'A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer,

it sings because it has a song.'

-Lou Holtz

Night Out

Two nights ago, we had dinner at Malena, the new Mediterranean fish restaurant by the people who brought you l'Unita. What can I say? It was absolutely fantastic.

The restaurant opened only recently, and is fairly modest on the outside: a set of stairs lead to the door of a townhouse, the only indicator of a restaurant is the insignia on the window. But what a restaurant it is. An all-driftwood paneled hall leads to the dining room done in a cool palette, with Louis XVI chairs and a banquette line one wall, and a bar and staircase the other. Our server was quick and very attentive; warm bread and cold water brought right away. The menu boasts everything from ricotta agnolotti to grilled spiced quails and lots and lots of fish.

I began with a half a dozen oysters - three East Coast and three West. They were plump and delicious, and came with two unique sauces, one was agro dolce and one 'Bomba,' which was slightly spicy. Now, call me old fashioned, but I missed a nice bit of cocktail sauce, even if these were original for a change.

I had the very nicely pan-fried trout special, perfectly pink with some nice greens on the side. This is not the sort of place where you will have to borrow your date's glasses in order to see your entree, nor is it the sort where you will be afraid that your pasta will eat you; the portions are perfect.

Finally, we split the chocolate cannolis, whose crumbling shell and slightly coffee-flavored ricotta filling were the perfect end to a great Italian meal.

BTW: sorry about the lack of pictures, when I go to a restaurant, I try to find pictures online, because I don't like taking them while I'm there, but the website didn't have any.

Malena:

120 Avenue Road

(416) 964 - 0606

www.malena120.ca

Collections

I love collecting things. Boxes, furniture, accessories, and a great deal of these I get from traveling. I love organizing and 'curating' my collection, filling it with interesting objets and arranging them to keep things exciting. I'll forgo the little Trevi Fountain model or the double-decker bus-shaped teapot, and instead wander around on Via Condotti or Portobello Road for beautiful things that I can see and reflect upon.

I love grouping like colors together. Above, a Peruvian vase, Argentinean silver box, and little bronze horse bust sit on a colorful tray from Lima.

And here, a trio of Harvard Classics rest on a silver tray from Paris, topped by an interesting marble bookend from Rome.

Dishes and tableware are two of my favorite things to collect. Glasses from Paris are the best, so interesting and elaborate yet simple at the same time. Linens from France are also a failsafe, and they tend to get softer every time they're washed. The plates are from Italy, and the bone-handled knife is from Argentina, where they eat a lot of steak.

The red box from Mexico is made out of a beautiful, scented wood, and the horn cup and egg are from Argentina. They look lovely with a watercolor behind them, which I picked up at a local market in Peru.

An ashtray from Cusco is topped with an antique comedy book and an inlaid turtle from Mexico that I bargained for (from $30 to five). You can get anything for any price in countries like Mexico or anywhere in South America... even some places in Europe!

I love Venetian masks, and this handmade one came straight from where it all started. Another one of those scented boxes! From boxes to crystal to antiques, you can get what you want when traveling, you just have to look for it.

... of the Month

A new feature on my blog, ... of the month will showcase great places, stores, restaurants, etc. every month. This month, it's Toronto store L'Atelier, which is always full of unusual furniture and objets d'art at fair prices.

I'm not even in the store and already I want everything! The bedside tables, the lacquer boxes, the lamp; my mouth is starting to water.

As soon as I walk in, I see this great Muranoesque chandelier in purple blown glass. Statement lighting? I think so.

I love these mercury glass chalices, but I wish there was a size in between the large and the small.

This phrenetic bust reminds me of the movie My Fair Lady, which starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Professor Henry Higgins had a few of these in his two-story library in the musical remake of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.

I loved these framed starfish hung above a simple water feature. They remind me of one I have in my bedroom in our house in Southampton

As you've probably surmised from my blogging record, I'm a big fan of vignettes, and L'Atelier has some of the best.

A burlap light fixture is very Parisian...
... and I loved this whimsical butterfly watercolor.

I thought these bells would be fun to hang on the side of our house in Southampton. You could ring them at dinner time to call everyone to the table.

L'Atelier:

1224 Yonge Street, Toronto

(416) 966-0200

Master Bedroom

A master bedroom should command attention, but still be inviting after a long day. That's exactly what we were thinking when we bought these great chairs covered in a knockout chinoiserie fabric; comfortable, stylish. However, the space was a bit bland. I'd envisioned a table between the chairs, something more substantial on the mantel...

... and throw pillows that would go with the chair fabric and the ottoman.

I started realizing this spaces full potential by cleaning off the bookshelves (housed by chicken wire, which I don't really care for) and replacing books and accessories stylishly.

The mantel was next. Old black and white photos in black frames are the ultimate (and affordable) art failsafe. I layered in a newly purchased mercury glass ball and a faux-bois vase. I added a few little things like an old baby's shoe and an Asprey clock.

Finally I have a table! Somewhere to put my book, some flowers, and a glass of wine. I also found these interesting round pillows, and they totally match the fabric.

A tray on an ottoman always works well, just be sure to use contrasting colors! It's a great place for magazines, a candle, and maybe a piece of art.

Et voila! The finished product. Everything I'd want in a reading space: comfortable chairs, a little table, a fire, and a place to put my feet up.

Spring Cleaning

Well, let's just say I owed someone a favor and she asked me (the anal-retentive person that I am) to help her clean her desk. And by 'help,' I mean drag papers back and forth to her to see if I could throw them away. Then, with a shake of her head, she'd decide and I'd get back to work. Behold, the before:

And this is what I did. I started by clearing all of the junk off and onto her kitchen table. Then I used her vacuum and cleaning supplies to give it a good scrub.

After that, I began to put things back and decided that she needed a little bulletin board, so I rushed home, grabbed one of the million frames I have in my closet as well as some pretty paper, and stuck it all together, along with some corkboard.

Then, it was finding appropriate yet aesthetically pleasing ways to hide all of the clutter that would inevitably accumulate after I left.

I cleaned out the drawers, but also found this pretty box in her basement for stamps and her iPod that she uses frequently.

The most important thing when you organize yourself is not only to find places for things, but also to throw them out. She had random receipts from years ago and millions of little papers with illegible scribbles on them. The second important thing is to think of everything that you use and find a place for it, such as the bulletin board, stamp/iPod box, and tasteful calendar (below), that I bought as a gift for her from The Elegant Setting in Southampton.

I also reorganized her letter caddies so that they would never become so full again.

Finally, we spent hours going through this little filer, discarding old documents and putting the ones we were keeping into appropriate places.

Above all, when Spring cleaning, be merciless!

Saturday and Yorkville

Well, it's Saturday in Toronto. Where to go on a Saturday in Toronto? I know... Yorkville! Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones to think of this; there were about a million cars in the underground garage where we parked, as there are every weekend. First stop: lunch at Holt's Café, the chic little restaurant at department store Holt Renfrew.

We had a nice lunch of grilled chicken tartins and Diet Coke, followed by cappuccino. A modern-day balanced meal, no?

On our way out, we passed this mannequin in a striking gown by Oscar de la Renta, which was very exciting, and...

... there seemed to be a croquet game happening in the foyer.
I think I found my summer shoes (white leather Gucci's)...
... and my summer socks. These will be a knockout in Southampton, n'est-ce pas?
At Harry Rosen, I discovered designer Robert Graham's collection.
I dub thee, the conservative Etro.

Of course, we stopped at Mo Ro Co, the (slightly overpriced) chocolate store du jour for some macarons. I quite enjoyed this young lady, swathed in edible haute couture...

... complete with chocolate heels! We had a salesperson assemble a box of six of the delightful little confections. When she went to ring us up, there was something wrong with the credit card machine, so the manager came out and told us they were on the house; good management. The only problem with that is, now I'll have to go back and actually buy some some time... oh darn!

We took a stroll down Duplex Avenue, and into Hazelton Lanes, an upscale shopping gallery.

We stopped in Via Cavour, which features collections from Pal Zileri, Brunello Cucinelli, and Etro.

Next stop: the little Asian flower markets...
... where color waves of fresh flowers thrill the senses.

I bought some, and then headed home, where we had a little tea party with Lucy, our black standard poodle. Now, macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons) from Toronto don't touch the ones from Paris (particularly a great bakery called Pierre Hermé), however these were pretty great! We had raspberry, burnt caramel with salt, and, my favorite, pistachio.

I arranged the rest of the flowers. Roses...
... and tulips.

'Time is a great teacher,

but unfortunately it kills all its pupils'

- Robert Bloch

Block Party

In light of the recent amazing weather we've been having, we decided to throw a little neighborhood cocktail party. We finally got to bust out all of the cushions for the Dedon outdoor furniture that we bought last summer, because we totally re-landscaped our yard. This is the lounge area, complete with the 'fire pit' and slate tiles. The Sunbrella cushions are from Pier 1.

I took my inspiration for this informal tablescape from a photo of a rustic French chateau that a friend e-mailed me. The provence look means simple, well-used, and lots of mismatched, so I put out a bunch of different cheese knives (because who likes to use a cheese-knife that's already been used?).

I used simple plates to put out pretty collections of provence-inspired glass- and flatware, all of which was gathered around the fire pit, in case it got chilly (a good call, because it did!).

There was white wine for the adults, and a sparkling pomegranate and blood orange juice thing I found for the kids at Whole Foods. I also put out some pretty tulips.

The Dedon furniture was something we just stumbled upon at Studio B. They're weatherproof (we left them out all winter) and very stylish, no?

I put out cheese from Quebec, olives, nuts, and my new culinary innovation: the Bresaola cannoli, which is a blend of black pepper, olive oil, and ricotta cheese wrapped in a slice of Italian cured beef. Delicious, if I do say so myself.

Finally, the mismatched glassware, much of which we bought on our November trips to Paris.