Summer Unofficially Begins!

Last weekend belonged to the late, great Queen Victoria. God bless her memory for having a birthday with which we in Canada mark the unofficial beginning of summer! For three happy and glorious days we open cottages, barbecue, garden (lots and lots of gardening) and set off fireworks, to the delight of children and dismay of dogs.

It was a spectacularly beautiful weekend, too! Three gorgeous days of sun and warm temperatures. Saturday at the Market was pure delight. It was busy, as usual for this long weekend, and people were feeling festive and in need of headgear! Yay!

On with the show...


After much debate and consultation, Susan decided that this was the fascinator-ling that would top off her outfit for an upcoming special occasion.

This is Linda K. Falk and she chose this floral cap, and I'm so glad she did.

Laura in her new braided raffia and distressed sequin band from the new Jess line. I love these! I'm so glad other people do, too.

Alexandra in another band from the Jess line. Lovely.

Pamela Walker chose this jade calla clip to wear to her nephew's wedding that afternoon. Pictures please, Pamela! And thank you again!

Alice is a vendor neighbour who makes and sells cards of her artwork. This is her second Hat by Anne, nice and wide to keep the sun off while she's peddling her wares outside. Many thanks, Alice!

Lillian chose this pink linen trilby with beaded raffia daisies that Adrian modeled last week as a gift. I hope they like it!

Tilly is the daily dog. Look at the pretty smile on her six-month-old corgi face! She is very sweet and very soft.

I also met a lovely big black Lab called Tank Murphy. It used to be just Tank, until his person saw "The Life of Pi" and loved that the tiger's name was Richard Parker.

Meghan chose just the feather pad clip to look especially awesome in her pretty dark hair.

Leah chose this coral organza rose band and rocks it.

Lydia was toying with this hat, and I asked her to model it for me. I think they make a lovely couple, myself.

Salome arrived wearing one of my bands, and left having chosen this one, too. Poor thing, I wish she'd come out of her shell and get over her fear of bright colours...

Victoria Day means tag day for the naval cadets. They are usually female, and ooh and ahhh over our girly merch which is not part of the uniform. Sometimes they come back in civvies and do some shopping at a later date. This young lady was very efficient at her job. I hope her superiors take notice.

Natural Wonder

I belong to a milliners' group on an online professional social network. This is how I came to "meet" (online as opposed to in person) Geoffrey. Geoffrey's company is a supplier of millinery materials and he was looking for volunteers to test some sinamay he was thinking of stocking.

Free toys?? Sign me up!

The sample arrived in all its high-quality glory. After a long hem-haw, I started in on it. This is what I made. I call it "Natural Wonder". You can call it whatever you like.

"Natural Wonder" is waiting for its forever home. Maybe that's with you? Email me your enquiries, or come see me at St. Lawrence Market some Saturday soon.

Old Home Weekend

It was a chilly start to my season at St. Lawrence Market, so it was business as usual. I was not able to be there for the real start, May 4, when the weather was sunny and balmy and business was booming, by all accounts. That was because I had exactly one and a half week's notice that the season for Market cart vendors, like myself, would be going ahead.

In mid-March when I went to the office to ask about the status of my application for the season, I was told that the program was on hold, that we would all have to re-apply, and to wait for further news and advisories by email. None of that happened. So, I stopped scrambling to figure out Plan B for the summer and went back to making stuff.

Bureaucracy. Don't you just love it? So my season began a week late. What the hay?

It was good to see the few regulars who braved the pre-Mother's Day chill and set up shop. Mark, my tent neighbour who sells jewelry made by the Miao people of China, has a new associate who was minding the store for him. Erin is a very nice minion who is a helpful neighbour and doesn't seem in the least expendable, so I won't be calling Mark a kingpin, as he would like, now that he is a mogul. And he doesn't seem to like being called King Pinhead, as I discovered. And moguls are for jumping over, aren't they?

Since Salome, my jewelry-making neighbour to my right, was vacationing in Cuba, celebrating a significant birthday with her sister, she sent her daughter Adrian in her place. Maria, the jewelry-maker to Adrian's right, was there, as usual. She and Salome are very hardy, maintaining their stalls all year round, through all kinds of weather. The indispensable Scott and I hadn't seen Maria, and her husband and daughter, in quite a while, as we hadn't been shopping at the Market for months. Pretty unusual for us to stay away so long. I guess we can blame the particularly wintery winter and its attendant lassitude. Maria's daughter Isabella was so big! When I started my annual gigs there, she was but a toddler. Little kids' weed-like growth makes me feel like such a geezer. Lordy, lordy...

Photographer Roberto Riveros was at a table across the street, too, so his friend and associate Stephen told me, although I never saw him. But seeing Stephen after so long was great. As it was with Liz, who makes really gorgeous bags and little textile accessories under her Froggy Fingers label. (Froggy Fingers is what her mother called her prehensile digits when she was but a little bitty crafter.)

My friend Janet came by to say hello! It was good to see her smiling face in person, instead of on my computer monitor. She did my the honour of purchasing a "Fred" (fuchsia and red) fascinator for her mother to wear to her birthday party that evening. Her mother had just had a haircut and was joking that she felt like the Queen, so needs must she be "crowned". Apparently it went over very well, so I'm very happy.

Another visitor was Jean, who had bought a hat from me a season or two ago. She told me that she still wears it a lot, and gets a lot of compliments whenever she does. How kind of her to say so! And she very sweetly went to her nearby home and reappeared, wearing said hat! I hope we'll be seeing each other more, and that Jean will add to her Hats by Anne collection soon.

So in good company we spent our first day of the market cart season, eating fresh soft pretzels from the baked goods goddesses at Oodles of Strudels inside the farmers' market, sipping lovely cappuccino from our fave Luba's Coffee Boutique, buying the first asparagus of the season from the farmers' market, and having a very jolly day. And the sun did come out!

My table, with a riot of someone's artwork as a backdrop.
The busker du jour, who made these pots, pans and lids sound like Tibetan singing bowls.
Jean, in her 2011 Hat by Anne.
Morris dancers, very jingly. Must be early spring.
Someone should tell Morris and his friends that playing at bashing each other with sticks is all very well and good until someone gets hurt. (More geezer talk.)
The Adrian series. I asked her to pose in this hat, because it went with her hair and complexion so perfectly. The sun that day came out like Adrian's smile does, a bit at a time. Adrian would have taken much better photos herself. She is a very talented photographer. Google her: Adrian Raymer. You'll be glad you did.

Eponymously Yours

Have I mentioned lately how awesome it is to have loyal customers and clients?

Last weekend, Jessica flew in from Hawaii to buy some of my new head bands.

(Okay, so her family lives in the GTA. They may have had a little something to do with her visit, too. But I like my spin.)

Jessica and her mother first came across my hatty display at St. Lawrence Market last summer, where Jessica fell in love with my raffia braid disk bands. Just the thing for her beachy lifestyle, she likes their casual vibe, the way the silk band cover blends in with her hair, and the way the bands cozy up to her sleek head without a lot of "loft". She also likes the compliments she gets whenever she wears them.

And so do I! What else am I doing this for?

Jessica likes these bands so much that she ordered one through the mail last summer, after her return to Hawaii. That's a story unto itself, and you can read about it here. She also likes that I will tweak designs-in-progress to suit her, making them true collaborations. (So can you! Try it, it's fun!)

When she emailed me about her upcoming visit, I created a small selection of "beachy bands" with her in mind. She and her charming mother braved their way from north of the city to my home showroom (a grand name for a re-purposed spare bedroom) on a chilly, so-not-Hawaii-ish day. We had a brief but delightful visit, during which Jess chose three new bands for herself, plus one as a gift for her sister.


Circles of braided natural raffia with distressed sequins

Tea stained raffia braid with distressed sequins

Green dyed raffia braid circles

See how well they suit her?

Now, of course, when I make this kind of band, I always think of Jess. I've never named a line of products before, but it seems only fitting that I start with this one.

Introducing.... the Jess Line!


Braided raffia with distressed sequins

Lace and seagrass

Vintage lace and distressed sequins

Lace braid daisy

Contact me if you would like more information about prices, availability, etc. Or just to say hi! I'm friendly and don't bite.

Ms. Salomé's Neighbourhood

Salomé's 4th annual burfurtART sale came and went last Sunday.

She and her fab family live in a co-op building downtown, walking distance to practically everything. Since it's a co-op, the neighbours get to know each other more than they might do in a conventional apartment building. It's a really nice vibe there.

So it was great to hang out in the big, bright party room, stuffing my face with nummy nibblies we (mostly she) had provided and gossiping with her friends. Many of them looked familiar from stopping by Salomé's table, next to mine, during the summers at St. Lawrence Market.

We played dress-up. We munched and crunched. (Lots of lovely raw veggies, among other treats, and a fabulous dip with smoked paprika. Must get that recipe... ) We tested our core strength.

There we were, a handful of women slowly lowing ourselves to the floor by doing what amounted to a large plié with our feet crossed and our arms making a big circle in front of us. Of course, that's the moment unsuspecting male persons passed by the full-length window facing the hallway outside and saw our impromptu performance.

So it was a bonding moment. I say, you don't really know someone until you have tested your core strength with them while being witnessed by passersby.

It was a small turnout, but it was high quality. And lots of leftovers to take home! Score!

And a shout-out to Justin and Hunter. Hope to be hearing from you guys! Thanks for the nice chats!

And to Sarah! Thanks for coming!

Herewith the photographic souvenirs:

Patricia's new spring hat makes her very happy. As it should.

Adriana is one savvy shopper, I can tell you. I won't tell you where she got this amazing Teenflo coat that looks so very wonderful on her. And I had just the hat for her from my new spring collection, also at a fantastic low price for this one day only. If you snoozed, you losed. (Yes, spellcheck, yes, I know it's not a word...)

My table.

Salomé's tables, all Instagrammed, because that's how she rolls.

A "girl" festooned with Salomé's wonderful necklace, scarf and daughter's grade 8 (?) graduation dress.

Salomé's work table. She's either taking the picture or on the floor, testing her core strength. Pretty impressive, since she has pneumonia. What, didn't I mention that? She's on good meds, though. And yes, I still think she should have postponed the thing and stayed in bed.

And finally, me sewing, by Salomé the Instagram queen. Love that crazy arm.

Contact and Customer Satisfaction

I have a Customer Satisfaction Survey out there through SurveyMonkey that is currently collecting responses. If you provided me with your email address when you bought something from me, I sent you an email asking for your participation. For the ones who have responded thus far, a great big thank you! It's invaluable feedback that helps me get better, so I can do better by you! Please please please keep the responses coming!

The survey responses are collected in such a way that I can't tell who said what. That's great for your confidentiality. Feel free to say what you really think. (Politely, please! I'm an actual human being with feelings, so no need to tear me into shreds. Just level with me and I'll listen with all due respect.)

If you have bought from me and would like to complete a survey, please let me know and I will give you the link. It's very fast and not at all difficult. And there are incentives and everything!

The confidentiality part has its drawbacks, though. One issue just came to my attention today. A customer has an issue with the lining of their hat. Since I don't know who you are, I can't fix it for you. I want you to be happy with what I made!

The person also said they had emailed me about this, but had not received a response. If you are paying attention to this blog, I hasten to assure you I never received such an email! Of course I would have responded had I known about it! I feel terrible that you didn't reach me!

So, please note, here is how you can contact me:

By email: annelivingston@lycos.com
By phone: 416-693-1295
In person: outside the north market at St. Lawrence Market on Saturdays, between early May and late October (presumably; waiting to hear back from them after submitting my annual application
OR by appointment at my house in the east end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Address provided over the phone or by email when the appointment is made.

Is that clear? Email me if it isn't!

Thank you, one and all.

Salome's Simply Superb Spring Sale!

Salome Cordeiro is my friend and St. Lawrence Market vendor neighbour. You've seen her often on this blog, especially during the May - October Market vending season. She makes the most fabulously exuberant jewelry which smart, sassy, stylish women snap up like snap-uppable things, under her company name, burfurtART. (Burfurt was a beloved kitty.)

Every spring she puts on a sale at Hazelburn Co-op, 178 Jarvis Street, to give her customers fantastic deals on winter stock and fresh looks for spring. This year she has invited me to bring my hats and join the party! What could I say but yes? Spending time with Salome is always a hoot and a half, as is any excuse to see my fabulous customers.

On Sunday, March 24th from noon to 4 p.m., Salome and I will be plying you with nummy nibblies, wine and tea while you replenish your wardrobes with happening hats and awesome adornments.

Hazelburn Co-op, 178 Jarvis Street (south of Dundas), entry code 118. Sunday, March 24, noon to 4 p.m.

RSVP-ing would be very helpful.

Please come, and bring your friends! It just won't be the same without you!

Thank you!