On Sunday March 7, 2010, from 5pm to 10pm, OPUS Bar (350 Davie Street) and Elixir Bistro in Yaletown are celebrating the Oscars in style.

Feel like a celebrity as you walk the Red Carpet, wave to adoring paparazzi and step into the ultimate viewing party! Dress to impress and experience all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood while sipping Oscartini’s, nibbling feature Oscar O-bite platters for $25 and mingling with Vancouver’s glamorous while watching the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

3 course Oscar Dinner available in Elixir Bistro for $30 with optional wine pairings for $20.  Also, don’t miss your chance to win a Bed & Breakfast package for two at OPUS Hotel Vancouver, for the person with the most correct Oscar ballot predictions.  RSVP to Jessica Dunn JDunn@opushotel.com.

With the theme honoring the “Gold and Glamorous”, the event promises to be a decadent affair attended by Vancouver’s glitterati, see and be scensters and fashionable stylistas. Delectable canapés courtesy of Elixir bistro’s Executive Chef, Don Letendre will be enjoyed along with mouth-watering cocktails. Gold-painted goddesses dance to the beats of talented DJ’s Blondtron & Krown, and guests will go home with a bag full of sponsored goodies.

Other reasons you should go: a balloon fundraiser with guarenteed prizes, drink tickets with your ticket purchase, a charitable tax receipt issued for a portion of the $130 ticket price, and, of course, another reason to glam up!  Word on the street, there will be spa professionals from a certain company (shhh) doing gold themed mini-manicures on the spot (details unconfirmed, but keep it on the downlow!).  With mingling and entertainment on two floors of the hotel, DJs in two rooms, and gift bags well worth the ticket price, buy your ticket ASAP by clicking here.

Arts Umbrella is located on Granville Island and provides the visual and performing arts education to the children of Vancouver, between the ages of 2 and 19.  The mix of topics in visual, performing and applied arts education is also exceptionally diverse and includes, architecture, cartooning, computer and classical animation, dance, film making, media arts, painting and drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, theatre and video game design.  The Granville Island facility alone hosts more than 650 classes each week. In addition, Arts Umbrella’s extensive, free-of-charge outreach programs offer arts experiences through schools and community centres in the surrounding community.

Starting this Friday May 29th, Roden Gray (231 Cambie Street) is the location for the launch party of h(y)r collective magazine’s new collaboration featuring designers such as Gitman Bros. and Common Projects. Stop by the shop from 7pm onwards to check out some of the new collection pieces while grabbing some free drinks and food; the event runs into Saturday as well. Roden Gray is a menswear boutique on the corner of Cambie and Water St., carrying lines such as APC, Wings + Horns, 3.1 Philip Lim and Band of Outsiders.

CRU will be the exclusive canape/appetizer sponsor at Modern Mix Vancouver’s one-year anniversary party, on Tuesday May 12th (6:30pm to 9pm).  Save the date!  Facebook event is HERE, more details and official invitation to come soon.

Royalty, luxury, extravagance, history… If you would like to experience the lives, loves, and affairs of Russia’s most prominent queens expressed through the world of both dance and fashion, come watch The Russian Queens Show presented by The World of Fairy Tales dance and acting school.  In addition to excellent entertainment, the show includes a delicious three-course meal as well as a live band to which you can spend the evening dancing the night away.  The event will be located in the Crystal Pavilion Ballroom at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Downtown Vancouver on March 14, 2009 from 6:30 to midnight.  For more information and ticket prices, click here.

They have chosen to decorate their establishment with the same twist that can be found in their creations; “the theme of the store is eco chic with a vintage twist” says Jenny. The new space, formerly Madison’s on Main, incorporates the old wooden racks with new wood floors to create a clean natural feel. While a mix of modern and antique furniture and a splash of sassy red paint makes it a fun and flirty environment to find that perfect Valentine’s Day dress.

Here’s another bonus: the first 25 people through the door will recieve gift bags packed with a whole bunch of nifty goodies from Vancouver artists.

At BC Place this November 20th to 23rd for the One of a Kind Christmas Show , BC Place will be filled with thousands of savvy shoppers and 200 artists, artisans and designers from all across Canada. The One of a Kind Show is a very different sort of Christmas show. True to its name, each exhibitor must be directly involved in the production of their crafts and each piece in the show must be handmade. One of a Kind Vancouver will be the place to source everything from homemade preserves to luxury fashion items.

The One of a Kind Show began in Toronto in 1975, and is now an Eastern Canadian shopping tradition. Craft shows are becoming increasingly popular with consumers who realize the value of purchasing from local artisans as opposed to supporting overseas factory-made goods. Now on its 33rd year in Toronto, this marks the first time that the One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale has come to Vancouver.

This is definitely one of the more “trendy” gift fairs to visit this holiday season. You may have seen their advertising campaigns around the city and, from a marketing perspective, you can see that it’s targeting a “modern mix” of visitors.

Last month, I went to the One of a Kind preview at Medina Cafe in downtown and had the opportunity to meet several of the participating artists. From jewelry to bags to clothing and artwork, there was a diverse range of unique gifts to suit every one’s taste.

What a small world because I happened to have gone to the same high school with one of the artists, Emily Cooper, who is specializing in mixed media photography.

Emily Cooper is a Vancouver based artist whose work has been published in Applied Arts Magazine and the National Post. Her pieces incorporate imaginative photographs of eggs, butterflies, leaves, and landscapes that are then layered together to create unique multi-dimensional art pieces.

And Emily is just one of the 200 amazing artists who will be present at One of a Kind this year. I would highly recommend checking out their website for more details!

Thursday November 20th to Sunday November 23rd, 2008
Thursday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Tickets to the One of a Kind Show will be available at the door or online.
Adults $10.00
Seniors (65+) $6.50
Students (13-17) $6.50
Children (12 & under) Free

Tickets will also be available for pre-purchase online at www.oneofakindvancouver.com at reduced admission rate for Adults of $8.00