Tag Archives: Local Business

Shop Local: East Van Stores That Shine At Supporting Local Makers

19 Dec

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 (3565 Commercial Street)

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 (2168 East Hastings Street)

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 (4570 Main Street)

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 (1490 Dumfries Street)

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 (1302 Victoria Drive)

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.

Olive & Wild (4391 Main Street)

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. 

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Make It! 10 Year Anniversary Market At The Croatian Cultural Centre September 21st and 22nd

19 Sep

MakeItSeptember2018Make It! has been part of the handmade revolution for the last 10 years in Vancouver.  As such, they are celebrating with a throwback style Make It! at the Croatian Cultural Centre this Friday & Saturday.   You can expect to find many local makers including a few of our favourites: Beth & Olivia, Sarah Mulder Jewellery, The Lemon Square, The Branch and Vine and East Van’s Sriracha Revolver. As this event kicks off on Friday night, you will also find a bar with $5 drinks, music and food trucks for a fun shopping experience.  Also on hand, will be a charity silent auction with items donated by various participating Makies. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Union Gospel Mission. This Make It! Market happens Friday, September 21st from 5:00 to 9:00 pm and Saturday, September 22nd from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Tickets for admission are $3.00 for advance purchase on Eventbrite or $5 at the door. Children under 12 get in free.

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We Check In At The Village Community Acupuncture in Hastings Sunrise

21 Jun

IMG_1338We recently checked out The Village Community Acupuncture Clinic located at 2625 East Hastings Street. This is a great relaxing space created by co-owners Sara Ward and Tara Akuna, both practicing acupuncturists. These ladies provide quality acupuncture treatments in a community setting with an added feature, a sliding scale. This is certainly not something you see every day in a clinic setting and is a refreshing change. Not only is it a gracious gesture to their community, but it shows their passion and commitment to helping people be and stay healthy. If you are not familiar with acupuncture, it is a form of alternative medicine that has been practiced in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 4,500 years.  It involves piercing the skin with thin needles. It can be used to help treat a variety of issues and considering how non-invasive it is, save for a few needles, why not? So we recently tried it for the first time and the needles are in fact very thin and honestly hardly felt. After the needles are inserted, you are then asked to relax for the next 45 minutes. The aim of acupuncture is help your body heal itself which it has a great capacity to do, with the right aids, acupuncture is one of them.   

Co-owners Sara and Tara have created an inviting space that encourages family and community. That is evidenced by the photos on the walls from local artists as well as the community board in the washroom sharing business cards of local businesses. This is a quiet space that feels a bit like home, blankets are provided for each client and you can choose between a chair and a bed for your treatment.  There are currently 5 practitioners at The Village Community Acupuncture and appointments are available 6 days a week Monday to Saturday. We invite you to stop by and give them a try.  For more answers on what issues they treat with acupuncture, we invite you to check out their Frequently Asked Questions. 

 

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Make It! At PNE Forum April 21 – 23

19 Apr

MakeIt!VancouverIf you haven’t heard of Make It! you may be living under a rock. This event founded by siblings Chandler Herbut and Jenna Herbut in 2008, showcases artists, crafters and makers from all over Canada. This year, you will find over 200 exhibitors or ‘Makies’ at the PNE Forum from April 21st to April 23rd. You will find a wide variety of items including some personal favourites such as Beth & Olivia, The Lemon Square, Sea Luxe, Sable Shortbread, Laughing Sparrow, East Van Light, Amara Blue Designs, DIG Leather, Irit Sorokin Designs and Tessa Manu Photography. Alright, so that’s a long list. These are some of the many we will be checking out this weekend.  Shopping isn’t the only thing happening at Make It! There will be music, food trucks and a beer garden as well as a silent auction with items donated by the makies with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Union Gospel Mission. Make It! kicks off this Friday, April 21st at 11:00 am. Tickets are $5 at the door with kids under 12 free. 

 

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Elemental Trends Fall Harvest Market At The Croatian Cultural Centre October 23rd

18 Oct

fall-harvest-frontIf you have some birthdays coming up or want to get a jump on Christmas.  Alright we know some of you don’t want to think about Christmas until after Halloween. Generally speaking, we are in that camp as well, but reality is that it’s just over 8 weeks away and once Halloween is behind us, time will fly by quickly. So for those that wish to get a jump start on things, you may wish to check out the Elemental Trends Fall Harvest Market happening at the Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive, this Sunday, October 23rd. They will have over 30 vendors lined up including Wild & Raven, Art & Soul Collective, Mixers & Elixirs, Spiceworks Food Creations, Sable Shortbread Co., Blossom Jewellery, C Yarn Hut, Canvas Candle and Beth & Olivia to name just a few.  The market runs from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and there will be shopping totes for the first 50 people through the door. For those that get hungry, we hear some food trucks will be on hand including the Cycling Croissant. Hope to see you there.

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