Easter at Our Place – 2017

c="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ukrainian-painted-easter-eggs-pysanky.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-35769 blk-brdr">Here's a look at what our place looked like this Easter.After originally thinking that we'd be spending a quiet weekend on our own, one thing led to another and we ended up with a group of long-time friends coming over to enjoy Nick's cooking. We had a jolly good time, and if you celebrate this holiday, I hope you that you did too!First thing I'll show you, and the thing that got the ball rolling on this get together, is our brand-new-to-us vintage corner cabinet!How does a cabinet instigate a dinner party, you ask? Well, this was my first ever Craigslist transaction -- after seeing the listing a week ago Saturday, I wrote to the lady selling it. It is made of walnut and although is from the 40s only had two previous owners, the seller and the elderly lady she bought it from a few years ago, who'd gotten it new, so it's in near perfect condition.She seller said it was ours with the understanding that we had to have it out of her place before Tuesday because she was moving to the west coast. Yikes, I hadn't anticipated needing to organize some way to move this deceptively heavy piece with such short notice and began looking up info for renting a van. Then, I thought of my pal Leslie and her trusty large vehicle that she uses for her business ... she's a professional organizer and move facilitator. (here is her site). I wrote asking for help and, sure enough, the lady was there for me. We had it all coordinated and moved to our place before noon on Monday. Here's to good friends!Anyway, while we were driving the cabinet to our place, she and I got talking about Easter, and presto, plans to enjoy it together were made. Luckily, her man Chops and some other beloved friends, Isabel, Barb and Andrea, were able to join us as well.During the week, I began filling the cabinet with some of my collected vintage dishes. I decided that this would be a great place to display some of the coloured pieces that were formally stored in cupboards, behind the things we used regularly.

Dinner and Art with Meghan

In addition to having compatible mindsets in general, my friend Meghan and I share an interest in visual art. That being so, almost all of our get-togethers include checking out some sort of art exhibit or show. Oh, and there's also usually some food and drink involved too!

Our recent outing began with us meeting at one of her favourite restaurants -- Pero, on Bloor West near Ossington. They serve Eritrean-Ethiopian cuisine, which typically involves a savory stew served over-top and alongside large crepe-like things called "injera". The food is eaten with your hands, using the injera to scoop it up.

Pero is clearly arranged with the comfort of their customers in mind, with a couple of areas perfect for lounging, as well as standard tables. Since our six o'clock dinner was a relatively early for a Friday evening, we got to choose what looked to us like the best seat in the house -- a table within a tent, moodily lit by a lovely chandelier and candles, and whatever light seeps through the large adjacent window.

Two Friends Read Their Poetry in Kensington Market

I had the pleasure of hearing my two poet friends read their own creations on Thursday evening, when Julie and Nyla took the floor of Knife/Fork/Book at Rick's Cafe in Kensington Market. [Update : Rick's Cafe has closed permanently.]Sure, you can read and enjoy a poem on your own, but nothing beats hearing the words spoken, phrased precisely as they were imagined, by the writer themselves. So, no degree of dismal weather was going to keep me away from this event, although the persistent drizzle and sleet that fell from the moment I left my door to the moment I got home, tried its best to deter me. I'm really glad that I braved the elements because the presentation was wonderful, and not only because I'm particularly partial to these two specific poets (although I am!). These two are included amoungst Canada's top poetic voices.The venue was a unique one, in that Toronto's only bookshop that is dedicated solely to poetry is located right within a cafe -- Knife/Fork/Book, curated and run by a very friendly man named Kirby, occupies the front section of the cozy and charmingly decorated Rick's Cafe.

A Handmade Gift for a Darling Person : Crocheted Coloured Garland

Every year about this time I write a post that features pictures of a sweet little girl, along with the gift I made her the previous Christmas. Her name is Delilah and she is my cousin Lisa's child. We live a plane ride away so don't get the chance to see one another, so the photos my cousin sends of Delilah enjoying her presents are very close to my heart. Lisa and her husband have kindly given me permission to share the pictures with you.Delilah is now 5. This year I made her a colourful crocheted garland to decorate her room.

The Book of Mormon at The Princess of Wales Theatre

I mentioned at Christmastime (in this post) that Nick had given me tickets to see The Book of Mormon at The Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street West.

The gift was a complete surprise, considering we have never been to a big musical theatre production together in the almost two decades we've known one another. That is not to say I wasn't happy with the gift ... I definitely was! The reason we'd never been to such a show before was due to his lack of interest, not mine. No doubt, his decision to get these particular tickets was based on the fact that The Book of Mormon is a comedy written by the creators of South Park.