If I had been at the mall... I wouldn't have bought a practical bra!

Friends, I would like you to know that I am so dedicated to the cause of supporting local business that I am about to share with you my bra shopping story.  A story that ordinarily should only be shared with girlfriends... and wine.   But, for the sake of the cause, I will share it.  Here.  On the internet.  Good thing I don't have a lot of readers!!

This summer, I went to  I Am Woman , a lingerie store waaaaaaaaaay down Calgary Trail  I tried to get there one morning on the LRT and ended up wandering around some strange south-side neighbourhood for a good 45 minutes trying to find my way to Calgary Trail.  According to the evil masterminds behind the ETS Trip Planner, I should've been able to just jaunt there in 8 minutes.  Not so.  Anyway, the first visit was fine, once I found the place and I tried on a variety of options and was fitted by a really nice lady.  I have had bra fittings done twice in my life and both times, they do not seem to as interested in cleavage as I am.  They seem to be more interested in something that fits well and is supportive.  So I ended up with something practical, instead of slutty, but ok.  Every respectable woman should probably have a practical bra in her wardrobe... I'm sure Marilla Cuthbert and Rachel Lind didn't wear their push-up bras EVERY day, right?  So I ordered my old lady, ahem, sensible, bra and then took a very expensive cab ride back to civilization because I was not letting ETS get the better of me again!  

I went back to pick up my brassiere (that's what us elderly women call them...) last week and, as a last ditch effort for some cleavage, I asked the girls working that day what they would recommend.  Well, they busted out (hee!) silicone inserts of various sizes and shapes, moulded cups, cups with padding, all kinds of stuff!  Yes!  This is what I'm talking about!  So I tried on each and every one of those bras.  Turns out, I am bosomly challenged.  Not one of them created the look I was going for.  It occurred  to me that maybe the bra fitters knew something I didn't and were just too nice to tell me!  So I left with my 19th century undergarment.  Oh, but before that, I shared an awkward moment with the sales girl who said, in response to me saying I was just going to wear my new item out, "Do you want a bag to take your old (ill fitting, impractical, whoreish) bra home in?" And instead of saying, "no thanks," and leaving it at that, I said, "no thanks, I didn't wear one."  Yep.  I said that.  And my old lady bra seemed to cringe a little at my lack of class.  I even think I heard her wondering how on earth she got hooked up (hee!) with this chick!  You can take the girl out of the Victoria's  Secret  (two sizes too small) push-up bra but you can't take the Victoria's Secret push-up bra out of the girl! 

If I had been at the mall.. I wouldn't have started my salad Evoolution!

This will just be a quick post to say that I ventured into Evoolution, a "gourmet olive oil bar."  I took Jimmy with me so our visit was short but not so short that I did not get the tour and buy some yummy items!  They have about a bazillion flavours of olive oil (all lined up in stainless drums) and a jillion flaviours of balsamic vinegar (including white, which I didn't even know was a thing!).  You can taste anything you want and there are baskets of bread all along the bar for dipping.  Since I was in a bit of a hurry and too many choices overwhelms me, I told the guy that I needed something for salads that was really savoury... something garlicky and peppery.  He instantly looked like a light bulb had gone off in his head and he rushed off to prepare a mixture for me.  He came back with a little cup of Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and White Lemon Balsamic Vinegar.  Yep, that was the flavour I was looking for, alright! I bought both and am looking forward to having my next salad!  Not words anyone would expect to hear me say, right?!

It's Evoolution, baby!

Because I've been at the mall... I haven't had enough time to update this blog!

Hi friends!  I've missed you!  I haven't really been neglectful because I've been a mall.  It's because I've been a work rat and a student rat.  Apparently when you take a course on campus (as opposed to online), you have to actually GO there.  EVERY week!  It has really cut into my shopping time, let me tell you!  It has also increased my stress level infinitesimally but that's another story.  

Anyway, I'm here now and I have so many new places to tell you about!  Since breakfast is the most important (before or after family?  I can never remember!), I will start there.  The Bothy.  It is a whiskey and wine bar on 124th and recently started serving Sunday brunch.  There are two items on their menu, a Scottish breakfast with a lot of interesting looking components.  And the other is eggs benedict.  I am not the biggest fan of hollandaise sauce and so I never go for this type of meal for breakfast.  However, since there were only two options and one involved black pudding (which my buddy Brea informed me  is blood sausage.  Which Google informed me is sausage made of pork, pig's blood and suet), I opted for the eggs.  O.M.G. you guys.  Seriously.  This was like heaven with a couple of eggs and some rye bread.  I wish I had taken a picture to share here.  I don't even like rye bread but I ate a whole slice because it had that delicious hollandaise all soaked up in it!  Since I'm not a foody, I don't really know what words to use to describe this sauce in a way that you can experience it through my writing so how about this?  How about you just go there.  Just go.  Now.  Do it. 

My next discovery happened getting off the bus on 124th and 102 Ave one day after work.  The bus stop is right outside a shop called Miss Boss Handbags and Accessories.    Smart business people own that place because they have displayed, in the window, some absolutely gorgeous purses.  (I want you all to know that I heavily debated using the word "gorge" there but then decided against it.  You're welcome.).  So being that I am still carrying around my teal bag, even though it is very clearly Fall here, I thought I better go in and have a look around.  I didn't even have to let the door close behind me before I spotted this gorgeous Melie Bianco bag.  

Yes, I absolutely stole this image right off the Melie Bianco website so please note that I am giving credit!!

The lovely Miss Boss (I'm just going to refer to anyone that works in the store as Miss Boss herself) informed me it was vegan leather and I was sold.  So I told myself I had to wait until I got paid again, at the end of the month, and if it was still there then, I could have it.  Guess what?!  It was still there waiting for me on Friday when I popped by after work!!  And, Miss Boss told me that a lot of people would come in and look at it but then put it back and that it was like a pet waiting to be adopted and that she was glad it was finally going to get a good home.   Awwwww!  And it does!  It has the BEST home now!!  Don't you worry, Miss Boss, I will take such good care of little Janice (the name she came with.  I don't want to confuse her with a new name AND a new mom all at once!).  

Lastly, I went back to NVE Institute for skin care on Friday.  I had told you guys, at the begging of the summer, that I wasn't 100% sure about these products and that I would let you know what I thought after I used them.  Well, obviously I'm a fan! I loved my sample of their waterless cleansing milk (although I used it with water...shhhh.  Don't tell on me!)t.  I was at the end of my bottle of Nivea and decided I better make a healthier choice this time and support a local business, too, instead of picking it up at Shopper's or Safeway.  So I did some research and narrowed it down to a few choices and got a few samples but decided that really, I should go with the most local and most natural option.  Plus, the product was great.  It was all natural, smelled great and was super moisturizing.  Also, it is a cleansing milk, which, according to the research I did online, is best for all skin types.  As soon as I walked in, I was instantly reminded how relaxing it is at NVE.  Even just waiting in the front area for someone to help me was warm and smelled delicious.  I had a few questions about moisturizer, as well and was helped out by the lovely Natalie, who designs all the skin care at the spa (you can read about that in my earlier post).  I have never gotten so much attention without pressure to buy any other time I've been looking into skincare.  Ordinarily I say I am looking for a product that does x, y and z and the salesperson finds me something and I go home with it.  With Natalie, on the other hand, I was given options and she said she would prefer that I take a sample first and give the products a try.  Um, I left there with not only three different moisturizers, but another toner and an exfoliant mask treatment.  And you guys, these aren't itty bitty Sephora-sized samples.  These are substantial amounts of product! 

 I also pre-purchased two spa treatments to use this winter when my skin is dead and reptilian.  The packages were on sale and I can't remember the exact amounts but it was like buy 3 get this percentage off, by 2 get that percentage off, etc.  However, the owner gave me 50% off both my packages, which was substantially more than the advertised discount.  Seriously you guys, I cannot get over how incredible the customer service is at NVE.  If you have the budget to afford to go for a facial or other treatment, do it. It is so worth it.  And if you are looking for a locally produced, all natural, environmentally friendly, yummy skin care line, go in and have a consultation.  You will not regret it.  And then go up the street and have the eggs benedict at The Bothy.  Why are you still sitting there reading this??  GO!