There’s two tents of stuff – everything was on racks, but every once in a while they would bring in a new box of stuff and dump it onto a table on the side.  Prices were decent – $8 for leggings, $6 for ribbed tank tops, $7 for t-shirts, $10 for skirts, etc.  However, be warned that selection is difficult, especially since things weren’t organized by size. Even kids stuff was thrown in.

Colors were a bit weird – a lot of neon and polka dots, and weird cuts (especially for girls).   It was challenging to find anything “normal” – for example, there would be sweatpants, but they would be cropped at an unflattering length.  Even the legging colors are the “unpopular” ones – ie. maroon or a weird shade of purple…or polkadots.  Bras/underwear consisted of the really cheap, stringy cotton kind, not worth the dig through the boxes.  There were lots of hoodies there, but honestly – I really didn’t need another one.

I was lucky enough to find a “Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau” (wear it 15 ways) dress in an aqua blue color for $12, but that’s all I got.  Maybe you will have better luck than me!

Vanessa

All SIGG bottles made prior to August 2008 have the former water-based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA.  It is easy to determine which liner you have, as they are 2 distinctly different colours.  Click here to see photos comparing the two.

Anyway, at least one retail outlet is taking advantage of this news to draw you into their shop!  U-Life Accessories (2028 Vine Street), a gift boutique just off West 4th Avenue on Vine, is offering a voluntary exchange for SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 – no proof of puchase needed, just make sure your bottle has the old liner and they will exhange it for a bottle of the same size!

All you have to do is bring your old bottle into our store in order to exchange it for a new SIGG bottle with the next generation “Eco Care” liner. Providing the same quality and protection afforded by the previous liner, this new powder-based, co-polyester coating has been thoroughly tested and is certified to be 100% free of BPA, phthalates, BADGE, BFDGE, and NOGE.

I went to Salty Tongue Cafe (213 Carrall Street) and was pleased to find yet another affordable but “something different” / “check this place out!” cafe in Gastown.  Although the cafe-front is fairly small (but not tiny), with the blue and white Salty Tongue logo on glass, the interior of the cafe was spacious with the typical Gastown decor of wooden beams and brick walls.  A loong table spanned the entire length of the cafe; it reminded me of the dining halls at highschool orientation/camping trips.

Get a piece of paper and check off what you want – from different types of bread (sourdough, etc.) and meat (turkey, roast beef, etc.), to sauces and dressings (ie. cranberry, dijon mustard, etc.) and veggies (onions, peppers, etc.) and cheese and build your own sandwich for only $6.95!  Pre-built sandwich options were also available as well as a selection of soups and baked goods.  As for the food quality – it wasn’t great.  The sandwich was much too dry – it would have been better if they could toast it pannini style and melt the cheese.  However, a sandwich is a sandwich and you can’t screw it up too badly.  Conclusion?  The Salty Tongue is a good place to eat at when it’s your turn to suggest a cool place to eat at but don’t have high expectations for the food.

By Contributing Writer Joanna Lee

Superstar chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, made his debut with the opening of MARKET at the Shangri-La Hotel (Level 3 – 1128 West Georgia Street) in late January. The highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed restaurant is Jean-Georges’ first venture in Canada and on the West Coast. I had lunch at MARKET for the first time yesterday and was stunned by what I saw and ate. MARKET is certainly not overrated. The restaurant is separated into four rooms – a main dining room with seating for 84 (which was where I sat); a more casual bistro section; an outdoor patio and terrace; and the bar. Almost as soon as I stepped into the foyer did the asian-inspired theme of Shangri-La become apparent. From the crisp white shirts of servers to the music playing from overhead speakers in the washrooms, everything was so elegant and fancy. So prim and proper. I caught a glimpse of a room service cart being pushed into a back kitchen and even the setup and layout was exquisite. It was all so in sync and utterly perfect.

The food was even more divine. Lunch for two consisted of one tomato soup with aged cheddar, one butternut squash soup with truffles, one shrimp salad with truffle vinaigrette, pacific sole with spaghetti squash and soy-yuzu broth, and two desserts of pavlova passion fruit sorbet and assorted ice creams. I had never before seen dishes so skillfully prepared and plated as these. There was something special about each one. My favourite was the first course. I watched as the soup was poured separately into a bright white bowl where slices of truffles and finely chopped squash lay on the bottom. It was the art of pouring and I could have watched it being done over and over again. The sole, coated with what appeared to be pine nuts and seeds, came out sitting gingerly on top of a bed of spaghetti squash. It was so well-presented and aesthetically pleasing. Again, the light soy-yuzu broth was poured separately into the dish. The steamed shrimps in the salad were fresh and flavourful as it was complemented by truffle vinaigrette and champagne beurre blanc. Dessert was interesting although at this point there was definitely no room for it.

Overall, lunch at MARKET is very well-priced at $28 for three courses, and very generously-portioned. During the course of my lunch, I overheard another patron telling the staff it was her “sixth time” eating at MARKET. I can see why. It’s a large menu for lunch – there’s no option for a la carte until dinner. I expected a lot more in terms of price points, considering MARKET’s location and the team behind it. It is heavenly and spectacular and the experience was well worth it all. The only thing I regret is not asking when the Spring menu will arrive.

The newest technology in the 3rd generation iPod Shuffle is its “VoiceOver” function which tells you the artist name and song title, or the name of your playlist…in 14 different languages.  When your battery is running low, VoiceOver will announce that as well.  The controls of the new iPod shuffle are located on the earbud cord so it’s super convenient to quickly switch tracks and control the volume.  Lastly on the actual iPod Shuffle, the switch has three positions. Flip it to the left, and your music shuffles in a random order.  Flip it to the middle, and your songs play in order. And a quick flip to the right, turns the whole thing off.

At $99, it seems like the prices of the iPod just keeps getting lower as it becomes a staple accessory!

• Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain – Low
• Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
• Alicia Keys – No One
• Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major – Lollipop
• Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic – Apologize
• Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown – No Air
• Sara Bareilles – Love Song
• Usher Featuring Young Jeezy – Love in This Club
• Chris Brown – With You
• Chris Brown – Forever
• Ray J & Yung Berg – Sexy Can I
• Rihanna – Take a Bow
• Coldplay – Viva La Vida
• Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl
• T.I. – Whatever You Like
• Rihanna – Disturbia
• Rihanna – Don’t Stop the Music
• Natasha Bedingfield – Pocketful of Sunshine
• Chris Brown Featuring T-Pain – Kiss Kiss
• Ne-Yo – Closer
• Colbie Caillat – Bubbly
• Mariah Carey – Touch My Body
• Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake – 4 Minutes
• Pink – So What
• Finger Eleven – Paralyzer

Just like 49th Parallel Coffee is flooded with tones of baby blue and brown, the color scheme of AGRO Cafe (1363 Railspur Alley) consists of autumn tones of orange and brown. I went to the Granville Island cafe on Sunday afternoon and thought the lofty, industrial look of the venue was a trendy cafe to lounge at. I ordered their organic dark hot chocolate while my friend got an unsweetened matcha latte, both of which had a swirly leaf pattern “drawn” into the foam.

From their website:

Our aim is to provide the people of Vancouver with organic, fair trade coffee, at a great price and in a great location. Our cafes are relaxing, modern environments that help tell the story of the variety of places coffee originates. Our walls are flooded with projected images of our farmers in Kenya, helping to both educate and stimulate while you enjoy your coffee.

As you may recall, not too long ago, I was involved in a Matchstick campaign and wrote a headline post on Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lover’s perfume [here] with the opportunity for MMV readers to click and link to get samples of their own.  So writing an entry now on an event that will be happening in New York is not too random, since I’ve mentioned Harajuku Lover’s before in my previous entries.  

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be “marching your way” on November 27, 2008 in New York.  This year’s 82nd annual parade will feature an amazing NEW Harajuku Lovers float of which I have been sent behind-the-scenes photos of the construction process!

Neon Lights, over the top signs and Harajuku girls are on full blast on the new Harajuku Lovers float. Inspired by the Harajuku area of downtown Tokyo, the  float  consists of multi-level, clear, plexi-glass platforms that show the  lights  of Tokyo to full effect. Featured on board will be balloonhead alter egos of Love, Lil Angel, Music, Baby and G – the Harajuku Girls!  Also taking the  trip through Manhattan will be the real Love, Angel, Music and Baby who will dance close to their balloon counterparts on Thanksgiving. 

And if you happen to be in New York (lucky you!) on November 27th between 9am to noon, you can watch the parade live at Columbus Circle (the west side of the street), Broadway (between 38th and 58th streets), 34th Street (the south side of the street between Broadway and 7th Avenue).