29.7.11

50% OFF 2011 Calendars

SALE - 50% OFF 2011 Calendar

Today I received four 2011 Counting in the Kitchen Calendars back from one of my consignment shops. They are in perfect condition and ready to be bought up by 4 lucky people.

Regular price $28, NOW $14!!

Not only do you still have the rest of 2011 to enjoy your calendar, but each month also doubles as a 5" x 5" illustration, (fits perfectly in the Ikea Ribba shadow box frame). That's like getting 12 original English Muffin illustrations for $1.16 each!!

Ok, enough sales girl tactics ;) If you're interested you can pick up a 2011 Calendar for $14 in my Etsy shop.

Heading West

beepbeep

Coming through! We're packing up the car and heading west for a few days, taking a welcome break from city living. First up on the list, SWIMMING in our LAKE!!! Can you tell I'm excited?

Have a great weekend :)
xx Bess

ps. No, unfortunately our car isn't quite that cute.

28.7.11

Perfect Pairs

Perfect Pairs
1a. Rainbow Paper Straws 1b. Jotter - Technicolor
3a. If I Only Had a Heart 3b. Love is All Around, 5x7 print

I hope you're having a week filled with many perfect pairs. After last week's heat wave I must confess that the grey skies + rain we had earlier this week was a pretty perfect pair to me ;)

Have a great Thursday!
xo bess

26.7.11

Canadiana: Jenna Rose

Jenna Rose

Jenna Rose
Anatomy of a Bicycle Poster
I am really happy to feature the work of the Jenna Rose Textile Studio today. I first came across screen printer Jenna Fenwick's work in Issue 4 of Pure Green Magazine. Her illustrations, each drawn by hand, find homes on organic and natural textiles in the form of pillows, posters, kitchen linens and bags, among other things.

Jenna's got a few shows coming up around the Greater Toronto Area. Be sure to check out her blog for more info.

Jenna Rose - Etsy shop, blog, website

Have a great Tuesday!
xo Bess


25.7.11

Music Monday: Amy Winehouse

Like so many of you, Big Chuck and I were surprised and saddened to hear about the death of singer Amy Winehouse over the weekend. It's hard to believe that the world won't get to hear from this great talent again. She touched our lives with her music, her lyrics and her signature style.

This is one of our faves...


xo Bess

19.7.11

Canadiana: Minnow Bathers

Minnow Bathers

I won't lie, I've been dreaming about lake swimming for most of July. The weather here in Montreal has been hot and humid, and besides craving pickles and Perrier, I'm really craving a cold lake in the middle of a forest. Sigh...

I figure, the next best thing to swimming is finding a great swimsuit for when the moment finally arrives, and these suits from Minnow Bathers are both stylish and flattering. Minnow Bathers is a Toronto based swimwear line conceived by Karen Donaldson and Vanessa Warrack, renowned for their signature bold prints and striking silhouettes.

Here are my two favourites from their Etsy shop:

Minnow Bathers

the Cross Bather (check out the back!)

Minnow Bathers

and, the Tie Top Bather.

Stay cool friends :) Happy Tuesday!
xx bess

15.7.11

Small Business, Small Steps: In the shops

posters

I've been slowly making the rounds, contacting stores that I think would be a good fit for English Muffin prints and am happy to report that I have welcomed some new shops to my ever growing list of stockists/retailers.

By far, this is the hardest part of the business for me; approaching new people and pitching myself and my work to them. I am trying though, and I'm even starting to consider emailing stores I didn't hear back from, whom I really think would be a good fit for my work, more than once (gasp!). I know from receiving emails concerning the blog and the business that sometimes I don't respond right away, not because I'm not interested but because that particular email requires more attention than I can give it at that moment, and of course it eventually finds its way to the bottom of my inbox. So, while I promise not to become an email stalker, I will try at least once more - if I really fancy you ;)

The response from the stores carrying my work has been really positive thus far, so that definitely gives me encouragement that my work can do well in other online stores and in brick & mortar settings. I have however yet to pop into any of the shops carrying English Muffin prints to see them in all their glory. Now that I've got a couple of retailers in Toronto, I really will have to stop by for a visit. Maybe I'll wear a wig and dark glasses and go incognito ;) Kidding!

For the complete list of English Muffin retailers, please check my website.

Have a wonderful Friday!
xo bess

12.7.11

Canadiana: Tom Froese

I recently discovered the work of talented Canadian illustrator Tom Froese via Pinterest and his awesome letterpress wedding invitations that he designed along with his wife for their wedding.

Tom Froese - wedding stationery
photography: Christine Lim

Tom's got a fabulous portfolio where you can see more of his illustration work and design projects.

Tom Froese - Be The Good

And... for the next little while on his blog, Tom is offering his Be The Good print as a free download. Already got mine ;)

I'm off to a special rendez-vous today, I'm a little nervous, but super excited!

Have an excellent Tuesday!
xo bess

11.7.11

In the garden...

The weather was gorgeous this weekend and it had me spending a lot of time outside puttering about our garden. I can't believe I haven't shared our little backyard jungle with you yet, it's pretty amazing! Big Chuck and I started 95% of all the plants from seed this year, and it is so satisfying to see our tomatillos nearly 2 meters high already! The tomatoes are starting, the sweet peas have already been tasted, we've been harvesting arugula and lettuce for a few weeks now, and the herbs are really coming in handy in the kitchen.

While exploring all the new growth this weekend, I also snapped a few photos... enjoy!

garden
Jalapeno Peppers

garden
Lemon Thyme

garden
Scarlet Runner Beans

garden
Second batch of arugula (we're eating the first one too fast!)

garden
Tomatoes

garden
Can you spot the fly on the tomatillo plant?

garden
Tyke, he loves the garden the most of all.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too!

Happy Monday,
xx bess