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Gift Guide 2011 - Last 3 days!
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 22, 2011
Three days left till everything is wrapped up and under the tree. We're including the last 3 installments in today's post. Merry Christmas!
Engineers and builders at heart, we've always enjoyed a good puzzle. We're big fans of Castle Logix, where we're given a book of clues that guide us to construct castles with wooden Blocks.
The puzzles are good for all ages and get kids solving problems and thinking logically. A great family game.
Cost: $30
Granville Island, Cambie, Point Grey
The perfect accessory is always a welcome gift. We love the natural wood designed jewelry by Billy Would Designs. Each piece is locally designed and handmade using only recycled and reclaimed hardwood - sometimes even old skateboards.
We love the Raven necklace. Ravens tend to symbolize wisdom and knowledge. We know we'd feel smart wearing one.
Cost: $88
It's always good to get something for the bacon lover on your list. Look no further than Sea to Sky Seasoning's Bacon Salt. Perfect on tomato sandwiches, popcorn, eggs and spinach salad.
There are a variety of other salts available as well - some with Vancouver flair like the Vij's inspired Curry Salt and the pink and fruity Davie Street Salt.
Cost: $5 each, $26 for eight flavours.
Granville Island
Labels: Food, Games, Gift Ideas, Jewelry
Gift Guide 2011 - FOUR days left!
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 21, 2011
It's not quite that time of year, but everybody loves a BBQ. The portable Cobb BBQ Cooking System is in a class of its own - perfect for patios or the beach. Unlike
typical grills, the Cobb can roast, bake, smoke and fry while the safe
cool-to-touch base makes it ideal for taking anywhere.
Cool features include a canvas carrying bag and a stainless steel flavour well that holds and evaporates liquids to provide more flavour to your meats and veg.
The Cobb uses a very little charcoal which minimizes the smoke produced.The grill still reaches over 500 degrees inside, while the base is completely cool outside.
Cost: $124
Find it: Johnstone's BBQ
165 Pemberton Ave
North Vancouver
(PS - Johnstone's is a BBQ lovers paradise!!)Labels: BBQ, Gift Ideas, North Vancouver
Gift Guide: 5 days left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 20, 2011
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| Photo from Meatandbread.ca |
One of the best presents is the gift of time. (And we don't mean a fancy new Cartier!)
Wrap up a note that promises a lunch date for early in the New Year. Take your BFF to Meat & Bread and grab a most delicious Porchetta sandwich. After lunch, spend a bit of time browsing the shops around Gastown.
Find It: Meat & Bread
370 Cambie Street
in Gastown
Labels: Gastown, Sandwich
Gift Guide 2011: 7...6..days left!
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 19, 2011
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| Image from Icebreaker website |
Icebreaker. We love everything from Icebreaker and at their Flagship location in Kitsilano, we've found perfect items for all the people on our gift list. The store in kits has a great selection of their lifestyle pieces that can be work everyday!
Icebreaker has adapted merino wool from sheep that live in the extreme Southern Alps of New Zealand into a lightweight system of all-season wool garments. Layers these pieces in summer and winter. So comfortable and versatile.
Find It: Icebreaker Store, 2089 West 4th Avenue
We love Scandinavian design. We lived a while in Finland, some years back, so Marimekko is one of our favorite spots for gifts.
Their funky tea towels is sets of two are the perfect hostess gift now and at anytime of the year.
Cost: $29
Find It: marimekko in Yaletown
Labels: Clothing, Gift Ideas, Housewares, icebreaker, marimekko
Gift Guide 2011: 8 days left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 16, 2011
Time spent in the kitchen is time we hold dear. Prepping and readying meals with (or for) friends and family is a great way to spend our evenings. For our loved ones that cook, we like to give gadgets.
The microplane grater is the easiest way to add a hint of ginger, the zest of lemon or a dusting of parmesan cheese. Hands down, the best we've tried.
Cost: $23
Labels: Cooking, Gift Ideas
2011 Gift Guide: 9 more days!!!
posted by Lesel, CEO at
,
Every gal could use a little BesoBeso.
The Kaitlin Blue Amazonite bracelet perfectly represents this jewelry collection, where the timeless charm of semi-precious stones is mixed with sparkling 14K gold accent beads. 'BesoBeso is easy layer, love and live in'.
Cost: from $75
Find it: Kiss and Makeup
925 Main Street, The Village at Park Royal
West Vancouver
Labels: Gift Idea, Jewelry, West Vancouver
2011 Gift Guide: 10 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 15, 2011
We love sharing in good cheer. Sadly we are far from some good friends and family. This year we'll be having sparkling wines delivered to homes of those we love and miss.
Prosecco (sparkling wine from Italy) is always a favorite, as it reminds us of fond years spend with amazing friends while living in San Francisco.
Cava (sparkling wine from Spain) is another festive favorite. It reminds us of our travels through Spain and many weeks spent in Barcelona.
Cost: $18 - $25.
Find it: Marquis Wine Cellars, BC Liquor Stores. Labels: Gifts, Wine
2011 Gift Guide - Days Left: 12...11!
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 14, 2011
An oldie, but a goodie. One of our favorite kid's books is Up In The Tree by Margaret Atwood. A simple story of two kids who get stuck in their favorite tree and then are rescued by a bird.
Our copy is decades old. We love the illustrations and the flowing verse.
Cost: $14.95
Find it: Kidsbooks.ca
The holidays can be super busy and we like to put a little ease in our entertaining and our gifting. The Black Olive Jam from Dundarave Olive Company makes the perfect accompaniment to crackers and cheese.
Black Olives are mixed with apple jelly, fresh rosemary and lemon to provide a savory jam with a hint of sweetness from the apple and sour of the lemon.
Cost: $12.95
Labels: Food, Gift Idea, Kids
2011 Gift Guide - Days Left: 15...14...13!
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 12, 2011
A little greenery goes a long way. And these Air plants in lovely little terrariums from Olla Urban Flower Project in Gastown make the perfect gift for the not so savvy gardener.
Air plants live on...AIR (and a gentle misting once in a while). They are perfect just on their own and even better in groups in a glass bowl terrarium.
Cost: from $10.
Find it: Olla Urban Flower Project
235 Cambie Street, Mezzanine
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| photo from Belmondo.ca |
Belmondo Organic skincare is locally made in small batches with whole and all natural ingredients. The base of this skin care line is organic olive oil. Designed to protect, nourish, and enhance the skin's natural beauty, these products contain no preservatives, alcohol or synthetic fragrances.
Packaged in chic small glass bottles, we love the names of the products: 'The Cloud' face cream. "After the Rain" toner, and "The Dew" facial oil. Belmondo makes a lovely addition to anyone's daily routine.
Cost: $10 - $52.
Find It: at Belmondo
and a selection of local retailers.
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Ever since we first came across these at Dream on Granville Island, we've been coveting the orange and blue bicycle belt buckle from Flightpath Designs.
Locally made - these awesome buckles come in styles to suit everyone. Look no further for retro tiger, vintage camera or airplanes, cool song birds and funky flower belt buckles.
Cost: $40
Labels: Belt Buckles, Flowers, Gift Idea, Skincare
2011 Gift Guide - 16 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 9, 2011
Chocolates. Mink Chocolates. Decadent handmade chocolate bars, bonbons and ganache. We love Mink's subtle flavor infusions in perfect rich dark chocolate. Any flavor will do, but for the holidays, the Rum and Eggnog bar suits us just fine.
Cost: From $3.25
Find it: Mink Chocolates
863 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
Unit F-110 Morgan Crossing, SurreyLabels: Cafe, Chocolate, Downtown
2011 Gift Guide - 17 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 8, 2011
With cold and wet weather upon us, dry feet are a must. Vancouver born, Native Shoes are inspired by classic shoe lines and made with the lightest, most comfortable material available. We were stunned when we picked up the Jimmy Boot - it's nearly light as a feather. The Jimmy is perfect for Vancouver's wet weather and the commute up to Whistler.
Cost: $90
Find at: nativeshoes.com and a bunch of local retailers.Labels: Clothing, Native Shoes
2011 Gift Guide - 18 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 7, 2011
The holidays are a time for giving. And helping needy kids is a great place to start.
The Vancouver Sun Children's Fund recently launched a program called Adopt-A-School to assist children in inner-city schools in Metro Vancouver. Under this program, educators at individual schools are identifying their needs and the Fund is helping to raise awareness of the needs and also money to address the issues. Vancouver Sun readers are also encouraged to donate goods such as coats, shoes and gloves to the schools.
The Vancouver Sun Children's Fund is matching every penny donated by readers for the Adopt-A-School program. The Fund was started 30 years ago and is run entirely by staff at the Vancouver Sun, so none of the charity funds are used for administration costs.
One of the easiest ways to help is by 'liking' the Fund's facebook page. For every 'Like' $4 will be donated!
Labels: Charity, Kids
2011 Gift Guide - 19 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 6, 2011
We spend a fair bit of time with crayons in hand, drawing with our small people. Over the years, Scribbles by Taro Gomi's has been our favorite coloring and drawing book, hands-down.
Each page comes with a simple instruction to provide you with a little nudge. We love the creativity this book inspires.
Appropriate for ages 2 to 100. No kids? Consider using it as an interesting guest or coffee table book with a small box of crayons and see what transpires.
Cost: $27
Find It:
RaspberryKids.com
KidsBooks
Labels: Art, Kids
2011 Gift Guide - 20 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 5, 2011
Color Bug by Kevin Murphy is just like eye shadow for your hair. This colored powder will transform your hair in seconds and it washes out just as easily. Currently available in pink, purple and orange, rumor has it that more colors are in development. Gift this to the super-fun gal or guy in your life!
Cost: $20 each
Where: Sutro Salon
473 West 8th Ave (at Cambie)
Labels: Beauty, Cambie, Hair, Salon
Shop Local. Everything
posted by Lesel, CEO at
,
Nearly as soon as it opened, we popped into the Local-E Pop Up Shop in Gastown. Inside we found a great mix of locally designed jewelry, leatherwork, clothing and accessories.
The shop is hosted by Lexi Soukeroff of Daub + Design, who promotes through Grooster from time-to-time. At Local-E, Lexi has teamed up with a stack of great clothing, accessories and jewelry designers --- some are even new to us!
We loved the mixed recycled leather bags from Jola V. Designs and the perfect tote bag in canvas and natural grain leather by The Stowe.
Daub + Design never disappoints and this time was the first we saw of her signature print undies. These (nearly) seamless wonders might be the most comfortable we've come across. A few other local designers include Standing Armed and Mara Gottler
There are a few jewelry designers at Local-E as well. You'll find Meiku Designs and APFYT.
Local-E is only open for a couple of weeks, so visit soon. Interact with the Designers and hear their stories. Shop local - shop Local-E!
235B Cambie Street (at Cordova)
Lower level
December 2 - December 18, 2011
Opened 11am - 7pm everday
Labels: Clothing, Gastown, Jewelry, Leather, Local Designer
2011 Gift Guide - 21 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 4, 2011
Of huge importance to us is great food shared with friends and family. For the foodies in our lives, we gift decadent pantry favorites. Fine vinegar and oil is often on our list and this year we've selected the Gran Deposito Aceto Balsamic di Giuseppe Giusti balsamic vinegar. The Guisti family has been making balsamic vinegar for over 400 years. The product of late harvest and long aging in antique barrels, this thick sauce is intended to be added directly to foods. It's perfect on bbq'd meats, fish, cheese. It's decadent on ice cream.
If you do stop in at Benton Brothers, to pick this up, do snap up some fresh cheese and charcuterie!
Cost: $50
Labels: Cambie, Cheese, Food, Gift Idea, Kerrisdale
2011 Gift Guide - 22 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
,
 |
Grey jacket by Mortar & Pestle
Blue jacket by Little Houses |
There are so many great clothing designers in Vancouver. Just like we prefer apples grown in BC, we like to get our clothes from local sources as well. Mortar & Pestle and Little Houses are both designed and made in Vancouver.
Both lines are classically feminine with attention to fit and detail. Little House has become known for its large collars and asymmetrical fronts. Mortar & Pestle line is designed to be functional, comfortable and practical.
In neutral and durable fabrics, these will be wardrobe staples for years to come.
Where to buy:
Local-E Pop Up Shop, 235B Cambie
adhesif, 2202 Main Street
Labels: Clothing, Gastown, Local Designer
2011 Gift Guide - 23 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 2, 2011
We love the Kikkerland magnetic cable photo and card holder. It's one of our go-to gifts for all occasions.
Super strong magnetics and a sleek cable make this great for any room. It's perfect for hanging photos, kids art, holiday or birthday cards and more. Approx 58" long.
Cost: $8
For: EVERYONE!! Friends, New parents, grandparents, Teens
Labels: Cambie, Gift Idea
2011 Gift Guide - 24 Days Left
posted by Lesel, CEO at
, Dec 1, 2011
We're counting down to Christmas.
Our quick holiday pick #24
We started these paperwhites last week and it only took a couple of minutes to do each one. Presto - one week later they are already 3" tall! We'll wrap with fancy ribbon and bring these as hostess gifts to all of our parties!
How to: here.
Cost: Approx $3 each. (jars $1 each, paperwhites 10 bulbs for $4, ribbon)
For: Hostess, Teacher, Mom, Neighbor
Labels: Flowers, Gift Idea, Holidays
Do You Ski What I Ski?
posted by Lesel, CEO at
,
Happy December! The mountains are open and winter is here. We recently visited the crew over at North Shore Ski & Board to get suited up for ski season. After much deliberation on what to choose, we are super stoked about our new duds.
We picked up the Orage Grace jacket in white and the Orage Alva Pant in lagoon. The Grace jacket is hands-down the most comfortable ski jacket we've ever donned. It feels like it was specifically engineered to fit every curve. Warm and cozy, yet it's technical with a stellar waterproof rating (20,000mm). One of our favorite parts is the soft hand warmer glove that will keep us warm on the slopes.
The Alva pant - known as the 'best butt' pant on the market - is a bit fitted with a narrow waist. This performance pant is insulated, with a high-cut back to keep the snow out and fleece lining where we need it most. We can't wait for our first climb up Spanky's Ladder with these!
On the coziness of Orage, in the words of Vince at North Shore Ski & Board: 'Putting on Orage is like putting on a new sweater from Grandma'. North Shore Ski & Board carries everything you (and your whole family) need to be prepared for another season of epic powder and jaunts in the snow. Go see for yourself! -- LR
1625 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver, BC V7M 2J5
Labels: North Vancouver, Skiing
Engineers and builders at heart, we've always enjoyed a good puzzle. We're big fans of Castle Logix, where we're given a book of clues that guide us to construct castles with wooden Blocks. 
It's always good to get something for the bacon lover on your list. Look no further than Sea to Sky Seasoning's Bacon Salt. Perfect on tomato sandwiches, popcorn, eggs and spinach salad. 
