Unfortunately this blog is not a long winded anecdote on the 90s show "Blossom"...but don't get too discouraged. I urge you to read on as there are plenty of goodies to be displayed for your viewing pleasure.
With May fast approaching I thought I'd show you Victoirians some of the store's fresh floral items.
Check out this bouquet of Largue rosebud necklaces for 35$
Complete with a dew drop jewel?...get out of town !
For my fellow ring enthusiasts out there - Frug doesn't overdo the "cute" with this floral ring in an antique inspired setting.
Last but not least .. one of my new favourites in the store...the Mink Pink "Darling Buds of May" tie-up top for 65$. With its wooden buttons and lightweight material, it is the perfect top to throw on in the summer season. Here the top is paired with a vintage belt (12$) and the ever versatile black Suzabelle Hawke skirt (98$)
Things are looking very good for a sunny warm Saturday. Hurray!! This means we will be able to walk over to the church rummage sale, pick up some flowers to brighten the apartment without actually having to do any spring cleaning (you have to check out Blumen Studio! It is absolutely beautiful and the Easter bouquets she did for me were a delight) then head over to the park to hang ten.
And wouldn't you look cute doing all this and more dressed in:
And wouldn't your lil' sidekick look adorable in this? Our collection of vintage kids clothes is getting pretty mint. We are trying to decide what to do with it: put it online, do a one day sale, set up a permanent kids section up at West...? Hard to know. What do you think we should do?
I know Canadians have a reputation for talking about the weather alot, but this weather is seriously nuts. Yesterday I left the house and it was pleasantly what I like to call "no weather" - not hot, not cold, just perfect. Then withing 10 minutes of leaving my house it starts to rain, but only for like 15 minutes. A few hours later it was super sunny on our end of Dalhousie St, interspersed with some crazy gusts of wind (the bike rack across the street was almost blown out of its screws in the ground!), with another 10-minute downpour thrown into the mix in there too at some point. And now today looks sunny enough so far, but I know not to get too comfortable, cos a crazy switcheroo might be just around the corner.
So how does one leave the house to handle all this crazy weather? It's like you need a scarf one second, and then all of a sudden it's too hot for it and you need to whip out an umbrella. Oh yeah, and you also have to go by the grocery store on your way home to pick up some nacho fixin's for dinner (to go with the sweet homemade salsa your man made for you just before leaving on a mini tour...you know, so you wouldn't go hungry while he was gone). Anyways, how to carry all these things (and more) without looking like a bag lady?
Well thankfully reusable bag line Baggu has teamed up with Brooklyn-based designer Shabd Simon-Alexander (she of the to-die-for-tye-dye) for an affordable line of totes and backpacks in the most amazing palette of California surf colours. Use them on their own, or stuff 'em in your purse for the coolest reusable tote ever.
Each bag is dyed by hand, and in keeping with Baggu's mission to make wasteful bags obsolete, they make the totes and backpacks out of recycled cotton. Duck bags are 60$, back-packs 75$.
We are so lucky, you know why? We have awesome friends that also happen to run some of the greatest businesses on the planet! Yup we sure have a lot of inspiring people around us. We love it even more because they like to do stuff with us!
The shops of West Wellington are getting together and giving you the perfect opportunity to treat mom, or get treated! May 7th from 10am-8pm we are having a Mother's Day Shop Hop. We are collecting monetary donations for the Steven Lewis "Grandmothers to Grandmothers" Campaign ensuring that we help everyone celebrate Mother's Day this year. We will be offering a 10% discount to everyone who makes a donation, or to everyone who comes in with their mother or grandmother - 20% off if you come in with both!
We are also so thrilled to announce that we will be having our first ever Pop-up shop in Hamilton on May 13th and 14th called "Field Trip". We are hosting it alongside Preloved, Robber, YarnOverMovement, Fieldguidedand White Elephant. It is gonna be a wonderful weekend to celebrate Canadian entrepreneurs and the beautiful desginers each shop sells. James Street will also be having an Art Crawl and all kinds of fun action happening. If you find yourself in Southern Ontario we sure hope you come in and say Hi, and if you know people down in those parts we sure would appreciate you passing on the information.
Hamilton Pop-Up shop James street North Friday, May 13th 6:00 - 11:00 p.m. Saturday, May 14th 12:00 - 6:00 p.m.
This is a picture of us on our last trip to Hamilton. You can just feel the fun in the air:
Leslie must have been in this weekend since I walked into our West Wellington location this morning and these beauts were here to greet me on the racks. My favorite thing about sessiedresses is that they do the work for you. I mean really - slap on some red lipstick and one of these jumpers and you're golden. And the strapless ones? PERFECT for picnics or beachy days in the sun.
These are the strapless prints:
And here are some of the floral print jumpers with cute lil' sleeves:
Sessiedress jumpers: 119$ and complete with a little bow and whole lotta love.
Holidays are fun. Especially because they always seem to revolve around eating food. Time off= eating. At my family get togethers it is always a competition. It normally ends up being between Granny's or the Good Ol' Rents... but there is always a fierce quest for the best gravy, turnip dish or garlic mashed potatoes. Sadly, these eating extravaganzas can be a challenge when you have an intolerance. Especially when your Italian family only wants pasta, pasta, bread, pasta, pie and more carbs. Anywho, my family has STARTED adapting to my inability to eat gluten (wamp wamp). Yes, gluten is in most glutinous lovely things such as baguette and spaghetti and croissants and donuts and everything and chocolate cake and those little-tarts-my-mom-makes-with-the-jelly-filling and..so on. BUT. This holiday I was pleasantly surprised by this delicious CARROT CAKE!
Here is the recipe. Seriously, it rocked. It was actually goo-ey.
Anyone who has eaten gluten free bread will understand that eaten something moist or with any sort of non-card-board-like texture is AH-MAZING.
Super Moist Carrot Cake
Simple Baking (FIVE Ingredients!!)
serves 6 – 8
250g (8 1/2 oz) brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil (USE melted butter)
3 eggs
250g (8 1/2 oz) almond meal
250g (8 1/2 oz) carrots, coarsely grated
1. Preheat your oven with a baking sheet on the middle shelf to 180C (350F).
2. Line a 20cm (8in) spring form cake tin with baking paper. Grease the base and side with a little oil.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and oil.
4. Add eggs, one at a time mixing to combine. Stir in almond meal and carrots.
5. Pour cake mixture into the prepared tin and level off with a spoon.
6. Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden and feels firm to the touch. Cool in the tin.
Yummmmmoooo!
There may have also been a cream cheese icing on the one I had (still..drooling..). DIVINE! xoxoxox
We have a federal election coming up on May 2nd, and you know what breaks our heart? That young women are one of the demographics that votes the least. This is tragic and we can change this around right now! Let's all go out to vote with our girlfriends, sisters or neighbors. It's not always easy to feel connected to our federal representatives but it's really important for them to know that we are a group of people who care about our country!
So all that being said, we here at Victoire are going to bribe you with discounts!
If you Tweet us or post on our Facebook wall a picture of you in front of an election poster, with your ballot card, on your way to the poll stations or with a prospective MP we will give you 10% off your next purchase (must be redeemd by May 14th). Our focus isn't to sway you to vote a certain way, we just want you to get your butt out and VOTE!
Post here or Tweet us @victoirelovesya Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Victoireboutique
Want a Victoire Vote pin? Come into either shop and pick one up. It looks good with every outfit!
So Easter week-end is coming up, which for alot of us means mucho family time, sometimes with distant family members you only see a few times a year (also known as the "Cs & Es", Christmas and Easter bunch). Some of these folks they only hear about your news through the family grapevine, so lord knows what their opinion of you & your "lifetsyle" may be. "She's taking WHAT in school?!" "She's dating that boy she met at a BOWLING ALLEY?!" "She's living in SIN off RIDEAU ST?!"
Well make sure to keep this particularly vocal bunch quiet by being the picture of grace, composure and good up-bringing by wearing something akin to these outfits.
Take those A.J. Morgan sunglasses (19$) off, "cool dude"! But that Preloved Oriole dress (124$) is just lovely.
Swap those shades for a Petit Chapeau headband (45$)
Black denim cut-offs?! Great summer staple, but keep those away from this family function (unless your clan includes a cool biker uncle). That Ursa Minor peachy silk top (112$) is perfection however.
Tuck it into a high-waisted Eve Gravel "Dangerous Animals" skirt (130$), and everyone can appreciate this outfit. Even your biker uncle (if you're so lucky) will dig the subtle zipper detail on the pockets.
Kay, well this outfit is actually totally perfect as is. Way to go! Don't change a thing. You look like a fine young lady in a Beatrice Holloway Dreamboat cardigan (90$) and Velour dress (132$)!
Oh you little brown-noser! Way to take it to the next level and bring your certificate which was awarded to you for the "Memorizing of scripture" to show everyone. No wonder you're grand-ma's favourite!!
Hopefully you guys all have a wonderful Easter week-end, family high-jinks and all. Hope to see you all, we'll be open every day except Easter Sunday.
Our Easter week-end hours are as follows (for both locations):
Good Friday: 12:00-5:00 p.m. (And it is supposed to be a GORGEOUS day, so we hope to see you out and about and taking advantage of the day off if you are lucky enough to get one!)
Victoire has received GOODS from Toronto! Funny enough, Regine and Emily were both in Toronto last weekend. Regine for the night and Emily for the Day. BOTH for very different reasons. PAINT TEST STRIPS!?!?
Back to the GOODS. These threads are at both locations. I am in love with the FLORAL JUMPER.
BEATRICE HOLLOWAY
Make Out Jumper, $90 (Also comes in YELLOW)
Gidget Sweater/Dress, $100
Wiggle Dress, $110
Goin' Steady dress, $90
DreamBoat Cardigan, $90
I feel as though this line is reminiscent of some Summer lovin' and going to a FAIR! Make sure your sweetie wins you a GIGANTIC plush Gorilla.
Ever been to Park Omega? It is the "Outskirts of Ottawa's African Lion Safari". Real live animals up close and personal...sticking their snouts into your Honda Civic. Ontario's Safari experience is somewhat skimpier...with only a selection of portly mooses and crabby boars to feed your popcorn to. Nevertheless...Park Omega was a favourite of mine as a kid (I wasn't too difficult to entertain) and continues to be.
So get your fill of Canadian wildlife and when doing so make sure to sport these beautiful new Juma shorts we just got in. They prove that zebra print doesn't have to belong to Vegas veterans alone. With the right material and carefully chosen pattern, Zebra print can be bold, sophisticated, ecclectic and funky. These are my favourites. Perfect for a snazzy afternoon at the cherished Park Omega!
Juma Shorts - 130$ Valerie Dumaine Robin Shirt -95$ Copious Couture Chain Necklace- 55$
My kindred spirit and sister Meg sporting her Omega style !
Based out of Montreal, Rose and Ruby transform gorgeous vintage pieces into dreamy modern designs using both new and natural materials. Each piece is put together in a really fresh and interesting way - playing on both shape and proportion. I'M INTO IT, GUYS.
Okay, this was kind of tricky to photograph but its a BANGLE with the prettiest 14k gold and silver chains that rest really beautifully on the wrist. See? Super slouchy and structured. Awesome. ($ 124.)
We have these gorgeous knotted broaches, too. The one above has the prettiest little flecks of teal/blue in the feathers ($77) whereas the one below sits in such a cool shape with a teal quartz stone hanging beneath it ($64). The studs have such pretty vintage detail on them and the chains sit very neatly since they are looped and fastened back at the top ($34) and the loop earrings have free falling chains that play with both texture and asymmetry ($45).
You can find these gems at our West Wellington location, and most of the other styles listed on their website can be found at our Dalhousie location.
Animal prints and motifs are taking over our summer stock. We couldn't be more pleased!
The new shipment from Juma was filled with amazing fabrics and prints. The prints actually come from original pictures taken by the Juma designers. Talk about taking the product from start to finish! We were particularly excited to try on the new sheer flamingo tank because it allowed us to show off our complex geometries tube dress (the ultimate summer under layer)!
Complex Geometries Flash Dress $132, Juma Flamingo tank $150
This is what you will see Reg wearing every single day this summer. She is gaga over these shorts!
Juma Shorts $130, Valerie Dumaine Robin top $95
This Sessie cheetah romper is just begging to be worn to a summer BBQ or a outdoor concert.
Spring and Summer dresses are fabulous because you don't have to think too much. One piece of clothing and you have a complete outfit. Now I wanted to introduce you to my Saturday outfit. Although its a but tiny bit nipply here in Ottawa I rocked it anyway. My new love: THE ROMPER
It's as easy as..
1....
Opaque Grey Tights, Dollarama, $ 1.00
2...
NEW vintage loafers, 99 cents. Literally, these amazing leather loafers were ninety-nine CENTS. Gosh! I love green tag day at Saint Vincent de Paul.
3...
Velour Romper, $170.
(sorry for the pic quality. Looks like I just saw a large spider. my number three sign looks like something out of a Star Trek clip too. Hence adding a fourth picture)
Fits like a comfy onezie should! It also has a little leather tie belt to give some structure. The inner tag says Effortless Style. How about Easy-peazy-lemon-squeezy Style!!!!!. Not quite the same ring to it? Meh! Anywhooo...Rompers are just as cute and quick as wearing a dress AND you have the freedom NOT pull a Brittany.
So there are already alot of things that make working and shopping at Victoire pretty tops in my books. Beautiful clothes, with ethics and a talented design community behind each garment; awesome staff and co-workers; beautiful, quirky and always changing displays, and then there are our customers, who totally rule, and seriously make our days when they come in to either tell us how amazing a date went in so-and-so dress, or send us pics of them on graduation day in something from the shop, or even just commenting on this here blog, on our facebook, or tweeting at us.
And then we did a little mixtape contest and it made us love you all that much more! I knew this contest was gonna be superfun, but you guys blew us all away! There simply is nothing better than receiving a little package that someone has taken the time to lovingly make of songs chosen specifically for us & the fellow customers of Victoire. Not to mention the cover art that some of you really went all out for!
And proof of the high quality of all our submissions is that the votes among the staff were really split, there really was no landslide winner. And every CD had at least 1 song that almost tipped the scales in its favour, you know?
For instance, a few favourite tracks from some of our submissions:
Plastic Bertrand "Ca plane pour moi"
Small Faces "Itchycoo Park"
Hunx and his Punk "Lovers Lane"
This song was actually on 2 submissions - song of the summer?!
Madonna "Vogue" I don't know why Madonna won't let me embed this video, but still, it deserves to be mentioned here. I doubt I'm the only person here with a suuuuper weak spot for this song and video. I spent hours as a kid trying to learn the routine (and getting the Vogue hands just right - most people do it wrong you know, you have to get your thumbs on the same side of your face to do it the real way!) I also once declared that this would be my favourite song forever and that no song would ever, ever be better.
Lio "Banana Split"
But now for what you've all been waiting for....the winners! We actually have a 2-way tie!
First up is Alanna Yaraskavitch who we found out is also the girl behind Puker Nation blog & zine. Her awesome post-punk/no-wave chill-out/freak-out mix included cute little notes about each song choice. Stand out tracks for me included "Join the Professionals" by the fictitious band The Professionals in the AMAZING movie "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains" and "First Time" by The Boys.
Second to tie for the #1 spot is Elizabeth de la Cruz who mailed in her entry from Windsor. It came in a CD case made from a record sleeve (so it's SUPER-SIZED!) and included a recipe for homemade chocolate pudding! This was a very well-crafted entry - it opens with The White Wires track "Bye Bye Baby" which is the song we used in our Victoire commercial (that is attention to detail!) and closes with Holy Cobras' "Feed Your Head". Just really, really solid the whole way through.
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who submitted a mixtape. We often say that our customers feel like family, and this contest really brought that home! We'll definitely be doing another contest like this, so start thinking of songs for the next time!
Our very own SHEENBEAN! (aka Sheena) tweeted celeb Stacey London from What Not To Wear about Sessun clothing AND did a shout out for Big Vic! And GUESS WHAT!?
SHE TWEETED BACK TO SHEENA AND VICTOIRE!!!! HOLYPOOPCRAPWOWZAOMFG !%$^%^$&$#@$@!!!!!
I freaking LOVE these two. I watch a lot of What Not To Wear. Don't judge me. I love their witty banter and harsh criticisms. (sigh of happiness)
If you aren't already following us on twitter then HURRY UP and do it. Our twitter name is "Victoirelovesya"
This is the time when people start their perusal of restaurants, shops, daycares, arcades ? to find some amount of money for the summer. It is always a grueling process and one that places particular strain on the question of .. What am I going to wear ? Something that shows personality but that is appropriate .. that is flattering but not in Jersey Shore kind of way. Here are two items... that either separately or worn together would make a great outfit for a summer job interview. Because let's face it ... working the cash at a deli isn't exactly "marketing management" and bilingualism does not imply pig latin ... so you might as well polish yourself up Victoire style to make an impression. Make sure you don't get caught in a stinky and sweaty giant foam ear over the summer. Start now.
Here I am sporting the Bettina Lou Heidi Skirt ( 110$) that I bought and now wear so much that it should be made illegal haha . and the Eve Gravel Gabrielle top (98$) .. soon to be purchased Both are classy items that can be dressed up or down and that are perfect for the pounding of feet on pavement when searching for that summer job.
Also let's try and think of some of the worst summer jobs that one can have and how you could make them sound good on a resume. Carnie for the Ex - Carnival specialist and Seasonal Operations Manager Loblaws manager of the "fish" section- Director of Fisheries for Loblaws International MacDonald's late night server - Keeper of the Peace the list goes on ...
Best of luck from Victoire and we hope to see you in the store throughout the summer.
I have a love/hate relationship with purses. Some days I need EVERYTHING. Other days I carry my cards in my pocket (this is not usually smart, especially when your pocket is open and OOPS! where'd your Visa go?!) So, when I opened this box of goodies today, I realized ...... ALL MY PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED. Thank-you Floating Gold Iceberg
Floating Gold Iceberg Wallets, $24
Inside view- this puppy totally fits the essential cards and quick cash for..... a SLUSHY!?!
This little diddy is MY FAVORITE. Who doesn't swoon over fawns? Unless you have no heart.
