Mark your calendars… Leslieville Wanderlust is next Thursday, January November 24.  Local businesses stay open late (6-10pm), and offer treats and special deals.35 businesses are participating this year.

You can follow the Wanderlust Gnome on Twitter for the latest info (and prizes!) or check out the Leslieville Wanderlust Facebook page.

We’ll be out for sure – we want to get a photo of Clara and Isabel with Santa at Timmie Doggie Outfitters.

As a baby gift, we received an adorable hooded towel from Pottery Barn Kids. But one problem – it’s too small. Clara has outgrown it. So I just ordered an oversized “bunny” hooded towel from Land’s End. Isn’t it adorable? I can’t wait to wrap her up in it after bathtime.  They also have a Blue Jay, Raccoon, Owl, Giraffe, Lion, and Zebra.

Who doesn’t love popping bubble wrap? What a great way to mark the passing of days.

[via Sue Edworthy]

Now this is a great idea.  It’s a playmat, and then when it’s time to clean up your toys, it becomes a bag.  Buy one here, or I bet you could even make one.

[via SwissMiss]

Whoa – did you see these modern fairytale posters by Christian Jackson that were featured on Cup of Jo yesterday?  Aren’t they fun?  I like the Mary Poppins and Rapunzel ones the best.  You can buy them here.

I follow the Cup of Jo blog pretty regularly, and have been very impressed with the products featured from Pinhole Press.  Photo calendars, photo books, stationery, party invitations, cards, labels… all very clean and attractive.

I’ve been wanting to order from them for a while, but they didn’t ship to Canada.  Until now!  I just spoke with a customer service rep at Pinhole Press, and they said they are indeed accepting orders from Canada.  There’s just a little blip in the checkout process – for now, they don’t have it programmed to accept Canadian addresses and postal codes.  So here’s what you do:

1. Enter your entire address in the 2 address lines (ie – your street info on line 1, and then your town, province, and postal code on line 2).

2. In the Zip Code field, just enter 00000

3. Pick any US State you want for the State field – they’ll know it’s bogus

Then do the credit card stuff, and they’ll ship to you, at the same rates as they ship to American addresses.  That’s a deal!

I’m going over to Pinhole Press right now to start making things!

Pink Olive calls itself a “whimsical gift shop”, which is a pretty good description.  It’s a teeny tiny little store in Park Slope, Brooklyn, filled with baby things, paper things, and random lovely giftie things.

Pink Olive just started stocking Uppercase Magazine (cool), sells prints by Anna Bond/Rifle Paper Co (cooler), and Maggie Gyllenhaal shops there (coolest).  I know because we saw her there this afternoon.  She’s as beautiful in person as she is on the screen.

I couldn’t resist buying this “Better Days” 2-print set by Rifle Paper Co.  Pretty sweet, no?

Pink Olive ships to Canada through their website if you see anything you just have to have…

For the last two Saturdays, we’ve gone to the Brooklyn Flea (in its Fort Greene location, which is right around the corner from our apartment rental).  I just love it – it’s the perfect mix of random antiques, junk, second-hand clothes, jewelry, and amazing food.

Ian bought a rad Brooklyn T-shirt from Live Poultry, Clara got two adorable diaper shirt/onesies from Winter Water Factory, and I got a new pair of earrings from Birdhouse Jewelry.

If you’re going to be in NYC, I think a visit to the Brooklyn Flea is a must.  It’s in Fort Greene on Saturdays, and Williamsburg on Sundays.  And Smorgasborg, the Flea’s food-only market, is in Williamsburg on Saturdays.  You can find all the info on the website here.

[images above taken by me]

Yesterday I got a new pair of shoes – chocolate brown classic Toms.  I had been looking for them for a while in Toronto, but I couldn’t find my size in the few stores I checked.  I had no problem finding them at DNA Footwear in Park Slope, and they are amazing.  Today I wore them for hours, walking around the Met Museum.  They’re starting to stretch and mold to my feet, and are getting even more comfy.  I love my Toms!

I went bathing suit shopping at the Bay on the weekend, as they’re having a 50% off sale.  It was hell.  I must have tried on at least 45 suits, and almost all of them looked terrible.  I did eventually find two that worked, so it ended up being okay, I guess.  A disheartening experience overall though.

Later, when I was complaining about the whole ordeal to friends, Jenna told me about Esther Williams Swimwear.  You know, Esther Williams, the swimming movie star from the ’40s and ’50s?  She has a line of old timey bathing suits that flatter the bodies of real women.

Jenna has the “classic sheath” bathing suit, and says that the construction is top notch.  I’ve seen it – it’s too cute.  I checked out the other looks available, and was thrilled to see that they have the one-piece “classic bandeau” style that I love.  The two bathing suits that I picked up at the Bay are that style, and it really seems to work for me.  Now I know where to get more if I can’t find them in traditional stores.  I think I’d get polka dot or cherries!

PS – I’m reading a book right now from England, and they call their bathing suits “bathing costumes”.  Don’t you love that?