Fashion for All from Vokt'Nach

I am always excited to learn about new creative ventures and people, in my own city and beyond. Although, particularly in my own city. Luckily there are so many talented artistic people here that there is always something or someone new to check out.

The most recent of these artists that has intrigued me is Victory Okorafor - a local fashion designer who is launching his clothing line, Vokt'nach, this weekend. This is how Victory describes his line in his own words:

"The line is classy and formal, but still appealing to every individual despite their class in society. It will inspire customers to look nice and presentable in their every day lives. The pieces are affordable but designed and made with a mindset to perfection. My goal is to change the perspective people have of the fashion industry, and also to challenge the idea that only the rich can dress nice. My vision is to bring both worlds together and provide a way for everyone to dress with self-satisfaction and confidence, without having to spend a lot."

What has stood out most to me from what I've seen of the line is the wearability of the pieces. You won't find any loud prints or unorthodox shapes in this collection, but a series of simple but tailored items that would be easy for anyone to incorporate into their wardrobe. As someone with a busy lifestyle I appreciate clothes that are versatile (but still cute!).

When asked about what inspires him, Victory says it can be impromptu and come in various ways. "It could be when I am asleep, in the shower, or while at a fabric store. I am inspired by my surroundings, my cherished memories, music, art, nature, culture and religion. I appreciate the little moments in my everyday life."

Here are the details of the Vokt'Nach launch presentation:

The fur stole in this photo looks deliciously warm!

Alas, I am going out of the country and won't be able to attend (*sadface*) but I encourage you to go and admire the clothes for me! Although we have an amazing community of artists here in Halifax, the infrastructure really is not there for them to make a long-term career of it. This makes it all the more important for art-lovers like you and me to support these designers as much as possible. I will be sending Victory some good vibes from the US (although, with a name like that I don't think outside motivation is needed!). 

After all, the art that people like Victory make enriches all of our lives. As this up-and-coming designer states, "I believe style is a way of saying who we are, and we want everyone to have a say fashionably". 

For more information on Vokt'Nach, visit the Facebook and Twitter page or the website.

Update (Oct 22nd, 2013): I received a note from one of the models involved in this show, and I felt his review of his experience with Vokt'Nach was worth sharing. You can read it here. Considering I was not able to attend the show, nor see any of the behind-the-scenes first-hand (and because all of my interactions with Victory were positive), I do not feel I can provide an informed opinion on this matter. That said, I will say that I was disappointed to read this. Also, just to make a general comment without pointing any fingers, I feel it is completely unprofessional to treat people you hire with disrespect and to not compensate them properly. I do not have respect for people that do not give respect to others, especially those that take time out of their life to help you.  

Doors Open Halifax

Hot on the heels of my Open City adventure, I'm hoping to take in another cool, upcoming event that promises to 'open' up Halifax, specifically the secret parts that most of us would never normally get to see.

Doors Open Halifax is taking place this Saturday and Sunday (June 8th & 9th) and the idea is that buildings of some significance (either historical, architectural or cultural) will open their doors and invite the public to explore - for free! This is an even that actually takes place in cities all over the world (the first one was in Glasgow, Scotland in 1990) but this is the first year for it in Halifax.

Many of the venues are buildings that many of us probably walk or drive by on a regular basis but have never actually been inside - some may have NEVER been explored by the public before!
Some of the buildings will feature tours of special areas not normally accessible and special exhibits.

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For example, the Royal Suite on the 2nd floor of Government House, where the Queen stays when visiting Halifax, will be open to the public for the first time since the renos were completed. How cool would it be to stand in the Queen's Halifax bedroom?!

Alas, I am hosting a bachelorette party for one of my bff's this weekend and therefore will not have much time to explore, but I'm hoping to at least get to one or two places on Sunday.

One venue that caught my eye was the Keith's Brewery. I'm sorry to say I have lived in Halifax pretty much my whole life and have never visited this local institution. I have always wanted to but have never had the opportunity - until now. For OD, Brewery is open for FREE self-guided tours between 10am-4pm! They will have their usual actors in period costume hanging around, but you are free to wander as you wish. What a neat way to see a building I have always wondered about...I love to wander and quietly absorb things so this is perfect for me...oh and the no cost thing doesn't hurt either (an adult tour of the brewery normally costs $16.95).

Other venues I'm hoping to check out are the new King's Wharf development (think waterfront luxury with an unparalleled view of the Halifax harbour skyline - my only chance to see inside the penthouse, or any unit, since I will never have enough money to actually LIVE here!), and the new  Central Library (currently under construction), where they are having an "Around the Block in 264 Years" tour, showing findings from the archaeological dig of the site, and a 3D Virtual Tour of the completed library. This new library is easily the most exciting development currently underway in our city, so I would love the opportunity to see it 'before' completion then compare it after.

I wish I had more time to explore all the buildings, but the timing just didn't work out. If I do get out and do some exploring, I will be sure to report back! And that doesn't stop you from getting out and enjoying the event - consider playing "VIP" this weekend and heading out to see inside the secret and significant buildings that surround you every day. You never know, you may learn something new, and this should always be encouraged :) 

Check out the Open Doors Halifax Facebook and Twitter page for all the details!

Burger Bonanza

There has been quite the case of "Burger Fever" here in Halifax this past year, with a gourmet burger joint opening (it seems) every other week in various neighborhoods and enthusiasts endlessly comparing the pros and cons of each.

The Coast, in all their awesome genius-ness, decided to get in on the hype by making March 21st to 27th "Burger Week"! A whole week dedicated to eating burgers? Pretty sure this is the best idea ever (next to the hairdryer, of course). They also offered a prize of a Big Green Egg smoker/grill for anyone who visited a minimum of 3 establishments, so the boy and I promptly grabbed our passports, picked our Top 3 and spent the week trying them all out.

We decided to try 3 places we had never visited before, so this was an excuse to not only eat delicious burgers but to visit a few restos I have been meaning to get to for a while! Win-win!

1. Bearly's House of Blues, Burgers and Ribs

All photos by me

This place was PACKED when we arrived and we only got a table within 10 minutes out of sheer luck. Clearly this is a popular place on Friday and Saturday nights. I can see why, since it has a casual laid back vibe and low prices. The Bearly's Burger was one of the $5 ones from The Coast list - that's $5, TAXES IN, y'all. The price was great for the amount of food - this plate was HUGE. And the burger had some great toppings, including onion rings and house-made salsa.

Unfortunately, our service left some things to be desired, but I'm willing to cut them some slack since they were really busy. And the important thing is that the burger was delicious! Next time I hope to catch some of the great blues music they are known for.

2. Tempo Food + Drink
This is a brand new restaurant that I had heard good reviews for, so I was probably anticipating this visit the most. It just looks like such a cool, funky place through those big, open windows on Barrington Street - like a place that has interesting cocktails and takes on food. This burger was one of the most delicious-sounding on the menu, with its smoked ketchup, fried onions, candied bacon (candy and bacon in ONE?!), and tempura pickle! Who could resist all that fat and grease?!

The burger was quite tasty, although all the tempura promptly came off my pickle the minute I bit into it, which was disappointing. The prices here are also a tad higher, so it's not a place I could afford to frequent often (most dishes and drinks are around the $15 mark). The two cocktails I had were good though, particularly the "Chant", aka. lemon vodka, lemon gemello, blueberry liqueur, rhubarb
bitters, sour, pineapple. I think it's really cute that their drinks all have musical names, since I'm a music geek and all.

My favourite thing about this place is the atmosphere - the decor has a real modern, sleek feel to it with a touch of down-to-earth comfort (long cafeteria-esque counter in front of the kitchen, chalkboard special listings). They had a great-looking "lounge" area with candles and comfy chairs that looks like a great place to sit and sip a drink and talk with a friend. Will keep this spot in mind for just such a future visit!

3. Finbar's Irish Pub
This being a suburban pub, we weren't sure what to expect, but we liked it very much! It's just your basic Irish-style pub, not really anything special but the burger we had here was probably the most unique of the 3. This patty was lamb instead of beef and had a delicious sweet Guinness glaze on top, which I really enjoyed. The service here was great - all the waitresses are really friendly and helpful. Ours helped the boy pick out a beer to compliment his burger when he wasn't sure what to have, and he's a bit of a beer snob so if he's impressed with your pick, you have done something right!

Thanks to The Coast for putting on such a delicious promotion - it made our tummies very happy and also got us out to try some new places, which we are always up for! It seemed like this promotion was very popular and well-received, so hopefully this means there will be more. May I suggest something dessert-related?

Food Fantasy

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Three of my favourite things are food, exploring and walking so I was really excited to head out on the Local Connections North End Fantasy Food Tour on Saturday. I was extra happy because two biz's were featured on the tour that I have been meaning to visit for a long time - Ace Burger Co and DeeDee's.

I lived in the North End for close to 4 years. I had an apartment I loved and it was my first apartment so you can imagine the plethora of memories and emotions that I had tied up in it. When my bf and I decided to shack up we picked suburban Clayton Park to hang our hats, sacrificing character and centrality to get more for our money. I'm happy with that decision, but I sure do miss the NE. I miss being able to walk everywhere, particularly all the wickedly creative small businesses that have cropped up in recent years.

Ah well, perhaps I will move back someday but in the meantime I have to be contented with driving my butt down here to enjoy it. The important thing though, of course, is enjoying it and we sure did on this tour!

One of my favourite NE spots is the Brooklyn Warehouse. I could walk here in 10 minutes from my old apartment, which was dangerous both for my waistline and my wallet. I think George Christakos and gang are doing awesome things for the food culture in Halifax, so when I heard they opened a new establishment, I couldn't wait to try it out.

Gus' Pub was packed to the rafters when we arrived, which meant we had to stand and wait for a table for about 15 minutes. We didn't mind though - we grabbed our Pop Shoppe sodas (the black cherry was delish!), bobbed our heads to the band and chatted up a few other waiting patrons. Clearly this place is popular! The food was worth the wait, though - our Classic and Lamb burgers were both packed with flavour and super-fresh toppings.

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The prices are very reasonable, too - about 7 or 8 bucks for most patties and you pay additional for a side but fries are only $3.50 and tax is included in all prices. Warning: They only take cash, but there is an ATM on site.

Sidenote: They had a stack of their "Big F'n Cookies" on the counter when we were ordering and I wanted one sooooo bad! They are half-dipped in chocolate and...well, F'N big! Seriously, the size of my head (and that's saying something). Maybe next time...

Next the group trooped down to Dee Dee's Ice Cream.

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I was expecting a treat but not one quite as awesome as we got. Not only did they have special "tasting" options ready for everyone but they had Jim the owner of Java Blend Coffee (another NE fav of mine) making espressos and caps for everyone! For ice cream, everyone had a choice between 3 fruit flavours and 3 sweet (i.e. caramel, chocolate, almond). I, of course, chose the chocolate option and was completely happy with my choice.

First of all, look at the beautiful presentation:

Photo by Me

That pink spiral on the centre one? That's edible! And the third ice cream selection (far right) is a chocolate stout flavour (as in beer), believe it or not. I was not sure what to expect in terms of flavour but I actually didn't mind it! Everything tasted so fresh and had such a great texture - you can tell they make everything with good quality ingredients and a lot of passion. We received a lot of personal attention on our visit and were invited to sample as much ice cream and coffee as we wanted.

My lovely Java Blend espresso finished off my meal nicely. Sidenote: Java Blend was established in 1938! I had no idea it had been around so long!

Photo by Me (the cup looks giant but it's actually quite tiny :)

The tickets for this event were $17, and I definitely think we got a great deal. I may not be able to get much apartment for my money in the North End, but I KNOW I can get great food, drinks and service and that is a suitable substitute :)

I've Got Events To Keep Me Warm

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Have I mentioned that I hate winter? Well, I do. And February has got to be the worst month of the year in Nova Scotia. It's long enough after Christmas break that the holiday seems like a distant memory, far enough away from Spring and the next long weekend that the days seem to drag on. AND, as if that was not bad enough, we seem to get most of our snow in February - big storms interspersed with warmer, wet days, resulting in a whole lot of dirty slush all over town. You can see why one would become hateful and depressed at such a time!

That being said, what is getting me through is the great events happening in February and March. Here's a few that I am looking forward to:

1) Stargazing and the Science of Love: My boyfriend and I decided to visit the Discovery Centre this Thursday, for a unique Valentine's Day outing that is romantic without being cheesy. Adults looking to "mix it up" for V-Day can do some stargazing and listen to a talk by Matthew Numer, PhD, on "The Science of Love and Attraction". Can't beat $10 for a night of learning something new together. Plus, we are going for supper at Piatto first, a place I have been looking forward to trying since it opened (I had two separate people tell me they had the best pizza of their life here!). The only thing better than learning is learning with a belly full of delicious pizza!

2) Savouring Some Delicious Cocktails: The Savour Food and Wine festival is taking place for most of the month of February and there are tons of great events happening. Alas, I am not able to make it to the main event - the Savour Food and Wine show - but we are hoping to take in the Imbibe cocktail event on February 21st. This is basically a gathering of the best mixologists in Nova Scotia (along with a couple of special guests, including Jeremy Parsons, who is heralded as "one of the top mixologists in North America") and a chance to sample some of the most delicious and innovative drinks that local restos are pouring. Trying to sample as much as possible without getting totally sloshed on a weeknight will be tough, but I am up to the challenge!

3) North End Tour of Yum: On March 9th, the boy and I will embark on the North End Fantasy Food Tour, and I will finally get the chance to try two more places that have been on my list for a while - Ace Burger (from the guys who brought us the Brooklyn Warehouse, one of my favourite restos in Halifax), and DeeDee's (who apparently makes amazeballs gelato and burritos). We will also stop at an old standard favourite of mine - Java Blend coffee shop. Their coffee is delicious and the owner is like a local business powerhouse (he just opened a new brewery and is always willing to donate an awesome item to the silent auction for my sister's work). Guessing I will be supremely stuffed by the end of this evening, but I KNOW I will be supremely happy.

4) Tedx Nova Scotia: I have never attended a Ted conference before, but I am really hoping to get the chance this year (March 10th). In case you couldn't tell from #1, I am a bit of a "learning nerd" which means I really enjoy any event where my brain can soak up tons of interesting information and my synapses are fired off in quick and constant succession. The full list of speakers isn't posted yet so I'm not quite sure what specific sessions I will be attending but I am sure there will be some great choices. If nothing else, the Ben Caplan concert should be fist-pumping. I really enjoy the event motto "ideas worth spreading" - it could easily be a life motto for me!

The snow may be snowing and the wind may be blowing, but I will weather the storm thanks to all the fun events to keep me warm this February and March!

Pod Squad

I attended my first Halifax Podcamp this past weekend and I'm so glad I finally got there.

Podcamp is an "unconference" about social media and marketing, which basically means it's an informal conference - anyone can host a session and discussion is encouraged. Best of all, the entire day was FREE!

Although I don't do any marketing or social media work at my day job, I hope to someday and I am very involved in social media in my spare time and hope to pick up more contract work to keep my communications skills up. So, the information was certainly useful to me on a personal level and I think anyone who spends a significant amount of their time on social media or marketing activities would find the information helpful, whether it's your day job or not. Learning new things is never a bad way to spend a Sunday!

I attended 3 sessions altogether - Branding in the Digital Age, How to Get Good Ideas, and the 5th Annual State of Social Media in Atlantic Canada.

The first session (delivered by Sean Williams of Brand Bandit) reminded me of being in PR class, but in a good way. He refreshed my memory on the basics of branding and brought up good points about how a brand is about the emotional side of a company or person as much as the physical and practical points.

The second session (delivered by Mike Hayes of Free Agent Factory) revolved around strategies for coming up with ideas. A lot of the suggestions Mike gave seemed like 'no-brainers' (two heads are better than one, rest up, fuel your brain, etc) however they are also things that most of us don't remember to do when we're actually in the moment. I will definitely keep some of the tips in mind next time I am sitting down trying to get some ideas on paper.

The third session (delivered by Giles Crouch of Media Badger) was basically the keynote of the conference (if there was a keynote) and presented the findings of the annual survey of social media activities in Atlantic Canada. Some of the findings were really surprising (activity on Linkedin increased by 67% over last year) and eye-opening (women are 8x more likely to share content then men). It was all a fascinating exercise in psychology and it was nice to see some local stats. This session was definitely important education for anyone who deals with social media and marketing in Atlantic Canada. (Psst you can read the report highlights here).

Not only did I attend a bunch of free, great sessions but I also had a lovely latte and croissant (prosciutto and provolone - gah!) from Two If By Sea - one of the best cafes in HRM (imho) and an even lovelier brunch at Nectar Social House with fellow Podcamper, Megan. Wow! This place is gorgeously decorated inside and the food is delish. My poached eggs parisienne was a refreshing detour from my usual eggs benedict and (coincidentally) our waitress was a fellow tweep who recognized us from our avatars (did I mention the Halifax Twitter community rocks?).

I also had a twist on the usual mimosa - a "nectarosa", which was cranberry juice and champagne. Very refreshing! I will definitely be back to this little downtown Dartmouth gem!

Social media is so much fun when your local community is so active, friendly, supportive and interesting. I'm proud to be part of the Halifax social media tribe!

Department of Gossip

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Yay for new discoveries! That is what this blog is all about, after all.

It just so happens that I made two great discoveries this week (and it's only Wednesday - HOLLA!), as follows:

1) Vitamin water and vodka go really well together
2) I am a big fan of LaineyGossip

Ok, ok so #2 may not necessarily count as a 'new' discovery, simply because I already liked Lainey and her blog but first of all, I only read on a semi-regular basis (nothing to do with content, trust me - I read a lot of blogs and it's tough to keep up with all of them, y'all), and second of all you can only get SO much about a person from their posts - you often have to meet them in person to get the full dose of their character. For me, this is the way it was with Lainey - she is hilarious and dynamic in print, but even moreso in person.

Me and my date, Kim P

I was excited to be invited to her kick-off event for the Faculty of Celebrity Studies series, but also intimidated (I have to be honest) - I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable about pop culture and celebrity news, but I knew that some of the people in attendance would have vastly more knowledge than I and I was concerned about being quizzed on the spot next to them - would I make an ass out of myself? I don't like to admit it, but I was never one with enough cajones to participate in class so being 'called on' is like one of my worst fears (pathetic, I know).

Quiz time! Not sure what my mark was :(

Isn't FRED a cool space?!

Well, I needn't have worried because I was not put on the spot, nor was the environment intimidating in any way - it felt like sitting around my living room, gossiping with girlfriends over a glass of wine - not even close to the mind-numbing boredom of most traditional lectures.

I don't even like using the word "lecture" for Lainey's presentation because it smacks of pretension and scolding, and her talk (there, that's a better term) was not even close to that - in reality it was super informative, insightful, sassy, honest and witty. I found myself bouncing between laughing my head off and murmuring "hmm" and "so true" to myself at regular intervals in the manner of someone absorbing incredibly good points.

For this was not just a gab session about Kristin Stewart, this was a discussion of the greater societal issues that feed into (and are fed by) the celebrity machine. Her "thesis statements" regarding how women are regressing, celebrity as an ecosystem and celebrity as economic reflection really spoke to me and I completely agreed with her logic.

Ok, I know what you're thinking - probably something related to how silly I am for trying to make something as "shallow" as celebrity gossip deep and meaningful - but I really do feel that there are deeper issues that lay underneath most popular culture norms that shouldn't be dismissed as mere flake.

Aren't her shoes wicked?

Plus, come on - it's fun! Really, what is more fun than gossiping about people we don't know and will (likely) never meet?! And who lead such crazy, weirdly orchestrated lives! And that's the thing about Lainey - although she talks really smart, she also talks really fun - brutally honest, profanity-laced fun - and I love her for that. Let's just say that 3 hours whizzed by really quickly listening to her talk.

Oh, and did I mention I STUFFED my face with like a bajillion mini turkey burgers, goat cheese/pork tenderloin crostini thingys, and cupcakes? Those FRED folks really took care of us - so much so that I almost had to roll my super-full body (with flushed cheeks from the yum vodka cocktail of the evening - natch) out the door and home. Plus, we got to draw on the walls with markers, which is something I am pretty sure my landlord would frown upon (although I have yet to try it).

So, do me a favour...ok, actually 2 favours: Go eat lunch at FRED (if you haven't already) and read Lainey's blog (again, if you haven't already). Meanwhile I am going to talk to our Associate Dean (disclosure: I work in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University) about adding a new program to our roster - the Department of Gossip! I can see it now! If you haven't thought of graduate school before now, ladies, you may wanna reconsider. Pretty sure Dean Lainey's office hours would include cocktails.

*psssst! btw here's a great article in my local paper about the event: "Celebrity gossip, when it’s done right, is an observation of human behaviour." - LG*