I found a small stack of old Valentine cards from grade school in a box the other day. Happy Valentine's Day!

I saw this image on Bike Lane Diary. It was originally uploaded by kaputniq, yet I can't seem to find the origin of this book. I love it.

M. Ward: The First Time I Ran Away

Directed by Joel Trussell and animated by Joel Moser, Marius Alecse, Gene Blakefield, Kelly Turnbull, Frank Macchia and Adam Scarpita.

With e-books slowly taking over, there is a sad picture being painted with regards to the physical book shop and its future. In response to this sad state of affairs, here is a wonderful article written by Emily Temple from Flavorwire: The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World! Sigh.

My pals who own MADE are hosting the latest installment of Radiant Dark in conjunction with Interior Design Week and Do Design. The event celebrates great new Canadian design with this pop-up show at 859 Dundas St. West from January 26 to the 29^th from noon to 6pm daily.

A new addition to my map ‘library’ is the Crumpled City map for Rome. This innovative product is from Italian design firm Palomar. Tired of trying to fold a map back up when you travel? (knowing you will need to pull it out 5 minutes later to re-check something!)  This map is meant to be crumpled and easily crammed into your pocket or the pouch it comes with. It is made with 100% waterproof material, it is super lightweight and sort of feels like similar material to the Mighty Wallet. On top of all this, it is nicely designed and easy to read. Is this a sign of an impending trip?

This video has already gone viral since I first watched it yesterday.  Sean Ohlenkamp of Type Books in Toronto along with a team of about 20 volunteers, produced this amazing stop-motion video in the bookstore on Queen Street West.

I love books. I love this bookstore. Enjoy!

artist: Roger Couillard

artist: A.C. Leighton

Part of my Christmas vacation was spent in Banff and Lake Louise amid the Rockies. Banff National Park is a spectacular place, not just for the excellent skiing and hiking, but for the retro vibe and sense of history it exudes. In the early part of the last century, people would save a huge amount of money in order to spend up to 4 months relaxing in the grand luxury of the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise. Some relics of this era that showcase the splendor of the time are the old Canadian Pacific travel posters advertising the glamour of vacationing in the mountains. Some of the illustrations had a deco sensibility to them and many reproductions are sold in the shops of these hotels.

Much of the initial tourism in these mountains was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. I am unsure of the artists for all of the posters but have given credit whenever possible. If anyone has more information on the illustrators please let me know and I will provide the proper changes.

One of my favorite ornaments this year came to me as a gift from my good friend, the lovely and talented Andresa Sisson. Each year she out does herself with creative twists on a holiday theme. Yes, you guessed it, it’s a pine-tree car air freshener coated with glitter!  The iconic shape as a ‘ready-made’ hits the mark! (and yes, it does still smell!)

Happy Holidays to all my good friends, family and clients!

Ridiculously powerful video for stirring the spirits. This time of year seems most appropriate for revisiting this song and these visuals.                      Sigur Ros:  Glósóli