Working with freshwater pearls, semi-precious gems, foiled glass, Swarovski crystals, and sterling silver among other things, this local entrepreneur has been hand-crafting and selling one-of-a-kind pieces for over 5 years.   Recently, Walker-Khoury expanded into the area of custom bridal jewellery, and has helped more than a dozen soon-to-be betrothed ladies express their personal style on their wedding day.  Currently, Frash Femme is  available online and at Victoire, one of Ottawa’s most established and popular Indie boutiques.

As it turns out, Isobel Walker-Khoury is what I once heard referred to as an  “embedded creative”,  which means that she spends her most productive hours in a job completely unrelated to her deepest passion or true talents.  It also means that she – like me – harbours some pretty serious escape fantasies.  So, given this most interesting added twist,  I set out to find out more about a fellow cubicle dweller with creative ambitions! 

In short, here is a bit of what I learned about Isobel…

Hometown?  I was born in Red Deer, Alberta and lived in Edmonton until 1989 when I moved to Ottawa.  I  have loved it ever since.

Occupation? Public Servant/Indie Jewellery Designer

Passions?  Fashion, designing jewellery, mid -century modern furniture and films.

I am at my best when…   I have had a really good sleep, or a nice hot drink and some new jewellery supplies.

Wildest dream?   To travel around the world (literally) and sell my jewellery out of a backpack.

Most treasured belongings?  A vintage Eames side chair that I restored myself. 

source

Perfect day?  A long day of making jewellery, while watching great films and munching on my mums mac & cheese.

Childhood ambition?  To be a writer.

What do you talk about most?    Fashion, love, films, and of course, my aspirations!

Can’t live without?   My cats, my husband and Value Village (not necessarily in that order!).

Favourite colours?  Aqua and hot pink.

What impresses you?    A unique fashion sense.  It really doesn’t matter what size a person is, if they have a unique style that suits them, I find it very sexy.

Where do you feel most at home and why?   I feel at home at Chapters.  You can find me there at least once a week flipping through books and magazines looking for inspiration. And, my non-fat decaf Caramel Macchiato is never far!

Where do you find inspiration?   Films, magazines, and my friends.

What recommendations can you make for eating, shopping, and having fun here in O-town?

Eating?   Totoya Sushi restaurant  on Dalhousie.  It has an amazing sushi pizza and the best all you can eat deal!  

Also, I can’t lie.  I am a sucker for the Wendy’s JR Bacon Cheeseburger. ( And – yes – I dip my fries in my frosty!).

Shopping?  Value Village, Victoire,  and the Ladyfest Ottawa craft shows.

All around fun?    Movies at the Bytowne Cinema and the Canadian Film Institute.  And,  I love having Rock Band parties!

The experts at Westboro’s “premiere treat boutique” The Candy Store have been providing readers of their blog a real education in the world of fancy confections.  Leading up to Christmas, I’ve learned lots about Paris Caramels, a delicious sounding French concoction of milk, butter and sugar, Galler Belgian Chocolate, and Salmiak – a salted licorice  favoured in northern Europe.  If Santa’s elves have time left, no doubt they’d find some fabulously flavourful stocking stuffers at this must stop shop.

Theatre aficionado (turned activist) Jessica Ruano has published another interesting and informative article highlighting Ottawa’s arts & culture scene, this time award winning local Guerrilla Magazine. Art Smarts, with Ruano as your field guide, offers some very fine suggestions for theatre goers and arts lovers well in to the new year.  Read up here on Jessica’s blog, or check it out at Guerrilla Magazine.

The ladies over at Victoire have also been busy blogging up a (winter) storm, sharing photos and inspiration for everything from party outfits to perfect gifts. Here,  six ‘Little Black Dress’ options were proposed, and here they suggest no less than nine new pillows! Open right up to 4pm on Christmas Eve, there is sure to be something left in store for the independently-minded fashionista on your list.

Kim’s star keeps on rising.  This local blogging phenom, a driving force behind renowned design blog Desire to Inspire,was featured in the January edition of Canadian House & Home magazine.  This is no small deal, as House & Home is the undisputed king of the Canadian decorating magazine scene.  Kim’s blog caught the eye of the Editors who invited her to share her views on this year’s most important decorating trends.  Check here for an online view.

If you look closely, you will note one of Kim’s favourite local shops, Found Design. This Bank St. shop has long been a haunt of mine too, with their carefully collected selection of mid-century classics and Canadian made vintage pieces.  Mike and Malcolm have just started blogging too.  Welcome fellow bloggers, welcome!

Tracie of Youth League and the Spies has been sharing her success lately too.  This post highlights her freelance work for Ottawa Magazine and these fashion photos by local photographer Daniel Weinand, were superbly styled by her.

Ashley McConnell and Justyna Baraniencki-Andrzejak, Editors-in-Chief of Ottawa’s newest arty online fashion magazine Dinner Jacket have outdone themselves again.  The December issue, released last week, tackles Christmas from a slightly different perspective and offers an appealing look at the season’s darker side. 

And then there is Ren.  This girl is moving and shaking so fast I can hardly keep up!  Ottawafocus.com has added Bywords.ca to its roster of contributors to provide a weekly update on Ottawa’s literary scene.    Talk about a one stop shop for all things Ottawa focused! 

So, to all of Ottawa’s smart, sassy and stylish bloggers – this girlaboutOtown says Season’s Greetings! 

Step out, look back, and celebrate.  Thanks to you, Canada’s capital may still make its mark on the style map…

Image credits: Guerrilla, Victoire, Desire to Inspire, Youth League and the Spies, and Ottawafocus.com.

The Crawford Alexander Designer Boutique has moved to 1089 Somerset Street West, a former used appliance depot in Hintonburg Village.  It seems that Luc Crawford and Jamie LeBlanc have spent serious effort to upgrade the space, and will offer custom furniture and home accessories in addition to their established interior design services. 

• Crawford Alexander Designer Boutique
• 1089 Somerset St. W
• Ottawa ON K1Y 3C6
• 613.722.0839

Apparently, a limited number of their wicked good cupcakes will now be available weekends this lovely specialty store.

More often than any other Google search, “Ottawa” + “cupcake” draws curious readers to girlaboutotown.com.  While not exactly scientific market research, I think this steady stream of cupcake seekers is pretty sound evidence of unmet demand and unlimited potential. 

The Candy Store, with its delectable decor and delicious assortment of delights, is a great addition to Ottawa’s boutique scene.  By adding a weekend measure of cupcake pleasure to this mix, these three ladies may well have hit upon a winning recipe for satisfying success.

I’m already planning my trip westward for cupcakes.  No doubt I’ll come across some candy too… 

Photos by pigeonhouse for The Candy Store .

Furniture at Rhubarb tends toward the cosy and somewhat compact, with a slightly traditional flavour.  This strong foundation is effectively punctuated by a few very contemporary pieces - including paper chandeliers and chrome and glass tables.  Soft furnishings from Rhubarb would work equally as well in a downtown three story as they would in a newer home with large open rooms and a more modern feel, and certainly wouldn’t set a buyer back too far.  

If you’re in the market for some new furniture or home accessories, or if you’re simply curious, check out Rhubarb at 279 Richmond Rd. 

Photos by me.

I’ve drooled over the gorgeous Sigerson Morrison Belle 3259’s, passed on some Frye’s in Calgary, and even ordered a pair of Michael Kors Neptune in luggage suede that just didn’t quite fit and had to be returned.  Lately, I’ve been coveting these, and seriously weighing the possibility of a purchase.  Even after rationalizing the price though, I seem to have waited just long enough for my size to sell out.  I suppose this could be attributed to my thriftier subconscious reminding me of the mouth I’m responsible for feeding and other such necessities! 

So, imagine my glee when I came across an inbox announcement about the Chatte Bottée Vintage Shoe Shopping Party to be held at Byward Market boutique Victoire (246 Dalhousie) on Saturday, September 27 from 6:00-9:00 pm!  I cannot believe my good fortune.  Apparently, two friends Nika and Carole from Montreal created La Chatte Bottée to source vintage shoes and boots from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and sell them at shopping parties.  Now, it seems they are coming to town to share their finds.

Who knew?  Who knew there was even such a thing as a vintage shoe shopping party?  Woohoo!  I’m so excited!

Tall, saddle brown high heeled boots were a 70’s wardrobe staple for the stylish set, and I am so hoping to find some leftover throwbacks in really good shape.  Otherwise, I may be forced to choose from the boots above. 

a) Prada Sport cocoa pebble leather harness boot @ $600 

b) Frye Jane Cuff boot in tan @ $348

c) Michael Kors Penelope wing tip boots in luggage for only $159 

What would be your pick? 

♥ As it turns out, I’m not so much a fan of mountain climbing.  Mountains are beautiful to gawk at in awe, especially those in and around Fairmont, BC, but getting to the top of a relatively small one was a feat of physical strength and emotional courage – at least for an Ontario girl like me.  What was supposed to be an easy morning hike with family ended up a test of my nerves, as the further we went up, the more afraid I became. Yikes!

Anyway, the view was spectacular, the weather perfect and my fear only a small detraction from an otherwise amazing experience.  That said, it is pretty clear to me now, I most definitely prefer cultural adventures to extreme physical ones!   This picture offers a glimpse from my perspective…while sitting, clutching the ground and strongly urging caution as those with me nudged nearer and nearer toward the edge.  Eeek!

♥ BC’s famous hot springs are really worth a stop.  We did, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the hot, mineral rich water – even in the heat of summer.  First, at the Fairmont Hot Springs, I managed a quick, night time dip under the stars, and then at Radium, where the hot pool made the air feel pleasantly cool. 

♥ Given I was with my other girl about town, the Calgary Zoo was a necessary addition to the itinerary.  If accompanied, as I was, by a huge fan of animals and a playground aficionado, the zoo can take a whole day to discover.  My advice?  Go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, as many animals tend towards a post-lunch siesta, especially in the summer sun.  For a couple of girly girls though, seeing a peacock – in full glorious colour – was a genuine treat!

 ♥ Calgary offers some great shopping too, and we did manage to squeeze some in before heading back to Ottawa.  Covering two distinct neighbourhoods, the focus was on decor and design, vintage and consignment, as well as shoes.

17th Ave. SW, or Uptown 17th, offers some of Calgary’s best shopping, with some very unique and intriguing boutiques.  My favourite – hands down – was Gravity Pope, an amazing shoe store where I was actually tempted by a pair of knee high, brown leather cowboy heels by Frye.  I resisted though, but quite likely because they just didn’t fit.  Oh well!

Inglewood is Calgary’s original main street, and has been revitalized with shops, restaurants and pubs.  There are a great many design, decor and furniture stores, ranging from the eclectic Leo’s Secondhand Store to the high end and established Montauk. As usual though, I was most at home in the vintage consignment store The Pendulum, where I could have spent much more time and money than I actually had. 

Decorate it Darling is presently in the midst of her move.  Pictures of decorating progress in her new pad are posted here, and the place is looking particularly pleasing. 

While not exactly available locally (unless shipping costs are easily covered), The Materialist showcases some very cool vintage and one-of a kind furniture.  This is my kind of stuff! 

Victoire guest blogger Liana Guberman shares some very astute observations about fierce fashion in Europe, in contrast to Ottawa’s more subdued signature style.  I too am wondering when “turned out” turned into “trying too hard” around here? 

Tracizzle, of Youth League and the Spies, posted some great photos by local fashion photographer Daniel Weinand.  She styled the shoot that featured pieces from local fashion designers Me et Moi (sold at Victoire).

While on the subject(s), Ottawa Street Style debriefs on the recent launch party for Me et Moi held at Victoire.  Interestingly, the key message seems to be that local designers, stylists and other creative types need to get serious about their key messages!  Marketing and PR isn’t just for the big fish anymore, and the free advice provided here is definitely worthy of consideration.

And on a separate note, The Code Factory has just added a Tornado Foosball table to their already casual and relaxed work environment.  The Code Factory, brainchild of local entrepreneur Ian Graham, is a recent initiative to help foster innovation here in Otown.  The Code Factory provides its members a collaborative workspace, shared business services and financial/policy advocacy for local tech start-ups.   Plus, it sounds like fun!

This brand of streetwise vintage cool isn’t your standard Ottawa shopping fare. Instead, this is the kind of groovy shop you might expect to find in a thriving metropolis crawling with hipsters, fashionistas and other wild eccentrics who prefer to stand out rather than blend. 

A very carefully edited but eclectic collection of 60’s, 70’s and 80’s classics are cleverly arranged by colour, and are priced more than favourably for the customer.  There are plenty of super-kitschy sunglasses, sparkly bits and baubles, and boldly coloured scarves added to the mix for accessorizing.  Shoes and handbags are all only $15 each, and are extremely difficult to resist.  (I happened upon a snazzy pair of snakeskin pumps in red, which will no doubt complete the look described here.) 

Oh, and of course it should not go unmentioned that some very yummy food is served.  An odd combination perhaps, but it seems to work.  Seated across from the racks, at a very authentic Formica table, my mates and I enjoyed a tasty lunch this past Saturday, presented on the most hilarious combination of brown 70’s dinnerware.  The lemonade was perfect in the wet heat, and the soft sugary ginger cookie most definitely passed muster with my much younger girl about town!

 1. outside sign, 2. funky fixins, 3. cool digs, 4. vintage salute