Tuesday's Tonic

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. It's a time to reflect on and learn about our Asian-Canadian history over the past couple centuries, and to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people of Asian origin.

This year, the theme is "Stories of Determination". Narratives of holding onto one's vision and overcoming challenges exemplify this. You may appreciate our Reverie section, which is aligned with this 2023 theme.

At Figg Street Co., we support and enjoy several Asian and Asian-Canadian brands. Let's take a look together at what's in our shop:

JAPAN

It's fair to say that the majority of our Asian brands come from Japan. To anyone who loves stationery, this probably isn't a surprise. Japan is amongst the world's best paper product producers and writing instrument creators. The Japanese have beautiful handmade items created by skilled craftspeople and also embrace modern design and technological innovation. There's something for everyone.

Some of the Japanese brands and products we carry include:

• The Superior Labor (cotton canvas and leather pouches, tool holders, notebook covers & cases)
• Pont Neuf (notebooks, including the William Morris, Majorelle and Sugar Cube collections)
• Japanese papers
• SODA washi tape
• Midori (memo pads, stickers, brass instruments, notebooks and more)
• Traveler's Company (travel notebooks and their accessories, including elastics, stickers, refills, etc.)

CHINA

• TWSBI is a brand name derived from the phrase "San Wen Tong" which means "Hall of Three Cultures" in Chinese. This in turn references three masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy. The initials of this phrase were reversed and then "Bi" added at the end, which means "writing instruments". At Figg Street Co, we carry a wide selection of fountain pens, as well as cartridges and accessories. The clear barrels of these pens allow you to see your ink level and make them especially in-demand.

• Ferris Wheel Press is a Chinese-Canadian brand. The brand's fountain pens reference traditional calligrapher's paint brushes in design. Inks and accessories are inspired by ferris wheels and carousels and are named after Canadian landmarks and other cultural references. In addition to their fountain pens and inks, we also carry their colourful notebooks in our shop.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA (SOUTH KOREA)

• Nebula Notebooks are renowned for their beloved fountain pen friendly Tomoe River paper, which is made in Japan. 

INDIA

• Endless - one of our newer offerings, Endless Refillable Leather Journals, Recorder Notebooks and Creative Block Tear-Off Notepads feature their own in-house trademark Regalia paper.

We also carry handmade Himalyan Lokta Paper from a Tibetan paper supplier. These are wonderful as wrapping paper or other creative projects.

         

What Asian-Canadian events and activities have you enjoyed this month?

If you prefer reading about Asian heritage (perhaps outside, in the spring garden), check out these recommendations by staff at the Niagara Falls Public Library.

Wishing you a floriferous week!

I (Antoinette) discovered HAM through Instagram in March 2017. When I first saw the rabbit, I immediately smiled widely. I love the black and white silhouette and how the rabbit does everyday human activities with a dose of humour. So funny! On the second day of following HAM I knew I needed to get these products into the Figg Street Co. shop. They're so delightful and happy.

So I was pleased when Jo Ham, the artist and illustrator who created HAM, was willing to answer a few of our questions...

What gave you the idea to create HAM?
I’d always wanted to do my own thing, but it wasn’t until I became ill in my early 20s and had to take some time off work that I got the motivation I needed. While I was recovering, I took solace in drawing - I couldn’t get out much, so I looked for inspiration in the everyday. I started to see the fun and happiness in our daily routines - made even more poignant by having my normality threatened. My protagonist became a little black Rabbit I'd first created at uni ...a year later HAM was born.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I'm from England and grew up on a farm near the Welsh border.  

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right-handed.

Did anything in your childhood point you toward a future in art and design?
I started drawing on walls when I was about five, much to my parents’ dismay. They managed to get me off emulsion and on to paper relatively quickly and things snowballed. My first watercolour set arrived at the age of eight and from that point I was hooked. Fast forward ten years and I was studying for a degree in Fine Art at Oxford University’s Ruskin School of Drawing. Here I specialised in anatomy and continued, like I'd done for all those years before, to focus on capturing the characters that surrounded me alongside the ordinary. When I look back at my drawings, all of which I still have, the ideas that fascinated me then still do now: potted plants, shoes, people at bus stops, portraits at the supermarket... it’s always been about vignettes of life and the everyday.

Who's inspired you in your life and how so?
My parents. They built their own business when I was little and their journey has been of great inspiration to me.

What's most exciting to you right now at HAM?
I'm just about to launch my first series of children's picture books featuring Rabbit with the amazing Walker Books and Candlewick Press. We've been working together on them for a number of years and I can't wait to share what we've created this September.

What aspect of stationery appeals to you most?
I'm very obsessed with my daily planner. I write a weekly to-do list every Monday and I'm always jotting down notes and categorising tasks. I'd be lost without it.

What's your favourite writing instrument?
I'm very particular about my pencils! I sign all my work with a 3H and have a drawer full of them!

What's your favourite ink colour(s)?
Always black.

What are your favourite colours and/or motifs to work with in your creations?
HAM is known for its monochrome aesthetic but I also love working with bright pops of colour for limited edition Rabbits and collaborations.

What's your favourite aspect of working for HAM?
I'm most content when drawing Rabbits. I’m also very lucky to have a great team around me - there are five of us in the studio and our extended family is a network of brilliant makers, freelancers and retailers. Everyone gets involved with creating Rabbits and I love bouncing around ideas and developing new products and illustrations together.

What the best book you've ever read?
Too hard to pick! But I do love the classics and historical fiction.

What's your favourite way to spend your time?
We're very lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside and I spend a lot of time out in the fresh air walking with my family and two dogs, Ted and Abe.

Have you ever visited the Niagara region?
I haven’t, but would love to. Hoping the Rabbits will bring me to Canada one day.

     

We know HAM products are very popular at the shop. So we hope you enjoyed this week's interview with Rabbit's creator, Jo Ham.

Now that we're well into spring, perhaps we'll see a few new bunnies at Happy Rolph's Animal Farm!

In Canada and the US, we'll be celebrating Mother's Day this Sunday, May 14th. However, if your mother is in another part of the world, when will you celebrate? This holiday exists around the globe, but it's honorary date and way of celebrating differs a bit from one country to another. Let's look at a few traditions.

In the United Kingdom, Mother's Day is known as Mothering Sunday. It's also celebrated a few weeks earlier than we do here. It falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent and was originally a holiday to celebrate one's "mother" church. Over time, it became a day to celebrate mothers. A popular custom is to bake and eat a Simnel Cake (a fruit cake with marzipan). Families typically celebrate with gifts of greeting cards, flowers and food.

In Ethiopia, Mother's Day is a three day celebration called Antrosht. It begins on the second Sunday in May. Celebrations revolve around food, which is sourced and prepared by the children. Traditional dishes include a hash made from lamb or bull, vegetables and butter.

Japan's Mother's Day took on new meaning after WWII, when it became a holiday to comfort mothers who'd lost their children in the war. Today it's celebrated by everyone on the second Sunday of May.

Popular gifts from children include red or pink carnations, doing the chores, cooking food, and handmade items. Drawing a portrait of one's mom and calligraphy are also cherished.

In France, Mother's Day is celebrated on either the last Sunday of May or the first Sunday of June. 

This holiday began during the time of Napoleon, when mothers of large families were awarded medals. Traditionally, a cake in the shape of a flower bouquet is served, along with a special family meal. Gifts include flowers, jewellery, perfume, chocolate, handwritten poems or other handmade gifts.

In Mexico, Mother's Day is on May 10th and is called La Dia de la Madre. Its origin has religious and political roots. The holiday was created as part of a motherhood campaign when women were beginning to have fewer children and work outside the home.

Restaurants tend to be packed on this holiday as it is common to celebrate with a family lunch out. Gifts include flowers and candies, among other things. Often, children will create a play to perform as part of the celebration.

La Festa della Mamma is what Mother's Day is called in Italy. It takes place on the second Sunday of May. The holiday is mostly about spending quality time with one's mother. This involves sharing meals together, including going out for lunch to a restaurant. Roses are a popular gift, as is handwritten poetry. It's also traditional to serve a heart shaped cake for dessert.

A few famous mothers & daughters:

• Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli
• Goldie Hawn & Kate Hudson
• Diana Ross & Tracee Ellis Ross
• Debbie Reynolds & Carrie Fisher
• Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I
• Ingrid Bergman & Isabella Rossellini
• Blythe Danner & Gwyneth Paltrow
• Tippi Hedren & Melanie Griffith (and Melanie Griffith & Dakota Johnson)
• Angela & Margherita Missoni

     

Wherever and whenever you celebrate, we wish you a wonderful Mother's Day this year!

Some days require wisdom and humour to get us through. This is when meeting up with a friend for coffee can be a balm. It also makes me think of remarkable women who've come before me.

Nora Ephron was a great one for doling out an insight, saying something witty, and throwing in a fabulous foodie tip or recipe, to boot.  

A year or so before she died, she wrote a list called 'What I Will Miss'. Among the things she mentioned were spring, the view out the window, and dogwood.

The second half of April and first week or two of May is the season of spring blossoms. There's a parade of blooms as each tree type reaches its peak period.

Since the Niagara region produces an abundance of fruit, it's no surprise that springtime here is packed with petals.

Although the exact timing of bloom can vary by variety and weather conditions from year-to-year, apricot is typically the first fruiting tree to bloom. Cherry blossoms, also known as sakura in Japanese, usually follow. Both these tree blossoms have pale pink and white flowers.

Other fruiting trees that have gorgeous blossoms (and sometimes wonderful fragrance) include plums, apples, peaches, pears, and nectarines. 

It's not uncommon to see bees and other pollinators buzzing and fluttering about the branches. They play a key role in creating the delicious fruits we'll enjoy later in the summer and fall.

In addition to fruit tree blossoms, springtime is rich in blooms of all types. This includes several flowering trees, such as dogwood, magnolia, redbud and tulip trees, to name a few. There're also ornamental versions of fruit trees, such as crabapples and cherries.

Some of these trees have three or four seasons of interest: blossoms in the spring, fruits in the summer, fall colour in the foliage, and sometimes even colourful hips, berries, and stems in the winter.

Now, if you happen to have a tree that's stopped fruiting, don't despair. Old trees can be the perfect backdrop and support for climbing roses and be a key feature in a romantic garden come June.

Regardless of the tree type, one thing's for sure: after winter, ephemeral spring blossoms are met with much love and appreciation. Their fleeting presence makes them all the more precious. It's worth taking a few minutes during this special time of year to gaze upon flowering branches and breathe in their perfume.

   

We wish you a floriferous week, in every way!

Have you looked up lately? Did you happen to catch the amazing Northern Lights in March when they made a rare appearance in Southern Ontario? We saw some amazing photos from Guelph that showed a mix of neon chartreuse, blues, greens and shades of pink and purple.

The night sky sometimes puts on such a beautiful display it can feel like partaking in an incredible concert.

April is Global Astronomy Month. And doesn't it make sense that it's global? After all, no matter where we live on this planet, we all share that same sense of mystery and curiosity when we look up at the night sky. How far does the universe stretch out? What's out there?

Some people have a particular interest in our moon. In fact, at this time of year, some gardeners follow the phases of the moon when determining when to sow their seeds, transplant their seedlings and make other plant-related decisions.

At Figg, we carry a beautiful letterpress moon calendar that's popular with many. It's waxing and waning rhythm provides a certainty and serenity in our fast-paced culture.

Sometimes these moon phases are tracked in people's bullet and garden journals. It's a small doodle that can connect us in an instant with the grand scheme of life.

Anyone with an interest in moons or astronomy may know that there're many types of moons. Some full moons are larger (Supermoons) and some take on a specific hue. On April 6th, we experienced a Pink Full Moon. It's named after a wildflower species that grows here in North America.

For many of us, seeing a night sky full of stars can be breathtaking. When it's dark enough, and our eyes adjust, we seem to see tinier and tinier stars. It can look like fairy dust sprinkled throughout the galaxy.

In the summer, when the weather is warm, one of life's pleasures is laying out on the grass of a hilltop and looking up at the stars. It can be fun to share this experience with a close friend and make out constellations.

Looking through a telescope, or simply with the naked eye at any time of year can be humbling and awe-inducing. It's incredible how small we are. How enormous the universe is. The shapes, colours, luminescence, and unknown up in the cosmos can spark our imagination. Night sky watching makes for great creative inspiration.

Outer space has inspired more than one stationery maker, including those who make writing instruments. Famously, Fisher Space Pen Company created The Space Pen, which is able to write in conditions of zero gravity, at any angle, and underwater.

 

  

We hope you take a few minutes this month to look up in the evening and take in the beauty of the night sky. Who knows? Maybe you'll see a shooting star.

Does a poem a day keep the doctor away? All I can say is that the mornings when I wake up and read a poem - really savour it and let it seep into me - I feel fortified as I begin the day.

April is National Poetry Month in Canada. A great excuse, I think, to pore over the poems I love so much.

For those of us who may feel daunted by thick tomes and books that require a significant time commitment, poetry is a great opportunity. It's so often the distillation of life experiences and lessons by an honest observer in a beautiful little package. Potent wisdom.

I remember seeing the actress, Michelle Williams, in an interview some time ago. She pulled out a small book of poems from her handbag and said she'd made a habit of taking poetry with her wherever she went. This way, she'd have something to read and contemplate during those moments of waiting while traveling or going about her day.

There're as many types of poems as there are genres of literature. There're also many that traverse styles and topics and defy classification. In this sense, there's something that speaks to all of our human experiences, emotions, and dreams.

So much is available: classic and passionate love poetry by Shakespeare and Pablo Neruda. Adventure - through sagas like The Odyssey and The Illiad - and poems like The Road Not Taken. Poems about the natural world from Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Mary Oliver. Nonsense poems by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and Shel Silverstein. Want a laugh? Read some Philip Larkin, Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker.

In recent years, poetry's been experiencing something of a renaissance. Many have been touched by poets from long ago who wrote about what it means to be a human in such a deep and meaningful way that their work resonates today. Rumi, Hafez, and Kahlil Gibran, are a few examples.

In addition, we've seen some new poets who've also captured modern life in a few words. Their prose touches the soul and leaves us feeling lighter and a little more understood. Poets such as Cleo Wade, Nayyirah Waheed and Victoria Erickson. A few of my favourite poets that have become modern classics include Maya Angelou, E.E. Cummings and T.S. Eliot.

     

Do you have any favourite poems? Poets? Feel free to mention them when you're in the shop. We love learning about new heartfelt poetry. Perhaps you're the one writing poems.

Wishing you a wonderful April full of rejuvenating reading and writing.

Easter, like some other holidays, can feel nostalgic. I remember as a little girl looking forward to Easter because it meant Spring and warm weather. We always shopped for new Spring clothes. Easter Sunday began with an egg hunt, then off to mass, and afterward to our grandmother's house for a lovely celebration. My grandmother was an amazing cook and as soon as you stepped into her home, waves of Italian cooking greeted you. I also remember the weather always being warm and me and my siblings playing outdoors.

These gatherings of loved ones around the table still bring me much joy today. Preparing for holiday meals and setting the table are activities I enjoy. How lucky I feel now in the pleasure I receive from selecting tableware items for Figg Street Co. Seeing new patterns, textures and colours can inspire me to decorate in a new way for an upcoming event.

Decorative napkins are among the table setting items I enjoy. I don't know about you, but there are times a particular napkin design is so beautiful, I wish to preserve it. If you've ever felt this way, here's a great Easter craft that you may enjoy...

Decoupage Easter eggs! You can make these pretty easily with a few napkins you like, a pair of scissors, some mod podge and a paintbrush. These can be made using hardboiled eggs or you can blow out the egg to keep the shell for future years. Click here to watch as Martha Stewart demonstrates the process.

The Decoupage Easter eggs can be displayed on your table as part of a centrepiece arrangement. Another way you can show them off and gift one to each of your guests, is to nestle them in a folded napkin and then tie them with a bow. This makes them look like a bunny's head with its long ears pointed up. (See image above.)

In addition, I love all the spring bulbs that are flowering at this time of year. Daffodils, hyacinths, irises, and tulips. Depending on the timing of when Easter falls, there may be some lingering crocuses. These colourful flowers help to create the Easter atmosphere, as do pussy willows and the many shrub and tree branches festooned with blossoms in April. I like to include these in my holiday decorating. Click here to see what's blooming at The Royal Botanical Garden, a National Historic Site and Canada's largest botanical garden.

Here at Figg Street Co., we wish you and your loved ones that celebrate a Happy Passover, Ramadan, and Easter during this season of family gatherings!

It's spring! I love this time of year and all the changes I can sense outside. There's a new quality of light that's infused with the promise of great things to come. I wake up to the sound of birds chirping. The ground beneath my feet has that earthy, comforting scent: the soil teeming with life. Shoots, buds and the little bulbs appear. In spring, we welcome green, my favourite colour.

Have you been sowing seeds indoors? Are you itching to get outside and put your hands in the soil or do some pruning? (I know a person or two with a self-proclaimed 'snipping' addiction!)

You may have seen the first couple BBC Gardeners' World episodes of the new year or attended a local Seedy Saturday event.

If you're interested in spending more time outdoors, meeting new people or simply connecting with nature, there are many ways to do so here in Niagara.

Niagara Peninsula Conservation is looking for volunteers to help guide hikes, lead nature crafts, assist with the gardens at Ball's Falls, help monitor turtle road crossings and survey frogs, toads and marsh birds, among many other activities. Have a look on their website and see if there's anything that resonates with you.

Are you a gardener? Do you like floral design? If so, you might enjoy sharing your interests with other like-minded individuals by joining The Garden Club of Niagara. The Niagara chapter has a special relationship with Niagara Parks School of Horticulture and manages the 19th century kitchen gardens at McFarland House along the Niagara Parkway. Click here for more information.

If you're invigorated by teamwork and being part of an active community that makes a real impact, Project Share may be worth considering. They recruit volunteers to help with emergency food distribution. There're a variety of roles, including garden volunteers who grow healthy, organic foods in their community gardens. Click here and scroll down to see application information.

If you'd like to support Project Share, but don't have the skills, time or interest in volunteering, you can donate products to their community garden. The organization accepts garden tools, pots, seeds, garden gloves, etc. Click here for a list of items and more information.

There's something so rewarding about working in a community garden. It's the type of work where you can physically see the results of your labour. It's also so much fun to share the experience with others and be outside in the fresh air.

Niagara Community Gardens has many gardens in the area that accept volunteer help. Click here and also the 'Garden' heading on the webpage that pops up to see the list of participating gardens in the region.

     

As the landscape changes from brown to green in the coming days and weeks, we hope you have a chance to get outside and breathe in the fresh, spring air!

What fills you with wonder? When you sit down to write your musings and dreams, where does you your mind go? Who do you know who captivates your attention? What places and experiences leave you speechless?

I love moments of awe. It's as if I can feel new connections forming in my brain that give off a joyful spark that fizzes throughout my body. I feel wiser and mesmerized at the same time. It's a growth spurt.

One of the amazing things in life is that we never know when or where a new delightful discovery will arise. I can get a little thrill from learning of an innovative and beautiful stationery item, and then feel it again when I experience it in tangible form.

Nature is another source of wonder for me. Seeing the first little bulbs of the year: snowdrops, iris reticulatas, and crocuses all connect me to the amazing and humbling cyclical nature of life.

In mid-March, it can astonish me how a simple maple tree can drip sap that turns into a sweet syrup with its own unique flavour.

And although it's easy to take for granted, we have one of the world's greatest wonders right here in our region: Niagara Falls!

Isn't it funny how when you live so close to an international sensation, you often only visit it when you're entertaining guests from out-of-town? Sometimes I have to remind myself to play tourist in my own area.

Of course, I also enjoy being an actual tourist. Travel is another way in which I experience awe and where I get inspired. Our planet's diverse landscapes are stunning. It's invigorating to hike over land and equally so to sail on the sea. Connecting with nature, for me, is a battery recharge for the soul.

In addition to outdoor beauty, I've also found myself fascinated by the many creations we human beings have made. Brilliant architecture, artwork, music and general design fill me with awe.

I can see why some people track and write about moments of wonder in their journals. It seems that those who make a point of noting down such occurrences - for example, seeing a double rainbow - end up having more of these than the rest of us. Is it that they're experiencing more, or that we're just not noticing?

  

We hope your week is full of wonder and awe-inspiring moments. If you're so inclined, take a peek in the garden and see what may be emerging there. It's amazing what we can discover right under our feet.

What makes you happy? A warm, sunny day in early spring? The giggle or smile on your little one's face? A cuddle with your partner?

I find so much pleasure in my first cup of coffee in the morning. The aroma, the taste, and simply the ritual of preparing a cup. It makes me happy to savour each sip and ease into the day.

In Bhutan, national happiness has been officially valued greater than national income since the early 1970s. This is when it "famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product" as noted on the United Nations (UN) website.

It's no surprise, then, that it was Bhutan that initiated the resolution for the International Day of Happiness, which was proclaimed March 20th by the UN.

On March 18th this year, the 10th annual edition of the World Happiness Report will be released. If you're curious to learn more, you can register to receive a copy by clicking here and scrolling down to the 'World Happiness Report' section.

Happiness can be very personal. It can be a discovery to learn of new things that make us happy. Sometimes we stumble upon new situations or events. It's serendipity. Other times, we find happiness right under our nose just by paying closer attention.

One way to gain clarity around what creates happiness for us is journaling. By writing down our thoughts and feelings on a recurring basis, we develop insights into what makes us tick. We see patterns emerge from our musings and ruminations. Sometimes, noticing what we don't like can lead us to uncover what we do.

     

Have you unearthed something new that makes you happy recently? How will you celebrate The International Day of Happiness? It happens to fall on the first day of spring - Monday, March 20th.  

We don't mind sharing with you that the start of spring makes us happy!

If you've been to Figg Street Co. on Front Street in Thorold, and also checked out our website, you're likely aware that there're many more pleasant finds in our actual shop. We carry several items that you won't see in our web store.

La Rochere glassware and ceramics are among those in-person discoveries.

Isn't it amazing how silica, sodium carbonate and limestone - through specific heating and cooling techniques - can be turned into clear and hard glass?

La Rochere, which dates back to 1475 in France, is Europe's oldest continuously working glass factory. That's over 500 years of operations and experience!

Although La Rochere creates many lines of products, they're well known for their iconic bee symbol, which features on several of their drinking glasses, bowls, plates, and other tableware. Other popular motifs include dragonflies and the fleur-de-lis.

There're many things about these timeless French pieces that people love: each object often include a sturdy base, which means the glass sits more securely atop any surface. The elegant designs are beautiful enough to use for a formal occasion, yet durable enough for everyday use.

Elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary and cherish the little moments in life.

Many people also love La Rochere glass for health and environmental reasons: since glass contains no lead, it's a kind way to still enjoy a sip from a stylish vessel. And unlike plastic, glass can be endlessly melted down and made into new objects.

In addition to glassware, La Rochere also makes ceramics. Their Bee Collection uses the same bee motif displayed through its glassware.

These Provence countryside inspired bowls and plates come in two gorgeous colourways. Ecru is a versatile and stunning off-white, which strikes the perfect balance between yellow and grey undertones. The Bleu dishes are a sigh-inducing pale blue that evokes the calmness of water under summer sunlight.

La Rochere is a line we find delights so many customers at the Figg Street Co. shop. There's a romance and a robustness to their pieces that you're sure to appreciate when you hold any of their creations in your hand... and raise it to the light! Cheers! Cin Cin! Santé! Skål! Kanpai!