Sunday, May 31, 2009

Teatro Verde

Today I had the opportunity to visit Teatro Verde's brand new flagship location at 100 Yorkville Avenue. After several years of preparation, the doors have finally opened, and it has definitely been worth the wait. Teatro Verde is a treasure trove of unique home decor accessories and amazing gifts items. They also offer floral services which are absolutely stunning!!

The new store is spread out over two luxurious floors - an entire mansion full of goodies!! Be sure to stop by for a browse when you're in Yorkville.





Visit the Teatro Verde website for more information: www.TeatroVerde.com

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Art of the City

Today was my ideal Perfect Day. No alarm clock, no appointments, no need to be anywhere or meet anyone by any particular time. Sun shining, birds singing, not a cloud in the sky, and a more than comfortable high of 26 degrees Celsius:


With such a beautiful day beckoning, I went for a walk. Yes I did. With no final destination in mind, I went out to wander the streets as though I were a tourist in my own city. And what a pleasure it was!! Who needs to visit the AGO when the streets of Toronto are full of interesting outdoor sculpture?

Memorial to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad workers in Canada
Artist: Eldon Garnet
Figures by: Francis LeBouthillier
Bronze, Wood, Stone
September 1989



The Audience (1 & 2)
(Rogers Center, Northwest & Northeast Entrances)
Artist: Michael Snow
Fibreglass, Paint
1989



Woopecker Column
Artist: Dai Skuse & Kim Kozzi
Fastwurms
1997


100 Workers
Artists: John Scott & Stewart H. Pollock
Bronze, Granite
1988-1998


The Anonymity of Prevention
Artists: Derek Lo & Lana Winkler
Bronze, Granite
2000



untitled (Mountain)

Artist: Anish Kapoor
Aluminum
1995



Triad
Artist: Ted Bieler
Stainless Steel
May 24, 1984


Front Street median across from Union Station


Benches at TD Centre, Wellington & Bay


The Pasture
Artist: Joe Fafard
Bronze
1985


Megaptera (Great Wings)
Artist: George Schmerholz
Bronze, Granite
May 18, 1993


SunLife
Artist: Sorel Etrog
Bronze, Granite Base
November 1984


The Hand
Artist: Sorel Etrog
Bronze, Granite Base
1972

Pas de Trois
Artist: Russell K. Jacques
Stainless Steel, Granite
June 7, 1984


Marlin
Artist: Andrew Posa
Bronze, Granite
1987


Remembered Sustenance
Artist: Cynthia Short
Bronze
1992



Fair Grounds
Artist: Michael Goulet
2003


Uniform measure/STACK
Artist: Stephen Cruise
Bronze
1997


Barca Volante
Francisco Gazitua
Steel
2004




Lesson Learned Today:
Once in awhile, take the time to slow down and appreciate what lies just outside the front door!!

To see where all of these sculptures are located, follow this link to my Google Map:
Toronto Sculpture

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Christie Antiques Show

Today was a perfect spring day here in South Western Ontario!! The afternoon brought bright sunny skies to the region as I traveled 45 minutes west of Toronto to Dundas, Ontario for the Christie Antiques Show. I rolled into the Christie Conservation Area just before noon, on the hunt for a few specific items, but ready to scoop up any good deals on eye catching pieces.

Here is the show field layout, I would estimate there were approximately 300 vendors:


It's hard to capture the scope of the show in photos. Just to give you an idea of the size, consider that I spent 4 hours wandering up and down each aisle, stopping only briefly for refreshment.


This vendor featured Bakelite & Fire King, among others, in MINT condition:


This booth was full of sparkling glassware:


The vendor was asking $45 for the woman with the full skirt:


This is my favourite kind of booth, an eclectic mix:


Aren't these interesting lamps - they'd make great conversation pieces:


A nice mix of glassware & transferware:


See anyone you recognize in this photo?
It's Sarah Richardson & Tommy Smythe,
hard at work on an upcoming project.


By 4 pm, I was starting to fade as I finished browsing the last few booths at the opposite end of the field - time to call it a day.

This was my one & only purchase:


Does the vase look familiar? It's the same vase I featured in this blog about online shopping back in January. The vase is still available on ebay for $100 USD, you can check it out here: Hand Painted & Gilt Victorian Long Neck Vase.
I paid $24.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Design Details...Bookends

Bookends...it sounds like such a boring detail, but they can be a fun decor accessory. My new quest to find a great set of bookends came up after installing a new shelf at the office. The mental picture of a row of binders triggered the thought, "This will be the perfect place for a set of really cool bookends."

If this is what you visualize when you think of bookends, you are in dire need of design inspiration:

I was thinking about a pair of sculptural marble pieces, but after browsing on ebay I found bookends in a variety of materials. The possibilities are endless!!

Vintage Reading Girls


Lincoln Memorial


Egyptian


Metal Sculpture


Antique Chinoiserie


Brass Art Nouveau


Gilded


Bronze & Marble


Next Saturday I'm off to Dundas, Ontario to check out the Christie Antiques Show. A great pair of bookends has just been added to my shopping list!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Small Consolation

A big THANK YOU once again to all who took the time & effort to vote for my condo in the second round of Apartment Therapy's Small Cool contest. This time I was crushed by the competition, but I consider it small consolation that I was beaten by the overall international winner. Honestly, it was exciting to be involved in the contest, and I was honoured to be involved.
Here's a quick roundup of all the winners:





Tiny Winner: Brenden & Shannon
(and Grand Prize Winner!!)