Antiquing Weekend at Fieldhouse- Oct 19-21

Hello my O'Valleyers!

Just a quick heads up that the bi-annual Antique show is on next weekend! Here is the message from Catherine Knoll, show manager. Please contact her to be added to the email list.

Hope to see you there. Let me know what you end up getting in the comments section below.

Antiquing at The Fieldhouse is coming on October 19-21, 2013

Print this page only (or simply show the ticket taker on your smartphone).

Hello Everyone:

It's a lot! Country pine, Deco, Manhattan glass, reclaimed antique lumber furniture, gorgeous art, designer handbags (typically including Gucci, Fendi & Ferragamo), fun fleas, vintage watches, Persian carpets, haute couture, Maritime carvings, cottage quilts, fine furniture, book & paper conservation, silver accents, vintage clothing, fashion jewellery and fabulous fine jewellery (typically including Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels), plus more (much more)! Retro. Vintage. Antique.

The Fall Ottawa Antiques Show has everything from decorator finds to one-of-a-kinds, from designer stock to just plain fun. For you, your home, condo, or cottage- 40,000 square feet of fabulous awaits you!

Hope to see you there.

Catherine Knoll
Show Manager

Antiquing at The Fieldhouse

Carleton University, Bronson Ave. & Sunnyside Ave., Ottawa K1S 5B6

Friday October 19, 5pm-9pm Saturday October 20, 10am-5pm, Sunday October 21, 10am-4pm

Regular admission $10 Free re-admission Under 18 free (613) 521-1970

Lots of parking available, but no longer free. Please check directly with the venue for rates.

Old Ottawa South Porch Sale- Sept 8 2012

If you are like me and love digging in people's junk, the Old Ottawa South Porch Sale is where it's at!

Similar to it's sister "Glebe Garage Sale", I personally enjoy this event a whole lot more. In the spirit of making lists - here's why:

1. September 8th is cooler weather than May 28th, so you can go farther and longer!
2. Less people around, less crowded so you can take your time a look
3. Less people means you can bargain more ;)
4. Less people means you have access to parking
5. Access to parking means you can bring your car around with you and buy huge things like furniture
6. Less garage sales per capita means you increase the number of garage sales attended (sorry this is my science brain talking! hahaha)
7. The demographic is...older. Which means you have better items for sale (if you like antiques and more interesting things)

So, as much as I want to support this event and invite people to come, I may be shooting myself in the foot by increasing attendance! Just kidding, it's for a great cause! Sellers are asked to donate a portion of their proceeds to OSCA (the guideline is 10%) to help cover costs of various community initiatives.

Don't forget to take advantage of the street sale on Bank street too! Last year Taylor's was serving delicious take-out pulled pork sandwiches for $5! Wonder what they will be serving this year!

Hope you can make it!
Here are some treasures I found last year.

Jumbo mason jar! Great for punches or lemonade.

Copper pots worth big buck$!! Paid $5 for both! Great for even cooking (like making sauce and melting chocolate)

Cute antique storage box for beauty products.

Glebe Shopping Spree Contest

Hello O'valley'ers,
I am happy to annouce that the Glebe construction has ended today!

They have also launched a Shopping Spree Contest until Dec 31 2011.

Here how it works:

1. Get a passport from participating stores
2. Get a stamp/sticker for every $20 spent at participating stores
3. Collect 10 stamps and submit your entry!
4. Win $10,000 dollars to spend in the Glebe!
5. Visit their website incase I am giving you wrong information!

What would I buy with $10,000 in the Glebe? Glad you asked!

• Bose speaker system at the Audioshop
• New pots and pans at the Glebe Emporium
• New jewellery at Magpie (pandora available)
• New bike at Kunstadt sports
• Groceries at Metro Glebe
• Spa treatment at Thann

What would you buy?

It's Antique Show time again!

People always ask me where I get my antiques and why I didn't tell them about it! I want to ask them why they don't read my blog!!

There will be lots to see and buy at the Ottawa's Antiquing Event. Bring your cash and your imagination! This three day event come twice a year and will definately keep you coming back for more. Make sure you book October 21, 22, 23 2011!

Loads of parking (No Longer Free, sorry!!) available at the Carleton University Fieldhouse.
Print this coupon to save on your admission fee.

Contact Catherine Knoll (show manager) to be added to their email list.

There's a new salon in town...

And it's here to stay!

I'm talking about Hair Republic, on Bank Street at Sunnyside Ave. It has an edgy and clean look to it. It reminds me of Mad Factory in Toronto (p.s. they give free hand massages there!!). Everything white, with modern art hanging on the walls... my favourite part is the chandelier that greets you at reception! That's like saying "Hello, how can I make your day shine today?" I. love. shiny. things.

I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle, owner and senior stylist at her new salon.

She is such a kind, warm hearted and friendly person. I walked in, the first day the salon was open to get more information about the place, the type of product lines they sell and to find out what their hair philosophy is. Plus, let's face it, I am the most curious person on arth! Also, I've been finding it difficult to stay faithful to a stylist :S I just haven't found the one!

Michelle explained her salon's unique business model; green, healthy and beautiful! They recycle everything, all the way down to composting the hair! They sell shampoo that doesn't contain harsh chemicals, it's based from natural oils and ingredients. They also offer a rewards program where you collect HR dollars when returning empty shampoo containers to redeem against other products.

I am always looking for good shampoo, because my hair can get really dry. I got my hair washed to test the products before I commit to buying it and got my bangs trimmed too. I can't wait to get my hair done soon!

They haven't even been open for a week yet and they are almost fully booked! I'd say, if you are going to cheat on your stylist, do it with class and go treat yourself at Hair Republic!

Chef Michael Smith in Ottawa

Good morning my O'Valleyers,

Last night was among my "top coolest things I have ever done in my life"! To some people, it may sound lame, to my fellow foodies... they would be more than jealous.

I attended the Ottawa Writers Festival- Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen with Michael Smith. What an experience if you are a huge fan.

I couldn't find anyone to go with me, so I went early to find out more about the event and purchased my ticket on site. $25 to get in, $10 for 2 wine tickets, $33 for his new cookbook.

I paired up with a nice lady that I met, who was also alone. It turns out that she is practically my neighbour! Ottawa is a small world!

So, because we are both early, we get amazing front row seats (by the mic and by the signing table). We each bought the new Michael Smith cookbook, so we can get it signed at the end of the night. And we did!

The host was trying to ask typical "Food Star" questions, but it was quite obvious that Chef Michael Smith had his own (anti-Food Network) Agenda. His "Jamie Oliver" like passion about locally grown food and nutrition literacy (he called it) was the topic for the night. He avoided answering gimmicky questions about his favorite meal or what he would whip up with lacking ingredients from the host's fridge. He focused on the irony of his cookbook, because he teaches us the importance of how to cook without a recipe. He talked about the importance and innate human behaviour of "gathering, preparing and sharing" food. His focus was about "who is at the table, not what is on the table". Lastly, he delivered his "Soap box" speech about the importance of knowing where your food comes from, knowing who has provided you with the food and supporting local farmers so you can tell the story behind the food you prepared. He had strong views, passionate arguments and touching stories. All in all a fabulous conversation!

The night ended with me asking a question about " We see chefs frying with olive oil, what is your stance?" The answer was clear, don't use your good olive oil to fry with, get a cheap one that is not cold press because you lose the quality when it burns.

I got my cookbook signed and tasted the local wine (Yummy shiraz from Navan!) and indulged in the appetizers prepared from his cookbook.

For more information about the Ottawa Writers Festival, click here.

Caribbean in Otttawa!

Time to Celebrate, Caribbean Style!
Carivibe- Celebrating Caribbean Culture in the Nation's Capital!

Saturday, June 18th 2011 at 12:00pm.
255 Centrum, Orleans, ON
Click on the image for more details!

I'll be there for the food, the music, the entertainment and the people!!
Sometimes I feel like I was Jamaican in my past life :)
Hope to see you there Ottawa!