Bonus Round: Salt Water Taffy!

On the first night of Ottawa Fashion Week, my assistant Katie and I realised that the canapes that the organisers had sprung for were not going to cut it for us, hunger-wise. (This was due to the the fact that there were so few of them that the poor servers were literally being chased by ravenous fashion show attendees.)

We decided we would bring snacks with us the rest of the week. The next day, Katie and I compared what was in our bags—The Boy had packed me carrot sticks, mixed nuts and water, while Katie's bag was full of... Candy. To be more precise, apple drops, lemon slices and Taffy Town Salt Water Taffy.

Katie is my sugar pusher. She's the manager of The Candy Store in Westboro, and my girl knows her treats. The Candy Store is one of my favourite shops in Ottawa, unlike the hustle of Sugar Mountain, The Candy Store is calming and relaxing, and I know that my candy is curated by some very knowledgeable staff. In fact, Katie wrote about the taffy here.

Anyway, about the salt water taffy...

She brought two flavours with her, grape and key lime. Oh my gosh. Transcendent. The taffy is the right amount of sticky, a whole lot of sweet, and the key lime flavour? Amazing. I'm not a huge fan of grape-flavoured things, but the grape taffy was slightly flowery-tasting and quite nice as well.

Get yourself to The Candy Store. They also sometimes have cupcakes and macarons. And if you're planning an event, they can cater a candy buffet holy wow oh my gosh I want a party where I have a candy buffet. What more could you possibly ask for?

The Candy Store is located at 350 Richmond Road, between Lululemon and MEC. Thank goodness it's not on my way home from work.

Ottawa Fashion Week: Trendspotting

Photo by John Smith.

My sweet little kittens, do not lose your mittens! I finally got all my thoughts down on paper about Ottawa Fashion Week!

But I’m teasing you a little, I know, because it’s not here! I wrote it for Apartment613.

It’s super-easy for you to read it, though. Click here for What Ottawa Fashion Week Means For You: Trends for Spring/Summer 2011.

Lunchtime Lookup

Mmm canned food.

A lot of people hate on Anna Wintour, but not Isaac Likes! He says Anna Wintour is awesome, and I tend to agree. Also discussed, the controversy over the latest Calvin Klein Jeans billboards. (Possibly NSFW, triggering.)

The Sartorialist had a photo of these string curtains all in knots. I love the delapidated look of this!

Gala Darling designed some shoes (in collaboration with Jeff Silverman)! Of COURSE, you know I want them!

Ari at Advanced Style had this great post on dressing how you feel, not by your age. Also, even though I had fun at Ottawa Fashion Week, I wish I had been at this show instead.

My friend Ariel asked me the other day how she should style her new sequinned jacket. It looks like The Budget Babe has a pretty solid lock on how to wear one.

A Glamorous Little Side Project (an offshoot of This Is Glamorous) shared this beautiful capelet. I definitely could rock that. I could also rock this haircut in a major way.

It's a little late for Halloween, but CRAFT has this great tutorial for making masks out of album covers. I would make a Kenny Loggins one to wear in the bath. And I luuuuuuuurve these lacy long socks! Hello winter knitting project...

My Fashion Life announces the Derek Lam crowdsourced collection. Awesome.

Oh, McSweeney's Internet Tendency. You always make me laugh. A Tibetan Buddhist Monk Tries to Figure Out Who Stole a Rock From His Zen Garden. Bad language alert!

Ashley at Dare to Unravel on vice and virtue.

Yikes Machine on gratitude. "You guys, I cried." So did I, reading this lovely piece.

If It's Hip It's Here showcasing sweaters knit from dog fur. That's all well and good, but what does it smell like when it gets wet? Yikes. (Via Gala Darling.)

I DON'T CARE WHOSE NAME IS ON THEM THEY ARE FOREVER HORRIBLE.

Are you beautiful? Of course you are! Faces of Beauty posts reader-submitted photos in the hopes of encouraging self-love and acceptance. Radical self love indeed! I love this!

You Look Fab talks about determining when an item looks dated.

Cyanide and Happiness: why you shouldn't ask if an outfit makes you look fat.

The Cherry Blossom Girl had some Halloween costumes that were super-sexy without being slutty. What a concept.

What did you find on the internet this week?

Things I Love Thursday

Won't you be my love?

Here's a little list of things I've been loving this week!

• You guys! My little blog has its first sponsor, Texture Hair Salon!
• Walking arm-in-arm with The Boy!
• Going to used book sales! I picked up some excellent reads this week, including Peter Pan, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and Tuck Everlasting! My goal is to read a book every two weeks...
• The Boy's been reading me one of his favourite books (Slaughterhouse-Five by Vonnegut). I absolutely love being read to! He is so amazing, I don't even need to ask, he's been saying, "Shall I read to you now?" Swoon.
• I got bunny ears at the drugstore. I've been pretending I'm a bunny. A lot. And I've been saying, "I'M THE EASTER BUNNY HOP HOP" with a Rochester accent, from the old Great House of Guitars commercial. And then I giggle like crazy. It amuses me to no end.
• To that end, getting back in touch with my whimsical, sparkly side!

Corgis!

• Thai food!
• I made a big decision this week to no longer seek approval from those who will never provide it. I don't need validation from anyone other than myself! As long as I'm doing what I love, I'm happy. And I am! So hooray!
• "Your legs and feet look like sexy swans."
• Ghost stories told in old houses. (The Turn of the Screw was so scary.)
• The (sometimes agonisingly) slow progression towards actually being a vegan, not just not eating animal products. I am really starting to get there!
• PAJAMA PARTIES.
• Crossing things of my to-do list. It's so satisfying.
• My new personalised address labels! Thanks Ren! 

The Boy's middle child has a reading response journal for school. Her mom
e-mailed me this on Monday. The song is "Oh Rainbow". The Girl's response
is "Oh Rambo". That's pretty much my favourite thing ever.

• Ottawa Fashion Week. Wow. Just, wow. It was my first one ever. What an incredible experience. I can't wait until next season! I am going to try to do Montreal next season, as well as Ottawa.
• Coming home from working late at Fashion Week to find a dinner of pasta with vegan mushroom cream sauce waiting for me. It's nurturing things like this that make my heart sing!
• Foggy, crisp autumn mornings like yesterday's.
• Winning contests! I used to never win contests! I guess my luck is changing, or I'm changing my own luck! Thanks, Miss SLY!
• "You look like a big, sexy kitty!"

These videos:

I've been watching this video a lot this week. Because Kurt's my favourite character on Glee, and Gypsy is one of my favourite musicals.

Here's the full version, with the lovely Bernadette Peters.

"He ejaculates in my wound." Brilliant.

This video's been making the rounds in the blog world for the last couple of weeks. Watch it, please.

If there's one thing I love more than anything in the world, it's men in drag with one thing off. Keeping a masculine aspect. Like his moustache.

Have No Fear!

My friends, I promise you that my coverage of Ottawa Fashion Week is on its way! I have been busy transcribing my voice notes and organising my thoughts!

To tide you over in the meantime, here's my column at Apartment 613 this month—the subject: menswear.

Ottawa Fashion Week coverage later today, fingers crossed!