Ossington Community Association Local Goods and Services Auction

Joel Richardson

Suitman in Chrome

11x17 

$500 value

Joel Richardson is an extraordinary artist, filmaker, and provocative disruptor of the status quo.  Here's an opportunity to own a fantastic piece evoking the mural Joel painted that was mistakenly obliterated by City workers.  See here (scroll down) for the film, 'The Suitman and the Mural'.

Joel Richardson began his career as a portrait painter. His early work demonstrated a fascination with the fusing of extremes in ideas and techniques, all of this in an attempt to expand traditional portraiture into the realm of social documentation.

Fueled in part by creative expeditions across the globe the move into film was a natural evolution for Joel. His early documentation through portraiture grew into his own unique form of gonzo documentary filmmaking. He has directed several short films including the short Germinio Pio Politi: A Documentary Portrait airing on Bravo Television, Bold and the Documentary Channel.

Partnering now with GUERILLA FILMS founder James Motluk, he is completing post-production on CONVERSATIONS TO MARRAKECH, a road movie about finance. Joel will also be completing this summer his large mural on both sides of a Toronto underpass.

Sadko Hadzihasanovic

"untitled"

2011 etching with acrylic and colour pencil on wallpaper 16 1/2" x 15 1/4"

Value: $1,200 (framed)

This exquisite and evocative piece comes to you courtesy of Paul Petro Contemporary Art; with framing courtesy of Akau Framing.

Sadko studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, Bosnia, earned his MFA at the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1984) and arrived in Canada in 1993. Since his arrival from Bosnia, Sadko has participated in over sixty exhibitions in public galleries and artist-run centres across Canada. He is the recipient of visual arts grants from Toronto Art Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Sadko continues to explore identity, and its cultural and social implications, with an extensive portraiture-based body of work using mixed media and collage, and an array of references to popular culture.

'A Study piece for Reclamation'

Oil on wood panel

14" x 11"

2014

This richly beautiful painting is characteristic of Christian McLeod's compelling work, which occupies its own distinctive space between the abstract and the concrete.

Christian McLeod's bio, from his site here:

Christian McLeod graduated from the Toronto School of Art in 1992 before moving to Spain where he exhibited locally on the Island of Ibiza. Since then, he has worked and exhibited as a painter for over 15 years. McLeod has lived and worked in Mexico, Spain and Germany and his current studio is a live work storefront on Ossington. His work can be found in corporate collections, such as MHPM, Halifax, NS and Calgary AB, as well as public institutions such as The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON. He was a participant in Art with Heart fundraiser for Casey House, Toronto, ON from 2005 - 2007. In 2010 and 2011 two of McLeod’s paintings where chosen to represent The University of Architecture of Valencia, Spain,"Ideas and Visions for a New Concept of Architecture”. Most recently, McLeod's massive painting ‘Ports Land‘ was purchased by the Indie Ale House in Toronto for permanent display. McLeod's works are held in many private international collections.

You can only get there from here  - 'hoodie portrait 02'

oil, acrylic and pastel on canvas

16 x 16 inches

2012                          

value: $1000 

This haunting, gorgeous piece is from Gillian Ile's 'You can only get there from here' series.  From her site: The series "highlights the potential of adolescents as the future agents of change. It is this potential, not the actualization that is portrayed. In this case, the protagonists are outside looking in at the idealizations that simultaneously repel and attract. Each piece's content combines undeniable allure and simultaneous visceral threat or repulsion. It is this conflict that is captured as a suspended moment of indecision: the primal urge to rebel colliding with the vague notion of desire for that very same thing. The inevitability of change as an innate inclination of all systems is imagined through the selective content as well as with "interruptions", where discordant media effects ooze through and out of the pieces."

More info on the series is available here.

Gillian Iles is a Toronto-based artist who exhibits locally and internationally in commercial and artist-run galleries. She has exhibited in cities such as New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, Miami, Montreal and Toronto. She has exhibited with Katharine Mulherin Gallery, curator Mia Nielsen and Torres-Porcelli Gallery. Gillian, as a founding member, participated in the creation of two co-operative artist-run galleries in Toronto - Propeller and Loop Galleries. Her work has been highlighted in Mix Magazine, Toronto Life Magazine, Now Magazine as well as the National Post, The Globe and Mail and Now Magazine. She is featured in the book Carte Blanche Volume 2: Painting that surveys the current state of painting in Canada. Gillian is part of Blunt Collective, which is a group of artists investigating the role of representation and narrative in painting. Gillian is currently teaching at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Sheridan College and the Toronto School of Art. Her work compares and contrasts individuals' public and private persona and the notion of a social normal in this age of instantaneous global dissemination of personal information and public ideology. She has been interested specifically in media's manufacturing of and presentation of "events" and the creation of public interpretation compared to personal experience. Recently, her series Part Of challenges the choice of Subject. The role of the unseen, the unrelated, the banal, and the spaces in between are used to create images, which specifically contrast with and deconstruct the popularly accepted notion of the Subject. 

title: Royal Palm Soda

2013, mixed media with epoxy resin, gilded frame

19" x 23"

value: $4,200

This gorgeous piece is evocative and provocative on many levels.  Using pages from pulp fiction paperbacks as a backdrop, Zaremba layers color, image, portraiture, and meaning into a luscious, resonant, and subtly Hitchcockian whole. 

Ilona Zaremba's bio:

Born and raised in then communist Warsaw, Poland, Ilona Zaremba immigrated to Canada in 1986. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design and received 7 awards and scholarships for achievement in the arts.  Since 1995, her works have been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries and art fairs in Aspen, Bolzano (Italy), Chicago, Dallas, London (England), Los Angeles, Miami, New York,  Paris (France), Princeton, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Washington DC, Toronto and Tokyo (Japan).Currently working with reconstructing/deconstructing of the "American" image, she questions notions of gender roles using imagery that have been gleaned from vintage television material, advertising, magazines, and pulp fiction books. Through nostalgia she recognizes and questions our cultural obsession with constructed, very much utopic, but somewhat sleazy beauty in relation between our past and present.

Her work is in numerous private, public and corporate collections throughout the world, including those of Steve Martin, Mert and Tim Campbell, Jordan Goodman, Eddie Irvine and Rob Walton.

Matthew Schofield 'Still life of a snap shot 1' 8 x 11 inches oil on canvas, 2002

This striking and beautifully painted piece is from Matthew's current series, which "explores snapshots painted with unsentimental observation. he is interested in observing the idiosyncratic nature of the photographer and their subjects. The overarching theme of his work has been painting snapshots and overlooked moments while attempting to order the outcome of random sequences. Matthew creates installations of small paintings by digging and sorting through boxes and piles of hundreds of inherited slides and photos. It is part of an on-going exploration of collecting and hording of the incidental random moments in photographs. The resulting paintings are usually one to one scale recreations of the original photographs installed in collage form; giving order and/or disorder to the cumulative imagery." See more of Matthew's work here.

Matthew Schofield is a Toronto based Canadian born artist who has been exhibiting his artwork in commercial galleries, museums and artist run centres nationally and internationally since 1996. He has exhibited in Paris, Brussels, Florence, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, Miami and Toronto. He has exhibited with Mulherin and Pollard, Kabat-Wrobel Gallery, MEG Gallery, DU art Gallery, Zia Gallery and Projects Gallery. He has participated in group and curated exhibitions At The Red Head Gallery, Loop Gallery; Propeller Gallery and AWOL Gallery. Matthew's work has been highlighted in Toronto Life Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and NOW Magazine. He is featured in the book Carte Blanche Volume 2: Painting, which is an overview of the state of Canadian painting in 2008. Matthew is a founding member of the blunt Collective, a group of artists investigating the role of narrative painting. In 2011 he was a finalist in the BP Portrait award in London, UK and in the same year he was a finalist in the Kingston Prize for Portraiture. In 2009 he was also a finalist in the Kingston Prize for Portraiture. Matthew started his education in Architecture and ended it as an honours graduate in fine arts from both McMaster University and Ontario College of Art and Design. In 2001 Matthew was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and in 2006 he was nominated for an Oscar for his digital matte painting work in film.

Matthew Schofield 'Still life of a snap shot 2'

8 x 11 inches oil on canvas

2002

This striking and beautifully painted piece is from Matthew's current series, which "explores snapshots painted with unsentimental observation. he is interested in observing the idiosyncratic nature of the photographer and their subjects. The overarching theme of his work has been painting snapshots and overlooked moments while attempting to order the outcome of random sequences. Matthew creates installations of small paintings by digging and sorting through boxes and piles of hundreds of inherited slides and photos. It is part of an on-going exploration of collecting and hording of the incidental random moments in photographs. The resulting paintings are usually one to one scale recreations of the original photographs installed in collage form; giving order and/or disorder to the cumulative imagery." See more of Matthew's work here.

Matthew Schofield is a Toronto based Canadian born artist who has been exhibiting his artwork in commercial galleries, museums and artist run centres nationally and internationally since 1996. He has exhibited in Paris, Brussels, Florence, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, Miami and Toronto. He has exhibited with Mulherin and Pollard, Kabat-Wrobel Gallery, MEG Gallery, DU art Gallery, Zia Gallery and Projects Gallery. He has participated in group and curated exhibitions At The Red Head Gallery, Loop Gallery; Propeller Gallery and AWOL Gallery. Matthew's work has been highlighted in Toronto Life Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and NOW Magazine. He is featured in the book Carte Blanche Volume 2: Painting, which is an overview of the state of Canadian painting in 2008. Matthew is a founding member of the blunt Collective, a group of artists investigating the role of narrative painting. In 2011 he was a finalist in the BP Portrait award in London, UK and in the same year he was a finalist in the Kingston Prize for Portraiture. In 2009 he was also a finalist in the Kingston Prize for Portraiture. Matthew started his education in Architecture and ended it as an honours graduate in fine arts from both McMaster University and Ontario College of Art and Design. In 2001 Matthew was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and in 2006 he was nominated for an Oscar for his digital matte painting work in film.

Bruno Billio

Rhinos

2008

6 1/4" x 8 3/4"; matted size 26" x 28 1/2"

Value: $250

This photo by Bruno Billio, artist-in-residence at the Gladstone Hotel, is featured in a recent review here.  It captures the "constant production of fake depths" and associated multi-faceted connotations of Billio's signature rhino sculptures.

From the review:

"Bruno Billio has made a name for himself around the city for his interior design works and installation practices. These two aspects of his career tend to co-mingle. Found objects are simplified by vibrant or matte monochromes and held in vitrines or on mirror paneled platforms, stacked up. The show trades heavily on the work at the Gladstone, with a bottle of 'Pure Art' poured from its taps. It's kind of a Piero Manzoni gag, much like the jeweled anuses that can be found on the yellow rhinos that flank one wall of his show at DeLuca Fine Art. It's full of humour and a giddy leaping between notions of scale. But it's the constant production of fake depths thanks to his use of mirrors that really rules the day."

This is an amazing opportunity to purchase a stunning triptych of historic photos of Toronto from the world-renowned Stephen Bulger Gallery.  

All three photos are framed together in a beautiful black wood frame, with total dimensions 53 1/2" (horizontal) x 19 1/2" (vertical), with archival matting.

Photographer Unknown

Set of three Gelatin Silver Prints

1. Toronto, circa 1940

10 ¾ x 13 ¾ inch (27.31 x 34.93 cm) Gelatin silver print

Printed circa 1970

Click to preview first photo.

2. Toronto, 1967

9 ½ x 13 ¾ inch (24.13 x 34.93 cm) Gelatin silver print

Dated, ink ink, au verso Printed circa 1967

Click to preview second photo.

3. Toronto, 1970

9 ½ x 13 ¾ inch (24.13 x 34.93 cm) Gelatin silver print

Dated, in ink, au verso Printed circa 1970

Click to preview third photo.

Value: $2,500.00 framed

From http://www.bulgergallery.com/:

Founded in 1994, the Stephen Bulger Gallery has focused on the exhibition and sale of international contemporary and historical photographs.

The Gallery maintains an inventory of approximately 15,000 photographs with a special emphasis on works that define the documentary tradition as well as historical photographs from Canada. We also maintain a bookstore with a title list of over 3,000 books on photography.

Open to all levels of collecting, the gallery specializes in working with first time buyers and includes institutions and individuals on all continents in its clientele.

The gallery's facility includes CAMERA, which hosts free Saturday afternoon film screenings and is also available for private rental.

'Big Brogue Shoe'

2010

signed, #2 of an edition of 10

15" x 21" (framed size)

Total value $425: print value $250, framing value $175

Here's an opportunity to own one of Alanna Cavanagh's incredibly charming silkscreen prints, framed by Telegramme Prints and Custom Framing, located at 194 Ossington!  Don't step on this blue suede shoe---hang it up!

Alanna is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, printmaker, and fine artist living in Toronto.  Her silkscreen prints have been featured in The Globe and Mail, Apartment Therapy, Canadian House + Home, Design Lines, Covet Garden, Style Files in Amsterdam + Design Traveller/Oslo.  See more of Alanna's work here: http://alannacavanagh.com/home.html.

Telegramme Prints and Framing has beautifully and archivally framed Alanna's print.  Telegramme has won several city-wide awards.  Check out their website: http://telegramme.ca/.

Tom Chitty's beautifully rendered and instantly recognizable silkscreen prints of beloved parts of Toronto are simply wonderful. For bid is a print representing the intersection of Queen and Portland and its characteristic vibrant Victorian main street feel---the same feel the OCA has fought so hard to preserve on Ossington and WQW!

From Tom's site:

Tom Chitty is an english fellow living in Toronto, Canada. He creates illustrations, prints, cartoons, and animations. He has worked with a variety of clients in digital media, video production (directing and storeyboarding animation), and publishing.He is currently working with Across the Pond Productions to provide animations and illustrations for Google, some of which were shortlisted in last year's AOI Illustration Awards.

A selection of clients o'er the years: Google, YouTube, The Guardian, Conde Nast, Adobe, Virgin, GQ.com, Microsoft, Orange, MTV.

Bid on this sweet poster from Town Moto (132 Ossington Avenue), the coolest cycle accessory shop in town.

Details:

18" x 24" two colour silkscreen poster. Printed on 100lb Cougar Cover. Designed and printed by Doublenaut for Town Moto and the 2013 Soul Seekers show. First edition is out of 50.

Bruno Billio

Rhino

2008

Value $2000

This is one of Bruno Billio's signature rhino sculptures, featured in a recent review here.  Some lucky bidder will be the owner of this limited edition treasure.

From the review:

"Bruno Billio has made a name for himself around the city for his interior design works and installation practices. These two aspects of his career tend to co-mingle. Found objects are simplified by vibrant or matte monochromes and held in vitrines or on mirror paneled platforms, stacked up. The show trades heavily on the work at the Gladstone, with a bottle of 'Pure Art' poured from its taps. It's kind of a Piero Manzoni gag, much like the jeweled anuses that can be found on the yellow rhinos that flank one wall of his show at DeLuca Fine Art. It's full of humour and a giddy leaping between notions of scale. But it's the constant production of fake depths thanks to his use of mirrors that really rules the day."

Buffer Nail and Waxing is a wonderful salon located at 128 Ossington.  Enjoy a mani-pedi or one of there many other services with your gift certificate!

More info is available on their website at http://buffersalon.com/.

Buffer Nail and Waxing is a wonderful salon located at 128 Ossington.  Enjoy a mani-pedi or one of there many other services with your gift certificate!

More info is available on their website at http://buffersalon.com/.

Get a fantastic haircut at Parlour (located at 6 Ossington), one of Toronto's best hair salons.

Parlour; a private room of conversation and relaxation.

Parlour salon embraces the need for hair service that is comfortable, professional, and reasonably priced. Opening on popular Ossington Avenue in 2009, Parlour has been able to make its mark.  .  Growing from a mere 4 stylists to the talented team they share with you today at parlour east and parlour west. Our team’s only goal is to make their clients look and feel great.  Things that you will not find at parlour are egos, attitude, or pressure. Through proper education and consultation we find out what your needs are, what’s realistic, and what you would be comfortable with.From classics to what’s on trend, we love what we do and what we do is make our clients feel great about themselves.  Parlour stylists listen.

Get a wonderful haircut from the amazingly talented women at Salon Goulart, at Dundas and Shaw.  

From their website: At Salon Goulart you can feel comfortable knowing our services are performed by an unique collection of talented stylists whose skills surpass the current trends. In an atmosphere that’s upscale yet unpretentious you can discover that Salon Goulart services are performed with a personal feel. Our mission is to indulge our clients with the ultimate in skin care, hair and nail care as our team is dedicated to creating the ultimate look for you. Whether you want an incredible change or a classic cut, we invite you to find exactly what you have been looking for.

Check out their website: http://salongoulart.ca/.

Get a wonderful spa manicure from the talented Stephanie Goulart at Salon Goulart, at Dundas and Shaw.  

Description: Rich natural ingredients infused with the energy of the mediterranean sun are key components to this truly effective treatment. More than a manicure, this is a skin care therapy for the hands. Your hands will fell invigorated, renewed and deeply conditioned.

From their website at http://salongoulart.ca/: 

At Salon Goulart you can feel comfortable knowing our services are performed by an unique collection of talented stylists whose skills surpass the current trends. In an atmosphere that’s upscale yet unpretentious you can discover that Salon Goulart services are performed with a personal feel. Our mission is to indulge our clients with the ultimate in skin care, hair and nail care as our team is dedicated to creating the ultimate look for you. Whether you want an incredible change or a classic cut, we invite you to find exactly what you have been looking for.

Get a wonderful spa pedicure from the talented Stephanie Goulart at Salon Goulart, at Dundas and Shaw.  

Description: These treatments use olives, basil and tomato to supply moisture, calm down the skin, regenerate the lipid barrier function and revive tired feet with energy from the mediterranean sun.

From their website at http://salongoulart.ca/: 

At Salon Goulart you can feel comfortable knowing our services are performed by an unique collection of talented stylists whose skills surpass the current trends. In an atmosphere that’s upscale yet unpretentious you can discover that Salon Goulart services are performed with a personal feel. Our mission is to indulge our clients with the ultimate in skin care, hair and nail care as our team is dedicated to creating the ultimate look for you. Whether you want an incredible change or a classic cut, we invite you to find exactly what you have been looking for.

Here's your chance to get a great deal on a gorgeous high-end vintage item at I Miss You, located at 63 Ossington Avenue.  I Miss You has won many 'best of' awards---their stock is simply sensational.

Check out their facebook page to see some of the recent Chanel handbags and other treasures they've recently acquired.

Update your wardrobe with the fabulous vintage and contemporary finds at Rescue Vintage (102 Ossington Avenue) with the help of designer, stylist and creative maverick Manuela Nudo. And don't forget to check out the vintage jewelry!

From http://rescuevintage.com/:

RESCUE is an intimate vintage and contemporary clothing boutique located in Toronto's Ossington Village.  The boutique offers timeless high-quality apparel for women from top brands and cutting-edge designers. The collection mixes classic vintage style with today's wearable vintage-inspired contemporary designs, giving our customers the opportunity to own a piece of vintage fashion history without compromising on comfort.

Here's a chance to experience the delightful and beautiful Canadian-focused clothing and jewelry at Victoire, located at 129A Ossington Avenue.

From the Victoire site:

Opened in June of 2006, Victoire offers a well-edited mix of ideas and trends — mixing edgy wares with more classic pieces, owners Régine and Katie create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. 

Focusing primarily on Canadian designers, mixing in a select few American designers, the store’s aesthetic point can only be described as a “Rock ’n’ Roll tea party”. The result is a shopping experience akin to going through your most stylish friend’s closet – you know, the one who always manages to look great, but effortless at the same time, and is always mixing old with new, high with low, tradition with transgression?

Use this voucher towards first-rate motorcycle accessories---helmets, gloves, t-shirts, tools, etc.---from Town Moto, located at 132 Ossington.

Go to their site here to see the full array of possibilities.

This may be one of the coolest bandanas of all time, brought to you by Town Moto (132 Ossington Ave). Keep the sun off your neck, the dust off your face, or the sweat off your 'brow with an original design bandana from your buds down at Town Moto.

A great hat from Town Moto (132 Ossington Ave), the coolest cycle accessory store in town.

The classic look of a wayfarer style frame, these sunglasses are cheap enough to lose, but decent enough to not feel like a piece of crap, and with a bitty little Town Moto logo to make you look even cooler. Only available from the cool cats at Town Moto, located at 132 Ossington.

If anyone knows shoes, it's gravitypope, the shoe maven's heaven at Queen and Ossington (1010 Queen St. W.).  For bid is a $200 gift certificate towards any gravitypope brand shoes or boots.  Check out some of the luscious options for women and for men.  And blogTO's love letter to gravitypope is here.

Here is a chance to have a St. James shirt, one of the signature pieces carried by Annie Aime, the wonderful clothing and accessory shop at 42 Ossington. The St. James shirt up for auction is blue and grey, and can be worn as a shirt for men or women, or even a dress for women.

Here's a wonderful profile of Annie Aime and its owner, Annie Mesenge:http://www.blogto.com/fashion/annie-aime-toronto.  An excerpt: "The Parisienne fashion purveyor is passionate about what she does, and it shows in the expertly curated boutique which features lines from all over Europe as well as a few local Toronto brands (Outclass for men and Crawford Street Skin Care for the ladies). [...] Everything carried in Annie Aime exemplifies her style ethos; well-made, wearable, fashion-forward and most importantly, different."

From supercool Town Moto, Toronto's best cycle accessory shop (132 Ossington)... your new favourite tee! Wear it and make Town Moto proud. Printed on a super comfy American Apparel 50/50 T-Shirt.

Up for bid from the audiophile heaven that is Planet of Sound (1020 Queen Street West, just west of Ossington) is a pair of Mies E200 premium earbuds with microphone.  $100 value.

From Planet of Sound's site:

Mies e200 are our favourite earbuds under $300. Designed for superbly accurate frequency response with deep rich bass, clear textured mids, and detailed sparkling highs. The result is a dynamic and natural sound, suitable for extended listening with all types of music. The built-in microphone provides the ability to answer calls or use other voice applications. These are light years beyond the standard earbuds that come with phones and will compete with speakers up to $2500.

Check it out---a brand-new LG 47" HD LED TV!

• LED BACKLIGHTING
• TRUMOTION 120HZ
• FULL HD 1080P RESOLUTION
• ENERGY STAR® QUALIFIED

This HD LED TV was bought for The Contender, the new family-oriented sports bar soon to open at 1155 Dundas St. West, brought to you by the fabulous folks at the Lakeview.  They bought one too many, so they have generously donated this to our auction.  Take advantage of the low opening bid on a fabulous TV!

See more specs here (don't miss the reviews: 4.75/5 after more than 800 reviewers!).

Get your shopping done with a $150 gift certificate from Lucky Penny, the cutest food store and cafe around, located at 189 Shaw Street, just across the street from Artscape.

From the Toronto Life profile:

The new café and general store [is] a one-stop-shop for Trinity Bellwoods park-goers, offering groceries, sweets, sandwiches, coffee, dog toys and more—even comic books. Nearly all the comestibles are sourced from local purveyors (such as Glory Hole Doughnuts, Sanagan’s Meat Locker, Blackbird Baking Co. and Moo Milk Bar), but the biggest sellers, so far, are jawbreakers and Pixy Stix thanks to the nearby public school.  [And now there's a] 25-seat patio and ice cream, too.

A new family-oriented sports bar---The Contender---is due to open up at the end of the month, at 1155 Dundas St. West.  This great concept bar will have lots of large-screen TVs to watch your favourite sporting events, and it's brought to you from the folks behind the Lakeview.  Take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy this new spot at a big discount!

A new family-oriented sports bar---The Contender---is due to open up at the end of the month, at 1155 Dundas St. West.  This great concept bar will have lots of large-screen TVs to watch your favourite sporting events, and it's brought to you from the folks behind the Lakeview.  Take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy this new spot at a big discount!

Use this voucher to experience some of the mouth-wateringly delicious Singapore-street-food cuisine at Hawker Bar, located at 164 Ossington Avenue.

Check out the menu here.

Note: the voucher is for food only (no alcohol).

Enjoy veggie dinner and drinks at Lipstick and Dynamite, one of the chillest cafe bars (or as owners Steve and Celeste call it, 'bar-staurant') in Toronto.

Sit at the front table and watch the world go by on Queen Street, while listening to their album-length music and munching on food that seems too delicious to be so good for you.

Read more about this cool spot at the blogTO profile:

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/lipstick-dynamite-toronto

Have a mouth-watering Malaysian fusion meal at the wonderful Soos restaurant, which has received several rave reviews since opening at 94 Ossington last year.  

From a recent Toronto Star review (http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/restaurants/2014/06/13/soos_on_ossington_our_newest_malaysian_food_ambassador.html):

"The family’s Chinese-influenced Nyonya cooking is the jumping-off point for delicious meals of sharp, clean flavours punctuated by chilies and smoothed by coconut milk. Malaysian food touches on Thai, Filipino and Indian ingredients, a melting pot of flavours. [...] At dinner, there are more chances to encounter the fusion of cuisines Malaysia has naturally brewed for centuries. Short ribs ($23) are braised in lemongrass-accented rendang curry — a Malay dish — until perfectly tender, then paired with ghee-brushed roti — introduced by Indian settlers — and coconut rice so pure it should come in a brown shell. [...]  it’s time Toronto woke up to Malaysian food, and Soos is the place to do it."

Have a mouth-watering Malaysian fusion meal at the wonderful Soos restaurant, which has received several rave reviews since opening at 94 Ossington last year.  

From a recent Toronto Star review (http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/restaurants/2014/06/13/soos_on_ossington_our_newest_malaysian_food_ambassador.html):

"The family’s Chinese-influenced Nyonya cooking is the jumping-off point for delicious meals of sharp, clean flavours punctuated by chilies and smoothed by coconut milk. Malaysian food touches on Thai, Filipino and Indian ingredients, a melting pot of flavours. [...] At dinner, there are more chances to encounter the fusion of cuisines Malaysia has naturally brewed for centuries. Short ribs ($23) are braised in lemongrass-accented rendang curry — a Malay dish — until perfectly tender, then paired with ghee-brushed roti — introduced by Indian settlers — and coconut rice so pure it should come in a brown shell. [...]  it’s time Toronto woke up to Malaysian food, and Soos is the place to do it."

Enjoy modern classic diner fare at the renowned Lakeview restaurant at 1132/1134 Dundas (just NE of Ossington)---where 'Hairspray' was filmed!  Open 24 hours, and each hour serving tasty food and drink.

Check out the menu here.

Enjoy modern classic diner fare at the renowned Lakeview restaurant at 1132/1134 Dundas (just NE of Ossington)---where 'Hairspray' was filmed!  Open 24 hours, and each hour serving tasty food and drink.

Check out the menu here.

Enjoy modern classic diner fare at the renowned Lakeview restaurant at 1132/1134 Dundas (just NE of Ossington)---where 'Hairspray' was filmed!  Open 24 hours, and each hour serving tasty food and drink.

Check out the menu here.

Enjoy modern classic diner fare at the renowned Lakeview restaurant at 1132/1134 Dundas (just NE of Ossington)---where 'Hairspray' was filmed!  Open 24 hours, and each hour serving tasty food and drink.

Check out the menu here.

Dinner for two (up to $150) at renowned Ossington restaurant Union (72 Ossington Avenue), which has received countless accolades.  Union was recently written up in Dwell, which correctly said "Chef/owner Teo Paul has an impeccable pedigree and an artful eye. The food is local and organic, and the setting is charming. Large murals of barnyard animals provide the backdrop for indoor dining, and there's also an intimate patio out back. Up the street, Union's offspring, Cote de Boeuf, resembles a Parisian butcher shop circa 1890."

From the website at http://union72.ca/:

Union was inspired by the classic Paris bistro and its simple, hearty fare. It’s a neighbourhood local with a contemporary take on traditional dishes, and plenty of bold surprises along the way. Only Ontario farm fresh, locally grown provisions are served at Union, with an emphasis on seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Dinner for two (up to $150) at renowned Ossington restaurant Union (72 Ossington Avenue), which has received countless accolades.  Union was recently written up in Dwell, which correctly said "Chef/owner Teo Paul has an impeccable pedigree and an artful eye. The food is local and organic, and the setting is charming. Large murals of barnyard animals provide the backdrop for indoor dining, and there's also an intimate patio out back. Up the street, Union's offspring, Cote de Boeuf, resembles a Parisian butcher shop circa 1890."

From the website at http://union72.ca/:

Union was inspired by the classic Paris bistro and its simple, hearty fare. It’s a neighbourhood local with a contemporary take on traditional dishes, and plenty of bold surprises along the way. Only Ontario farm fresh, locally grown provisions are served at Union, with an emphasis on seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Bellwoods Brewery is a multiple award-winning small craft brew pub and retail store in downtown Toronto and a huge local and City-wide favorite.  Stock up on your favorites with this bottle store certificate!

From their website at http://bellwoodsbrewery.com/:

We opened our doors to the public on April 6, 2012, and have been brewing full-steam ahead ever since (actually, to be honest we direct-fire, not steam). At a relatively small production capacity of approximately 2200 hectolitres of beer a year, we’re able to exercise a lot of creative freedom, brewing up anything and everything that floats our collective boats. We encourage you to step outside your comfort zone.

Bellwoods Brewery is a multiple award-winning small craft brew pub and retail store in downtown Toronto (124 Ossington Avenue) and a huge local and City-wide favorite.  Stock up on your favorites with this bottle store certificate!

From their website at http://bellwoodsbrewery.com/:

We opened our doors to the public on April 6, 2012, and have been brewing full-steam ahead ever since (actually, to be honest we direct-fire, not steam). At a relatively small production capacity of approximately 2200 hectolitres of beer a year, we’re able to exercise a lot of creative freedom, brewing up anything and everything that floats our collective boats. We encourage you to step outside your comfort zone.

Bellwoods Brewery is a multiple award-winning small craft brew pub and retail store in downtown Toronto and a huge local and City-wide favorite.  Stock up on your favorites with this bottle store certificate!

From their website at http://bellwoodsbrewery.com/:

We opened our doors to the public on April 6, 2012, and have been brewing full-steam ahead ever since (actually, to be honest we direct-fire, not steam). At a relatively small production capacity of approximately 2200 hectolitres of beer a year, we’re able to exercise a lot of creative freedom, brewing up anything and everything that floats our collective boats. We encourage you to step outside your comfort zone.

Bellwoods Brewery is a multiple award-winning small craft brew pub and retail store in downtown Toronto (124 Ossington Avenue) and a huge local and City-wide favorite.  Stock up on your favorites with this bottle store certificate!

From their website at http://bellwoodsbrewery.com/:

We opened our doors to the public on April 6, 2012, and have been brewing full-steam ahead ever since (actually, to be honest we direct-fire, not steam). At a relatively small production capacity of approximately 2200 hectolitres of beer a year, we’re able to exercise a lot of creative freedom, brewing up anything and everything that floats our collective boats. We encourage you to step outside your comfort zone.

Enjoy a 1 hour massage with Marinella Nesso (BAA, CYT, Osteopathic Manual Therapist, 4th Year Study).

Marinella is a senior & longstanding teacher at YogaSpace. A graduate of the studio’s Teacher Training Program, Marinella has since pursued over 1000 hours of specialized training in areas including therapeutics, prenatal, restorative, and various other advanced yoga practices. She is currently completing a Master of Practice in Osteopathic Manipulative Sciences (M. OMSc) at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy in Hamilton. She merges these disciplines with rigour and skillful intuition: her specialty is the human body.

Marinella’s passion for yoga and healing is evident in each class and treatment she offers. Her manual therapy sessions at Yoga Space help heal, strengthen and optimize health and wellbeing. Her understanding and ability to assist body mechanics in relationship with movement, emotions, and experience is unequaled. Most importantly, she kindly guides all students and patients to a practice that is self honouring and full of potential for transformation and discovery.

“A practice that begins with the four corners of one’s mat yet is destined to expand to all corners of one’s life”…..has been her guiding mantra over the past eight years of practice and teaching.

Here's a gift certificate to the wonderfully curated mid-century modern furniture and design store INabstracto.  Check out some of the beautifully curated chairs, credenzas, desks, art, and more here.

From the web site:

INabstracto, one of toronto’s top mid-century modern and contemporary design destinations celebrates it’s 12th year in business. Opened in 2001 by collector Kate Eisen and joined by artist and designer Julie Jenkinson in 2010. INabstracto showcases a wide range of curated mid-century modern and contemporary furniture, lighting, art and design. Rare Canadian, American, European and Scandinavian. Canada’s largest selection of  Swiss-made Freitag bags and wallets; Solair chairs; Lotte, Anglepoise and Pablo Lamps; textiles, wallpaper and art by Julie Jenkinson.

From StyleGarage---moving to Ossington this fall!

The Timber Table

W12"xH18"xD12"

DESIGN: GUS* MODERN

Value: $275

This acrylic accent table from the Gus* collection has a "faux-bois" pattern on all sides, mixing organic lines with modern materials. Available for Quickship delivery.

See more details here: http://www.stylegarage.com/products1/accent-tables/timber_table/timber-table.shtml

From a recent profile of StyleGarage available at http://www.stylegarage.com/:

"Think Mad Men (that alluring, put-together, old-school quality) with a relaxed, down-to-earth vibe (Stylegarage is referred to in-house as the surfer shop of furniture stores)."

Revamp your living space with the assistance of the immensely talented designers at WilliamsCraig Design, located at 38 Ossington Avenue.

From http://williamscraigdesign.com/:

WilliamsCraig Inc. is a progressive, multidisciplinary design studio providing complete design services to corporate, residential, hospitality and retail clients.

Under the direction of Karen Williams and Joelle Craig, the studio of WilliamsCraig is the evolved and refined version of UW Design Group (initially formed in 1999), and draws upon the foundations and design principles that have been developed over the last decade of practice.

Combining innovative, original thought with an understanding of commercial and practical realities, the team’s skills, experience and relationships allow for a one-stop service facility. The studio offers a complete range of design services, from the initial concept sketch and planning stages, through design, drawings and construction with careful consideration of each client’s specific needs, aspirations and budget. Through a partner-driven experience, we pride ourselves in offering quality design and efficient project management in order to deliver a successful and positive outcome for our clients.

The studio offers experience in interior design, architecture, furniture design, graphic design and strategic marketing. This diversity supports our success in approaching each project as a client-driven experience through every stage of design. Our philosophy and approach is to create a unique identity for each project whereby design enables us to improve the quality of our environment and our everyday lives – both at work and at play.

Get your bike into shape with the help of the great guys at the Pedal Stop, at the corner of Argyle and Ossington.  A tuneup includes full bike assessment, basic cleaning, chain/pressure check and truing.  What a deal!

Here's a great review of the shop from BlogTO, who says that TPS is "a personal favorite":

http://www.blogto.com/services/the-pedal-stop-toronto

Value $750+.

Accommodation for 2 Adults or Family of 4 with children in 700sq ft Suite. King Bed and Queen Sofa Bed, Spa Bathroom, studio layout, access friendly. Fully equipped Kitchen ensuite, Large Screen TV, Cable and Internet included. Full access to all Resort areas, Pools, Bars, Restaurants, Outdoor Sports, Luxury Spa services, Gym, Hiking trails and of course Lakeside Muskoka chairs at sunset.  Golf, Boating, and other Tourist activities nearby.

Many dates available.

The Local Telephone Company Limited is proud to support the OCA and its continuing efforts to maintain the quality and balance of life on the Eastern Boundary of Beaconsfield Village Toronto, our home and base of operations since 1988. 

The Local Telephone Company Limited believes in a healthy Live-Work environment and is committed to Telecom technologies that permit Businesses to successfully compete anywhere in the world, while maintaining a strong presence in Canada. 

For the last few years the Staff and Suppliers of The Local Telephone Company Limited have enjoyed a remarkable and nearby getaway (about 2 hours) to Lake Rosseau, Muskoka. We hope that the contribution of a beautiful 3 day weekend for some lucky supporter of the OCA will assist the OCA to achieve its goals.

Value $750+.

Accommodation for 2 Adults or Family of 4 with children in 700sq ft Suite. King Bed and Queen Sofa Bed, Spa Bathroom, studio layout, access friendly. Fully equipped Kitchen ensuite, Large Screen TV, Cable and Internet included. Full access to all Resort areas, Pools, Bars, Restaurants, Outdoor Sports, Luxury Spa services, Gym, Hiking trails and of course Lakeside Muskoka chairs at sunset.  Golf, Boating, and other Tourist activities nearby.

Many dates available.

The Local Telephone Company Limited is proud to support the OCA and its continuing efforts to maintain the quality and balance of life on the Eastern Boundary of Beaconsfield Village Toronto, our home and base of operations since 1988. 

The Local Telephone Company Limited believes in a healthy Live-Work environment and is committed to Telecom technologies that permit Businesses to successfully compete anywhere in the world, while maintaining a strong presence in Canada. 

For the last few years the Staff and Suppliers of The Local Telephone Company Limited have enjoyed a remarkable and nearby getaway (about 2 hours) to Lake Rosseau, Muskoka. We hope that the contribution of a beautiful 3 day weekend for some lucky supporter of the OCA will assist the OCA to achieve its goals.

Don't miss this opportunity to rent a gorgeous cottage this fall, right on 6-mile lake; 10 minutes north of Honey Harbour. About 2 hours from Toronto on a good day!  Wood stove heating for a cozy and authentic cottage experience!  There's great hiking in area, and canoe, paddle boat and kayak is available to renters.

For arrival Friday, departure Sunday one weekend during period from Sept 26 through Nov 2.

Sleeps 4: 1 bedroom 2 lofts; 1 bath.