Do I DIY?

I had thought to follow Chocolate & Zuchini and release a monthly post with a list of things I love to reduce my guilt for not writing weekly. Blogging. Blah blah blogging.

Too harsh?

But I can't figure out what to do with this space. Is it a food blog? A DIY blog? What I want it to be is a smashingly successful online space that satisfies my need for beautiful design, curating and collecting (and sharing) where new ideas come to life with terrific writing that makes me and other people laugh.  

So there. Now you know.

I'm just going to wait for Martha's Circle to call me while I brew my second cup of coffee. 

When I come back I might create something like this or something from here. No I probably won't. I'll take my shower and get dressed and go out to meet my sister Jessy who owns this amazing store and then I'll go meet my friend who likes to sew and will probably make something like this in the next sewing group and later I'll meet my other friend who would be a star at making any of this stuff.  My other sister made me a hat a while ago and it's the perfect amount of slouchy.  

I don't DIY that well, and I especially don't sew well.  I have been known to, but it's not my forte. What is then? I'd like to know how to write a punchline like Sedaris, if not my Aunt Kathy's eye for dessert detail.  (I bet the New Yorker calls him before ten a.m. with assignments that break his emotional bank. Again?! They pay shit. I bet he wants more out of life too.  Once something is old it's old - doesn't matter how you perceive it, it's not literature.  It's just your life stories. Actually, I take it back.  According to Wikipedia literature is the art of written work.)

How do you become an artist? I think that's what I want to be today.  A DIY artist!

Seriously though - I've always felt I couldn't survive without making stuff. Getting Messy. Creating something.  Meals are easiest because you have to finish them within reason.  And I suppose they are essential.  All the other stuff not so much...  Do I care if I ever learn how to DIY well?  Is all that matters that I 'D' something, sometime, somewhere in the world? To state my place? Show I was here?  I'm stepping back for a longer look for the next little while.  I'm going to stop pressuring myself to 'do' something.  

A recipe for flowers

Stumbling upon things can be the best form of discovery. I read about a flower recipe book and tracked it down in the tall fields at Bloor and Bay. It is oh-so-pretty, informative, and very well-designed.  Like many of you when you want to make something, I read a few recipes but then get distracted by a truly inspiring fresh ingredient at the market: artichoke, lemongrass or rununculus...!

The 'poor woman's peony' (compare seven to fourteen clams), the rununculus has layers of petals that enchant me.  Using the book as a guide, I looked for a base flower and some more visual interest beyond the main flower.  What pleased me most was that the scratch I spent went far - two large arrangements plus two smaller ones.

Canada Blooms was an event several weeks ago at a dreary convention centre near the lake.  My dad and I inspected some (questionably) winning arrangements - I sort of felt like we were back in the eighties.  But, a few florists incorporated edible ingredients! Ginger root, limes, and peppers...

SOMA chocolatemaker Designs

Raspberry Rakia truffle (Photo by SOMA) 

Welcome to SOMA chocolatemaker.  I consider this place to be my favourite chocolate-scented retreat (don't you have one of these?).  Entering the King West cafe - a place to "eat, drink and worship chocolate"- brace yourself to not melt from the aromas and complex cacao inventory on the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Their fair trade products include delicate truffles, elixirs, gelato, bars, and plenty of gift-able and special order items. Not visited as often but equally inspiring is their micro-factory in the Distillery District. These chocolatemakers focus on experimentation and the products prove their dedication to creativity.

At the back of the cafe you can imagine yourself the baker as you stare down stacks of chocolate molds or freshly baked Sweet Cherry Focaccia in Blackbird Baking Co.'s space.  I snacked on a focaccia with caramelized onion, asparagus and feta with a side of single origin Madagascar (70%) dark chocolate truffle.

The interior design of the cafe is worthy of the Design District location - I popped into Design Within Reach to look at all the beautiful furniture beyond my reach - then grabbed the latest edition of Design Lines magazine to rifle through the listings for the city's umpteenth design accessory store I want to visit.

SOMA , King West (Photo by Design Lines)

MADE Design on Dundas West is my latest find.  A showroom/gallery/shop with dozens of Canadian product designers represented, several creators captured my imagination. The Gemstone Carpet by Bev Hisey (scroll down), the Meridian Pendant Light by Propellor Design, and a petite Ceramic Pentakis Vessel by Kristen Lim-Tung.

Photo by kristenlimtung.com

Photos by Propellor Design

Bev Hisey's Everydayhousewife studio-retail outlet is my next stop! You can get a sneak peek into her home on favorite design-DIY blog Design Sponge.

Bev Hisey's home & Gemstone Carpet (Photos by Design Sponge)