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

The St. Lawrence Market

Every Sunday, there is an antiques fair at the Saint Lawrence Market which, understandably, becomes more and more popular as the weather improves (even though it's indoors). I love a flea market, especially when it's busy, and today was no exception.

A sparkly candelabra catches my eye... there is an attachment for a shade, but why would you want to cover it?

There was unused vintage wrapping paper from the 70s, 80s, and 90s for $4 a bag. I liked the simplicity of the stripes on top, but there were also papers with flowers, funky colors, and one pop-y yellow-and-white paisley.

I thought this was just fun!

My scores included a mirror and sterling silver tray ($15) and a tiny, simple box with diagonal gold lines ($5).

With a few bottles of cologne and some accessories, I easily made them into a little dressing station perched on a dresser.

I love the flea market!

A Trip to the St. Lawrence Market

Few Torontonians know about the flea market that takes place Sundays at the St. Lawrence Market which, during the week, is a bountiful source of local, organic foods at reasonable prices. I often venture down on Sundays around ten (many experienced goers will arrive at the crack of dawn, but I'm just too lazy!), and poke around for an hour or two.

By the time I arrive, it's generally fairly busy, which I actually prefer. People walk around carrying mismatched plastic bags full of old books or china, and there is a general feeling of vivacity mixed with the vague musty scent of history.

Batches of cufflinks are displayed (starting at around $2) in vintage, velvet-lined trays. A few stylish pairs catch my eye, but the gaudier pairs are fun to look at.

There are always a few nice etchings for sale, like the one in the bottom right-hand corner, though I am more partial to architecturals.

My scores for the day included a pair of silver-plated English candlesticks, a warm hat with the seal of the U.S.S.R (for fun), and a nice little print, similar to one I'd seen this summer for $800.