Shop Update

In case you haven't noticed, I've been gradually adding new Spring aprons to the shop over the last couple weeks. Here's a sample... but please head on over to Dear Edna to see more.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Easter Baking

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! I spent Friday screen printing and painting mostly, but I decadently took the rest of the weekend off. We had such gorgeous weather here on Saturday and it was so lovely to visit with my family on Sunday that it wasn't very hard to ignore the occasional pang of guilt. But just because I wasn't sewing doesn't mean I was lazy. Flour was flying and eggs were cracking!

Banana Oat Muffins
Now that I have oats in the house, leftover from this recipe, I want to add them to everything, like banana muffins. Normally I'm a banana bread kinda girl, but I really enjoyed having these around, ready to eat. I donated half the batch to my muffin-loving brother, so I think I might have to bake another dozen this week.
Recipe via AllRecipes.

Flower Cake
My mom asked me to bring a bunny-shaped cake to Easter dinner, but I thought that was a little childish, so of course I took it a zillion steps further and attempted this stunner the morning before. Although I am really proud of how it turned out and the cake itself was deliciously moist, light and lemony, I was annoyed with how much waste there was. I now have another cake's worth of remnants to pick at. Also, icing a cake that has been cut into pieces is not an easy task — crumb city. What we do for beauty.
Recipe via Martha Stewart.

Edna's Every Holiday Shortbread
You may remember these cuties from this post. I couldn't let a year go by without using those adorable cookie cutters again, so I whipped up a batch of these as well. We saved a little extra icing from the cake and made some cookie sandwiches too (Mike's idea). Mmm. I'm going to go have one now.
Recipe via Moi.

The Collectors

I noticed recently that all of the purchases Mikey and I have been making lately have had a common theme. Be it new craft supplies, vintage glassware or wine, we are making bulk purchases — instant collections, if you will. Perhaps this is a result of my new business mindset to buy in bulk or the fever that comes with the rare opportunity of having a vehicle at our disposal. All I know is that there's something in these piles and stacks that is strangely comforting. I hope this isn't the first signs of a hoarder in the making.

I'm also slowing accumulating vintage plates around a common theme. I have yet to decide where I will be displaying them though, so you will have to wait for the big reveal of that particular collection.

Cue Soundtrack: Lykke Li

I almost always have music playing when I sew. Certain songs now remind me of making specific items and the right playlist can keep me going like an energizer bunny for hours on end. So, you can say that music plays a pretty large role in my creative process, and I’d like to start sharing the music currently in heavy rotation while I work. What do you say?

I tend to obsess when I find new music that I like and I end up playing it over and over and over. Right now, it’s Lykke Li’s new album, Wounded Rhymes. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Lykke Li. She's been my favourite artist since I first heard her debut album, Youth Novel, back in 2008, and seeing her amazing live show in Toronto in 2009 only solidified her permanent place on my playlist. For a tiny, 24-year-old Swedish girl, she had such amazing energy and passion.

You can imagine my excitement upon the release of her second album in February of this year. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure if I liked it at first, as it’s quite different from her previous msuic, but it definitely grew on me as a darker, stripped down, almost tribal version of the Lykke Li I loved. Her first two singles (below) are fantastic, but after a few listens, it’s the quiet soulful songs, like Unrequited, that really stand out for me.  Have a listen and let me know what you think.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Shop News

I've been busy sewing up new aprons and over the next couple weeks I'll be listing them in the shop, starting with this beauty. It's a running joke that I fall in love with every new piece I make... and guess what? I have a new favourite! Haha! You have to admit it's perfect for Spring and just in time for...

Mother's Day! It's right around the corner, May 7th in fact, and in case you didn't notice, Dear Edna has several items that would be perfect for moms of all ages. Perhaps I'm a little biased, but I have heard through the grapevine that some moms have been less than discreet recently about their Dear Edna wish lists. And that makes me proud as a peacock. Don't forget shipping to the U.S. can take up to 3 weeks. If you need extra incentive...

During the entire month of April I'll be donating 10% of every purchase to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.

This is a cause very close to my heart, as three years ago, my father was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. It was successfully removed a few months later and he has remained tumour-free ever since. My family and I are eternally gratefully to the amazing medical community that made him a survivor, but are painfully aware that many families are not so lucky. So, we participate in the Spring Sprint 5k walk/run in Hamilton every year to help raise money to find a cure.

For more information on the cause or to make a direct donation, please click here.

E xo

Spring Sprouts

Our first sprout! Is there anything that spells Spring more than that? This is our first year attempting to grow vegetables on our patio and we were both pretty excited to see this little guy. It's the first indication that all of Mike's research and planning just might work and we could have fresh homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce and herbs at our fingertips this summer. Mmm!

Perhaps it was the wee tomato sprout, riding our bikes again, or the warm breeze coming in our open windows, but there was definitely a spring in both of our steps this past weekend. We are both feeling almost overwhelmingly motivated and creative. Over lunch yesterday, Mike said to me, "I have this need to accomplish more." I couldn't have said it better myself. My head is constantly spinning with all the things I want to make. The fruits of which, I hope you should start to see very soon.

Now, as I start another work week, I find myself once again sincerely wishing I could devote entire days in the pursuit of this happy craftiness. It's important to dream.

E xo

One of a Kind Spring Show

Now, for my weekend recap, starting with the One of a Kind Spring Show and Sale that I attended on Friday afternoon with my friend Carla. As you know, I'd been looking forward to this event since December, when I was too busy sewing orders to attend the holiday show. I'd been to the holiday OOAKS twice in the past and scored some great gifts and decorations. Plus, I had been hearing all week on twitter about all the bags of handmade goodies people were coming home with. To sum up, hopes were definitely high.

It was a much smaller event than the Christmas show. I heard someone estimate that it was half the size, and I tend to agree. It took us just over two hours to walk through the entire thing, as opposed to giving up after four hours without seeing everything. There was also a lot more clothing and jewellery, as opposed to home decor, and if you were in the market for kids items, you hit the jackpot. Although we couldn't resist at times pointing out things for the hypothetical bedrooms of our hypothetical children, we were able to breeze by quite a few booths based solely on the fact that we don't have children. I must say, I was a tad disappointed.

But that's not saying there weren't some truly unique and inspiring gems that made us stop, ogle and coo. Aside from the food (we filled up on samples as a substitute for lunch!), we both tended to enjoy the visual art the most. Here are some of my favourites.

                                                                                 

Shuyu Lu / I think this was my top pick of the day, but maybe that's because I've been a little obsessed with embroidery lately. These are actually two sheer screenprinted layers, with the top layer embroidered. Genius!

                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                    Photo via Rambling Renovators

Liscious / This eclectic booth held my attention for quite a while. I loved their modern wood pieces, especially the bird houses and pencil holders, but the paint-by-numbers-inspired paintings were perfectly retro for me. They also had some adorable Lego-man paintings that Carla was particularly taken with, but I couldn't find a photo of them anywhere.

                                                                                    Photo via Astylez Blog

Noelle Hamlyn / This artist was after my heart. She sews and embroiders pages of old books to form these stunning little dresses and textiles. I wouldn't have the faintest clue how to even begin making something like that. Amazing.

                                                                                                                    Photo via Rambling Renovators

Kelly Grace / I've been a fan of Kelly's for awhile now. She's another one of the many that I discovered at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition a few years back. I still love her cityscapes and fisher price toys, but I found myself especially fond of her new date night series pictured here.

                                                                                

 Mizzonk / I found these modern paper cuts very interesting. The subtle bends in the first image above imply movement that I've never seen in paper-cut pieces before and the second one reminds me of a silhouette of a cityscape at night. Simplicity at it's best.

                                                                                                                            

 Biko / OK, so this isn't visual art. But Biko was one of the only jewellers that really caught my eye, so I thought they deserved a mention. Although I enjoyed their pendant necklaces with funky lockets, harmonicas and telescopes, the chunky chains and simple studs were more realistically "me".

I didn't end up buying anything, save some band aids and a bottle of water, but it's safe to say I'm kicking myself now as I remember all these fantastic artists. Sometimes you're just not in the mood to buy, I guess. There's always next time. See you in November, OOAKS!

If not otherwise stated, photos were taken from the OOAKS website. Thank you Jennifer of Rambling Renovators and Alanna of Astylez Blog for giving me permission to fill my photo gaps with your pics. It turns out I'm a rather shy blogger. I'm working on it.

Hamilton Happenings: April 2011

                                                                  Photo via Me2Designs

It's a good thing we took an opportunity to get away last weekend, because there's too many eventful things going on in Hamilton in the coming weeks that I don't want to miss out on. I'm like a stubborn child when it comes to this horrible winter dragging on -- I refuse to keep hibernating and I refuse to wear my coat. So if you see me out and about, please say hi -- I'll be the one shivering in a jean jacket and open-toe shoes. :)

Food & Drink Fest: April 8-10 / This event simply cannot be missed. It is guaranteed to open your eyes to many excellent restaurants, breweries and wineries from this area that you may have never known about. I have attended this event for three years in a row now and it never disappoints.

Art Crawl: April 8 / 7-10 / James St. N. / All the usual suspects, plus new additions to the beat, B Contemporary and Relish.

GritLit: April 7-10 / Book lovers, give your looking balls a rest this weekend and join in this festival of readings, discussions and workshops held at various venues around the city.

Earth Day: April 22 / Hamilton is planning a bunch of different events to promote Earth Day this year, including a 5k fun run and a tree-planting festival.

DVSA Art Auction: April 28-30 / Possibly my favourite art event in the area. Mike and I have won a piece two years in a row now through the silent auction. It's a great opportunity to see a lot of original art and the auction adds a little extra affordability and excitement to the art-buying experience.

Baby Expo: April 30-May 1 / Convention Centre / It seems like just about everyone I know has a bun in the oven at the moment; mommies and mommies-to-be out there, this one's for you. In addition to exhibitors, entertainment includes a babywearing fashion show and giveaway, superhero and princess meet and greets, and a diaper derby (whatever those are).

This is by no means a complete list of the events happening in the city, but merely what has come across my radar that I would personally be interested in attending. If you have any events you would like to add, by all means leave details in the comments.

F.U.N.

A few weeks ago I splurged and ordered two stamp sets from Cute Tape. They arrived this week and I love them to death! They're exactly what I wanted. Little doilies, lace, and vintage sewing notions -- it's very Dear Edna.  Mike and I promptly took them out, sat around our coffee table, and had a little stamping party. It made us feel like kids again. So fun!

Speaking of fun, I have a really exciting three days ahead! This afternoon I'm heading to the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. I've had these tickets since December, so you can say I've been looking forward to it for quite awhile. And for the rest of the weekend, Mike and I are hitting the road: Buffalo to do a little visiting and shopping (Hobby Lobby here I come), St. Catherine's for the NAC art show I mentioned here, and Jordan to indulge in one of our favourite pastimes, wine tasting. A mini getaway full of new friends, retail therapy and good wine.

Full recap on Monday, I promise. Have a great weekend everyone!

E xo