May 30 x 30 Six Days in

On the first of may, I very spontaneously decided to take part in the May 30x30 challenge on instagram. I picked my outfit that day (above), not knowing yet that I would take part - so those items were thus included in my 30 items of clothing for the next 30 days. Turns out these were great items for layering, mixing and matching, and just generally for comfort, too. Hooray!

So far it has been very fun and reminds me of my fashion blogging days, thinking creatively about back drops and locations, and sheepishly asking friends to take photos of me. I promised my partner I wouldn't make him into an "instagram boyfriend" a while back, but he has since been very supportive (and I think he likes the idea of me being more minimal with my closet, too... ha!).

It hasn't been that much of a challenge yet, other than overcoming my feelings of awkwardness about posing, especially in public! But as far as the clothes go, it's been fun, and I decided not to include any accessories except maybe shoes. I've worn three pairs and don't think I'll be needing more of a variety in the next month. I admit I have swapped out one pair of jeans for another, but only because I hadn't yet worn the first pair.

Another fun thing about the May 30x30 challenge is how much of a sense of community I'm suddenly feeling on instagram! I was feeling a bit meh about it, and only connecting with a few people here and there, or people I already knew. Starting the May 30x30 has introduced me to SO many other sustainable fashion enthusiasts, many of whom are very inspiring in their styles and happy to chat and connect! It makes instagram more fun to have honest conversations with others. I am also trying to keep it real and goofy (as above) because 90% of the time when a camera is pointed at me I do stick my tongue out....

The weather in Toronto has been up and down, but I got to pull out a skirt an soak up some sunshine yesterday!

And then today! I got a hair cut in exchange for some of my vintage jewellery - cool right? She also just did such a good job with my hair texture and the exact style I wanted - and wasn't too judgemental about my poorly self-cut bangs... I'm THRILLED! It's kind of a cute shaggy retro cut which I am super into right now. And so here's me with my new 'do at the library again, because I spend a lot of time there and the colours just happen to be my "aesthetic". Heh.


Ok! That's it, my gratuitous outfit photos and my thoughts on 6 days of the May 30x30 challenge! I'll report back halfway through again too, and at the end. We'll see if I'm still enjoying it so much then.


~k

vintage earrings ~ shop

You know that feeling when you are thrifting and there's something so good, you can't let it get away? Even though you really don't need it, or it is maybe not QUITE your style? I get that urge a lot. I love thrifting and collecting, but have to be conscious of not hoarding. My solution? Starting a little vintage section in my shop! The House of Ell shop now has vintage earrings listed!

I've already sold a few, which is really exciting! And there's more to come. As you all know, I am a big proponent of sustainability in fashion. As much as possible, I advocate for buying second hand and vintage to avoid encouraging/supporting/funding the creation of new, easily-disposed-of pieces. Alternatively, hand made! Unfortunately that is all-too-often out of my budget, so I really believe that second hand is an accessible option for living fashionably a little more sustainably. The House of Ell shop is my start at contributing to that, beyond just as a consumer!

So have a lookie at the Shop let me know what you think, and maybe keep me in mind should you need some new jewellery sometime!

~ CLICK HERE to get to the House of Ell Shop! ~

decor day dream ~ march

With my room mate moving out at the end of this month, I am in the bittersweet position of having to find some new pieces for my space (bitter because... I'm going to miss her. sweet because, an opportunity to thrift and decorate anew!).

~ I am OBSESSED with these Bodum Nissen ball salt and pepper shakers that I discovered while browsing Etsy. This particular seller, Made in Scandinavia.Net has several of them listed.... so tempting!

~ I have already found myself a thrifted set of 4 pink drinking glasses, but I'm loving the coloured glass thing right now so I am possibly looking for more. I just loved this beautiful photograph from this Etsy listing.

~ Minna has one of my favourite instagram accounts to follow and their online shop is chock full of beautiful goodies. I love the sunny tone of their Panalito runner in gold!


Ok, that concludes this morning's day dream (at least, I'm going to try to focus on something other than those Bodum Nissen balls). What decor items are you daydreaming of lately?


~k


*ps. none of this is paid or sponsored, just sharing some groovy finds!

Oliver 24.12.2019

I wrote this post in December, after we lost our family pup on the 24th. I've never fully understood peoples' deep emotional reactions to losing a dog, beyond just the initial wave of sadness and loss. I'm still feeling it in March and occasionally having little cries. I didn't want to revisit or re-read this until now, hence why I haven't posted it until today.

~

There are so many funny, loving, wonderful minutiae I want to capture in words and remember about this little guy. It has been helpful to hear: love does not end upon death, we exist as memories even when our hearts stop beating, energy exists just in different ways... But there is such a physical emptiness in our house since he left.

I want to remember how he would come running at me when I sat on the floor, then turn and nuzzle excitedly into my lap, rubbing his head against my inner thighs and knees, almost in the way a cat rubs the side of its face against you in affection.

I want to remember the weight of his little 6 pound body in bed, pressed against my legs, using my bum as a pillow. The way he'd re-adjust for maximum surface area contact if you'd change position. The way he'd want to sleep right in between me and my guy, should we both be sleeping, for EVEN more maximum surface area. I want to remember how, if I patted the bed next to me he'd shuffle up and get his head next to mine, kiss-licking my cheek a little, snuggled under an arm.

I want to remember the way he'd sit in my lap at the kitchen table when I worked there, or hung out with my parents after a meal, the way he'd sit on my lap but also lay back into my arms at the same time. Every once in a while, seemingly unprompted, he'd lift up his head, lick his lips, and look up at me with his big glossy brown eyes. Just a little hello via eye contact even after hours of sitting in my lap.

I want to remember how jealous he was anytime my dad and step mum danced together in the kitchen, how he'd jump up at them, hugging their legs as though trying to join in on the dance.

I want to remember the way he'd start his legs running before you even put him all the way down on the floor after bathing him. How he would then run down the long hallway in our house at full speed and rub his wet ears on his personal little carpet.

I want to remember the time I was dog sitting and fell sick, and how he let me sleep for twelve hours without waking me to ask for food or to go outside.

I want to remember the absolutely wonky, ridiculous face he'd make when he'd slept on one side of his face and suddenly lift his head, one side totally flattened, making him look a little nutty.

I want to remember the way he'd station himself at the front window, and perk up as he noticed you walking up the doorway. There was also this tense moment of him staring you down, then as you get nearer, the sudden howling and excitement. I miss being announced every time I went over.

I will always remember these warm welcomes, these melty snuggles, these funny faces, these unhindered, authentic, enthusiastic moments of play. There are so many millions of things I could say, Oliver brought so much to our lives for a beautiful 10 years. I have this picture of us taped up next to my bed, it was taken in September when I last dog sat for my parents. That week is one of my warmest memories of my relationship with this little snuggler, our Moo.

I miss and love you endlessly my little man.

~k

See, Read, Listen: March 6

See ~
One of my favourite bands, Khruangbin, has the BEST posters for their current tour. Take a peek at two of my favourites below:

Talk about groOoOvy.

 Read ~
"Changing 'the tragedy narrative': Why a growing camp is promoting a more joyful approach to Alzheimer's"

This article by Tara Bahrampour is a really enjoyable read and it fills my heart with SO MUCH JOY to know that there are so many people actively trying to change how our society perceives dementia and persons living with dementia. If you want a sneak peek into my work and school world, this is a great great read.

 Listen ~

 

This song doesn't need much explanation - listen to it, wish you owned that hat, enjoy ~


~k

FREE printables: Last-minute Valentine's

Maybe you're not super into Valentine's so all you and your lovvie do is cards.... but THEN.... you forget to buy a card, or you make one and it didn't really match your vision, or you buy a risqué one and begin to question your choices.... (all things that have happened to yours truly).

Never fear, Katia is here! Ha - but actually, these are designed to be printable onto a standard 8.5" x 11" printer paper, then folded into quarters, and voila! The design on the front, the text on the inside right. Free and printable from home!

I originally did this cowboy version for my guy:

But I loved the format and the styling of the fire-y borders, and decided I didn't want to limit who could be a handsome devil in my world. So, we have these three versions to suit whomever your hunny is. ENJOY!

How to download your printable Valentine: click the link to be brought to the full sized image, right click and press "save image". Then, print on your printer! Done! Finito!

If you decide to use these, please let me know! I'd love to see these babies printed and out there in the world!

Check out a previous year's Valentine's printable HERE!

xxK

How to Look Stylish in the Canadian Winter

The most basic answer is: don't.

Unless you drive, or take a cab everywhere, and spend literally seconds outside between car and destination.

Functionality is everything. That means the big, mostly shapeless parkas, the chunky boots that keep your feet on the ground and not over your shoulders, the hats that smoosh your curls, and the extra moisturizer that leaves you a little shiny (it's either that or patchy, red, and dry).

Ok - that's about as cynical as I get, and I always reach my highest point of cynicism in the winter. It's at its worst at this time after the holidays. When the colder weather doesn't signal the imminent arrival of celebration and having fun with loved ones. When all the cold signals is imminent days where you refuse to go outside if you don't have to, but then feel socially isolated and frustrated and rage-y with cabin fever.

I do try to feel a little stylish underneath the multitude of layers required to stay warm and dry. I also have a bright red parka and a bright red hat because I tried to veer away from all-black everything. It's a good way to avoid being hit by cars in this crazy city, but it's also a bit intense sometimes, walking around feeling like a big ol' pylon.

I've been trying to hone in to my real/truest style, too. Yes - I was part of the hoards of privileged people with too much clothing (a luxury) who got inspired by Marie Kondo's TV show (even though I didn't like the show) and gave my closet a purge. I tried to hone in to what type of clothing makes me feel GOOD when it's on me, as opposed to me just liking the piece in itself. Sparking joy in different ways, I guess you could say. Since that, I've been Bunz trading like a mad woman and have made some really wonderful trades. I gave a pair of jeans and a vintage guess skirt for a pair of barely used, off-white converse. I traded an un-worn bathing suit for some really cool earrings. I traded with a girl I had known in highschool but never connected with, and we discovered we were both really passionate about sustainability. Bunzing is helping me feel positive about the connections that are possible in this city, even in the freezing cold.

Ok - I'm digressing. Here are some fun tips for not feeling like a soggy burrito for all of winter:

~ Mix up your accessories: this means, switch up your hats, wear a pin on your hat, switch up your scarf, wear fun socks.

~ Don't be afraid of colour: Sure, in wearing light pants or coloured pants you risk sloppy road slush stains. But that doesn't mean you have to subscribe to all-black everything in an increasingly colourless season. Be the colour you want to see in the world.

~ Wear nice underwear: at least you'll look spicy underneath all the layers! Maybe you'll be the only person to know, but that's all that matters.

~View layering as both function AND style: play with your layers! Wear a colourful sweater under a jumpsuit, wear textured tights under cropped pants. These will keep you warm and keep things interesting.

Ok, that's it for my pseudo-helpful-tip-list-but-mostly-a-rant-about-winter!

How do YOU stay feeling stylish in weather that's bogging you down?


xxK

Sweaters with Stories: Officially Launched!

The House of Ell shop is officially UP and running with the first mini-collection of "Sweaters with Stories" now launched!

Each of these sweaters was made with so much love and care, and I really hope that they can find some good loving homes, bringing warmth and comfort to people as the weather gets cooler (at least in the northern hemisphere!).

You can check out the collection on the House of Ell Shop here!

And of course, subscribe to the mailing list HERE to be the first to hear about future releases, and promo codes as the holiday season approaches!

Thank you to everyone who has sent me kind words so far, I'm excited for this adventure to evolve!

xoK

Sweaters with Stories: Coming this weekend!

I am SO EXCITED to share with you all the work I've been doing the last few months. I veered into new(ish) territory and began making upcycled sweaters. At first I was just trying to make the perfect one for myself, but then I cut up three sweaters and realized I had extra "sweater parts", and so I started to make more.

When I started thinking about how this new mode of art-making fit in with my practice and my beliefs, I started to think about (you might have guessed...) relationality! How does my interest in relational theories and relational aesthetics tie in with these new sweaters I am making? Here's a quote from my online shop to begin explaining:

"Sweaters with Stories are meant to bring relationality back to clothing - the relationship between the clothing, who made it, and who wears it. Each sweater has a history, being upcycled from multiple thrifted pieces. Also, each sweater was made by me, Katia, on a certain day, during a certain season. Each sweater comes with a brief story to tell you about who I was in that moment and what was happening in my life."

SIGN UP to the mailing list so that you can be the first to shop the collection, releasing this weekend.

I think the world of fast fashion is in part so toxic because it removes the consumer so deeply from the production, from the physical actual hands of a human being who put your garment together. I think our relationship to our clothing is toxic, because we don't value clothing in the way we should. We value it as a trend, as a passing fleeting moment that elevates our status in some way. We do not value clothing as treasures that should last us and bring us comfort and make us feel at home. Here is one small move to change that.

If you've been around these parts you know I think a lot about relational theories, and sustainable living. I realized that these sweaters fit into those two categories, AS WELL as being a creative practice. It has been really fulfilling to hit this note in my creating, and I hope that you are just as excited as I am! By buying one of my Sweaters with Stories, you are giving these pieces of clothing new stories, you are engaging with some relational fashion, and you are buying from not only a handmade maker but also a recycled/reused product.

Interested in seeing the whole mini-collection first? You can find the mailing list subscription page HERE !

Window Shopping ~ Pea Green

shirt | jacket | pants | boots

I've been really enjoying monochromatic outfits lately - AND this pea green tone. I desperately want to find some thrifted pants (in my size) in this really subtle and calming colour. So, here's a bit of online window shopping daydreaming and some sweet Etsy finds. Look how cozy that jacket is! Here in Toronto we completely skipped jean-jacket season and moved directly to cozy winter jackets (no parkas quite yet though). This jacket looks like it'd be the exact amount of cozy I need in the grey terrible weather we've been having. Trying to stay positive in gloomy grey weather is so tough! Fun colours for outfits help a little.

xo Katia

A Thought or Two: Trusting Strangers

The other night on the short walk home from the subway station after a slightly overpriced dinner with a great friend, I had two encounters with one thing in common.

A gentleman with a probing cane for vision impairment was walking right into a poorly delineated construction zone - essentially an odd maze of pylons right before a small step down to the next walkable surface. I stopped when it seemed that he may not be able to tell what was happening and offered to direct him out of the funny little pylon zone. He accepted the help and then asked me for directions to the subway and I offered to walk him there. I then offered him my arm for guidance, again he agreed, and allowed me to lead the way through traffic and intersections back to the subway station. You never know what level of vision someone has, even if they have a probing cane, so for all I know he had some vision, or entirely none. It didn't really matter - we chatted and introduced ourselves. The moment that changed my perception of this encounter was when the ground dipped just a little and had some uneven bumps from shoddy pavement work. I felt him hesitate and realized he didn't truly know where I was leading him, or what was happening under his feet. I assured him it was just a matter of bad city infrastructure, an explanation he seemed content with.

Something that has really struck me since moving so near to a subway station is that I now encounter persons living with homelessness almost daily. There are several regular frequenters of my area and I am always a bit hesitant to pull out my wallet to dig out some change - a bi-product perhaps of living in Paris and traveling alone, where you never flash what's in your wallet to strangers around you. I've been thinking about ways to have small change easily accessible to help when I can. This time, on my way home that same night, I had leftover chicken pot pie from my dinner. There was a woman who reached out to me, sitting next to the door of a busy fast food spot. I asked her if she was interested in some food. Immediately, she reached out both her arms, head nodding. She did not hesitate for a second to accept the mystery box of leftovers I had in my hands. I assured her any way - telling her it was a really yummy chicken pot pie and that I really hope she enjoys it. She didn't seem to need to be reassured and was just happy to accept it nonetheless.

I wondered, truly, if I would have been as trusting of me if I were in their shoes. I found it remarkable that these two strangers trusted me - a random person out of hundreds walking by. The first gentleman might not have even been able to see what I looked like and essentially trusted me based on my voice and the touch of my arm and my hand. The woman who accepted my food had no idea who I was or what my motivation might have been in offering food. For all she knew, it was an empty box or filled with something inedible. And yet her arms reached out so fully and openly to accept what I offered. I think I would have been so much more skeptical if I were either of these individuals.

Helping others always feels good - I admit I felt like I had done my good deeds for the day and definitely felt like a good person. That's not really what stood out to me though and not what I hope to relay here. It's important to remember that it was these two individuals who allowed me to help. It was SO powerful to be trusted by two strangers like that. We spend so much of our time - especially those of us who are young women - focused on self preservation and our personal safety. Approaching strangers on the street is something we are taught not to do at a super early age, and just like my aforementioned wallet neurosis, we learn so many tips and tricks to avoid risk from strangers on the street.

These risks are real. The consequences and fears are valid. However, there is beauty in the moments we let down our guard, too. I'm not sure what my conclusion is here, but it just felt good to let my wall down a little and to have others let their walls down for me in return. These days my brain is swirling with relational theories and how to make the world more relational - as you know if you've read this blog recently, so I can't help but connect these experiences to some of those ideas too.

What would the world be like if we were more trusting to those we pass on the street every day, whether they are helping us or we are helping them?
(I'm serious - tell me your vision in the comments!)

Summer Diary ~ 2018

Forever (after, now) remembered as the first summer at the Oriole nest.
A new home, a new space, a new frame of mind.

The Oriole nest feels like the safest place to be; to be entirely me, with my best friend who - surprise! Is still my best friend after nearly 5 months of living together.
The amount of times I was warned, and reassured others, that we still would be. She's a dream come true. We've made such a nice place to live and I am soaking up every minute of it (because I know nothing is permanent).

This summer was marked by the hum and clicks of fans oscillating, by the subway rumbling gently like a faraway thunder rolling across distant skies. Cicadas, zealous chirping squirrels with red tails. It was marked by new music, a deeper appreciation for female voices and song writing, artists that inspire me to be who I am fully. Buying sun flowers for myself. A new commute to work, one where I sometimes bump into one of my participants and we make the bus ride shorter with lively discussion.

I will also remember this as a summer that felt really weird.
Weird like a half-dream,
like a stuck-in-transition season.
Weird like the time between a short hair cut
and not sure whether you want to chop it again
or go back to long locks.
Weird like staying in lake water too-long;
All you want is to stay and float forever but your body isn't made to.

I didn't spend as much time outside as I'd like;
a result of the Oriole nest being a basement apartment?
Feeling grounded,
but wanting the air and the water,
fresh air out of the city,
water I can jump into.

This is the reality of where I am in life:
a young adult,
paying rent in a city with exorbitant costs,
wanting to be in the city
a cool cultured youth some people tell me I should be
(myself a people too).
But then unable to afford a getaway which I begin to crave.

I got some tastes though - a brief stint at a stormy cottage, one or two swims. A visit to my grandma, by her bed as she is fighting an aggressive cancer. Reading by the pool while she rests. Camping overnight after a friend's wedding, listening to crickets and the crackling dying bonfire at four in the morning from my tent, nursing a hangover in a corn field just five hours later. Visiting my parents' house and having coffee on the back porch in the morning.

Celebrating four years together. My big-bearded guy with a big heart and a big mind.
Daydreaming too much about our future together
(sometimes just enough, but sometimes too eagerly -
I am learning to want things in the future
but accept that they are only there, not in the now.)

The day I showed up at his place and he had set up an outdoor table for us to get our hands dirty at, experimenting with dollar store clay,
next to his family's vegetable garden.
Moving his room from a basement we fell in love in, to an upper floor,
smashing a crunchy mattress up small stairways of an old house,
learning to laugh at the neighbours' weird antics at odd hours of the night.

I love him.

As the weather cools, I look forward to holding hands without feeling sticky.
I look forward to cooking and eating soup,
without raised eyebrows at me for eating soup in the heat.

Here's to this summer, and here's to this next season too.
~ xo

A Thought or Two: Relationality in Art

I've felt this heavy shift in the last half of a year. Heavy in the good, planets shifting, mind bending kind of way.

My research and work is in relational caring, relational philosophies for working with persons with dementia. The theories resonate with me, they parallel something deep down in my psyche that I've not ever been able to put words to until now.

Relationality is how I live my life.

My relationships are a central part of my life, organically, naturally, always.

I thrive when I'm connected with others. I have a suspicion that this is how all humans thrive. So do all the relational theorists!

So how has this changed my art practice?

I still enjoy a good hours-long paint session, with good music, just me and my materials and ideas.

But I get a much bigger kick out of making art collectively, collaboratively. At work with my seniors, I work side by side or in collaboration with people all day. It's a freeing space, it lets relationships flow and grow. 

Knowing how good it feels at work to be in connection with others while making art and being creative, it made me wonder how I could translate this to my art practice. For one, I've been trying to make art with friends when we spend time together! For another, I've been re-reading all of my art school materials on relational aesthetics, thinking about how to make it a reality with my skillset.

In May I facilitated an interactive collage installation at an arts and music event. It was a total dream come true to have people come up to my collage wall, with their collage materials in hand, so excited to contribute to the collaborative collage pieces. We made 4 very colourful, bedazzled, and fascinating pieces. I loved watching people make collage decisions I never would have thought of, watching people pair things together or fold things or cut things a certain way. It was beautiful and I can still feel the high of it when I think back to the event.

I want to do this again. And again. And again. I want to make art with people indefinitely and always. It's a beautiful and healing and magical.

So, here's to relationality in art, and artwork becoming less competitive and ego driven - instead, community minded!



~xo

Sunday Diary ~ May 20, 2018

This week was full! 
Yet, I feel I just sort of glided through it without noticing the passing of time. Do you ever experience that? Weeks that you reflect on and suddenly don't remember what you did, who you saw, how you felt....

I only had work two days of the week, which likely has something to do with it. I always lose track of time if I don't have a structured schedule. I worked a day with my seniors and a day with the wedding photographer I work for. I also spent a day working on my research assistant work with a colleague, and I took a day on Monday to unwind and force myself to do a bit of "nothing", after the turbulent Mother's day weekend feels.

Tidbits:
~ Went to my brother's high school art program graduation this week! It's the same specialized program I graduated from, and I am so proud of him and excited for his upcoming university adventures. Here's a fun compare and contrast image for you from my graduation to his.....

~ Spent an afternoon running errands with my step mom and got my new place WAY more settled feeling. Some face cloths, some throw pillows for our couch, a little adorable cabinet/cart that will soon be my art supply storage, but for now homes the record player and our modem so that they aren't just sitting on the floor in the corner! I found it at a thrift store in dire need of a hardcore scrub, but it was cheap and fully functional and worth it!

~ Cucumber Kombucha is my latest favourite flavour - this week I'm brewing up a cucumber and cilantro batch, I can't wait to see if it's as good as the cucumber alone! It's been really fun brewing kombucha these last few weeks - though I admit I'm one of those scaredy cats who constantly thinks I've managed to make mine mouldy. I never have, not yet. It's hard to do but the scoby always looks SO WEIRD that I worry anyway! Ha! Do any of you brew your own kombucha?

~ I bought a camera! And sold my old one. My aforementioned photography boss works with Canon and I've been stubbornly holding onto my Nikon for 4 years. He finally convinced me to buy his extra Canon off of him, and I found someone online who bought my Nikon for his fiancé who wants to get into blogging! I'm SO glad it's going to good creative use and staying in the blogging world ;) Haha. Be on the look out for new and excited photography adventures....


Today, I am off to the farm in the middle of the city - Riverdale Farm. I'm excited to see the baby animals that come with spring and the blooms in the ravine. Last year the entire side of the hill was covered in a carpet of tulips and it was remarkable!

Hope you are also having a great weekend - and a lovely long weekend if you get tomorrow off in your part of the world, too!

xo

Gallery Chat: Transitions

When you open the door to the universe, welcoming change, sometimes it feels like you've opened a pandora's box and the universe begins throwing all sorts of surprises at you. Here, you want change? Have more than you asked for! You want an inch? I'll give you a whole dang mile!

Transition periods can be tumultuous and fulfilling and devastating and beautiful. Moving has been so good but also so difficult. Everything takes a little longer to do as you figure out a new space and a new routine. Everything takes a little more mental energy and I'm left feeling super exhausted all of the time. That's not to say Im not also thriving - having my own place feels amazing. I leave my door and walk down the street and just smile. It all feels like a big, full-body, full-spirit sigh of relief.

Mother's day was sort of tough. While I got to spend it with some beautiful people and celebrate some wonderful mums, my grandma was taken to hospital and things aren't looking great. Not terrible, and I'm waiting on more results before I make any mental conclusions myself, but it's a curveball nonetheless. I got home and felt OK, but also not OK. It feels as though I am in a funny tight-rope, limbo position emotionally. My room mate came home and found me fresh from a little cry prompted by not being able to open the new compost bag (but really about everything else). She promptly brought out the chocolate and made me tea and gave me the biggest hug. I'm so grateful to be living with this gal.

Spring is also in full swing - another transition period. The city is exploding with blooms and gardens are just so full of newness to explore. I thrive in this weather and this season and I'm so glad and hopeful to grow alongside all the flowers and trees, fill out this apartment and this new routine with beauty, and persist despite the growing pains of transition periods.


~~~

Eyes have always been a subject of interest to me - my high school notebooks are covered in endless sketches of eyes. All of my paints are at my parents' house still, so I had some fun trying this out on photoshop today. What do you think?

~~~

Gallery Chat is a recurring post series where words and imagery collide, sometimes unrelated but emerging from the same mind in the same place in time nonetheless. In this series I explore topics and ideas that are on my mind as well as my more recent art works that I want to share with you on House of Ell.

Apartment Inspo: Styling a chocolate brown sofa

Let me tell you a little story about a couch.

It's really a classic story: you have a beautiful sofa, and you arrange to have it brought all the way across the city, only to lug it down (or up) a narrow stairwell, giving yourself false hope that it made it through the front door, only to find that it will not and can not fit the rest of the way into the apartment or house.

You scuff up all the walls with whatever colour your couch is, you get some fingers stuck between cushion and wall, you get sweaty and sad. Yep, we all know this story.

I was given the most beautiful chocolate brown sectional from a gloriously generous friend of my parents' and I couldn't believe my luck - until it didn't fit into my new place. My fella and I had spent the whole day moving, we hadn't had dinner yet, and were feeling so defeated. We dragged ourselves away from trying, couch back into the truck bed, and went to pick up his dad. When we told him what happened, his dad said "Why didn't you just take it apart?". At this point I was hangry, defeated, and thought that was a ludicrous idea because the couch was so beautiful and I didn't want to 'take it apart'. Turns out he knew exactly what he was talking about (it's just undoing 3 bolts from inside the couch!) and helped us to do it the following day, once I was a little less hangry and a little more open to the idea. This simple trick made the couch the perfect size to just GLIDE right into my place (well, it felt like gliding compared to the day before). Man, did we ever feel good getting in after all of that.

I love chocolate brown couches - to me they are the ideal colour of sofa for the purpose of living on them. The risk of spilling wine or dropping chocolate on them feels, well, less risky. That said they're a bit tricky to match with other colours because they're so. deeply. decadent. So, I have some ideas:


~ Orange accents: Pinterest loves this idea. When you search chocolate brown couches on pinterest (and google!) you get a heck of a lot of orange. Sometimes I find this a bit too stark of a contrast and a bit too seventy's for me, even though I love 70's colour schemes, this one's not for me. That said, with the right combination of citrus-y oranges, whites, and a hint of green or turquoise, I actually really like how this looks. It's colourful and bright.

~Textured Neutrals: I love how beachy and light this looks. I also just love an un-cluttered, calming design for spaces meant to be comfortable. We're in a basement so I was nervous to have a dark couch. Turns out it does not feel dark or imposing or cramped at all, so I no long feel we NEED light neutrals for our pillows and blankets etc. They're certainly nice nonetheless, but I can't help but wonder if maybe my room mate and I are more colourfully inclined than this in the long run....

~Fun Patterns: This is the style my mum and step dad have gone with their couch, and I've always loved the way they've styled their living room. They have pillows made of old, recycled saris. We have a 'little India' in Toronto and it's the best place to go for such beautifully ornate and special items. I don't want to veer too much into any cultural appropriation or misuse of traditionally important and meaningful motifs, though, so that's one consideration. I also don't want things to get too busy. But my room mate did suggest that, with items like these, the busy-ness becomes more subtle when you have so much of it.

What do you think? Do you have a preference from these 3 options? I know I've got some design-minded folks following along and I would LOVE to hear your input and any ideas you have!

xo

The Big Move: First Updates

It happened! I've officially made my big move into my new apartment. It has been an exhausting process but an equally as rewarding one so far.

Last week my fella and I borrowed his dad's red pick up truck for some of our big items - including a chocolate brown, beautiful sectional sofa (which didn't fit in the doorway at first, but we found a way!), and we got most of my stuff moved over the course of 2 days. I kept some things at my parents' because I was only doing my official move-in later in the week, as I work from home so often and we didn't get internet up and running until this Monday.

By Sunday evening my room mate Kami and I were both settled in and both stayed the night in the new place. Both of my sets of parents helped me build my bed (thank you guys!) and so while I was surrounded by boxes, I had an idyllic comfy spot to land in after a long day. My coworker gave me the advice that you start with the bed, for exactly that reason. Even if you're not done unpacking, exhausted from moving, overwhelmed by it all, you can lay down and feel at peace.

Kami said it best when I asked her "How is this all feeling for you so far?". She responded with "It's a little anti-climactic, but in the best way. It just feels right." I can't agree more. Kami has been my best friend since middle school and we've lived in different cities on and off for 6 or 7 years. It's such a fantastic feeling to be living together in the same wonderful city now. We're going to have a lot of fun (and she puts up with my weirdness, so that's always a big ol' bonus... as seen above!).

Our new place is right across the street from the city's big big cemetery. This may sound creepy, but if you hail from Toronto you know it's a beautiful and peaceful spot where people walk, ride bikes, and enjoy some nature in the middle of the busy metropolitan city space. Right now, Toronto has been taken over by blooming blossoms on our trees - one of our parks is famous for it. We got to enjoy a couple on a walk home from dinner through the cemetery the other day. So, so lovely. Especially living in a basement apartment now, it's great to have nature so close by.

And here's a little peek at my bed room so far. I'll be arranging and changing things around, but for now this is my little quiet corner with my sunshine mirror for some cheerful vibes. Gotta have my sunshines around!


I can't wait to update you all on my decor progress and whatnot over the course of the next several weeks (or forever.... I have a feeling I'll always be having fun with this space!). Stay tuned :)


xo

Monday Mood 003

Guys! I move TOMORROW. I'm feeling the whole gamut of emotions about it right now, so instead of focusing TOO much on it, I'm trying to think about other things and get some work done. It's hard to work from home while also trying to pack up everything and then working in a chaotic, half-packed space. So here's a mood board with some pretty things that I love (and just a teenie bit of interior decor inspiration).

I've been listening to Lola Kirke all week and she's maybe my latest musical obsession. Her voice is like honey when it has crystallized just a little but still goes down so smoothly. AH. My favourite of hers is Monster, her latest single, which the still in the middle of this mood board is from. I love her red dress in it, I have a thing for red dresses lately. They're so classic but also such a statement.

And a couple of other credits: Aweng Chuol with the flowers, Jessie Cundiff with the many warm shades on the bottom right, Janice Street with the frost on glass (yes! That's what that is!).


Happy Monday, do YOU have anything big going on this week?

As always - if you know the original source of the other images, please tell me. I should just stop using Pinterest finds for these, which don't always link to the original sources....

Journals: Daily Morning Journaling

As I've been preparing for my big move (3 Days left!), I've been sorting through a lot of my old sketchbooks and journals to decide what to keep and what to ditch. Of course, this means going down memory lane and re-reading some of my old journal entries and the many "novels" I'd start as a kid, all with plots suspiciously similar to Harry Potter (but with a female protagonist) or whatever other book I had devoured at the time!

I realized that I used to journal a LOT. And I love being able to re-read through them, especially when I'd capture some good moments (not just the cathartic angsty entries), or when I'd journal some philosophical thoughts and insight I had since forgotten I ever had, or when I'd write little poem bits in the margins. I want to bring that kind of creative and soulful writing back into my life, but it's hard to know what to write about right off the bat, when you're out of practice.

In the past I've tried doing daily journaling to overcome feeling out of practice. I bought an agenda to keep track of which days I wrote what, with just enough room for a quick little journal entry. I also tried gratitude journaling, writing about my shifts at work where interactions are often ones I want to remember.... none of it has really stuck for me.

So when I stumbled upon this list of 31 Morning Journaling Prompts by Marc and Angel, two professional life coaches who blog lots of self help and self development content, I felt a bit skeptical but wanted to give it a try. The prompts are meant to help you self reflect, and begin to think about things differently. I really liked the list and it seemed like a therapeutic practice to get into. The idea of a morning routine also seemed good for me, as I tend to be way more productive in the mornings, especially if I get started right away with my coffee next to me, before I can dawdle or get distracted. I hoped that by starting with some personal writing, I would prime myself for doing my Master's thesis writing, which had been hard to motivate myself to do.

And it WORKED! My routine became really smooth and enjoyable: wake up around 7AM, get a coffee in the kitchen, bring it up to my desk in my room, put some music on and listen through headphones to block out other noise, do one of the 31 Morning Journaling Prompts in my journal for about 10 minutes, then jump into my day of work-at-home! Or, alternatively, get a bit of work-at-home done before heading off to whatever job I was working that day. I found that I could then focus on my school work, or work work, way better than before and I loved the feeling of being in the flow before I even get started!

Morning Journaling has been better than evening journaling for me, because I am often out and about at night, or tired and uninspired. My mornings are when things flow, so it's been good to figure that one out. Also, I decided not to be hard on myself if I miss a morning. I often stay at my fella's place and either forget to bring my journal with me, or would rather drink coffee and do sudoku's with him. So while it is a 'daily' morning routine, I put no pressure on myself to actually do it every morning if something else came up. That said, it became a practice I looked forward to, so it became easier to do it every morning when I'm at home and have work to get to. And of course, because I'm incorrigibly drawn to aesthetics and visuals, I bought myself a date stamp and I just love the way it looks at the top of the page. Especially if I make a mistake with it (it's a finicky little stamp) and have to repeat the stamp. There's just something about the imperfection and texture of it that I LOVE. It's a great addition to the whole routine of it, too.

Do you have a journaling routine? Have you tried any lists of journal prompts that you recommend? I just got to the end of Marc and Angel's, and I'd be curious to try some others!

Let me know in the comments. xx