stores I’ve visited

Repetto, Paris

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I made a point to visit Repetto in Paris.  Rose Repetto started the French ballet shoe company in 1947.  It’s not just ballet shoes, they sell handcrafted flats and heels, that are oh so beautiful.  Made for dancers, Repetto knows how to make a comfortable heel.  I bought the black t-straps, and I love them.  Much cheaper to buy them here than in boutiques in Vancouver, you can request your tax back too and they’ll give you receipts to send in to get that money back.  There was a bit of a line to get into the store, but the wait was less than 10 minutes, and the service inside was excellent.  They know their stuff!  Wrapped in pink tissue and a beautiful black shoebox, and put inside a shopping bag with pink ribbon at the top was a special little touch.  I am a fan of a good deal of course, but sometimes you can’t beat the quality of a well-made shoe, and after 65 years in business Repetto is still going strong!

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London, day 4

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Shopping day!

I love finding good places to shop when traveling….obviously.  I really like COS in London, stands for Collection of Style and started in 2007.  Check out their website here.

I couldn’t leave without the navy and grey striped dress, and if you’re  pear shape like I am, it’s a great fit.  Goes in at the waist and flares at the bottom so as to hide the JLo booty, exactly what I need!

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London, day 3

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Wow, there was a HUGE gap between London day 2 and day 3.  Sorry about that, WiFi isn’t always so accessible when traveling.  Hmm, ok so where was I?  yes, right day 3 in London!  How about some cupcakes from Hummingbird Bakery?!!  So you know my two FAVE cookbooks of all time Cake Days, and Hummingbird?  Well they are based on the actual bakery on Portobello Rd in Notting Hill, London.  I have been told, or rather, I have read that cupcakes are out of style?!  Wait…what?  How can something so delicious go out of style?  I mean, it’s not as if we’re talking about slouch socks or stone washed denim, which sadly are being employed by ultra cool hipsters these days….but cupcakes?  out of style?  I don’t buy it!  What I will buy, and gladly pay for are two deliciously delicious cupcakes from a world famous bakery, well Shane bought…but you catch my drift.  Yum, yum, yummy!

So it sounds like all we did on day 3 was eat cupcakes doesn’t it? hah!  Well besides that, we did a lot of walking in Notting Hill and that was amazing, definitely one of my favourite areas in London, if you come here for a visit make a point to get to this location.  There’s a market that is on Saturdays and it’s worth checking out, beautiful jewerly, scarves, and goodies!  Can you believe I didn’t buy anything?!  Well, my biggest priority was the cupcake of course.  I also walked into Sienna Miller’s Twenty Eight Twelve shoppe.  Very cute, small (as expected) and a bit overpriced.  Love her style though, and it was neat to see in person.

Bye for now,

Jo

 

 

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what to wear on a stroll to powell’s books, portland

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It was a little chilly in Portland, nothing I’m not used to since the weather was very similar to that of Vancouver.  Layers are key, and I kept nice and cozy with my multicolour beanie from American Eagle $20, and my bedouin scarf from Allsaints $90 (purchased over a year ago).  My bomber jacket is a staple in my closet, purchased from Aritzia for $150, boots (also in previous post), are Aldo $60, black skinny jeans are Big Blue purchased from Plenty $79, and the leather studded handbag is an old purchase from Anthropologie, $50.

Did you know that Powell’s books is one of the largest bookstores in the world?  It was fun being inside, all sections were color-coded, and if you go to Portland make sure you take all your old books with you because they will buy them, and you get to use a store credit to buy new ones, what an amazing idea!

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le marché st george

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My friend Kylé always takes me to the best places.  Yesterday with two starbucks in tow, I visited her in her lovely little apartment, and we decided to go for a walk.  If you were in Vancouver yesterday, then you know how sunny and beautiful it was.  There’s no snow on the ground, but you can see the white-capped mountains, and your breath in the air.  We walked through a beautiful cemetery and made our way to Le Marché St.George, an extremely well curated shop and café.  With a great selection of unique foods, and accessories for the home, I couldn’t stop looking at everything.  It was all just so beautiful.

A couple of london fog’s with a hint of holiday liquid cheer (shhhh, just a touch of bailey’s).

yum, olive and cheese crostini.

…and an amazing side of risotto, we devoured it.

 Make sure you check out their website here.

the best macarons I’ve had EVER

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This evening I ate the best macaron I have ever tried.  If you don’t believe me then you need to try for yourself.  Go to Thierry, downtown Vancouver, I promise you won’t regret it.  The service was excellent too.  I feel another 5 lbs coming on, god I love well made food too much.  Thank you folks at Thierry, keep making these delicious treats and you can use that over-exaggerated “french” accent all you want ;)

kate spade new york

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You hear all these designer names, and then you get to finally go into their actual shops, which makes it feel a lot more homegrown than buying their pieces online.  When I visited the Kate Spade boutique, I noticed how boutique-y it really was, a tiny little shoppe with very select pieces, it was beautiful and bright.  I recommend going to have a look if you’re in NYC!  Stay tuned for my list of what to see and what’s overrated in NY.

 

Sabon, NYC

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I walked into Sabon on 5th yesterday, and instantly I was trying the products, and looking like a kid in a candy shop.  This product line is amazing, the block soaps are all handmade, and the scents are light and fresh.  I left with 2 bars of soap and a bottle of scented water, for those days when regular perfume is overpowering.  Visit their website here, they offer free shipping if you spend $100 for US customers, I’m sorry all my fellow Canadians – shipping is always so difficult for us I know.

Frye, SoHo

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If you live in Canada, you know how expensive many things are, especially Frye boots/shoes.  We visited the SoHo store yesterday, and it was beautiful! I was in there for a while, and couldn’t decide which pair I wanted most – there was literally over a $100 price difference between purchasing here rather than in Vancouver.  I am ALL for supporting businesses and buying as much as I can in the country I live in, but sometimes when the price difference is so significant, you just have to go for it.

The store was amazing, there were hay bales, and wood features everywhere.  It was very industrial looking, and extremely clean.  The staff was lovely, and  helpful.  I was greeted the moment I walked in, and the entire process was so smooth and enjoyable.

tahir mahmood

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I came across these amazing mortar and pestles yesterday, by designer Tahir Mahmood – a Canadian graphic/product designer and media artist.  Aren’t these beautiful?  If you have someone in your life who enjoys cooking, this would be a great gift – I even just want one for display. Again the bright colours and the texture of the wood is what really grabs my attention.  In Vancouver, I found them at Homewerx in South Granville.

my etsy faves

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I love Etsy, along with so many others.  You can get lost in an online shopping mecca of vintage and handmade treasures.  This week, I’m obsessed with the below items.

The typewriter pendant is from GWEN Delicious Jewelry, the scale is from Little Dog Vintage, the jadeite (my favourite) is from Beatrice inBlue Vintage, and those beautiful, romantic earrings are from The Atelier.

 

Colorful Petunias watercolor painting, at WatercolorbyWinnie 

 

 Parisian Street Scene, 1970s at Shop MichL.

la-chouette at Irina’s Shop

a visit to fort langley and memory lane

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I love going to antique stores, and as it happens Fort Langley (about 45 minutes out of Vancouver) has an antique mall and a variety of fun little shoppes.  It was such a nice adventure, and looking at a lot of the aged pieces brought back memories, especially the collection of Hardy Boys books!

Love this blanket, I am all about bright colours and texture.

The painting is not vintage, but I love the folksy feel – it makes me happy!  Love it.  The artist is Ilona Fekete, she’s from BC, and the prices range from about $200 to $600.

Look at these fun tins, I want a collection of them to decorate with.

And I have a thing for vintage toys.  They made them way better back then.

These are not actually old, but they fit the mood – there were so many cute little shoppes with a variety of things.

Felt balls, look at the gorgeous colours.

And these are little ceramic mushrooms, so cute!

 

Oliver + Lilly’s

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When you think of boutique shopping what comes to mind?  In Vancouver’s South Granville there’s an amazing little shoppe.  You walk in and instantly feel the warmth of the store and the people in it.  Carefully curated, the assortment of product is spot on – they don’t have a million of everything, and there’s space to move, no clutter here.  I bought a cozy sweater from Oliver + Lilly’s, and I love the clean simplicity of a lot of the pieces, many of them wearable for seasons to come.  My favourite piece in the store has to be the AMAZING statement necklaces on the hangers (in the below photo), definitely going on my wish list for Christmas – yes, I still make those.  Thanks Oliver + Lilly’s, and see you tomorrow ;)