Trash to treasure
Finding ritual and order in found objects

1 Ships Book
This book was given to my dad by his best friend for Christmas in 1979 (at least that’s what the inscription leads me to believe). I like to think about it sitting on the coffee table in the apartment my parents lived in when I was born. It has this nice leathery cover and is filled with beautiful pictures of boats. My dad was a boat (and car) guy all around, and it reminds me of him.

2 Stella the Cat
Stella is a cat we found at the Humane Society. We got her when she was about a year old. I know nothing about her life before us, but I like to imagine she was delivering cat justice on the mean streets of Toronto. She is very small and snuggles with me almost every night. Her hobbies include throwing around her toy mouse then chasing it, looking out the window at birds, and trying to steal food off the table. She has been known to grab cookies and drag them under the couch to feast on.

3 Sangria Set
I picked up this punch/sangria set at an antique store. As soon as I saw it I imagined me and my girlfriends lounging on my balcony on a Sunday afternoon. There is nothing better than the aforementioned activity, which makes this set one of my favourite things. I also love the colours.

4 Ceramic Tiger
This tiger is named Shanaynay. She was found at a garage sale, and is a favourite of many guests to my place. Sometimes we put a headband on her, but she prefers to shine in her natural glory. She is nestled under a collage of photos that were taken on some of the many adventures of my boyfriend Stephen and I. She’s a star.

5 Moondance-Van Morrison
I love this record. It’s pretty great. It was recorded 13 years before I was born. This one was a gift from my boyfriend, but my dad had it too. I even like his moustache on the cover. For a curmudgeon he sure makes pretty music.

6 Tea Cups
These tea cups have been sourced from various thrift shops and antique markets all over the place. My absolute favourite is the white one with the red rose, and a close runner up is the one with the lime and flowers on it. This one was a gift- it’s Wedgewood china, in the pattern of Sarah’s Garden. I have several other pieces from the set and I love those as well. I love a good tea, and drinking it from little tea cups makes it feel more ritualistic and special.

7 Owl Plaque
I found this plaque at a thrift store in Huntsville ON. I know owls are trendy and everything (how do animals become trends anyway?), but once upon a time one attacked my mom (making off with her hat), and then a member of my family got sick and died. They say that owls are omens of death, and I believe it. I keep them around as kind of a talisman I suppose. I have many many owl items, but this is by far my favourite.

8 Serbian Folk Plaque
This plaque features two people dressed in fine traditional Serbian outfits. One of my Serbian friends (of which there are several) pointed this out to me after I bought it. I just liked the pretty picture, you know? But Serbian people are cool too. They invite me to their Slavas (saints days) and I get to eat a lot and drink even more. Sometimes I get a strange urge to dance when I look at this thing.

9 Peacock Plate
This was a gift from one of my dad’s close friend’s Mark. We called him Marky Mark because we are original and funny. He brought it back for me from Jerusalem. I’ve had it for years and years and it has moved around a lot. I always manage to find a special place for it.

10 Toiletry Bag
I bought this on a recent trip to NYC at the MOMA gift shop. I threw out the toiletry bag I was using as soon as we got back to where we were staying. Why would I use anything else? It’s the perfect size and is so beautiful. I wish I had bought two so that I could bust out the new one in 5 years when this one finally wears out. I’m sure I’ll still love it.

11 Heart Pendants
These were given to me when I was really little by my parents. They knew how much I treasured little pretty things – I’ve had these for probably just under 20 years. They really remind me of my childhood when I look at them, and it makes me feel warm in my heart.

12 Accessory Cornucopia
I love jewelry, I can’t get enough. I don’t wear that much of it – usually I go through phases where I have a few favourites. I love taking things apart and putting them back together. I was blessed with “nimble fingers” as my Dad would say and I’ve always loved crafting. This area holds so many things that are special to me – even the little plates that hold some of the stuff have their own little stories.

13 Painting
I got this painting at an antique show. I bargained the guy down, then had to wait for a van cab which did not show up, then had to squeeze it, my bike, myself, and all my other finds into a regular cab. It was freezing cold, windy, and a total hassle, but it was very much worth it. I love the colours, the feeling, everything. This painting trumps all other paintings. Sorry, but it does!

14 Angel Wing
This beautiful plant was grown from a wee clipping. On my birthday this year I knocked it over and broke the pot it was in, as well as many of the stems. Then some shelves fell on my head. It was not the best birthday. We quickly repotted it (in a larger pot) and it is much happier now. It has tons of new growth. It’s so lush and leafy. I wish we had a plant like this in every room.