Something old, something new...

Eliot's Bookshop at Yonge and Wellseley is a book labyrinth. I had no idea what was going on for the first few minutes from either sheer ecstasy, or confusion. But I instantly knew I loved being surrounded by nothing but books in a small space.

Eliot's Bookshop has everything from the popular Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, tales of Robin Hood, to vintage art books (my favorite) and cult classics like Fight Club and Breakfast of Champions. Ishrat was especially excited to see quite the collection of French erotica writer Anais Nin. The prices are quite reasonable, and I'd like to stop by there as an alternative to the usual bookstore giants.

Ishrat was carded at Eliot's Bookshop when she was a teenager for buying a Henry Miller book (... on sexuality + exploits). She confronted the same cashier who is still there a few weeks ago, and he laughed replying 'It was pretty funny. I was just messing with you.'


In some strange ways, I prefer used books to brand new ones. There is something beautiful about knowing that someone has read the same words, felt similar feelings, fell in love with the characters and perhaps even cried over their dilemmas...mostly because the dilemmas resemble our own lives. I don't mind if the cover isn't as glossy and pretty, it just means the book had been loved. And if I'm especially lucky, I find a book with an inscription on the first page. A Tom Robbins book I picked up said 'To the golden ball in my life.'


A few creaky floor boards, ladders to get to those hard to reach shelves, gotta love the smell of paper. I'm going back to Eliot's to pick up a book I keep craving. Yum. <3

Cheers to bookstores!

Jen and Ish

Eliot's Bookshop

584 Yonge St

416-925-026

Mon-Sat 11 am - 8 pm

Sun 12 pm - 8 pm

Valentine's in the City

So a few days ago, my manager is like 'Hey, do you celebrate Valentine's Day?' And I said 'What? Omg, it's in four days!' ... At this point, it's tomorrow. After talking with some friends (and let's face it, out of necessity) there are some small and really sweet ways to celebrate on Monday that are tried and tested either on us, by us, or will be so in the near future. 

Chocolate:
Go skating in Nathan Phillips square (free), then go for crepes at Cafe Paris. Just for Valentine's day, they break out the roses floating in red tealight holders, and top off your strawberry-chocolate crepe with pink whipped cream. One of my favorite small ways to celebrate. Make reservations before you go skating, - it gets busy quickly. 

Jewelry:
Guys can walk in, and pick up a locket at Outer Layer or a Pretty Freedom, then write a sentimental note inside about an inside joke, or something the girl can smile about everyday.

Food:
Jen: Clean the living room, put on great music, and cook the other person their favorite meal. And if you can't make their favorites well, do something close. If they love steak and you can't make steak, do beef pasta. Lol you tried and they'll still love you for it.

Ish: O Noir’s tag line is ‘It’s better in the dark’. I can’t think of a more delightful way of savouring food while being in complete darkness with a bf/gf. Lots of adventures above the table….and then some more under the table.

Lingerie:
If guys are up for it, they get to pick something they’d love to see on their partner . If not, the girl could find something she hasn’t tried before, garter belts, fishnets, silk kimono... endless possibilities.

People argue that Valentine's is too commercial in Toronto, but I say, why not set aside a continent-wide day to celebrate love? If you're single, you can have an awesome singles night out. And if you don't have any single friends, like Beyonce once said "I'm gonna be my own best friend", and treat yourself to something great.

Much love!

Ish and Jen.

Another reason to love winter in Toronto

Your drink....

 ...never needs more ice.

The Moment with Pretty Freedom

My friend Ramine, stylist and clothing store manager in Toronto stepped into Pretty Freedom, and said "Omg, fur." Racks and racks of pale-colored heaven. Tried it on, but finally said "No, I can't."

I'd like to call the feeling "The Moment." That moment of pure joy for that gorgeous item that has your name on it, followed by the moment of instant regret when your rational decision making kicks in. But I know Ramine will be back at the store. Actually, our whole crew of four will be back at the store. "The Visit" will happen, followed by another cheesy Oprah-title encapsulating the human experience like "The Exchange".

Antiqued jewelry here, bold sweaters there, blouses over that way, and I'm just like 'this might as well be my closet'.

Pretty Freedom is a vintage clothing store that is super stylish at the foot of Kensington Market, and Affordable. There's a huge variety of styles (that Jodee can direct you to. He's really modest, but he and his partner, Helena, have a great eye for putting things together). For instance check out this one that he and Ramine worked on.<3

=

Jovana shot this in a restaurant across the street Back Alley Grill with shockingly delicious pizza. As the model Ishrat put it, "Better than Italy". They also have live Jazz. And ribs. and steak. Using the sous vide. Yum. More on this later in the weeks.

You want to know something? This place is Affordable.

Jacket: $41. Boots: $65.

Glitter jacket: $55

Fur coat? >$150. Pants? $28.

All of this by the creative minds of Helena and Jodee. Every little corner of Pretty Freedom is aesthetically pleasureable to the eye, especially the boudoir-like changing room. Think intricate vintage mirrors and lace covered lamps dangling above you. I closed the curtains, pretended I was a 40’s pin up model and gave those mirrors some looks they won’t forget.

How did this happen? Before the store was built, Helena and Jodee joked about the ultimate dream of quitting their jobs and having their own businesses. Over wine, they talked about their favorite words in their native languages,’ Ilus’ in Tagalog meaning Freedom being Jodee's and ‘Malaya’ in Estonian meaning Pretty being Helena's. Time passed, and one day, Helena surprised Jodee with a business license for Pretty Freedom. So they did it. And Toronto needs to thank them for all their efforts in bringing some serious style to Toronto. They continue to give us a unique and accessible take on style and expression, and even luxury. And we'll continue to support them as the store grows.

Much love (and sunshine)!

from Ish, Jen, Jovana, and Ramine.

Details:

Pretty Freedom

167 Augusta Avenue
Kensington Market
Toronto ON, Canada

Tuesday - Sunday 12PM - 6PM
Monday Closed

Morning Decisions (doodles)

I was in Chapters on John St. flipping through the fashion magazines that got siphoned to Toronto, and felt that Toronto's appreciation for class and sensuality is clear. Captured through sketches, by yours truly.

"Alright, I just woke up, and I'm not wearing much."

"Hm, what should I do?"

"Be completely naked. Fabulous."

Welcome to Sunshine in Toronto

Hi, this is Ish.

And hi, this is Jen!

Toronto is wonderful, but sometimes in the cold winter days, when we are in a box with four walls ie. our  condo, and offices, we forget all about all of the beautiful things the city has to offer. We need a little bit of sunshine.

We devote our time taking a closer look at those special places in the city which make our dreary days all the more wonderful. We hope that these small spaces make the difference between a gray day and one filled with, what else, sunshine!