Bed bath and book= a big day.

I have been thinking a lot about the final two posts for suitablycool. I would like to go out with a bang; write about some really cool adventures, gorgeous crafts, mind blowing recipes and throw around some new ideas brimming with possibility. And yet, here I am back in bed at 12:58pm on a rainy Tuesday afternoon barely able to keep my eyes open.

Watch laundry dry while reading outside- check.

The truth is for the last couple of weeks the bulk of my life has consisted of reading, sleeping, watching Freaks and Geeks and having baths.  Not very adventurous, except perhaps in one way: this is potentially the first time in my life where I have actually stopped. Really stopped.

After a busy May, I promised myself that June was going to be a month of rest before the baby came. Note: I say things like this all the time and then somehow manage to fill up my days and nights with projects.

Watch herbs grow- check.

But surprisingly June has been a real rest month. I would like to say this is because I have undergone some kind of spiritual evolution, but it’s truthfully because I just don’t have the energy. My body has decided to call the shots and for the first time in my life, I am slowing down. There is no gas in the tank.

Eat cookies- check.

At first, it made me really anxious. Beyond work, I had tasks to cross off lists, emails to answer, cards to mail, projects to start and baby things to prep!  But in the last few weeks, the anxiety has subsided and that nagging feeling of “I should be doing something right now” pops up less and less.

For the first time in my life I am ok with letting a day slip by into the night without accounting for how much I accomplished in that 24-hour period. Maybe this letting go, is the ultimate preparation for becoming a parent?  I think I will ponder this as I crawl under my duvet.

See you next week.

A little note: thanks to everyone for so much amazing support through the last 9 months: the thoughtful advice, the friendships, sweet emails, offers of help, surprise backyard dinners, “unshower” bbqs, picnics in parks, the passing on of clothes and baby things, endless enthusiasm, love, support and laughter. This kid is so lucky to be surrounded by the most amazing group of people!

The Mason jar

Yes, today I am writing a whole post devoted to the Mason jar! I do love them so! Mason jars were invented in 1858 by John L. Mason and remain a staple around our house.

Di sold these lovely vintage mason jars on atouchofvintage.com If you ever see this style be sure to scoop them up- they are treasures!

They are inexpensive, plentiful and effortlessly classic. They change to fit whatever environment they are in. They can be used for just about anything, not just the canning and preserving that they were intended for. (Although that is seriously back in vogue these days. More on that later.)

A little bargain shopping.

Sure you can spend lots of money on high-end containers, but you can also go to your local thrift shop and get some mismatched mason jars for a quarter or two. They’ve got charm!

A little scrub and voila!

Bring them home, polish them up and you have containers for grains, cereals, teas, pastas, nuts- you name it.

On display.

Use them for cutlery and chopsticks- they sure look swell on the counter top.

Sweet smelling.

Flowers always look so fresh and lovely in mason jars.  So unassuming and quietly elegant; they let the flowers take centre stage.

Buttons

They make great storage for sewing notions or in your workshop for nails or screws. You never have to guess what’s in there- just take a look!

Office helper

In the office they make pens, pencils, thumbtacks, paperclips easy to reach.

Water jug

They are an alternative to re-usable water bottles. Many of them have measurements on the side of the jar so you can gauge your h2o intake. They sure look pretty with a bit of lemon, lime or mint floating in them. I definitely drink more water in a day when I am using a mason jar.

Patio season at night.

My favorite use for the Mason jar is for candles, outdoors in the summertime. So pretty!

Fill it up with rainy day ideas

The Mason jar is also great for craft projects like the rainy day jar that was posted months ago- take a look!

Mmmmm beets

But let’s get back to the original purpose of this wonder jar: canning and preserving.  Over the last few years, interest in canning and preserving has been enjoying a resurgence amongst a new generation of people.

Here are a few links to organizations that are hosting canning and preserving workshops or have hosted them in the past. Google “canning/preserving” in your part of the world and see what you come up with. Nothing prettier than mason jars full of sweet goodness that you grew, harvested and canned yourself. Have a great week!

Everdale farm

Evergreen Brick Works with presenter Not far from the Tree

Toronto Community Garden Network

You Grow Girl- the last workshop was in May, but check out the site to see if/when they are hosting another session.

The beginning of the project- a month ago.

Happy June!  A few months ago I wrote a post about getting a nursery together for the fresh baby on the way. Cut to a few months later and I am realizing that the nursery is really more for me than the baby. I don’t think the baby will care too much at all and will actually be in our room with us for the most part.  But I sure had a blast putting it together!

The beginning:

What a mess I had jammed into the closet,

and into the hallway,

and into my office.

Mike with tools- oh the power!

The bed is pulled apart.

The crib is put together...

and the trim painted.

My goal was to repurpose, re-use and borrow as much as we could. (There are of course deal breakers!)

Part two:

The wallpaper crew shows up!

My mom and sisters Amy and Emma gave up a Saturday and came to wallpaper. If anyone can get vintage wallpaper on a wall it is my Mom. I know it wasn’t easy but she has the magic touch!

Amy and Emma pose with paper.

I asked them to take some shots for me as I had been banished.

The gang 2 hours later.

There was laughter, tears, a few meltdowns and lots of chocolate and 2 hours later: ta-da!

Change table before.

The change table from craigslist needed some love. I didn’t think I wanted a change table but I have heard that it can be killer on your back without one, so we started to look on craigslist and got this one used  for $25.00. The lady I bought it from was very cool!

This should do the trick.

Some paint and left over wallpaper did the trick…almost ready to put things back together again.

Part 3:

So cute!

I had some old hooks from Ikea which made perfect towel holders. I added sweet little Chinese/English flashcards as decorations.

Happy bench.

This mid-century bench made its way from another part of the house. I think it’s happy here. (Truth be told, this bench originally came from my sister Amy. I not so secretly coveted it for years.)

Baskets and benches

Baskets under the bench will be perfect storage for books and toys. I bought these baskets on Spadina a year ago. (They used to hold my underpants!)

The change table after.

We added a bit of low VOC paint around the trim to match the crib and I papered inside the drawers and on the bottom. We bought an organic cotton change pad with a very fancy gift certificate! The painting is by Mike and the Chinese horoscope hanging was a gift from my Mama from a trip to Hong Kong.

Over- stocked!

We decided to use the dresser we already had. It is stocked full with baby clothes from friends and family! I love knowing our friend’s kids wore these clothes. The little horse is Michael’s from when he was a baby! It is in pristine condition.

Little dresser details

More details

You can never have too many globes! Did I mention I know where you can get great vintage globes? Atouchofvintage. Ahh shameless plugs!

Ikea- yup.

This fixture was purchased new specifically for the room. Cheap and cheerful. The old one was like a 1980s spaceship but not in a good way.

A long view.

The rug is a faux sheepskin was bought last winter to keep a draft out of our bedroom.

The other side.

The crib and change table and faux Eames rocker. The rocker was a gift from Michael a few years ago. It’s one of my favorite things.

Window side.

Wow- this room is long and skinny. It’s hard to get it all in one shot!

Closet afterwards- a bit of breathing space.

There is still a few things to be added- Mike is designing a big alphabet poster for the blank wall by the crib and we are making a cool mobile next week, we have cloth diapers to pick up and a couple of blankets but we are in pretty good shape! I wanted to make sure it was a room to grow into and not a room full of stuff right off the bat.

Thank you so much to all our family and friends for their advice, time, encouragement and generosity.

Have a great week!

A couple of weeks ago I turned 40. There is a long running joke in my family that I was born at the age of 40 because of my serious and pragmatic nature as a child and for the most part I would agree. So to be actually turning 40, I feel like I have kind of caught up with myself finally. I feel weirdly grounded.

Birthday breakfast in bed, surfing! Bliss!

There is a lot to be said about aging in our culture. Many of us spend a lot of energy trying to fight the clock and stressing about getting older.  Some of us worry about beauty fading as we age, synapses firing less and generally losing what we “had” when we were younger.  It’s pretty understandable, as we live in an age of that glorifies and commodifies youth.

A fancy b-day decaf latte courtesy of Mike.

But I think it’s high time to celebrate getting older. Everyone’s doing it, you can’t stop it, so you might as well embrace it, breathe it in and enjoy the wisdom that comes with it. I may be one of the few people I know who lie about their age- the wrong way.  Half way through 39 I was telling people I was 40.

The rest of the day was spent transplanting ferns and working in the garden.

Birthdays are a great opportunity to re-evaluate. I ask the same questions every year. Am I happy? Fulfilled in my career? In a loving place with my friends and family?  Am I angry? Am I hanging on to old baggage that no longer serves me? Am I stuck in old patterns? Am I living life fully? What things do I want to do in the next year? What can go, what can stay? What needs to shift? It’s a good time to be honest with myself and move from there.  After that, it’s time to celebrate. Acknowledge the day quietly or with a big bang.

Dinner! Queen and Spadina at 40.

The past 40 years have brought me to this place in life. The road has not always been smooth and things rarely turn out the way I think they will – but it is mine and I forged it.  I hope the next 40 are as full of adventure as the last 40.

50 here I come!

My Gramps.

On Tuesday March 30 my Grandpa Maurice is turning 90 years old. I am writing about him today to share with you his joie de vivre, his curiosity, humor, his grace, resilience and flexibility. The way he lives his life is an inspiration to me.

Gramps and his car.

After living his entire life living on a farm in Northern England, my grandfather embraced the decision to move into town and start a new life there- an enormous change. Although I know he misses the farm a great deal he has adapted to his new home with excitement and gusto!  Rather than plowing fields, he now potters in his pretty garden. He still takes his daily walk, no longer down winding country roads, but to the little café in the heart of the town.

Grandma and Gramps.

My Grandmother passed away last year. My Grandfather still grieves very deeply but he still gets up, puts on his dress shirt and pants, his smart vest, his tweed jacket, his polished dress shoes and jaunty cap and starts his day. He still looks like a perfect gentleman. He says he does it for my Grandma.

My sister Anna and Gramps.

My Grandfather goes church every Sunday where he has met many new friends. Afterwards he enjoys lunch at the quaint hotel in the centre of town as a treat.

Gramps goofing with my sister Emma.

My Gramps loves to sing and recently has been known to strike up hymns robustly whenever and wherever the mood hits him. The Rivers of Babylon is a current favorite. He also loves to recite poetry.  He learned Wordworth’s “Daffodils” as a child in school and still recites it by heart. I think my love of flowers comes from him.

At an early 90th party a couple of weeks ago.

This week my grandfather’s new laptop arrives. He has never used a computer before, but can’t wait to get his e-mail account working! Did I mention he just got his passport renewed? He is also practicing for the local rugby tryout this spring- at least that is what he told me on the phone last Sunday…

At the market teahouse with Emma.

My Gramps is much loved. He has a constant stream of Canadian visitors coming and staying with him, often for extended periods of time.  I think my Dad and Jenny spent as much time in the UK last year as they did on Canadian soil. My sister Emma just got home and my youngest sister Anna is there now. She is documenting all of Gramps’ stories: the Second World War, his life growing up in England, stories about my Dad as a child. This takes place over gallons of tea and jaffa cakes. I feel blessed that as adults, we are getting to know our Grandfather in person, after a lifetime of letter writing.

Gramps and Vic now.

My Grandfather is proof that you are never to old to embrace change, to seek out adventure, to open your heart even as it breaks, to laugh and sing and enjoy every precious minute of this life.

Gramps and Vic then.

Happy Birthday Gramps. I love you!

Daffodils by William Wordsworth

Well March did not come in like a lion at all this year.  We have been enjoying sun and warm temperatures for the last few days here in Toronto. I keep wondering if March comes in like a lamb, will it go out like a lion? Lambs or lions, March is one of my favorite months of the year- winter is soon behind us and spring is on our doorstep.  Here are 5 great reasons to love March.

#1. Daylight Saving Time- March 14, 2am. You know how it goes: spring forward, fall back. Yes, we set our clocks forward one hour and lose an hour of sleep, but it’s hard to be too grumpy when you get an extra hour of daylight. Mmmm daylight!

#2. First day of spring: March 20. Spring is officially here. Gotta celebrate! If it’s lovely out, maybe a bike ride is in order?  If not, how about an indoor picnic with fresh flowers?

#3. St. Patrick’s Day: March 17- A great excuse to wear your most fabulous green accessories, leave work early and drink green beer.

#4. Earth Hour: March 27, 8pm- Join with people around the globe and shut out the lights at 8:30pm local time. Organized by the World Wildlife fund, last year over 88 countries and 4000 cities shut off their lights for an hour to bring awareness to climate change. Read more here: http://www.earthhour.org/About.aspx

#5. If you happen to be in Toronto over March 17-21, come and check out Canada Blooms. I think the website says it best:

The Flower & Garden Festival invites you to visit a paradise bursting with six acres of stunning gardens in full bloom, more than 100,000 square feet of green thumb shopping and more at Canada’s largest and most prestigious flower and garden festival.

Ok one more:

#6. March Break: the kids are out of school and it’s a great time to take that road trip you have always wanted, or take your nephew bowling or your niece rock climbing. Remember how much you loved March break as a kid? Channel that energy and get yourself out there!

Drop me a line and tell me what you love about March.

When I found out I was pregnant, Mike and I made a list of things we wanted to get done around the house before my due date. So far we have had the last remaining rug in the basement pulled up and laminate and tile put in, a little kitchenette ripped out and a closet installed in its place and a bathroom repainted.

upperc.drywall@gmail.com- that's Alejandro's e-mail.

(Many thanks to the amazing Alejandro!) We also hope to get a new downspout and put in a fence before the end of April.

Two rolls of vintage wallpaper for the back wall of the room. Thanks to Diana!

Needless to say I hadn’t even started to think about pulling together a baby’s room… or at least that is what I thought.  Without realizing it, I had been gathering things for this little nest…and the feel of the room is quickly, organically taking shape in my head.

My old cedar lined trunk-dragged home from a vintage store in 1996. With a little paint a new toy box will be born. 7 years of taxes need to find a new home!

My goal is to buy as little new furniture as possible and to get my creative juices flowing!

Sarah's baby chair from her childhood (and long before that) on loan to us!

I hope to repurpose what we already have, move things from one room to another, re-use, re-paint, paper, find thrift shop jewels, treasures in the trash, hand make crafts, pull out old things from childhood, swap items with friends and let it evolve naturally.

Mike's first camera.

I am very lucky to have many friends offering to pass on pieces of furniture that were much loved by them or their children or pieces that they no longer use! Very lucky indeed!

The vintage red Samsonite cases will make for bright storage!

You don’t need to be decorating a kid’s room to get creative – any room will do!

From the bedroom to the baby's room.

Please feel free to pass on any ideas or inspirations my way!

Childhood essentials from Mike!

**Watercolor by Michael Chan.

Where will this take me I wonder?

When I started this site last July I really had no idea where it was going. The site itself was a suitablycool experiment, taking me where it would. I would know where I was when I got there; the getting there was the adventure.

Hello there!

An opportunity to join forces with regular contributor Diana Coatsworth on her etsy shop A touch of Vintage has come along and I am going to jump on board! My love of all things vintage, scouring thrift shops and my online obsessions will have loads of room to grow in this new venture.

Vibrant violet.

What does this mean for Suitably Cool? A Weekly Wednesday post will start next week. A weekly post will make it possible to put my energies into road trips, vintage finding missions and late night shipping! I have a few new guest writers working on some exciting posts in the next few weeks so be sure to pop in!

Vintage brooches.

You can follow on suitablycool on Twitter for updates or join my RSS feed at the top of the page.

Pyrex!

And check out A TOUCH OF VINTAGE here for some really beautiful vintage fashion and decor with lots more to come in the following weeks!

Peek-a-boo.

Thank you for your all of your comments and support these last 7 months! It means the world to me. I am so lucky to have such wonderful readers!  I hope that you will continue to pop in on Wednesdays and let me know what you think!

Lovely lace.

Have a sparkling weekend!

Vic

This is what happens when you start working on your yummy “Vietnamese salad roll” post and realize you didn’t buy the proper ingredients, the avocados you did buy are not ripe and it is now 10 o’clock at night….

1.

2.

3.

4.

Pretty sure today will be better!

Headache grey skies again.

Does the grey weather leave you feeling a bit flat? Are you starting to daydream about April showers and yet it is only January? I have a cure for your winter blahs. The Hyacinth.

Hyacinth madness on Broadview!

Yes, the hyacinth is out in full force in sidewalk flower shops, grocery stores and even hardware stores. White, pink, purple, you chose.

Not yet in bloom!

Their intoxicating scent will announce their presence long before you see them. The heady fragrance will transport you to lush flowering fields, warm sunshine and the promise of spring. Your shoulders will drop an inch.

Springtime on a winter's day

I seem to recall Hyacinths being available at Easter most years, but here they are in January, ready to combat your rainy day blues!  Place them in a window and let the fragrance fill your house and remind you that the days are getting longer and that spring is around the corner. (Ok, the corner is a few blocks away, but you get the picture.) All this for about $6.00. Better than a trip to the spa!