The best resource for great local shopping!

There is amazing stuff close by – local artisans and independently owned retailers, cool things to do and eat, and great charities to support. It’s good for the economy, the environment and the soul. www.100milefinds.com

Friday, July 29, 2011

Katz Jewelry


100 Mile Finds welcomes Katz Jewelry. Katrina Idczak. creator of Katz makes one of a kind crystal jewelry that dazzles. The jewelry is handmade with Swarovski Crystals and Pearls. Besid
es being a 100 Mile Finds vendor, Katz is also featured in Hamilton's Gore Park promenade every Friday from 11-6 until Sept . 2. She is holding a draw to win a pair of Swarovski Crystal Earrings at Hamilton's Gore Park from June 24/2011 to August 26/2011.
So if you are in the Hamilton area on a Friday this summer, visit the park and say hello to Katz.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Sorauren Farmers' Market


Every Monday afternoon from 3 - 7pm at Sorauren Park, on Sorauren south of Dundas West. The market looks deceivingly small from the road. There are quite a few vendors tucked in behind the main set-up back near the fieldhouse building.

Not only are there a ton of great vendors but the afternoon I went Lutia Lausane of Just Peachy Productions was playing a Celtic Harp. Beautiful! Like most Farmers' Markets you can usually count on the same vendors coming back week after week with a few variations to keep things interesting.

The selection at the Sorauren Farmers' Market is great. You've got dairy farmers, meat farmers, bakeries and of course, fruit and veggie farmers on hand. There was a knife sharpener there, he takes care of both Japanese and German knives. There were a couple of other really cool vendors there too. One that really stuck out for me was www.freshcityfarms.ca. It's a very cool initiative. Their mission is to empower young people to farm organically in the Greater Toronto Area in backyards, front yards and beyond.

Definitely a great way to get your grocery shopping done, buy local and add a little umph into your Monday afternoon.

Monday, July 25, 2011

The Open Roof Festival

The Open Roof Festival is a Toronto summer movie series located outdoors. This is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide Toronto with an outdoor summer experience that highlights independent artists from Canada and around the world. We will provide you with a fun, unique experience that is a party - including a musical act and an independent film. The venue is Amsterdam Brewery, 21 Bathurst Street in Toronto.
The featured indie films are not the usual summer blockbusters, but neither is seeing a film outdoors and accompanied with a concert. Check out the list and schedule an outing. Summer evenings don't last long - enjoy them.


Friday, July 22, 2011

Blissful Sew

We met Shannon Curry of Blissful Sew at Swansea Craft Show last year and were very impressed by both the ingenuity of her products ( all the crafters were coveting the multi-pocketed apron Shannon was wearing, perfect for holding change, scissors , tape - all the necessities at a show), and the quality. And the fact that she can create all these things while parenting a toddler is hard for me to wrap my head around - I am feeling tired thinking about it.
We were thrilled to see Shannon open her 100 Mile Finds store recently and are excited to introduce you to her. The featured tutu may have been inspired by her daughter, but it is sure to inspire any young girl. The years to wear a tutu in your back yard are numbered, so enjoy them with your budding ballerina.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Railway Children

The Railway Children has been playing in Toronto since May, and will be here through until October. The production is of the classic British novel adapted by Mike Kenny. They did an amazing job at keeping the feel of a period piece without it being verbose and drawn out. If you ever go back and read some of the classics you realize how much literature has changed since the turn of the century. It's no easy job holding the attention of today's youth.

Whenever we go to something like this as a family, I am mindful that my 10 year bores easily and there's nothing like a classic to take her down. She was riveted.

Grown up versions of the "railway children" narrate the story and go back and forth from past to present. The cast was excellent. For me both Harry Judge, who played Peter and Kate Besworth, who played Phyllis were real stand outs. They had that ease with the audience that made them feel totally familiar within seconds of getting on stage.

The theatre is located adjacent to Roundhouse Park at the foot of the CN Tower. The location is amazing. Before you head into the "Bubble" you have the opportunity to walk around the grounds and there's a tiny train you can take a quick tour on too. The atmosphere around the theatre really adds to the whole experience. The state of the art theatre sets 1,000 people, so it's intimate and it doesn't look like there's a bad seat in the house. Too bad the damn seats are unbearably uncomfortable. Not only are they the tiniest things I've ever sat in, but there was absolutely NO leg room. I'm tall but I'm not that tall! Honestly if you are over about 5'6" sit in the front row. All the chatter before the production started was about how uncomfortable the seats were.

The staging was amazing! The audience sits on either side of the stage which is on a line of track. Platforms are pushed on and off the track to facilitate scene changes. The train makes several exciting appearances throughout the performance and the scene in the tunnel is fantastic.

An all-Canadian cast was promised and to the best of my knowledge that is true. A neighbour of ours attended the open call in the spring and is a member of the childrens chorus, how cool is that?! It's always so fun to watch someone you are familiar with on stage. Way to go Abbey!

The performance we attended had a little bit of extra drama. In the paperchase scene one of the younger actors fell just out of view of the audience. They had to stop the production for a few moments while they dealt with the actor. We were assured that they were fine and the production continued on. There were a couple of funny moments after that when the script seemed to mirror the incident.

If you get a chance, it's a great way for the kids to see a beautiful classic story. The message of how important it is too have faith that things will turn out and how important it is help others is so nice to hear in this day and age. Just don't forget to get seats in the front row!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Henna Planet

It's always a strange feeling to get on the subway without the jacket. I feel a little naked when the weather warms up enough to lose the outerwear. Now it's summer and we are all showing a little more skin - sometimes even when we don't want to. So why not make it even more beautiful, you may even appreciate your largest organ a little more if it is also a tapestry. Henna Planet is the business of Tarquin Singh.
Mehndi, the Hindi word for applying henna designs on the skin, has been used for thousands of years to celebrate special occasions
around the globe. Tarquin has been practicing the ancient art of Menhndi since 2006 and started her home based business in the east end of Toronto in 2008. She makes her own paste from fresh, 100% natural ingredients and does not use any harsh additives. The henna designs are done free hand onto the skin where the paste remains until it flakes off and leaves behind a beautiful, reddish/brownish stain which will last 1 - 3 weeks. So why just get the pedicure - Henna Planet can really dress up those toes!!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Zoria

Welcome Zoria to 100 Mile Finds! According to founder Natasha, "the meaning of Zoria is "Radiance"... "Beauty"..... Zoria is the goddess of beauty in Slavic mythology. Also associated with the morning, Zoria was known to her worshippers as "the heavenly bride." She was greeted at dawn as "the brightest maiden, pure, sublime, and honorable".
We have chosen to feature these feminine necklaces inspired by flowers - how perfect for summer. The Amethyst Flower necklace features amethyst chip stones with a swarovski toggle clasp, and the Daffodil Flower Bead necklace features acrylic daffodil beads with a vintage pearl pendant.
Treat the goddess you know.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Guilty Plea by Robert Rotenberg

The Guilty Plea is Robert Rotenberg's second novel. It's a murder mystery and more. You immediately connect with the characters and understand where they are coming from. It's fun and light and has you guessing right up until the last page. I could barely put it down. It's one of those books that I dragged to soccer practice so I could snatch a couple of pages in case there was no one to talk to.

The main characters return from his first book, Old City Hall, an international best seller and it's like bumping into old friends. I bet his third books delves deeper into Daniel Kennicott's story, I hope it does.

The references to Toronto are funny, and familiar all at once. I found myself nodding my head knowingly and laughing to myself in recognition.

There is one scene, when Ari Greene is revisiting his Mother's grave, it gave me that feeling you get when a good friend opens up about something that really explains how they became who they are.

I highly recommend both books. They would make a great book to take up north and pound through while relaxing on the dock or at the beach.
You should check out Robert Rotenberg's website, it's got a map of the areas each book is set in, there's a great FAQ too. www.robertrotenberg.com

Monday, July 11, 2011

GoodYarns


Harry Potter is back this week and for those of us caught up in Hogwarts fever, we are excitedly anticipating the last installment. LD from GoodYarns has a few Harry Potter inspired items up for grabs, including these Gryffindor fingerless gloves, and this hand knit Hegwig.
LD also enjoys knitting us some patriotic attire if Harry isn't your guy. Her Canadiana line would make a great gift for a visitor from abroad. We know it's a little warm for knits, but Fall will be here before you know it.

Friday, July 8, 2011

JAZZ IT UP! with Adornments Jewellery

JAZZ UP your ensemble at the "JAZZ IT UP! with Adornments Jewellery" event taking place at Dorly Designs Boutique. This fashion boutique is a great Canadian resource for designer clothing, jewellery and accessories in Toronto's trendy neighbourhood of Leslieville).
July 16 from 12-7 pm.
Meet the artist behind Adornments Jewellery, Nancy Lismer and enjoy some live jazz and refreshments. Enter for a chance to win a fabulous Adornments Jewellery door prize! We look forward to seeing you there. Please feel free to invite your friends. Free Parking on Side Streets.


From 3-4 pm enjoy two time Juno award winning recipient Christopher Plock work his magic on Sax. You will NOT want to miss him.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the year award

I know, great news we've joined another contest! Okay, stop rolling your eyes and keep reading.

Most of you have heard of Savvy Mom, right? They are a great resource for Moms across Canada bringing them solutions to our every day dilemmas. All good, right? Well they are also about supporting Mom entrepreneurs. Well aren't Susan and I two Mom entrepreneurs you want to support? Oh yes we are, do you know why? Let me help you with that.

A couple of reasons to vote for 100 mile finds in the SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of year contest 2011.

A vote for us is like a vote for every one of our vendors. Clearly voting for us has an much bigger impact than voting for any other entrant. Your time is important, we appreciate that, make each vote count as much as possible, vote for 100 mile finds.

There are some great prizes in this contest, $5,000 for PayPal. $5,000! Oh what we could do with $5,000. The possibilities are endless.

So what you need to do right now is vote and then vote again tomorrow and then vote again everyday until September 12th, and we're good to go!

Thanks for all the voting!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Silk Design by Jane


Silk Design by Jane is a new vendor at 100 Mile Finds. We met Jane at the Brocante Lux market in St. Catharines, an area that influenced Jane's work. She has incorporated are the sport of rowing, in this blue scarf, which is often seen in the Niagara Region.

Jane hand paints her scarves using different items to get the look - from non toxic water based paints to regular & coarse salt and sugar. According to Jane, "Salt can be like an explosion in the colour, making hard little flowery shapes, whereas sugar gives a soft look to the pattern".

Jane's scarves, made of Habotai silk, range in size from 8 x 54 inches to 60 x 11 inches to squares of 35 x35 inches. Welcome to 100 Mile Finds Jane!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Happy Canada Day!


Since we are all about local gems here at 100 Mile Finds, we can't help but pause a moment on this day to be grateful and enjoy this special place where we live. We have some warts, but noone's perfect. Today we are anticipating summer living for the next couple of months (OK, so maybe the Canadian winters are a little long), and hopefully taking some time off to relax and maybe even explore some of Canada's beauty. So eat some fresh local strawberries - they are that patriotic colour - and enjoy your summer!