This book revisits the roots and history of the handmade-homes phenomenon of the late 1960's, exploring how these homes and their owners paved the way for the architectural-salvage business and the reclaimed, industrial look ever-popular today: an important and relevant volume to be appreciated by anyone interested in environmentally friendly design, craft, and the expression of personal style in the home.

Below is a selection of photographs from Handmade Houses - now available in-store and online.

This past weekend, in conjunction with Victory Gardens, we had the pleasure of hosting our Container Gardening Workshop. We had a great time and everyone left with some green-thumb knowledge and a huge potted container ready to get growing.

The demand for the workshop has been so great that we are already planning another for those of you who were unable to attend. We will release the forthcoming details through our Facebook and Twitter. Below are some photos from the workshop.

Mother's Day is quickly approaching, but worry not - we have plenty of great gift ideas to show that special lady how much you care.

Visit us at the shop, pick something out and we'll wrap it up nice. You only have a few occasions a year to show your Mom your appreciation - make this one a day to remember.

This weekend we're excited to play host to Gentlemen's Reserve: a Maker's Market showcasing the talents of indivduals passionate about their craft.

The event has been put together by Free/Man Brand - a Victoria based online publication intent on shining a light on people contributing to the preservation of quality workmanship. A cause we can certainly get behind.

Plenty of great brands will be on site to show off their wares and offer insight into the process of product development. Southern Field Industries, Caste Projects, Read's Clothing Project, Faribault Woolen Mills, Freeman Seattle, Universal Works, Herb Lester and Rogue Territory will all be in attendance.

The market will be open to the public this Saturday 10 AM - 6 PM and Sunday 11 AM - 6 PM. Our products will still be available for purchase during the event. We look forward to seeing you!

Back by popular demand is our Container Gardening Workshop! Brought to you by Old Faithful Shop and Victory Gardens, this workshop promises to teach the fundamentals of growing food in small places.

Each participant will finish the workshop with their very own wooden container packed with greens and herbs for easy tending throughout the summer months!

The workshop will take place on May 12th from 9:30 AM to 11 Am. You can register online or in-store. You'll want to book early as space is limited and this one sold out super fast last year.

Happy Easter! We'll be open regular hours all weekend except Monday we'll be open from 11 AM - 6 PM.

We hope you get some quality time with family and a chance to chase down a handful of chocolate eggs: or just one huge one like these lucky chaps above.

Besides, we need that water so the earth can spring to life. Spring in Vancouver is a serious spectacle that we look forward to each year; freshly unfurled leaves, pastels of cherry blossoms and brightly coloured tulips - You forget about all those winter showers pretty quick.

The above video is from the 1979 documentary The Secret Life of Plants. The film, based on the book of the same name written by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, explors the sentience of plants and their ability to exhibit responses to external stimuli. There's plenty of thought-provoking material in the film and the time-lapse photography is great.

The film is available for viewing here.

This week, our friends over at MAKR pointed us in the direction of the above film Minka. Based on the book Minka: My Farmhouse in Japan penned by John Roderick, the film is a short documentary about a remarkable Japanese farmhouse and the memories it contains. In 1967, an American journalist and a Japanese student rescued the ancient house from the snow country of Japan, and their lives were forever changed.

We have carried the book in-store for awhile now and this film is the perfect visual companion to that text. The story and imagery are absolutely beautiful - we long for the day when we can call such a beautiful structure home.

The book is a great read and you can grab a copy both in-store and online. Head over to Birdling Films to learn more about the film.

The latest offering from Smith Journal, a quarterly publication from Australia, arrived in the shop yesterday. We were really impressed with their premiere issue and have been looking forward to the next one ever since. Issue 2 does not disappoint.

Inside the latest issue Smith Journal talks to Fathers and Sons working together, falls in love with junk, checks out Henry Rollins' bookshelf, investigates the art of pickpocketing, marvels at the ingenuity of Cold War spies and appreciates the complexity of life's simple stuff: the miracle pig, the humble potato, the misunderstood handkerchief and the stately pinball.

These guys went pretty quick last time, so stop by and pick one up or snatch a copy online.

This past week we had our windows updated with Hand-Lettered Signage and we couldn't be happier with the results. We enlisted Mat from Signmaster Signs to help us give the storefront some traditional lettering that would have existed in the area a century ago.

Mat grew up working in the sign trade for his Father and eventually inherited the business. He recalls the days of his youth when all signage was hand-painted: apparently, at the end of a work-day, the cities sign-painters would often gather at the Biltmore in paint-speckled clothes to share pints and stories. Nowadays his work often involves vinyl, a cheaper and quicker substitute, but he still happily takes hand-painted jobs whenever requested.

There really is something special about hand painted signage - slight imperfections, wavering of lines, and the subtle brush strokes all reveal the work of an individual. It really catches the eye and relays a nice welcoming feeling. Stop by soon and take a look.