I Left My Heart...

Just how cool is Kelowna? Cool enough for Tony Bennett! And how cool is Tony Bennett? Why not ask John Mayer, Queen Latifah and Lady Gaga, or any of the names on the cover list above... In other words, pretty darn cool.

But why am I banging on about Tony Bennett? Because tonight and tomorrow night he is playing at Mission Hill Winery as part of their summer concert series. Performing in the estate's natual amphitheatre overlooking Okanagan Lake, Bennett will no dount be belting out - or should I say crooning - the hits that have made him famous, and keep him as (argueably) relevant and (definitely) beloved now as he was back in the day.

Mission Hill offers different wine and dine/meet and greet packages for their concerts, and apparently some last minute tickets have been released. For more information on these, head to:

 http://www.missionhillwinery.com/ofsignificance/summer-concerts/tony-bennett.aspx. 

'Maybe This Time'... you'll be lucky enough to score some tix. (<Sorry, absolutely couldn't resist the opportunity for a good 'greatest hits' inspired pun.

~

PostScript: Oh blast. I have just gone online to check ticket availability, and they are now all gone. Maybe next time? 

Inspired Words....

To steal a (mis)quote from Forrest Gump: 'Poetry readings are like a box of chocolates... you never know what you are going to get'. 

The Inspired Word Cafe - which gigs around Kelowna at a variety of locations and venues - aptly illustrates this. At the recent downtown Bean Scene gathering, poetry, beat-boxing, a capella vocals, break dancing, storytelling and even debate on topics like 'authenticity' and whether or not 'ignorance is bliss' made for a lively and provocative evening.

Led by Rawle James, an ex-Torontonian financial trader turned Kelowna poet, speaker, spiritual mentor and life coach, the evening was a wonderful melting pot of artistic and intellectual ideas and ideals. Inspired Word Cafe is a chilled, cabaret -styled evening of spoken word and other artistic endeavors (see list above) that brings people together in a great melting pot of artistic creativity.

Good, bad or ugly, I have the ultimate respect for anyone who gets up and shares their innermost thoughts with strangers, and I have yet to go to a poetry evening where at least one poem didn't utterly make my soul sing. Indeed, I have been to some wonderful readings, and some of the nights I have spent at the Urbana Poetry Slam at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York have been the most exhilarating and inspiring ever, so I have been hoping to find some good spoken word here in Kelowna. Inspired Word Cafe could definitely fit that bill, and is certainly getting added onto my social calendar. 

To steal a(nother) quote off one the evening's performer's trucker's cap - the evening was 'dope'.
~
Remaining 'Inspired Word Cafe' shows of the 2013/14 season:

Sunday May 4th, 3-4pm: Starbucks Willow Park Plaza

Wednesday May 14th, 5-7pm: Rotary Centre for the Arts

Tuesday May 27th 6-8pm: Winfield Curling Club

Thursday May 22nd 6-8pm: Kelowna Art Gallery 

Friday May 30th 7-9pm: Bean Scene downtown

Check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inspired-Word-Cafe/141033639291820

A Donut By Another Name...

 

One of the things I love about travelling, is discovering local 'foody' delicacies; the things which once eaten forever anchor you to that particular place.

Case in point.  New York. One of the first things I like to do when in the Big Apple is treat myself to a giant salted pretzel off a corner cart, and eat it while walking down Fifth Ave.  Paris, to me, is all about a glass of 'vin blanc' at a sidewalk cafe or a glass of bubbly at the Champagne Bar at Galleries Lafayette. San Diego is all about authentic beef and bean burritos at a 'hole in the wall' drive in restaurant. Scotland, scarily enough, is all about the quest for a deep-fried Mars Bar. (Yes, there is a reason I am frequently 20lbs above my fighting weight!)

So when I saw the above sign outside Specialty Bakery on Hollywood Road, I knew I had to give one a try. Result? Oh. My. God. 'Kelownuts'. Yum.

A 'Kelownut' is a cross between a croissant and a donut, filled with a yummy Bavarian creme filling and covered in a lovely glazed coating. And... it is every bit as delicious as the description would have you believe. Today I contented myself with one (this donut hybrid is substantially more filling than the regular kind) but next time I'm in the neighbourhood I think I'll be picking up a half- dozen or so... to share, of course.

Specialty Bakery: #16 - 150 Hollywood Road South, Kelowna; 250 762 4437.
(PS: There is also a larger branch with a bistro at #101 - 833 Finn's Road, Kelowna; 250 765 5822.)

Good Word(s) to Live By...

 

My mother has always joked that it is pretty much impossible to get me past a shoe store or jewelry counter, and even now this pretty much holds true.  We can talk about my shoe fetish another day, but like most females, I am continually attracted by colourful, bright and shiny things, so it's not too difficult to guess that jewelry - in all its shapes, sizes, guises and price ranges -  is a continuous and enduring favourite of mine, so naturally I was delighted to stumble upon the wonderful, downtown jewelry boutique 'Posh' on Ellis street.

Like many females, I am also a big fan of self-realisation and empowerment, and of trying to do good for the planet, so when I found myself in the above mentioned shop, drawn to a rack filled with colorful, sparkly metallic leather cuff bracelets, emblazoned with words like 'Strength', 'Dream', 'Courage' and 'Wisdom', it was like a spiritual shopping convergence.  The bracelets are made by a company called 'Good Work(s) Make a Difference, who donate a portion of their profits to a variety of good causes, ranging from moving homeless families into fully furnished homes via their own 'Home Sweeter Home for the Homeless' project to donating to Tijuana orphange 'Por La Infancia', or providing beauty treatments for under-privileged single mothers in greater Los Angeles.

According to their website, "Good Work(s) Make A Difference® is a company created to promote lifestyles of optimism, goodwill, and compassion through fashion in order to inspire and elevate humanitarianism, and is determined to deliver the most fashion-forward, uplifting, inspirational bracelets and accessories that contribute 25% of net proceeds to charitable organisations that make a meaningful impact in people's lives and communities".

I love that Posh's owner Kate Morgan has found and stocked this great company, and -- with less than 60 shopping days til Christmas -- might I suggest these bracelets (ranging in price from $30 to $55) would make GREAT stocking stuffers or gifts for some of the ladies in your life - or men, Steven Tyler, Zac Brown, Gerard Butler and Will-I-Am are all fans. That way you can feel good about two things: 1) that you have ticked another item off your Xmas 'to do' list, and 2) you have helped the less fortunate while doing so. Win-win methinks.

Posh: 1393 Ellis Street, Kelowna | 250 862 9404
Mon - Sat 10am to 5:30pm

http://www.goodworksmakeadifference.com

Looking at the World Through Fabulous Glasses...

Once upon a time, I was working in Paris and spending some free time roaming around that gorgeous city.  I found myself outside the Alain Mikli store, utterly entranced by the coolest eyeglass frames ever.  They were a wonderfully geeky rectangular shape, but the biggest selling point was the fact they were made from polished, beautifully grained wood.  Sadly, they were out of my price range at the time, especially having just replaced my prescription a few months previously.  But they have never been forgotten, and they have remained the holy grail of eyewear for me ever since.

As someone who has been blind as a bat since pre-adolescence, glasses have played a big part in my life. And, being a fashionista'ish-type person, fashionable frames even more so.  I am constantly on the hunt for fabulous, flattering eyewear wherever I go - refer to above paragraph. So how happy am I to have discovered Wink i Wear in the Mission Park Shopping Centre? In a word. Very.

Open since April of this year, owner Laura Draycott has amassed an amazing array of fashionable frames from around the world in her eyewear boutique. Lines like JF Rey (France), Etnia Barcelona (Spain), MOSCOT and Le Rocher (both New York) are flying off the shelves and onto the noses of Kelowna's fashionable.  Frames generally range in price from $250 to $500, but - if you are feeling very flush and exclusive - can range up to $1600 for a pair of glasses made from real gold with 0.45K of diamonds and buffalo horn temples.  Now you won't get that at Specsavers.



As a big fan of retro eyewear, I especially love that Wink i Wear has a whole section devoted to vintage frames. Authentic vintage frames, that is, not modern knockoffs, sourced mainly from Germany and the UK. "I have always loved vintage eyewear, it makes me feel connected to the past. I have collected it for years," says Laura.  "When entertaining at home I would break out my vintage eyewear collection for our guests to try on and play with.  It was always a huge hit, and I felt that I was not alone in my love for classic eyewear."



Laura's mission is to provide cool flattering frames to the Okanagan, and she is succeeding at pace. "All customers are looking for something that looks great on them," explains Draycott. " Many want eyewear that makes a statement, and sets them apart from the crowd.  I've had many customers who have been everywhere in the Okanagan, and come defeated to my store because they cannot find something they love.  It's so fun to help them, because their new issue becomes having to choose just one frame, and in some cases they end up purchasing multiple pairs of eyeglasses!"

Yup. I'm already worried that I may well fall into this final category. Better get talking to the bank manager.

Wink i Wear

Mission Park Shopping Centre
#7 - 605 KLO Road
Kelowna V1Y 8E7
Phone: 250 862 WINK (9465)
www.winkiwear.ca
Hours: Mon - Fri - 9 to 5
Saturdays by appointment only.
Closed long weekends and holidays.

You can read more about Laura and Wink i Wear in the new issue of Icon Okanagan, out the second week of October.

The Boating Life For Me...

If you're gonna live in Kelowna, you better get a boat. Or so my husband thinks, and I can't say I disagree. So, we crunched our numbers and toddled along to Dockside Marine's July 'Customer Appreciation Day' to see what our limited budget might afford us.  The answer?  Something pretty damn good.

Thanks to Dale and Chris, two weeks later we were on the lake in our own (second hand, but in pristine condition) SeaRay feeling like true Kelwona-ites.  Or is that Kelwo-no-nians? Or maybe its Kelownans. (Answer on a postcard please!)

We couldn't have asked for more friendly and helpful service, all the way up to our 'on the water' induction (the boating version of the 'test drive') with the lovely Cap'n John.  Furthermore, there was a problem with our trailer on the way to the marina (the left wheel decided to low a ball bearing enroute) so Dockside organised weekend mooring for us at their Manteo Resort facility, took the trailer away, fixed the problem, then picked up the boat and delivered it to us Monday afternoon. Very impressive.

As for the boat, we love it, and being on the water is just amazing.  As one of the sea dogs in the marina said to us, 'Kelowna opens up in a whole new way when you have a boat'. Popping over for coffee also takes on a whole new meaning. Of course, like all new boaters, there are a few tricky bits - like launching and loading your boat.

Our local boat launch is the Eldorado, right beside the (normally heaving) patio, where patrons consider watching boat launchers making complete fools of themselves as part of the venue's entertainment.  I know this because my husband and I have been two of those cruel people pointing and giggling when it all goes horribly wrong for some hapless captain.  Now it's going to be us providing the chuckles.  Gulp.

Though... we may have found a way round this.  Want to watch our launching learning curve? Come down to the boat launch any morning at 6am. Yup. We are only launching when we know that NO ONE is going to be around. Now we just have to figure out how to get the boat back out of the water and onto the trailer under the cover of darkness.

***

PS: We are also busy discussing names for our boat.  The current favourite? 'Mywifeletmebuyit'.

I've decided that book launches in Kelowna are like buses in London.  You wait ages for one, and then three come along at the same time. I've already talked about the ones for novelist Corinna Chong and poet Tim Linburn, and recently I popped in to new Kelowna bar and grill, Social 242, for a launch party to celebrate local author Becky Komant.

As well as being a writer, Komant is a business woman, personal trainer, and life coach, offering people help and support with all aspects of their lives. It was a lovely evening, and I was able to chat to her about both herself and her new book, The Controlled.

TG(N)L: Are you originally from Kelowna? If not where are you from and how did you end up in Kelowna?

BK: ‘I am a Kelowna girl – born and raised.  I couldn't think of a better place to grow up and also to raise my four children’.

TG(N)L: What made you decide to write: a) a book? and b) this particular story?

BK: ‘I honestly had a vision of writing a fitness book for years which took a wild twist into an dramatic adult suspense!   How did it get there?  A chance run in at the airport with a client and a conversation later, I started taking notes in my iPhone and my journey started.  After sharing some of my ideas, it ignited something inside of me. I wanted to write a book that was not only entertaining but that people could relate to on different levels, such as self doubt, fear and control issues.  

I had a great idea for a story that brewed for several years and figured that I could intertwine many different elements together and create a fiction book that would not only entertain, but it would touch on many issues people deal with in life.’   

TG(N)L How did your work as a life couch influence or help with the writing of The Controlled?

BK: ‘I have been a fitness trainer for years.  I find as a trainer, coaching goes far beyond the physical aspect.  Because of that I became a Certified Life Coach.  It is my passion to help others and because of that I wanted to weave many challenges into the story line.

It is those challenges that make the story so intriguing but also give some readers hope and strength to fight for their freedom from any issues they may be dealing with.  It also is a great story for those in search of a suspense thriller full of intrigue, seduction, blackmail, lies and manipulation.’

TG(N)L: What is your favourite thing about the book or story?

BK: ‘It is hard for me to pick a favourite part of the story.  It would give away the plot.  I enjoyed developing the character Sarah and watching her evolve as she struggled to find her path.’

TG(N)L: What was the most challenging thing about writing the book?

BK: ‘The most challenging part about writing the book was where to end it.  I guess I can put a little hint out there that there is a sequel in the works!’ 

TG(N)L: Did living in Kelowna have any influence on the story in any way?

BK: ‘I wouldn't say living in Kelowna influenced the story but it would be fair to say that growing up in Kelowna and my path in life has made me who I am today. If I had chosen another path, who knows where I would be!’ 

'The Controlled' is Komant’s first book, and is a sexy adult thriller – synopsis as follows:

'Who is in control of YOUR life?

Fitness model and mother of 5 Sarah Ruiz thinks her future is as bright as the Miami sun. By the time she realizes a stranger, who is hell-bent on destroying her, has wormed his way into her life, she finds herself backed into a corner with no apparent way of escape.

The Controlled is an adult dramatic thriller for mature readers who have a thirst for a mystery laced with sexual tension and suspense. Get ready for a fast-paced, hot ride that traverses Miami, New York, and Las Vegas, with a glimpse into the dark side of human nature.'

Sounds like a perfect summer poolside read to me, and I am all for supporting local talent.  

The Controlled is published through BK Press, and you can order your copy through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or through your local bookstore.

ISBN: 978-0-9918115-0-2

Let's Talk About the Weather...

OK. So the fantastic climate in the Okanagan is Canada's worst kept secret, but that still doesn't mean it isn't worth mentioning. Stepping off a plane this week after two weeks in Saskatchewan -- where the temperature was still a chilly -4C  and the snow drifts were still 6 ft high -- it really hit me how great it is to live in Kelowna.  At the beginning of April the sun was shining, I didn't need a coat, and spring was most definitely in the air.

So... how does Kelowna stack up to the rest of Canada?

According to stats at The Weather Network, the lowest 'average low temperature' in Kelowna is -4.6C in January, compared to -21.6C in Saskatoon, -22.8C in Winnipeg, -12.6 in Charlottetown and a downright chilly -30.9C in Yellowknife.  Brrr.

Kelowna's average temperatures are above zero ten months of the year (Feb - Nov), compared to 7 months in Edmonton (Apr - Oct) and 8 months in Montreal (Apr - Nov). So far so good.

The city's highest 'average high temperature' is 29.2C in July. Compare that to 22C in Vancouver, 21.9C in Victoria and 26.4C in Toronto and you will soon see why Canadians flock to the Okanagan for their summer vacations.

In terms of precipitation, Kelowna gets an average 763mm rainfall a year, compared to 1474mm in Vancouver. I had to use Vancouver again for this statistic because my husband is convinced it does nothing but rain in Vancouver. I have tried to convince him otherwise, but am not helped by the fact that every time we watch something on TV that has been filmed in Vancouver, guess what? It's raining.

Lastly, Kelowna gets on average 100cm of snow per year as compared to 126cm in Calgary, 216 in Prince George and 202cm in Ottawa. Conversely, local ski resort Big White gets a whopping 750cm of snow per year - hurrah! Yes, Kelowna truly does have the best of both worlds.

This posting may be a little stats heavy, but it does prove my point.  The weather here does not suck.  It is actually downright decent. I love the fact that the locals constantly tell the summer tourists 'it's not like this every day, you know. Come the winter it's solid cloud - we never see the sun'. I have decided this is akin to the story we Canadians tell the Americans - 'No don't come to Canada, it's really dull up here.  Really, really dull'. It's the human psyche.  When things are good, you can't help but want to keep them to yourselves.

~
Image sourced from www.mycartoonthing.com 

B is for Book Launch...

The last time I went to a book launch/signing was at Barnes & Noble in New York, and the book in question was 'Stories I Only Tell My Friends' by Rob Lowe. What can I say? I was a huge West Wing fan. And, yes, his eyes really are that blue.

I love a good book launch, and have a special place in my heart for fiction writers.  As a lover of both books and writing, I - myself - am sadly completely incapable of writing fiction.  I simply have no stories in me.  Therefore, I am completely in awe of those who can, and who can do so well. Corinna Chong is one of these people.

Her new (and first!) book is called Belinda's Rings and is a beautifully written book filled with quirky, imaginatively written prose about family relationships - mixed in with deep sea creatures, crop circles and UFO's. At 85 pages in, I am thoroughly enjoying it. How can you not like a book where one of the main characters is called 'Squid'?

Corina is originally from Calgary, but lives in Kelowna and teaches at Okanagan College, which appears to be emerging as a hotbed of creative talent, who were out in force to celebrate their colleague's (significant!) achievement. Well done, also, Mosaic Books for organising the event. Seeing local talent celebrated and supported is a wonderful thing, and Corinna thoroughly deserves it.

It's wonderful to have discovered a literary community in Kelowna, and if the crowd at the reading at The Bohemian Cafe is anything to go by, its a good one.  The crowd was warm, supportive with lots of intelligent questions for the author post reading, and filled with writers and poets and other creative and talented people, which bodes well.

Rumour has it there's also an active poetry community in town as well - hurrah. I'll keep you posted.

~

"Belinda's Rings is about childhood and adolescence and sisters and mother's and piano lessons, but it's also about UFOs and mysterious squids and stunningly beautiful crop circles near Stonehenge. The writing has a mesmerising grace and an Atwoodian fascination with science and swirling fractals and deep sea divers and puzzling family bonds. Belinda's Rings is a vital,vibrant gem."  

Mark Anthony Jarman, author of 19 Knives and My White Planet

Belinda's Rings by Corinna Chong, $19.95, is published by NeWest Press (www.newestpress.com) and is available at Mosaic Books, 411 Bernard Ave, Kelowna (www.mosaicbooks.ca).

D is for Doggie Park...

One of my fondest memories of visiting NYC is waking up the morning after arrival at about 6am, with no hope what-so-ever of getting back to sleep.  Dragging my jet-lagged body out of bed, I hit the local Starbucks for a take-away Grande Latte to take to Central Park.  It was a gorgeous spring morning, the sun just coming up golden, and patches of mist still clinging to the low spots.  In my wandering, I came across a little bit of New York magic - the local doggy park, where even at this early hour folks were gathered with coffee and pooches, all having a great old time.

Yup.  I love doggy parks, and think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.  The chance for urban pooches to get to run around off lead is something really special.  Kelowna is no slouch in this area, and I love taking our dog, Muddy, down to the big off-leash dog park in Mission Recreation Park for his daily constitutional.  It is a wonderfully huge space, and very green, with a smaller fenced area for smaller dogs right next door, which is greater for keeping the little pooches from been trampled by the larger ones.

There are picnic benches and lawn chairs for 'parents' to sit and chat while their furry charges exercise, and like all good gym facilities there is also a water fountain and water bowls for them to re-hydrate.  But the thing I love best is the fact there are always some extra poop bags handing at various stations on the fence, just in case you forget your own - or god forbid - run out. Now that's what I call  thoughtful.

The park is also a great spot for a little matchmaking, but maybe not the kind you think.  Muddy our whoodle now has a lovely girlfriend - a red-haired labradoodle named Daisy. While there won't be any  kids on the agenda, they are definitely one cute couple.  Arf.

Mission - N. Mission/Crawford Dog Park: 3975 Gordon Drive, Kelowna. Gordon Drive at Lexington Drive.

Image sourced pandosyvet.com.

It's Only Fare...

 

Grocery shopping has definitely come up in the world since I grew up. You can now get sushi at Sobeys, organics at Superstore, and find Starbucks concessions at Safeway.  But if you really want a a food experience extraordinaire, try popping into Urban Fare in the Mission Park Shopping Centre.  I don't think I have been this excited about doing a weekly shop since discovering Whole Foods at Columbus Circle in New York. You've heard of boutique hotels?  Think boutique grocery store, and you'll start to get where I'm coming from.

Urban Fare is chock full of the yummiest, freshest, most beautifully presented food you can find. As our lifestyle palettes become more sophisticated, it makes sense that people now want to fill up their food baskets in environments that could easily fit into an issue of Metropolitan Home. The store itself has a health bias, offering healthy choices likegluten free products, power-foods (filled with antioxidents, vitamins and phitonutrients) and BC grown produce. They also have a huge food bar in their cafeteria/lounge, where you can build your own designer salads or hot food combinations or chose freshly cooked meats from their carvery.

Kelowna is the first location outside of Vancouver to get an Urban Fare, and we should count ourselves lucky. From its gorgeous fresh fruit and veg, to its luscious pastry and bakery selections to the most sumptuous array of boutique chocolates or gourmet coffees, Urban Fare is both a delight to the tastebuds and the eyes - for example, pluck your fresh baked baguettes out of beautifully woven wicker baskets. And, with your 'More' loyalty card you can get the same savings as you would at Save On Foods around the corner. Honestly, I will never buy my bananas anywhere else.

Urban Fare: 3511 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 3S9
Tel: 250 860 0608

AA Addiction...

It used to be that you knew you were in a proper city if it had a Starbucks. Now, however, the coffee chain is so ubiquitous it's more like you know you have completely left civalisation (as we know it) if there isn't one on every corner.

Today a better litmus test of urbanity - at least if you are a trend-following fashionista - is whether or not there is an American Apparel in your town. Even if you don't shop there, you somehow know you are connected to cities like New York and London just by seeing its utilitarian logo gracing your shopping street. (Note: did you know that American Apparel's founder is actually Canadian? Yup. Dov Charney is from Montreal - ironic, no?)

So. Paris, Antwerp, Stockholm... Kelowna. Our city-by-the-lake is hanging with some good company thanks to its American Apparel branch at 441 Bernard Street. According to their blurb on Yelp, 'American Apparel is the place for cool basics, made Sweatshop Free' and go on to cite 'great-fitting clothes you can depend on in a constant stream of new patterns, fabrics and styles' and ' high-quality "Made in USA" garments at a good price and fashionable clothing that is part of an ethical business model from top to bottom'. All great stuff, but what makes AA so cool?  Well, it's advertising campaigns certainly don't hurt.

Taking a leaf from the Calvin Klein and Gap schools of marketing, by blending 'real people' models with the controversial -  think nudity, sexual situations and the occasional porn star, a mix that has led them to both be criticised for their sexually charged content and 'lauded for their honesty and lack of airbrushing' (according to Wikipedia, the font of all modern knowledge).

American Apparel is 'flashdance' for the 21st century, with its dance-inspired bodysuits, leg warmers, leggings and oversized tee shits, all of which come is a rainbow of colour. And, the kids can't get enough of it.  I remember in my old life, taking a group of 45 trainee fashion students over to Paris for an overnight trip - I think at least five of them were in the same American Apparel super shiny, ultra-tight lycra 'Disco' pants, each pair expressing a unique colour choice.  And at least another five pairs were unpacked by others to wear the next day. The group was a walking billboard on the streets of the Marais.

Now I'm not going to be running out and buying neon lycra trousers or ultra-mini dresses anytime soon, but I do love their choice of black leggings, and I also have a soft spot for their (very sexy) black stretch mesh bras and knickers (that's 'panties' in Canadian). Even my husband has me running in to stock up on their black short sleeve men's t-shirts for him. And to inject some colour, I do love their neon bright or shiny metallic nail varnishes - when testing them for colour, just close your eyes, take a deep sniff  and you could almost swear you were on Bleecker Street, and that's cheaper than a plane ticket to Manhattan..

P.S. Fashion Forward Alert:  Forget skinnies. Check out American Apparel's high-waisted pleated pants for one of the newest fashion silhouettes. Yes, we are heading back to the early 80's with a full hip, pegged-ankle silhouette that after three decades suddenly looks fresh and edgy again.  Just when you thought you'd never...

American Apparel: 441 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N8
Tel: 250 868 6090

Thoroughly Modern Me

I love contemporary design, so one of my big fears when moving to Kelowna and buying a house was how I was going to furnish it? No offense to that old Canadian standby, but The Brick was just not going to cut it.  Imagine my delight when I discovered a number of furniture stores catering to more the ‘Metropolitan Homes’ readers than ‘Traditional Home’ ones.

One of my current favourites is DK Modern Furniture on Banks Road. They have great furniture and accessories for the home and they have a great combination of price ranges - pricier lines that are pure investment pieces, along with less expensive versions for those who want the look but don’t have the budget.  For instance, if you fancy a classic Barcelona chair, and you have the money to buy quality, you can get the real deal. But if you don’t, they also have a less expensive version. I love that fact that they realise that great taste and unlimited budgets do not necessarily go hand in hand. I was also especially impressed by Canadian line EQ3, who offer great design at affordable prices. Their ‘Burrows’ dresser with its textural, three dimensional wood front is like functional sculpture for the bedroom.

Great taste also does not equal unlimited space - even in Canada.  So the other thing that impressed me about DK Modern Furniture is that they had furniture to fit a number of different scale houses or condos.  After falling in love with several sofas at other stores, which we then realised we would not be able to fit in our living room and still be able to move, finding things in smaller dimensions was a revelation.

We ended up investing in a gorgeous, sleek black Italian leather sofa from Italsofa, and I only wish we had had the budget left for the Mobital ‘Sensui’ bed, a low platform bed with a large padded head board and side bar, which create the perfect space for your pets to bed down with you and is so much more stylish than assorted wicker baskets.

You also don’t fully appreciate the concept of ‘no commission’ sales staff until you have been accosted in other stores.  I have a drawer full of business cards that were thrust into my hands the minute I walked through the door by eager-beaver, very-nice-but-slightly-desperate sales people, so it was such a pleasure to have a real human chat with someone about furniture that didn’t leave me feeling obligated forevermore.

And… thank you soooooo much to Justin and Denis for organising to get our sofa delivered the same afternoon when they found out we were about to spend another weekend sitting on the floor. Another big thanks to their regular clients, who agreed to have their delivery bumped by a day to make it possible. You definitely would not get that happening in London.

DK Modern Furniture: 310 Banks Road, Kelowna, BC V1X 6Y4
Tel: 250 861 8637

The Road to (the) Eldorado

I have always thought that a really important thing to factor in one’s living environment is the availability of a really good bar.  And by bar I really mean a good ‘chill out’ place, somewhere to relax, to decompress, to refill your spirit. 

My very favourite bar in the whole wide world happens to be the Lobby Lounge of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan.  Situated on the 35th Floor of 80 Columbus Circle, its wall of windows looks out over the southwest corner of Central Park and the rest of the Big Apple.  I could probably sit there for the rest of my life, sipping Heitz Napa Valley Chardonnay - which, brings me to what (in my opinion) makes a place special… fabulous wine and a spectacular view. Of course, yummy food doesn’t hurt, either, and the Mandarin has all three in spades.

However, my second favourite bar in the world does as well, and guess what?  It is situated right here in Kelowna.

Yes. My very second favourite bar in the whole wide world is the one at The Eldorado Hotel. Situated on the east side of the Okanagan Lake at the Eldorado Marina on Cook Road, this is a place to sit and sip - great wine, local and imported beers or inventive cocktails - while watching the boats dock (summer) or the gloriously moody weather patterns roll in and out over the mountains (winter). The staff is friendly and professional, and the ambiance actually reminds me a bit of Manhattan… it has that lovely dark wood, ‘member’s only’ ambiance of a Manhattan’s men’s club, crossed with the breezy openess of a Cape Cod yacht club.  The result is a luxurious, laid back and distinctly grown up.

If you are feeling flush, sit in one of the window tables and savour the local Quail’s Gate Chardonnay, which is utterly gorgeous. Or try one of the pretty reasonably priced martinis like the Java Jive (Sobieski Vodka, Kahlua, and fresh pressed espresso) or the High Tide (Raspberry Vodka, lychee liqueur, pineapple juice and cranberry juice). My husband also gets very excited by the single malt scotch menu, and the fact that Patron Tequila is available. And come the summer, the patio will be open and jumping with sun-worshipping socialisers, popping in for food and drink, and to spend the afternoon watching the world wander by on the boardwalk outside. I have been on the receiving end of more than one sunburned nose whiling the day away in such a blissfully relaxed fashion.

Like the Mandarin, the bar at the Eldorado also boasts a great quality casual dining menu, which ranges from beautifully prepared Crispy ‘Mediterranean style’ Calamari with Tzatziki, to Pacific Mussels, to Jerked Cornish Hen with Caribbean-style coleslaw, to the gorgeous Prime ‘El’ Burger with (subtly) rosemary-salted french fries. All are perfect to soak up any tipsiness, or put paid to hunger pangs. 

When I sit in the Eldorado, I feel at one with my universe. I also feel like I could be anywhere in the civalised world, but with the added bonus of small town friendliness and gob-stopping natural scenery. Which - actually - is exactly why I moved here.

Hotel Eldorado: 500 Cook Road, Kelowna, BC V1W 3G9.
Tel: 250 763 7500