time for some classic 'manly man'.

"Since 1913, the Stanley brand has been building durable, rugged products that last. Passed down from generation to generation, the Stanley® vacuum bottle is an icon. It has survived a 4,000 foot drop from a plane, been run over by a tractor and has even stopped a bullet. Now in its 96th year, the innovation that sparked a revolution in vacuum insulation continues to grow. Today, we deliver superior food and beverage gear for rugged, active lifestyles and remain dedicated to this simple promise: Buy Stanley® products, get quality gear. Built for life."

and i love real life stories too...

"ran over it with a D9 CAT dozer.  Still works great" or, "Grandpa and Dad retired from the mines, but not their Stanley bottle" and this one's a favourite "Flat tire. No jack. No problem.  I used my Stanley bottle".

Stanley Thermoses, Stanley Cup - perfect combination.

we seem to be on a strong woman roll...

first our moms, then saskia diez, then claire of heyday design, then queen victoria, and now ulla of LUprints. funny how that works sometimes...

this birchwood hotplate is handcrafted in sweden of FSC certified birchwood, can withstand 150 degrees C and is food safe

this series of trays are also beautifully handcrafted in sweden of FSC certified birchwood. they are both food and dishwasher safe

55% linen/45% cotton these tea towels are hand sewn, designed and printed in canada.

who is Ulla Clark?

"Ulla was introduced to Scandinavian textiles at a young age through growing up with a Swedish mother. On frequent family visits to Sweden she was intrigued by her relatives’ homes which were adorned with collections of hand embroidered and screen printed textiles. It was there her fondness for table runners and napkins blossomed. She has always been drawn to the pleasing simplicity that nature provides, she spent a decade working outside in the forest, often finding time for collecting and cataloguing plants and flowers. Her strong affection for nature as well as her memories of the beautiful, yet functional textiles, are a constant inspiration for new products and prints."

please note we're open today from 12 - 5pm! 

happy Queen Victoria day

"Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine) is a federal Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday on or before May 24, in honour of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday. It is sometimes informally considered as marking the beginning of the summer season in Canada.

The holiday has been observed since before Canada was formed, originally falling on the sovereign's actual birthday, and continues to be celebrated in various fashions across the country on the fixed date." -wikipedia

nicknamed the 'grandmother of Europe' she has quite an interesting story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria

hey hey hey, heyday design's back.

we're especially thrilled to have the full collection of vintage inspired jars along with some of her jewellery at the shop. 

starting at $38.

claire glazes the interior with a glossy, watertight and food-safe glaze and leaves the exterior unglazed - it’s matte, like traditional bisque porcelain. they're perfect.

starting at $30.

saskia diez's 'PAPIER' collection arrives at the shop.

while the name PAPIER might lend you to think it's made of paper, it's not. launched at Paris Fashion Week last year, these travel bags and wallets are made of Tyvek.   “Tyvek is just like paper but without the negative aspects,” says Stefan (co-designer and husband to Saskia),“It’s water resistant, long lasting and won’t tear—yet still has the appearance, foldability and crinkly sound of paper. Like paper, it’s also a very patient material.”
the pieces will take on a beautiful 'crumpled up paper' look with wear.  but don't let dissuade you, the material is incredibly robust, lightweight and recyclable. 

just look at the work that goes into each bag, beautiful.

 

silk screening the Tyvek

 

drying

attaching the zipper

folding

notice the new versus the used pieces in the photo above?

read more about this inspirational couple here:  http://stefan-diez.com/files/download-surface-Magazine-2010.pdf, it's a worthwhile read.

PAPIER by saskia diez won the Designpreis Deutschland 2010.

we love our moms.

just look at them!  healthy, beautiful, active, hard working, and not only amazing mothers, but grandmothers too.  what would we do without them? can't bear to think of it.

thank you for all you've done and all you continue to do.

mother's day or any day - these are BEAUTIFUL.

we get really excited about companies that get it, and these guys get it.  every extension of what they've created is thoughtful and forward thinking. this collection of potted goods are handmade in the US, the herbs are organic, the containers are made from recycled and, or compostable material all while offering a clean, contemporary look.

a hydrogarden made from repurposed wine bottle, this system has everything you need to get you growing

bonsai kits! handmade in the US, recycled steel, grow yours from seed

what? it's a bonsai forest. loooovvve this.

get your kids involved!

organic herbs - in a compostable rice hull container

thank you!

 

 

 

such a great night...the weather was perfect, the crowd, the sculptures, the jewellery...

thank you for being part of our celebratory week.  this was a great way to kick off our anniversary weekend.  haven't seen all the work yet?  come on down. 

to view more pictures of the event, please visit our facebook page:

facebook/walrus

xo caroline and daniel