2021 has certainly been a year for the history books. Although there were many positives, it was a challenging year for so many. We truly hope 2022 is a brighter year that brings peace, joy and a little love.
If you missed the recent artisan markets and craft fairs, there’s still lots of opportunities to support local makers. We are setting out some of our favourite shops that carry a wide range of items that are perfect for gift giving this holiday season. If you haven’t already visited them, check them out in person, or visit them online.
Second Nature Home is a home décor boutique located at 3565 Commercial Street in Cedar Cottage. The store has a wide range of items outside of home décor including jewellery, gifts for the foodie in your life, something cute for the new baby or new mom and much more. They usually have extended hours running up to Christmas. Be sure to pay them a visit.
Plenty + Spare is located at 2168 East Hastings Street. It’s easy to miss by the smells of the bakery next door like will like you draw you to them, but do stop into Plenty + Spare. The have an array of beautiful handmade bath and beauty products along with other gift items brought in for the holiday season.
Giving Gifts is a very cool space located at 4570 Main Street. The store tucked between 30th & 29th Avenue is made of up 5 rooms packed with items from 100 local as well as fair trade artists from around the world. It is a gift giving boutique so you will easily be able to pick up a few gifts for just about any age.
Jackson’s General Store located at 1490 Kingsway (at Dumfries) near Knight Street. This space is the epitome of cool with a distinct retro vibe. Store owner, Mike Jackson, has created an eclectic mix of unique items in store which features clothing, gourmet food, books and if you are looking for a candy fix that is a blast from the past, this is your spot.
The Coast Goods is a sweet shop nestled away in the heart of the residential area at 1302 Victoria Drive. This is great neighbourhood shop that focuses on ethically sourced home decor and giftware again supporting our local independent artisans. Be sure to check them out and give them a follow on Instagram.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention this beautiful shop located at 4391 Main Street. They have an amazing array of home decor items and lots of great things on hand for gift giving. They feature local as well as international artists.
Why it’s important to shop local: For every $100 you spend with a local business, $46 is re-circulated back into the BC economy (vs $18 for multi nationals). Small business re-circulates 2.6 times more revenue in the local economy as do chains.
A recent social media post alerted us to an amazing 12 year old young man living in Riley Park, Jeremy Lynch. Jeremy and his family moved to Vancouver from the UK about 1 ½ years ago. When Jeremy was 4 years old, he decided he loved business and wanted to make money, but Jeremy also realized he doesn’t really need money. At 6 years old, Jeremy learnt that one of his favourite animals the cheetah was on its way to becoming extinct. Jeremy then started making and selling cards to help raise money for the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
Jeremy makes all his own cards and sells them for $3.00 a piece with 100% of the proceeds going to the Cheetah Conservation Fund and now also OceanWise and the International Justice Mission. On good weather days, you will find Jeremy out in front of various businesses on Main or Cambie for an hour at a time selling his cards. If you wish to support Jeremy and purchase his cards, you can also find his cards for sale at a few businesses that host a box in their reception area. We’ve set out below where you can purchase his art cards in person:
The Sellution, 3604 Main Street Pittie Coffee, 3702 Main Street (at 21st) West King Edward Animal Clinic, 3386 Cambie Street Animal Cambie Village Animal Hospital. 510 West 24th Avenue Clearview Orthodontics, #1807 – 805 West Broadway
Jeremy is an impressive young man and has raised a whopping $25,000! As one that has raised funds for various charities over the years, this is no small feat. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Jeremy who his father says “cares deeply about taking care of the planet”. With this much passion and drive at such a young age, we expect he’ll be making positive impacts wherever life leads him.
In the event you missed the recent feature on Global BC’s This Is BC with Jay Durant, we invite you to give it a listen, it’s rather inspiring.
If you didn’t get a chance to hit the Eastside Culture Crawl this past November, don’t fret! This coming Saturday there’s a chance to ditch the heavy crowds from last month and hit the Mergatroid Open House. When it comes to East Vancouver’s art scene many think of the iconic Parker Street building. However, the Mergatroid building across the street also hosts a variety of local talent, from ceramicists to glassblowers and now here’s your (second) chance to see their open studios and do some of last-minute Christmas shopping. With the amount of artisans opening up their studio spaces this weekend, there is bound to be a gift for everyone still on your list. We’ve set out below which studios will be open to visitors this Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Mergatroid, 975 Vernon Drive.
Glassware:
Glassblowers make up the heart of the Mergatroid building. Attached to Terminal City Glass Coop, this building houses a variety of different glassblowers, all having unique techniques and skillsets. Find Dougherty Glassworks, Maria Ida Designs, Scott Mcdougall and Felicia Vandenboogaard in #259 where they’ll be hosting their iconic “seconds sale” – a great chance to find those unique gifts that no one else has, at a discounted price.
Ceramics:
Who doesn’t love receiving pottery as a gift? Find Eikam Ceramics, a Vancouver favourite when it comes to ceramic décor and tableware. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind ceramic piece, visit Firebelly Clayworks at #230 for unique but functional sculptural bowls, teapots and mugs.
Textiles & Fashion:
Are you looking gift for that trendsetter in your life? Check out Bronsino’s handcrafted and bespoke leather bags and accessories. Find their workshop at #225 in the Mergatroid Building. For gifts for someone that loves the West Coast, visit Bettina Matzkuhn at #235 for her embroidered landscapes and cartography inspired pieces.
We are excited to share a new and rather unique collaboration for all the dog lovers. Are you crafty with the sewing machine, or want to learn how to be? ILiveInEastVan is collaborating with ScouterWear, Our Social Fabric and Pets & Friends to provide you with the opportunity to create your own custom dog coats featuring the new reflective LiveInEastVan patch.
If you are a dog lover and have tried to purchase a dog coat off the shelf, you will often find that the fit isn’t quite right. It’s a bit like goldilocks and the 3 bears, this one is too big, this one is too small, but we have solution for a fit that’s just right.
Jill Bartlett, the founder of ScouterWear, has been creating custom dog coats for over 5 years now. Jill soon realized the demand for her custom fit dog coats was high. She put her extensive design and eLearning background to work and launched SewReady Maker Kits. These kits include everything you need to make your own custom fitting dog coat. This gives you the satisfaction of creating something special with your own hands for your furry best friend. Add to that, it’s also a perfectly custom-fit coat that can be worn for years to come.
ILiveInEastVan is providing new custom reflective patches for the ILiveInEastVan SewReady Maker Kits. Our Social Fabric, a local non profit fabric stores that sells donated fabrics to keep out of the landfill, has offered generous discounts on the fabrics for the SewReady Maker Kits. Then we have the amazing organization Pets & Friends which is a local non profit that promotes the healing comfort and companionship of animals through therapy visits in hospitals, care facilities and universities since 1982. Pets & Friends will be receiving 10% of the sale proceeds of all ILiveInEastVan SewReady Maker Kits.
If you already have a dog coat and wish to purchase only the new reflective ILiveInEastVan patch to iron on, or sew on, you can purchase them online in our Etsy Shop – ILiveInEastVan. Are you ready to purchase your ILiveInEastVan SewReady Maker Kit for yourself, or a friend? We invite you to visit ScouterWear to make your online purchase.
Lately we’ve been coming across some amazing young people in our community like Bella Neville Cruz. Bella is 5 years old and has written a children’s book titled From Grandma With Love. The premise is a 5 year old child seeking the love and approval of her Grandmother even when she misbehaves. It is also about the reassurance and unconditional love from Grandma to the child. How many people dream of writing a book? Then along comes Bella at 5 years of age, life goal of many already checked off the bucket list. Talk about inspiring.
On Saturday, December 18th, Bella and her family invite you to their book launch happening in the Grandview Room at Trout Lake Community Centre from 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm. The book will be available for sale in English and Spanish in softcover for $12 and in hardcover in English for $22. We invite you to stop by and support and meet this budding author. You can also follow them on Instagram @bellaandmombooks. If you can’t make the in person launch, books are also available on Amazon.
A beloved Vancouver comedian Graham Clark is set to perform 24 consecutive hours of stand-up from Friday, December 17 at 8:00 pm to Saturday, December 18 at 8:00 pm at Little Mountain Gallery (195 E. 26th Avenue). The veteran comedian is ready to launch into this marathon set with inspiration from his talented team of comedians as they feverishly write jokes for him to read, riff, and rate. Why is he doing a 24 stand up gig?
Funds are being raised for the Little Mountain Gallery’s Eviction Fund with the view to finding a new artist-run venue in which they can perform as an independent comedy centre in Vancouver. They only have use of their current space until January 1, 2022. The hope is that the money raised will be used toward a deposit on rent as well as covering outstanding space costs incurred between a move and opening, transportation of our equipment and basic-level recreation of a functional theatre space.
“Little Mountain Gallery’s closure is a big loss for the comedy scene in Vancouver,” says Clark. “We’ve had two full-time comedy clubs close and another long-time comedy hangout, The Kino, also shuttered.Our comedy community needs a place to really be able to experiment and build new audiences. I will try to keep this in mind when I’m at hour twenty.”
Tickets are $20 and will be available online on at www.standupfor24hours.com. If you can’t attend in person, there will be a Livestream via Twitch.
Shopping local has taken on greater meaning during the pandemic for a number reasons and people are embracing it wholeheartedly which is great to see. There are so many great opportunities to support local with gift giving this holiday season. We are highlighting below some of our great local finds under $75 which are perfect for gift giving this holiday season.
Swiss Bakery, 143 East 3rd Avenue, is a beloved Mount Pleasant destination and long standing business in the community. This year they are offering a Santa Stops Here Gift Box that includes:
1 Stollen (without marzipan) 2 Gingerbread Man and Woman 1 Just Tea Tin 1 Christmas Cookies Pack
Attending Christmas dinner where someone else is doing all the cooking? What a perfect hostess gift to bring. Visit Swiss Bakery to order online. Curbside pick up and delivery is available.
If you are looking for a unique sustainable gift that will last for years to come, consider these wooden lit stars handcrafted by Johnny Defazio of Roman & Ash Design. This star pictured is $60 with lights included. Should you wish a different design or shape say a Christmas tree, Johnny does custom work as well. Feel free to contact him directly via Instagram @johnny_defazio.
Local distiller Odd Society Spirits is offering a number of delectable cocktail kits perfect for gift giving this holiday season. Some of the selection includes Old Fashioned Cocktail Kit for $50 using their Commodore Single Malt Whiskey, or there’s the Thornton Park Cocktail Kit using their Wallflower Gin and Crème de Cassis for $58 as well as the Modern Hound Kit using their East Van Vodka for $34. These are just a few, to see all the cocktail kits, visit them at Odd Society Spirits. Curbside pick up is available.
Have a cheese lover in your life? If so, check out the Classic Cheesemonger Gift Box from les amis du FROMAGE which includes 3 pieces of cheese, a Divina Orange Fig preserve and Carr’s crackers. You have the option to add more cheese and characuterie if you wish. Visit them only to place your order to see all the delish options.
We would be remiss if we didn’t include our ILiveInEastVan totes in the mix. Available online for delivery or curbside pick up. Prices range from $30 – $35. You can visit our Etsy Shop online and while there, check out the new ILiveInEastVan reflective patches that can be sewn on or ironed on to whatever you choose for $12.50. They make a great stocking stuffer.
We love East Van Jam anytime of the year for their more love, less sugar frame of mind. We are also big fans of edible gifts and what a perfect hostess or holiday gift this season than a mini set of delish spreads with a variety of flavours and unique names. Made locally with BC produce, how much more local can you get? This set is available online from a favourite gift shop, Plenty + Spare in Hastings Sunrise.
The 7th Annual City Crow Calendar 2022 Edition by June Hunter is now available for sale online for $25. Not only does one get the crow photographs, but also 12 months of crow stories, crow facts and smaller crow photos tucked in among spaces between dates in the calendar. Each month reveals new little crow surprises. Heads up this does sell out every year, so if interested in picking this item up, best be quick.
We recently had the pleasure of coming across a delish new business Two Brothers Toffee that landed in East Van this past September. Not only do they make some amazing toffee with a range of delicious flavours, the story behind it is inspirational.
Two Brothers Toffee was created by 3 partners Nicholas, The Inventor, Dominic – The Innovator and Nastasia – The Taste Tester. In 2005, Nicholas Genova created his first batch of classic almond toffee which he worked on perfecting and selling over the next 15 years while also donating proceeds to charity. This was all while working in law enforcement which he still does to this day.
Dominic and Nastasia Genova left the hustle and bustle of corporate jobs after Nastasia went through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. They wanted more balance in their life and made the decision to create a family company. In 2019, Dominic worked with Nicholas’s classic almond toffee to create new possibilities and flavours. With no formal training, Dominic learned the craft and created truly unique flavours including White Cranberry Toffee and Chai Toffee. Some other flavours that caught our attention were Espresso Toffee, Cherry Toffee, Fireball Toffee which is in a class by itself. A must try! For those seeking vegan options, those are available as well, so there’s something for everyone.
Not only does Two Brothers Toffee make some absolutely delicious toffee, they are very focused on making a positive impact in their community and giving back to those in need. They do this by supporting a number of local organizations, but also by providing their toffee just to brighten someone’s day who is struggling through a challenging time. Two Brothers Toffee does not have a storefront at this time, but all of their products are available online and they are fulfilling orders quickly for the holiday season. If you happen to be making your way to the North Shore to see any of the local sights or lights, they will be Ambleside Holiday Market in West Vancouver on Saturday, December 4, 11, 18, 2021 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. If you wish to purchase in person, you can find some of their products at Vegan Supply and if you wish to do some holiday baking, check out their recipe for OOEY GOOEY SMORES SQUARES TOFFEE. We bet this will soon become a family favourite.
This holiday season, you can satisfy your sweet tooth while at the same time giving back. We invite you to visit Two Brothers Toffee online to see their full selection and join us in supporting local business.
ILiveInEastVan.com 