The Story of a Style Bubble

So, I've been humming and hawing about whether to do a post on this exciting thing that just happened to me. It's kind of a "braggy" story I guess, but if you can't brag on your own blog, where else can you I suppose.

I guess if you want to get right down to it, this all started about 2 years ago when I started reading a fashion blog called Style Bubble. The blog is written by a London girl named Susie, who for all intensive purposes is referred to as Susie Bubble. So cute, so fun, love it.

So on and on the months go, I'm reading her blog daily. It's fun, she's experimental with her clothes, loves to layer it on and is not afraid of colour. She also writes posts on a wide variety of fashion topics, not just "this is what I wore today" which I also like. She cares about the history of fashion too, chalk another point up on the list. It's official, I have a style crush.


Then about a month or so ago she writes a post about this crazy "cage" ish dress she's lusting over (the original by Comme des Garcons) as well as this "cage" skirt thing made by Acne jeans, but only for the runway and editorial, not available for sale! So I wrote in her comments that she should put a request out for a custom order on Etsy. But instead of doing that she just shot me an e-mail and asked me to do it, since I've been commenting for awhile on her blog and we have our little sort of internet "connection" that way.



Sooooo long story short, I did the dress, we collaborated and many e-mails were shot back and forth. Many photos were taken and finally the dress was completed and sent off to jolly old England. Sadly I had put in a little extra present for her which was lost in the packaging, but I'm working on a "solution" for that right now (secrets, secrets).



Anyways, for those interested in reading the posts Susie made about this collaboration, here are the links:

A Modern Dressmaking Tale

Just the Beginning

So that's my story, hopefully I'll have more fun collaborative adventures to show you all soon...
Overall though, Style Bubble is a highly addictive blog for anyone interested in something a bit fresher than your average fare. I really love it because for me it really sums up the feelings of excitement and possibility that I always get while visiting London. All hail the Bubble!

www.stylebubble.typepad.com


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Ramones Muxtape

Apologies to all who visited my last Muxtape to find nothing there. There was a glitch in the matrix and it erased everyones profiles. All is fixed and right with the world now, so relax.



This weeks muxtape is inspired by a Ramones tribute band I saw last weekend. So, you'll find a few bands that were heavily influenced by or covered The Ramones.

Enjoy.I love you,

t.
http://hq.muxtape.com/

Puces POP, Spring edition!

Soooooo, what are YOU doing this weekend? Well, I'll be taking care of two (count them) TWO tables for Tyson and myself at the first EVER spring edition of the Puces Pop Arts & Crafts fair! Tysons table will be overflowing with handpainted shoes and purses as well as small pieces of art and greeting cards, while my table (Norwegian Wood) will be covered with my new "stumpy" owls, log pillows, purses, etc.

The good people down at POP Montreal have invited 65 amazingly talented artists and craftspeople to come together at the St. Michel Church Basement at 105 St. Viateur Ouest on Saturday May 31st from 11 am - 8 pm. That's this Saturday, 3 days away!

Then, at 8pm, they're keeping the party going with a massive BINGO GAME with all sorts of great prizes including handmade goods, food stuffs & drinks. Cards will be sold for fifty cents. Food will be served all day and will be lovingly prepared by Church Volunteers. They say they can vouch that their pancakes are THE best breakfast bet in the Mile End, and their wild mushroom and home-made sauerkraut perogies sound like a pretty hot option for lunch or dinner. Personally, I'll be eating up all the perogies, since Tyson will be stuck down at the store. He got to go to Ladyfest, it's only fair!

For a full list of the participating artists, click here



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Outfits of the Week: May 23, 2008

Friday, finally! Here are the outfits of the week for your viewing pleasure (as usual, click on the pics for a bigger version):

First off, here's a bit of a nautical look, classic spring...
Denim/twill dress with removable jacket by Yarncraft (Montreal), necklace with anchor charm by Tilly D'Oro (Montreal), Vintage "knot" earrings, "pirate kitty" canvas tote by Cathy Peng (Toronto) and vintage canvas slip ons (love these! They have a tiny wedge heel made from a woven rope type material, so cute!)

Floral cotton dress by Melanie Renee (California), Wood slice necklace with charms by Norwegian Wood (Montreal), handmade leather purse by Broundoor (Montreal), teardrop hoop earrings by Tilly D'Oro (Montreal), vintage perforated leather shoes (so hot!)

xo
Angie


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New Mirrors, Mouse Pads and Coaster sets from My Favorite Mirror

We just received our latest shipment from one of our favorite US artists, My Favorite Mirror! I've written about Kellee's company many times before, so here's a few quick pics of some of the new designs we got, to add to our usual favorites. (click on the images for bigger versions, as usual)


Above are a couple new designs we've received (artists L-R: Art Nouveau wallpaper print, The Black Apple painting, Kaitlin Kuhwald painting) All the mirrors come packaged with a little bag to protect your mirror, and some info about the artist (web site, etc.)

We also ordered a whole bunch of fun mouse pads! Why use a gross old grey mouse pad from staples when you can gaze at the work of a great independent artist! (above, L-R: Eleanor Grosch armadillo, BoyGirlParty chickadee, Jamie Zollars sea life)

And last but definitely not least, we have some new coaster sets! A new design by Emily (aka. The Black Apple). Her latest set is called "Some Girls" which is appropriately images of some of her favorite girls, but also the name of a Rolling Stones album with fabulous cover art.


I've attached an image of it below for your viewing pleasure, but it's so much better in real life, since the lady faces are actually cutouts, with the Rolling Stones faces printed on the inside sleeve, so you can slide it back and forth to change the hairstyles of the guys. Genius. I am lucky enough to own this album, I have public viewings every thursday at 6pm, WITH an appointment. Ugh, soooo not funny.

And here's another fun new coaster set we ordered in this shipment. Kellee (who is the owner of My Favorite Mirror) is also a graphic designer, and she makes cute retro-y designs for MFM, in this case using images from vintage sewing patterns mixed with adorable plaid backgrounds. So sweet!

We have WAY more than I was able to show you all here, you'll just have to dig through them yourself to find the perfect one for yourself or a friend! Mirrors are $8, mousepads are $16 and the coasters are $20 and come in a nice metal tin. These puppies are perfect for little casual presents, or as an add on to a bigger present. Or heck, a present for yourself!


www.myfavoritemirror.com


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Chatte Bottee at General 54 TONIGHT!

Sooo, some people might say it's bad business practice to promote an event going on at another store, but we really like the girls over at General 54, and we really like the girls from Chatte Bottee, and we don't really know all that much about business anyways. I care much more about the population of Montreal having great shoes! So if you're looking for some vintage sandals, pumps or boots to step into spring, get thee down to General 54, TONIGHT!!

Here are the deets:
Thursday May 24th, 6pm-9pm
General 54 is offering 10% off everything in the store! (vintage and designer clothing, jewelry and purses)
Snacks and drinks will be on hand, so come straight from work!


www.general54.blogspot.com


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Flipping for my Flip

So if any of you stopped by HQ on Saturday you probably noticed neither Tyson nor I were there. Well, it was our 5 year anniversary so I thought it would be nice to arrange for our two lovely friends (Jill and Yana) to take care of the shop so Tyson could have an actual long weekend.

The anniversary day was wonderful, and Tyson pulled out a big surprise first thing. A Flip video camera! I'd seen one of these little guys in a magazine and said "ooh, this would be a good birthday present for me..." but the smartie pants got it post haste instead. Turns out they are not available in Canada (not sure why) so he had to order it on Ebay, but it showed up quickly and fully packaged, so no stress there.

"So what the heck does this have to do with me?" you may be asking yourself? Well, it means a much more interesting blog, hopefully. Now that Flickr has added video hosting to it's usual photo abilities, I'll be making small videos and posting them on the blog easy peasy. I believe "the kids" call this video podcasting.

So far my plans are to do:
- Gallery tours for each show we put on
- Designer interviews
- Vernissage coverage
- videos of jokes I play on Tyson
- Studio tours of artists/designers, showing their work process, working area, etc.
- filming my dogs alot. But that won't go on the blog. Promise.

Any other ideas of videos you'd like to see? (keep it clean!) Post in the comments!

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Oopsie!

OK I messed up. You could say I screwed the pooch... although many of you wouldn't say those exact words..... did I mention I'm, like, 5?

Anyway, the new Muxtape is up. Some of you mentioned the link wasn't working properly but I can assure you it is. I'm the problem. I started putting together the new muxtape last week but I didn't have enough time to finish it. So, only a couple of songs were up. Sorry!

This weeks Muxtape is inspired by the awesome weather outside. I'm thinking of dusting off my skateboard and going out... for as long as my knees and back will allow anyway..... which should be roughly half an hour. If we were back in 1988, this is the mixtape I would give you Monday morning at school.

Totally radical!!

http://hq.muxtape.com/

Aria Jewelry does it again!

Our friend Aria, who designs the jewelry collection of the same name has just released her newest collection, and it's gorgeous as usual!


The work this girl puts into sourcing her charms and other components is impressive. Never satisfied with second rate quality, she's always on a scavenger hunt for the perfect size, shape, colour, etc.


Aria is also the talented lady behind the curation of the "Idilio" exhibition which showed at HQ this past April. She organized all the artists involved, and provided the lovely jewelry which they did their painting on. A stunning show overall and a very organized curator to boot, we love that!



We also love how Aria puts in the time and energy to do dramatic photoshoots of her designs. She's been doing this since before we even had HQ, and it shows. Way to go Aria, the collection looks beautiful!



www.bijouxariajewelry.com


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Outfits of the Week: May 13/08

"Outfits Of the Week" two weeks in a row, somebody stop me I'm out of control.

The dress in the first outfit I made sold, so Tyson put together this outfit all by himself, what a guy! Dress by Homebaked Fashions (Montreal), chandelier crystal necklace by Beloved by Sophie (UK), vintage white belt, handmade leather purse by Broundoor (Montreal), vintage Salvatore Ferragamo shoes (!).


Cotton dress with pockets by Yarncraft (Montreal), necklace by Aria (Montreal), vintage black leather belt, vintage white leather mesh slingbacks.

Tuesday Morning Music

A little Tuesday morning relaxing music for you all. I know Tuesdays are not all that much better than Mondays, but a little France Gall might cheer you up! (ignore the weird music at the beginning, the song starts after a bit). Love the the slideshow, it's a bit of an homage to great hair and eyeliner.




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Colourblock my Twinkle Toes!

I've had a longstanding love with colourblocking (and I guess just colour in general) and it is spreading to my feet. We have a few cute pairs of colourblocked pumps and sandals down at HQ, so I thought I'd put them in context with a few fun pics I've saved from some of my favorite places here and there on the magical internet. Hopefully this will inspire everyone to add a little colour to their lives! All our vintage shoes at HQ are between $15 and $30 (most around $20) so there's no need to feel guilty indulging in a colourful treat!

(as usual, click on images for a bigger version)

Image at left: Cythia Rowley shot by the Facehunter
Image at right: shot by the Facehunter

Image at right: shot by the Facehunter

Image at left: Susie Bubble at her colourblocky best
Image at right: shot by the Facehunter

Image at right: shot by the Facehunter


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Mini Squid by Lady Wool

For all those aquatic life lovers out there, here's a little something to delight your senses. These guys are hand knit by local designer Mathilde Sottolicio, and we think they are just soooo cute! At about 5" long, they fit nicely in the palm of your hand.

At $20 a pop for a handknit present these little guys are great! We think they would work wonderfully as a pincushion (although some of you may squeem at the thought of putting pins in the little guy!), as a cute decoration on a present, or just as a little present for your favorite friend (kids and adults alike!)

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Outfits of the Week: May 8, 2008

Hello colour, hello sun, hello Outfits of the Week!
(as usual, click on the pics for a bigger version, gotta get in close and see those details!)

Bamboo (yes, bamboo!) top by Yarncraft (Montreal) with belt tied as neck scarf, vintage tooled leather belt, African print cotton dress by Hastings + Main (India/Africa/Montreal/Vancouver!), vintage eelskin purse with chain strap, white vintage lace up shoes (both options would be great I think!)


Madras plaid halter top by Samantha Stoncius (Montreal/Toronto), linen/cotton shorts by MX Jeans (Montreal), leather and denim "fishscale" purse by Roadkill (Montreal), Coral necklace by Nea (Montreal), turquoise tooth necklace by Liv & Lucy (Ottawa), handpainted shoes by Tyson Bodnarchuk (Montreal)

Soooo......Carla Bruni is a great singer (yes, the model)

Stumbled upon this in my wanderings, I had no idea! Oh and she's also married to French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Who knew?!

Her album "Naive" came out in 2002, so I guess everyone knew, really...

Not Your Grandmas Craft Sale!

CAUTION!!! Copious amounts of linking to awesome handmade sellers to follow:

Once again apologies to my grandma and her craft sales, but we're hauling a carload of our handmade stuff out to Ottawa for the spring version of their "Not Your Grandmas Craft Sale". Tyson will be manning a booth showcasing his amazing handpainted shoes and purses, and my log pillows, owls, pincushions and a bunch of other fun new top secret stuff. The show is THIS SATURDAY (!) so if you happen to be in Ottawa for the weekend, or live there, or have a car and want a mini road trip it's worth it.

The details are:
Where: Jack Purcell Community Center, 320 Jack Purcell Lane
When: Saturday May 10, 2008, 10am-4pm
Cost: $2 admission (plus there's yummy food usually, so bring extra for that, as well as the awesome handmade stuff. Obviously.)

Tyson will be heading out with Marc Simard of Broundoor , Elaine Ho of Roadkill and Yana Gorbulsky of Supayana, but we also happen to know that a few other Montrealers are making the trip (Mike & Devin from Furni, Serah-Marie from Worn Fashion Journal, Angela from HoneyFlower, Sam & Sara from Pin Pals, Dana from Damned Dollies and Hilary from Catchframes). "It's a Montreal jamb-o-roo!" as Tyson would say. I would say it's just plain lots of fun, so head out if you can.

If you're not able to head out to Ottawa though, stop by HQ and say hi to ME, 'cause I'll be sticking around taking care of the shop and hopefully helping many a lovely lady find a perfect summer dress for those hot summer days that are just around the corner...

For more info on the craft sale head to www.ladyfestottawa.com


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New Designs from Vanessa Moore

Hey everyone, sorry for the total lapse in blog posting, I could write out a long list of excuses which I'm sure you're dying to hear, or I could just get on with things. Let's go with the latter.

We're happy to say we just got in a few wonderful new designs from local clothing and jewelry designer Vanessa Moore. She puts a dark twist on all her designs, so here's a little something for the girl who can't get on the cupcake train.

Stretch lace, feathers and metal studs are artfully mixed together to creat luxurious (yet very comfortable) headbands, delicate fabrics are hardened and turned into earrings and brooches, and cute polka dots are turned into retro halters.



www.vanessamoore.com



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Weekly muxtape

I missed last week because I was I Winnipeg visiting my brother and his new baby. As it turns out babies are stupid and dont like mixtapes.

http://www.hq.muxtape.com/