Come on over, take a seat, let Auntie Char tell you a little story. A story of real life magic...

I have had the pleasure of visiting a new local shop called The Printed Word over the past year and each time I visit, I end up with the most incredible books. It's funny because as I write the word "books," I'm keenly aware that the word doesn't come close to describing what it is I actually found there. In fact, the whole premise of visiting a bookstore and buying a book sounds super ordinary, like, "yeah? Aaaand I had 2 cups of coffee this morning...".

Are you confused?

"Why write about it at all!?"

Hang on, lemme explain...

I have been to The Printed Word several times. Early on, to find books for my kids who were 8, 6, and 3. I wanted something that wasn't Geronimo Stilton or Harry Potter, or like, the Magic Tree House books. I wanted something of good merit, something exciting and well written. Something that my kids would get lost in.

 

Listening intently, owner James, nodded and led me to a small section of books by an author named Enid Blyton. I had heard of her once before from a good friend who had also visited the shop and had read one of her books called: "The Secret Forest," but what James recommended was a series of her books called "The Enchanted Wood," "The Magic Faraway Tree," and "The Folk of the Faraway Tree."

To date, they are my son's favourite books. They are the books he will keep coming back to. They have become a part of the narrative of his childhood. Which is amazing!

I even could wrap up here and say:

"Well, so there you have it! Check out The Printed Word! Owner James clearly knows what he's doing, the store is amazing and local, so what are you waiting for!?"

But it's not enough. If I read all of that, I'd still feel like... "So... books... Yay! Also, Amazon... sooo easy..." 

Here's why. Here's why The Printed Word is a thing of beauty...

I went into the shop about a month ago with my dad who was, again, looking for a gift for my now, 9-year old son. My dad, who has zero hesitation in engaging in boisterous conversation with our friendly locals, gave James a personal profile of the gift recipient- The gift was for:

- a 9-year old boy

- who is an advanced reader for his age

- and likes magic and wizards

- who is also very creative

James, again nods, and says something like: "right, I know the type," and then bends down and picks up a book off of the bottom self, located in a sea of books stacked floor to ceiling and says:

"This is a book called Kaytek the Wizard by Janusz Korczak. It was written long before Harry Potter, actually before the Second World War. It is one of two books written by Korczak who was a Polish-Jewish school teacher to Jewish children. He only wrote two books because during the Jewish roundup, when all of the Polish Jews were taken to extermination camps; Korczak, boarded a train with his children (refusing repeatedly to accept sanctuary) and was never heard from again..."

And then he handed my dad the book...

I'm not going to lie, I felt froggy-throated and a little light-headed. I felt like we had just been handed an amazing gift.

Guys, James IS an amazing gift. I think it's because to him, at least in what I can deduce from my interactions with him; is that books are not just books. They are three dimensional, relational, living, breathing, things. His store, IS an amazing three dimensional, relational, living, breathing, thing.

I go into a bookstore and feel overwhelmed by choice and by the 'not knowing' what's good and what isn't good, and James has a whole store full of personal life experience. I would hazard the guess that he knows the inventory of his store like Ollivander knows the wands in his shop. There is a story or a poem that is just right for you.

I think the bottom line here is that you can shop on Amazon, you can go to Chapters, but if you want to have the experience of actual real-life magic, to dig up treasure, and find beautiful works of art, check out The Printed Word. It's an experience worth having to find the books that are worth treasuring. 

Xo

C.

The first time I meandered into 7th Heaven Fashion Exchange, in my cozy little town of Dundas, Ontario, I was expecting a regular consignment store. A place to root through racks of mediocre second-hand clothes and maybe turn up an interesting article of clothing, or like, a cool belt, and be on my merry way, fashion find in hand. What I found instead was Beth and her amazing fashion oasis.

Allow me to explain....

7th Heaven Fashion Exchange is not a consignment store and it's not a thrift shop. Owner Beth, buys her clothes outright from ladies looking to sell off their lightly worn clothing, shoes, and accessories, and then sells them in her shop. In adopting this business model, she is able to strategically and lovingly select the items she wishes to re-sell, so in effect, everything is carefully curated. And buds, 

Whaaaaaaat?!?! Yup. Heaven.    

As I poked around the store, coffee in hand, I quickly realized this wasn't an ordinary store; it was clearly the physical manifestation of someone's creative life's passion and joy. Beth. 

Beth has intentionally created a shop with a "warm friendly atmosphere," a place that feels like a "great, cool, chick hangout," so that women feel liberated to shop and joyfully try on and discover new things. When talking about her shop's vision and purpose, you get the distinct sense that Beth's objective is to help the women who come into her shop, feel loved, nurtured, and excited about what they find. If you ask her, she'll tell you she's not a "label-snob," (but she still manages to bring some heavy-hitting labels: Louboutin anyone?!?) that she's interested in good quality (lots of great leather...), and unique items; but that she's priced things in such a way that everybody can find something (no word of a lie, my last purchase was a, $11 Banana Republic shirt). 

Which, coincidentally, is why she carries a range of sizes from 0-XXL, she's not elitist, she's inclusive. 

What I like about Beth, is that she's all heart; bundled up in great style, with a no-nonsense attitude. I have the distinct feeling at if I were to try on an article of clothing that was ill-fitting, she'd urge me to try on something else and then, bring those "other things" to the change-room. She's like the good friend you always want to take shopping, except, it's her store.

I also really like that she has taken fashion, something that she is passionate about, and turned it into her career, but, BUT, in order to maintain a good work/life balance she made the executive decision to open the store from Wednesday to Saturday and remain closed the other three days. A ballsy move! As someone who came back into the workforce after 25 years at home and now manages her shop and still cares for aging parents, Beth is a gleaming example of prioritizing what's most important, while also pursuing the challenge of life's big, creative adventures. 

Bottom line guys: she's really cool and so is her store. 

Next time you're in town, wander on in, it's a complete joy, promise. 

Xo.

C.

I *heart* small businesses. I love when you walk into a store and some business owner has lovingly and creatively arranged their wares for sale. There is something old world about that type of shop. It's nurturing. But it's also rare.

I have spent quite a lot of time in my own little town of Dundas, Ontario, poking around and getting to know the local shop owners as I have a soft spot for learning the stories behind the stores. So, when I learned in August that a new artisan store called: The Handmade House, was coming to town, my attention was peaked. 

Hmmmm, all local artists and artisans featured, hailing within a hour of Hamilton you say? Interesting...

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. Was I going to find an overly curated store, showcasing beautiful but high-end artwork? Was it going to be a store filled with crafty knickknacks and macrame kleenex box covers??? I didn't know! But in I wandered.

 I liked it immediately.

Warm, fun, bright, beautiful displays, and lots to look at. My first thought, was literally:

Hang on... this store is filled with everything I've pinned on Pinterest, but done perfectly and not by me! SA-WEEEET!

Did I say my first "thought"?!? Well, I totally thought it out loud (what else is new...) which lead me to have a little chat-ski with owner Kelly Girard. Who coincidentally, is just like her store: warm, interesting, and engaging. 

Starting her career out as a nurse, Kelly decided after the birth of her second child, that her work/life balance needed to change. But what would that look like? 

A full-time nurse and weekend artisan herself, Kelly had always collected the business cards of fellow artisans at the shows she attended selling her handmade dream-catchers. But it wasn't until she became connected with a store, who rented out shelf space to artisans (versus the traditional model of buying inventory outright), that Kelly said she had her 'ah-ha' moment.

So, in early June of 2017, Kelly threw out some inquiry e-mails from her stack of collected business cards to take the pulse on potential vendors and by August 12th, she was open; sixty-five local vendors in tow. 

The shop is filled with interesting vintage fabric cross-body bags, quirky knitted baby toys, soaps, lotions, candles, beautiful and unique jewelry, cards, prints, artwork... the list goes on and it's always changing as new suppliers come in. Did I also mention the price point is excellent? Well, it is. 

Kelly now says that she receives two to five e-mails a day from potential vendors and she has a wait-list of a hundred people wanting to participate in her store. 

Her sights are now on continuing to build a solid infrastructure so that she can expand in a couple of years, delegating some of the day-to-day tasks, and then spending the rest of her time creating an amazing place where people like to hang out. So. Awesome.

Aaaand her work/life balance has been achieved. She's open from Tuesday to Saturday and she's home for dinner every night.

She's the kind of business owner you love to see succeed and she in turn, uses her platform to help local artists succeed. A perfect loop.

So, go, GO(!) check it out, wander around and maybe buy a gift. At the very least, bask in the freedom that you no longer have to feel burdened by the Pinterest projects you'll never attempt. The Handmade House has you covered buddy. Consider yourself off the hook. 

Xo.

C.

 

Oooooh, can you feel it? Can you smell it?!? Fall is here. Lovely, delicious, crunchy, cool, delightful fall. There aren't too many things I nerd out about, fall is one of them. 

The fall is like a nonjudgmental friend; 

"What do you want to wear today? You won't be hot wearing those layers... go ahead, put on a scarf."

"Hey there little buddy! Would you like another warm drink while you walk around outside and not get all sweaty? Do it, it's fine." 

It calmly transitions the crazy busy summer months into the festive Christmas season with promises of long walks and the ensured consumption of fat and delicious poultry and crispy, juicy apples. 

See?!?! I nerd out.

SO, when it comes to decorating for fall, I'm aaaaall in. I wanna see corn, pumpkins, and all things smelling of cinnamon. But I want to do it on the cheap and I don't have a bucket load of time to spend laboring over fussy crafts or killing time in home decor stores; I want to do the whole thing quickly. 

Yes, I want it quick and cheap. Whaaaaat?!? No. I mean... *cough* 

I'm on a budget and I don't have a lot of time to execute my plans. Better? Good. 

So here was the challenge:

EXTERIOR FALL DECOR & HOMEMADE FRONT DOOR WREATH

DONE IN LESS THAN HALF-A-DAY

COST: $60ish

Aaaaaand GO!

First Stop: The Dollar Store for wreath craft supplies. I could have gone to Michaels and done up a wreath Martha Stewart would brag about (she's totally a saucy braggart), but then I would be spending the equivalent amount to a shiny new store bought version (have you priced out nice wreaths lately? $45-$90+ is average), so I threw myself that the mercy of the dollar store gremlins and tried my luck with what they had in stock. I came out with a pretty decent haul and spent all of 10 minutes choosing my craft supplies.

The straw concentric circles were too small to fashion into a front door wreath so I played with the arrangement and came up with this:

Sort of weird, sort of interesting; likely my best shot at a half-decent arrangement and not wanting to fuss anymore, I went with it.

Ribbons came next and honestly, ribbon-ing is not my bailiwick.

See?

So, I just tied some knots, threw down a bunch of hot glue and it came out on the lazy side of passable.

 In the end the total cost of the wreath was $15 and took about an hour. A total of 10 minutes to shop for the supplies and about 45 minutes to glue it all into submission.

The circles are still a bit weird, but, meh. Done. Moving on. 

Holland Park Garden Gallery, our local garden centre in Dundas, was my second stop. The hope was hay bales, corn stalks, and two potted mums. Upon arrival I was happy to see the cosmos was on board with "Operation Fall."

  

Beach season is upon us!!! Did your throat just close up a little bit? Mine always does...

Buying a bathing suit, even for me(!), is a total pain in the ass. If you find yourself sweaty, mad, frustrated, and squishing yourself into this seasons tiny, spandex-y, lady trap otherwise known as swimwear; you are in good company. Finding a figure flattering, good quality, cost effective bathing suit is hard (aaaand not going home to binge eat refined carbs after is even harder)! 

But here's the thing: I don't care what size you are 2, 12, 22... we are all have "beach bodies," and as such, we all totally and completely deserve to throw on our teeny-weenies and hit up the beach or pool. SHAME FREE DUDES! shame free.

I've thought a lot about the concept of "beach bodies" this week as I was preparing to write this post... where the idea came from, why we feel shame, why good bathing suits are so eff-ing hard to find... and here's what I came up with:

The Beach Body ideal derives from marketers trying to sell you health and beauty products. The ads start up for gym memberships right around New Years and the panic to join a health club peeks mid-spring to get ready for the summer season. Discontentment sells, it sells sooo much. If you are content with your body and who you are then what (outside of the practical) do you need to buy? Not much. 

As for the reason finding a good bathing suit is such an arduous task? It's because one size never fits all. I'm totally living proof of that statement; if the bust on a bathing suit fits- the hips are too narrow. If the hips fit well- the bust is enormous. The upper part of a tankini aaaalways rolls up over my centre and a regular bikini has never been an option (stretch marks dudes- ye old stretch marks marking up my soft little belly reminding me daily that life as a teenager sucks big time... I mean, I got them during pregnancy like everyone else...*cough*...).

So what can we do? Roll up our beach towels and head home?? No suits anywhere and body shammed into oblivion!?!? Hells no. 

My message here is don't give up. Shamelessly try on suit after suit unit one fits like it should and then buy two (Insider tip: never, I repeat NEVER, watch yourself in the change room mirror attempting to shimmy and squirm your way into a bathing suit- or really any clothing for that matter, but particularly, a bathing suit. If we were to watch Marilyn Monroe herself squeeeeeeze into her tiny cream-coloured "Happy Birthday Mr.President" dress she'd loose half of her sexpot charm. Give yourself a fighting chance and turn away, put that sucker on, and then have a look. See? Much better)

Suzie's Bombshell Boutique

I was in an awesome rockabilly shop in Port Dover last summer; Suzie's Bombshell Boutique (I also met Suzie, she's awesome. Her store tag line is "You're a hottie, so love your body," YES! so great) and stumbled upon a high-waisted, retro inspired, bikini that sold tops and bottoms separately! A medium top AND a large bottom?!?! WHAT?!? BLISS! The brand Unique Vintage sells the best, guys, THE BEST, and most flattering bathing suits for all sizes. Amazing patterns, beautiful cuts, and covers all offending stretch marks, pinky swear.

Here. Lemme show you:

Now. I've gone first. Cellulite be damned. The water's fine ladies, jump on in.

Xo.C.

Mmmmmmokay; it's been quiet on the home front, yes? Nary a post since before Christmas and I'd loooove to say it's because I've been too busy with work to rap out a few lines here and there, but that wouldn't be the truth. Ah, the truth, how I'd love to hedge the truth...

My eternal struggle with the work/life/blog combo, is that I'm never sure how much to share. Do I just write pithy and encouraging fashion blogs about how to be the 'best you' (barf)? Or do I write about life with 3 kids and 3 jobs and an amazingly talented artist husband who has had spotty employment for the last 2 years? Is the sharing of that somehow going to make me look less professional, ya'know, if I allow you to see the squidgy parts of my life...?

My answer to this struggle came this week when I was called 'Supermom.' Ugh, Supermom... *aside* I say that with zero pride and 100% shame *end of aside*. It's been said before and I never (repeat, never) know what to say because it's so far from the truth. Organized, yup. put together, sure. But super? Nope.

Here's why I think I get dumped in that category and it carries its roots in my sad teenage story. I was profoundly sad and introverted most of my adolescent and teenage years. I made it a goal to be invisible and truly succeeded in that mission. I was very chubby and wore a uniform of jeans and hoodies; usually the same style hoodie in multiple colours. This was my uniform. High school was the Char equivalent of 'doing time' (for real, it was like jail without yard time) and my body type, my fashion choices, allowed me to fly under the radar until I was released. But, BUT, somewhere along the way I remember distinctly thinking "I don't need to be thin, or beautiful, or my perfect self to put effort into me now." So I started to care about getting ready in the morning. I made an effort. I marched out of high school and built on the 'self-care' effort into college, into young adulthood, and even into motherhood.

By the time I had my first kid, the principle of: get up, shower, get ready, care; was so well ingrained that I left the hospital post C-section with shaved legs and a dead cute dress on. I knew that, even though I felt like shit, was emotionally spun and overwhelmed, that I could truck through following the same principles that marched me out of depression in my earlier years (I firmly believe that our emotions will catch up to our actions if we're consistent, so I never "sit in it", "dwell"; acknowledge what's happening for sure, but never wallow in self-pity). And it proved to be true for me again. After about 8 weeks post baby, I started to feel normal.

This brings us right up to today: Supermom. Put together, organized, and totally struggling. Life has been hard the past few years. Full of grace for sure, but uncomfortable, character stretching, and sometimes just balls. Our family is experiencing the growing pains of launching freelance careers, which is exciting, exhilarating, and terrifying all rolled into one. We've had struggles with our kids and with difficult relationships in our lives. Hell, we've even had deaths in the family and ongoing health concerns. It's been so hard guys! We are a work in progress for sure. But, BUT, I will get up, shower, get dressed, and care about how I enter the day, every day, because that's what I do. I show up. I may feel like screaming expletives all alone in my van to burn off steam (not that I've done that... wait... I totally did that.., like, on Friday), but I'm all in. I will march out of the discomfort of life right now because I believe that there are better things coming. I will get dressed for the day that I want to have, not the day that I'm having. And I will apologize for the appearance that I have it all together, when I just don't, not even a little. We're a small family humbly living in God's grace.

Like I said, life is sometimes balls, but I will endure it and march through wearing fancy shoes, smelling like Chanel (okay, also shouting the occasional profanity and praying my way through ongoing stress & anxiety).

But Supermom? *insert spitty raspberry sound here*

Smoooooch!

C.