The market.

Last weekend I found myself in Kitchener-Waterloo at the Bloomin Arts Festival with Diana and a touch of vintage. We were there alongside 60 other artisans on the steps of the Kitchener Farmer’s Market.

Almost set up...

After set up I had a chance to wander around the farmers market and was wowed by the hustle and bustle taking place under this roof all well before 9am.

A view from the top floor.

The indoor part of the market boasted permanent stalls selling baked goods, flowers, meats and cheeses and outdoors, underneath an enormous car port, there were vendors selling gorgeous fruit and veggies.

So vibrant.

Whenever I travel, I visit the markets as soon as I can. There is always such vitality and life in local markets with people going about their shopping, conversing, bartering, laughing, relaxing and enjoying the bounty around them. Markets make me feel alive and a part of things.

The flower market.

This specific trip reminded me of a couple of things. First, that farmer’s markets all over the GTA (and no doubt close to where you live) will be opening in the next month or two. It’s a great opportunity to get out there and support your local farmers! I can think of no better way to spend a Saturday morning than filling up my bike basket full of locally made/grown goodies for a beautiful meal at home that night.

My favorite destination.

This trip also reminded me the St. Lawrence market in Toronto is a wonderful place to visit year round and I never seem to find time to get there. We have friends coming to visit from Calgary on the weekend and I know they would totally dig it! (Having friends come to visit is the perfect time play tourist in your own city!)

Delightful!

Thanks Kitchener- Waterloo!

For a list of opening markets in the GTA go to the Toronto Farmers Market Network.

Last August I bought a composter for the backyard and was very excited to start my own compost program at home rather than just relying on the city green bin program. I noticed immediately that we had about an1/8 of the compost to send to the city on any given week- it felt good. I managed to keep up with the composting for the most part throughout the winter months, although I admit not as much as I did during the spring, summer and fall.

John

Last weekend my brother in law John and Jonathon came over and planted cedar hedges all around our side property- a living fence. I was thrilled!

lined up cedars

A yard we could actually use and a green fence that would fill in and would grow with us for years to come.

Jonathan

Along with pulling out an old metal fence, putting in a railway tie, planting cedars, digging new flowerbeds, moving plants and transferring sod, John also helped me move my composter. After pulling the top off, he said, “Do you want to use this compost in your new garden?”  “What?” I said, “There’s usable compost in my bin?”

The insides of my composter. The stuff on the bottom is GOLD!

I was over the moon. Only 8 months after I started, with just a couple of minutes (if that) a day, I had a wheelbarrow full of usable compost!

No way!!!

No trips to the garden store lugging big bags of cow manure home; this was compost from our own kitchen and that felt deeply satisfying.  In that moment I felt that anything was possible! Goofy I know, but it was empowering!

Into the new flowerbed!

I am now fully back in the swing of composting again. Every veggie scrap from the kitchen makes its way to the bin. I can’t wait to see the results after a long warm summer ahead. Just in time for fall planting.

The new bed taking shape.

There’s lots of ways to compost even if you don’t have a yard: Google “indoor worm composters” and start reading. If you do have a yard, many municipalities sell composters for a song or you can check craigslist for someone selling a used one.

Mike does some finishing touches.

So many thanks to John and Jonathan for the amazing transformation in our side yard and of course to my nephew Jonah for keeping us laughing through the wind, snow, rain and sun last Saturday! What a day!

The bed in the foreground has been replanted with sod and new seed, the cedars are in and ready to grow and the bed on the right is full of transplanted beauties...

Japan holds its many cherry blossom festivals between March and May every year in different regions of the country.

Although it is one of my dreams to visit Japan during cherry blossom season, I am more than happy to take in the beautiful blossoming that is taking place at home as I write this.

The weather combination of a few sunny, warm days followed by a few wet ones has got Toronto in full bloom.

This is the perfect time of year to don those sandals for the first time, hop on your bike or take a walk around the neighborhood and literally stop and smell the flowers. Have a lovely week!

7:30 am-set up starts!

On Easter weekend I helped Diana out at her 2^nd annual yard sale. I brought a bunch of stuff along to sell and at 7:30 am we got things moving for our 9am scheduled start!

Getting prepped in the middle of the week.

I love a good garage sale and have been to many but this one was spectacular! It was a week’s worth of prep on Di’s part and it was worth it. A little attention to detail took this sale from good to great! Here are a few of her tips:

our first customer

Di started advertising the sale about 5-6 days beforehand on craigslist, Facebook and Twitter. Social networking sites are a fast way to get the message out. Putting up posters outside neighborhood coffee shops and by parks also brought in lots of people.

grab bags

Remember birthday party grab bags? Di packaged up groupings of items and put them into grab bags, labeled them, priced them for a buck or two and watched them fly off the table.

memories....

My favorite grab bag was filled with the make- up Di used in the show “Cats.” It included a picture of her in her show make-up. It was hilarious and a big hit.

fantasies for a quarter

All the items were priced clearly – cute and fun signs gave a clear place for the bargaining to start.  They came in handy when it got busy!

coffee is on

We set up a coffee stand selling Kicking Horse coffee for a buck. Such a great idea!

pretty picture

We had muffins too, but they got eaten…mmmm muffins. I think I had 2 before 8am.

table set up starts

We set up tables to ensure there was an easy way in, out and around the sale creating a natural flow of traffic.

bright and cheery

Di used lots of old suitcases as displays, which were really eye catching and she had a mirror set up for people trying on clothes.

this rolling rack came in so handy

We kept as many things off the ground as we possibly could so people didn’t have to bend down too much…. just little details.

hats off

We rearranged items as things sold to create easier access for customers.

and it begins...

Hands down the best part of a garage sale was meeting people and listening to their stories.

working the coffee bar

People told me about their kids, why they were buying the items they were buying, told me jokes, reminisced about their childhoods, passed on little bits and pieces of their histories and random bits of advice about parenting.

Di models my favorite item: the whoopee cushion handbag.

I laughed a lot and had some really great conversations.

the free pile

At the end of the day we put out the remainder of items on the lawn…and popped up a “free” sign next to them.

wrapping it up

We had been at it for 8 hours and were pooped. I came back later that night and almost everything was gone. What a treasure to walk by a house with cool stuff in front of it with a “free” sign on it!

Me and the bun: making the big sales.

I can’t wait to start garage sale-ing myself next Saturday! Hey, are you planning a garage sale this year?  Want to share some of your tips?