Not A Shopaholic

One Of A Kind Show - Toronto

2011-11-20T20:39:00.004-05:00

The One Of A Kind Show is gearing up to begin it's Christmas show on November 24th at The Direct Energy Centre. One of the best places to find unique gifts for others and yourself, the Christmas show tends to be larger than the show held in the Spring. This show also has a longer run time giving avid shoppers like me ample time to get ourselves organized to make it down there. With the crowds that tend to turn out for this show, you might want to break your visit up into 2 or 3 trips. Get a re-admit pass when you leave and you can return on another day without having to pay admission again. New this year is a late shopping night on December 1st. The show will be open until 11pm. Might be a good time to attend since prime hours seem to be the weekends.

I have only attended the Christmas show once before. Plans to attend last year were sidetracked with my unemployment status in December. This year I am making a point to go as I also missed the Spring show. I have some standard favourites I want to check out and also see what new and exciting vendors have taken up attendance at One Of A Kind. If it is your first time attending, it can be overwhelming as it is a large show. What works for me is to walk the entire show, make notes on the booths I want to buy from, then go back to them after I've seen everything. I find this method also keeps my spending in check. I do try to be a responsible Not A Shopaholic.

For more info visit the One Of A Kind website: http://www.oneofakindshow.com/toronto/index.php

Some of my can't miss booths at One Of A Kind include:

Coach House Shortbread Company - I have a complete weakness for shortbread cookies and the ones from Coach House are the best I have ever tasted. The best part of visiting this booth is taste testing before you buy. No matter what I sample I always end up buying the same flavour. I don't even remember what kind I buy I just know I like the one in the orange packaging. If they ever change the colour I will be lost. I'm sure whatever you buy you will love. I cannot leave One Of A Kind without Coach House shortbread cookies.
http://www.shortbread.ca/homepage.html

glamjulz - The very first time I went to One Of A Kind I bought the most beautiful necklace from glamjulz. I remember the woman behind the counter saying it was one of her favourites and I assured her I would give it a good home. To this day I still get compliments on that necklace whenever I wear it. That necklace also started my obession/fascination with glamjulz. I have bought several pieces from them since, including some custom made pieces, and have attended a few of their end of season sales at their showroom in Burlington. I will definitely be stopping by their booth this show although I don't know what is left for me to buy from them. Knowing me I will think of something.
http://glamjulz.com/

My first necklace from glamjulz. The photo doesn't do it justice.

At The Wroot Of It - The coolest dishes and serving platters you will ever see courtesy of Carrie Wroot. Before you buy you will probably kill yourself laughing over Carrie's fun quirky characters, one blond and one brunette, and their appropriate kitchen and non cooking phrases. This booth is so much fun. I have come home with a triangle shaped serving platter and and oblong tray both of which I don't use nearly enough. I'm looking to expand my collection this year. Last time I was at the show Carrie was telling me she doesn't sell at retail and only sells her wares at 2 shows: One Of a Kind and CNE. These really are unique pieces you won't find anywhere else. Great gifts and great additions to your personal tabletop collection. Reading the Facebook page, it looks like there are paintings available too. Hope to check those out at the show.
No web page for this one but you can join the Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/At-The-Wroot-Of-It/106083591058

From my personal collection, serving platters from At The Wroot Of It by designer Carrie Wroot

Luxe Design (Booth W38) - What could possibly be better than jewellery as a gift? How about jewellery you can personalize? That is the concept at Luxe Design, a Vancouver based company. I have never bought anything from Luxe at the show, mostly because their booth is so busy I can't get near the merchandise. I have ordered online from them a few years ago and bought necklaces for myself and two best friends. Search my blog and you will find a post with the details. Choose your chain, choose your pendant, choose what you want it to say and Luxe takes it from there, stamping out your request with their unique letters and numbers. Then accessorize with charms and beads to create the perfect piece of jewellery. I don't know how often my friends wear their necklaces but I wear mine all the time. On each of ours I put our names and then personalized the other side of the pendant to something special for each of my friends.
http://www.luxe-design.com/default.asp

Taken from Luxe Design website. Pendant is the same shape as the one I have.

Monster Factory (Booth E6) - Some recent readers may recall seeing my blog post from a few months ago about the Monster Factory. I first fell in love with these lovable critters at One Of A Kind and their booth is always super busy. I will definitely stop by this one and check out all the monsters. You will see people of all ages here. I bought Colin, my long time favourite from One Of A Kind show 2 years ago. More recently I bought 2 full size and many smaller size monsters for my friends twin boys. These monsters make great gifts for people of any age. My previous blog post about Monster Factory prompted some of my Twitter followers to buy some monsters of their own, as gifts and for themselves. Glad to help spread the word about this great Toronto based company. I just love them.
http://monsterfactory.net/

Top Photo: Colin, my first monster purchase. Bottom photo: Monster gifts for the twins.

*For a full list of artisans at the show, click here.

One Of A Kind Show Toronto runs November 24th to December 4th. Shows also take place in Vancouver and Chicago. Check website for details.

http://www.oneofakindshow.com/

Miz Mooz Still Going Strong

2011-08-14T21:51:00.000-04:00

One of my posts from a few years back is still getting comments from readers. I wanted to draw your attention once more to the Miz Mooz amazing brand of shoes and the growing list of stores where they are available in Canada. I appreciate all your comments and support in letting others know where we can buy great shoes.

As I continue to get comments I will publish them so keep them coming! I love all my Miz Mooz shoes, I swear every time I wear them I get compliments.

Here is a link to the original blog post from December 2008-Luv Your Shooz Miz Mooz and it's follow up in October 2009: Everyone Loves Miz Mooz.

And so you can always keep up on what they are doing, here is their website. http://www.miz-mooz.com/

How will I ever control myself?

Not Afraid Of These Monsters

2011-05-23T19:56:00.004-04:00

I have a secret. I’m afraid of the dark. It’s not bad now, but when I was little my Mom had to leave the light on in the hallway until I fell asleep. Even now I can’t watch horror movies or I will have nightmares. So it may seem a bit odd that I have decided to do an entire blog post on monsters.

These are not the big, ugly, scary monsters you are see on TV or in the movies. These are the cutest monsters you have ever seen in your life with personalities to match.

It was a few years ago I saw the product offering from The Monster Factory for the first time. I was at the One of a Kind show with some friends who had been there before. We walked into The Monster Factory booth and I never wanted to leave. These monsters were so colourful, odd looking and adorably cute all at the same time. Each one has a tag with their name and a description of their personality. You have never seen happier people than the ones standing in this booth looking at those monsters, including the adults like myself.

It was love at first sight when I first laid eyes on Colin. I had to go through a lot of monsters before I settled on him. Even then it was much later when I decided to make a commitment to him. Since then I have been a very happy owner. He keeps me company in my living room alongside my favourite Vancouver 2010 mascot Muk Muk. I call the two of them “my guys”. Sometimes I’ll even talk to them but if you ask me to admit that in real life, I won’t.

After Colin and I had been together for awhile, I felt it was time to introduce him to my friends. After all he was someone special in my life. My friend was over for dinner one night and I introduced her to Colin. Her reaction wasn’t what I expected. She immediately started laughing, laughing so hard she was crying and kept saying over and over again, “he looks so funny, he looks so funny”. Well excuse me, I know he’s no model but he is not “funny” looking.

Fast forward many years and said “friend” is now married and recently had twin boys. My dilemma, what to buy these 2 sweet boys so they can remember their (favourite) Auntie Christina when she isn’t around. After much deliberation I decided The Monster Factory would be the best present. It is a present they wouldn’t outgrow right away, looking at monsters would make the boys happy and I would be on my way to solidifying "Favourite Auntie" status. I settled on Donny and Doyle for the boys. Donny and Doyle are funny looking, (Colin is not!) and I thought their funny faces and odd shapes would keep baby eyes occupied for awhile. Ordering was very easy. I did it online and chose to pick up Donny and Doyle when they were made. The Monster Factory emailed me when the order was ready and I headed to downtown Toronto to pick them up. I added miniature versions of monsters Kyle, Todd and Mr. Jefferson. It really is difficult to limit yourself to only one or two.

Donny on the left, Doyle on the right

Mini Monsters starting left: Todd, Mr. Jefferson, Kyle

Now Donny and Doyle are sitting in my living room waiting to be given to their new owners. I know I bought them for the twins but I don’t want them to leave me. I like having this monster family around. Sadly the day will come when I have to give them up. I feel good knowing they are going to a good home. I'm sure the twins will love Donny, Doyle and friends as much as I do.

Monster Factory is a collection of plush monsters (I don’t want to call them toys) created by a group of 3 friends who have been building their monsters for years. Each monster is made with love in their downtown Toronto studio. Visit their website or visit them in studio (by appointment) or find them on Facebook or Twitter to tell them which monster you love.

Ps. I also get startled when there is a thunderstorm. I’m not scared though. Colin is here to protect me.

The Monster Factory
471 Richmond St. West, Suite 201
Toronto, ON
Ph: 416-913-6673

Written by Christina Wallaert

Glam Julz Accessory Sale

2011-05-09T22:24:00.002-04:00

When you receive a request to do a blog post, how can you say no? I had mentioned on Twitter a few times I was going to head to Burlington, ON to check out the latest open house sale at Glam Julz and asked if anyone wanted to come with me. I thought I was going to have company until something came up and they couldn't make it. They did ask if I was going to blog about my "haul" as she called it, and I thought why not? Usually I blog about things I want, not things that I have purchased!

Last Thursday, May 5th I headed out to Burlington after work. I don't usually make an attempt to go to these sales. If you live anywhere in Toronto, you know how bad the highway can be heading west bound in rush hour afternoon traffic. Not sure if it was my lucky day but I practically flew there, barely stopping. Am I ever glad I did. I was expecting good prices but I had no idea! Earrings were $5, Bracelets $7 and necklaces ranged from $10-$20. Well worth the time to get myself there.

I have been a fan of Glam Julz for a long time and own many of their pieces. Every time I wear something from them I get asked about it. I swear I'm not exaggerating. It's like people can tell when something is handmade and better quality than the import stuff. I didn't buy a ton, I was trying very hard to be good. A recently employed person again, I didn't want to spend my first paycheck before I had even received it. But let me tell you when you see prices like this for Glam Julz product, it is tempting to go a little crazy. I ended up with 2 each of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. I love the bracelets because they are the kind you wrap around your wrist. Usually I never wear bracelets because I can't do the clasps by myself.

I highly recommend you check out Glam Julz and get on their email list. That way you'll know as soon as I do when they are having their next open house.

I have included some photos of what I bought. In doing this I realized how hard it is to take good photos of jewellery. If you don't think it looks great it's because of my sad photographic abilities. Glam Julz product is beautiful! I know I'll probably be buying more at some point.

glamjulz

4305 Fairview Street, Suite 137
Burlington, Ontario
L7L 6E8, CANADA

http://glamjulz.com/shop/

Studio visits by appointment only. (unless they are having open house)

Not A Shopaholic Wish List

2011-04-06T21:37:00.009-04:00

While I wait out this current period of unemployment, I dream of what I will buy when my employment status changes to that of the working people. The things that I dream of are somewhat motivating, a reward to me for having endured this unfortunate set of circumstances. It is what gets me through the day sometimes. I dream not only of purchasing these items but also shopping for them. For me it’s the thrill of the hunt I look forward to almost as much as acquiring these items. The list was beginning to become quite substantial so I thought I would write them down. I also believe putting things in writing makes them happen. I call it my “wish list” because that is what it is right now. I have every intention of making the list a reality.

1. Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap Dress - Is there any woman who doesn’t want a wrap dress from the Queen of wrap dresses, Diane Von Furstenberg? I have dreamed for years of owning one. Now I will! I swear it will be one of the first things I buy when I get off of unemployment. Not only are wrap dresses a great style and one which I love, for me this dress also represents a status. I am a confident, successful, working woman and therefore should have one of these dresses, a perfect wardrobe staple, hanging in my closet. Plus I think it will make me feel like a million bucks!

2. Smythe blazer - This is something that has been on my mind recently. I have read a lot about Smythe and have seen their blazers in many magazines. The time has come for me to invest in a really good blazer and what could be better than one from this Canadian company? I love the range of colours and styles. If you’re looking for something beyond your standard blazer, you’ll find it at Smythe. For someone in my income bracket, the prices are a bit steep but definitely worth the investment. A piece like this I know I’ll be wearing for years to come. With more styles coming to Holt Renfrew in the spring, let’s hope I’m a working girl and can take one of those blazers off their hands.

3. Art from Celeste Brunel - I came across Celeste Brunel through one of my vendors at my last job. After looking at her website I knew exactly which pieces I wanted. A set of three sunsets/landscapes would be perfect. They match my living room colours and they are also very calming. Just what I want to look at after a tough day at the office. I can see myself sitting on my sofa, looking up at this artwork and instantly relaxing. Isn’t that what art work should do?

4. Michael Kors - Watches seem to be getting bigger and better. I am in love with this Michael Kors watch in Rose Gold. It is just stunning. A few of my friends have Michael Kors watches and they look even better in person. I like the Rose Gold colour because it is unique and you don’t see a lot of it. Still a colour that would match with everything and could be considered a classic.

5. Toy Watch: White - One of the downfalls, depending on how you look at it, from managing a Fashion Accessory category is it gives you a lot of ideas. I fell in love with white watches last year and really wanted one for the summer. I didn’t get one and now I want this white and silver one from Toy Watch. They were a vendor of mine when I managed the category. The VP was so nice it made me want to buy one even more! Even hearing the story behind the brand and its rise to fame in Canada made me respect this company and I would happily hand over some money to them. Hopefully this will be one purchase that happens sooner rather than later.

6. Mirrors - How tragic is it that I have lived in my condo for almost 5 years and the only mirror I have in the whole place is my bathroom mirror. It’s terrible. Most women are horrified when I tell them I have no full length mirror. Frankly I don’t know how I survived this long without one. I’ll be looking for at least two mirrors; one will definitely be full length. The other I need for my entry way. I’m thinking of an oval shaped mirror with some kind of organization compartment to go with it. I have seen some from Nexxt but still need to look into it. Mirrors are a must this year for sure!

7. Running Shoes - Since being off work I have taken up running. For now only on the treadmill at my gym. Hopefully by the time it is nice outside, I will have worked my way up to a decent time, maybe 20-30 minutes and will take my runs outdoors. This means investing in good running shoes. I need to make sure shin splints and other injuries stay away. I’m not aiming to do a marathon but if I can do a 5K run for charity at the end of the summer, I will have attained my goal. If you know of a good brand of running shoes or a store, please let me know.

8. Home Internet - The time has come to finally get my own internet connection. This is another one I can’t believe I went this long without. This I held off on as an expense control measure. If I needed to do something I used our business centre. I’m getting tired of that though and now that I have my own laptop I want my own internet. I’ve already done research on it and am pretty sure which provider I am going to go with. It will be a great day when this happens. Not the most glamorous thing on this list but it is a necessity.

9. New Car - This is one of the longer term goals. I love my 13 year old Honda Civic. It is the first car I ever bought and I plan on driving that thing into the ground. Everyone tells me since it is a Honda, I can make that happen. I do know in the next year or two, I will have to buy a new (used) car. That means I have to start saving for it now. I’m pretty determined to go with a Hybrid for obvious reasons and need to do some research. Hopefully by the time I am ready to buy there will be more models in the compact SUV category that are Hybrid. I'm leaning towards a Honda CRV or Ford Escape Hybrid.

10. Charitable Donations - With all the natural disasters happening in the world right now, it really bothers me that I can’t help by making a financial contribution. I promise as soon as I am working, have paid off my debt, and am on solid financial ground I will make a contribution to one of the many great charities helping out in Japan, Haiti or anywhere else around the world. Time is also of value so if you are able to volunteer to help out, please do so.

Let's Dance

2011-03-18T15:27:00.001-04:00

One of the reasons I love tweetups is you get to try something new with a bunch of other people and you usually end up supporting a local business. You may remember my earlier post about the Artisano tweetup I organized back in November 2010. After that tweetup, I got the idea for another, one that did not revolve around eating.

I've been dancing almost my whole life. I did Jazz and Ballet as a child/teenager and as an adult kept going adding Hip Hop and finally learning Tap. After a very long absence from ballet, I went back to classes last year. Keeping up with dancing is one of the best things I've every done for myself. I really don't know what I would do without it. It calms me in a way gym workouts never have.

So for my second tweetup I wanted to take a group of people dancing! Great idea right? Well it was a bit slow to take off but was still successful. I always knew I wanted to partner with City Dance Corps on this one. They have a great schedule of a variety of classes at different levels of dance. They were on board with the tweetup as soon as I contacted them. We both agreed a Beginner Hip Hop class would have the most interest for people. For people who have never danced before a Beginner class would be challenging. I set up the invite and starting tweeting about it like crazy! We didn't have a full tweetup but I was very impressed with the people who did come. Most had not ever danced before. We had men, we had women and everyone was really excited to dance. There was some apprehension over the hour and a half class but I told them it would go by very quickly, and it did.

Going through the moves.

Our teacher was KJ who was both a great dancer and teacher, his sense of humour helped put people at ease. After the warm up we went right into learning a combination and pretty soon all of my Twitter friends were dancing! I was like a proud Mom. It was fun to see people doing something they didn't think they could do. More than one person commented they had a new respect for dancers. It isn't as easy as it looks.

Now usually during a tweetup there are lots of tweets flying from all attendees. Doing that while dancing is a bit difficult but of course this group somehow managed. Pictures and video are also evidence of their efforts and participation. Some people from our group even went back the next week for another class. I think they'll be dancers for life now. It really was a fun afternoon and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was over before we knew it and we headed to a pub to discuss this new found talent everyone had.

The group looks on as the other group performs.

Time for tweets and video taking.

I'm hoping to organize a part 2 in the very near future. If you would be interested in attending, let me know either through a comment on here or on twitter @Notashopaholic. You can also follow hash tag #CDCTO for info and up to date tweets.
Happy Dancing everyone!

Group photo with our teacher KJ

A very special thank you to City Dance Corps and Estelle for being so welcoming to our group. The class we took runs every Saturday at 1:30. It can be hard to find classes for experienced adult dancers and from all of my research I find City Dance Corps to have one of the best selection of classes and levels. Check them out and tell them I sent you!

City Dance Corps
489 Queen St. W 3rd floor
Toronto, ON
ph: 416-260-2356

Video of our class

Happy Belated New Year

2011-01-24T00:28:00.001-05:00

A belated Happy New Year greeting to readers old and new. I hope this year is off to a great start for you. Wishing you all the very best for 2011.

This is a post I meant to write weeks ago but I have been distracted. For those who follow me on Twitter, you will know that I was laid off from my job in December. Yes, right before Christmas, not an ideal time. Since then I have been consumed with looking for a new job. I don't have the luxury of being able to enjoy this time off. I need to keep the duration of unemployment as short as possible. Online friends, real life friends and family have been a great source of support. A heartfelt thank you for all of your kind words. I am optimistic that a great job is in my future. As many have told me, when one door closes, another opens. I fully believe that is true. I have also learned some lessons from my last stint of unemployment, only 2 short years ago. This time around I am more positive that a new job won't take me 5 months to find. I will keep everyone updated on my progress.

As a new year begins, I have been giving a lot of thought as to what I would like to do on my blog. Most of the time I write about things as I find them. Posts don't follow any sort of theme, pattern or consistency. This year I would like to keep the focus on unique products, brands and stores and would like to branch out to showcase products from all over Canada. Currently I'm only able to write about products I stumble onto myself, mostly local Toronto stuff. If all of you help me, I can write about products/artists from across the country.

I thought I would organize the posts by region. A certain month will be dedicated to a certain part of Canada. If I could get 4 good subjects from each region, I can do a post a week for that month. Every other month would be dedicated to a theme to give me time to get the writing done. Products or brands can be from any sort of category, as long as they are unique, made or designed in Canada and not readily available at mainstream retail. Anything from food to jewelry is a contender.

I'm still working out what the themes might be. Here are a few I have come up with:

Eastern Canada
French Canadian
Ontario
First Nations and Inuit
Prairies
Western Canada

I would love to have input from the public on this. Whether it is suggestions for an area of Canada not on the list above or suggestions on products to write about. If you have something you would like to recommend, leave a comment or send me an email with the business name or website and the region. I will look into it from there. Look forward to seeing your suggestions.
This will also be carried over to the Not A Shopaholic Facebook page where I hope to get active conversations going. If you don't already belong to the group, join now. Link is provided on the left hand side of the blog page.

We All Heart Accessories

2010-12-14T18:41:00.003-05:00

It was a warm sunny October day in Toronto and I decided a trip up to Yonge and Eglinton to visit I Heart Accessories was needed. We had been corresponding on Twitter, I had read their blog and I was drooling over all the photos of product on their Facebook page. Obviously I didn’t really need any accessories and I was on a self imposed shopping abstinence, but I had to go, plus I had my current issue of Lou Lou and it had a 20% off coupon for I Heart Accessories. Trust me, smaller things have made me visit. It’s like the store was calling me, or maybe I really wanted to meet Natalie, owner of the store. I would love to be in her position one day: have my very own store to buy for and merchandise. I also think she is doing a great job at promoting the store through social media and I wanted to go see it in person. Point: Social media does work folks!

Yonge and Eglinton is one of my favourite areas of the city. Tons of restaurants, I didn’t think there was much in the way of shopping, at least from what I could remember. Turns out, if walk up Yonge a bit, north of Eglinton, there is great shopping! Good thing I wasn’t spending any money or I could have done some serious damage. I found Natalie’s store no problem and apparently I’m not the only one. It was crowded which was great to see. I looked around as I waited for her to finish up with several customers. The best thing about the store is the accessories are affordable!!! I love that word. It took me awhile to decide on what to buy. I finally settled on a necklace from brand iwear and a pair of leather gloves with ruching.

When Natalie was finally able to chat I didn’t even have to introduce myself, she knew who I was. It’s kind of funny when someone can recognize you from your twitter photo. We chatted for awhile about the store, brands, customer traffic, our blogs and twitter. She was so nice. I probably would have talked her ear off (which I think I actually did) but other customers needed her. It’s a great store and I plan to be back one day. Next spring I see a pair of Lindsay Philips flats in my closet and I know just where to get them. Thanks Natalie!

Follow on Twitter @iheartaccessories
Join the I Heart Accessories Facebook page for a 15% discount every time you shop.
Website: http://www.iheartaccessories.ca/index.html

Artisano Breakfast Tweetup

2010-11-07T21:30:00.002-05:00

Twitter is good for a lot of things, the best being if you want to go check out a restaurant there is no shortage of Twitter people who will want to join you. Putting this theory to the test I decided to organize my own Tweetup (a chance for Twitter people to meet in real life) at one of my favourite places, Artisano Bakery and Cafe.

If you’re a regular reader of mine, and I know you are, you’ll remember my post from last year “The Art of Sandwiches”. I still visit Artisano on a regular basis for sandwiches and pizza but I really, really wanted to go there for breakfast. I didn’t want to go and pick up food and bring it home to eat which is what I usually do. I wanted to sit in the restaurant with a bunch of fun people, hang out on a weekend morning with them and a scrumptious breakfast. I created an invite using twtvite, sent out a few tweets on Twitter, and lo and behold, people actually wanted to come! That is how we came to be a group of 16 people, most of whom have met through Twitter, sitting at Artisano’s Toronto location on Islington Avenue yesterday morning, to eat breakfast, drink coffee, meet some cool people and have a few good laughs. People came from as far away as Pickering, Hamilton, Richmond Hill and across the city on TTC. Most of them made it on time too!

Before Saturday, there were many tweets flying around as people tried to decide what they were going to order. I already knew what I wanted! I was dying to try the Breakfast Pizza. My Mom had ordered it on a previous trip and I was in envy the entire time she ate it. It did not disappoint yesterday morning and there were a few others who chose this as well. The other popular item of the morning was “Eggs in my Pocket”, interesting name. French toast was also ordered, the consensus was it was ok, the other dishes looked much better. Lots of coffee accompanied most meals. We discovered some talented coffee gofers which was a pleasant surprise. People tweeted as they ate, tweeted photos of their breakfast, and tweeted in general. I’m trying to get a count of the hash tag used. It’s not easy to do, needless to say there were a lot of tweets with the tag #Artisano.

I was so happy others love this cafe as much as I do. I’ve never had a bad meal there and it’s a great place to hang out, eat, work, chat, whatever you want. Not only was it fun for us, we got to support a local business which is always a good thing. Artisano is expanding with new locations in Mississauga and North York. Hopefully there will be one in your neighbourhood soon.

A big thank you to all the Twitter people (tweeps) for joining me this morning. Some of you came from faraway places and I appreciate your efforts to get there, as well as the time you had to get up to do that. Also a thank you to Lyndon, General Manager of Artisano for helping to reserve a section for us. I don’t think he believed me when I said I was going to bring a bunch of Twitter people to his restaurant. At least now he knows I’m not a liar! From what I can tell, we generated a few hundred tweets, had #Artisano trending on Four Square, posted photos of the food, and those tweets were seen by thousands of people Saturday morning.

There were some people who could not make it today and have requested another Tweetup be scheduled. I will look into doing that and post details once it is arranged. I am thrilled there has been this much interest in a place I love going to and have been going to for a few years.

If you’re interested in seeing the tweets from the event, you can search hash tag #Artisano. See you there next time.

Twitter people out for breakfast at Artisano Bakery and Cafe.

Thanks to all the Twitter folks who took photos of their food. Without you I would not have had any photos for my blog.

The White Space Event

2010-10-16T23:30:00.006-04:00

Last week I attended the launch of the White Space at The Hudson Bay Yorkdale location. The event was hosted in conjunction with Fashion Magazine. Sarah Casselman, Fashion Market Editor presented on trends for Fall 2010. The event also showcased some premier clothing lines available at The Bay. Headlining was the Adam, featuring designs by Adam Lippes as well as See by Cloe, BCBG, Sandro, Rachel Roy and the more affordable Moon brand created for The Bay.

I was super excited by the invite and knew I just had to share it with someone. My good friend Maria who is an “I’m up for anything” kind of person was more than happy to join me in fashion paradise. Arriving just before 7pm, Maria made a beeline for the champagne and I for the candy bar. After getting that over with, we walked around for a bit checking out the clothes and drooling over some amazing pieces, including a print dress from Adam and sweaters from BCBG.

Maria got such a kick out of drinking champagne in a Bay store.

I got a kick out of the candy bar. It was so cool, I went back a second time.

Time for the trend presentation and Sarah presented 3 looks. The one that stood out the most to me was the mixing of tights and shoe colours. No longer must they be the same. Sarah showed a navy dress, with navy tights and grey open toe shoes. Not a look I would have thought of but I liked it. I did pay close attention to any outfits accessorized with grey shoes since I just bought a pair and am looking for ideas on what to wear with them. My mind races with the possibilities. The ever popular skinny jeans and military looks were also addressed.

Fashion trend presentation. Notice the shoes.

Next up some looks from brands featured in the White Space. My most favourite was the dress featured from the Adam collection. It happened to be standing next to another fav dress that I loved worn by Sarah herself. I have to admit at times I wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying because I was having serious pangs on envy watching her wear that beloved dress which was a herringbone pattern if I remember correctly. Anyway, focus Christina. After the show was over, we continued to look around. I had a chance to check out the Moon line. This is The Bay’s fashionable affordable line and I have to say there were quite a few things that I liked. I’m on the hunt for a sweater dress and saw some that I need to go back and try on. Other items we liked were the winter coats, and the sweaters, like I need another sweater, but I’m just telling you what I liked.

My two favourite dresses side by side.

We dipped into dessert, got our gift bags and moseyed on outta there. I’m glad I attended the event. I wouldn’t normally think of going to The Bay for apparel. After seeing what they had at the White Space, I definitely will have it in mind for future purchases.

Thank you to The Bay Yorkdale, Fashion Magazine, and Maria.

By: Christina Wallaert

My Knight in Shining Armour: The Chesterfield Shop

2010-09-27T21:22:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time there was a lovely girl who grew up in the suburbs and dreamed that one day she would be able to afford a condo in the city somewhat bigger than the size of a shoebox. When that day eventually came, she packed up her fantastic wardrobe, IKEA bedroom set and moved into said condo with its hardwood floors, spacious bedroom and gigantic balcony. Having lived with her parents her entire life, she had no furniture to speak of. The bigger than a shoebox condo remained relatively empty for over a year. A leather club chair, ottoman and barstools were the only furniture pieces to keep her company. After a year and a half of owning one piece of furniture and scouring the city and suburbs far and wide for a sofa that would fit in her beloved condo, the girl decided to buy a sofa and a slipper chair from a reputable retail chain. After many visits to the store, many searches online, measuring her living room and furniture selections, she came to terms with the price and took the plunge. The girl filled out the proper papers, picked out fabric for her furniture that would have made it magazine worthy and handed over a deposit. Now she was tortured with waiting 8-10 weeks for her magazine worthy furniture to arrive.

She waited patiently for the day her furniture would finally arrive, well maybe not that patient but she did the best she could. At the 8 week mark she called the store to check on the date of arrival, after all this was the most important day of her life. To move the story along quickly, it turns out the magazine worthy furniture was never ordered by the reputable retail chain. Hmmm, what? Yes, you read right. The order was never submitted. She wasn’t going to be getting furniture anytime soon. They offered to rush the order, but this girl had had enough. She demanded her deposit back from the big bad retail chain, much to the horror of her family and friends who thought she should have stuck with the original order. But lovely girls in the city don’t believe in rewarding bad behaviour so this girl set out to take her business elsewhere.

Now, the situation wasn’t as bad as you might think, for this girl already knew where she was going to go. Having visited a friend’s condo a few months before, she was smart enough to inquire as to where the friend had purchased her furniture. When the friend replied “The Chesterfield Shop”, the girl had no idea what she was talking about. After the big bad retail company screwed up her order, she knew she had to look up The Chesterfield Shop and check it out. The salesperson was very sympathetic to her predicament. He was a great help in pointing out their condo sized sofas, provided her with pricing and matching fabric to her sample. Within an hour of entering the store, she had a sofa and fabric picked out and signed on the dotted line. This purchase ended up costing less than the previous so some good came out of it. She settled in to wait another 6 weeks for her sofa. Luck was on her side this time because at 4 weeks she got a call and her sofa was delivered on a beautiful Saturday morning in September. It was so pretty and nice she didn’t even want to sit on it for risk of getting it dirty. It has become the centrepiece of the living room and this girl couldn’t be happier. Now her condo resembles an actual home thanks to The Chesterfield Shop and many other stores. The Chesterfield Shop will always have a special place in her heart. It is now the store she recommends to anyone who needs furniture. As it turns out, the lovely girl’s best friend and husband ended up buying furniture for their house there too. And they saved money compared to the place they had originally been looking at. See a trend here?

So now that the lovely girl has her beautiful sofa in her beautiful condo, what is she to do with her time? Why search for her Prince of course!

Christina Wallaert

Authors Note: While I was working on this piece, I came home one day and there was a delivery truck from The Chesterfield Shop parked in front of the condo building next to mine. Its was pretty funny timing.

My sofa and I are very happy together.

Not A Fan of Yoga Until The Jeans Came Along

2010-08-22T21:34:00.004-04:00

One Saturday afternoon, I was shopping in Bloor West Village at one of my all time favourite stores Trixie (future blog post). I wasn’t looking for anything particular that day, when am I really? It’s not like I need anything new. As I was perusing the cool clothes in the store I noticed some denim. It was not a brand I was familiar with, however I had seen it in another store and decided to ask the helpful associates at Trixie about it. It was the Yoga jean from Second denim Co. I think I’m pretty up on my brands and labels but sheepishly had to admit that I was not familiar with this one. That’s what I get for being behind on my Lou Lou issues. The Trixie girls convinced me to try on a pair, which really isn’t that hard to do. Into the fitting room I went with these so called Yoga jeans. The style was a dark denim straight leg jean. I have always stayed away from skinny leg and straight leg jeans. It wasn’t a style that I ever thought would be flattering on me. My shape has been described as many things and skinny or straight isn’t one of them. I will say that I am not really thin nor am I really curvy. All of my jeans are boot cut as I have deemed that to be the most flattering style for my body type. Whether that is right or wrong I do not know but it is what had prevented me from trying on these other styles before this day.

The jeans are very stretchy. I believe the Trixie girls told me these jeans stretch two ways, most jeans only stretch one. My normal size fit me, thank goodness! You know if I had to go up a size they would have stayed in the store. Best of all, I thought they made my legs look long AND thin! Yes I swear my legs looked longer and more slender. If that isn’t enough to buy them what is? On top of that they were amazingly comfortable and I was in love. I didn’t want to take them off. I now wear them often and they look great with heels or with the jeans rolled up a bit and worn with flats.

When I got home from that shopping trip I had to look up the website of these amazing jeans. I was pleased to discover it was a Canadian company, started by Eric Wazana, in Montreal ten years ago. Design, production, washing and finishing are done in Montreal and then shipped out to a local store near you. Eric and his team pay close attention to detail. This is obvious when you try on a pair of their jeans. I consider him to be pure genius. It can’t be easy to design jeans that women will love! The best thing about this is its's another great Canadian brand having great success in the fashion world. The website has a very comprehensive list of retailers. Lots of independents carry the brand but if you can’t locate one near you, your closest Jean Machine location should be able to help you.

I like mine so much I’m contemplating getting a 2nd pair but that probably doesn’t surprise you. The hard part is deciding whether to get the same style different colour or go for a new style. So many decisions to make, so little time....

If you own a pair of Second denim Co. jeans I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment below or on the Not A Shopaholic group page on Facebook. Happy Shopping!

Update: September 5-I did buy another pair of the Yoga bootcut jeans in Black! I think I might be addicted to these jeans.

Christina Wallaert

Clam Diggers Make For Great Dance Wear

2010-08-10T22:06:00.001-04:00

Earlier in the year I decided to make a return to ballet class after a 15 year absence. I had kept up with my other forms of dance: jazz, tap and hip hop but had never gone back to ballet after leaving it in my teens. There were a few reasons I wanted to get back into ballet. One of them being I wanted to get back to the basics of dance. The other reason, the main one driving my decision was that I thought it would be calming and relaxing. Umm, I was so mistaken. Needless to say after a 15+ year absence I didn't remember as much as I thought I would. My body doesn't respond like it used to when I'm telling it to get feet into fifth position and plie or to do an arabesque and balance on one foot. About 10 minutes into the class I would be sweating like crazy both from the physical exertion as well as the mental stress of trying to keep up in an advanced class. It was obvious after the first few weeks that tees and capris were going to be way to hot for this class. Not feeling comfortable going to dance class in shorts I started to think about alternatives. Last weekend I wandered into the Lululemon store at Sherway Gardens. If there was anyone who would have anything suitable I knew it was going to be at Lulu.

I headed right to their pant wall and quickly zeroed in on the Clam Digger style. The lovely and fit associate working in that section assured me that the length (a few inches shorter than a capri but longer than a short) was enough to feel a difference in temperature. The Clam Digger is made from Lululemon's signature luon fabric which according to the website is "breathable with coverage, a cotton feel, and has 4 way stretch to provide support and allow freedom of movement." I found the fabric to be very soft and comfortable to wear. It moved easily when I did which is important when dancing. I also found them to be very lightweight which might be why they feel cooler than some of my other dance wear. The only bad thing I have to say about them is the waistband seems kind of low. I'm hoping when I start dancing in them the waist doesn't fall any lower than where they sit now. I think they will be ok but won't know for sure until I start wearing them on a regular basis.

To test out my purchase I wore them to the gym for my workout the next day. I did feel cooler compared to my usual workout gear so I think my mission was accomplished. The true test will come when I return to ballet class in September. At the very least I will look like a dancer based on attire, if not based on my talent and I think I'm ok with that.

Uniquely Basic at Uniqlo

2010-07-18T22:11:00.002-04:00

It doesn’t seem like so long but about a year and a half ago, some friends and I took a trip to New York City. There was a lot of reminiscing about Sex and The City as we recognized certain locations while we were there. We did touristy things like walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and go to the top of the Empire State Building. We walked and walked and walked. By the end of the day we were so exhausted we couldn’t even manage to get ourselves dolled up and go out to a hip trendy New York club. Yes our days of youth were definitely behind us. One of my personal goals was to find some hip shops and bring back some truly “New York” items. The kind that people see and they know you didn’t buy them here. Sadly I didn’t see anything like that. Maybe you need to be a New Yorker to know where those kinds of places are. Despite that, the shopping was still good and I ended up spending more (of course) than I should have.

One store that really caught my eye was Uniqlo. First of all it was massive, even by New York City standards. The store went on forever and had 3 or 4 levels. It took hours to go through it all. Second, we noticed it for its stunning visual merchandising. Early in my career I was a Visual Merchandiser for places like The Gap and Jacob. My friend Rita does Visual Merchandising for a major Canadian retail chain. If ever there were two people who could appreciate the beauty of colour blocking, it was us. And Uniqlo does colour blocking better than I’ve ever seen anyone do it. It helps that all of their items seem to come in about 10 colours. I can’t imagine that finding a size could ever be an issue, they have tons of stock! It went from the floor to the ceiling. Rita was so infatuated with it she took pictures. After some time spent gawking at this colour blocking, inventory filled marvel, we got down to business and began to shop. To be honest I found it a bit overwhelming because there was so much stuff. If that doesn’t bother you though, you won’t have a problem. What I liked best about the store was that it was great for stocking up on basic items. They did have fashion pieces as well but I stuck to basics. Doesn’t it always seem like you never have enough basics? The prices were very reasonable and we each walked away with something. My best finds were black leggings for $10 and a long sleeve T which I love and keep kicking myself for not buying more colours for $15.

As far as I can tell from their website, this is the only US location for the chain. A Japanese chain, they have expanded into the United Kingdom, France, Korea, China, Singapore and their US location in New York City.

I’m dying to go back to New York City for many reasons, one being I want to go to this store again. I wish NYC wasn’t so far away. I’m hoping that a trip there is in my near future. After all the money I spent on Vancouver 2010, I have racked up quite a few Air Miles and am going to look into possibly redeeming them for a hotel stay. I won’t be going back only to shop, there are still some of those touristy things I need to do like take a tour of Radio City Music Hall and ride the Stanton Island ferry, perhaps see a taping of the Regis and Kelly show. If you are visiting NYC soon, I encourage to you stop in at Uniqlo. Even if you don’t have a Merchandising background, I’m sure you can appreciate their colour blocking strategy while you shop for affordable basics. I am adding Uniqlo to the list of stores I want to see come to Canada.

Uniqlo
New York City
Soho Location:
546 Broadway, New York NY

Isn't it beautiful?

Get Gluten Free at Brookie Cookie

2010-06-28T22:15:00.001-04:00

In the last year I have come across a few people who for one reason or another have decided to remove gluten and wheat from their diets. For those suffering from Celiac Disease, following a gluten free diet helps treat the disease. For others, removing gluten and wheat products from their diet has been a suggestion from a doctor or naturopath. Whatever the reason, having to remove such a commonplace ingredient from your diet causes some problems when trying to find foods to replace them. You are probably trying to find meal worthy foods to eat but I can’t help you with that. If its desserts you want then please read on.
Last month I was attending a wedding shower for a business colleague. There I had the pleasure of meeting Lynda, owner of a company called Brookie Cookie Company. They make cookies, obviously, but these cookies are made from gluten and wheat free products. So if you are on a diet that restricts you from these products, guess what, now you can have some cookies without sacrificing your diet. With wonderful recipes for Butterscotch Almond Biscotti, Chocolate Pizzelle, and Almond S Cookies, you won’t ever feel like you’re going without ever again. I would like to fully disclose that I have not had the pleasure of tasting these yummy treats. Several of the women at the wedding shower had sampled Brookie Cookie and were more than happy to vouch as to how tasty they are.

The website is in the process of being made ecommerce friendly. Until then, please email the company to find out where you can purchase your Brookie Cookie yummies. All ingredients are listed on the website so if there are other ingredients you are worried about, take a read through the selections.

For more information on Celiac Disease, visit the website of the Canadian Celiac Association.

Finally, I'm a Balmshell

2010-05-24T16:52:00.002-04:00

I am a lipstick girl. I have been wearing lipstick or lip gloss for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, it was the one piece of makeup I could wear and feel confident that it had been put on properly and that I didn’t look like a clown when wearing it. Even now it is the one thing I refuse to leave the house wearing. Sometimes I worry that I am somewhat fanatic about it, but I’ve stopped caring. It’s my security blanket if you will. Because of this lipstick/gloss addiction I am always on the hunt for that one perfect lip stick/gloss. The one that even if it is the only thing I am wearing, will make me look like a million bucks.

If the above statement doesn’t prove my worth somewhat as a lip makeup expert than I don’t know what will! I came upon a pleasant lip gloss discovery a few months ago. I was attending TwestivalTO, a Twitter event that brings together followers and gives them a chance to meet in real life (IRL). I went with my friend Maria and we hung out all night with other Twitter people who had no idea who we were. Several sponsors had provided gifts for the event and Maria and I were quick to snatch up anything that looked good. My best score of the evening were testers of a lip gloss I had never heard of before called Balmshell. I was a little hesitant to start using the lip gloss as I had never heard or seen this brand before. Now that I have tried it, I am addicted! In my non professional opinion it is the best lip gloss I have ever used. It doesn’t make my lips stick together and it doesn’t feel like things are going to get stuck in my lips when I wear it!

What I’ve always been disappointed about in lip gloss is that the colour is usually so sheer, once it is applied you can’t even tell there is any colour there. This is not the case with Balmshell, at least not the colours I got (there were two samples in each package). I have a very neutral shade that I wear with lip liner and that is it. There is enough colour to it that I don’t need to mix it with lipstick. Sometimes I do but I don’t have to.

My love and admiration for this new product I had stumbled across led me to look up their website. The company was started by twin sisters, Jennifer and Fiona Lees, from right here in Toronto. They did not have a background in makeup but decided to go ahead and create the perfect lip gloss. I for one am ecstatic that they did and can’t thank them enough. I will be a fan for life. Their website says the products are sold at some Shoppers Drug Mart stores and Sephora. I have yet to see Balmshell in any of the locations I’ve been to but I will keep looking. If I can’t locate it in a store, I will buy it from their website ($20) as soon as I figure out what colour it is I have. If you happen to see Balmshell being sold at a retail location, please message me or leave a comment. I swear I will run there within 24 hours of someone confirming a location for me. My lips thank you in advance.

PS: They have a colour called “Shopaholic”. How cool is that?

Update June 17: I have found a few Shoppers Drug Mart locations that carry Balmshell. They are:

Mississauga, ON: Burhamthorpe and Cawthra
Etobicoke, ON: Queensway and Park Lawn
St. Catherines, ON: My co worker found this one. I have to get the street name from her.

Happy shopping!

What Are You Wearing Under There?

2010-05-01T19:35:00.001-04:00

If you asked women what they dread shopping for the most, I assume answers to tie for first place would be either jeans or bathing suits. As for 3rd place, I’m going to go out on a limb and say under garments, specifically bras. It’s never been one of my favourite things to buy. It’s gotten better over the years, but it is still something I dread. When you think about it, a bra has a pretty important job to do. It isn’t really something you can skimp on. The fit has to be right or some pretty awful things and looks can happen. As with jeans and bathing suits, when I find one that fits properly, helps make me look skinny, and doesn’t break the bank, I usually end up buying the same style in more than one colour. Then I thank my lucky stars that it will be a considerable amount of time before I have to undergo this torture again.

Through the years, I have tended to stick to the same styles. I have my go to stores where I know I’m bound to find something. Even if it is going to take hours, I will leave with something which is the ultimate goal. The last time I was at my go to store in the US, I was told the most devastating news, they don’t make that style anymore. What? Are they out of their minds? What the heck am I supposed to do now? They have no idea the stress and anxiety this news has caused. I have to replace the go to style but with what?

Below are my top 3 choices for places to shop at for the dreaded under garment. A visit to either of these stores is likely to end with the purchase of some type of under garment that does the job it’s supposed to and doesn't make me burst into tears during the process.

Change

By chance I happened to wander into Oakville Place a few weeks ago and discovered Change has a store here. I’ve read about Change for years in my fashion magazines. It is Europe’s answer to fashionable affordable lingerie. Known for stylish items and reasonable prices, I knew I had to pay them a visit. Plus I was in need of said undergarment. There are some things you should be aware of if you have never been to a Change store before. First of all, their sizes are European. If you think it is hard to convert your Canada shoe size or shirt size to European sizes, think how difficult it is for lingerie where sizes tend to be all over the place anyway. A staff member was very helpful in this respect. Be prepared to be measured. Not the most pleasant thing but necessary to determine the right size. From there, it is still a guessing game for cup size. A fun game of trial and error now starts and hopefully you can get it right before trying on everything in the store. I did like a lot of their styles and the prices were really good. I saw several that were $28 and $38, certainly much better than some of those other places out there. I bought one item and am pretty sure I would go back for more. Lounge and swim wear round out their collection.

For a list of Canadian locations visit the Change website.

Gap Body

This seems to be a store that women don’t really think about when they need to buy new lingerie. Locations are more limited. The only full stores I know about are Square One and Bloor Street. Other Gap stores usually have a small collection of Gap Body, mainly lounge wear and underwear. Bras can be a slim offering or nonexistent at those locations. I have visited the Square One location frequently. I like it because it is at the back of the store, away from all the other merchandise. Last thing I need is some group of guys watching me pick out my under things. Usually this part of the store is quiet so you can browse in peace. The sizes are normal lingerie sizes and I find sizes to be pretty consistent across styles. The one downfall is there usually isn’t staff in this section. If you have questions or need help you’ll have to venture out into the regular store and hunt someone down.

There is a really good selection of styles and colours. The best thing is any promo that runs is usually valid on Gap Body items which gives you potential to save quite a bit of money. Get on their Canadian email list if you’re not already. I also happen to be a fan of Gap Body pyjamas. It is possible that I could buy more from Gap Body than their regular stores if only they would make Gap Body more readily available. Gap Canada is promising we will have a live shopping site of our own sometime this year; oh happy day! I hope we will see the full Gap Body assortment on that website. We will be able to shop for our underwear in our underwear from home. I don’t do this but have heard of others who do.

You can visit the Gap Canada website here. Stay tuned for a launch date on that long awaited Canada shopping site.

Victoria’s Secret

For the longest time this was where I bought all undergarments. It was my go to store until they stopped making my favourite, forcing me to branch out to other chains. This store was always a bit harder to get to since I had to get myself to the US to be able to buy anything. You can order online and I believe they ship to Canada, just beware of extra taxes and duties on your order.

Later this year, Victoria Secret will be opening up locations in Canada. This will allow for more spontaneous purchases. When I get fed up from lack of fit and styles, I will be able to frequent other locations to try my luck again, there by keeping the torture to a minimum. Personally I think this will be a great addition to the Canadian retail landscape. They bring a ton of styles and many different product categories from make up, reshaping garments, pyjamas, and lounge wear.

You can get a list of existing Canada Victoria's Secret Pink locations by visiting the website. Looks like the stores are only in Ontario right now.

If you have a favourite place to shop for lingerie, leave a comment to tell us about it.

Change image from blogTO
Victoria’s secret image from their website.

Enjoy Adventures Under Sea With The Octonauts

2010-04-18T19:29:00.002-04:00

I realize this post is probably beyond my realm of expertise but I write about what I like and I like the Octonauts, a series of children’s books from Meomi, a design company made up of one Vancouver resident and one Los Angeles resident. A cross border partnership I guess you could say.

I can’t take the credit for finding this one on my own. Back in my pre Olympic days when I was focused 24/7 on going to Vancouver 2010 and blogging all about it, I got an email from Immedium. They are a publisher located in California for The Octonuats book series. They thought I would be interested in the books because they are written and illustrated by Meomi, a company comprised of partners Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy. Meomi is the company that designed the Vancouver 2010 mascots, who I’m sure you love as much as I do (mark my words I will marry Quatchi one day). Since The Octonauts were not directly related to the Olympics themselves, I didn’t see a story there for my Journey to Vancouver 2010 blog. I did however think it would be perfect for Not A Shopaholic. The idea for this post was born months ago and I’m finally putting the words into writing now.

When Immedium emailed me, they included PDF versions of the first two books; The Octonauts and the Only Lonely Monster and The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade. The first thing that stood out for me was the beautiful illustrations. I loved the combination of colours and the undersea world that was being created. It seemed so realistic and possible that these characters could actually exist. I found myself wanting to be friends with them. The characters are adorable and have cool names like "Professor Inking" who is an octopus oceanographer, and "Captain Barnacles Bear" the polar bear leader of the Octonauts group. I found the writing to be intelligent and rhythmical, the funny names rolled right off the tongue. Each story contains good life lessons for children. I would say for adults it serves as a good reminder for some basic lessons we may have forgotten along the way.

Book cover for The Octonauts and the Only Lonely Monster

The first book sees the characters fleeing their underwater Octopod when they think it is under attack. They quickly find out that it is not the case and embark on a worldwide undersea adventure to reunite a stranded animal with its own kind. In doing so they become friends and realize there is something unique about each of them.

A page excerpt from the first book

What a great collection to give to a child as a gift to get them and keep them interested in reading. The series is a must have for any children’s book collection. In a world where we are so electronic based, it’s wonderful to see such interesting, creative stories being written for children with stunning illustrations. For my next friend that has a baby, guess what you’re getting as a gift!

Other titles in the Meomi Octonauts Series are:

The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade
The Octonauts and the Frown Fish
The Octonauts and the Great Ghost Reef

All titles are available for purchase in Canada, both through stores and online at Amazon and Chapters/Indigo. Internationally the books are available through publisher Harper Collins UK. According to The Octonauts website, the series is going to be developed into an animated TV show. How cool is that? Watch these quirky lovable characters come to life on TV at some point throughout 2010.

The Octonauts have a whole website dedicated to them. Visit the website for a more detailed summary of the book titles or to download some "Octogoodies" (their word not mine) like colouring pages.

Feel free to share your opinions on The Octonauts with us. You can leave a comment here on the blog or on the Facebook group page for Not A Shopaholic. I look forward to hearing from you.

Photos used are from the Octonauts website. Thank you Amy for finding me and sending me The Octonauts information.

Headbands: My New Favourite Accessory

2010-03-28T22:58:00.000-04:00

Whenever I go to the One of A Kind show, I always stop by the booth for this is J. I have been in love with their prints and headbands for a few years now. The same thing usually happens each time I visit. I hesitantly enter their booth. I hover around looking at the headbands too scared to try one on. I wait for one of the salespeople to declare I have the most perfect shaped head for their headband, so perfect in fact they suggest that I become their spokesperson! While this is all playing out in my head (sans headband) the reality is, headbands kind of scare me. I’ve never been really good with hair accessories or appliances. I only bought my first flat iron just over a year ago. It’s rare for me to even put my hair in a ponytail. But every time I see a headband from this is J, I feel drawn to them; I feel I must have one. I feel a headband is in my foreseeable future.

Sporting my this is J toque at the Vancouver 2010 Curling Semi Finals

Last year at the One of a Kind Christmas show, I decided to take the plunge and buy one of these beautiful hair accessories. I did my little booth visit hesitation thing and walked out with a catalogue that I looked over for the next few hours. Then I went back in, picked up my future headband and paid for it. I guess I did well because while I was paying for it, someone from the booth who looked like they were in charge asked the salesperson if they had picked it out for me. I was pretty proud that I had done so well on my first try. Since then I have added a second headband and the Lafleur Army toque to my possessions. I wore the toque while at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and got comments from total strangers on it! Yep, you bet I was promoting our Canadian designer talent while at the Olympics!

This Is J also offers an assortment in mittens and scarves to co ordinate with the toques, of course there are the aforementioned headbands, as well as pyjamas and blankets which I believe are a new addition. All of their products are made from custom made fabrics that are designed by this is J. You can get 1 piece or a few in matching prints to co ordinate if you want. I have lots of favourites and am trying to balance the number of headbands I buy to how often I would wear them. I’m happy to say I have worn both my Basha Flower in Black headband and the Lafleur Brown one a few times now and am getting more used to them. Now that its warming up here in Toronto, I will shed the hats and use my headbands more. Oh my, is that headband #3 I see in my future? I think so. And I’ll go with some pj’s next time too. The set includes a headband! Could it get any better?

Lafleur Army reversible toque, $39

The One of a Kind show begins in Toronto on March 31st and runs until April 4th. You can visit this is J at the show or their website where you can place orders if like me, its takes you a couple of visits to make a decision.
For a promo code to get $3 off of One of a Kind tickets purchased online, visit my newly created Not A shopaholic Facebook group page.

Product images from this is J website.

Join Me On Facebook

2010-03-27T16:47:00.000-04:00

Want to interact with people who love shopping as much as you do? Want to have a place where you can share all of your best fashion finds and retailers who have the best threads? Come join my newly created Not A Shopaholic Facebook group page. A lot of friends were leaving comments about my blog posts on my Facebook page and try as I might I just could not get them to visit my blog to leave their comments. Then I thought, why make them go there when they are very clearly quite comfortable leaving their comments on Facebook. So I have created a group page for Not A Shopaholic. Now there is a place we can all share information about favourite Canadian and international brands, retailers, discounts and sales. I look forward to input on this page from people all over the world. Unleash your best shopping secrets with people who will really appreciate them and not tell you that you shop too much. In fact, we encourage you too!
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Mixing Shopping With Vancouver 2010

2010-03-21T19:41:00.002-04:00

Depending on how you know me and how you came across this blog, you may not know that in February I was a part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. A willing and able participant in spectating and displays of exorbitant amounts of Canadian pride. Yes I was in Vancouver to see and experience it all. It was a fascinating experience and very special to me as I have always wondered what it would be like to be at the Olympics. I started another blog to capture everything leading up to and at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. You can read my 2nd blog Journey to Vancouver 2010 – Diary of a Fan to get more details on everything that happened there. I was also guest blogging for Inside Vancouver which was great fun for me and gave me a chance to meet some great people. I was also grateful for the opportunity to have my writing reach a different audience.

In getting ready for Vancouver 2010, I knew I was going to want to spend some time looking for shopping places that I could write about in this blog. I did find a few, although not as many as I would have liked. I simply ran out of time and energy! I do hope to go back to Vancouver soon, possibly in the summer to explore the shopping areas I didn’t get to this time around. The ones I did see were great and I will definitely visit them again whenever I am in Vancouver.

The first area I went to was Gastown. It was a short walk on a beautiful day from our condo to the Gastown area. Quite a few souvenir shops occupied the area, as well as furniture/decor stores. I was on the hunt for clothing stores. The first store I went into was obakki. Their collection is manufactured locally in Vancouver. The clothes were beautiful, I loved their accessories and in particular their jackets caught my eye. Unfortunately for me, the prices were out of my comfortable range and I had to be happy with just looking. I checked out their website and they do sell online as well as wholesale their collection so there may be an obakki garment in my future wardrobe yet.

Photo: obakki website

Next door to them was Ishara. Another store with beautiful clothes and accessories from many different brands like: Modern Amusement, Smythe, Joe’s Jeans, Ella Moss. I was fortunate to find a sweater on sale that I liked from brand Modern Amusement, a multi coloured stripe sweater that I see myself wearing with my Second Yoga jeans and silver Steve Madden flats. The store was recently located to Gastown from a mall and I’m glad they did otherwise I may never have come across them. There were some other tourists in the store while I was there. It was nice to see some other Olympic travellers getting away from events and street parties long enough to take in other parts of Vancouver.

My sweater from Ishara. I can't wait to wear it!

In our last few days in Vancouver after the Olympics were over was when I was able to do most of my shopping assignments. One store that caught my eye when I was shopping on Robson Street was Plenty. They had a great mix of price points, merchandise and brands. You could do one stop shopping there from tops and bottoms to shoes and accessories, even an Olympic souvenir if you wanted to! There were some familiar brands in here like Kensie, denim brands and their own in house brands like Propaganda. I tried on many things, mostly looking for something funky I could take home from Vancouver and because I feel like I am always so conservative. Well I tried funky and I think maybe it’s not for me. I ended up with a few tops that I think I can make funky with belts and accessories. Plenty is definitely a funky store and I really enjoyed shopping there. I’m trying to convince them via Twitter that they should open a store in Toronto but they don’t seem to be going for it. They have suggested that I come back and it’s a pretty sure bet that I will. I’m keeping an eye on their website, if it becomes an ecommerce site, I will be the first one to purchase from it.

My tops from Plenty on Robson Street. I should have bought more! It's a great store.

The last shopping area I managed to fit in before leaving for home was Yaletown. I had been told a lot of things about Yaletown and I have to say that people were right. They said I would love it there and I did. They said that it was all shops and restaurants and it was. They said it was a cool area and it was. They said I probably wouldn’t be able to afford anything and they were right! On a different trip I may have splurged and bought something expensive for myself but I couldn’t do it on this trip. It was cool to see brands I hadn’t ever seen before. If nothing else it was an education into additional fashion brands out there. One store I was very intrigued by was Marimekko. As soon as I walked into this store I knew I wanted to buy something. Everything was bright colours and bold patterns. It immediately woke me up and made me feel like it was a brighter day. All fabrics are made by them and you can buy readymade pieces or buy fabric for a particular project you are working one. I didn’t have anything specific in mind that I needed for my home so I left there empty handed, unfortunately. I did get a card, will be checking out their website and will make sure I go back there if I visit Vancouver again this summer.

Kissanminttu pattern from Marimekko, one of their many fabrics Photo: Marimekko website

I did find 2 tops in the Mavi store in Yaletown. The off the shoulder style and raglan sleeve is a style I had been looking for so I bought 2 colours. The Mavi brand is sold in many stores across Toronto but we are without a store dedicated to the entire Mavi collection. Again at some point in my future I see another pair of Zoe jeans in my future, if only I could decide on a which wash I wanted.

Shopping areas I really wanted to get to but didn’t have time was the Mount Pleasant area around Main Street and Broadway and Granville Island. Think I’ll be watching West Jet for a seat sale and hoping someone in Vancouver invites me to stay with them this summer! It was amazing to be there in February when Vancouver welcomed the world, but I still have some shopping to do, or as I like to call it “research”!

Back to Not A Shopaholic

2010-03-05T17:41:00.000-05:00

My deepest apologies for ignoring this blog the last few months. As most of you probably know, I was preparing for my trip to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. The trip was everything I thought it would be and more. Now that I am back, I am focusing my attention back to this blog. I still have a few brands and stores on my list that I need to write about. After that, I'll be on the hunt in Toronto and the GTA for cool, unique brands, stores and shopping districts. If you have any suggestions for places for me to check out, leave a comment or send me an email. Again I am very sorry for ignoring you, but I'm back and anxious to bring you great places to shop and to support our independent retailers.

If you are interested in reading about my Vancouver 2010 Olympic adventures, please visit http://www.journeytovancouver2010-fandiary.blogspot.com/

Update on The Retail Challenge

2009-12-31T15:08:00.001-05:00

It only seems fitting that the end of 2009 should include an update on The Retail Challenge, one of my more popular posts to date. If you remember back to earlier this year, I was in a state of unemployment and just sick to my stomach with all the news stories about the latest companies laying off workers. No one was spending any money, even those that were still employed. Thus, my simple idea to get people spending to stir up our economy a bit so the unemployed would have a chance at employment.
I'm not going to explain the whole challenge again, you can read the earlier post by clicking here. My own personal challenge was to spend $1000 in the retail world once I started working again. That happened back in April and I have been working to fulfill that promise while also trying to pay for a very expensive trip to the Olympics in Vancouver next year. Because of that trip, it took me a very long time to complete my own personal Retail Challenge. And if you want to know the truth, there are many things I should not have bought, but it's done now and someone has benefitted from it so I guess I can live with it.
I was going to list everything that I bought, yes I've actually been keeping track, but I think that would be too long. So I will list certain items and you'll just have to trust me on the rest. I Blogger swear to you that I spent at least $1000 if not more. You'll have to trust me on the amounts too! For my own safety I have decided that I should not disclose prices.

Strapless Printed Dress - White House/Black Market
Purple Samsura Bag - Trixie (Bloor West Village, Toronto)
Second Yoga Jeans - Trixie
Polka Dot Dress - Trixie
Sterling Silver Ring - Vivah
Cosmetics - Mary Kay
Sutter Crossbody Bag - Fossil
TV Bench & Coffee Table- Ikea
Headband - This is J
Long Gold Necklace - Moonrox booth at OOAK
Various Clothing Items - GAP, they had great sales what can I say?
Olympic Gear - HBC, Rona
Area Rug - West Elm
Colin - Monster Factory booth at OOAK
Shortbread cookies - The Shortbread Factory
Suitcase - Samsonite
Canada tee and Hoody - Roots Canada
Seven for all Mankind Jeans - Holt Renfrew
Coffee - Gold Star Coffee
Waterproof Boots - Browns

There you go. That is the majority of the list. I'll try to include photos of whatever I can.
Where I failed was in my ability to buy from independent retailers. That was a condition for myself in the challenge. The only thing I can say in my defence is that I was trying to cut down on shopping and did not find myself in as many areas to buy from independents. For 2010, I will create another challenge for myself, perhaps the exact same one and I will spend all that money with independent retailers. They are an important and vital part of our economy and deserve our support. I will keep my eyes open for new places to shop in 2010. I promise once my Vancouver Olympics trip is paid off, I will take up this challenge with gusto!
Happy New Year everyone. May 2010 hold many wonderful things for all of you.
Thank you so much for reading.
Christina

Roots Never Goes Out Of Style

2009-11-10T21:11:00.018-05:00

Above
Left: I say hello to the Roots Canada Collection.

Right: Michael Budman,Johann Olav Koss and Don Green address the crowd.

Models for the evening, joined by Michael Budman, Don Green and Johann Olav Koss.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch party for the Roots Canada Collection on November 5th at their flagship store on Bloor Street in Toronto. As you all know I’m headed to Vancouver in February for the Olympics. Since I secured my final tickets back in June, the thought of what I am going to wear has been on my mind. This party was the perfect opportunity to check out stylish “Canada” apparel to help me build my Olympic wardrobe.
The evening consisted of very smart looking people taking in an introductory speech from Don Green, co-founder of Roots, later joined on stage by his counterpart Michael Budman. It’s amazing to me how long these gentlemen have known each other, been in business together and are still great friends. That alone speaks volumes to why Roots has been such a successful, sustainable brand. A portion of each purchase from the Canada Collection will be donated to the charity, “Right to Play”. Started by Norwegian speed skater Johann Olav Koss, Right To Play gives children all over the world the opportunity to be introduced to sports and the positive aspects that go along with playing on a team. Johann also spoke briefly about his move to Canada and his partnership with Roots and Mastercard.
The Collection was then modelled by a variety of athletes and really, what can I say other than great job Roots! I like this collection much better than the one I saw in the summer. There is the standard Roots fare in T-shirts, zip hoodys and accessories; the best one being the Canada toque for $10. My favourite piece is the Yukon Jacket, a cross between a fleece top and lightweight jacket. It comes in Black or Red and would be great to layer with additional pieces from the collection. I'm thinking of getting the Black one for me and the Red one for my brother. A few special edition leather bags round out this Canada Collection.
Ninety percent of the collection was made in Canada, which is so nice to hear and something I definitely want to support. When the planning process began, the founders were adamant that the pieces were to be made in Canada. It’s quite impressive that they did so and were able to keep the pricing extremely reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the prices; I really was expecting them to be more expensive.
It was a great night and I am so grateful to have been a part of it. The evening was about celebrating Canada, celebrating Roots and its history and its partnership with Right To Play, but most of all, it was about celebrating great style and clothing! I hope to be wearing that Yukon jacket come February 2010. I want to announce to the world that I am from Canada!
For more information on Right To Play, visit their website: http://www.righttoplay.com/
The Roots Canada Collection is available at your local Roots store or shop online at: http://canada.roots.com/.

Everyone Loves Miz Mooz

2009-10-17T22:31:00.006-04:00

I love checking out my blog stats on Google Analytics. It's so interesting to me to see what people are reading on my blog and where they are coming from to do so. I really do appreciate the time anyone takes to read one post or all of them. Thank you so much for reading my thoughts and for those of you who leave comments, keep them coming!

By far, the most popular post has been Luv Your Shooz Miz Mooz. Seems that I am not the only woman madly in love with this brand. That post has been my most popular one and it is the one that I receive the most comments for. Thank you everyone for letting us know where we can find Miz Mooz in Canada.

I recently received a flyer from Town Shoes and guess what I saw in there? That's right, Miz Mooz is finally available at Town Shoes. I don't think it is a huge assortment but its a start. If you can't make it out to your favourite independent shoe retailer, we now have an option at the mall. As to how many stores carry the brand I'm not sure. I will stop in at Sherway sometime soon and see if the brand is there. You can also search by the Miz Mooz brand name on the Town Shoes website. Right now I only see one style available, but I'm sure they will have more. How can they not? I say we encourage them to buy more styles of Miz Mooz. It is obviously loved by Canadians judging from the amount of views I'm getting. Send your request to customerservice@townshoes.com and hopefully we'll see tons of Miz Mooz styles soon.

Happy Shopping!

Have Your Coffee, and Guilt Free Too!

2009-09-20T19:38:00.002-04:00

A few years ago I was looking for the perfect gift for my coffee obsessed friend Kim. I won't tell you how much coffee she drinks but trust me when I say, if Kim says it is good coffee then it most certainly is.
I started out by looking for a sort of "coffee of the month" type club. Wouldn't I be the bestest friend ever if I gave her a gift of coffee that lasted throughout an entire year? Well, when I saw what that cost I quickly changed gears and decided to focus my efforts on something I could afford. That is how I found the quaint darling coffee/cafe establishment Birds and Beans Coffee. Birds and Beans offers an exotic variety of coffee from all over the world that is "certified organic, shade grown, fairly traded and Bird friendly." Coffee is offered from such places as Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia - I think this one was Kim's favourite, Houndaras and Nicaragua to name a few of the choices.
The website provides lists of which coffees are Fair Trade certified, Bird Friendly and Rainforest Alliance certified so you can buy knowing you are being a responsible consumer.
I liked being able to order the coffee online and have it sent to Kim. It was a nice surprise for her and she got to enjoy the scent of the freshly roasted coffee for a few days. From what I remember delivery was quick and inexpensive. Their retail location is not too far from me so now I go there and purchase it. This was definitely a great find and cool to discover it close to my neighbourhood.
In case you were wondering, Kim LOVED the coffee! That's enough to make me a fan for life.

Hats Off to Big It Up

2009-08-03T10:46:00.012-04:00

I have been a huge fan of Big It Up for quite awhile now. I don't remember how I got into hats or why I did but for as long as I have been buying hats, almost all of them have come from Big It Up. A Canadian company based in Toronto, ON, Big It Up is a great success story. Started by a bunch of friends who wanted to raise the level of quality in goods produced, they launched the company in 1996. From there the company has continued to grow through more store and kiosk locations and now a website where you can order product.

Wander into any of their stores or kiosks and try on hats. You may be surprised at how good they look on you. Their salespeople are always super friendly and can help direct you to a style that will suit you.

I love the styles and colours and fabrics that they choose for their items. All of their hats are classic pieces from Fedoras to Poor Boys. Check out the cool floppy hats for summer.

I have hats I bought a few years ago that I still wear and they make any outfit look a bit funkier. Wearing a hat to work always garners a few comments so be ready for it.

When I was at Yorkdale the other weekend, I came across the kiosk/store there and was reminded of my fascination and love of hats. I don't usually wear them in the summer because its so hot, but come Fall and Winter, I will be dusting off my hats and working them into my wardrobe.

Last year at The Clothing Show my mom even bought a hat from Big It Up. Hat styles know no ages and I don't care what anyone says, you can find a hat style that looks good on you.

Support Canadian companies and support the style of hats. Who better to Bit It Up than you? I'm looking at their website now planning my next purchase. They are a perfect fit to include in my Retail Challenge.

Hats off to you.

Big It Up Store Locations

Not A Shopaholic Updates

2009-07-26T14:40:00.004-04:00

I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all those who take the time to read my blog and especially to those who link to my posts.
It seems as though the Retail Challenge has caught on. I still see activity to this post through Google Analytics which makes me very happy. A very special thank you to French Vanilla Home and the Always Upward Blog for passing on the challenge to their own followers. Cinda has even taken it to the next level with the 3/50 challenge. Let's keep it going.
True to my promise, now that I am employed, I am working on contributing my $1000 to the cause via independent retailers. Look for posts in the next few months as I set out to different shopping areas in Toronto to spend some money. I was hoping to have already completed my challenge but then I went a little nuts on tickets to the Olympics. Obviously that is quite a chunk of change but I am working through it, don't worry!
Another post that got a lot of views was Luv Your Shoes Miz Mooz. A few comments have come in from different people letting us know where they found this fabulous affordable brand in their cities. Keep it coming please! I will continue to approve all relevant comments no matter how long ago it was posted.
I'm also very excited to tell you of a new blog opportunity for me. Some of you may already read my other Blog, Journey to Vancouver 2010-Diary of a Fan. I was asked by someone at Tourism Vancouver to write for their blog, Inside Vancouver. They are asking different people from outside of Vancouver to write about their experiences as we get ready to travel to Vancouver for the Olympics. Apparently my love of the Olympics is coming through in those posts, lol. I'm honoured and excited to be a part of their blog. I will continue to post on my own as well. Follow all of them if you can!

The Best Aura to Have

2009-07-19T13:18:00.005-04:00

Once in awhile, I come across something through my job that really makes me love what I do. This time that feeling is due to Aura Collective. The company was started by two business men, Eric Andrade and Colin Aikman and their idea is truly ingenious. Aura Collective is a website that brings the creative, talented artists across Canada to one central location. There are a wide variety of products and artists and all the items are spectacular. From jewellery to decor pieces, each one is unique and beautiful.

The Aura Collective website not only brings the talent of Canadian artists to our attention, it also contributes to the well being of society by donating a portion of each sale to a charity. When ordering from the website, you can dictate which charity you want the money to be donated to. How amazing is that? Now we can shop and feel doubly good about our purchases, not only are we putting money into the economy, we are also supporting a good cause. Retail therapy is now guilt free! The best thing about it is, I'm sure whatever you buy from the website, it will be a real conversation piece. When Eric and Colin first came to see us, we were all ohhhing and ahhing over the jewellery pieces and other trinkets they brought as a preview.

New artists and products are being added all the time. This is a site you should definitely bookmark. All around, a great idea, a great website and a great cause.

Be sure to visit the site to read up on the artists profiles and products for sale. Its like the One of a Kind show, all year round!

The Art of Sandwiches

2009-06-07T13:06:00.003-04:00

I love shopping and equal to that is my love of eating. I've tried to branch out in the last few years, trying different types of food. Friends have introduced me to Thai, Mediterranean, authentic Chinese, but really my tried and true favourites are the classics.

When I moved a few years ago, I wondered what I could find in terms of new places to eat. One day while driving south on Islington, I passed a place called Artisano Bakery Cafe. Without even seeing their menu, I knew I had to go. I have been addicted ever since! They truly bring sandwiches and food in general to a new level.

The menu consists of sandwiches on fresh bread (feel free to change the type of bread if you want to), pizzas that look heavenly, pasta like an Italian mom would cook and a never ending choice of baked goods. All bread is made fresh on site and available for purchase. Have specific diet requirements? Artisano even offers wheat free breads.

My favourite sandwich is the Chicken, Grilled Vegetables and Goat Cheese sandwich on Cheese Focaccia bread. Its so delicious with the eggplant, red peppers, basil and roasted red pepper pestos. I have tried to recreate it at home but its just doesn't taste the same. One of these days I will try the pizza, most likely the Rustic Mediterranean. I could go on and on about all the sandwiches I've had and what I want to try next but I think its best for you to see for yourself. Check out one of three locations at Islington, Burloak, or Iroquis (the last two are in Oakville). I promise you will not be disappointed.

Long live the Sandwich!

Bringing Foxy to a New Level

2009-04-26T18:09:00.006-04:00

I have been a fan of Foxy Originals for some time. I wasn't sure about doing it as a blog post, because it seems that their merchandise is readily available and out in the public eye. However, I have decided to write about them because every time I'm wearing one of their pieces and I tell someone it is a Foxy Original, they look at me with a blank stare and I feel like I have been talking gibberish. To be honest, I am quite shocked that not more people know of this wonderful Canadian design team and company. I think it is a great success story.
You can visit their website for the story on how the company came to be and to take a look at their collections. Right now the best thing going for them is their Barbie Collection, since they are celebrating that anniversary and all this year. All their jewelry is made from lead free pewter and dipped in gold, silver or bronze. For certain pieces other materials are added for variety and a different look. Some of my favourite pieces are: Palm Earrings (see image), Soul Necklace, Rose Ring, Juniper Necklace (see image) and the Utopia Necklace. I could keep going but I'm going to stop there. Foxy Originals recently made their site a shopping site so you can point and click right there to get all the pieces you want. My biggest complaint used to be not being able to find the pieces I liked in stores but now I don't have to worry. This also means as soon as their new pieces come out, we will be able to have them within a few days, or weeks.

Help spread the word. I'm wondering if renting a plane and sky writing "Foxy Originals" in the air would do the trick?

Working Girl Again!

2009-04-26T17:43:00.005-04:00

Hello Readers,
I am happy to report that I started working again earlier this month. A great company in Mississauga hired me as a buyer for several of their categories. Among them are fashion accessories and luggage and handbags! You know I'll be paying a lot of attention to those ones. I am very fortunate to have found a job during this difficult economic time and much more fortunate to have found a good job, one that is in my line of work. This represents a great opportunity at a time one would think there aren't many great opportunities out there. Now it is my job to help others find their great job. I am always happy to recommend co-workers and friends to a current employer or to inquires I get from others.
For those of you who are still out of work and looking, I feel your pain. Keep your fingers crossed, stay positive and tell everyone, and I mean everyone, you know that you are looking for a job. You never know who you or they might come across and ask that vital question, "do you know anyone who is looking for a job in ______" (fill in the blank) that could be your future great job.
One I am financially secure, I look forward to upholding my end of the Retail Challenge. It may take awhile to come up with $1000 to spend, but I will do my best. I owe it to the retailers out there.

Part 2 - Notashopaholic Unemployment Survival Guide

2009-03-31T17:06:00.005-04:00

Use Your Points

Ever wonder to do with all those points you accumulate at the grocery store and other places? Now is the perfect time to use them. Use your Air Miles, HBC Rewards, Aeroplan, Shoppers Optimum, Scene points to redeem for gift cards, merchandise, or tickets to events. It is a great to be able to get out and do something without feeling guilty about it. Depending on the rewards program, the points may only be able to be redeemed in stored on purchases, which is fine, that saves you money as well. I used Air Miles to redeem for a $50 Cara Foods gift card. It can be used at Second Cup, Kelseys, Milestones and I few more places. It was a great way to be able to meet friends for dinner and not cost me anything.
If you currently don't have a Scene points card, get one! You receive points every time you go to the movies and only 1000 Scene points gets you free admission. Bonus-you'll get 10% off of your popcorn and drinks too!

Coupons

Coupons can go along way to saving you money. You can get coupons for almost anything these days, its not just for groceries anymore. This is something you need to be dedicated too and it may take some time to find your coupons and organize them, but this can save you a great deal of money. Combine your coupon use when those items are on sale and you will see an even bigger savings. Take your search for coupons to the Internet where there are websites where you can pick and choose the coupons you want and print them out. Some great websites to look at are: SmartCanucks.ca, Save.ca (these coupons will be mailed to you), and GrocerySavings.com.

Red Flag Deals is a website you should always keep an eye on. Visitors post various sales and deals from a variety of stores, companies and websites all across Canada. If there is a deal to be had, you should be able to find it on here. Coupons for the deals will also usually be posted for printing off.

Most manufacturers or product companies will issue their own coupons and email them to those on their distribution list. If you buy a lot of products from one company, make sure you look into this. I just signed up for Alberto product emails and coupons yesterday.

Contests

Whats the best way to get free stuff? Win it! This is a good way to get free tickets to events or even free items themselves. Now be sure if you are entering a contest you know it is legitimate. Some of the contests I have entered have been from shopping malls, radio stations, magazines I subscribe to. Tim Hortons had an online contest for Roll Up The Rim where you could enter your email address for a chance to win free coffee for a year. I didn't win that one, at least I could play without having to buy the coffee!

Gift Cards

If your birthday or the holidays fall during your unfortunate loss of employment, ask for Gift Cards. There is no shortage of places you can get them from and they will come in very handy. My wonderful chiquita's gave me a Mastercard Gift Card for my birthday and Christmas. The best thing about that baby? I can use it wherever they take Mastercard, basically a Gift Card you can use anywhere!!!!! The girls did good on this one. I'm telling you its the best gift I have ever gotten. There is also a Visa Gift Card if you have a preference. The girls picked up the MC card at Shoppers Drug Mart had it activated and away I went! I'm still using it.

Free Events - Not A Shopaholic Unemployment Survival Guide

2009-03-10T18:56:00.004-04:00

Chances are wherever you live, there is something free going on that you can attend. Here in Toronto, we have Taste of the Danforth, Taste of Little Italy, Luminato, Jazz Festivals, Movies in the Park, etc. In the summer I think there is a lot more going on so Free Events should be easy to find. In the winter however, its been a bit of a challenge. I have found a few things and here they are:

1. Ice Skating-free at Nathan Philips Square and Harbourfront. If you don't have skates you can rent them (which makes this not free), but most people do have their own or could possibly borrow a pair.

2. Antique Shows/Mall Events-Sherway Gardens and other malls have Antique Shows throughout the year. Check the website of your local mall and find out when this is going on. Then head over to the mall and peruse the offerings. Grab a coffee and spend an afternoon with the antiques. You never know. You may find something you like or it may give you ideas for things to do in your house once you find yourself employed again.

3. Museums and Art Galleries-These places usually have a few hours of free admission one evening a week. Check your local establishments and find out when that is. AGO in Toronto is free Wednesday nights after 6pm. The ROM has free admission Wednesday evenings from 4:30-5:30. Bata Shoe Museum has a pay what you can night Thursdays from 5-8pm. Not free but a substantial saving from the regular $12 admission price. Check websites for the places you are interesting in visiting to see if there are discounted or free admission on certain nights.

City of Toronto lists some free events on their website at: http://www.toronto.ca/events/index.htm. Check your city website to see if they do the same.

4. Public Library-The Toronto Libraries I have been too have free events for both adults and children. Schedules can usually be found online so check your local branch today. Anything seems to go from Bookclubs to Magic shows for the young ones. Worth taking advantage off. The Toronto Library just completed their MAP program in conjunction with Sunlife. Each adult could check out a pass for different attractions around Toronto. All of the passes were good for families usually 2 adults and up to 4 children. I was lucky enough to get a couple of these and visit the Bata Shoe Museum, Textile Museum and the AGO. I'll be on the lookout next year for passes to the ROM.

Not A Shopaholic Unemployment Survival Guide

2009-03-10T18:49:00.003-04:00

When I lost my job, the hardest thing to deal with was the change it was going to mean to my lifestyle. A very social person, I am not usually one to turn down invitations to dinners and hanging out with friends. Going out requires money and I didn't have any to spend on those things. I was worried about how I was going to pay bills and buy groceries, just living day to day was about to become an incredible challenge. It soon became apparent that I was going to have to do some kind of socializing, if for the only reason that it was going to help me keep my sanity. Being the kind of person to always find a way to do the things I want, I set out on a mission to find ways of incorporating some social aspect back into my life and to try to save money on anything in anyway that I could.
The following is a list of things that are helping me survive while making me not feel like a social misfit. This is a list that works for me and my lifestyle. Depending on your situation these things may not be suitable to you but there maybe some variation of them that is. All I know is that when you have very little money or no money at all, your ability to get creative certainly comes out. This is my survival guide for getting through this part of my life.

Not A Shopaholic Retail Challenge

2009-02-21T17:38:00.003-05:00

As someone who has lost their job as a result of this financial and economic crisis, I get very worried when I hear that people out there are spending less money or not spending any money at all. Now, I'm not a professor of economics but I wonder how we will ever get out of this mess if no one is spending any money.
I was joking around with someone not to long ago, saying that I am the wrong person to be unemployed at this time. If I had a job, I would definitely be spending money. Maybe not as much as usual, but I would be out there, supporting the retailers. Unfortunately, I cannot do this which is why I am issuing this Retail Challenge to all of you. For those of you who are employed, I challenge you to go out and spend $100 a month in retail stores, in restaurants, at the movies, anywhere you choose. If half of the Canadian population* spent $100 every month, that would generate $1 660 634 800 into the Canadian economy. If $100 is too much, spend $50 or whatever you can afford. Anything is better than nothing.
As for myself, I pledge to spend $1000 in retail stores when I get a job again. True to my blog, I will do my best to spend most of it in unique, independent retailers. And I will document my purchases and the stores here on my blog. I look forward to the day when that becomes a reality.
Until then, go forth and shop. Let me know what you are spending your money on. I would be happy to share your stories as future blog posts.

*Source of Canadian Population: CIA-The World Factbook-Canada
Canadian Population July 2008-33,212,696

Groove Is In Her Heart

2009-02-04T15:35:00.007-05:00

It was love at first sight when I saw Karen Couillard and her Groovy Arts collection at one of the Toronto Home shows last spring. Her characters have attitude, her colours are vibrant and if you don't want to spend a lot of money, Karen offers her characters and designs on greeting cards, card holders, and compact mirrors in addition to her art pieces. I am partial towards the art work as there is a wall in my condo reserved for one of Groovy Arts fabulous paintings. I love the fashionable, sassy, diva-ish characters, although the high heels, wine bottles and Eiffel Tower amuse me as well.

The greeting cards go great with gifts. With such tag lines as "Its good to be you", "Viva La Diva", "Darling, Its hard work being this perfect", and "Its not easy being this beautiful", you will surely find a card that suits your celebrant and is guaranteed to make them laugh. I think it would be great to get a set of four together and frame them. With so many great designs, why on earth limit yourself to one?

Items can be purchased from the Groovy Arts website. You may also catch Karen and her collection at a variety of events such as the One of a Kind show. Check her website for details.

I for one will be making a purchase as soon as my unemployment status ends. The characters and colours will go great with my trendy red bedroom walls. Finally, friends will stop bugging me about my blank walls. Thank you Karen for truly unique, yet fashionable art. I knew it was out there somewhere!

Let us all celebrate our inner diva.

Groovy Arts

Burlington, ON

ph 905 331 0716

info@groovyarts.com

Sorry Loyal Readers, I promise I am back on track now

2009-02-04T15:27:00.004-05:00

First of all, my sincere apologies for the lack of posts lately. All of my time has been spent job hunting and unfortunately I have been neglecting my blog. I will try to get back on track so that my loyal readers are not wondering what has happened to me.
I have added the follower tool so you can now see who is regularly checking my blog. Feel free to add yourself to it. It is nice for me to see who is keeping track of my postings. It will also encourage me to keep up with new posts on a regular basis. My goal is try to post once every 3-4 weeks.
As for my job hunt, it is a slow process which is not surprising given the times we are going through. I am positive that something will come up within the next few months. Ecommerce is a growing business and not only in the retail industry. Once I am employed again, I will be sure to let you know.
Thank you to all those who read my blog and have become "followers". A special thank you to "Chutton" for being my first "follower". I appreciate the time you take to read my thoughts and opinions. If you ever come across cool things you think would be great for my blog, please send me the information. After all, there is only so much shopping I can do on my own. ;)
Christina

A Mirage You'll Want to See

2008-12-30T13:31:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure when my fascination with stationary products started, but one thing is for sure, the more I see, the more I want. Its actually kind of odd because I rarely write letters these days. This whole thing may have begun when I was searching for thank you cards for my housewarming party. My visit to the CGTA show for work reinforced this new obsession when I came across the booth for Mirage Paper. They had the coolest designs on journals, notebooks, folders and cards that I have ever seen. I think I fell in love on the spot. We girls have always loved fashionable accessories, and now we could have notebooks too.

I have since discovered that Mirage has now become Ecojot, placing emphasis on their eco friendly products and rightly so. Thank goodness their dedication to the environment has not compromised their fashion sense. I currently own 3 small journals and matching note pads. They are great for throwing into my purse and jotting down notes on anything I am shopping for (currently that is condo furnishings). I had to search high and low to get the prints that I wanted but it was well worth it.

You can find their products at Chapters/Indigo stores, and independent retailers. I found the styles I wanted at Solutions but I'm not sure if they are a regular item there. They also make for great gifts. Faced with a Kris Kringle one year that I had no idea what to get, a Mirage (Ecojot) jumbo journal was the perfect thing. My friend loved it, and she loved walking around her office with such a stylish book. Why should note taking be boring?

Thanks Ecojot for designing great products that are environmentally friendly and Canadian made! Ecojot also has an outstanding children's line and sketch books, among other numerous products. Check it out. I think you'll love it.

Ecojot and Mirage Paper Co.

http://www.ecojot.com/

ph: 1-800-836-6669

Luv Your Shooz Miz Mooz

2008-12-08T14:51:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, a couple of us cool gals headed down to NYC for a mega shopping trip, and a bit of sight seeing. New York City never disappoints in the shopping category and we were up for the challenge. Shopping along Broadway one day, shoe store after shoe store, a common element began to emerge; this cool, funky, well priced line of shoes called Miz Mooz. Some of the coolest shoes I have seen in a long time, with prices in the "I don't have to wait for them to go on sale to buy them" category. How rare is that? After much consideration, many shoe stores, several try ons and a lot of group consensus, each of us girls walked away with a brand new pair of shoes or boots. From what I remember no one spent over $150 US which is pretty darned good I think. I don't recall ever seeing this brand in Toronto but Rita did say she had seen the brand in a store downtown although she could not remember which one. If you see Miz Mooz in any stores in Canada, let me know which ones and I will post them. This is a brand we need to see more of!
Happy Shopping.

Here is a link to Infinity Shoes where we bought ours. The Miz Mooz website doesn't seem to be working.

Infinity Shoes

3 locations in New York City:

391 Broadway
2476 Broadway
510 Broadway

http://www.infinityshoes.com/

The Furniture Invasion

2008-11-07T11:38:00.002-05:00

Finally, some more options when it comes to furniture and home décor. September and October saw the Canadian debut of two well known American home décor retailers. Crate and Barrel opened their first Canadian store at Yorkdale Mall and West Elm-a division of Williams Sonoma, opened in Liberty Village. I for one am thrilled to have both of these stores here, as finding things for my condo has been a long, slow and sometimes painful process.
Both stores have a strong catalog and website based business. Hopefully Canadian versions of both are in the works. With each of them only a short drive away its nice to see that Canadians, or at least Torontonians, have some more options. What I like about both is that they are very reasonably priced and their products are modern, fluid, clean and condo friendly!
Crate and Barrel will open a second store in Calgary in 2009. West Elm has yet to reveal their next Canadian location. Non-shopaholics everywhere are hoping for rapid expansions from both.
This may be the best thing that's happened to Canadian retail in a long time. I am seriously considering moving right into the Crate and Barrel store. Think about it, you'll never have to change sheets or wash dishes again!

Crate and Barrel
Yorkdale Mall
http://www.crateandbarrel.ca/
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/

West Elm
109 Atlantic Avenue
Toronto
ph: 416-537-0110
http://www.westelm.com/

Get Your blik On

2008-10-21T13:57:00.009-04:00

If you are anywhere close to my age group, you probably have the same horrible memories that I do of wallpaper your parents put up in your house. I can still see the 1970's ish wallpaper in my parents kitchen. Its been gone for years but the memory never goes away and it made me swear off any kind of wall decoration for good. Thank goodness there are companies like blik, helping to transform those of us who are still scared witless about the thought of putting something other than paint on our walls.

blik makes adhesive wall decals (stickers) in various styles, shapes and colours. With blik, anything goes, from the funky and fun like the Giant Robots, to the cute and cuddly Wee Gallery series to the hanging Chandelier or Bamboo. Quite literally, there is something for everyone. As quoted from their own site, "blik surface graphics are over sized, self-adhesive, removable decals that allow anyone to quickly & easily create decorative patterns or custom wall murals for home or office". blik designs some of their own stuff and also partners with other various artists to keep their designs fresh and unique. Some of bliks design partners include, Threadless, Keith Haring, Ilan Dei, Mel Lim and Undoboy. You'll find profiles of all the artists on the site.

Visit the blik website for a complete list of graphics available. There are way too many to list here! New things are being added all the time like the Nintendo graphics and SCAD-a partnership between blik and the students at Savannah College of Art and Design. You can go as tame or as crazy as you would like. And if you don't like it, just remove it and put up something else. The only thing holding you back is your imagination. Pick a room, a design and get your blik on!
Graphics are sold online or check the website for a retail location near you. Custom orders are available for personal or promotional use. Contact blik to get an online quote.

blik surface graphics
Venice, CA
http://www.whatisblik.com/
ph: 866 262 blik (2545)

I Luv Luxe-Design

2008-10-07T14:13:00.015-04:00

Seems to me that I should have timed this entry better since this one also refers to the birthday party I threw for my friends back in the summer. But I’m getting around to it now so I guess it all works out.

Luxe Design accounted for the gift portion of the evening when I had the Chiquita’s over for a joint birthday party. These gifts had been planned months in advance and were too similar to have the gift giving spaced out. Luxe is another one of my great finds from the One of a Kind Spring show in Toronto. I first became aware of them when I clicked onto the link from the One of a Kind website to theirs. It sounded like a great idea and I knew I had to check them out at the show. When I did not count on was not being able to get to the counter at their booth! It was a madhouse. Looks like Luxe is a show favourite. I did what any sane person in that situation would do, I stuck my hand in and asked for a card. Trust me, it was the safest thing for all involved.

Luxe Design is so fantastic because they make necklaces and other types of jewelry that have great words, phrases, names, etc, on them. There is a selection of various shapes and sizes for both pendants and chains. You can choose from a list of words on their site or you can create your own. They are very flexible so ask for whatever you want. If they can’t do it, they will let you know.

For my married friend with children I had the names of herself, husband and children on one side of the pendant. For my other friend, I had “Friends are Forever” stamped on the first side. For all of us, the back was stamped with the three of our names tying each of them together and unique to the three of us. As for myself, I went with the popular words of “Dance, Dream, Trust, Believe”. It was a great personal, unique and memorable gift. Thank you Luxe for making such wonderful keepsakes for all of us.

Luxe Design

Vancouver, BC

ph 604-602-1921

luxe@luxe-design.com

Visit their blog at: http://luxedesign.blogspot.com/

Somerset Collection

2008-09-11T11:06:00.004-04:00

One of my favourite malls to shop in is Somerset Collection in Troy, Michigan. I used to think of it as my own special shopping secret, but in the past few years several co workers and friends have made the Somerset connection. Having added Somerset North to the mall over 10 years ago, it really is one stop shopping for anything you could possibly need.

Anchor department stores include; Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue, and Macy’s. Speciality stores include your everyday shops like Fossil, Express, Victoria Secret and Bath and Body Works in addition to some harder to find retailers like Anthropologie. There are several restaurants to eat at. My favourite is California Pizza Kitchen. Out of all the shopping I do in the States, this is the only mall I go to with a CPK and to only be able to eat there once a year is torture but well worth waiting for. I highly recommend the Santa Fe Chicken pizza or the California Club with avocado.
Somerset first started off as a small mall with some very high end exclusive shops. This was expanded later on to include J. Crew, Armani Exchange, Crate and Barrel, Tiffanys and Barney’s New York to name a few. It is now called Somerset South, with no shortage of luxury retailers to choose from. Lululemon is the most recent addition to Somerset South. Judging from the amount of Lulu bags I saw last time I was there, our American counterparts love Lulu as much as we do. Somerset North is where you’ll find all the stores your used to seeing in everyday America malls. The highlight of the mall is the moving walkway over Big Beaver Road that connects Somerset South and North. From Gucci to American Eagle, there is something to be found at Somerset Collection for everyone. My only complaint is that I don’t live closer!

SOMERSET COLLECTION

2800 W. Big Beaver

Troy, Michigan

48084 2 Miles West of the I-75, Exit 69

248.643.6360

Fan Mail from Fuzz Ball

2008-08-26T09:31:00.006-04:00

Wow, Not A Shopaholic has received her first piece of fan mail. A devoted reader asking my opinion on hair products! I am so happy I think I will go to Danier and buy myself a leather blazer to celebrate. Oh wait, I've already done that. Guess I'll just answer the question then. If you have a question for Not A Shopaholic, you can email me at notashopaholic@gmail.com.

Dear Not a Shopaholic

I recently purchased the Ojon 5-piece Hair Ritual Kits for about $80(!)

The product promises:

restores, softens and adds shine to dry, damaged hair
restores manageability, eliminates static and frizz
provides protection from thermal styling and combing
keeps hair healthy between deep conditioning treatments

I’ve used the products twice now (shampoo, conditioner, repair treatment, leave-in-treatment & styling product). Followed all the directions and even kept the treatment on my hair overnight as suggested.

After the first use, my hair did felt softer but it was the frizziest it had been in months. After the second use, my hair still felt soft, but again it is still frizzy, even after using additional styling products.
The smell is very unpleasant. It reminds me of stale cigarette smoke. Have you heard of anyone else using this product?
Shouldn't $80 for hair products entitle me to products that work?

Sincerely,
Fuzz ball

Dear Fuzz ball
I sympathize with your problem. I have not used this product nor have I heard of anyone else I know using it. I have also purchased beauty products that made all sorts of promises and have been disappointed almost every single time. This lead me to hunt down reliable information so I would no longer spend money on overpriced products that do not work. Paula Begoun-the Cosmetics Cop, has spent many years dispelling the myths and exaggerations of the beauty industry. There are good products out there, we just need to know what to look for. You can log on to Paula's site and get some of her reviews for free or pay the membership price and get access to thousands of reviews. Or you can buy the latest edition of her book "Don't Go To the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th edition". I have an earlier edition and consult it before I buy new products. There is also a newsletter you can sign up for to get weekly/monthly updates delivered to your inbox. It is up to us to educate ourselves and Paula's website is a good place to start. Good luck.

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/

Lollicakes for Your Life

2008-07-28T15:26:00.006-04:00

In July I threw a joint birthday party for my two closest girlfriends, Chiquitas 1 & 2. I had been planning it for months between the gifts, cards, birthday cake, and the dinner. As an alternative to the tradional birthday cake, I decided to go the Lollicakes route for something different, fun and unique.

I first saw Lollicakes at a Toronto Home show back in February 08. I thought it was really cool but at the time didn't think I had a need for it, until I started throwing this party together. It became obvious Lollicakes would make the perfect birthday cupcakes. They do custom orders and could probably accommodate almost anything you want. I had a small order so I did the walk in thing and designed my own right on the spot. Now, I like to think that I am creative and decisive, but I have never had to look at 50 different jars of sprinkles, 6 colours of frosting and design my own cupcakes. Then pick out a painted chocolate lollipop to add a fun look. They were certainly memorable birthday treats. And the girls just loved them, like I knew they would. The reaction of women in their 30's and those of small children to cupcakes with lots of frosting and sprinkles are pretty similar.

Their website has great images and the store also has a binder of pictures that you can look through for some ideas. Anyway, I finally made up my mind and the the finished product is in the image included. I'm pretty sure it was their best birthday ever. My only problem is how I'm going to top it for next year. I wonder if Lollicakes will make me some double decker cupcakes for next year? Maybe after reading this they will!

Lollicakes are peanut free and certified kosher. Lactose free, wheat free and other dietary requirements can be accommodated. Just give them a call and speak with them directly. Everyone needs some Lollicakes in their lives.

Lollicakes

559 Mount Pleasant Avenue

Toronto, ON

ph: 416-482-2253
info@lollicakes.ca

Glam-o-rize Yourself

2008-07-22T16:03:00.014-04:00

Here's a tiny confession from a non shopaholic: this year was the first time I've ever attended the One of a Kind Show. Shock, horror, and dismay; this accurately describes some of the reactions I got from my friends when I shared this tidbit of news. If ever there was such a perfect event for me to attend, it was the One of a Kind show. Glam Julz is one of several great finds from that show. I have continued to shop from here since the show and Monica and Karen are delightful to work with.

With jewellery in mind, the One of a Kind show did not disappoint. I picked up my now favourite necklace of all time from Glamjulz. A small company from Burlington, ON., run by Monica Graves and her staff, Glam has the most beautiful baubles and gems any girl would love to have. And so affordable! A variety of necklaces, earrings and bracelets graced the counters at Glamjulz. It was quite difficult to make up my mind. My first purchase was the blue, white and granite strand necklace. It devastated the Glam girls to have to give it up, but I promised them I would give it a good home and I think they would agree that I have. It really is the necklace that goes with everything. And the amount of compliments I get! Every time I wear a Glam piece, I always have someone commenting on it. Goes to show you the uniqueness and beauty of their pieces.

At a later date, I visited the Glam studios to see if they could make a necklace to match a dress I was going to wear to a friends wedding. Sure enough, after much consultation, the circle necklace with stones was created with the matching earrings. Several other items were purchased and I wear them all the time. Every piece elicits compliments from complete strangers. Just the other week, a Country Style employee offered to trade me a cup of coffee for my Glamjulz necklace. As much as I love Country Style coffee, nothing could make me part with my julz.

You can view the vast Glam assortment in their online catalogue. A comprehensive lists of stores that sell Glam can also be found on the website. I promise, you'll never be the same. Go ahead girls, Glam-o-rize yourselves!

Glamjulz

Burlington, ON

Monica Graves-Designer

ph: 905-467-7904

designgirl@glamjulz.com

Bath and Body Works to Open 6 Stores in Canada

2008-07-10T15:02:00.003-04:00

Well its about time. Thank you to my BBW obsessed friends who forwarded me this great news a short time ago. Limited Brands has announced that they will be opening 6 Bath and Body Works stores in Canada this fall. We Canadians no longer have to make that trip across the border to stock up on our favorites. My friends and I had an understanding that whoever was making a trip needed to check with the others to see what they wanted. Now we can all buy our own!
No telling what the retails will be in our Canadian Dollar parity world. It still may be cheaper to stock up in the US. We'll have to wait and see. This is good news for all and its been a long time coming.

This non shopaholic can't wait to see what US retailer breaks ground on our soil next. I keep my fingers crossed for J. Crew. Happy Shopping!

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpposted/archive/2008/07/10/bath-amp-body-works-coming-to-canada.aspx

Buying Your New Eyes Online

2008-07-09T17:14:00.004-04:00

A recent change in my eye prescription sent me off to the mall to get quotes for new eye glasses. Because I switch back and forth between glasses and contacts, I wasn't looking for anything fancy or expensive in my glasses. I have to say the prices I was quoted for bare bones glasses-cheap frames and none of the coatings-was shocking. The average price I was given was $300, which is the total my benefits covers. This means I would have been footing the bill for all of my contacts for the next two years.

To get a better price, I took my search to the internet and stumbled upon Clearly Contacts.ca and their trial pack glasses. I have to say that eyeglasses falls into the category of "Things I Never Thought I Would Buy Online", but this was pure desperation. I actually started looking at the site for contacts and then checked out their glasses section. What I found there has saved me hundreds of dollars.

Clearly Contacts.ca offers a trial pack of glasses frames. Certain styles of frames are eligible for this program. You can select up to 4 frames to be shipped to you to try on at home. I ordered my frames on Wednesday and had them the next day. This is impressive considering I live in Toronto and they were shipped from BC. Clearly Contacts covers the cost of shipping the trial pack to you and the return back to them. My four frames were in the box as well as an order form and a return label.

I selected the frames I wanted, marked them on the order form, put a copy of my prescription in the box and dropped them in a mail box to be returned to BC. Less than two weeks later, my new glasses were sent to me. The total cost, around $100. This included the frames, lenses, anti scratching coating and anti reflective coating. A bargain any way you look at it.

Orders over $99 are free shipping. You pay for your order within 15 days of receiving the product. A number of different ways to pay give the customer a lot of options and add to the ease of the process.

Their prices for contacts are pretty good with volume discounts for purchasing multiple packs and an auto refill option if your one of those people who forget how long you have been wearing your contacts. We are all guilty of this.

I have forwarded this website to several friends and co workers. Who doesn't need to save a bit of money these days? Its nice to know we have options. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

https://www.clearlycontacts.ca/glasses/index.ep

Introduction

2008-06-25T16:10:00.000-04:00

Hello Fellow Bloggers
This is my first foray into the blogging world. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and great finds with you. My intent is to focus on cool, unique, and fashionable products, services and websites that I stumble upon. I am always on the hunt for cool unique things and wanted a way to share this information with others. I hope you enjoy my blog posts.