Sunday will be the second anniversary of The Breast Darn Show Period, a breast cancer charity event that my sisters, friends and I held in honour of my mother and for those affected by breast cancer. If you want to learn more about the event, there is more of a scoop here. I also recently gave the website a bit of an update here. But I just want to highlight one of my favourite decor elements of the entire event!
The event was held at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District, and if you have been there you have probably seen the two very large vats on the wall - remnants of when the building was actually used as a fermenting cellar, and not an industrial chic event venue! Well when we saw those vats, we just knew it was the perfect place to hold a breast cancer charity! We came up with an elaborate plan to cover the 'breasts' with an extremely large bra. See above for the before and after pictures. And kudos to my grandmother, who I told you is very crafty and lively and imaginative! She took on this task and did an amazing job, creating a ginormous bra complete with lace and clasps. To give you a sense of scale, one of these vats is at least 6 feet wide {if not 7!}! Apparently the bra is a bit of an urban legend in Toronto, as I've recently found out. Way to go gram!
I wore my poppy proud today! I can't help but think of my grandma on Remembrance Day, and how it must have felt to have her young husband Ken leave for war, to receive a telegram that he was missing in action, and then a whole year later to receive confirmation that she had been widowed, all before she was the age of 20.
About 10 years ago, my grandma and I travelled to Germany together to see Ken's grave for the first time {my grandma remarried my grandfather after Ken's death}. It was astounding to me how many headstones there were in that cemetary, and worst of all, the ages inscripted on them - 18, 19, 22.
So I wore my poppy proud today, thankful for the freedom we have in this beautiful country, but knowing it has come at a considerable price.
My grandmother is a spritely 84 year old woman who does everything so beautifully. She was the original Martha Stewart, before Martha Stewart came along. She was a food stylist before there were food stylists! I'm not sure where she learned her talents, growing up as one of five hungry kids in a house with a dirt floor, but she certainly has a knack for decorating, sewing, knitting, painting, cooking, and presenting food like nobody's business {she's also not too shabby at Scrabble and regularly 'beats' her computer}.
I went to her house for a casual lunch yesterday, and as usual she did her trick with even the simplest meal. She uses lovely little china dishes, wine glasses {even if we aren't drinking wine}, delicate tea cups and there are always, always flowers everywhere. See above for yesterday's soup and crackers, which was soon followed by sandwiches and a lovely apple pie. I am trying to take note of how beautifully she does things so I can incorporate it into my life too. I am very lucky to still have my gram...
