One Of Kensington's Wonderful "Gems"...

I meant to post this last night, but I was out last night at a benefit concert for Haiti called "Calgary Artists for Haitian Relief". A great line of artists "rocked" it out at the Epcor centre, (it was the first time that I been - what a lovely venue). I was so glad that I went - on so many levels.

Tonight I do want to talk about a boutique that I recently discovered. Housed in the neighbourhood that I work in - Kensington. I can't believe that I had never stepped foot in the shop before.

Located at 233 - 10 Street Nw Calgary, AB - Eleven Eleven Boutique celebrates talented independant Canadian designers by offering customers a colourful, unique array of clothing. As I walked into the shop, my eyes scanned around with delight. Primarily upcycled or recycled clothing, (in vibrant colours & patterns), make up most of Eleven Eleven's inventory. But it doesn't stop there. You can find jewelry, sandals, bags & accessories.

Not only did the designs "wow" me, but I really like the shop's "bohemian" style interior decor.
Yeah, I definitely loved that there was a chandelier in the store, (cause I heart chandeliers), but I found the "designer's inspiration" wall such a wonderful & interesting addition to the space.

It was last week, when I met with one of the co-owners of Eleven Eleven boutique. I'd like to introduce you to the lovely & ever-so-friendly Lana Selbee.......






How long has Eleven Eleven been open?
Eleven Eleven has been opened just over one year now. It was opened December 2008, by main designer Jessica Redditt (www.middleofnowhereapparel.com/ )


Does the name "Eleven Eleven" have any significance?
Eleven Eleven is believed by many to have different meanings.The underlying understanding that connects them all is that Eleven Eleven is a place of understanding, a place where things begin to come together and the future begins to be much more clear before us. To us, Eleven Eleven is a place where our dreams of establishing a beautiful, flourishing artistic community in Calgary begin to come together. Seeing the numbers 11:11 often means to many that they are going in the right direction, pursuing the correct path. We definitely believe we are!


Can you tell my readers how you became one of the owners of Eleven Eleven?
Myself and my business partner Andrea Walker came to the boutique early January as shoppers... and ended up early February as owners. We worked together for a month with Jessica and her partner Sal Awad to make buying the business a possibility for us. It all came about when we found out Jessica and Sal did not plan to keep the business in Calgary, they planned to head West to Victoria. We could not let such a rare precious gem escape our city! So...we bought it!


What can one expect when we visit your boutique?
You can expect to find one of a kind, unique to each person designs. Everything we sell is handmade, and no mass production exists! We work mainly with designers who are recycling old clothing, or using the bits and pieces others leave behind. Most of our designers are from Calgary, but we welcome in many smaller, independant designers from all across Canada. We make sure our store is always colourful and eco-friendly. And of course, we also have all of our vintage treasures for those who love the hunt!


Who are some of the designers that are featured in your store?
Jessica Redditt, line Middle of Nowhere http://www.middleofnowhereapparel.com/ Floating Gold Iceberg collective, Victoria BC http://www.floatinggoldiceberg.com/ Jeniffer Fukushima, Paper People Clothing, Toronto, http://www.paperpeopleclothing.com/ Valrie Powell, Cherry Chic Designs, Calgary http://www.cherrychicdesigns.com/Freyja Ulveland (leather designs) Fehu Designs, Calgary, http://www.fehudesign.com/ ..and many more!


Prior to running your boutique, what did you used to do?
Prior to this? Well, not much at all. Worked a lot of dead end serving jobs, reserved my nights for painting and dreamed of being an artist. Now? My dream has gotten a lot bigger! My job is to work with amazing creative people and I love it.


Now I noticed that you will be a part of the Fashion & Accessory Expo on March 20th. Do you have plans for any other events this year?
We are trying to hit up all the folk festivals we can! If all goes according to plan you should see us at the Winnipeg Folk Fest, Edmonton Folk Fest, Calgary Folk Fest and Canmore Folk Fest. What can I say? We love the festivals!


What are your future plans for Eleven Eleven?
To find and bring in as much local talent as we can, from clothing to jewelry to artwork. Eventually I would like to transform the way our city views shopping and fashion and possibly create our own local mall... you never know what can happen!


Do you have any advice for someone who's interested in opening their own boutique?
Yes! Know exactly what your boutique would be about, it's heart, it's character, it's vision. Make sure you have a firm clear vision, lots of wonderful people to partner with and help you learn, and be ready to fight it out for a few years! :)

To find out more about Eleven Eleven boutique........

Click HERE to visit their site

Click HERE to join their Fan Facebook page

Now peeps, I'd like you to swing by an Etsy shop called Aquacitrine by clicking HERE

There's gonna be another giveaway on The Creative Mixx tomorrow, so stay tuned.

1luv

A Locket Ring, Bikinis & Biggie

I had three things on my mind today.

The first was the "locket ring". Now, I've gotta thang for lockets. I own 2 right now, but I used to own about 4, (can't remember where those other two disappeared to)

But today, I was catching up on some blog reading and discovered a new blog called Mes Lunettes Folles. The most recent post was all about the Oscar outfit. Now I personally loved Alli XT's outfit. But, I was so intrigued by the locket ring that she wore. It got me thinking, I must surf the web for one that's gonna make me "ooh & ahh".

So, after a bit of surfing, I found these two fierce looking rings - they're actually "poison rings" - but don't fret; you can use it as a locket ring lol.....

The Pyramid Collection



Designer Solange Azagury-Partridge



The next that I had on my mind was bikinis'. To be honest, I've never worn a bikini a day in my life. But remember the threat of snow that was promised in my city? It seems that it's not showing up for a while. It did snow slightly last night, but it's all gone now. And, I hear that tomorrow is gonna warm up again.

Well, I got an email from Eden Rausch, (a bathing suit guru) of cuchebikinis. The 2010 official release is just around the corner - 3rd week in March to be exact.

So, since it'll be warming up in my hood, I figured that this will be the perfect time to showcase some "hot" swimsuits for y'all.








You can pick up one of your very own 2010 Cuchebikini at about 12 stores and it's already available online....

Just click HERE for more info.


Lastly, I'm going to post a video.

March 9th, 1997 marked the day, when one of my all-time fave rappers was murdered by an unknown assailant.

The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls - may you continue to RIP~




1luv

Dear Etsy, It's Been So Long Since I've Been By For A Visit.....

Hello peeps,

So, we've been getting some fabulous weather over the last little while - but it seems that it's about to end as of tonight. Supposedly, Calgary is in for more of that white stuff - that's right snow. Now, this news should get me all upset, but the reality is that March is infamous for having that "one last heavy snowfall" before Spring is sprung. This news reminded me of some of my previous posts earlier in winter, when I did a bit of complaining and then showcased some fab finds from one of my fave sites.

So, I made a well overdue visit to Etsy today. It didn't take me long to find some "lovelies" to share. I gotta tell you though, I was pretty impressed with some of the photo shoots that some of the Etsy shop owners are posting to their pages......

I have a feeling that you'll appreciate it too:)


Artlab



Elsyiumdesign





Felinus





Supastarclothing







Clairelafaye





PerryStyle

Was blown away tonight by the fierce fashions......

I'm out peeps!

Oh by the way, I was feeling energized, so you can click on each image to visit each sellers shop.

1luv

You Must Know By Now That I Love To Write:)

Yay! The week-end is here!

I'm so ready for it too. I've had a lot going on this week and haven't had the time to respond to some emails that have been sitting in my inbox for days now.....

But I've got a plan. This week-end it's all about organizing the various projects that I've got going on, writing, sourcing out new talent, sending out interview questions (sorry Michael St. James, you should have received something from me like ages ago lol) and catching up with my fellow bloggers by a well overdue blog reading session.

Now as you know, since I happen to love writing so much, I've become part of the Urban Aces magazine team as their Vintage columnist. Get this, I have recently been appointed the Fashion
Director for the magazine which is pretty exciting.

Since many of y'all have a blog of your own, (which means that you love to write) I figured that this is the perfect space to let you know that Urban Aces magazine is looking for new writers. The gig is 'free' - so this might be great for students looking to get more experience writing, or bloggers who want to expand their portfolio by appearing on another site. If you love writing about fashion, entertainment or urban living then holla at me with your resume and samples of your work. (fyi peeps - internship and college credit is available)

1 luv

P.S. I want to say that I love the comments I received about "sending & receiving" handwritten cards and notes. It got me thinking...........

Just might introduce a "handwritten note" swap. I will fill you in soon:)

Don't You Just Love Getting Mail???

I came home today to a lovely surprise. In my mailbox there wasn't a bill in sight. Instead there was a lovely package with my name all over it! I quickly opened it up and was pleasantly surprised to see a collection of three mini greeting cards from "Spring Blossom Design", (a greeting card designer that was part of my most recent giveaway on The Creative Mixx.


I was so happy to receive this lovely gift, so I just had to share:)




Sending a personalized thank-you note, or card to say "I Love You" is something that I would like to "bring back" for 2010.

Have you sent a handwritten note or card to someone lately? If you haven't but want to this from now on, visit Spring Blossom Design for your greeting card needs~

Click HERE to visit the site

1luv peeps

Nothin Like An Interview To Start Off The Week.....

Well happy Monday y'all. I hope that your week-end was as eventful as mine was:)
Tonight, I'm gonna get straight into things. I've spoken about this lovely female before on The Creative Mixx, but I've yet to conduct an official interview until tonight. Those of you who have followed me for a while, may remember that I randomly found Xtiin Jones surfing the net for 'indie' Canadian artists. This musical songstress has a voice filled with emotion that gets your spirit moving - hands down. So, I'd like to give a warm welcome to Xtiin (pronounced Kristen) Jones. Once you've gotten the chance to get to know Xtiin, please click on some of the youtube videos posted in this interview and experience her "soulful vibe".



What city are you based out of?
Grew up in Vancouver but now I call Toronto home. I am definitely looking forward to traveling where ever the business takes me and would love to go back to NYC or spend some time in LA or the ATL.


What made you decide to become a singer and how long have you been doing this professionally?
A few years ago I met someone who inspired me to take my dream of being a performer to the next level. Previous to meeting this person, I had been searching my soul trying to figure out what direction I should be taking in terms of embarking on a fresh career path. It was through the gift of meeting this person that I decided to get real with myself and do what needed to be done to start achieving the level of success I had been dreaming about since the age of 4. No regrets, no fear... a new life. I decided to focus my complete faith in the process, and within 6 months of changing my mental landscape I had found my producer and co-writers. I consider myself a professional since the first day I stepped into the studio to write and record with David Williams and Tom Mckay a year and a half ago.

What are your musical influences & can you describe your sound?
My influences are definitely broad because I have exposed myself to all genres of music. I love music, so I think that as people begin to hear more and more of what I will be releasing, they are gonna be surprised by my versatility. I have listened to everything from old to new, country to jazz to heavy metal and there are so many artists that I am feelin' I could go on for days here. How I feel about my own style I like to sum up in 3 words. R&B hip hop SOUL. How others feel? Well people have put my name in the same sentence with Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Mary J Blige, Keshia Cole, Janis Joplin and Sade.


Now I've done some research and know that you've performed quite a bit over the past couple of months - performing at The Toronto Artist Community Fundraiser for Haitian Earthquake Victims, David "Soulfingaz" Williams Tribute concert, Commffest and I could go on. Where can we expect to see you in the next couple of months?
I will be appearing as a musical guest on ThatChannel.com March 8 between 4 and 5pm for the launch of their new program "Buzz 4 Bizz". I am also scheduled to appear on Canadian Shine between 10 and 11pm on CKLN 88.1 fm April 15th. For anyone who wants to catch that you can listen online at http://www.ckln.fm/
There are a lot of other big things in the works as we speak, and the best way to find out where I'm gonna be is to link me on myspace and through my official facebook fan page. I always keep these sites updated with all the latest happs.


What is one item that you can't live without?
(Laughs) Two items... the internet and my lip gloss.


Your song "Reach Out" is a personal fave of mine. Tell me a bit about the inspiration for the song. And are you ever uninspired?
Trust me when I tell you that just when I think I have nothing to write about, the universe opens up and all hell breaks loose for better or for worse; So with that said, I always have something to say. Writing music is an amazing way to clear out all of your emotions and gain a new sense of freedom. Writing Reach Out was liberating with a capital "L", a true account. I wrote this song "for" a person, as opposed to it just being "about" a certain person... and I make no excuses for it. This track is about being real and having the courage to be honest with someone, and I spell it out point blank. I think that the man I wrote it for has a hard time listening to it, but in the process of exposing my feelings I have really been able to connect with people. This to me is amazing, and I feel blessed that people are really feelin' the track.

What other projects (other than music) do you have on the go right now?
Well I can't get into all the details yet, but I am in the process of registering my own corporate entity. I am currently developing concepts that I have for apparel and merchandising, and in addition to this I am in the pre-production phase with several video and web based projects. Many people don't realize that I also illustrate, paint, design, and take pictures, so these are also things that you can expect to see from me at some point down the road.

If we want to stay in touch and follow your journey, what social networking sites can we find you on?
You can stay current by joining my official facebook fan page here:
www.facebook.com/pages/XTIIN-JONES-_-RB-hip-hop-SOUL/109623577073

Here on myspace at: www.myspace.com/urban_artist

Here on youtube at: www.youtube.com/XtiinJones

Google me, there are a ton of results! Stay tuned for the launch of my new website coming soon...

Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in 5yrs?
I plan on traveling the world... big stadiums, big houses and fast cars (laughs). Seriously though, when I set my mind to something, there is no doubt in my mind that I can achieve it.


What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
Be real and expose yourself completely because the element of vulnerability is what allows you to completely connect with an audience. Study the singers that provoke the greatest emotion from you. Study their words, phrasing, intonation, personal style and melodic tendencies, practice these techniques and then practice some more. Then take what you have learned and apply it to who you are as an artist.


Now peeps, take my advice and follow Xtiin Jones. I have a feeling that she'll be a household name soon enough.

Oh and before I head out, just wanted to let you know that Xtiin's single "REACH OUT" was #1 on the top 5 for the THIRD week in a row on Canadian Shine. For those who don't know - Canadian Shine is a new radio show that looks for different genres of artists (from actors to comedians to dancers, dj's, fashion designers, musicians etc.) Tune in to http://www.ckln.fm/ or 88.1fm in the T-Dot every Thursday from 10pm to 11pm.

So to keep Xtiin at the top of the charts - all you need to do is play this track at www.myspace.com/canadianshine to cast your vote!










1luv peeps

"Bringing Beauty To All It's Glory"

Yesterday a friend and I went to the opening of WARRIOR - Bespoke Finery by John James at Gallery 101 (inside 100 Wines by David Walker)

Now, I have been to another show by John James (aka Erin Ignacio) a couple of months ago. (Click HERE to read the piece on The ARK show).
Naturally, since I find Erin to be truly talented, I was very eager to attend the "Walk Like A Warrior" show yesterday.

Well again, I have been "wowed" with a show of fine jewelry that happens to be running now until March 24th, 2010. You'll see gorgeous necklaces that incorporate a variety of natural elements. It's a fusion of materials really - quartz & crystals, linked chains, pearlalized acrylic, suede, turquoise, red coral (and more) used to create 'breath taking' pieces.

Oh man, I was literally blown away! If you are looking for a necklace that's bold & beautiful, makes a statement and exemplifies the extraordinary, then feast your eyes on some of the images below. If you live outside of Calgary, but are interested in getting your hands on one of these fierce necklaces - send me an email or leave a comment and I'll give you more info:)

The earrings that you see in some of the images above are created by Christina Ignacio-Deines (Erin's sister). Her jewelery line is called Integral and can be purchased through commission and email at: idbohemia@gmail.com









Check out Antler Magazines latest issue to see a photo shoot with Vintage pieces from Fox Sparrow boutique and jewelry pieces by John James (Warrior)!
Just Click HERE.

1luv peeps