OOAK: DAY 1

The first day of the One of a Kind Show was a great (exhausting) success! We spent some of yesterday setting up for the show which, since I only have a 3' x 3' table, didn't take too long. Today was spent chatting with customers, selling product and constantly evaluating what we would change for next time. There was a lot of scarf display fussing and we decided that if we do the show again we will spring for a normal booth that allows for some wall space and a bit more room to stretch things out. But for now we're learning.

I also discovered that there is a GIANT mural of me in the center of the show which made walking around a bit odd as tons of strangers recognized me from the show's ad campaign. Tomorrow I will bring a brush and a bit of make-up with the goal to look closer to the me in the picture instead of the overworked, under-slept craft lady I was today...

HAPPENINGS

My life has devolved to every single minute spent in my studio, unshowered in PJ's, sewing zipper pouches for the upcoming One of a Kind Show (starts this Wednesday!). As such all of my news occurs within a 1 meter radius of the sewing machine:

1) On our roadtrip home from Puerto Vallarta to Toronto we were lucky enough to stay a night with family friends in Austin, Texas. The couple live in a beautiful old home filled with classic pieces (Breuer chairs!), well framed art and vintage photo studio lights as accents. I became obsessed with finding my own old studio lights and last week we stumbled across a pair. I hope to one day soon have them on either side of a very nice sofa, but while we remain sans-couch they are currently doing duty as bedside lights. (Also to note - my very lovely candle holder by Fieldguided)

2) My Aunt sent me these super cute American 'Scouting' stamps with the explanation that anything with the word 'scout' reminds her of me. Thanks Aunty Pat!

3) New scarf colours for the show. Yes, I know, pink again but there will also be some blue/green options as well.

4) A new leather pouch for the show. I am fairly certain I will run out of product and be left to sit beside an empty booth with a bowl of Hershey's kisses and my apologies so if you are very intent on grabbing a Scout & Catalogue pouch don't leave it until the last day...

MEXICANA SERIES

I've talked before about how the Mexicans really love their fabric stores and the photos above illustrate just one floor of one of the many, many huge textile retailers in Puerto Vallarta (a town of about 400,000). While in PV last month V and I stopped in to one of these giant outlets and I managed to pick up some traditional Mexican striped fabric. These pouches are limited edition and will first be sold at the OOAK Show (starting this Wednesday). If any of them are left after the event I'll post them in the online shop but once they are gone, they're gone. Until my next Mexican vacation that is...

SPELL & THE GYPSY COLLECTIVE

Completely in love with all of this antique Indian jewelry found on the Australian blog Spell & the Gypsy Collective (via Studded Hearts).

THE LAKE

I have never before lived in a city that wasn't nestled right on the ocean. Before we moved to Toronto every time our decision came up people would gasp and exclaim about the horrors of living away from the sea. But when we arrived I noticed that Toronto was situated on a pretty huge body of water - one of the Great Lakes in fact - and beyond waves and salty sea breezes it doesn't really feel like water is missing from our lives here. Especially since Lake Ontario is essentially at the base of my street. So on a particularly house-bound Sunday morning I decided to take a little stroll down to the boardwalk and see what land-locked, big-city water was all about.

After crossing over 2 highways (why would a city planner separate a city from it's major body of water with 8 lanes of high speed traffic?) I arrived at the edge of the lake. It was quiet and peaceful and perfect for a cold moments of reflection. And after half an hour of staring out over the water I headed home which took all of 5 minutes to reach. I can't wait for hotter days when walking down to the lake for a picnic or riding our bikes along the boardwalk is part of our regular routine. Although somehow I think I will like the lake best in the Winter, when the temperature keeps people away and you can feel lost in nature in the middle of a big city.

LUNES LOVES ETSY

With Spring now officially here I thought instead of showcasing one shop for this weeks Lunes Loves Etsy I'd gather a few great items that are perfect for the upcoming season. Whimsical patio lights, the perfect camera accessory, a soft decor touch in a muted palette, the return of sheer fabrics and park picnics from earthenware.

And the winners of two One of a Kind tickets apiece are: Number 7 - Leah and Number 19 - Devon! Please contact me at info@scoutandcatalogue.com with your mailing address and I'll pop your prize in the mail.

COFFEE & TICKETS

V found me some South American coffee sacs which I'm thinking of using for Scavenger Series pouches for the summer collection. The weave might be too course but it's worth a try.

I am also giving away 2 sets (of 2) tickets to the upcoming One of a Kind show. The show is running from March 30 - April 3rd and tickets at the door cost $12. If you are in the GTA and want a pair for free just leave a comment below and I will pick the winners on Monday.

STUDIO NEWS

A few things going on here at Scout & Catalogue international headquarters:

1) V has begun work on the Scout & Catalogue OOAK table. I only have 3' x 3' so we'll see how it all works out. Right now our living room looks like a woodworking shop.

2) Yesterday on his way to Home Depot V found this wee globe on the side of the street. We've been wanting one for a long time so he grabbed it and instantly texted me, 'You should call me Gretzky, because man can I score.' Which, you have to admit, is a pretty amazing text to receive in reference to home decor. Oh, how the 30's can change you...

3) New books arrived in the mail! Dye recipes here I come!

4) I finally caved on aesthetics and allowed for another (practical) steel shelf to be put in the studio. I can't wait to no longer trip over giant balls of fabric and to reshuffle the bedroom to accommodate the low locker and Debbie Carlos print that the shelf displaced.

5) Two new giant crates from Smash to be used for the booth. When lifting up one of them we noticed this silk screened Day of the Dead skull - a slightly more sinister representation of the Mexico vibe...

SMASH

Smash in the Junction is one of our favourite furniture stores in Toronto and last Sunday, with my booth in mind, we made our way up there to see what they had in store. If you are in the market for well edited antique industrial pieces Smash always offers some serious inspiration. After a fair bit of digging we started to get some initial ideas and decided to hold off purchasing until we were sure what we wanted to create for the (teeny) 3 foot by 3 foot space I am allotted. We crossed the street to browse through a few more shops and stumbled into some photography lamps which promptly came home with us and discussed the merits of table stacking of which we decided there were very few. All in all it was an excellent way to spend a Sunday.