Page 140 – Danforth East Community Association

March 7, 2013

March Pop-Up Shop News

Did you hear? Two of the February pop-up shops that we fell in love with are sticking around another month! Now, they are the pop-up shops formerly known as the February pop-ups. (Thankfully, they have much catchier names:) Fa Real Designz N Prints and Krystle Lee will be gracing our neighbourhood with their awesomeness for the entire month of March.

Fa Real Designz N Prints | 1898 Danforth Avenue
Tuesday-Saturday 12-8
Birthday celebrations are happening. We hear there will be cake to celebrate owners Allister’s milestone. And this weekend only you can get custom tee’s for $20 (regular $30) and toddler/baby shirts for $10 (reg $15). There is also a end-of-winter season sale on FaReal clothing (hoddies, long sleeves and tees) and if you spend over $50 the toque is on them!

Read more about Fa Real owners Tracey and Allister from an interview they did with the Scarborough Mirror and check out what local resident, DECA Board Member and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee recipient Catherine Porter has to say about her experience with the shop below. And if you too would like to be the best gift giver in your family, you should visit Fa Real this weekend.

I am a good gift giver. I pride myself on this. I’d say I have the record in my family as the best gift giver.

I give thoughtful cool presents.

Allistar and Tracey at Fa Real Designz N Prints have helped me keep my record. I am in love with them. You will be too.

Let me explain.

Seven summers ago my husband’s family built a lop-sided cabin at the cottage. I was up on the roof too. The project ran over time and budget. So, for Christmas that year, my husband and I got everyone in the family (the Burt family — I kept my last name, thank you very much) custom-made shirts for the Burt Building Company. On the back it says: “We may not be smart…. but we’re slow.”

The shirts were a hit.

My sister-in-law just had baby number three. I needed to get little Ollie a gift. An AWESOME gift. So, I took a photo of the T-shirt — both sides — and emailed it to Allistar and Tracey, who specialize in custom-designed shirts. They have one of our pop-up shops on the Danforth, where the old jewellrey place was.

I asked them to approximate the design — use a triangle instead of a house, you know, whatever. It’s the idea that counts.

Tonight, I picked up a dark blue onesie that matches EXACTLY my own T-shirt — except I don’t have clasps at the bum, but you get the idea.

Allistar and Tracey are geniuses.

I got two more — three custom-made shirts for $50.

This place is the BOMB. It’s around for another month, as one of DECA’s pop-up shops. Lucky us.

We’d like them to stay even longer.

Don’t you have a gift to give someone? A soccer team to outfit? A street party coming up?

For more information about these pop-up stores, the DECA Pop-Up Shop project and DECA, please visit our website, and follow us on twitter @DECAdiaries.

February 28, 2013

Trees, Night Out with Neighbours & S Sense Closing Sale

DECA Tree Meeting

If talking trees in your thing then you should head to CakeTown (2039 Danforth Ave) this Saturday. The DECA Tree group will be meeting to talk trees at 1o am. You’ll recognize the group – they all have leaves in their hair.

Night Out with Neighbours: Ethiopia Edition

Last Thursday a group of neighbours got together for the first ever Ethiopian Culture & Cuisine night at Rondez Vous Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant (1400 Danforth Ave). Event organizers Susan and Tara provide an overview of the night below. For a look at more photos from the evening check out the DECA Facebook Page. Looks like we can expect more culinary fun in the future!

We arrived at Rendez-vous restaurant, warmly greeted by Banchi in her lovely African dress and were instantly transported from the February cold into the warmth of an Ethiopian evening. Banchi graciously gave everyone a glass of wine to enjoy with our delicious appetizer and then a scrumptious platter. She taught us how to use our hands to eat the Injera bread. That took a bit of getting used to and then there was no stopping us! The mildly spiced plate of curried meats and vegetables warmed our insides and satisfied our souls. This was followed by the wonderful coffee ceremony, an aromatic experience that filled the air. Banchi roasted the coffee beans with cardamon right in front of us. The taste of Ethiopian coffee melted the palette, and finished off the meal perfectly.

The night was capped off with a performance by Ethiopian dancers, Eske and Frey, in their colourful costumes. The African music and smiling faces of the dancers even moved us to join in and learn a few steps. For most of us, it was the first time we experienced Ethiopian cuisine and culture – and we all said, we are definitely returning to the Rendez-vous.

Due to the success of this dinner night out, it was suggested that we do this more often at the other restaurants along the Danny. So stay tuned for possible Italian, Thai, Mexican cuisine and culture nights!

Susan & Tara

Closing Sale at S Sense

S Sense in Design is closing their storefront located at 698 Coxwell Ave to focus on design consultations. Everything in the store is on sale, including lighting, home accents, and the displays. Laura is also offering onetime free home consultations during the month of April – hurry before she gets booked! Her last day is March 23rd so you still have time to say goodbye. Store is open Wednesday to Saturday 12 to 5 pm.

Psst: We hear that a very familiar business might be taking over this beautiful storefront soon. Stay tuned!

February 26, 2013

Tonight’s Coxwell Station Open House & Weekend Art Show

Join Councillor Janet Davis this evening (5:30 – 8:30 p.m.) at the East York Civic Centre to hear about, ask questions and provide feedback on two projects slated for Coxwell Station – a community mural project and a pre-construction open house.

Artisans at Work is Celebrating!

Artisans at Work (2071 Danforth) has officially been opened one month now and the gang’s celebrating this weekend with, what else, an art show! They’re bringing more unique pieces and something that makes every event more lively – a licensed bar.

February 22, 2013

Congratulating Catherine Porter: Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient!

She was instrumental in the formation of the Danforth East Community Association when it started around her dining room table seven years ago. She has dressed up as broccoli outside the subway at 7:00 a.m. to promote the East Lynn Farmer’s Market. She hauled barricades up and down the hill at East Lynn Park on market Thursdays, with a baby strapped to her back. She stalked every landlord along Danforth Avenue between Coxwell and Woodbine in order to get spaces for the pop-up shop project. But what is so special about Catherine Porter is that her energy is contagious; and so is her hope and optimism about how much better our community can be if we all put our hearts into it. And it looks like we are not the only ones who think so!

Catherine Porter will receive a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in honour of her excellence in community building. Her fellow DECA Board members could not be more proud of her!

Please join us tomorrow afternoon when Beaches-East York MP Matthew Kellway will present Catherine with this national award of distinction: Saturday, February 23 at 3:00 p.m. at 1803 Danforth Avenue. This is the location of one of DECA’s February pop-up shops, and since Catherine was instrumental in sprucing up the space, it is very fitting to gather there to celebrate her.

(PS: Catherine would want us to also mention that space is available for rent, so commercial tenants, please come and check it out!)

February 21, 2013

There’s still time to POP in.

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There’s about one week left for the February Pop-Up Shops – still plenty of time to pop in! And if you want to know more about the people behind these pop-up shops, check out this Beach Metro article.

Fa Real Designz N Prints | 1898 Danforth Avenue
Tuesday-Saturday 12-8
The buy 1 get one 1/2 off promotion will continue this week.

Repetitions Fitness | 1803 Danforth Avenue
Monday 10-7 | Tuesday 12-4 | Wednesday 10-7 | Thursday 10-4 | Friday 10-7 | Saturday 9-5 | Sunday 10-3
Struggling with meal planning? Let Nadia take care of meals for you with a variety of meal packages available. Her meals are heart healthy, organic, largely vegan and free from most of the major allergens (ex. Soy, gluten, nuts…). Email her for more information. Also check our events page for her full schedule of fitness classes

February 19, 2013

Fiddlehead Farm Food Box

Fiddlehead Farms Food Box

An eastern Ontario farmer has recently begun delivering produce as a part of a “Food Box” program to our neighbourhood. Fiddlehead Farms provides 18 weeks of fresh produce from late June until the end of October with a pick up location at the Mortimer/Woodbine area. The box consists of 8 to 10 different seasonal vegetables or fruits and changes weekly as we move through the growing season, including: kale, swiss chard, green beans, garlic, cucumbers and beets. Cost is $550 ($30 per week) with half-box options available. Check out their website for more information.

Speaking of farms… there are 107 days left until the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market begins. What are you most excited about seeing at the market this year?