Thrilling news!! The Toronto Brunch Map is now available at The Drake General Store! If you’ve never been, oh watch out! It’s dangerously awesome – all of the most wonderful treats and curiosities you see on the best design blogs ALL IN ONE PLACE.

Some of my fav finds include:

* decals by Shanna Murray that I’ve been swooning over on Design*Sponge for months

* Rob Ryan paper cut mugs (uniting two of my fav things – paper and hot beverages!)

* Scratch maps! These make my passport itchy!

* And to hearken back to my dancing days, where split feet were the bane of my existence: Bag Balm!

And now you can add a map to all of the very best brunch places in Toronto to the list of the Drake General Store goodies! (It even comes with a checklist so you can keep track of the deliciousness and a “I love brunch” pin so you can declare your love to the world!)

AAAAAND, the maps are at all three locations:

Queen Location
1144 Queen St West

Rosedale Location
1011 Yonge St

Bathurst Location
82A Bathurst St

The Toronto brunch map - with a to do check list and an "I Love Brunch" button

Ta-Da! The Toronto brunch map is here! And it comes with a check list you can stick on your fridge, or keep in your wallet to keep track of all your brunchie deliciousness, AND an “I Love Brunch” pin, to prove to the world that you love your homefries/bacon/pancakes! And you can buy one here!

Fact: I’m in love with letterpress.

Really and truly. It is crazy amounts of fun. I first got hooked in Nebraska, and this spring had the pleasure of working on Tanya’s Snap + Tumble presses. If you’re looking for a letterpress workshop in the city, I’d highly recommend hers (though you might have to wait a bit…her workshops are on hold for a bit…)

There’s something about producing multiples that is so very satisfying. I love the repetition of the creation process. I love how productive and efficient it feels to look at a drying rack – it’s like looking at a shelf full of jewel-coloured jam jars. I love that same-ness and individuality of each piece. I also l-o-v-e the press of the words into paper. It’s such a small detail, but makes the two-dimensional three-dimensional so subtly.

I made wedding invites for one of my all time fav couples…twas far too much fun.

Embroidery meets hilarious posts on the interwebs in my new shop, Sweet Louise and Co.!

I’ve deemed it: blog-broidery: quotes from the most hilarious blog posts in the universe immortalized in thread!

“Dude, nice chicken” (inspired by the ever-hilarious Bloggess’s post)

“It’s fall fuckface” (an homage to the pant-peeing worthy creation by Colin Nissan, “It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers”)

“Don’t be silly” (from the wonderful, direct and hilarious meditation on jealousy by Sugar)

“Ne panic pas” (the best phrase in the universe coined by the illustrious Christa Couture)*

*Note: in this blog post, there *might* just be a photo of me circa 2000…in silver pants. Please forgive my terrible, terrible hair

our complete books!

Earlier this summer, I was able to share that “aha” moment of bookbinding with a group of women through Sister Writes, a non-profit writing workshop for marginalized women in Toronto, founded by author Lauren Kirshner.

The Paper Place donated the gorgeous Nepalese cover paper and we added bits of decorative paper to the covers.

For more about the workshop, head on over to The Paper Place’s blog!

album by christa couture / embroidery by lindsay zier-vogel

Christa Couture is one of my favourite people of all time. And she happens to be an extraordinary musician. One day, after bantering about embroidered book covers, I off-handedly offered to embroider her next album cover. And here they are. Loved. And Lost. I nearly lost all feeling in my right index finger, and went a little loopy embroidering for an eight hour stretch (something I do not recommend, by the way). But oh, how I love them. Love love love them.

album by christa couture / embroidery by lindsay zier-vogel

And oh! The songs! (They’re free, ps! Download now!) “Jennifer Grey” and “I Don’t Play the Piano” make me dance in the kitchen. And Aaron Joyce’s instrumental arrangement in “A Grief as This” has brought me to tears nearly every time I’ve listened to it (in the very best way!)

It is the greatest of honours to have created the covers for these extraordinary compilations (and ps: the liner notes are hi-larious!!)

Go listen, already!!

Photo by Joel Yum

Earlier in June, Joel Yum of The Image Interview stopped by my place, camera in hand…It’s fascinating to see framed corners and bits of my home…

I aim to expose and promote not only those that are talented and hardworking but have great attitudes to complement their talents. ~ Joel writes about his project.

Photo by Joel Yum

Photo by Joel Yum

See the whole image interview here. (complete with a glimpse of my badge-filled Brownie sash!)

Photo by Joseph Michael

July reopens
like fingers from a fist,
August, September,
pressed tight -
palm against palm,
knuckles
bumping into one another.

And October collects like
bubbles on the walls of the glass,
mornings slipping into afternoons,
as Monday
gathers itself
in the centre of the room.

~

The second in an on-going collaboration with the wonderful photographer Joseph Michael — the first was a photo that inspired a poem, and this one began with a poem which in turn inspired a photo…

And on and on and on…