The Gild hosts Maggie Cross, Byron, New Feathers Dec 9th

Last week the Gild hosted Maggie Cross' last "official" show in Toronto before she leaves us for Philedelphia! Byron and his friend Todi Stronghands were able to join us for the evening as well, as they nomadically make their way across Ontario. On top of that, Jared and Michelle (formerly of Barn Owl) played some songs from their newly formed band, Young Feathers, who will be playing avec their full band at our house in January!

In honour of Maggie, I've posted two videos here of her and Jared playing together, which makes my little heart smile (even if it was the wrong song!)

Au revoir Maggie! We'll give you cyber hugs!

One of the Most Important Community Tools? Visuals!

Over the years of living in intentional houses and working with community groups, one thing I know for certain is that VISUALS are one of the most important things to creating a functional, informed group of people.

Examples of visuals include:

--Lists (ie. what's in the fridge that needs to be eaten, what house repairs need to be done, book lists, music lists, documentary lists, lists of things you like about each other, etc)

--Reminders (ie. cute stick men posters reminding you to wash your dishes, reminders to turn off lights, turn down heat, reminders of how nice you look today!)

--Calendars

Large, readable and edit-able calendars are one of the best ways for you and housemates or collaborators to really get a handle on getting your communal shit together. This week, with the help of a friend miraculously having chalkboard paint right when I needed it, I created a large community calendar in our front hallway.

A good tip for community calendars is colour-coded categories, so that everyone can see at a glance what type of event or activity is being expressed (ie. band practices, meetings, parties, concerts, garbage day, birthdays).

If you're trying to better function as a household or community and don't already have a community calendar, I highly recommend it! Chalkboard paint it up!

Rob Ford Won, but it's O.K because...

Hey guys, I know things seem pretty gloomy after an incredulous win by Rob Ford. We are not yet the majority. We can't fool ourselves about that. But it seems that in many cases, the presence of a common adversary helps motivate people to band together and support one another to create, to overcome, and to act. Let's use Rob Ford as a reality check and motivation to get our shit REALLY together to make this city great, with or without him. And remember this:

Rob Ford Won, but it's O.K, because....

Regarding tonight's 'win'....

As a good friend put it..no caption necessary.

Bicycle Seat Covers on Etsy!

High fives and sparkle explosions! Our Etsy store is officially up! Thanks to a late night full of home made mac and cheese and Laura introducing me to my new musical love, Mirah ( I know, she's not new, I just don't get around to things in a timely fashion like all of you, ok?), we've launched our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/store/TheGild !!! Come check out our goods (they don't get much gooder than this!) and tell your friends who love their bikes and maybe also doilies and fringe...

Hearts!

Natalie

Diamond Rings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL8r_nrl3iU&feature=player_embedded

A Stranger in a Cafe

A lovely thing:


What if you met a stranger and decided to trust them, invite them into your home with no hesitation, and treat them like an old friend? What if you asked about their life, their stories, and actually listened? What if you decided to have faith in humanity and take chances on people? Then you might end up with a new friend from Minneapolis like I did this week! We here at the Guild hope to see him again soon when he returns to do his masters of Fine Arts at U of T! Good luck Jason!

The Golden Door

An idea we may or may not regret later when our landlords drop by from Ottawa....

Crafting at Midnight

Kate, Natalie, and Laura spend the night making jewellery, jurassic park bicycle-seat covers, and doily tablecloths.  and love.

Natalie responds to Fierce Deer Jewellery Photoshoot

GILD-WARMING.

Thanks to everyone who came & brought delicious food & lovely plants! The following documents mostly the late night aftermath... post masses, pre stragglers dance party.

xo.

the gild.

The Gilded Ladies

Just who are/what is "The Gild", you may ask? No, we are not a very good looking D&D team, thank you very much. Here is a mini version of our story and why you should bother reading this blog some more later on.

What we wanted:

This house was envisioned to be, and indeed is shaping up to be, a place of intention. We want to create a home in which ideas, food, music, books, crafts, skills and politics are shared openly, explored thoughtfully, and enjoyed thoroughly.

We want to fill this space with cooking classes, book clubs, concerts, art gallery space, political discussions, community garden networking, craft nights, queer/gender study groups, dance parties and alternative-economy bartering systems!

We have all sorts of plans in the works, all with the intention of living out our personal politics, stemming from backgrounds of feminism, anarchism and social justice models.

What you'll find on this Blog:

We'll be posting our thoughts and ideas on a variety of things along our journey to forming community, including:

• How to eat communally
• Consensus decision making processes
• How to organize successful events
• Queer and Gender identity issues
• Thoughts on self-assessment and communication within communal settings
• Information on inspirational community-oriented groups across the country
• House event listings or relatable Toronto event listings
• Silly You-Tube videos about cats or 80's music videos!
• How to talk to your mom about the fact that you don't wear "regular" deodorant anymore!

What we ask of you:

Many people feel overwhelmed by the burden of the environmental and social chaos that we see before us, and seem to give up before they even begin. Let's do what we can friends! Let's start here! Making life beautiful and meaningful for yourself and those around you is never a waste of time. There are still infinite chances to make meaningful choices. Being active doesn't have to mean being angry or burnt out. Help us create a space where ideas and passions become action and creative, joyous intervention.

If you have an idea for an event, group or concert that you'd love to host at our house, we've got a great empty common space for you to do so! And check back often to see event, concert and gallery listings throughout the year!

On behalf of all the beautiful women of The Gild, I blow festive gold sparkles (made of recycled/biodegradable material) in your general direction.

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