The 2015 Panda Calendar is here

Incredibly, last year's fun little project wasn't just a one-time thing. The evidence is right here in my office, in a box that arrived over the weekend. I'm so excited that Panda calendars have made it back for another year! The tradition continues: all profit will be donated to the shelter that saved Panda's life. Without the tireless work of the Frontier Animal Society, our beloved Panda and hundreds of other sweet, furry little souls simply would not be here today. Their dedication and genuine concern for all those in their charge is truly heart-warming and very special.

If you have a pet lover on your holiday gift list, this will provide them with a year's worth of smiles and the knowledge that you have also contributed to a very fine organization. Or, if you're in the mood to treat yo self, this is a fabulous opportunity to do so and give to a good cause to boot.

Panda would like to reassure you that many carrots were harmed in the production of this calendar. A special thank-you to my sweet Christian for taking these shop photos! Please help us sell out, which we almost did last year! You can purchase your very own Panda calendar here. Happy 2015!

This Week at Finnegan's

Two Saturdays ago was our last Finnegan's outing of the year. It was bittersweet - half the vendors were already gone, there was a chill in the air, the skies were dark. People were giving each other hugs and wishing each other a good winter - it felt a bit like the end of camp. I bought a bag of beautiful deep red Empire apples from the Verger Hudson stall and we made our way into the barn, where a box full of silvery goodies awaited us.

Christian had been eyeing a silverware set for about three years - yup, three years, that's how we shop. I love pretty silverware and was willing to wait for just the right set; that is to say, affordable on top of all the other requirements I had in my head. Call me a weirdo, but there's so much to be particular about when it comes to just about anything, and for me that includes silverware (although, being particular does not lend itself well to shopping on a budget - which is why it often takes us years to buy stuff). The proportions, the weight, the length of the fork tines, the spoons - oh my gosh, the SPOONS. Perfectly round soup spoons, please. I don't know why this is so important to me, but it is. This set included the best dessert spoons I've ever seen - perfectly proportioned, with a matte gold bowl. So pretty.

Salvatore's stall is a fixture in the barn: beautiful serving pieces, silverware and accessories, and always a sweet little dog (one of their several) taking a nap in the chair at the back. We negotiated a special end-of-the-season price and he was kind enough to polish and sharpen all the knives for us - although now we're afraid to use them. They’re very sharp. Thank-you to Salvatore and his wife for making our last purchase of the season so memorable. Until next spring, Finny's.

Fresh Work: Ten Oaks Project

It's a big deal when one of your clients celebrates their tenth anniversary; it becomes that much more significant when you realize that you've been with them right from the start. When my sister Sonja first told me about the Ten Oaks Project, Holly and Julia Wagg weren't married yet and were hatching a dream - a dream that became reality thanks to the hard work, dedication and love of many caring folks.

Last Saturday, I hopped on a bus to Ottawa to join them in celebrating ten years of love, diversity and inclusiveness. It was a very touching event, filled with beautiful testimonials and heartfelt appreciation - not to mention glitter, crafts and cake. The Ten Oaks Project has transformed the lives of so many - if you haven't heard of them, do take a look at all the good that they do. Over the past decade, as I shifted between agency and freelance work, I collaborated with them to create their Camp Ten Oaks logo, Bowl-a-Thon posters, their first website, their annual reports; Christian and I visited Camp Ten Oaks and photographed their very first summer. Whenever I could, I donated my services. I've watched them grow, thrive, and develop even further - notably, Project Acorn which my awesome sister Sonja dedicated so many years to.

Most recently, I had the pleasure of designing their tenth anniversary logo, badge and invitation. It was my first time designing a badge and I am so hooked - must design more badges. So much fun.

Dear Holly, Julia, Sonja, Mark, Lee, Hannah and the entire Ten Oaks team and family - congratulations on your ten years, and here's to many more life-changing decades ahead of you. I'm so pleased and honoured to have been able to contribute in some small way, and I can't wait to see what we come up with next. Happy, happy anniversary :)

(thank-you for the photo, Holly!! xo)

This Week at Girlfriday's

Last Saturday's torrential downpour put a damper on our weekly Finnegan's outing so we decided to tackle my art wall project. There's a big blank wall in my office that I had destined to become a mini art gallery - three years after moving in, I'd finally collected a sufficient amount of pieces to at least fill a good part of it. I started by arranging everything on the floor in our living room. Christian measured the wall I wanted to cover and marked out the width and height with tape on the floor, and we noted where the light switch, dog food (not shown ;) and filing cabinet were positioned along that wall.I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - it's a fun collection of artwork, prints and photographs. There's a lot more wall left to fill so I have years of satisfying flea market foraging ahead of me...I'm so lucky to have original artwork and prints by both friends and family, and some antique pieces handed down to us from Christian's lovely mom - they do a nice job of balancing the more random items that had caught my eye at Finnegan's. Looking forward to filling in the gaps over the next few years. Thank-you to Christian for the photographs! <3

This Week at Finnegan's

I've been slowly collecting pieces in order to assemble an art wall in my office - I'm pretty close to a full wall, and this lovely print definitely fit the bill. It's called "Out of the Stubble" by Archibald Thorburn, and according to this print it's a special supplement to the "Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News" August 28, 1897. Thirty bucks, perfectly beat up wood frame included.