Happy Halloween & Light Show II Reminder

Happy Halloween friends!

Hope you all have excellent plans for tonight, or that you already did something super fun last Saturday. Just some fun images of some pumpkins a few friends carved a few weeks ago, as well as a reminder that this Saturday is the second edition of "The Light Show", curated by Jen Storey of the YPF, featuring works by a whole whack of great artists.



The show promises to be magical, and from what I saw last night during set up, it will not disappoint. Stop by and enjoy the beautiful glow of handmade lights!

Vernissage Sat. Nov 3, 7pm-11pm

La Chatte Bottée at Headquarters!

Oh you lucky, lucky girls, it's almost time for another Chatte Bottée vintage shoe party!

For those of you who are thinking "what is she talking about?! Shoes? Vintage? Party? Together?!" we are about to blow your minds.

Two lovely girls (Carole & Nika) started their own business just over a year ago gathering together beautiful vintage shoes and boots then hosting monthly parties at which you can go crazy and stock up on all your vintage footwear needs in the convenient atmosphere of a local boutique/gallery/studio.

We all know that sometimes it's fun to go scrounging around in a dusty church basement (although it is NEVER fun to wait in line at Value Village after trekking halfway across the city to get there) but sometimes you want someone else to do the work for you. Not only do these 2 dig up the best goodies from all over Montreal, but they find beautiful things from across Canada and the US.

Their sources are secret, but why bother racking your brain trying to discover their secrets? Why not just head down to HQ next Thursday (the 8th) and pick up a cute pair of vintage shoes or boots, sip some wine, eat some snacks, and chat with some other stylish ladies. HQ is also offering a special discount coupon for the boutique when you purchase a pair of Chatte Bottée shoes/boots. How nice!

Sounds so much more fun than hanging out with the smelly old guy at VV who wants to tell you about his collection of mittens made out of dog hair.

Here's the official event info:

Since the chilly weather is on it's way, La Chatte Bottée and HQ

Want YOU

to report to

BOOT CAMP !

(dit-dit-di-dit-dit-dit)
(that's the old timey sound of a message from La Chatte Bottée coming over the radio)

It's official privates: winter is on the battle front. But don't worry! We've thought of your cold weather needs this and have stocked up on a massive amount of vintage boots of all shapes and sizes… not to mention that we'll also be showing off our overflowing collection of vintage shoes. As always, cocktails, munchies and music will be on the evening roster. Bring your friends. ******
C'est officiel les recrues: l'hiver est au front de bataille. Ne vous inquiétez pas ! Nous avons pensé a vos besoins et avons amassé une quantité industrielle de bottes … toute taille, tout genre. Sans oublier que nous avons toujours notre collection massive de souliers vintage ! Comme toujours, des cocktails, des grinotines et de la musique sont au menu.

Thursday/jeudi - Nov. 8th, 6-9pm
cash only ~ comptant seulement for La Chatte Bottée
HQ will still be open upstairs, and will accept all forms of payment for boutique items only

RSVP SVP lachattebottee@gmail.com

Calling all Artists! Time to get publishing!

OK everyone, time to get really excited. I just heard about this great self-publishing site through Apartment Therapy. The site is called Blurb.com, and it allows you to publish your own books. That's right. You make your own book.

There are no minimums (meaning you can print just one book if that's all you want), the books use four colour printing, and you can choose from a few options which will affect the price (ie. book size, number of pages, hard cover or soft cover) Pricing starts at $12.95 for the 7"x 7", 20-40 page book with a soft cover. If you DO start ordering larger quantities, you get 10% off for orders of 10-199 books, and 15% off for orders of 200-400 books.

The site seems well-designed and quite functional. I haven't had time to play with the program yet, but I plan on downloading it soon and perhaps putting something together in the near future.

The possibilities seem endless!! A Drawing Night book? A reference book of vintage textiles? A book of photography? A book as a present? A book of artists work? A book of a trip? A fancy pants portfolio? A book of craft projects? A book of, oh I don't know... WORDS!?

My mind is spinning into an endless vortex....

Woodgrain on the Brain

Yup, I've definitely got woodgrain on the brain. This Joel Dewberry fabric I picked up just has so many uses! First the log pillows, then the woodgrain owl, and now I've used all the small leftover pieces to make little tree stump pincushions.



They're filled with a mixture of regular polyfil and lentils, so they're heavy enough to stay put while you're trying to pull out a pin with one hand and hold the fabric in place with another. They also come with a little clump of pins.



We'll be selling them in the store starting this week, and we'll also have them at the Souk @ SAT (Montreal) and Ladyfest (Ottawa) craft sales in December. 12 bucks will put you in the good books of your favorite sewing friend!

A new friend at HQ

I have a new little friend that will soon be spotted at HQ, and at our table at the Souk at SAT this December. I was going to bring this little guy right down to HQ as soon as I made him...but he really wanted to stay at home. So I'll be making more in the woodgrain fabric, as well as a bunch in fun vintage fabrics, and even some hoity toity ones made with fur from recycled fur coats for the "feathers".

Kind of reminds me of the owl from Mr. Dressup... but not a painting, obviously.
I couldn't find a clip of that owl (with the creepy moving eyes), but here's a clip of Mr. Dressup anyways. Happy Friday!

Outfits of the Week: Oct. 26/07

The girls were in a bit of a mood these last few weeks. I tried and tried, but they wanted to wear matching outfits the whole time, and wouldn't let me change them. I'll be giving them a talking to this Saturday, it's time for something new girls!



Navy dress by Valerie Dumaine (Montreal), vintage brass enameled necklace, Amika striped top (Montreal), Roadkill leather wallet (Montreal), vintage metallic leather shoes (not shown)



Black dress by Valerie Dumaine (Montreal), vintage brass enameled necklace, Amika white burnout jersey blouse (Montreal), Roadkill leather wallet (Montreal), vintage metallic leather shoes

Get ready crafters, you're gonna love this...



You know how sometimes you have a dream that you did something, and then when you wake up you can't remember if you actually did it or not? Well, I've had that feeling about blogging Supernaturale for awhile, and I finally came to the conclusion that I HAVE NOT previously told you all about Supernaturale, so people, prepare to be impressed. Anyone that loves HQ will likely have found a new fave with this site. Here's how the site describes itself:

"SuperNaturale is an independent site dedicated to the Do It Yourself culture in all its glorious forms. From simple afternoon home improvement projects to radical lifestyle choices- we love them all. We celebrate ingenuity, creativity and the handmade.

We publish an online magazine, host an active bbs (Glitter), and have a group blog (Glimmer). Simply put they are a hybrid, a chimera, a liger—a radiant community with great editorial content.

Why do we do this?

Excellent question! This kind of alt DIY stuff is just in our bones. Everyone at the firm makes things both at work and in their spare time. One of us is building a beach house, another is a Triumph motorcycle enthusiast, and the third cuts teeny tiny couture clothes out of scraps of fabric. It's hard being children of the 70's. In short we do it for love."

And there you have it, Supernaturale! Oh and also, even though it's not mentioned up there, Tsia Carson (one of the head editors of the site) also wrote the awesome book "Craftivity" which we carry at HQ, one of my faves.

Sorry for the tiny pic, my lunch break is almost over,
and I couldn't find a bigger one right now.
Just come down to the store and see it in person damn it!

I just generally love going to this site to rev up my crafting engine when I'm feeling a bit lazy or need to get jarred out of a CSI induced stupor. This is inspiring stuff people, so go have a look, and then get crafting, then bring your stuff down to HQ, and we'll sell it all for a million dollars and all become rich ....

ok maybe not that last part.

www.supernaturale.com

Honey Flower at HQ

For those of you who have been down to HQ, you know we have all sorts of clothing, and accessories and art. For those of you who know Tyson, you will know that not only does he love art, but he loves some good bath time as well. (teasing Tyson via Blog never ceases to amuse me...)

So it stands to reason that we're very happy to welcome to the HQ family a line of body care products made right here in Montreal by Angela MacKenzie, who also happens to be a very nice girl, who also happens to have a very cute dog. Here's a little company info, a lot of which I stole from Angelas website:

Honey Flower Natural skincare and bath products are handcrafted from the highest quality natural and organic ingredients. They are committed to providing customers with non-toxic & ecologically sound alternatives to mainstream skincare products. In this way they are doing their part to ensure the health of our fragile planet, while they continue to create products that are indulgent, fun and affordable. Sounds like perfection to me!

The Honey Flower skincare line is created without using chemical preservatives, artificial colorings & scents, petroleum products and other toxic ingredients that may cause harm to our customers & the environment. Everything is made in small batches and at low temperatures, which keeps all the ingredients fresh. Tyson and I really liked the fact that Angela feels it's really important to use quality glass & metal containers, and the use of plastic in their packaging is reduced whenever possible. They also use fair-trade and locally produced ingredients and their products are never tested on our animal friends (of course!!). Honey Flower looks and smells so tasty you will be probably be tempted to have a taste (Tyson tried, it wasn't bad at all!)

Stories in the media that called to question the safety of many ingredients used in the cosmetics industry lead the founders of Honey Flower Natural Skincare to consider the possibility of a sustainable alternative to bath and body products. In the search for these alternatives they discovered that many of the products currently marketed as ‘natural’ didn’t match their particular ingredient or sustainability expectations. After performing a bathroom shelf detox, Honey Flower creator Angela MacKenzie took her combined interests in aromatherapy, arts and crafts, and her love for lounging in the bathtub to the next logical place… her kitchen! She started experimenting with everything from tooth powder to cold cream and began taking product suggestions from family and friends. Eventually, (after many a trial and error) she had a product line that she was satisfied with. Her partner, James, is an active part of the company and happily offers his services for everything from lip balm tester to inventory specialist.

So now on to the nitty gritty, what products does Honey Flower make? Well, I suggest you go straight to the website for a complete listing of products, or check them out next time you're down at HQ, since we have a pretty full selection. But to whet your visual appetite, here are a few of the goodies:

Lip balm in Chocolate Truffle or Cool Honey

Lavender Mint Body Scrub

Cocoa Creme Body Butter

Flower Candy Facial Cleanser

Although I don't have a photo of them, Honey Flower has also started making these amazing bath bombs. My friend Jill picked up a few at Puces POP, and just told me last night how AMAZING they are, and that we should get them at HQ. To which I replied "done! We already have them"

Highly recommended by my friend Jill, what more could you ask for?

Worn Shorts: This Saturday, Oct. 20th, 2007

When: October 20th, 9pm screening of the wonderful short films at 10:30
Where: The Main Hall, 5390 St-Laurent

Worn Fashion Journal is launching issue number 5 with a bang! After putting forth the open invitation for filmmakers and fashion savvy folks to knock their heads together and come up with short fashion related films, the fruits of their labors are complete and ready to be shown! In addition to being shown at the 5th issue celebration this saturday, Worn has also compiled a dvd of the videos that will be for sale at the launch and on wornjournal.com.

Wear your (fashionable) shorts to watch short films about fashion, then stick around to dance to some vintage vinyl.

5$ cover includes issue 5 and a night of fun!

www.wornjournal.com

Outfits of the Week: Oct. 16, 2007

I know I know, I've totally been slacking in the outfits of the week dept. I'll try to pick it up a bit, now that most of my travelling for fall is over.

Tan wool cape by Roadkill (Montreal), brown/cream jersey dress by Valerie Dumaine (Montreal), copper locket by A Heart Apart (Toronto), vintage copper leather belt and vintage brown leather boots.

These capes are such a great thing to throw on when it's a bit chilly but you're not ready for the full out winter coat. They also look great over a blazer.


Tunic top by Amika (Montreal), beige linen/cotton shorts by MX Jeans (Montreal), teal tights by Bodybag (Montreal), teal/black/white purse by Hoakon Helga (Calgary) and teal vintage shoes with snakes by F.S.U. (Montreal)

This purse by Hoakon Helga has an inside just as nice as the outside!

We're back!

How to feed a million people in a garage, Starbuck style, salads, meat, buns and beer
(that's Starbuck, the town I'm from, NOT "Starbucks" the coffee shop, smartie pants.)

We did it, we survived yet another trip to the Peg. So nice to see all the family and friends, and have everyone else cook for us (oh wait, I don't cook here either, thanks Tyson!). A HUGE thanks to Marc Simard for watching the shop AND our dog while we were gone, we owe you!

I went to one of my favorite secret places for fun old things, and boy oh boy, do we have some goodies for you guys!

-Vintage high waisted jeans. check.

-Fabulous vintage shoes and booties. check.

-Vintage fabric for me to sew lovely things out of. check.

I'll try to post some pics and more info about these wonderful things this week. For now, pop in and check out all the new fall stock we received from pretty much every single one of our indie designers! Tyson is freaking out trying to get everything into the inventory system, and is probably running around in circles right now trying to find a place for everything.

Glad to be back, we missed you all!

xoxo
Angie

Tomorrow Night, support the Main Hall!

The ladies from Chatte Bottée are at it again! Their monthly vintage shoe party is tomorrow at the Main Hall on St. Laurent. Vintage shoes and boots from around the globe, all in one night of shoe shopping fun. Come have a cocktail, meet some enterprising ladies and leave with a pair of vintage shoes or boots. As always, cocktails and munchies will be served.

To make the event extra special, the regular Chatte Bottée shoe party has been expanded into an all out girl fest, aptly named Babes Bazaar. On top of all this, it's a benefit! Donations will be collected to keep the Main Hall rockin'. Come check out goodies from these designers and creators:

La Chatte Bottée, vintage shoes
Ecochic t-shirts by I (heart) Kyoto
Bags by Posch
Designer clothes by Valérie Dumaine
Catchframes by Hilary Thomson
Posterchild Jewelry by Shauna Sen
Recycled leather handbags and belts by Deborah Adams
Totes, jewelry and lovely things by Questions for Dresses
All Natural Hand Made Beauty Products by Honey Flower

Tyson and I will be in the Peg (see previous post) so go have fun for us!

That's it, back to Winnipeg!

"The Nonsuch", a replica ship, and one of the best damn museum displays ever.
Hopefully Tyson and I will have time to visit the
Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature while we're back.

Tyson and I are off to Winnipeg tomorrow, so no more blogging 'till next week. I'll be searching high and low for special vintage finds (boots, belts, purses?), and hopefully picking up some special vintage fabric for sewing projects. Never fear though, HQ will still be open on Friday and Saturday, under the watchful eyes of Marc Simard (creator of Broundoor leather wares). We'll be closed Sunday and Monday though, sorry folks!

Scott Harber Vernissage: Sat. Oct. 6, 2007

Heroes,

Volvos,

& Hairy Legged Ducks

It's time for another vernissage! This Saturday (tomorrow) is the opening party for the Scott Harber show "Heroes, Volvos and Hairy Legged Ducks". All the show info is right up there in the corner of the blog (look up, then look right, and you will see a ninja. Welcome to Scotts world)

So stop by Puces POP tomorrow during the day, take a little dinner break, then come over to HQ for some drinks & great art!

xoxo
Angie & Tyson

Camion de Pompier: Custom Toy Show

If you're looking for something fun to do tomorrow night, head down to the custom toy show at the new toy-store in town, Camion de Pompier. Olivier has pulled together a kick-ass group of artists, each of which customized a BUD or Nade vinyl toy (see image below) in any way they wanted. The show is tomorrow night (Thursday Oct. 4th) at Camion de Pompier, 317 Ontario Est. #1. (514.656.8311)

Here's a list of JUST A FEW of the artists taking part (notice Tyson is on there, way to go Tysie!)

NVC Crew: www.drbao-nvc.blogspot.com
Omen: www.omen514.com
Rupert Bottenberg: www.felinobytes.com/rupertbot
Inksecticid: www.myspace.com/inksecticid
Dale Hayward: www.ostrichindustries.blogspot.com
Rémy Larochelle: leoetchoc.com
Tyson Bodnarchuk: www.hqgalerieboutique.com
Fred Caron: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbU7BXLI-qE
Frenchie: forums.kidrobot.com/viewtopic.php?t=75509http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Mélanie Baillairgé: madamedgar.wordpress.com
Fantom: www.burnemall.com/writerz/writerz.php?writerz=Fantom
Dulciane Desautels: www.dulciane.com

I'm a big jerk

I was supposed to post these pics from one of our new designers, Sam Stoncius, weeks ago! Sorry Sam, I'm a big jerk!


Samantha Stoncius is from Toronto, but is currently in school here in Montreal studying, you guessed it, fashion. We have to give her props for being a full time student and putting this collection together over the summer, way to put in the hours! (she designed and sewed it all with her own two little hands)


As you can see from the pics Sam is going for a femmed up punky look with her fall collection. I like the hits of flouro she threw in there too.


Stop by HQ and check out the ruffled and flouro fringed purses she put together as well, since I don't have any pics of them to post here.

Puces POP, this weekend!!

click on the image for a bigger version

The fabulous POP Montreal music festival begins this Thursday with tons of amazing concerts going on all around town. Tyson and I are heading to Patti Smith this Friday, check out the POP Montreal website for a full listing of shows (www.popmontreal.com)

One of the best parts of POP Montreal (for us) is the Puces POP craft sale. It's such a fun event to take part of for us 'cause we're surrounded with so many of the wonderful artists/designers we work with at HQ, it's a great chance to meet new designers that could potentially join the HQ family, and it's such a great crowd in general. People bring their dogs, their little babies and kids, the Puces POP team organizes workshops and mini concerts for everyone as well.

All in all, it's a great weekend event, and we hope to see you all down there this Saturday and Sunday. I'll be taking care of HQ during the day on Saturday and Tyson will be manning our Puces POP table, so if you feel like stopping by HQ I'll be happy to see you as well!

Click on the image for a bigger version of the Puces POP event schedule

Also, we're opening a brand new exhibition this Saturday, so stop by after Puces POP to see the excellent work of Scott Harber and have a drink or two. More info on his show is up there in the upper right hand corner of the blog, and I'll be doing a post on it tomorrow.

Hope to see you all at Puces POP!
www.puces.popmontreal.com

Bright and Tight

I'm loving bright coloured tights for fall, check out these fun shots from Facehunter

This is Susie Bubble from one of my other favorite blogs StyleBubble!

Who says you have to match perfectly all the time?
So much cooler like this!

I'm still in love with those yellow/mustard tights!

For some reason I see Yana from Supayana rocking this outfit

Black, white and grey, with that POP of turquoise blue is so pleasing to me!
Plus the gold accessories are the finishing touch.

Love the effect of the tights and skirt in the same colour,
with the contrasting shoes and tough jacket. One of my faves.

There will always be a place for black tights of course,
I like how she wore the patent shoes to create some contrast
between the black tights and shoes.