MONT-SAINT-BRUNO

The little explorer.

Apple trees along the way.

The apples were small but delicious!

A millipede! Edwin was intrigued.

Sunday afternoon we decided to hop in the car and head 30 minutes outside of Montreal to Mont St. Bruno for a little hike. The weather was beautiful and armed with snacks, water, the Ergo baby carrier and our camera we were eager to hit the trails. Edwin is at an age where he always wants to be walking, it's pretty much the first thing he requests at the beginning of the day—after milk, and the last thing he pleads for as we drag him inside for dinner at the end of the day... "go walk??!!!". With this in mind we wanted to find a trail that was not too challenging or too long for the little guy, so we decided to do a 7km walk around Lake Seigneurial—I know, what were we thinking? A hike that takes an average person 1.5 hours, took us 3! Edwin had a blast though and after walking about 4km we put him in the carrier to finish the rest (while there was still daylight), and though he was exhausted he kept requesting to "go walk!!". We may have a future Olympic marathon runner on our hands ;)

If you're looking for a nice place to go hiking that's not too far from Montreal I would highly recommend the National Park Mont-Saint-Bruno. Next time we'll likely try a shorter route, but it was so nice to get out of the city and into the woods yesterday that we really didn't mind spending a little extra time exploring the wonders around us.

Happy Monday!
xx Bess

QUALITY TIME

As Eddie grows, seemingly by the minute, it is such a joy to spend time with him out in the world. He waves hello and goodbye to everyone, spots airplanes the size of a grain of rice in the sky, identifies cars, trucks and buses, and generally just adds a whole lot of goodness to our lives.

We woke up Saturday morning to a beautiful cool (dare I say chilly!) breeze blowing through the apartment. The change in weather inspired a perfect weekend full of family time. We picnicked in the park, went for a car-ride over our favourite bridge, breakfasted at Arhoma and stopped by the new West Elm store to oooo and ahhh at the pretty furniture.

Edwin has taught us to slow down and "do" less in a day. We still do a lot as parents but we plan less activities and hopefully give as much importance to the quiet everyday moments as we do the fun excursions. It's a pretty easy lesson to learn when your kid is pleased as punch watering the garden using the hose all by himself.

Happy Tuesday!
xx Bess

Weekend Recap

My weekend started out with a bang—literally—as in me banging my head against the wall trying to get rid of the stinky skunk smell that Tyke brought into the house. He got sprayed right in the face in our garden and then proceeded to run through the entire house (stopping only to smear his skunkified self all across our cowhide rug) and all the way to the kitchen to snort at me, indicating he needed help. I've never smelled a skunk's spray so close up, so at first I was baffled as to what had happened. It all became clear though when I went to the backyard to look outside and saw the (otherwise cute) little white-striped critter waddle away. Three days later I'm sad to report that we can still smell remnants of Pépe Le Pew.

The weekend however ended on a high point. On Sunday during the day we ventured out to do our weekly grocery run and take a look at the City Mini stroller that was recommended to me by my new-mom guru and friend, Claudia. After seeing her stroller in action I was sold, and we went to the store to have a look for ourselves. It was pretty exciting, I think that's the first time I've been in a store dedicated solely to baby things. It was another milestone for us, making this baby thing a little more real.

But, the absolute highlight of the weekend was finding this gem on Saturday afternoon...



A vintage map of Europe (en français) from our local flea market! It measures approximately 6' x 6', and if I tell you how much we payed for it... well, let's just say it was the deal of the century. Big Chuck and I have been admiring it ever since. We've propped it up in the living room for now, but I think we might give it a try in our bedroom too. I'll keep you posted!

Have a wonderful Monday!
xo bess

In the garden...

A couple weekends ago, Big Chuck and I planted the seeds for what we hope will soon become a beautiful and lush garden on our back patio. I'm happy to report that our little seedlings are doing well (especially the peas and beans - whoa!) and if this torrential rain ever stops maybe we can get our fingers dirty again this weekend.

I was listening to a program on CBC Radio yesterday and the host was speaking with a scientist who is researching why green spaces calm us down. Apparently, the front part of our brain (I don't know the scientific name) is hardwired to appreciate beautiful vistas and greenery. I plan on spending lots of time this weekend looking at trees after a long week staring at my computer screen.

Have a happy weekend!

xo Bess

I heart you

Pink Hearts No. 2

Happy Valentine's Day!

Big Chuck and I 'celebrated' yesterday. We started the day with croissants and pain au chocolat, yum! Then we took a romantic trip to Ikea where we spent too much money - as usual, followed by another romantic trip to the grocery store, built some furniture, ate some Pho and ended the day with a movie and some popcorn. The perfect Valentine's day if you ask me, the perfect 'any' day really.

x's and o's to you all!

Bess

Weekend Update

Phew! What a week. So much has been going on that I forgot to mention a few things...

1. Last weekend Big Chuck and I went for a 7 course 5 hour meal in the country hosted by his supervisor. The experience is called la table champêtre and we visited this one. It was a really wonderful afternoon/evening, full of eating and drinking and visiting the farm animals. There were at least 40 of us there, seated at a long table in the host family's home. A certain percentage of the food they served had to come from their own farm. So between courses we got to go out and meet the animals (possibly friends of the ones we had just consumed... ahem).

2. Today is Black Friday. A relatively new concept to me. But since the majority of North America is getting their shop on today, I thought I'd join the party. Visit my online store and enter the discount code "poppytalk" to receive 20% off your entire order. Valid today (Nov. 26) through Monday November 29th.

3. Which brings me to my next bit of news. English Muffin is part of Poppytalk Handmade Holiday Market. You should go check it out. There are tones of great vendors, the perfect place to start your handmade holiday shopping.

4. Did you get a chance to see my office featured on Jane's blog Ill Seen, Ill Said as part of her "Where we blog from" series? It was such a treat to be part of her blog, it's been a favourite of mine for some time. Thanks again Jane!

So now that we're all caught up, I'd like to wish you a wonderful weekend. I'll be making some decorations for my sister-in-law's baby shower, and enjoying this winter weather we're having here. (Crossing my fingers for lots of snow this weekend!)

Bon weekend!

xo bess

Weekend drive: Barns

For the last few weekends, Big Chuck and I have found ourselves out in the country surrounding Montreal. We've been in pursuit of antique furniture, on leisurely drives, or more recently, picking up car parts for our "antique" 1982 Toyota Corolla, Lola. I won't get into the car right now, she really deserves her very own post.

This past Saturday I decided to bring my camera along to capture some of the beautiful scenery found only 40 minutes outside of downtown Montreal.

Big Chuck and I love barns. We ooooo and ahhhh over them whenever we pass one on the road. We examine their old barn boards and imagine all the furniture we could make from them. We dream about buying one and converting it into our dream home. Of course, on a big farm property there's never just one barn. The main one would be our house, one would be the studio/office, and one a beautiful guest house where all of our friends would come and stay.

On Saturday, as we were driving along, I rolled down my window and took "drive by" photographs of all our favourite barns that day. Lucky for me, the weather was gorgeous and the barns were a' plenty!

In case you're interested, the area we drove around was L'Acadie, Québec. If you're in the Montreal, Toronto or Ottawa area and know of some barn hotspots, I'd love to know!

Have a wonderful Monday!

xo bess

Coffee Table

On Saturday morning, Big Chuck and I ventured out to the suburbs of Montreal to pick up our new coffee table. For months we'd been living without one and finally decided that we had to rectify that. We had been toying with the idea of designing and building something ourselves, but also felt like we didn't want our entire apartment to feel like it came for a hardware store (as our industrial design supplies pretty much all come from home depot). We were so happy to fine this lovely vintage pine trunk on Kijiji and scooped it up as soon as we could.

Our little pine box looks great, it fits perfectly with the rest of the living room and gives the whole room a warm cozy feel. Now we just need to find a rug, tackle our birch bark installation project and then our living room will be complete, for now. I'll keep you posted!

Happy November 1st!

xo bess

Fall Leaves

I took a few photos of the pretty Fall colours when we were up north on the weekend.



What is it about leaves that make them so beautiful?



I think it's how delicate they are. Paper thin and each one unique.

Have a wonderful Thursday,
xo bess

Puces POP, Montreal 2010

On Saturday I went to my very first Puces POP craft fair here in Montreal with some wonderful new friends I've recently met. It was an inspiring and fun day. First of all, the ladies who were with me are such a talented bunch. It was a treat to spend the day with them chatting about the design world, our work, ideas and challenges, and I even got a little design gossip to boot! It's kind of amazing to me when I think of the people I've met through twitter and blogging. Being in a new city (again), it can be tricky to find people you click with, let alone people who really understand what you're doing, your sense of style and the world you live in. I feel so fortunate for all of you who have reached out to me and made me feel welcome here, whether via the internet or in person. Merci!!

Ok, the sappiness is over. Time to get to the goodies. Puces POP is a tri-annual craft fair that features the work of artists and designers from Montreal and the surrounding area. I was blown away by the talent and diversity of the work we saw and was so happy to meet many of the designers I've featured here on the blog as part of Canadiana Tuesdays in person.

I had my camera with me, and in between chatting, admiring and fondling I managed to snap a few photos.

Paule Trudel-Bellemare

I was so excited to meet Paule, you may remember I featured her work just last week on the blog. She was so sweet and her work is amazing!!! I also got a peek at her 2011 Calendar - gorgeous.

The Butter Flying

I featured The Butter Flying a while ago, one of my first Canadiana Tuesday posts, I think. There were some great new clouds at the show, metallics, black and even a few with snow.

Raymond Biesinger

Hands down the best new find at the fair was Raymond Biesinger. I really have no idea how he's slipped under my radar for this long. I LOVED everything at his booth. Do yourself a favour and check out his etsy shop.

Squid Wool

Adorable felted goodies. How great is that white squid? (and the chocolate chip cookie?!)

Tamé

Another great Canadian designer I've featured on the blog. Her work is beautiful and reminds me of the sea. I loved the trivets she had for sale, great idea.

Katie Dutton

Katie's table was one of the first we stopped at. Her work is really interesting. I particularly love the Trophy Series, in addition to the lion she also has a moose and a bear. So neat!

Coucou Salut

If there was an award for most adorable table it would definitely go to Coucou Salut. With that name and those plush monsters it's pretty much a clear win. Her stuff was so cute!!

So that's just a taste of what was on hand at Puces POP. I highly recommend a visit to the craft fair if you happen to be in Montreal when it's on. I have a little secret to share, I really want to be part of it next year. I hope they've got room for one more!

Have a wonderful Monday,

xo Bess

Pizza and a deadly catch

Fall is here, and that means so are pizza + TV Saturday nights chez Bess & Big Chuck. This weekend was the official kick-off marked by our very first pizza in our new apartment in our new city, and it was delicious! How did we last all summer without Big Chuck's pizza? I don't know.

Since we don't own a television, we have to get crafty to fulfill the TV portion of the evening. I signed up for Netflix.ca and they give you your first month free - which is good because I'm not so impressed with the selection of movies and shows thus far. We did however manage to find a program that was just the right amount of drama and trashiness to satisfy both our palettes, have you heard of Deadliest Catch? Of course you have, only kids like us who have been away from North America for the past three years haven't, and it makes it all that much sweeter when we discover these little gems now. (I haven't watched the Snooki show though, not sure I can go there - yet.)

Have a great rest of your weekend!

xo Bess

Music Monday: Chromeo

Good Monday morning! I hope you had a fabulous weekend. Mine started with a super sweaty hot yoga class on Friday night, it was just what I needed after a week parked in front of my computer. Saturday and Sunday we spent working on projects around the house. It was a bit of a painting marathon on Sunday, but some long overdue projects are finally getting the attention they deserve.

I know that Music Mondays fell off the radar for a little while, but I couldn't think of a better way to start the week than this little ditty from Montreal duo, Chromeo. Enjoy!

Chromeo "Night By Night" Video from GreenLabelSound on Vimeo.

Have a great day!
xo Bess

The last weekend of summer...

I want to wish you a very happy last weekend of summer! I hope you get warm and sunny weather wherever you are. It's crazy to think that the summer is coming to an end. As many of you know, it's been a pretty amazing one for Big Chuck and me, new city, new jobs, new ventures and newly wed! Hooray for summer 2010! I hope you had an equally wonderful one, full of popsicles and lemonade, swimming, cycling and relaxing in the park.

As we bid adieu to summer, I am extremely excited to welcome fall and all the new possibilities it brings. There's something about the back to school time of year that lights a fire under my bum!

How about you? Have you got anything brewing for fall 2010 yet?

Have a summer-licious weekend,

xo bess

image via OneLovePhoto.com

Le Weekend

I hope you have a lovely weekend! Big Chuck and I are going to tackle a few remaining projects around the apartment. I hope we'll be able to find some time to explore Mont-Royal, the park / mountain in the middle of Montreal. The weatherman says it will be sunny and mild, sounds like a pretty perfect weekend to me!

How about you? Any weekend plans?

Have a great Friday!

xo bess

image: James Hopkins, 'Love Seats' via all the mountains...

Happy Friday

Big Chuck giving us a nature lesson at the cottage.

I hope you've had a great week! Mine's been pretty good.

I've begun working on the 2011 English Muffin calendar and I think it's coming along nicely. I've also been steadily crossing off items from the Wedding To Do list (the big day is only a week away!!), and working on a freelance project for a fun fundraiser later on this year. On Tuesday, we celebrated Big Chuck's sister's birthday and I made this, and last night I got together with some super lovely Montreal design gals here.

This weekend, we're having Big Chuck's brother and his lovely (and pregnant!!) wife over for dinner, so I'm super excited to see them!

How about you? Any plans for le weekend?

Have a great day!

xo Bess

Happy Weekend!

Lots of "to do's" to take care of this weekend. From finishing up our kitchen table to finding the perfect wedding shoes (ugh) to making some time for a hike on Sunday, there's already lots of stuff planned. But let's be honest - it's the weekend, Big Chuck and I will probably nap most of it away.

How about you? Any plans?

Have a great weekend!

x bess

ps. how CUTE is that kid?

image via morillo

Happy weekend!

It's going to be a friendly kind of long weekend here. My best friend is in town with her man and I've persuaded them to stay Chez Bess et Big Chuck. This means that every moment they're not at the Osheaga festival I will have them all to myself (bwa ha ha ha!). Also, another great friend from high school will be visiting Montreal this weekend as well as Big Chuck's buddy from university!

Oh - and last night I had dinner with these über talented and lovely ladies, Marie-Eve, Kate and Davina. What a hoot! (I know nobody says that anymore, but it really was.)

I hope you have a friendly weekend too,

x bess

image via Xanthe Berkeley

Marché Jean Talon

A little impromptu Saturday afternoon post in honour of my trip to the Jean Talon Market this morning.

I hope you're having a nice weekend :)

bess

Army Issue

On Saturday, my mom and I went to check out our local Army Issue store. She was in the market for some dog tags, the season's must have accessories. We were surprised to find out that you can have anything you want printed on them right there in the store, and so we started racking our brains for something fun and original to put on them. We ended up choosing the following three phrases which have become well loved sayings in our family:



Together we will succumb

One word - no excuses

I live vicariously through myself



Watching the sales girl imprint our clever statements onto the dog tags was the best part.
She used an antique Graphotype machine (like the one above), as they had during the 1st World War.

You can order your very own personalized dog tags here.

(Graphotype image: life.com)

julius meinl

The Little Coffee Boy

This weekend, while strolling through the city, we decided to stop by Julius Meinl - Austria's prettiest supermarket (at least, in my opinion). I'm so happy I had my camera with me, because once I started shooting, it was hard to stop. The Little Coffee Boy in the photo above is the company's logo. He was originally designed in 1924 by Viennese artist Josef Binder to "combine Turkish Sultanate and Arabic traditions with those of the Baroque Angels of European architecture."



The store is full of products from all over Europe, all beautifully designed and I'm sure delicious. The pasta section is quite inspired. So many colours of pasta (green, pink, yellow), and so many shapes (hearts, flowers, fortune cookies), but these bags really jumped out at me. I love the combination of the yellow with the black text, and that typeface is so cute.



French Macarons in the frozen food section, I could get used to that!



Big Chuck's favourite section: Beers of the World.



Hot cocoa mix pyramid. Just waiting for some curious little hands...



Oh the baked goods... we have a love/hate thing going on. Did you notice the little Meinl logo etched into the glass?



Wild packaging.



The freshly made truffles have their own section, between the exotic teas and the fancy marzipan creations.



We couldn't resist the meat counter (I can't believe I was a vegetarian for 10 years!). We got some prosciutto di parma and some parmesan encrusted salami - yum.



So there you have it - a delicious way to spend a Saturday afternoon. If you're in Vienna, do yourself a favour and visit Julius Meinl in person.

Julius Meinl
Am Graben 19
1010 Vienna
Austria

Have a wonderful Monday :)
Bess

(all photos: Bess Callard)