Love at First Site (Visit): Inside Toronto's Vegas-Style Elopement Chapel, Two of Hearts Chapel
Hannah Stein reflects on building a love letter to Toronto, creating a space where couples can celebrate with authenticity and pizzaz
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Most often, we think of weddings as celebrations of the devotion between two people. Yet, before we can devote ourselves to a partner, we first have to remain devoted to the life we want to build.
For Two of Hearts Chapel founder Hannah Stein, that meant refusing to accept a version of a wedding that was aesthetically basic and boring, not to mention egregiously overpriced. Overwhelmed and underwhelmed by lacklustre "big wedding" options, she imagined something more fun. A place where couples could celebrate on their own terms, leaving with treasured memories instead of years of debt.
So, she created a space where couples are invited to begin the next chapter of their lives surrounded by whimsy, leaving behind the pressure of a traditional wedding in favour of the simple luxury of enjoy the moment.
One year after opening its doors, we connected with Hannah to reflect on her journey into the wedding industry, the joy of building a business unlike anything else in Toronto, why the most meaningful ceremonies are often the least complicated and what witnessing dozens of love stories has taught her about devotion—to one another and to ourselves.
Tap In: A Conversation with Psychic Medium Christina Curran
From spirit guides to summer séances, Christina’s stories gave us goosebumps!
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Summer has a way of calling us back into the natural world.
We trade fluorescent lights for sunsets, office walls for scenic hikes and crowded schedules for slow evenings spent beneath open skies. Somewhere along the way, our curiosity expands beyond what can be measured, leaving room for intuition and the unexplained.
It felt like the perfect season to sit down with Psychic Medium and Reiki Master Christina Curran to explore the spiritual world. Together, we discuss intuition, past-life regression, spirit guides, guardian angels and even dos and don’t for communing with those who have already crossed over.
With that in mind, we invited medium Christina to share the experiences that shaped her practice. She revisits her own spiritual evolution before unpacking the recurring themes that surface during past-life regressions. If you're feeling inspired, she also offers a gentle introduction to hosting a summer séance.
In the Dressing Room with The Devil Herself: Emma Vauxdevil on Creating Cobweb Cabaret
As gothic burlesque's most distinctive production captivates audiences, Emma Vauxdevil reflects on the conviction that transformed an improbable idea into a world of its own
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
If you'd asked someone to predict where a Texas cheerleader would end up, gothic burlesque provocateur probably wouldn't have topped the list.
Then again, Emma Vauxdevil has always known how to make an entrance.
Like any accomplished burlesque performer, Emma understood the power of the slow reveal. Years of relentless practice, careful refinement and unwavering devotion to her vision preceded the moment audiences met "The Devil Herself."
What began as dress-up in front of a childhood mirror eventually became Cobweb Cabaret, a gothic burlesque production built with uncompromising artistic direction. It stands as proof that some dreams aren't found; they're built so boldly that other people eventually discover they were searching for them all along.
Ahead, Emma reflects on the winding road from growing up in Texas to taking centre stage on the West Coast, reflecting on the perseverance that forged an improbable dream into the career she couldn't imagine living without.
In Loving Memory: 20 Films About Death, Grief & Remembrance
Stories of spouses, parents, children and friends learning to carry on after loss
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
They say nothing in life is certain except death and taxes—a familiar turn of phrase that makes mortality sound almost manageable. Bereavement, unfortunately, carries no such simplicity.
It can leave us searching for language, companionship or some assurance that another person has survived the shape of what we are feeling. In those moments, film can offer a place to sit with loss and see our grief reflected in the experiences of loved ones.
These are the stories that have helped see us through encounters with loss, reminding us that carrying on does not require leaving anyone behind.
Insatiable Cravings: 20 Films About Excess & Obsession
Love. Power. Wealth. Beauty. Status. Some appetites grow stronger once they're fed.
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Hunger comes in many forms. Sometimes it's for success, sometimes it's for status and sometimes it's for another person entirely. These films and series examine the consequences of gluttony, following characters whose relentless pursuit of "more" ultimately becomes their greatest downfall.
15 Foodie Films to Devour for Culinary Arts Month
Sink your teeth into these on-screen stories
By: The Lace Ledger
Food has always been one of film and television's most versatile supporting characters. It can bring strangers together, drive people apart, mark celebrations, conceal secrets or become an art form in its own right.
To celebrate Culinary Arts Month (July), we've rounded up 15 films and series where every plate, kitchen and restaurant adds something memorable to the story.
International Sex Workers Day Watchlist: 38 Films Exploring Sex Work On Screen
These stories examine pornography, stripping, escorting and survival sex work through lenses ranging from fantasy and glamour to violence, loneliness and reinvention
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
In honour of International Sex Workers Day (June 2), this watchlist explores the many ways sex work has been portrayed across film and television; from glamour and fantasy to survival, exploitation, performance and economic reality. According to the International Union of Sex Workers, there are 52 million sex workers globally; 41.6 million of which are female. Though, researchers note the true number is likely far higher due to stigma, criminalization and underreporting.
These stories do not present one singular experience. Instead, they reveal how deeply conversations surrounding labour, gender, intimacy, class and power have always been intertwined with the people working at the centre of them.
Southern Gothic: 38 Films & Series for Lovers of Beautiful Ruin
Religious fervour and oppressive summer heat shape some of the most compelling stories ever put to screen
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
There is a particular kind of story that could only emerge from the American South. The air feels impossibly heavy while the landscape seems suspended between beauty and neglect. Family histories stretch across generations, gathering secrets, scandals and old grievances along the way. Even the grandest homes appear to be in conversation with their own decline.
Southern Gothic thrives in that uneasy space; it’s a genre preoccupied with the complicated relationship between people and place. The characters who inhabit these stories are often haunted long before anything supernatural enters the frame. Sometimes the ghost is a family legacy. Sometimes it is a community unwilling to change. Sometimes it is history itself.
From literary dramas and doomed romances to psychological thrillers, crime sagas and folk horror, Southern Gothic has produced some of the most atmospheric works in film and television. These selections explore the genre in all its forms, revealing why audiences remain drawn to stories where beauty and ruin are so often found living side by side.
The PRIDE Guide: 19 Queer-Owned Alternative Brands We Love
These independent labels create everything from jewellery to fashion, fetish and art
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
While we love the celebrations and parties, PRIDE Month has always been about more than rainbow branding and corporate campaigns. It remains rooted in visibility and the ongoing support of queer people building lives, art and businesses on their own terms.
This month, we’re spotlighting independent queer-owned brands shaping alternative culture through fashion, jewellery, fetishwear, literature, leatherwork, design and more to shop all year.
The Dark Feminine Travel Edit: Aesthetic Summer Essentials for Life in Transit
Thoughtfully selected luggage, carry-ons and practical luxuries selected for the gothic traveller
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Summer has a way of inspiring movement. Whether you’re to the lake for a long weekend, embarking on a cross-country road trip or travelling internationally, the journey begins long before you reach your destination.
Packing is part of the fun.
Backstage with Dr. Lindsay Byron: Pole Stories & Plot Twists
The award-winning stripper, scholar and pole community pillar discusses how connection became the foundation of her life's work
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
One of the great frustrations of being a woman is how often the world asks us to pick a lane. Be serious or be sexy. Nurturing or ambitious. Disciplined or spontaneous. Practical or romantic. Lindsay has spent much of her life proving that these categories don’t need to be mutually exclusive.
Over the course of sixteen years as a dancer, she became one of the most celebrated strippers in Atlanta, earning the title of Best Stripper in Atlanta in 2015 while simultaneously completing a doctorate in literature. Behind those accomplishments was a young woman navigating profound loss, family challenges and the social consequences of being labelled long before she had the opportunity to define herself. Rather than allowing those experiences to dictate the course of her life, she alchemized them into momentum.
Today, Lindsay is best known as the founder of Stripcraft and StripTrips, where she continues to champion pole culture and community through education, mentorship, sentuality and unforgettable experiences around the world. From academia to the strip club, from viral storytelling to building one of the most recognizable brands in the pole community, her journey is a testament to resilience. We caught up with Lindsay to discuss stripping, stigma, literature, entrepreneurship and why she believes some of life's most meaningful connections can begin in the most unexpected places.
19 of our Favourite Creators Defining Gothic Style & Culture Right Now
An inside look at the feeds setting the tone across fashion, beauty, home and culture
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
These are the accounts that make you pause mid-scroll because something about it calls to your dark heart.
That’s one of the many compelling things about gothic style. There isn’t only one version to follow. You move toward what holds your attention, whether that’s romantic silhouettes, dark academic interiors, corporate goth polish, pinup precision, southern gothic atmosphere, or something more vampy, spooky, witchy … the list goes on. It shifts, it overlaps, it gets refined over time and there’s room for all of it.
These creators show us the many facets of what that look likes in practice. Different approaches, different instincts, but all grounded in the same language. We come back to them for ideas and for recommendations, often sparking inspiration to be translated on the other side of the screen.
If you’re looking to evolve your style, your space, or just your feed, start here.
On the Road with the Oddities & Curiosities Expo
From a small hall in Tulsa to a multi-country tour, Michelle Cozzaglio takes us inside her traveling artist-led market grounded in community
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
It didn’t start as a multi-country tour. It started in a Legion in Tulsa, with a handful of vendors and a nagging concern, internally wagering whether anyone else would show up for something this specific.
They did. And, they kept coming back.
Since then, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo has grown in size and in reach, expanding across cities, borders and communities that all recognize the same pull. What began as a focused market has evolved into something larger, without losing the distinct feel that made it work in the first place.
At its core, it offers connection for a subculture that seeks the strange. A place to meet the artists, spend time with the work and be surrounded by people who already understand what drew you there.
We sat down with co-founder Michelle Cozzaglio to discuss how it all came together, and what it takes to keep that energy intact as it continues to grow.
Baby Bats: 19 Kid-Friendly Gothic Films and Cartoons
Spooky Saturday morning cartoons, mischievous monsters and friendly ghosts for the next generation of storm clouds
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Saturday morning has always come with a certain kind of magic.
Cartoons flicker on before the house fully woke up. In some lucky houses, ghosts, witches and strange little families moved across the screen with enchanting whimsy, inviting viewers inside a strange world all their own.
For parents looking to expand children’s programming beyond the usual rotation, this watchlist offers something with slightly more depth. Stories where the unusual is not something to fear, but something to enjoy.
This haunted curation spans generations, including familiar classics alongside newer programming that approaches the strange with the same sense of curiosity.
17 Fierce Mothers of Film & Television
A Mother’s Day watchlist honouring the absolute weapons who protected their children with strategy, violence, wit and conviction
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
This Mother’s Day watchlist is built on a special kind of devotion. One forged through sweat, blood, fire and deep inner strength of matriarchs that would do anything … and we mean anything … for the ones they love.
Motherhood is often framed as soft. And, it can be. It can also be something far more strategic. These women raise dragons, run empires, survive the end of the world, or dismantle anyone who mistakes care for weakness.
What they share is precision. Love becomes a decision. Protection becomes a method; nothing is left to chance.
Quieting the Static: Two Months with Moment Mushrooms Psilocybin Microdoses
We tested Neuro and Flow over 60 days to see how microdosing supports focus and mood
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
It starts as a flicker. Then a sharp, crackling wash of sound. The image fractures, light breaking into fragments, dissolving into a restless field of grey. You move closer. Adjust the dial. Pause, holding still as if your body might somehow steady the signal. For a moment, it almost clears. Then it slips again.
TV static is a small disruption, but a jarring, abrasive one. Anxiety carries the same rhythm, persistent, unsettling and not always overwhelming, but constant enough to send you careening off course.
We spent two months with Moment Mushrooms psilocybin microdoses to see what might shift. Here’s what we found.
Feathers, Fringe & Film: 13 Films to Celebrate National Burlesque Day
Sure to make you shiver with antici... pation
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Somewhere between the first flicker of stage light and the final reveal, burlesque finds its rhythm.
A feather catches the air. A glove slips, slowly. A room full of people leans forward at the the edge of their seat.
This is the art of the tease. Not rushed. Every movement considered.
Film has always been drawn to this world for good reason. The costumes alone deserve their own billing.
This watchlist moves through that spectrum, from classic showgirls to nightclub camp to iconic performances that win the hearts of new generations with every passing year.
Consider this your invitation to sit front row, the show is about to begin.
11 Gothic Honeymoon Destinations for the Dark Romantic
From the lantern-lit streets of Edinburgh to the volcanic shores of Bora Bora, these destinations frame dark romance through architecture and atmosphere
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Picture this: day one of your honeymoon arrives and you wake aboard a cookie-cutter cruise ship pointed dutifully toward the Caribbean. An bountiful buffet appears each morning while sun-soaked afternoons unfold on a crowded pool deck, interrupted only by hurried excursions through bustling tourist corridors that sell identical souvenirs.
If that version of escape feels a little light on substance, you’ve arrived in the correct corner of the internet.
The dark romantic prefers cathedral bells to steel drums and cobblestone streets to poolside bingo, which is why the following destinations offer a very different kind of honeymoon.
Here are 11 gothic escapes where architecture and atmosphere transform travel into a trip rich in dark romance.
World Sleep Day With Alice Mushrooms: A Month Inside Nightcap
We tried Alice Mushrooms’ Nightcap for 30 days to see whether functional mushrooms could quiet a racing mind and transform a nightly ritual into something worth looking forward to
By: Amanda Albert
In recent years, the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality has (thankfully) shifted and sleep has become an essential performance metric. We track it, optimize it, negotiate with it and still sometimes wake feeling as though something unfinished lingers at the edge of the bed. Alice Mushrooms approaches this challenge differently. Founded on the belief that food can function as medicine without forfeiting enjoyment, the brand formulates chocolate bites infused with functional mushrooms, nootropics and botanicals designed to support focus, mood, intimacy and rest. For World Sleep Day, we committed to a one-month trial of Nightcap, their evening formula, created to support relaxation and circadian rhythm through ingredients such as reishi, magnesium, L-theanine, zinc and chamomile — all delivered in a square of dark chocolate that feels more artisanal chocolatier than supplement aisle.
Poise & Provocation: 22 Films That Celebrate Feminine Strength
An alt International Women’s Day watch list honouring heroines who claimed power on their own terms
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Not every revolution arrives draped in righteousness.
Some arrive lacquered in gloss. Some step forward in armour. Some smile before they strike.
Across fantasy epics, revenge thrillers and period dramas, feminine strength has evolved beyond endurance and into authorship. These women do not wait to be rescued. They negotiate, dismantle, seduce, avenge and ascend, often within systems designed to confine them.
This International Women’s Day, we turn toward heroines who did not simply survive their stories. They altered them.