and refreshing to eat or to serve at an event, Popbar in New York (west village) has an interesting thing going:  gelato on a stick.  Using a unique process from Italy’s, Stick House, Popbar, rotates 25 flavours, all homemade in house and crafts beautiful looking “popsicles” out of gelato, sorbet and yogurt and covers them in toppings (almonds, hazelnut, granola, coconut).  The owners made a point to use top ingredients including hormone free milk, real fruit and no additives in the product.  

Two great things put together, custom and gelato!  Even with Popbar’s aim to keep these desserts, “kid friendly”  they look too beautiful to eat.  What’s better is that catering is available for special events- ahem anyone looking for something fresh and new in NYC.  Love it, love it!  Open in Toronto Popbar. For more pictures on how it’s done, you can check out Manila Review to see an example at StickHouse here.  

via popbar

via popbar

blik

I am preparing to move into a condo September 1.  It’s my first purchase and my first “official” try at interior design.  I’m sure there is a whole population of interior designers out their cringing at my use of the phrase “try interior design” but you know what I mean.  I am respectful of the fact that interior design is a rigorous trade, backed by years at school and in the field to work towards accreditation (at least in Canada).  I am a closet interior designer and quite frankly super excited to decorate my space. 

I just saw a post about this wall decal company, blik, and thought I would share.  I secretly want the lightbulbs but there are some cool options (my top pics are below). 

thought bubbles via blik

chandelier via blik

chair mix-a-lot via blik

toms: a social shoe

It is always nice to indulge in some retail therapy and do good for others at the same time.   I am talking about what you get when you purchase Toms shoes.  I have been noticing these shoes around town, the stylish looking slipper-esque/alpargada/espadrille shoes that come in several different patterns and textures.  The alpargada (the shoe style of Toms), originated from Latin America and used to the be known as the cheap, comfortable shoe worn by dairy gauchos but ended up gaining popularity as a lounge shoe.  They are super comfortable so I can see why the wide spread adoption.

via smcnally10

Toms, an excellent example of social entrepreneurship, was founded by Blake Mycoskie in 2006.  Blake updated and produces the alpardaga shoe in a multitude of textures, colours and styles and sells them through retailers.   He goes one step further in his business plan and donates a pair of shoes for every pair sold.  In his One for One commitment, for every pair of shoes purchased, he gives a pair of new shoes to children in need around the world, making customers into benefactors an excellent motivator to buy shoes in my opinion.  I felt really positive knowing that my sequined gold pair of Toms that I purchased was the root of a donation of shoes to someone else, somewhere in the world.  As an aside, on their website, it looks like they have a cool internship program for those readers looking this summer.  The interns are called “agents of change” in line with the mission and values of the company.  What a nice brand to support.  I heart Toms!

via chanadu

via bows and arrows berkeley

via pop the shop (the pair I purchased)

via highsnobiety

cool espresso bar design

Tinderbox Espresso Bar in Islington, London first seen on We Heart, a great UK based lifestyle website that reports on everything cool and hip from a culture and design perspective.  They were spot on with Tinderbox.  It looks pretty cool if you ask me.  Look at the interior of this place put together by London-based Jonathan Clark Architecture!  I would love a space like this in Toronto for coffee, for meetings, for work and for fun.  A nice alternative to ubiquitous Starbucks.  The blogger behind Designing Lives said it right about this place that even if I didn’t need coffee, and I never do because I don’t drink the stuff, that Tinderbox Espresso Bar is a  place that is inviting enough that you would want to stop in and grab something.  Enjoy the shots below and your week.

via we heart

via we heart

via hipster collective