our little nuit blanche

little man started his evening off in the buggy front row of the common cloth fashion show, complete with live band and had a blast_shakin' and a clappin' at the common cloth models. then we moved on up queen west where there was DJ shaken and pompom makin' till the little monkey crashed. what a fantastic vibe the city had last night. and god love the stroller moms and dads, it was tough maneuvering around all that were looking up but we made it through the gobs of crowds. and the DJs at the drake _ loved it! and today we are off to the bunch family party.......stay tuned, gotta love t.o. culture.

protect parker

there is a 20 month old boy, who lives his life in a bubble in toronto.

his name is parker deslauriers and he was born with a rare condition 'that is an ADA-deficient and combined immunodeficiency'_ he lives his life in a bubble. he and his awesome parents just returned from italy in search of a gene therapy treatment, the treatment is parker's best hope for long-term survival.

i post this in hopes that someone who reads can help support or simply follow his journey via his parents blog: http://www.scidada.blogspot.com/. read more here at the star. maybe someone in the design world can help support or fundraise for an amazing cause: a little boys life. there is an account number and donation information on the blog site, let's help keep a little boy happy and healthy.

i hope his parents don't mind that i used this picture from their site, his is so adorable.

today must have:shoe

pumps for today.........

jonathan kelsey metallic/leather pumps, sleek design in supple leather with shiny metallic leather at toe and heel. self-covered chunky heel, about 3½" leather lining and sole, padded insole made in italy [note: this style runs large; for best fit, please order one half size down.] $585.00 hit saks

pumps for tonight.........
jonathan kelsey suede/patent pump
supple suede gets its boost of shine from a patent leather cap toe and heel.
self-covered chunky heel, 4½", leather lining and sole, padded insole _ made in italy
$675.00 at my other fave saks.

camp D2

canadian creative twins setting up camp in milan, and the store is a design delite.

wood from top to bottom, wood imported from canada. complete with antler chandeliers, a bit of metal work, with birch logs, and wood slats from the ceiling, clean and sublime. oh, yes 'he wood'.........

and they of course imported rhianna for the fashion show. go canada.

simple abode

why can't our space look like this? this home designed by new york architects thomas phifer and greg reaves is a compelling balance. a graceful steel and glass pavilion sits hushed amidst the lush green trees, while it silently reflects the landscape around it. what a vision. modern nature. simple materials. natural light, what a delight!

read more here. see more here.

wearing today........

this is what i feel like wearing today ;)

shot taken by daniel jackson - makes my heart melt.

you can nab this little 'pick me' up number up at my favorite shop barneys nyc.

[fyi - giles black double-duchess feather dress, made to order via barneys new york, falke hosiery, manolo blahnik for christopher kane shoes. ahh, the life.]

mini clubman

introducing........my future clubman, the mini clubman.

can't wait till it's ready. [you know, this is the in-between car until we are really ready for a gas guzzlin' cayenne.]

shown at frankfurt 2007 car show, hits sales in europe fall 2007

canada will get it's debut in early 2008.

lacoste maclaren

well, if the casa moderne is decked out in poliform, living divani and the like........ then why no top it off with the new [not yet available] lacoste maclaren? it's spiffy in a super preppy kinda way no? a throw back to high school maybe? could you do it, could you push the logo laden rig?

we ourselves are maclaren supporters of the 5 second fold volo, the little monkey still prefers to be paraded around in his black on black ride. besides, it's the only 'kid pusher' that fits in the mini. but would we lug around the light weight lacoste? - prada, maybe baby. greg can rock on and give you the complete low down here.

yeah and y'all already new about maclaren challenging award-winning design visionary philippe starck to revolutionise the marketplace with a range of premium quality, versatile, aesthetically pleasing, yet radically innovative nursery products - right? the results - ergonomic, practical, and modern. had this been around 5 years ago i think we would have this one instead, i mean we have the stark line from target [no longer available]. but then again there it is in all it's glory: the white hot volo! oh the conflict. ah heck, it's the practical side in me and considering the volo we have has hit some serious terrain in high park it would the the white for sure. looks as though all the buggy companies are asking those haute couture archetypes to design a pram these days, even maclaren: burberry, owen, shanghai tang, the exclusive maclaren leather series, kate spade, lulu guinness, starck.....i mean they can't go wrong that little buggy zips along the side walk. definitely keeps up with my hectic schedule.

fyi - the maclaren site used to be hard to get to and find [i.e. maclaren racing, etc] and now this is the new linky pooh: http://www.maclarenbaby.com/ca - cute site, simple.

okay, i think 'i likey', maclaren.

wall inspirations_must haves!

finally! david rockwell, of rockwell group the designer behind the dramatic interiors of the tiny culinary masterpiece manhattan's restaurant nobu 57 and country, has finally left his mark at maya romanoff. rockwell created 3 incredible lines of wallcovering concepts for the manufacturer - stiched: a hand-dyed paper that emulates fine lacquered leather forming the backdrop for rows of organic stitched lines. blanket: soothing layers of fine wool are stitched with contrasting thread, creating a striped effect that enhances the highly-tactile appeal textures in non other than _ vinyl. and double take: type II vinyl designs, including a base corrugated texture and three imprints of patterns that move with you when you swagger through a room. these wall inspirations can run you about $130 to $200 a yard and samples are not yet available but double take is ready for purchase this fall. outstanding!

this photo is of a feltlike wool blend with “the warmth and calming quality of a favorite blanket,” Mr. Rockwell said. “It’s a surprising combination of comfort and glamour, and wraps a room and its inhabitants in a soothing embrace.” check it out at maya romanoff. and read more at nyc times.

available via Telio160 Pears Avenue, Suite 400 toronto tel: 1.416.968.2020 or inttor@telio.com

Shigeru Ban

monsieur shigeru ban, he shocked nyc a couple of years ago with his stacked shipping containers on display alonside the hudson river and now he makes his nyc mark in condominuim architecture on manhattan's west side with a project dubbed 'the metal shutter houses' magnificent. when do little man and i move in? beyond hot. read more here.








the metal shutter houses, at 524 west 19th street, are scheduled for completion in fall 2008.



this was a temporary museum housing an exhibition of large-scale photographic works by artist gregory colbert from march to june in 2005, it was constructed with paper tubes and 148 shipping containers. 20m-wide by 205m-long and 4500㎡-surface.

craft unmasked

ontario crafts council is putting on a masquerade soiree complete with martinis, cocktail supper and silent auction. if you have the time, come on out to support the board of directors of the ontario crafts council attend and 'craft unmasked'. a night that supports their talented group and programs, a night filled with music by live jazz-blues by 'ganache'. if you need a mask you can head on over to the guild shoppe at 118 cumberland street in yorkville for a selection that will be on view starting sept 15th_masks are encouraged, but not mandatory.


craft unmasked

thursday, october 11, 2007, 6:00pm at the SHAMBA space
48 yonge street, 12 floor [corner of wellington], toronto
tickets are $175.00 each [or 10 for 1575.00]

grand prizes include:
hand-blown glass by jeff goodman, sculptural ceramics by alex yeung, tickets to roy thompson hall and massey hall
and more to come... for tickets info contact katherine mckellar at 416-925-4222 ext 222

even cooler is that we have written about our very own strong, talented, canadian craftspeople right here on d_b! [anne sportun, robert akroyd, john glendinning, eva milenkovic, peggy mersereau, lily yung, shelly purdy, robin rice, arounna khounnoraj, paul rodrigue ...and soon more!]

niut blanche edition!

if you're thinkin' you're too cool to boogie, boy oh boy have I got news for you......get a load of our pals over at the bunch family party! they have done it again_ they are blasting off their season with a fabulous idea dubbed 'the nuit blanche edition'. how smart! the kids dance party at the lula lounge integrated with the scotia bank nuit blanche gig! everybody here tonight must boogie, let me tell ya' you are no exception to the rule........

party goer tip: wear a white tank or tee for an optimum glow in the dark boogie experience.

'get on up on the floor, cuz we're gonna boogie oogie oogie till you just can't boogie no more (boogie) boogie no more you can't boogie no more (boogie)boogie no more, listen to the music....'

if you 'boogie till ya can't boogie anymore', take a break and help the bunch crew build a white city in celebration with the awesomeness of toronto and it's all-night contemporary art thing _with your kids + family.

we hit this gig almost everytime and each time is tons o fun. envoyer un e-mail à vos questions pour le parti de famille bunch ici.?

'there's no time to waste, let's get this show on the road, listen to the music and let your body flow. the sooner we begin the longer we've got to groove, listen to the music and let your body move.....'

now this will keep the kids moving! get down, boogie oogie oogie, get down, boogie oogie oogie.......

[$10 for grown-ups, $5 for kids at the door, kids two-and-under are free, no advance tickets, yummy food, grown-up drinks, hanging out with friends and a whole bunch of dancing.]

equestrian weekend

little man is heading out to the pasture to ride the horses this weekend.
so while we are galloping along, have fun at these little spotlights:

the moon show _ porcelain artist/designer julie moon's tell me that you love me show continues at le gallery [1183 dundas west, 416-532-8467] until september 30. hopefully we will have time to catch that one when we get back.

architecture days, the hugely popular mag architectural digest has a travelling design festival that hits toronto September 24.

then maybe trot over to gibsone jessop gallery [55 Mill, building #4, 416-360-6800] where monsieur brian gluckstein opens his 'green lounge' that will feature eco-aware decor on september 24 at 6 pm - ends September 30.

and maybe get yourself primped for for booby ball 6, if it's touched your family or friends like us, you'll know it's a good thing.

and for all those design divas that have high style needs but have to do it on a dime.......hit the style garage backyard boutique this weekend.

mark you calendars and start saving your pennies for the clothing show saturday sept 29 2007 and yummy mummy is have a huge fall sale at lilith come oct 12 - 13 2007 if anyone is in the midst of having bambinos.

and you might want to pencil in that nuit blanche, make sure to hit the website to plan your route for sept 29 2007 because there's 195 sites to see. i think we will start training for the event as soon as we dismount those horses.

giddy up!

have a child architect?

a chick we know who lives in nyc [whom by the way just got a gig that landed her an extremely cool retail ditty in madrid - jealous!] sent me this link to hase weiss. the name translates to 'white bunny', a german toy and furniture company created by 2 mothers that have designed a minimalist dollhouse, modular to say the least. anna pfeiffer and ulrike rumpenhorst make toys for their kids, wooden modular kitchens and an uber minimal dollhouse. fantastic toys that leave so much room for imagination, to grow and construct any way your kiddie desires_ its so simple. buy the the suitcase, it's a great way to hold a bunch of rooms complete with stairs then fill it with an array of their modern furniture and a hand made doll family.

i know a few big kids that 'doodle by day' that would love this more than the toddlers out there.

and the modular kitchen - they even made a tiny movie.

funny, as i am in the midst of typing this _ our little prodigy just asked me to check out his house he just built outta his lincoln logs - get it outta your system now buddy. and gracias señora lavazza, keep us posted chick!

miu miu love

this is how i feel today.

sassy st. cocco handbag _ i love you.

simple sophistication.

miu miu st. cocco hand bag
crocodile embossed leather handbag with zip top and double handles. 18½"W X 12"H X 6½"D. made in Italy. available in brown or off white [my pick] at a saks fifth ave. near you $1,095.00.

casa de tile

while the little genius is out at a very important play date, i had a mini moment to peruse an issue of food + wine [aug 2007]……………… i stumbled across a little periodical about the owners of the esteemed heath ceramics. I have posted heath ceramics here in the past and it is heart warming to see their handsome little abode in sausalito california published. they managed to make their habitat – a bungalow, a collective of glossy organic heath ceramics and it was passionately done. the duo were mindful of the simple space and produced a resourceful modern dish of style, a style inspired by their passion of skilled craft easily felt in each tile. the obvious canvas of desire – in this case glistening ceramics, add an influence of beautiful nature and practical ideas from the environment.

as practical as ceramics may seem, the couple were mindful of little details that are found tucked in every corner, details that sprinkle a dash of vibrant modern essence. it seems as that they have just he right mix of vintage and modern bits and pieces to ground the artisan tiles [love that vintage fireplace].

a great family enjoying each other in every nook of their private sanctuary, dog included. and that baby [yes a toddler named jasper], I just want to pinch the cheeks!

[apartment therapy has a great bunch of pics look here!]