Crafting your wedding? Free tickets to Ottawa indie wedding show Wed By Hand

Photo credit: Anne-Marie Bouchard

The ever-so-crafty Krista Leben is the owner of Urbanite Jewelry, director of The Craft Co-op, and producer of Urban Craft and Wed By Hand. 

What happens when a craft show falls in love with a wedding show and they make a sweet little baby together? You end up with something called Wed By Hand, Ottawa’s Indie Wedding Show. Taking place at the Glebe Community Centre this Saturday, Wed By Hand is a DIY, eco-friendly and handmade wedding show that’s designed to help couples find something different  for their wedding day!

Photo credit: Anne-Marie Bouchard

Now in its third year, the show not only gives you the opportunity to chat with more than 40 unique vendors—from vegan bakers to jewelry makers to picture takers—but it also gives you the opportunity to actually learn how to DIY your big day. This year, Wed By Hand will offer eight DIY and informational workshops to help you create the wedding day that you’ve always wanted.  Learn how to create your own bouquet from local flowers, print your own invites –and- plan an awesome wedding on a budget from experts that really know their stuff!

Photo credit: Anne-Marie Bouchard

This year the show has also expanded to include a tasting room, full of local bakeries, caterers and more. From a DIY candy bar from The Candy Store to a tea bar from DAVIDsTEA to vegan baked goodies from Auntie Loo’s, attendees will be able to sample tons of scrumptious food. Consider Wed By Hand’s tasting room your one stop shop for getting all those cake tastings done in one place!

Photo credit: Anne-Marie Bouchard

And if you’re looking for fancy duds for your special day, we’ll have everything from dresses to fascinators to ties for you to check out. Victoire and With Love Bridal Boutique will be on hand with some seriously sweet dresses, and there will be plenty of jewelry designers on hand to help you accessorize. For the grooms-to-be, we’ll also have screen printed ties and bowties made from vintage fabrics—perfect ways to spruce up your groom!

Sound like fun? We’ve got two tickets to attend + a coveted swag bag for one lucky winner. Wanna win? Just comment on this post and let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing at the show the most! Be sure to include an email address where we can contact you and enter by Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. to win!

Wed By Hand, Ottawa’s Indie Wedding Show
When: Saturday, February 11 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: The Glebe Community Center, 175 Third Ave (Third & Lyon)
$10 at the door, $8 in advance at wedbyhand.com (Workshops, Swag Bags & Tastings included in your ticket price!)

Thanks for the great post Krista, Local Tourist Ottawa will be there this weekend! Like the photos? Check out Anne-Marie Bouchard of AMBphoto.

All Alayna wants for Christmas … is a great day downtown

Alayna (blog/Twitter) is a proud Ottawa native who loves travelling, photography and the wonders of social media. She is a web communications specialist during the day and, in her spare time, she is often found baking, crafting and planning her next trip.

Murray Street Kitchen is located at 110 Murray Street

Ah, the holiday season downtown. The malls are packed, parking is a nightmare, and the cold is (finally) starting to set in. It’s enough to make a person want to curl up on the couch, pull out a good book and spend the day indoors.

But get out there fellow Ottawa dwellers!

There’s a hell of a lot more to see downtown besides the Rideau Centre! After a year living in the heart of downtown, I’ve found there are ton of ways to enjoy a perfect winter weekend, without being trampled by the frantic shoppers in the mall. Here are a few of my favourites …

Start the day off with brunch at the Murray Street Kitchen (110 Murray Street). For just $13, they serve up a delicious mix of flavours and unique twists on the old classics. Cheddar french toast with garlic maple syrup? Yes please! The menu changes often, so it’s impossible to get bored with the options. Be sure to get there early or make reservations, as they fill up quickly.

Alanya Wright high fives the chef at Murray Street Kitchen, which offers a great weekend brunch

If you take part in the Ottawa Foodie Challenge next year, you may even get the chance to high-five the chef!

Next, take a stroll up to the awesome shopping area of Dalhousie North. It’s a bit of a walk, but well worth the trip! Stop by Victorie (246 Dalhousie) to check out their creative and unique selection of clothing. It’s my best bet for a Christmas or NYE party dress like no other! A little further down, Workshop Boutique (242 Dalhousie) offers a great mix of handcrafted gifts — perfect for those last few people to cross off your Christmas list. Finally, pop by to visit the ladies at Luxe Bridal Boutique (206 & 208 Dalhousie). Not only do they have the most gorgeous gowns, they also have fun accessories to finish off your holiday outfit.

On the way back towards Rideau street, be sure to visit the Byward Market. During the summer, this area is packed with tourists checking out the fresh fruit and veggie stands. During the winter, the market is a bit quieter and features vendors selling maple syrup, Christmas trees, and knitted mittens.

Colourful mittens are just one of the great gifts you can find in the Byward Market

Here, you can even watch a fresh evergreen wreath being whipped together before your eyes! $8-10 will get you a handmade wreath that makes your house smell amazing.

Vendors whip up some holiday-scented wreaths in the Market

Another must-do on my list is a stop at the Parliament Buildings. Too often, it seems Ottawa natives (myself included) rarely visit this Canadian landmark. As a bit of a political junkie, I always find it exciting to walk around and see who you can run into on the Hill.

The gazebo behind the Parliament Buildings boasts my favourite view of the Ottawa River, and don’t forget to count the raccoons at the Canadian Parliamentary Cat sanctuary (located to the west of the Centre Block). From now through January, the Christmas Lights Across Canada is lighting up the Parliament Buildings and other locations around town. It’s a great way to see these well-known places in a whole new light (literally).

Christmas Lights Across Canada is a sight to see on Parliament Hill

Finally, it’s time to reward yourself for a great day out in Ottawa with a pint from D’Arcy McGees (44 Sparks Street) This Irish bar was named after Thomas D’Arcy McGee, who was assassinated just steps away from this spot in 1868, but fear no bad vibes! The cozy atmosphere and rockin’ bands always make for a great evening. Warm up in a corner booth, call a few friends, and enjoy some local beer from Beau’s or Kichesippi — both served on tap! 

These are just a few of my favourite things to do. Ottawa is a big city with a ton of great things going on every day. Get out there, find some fun, and share with us your recommendations for the perfect winter weekend in Ottawa!

Looks like Ottawa’s festivity doesn’t go way when winter comes! Thanks for your holiday tour, Alayna. Have suggestions for other great holiday spots in Ottawa’s other neighbourhoods? Leave a comment below.

We’re WHAT worst? Song out of tune with Ottawa fashion scene

A scene from last year's Ottawa Fashion Week (Photo credit: Charles Crosbie, via Flickr)

Jenna Farrell (blog/Twitter) is a twenty-something PR girl who recently returned to Ottawa after two years in Toronto. She currently does freelance PR work for small businesses and startups. Jenna is also an avid blog reader/writer and you can learn more about her passion for fashion and eye for vintage finds at www.navyandgold.wordpress.com.

In a recent MSN listing inspired by GQ magazine, freelance writer Vivian Song ranked Ottawa as the eighth worst-dressed city in the world. (Falling behind Vancouver, which ranked third. Ouch.) Shortly after Song’s article came out, Ottawa Citizen journalist Kristy Nease reported on the ranking with the following explanation:

“Some people call Ottawa the city that fun forgot. They walk through the downtown core after 8 pm – or Sparks Street Mall at any time of day – and wonder where the excitement, the glittering nightlife, the hip young people are hiding.”

Jenna Farrell (Photo credit: John Paille, via Flickr)

No offense to the local BIA, but Sparks is hardly Ottawa’s true heartbeat. I have lived in Ottawa a total of five years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to the ‘pedestrian mall.’

(Once was to get my passport photo taken and the other times were to visit local favourite Darcy McGee’s pub.)

In her ranking, Song characterizes Ottawa as a city populated by suit-and-tie civil servants. In many ways, she is right. Our downtown core is where the majority of our government buildings stand and it hosts thousands of civil servants, who make certain they’re at home before 8 pm. SHOCKER.

A scene from inside Babylon Nightclub (Photo credit: missionlessdays, via Flickr)

But where Ms. Song really loses me is when she writes that we, in Ottawa, have zero audacity to be different and we all apparently look like we’re frozen in the 1980s. She also goes on to say that Ottawa is perhaps the least sexy city in Canada.

Where she gets this from, I don’t know.

If only Song could attend Grind at Babylon Nightclub on a Saturday night. If this were the case, I doubt she would still feel this way. (Trust me, sexy practically radiates out of the small nightclub known around town for its famed hip-hop and dancehall night.)

I also wonder when Song last visited Ottawa. It may well have been the 1980s, for all we know. According to her blog, she currently resides in Paris. If her ranking of Ottawa was a direct comparison to her  European home, I might even agree with her conclusions. But the article unfortunately ranked Ottawans alongside those living in such cities as the Jersey Shore.

I by no means am saying that Ottawa is a New York or a Paris or a Milan. But I will say that we weren’t placed in proper company in that ranking.

Victoire describes itself as a rock 'n' roll tea party (Photo credit: fieldtripp, via Flickr)

Speaking as someone who has recently returned to Ottawa after two years spent in Toronto, I feel that I have come back to a city vibrant in fashion, style and the overall vibe.

I love strolling along Dalhousie and stopping by Victoire, Workshop and Young Jane’s. Vintage lovers can score great finds at placed like Aunt Olive’s, Ragtime and Hand Down Your Pants. Or tuck into the Market to find Roadtrip, Schad or Trustfund for more trendy styles. And I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming seventh season of Ottawa Fashion Week. If only Ms. Song could join me.

What I often tell newcomers to Ottawa who have ill things to say about our city is this: The difference between living in Ottawa vs. living in other large Canadian cities is that  the excitement, the glittering nightlife, and the hip young people won’t come to you. The glittering nightlife is here – but it’s not next door to our government buildings, nor can the young, hip people be found reading poetry along the Sparks Street Mall.

However, if you venture into LowerTown, Hintonburg or along Elgin, you will find the glitter you are looking for. (And if you make your a little further, all the way to ChinaTown or Little Italy, it’s likely that you will find the young hip people that are supposedly hiding.)

In sum, I find the photo Song used to symbolize Ottawa’s fashion to be quite emblematic of her characterization of Ottawa: Stereotypical and shallow.

Typically, when one makes a judgement of a city’s fashion scene, they don’t use a stock image of some idiot with an oversized red briefcase.  They go to the streets, and see what people are really wearing. If Song did this, she might have found fashion bloggers walking down Laurier after 20 York Street‘s #LifeofStyle event at ARC the Hotel last week, or trendy hipsters enjoying Karaoke at Shanghai restaurant on Somerset. What about the awesome ambiance at The Moonroom?

Instead, a lazy stereotype was used to characterize our entire city’s fashion scene.  Which makes me wonder … should any of us actually care about her ranking in the first place? (Just so you know, the No. 1 worst-dressed city was Orlando, filled with mini-van driving families heading to the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ at Disneyworld.)

On Sept. 16, Song tweeted:

We don’t hate you, Ms. Song, but I think we here in Ottawa can all agree that you are terribly misinformed.

Thanks, Jenna! Sounds like Ottawa has a lot of style to celebrate! Let us know what places others should be checking out by leaving a comment below!

Introducing Ottawa’s new monthly craft market: A Q&A with Urban Craft co-organizer Krista Leben

Krista Leben is the co-organizer of Ottawa’s newest artisan-friendly venture, Urban Craft. Urban Craft is the city’s new monthly craft market that starts this Saturday, September 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Great Canadian Theatre Company. Since moving to Ottawa, she has become an integral part of the community through her role in The Craft Co-Op, Wed By Hand and now Urban Craft.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you first got involved in the Ottawa craft scene.

I stared my company, urbanite jewelry, in the spring of 2009 while living in the UK and doing my master’s degree. In the fall of that year, Robin (my boyfriend and Urban Craft co-producer) and I both moved to Ottawa. At the time I was job searching and planning to go into politics but because the job market was so rocky, I had a hard time finding a position. Serendipitously, urbanite started taking off at the same time and I decided to pursue it instead. During the first fall I had really wanted to get involved in craft shows here in Ottawa, but I found it difficult to find out about them and to get into them (mostly because I was finding out about them too late).

Robin and I realized that while Ottawa had a craft community, it really wasn’t as cohesive as it could be. We decided that in order to make the craft community stronger and to encourage the public to buy local and handmade, Ottawa really needed three things:

• A central resource for people to find out about vendor opportunities, craft shows, and crafty happenings,
• More opportunities for vendors in the form of hip, modern, well-managed and well-promoted craft shows, and;
• A central organization to bring crafters–both professional and hobbyists alike–together to foster a stronger craft community in Ottawa.

So we decided to launch The Craft Co-Op and started producing events and compiling craft show notifications within six months!

How would you describe Urban Craft?

Urban Craft is Ottawa’s first monthly craft market. The show will feature fresh, modern finds from Ottawa’s hippest independent businesses. We’ll have everything from gourmet food to independent fashion to funky accessories. The show is an opportunity for locals to shop local and handmade in a show setting throughout the year.

You and Robin are both established artisans thanks to Wed By Hand. From this point of view, how do you think Urban Craft will help other artists and vendors to promote their product?

We’re actually super excited to be able to provide a monthly market because we strongly believe it’s essential to the sustainability and growth of small, independent businesses here in Ottawa. One of the reasons we decided to launch this market is because we heard from so many vendors that they wished they had a consistent, indoor show where they could sell their goods. We’re happy to provide a show as a complement to stores in town that already are such huge supporters of handmade like Workshop, Flock and Victoire.

Who are some of the artisans that visitors can look forward to seeing on September 3?

Cupcakes from Auntie Loo's (photo courtesy of Anne Marie Bouchard)

• Locally-roasted coffee from a new company, Bytown Beanery
• Auntie Loo’s will have vegan sweet treats
• French macarons from Urban Baking Co.
• Gourmet chocolate from Koko Chocolates
• Liv Well Toys will be on hand with gorgeous hand-sewn stuffed
• My Stow-And-Tow has the perfect totes for your tot
• Manus Made will be on hand with gorgeous tea towels, aprons and other home goodies
• Eufemia Bella has amazingly shabby-chic décor for your home, too
• Flights of Fancy will be on hand with gorgeous fascinators.

There will also be a wide-range of modern jewelry from companies like Leah Christina, Jasmine Virani, Chelsy Anne and Strut.

Jewelry by Jasmine Virani (photo courtesy of Anne Marie Bouchard)

One of the stereotypes of craft markets is that they’re for an older crowd – how are some of the ways in which Urban Craft will appeal to a wider demographic?

This ain’t your grandma’s craft show—that’s for sure. Urban Craft is considered an ‘indie’ craft show, which means that we feature goods that are much more modern and well designed than things you might have found at church basement craft sales in the ‘90’s.

Why do you think Ottawa is a good place for a monthly craft market?

Conventional wisdom tells us all that Ottawa is a boring, government town—but those of us that live here and are willing to ‘live like tourists’ know that this isn’t true at all. There is an incredible network of small business owners doing innovative and interesting things in this town. What’s more, there’s a huge demand for the ability to connect with these businesses and buy their goods; one only needs to attend a packed-to-the-gills Idle Hands show or notice that both Workshop and Victoire were able to expand to open a new store each in the west end. People in Ottawa have great taste and crave new and exciting things to do—we’re excited to be able to add to the fray.

Where can people go to find out more about Urban Craft?

Ottawans can visit our website, check us out on Facebook follow our updates on Twitter or read how the heck we put a show like this on through our blog!

Thanks for the information, Krista! We’ll be heading over to the GCTC this Saturday to see what goodies we can pick up. How about you, Ottawa? Looking for some creative gift ideas? Like the idea of the new monthly craft market? Let us know!

Sunday wrap up! (June 26)

Howdy, Ottawa!

With the long weekend just one week away, we hope you were out being good local tourists over the past couple of days.

Here’s what we’ve been doing:

• The very talented and lovely Hilary Duff wrapped up her hunt for Ottawa’s best cupcake, declaring a newcomer as the best in baked goods

• We recounted how Tulips & Maple learned the three T’s after 20 years in business, showing off some snapshots from their anniversary party

• Peter James took us out to the ball game with a trip to see the Ottawa Fat Cats

• Victoire Boutique enlightened us on their five years in fashion, describing their look as a rock n’ roll tea party

• Hilary then switched from sweets to sauce while checking out Ottawa’s annual Ribfest on Sparks Street. Yum!

Do you have something great about the city that you want to share? Tell us about it by sending a note to ltottawa@gmail.com.

It’s the weekend, Ottawa! What are YOU doing?

Photo Credit: NCC

With springtime in the air, it’s bound to be a busy weekend in Ottawa.

While we at LTOttawa have been very busy this week, we’re looking forward to Friday night and beyond to get us out and about in the city.

Here’s some ideas to get you going:

• Eco-Jest-Us (read it slowly) is taking place on Saturday at the Arts Court. This pre-Earth Day event brings together all sorts of arts elements, including poetry, spoken word, visual art, improv and music.

• The very awesome Victoire boutique, in the Byward Market, is holding a vintage dress show — featuring frocks from the ’50s and ’60s — on Saturday, from 10 am to 9 pm. That’s a full day of shopping! (And check out the garb during a preview night on Friday.)

• The Canadian Science and Technology Museum has a special family-focused workshop Friday about Living on Mars. See what’s needed to live on the Red Planet.

• The NAC show, Broadway’s Leading Men, kicked off tonight — but runs until Saturday, featuring the “glitz and glam” in a music-filled tribute. Think West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and more.

• The always-popular charity yoga session (pay a donation, in increments of $5) at Preston Street’s Moksha Yoga takes place EVERY Friday night at 7:30 pm. (Register right away … They fill up very early.)

• For a little costlier $19 drop-in rate, you can check out Moksha’s 3 pm class on Sunday — it often features hauntingly beautiful music to aid in your practice.

• The School of the Photographic Arts (SPAO) — which has allowed us to feature many of its photographers — is hosting a launch party for their 3rd issue of their magazine, Push/Pull, on Friday night at Patrick Gordon Framing.

• The 4th Annual (who knew?) Ottawa Opry brings talent to the stage at the National Archives on Friday night. A benefit for Amnesty International, thing get underway at 8 pm.

• The Cottage & Big Backyard Show rolls into Lansdowne, starting Friday and running until Sunday. If you really want to get summer underway, why not start early by planning out your ideas for outdoor living.

• As national Vimy Day sees events sweep the country, Ottawa will have morning and evening ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider on Saturday.
  

Any other things happening? Tell us about them by leaving a comment below!

Chatting about Ottawa’s craft scene with Wed By Hand’s Krista Leben

Krista Leben

Krista Leben is the designer behind urbanite jewelryand a co-director of The Craft Co-Op, Ottawa’s source for all things craft in the capital. She’s also the producer of several indie craft shows around the city including this weekend’s alternative wedding show Wed By Hand.

We’ve had several Local Tourists write about arts and crafts in Ottawa. How would you describe the community?

The craft community here in Ottawa is full of really incredibly talented people. I’m super impressed with the talent I’ve discovered (and continue to discover) here in the city. One of the interesting things about the craft scene in Ottawa is that while there’s definitely a presence, the community isn’t as cohesive as it could be. So that’s why my partner Robin and I set out to create The Craft Co-Op. We wanted to bring everyone together, provide a central resource for everyone to go to and create a stronger craft presence within the city.

It seems like a pretty flourishing hobby! Why do you think crafting continues to be popular?

So many people today spend most of their day working on computers and in serious jobs (especially in a government town like Ottawa). Crafting is a way to connect back with your hands and express your creativity. Creating something by hand is also a very personal expression of oneself. I think being able to express yourself creatively and then share that for others is a really wonderful outlet, release, and experience for many people.

Tell us about the Craft Co-Op.

The Craft Co-Op is your source for all things craft in the capital. We maintain a blog which keeps crafters in the loop in regards to what type of vendor opportunities are available in Ottawa. We’re also expanding the blog’s content this year to help the public find out what craft shows are coming up. But one of the primary things that we do is produce several craft shows throughout the year including Wed By Hand and The Capital Craft Market.

Who are some cool local crafters to look out for?

• The D.A.D. Project – Run by Emily Chen of m chen wears and her sister in Toronto, they’ve set out to do a drawing a day to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society in honor of their father who passed away in October of 2010. Their drawings are adorable and it’s for such a worthy cause!
• Sweet Stitch – Sue makes really adorable sewn goods and recently participated in her first craft show ever. Her stuff is really sweet and she’s got a lot of talent in her fingers!
• Purple Urchin – These ladies make the most a-mazing soaps I’ve ever tried. Friends also rave about their scrubs, lotions, and massage oils. They’re really good quality and smell so yummy!
• Loopy4Ewe – Jay makes amazingly lovely knitted caps and other goods that are fabulous for adults, children and even tiny little babies!

You’re also a jewelery designer — how would you describe your work?

My line is your source for fresh, modern jewelry. I am all about simple, clean lines and jewelry that’s versatile and easy to wear with many outfits. Each of the pieces in my line is actually inspired by and named after a different world city.

The next big event on your roster is this weekend’s Wed By Hand. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Alternative Wedding Show Wed by Hand runs this Sunday, February 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Glebe Community Centre

Wed By Hand is Ottawa’s alternative wedding show. We are a handmade, eco-friendly and DIY-themed wedding show that offers couples something different than what’s available in the typical wedding industry today. We’re more than just a wedding show—we’re a wedding event: Wed By Hand includes DIY workshops, food tastings, handmade décor, a DJ spinning tunes and much more. Wed By Hand is one of the first shows of its kind in North America.

The first Wed By Hand took place in February of 2010 and was featured on /A\ Morning, CBC News, CBC Radio and in the Ottawa Citizen. While in 2010 Wed By Hand featured just vendors, we’ve expanded the event this year to include all of the fun things included above, like the workshops, DJ and tastings! We’re incredibly excited for this year’s event!

Wed By Hand is happening this Sunday February 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Glebe Community Centre.

Why do you think modern brides (and grooms) should hit up this event?

It’s an opportunity to discover something unique for your wedding and an opportunity to connect with people who can really help you personalize your day. We take extra special care to select vendors that brides won’t find elsewhere! We also have workshops for those brides who are into DIY (just like we are)! Also—we’ve got free tastings from the likes of Auntie Loo’s, Little Cakes, Crazy 4 Chocolate and more. Spins & Needles will be on hand DJ’ing and we’ll have a mocktail bar. What’s not to love?

At LTO, we like to celebrate the best in the city of Ottawa. Can you tell us how you would spend your perfect Ottawa day?

My perfect winter day in Ottawa would start with breakfast at Edgar (on the Hull side). I’d spend the morning walking and shopping at places like Flock and Victoire in Westboro and Wellington West, and dine at Absinthe or Allium for lunch. I’d then go skating on the canal (seriously—as an American, I think this is the coolest thing) and finish up the day with drinks and a yummy dinner at The Manx!

Thanks for chatting with us Krista!