She’s A Brick House

March 17, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

Toronto has many scenic and historic locations across the city, and I’ve made a point (and effort) to visit most of them at some time or other. There was one spot on my list (and also Meaghan’s list) that I had yet to check out. The Evergreen Brick Works is hard to get to by public transit, which is probably why out of my 7 years of living here I had never seen it. Located in the Don River Valley, it was a former quarry and industrial site that has now become a community environmental centre, holding events like garden markets/workshops and community festivals. Saturday afternoon proved to be unseasonably (actually quite seasonably…it’s March right?!) warm, so Meaghan and I ventured out of our homes – before the temperature dropped again – to check it out. Once we got there, we realized what a great spot it is for dog owners and dog pals alike. There are some beautiful hiking trails that would very much please our small furry babies (once the snow has left us). Meaghan brought her two weiners, but I left my lil babes at home since they are so easy to shiver outside in the cold for too long (such fragile souls).

I have now, once again, retreated to hibernation. The temperature did drop considerable, like we expected, on Saturday evening and everything is frozen again. This feels like the never-ending winter. I’m over my winter coats and I’m over IT! Hope you all had a lovely (and warmer) weekend!

*photos by Meaghan

Coat: vintage via Toronto Vintage Clothing Show
Shirt: thrifted vintage
Skirt: Jcrew thrifted
Cardigan & gloves: vintage
Hat: vintage via Common Sort
Scarf: hand me down from Kira
Tights: old pair of ballet tights
Shoes: H&M

Larkspur Babes / 01

March 13, 2014November 11, 20142 Comments

I’m so excited to share this new project! I’ll be releasing monthly photo stories shot by me (on film only), of my beautiful friends wearing all Larkspur garb. Unfortunately I never released a winter lookbook this year. I had every intention to do so, but I was unable to meet up with the photographer I was so looking forward to working with (we live so far from eachother. wahhhhh!) So it just never happened. I do plan to continue with Spring/Summer – Fall/Winter lookbooks in which I will model and have an actual photographer do their magic, but for the time being I’d love to share the faces of my beautiful friends, work on my own photographic skills, and style these beauties with items from my wee shop. So, without further ado, the first of my Larkspur Babes, (a gal we are all too familiar with now) Meaghan Kelly.

*all items are now for sale in the shop, with the exception of the lace bra, high waisted shorts, fascinator and ballet slippers (and dog)Photography & Styling: Alexandra Spence (yours truly)
Model & Home: Meaghan Kelly
Clothing: Larkspur Shoppe

The Punny Oscars

March 12, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

Meaghan, Danielle and I seem to have a thing for hosting parties. We’ll take any excuse we can to get dressed up, be surrounded by good pals, eat tasty food and have a couple glasses of wine and beer (mostly beer…usually more than a couple). We had a little party at Christmas which I never ended up sharing for whatever reason. I was recently looking back at photos from it, and it really is a shame I didn’t, but it feels a little out of season to post those photos now. Oh well! I was a bit better this time around. Meaghan & Nick had a bunch of the pals over to their place to watch the Oscars, and contribute to our table of punny-snacks. Meaghan loves puns…she’s kind of the queen of puns, so a table full of Oscar-punned snacks was right up her alley. She came up with the names, and we chose the snack we wanted to make. I made brussel sprouts for “American Brussel” and veggie dogs for “Dallas (oscar) Meyer’s Club”. And yes, you do see a bowl full of glow sticks titled “Twelve Years a Rave” – that would be the genius idea of Nick. We were very pleased when Twelve Years a Slave won Best Picture so we had good reason to crack those glowing babies.

*all photos of me & pals taken by Nick Ball and food photos by me.

Family Affairs Fall 2014

March 11, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

This could be the first time I have shared a collection from Family Affairs, which is truly surprising because I have admired Nina’s work for a long time now. Anything that feels other-wordly, mystical and wholly it’s own is something I can stand by, and that’s exactly what we get from Family Affairs, collection after collection. As usual, Nina created her own prints, this time featuring her very own alchemy symbols with references from italian futurism and irish fairytales. Neat right?! I would love to get my hands on the maxi dress pictured above, and although I have never really been known to wear or have any interest in blazers, the candy crush-esque pinstripe number pictured last is really catching my eye.

Photography: Amanda Jasnowski
Model: Bryson

Until When We Are Ghosts

March 10, 2014November 11, 20142 Comments

“Everyday I discover
more and more
beautiful things.
It’s enough to drive one mad.
I have such a desire
to do everything,
my head is bursting with it.”
– Claude Monet

That quote really resonates with me. It is how I feel, and have always felt about life and the things I fill my days with. I’ve never been able to give my whole heart to any one thing because fragments of it are all over. (except for Ryan. man, that guy has the whole damn thing) I’ve been in love with dance since I was 4 years old, but I couldn’t possibly have that be the only thing in my life – it would lose all meaning. That sentiment goes for all things that have found their way into my heart, one by one. I never want anything to feel forced – to feel like work. The second that happens, you fall out of love. What it once mean’t is lost. I want to learn more and more, for all the days of my life, and never feel disenchanted by what was once so enchanting. It’s important to keep testing yourself and to allow yourself to fall for people and places and arts and feelings. Humans are so complex and so beautiful, we should never sell ourselves short with all that we can do, it would be such a shame. Lets continue to drive ourselves mad with seeing beauty, everyday, until when we are ghosts.