Happy Portobello Holidays!

The Portobello West Fashion and Art Market has organized a couple of special weekend-long holiday markets!

The market, which usually takes place on the last Sunday of the month at the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station in Vancouver, will be holding additional holiday markets on the last Saturday AND Sunday of November and December, from noon to 6pm.

Check out their website for more details: http://vancouver.portobellowest.com/When/When.php

One of a Kind

If you're like me, you love having clothes and jewelry that aren't just like every other girl's. You search out original items to make you stand out. People are always asking me where my jewelry is from, and usually my answer is "Portobello West."

But that could change after next weekend's One of a Kind Show and Sale (Thursday October 8th to Sunday October 10th at the Vancouver Convention Centre). Over 200 artists from across North America will be exhibiting their wares. And you have the chance to buy some of them! Hooray!

This show and sale is perfectly timed to get you started on your Christmas shopping early. I know it's hard to go around only spending money on other people for these few months leading up to the holidays, but it's so rewarding to give unique and beautiful gifts that you know your friends and family are going to love. Didn't your mom ever tell you, "You should always give gifts that you would be happy to receive." Mine did, and I live by it!

Check out the website here: oneofakindvancouver.com.

Keep it in, keep it up!

Don't be ridiculous, I'm talking about belts! They keep your belly in and your pants up!

I've been dreaming of acquiring one of these Catalyst Reaction belts ever since the first time I attended the Portobello West market over a year ago. They're dreamy!

Catalyst Reaction makes beautiful leather (I think) belts with painted (I think) designs on them. Choose from swirls, random objects (buildings, trees, fleur-de-lys, etc), a city skyline, and more! My favourite is the city skyline, and if they're at the June market I may finally make my purchase.

Catalyst Reaction also makes a variety of leather cuffs and belt buckles. You can check out their web site at www.catalystreaction.ca, but sadly they don't seem to have any pictures of their work on their (except the one picture on the home page). You'll just have to go to the market, or one of the many local shops that sells their stuff, and check it out there!

It's Always Good to Plan Ahead

So I've been checking out the Portobello West web site to see what I might like to get next time. My mom always taught me to plan ahead and never spend money on a whim (see, mom, sometimes I listen to you!).
If I had to pick my top three for jewelry, here we go:

1. billy would designs (www.billywould.com) comes in at number one! I love how they've used wood with metal. Wood just gives such a nice texture, and it's interesting because it's a tad rarer than silver or gold in jewelry.

2. DiSTRiCT THiRTY DESIGNS (www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5622894) comes in second for their shiny metal silhouettes. I love these simple but interesting designs, that could be dressed up or down. Cutesy animals seem somehow more mature when they're cut out of metal, and could be worn everyday or even dressed up! The flowers and trees are even more versatile and could really go with anything. One of these pieces would be a great investment, and I bet I'd wear it all the time!

3. Black Drop Designs (www.blackdrop.ca) comes in third (but definitely not last!) with their unique glass and resin designs. Some pieces are made with photographic silhouettes embedded in glass or resin, and some pieces seem to have bits of stuff embedded in glass or resin. What I love about these is that they aren't huge. Sometimes you see interesting jewelry pieces, but they're so huge they would really take over your outfit. The Black Drop Designs pieces are small enough that they could still be subtle, but I'm pretty sure dozens of people would be asking where you got your jewelry.

So those are my top three picks for jewelry at Portobello West. We'll see what I actually get when I go there! I know it's good to plan ahead, but at a market with so many awesome choices, it's easy to get distracted.

Step Gingerly

There's no need to tread lightly once you've got this jewelry on! Gingerly Designs makes beautiful beaded jewelry from stones, gems, coral, you name it. It's not your typical beaded jewelry.

I don't generally go for giant beads, but these ones were a tad more sophisticated than big beads usually are. As well, this particular necklace's black beads are made out of some nice stone or something that feels nice and cool against the skin.

You can check out more of their designs at www.gingerlydesigns.com
I got my Gingerly Designs jewelry at the Portobello West Fashion and Art Market, www.portobellowest.com

Long time no see!

Well, I feel like a bit of a loser for not posting anything for over two months. I didn't mean to do it!
Thankfully, Sunday was the day for the Portobello West Fashion and Art Market, so I have some stuff to post - because I got some awesome stuff!
Portobello West takes place the last Sunday of every month, so the next one will be June 28th, and of course I'll be there; I still need a belt! Besides, I got a sweater that I can't wear until it cools off here so I think I might get some more summery clothes.
This past week or so it's been super hot here. I'm pretty sure we've been over 25 degrees every day for awhile (celsius)!! I've just been melting in my condo, but I'll deal with that in order to have the gorgeous weather.
Enjoy the sun and I'll see you at the next Portobello West on June 28th. Check out www.portobellowest.com for more info plus links to most of the vendor's web pages.

Granville Island

I have a friend who adores Granville Island. She lives in the valley, and it’s pretty far for her to go to Granville Island. But she goes there often and she loves it. I used to wonder why she loved it so much, but then I fell in love with Granville Island, too.
And what’s not to love?
My favourite part is the French bakery, La Baguette et L’Echalote. I stop there every time to buy a pain au chocolat for the following day’s breakfast. No, it’s not the square meal that I should be eating in the morning, but I always feel like a movie star having a flaky chocolatey pastry and a cup of coffee in the morning.
But, if you are more interested in looking like a movie star, the Granville Island public market also sells fresh fruits and vegetables. Personally, I usually skip over these, because I can buy fruits and veggies nearer to my home. They are kind of heavy, and if I buy them near my home I can weigh down my arms with chocolate pastries and home-made pasta at the market.
Another shop not to be missed is Paper-Ya. If you’re a sucker for cute stationary, like I am, then you’ll be hooked on this amazing little shop. Look out on weekends, though – it is always packed. Sometimes I worry about knocking something over and having to buy it. Actually, I always hope I’ll knock something really nice but too expensive over, and then I’ll be forced to buy it even though it’s out of my budget. That’s just the kind of store that it is!
Another of the reasons that I love to go to Granville Island is because it’s an excuse to take a little boat. Whether you prefer Aquabus or the False Creek Ferries (they both costs the same), you can catch either one of them besides Science World, conveniently located near the Main Street/Science World Skytrain station.
Seriously, what’s not to love?