Fiestaval!

Last weekend I decided to show my younger sister downtown Calgary, since she's never been before. While showing her Stephen Ave. and hoping to show her Olympic Plaza we heard music. Out of the blue we were in the middle of a market! It wasn't until later that I realised we had stumbled upon the Calgary Latin Festival. There were amazing vendors everywhere, and food from all over. The atmosphere was amazing. People dancing, viewing the endless vendor stands and trying all of the tasty, multicultural, food. It was awesome, to say the least, to be suddenly swallowed up among the crowd. We watched the musicians for a while, and got to see some extremely talented dancers. Everyone was so happy and carefree, it was the best possible way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon and I'm so glad my sister got a preview of the amazing Calgary culture.

Eleven : Eleven Boutique Art Show, Market and Interview!

For the month of July Eleven : Eleven Boutique has been hosting a Summer Art Show, and on the past few weekends an Artist's Market featuring MaNoKin-Design, Pout Clothing, Abigail Gingerale Jewlery and the debut of Art For A Start. Today I stopped by the boutique to meet Lana, the owner, and check out all of the amazing art and the great sales going on this month! MaNoKin had a really great showing and, as with most of her collections, there were so many pieces I wanted! There was a great showing of art as well, and the artists and designers were on hand to discuss their work and meet any possible buyers, fans or fashion lovers. Last week we also did an interview with Lana, and I've been anxiously awaiting the day we can finally post it! After reading it over you can totally see how passionate she is about art, her work and the environment. She truly comes off as articulate, and insightful. I'm so happy to have our first blog feature on her! Hope you enjoy it!

[I]C: You are so supportive of local artists and designers. What do you love most about the arts culture in Calgary?

Lana: The arts culture in Calgary is just like any other city. It flourishes only when people give it room to grow. Art and creativity are the tools all societies need to move forward in new ways and to lead, in terms of innovation and problem solving. Art is the ability to look at problems, issues, from a different perspective. To truly create a sustainable city artists need to be free to do their job of expressing, bringing to light things that may normally be passed over in day to day life, asking questions and encouraging our society to think in new ways. I think Calgary designers are burning with a desire to do just that. Shake things up a bit.


[I]C: Not only are you an entrepreneur helping local artists get noticed, but you're also one yourself! Where do you draw inspiration from? And what's your favorite medium to work with?

Lana:  I draw inspiration mostly from the range of emotions and desires from within myself. At this point, when I create art, I'm mostly trying to teach myself about who I am. So, really, I'm inspired by the events that happen in my life, and my reactions to them. Also by people, I think people are beautiful. I mostly work in Acrylic and mixed media collages.

[I]C: You're passionate about sustainability, and designers using organic or recycled fabrics. What tips would you give to new designers looking to make their line more environmentally friendly?

Lana: There are so many ways to take environmental concerns seriously. Pesticides are a huge concern...so choose to use only organic cottons, and do the research behind how fabrics are made and grown. It is absolutely up to us to shape the future of what is acceptable and what is not. If you think your choices don't matter...well that's how we ended up in this mess. Also, it would be great to see more Canadian made fabrics being used, which would cut down on the fuel needed for the transportation of fabrics. This is for all you artists out there: how often do you invest in a locally made piece of clothing? How often do you invest in other artists' works of art? Ask yourself honestly, and if the truth is not very often, that is something to at least think about. Change starts with you. We all need to support each other.

[I]C: What tips would you give anyone else looking to reduce their carbon footprint?

Lana: It's really amazingly simple to start to change the way we consume. Concerning the clothing...try to skip the dryer and conserve energy. This also allows your clothes to last longer. By choosing to buy clothing that is made with love, and a little more expensive, you can consume less clothing over the years, throw less away, spend less money long term and feel wonderful about the pieces you buy. It all starts with you and me and all of us choosing to care about the history behind the things we buy. Cheaper is not better for the economy and does not foster sustainability.

[I]C: You opened in 2008 and seemed to have accomplished so much already between the gallery and the boutique. What are your goals for Eleven : Eleven and Resolution in the next 5 years?

Lana: My goal is to become more authentic and true to who I am, and to my vision. What form that is going to take...well...I'm busy creating that at the moment :)

A Folk Fest Love Affair

Last night Ivanka and I (along with our 2 younger sisters) got into our hippy best and made our way down to Prince's Island Park for the opening night of Folk Fest. First and foremost, we scanned the food vendors. Everything smelled amazing, and there was so much variety! Ivanka picked up some Jamaican patties, and I got a taco dog. It was just as insane as it sounds. Soon after we spread ourselves out under the trees. The weather was perfect for the evening, and we each took turns exploring the grounds. There was a lot of different vendors, from henna, to Cinder and Sage, to Prairie Fairies (they had adorable little tutus and sparkling wings for children). It was also our first time going to Very Hush Hush, which was such a cool idea! The little shop is set up in and around an old Airstream trailer. We settled in to watch Joel Plaskett, and City and Color. Both were amazing, as was the atmosphere. Everyone was so laid back, lounging on the grass or dancing to the music, laughing and enjoying the sunshine. As Dallas Green mentioned a few times, it was great to be in the presence of so many people together just for the simple love of music!

Visit our Facebook page for even more photos from the night!

Stampede Breaky

Who doesn’t love free breakfast?! Chinook Center hosted the biggest pancake breakfast in the city, feeding thousands of mouths on Saturday, July 9th. The line ups seemed forever long, but somehow I managed to surpass the crowds and land a spot right in front of The Food Network's very own Ned Bell! All decked out in Stampede gear, Ned was flipping flapjacks for everyone that attended. The live band was the perfect entertainment for dancers, loungers, young, young at heart, tourists and locals! Tones of family fun surrounded the mall; bouncy houses, fire trucks (and fire fighters!), 'horse' racing, games, balloon animals and virtual chuck wagon races! Thanks to everyone who made it out! And, to those who didn't, it's not the last one! Click here for other Stampede Breakfasts coming up!

Eleven Eleven Boutique's Art Show and Creative Market

There's about a million exciting things happening this month at Eleven Eleven Boutique, which is making it a little hard to know where to start with this post! First off, the store is having a Group Show, featuring 8 amazing local artists, all month long. Then, the last three weekends of July, they are having an Artists Market. The Market will host local clothing and jewelry designers, artists and more! MaNoKin Design will also be showing and selling their Fall/Winter 2011 collection at the market. Make sure you stop in to get some sure to be amazing deals and then check back here later for photos! For more information on the event you can go here!

Stampede Fashion Kick Off!

Fresh air, warm sun, Stephen Ave., and a fashion show? You betcha! Thursday, during the lunch hour, I stepped outside to watch the fashion show put on by Holt Renfrew, showing looks from countless stores in TD Square. There were so many fun outfits that you could wear whether or not it's Stampede season (I know I would!). Strutting their stuff down the runway, the AG models did an outstanding job featuring each and every one of their ensembles. Special shout out to my favorite, a good friend of mine Michael Driscoll- You rocked it Mikey!

To see more photos from the show follow us on Facebook!

Yehaaaw - Stampede Kickoff @ Harry Rosen TD Square

Last minute events never disappoint!

Who would have thought that a work related event would be such a hit?! After an 11-hour shift of running around, moving tables, rearranging furniture and gearing the mannequins up for Stampede (at Harry Rosen TD Square) the last thing I wanted to do was stick around for the party. Good thing I did, because I got to enjoy delicious hors d'oeuvres, imported beers, bourbon and wine (provided by Red Tree Catering) and of course good company! But we can't forget the icing on the cake..a live performance by the one and only Aaron Lines!!

Pulse, A Gallery Opening

Triangle Gallery is having the opening of their newest exhibit, Pulse: Alberta Society of Artists at 80 Years. The exhibit is split into two parts, the first of which is highlighting prints and paintings from Alberta artists from before the Second World War. All of the "past" artists have greatly influenced Alberta art to date! The second half features 11 contemporary Alberta artists and features photography, installation, sculpture and more. The exhibit runs from July 7th to August 24th, but if you're interested in meeting some of the artists or looking for something to do the opening reception runs from 7:30 to 10pm on Thursday night! For more information or to view a sampling of what is to be shown you can check out their Website.

Cowboy Breakfast

Anyone who's anyone loves free stuff. So, if you're a lover of free food, the Stampede Caravan is for you! It runs from 9am to 11am almost every morning from the 7th to the 16th. They're serving up some tasty pancakes, sausage and juice with each meal, all for free! You can check out their schedule here which has all of the Caravan locations as well. Ivanka will be covering the one this weekend, so keep your eyes open for her!



Also, be sure to check out our Facebook Page for information about the Stampede fashion show on Stephen Ave this Thursday! 

Starting Fresh!

Happy Canada Day! To celebrate, Ivanka and I have put up the new layout of the blog, We've updated our "About" section of the blog and have some really exciting ideas for the new layout overall. We will be covering opening night of the upcoming Folk Festival, and so much more over the summer. Check back often for details on new events, restaurants, festivals and more. As well, we've now got a Facebook Page and a new email address. We can't wait to show you all the amazing ideas we've got and look forward to your feedback. In the meantime, have a great long weekend! 

Ivanka and Chelsey