December 2012 Archives

Pop Goes the Easel Clearance Sale

The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) came up with an awesome idea to revitalize their main strip. The Renew East Danforth initiative works with landlords putting temporary tenants in their empty buildings as pop-up shops. Pop Goes the Easel is one of the nine pop-up shops that have been on two blocks of the Danforth for the month of December. One of the shops, Pop Goes the Easel, is having a clearance sale of their beautiful paintings and prints over the next two days. A fun thing to do and a great part of the city to check out. Rosie :)

Rescue Vintage Holiday Sale

There is a huge holiday sale going on right now at Rescue Vintage on Ossington. The entire store is buy one item, get one 50% off. Everything is included in this sale: new arrivals, vintage and already reduced items. Sale details are in the flyer below. If you still have some shopping left to do, why not do it at a gorgeous local boutique? Skip the mall, it's a horror show. Rosie :)

The Thompson Diner | Toronto: NOW CLOSED

*Update: The Thompson Diner closed in December 2019.*

The Thompson Diner is a 24-hour restaurant in the Thompson Hotel. It's very handy if you require a nice place to eat that is fairly cheap and cheerful. My dear friend Trina and I met there last night and had salads. My preferred type of salad is one with little actual lettuce, which is why I ordered the turkey cobb. There isn't too much iceberg getting in the way of the bacon, blue cheese, turkey and avocado.

Trina's seafood salad was also fairly unencumbered by many greens. (They did a good job holding up the fried calamari.) This place, being a diner, is all about the comfort food.

The Thompson Diner is located in the Thompson Hotel at King and Bathurst. It is also home to Scott Conant's Scarpetta and Minsoo Kim's Wabora. Rosie :)

Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District

All afternoon I was distracted from the boring things I had to do because I couldn't wait to see the giant tree at the Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District. This event is free to attend and absolutely beautiful. Go at night, the lights are spectacular.

The tree is perfect: massive and sparkling. It was donated by Trees Ontario.

There is free hot chocolate at the entrance, and dozens of vendors selling everything from poutine and mulled wine to apple fritters and roasted nuts. There is a great area for the kids, with a ferris wheel, merry-go-round and pony rides. (You have to buy tickets for the rides.) But even without spending a cent, there is so much to do and see. The caroling performance was so festive!

The Toronto Christmas Market runs until this Sunday December 16th in the Distillery Historic District (Mill Street and Parliament.) Rosie :)

Star Wars Books Giveaway

It's contest time again! I have not just one but TWO very cool new Star Wars books to give away to one lucky reader thanks to the super awesome book-loving people at Scholastic Canada: Star Wars: A Galactic Pop-up Adventure (with a working lightsaber!) and Star Wars Folded Flyers (with 30 paper starfighters!) The value of this giveaway is over $60.00. Here are pics of the book covers:

Star Wars: A Galactic Pop-up Adventure is by master paper engineer Matthew Reinhart. True Star Wars fans will appreciate the incredible attention to detail paid to each of these dazzling pop-ups, and book lovers of any kind will be amazed by the intricacy of the art. I love a book that has it's own trailer, click here to see it in all it's pop-up glory.

The Star Wars Folded Flyers activity book by Ben Harper and the scientists of Klutz labs includes the stuff you need to make 30 folded flyers. Jedi Starfighters, Naboo N-1 Starfighters, the Millennium Falcon- they're all here waiting to be folded and flown. My dear husband volunteered to make a Jedi Starfighter (I really had to twist his arm.) Here it is taking a brief rest before continuing it's plunge down the stairs:

To enter, just leave a comment here (with your e-mail address) by Thursday December 13th at noon telling me who you would give these books to if you won (or if you would keep them for yourself!) The lucky winner will be announced on Friday. This contest is for Canadian addresses only. And if you are now inspired to finish your Christmas shopping with books, get some ideas from our friends at Scholastic on their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter, they tweet fun stuff. Good luck! Rosie :)

The Legwarmers | Books for Kids

I recently bought my little man an adorable new storybook at a book launch at Chapters. It's called The Legwarmers in Plies and Pleases.

It's published by Two Sisters Press, and the two sisters happen to be Christine and Lisa Brkich, dear friends of mine. They have been working on The Legwarmers for a very long time (it's based on their live dance production by the same name, which they co-wrote and choreographed) and to see this labour of love now a beautifully published book is pretty amazing. They are dance teachers and choreographers who are passionate about teaching dance to kids. No one know how to light up a room like they do. Or, the front entrance of a Chapters at their recent book launch.

If you would like to purchase an autographed copy of The Legwarmers, get over to Pick of the Crop Toys and Books in Oakville this Saturday December 8th at noon where the girls will be plie-ing around the store. And if you would like to order a book online, visit The Legwarmers official website. Rosie :)

Images From The City: Yonge Dundas Square

Thanks Erin B for this pic of Yonge Dundas Square decked out for the holidays.

Send your image from the city to rosie@mytorontoscoop.com or tweet it to @rosieintoronto. Rosie :)