Xo.C

Oliver & Co. Home

buy local

Monday, November 28, 2022
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Graham & Brooks

artisans

Monday, November 30, 2020
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Take Up Thy Shears

before & after

Thursday, April 16, 2020
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Heart-Strings & Other Fun Things

COVID-19

Hey friends! Show of hands: who is feeling sad? Or stressed? Or just... weird...?

As the world continues to turn there is a funny mix of feelings that seem to be churning up internally, is this your experience too?

Illustration by: Right Side Studios

For the first week the tightness in my chest made me uneasy until I realized it was from the pushups that I started doing the moment self-isolation was a thing (strange reaction- I know... my knee-jerk reaction to quarantine was to become G.I Jane. WTF???). My second realization was that I was wheezy from chasing kids around for a week- totally out-of-shape; hence the need to work out. And lastly, I realized (on maybe day 3) that I was feeling a hefty dose of chest-gripping grief. Grief for the tremendous amount of loss and sadness that people are grappling with. For those already in poverty, for the added strain on already stressed families and community systems. Not being able to really help and pitch in sends my soul into a spiral of sadness. I'm not really sure where to file that last one yet, it's a work in progress, but I think it helps to say out loud. I'm really sad.

And if you are too, you're in good company. I think we're all processing layers of feelings that we maybe didn't realize we would or could have. But I'm not so sure it's all bad. An emotional reaction to what's happening around the world and right in our little spheres, is the right reaction. It's rough out there and in order to make it through, our hearts are going to have to be painfully open. Open hearts see needs, carry burdens, and help out neighbours.

My kids are struggling with sadness too, so this week we continued to focus on positive activities. Last Saturday we, as a family, created a lip-syncing video for my niece's birthday; wanna have a little peekski?

An upside to this the forced isolation thing is that it has really pushed our sense of how to love people creatively. And I'm so into it! My brain is constantly working over ways we can love people from a safe distance, I'm grateful for the learning.

We also scrounged up $3 in dimes and nickles, washed them really well in soapy water, and tossed them onto a large grassy area for the kids to find. Who remembers finding money in the grass as a kid??? Magic. It's also a good homeschooling activity for younger kids who are learning about currency. Find it. Count it. Repeat.

I spent one afternoon baking Amish Cinnamon Bread (which is a huge lie, it's cake. Fat-bottomed Amish cinnamon cake). This is a good recipe (find it here). Very few ingredients, simple to make, and great taste pay-off. Checks off all of my lazy baking boxes. I made one batch straight up and a second batch with a bunch of peeled and diced apples, both were good.


When I bake I make double, it's almost zero effort to make more and then you can share! #LetsAllGetFatTogether

Baking #COVID19LBS

There is something so deeply nurturing in refined carbs and cinnamon. I'm not saying it's going to fix any problems but it it's definitely the food equivalent of a hug.

And yes, we got outside, it's not all tasty treats and crafty-craftersons around here. Highlights were the plasma car rally around the neighborhood *aside* this was not my weekly highlight, all I saw as I watched my two girls whipping down a hill on wheeled contraptions without breaks or helmets was a very loooong and ill-advised trip to the emerg... so we did it once. I'm not that cool. *end of aside*

Toss in a couple of hours rollerblading, playing backyard badminton, and the hour spent super-gluing googly-eyes on stuff around our property and I'd say that despite the dire global outlook, we had a pretty sweet little week.

Hands-down my favourite. What are you so afraid of little guy?!?

I have to say, I do have a massive feeling of gratitude in my heart for the fact that we're heading into Spring and the weather has been temperate. It seems divinely loving that nature is now reminding us daily of new life, the rebirth of creation, even as we experience death and loss. Timely reminder as we head into Easter.

Keep safe friends. What were some ways you made it through last week?

Xo.

Thursday, April 02, 2020
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Viruses Spread, Love Grows

COVID-19

Illustrated GIF by Right Side Studios Illustration

I have a major disclaimer to throw down before I get into the nitty-gritty of the adventures our family has had during this first (and surreal...) week of ~~lockdown~~ social-distancing:

YOU MAY NOT READ THIS AND JUDGE AND OR COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME (or any other well-intentioned mom-blogger) ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE OR NOT DONE WITH YOUR KIDS THIS WEEK. I'M NOT WORKING, SO I HAD THE TIME TO THINK OF CREATIVE SHIT TO DO WHILE WE ARE ALL HOLED-UP LIKE OLD TIMEY BANDITS. IF YOUR KIDS SPENT THE WEEK WATCHING NETFLIX- COOL. WE'RE ALL JUST COPING.

*also: you may have knocked this week out of the park, if so: well done! I wanna hear about it. I'm obviously going to run out of ideas and I'll rely on your creativity to see me through next week*

SO(!) here's the deal: I have three kids; Wyatt (almost 43 12), Aloha (10), and Jo (7), and they are amazing & smart, bright-eyed and their brains are turned on. My husband Derek and I talk to them about what's happening in the world, and they get it, but it's a lot to absorb when you're little. So my challenge through this time has been to think through how they're processing their new reality and the best way to break the information into pieces that they can metabolize. Without fear. I can handle our crazy weird life, but I reeeeefuse to lead with fear in our decisions as a family or to instill paranoia in their little forming identities.

And, to be honest, I needed to establish a schedule to keep us all on track- we spent Monday foggily forming a plan, but not really moving forward, and they all chased me around the house asking nervous questions like: "what are we doing?" and "what if it lasts months and we can't see..." and "can I watch...", until I hid in the bathroom with my phone and scrolled new headlines and twitter feeds for way too long...

So by end of day Monday, we had made a daily schedule and Tuesday we threw it up on the wall.

The rest of the day Tuesday was spent nailing down what projects the kids were going to attempt first. For Wyatt, I wanted to give him some perspective on COVID-19, let him own the information he finds and really understand it. He happens to love the Middle Ages, so I figured what better a time to learn about the Black Plague (the origin of it, how it was transmitted, who it affected, how it was identified & contained, how/if it was eradicated) and then answer same questions for the new pandemic and compare and contrast. He's decided to organize the research and create a slide-show. COOL! The hope in this project is that he'll have a better understanding of what's going on in the world right now through a comparative historical context, but also, he's getting thoroughly grossed out by pictures of plague-y ridden black fingertips, so a fever and dry cough aren't registering as terrifying anymore. Bonus.

Wyatt presented his project in our home office, affectionately known as: "The Bridge" #nerds

With my girls I took a different approach, we decided to scour the internet for good-news stories popping up on the interwebs showing the redeeming side of human nature during times of trial *fist-bump Mr. Rogers.* Aloha, the older of the two, listens to the stories and then gets to the task of assembling a book full of these stories complete with pictures.

Turns out writing and illustrating books is genetic #dadisanillustrator

Jo and I spent the week creating a giant Love Grows Tree, where we make leaves that correspond with each story so we can be visually reminded everyday that while we're experiencing a challenging time, good things are also growing!

Art projects on the floor, yeeeeeees!

Our smallest sprout putting up the first sign of life on our Love Tree

We spent time in the mornings immersed in these projects, but we also went out for walks with the dog, danced around the house, played games, had family dinners, and watched a few movies. No stress guys, so good! The routines we put in place at the beginning of the week were actually a huge win. I wasn't militant about sticking to the schedule, there was flexibility, but overall it actually gave boundaries and structure to the days in a way that made the kids feel safe and calm because they knew and could anticipate what was coming next.

A house filled with joy and peace at a time when the grown-up world is loosing it's nuts???

Wiiiiiiiiiin.

That isn't to say it was an easy week... Nope. Not even a little. I definitely comfort ate a few stacks of Oreos (COVID-19 *wet-raspberry sound* as in: COVID-19lbs went straight to my arse while in social-isolation) went to bed early every night emotionally fatigued and woke up most days on the verge of a migraine. Because for sure there is uncertainty, times are really intense, I'm concerned and praying daily for vulnerable people in my sphere/community/world, I have no clue what tomorrow holds for our health or careers, and I'm missing my friends and family like crazy; but that's the dynamite that I'll swallow so that my kids retain memories of how the adults in their lives rallied for their sense of well-being and security during such an unstable time.

We'll tell them the whole story one day.

Xo.

Monday, March 23, 2020
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COVID-19 Waters: Who's In Your Lifeboat?

coronavirus

Hey there Internet-Nation, it's been awhile!

Last time I posted, I was writing about local businesses, about shopping secondhand, about frivolous ventures in the retail world; and well, now...

The. World. Has. Gone. Nuts.

Holy hell guys! The Coronavirus Pandemic has become a societal nightmare. A fear-mongering, media-frenzied, Lysol-buying, super mess! Supermarket shelves are bare where there used to be noodles, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. Large stores once abuzz with latte toting perusers are completely tumbleweed city, only amply stocked with bored sales associates busying themselves dusting and reorganizing inventory. SO WEIRD!

It's obvious to all of us (well, at least 'us' here in the West where we haven't been hit hard but are preparing for the worst), that: 'It's Coming." Capitol "I," Capitol "C." We as a nation are getting ready for lock-down and decontaminate protocols. Everyone is on high alert trying to find ways to keep their families healthy and fed; but, are we thinking outside the proverbial Kleenex box?

Are we considering the ramifications of hoarding supplies? Withholding time, energy, and resources and filling up emergency rooms every time we sneeze, out of fear? Are we considering the actual cost of the 'every man for himself' attitude that is so clearly evident in the bare shelves of our grocery stores???

It occurred to me today that the bulk of our rich, Western collective experience of life does not involve high trauma or drama. The major impacts of WW2 are way back in the rear-view-mirror and we are not an impoverished nation. We have good community resources, universal healthcare, and a solid public school system; guys, on the global scale we're riding First Class. And yet, when faced with a Titanic sized global crisis, we've all jumped into our own insular lifeboats and are heading into the safety of our homes without considering for a second who we're leaving behind drowning.

Original Artwork by Right Side Studios - rightsidestudios.com

There will be huge groups of our community in need of life-support. There will be people who:

will not be able to afford to "stock up" their pantries and freezers and will be stuck at home with little to eat or feed their kids
those who will be quarantined at home for two weeks while missing out on vital pay
Single parents who need to work and who won't have anyone to look after their children who are sick
Elderly people or those who are immune-compromised who will be afraid to go out in public or to necessary appointments on public transit for fear of catching the virus

And the list goes on! It's all quickly becoming a global reality.

So what can be done???

Well, for starters, if you are one of those people who has the luxury of being able to stockpile supplies, who can afford to take time off of work, who travels, has savings, or even doesn't sweat the expense of weekly groceries; you have a massive lifeboat. Who are you bringing with you?

Consider asking yourself the question: how can I steward the extra money and supplies I have to help the people around me, in my life, in my community, and globally, if possible?

The smallest of those circles is your extended family and your immediate neighbours. Who can you come along side and bring a meal, offer to drive (if need be), hand over one of your extra Lysol wipes containers or packages of toilet paper? Guys, SHARE.

In our communities, we need to be donating extra supplies to food banks. Those who are going be financially hit by missing work will need extra assistance and if we're all hoarding extra pantry supplies and basic necessities of life, there won't be enough community donations to support the influx of needs.

Also, DONATE (for real, donate)! One of the first things to go in global crisis is financial support to non-profits. Sometimes because we just don't have the extra cash, but mostly because we're afraid of what's coming and our human tendency is to pull back and reserve funds. But we just can't. If you are financially well off, comfortable, or even just "OK," consider being radically generous to the church you attend, the community services you're aware of, or the broader global initiatives that provide relief. Those who have more of the financial pie should (*she said in a very loving tone*) try and carry some of the load that will be created by those who are unable to give for very real reasons. Our churches and community non-profits help the most vulnerable people in our society, it's imperative those services remain strong.

The story of the Titanic has remained so alive in our collective cultural consciousness because of the dual narrative of extreme selfishness mashed up against the stories of extreme heroism and kindness. We have on our hands a new story being formed, a new history being laid out; where are we all going to fall in the history books?

Who's in your lifeboat???

Thursday, March 12, 2020
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The Kitchen Witch: conjure up old world entertaining

featured

Oooooh guys this is a good one! In keeping with my local store bio's, I'm really happy to be giving you a little lookski into one of my favourite shops in town: The Kitchen Witch!

This store has my heart in a unique way because I've had the opportunity to hang out there over this past year and work alongside the owner Donna.

After coming to my Trunk Show business launch, Donna asked me to work a few hours at her lovely, local store over the Christmas season and being someone who likes to juggle a million things, of course I said yes; and here's why...

I went into the Kitchen Witch for the first time after moving to Dundas in 2013 from Oakville. Moving from Oakville is not a detail to leave unnoticed in this story. Oakville is a wealthy community (for the most part), the downtown is quaint in an upscale boutique-y kind of way. I would often grab a coffee and parooze the shops looking for unusual and marvelous things; the types of 'things' you can't buy in a mall. But shopping on Lakeshore in Oakville definitely carries a hefty price-tag. So, in true Char fashion, when I moved to Dundas I made it my modus operandi to infiltrate the local shopping scene and find amazing things.

Queue The Kitchen Witch.

When you walk into The Kitchen Witch, what you actually enter is:

Donna's World of Miraculous and Amazing Discoveries

First impression: I have arrived. Yes to aaaaaaall of this.

Floor to ceiling trinkets & treasures

Looove the dimensions and use of leather on this bucket bag

A quick sensory overload may have occurred as I took in the sweet crooning of vintage bluesy-jazz by way of Billie Holiday; the smell of imported soaps in the air... *pause for dreamy, far off glare* but I quickly snapped back into reality as I noticed how reasonably priced everything seemed to be.

New product line this year, made in Canada and smells ah-mazing

Compared to the upscale and unrelatable pricing structure I was used to encountering in Oakville, The Kitchen Witch seemed like a retail oasis.

Vintage Vinyl floor cloths

Donna, an Intensive Care Nurse by trade, having a love for entertaining and old-world lux, had the moxy to open a shop entirely dedicated to her passion of entertaining and creative living. But that doesn't even begin to cover the range of curious, beautiful, elegant, or hilarious things you'll find in her shop.

I feel like there are so many applications for this card in my life... and it comes with an ass button. Perfect.

Donna in her element at Halloween

Having the word "Kitchen" in title of the store, does mean you'll be able to find some of the loveliest linens around. Amazing printed Italian tablecloths, aprons, and tea towels. TEA TOWELS(!) oh, the lovely array of tea towels from Italy, France, and even some made in a 900 year-old mill in Russia (BTW: everything, everything, seems to have a story in Donna's shop: hand-dipped candles, handbags and backpacks made from reclaimed military tents, handmade jewelry, fair-trade organic cotton scarves, vintage skis made into Christmas decor...the list goes on forever...).

Her broad and varied interests shine through in her collection of interesting stationary oddities, grand light fixtures, the vast array of fine French soaps, carefully selected throw pillows, and her satisfying wall of decorative hardware.

Bottle openers, door-knockers, hooks, knobs, fun times

But what I reaaally love, is that even though there are literally items from the floor to the ceiling, Donna has the most incredible ability of creatively displaying the things in her shop so it feels like you are participating in an event. There is a whole world captured in her small retail footprint.

Everything is so well considered that even her gift wrapping feels loved.

I'm not prone to buying inspirational quotes for wall art, but I like this a lot

You'll find old & new, quirky & beautiful, nurturing & delicious (try the wild hibiscus in syrup...). The Kitchen Witch honestly has it all. I guarantee you'll even find something for your most obnoxious, hard-to-buy for gift recipient.

Vintage tin tile mirrors and hooks

This red wine stain remover is INCREDIBLE!!! Totally natural and handles all kinds of crazy stains

These bath products are delish

So grab a latte and block off some time and check out a Dundas gem.

Don't forget to tell Donna I said hello!

Xo.C.

This tin pigeon had made it into my house. He lives in my little upstairs bathroom. So Funny.

The Kitchen Witch

116 King St. West, Dundas, ON., L9H 1V2

Sunday, February 04, 2018
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Oliver & Co. Home

Oliver & Co. Home 56 King St. W. Dundas, Ontario.

Graham & Brooks

Take Up Thy Shears

Heart-Strings & Other Fun Things

Viruses Spread, Love Grows

COVID-19 Waters: Who's In Your Lifeboat?

The Kitchen Witch: conjure up old world entertaining

Donna's World of Miraculous and Amazing Discoveries

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