Boots & Pine; or, Natasha & Cody

What's up world? Yer girl Kristina here, dropping some tyte knowledge on all y'all.

Here's what is up: if you haven't gotten wise to Arden Wray's online magazine, Boots & Pine, it's time to get with the program. It's extremely tight. Arden features some Toronto luminaries of the arts, bizness and nice-people scenes in their natural habitats. So this involves snapshots of stylish people in kimonos, doing stuff in their enviably well-arranged apartments, and walking around all the unique neighbourhoods of Toronto. I like it and I bet you will too. Arden has a great gift of capturing a moment. I find there's always an air of mystery in all her shots. And I really dig that she is highlighting people doing interesting things in her city.

We're stoked over here because we feel we have some minor claim to fame: some of our favourite friends were featured on Boots & Pine. I can assure you that while this might ring of cronyism (ya I heard some of you thinking it, I got your number), these people are special to us. And let me tell you why.

Okay, so first up, Arden featured Natasha (AKA Shashi to Victoire) and her BF, Josh today. Natasha was Victoire's very first employee! While I never worked with her personally, I know the sound of her voice INTIMATELY. 

Natasha and Josh. Photo by Arden Wray. 

FUN FACTS ABOUT NATASHA

1. She is still to this day the voice on both Victoire answering machines. Years later, no one can bear to delete the sound of her sleepy cute voice telling people what to do after the beep. I certainly won't be the one to change it. 
2. In her interview with Arden, Natasha mentions that Joshua by Dolly Parton would be her theme song. When Regine read this, she told me how she had so many good memories of dancing to that very song with Natasha at Oz Kafe when she still lived here in Ottawa. Not to mention, Dolly is a personal fave, so I approve.
3. An example of Shashi's effortless style is how she once had perfectly shredded tights, and Regine could never get that right, so as a gift one time, Shashi made a pair for Reg and she still wears them to this day. CAN YOU IMAGINE? How is it possible to be still wearing a pair of shredded tights, years later, and they are still holding up enough to be considered tights? It takes a girl like Natasha to make that happen.

Natasha. Photo by Arden Wray.

Read and see more from Natasha and Josh HERE. 

A few weeks ago, a good old pal of mine was also featured on Boots & Pine, Cody Cochrane, She is the proprietor of the incredible shop The Chief Salvage Co which has easily become a Victoire-favourite. Cody collects the most wonderful oddities, odd-and-sods from all over this fine continent and sells them to us city-folk who might not have the time or the eye to go digging. The stuff she finds is really one of a kind though. When Reg and Katie go to Toronto, they always make a point  to stop by the Chief. So while we love what she does as a fellow entrepreneur, I have a personal connection: Cody and I went to highschool together in Oakville, Ontario and she was one of my best friends. Cody is an amazing person, a real jack of all trades (she is an artist, a great writer, likes good music, can make clothes, yadda yadda yadda) and a very sincere, loving and FUN person.

Cody. Photo by Arden Wray.

FUN FACTS ABOUT CODY

1. She had a lot of different style phases. One of my favourite times was the year that Cody chopped her hair short, dyed it black, dressed exactly like Angelina Jolie in Hackers (it was actually a killer look, one that more people SHOULD be doing today). This came after the 90s Drew Barrymore phase which was a look I will always fondly remember as my initial impression the first time I saw Cody strolling through the halls of T.A. Blakelock High School.
2. The blush brush I use to this day is a MAC one that I pilfered from Cody  when she was ridding herself of all her unnecessary wordly belongings during her Buddhist phase. A total SCORE for me. My first fancy makeup brush! Cody, you created a monster.
3. Some of my best (unmentionable) memories of high school in one way or another involve hanging or driving around with Cody or sneaking off to her house in between classes to make soup, read magazines and hang with her dogs. 
4. One time during a sleepover, she sat up and looked at me (but was NOT awake) and said, "Yeah... No... Chocolate makes sense."

And you know what? That is still true to this day. Chocolate DOES make sense. I'm glad I had a Cody in high school, and I'm even more glad to have a sister-in-arms in the shop world now.  

Kimono Cody. Photo by Arden Wray.

Please read more about Cody and what she does HERE.

Laterrrrrrrrrrrrrr folks! 
K out.