November 21, 2007
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Stuff You Grow Girl

You Grow Girl 2008 Calendar

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Yay! After an unexpectedly long production schedule the You Grow Girl 2008 Calendar is finally here. I’m really proud of this one. Once again my goal was to produce a calendar that is a nice balance between rich imagery and inspiring information that I hope will keep you excited about turning each page through all 12 months. Here are the details:

Get inspired through 12 months in the garden. This full color calendar features 30 rich garden and botanical images along with a selection of organic gardening tips, growing techniques, and creative ideas. Learn about pretty heirloom pepper varieties, growing orchids, deciduous citrus trees and more.

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All photography and text is by me with the exception of the cover and August. Those photos were taken by Davin Risk.

Copies are now available directly through the printer. However, I have ordered a batch of copies and am selling those directly through our store. You can reserve your copy through me now but these copies have not yet arrived at my door so shipping will be delayed slightly until they do. I will sign these copies and shipping should be cheaper, especially for Canadians who usually get hit by heavy International Shipping Fees through Lulu.

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October 17, 2007
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Events Links Winter

YGG Warm Winter Wear Drive 2007

What: Knit or crochet up beautiful, warm winter gear for The Redwood Shelter for Abused Women. While I know many of you are from all over the globe we’ve decided to continue to support a Toronto-based organization again because 1. They are doing fantastic work and 2. I am in Toronto and a Toronto-based organization means I can collect and distribute the items from here.

You are more than welcome to make warm woolens for a shelter or organization of your choosing in your own area. If crafting isn’t your thing I would also suggest supporting KIVA a microfinancing project that is about providing small business loans to people in impoverished and developing countries.

    Knit, Crochet, or Sew (New items made by you):

  • Long Scarves – They have need of thick, warm scarves that can wrap around twice for bundling up.
  • Women’s Mittens – They receive plenty of mittens for children but need for larger, adult-sized mittens.
  • Baby Blankets – For bundling babies inside strollers. It’s can get cold here in Toronto. This is an awfully tall order for hand-knitting. Sewn blankets or simple square block quilts are a great alternative here.
  • Larger Items – If you were planning to make a couple of scarves, make one large item instead. They have a need for shawls and ponchos too.

How: A simple ribbed scarf is probably the best place to start for a beginner. Ribbing is simply going back and forth between the knit and purl stitches (i.e. knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches, and so on). It is a stretchy pattern that makes a nice, thick material. This tutorial will lead you through the process. You can also try free pattern websites like Knitty. If you have any particularly excellent resources to recommend please comment below.

Check out what we sent in 2006.

Details: Please mail your items by Dec 10, 2007. Email me at gaylaatyougrowgirldotcom for the address.

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September 24, 2007
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Stuff You Grow Girl

Aphids Suck

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Declare war on the aphid nation in this battle-ready tee, now available in pink or black. We’re taking pre-orders for a limited time which allows us to make the design available in a new colour (for those of you, like me, who like their shirts black) and a much wider variety of sizes from Women’s Fitted medium all the way up to Unisex XL. We’ve also reduced the price for a limited time.

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September 11, 2007
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Containers Gayla's Gardens Press Summer Veggies

Living in Toronto – Growing Heirloom Vegetables

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I had a TV crew here for about 2 hours one scorching hot and humid afternoon in August shooting a segment on heirloom vegetables for a show called “Living in Toronto.” There are other “Living ins” across Canada however the first is set to air tomorrow afternoon.

Details: CBC “Living in Toronto”, 1pm – 1:30pm.

My rooftop garden as seen from underneath the tent.

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Here I am with the segment producer Myrocia preparing for a tomato-tasting bit. Did I mention the unbearable heat and humidity? By the time this picture was taken I had completely given up on any attempt to look TV-ready. I had to dab my face with a towel between takes. Good times!

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July 20, 2007
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Events Links

Blogher Conference

Are you going to be attending the Blogher conference in Chicago next week? If you are say hi. I’ll be moderating a panel discussion on visual blogging with a talented group of woman as well as doing a book signing (day and time TBA).

Here’s the scoop:

Blogging is More Than Words

Day One. 4:30pm

Many bloggers actually consider their online space a visual medium. Can the online rendition of your visual output really do it justice? What do visual artists get out of showing their work online? What about virtual collaboration? Gayla Trail moderates a conversation with bloggers Tracey Clark, Renee Garner, Keri Smith and Zoe Strauss, who are making the most of technology to further their non-textual art.

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