Freedom is a wonderful shop and artist collective. Self-described as “a non-profit volunteer-run cooperative committed to supporting local and eco-friendly artists and designers,” Freedom is full of unique art by emerging local artist, designers, and artisans. They sell everything from elegant and fun clothing, to jewelry, paintings, kids stuff and furniture.

I found the pieces to be inspiring and very reasonably priced. I bought myself a great blouse for a steal and got numerous compliments on it. My girlfriend bought a skirt and also got a lot of positive feedback. Shopping there makes you feel good about supporting local emerging artists, and you are also keeping the carbon footprint of your purchase small.

Check it out: Freedom Clothing Collective, located in Toronto’s Bloorcourt neighbourhood.

The O&B Canteen on the ground floor of the TIFF Lightbox is a beautiful airy space. It has high ceilings and glass walls that slide open to bring the fresh air in. Natural wood chairs, wine and comfort foods make the site warm. Check out this find at the corner of King and John before the film festival turns it into a madhouse.

Technorati Tags: bar, cozy, Design

All the fabulous teas we know, now in a fancy new location.
The space is clean and airy, with bit of seating for a longer visit. They are now on Queen St. West a few blocks east of Trinity Bellwoods Park.

I quite enjoyed this sculpture after my 18 month old friend pointed it out to me. I was just like every other Louis Vuitton shopper hustling by and failing to notice some poor sap whose barrel had crashed into this high end shopping district (on Bloor east of University Ave.).

This fun sculpture is called Horror at Horseshoe Falls by Evin Crawford Collis.
Thank you to Evin and the Collonade for lightening up such a ’serious’ shopping district.

The Good Neighbour Espresso Bar opened recently to welcome Junction folks into its divine space. The previous incarnation of this corner of Annette Street and Quebec was a local grocery store with a centre entrance and windows on either side. The Good Neighbour has been well designed to take advantage of all possible natural light and to have a nice open space with high ceilings. They use reclaimed materials and integrate them perfectly into a crisp and elegant design. Tasty espresso drinks and pastries from Jules Patisserie are on offer daily. Additionally they have free wifi and a few places to plug in.

Hurray for another place to hang out and brainstorm creative ideas.

Technorati Tags: Cafe, coffee, cozy, croissant, pastries, junction, Toronto

I stumbled across Periwinkle near High Park the other day. It is a super cute boutique with jewelry, clothing and art at reasonable prices.
The shop has an interesting approach in that it rents space to local artists rather than marking up each item by a set percentage. If you need a gift it’s worth a pop-in.

La Merceria is a delightful cafe and housewares shop. Its elegance and coziness is like no other. I had a fantastic lunch on my visit the other day: black bean soup, a veggie and cheese pastry, and an americano to finish it off.

They carry only the most beautiful housewares for an international household – great for gifts.

La Merceria is on Adelaide east of Bathurst.

Technorati Tags: brunch, Cafe, coffee, delicious, espresso, latte, sandwiches, Toronto

I received this wall of photos of Canadian children that will be projected on a wall in Ottawa on Stephen Harper’s way to work and in Copenhagen during the un-Climate Change Summit in December. The purpose is to remind Prime Minister Harper who’s future’s he is affecting with his policies on climate change and who will bare the brunt of today’s inaction. It is a very moving project that is a good opportunity to communicate our concerns.
Upload a picture of your child or niece, nephew to include it in the project.

*Note: once you have found an image through browsing your files, wait a moment to see the image before pressing the button that says ‘upload’. If you don’t pause and wait it won’t work. I messed that up a few times before seeing the little spinner indicating it was pulling up the file.

5 Blocks Out and mukodu launched a fun local e-newsletter this week called the Bird Nest Press (www.birdnestpress.com). Hurray!
It’s geared at parents with young kids. The newsletter will explore local places, resources and tips to make parenting even more enjoyable.
Check out the first issue here. And subscribe here. The Bird Nest Press publishes every 3 – 4 weeks.
The first issue has a very useful presentation on H1N1 vaccinations.

Forwarding it to new moms will be appreciated…believe you me.

Technorati Tags: Toronto

Holy Oak is a welcome edition to the Bloordale Village neighbourhood, on Bloor just east of Lansdowne Ave. As a cafe by day and a bar with live music at night, Holy Oak is a truly local hangout. When I visited last I had delicious chicken curry naan and an americano that hit the spot. On a weekday morning the cafe was almost full with people reading, working on their laptops and enjoying lunch. The spot has a relaxed vibe, not unlike the feeling you might get visiting your cool aunt’s house.