A Monday Giveaway!

HAPPY MONDAY & Happy Remembrance Day! It's a long weekend here in BC, and today we take time to remember all of those who have served, fought and died for us. We plan on taking in some of the ceremonies that are happening here in our new hometown today.

I know things were silent here last week! I was busy working on a project that I hope to share by the end of the week, while also preparing for a show that Halle Handmade will be a part of this Saturday. 

And speaking of shows, you know what's coming up SO SOON!? The One of a Kind Show and Sale in Toronto. You know, only my favourite show ever!? Well, since I can't go this year to support my new artist friend, Olivia from Anonum Design Ltd., we'd like to send TEN of you + a friend each to this years Christmas show.

So, how do you win? It's easy, just check out the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So there you go! FIVE chances to win one of TEN PAIRS! All ten winners will be announced on Friday morning! Good luck!

(**Please be aware this giveaway is only for ENTRY tickets into the show in Toronto. Each winner will be responsible for their own transportation to the show at Exhibition Place. Only one pair of tickets can be won per person.)

A "One of a Kind" Experience

As much as we love our new life on the west coast, there is still a lot that I miss from our life in Toronto. Friends and family aside, one of the things I really truly miss is visiting the One of a Kind Show twice a year. Even the trips where I left empty handed were well worth the visit, since there are always so many neat things to see and interesting people to meet.

This year, I was so excited when the One of a Kind Show got in touch with me and asked me to be a part of their Blogger + Rising Star Feature that they are running during the lead up to this years Christmas Show (which takes place November 28 - December 8th at the Direct Energy Centre). Even with all of the wedding and honeymoon craziness, I just had to take part and help them highlight some serious awesome talent from out West! 

I had the chance to meet up with Olivia from Anonum design to find out a little more about her ideas, inspiration, work and some of her favourite local digs. Olivia repurposes old print blankets, giving them new life as belts, tech cases, wallets... and well, she has some new fun designs she is working on as well.

I had such a great time visiting her in her workshop, and felt really excited and energized when I left. I just know that Olivia and her work are going to be a big hit at this years show - I just wish I could be there in person to see it all happen! Make sure you pay her a visit since photos absolutely can not do her work justice, and the feel and look of these blankets in person is INCREDIBLE! I even came home from her visit with a wallet that I absolutely fell in love with.

To find out more about my conversation with Olivia and see some shots of her at work, head on over to the One of A Kind Show Blog! I know you'll all be just as smitten with her work as I was. Oh, and just as a head's up, be sure to come back next month for your chance to win tickets to the show! 

Truly One of a Kind

Happy April everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. We got to spend a lot of family time together and eat some really delicious food. 

I'm a little late on this post, since I spent the latter half of last week nursing our little girl, but I wanted to share my visit to the One of Kind Show in Toronto last week. I hope you didn't miss the show because it was fantastic! The whole set up was beautiful (as always), and it really evoked the feeling of Spring... even when it was still cold outside...

We were served an absolutely delicious brunch by Chef Toben Kochman of Toben Food by Design. I decided to enjoy my breakfast with a tasty lemon meringue tea from Tealish - so tasty!

Each of the little bites we were treated to tasted fantastic. I tried one of each and could've gone back for more, but was itching to get out and see the show floor. Unfortunately, my time at the show was limited to just over an hour so I had to make quick work of my tour. I did manage to find a few really fabulous vendors, and even picked up a little something for Halle. Here's my love list from the show (I've included links so if you missed the show, you can visit them online).

bookhou

I was drawn in by her beautiful totes and bags, but fell in love with everything. If you are in Toronto, you can visit them at 798 dundas street west.

FLAKES PAPERIE

I wish I had, had a chance to go back to this booth. There were a few cards I adored, but I was especially in love with the idea of the Stationery Survival Kit they offered. Never be without a card for special occasion.

little BIG WORDS

This sweet set up was located in the new section of the show, which showcased a number of local Etsy sellers. I loved exploring it, and was happy to get to chat with the owner, Kelli. She actually quit her corporate job to start her business and is a completely self taught illustrator. Her work is fun and cute, and she has cards for every occasion. If you're looking for something cute and clever, make sure to pop by her Etsy shop!

babywrappers

This was the only booth on my adventure that I stopped to make a purchase at. We have one towel at home that we absolutely LOVE for Halle. It's really big and easy to wrap around her, even now that she's a toddler. After having a little chat, I realized that towel was a babywrapper towel (it had been passed onto us from a friend)! Knowing how much I already LOVED this product, I grabbed a second one for our baby girl. If you're looking for a great baby shower gift, or even a great towel for your own little one, this is a great option.

red thread

If I had more time, and a bigger shopping budget, I could've spent every second, and every penny, shopping here for Halle. The designs and fabrics were gorgeous and I know that Halle would look beautiful in these dresses. 

Other booths that I visited, but didn't have too much time to hang around are below. Pay them a visit - they deserve it!

baby magoo - I loved their handmade hooded towels

love at first blush - these stunning leather accessories caught my attention as soon as I saw them in the show books. They are just as beautiful in person, and I will be adding a few to my own wish list!

Handsome and Lace - Also located in the Etsy section, their ties caught my attention in the show book as well. With our wedding fast approaching, I was hoping I could find some ties for B and the groomsmen. These pieces are beautiful! I'll be paying a visit to her Etsy shop for sure.

Monster Lab - I adored these monsters, and was drawn in by how adorable they were. I would've loved to by one for Halle, however, I'm not too sure how she would react to them right now... but possibly in another year these may be the perfect toy for our little girl. (she's going through a phase where she is scared of very odd things - trust me, these adorable monsters are in no way frightening).

So there you have my morning at One of a Kind Show Toronto. It was a short trip but so great, and I do hope that I can come back to Toronto and visit the Christmas show this year as well. Did you attend the show this weekend? What were some of your favourite booths? Did you pick up anything fun? I'd love to hear from others who went!

Stepping Out...

I wait for this day all year... seriously. This morning, Halle and I are headed out to the One of a Kind Show with a few of our friends from our Mommy Connections class, and also to see Jen speak. 

I always love picking up special little Christmas gifts here, finding new vendors and of course visiting some of my old favourites. A few other bloggers were lucky enough to attend the media preview breakfast last Thursday (wish I could've joined you ladies) - and if you can't make it, you can read their reviews of the show, which I've linked to below. Of course, I'll be back next week with my very own look back at my favourite bits of the show.

One of a Kind Show Reviews from Blogland:

Lisa from Wicked and Weird

Jen from Rambling Renovators

Vanessa from Decor Happy

One of a Kind Show Shop - Round 2!

The One of a Kind Shop is open for a second round (September 27 - October 10th), with a larger selection of fantastic buys! I must say, this little online shop is definitely getting me excited for the show in November. Here are my favourites this time...

Love these pinecone napkins! Perfect for a fall dinner party, or your Thanksgiving table! Even better - the set of 2 is only $20!

Looking for some new fall clothes? How about the pretty Dulce Dress for $100?

Looking to dress up your home instead? Loving this textile artwork. The colours are fantastic, and so is the $65 price tag!

Or if you're looking for a gift, this reversible fall floral necklace for $34 is a great option. So pretty!

What are you loving in the shop this time around? Will you be buying anything, or did you score something fabulous from the first shop? 

One of a Kind Shopping

If you read this blog regularly, than you already know that I'm a big fan of the One of a Kind Show, which happens twice a year here in Toronto. (If you've missed my past reviews of the show, you can check them out here and here) Well, something exciting is going on with One of A Kind that means you have a chance to shop some of their fabulous artisans more than just twice a year. Yes, my friends, One of a Kind currently has an online shop up and running until September 19th.


The shop includes one piece from 10 featured artisans. Only 25 of each piece is available and everything is priced under $100... not too bad, right? Here's a look at my favourites from what's available...


I wrote about the work of Lesley-Anne Green in my Spring show review. I adore her work and this adorable felted lion is no exception!! Cute, right?

I love anything that represents this wonderful city I live in, including this silk screened journal cover. 

This leather pouch is just gorgeous, and I think any girl would love to carry this! 

This shop is such a fantastic idea to get shoppers ready for the One of a Kind Show. Now that I'm seeing the work from more of the artisans who will be there, I'm even more excited about this year's Christmas show!

Will you be attending the One of a Kind Show this November?

... and another reminder to check out my MyMemories giveaway from this past Monday! Make sure to check out my post and enter for your chance to win a copy of MyMemories Suite 2! Contest will close on Sunday.

One of a Kind Spring Show - Revisited

This past Saturday, I spent some time on my own wandering the floor of the One of a Kind Spring show. As I've mentioned before I LOVE the One of a Kind Show and never miss it (check out my review / favorites from the Christmas show right here).

As you've probably read from other bloggers, the Spring show is not quite as large as the Christmas show, and is more focused on fashion and jewelry. Needless to say, I was largely drawn to baby related items this time around (no surprise there, right?). Of course, I brought along my camera, with every intention of snapping some great photos of my favorite booths, but it died before I even arrived at the show. FANTASTIC! So, here are some of my favorite booths that I visited this past Saturday...

The creations of Lesley-Anne Green were far too cute to pass by without giving them a closer look! They were adorable and whimsical... and what can I say, anything that would look cute in a nursery is speaking to me right now.

Make sure to swing by her blog and check out all of the cute felted animals she creates. I so wanted to take one home with me for the nursery... but we're on a budget right now. So I had to take her card and save it for future reference.

I was immediately drawn into the booth of Lillian Chiu of Bamboo Lily when I saw the adorable beach robes that said "Peanut" on the back....

I loved the cute selection of baby and toddler clothes made of bamboo. What's better than something that is eco-friendly and will be super soft and breathable against babies skin? Check out all of the little outfits she has on offer over at her online shop.

Speaking of bamboo clothes for baby, I was also happy to stumble across the booth for babibu.

Again, a wonderful booth full of soft and sweet clothing and blankets for baby, that were breathable. I had to tear myself away from a tiny yellow onesie I wanted for the Peanut. Restraint people. But check out their online store... lots of cute goodies!

Liligo was brand new to the show this spring, and I loved the adorable little outfits they had, all made from vintage bedsheets. The patterns and colours were so fantastic, and I was so happy to learn that they could be used as a dress for baby, but then as a swing top as baby gets a little older. It's nice to know your investing not only in a recycled pieces that's been given a second life, but also something that baby isn't going to grow out of too fast.

Cute, right? Check out more on their website.

I left with a little something from another new artist, Electropura.

They sold baby and toddler clothes made from vintage t-shirts. So what did I leave with? This cute little Wagamama t-shirt.

Why? Ever since my first visit to a Wagamama in London, England in February of 2005, I've been collecting t-shirts of all of the one's I visit. I picked one up when we were in Dublin in 2009, but they had already stopped making them by city, so my shirt says "Wagamama Ireland". Add another one to the collection, from a city I've visited... but for baby! Excellent!

Of course, not everything I looked at was baby related. One of my favorite home decor related booths had to be Dotti Potts.

The gorgeous pottery and jewelry made me want to take one of each home. Again, I was good and just admired and brought home one of her postcards so I could shop sometime in the future.

I did leave with something other than that cute little tee as well. I made a stop into the Spa Sisters booth and absolutely fell in love with their line of baby products.

I was so excited to find something I could use for both me, and baby, without having to worry about the ingredients. It was also great to meet a twitter friend in real life. Check out their online store... they have more great products (not just baby stuff) that are all made with pure and natural ingredients. How can you say no to that?

Lastly, I couldn't not share with you the whimsy that was Wonderchild Studio.

There were gorgeous full scale sculptures, as well as tiny little 1/12 scale dollhouse scupltures that blew me away. So cute and so tiny. Loved looking at everything in her booth.

I know... baby overload. I apologize, I just couldn't help it on this shopping outting. There's always more design and decor related posts to come, but I just couldn't not share my favorites from the One of a Kind Show. I'm already looking forward to December!

Did you attend the show? What were some of your favorite artists and booth's to visit. I love knowing who to check out the next time around.

Love for One of A Kind

The One of a Kind Show is a must for me twice a year. Spring and Fall, I never miss it! As you may have seen from some other fantastic Toronto bloggers, last Thursday was the media preview breakfast for the One of a Kind Show here in the city. It was a great way to get in there and check out some of the 800+ talented artisians before the place got really jammed (which we all know it does!).

I started the morning off wandering around with a few others, snapping some pictures of the beautiful set up.

Afterwards, we sat down to a delicious breakfast cooked up by the students of George Brown College, who work at the Chef's House...

Everything was delicious (I fell in love with the breakfast tea poached pears - YUM!)... and then it was time to get down to the stuff we were really looking forward to. Checking out some of the incredible artisans that had assembled under this one roof. The theme to the show this season was Love, in particular love for the artisans... and love them I did!


The work of Hilary Cosgrove was the first booth that I spotted and fell in love with... check our her work...

The little birds, the owls... those alphabet pillows! Everything in her booth was adorable, and in my opinion great for adults and children alike. I brought something home for myself from her booth... I'll share that another time though!

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to wander around on Thursday - so I headed back over yesterday with B and my parents to have a longer stroll around the building and check out some other booths. Our first stop is one of our usuals... where the talented artisan knows us. Terry, from Fables, Fantasy & Fairy Tales is a One of Kind veteran, and member of their Hall of Fame!

Each of the fairy's are hand made with the faces hand painted - so they are extremely delicate and each one unique! Terry also does custom pieces. A couple of years ago we contacted him in the early fall to recreate B's parents favourite wedding photo as a Christmas gift... and it was breath taking! I wish I had a photo handy to share, but trust, he does an incredible job! Looking for a life like cake topper? I recommend his work!

We continued down the aisle and stumbled across the beautiful stained glass work of Michelle Hiltz.

I adored that beautiful snowflake, and how lovely are those leaves? B stopped to ask her about her process and it was beyond impressive to hear what she goes through to make her lovely pieces! 

After visiting Michelle we popped over to Pietersma Tinworks. The booth is just as beautiful as all of the pieces within it...

We have some of his tin tinsel on our tree and it's beautiful (and pet friendly!). He also creates gorgeous lanterns and how about those night lights? His little booth was packed with ladies snatching up all kinds of lovely tin pieces shortly after I started snapping photos... and I'm sure it will be that way throughout the show!

During our travels throughout the show floor, I was also drawn to the adorable booth for open door designs, who create puppets and puppet theatres.

I loved how soft and whimsical these gorgeous little puppets were. B and I agreed that puppets are something we thought are a little lost among kids today, but these were so fantastic! There was such a variety of different creatures... I loved the dragon, and B was a big fan of the devil (go figure).

One of the last booths that I knew I had to share, was the work of Katie from Lost Nation. Her whole booth immediately drew me in... in particular, her gorgeous light fixtures!

Made from sticks and driftwood, all of her pieces are so lovely - check out her humane antlers! She mentioned that a lady had picked up a pair for her nursery - isn't that such a sweet idea!? B and I also thought her large light fixture would look great in our front entrance when it's finished. 

Just a few more booths that I visited but didn't snap any pictures of (but knew I had to share): Fine Wood Ornaments, Katie McLellan and Art Toy Universe Studio. 

I couldn't thank these talented individuals enough for letting me get in there and snap pictures of their beautiful pieces of work - but I just knew I had to share them with my readers! If you're interested in visiting any of them in person, the show is open until December 5th at the Direct Energy Centre on the Exhibition Grounds. It's a great day out, especially if you need to get some Christmas shopping done - B and I picked up a bunch of great little things! 

Have you been yet this year, or do you plan on going? Would love to hear what your favourite part of the show was this year!