If you live close to Eglinton West, you're luckier than I--Sense of Independence is without a doubt my favourite clothing store on the strip. It's owned by the ever-friendly Shamash sisters, who are exceedingly talented at finding great clothes that I haven't seen anywhere else in the city. I've wanted a new hoodie for ages and I tell you, there was not one thing that caught my eye downtown for months. I finally made it up to Eglinton on Saturday to find x-amounts of casual but attractive zip-ups. Joy! I fell in love with a supersoft teal blue number by San Diego's Scrapbook, pre-washed, pre-shrunk, made in the USA and subtly printed with twining vines and skulls. It's the coziest thing and I haven't taken it off yet. California lines are all about skulls right now, I guess it's that Latino gangster thing (or that's what the New York TImes told me)--there was another beauty of a sweater, a soft, thin grey number by Miss Me that had not just skulls and rhinestones, but gothic lettering too. You can also pick up gear by Industry, Kitchen Orange and Gentle Fawn, wonderful jackets by Soia & Kyo and all sorts of accessories, from big-buckled belts to a fat apple pendant necklace that I totally should have snagged. If you grab it first, don't tell me about it.

Sense of Independence
511 Eglinton Avenue West
416-481-8242

Oh argh, this was supposed to publish last week...one day I'll figure this Movable Type thing out...

So, I can't wait to read The United States of Arugula, a history of American food by David Kamp. I've read a few excerpts and it looks well written and interesting, with lots of juicy gossip on Alice Waters, the chef most associated with the birth of the American organic movement. Aside from taking a long list of lovers, she really did make the words "fresh," "local" and "organic" mean something in America. In one of the excerpts, she's quoted as lamenting her contribution to the dumbing down of the mesclun mix. She talks about her ideal salad as one containing as large a variety of leaves as possible and then says "And now, of course, one of those big companies has grabbed onto the idea, and they cut up big lettuces and put them in a bag, mix them up, and call them mesclun. Who is it--Dole pineapple or somebody?"

But happily, some still care about real mesclun, and among those are A< href=http://www.chickabiddyacres.com/>Chick-A-Biddy Acres, the produce provider for the Gladstone's weekly Harvest Wednesdays.

Serious sneakersheads and label wh*res should probably skip this post: here we have the totally fake Bathing Ape kicks that I was very excited to buy at a colourful little Chinatown shop called Meteor. I love them; I have no idea how much they actually resemble authentic BAPEs. The tongue tag and back logo are pretty good replicas, but they don't say "APE" on the sole. Real BAPEs also seem to be much shinier, generally. I only investigated all of this post-purchasing them for $45, no tax.

I stopped by a new tattoo and piercing studio on King West yesterday, drawn in by the window display of bejewelled tshirts by San Francisco tattoo artist Ed Hardy. It's a really attractive spot, nice and big and colourful and clean. There are about six or seven glass cases of jewellery, everything from cute little bellybutton diamonds to serious septum horns, plus a long wall of big, bold art and equally eye-catching clothing. Sadly, keloid scarring tends to run in my fam, so I'm too paranoid to get any tattoos or piercings, but I'm definitely going to stop by here when the long-sleeved fall shirts are in. If I can't be tattoed, I can be tattoo-inspired. Those of you who are into personal ink will probably want to do your own research. In my highly uneducated opinion, this place looks serious, and seriously fun.

Black Line Studio
577 King St. W., 416-850-8227

I took a walk down Grange Avenue the other day just to appreciate one of my favourite buildings, the home/gallery of artist Charles Pachter. I was lucky enough to meet him last spring and ever since have been a great fan. Even if you don't know his name, you probably know his work--he's best known for cheeky Canadiana, especially his paintings of Queen Elizabeth astride a moose. He's very fond of moose in general, and has named this building The Moose Gallery--his own living quarters are in that square that juts out at the top; underneath it are his studio and two galleries.

Besides works of true patriotism (if patriotism means honest, unflinching criticism in the interest of bettering one's beloved country), his work encompasses paintings, sculptures and wood cuts showcasing his personal take on everything from barns to portraits of Trudeau and Atwood to the sun-drenched art deco of Miami to the vivid hues of India. Seen through his lens, Canada becomes much more colourful and interesting.

Showings are by appointment or invite only, but are well worth seeking out. At the very least, just take a walk by to check out how cool his house is.

The Moose Factory Gallery
22 Grange Ave., 416-260-1600.