There Is A Town In North Ontario

This week I went on a hunt for cool finds either in Toronto (or the areas closeby) or things about Toronto. I found a great assortment!


Sam the Record Man was an icon in Toronto and is sadly now gone. Thankfully there were photographers such as .: digitalkangaroo :. around to document the landmark.


.: allthingsjenuine :. comes up with great paper art! The Etsy shop may be closing soon so also be sure to check out the website at .: THIS LINK :.


Hot weather is here and we all need a little relief. Spice up your wardrobe with a shirt like this from .: PrettyRaccoon :.


.: greavesdesign :. wants you to add some colour into your wardrobe with these great cuffs!


If you're looking for a gift for the newlyweds in your calander, how about some beautiful ceramic bowls by .: lurearts :.? I know I use mine all the time!


I was fortunate enough to meet .: kateszabone :. at Christmas last year as she hand-delivered a gift I had made for my best friend. Lovely woman and her jewellery is outstanding!


A bit out of the way of Toronto but I had to feature this next artist anyhow. .: jellybeans :. does these colourful paintings sure to brighten up anyone's room :)


.: bananastrudel :. has dug up something very close to my heart. And old-fashioned map of where I grew up. I just may have to bid on this one myself.


.: gotamago :. has come up with a perfect case to carry all of your travel documents in!


My favourite of the week ... something I'm kind of conflicted with since I'm not a big fan of the TTC ... but this necklace by .: storybeads :. is so innovative, colourful and FUN that I *had* to share it :)

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Funk To Funky

I caught a glimpse of something on Etsy this week that was green ... so I decided to do a search for that colour. Hours later, I came up with a few I wanted to share ;)


Fun felt cake topper by .: EmilieFriday :.


Local artist .: Maylui Designs :. put together these ultra fab earrings.


This vintage piece by .: PenelliBelle :. adds a splash of colour that no one can resist.


This necklace by .: Adenangier :. was too incredible not to share!


As well as this fabric design by .: Mollusa :. ... perfect for bridesmaids!


This is a great idea that may help you with your organizing skills. .: CutTheCakeDesigns :. has put together a filing system for your guests to add their addresses on to ... making thank-you cards that much easier!


Paper-embellished votive holders add pizazz to any reception area. These designs are by .: Gamiworks :.


Scroll invitations are simply awesome. .: Artful Beginnings :. will create just what you're looking for.


.: Paper Platypus :. has come up with a template for a paper bouquet! Perfect for destination weddings, rehearsals or even the wedding itself.

And my pick of the week is actually an artist instead of a product. .: AprilHilerDesigns :. does some amazing things using all natural materials. Just check out the monogram, mini-lantern and ring bearer pillow. Love love love them!!!

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I'm Sharing Secrets I've Never Let Go Before

I love paper. I love invitations. I love being creative.

I don't, however, love pocketfolds. It my be because they use a lot of materials or because so many people want them. But one of my biggest pet peeves about this particular style is they're incredibly time consuming. That doesn't mean I won't do them at all (so you can still request them ;)) but to divulge a bit of a secret, if you want to watch your budget, ditch the pocketfolds. As a business owner I have to charge more for them and it's not because I'm making a huge profit ... it's because of the materials and, more importantly, the labour involved.

Since a great number of people still love these little gems, I came up with a bit of a compromise ... a 'Faux Pocketfold'. It gives the illusion of a pocket and still holds the inserts in place ... but it isn't a glued down piece of paper. That means less materials are required and I'm not sitting around for extra hours putting these together!

Included in this post are a few Faux Pockets I've done in the past.



As you can see, monograms aren't affected at all ... you're still able to do whatever you want on the front! When open, you can see the inside is the same as a regular invite as well. We're still able to do funky graphics, customize your fonts and even show off ribbon.





The fun aspect of this invitation design is how the inserts lay. Everything is still together in a neat package for your guests and you have a happy Stationeer in me because we've come up with a fun and affordable solution!




In all, these invites can save you upwards of 10%-15% of your bill ... just by rearranging your thinking a bit. Give us a shout at products@momentsthatshine.com to find out more!

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Bright & Early For Their Daily Races

With the birds chirping all around me today, I thought I would look for some bird-inspired finds on Etsy. Soon into my search I found I was drawn to the items with peacocks so here's a full post with some of my faves!

Description and shop are below each photo.


How about this amazing cake topper by .: krishnasadhu :.?!


If you're looking for a wedding gift for a dear one, this mug by .: retrogalusa :. is a great find.


Sweet and simple tile necklace by .: LaMiaCasa :.


More jewellery! .: VeraVinn :. is bringing us something eco-friendly AND inexpensive!


Another fantastic idea for a wedding gift! .: marywibis :. is the talent behind these beautiful pieces.


Beautiful without the accent but spectacular with it! This clutch by .: ClutchThat :. is a steal!


Need to dress up the men in the wedding party? How about these ties by .: toybreaker :.?


Still with the gentlemen, this boutonniere by .: ekaminsk :. is earthy, dapper, understated ... a treasure for any man!


.: ekaminsk :. also helps you complete a matching set with these fantastic fascinators!

And my favourite this week ...


I'm a sucker for lockets. And this one by .: KiwiTreeBoutique :. does not disappoint. Everything is custom designed and simply stunning. My proverbial hat is off to you for creating such a beautiful piece!

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What A Lovely Place

I received some of the best eco-tips ever from some of the best readers ever!

Jessica was lucky enough to win the recent contest but she also gave back with this awesome piece of advice:

“My eco tip: pour a handful of brown sugar into your palm, add just enough honey to mix well and use as a face scrub- way less chemical involvement than store bought and no extra packaging!”


She wasn’t the only one dishing though. In no particular order, here were some of my faves …

“My best eco-tip is to use reusable menstrual products. I love, love, love my diva cup and pretty soft cloth pads. Not only am I helping the earth by not tossing several blood-soaked piles of bleached cotton and plastic in the trash, but I am so much more in touch with myself as a woman. I am not gross or disgusting and my menstrual cycle is not gross or disgusting. It is part of who I am as a woman!


Cloth diapers are also a great idea for those with babies. Disposables are absolutely awful for the environment, and cloth (which has really been updated - there are dipes that look and function like disposables these days, you just don't throw them away!) is a great and frugal alternative!!”

“I have banned harsh chemicals from my house. I only use biodegradable safe products. The harshest thing in my house is melaleuca oil, which I use with vinegar to clean my floors. I use either Melaleuca brand products or orange cleaner. My motto is if it has a warning label on it I don't buy it. I also go through a lot of baking soda and vinegar. It works great for cleaning as well as orange extract cleaner which I buy in bulk and refill my bottles.”


And the following reader went above and beyond with her amazing list. I’m only going to post snippets at the moment but another day will definitely share all FIFTY-ONE tips with you!

• Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat.

• Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water. In fact, reuse everything at least once, especially plastics.

• Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets.

• Start a compost in your back yard or on your rooftop.

• Buy foods locally. Check out Eat Local Challenge and FoodRoutes to get started. Buy locally made products and locally produced services.

• Buy in season.

• Recycle your newspapers.

• Consider a car sharing service like Zipcar.

• Go to your local library instead of buying new books.

• Get off junk mail lists.

• Buy products that use recyclable materials whenever possible.

• Landscape with native plants.

• Take your batteries to a recycling center.

• Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse cycle to “cold.”

• Recycle. If you’re not at home, take the extra steps, (literally), to find that recycling can.


• Reuse. Plastic food containers make good crayon and marker holders. Use padded envelops more than once. Buy your toddler or preschooler’s clothes from a thrift shop and give away those that don’t fit to friends. Goodwill or the Salvation Army can help.

• Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.

• Recycle your technology. Dell, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and IBM, among others, offer recycling programs.

• Good to the last drop. Switch to fair trade coffee.


Thank you so much for contributing to this everyone ... I really am quite humbled at how everyone came together!

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You Must Be The One

The contest for a copy of Ecoholic by Adria Vasil is officially over!

Congratulations to ...

*drum roll* ..................

JESSICA MCEWEN!!!

Make sure you send me an address and I'll have it sent off to you asap :)

I'll be posting the wonderful tips given by you as soon as possible. My readers really are incredible!

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Near, Far, Wherever You Are

Back from vacation. Boo.

Playing catch-up today so I won't go into too much detail of where I went and what I did but a great time was had by all! My mom and brother were visiting from B.C. so we did many tourist-y things including Niagara Falls ...


I have a few other pictures I would like to share once I have more time. Until then, keep the entries for the Ecoholic book coming! I've actually extended the contest until next Wednesday, May 13th at midnight, EST. Keep the tweeting coming! ;)

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