SHOP CRAFTY: new store alert!

Marimekko tray (available at Ministry of the Interior)

I think every month there are new additions to the already awesome strip of Ossington between Dundas and Queen W. After a quaint lunch in the Get Real Cafe garden patio on Sunday (rudely interrupted by a moderate downpour) we wandered down Ossington on a reconnaissance mission to discover the newbies. lo and behold we fell in lYve!

Ministry of the Interior is a new shop+gallery that features marimekko home products, dwell bedding, vinyl wall decals, and a selection of modern wallpapers. The current exhibition in the gallery is a solo Jason Miller show. The staff were sweet and helpful, and told us that they have catalogs for many of these brands from which we can order. It's rare to find these products this side of the american border, and this way you can avoid shipping & customs fees from internet shopping. The storefront also featured a beautiful wood birdcage sculpture by local artisan Lucas Brancalion.

MOTI's web presence currently consists of a placeholder page with all their contact info, but they tell us that an expanded website is expected within a few weeks.

There's also another cute vintage shop (on top of all the other cute vintage shops on Ossington) that opened last month, Badlands Vintage. You can find locally made jewelry there too!

I can remember only a few years ago I would have described this area as 'seedy', and although there are still a few dodgey alleys, even Baby Doll's is starting to rent out dancefloor space for hipster parties.

So next time you're in the area, take a stroll down Ossington and check out the art galleries, the shops and the cafes.