Monday, October 27, 2008
UpsideDive Events!!! Mothermacs Tuesday Market
Hey folks! I apologize for the oh-so late notice but I'll be at Mothermacs Tuesday Market on Oct. 28/08 at Trinty-St. Paul's United Church on Bloor St. From 11-6pm I'll representing the gang at UpsideDive and I'll have a booth full of some great mid century to retro finds, please do stop by and chat me up. This particular event will showcase Canadian design, forget your muskoka chairs and olympic cabbie hats, we're talking progressive and amazing, internationlly recognized design. Anywho hope to see you there!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Upside of Fashion...To Fur or Not To Fur
This is the question I ask myself every time I'm bitten with the vintage fur love bug. I'm a vegan with an unethical fetish. I think it all started when I was a wee lil' grasshopper. An image stays in my mind of a photo of my mother in her late teens wearing a beautiful red fox hat and coat (it was more so the hat that did it for me). It instantly made me think glamor. Old hollywood classics must have helped to kindle that fire, as well. Monroe, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Lauren all looked divine in fur. I talked about my idolization of old hollywood glamor and zest for costume rings in an earlier post, well my fondness to vintage fur goes hand in hand. Anywho, the red fox hat hid out in the back of her closet never to be worn. As I got older it made me sad to think this beautiful creature sacrificed so so much for our own greedy satisfaction and IT JUST SITS THERE NEXT TO A BOX OF OLD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS?!! I say nuh-uh sister friend, this fatality needs to be saved! Not only for it's beauty but more importantly for what this hat communicates; heartache, love, memories, history, it's an obituary to this dear red fox! We (I) need to give thanks and honor this celestial being for the knowledge it conveys. I feel maybe in some eyes I'm not a true "vegan" but it's all about customizing your beliefs and taking responsibility for what has been destroyed/created (or is it the other way around?) I feel it would be more wasteful to throw vintage fur into a dumpster/landfill. To drag it through the mud or bury it in the sand would be reckless, disrespectful and would we ever learn from our mistakes? I don't want to pretend it never happened, I want it to haunt me so I can comprehend then learn then pass it on to future generations (cause I know this hat is outliving me) so just maybe one day the present fur industries will stop and take liability for the violence they produce. And if you totally don't agree and think owning any fur including vintage is down right outrageous I found some wicked sites that offer fashionable faux fur. Please don't hate the hat cause it's beautiful.
you can donate fur to peta...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Upside of Culture...can't say no to free!
If you're like me and have been stupidly lazy and have put off checking out any performances at the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, here's an opportunity to check it out. And it's free too! Check the link below for the program. If I do anything this fall/winter season, it has to be one of these shows, I'll report back on how it goes. If you get a chance to go, post a comment about your outing.
www.coc.ca
www.coc.ca
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Upside of Sustainability...so many materials.
I, of course, failed at art school. There's still something inside of me that wishes I had tried harder. Maybe if I held out I would have learned a craft or skill. The Mike of today has a hard time picturing himself as an artist. I try my best to not be so wasteful, and instead resourceful, but if I ever broke the artist block, what medium would I be comfortable engaging in? Of course I have an ever present fear that my work would be too salvaged and messy in a bad way. So I don't. Make art that is, or at least until I stop being a freak about it. In the meantime there are artists/crafters/designers/architects that are making really good environmentally conscious work, no damn good work in fact. Some artists see waste goods(second hand/salvage/garbage) as a potential resource. Some use organic/natural materials in their work. All produce a kind of beauty you would have never guessed.
We talked a lil' about Stuart Haygarth who creates amazing and beautiful large installations(possible lighting? mobiles?) out of collected garbage/discarded items. On the Canadian front, the National Post highlighted some 40 designers in their paper this weekend past. Two who caught my eye were the Brothers Dressler, who make gorgeous furniture out of re-purposed/salvaged woods and loyal loot collective's Doha Chebib, who has a line of log bowls made from locally reclaimed trees with an amazing colour palette of painted inner glazes. Most noted is each member of loyal loot's passion for good design - "...a common dedication to create objects which posses an inherent value that will endure and remain loved."
If you take a peek through Etsy, you'll find bunches and bunches of retailers selling innovative re-used materials. A blogger pal of ours Second Life Designs, makes some really amazing jewellery from second hand finds. I really like the way she re-invents each piece, giving it a change of character. Another Etsy shop, Second Line Frames makes picture frames from salvaged siding from homes destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. On first glance I thought of the pieces as art themselves. I'd be interested to see work comprised of salvage materials, especially from buildings/man-made structures, a bit like industrial quilting or architectural Op Art.
On that note, I'd like to mention the architecture duo Single Speed Design. Comprised of couple John Hong and Jinhee Park, who answered a call from Paul Pendini a structural engineer and a salvage collector of sorts. Pendini was working on Boston's Big Dig and wanted them to build him a house made out of short job materials used for the constructing of the underground artery that he saw going to waste. If anything they produced a gorgeous home, that looked anything but garbage. They went on to win over critics with the Big Dig Building, proposing once again the use of salvaged materials.
Of course there is the ever popular ReadyMade magazine, a manual of sorts for turning waste into wonderful, and MAKE mag a techie version. Funny thing, this past weekend I picked up a coupla copies of an old Canadian interior design mag called Canadian HOMES which often had an article about reusing/re-purposing materials into great modern home accessories. If anything it's kinda comforting that one off articles have spun off into full mags, with a wonderfully creative market to fund it.
Lastly, something that really amazed me. Moss graffiti. Okay so maybe it's not a hot topic, but it sure feels like evolution. An amazing art form like street art, evolving into an untouchable form of expression. Vandalism no more, hello organic art. This kinda thing gets me all tingly. The possibilities are endless.
So where do we start? Personally, when it comes to waste material I get a feeling that it's more about minimizing first and re-purposing salvaged goods bound for disposal, instead of reworking items that could potentially have a second use as they are, just maybe with a different person. But I'm sure fresh materials are currently on their way to the dump, broken this and smashed that, waiting for the thinking caps to dream up something beautiful. So keep an eye on your streets, and you're bound to find something inspirational.
We talked a lil' about Stuart Haygarth who creates amazing and beautiful large installations(possible lighting? mobiles?) out of collected garbage/discarded items. On the Canadian front, the National Post highlighted some 40 designers in their paper this weekend past. Two who caught my eye were the Brothers Dressler, who make gorgeous furniture out of re-purposed/salvaged woods and loyal loot collective's Doha Chebib, who has a line of log bowls made from locally reclaimed trees with an amazing colour palette of painted inner glazes. Most noted is each member of loyal loot's passion for good design - "...a common dedication to create objects which posses an inherent value that will endure and remain loved."
If you take a peek through Etsy, you'll find bunches and bunches of retailers selling innovative re-used materials. A blogger pal of ours Second Life Designs, makes some really amazing jewellery from second hand finds. I really like the way she re-invents each piece, giving it a change of character. Another Etsy shop, Second Line Frames makes picture frames from salvaged siding from homes destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. On first glance I thought of the pieces as art themselves. I'd be interested to see work comprised of salvage materials, especially from buildings/man-made structures, a bit like industrial quilting or architectural Op Art.
On that note, I'd like to mention the architecture duo Single Speed Design. Comprised of couple John Hong and Jinhee Park, who answered a call from Paul Pendini a structural engineer and a salvage collector of sorts. Pendini was working on Boston's Big Dig and wanted them to build him a house made out of short job materials used for the constructing of the underground artery that he saw going to waste. If anything they produced a gorgeous home, that looked anything but garbage. They went on to win over critics with the Big Dig Building, proposing once again the use of salvaged materials.
Of course there is the ever popular ReadyMade magazine, a manual of sorts for turning waste into wonderful, and MAKE mag a techie version. Funny thing, this past weekend I picked up a coupla copies of an old Canadian interior design mag called Canadian HOMES which often had an article about reusing/re-purposing materials into great modern home accessories. If anything it's kinda comforting that one off articles have spun off into full mags, with a wonderfully creative market to fund it.
Lastly, something that really amazed me. Moss graffiti. Okay so maybe it's not a hot topic, but it sure feels like evolution. An amazing art form like street art, evolving into an untouchable form of expression. Vandalism no more, hello organic art. This kinda thing gets me all tingly. The possibilities are endless.
So where do we start? Personally, when it comes to waste material I get a feeling that it's more about minimizing first and re-purposing salvaged goods bound for disposal, instead of reworking items that could potentially have a second use as they are, just maybe with a different person. But I'm sure fresh materials are currently on their way to the dump, broken this and smashed that, waiting for the thinking caps to dream up something beautiful. So keep an eye on your streets, and you're bound to find something inspirational.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Upside of Fashion...Cape The Fall!
This Fall, cape yourself. Short, long, cropped, knitted, any style will do. Belt it, layer it, wear a cowl necked sweater underneath, add some long gloves. Be bold and inventive...go cape crazy!
I'm in love with the black avant garde cape, just gorgeous.
Has this really cute cobalt blue hooded wool cape, CHECK IT!
Check out our newest '60s Mod-doll black cape!
Upside of Culture...OBJECToronto!
If you're in the west end of Toronto Friday night make sure you pop by the Gladstone for the opening of OBJECToronto. A very dear and talented friend of Upsidedive, Mister Graeme Marr's, will be showing some of his handmade/reclaimed designs in collaboration with the skillful glass artist Sally McCubbin . Get ready to be inspired!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Dahling Dora: Ask and Ye Shall Receive
Dear Dora,
You appear to be a strong, confident and independent woman... how do I let the new guy I met last week know that I really like him and would like to spend more time with him without coming across clingy and over-aggressive? Thanks Dora! You're looking good as usual.
Signed,
HGB
Lovely HGB,
Signed,
HGB
Lovely HGB,First off, thank you for your kind words and flattery. I feel rather well and foxy to boot!... I feel for you HGB as this is a common question we singles often ask ourselves. You meet someone, you like them, it's only natural to want to spend time with those you like. Common sense right? Then why are we so afraid of communicating this desire, why do we fear the stigma of being clingy, or controlling, or heaven forbid looking like we are obsessed!! There is a huge line between obsession and admiration. So large that most competent people know when they are standing between the lines (even when they don't wish to admit it). If you are honest with yourself you will know when you have crossed, or are contemplating crossing, the line. Boy! Those are never fun times from the receiving or giving end!!
For you, my sane friend, I can only offer truth. No mind games, no hokey elaborate schemes, no sitting on rooftops to ambush or spy on your object of desire. How about the plain simple truth- honesty. If you're comfortable, tell him you'd like to see him more, you'd like to hang out, you'd like to spend some time in his company, you enjoy his presence.
If that's not your style, my first question is -do you have confidence in yourself? If the answer is no, then all best laid plans may end up at the same lonely road. Eventually, the more time you spend with someone, the closer they'll get to seeing your insecurities. I see this phobia with a lot of young people today -the fear of intimacy. Don't be afraid of being vulnerable. Identify your insecurities -accept them, allow others to accept them, conquer them when you're ready. And don't hold others responsible if they choose not to accept your vulnerabilities.
If you're not sure that he wants to spend time with you and you'd rather not pick his brain about it, then make the choice easy and worry-free for him. Invite him to an upcoming party or gathering, for a no-pressure evening with friends. Or purchase a pair of tickets for a movie, a play or other event you have been wanting to see. Let him know that you have an extra ticket and you'd like him to join you. If he likes you, he'll be interested in attending even if the specific play or movie doesn't interest him. If he can't make it but seems genuine then make plans for another date or time. If he's not interested, then use those tickets to take a friend and consider yourself lucky- at least he's not leading you on.
If you're confident that he's receptive to spending time with you, why not introduce projects that require some commitment and participation -like enrolling in lessons or taking classes in subjects you both find interesting. It could be as simple and cheap as free cooking classes at say, the local Loblaw's, or a monthly book or music club, maybe weekly coffee chat (I happen to know that the coffee at Dark Horse is date worthy).
He'll want to be around people who bring out the best in him. Let him know you value and appreciate his opinion by asking for his input. i.e. what type of beer does he recommend stocking your upcoming party with? what kind of couch would look good with your new paint colours-a/b/c? you're buying a new car or bike: would he test drive some models with you? ask him what do guys think about so and so? And when he does share, don't criticize. Thank him for his input even if you decide not to do anything with it.
But let's face it, we can't force someone to spend time with us (if we're sane that is), no matter how much we think they'll like us if only they give us the chance. Some people are not willing to take the chance. If you try reaching out and you get a cold shoulder, well then, it's time to re-direct your attention. And you shouldn't feel embarrassed for knowing what you want and sharing that with someone you really like. This doesn't make you clingy, a control-freak, or a stalker. Ditch any fear mongering stigma that you may have, be confident and open to being vulnerable. It is only in asking that we can receive. Good luck to you.
With genuine love,
DD
(visit Dora and drop off questions @ Dark Horse 682 Queen St. East Toronto, stay a while and have a yummy java and treat! you can also email questions to: dahlingdora@gmail.com)
For you, my sane friend, I can only offer truth. No mind games, no hokey elaborate schemes, no sitting on rooftops to ambush or spy on your object of desire. How about the plain simple truth- honesty. If you're comfortable, tell him you'd like to see him more, you'd like to hang out, you'd like to spend some time in his company, you enjoy his presence.
If that's not your style, my first question is -do you have confidence in yourself? If the answer is no, then all best laid plans may end up at the same lonely road. Eventually, the more time you spend with someone, the closer they'll get to seeing your insecurities. I see this phobia with a lot of young people today -the fear of intimacy. Don't be afraid of being vulnerable. Identify your insecurities -accept them, allow others to accept them, conquer them when you're ready. And don't hold others responsible if they choose not to accept your vulnerabilities.
If you're not sure that he wants to spend time with you and you'd rather not pick his brain about it, then make the choice easy and worry-free for him. Invite him to an upcoming party or gathering, for a no-pressure evening with friends. Or purchase a pair of tickets for a movie, a play or other event you have been wanting to see. Let him know that you have an extra ticket and you'd like him to join you. If he likes you, he'll be interested in attending even if the specific play or movie doesn't interest him. If he can't make it but seems genuine then make plans for another date or time. If he's not interested, then use those tickets to take a friend and consider yourself lucky- at least he's not leading you on.
If you're confident that he's receptive to spending time with you, why not introduce projects that require some commitment and participation -like enrolling in lessons or taking classes in subjects you both find interesting. It could be as simple and cheap as free cooking classes at say, the local Loblaw's, or a monthly book or music club, maybe weekly coffee chat (I happen to know that the coffee at Dark Horse is date worthy).
He'll want to be around people who bring out the best in him. Let him know you value and appreciate his opinion by asking for his input. i.e. what type of beer does he recommend stocking your upcoming party with? what kind of couch would look good with your new paint colours-a/b/c? you're buying a new car or bike: would he test drive some models with you? ask him what do guys think about so and so? And when he does share, don't criticize. Thank him for his input even if you decide not to do anything with it.
But let's face it, we can't force someone to spend time with us (if we're sane that is), no matter how much we think they'll like us if only they give us the chance. Some people are not willing to take the chance. If you try reaching out and you get a cold shoulder, well then, it's time to re-direct your attention. And you shouldn't feel embarrassed for knowing what you want and sharing that with someone you really like. This doesn't make you clingy, a control-freak, or a stalker. Ditch any fear mongering stigma that you may have, be confident and open to being vulnerable. It is only in asking that we can receive. Good luck to you.
With genuine love,
DD
(visit Dora and drop off questions @ Dark Horse 682 Queen St. East Toronto, stay a while and have a yummy java and treat! you can also email questions to: dahlingdora@gmail.com)
Friday, October 10, 2008
Upside of Thanksgivin'
The UpsideDive showroom will be closed for the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday from Sat., Oct. 11 - Mon., Oct. 13 and will re-open Tues., Oct. 14 12-6pm. That also means any new orders will be shipped out no earlier than Weds., Oct. 15. So we hope you have a super weekend, full of lots of yummy eats with friends and family. We're having a super decor sale next weekend, Fri-Sat, Oct. 17-18. More details to follow.
xogang@upsidedive!
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