Ontario Volunteer Service Awards

I have to admit, once in awhile I get invites to some pretty cool parties and events. With all of the things I have been lucky enough to attend, none of them mean as much to me as the event I attended April 28, 2014.
I was informed by the organization I volunteer with, Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, that I would be receiving an Ontario Volunteer Service Award for my 5 years of volunteering at the centre. I was quite flattered and honoured to be recognized so formally for my volunteer position,which honestly doesn't even feel like work :).
The ceremony took place in Mississauga on April 28th with representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration handing out the pins. Personalized certificates were picked up after the ceremony. I was able to bring a guest so my Mom came to watch me get my award. While myself and other volunteers from Living Arts Centre received recognition for 5 years of service some of the other attendees received awards for 25 years of service or more, some had 60+ years! Absolutely amazing when you consider one of the requirements was years of service had to be with the same organization.
After the ceremony we took some photos and got to chat over some finger food and dessert. The guide dogs in training stole the show and no one could compete with them. It was very humbling to be in a room full of people who dedicate time to volunteering and making a difference.

I often get asked about my volunteer work and I encourage others to do it. There are so many organizations that need great volunteers. You would be amazed what it does for you. If you have any stories or experiences to share about volunteering I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment below. Let's see if we can motivate others to take the step towards volunteering.

LAC volunteers and CEO

Spring Fashions from Chloe Angus

I came across the fashions of Chloe Angus at the One Of A Kind Christmas show last year. I highlighted them briefly in my new and notable post about the show and always knew I wanted to dedciate a full post to them. I love the story of the brand and what they represent for women. An eco friendly company that features made in Canada clothing for women of all shapes defiinitely deserves to be celebrated.

Here is a little bit about the brand:

At Chloë Angus Design, we pride ourselves on being an eco-chic company in many aspects.  Not only do we use natural and sustainable fabrics, but we aspire to run a green company.

We support the North American economy by producing our garments in Vancouver BC, in a locally owned, sweat shop free environment.  The environmental impact of everything from our labels to our buttons is taken in to careful consideration.
We also try to sustain a healthy body image.  We have realistic sizing for our garments and when it comes to choosing models we like to show all types of beauty.  We use models of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds.  This diversity shows that all women are beautiful.
When buying Chloë Angus you will be buying with a clean conscience knowing that together we are here to support the world we live in.

 

I was speaking to Chloe when she was here in Toronto for the March One of a Kind show. We talked a lot about how hard it is to be a small business in Canada but also the advantages this gives Chloe in developing her line. Because items are made in Vancouver, along the way if something doesn't work, it's obvious pretty quickly and Chloe can take measures to correct the issue so an entire production run isn't ruined.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, they are obviously doing something right. The Haida wraps have become one of their most popular items. Back when the Haida print started to be use in the collection, people were unfamiliar with it. Now customers come to Chloe Angus asking for it. The Spirit Collection is produced in partnership with Clarence Mills, a renowned Haida artist creating artwork using the ancient traditions of his people and his colleciton of work ranges from jewellery to totem poles. The Spirit Collection allowed him to expand his artistry to fabrics and fashion.

The wraps have long been a customer favourite and I can see why with all the versatility they offer. In addition to those, their dresses and skirts caught my eye both times I visited their booth at One of a Kind. Appreciating that women come in all shapes and sizes, Chloe Angus collection prides themselves on clothing pieces that will look good and flatter every woman no matter age or body shape and become staples in their wardrobe.

Some pieces from their 2014 Spring Collection are highlighted below. You can also like their Facebook page to keep up to date with what this collection is doing. There are more photos of the collection available on this Pinterest board.

Spirit Button Wrap

Skirt Dress

Some pieces from the Spring 2014 Collection