Why I Love Getting Mail

My tastes veer to modern when it comes to a lot of things, but when I got this lovely card from my grandmother a few weeks ago, I was taken by the spring-y blue, old-fashioned pattern. It looks like a tea towel in print! 

Power Ball

I went to Power Ball, the artsy fundraising bash for The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, last Thursday. 

Check out the fabulous photos (by Nikki Leigh McKean) and my write-up on the event here. 

The Perfect Summer Meal

Ever since I tried ceviche for the first time last summer, I've had a bit of a fixation with it. I'm  a raw fish fan to begin with, so it makes sense that the texture appeals to me. But it's the flavour of ceviche I got hooked on — fresh, citrusy, and (in most cases) cilantro-y.

Last night, it was a lucky set of circumstances (and a good memory for restaurant names) that led my friend and I to La Bella Managua at Bloor and Ossington. It has been written up several times for its ceviche and the off-the-menu dish did not disappoint: small cubes of firm mahi mahi marinated in lime juice with red peppers, red onion and cilantro served with sweet and crispy fried plaintain chips. I could easily eat this several nights a week, especially in the summer. 

Because I was feeling uber gluttonous (it was 10:30 and we were mostly looking for a snack), I went ahead and ordered the Bandeja Tipica, a traditional Nicaraguan dish of rice and beans with fried plaintain, cabbage salad, avocado, tortilla and fresh cheese. Also delish. 

I didn't have my camera on me, so sadly no pictures. But I hope your mouth is watering despite the absence of visuals. (Yep, mine is).

Shades of Cream

I'm one of those people who have a habit of buying clothes that look the same (or have a similar prominent feature) without even realizing it. Back in university, someone pointed out to me that I had a bunch of pants with a similar front pocket scheme going on. Then I had a thing for three-quarter length sleeve cardigans, which didn't really hit me until I had four in my closet. And I've just had another repeat purchase pointed out to me — cream-coloured shirts. (Isn't cream such a yummy word?)

I've purchased three t-shirts in the last two months, all of which are similar shades cream. It's a good colour — very similar, in fact, to the wall paint in my apartment, way warmer than white and great with dark denim. I think it's the perfect colour for tan-disabled redheads (even faux ones like me).  

To my shopping credit, the three same-ish shirts all have different stuff going on — there is the perfectly plain crew neck from American Apparel, the black-patterned v-neck from Victoire in Ottawa, and a gathered, crochet-patterned part blouse/part tee from Urban Outfitters. 

So while the fashion mags (as always) declare that colour is in for spring, I'll be hanging out in my new favourite neutral. Mmm cream. 

Found! An Ideal Apartment

I'm in love with this apartment building because it reminds me of New York — and I'm a fan of pretty much all things New York — and because it's so unlike the cookie-cutter condos that glut Toronto. As soon as I saw this apartment listing, I started daydreaming that I owned it. There's something very romantic about living in a building with a lot of history. I think it ties you more to the urban landscape than a 500-square-foot, 42nd floor condo unit overlooking the Gardiner that's surrounded by amenities that scream suburbs. But sadly it seems there are only a few buildings like this in the city where you can actually purchase an apartment.  

Photo: http://www.412jarvis.ca/

One summer, I lived in a charming old building at Yonge and St. Clair. Glenn Gould used to live there! It had an elevator you entered through a pull-open door with a small glass window, painted radiators, and black (often faulty) push-button buzzers with type-written name tags. I miss that building and the feeling I got as I pulled open the front door and walked into the ornately carpeted lobby with the aged (but not at all unpleasant) smell. Ahhh, history.

Self Plug

To counteract the guilt of not writing on my blog as often as I'd like to, I'll post this freelance piece as a way to say, 'look, I do other writing!'

All About Objects

I watched the documentary Helvetica a few months back and loved it. When a filmmaker can take a seemingly mundane subject like a font, explore its historical (and even political) connotations and make you think a lot about your surroundings ... well, then that's a good filmmaker. 

So I was excited to see Gary Hustwit's new doc, Objectified, last night. Although it didn't quite have the punchiness of Helvetica (my friend in law school pointed out the debate element was missing), it was still super engaging, and included interviews with industrial designers from around the world. And it also really made you think about your surroundings, a lot like the excellent book The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman, which points out that so many things we use are poorly designed. Or as the colourful Karim Rashid argues in Objectified, most of the seating in the world is uncomfortable — and that's just wrong.

Because the doc got me thinking about objects, I snapped photos of some things in my apartment that satisfy me both functionally and aesthetically. One of the designers in the film cleverly said (something like) certain objects become almost like friends because you use them so much in your daily life. So here are some pals of mine.

Antique mirror, giant paper clip, Umbra organizer. 

  My fave pots: shiny, heavy, red.  

 Couch with arms that double as side tables.

  No-brainer measuring cups.

A thoughtful looking lamp.