PART-TIME THERAPY

Duffy's coming to Toronto

2008-07-16T21:16:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my dear NY friend Tameisha for introducing me to Duffy. If you like Amy Winehouse & Adele, you're surely love Duffy. Her raspy voice is reminiscent to Dusty Springfield in the 60's.

She's currently touring North America and will be in Toronto on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at Phoenix Concert Theatre. Click here to buy tickets.

Her debut album Rockferry includes her 60's vibe single "Mercy" and is truly unique and refreshing album. I have to say that my favorite song on this album is by far "Sugar and Honey" and Lou's favorite song is "Hanging on too long".

Check out these videos from You Tube.

Sugar & Honey

Mercy - Performed on 'Ellen'

The best expandable table I've ever seen

2008-06-30T22:13:00.003-04:00

I'm sure there are a lot of people who might have already seen this but I just discovered it today. The funny this is that I recently purchase a round table and always thought, "It's too bad it can't be expandable.". I live in a tiny 560 sq ft condo and the table I purchased has a 39 inch diameter. It seats 4 comfortably but could probably squeen in one more person.

This table, however, can seat a hell of a lot more when expanded.

Check it out!!

Toronto Summerlicious is back!!

2008-06-24T20:32:00.001-04:00

Don't let the summer go by without trying at least 1 restaurant that is participating in Summerlicious!

Click here to see the restaurant list.

Czehoski is definitely on the top of my list.

Divide and Conquer!!

2008-06-22T09:44:00.009-04:00

There are so many ways you can divide your rooms like using a curtain, a bookshelf, a divider screen, or even a IKEA PAX wardrobe as seen here on Apartment Therapy. In March, we were looking for a condo to purchase so that we didn't have to continue paying rent. We decided to look at City Place in downtown Toronto and saw a few different layouts.

Between the 3 or 4, 1 bedroom layouts that we saw, we had a really hard time deciding on which 1 bedroom unit to purchase. The first unit that was 468 sq ft, had loads of closet space, no door to the bedroom (yes.. that's right.. no door. Just open to the living area), but the most gorgeous view I've ever seen of Toronto. It was facing east and was on the 50th floor. The view was the lake to your right and all city view. The only problem with this place was it would have been impossible to fit 2 adults, 2 cats, 1 dog and 2 guinea pigs and it didn't have a balcony. I need my fresh air!

Another unit we saw was a bedroom plus den. The den was pretty small and had low uneven ceilings and because the den was by the front of the door away from the kitchen and living/dining area, the rest of the rooms seemed small. I LOVE open space concepts instead of many small rooms. One bonus though was that this unit was the only one we saw that had full size appliances in the kitchen and was a U shaped kitchen.

The last unit that was a potential was a 1 bedroom unit that had a kitchen on 1 wall that was pretty much in the hall way (see pics below) but had nice dark cabinets and an open living/dining room. Only downfalls were that the appliances were compact appliances and they were white, as well as the fact that the bedroom didn't have a door yet again! I guess they designed it that way to make the unit feel bigger and yes... it does make it feel that way, however, we have cats that aren't allowed in the bedroom because I'm allergic to them (don't ask.... long story). I have to say though that when we first saw this unit, there was something about it that just felt right. It would've been a design challenge and perhaps that's why I loved it because it is a challenge but we just had a better overall feeling about it.

The only thing that I was losing sleep on was how was I going to block off the bedroom?? Things that make you go hhmm???

Here's what the bedroom looked like. (That's Mark and Steve in the picture)

After searching and searching and more searching, we decided to go with the Pier 1 shutter room divider. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the building to be registered so we weren't allowed to do any construction so this is our temporary solution.

Here are some other dividers to choose from if you're looking for a way to divide your rooms.

EQ3

IKEA AGEN
IKEA ORGEL Floor lamp/room divider

If you have any more ideas that you'd like to share, please feel free to email them to us at parttimetherapy[at]gmail[dot]com.

IKEA MIDNIGHT MADNESS!!!

2008-06-19T19:02:00.008-04:00

IKEA is leaving us in suspense people! Items that are on sale haven't been posted on their website.

Let us know if you went and what you purchased by emailing us at parttimetherapy[at]gmail[dot]com.

Adele therapy

2008-06-12T18:57:00.001-04:00

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is said to be the new Amy Winehouse in the British Press. She just goes by Adele. She's been categorized as a soul and jazz artist and can be heard on Smooth Jazz radio. Mark has this station locked down at work and it's always a nice surprise to hear one of Adele's songs being played. Of course I always tell Mark to TURN IT UP!!

She performed on Friday June 6, 2008 in Toronto at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre by the Exibihition. First of all, I'll never watch another concert there unless it was assigned seating. It was a general admission free for all seating concert and it was awful. People were rushing and pushing to get the best seats in the house. Sadly the concert was not sold out but none the less was an amazing concert. She has such a naturally beautiful voice and made it look effortless.

She will soon sweep the nation and the rest of the world and I pray that one day, she will perform at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto. I know.. it's wishful thinking but the acoustics at RTH are amazing. I hope she never plays at Massey Hall because I HATE the way the theatre is setup.

Anyway, here are a couple of videos of her performance in Toronto.

Song 1 - Cover song called Dreaming of you. By The Corals. Adele did mention that Pete Doherty (WANKER) sold this song to The Corals for 1 pound.

Song 2 - Daydreamer by Adele is my FAVORITE song to date.

Enjoy and sorry about the not so great videos.

My Favorite seating applications for the day

2008-06-10T20:24:00.000-04:00

I thought this was an interesting seating arrangement. it was designed to be just off of the kitchen, where you would normally have a breakfast nook. I like the fact that the seating is casual and the table is is lower than usual. This type of configuration lends it's self to a more functional purpose. You can find these gem's at (Bulthaup on King St East).

This classic white couch is perfect for anyone who requires a minimal setting with zen like taste. This white beauty is very affordable and can be found at (Visitors Parking on King St East)

If price is no object and you are looking to make a statement, try Roche Bobois. This high end furniture store is packed with options that is sure to not only make your visitors jealous, but make you fall in love every time you sit down. (Roche Bobois is located at the corner of Adelaide and Parliament).

Klaus by Nienkamper has alway been one of my favorite boutiques when it comes to must haves. If you want a sophisticated look that screams 'now this person has taste', Klaus it is.
Here are a few examples that would complement any contemporary space.

There comes a time when you just want to relax and take in some leisurely reading or a good movie. If you are fortunate to be able to steal an hour or two of some free time, this chair will never let you down. I call it old faithful. Montauk calls it Lily. Check it out At (Montauk on King St East).

The search for a dining table and chairs

2008-06-10T19:33:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Mark and I hit King Street East furniture shops to see what's out there and to search for dining tables, dining chairs, accent chairs, and other things that we need (ok.... want).

The stores that we checked out were:

Montauk Sofa
EQ3
Roomy
Visitor Parking
Klaus
Roche Bobois

Lou and I live in a 560 sq ft apartment so small is the key! I'm not quite sure if I'd want an extendable table because I really love circle tables right now. Here are some of the dining tables and chairs that we saw that are options on my list. Personally, I love the Visitor Parking round glass dining table with the white Eames DSR Eiffel chair.

Which one do you like?

EQ3

Roomy

Visitor Parking

2008-06-03T21:34:00.000-04:00

The one day preparation party is the theme for our last minute roof top get together.

Have you ever felt like having a few friends over for a few drinks but had no time to prepare?

Well, Amanda and I transformed our roof into a hip party patio in just one day.

This is the roof top on Friday May 30th:

This was what we started with before the transformation.

This is what the roof top looked like on Saturday May 31st at 3:30PM

It was a lot of work, but it was worth it once the party started.

I got a response!!!

2008-05-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

Hi Michelle

Nice work. Thanks for sharing it. Will let you know when I post it up. Could take up to 3 months as i have quite a bit of backlog.

Cheers

My IKEA Hack

2008-05-25T18:02:00.001-04:00

If you've never heard of the Ikea Hacker blog, then you've been missing out on a lot! From Malm bed side tables converted into a tv stand to the Anedboda wardrobe turned guinea pig palace. This website has it all!

I once entered in a hack when I created a desk table with a PAX Hemnes wardrobe door with a couple of Vika Annefors. Mark actually gave me the idea because he too used a PAX wardrobe for his desk at home. I was supposed to put a custom made glass top so that you could put pictures underneath the glass but I never did get around to it. And... my hack didn't make the blog. :o(

So, I've decided to enter in another hack. Fingers crossed, I really hope it makes the blog.

Here's what I entered:

I recently moved into a new condo that has a tiny kitchen with extreme lack of counter space. I used to store cooking utensils (ladle, skimmer, spatula, etc) in the IKEA ORDNING. But unfortunately, there ins't anymore room for it on my counter so I thought of a way to hang the utensils instead.

I used a RIBBA shadow box with the LANSA black door handle. I had to change some of the hardware (shorter screws and added washers and bolts) for the LANSA in order for it to securely fasten onto the board of the RIBBA shadow box. I also painted the board that came with the shadow box the same color of the wall (light grey). Below my utensil holder, i've also used the KROKEN magnetic knife rack for my spices. The containers for the spices came from Canadian Tire.

And that's it! So what do you think? You think it'll make the blog? I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If you have an IKEA hack, pls feel free to share it with us and email it to parttimetherapy[at]gmail[dot]com.

Oh and I know, my spice containers are empty right now but I promise I'll be filling them up soon.

Michelle

This is our therapy...

2008-05-21T18:45:00.000-04:00

Part-time therapy is a blog site that evolved out of constant dreams, needs, and wants. The word therapy means treatment or to treat in order to heal or make better. In ones life, we believe that you should administer as much therapy as you possibly can. Therapeutic actions that stimulate wellness, happiness, contentment, or joy, can echo a good sense of balance. If you are not fortunate enough to spend more that 50% of your day doing something you love, perhaps you should consider exercising Part time therapy.

Part-time therapy is specifically for those who often dream of doing things knowing that it would make them very happy but lack motivation to actually execute. If you ever wanted to try something but was afraid or discouraged in any way, we would like to help you tear down those walls that promote negative energy.

Take Michelle and I for example. We constantly dream of starting a small business practicing things we love to do (ie. photography, interior design, music, etc). The problem is we love quite a few things. We often try thinking of ways that we can integrate some of our favorite things to do into one main practice. This task is a lot tougher than we thought. To some people this type of thing comes easy. To others, it’s a matter of finding enough time between family, friends and work. Our case is the latter. Since we don’t have very much free time, we decided to do it all and share our experiences in this blog.

Part-time therapy is not just about blogging. It's about purchasing the latest iPod or a new pair of shoes or painting your apartment and sharing your ideas and thoughts about it. It's also about sharing your experiences when you've tried something you’ve never tried before. Once you start exploring your needs and wants, the object is to repeat the actions that make you happy as much as possible.

Please feel free to join us, explore, share, and comment, as we pursue our part-time therapeutic possibilities.

Mark Jones