Not Just Vintage

If vintage isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll still find lots of great shopping at I Found. The store offers a selection of new clothing on the racks as well. Check out Just USA jeans there: these stretchy, slim-cut jeans feel like yoga pants and look like regular denim. As the name implies, Just USA jeans aren’t made in sweatshops in a developing nation overseas, but in the USA. I Found offers quite a few colours and styles from low-rise to high-waisted, and boot cut to skinny. These quality trousers are fabulous for changing postpartum bodies or the expanded waistline you might have from overindulging on holiday treats. And at $59, they’re a good deal.

Shopping for DIY Supplies

The DIY-ers out there will make a beeline for the ring of glass cases housing the jewellery supplies. The beads, charms, wire, findings, semi-precious stones and more at I Found are a crafter’s shopping delight. Much of the stock is vintage, culled from an old Toronto warehouse. Stop by and pick up a charm or two to add some bling to an accessory, or try vintage button covers to put some sparkle on a jacket. Or put together a great one-of-a-kind necklace with the semi-precious stones and findings available. If you’re a newbie to jewellery-making, don’t be afraid to ask for help, because the super-stylish staff are happy to give you some pointers.

Ready to go shopping? I Found is open from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday, and from 12:00 – 5:00 pm on Sunday.

I Found Gallery

www.ifoundgallery.com | Twitter | Facebook
4578 Main Street, Vancouver

Youʼre a super mom and youʼre already making your list and checking it twice. But have you thought about what youʼre going to wear to all the parties this month? Instead of dusting off last yearʼs frumpy little number, go and get yourself this versatile satin tie top. Mix and match the bottoms, add some fabulous shoes and accessories. Voila! Three stunning looks for three different parties. You’ll be celebrating in style without breaking the bank.

House Party Style

Keep it casual and festive with this look, perfect for a holiday house party, or a family dinner on Christmas afternoon. You’ll be comfortable, and you’ll look great. We’ve matched a satin tie top (Old Navy, $29.94) with trouser jeans (Old Navy, $34.50), green wedges (Aldo shoes, $74.98) and a panther bracelet (Forever 21, $12.80). For just a little over $150 you’ve got a fabulous look that won’t give you sticker shock when the credit card bill arrives in January. It’s holiday style that will work long after the holidays are over. Plus, you’ll appreciate the slight stretch in the jeans as you chow down on Christmas cookies.

Fancy Dinner Style

If you’re ready for a night out on the town, or you’re attending a more formal holiday meal that requires a little bit of dressing-up, this look will see you through. We’ve taken the satin tie top (Old Navy, $29.94) for a walk on the wild side, matching it with a Tarzan-inspired skirt, (Eccoci, $99.00), mary janes (Locale, $90) and a great pair of cluster earrings (Forever21, $4.80). For just over $220 you’ve got a fabulous holiday outfit with items you can mix and match in many different ways all year long. We know that you’re making an investment in pieces you’ll be wearing again, so versatility is the watchword, and we’ve got you covered.

Work Party Style

For many of us, the holiday office party is a conundrum. You want a great style that says “party” without showing too much skin or making all your colleagues do a double take. We think this outfit is the perfect choice. This time we’ve taken the satin tie top (Old Navy, $29.94) and added a blazer (Dynamite, $42.90) to keep it festive and professional. Add a lovely skirt (Sears, $47.99), a pair of peep toe shoes (Locale, $41.99) and a heart necklace (Forever21, $4.80), and you’ll be ready to celebrate the season in style. Best of all, though, the whole thing will cost just $167.

Joyce Lau is the founder of Yummy Mummy Makeovers. Book a fun style party and get free personal shopping. Visit them at www.yummymummymakeovers.com or email info@ymmakeovers.com.

At the beginning of November we announced the Vancouver Mom Makeover Giveaway. It was a big one! Thanks to sponsors Fine Finds Boutique, Dee Kane of LURE Salon, Luxe Beauty Lounge, Mika Makeup, Tamarind Consulting and Yummy Mummy Makeovers, we had a prize package worth over $1300. We received over 130 entries, and we reviewed them all. Let me tell you, there are some very deserving moms out there. We truly wish we could give each and every one of you a makeover. But we had to choose just one winner, and today we’re thrilled to be able to congratulate Tina Bacon!

Makeover Winner Tina Bacon

Here’s what Tina had to say about herself in her contest entry:

I’m a wife, mom and small business owner. I’m a 40-year-old happy, easy-going kind of gal. I have a super supportive husband, identical twin daughters who are nine and a son who is four. I had breast cancer in 2006/2007 while I was pregnant with our third child. Thanks to amazing support from friends and family we made it through and I have just six months of medication left.

Next year is a year of milestones. It will be five years since I was diagnosed with cancer. It will also be our 20th wedding anniversary. For our 10th anniversary I was in BC Women’a awaiting the birth of our twins and for our 15th I was recovering from cancer treatment so for this one I’m hoping we can celebrate! I’d like to win this makeover [because] I really have no idea how to dress myself. My weight has not returned to pre-pregnancy and having had a mastectomy I only have half a cleavage. This makes things even trickier. I would love help!

You Never Expect to Win

When we asked Tina how it felt to win, she said, “I am so excited! When you send in an entry you don’t really expect to hear back so when I was contacted with the news it was so unexpected and so wonderful. I always envy the ladies who get to be on What Not To Wear and now I get to have my very own style experience. As a mom, a wife and a small business owner it gives me great relief to know that soon I will have the knowledge and tools to present myself confidently.”

The Pink Spatula

Tina’s business is called The Pink Spatula. It’s a dessert company born out of Tina’s life-long passion for baking. Her specialties are coffee house style sweets and handcrafted marshmallows. Her sweets make people smile and they taste the difference that passion makes. We’re glad to be making her smile, too. If you want to sample some of Tina’s treats (we certainly do), you can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

We’ll be catching up with Tina again, to hear about her makeover experience. We’d like to congratulate her again, and thank everyone who entered. Your entries made us laugh and cry, and really touched us. Each and every one of you deserves some pampering, and we hope you find a way to get some this holiday season.

A Taste of India

The centre of Vancouver’s Punjabi Market is generally considered to be at 49th Avenue and Main Street in South Vancouver. If you’re looking to start cooking Indian food at home, Punjab Food Centre (6635 Main Street) is a good place to stock up on ingredients. Here you can get a large range of bulk spices and authentic Indian snacks as well as great prices on south Asian veggies. For crispy alternative to potato chips, pick up a packet of poppadums. Toss one in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, until it inflates and becomes crisp. They’re awesome dipped in mango chutney.

Though most people think of Main Street when they think of Little India, don’t forget to head east a few blocks to Fraser if you have the time. I highly recommend the veggie samosas and Indian sweets at Dhaliwal Sweets (6555 Fraser Street). I generally buy the samosas by the dozen, because they’re so addictive: you can’t eat just one! A dozen spicy vegetarian samosas will set you back just $4. Don’t forget to ask for the sauce, too. What would samosas be without that sweet, tamarind-based sauce to dip them in? The sweets are also worth buying in bulk: a pound of mixed sweets is only $6. I’ve heard great things about the Dhaliwals’ restaurant, too.

Indian Style

If it’s clothing you’re looking for, check out East West Quality Wear (6657 Main Street) for saris, pashminas and more. You’ll find a wide variety of affordable accessories to add a dash of colour to your wardrobe. Palika Gift House (#3, 6526 Main Street) is a great place to pick up some bling, specializing in bangles of all colours. If sewing is your thing, check out the amazing fabric selection at Rokko’s Sarees (6201 Fraser Street). Besides the lustrous silks and intricately embroidered fabrics you would associate with saris, you can also find outerwear, incredible spangled stretch knits and quite a selection of swimsuit fabric. It’s a great place to go for dress-up materials.

Holiday Fun

The Punjabi Market is a great place to go any time of the year, but if you can, try to time your visit around one of the many Indian festivals celebrated here. There’s a huge parade for Vaisakhi, the harvest festival, celebrated in April. Diwali, the festival of lights, is over for this year, but it falls in November in 2012.

Have you explored the Punjabi Market? What’s your favourite place to shop there? Leave us a reply and tell us about it!

Your kids are your top priority, each and every day. You make sure they’re cared for, inside and out, in big ways and little ways. Most of all, you make sure they feel loved. For all you do, you deserve to love the way you look and feel, too. So enter the Vancouver Mom Makeover Contest and you could win a makeover package valued at over $1300! The winner will receive serious pampering from some great local businesses.

Makeover Details

Have we got your attention? Good, because we’re about to spill all the details on this fabulous prize. Here’s what the lucky winner will receive:

A gift card from Fine Finds Boutique, a destination boutique voted “Best Gift Shop in Vancouver” five years in a row. They carry women’s clothing, handbags, footwear, jewelry, baby gifts and toys … do you need any more reasons to go for a visit? You’ll be able to pick out some new clothing or a fabulous handbag. Valued at $100. A hair assessment, as well as a haircut and colour work from Dee Kane of LURE Salon. Dee has many years of experience, and her creativity and originality reflect that. Her natural ease and confidence make her a great stylist. Valued at $275. A Decadent Chocolate Treat-Mint Pedicure from Luxe Beauty Lounge. Luxe is a boutique spa that provides services in an intimate, luxurious yet fun setting, with little extras you may not be used to. If you need a little luxury – and what mom doesn’t? – you need to experience Luxe. Valued at $60. Makeup application and one hour makeup workshop from Mika Makeup, a one-of-a-kind makeup studio. You’ll also receive some fabulous products, including nail polish, lip glaze, luxury lotion and cosmetic sanitizer mist. Valued at over $175. A one-to-one personality assessment and consultation to help you identify and understand your personal style in a variety of situations, from Sigrid Tarampi of Tamarind Consulting. Learn about your natural preferences in how you get energized, take in information, make decisions and organize your life. A career practitioner with over 12 years experience, Sigrid brings an inspiring, down-to-earth approach to working with clients and group, helping clients gain clarity of their unique skills, values and personality style. Valued at $175. A personal style consultation, including two hours of personal shopping, from Yummy Mummy Makeovers. Yummy Mummy Makeovers offers fabulous Style Parties and personal style sessions just for moms. They are the answer to overcoming closet meltdowns and learning to love your post baby bod. Valued at $599.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, you’ll also receive a photo session with Georgia Esporlas Photography, to document your fabulous transformation. And we promise, after all the pampering you’ll be receiving, you’ll definitely be photo-ready!

The winner must be available to attend sessions throughout Metro Vancouver during November and December. VancouverMom.ca may also publish images and articles about the winner’s experience.

How to Enter

This contest is now closed. But check back again next year, when we are making plans to run it again.

Giveaway Rules and Information

1. Contest closes at 11:59 pm on November 15, 2011.
2. Open only to residents of Canada who can attend sessions in Metro Vancouver in November and December, 2011.
3. When you enter, you will be asked to tell us why you need a makeover. Our panel of judges will choose one winner, and their decision is final.
4. By entering, your information will also be shared with our sponsors. We respect your privacy and will not share or sell your email address with anyone other than the companies listed above.
5. The winner’s before and after photos will be published on VancouverMom.ca.

“Oh, I bought that dress for a wedding, but I only wore it once.”

Sound familiar? Well, youʼre definitely not alone! Weddings and special events usually instigate closet meltdowns. And what do most moms do? Hit the malls, hoping to find the perfect dress – something pretty and affordable. But what really happens is a sweaty, frustrated shopping trip, where you end up with another black dress and a $300 dent in the wallet. Donʼt get caught in those situations. Plan ahead for upcoming events and incorporate new fashion purchases into your existing wardrobe. Depending on the formality of the wedding – pick a dress you can wear again to work. By strategically adding some structure and playing down the colours to a more conservative tone, any dress can be called in to work overtime, taking you from wedding wear to office wear and everywhere in between.

We fell for this elegant print dress from Mango. The classic silhouette and daytime fabric gives this dress the ultimate versatility. Wear it with sexy strappy sandals for a summer outdoor wedding. The unique asymmetrical neckline and graphic pattern will make you stand out in all the photos. And for less than $54, your husband wonʼt be complaining, either.

Now transform this dress into a soft, feminine work look in three easy steps:

1. Wear it with this open blazer to add a touch of sincerity. The structure and stiffer fabric choice gives a sense of stability and professionalism.
2. Change your shoes to these taupe patent pumps. The lower heel shows respect to your work and doesnʼt scream look at me! The buckle front detail combined with its patent finish reads creativity within limits.
3. Add a down-to-earth fabric and leather trim handbag to carry all your essentials. By strategically wearing a work appropriate bag, youʼve now mixed business with pleasure. A definite fashion do!

This look is perfect for the mompreneur who doesnʼt need to follow a corporate dress code, or a professional working in a visual, creative industry. Show ʻem you mean business and make your fashion choices work for you – instead of the other way around!

Joyce Lau is the founder of Yummy Mummy Makeovers. Book a fun Style Party and get free personal shopping. Visit then at www.yummymummymakeovers.com or email info@ymmakeovers.com.

Once nap time hit at my house on a recent Saturday afternoon, I made a bee-line to West 4th and took my chances with getting a walk-in appointment at Bombay Brow Bar.  Their next available opening was in 20 minutes, which gave me a chance to get to the bank, slip into a few stores and even grab a quick lunch. Mama’s gotta multi-task when the opportunity hits to be on 4th child-free.

The Nitty-Gritty

My session started with a quick brow cleaning and a consultation about my desired eyebrow shape.  I was more than happy to give control over to the experts on this one, since (let’s be honest) I really hadn’t been doing a great job myself up to this point and brow shaping has never been a particularly strong skill of mine.

I was given the choice of three eyebrow-shaping methods: tweezing, waxing and threading.  I had never experienced threading before so decided to give it a try.  I found it no more or less painful than tweezing or waxing, but in my view, the results were way better.  As I soon found out, threading is more efficient than tweezing and much more precise than waxing.  My treatment ended with a brow massage and brow make-up application.

Getting the Right Eyebrow Shape

I’ve got to admit, I left there feeling pretty great. Not only was it a really pleasant experience from start to finish, but I’m really pleased with the results. My brow expert definitely knew what she was doing and had an eye for creating the right eyebrow shape. I’m pretty impressed. And given these results, I’m actually motivated to keep it up and not let my brows get out of control again.

My Verdict

While this brow shaping service is certainly not a bargain, I think the old adage “you get what you pay for” probably applies here. Personally, if the alternative is to spend less for a job I’m disappointed with, I’d much rather shell out $23 plus tip for the Bombshell Brow service every three or four weeks (the recommended time between services I was told) and get brows that look amazing. Plus, every mom can use a little pampering.

Bombay Brow Bar’s new Kitsilano location is at 2206 West 4th Avenue, just west of Yew Street.

“Who is this woman, and what did she do with my mother?” Weiss asks. “And more to the point, can I borrow those bell-bottoms?”

My Mom

From that velvet-laced discovery, Weiss embarked on a quest to collect moms’ fashion photos from daughters around the world, eventually creating this wonderful book packed with 200 colour photos of stylish moms from decades past.

“It’s not that I didn’t know my mother had a past,” says Weiss. “I just didn’t realize there was so much of it. And that it was so good looking.”

Part coffee table book, part nostalgic memoir, My Mom explores the art of rocking a groovy pair of bell-bottoms, completing an outfit with the perfect white gloves, or perfecting the perfect sky-high (or stick-straight) hairdo of the day.

“It’s hard to imagine your mom as a person, even less a teenager, unless you see photo evidence,” says Weiss. “It’s like meeting a different person—one you might have been friends with.”

Style icon

Weiss peppers the book with thoughtful observations of her mom, Lillian’s, trendy fashions over the years, along with comments on photos of other moms by their adult children. With a few celebrity moms thrown in for good measure, the book examines moms from across the globe, and from backgrounds as varied as the clothing choices.

The result is a sentimental appreciation for the sometimes-thought-out, sometimes-happenstance style that our moms pulled off wonderfully while we were too busy being daughters to notice. It’s a heart-warming collection of snapshots from decades past that pays tribute to the women who helped shape our own fashion tastes (whether we admit or not).

Above all, the book explores the idea that, whether we strive to be just like them, or jut off in a different direction altogether, our moms are women with their own lives, too—before and beyond the wonderful adventure of motherhood.

My Mom Style Icon is from Chronicle Books.

Be sure to download our 2011 All About Mom Guide for great tips, resources, and articles.

Download our guide now.

VancouverMom.ca’s 2011 All About Mom Guide is sponsored by these and other sponsors:

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