The opposite of slush

February may be the shortest month, but there's one thing that makes it feel like the longest: slush.

On the days when the temperature slides upward, recent snowfalls start to melt, leaving an oozing mess of greybrown muck. Add salt to the mix and a toxic soup results, spattering up the back of our pants, creeping up the sides of our footwear, offending our eyes with a dirty horizon.

Aside from plodding onward, what's a design-loving person to do?

Let me share my secret antidote. When the streets are paved with sludge, I make an emergency visit to a favourite design shop. Nope, scrolling through an ecommerce site or my Insta feed won't cut it. Being in the presence of thoughtfully crafted objects that are fresh to my eyes is the only way forward.

One of the best shops in Toronto for an anti-slush intervention is 313 Design Market at 313 Roncesvalles. It's the brainchild of brothers Chris and Mark Siemicki, who grew up upstairs and as adults turned what was once their parents' pharmacy into one of the essential design pitstops in the city.

Here are a few glimpses from my latest visit on Sunday afternoon:

Browsing is part of the antidote, but it's even better to come home with some well-chosen design goodness. One thing that keeps me returning to 313 every few months is Poketo's Quarterly Goal Planner. It's a great way to set milestones in manageable chunks that are way less intimidating than contemplating an entire year.

The planner comes in four colourways to give each quarter a distinct look. When I'm not using my current version, it's floating around my living room adding some graphic pizazz to the space:

Do you have a favourite shop that makes February's burdens more bearable? Let me know, and I may feature it in an upcoming edition of this newsletter.

If you don't have one yet, get moving and find your hand-picked opposite of slush. Toronto's retail pleasures await!

Affectionately,