You are invited to the annual Friends of the SPCA Christmas Sale this Saturday, November 30th. The event will take place at the Army, Navy & Air Force Veteran’s Club, 3917 Main Street. You can expect to find many handmade items, collectibles, homemade baking and great gifts for Christmas. They will also be having a draw for some beautiful gift baskets as well as a 50/50 draw. All proceeds benefit the BC SPCA Vancouver Branch. Things kick off at 10:00 a.m. and go till 3:00 p.m. Come out and support this great event!
Archive | Community RSS feed for this section
I recently had a nice trip down memory lane with Mary Jean Dunsdon (also known as Watermelon).The name Watermelon comes from 20 years of selling watermelon at Wreck Beach over the summer months. This is one energetic, eccentric and passionate enterpreneur, also one that has her hands in a number of pots, but her mainstay is licorice. Mary Jean owns the Commercial Drive Licorice Parlour, 1002 Commercial Drive and let me tell you this woman knows licorice. Mary Jean opened her licorice parlour in October of last year and fell into some dedicated licorice lovers. The previous tenant of her space, Dutch Girl Chocolates, had carried licorice to a loyal faithful fan base, although many people didn’t know it. A number of people were in withdrawals when Dutch Girl Chocolates closed its doors, so much so, Mary Jean put up a sign that said we are bringing the licorice back. As Mary Jean tells me some people really love their licorice. But then she didn’t really have to sell me. What landed me in the Licorice Parlour was hearing that they carried salted licorice with many varieties from Europe. That’s all I needed to hear. I have vivid childhood memories of Christmas in East Vancouver. Each year, my grandfather would send a big brown parcel filled with delectable treats from Germany. My favourites were the licorice many of them salted, not an easy find in Vancouver. That hunt for salted licorice took to me see to Mary Jean on a rainy weekend over a cup of tea, licorice, of course.
Friends of the SPCA Christmas Sale: Saturday November 30th
27 Nov
Strathcona Winter Craft Fair November 30th
25 Nov
You are invited to the 3rd Annual Strathcona Winter Craft Fair. The event will take place at the Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm this Saturday, November 30th. There will be many great local artisans on hand with beeswax candles, tea, holiday gift cards, sea salts, organic spices, jewellery, pottery, hats, honey, sock monkeys and much more. Rumour has it that there will be an Elf Workshop on site as well, so you can make something to take home with you. To see what other items will be on hand, visit their Facebook page. Admission is $2.00.
Share this:
Winter Shop Opening at Le Marche St. George November 23rd
21 Nov
This Saturday, November 23rd, you are invited to the opening of the Winter Shop at Le Marche St. George, 4393 St. George (at 28th Avenue). Come sip some mulled wine and take in all the beautiful items they have on hand. You can expect to find some twig laced wool blankets from Mexico, a new line of basics from local fashion designer, Mandula, Scatter/Gather pendant lights from Hinterland Design and jewellery by Melissa Hudson. All merchandise will be 20% for one day only this Saturday for the opening of their Winter Shop. The shop is open Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and will continue till December 31st. If you are attending the Vancouver Farmers Market at Nat Bailey this or any other Saturday, Le Marche St. George is a hop, skip and a jump away and a great spot to stop and have a coffee and croissant and warm up after the market.
Share this:
Holiday Shopping Event at Giving Gifts & Co. Wednesday, November 20th
19 Nov
You are invited to a special holiday shopping event at Giving Gifts & Co. 4750 Main Street, this Wednesday, November 20th. Giving Gifts & Co. is a co-operative retail shop made up of 10 different vendors and artists. There are many great businesses taking part in this unique concept in retail. What this means is there will be a great variety of items at this Wednesday’s holiday shopping event. You can expect to find yoga wear and accessories by Inner Fire Apparel, eco-friendly products for children and adults, one-of-a-kind clothing by designer Kandis Ivy, great women’s fashions at Upscale Swag Boutique, terrariums and florals by Green With Envy, leather jewellery from Zinnia by Esther and great vintage finds at Clare Collectibles. Coffee, tea and a dessert bar will be available. The event gets under way at 7:00 p.m. and goes till 9:00 p.m. For a sneak peak at some of the items that they will have on hand, visit their website at Giving Gifts & Co.
Share this:
30th Annual Britannia Christmas Craft Fair Nov.15-17
15 Nov
The Britannia Christmas Craft Fair is back for its 30th year this weekend. The event will be held in Gyms A & B at Britannia Secondary School, 1001 Cotton Drive. You can expect to find a large array of handmade goods including Aboriginal artwork, jewellery, pottery, woodwork, celtic knots, food vendors and live entertainment. There will also be a large KidZone as well as a Book Fair and a concession running all weekend long. Admission is $2, but children under 12 are free. The event is sponsored by the Britannia Community Education with all proceeds raised going to inner-city youth programs. The craft fair runs Friday, November 15th from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 pm. and on the Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Share this:
3 Days, 431 Artists, 84 Buildings … This Is The Eastside Culture Crawl
13 Nov
The Eastside Culture Crawl is a 3 day arts extravaganza that officially kicks off this Friday. Over 400 artists in and around the heart of East Vancouver open their studios to the public. The Crawl comprises some 84 buildings from Main Street to Victoria Drive and First Avenue to Powell Street. The mediums vary and include painters, jewelers, sculptors, textile artists, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, wood carvers and photographers. There is no set schedule for this event, you go where your mood and interests take you. To help guide you, the Eastside Culture Crawl has a great rundown of all the artists on their website including maps to help you find your way. If you wish to get a head start, there are 105 artists participating in a Preview Show on Thursday, November 14th from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 pm. Check the Eastside Culture Crawl’s website for the participating artists. The Crawl continues on Friday from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. and on both Saturday & Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
If you wish to mix things up and do some side trips in and around the East Vancouver, there are so many wonderful stops on the way. Vancouver Urban Winery for a bit of wine tasting. Or you could make a stop at the new Odd Society Spirits to give their East Van Vodka or Creme de Cassis a try. Then there is les amis du fromage, if you wish to do a little cheese taste testing. While there this weekend, take in the new Vista d’Oro’s Pop Up Shoppe starting November 16th featuring some delicious and creative preserves. Or if find yourself on Commercial Drive and craving something sweet, make a stop at the Licorice Parlour and try one of their 65 flavours. There will, of course, be many local restaurants and coffee shops at the ready to help you recharge your batteries before, during or after the Crawl.
See you on the Crawl.
Share this:
If You Love Licorice, You Have To Check Out The Commercial Drive Licorice Parlour
12 Nov
I recently had a nice trip down memory lane with Mary Jean Dunsdon (also known as Watermelon).The name Watermelon comes from 20 years of selling watermelon at Wreck Beach over the summer months. This is one energetic, eccentric and passionate enterpreneur, also one that has her hands in a number of pots, but her mainstay is licorice. Mary Jean owns the Commercial Drive Licorice Parlour, 1002 Commercial Drive and let me tell you this woman knows licorice. Mary Jean opened her licorice parlour in October of last year and fell into some dedicated licorice lovers. The previous tenant of her space, Dutch Girl Chocolates, had carried licorice to a loyal faithful fan base, although many people didn’t know it. A number of people were in withdrawals when Dutch Girl Chocolates closed its doors, so much so, Mary Jean put up a sign that said we are bringing the licorice back. As Mary Jean tells me some people really love their licorice. But then she didn’t really have to sell me. What landed me in the Licorice Parlour was hearing that they carried salted licorice with many varieties from Europe. That’s all I needed to hear. I have vivid childhood memories of Christmas in East Vancouver. Each year, my grandfather would send a big brown parcel filled with delectable treats from Germany. My favourites were the licorice many of them salted, not an easy find in Vancouver. That hunt for salted licorice took to me see to Mary Jean on a rainy weekend over a cup of tea, licorice, of course.
If there is a type of licorice you like, the Licorice Parlour is likely to have it and I’m sure they will have flavours you will love that you haven’t even discovered yet. If you require gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, they have that too. If you want to know about the medicinal properties of licorice they can tell you that as well. They now have 65 types of licorice in store. They sell for $2.50 for 100 grams. With Christmas coming up, why not bring a fun and original house warming gift. The ladies at the Licorice Parlour can put together a take out box of many varieties of licorice from about $8 for a small to $15 for a large which they guarantee will be a hit. Did you know licorice elevates your mood? It certainly did mine after my taste testing.
Now licorice is not all they have in store. At the Licorice Parlour, you will also find ice cream with cocoa, lavendar and licorice. Delicious I might add and dairy free. Quinoa waffles which are gluten free and dairy free and made with Mary Jean’s homemade almond milk. You can purchase her waffles in store fresh for $3.00 or frozen to go for $2.50 each. She is aware of everything that goes into what she makes, she is a health nut in a sweets store and she’s in the best shape of her life. Although I think the hula hoops have helped a little with that. When you walk in the store, you will certainly find a very retro feel to the store with the black & white checkered floors, record player in the corner and the hula hoops hanging in the store. If you want to tighten your core muscles, Mary Jean is firm, hula hoops are the way to go. You are welcome to come down and take one for a test run any time. The hula hoops are available for purchase and the prices range from $25 – $116.
This is definitely a spot worth checking out if you haven’t already. Once you have, I’m sure you will be back. I know I will be. Licorice Parlour is open 7 days a week from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Photo Credit: Maria Coletsis
Share this:
Will You Say Hi To A Stranger? #sayhitoastranger
8 Nov
How often do you engage a stranger in conversation? Are you at the ready to offer visitors directions when you see them trying to read a map? I come from a background where small talk was encouraged and as such, have met some amazing people whether in this City or in my travels.
In case you hadn’t heard, and you’d be living under a rock if you didn’t, Vancouver doesn’t always receive the best reviews on being friendly. Particularly, as it relates to singles. One sex blames the other, but really there is no winner in that game.
Let me ask, do you say hi to that person you don’t know, but pass regularly when say you are out walking your dog or just pass by on the street? It seems these days, many individuals tend not to see what’s in front of them if it’s not a glowing screen. Unless they accidently bump into you, even then, they often don’t look up.
I was at times a shy child that came to be less so as a teenager and later became fairly outgoing as an adult. So I do think confidence and practice are part of talking to people you don’t know and putting yourself outside of your comfort zone just a little. Having a dog, as I do, puts you face to face and in conversations with people you may not normally interact with. So we are back to practice. I have met many wonderful people in this City which are now friends through my pets, much like many parents have done with their children. But for those that are alone, whether young, senior or in between, or new to the City, it might not be that easy to talk to someone they don’t know. There is no shared common ground in many instances to initiate conversation.
We’ve all heard the research about how important social connections are to our well being. By social connections, I do not mean social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc), but face to face interactions. Having said this, if social media interactions, bring you face to face, go for it! But this weekend, it is about saying hi to a stranger face to face. Even if you only receive a smile, scientific research supports that a smile alone will put you in a better mood states Dr. Michael Lewis, psychologist at Cardiff University. Who doesn’t want to be in a better mood? How great that you could so easily put someone else in a better mood.
After some research, local company, a Cue Creative Consulting, has taken the idea of saying hi to a stranger out of the box. This weekend they are directing a social media campaign “#sayhitoastranger” from November 8 – 10th. They would like to see Vancouver break out of its social stigma and encourage Vancouver residents to be friendly, open, have fun and be part of larger movement to create a stronger community in Vancouver. Some local businesses are participating in this campaign and offering incentives to those that do participate. You can visit a Cue Creative Consulting’s website for a full rundown. If you would like to meet the team behind the #sayhitoastranger Campaign, they will be at The Portside Pub on Sunday November 10th 6:00 pm. So East Van, are you up for the challenge? Say Hi To A Stranger, you could make someone’s day!
Share this:
The Fraser River Discovery Centre & River District Bring You Sturgeon Tales Nov. 9th
7 Nov
Sturgeons have been around since the time of the dinosaur. This Saturday, you and your children can learn all about sturgeons with the presentation of The Sturgeon Tales at the River District, 8683 Kerr Street. The Fraser River Discovery Centre will be presenting fish fun where kids will learn about ecology, anatomy and the habitat of the White Sturgeon through interactive games, storyboards, puppet making and a hands-on conservation lab. Cost is $5 per child. To register in advance, contact The Fraser River Discovery Centre by phone at 604-521-8401, or by email at info@fraserriverdiscovery.org. Sturgeon Tales starts at 2:00 p.m. and goes till 3:30 pm.
Share this:
Rockin For A Good Cause Multi-Charity Fundraiser Saturday November 9th
6 Nov
You are invited to a multi-charity music fundraiser being held this Saturday, November 9th at the Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street. This is a 60s inspired event and you are encouraged to dress the part. There will be five bands playing including The Ukesters, Louise & Greg Weir Band, The Bukowskis, Rainshadow and The Hot Fluctuations all playing music from the 60s. This night of music, dancing and fun is in support of a number of different charities including Amnesty International Canada, Click – Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids, Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, The Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Hastings Park Elementary PAC. Tickets are $20 at the door. Cash bar. The event kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and goes till 12:30 p.m. Come on down and rock out for a good cause!
ILiveInEastVan.com 