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Art in the Bend

8 May
Hand carved boxes by Wayne Smith

Hand carved boxes by Wayne Smith

by Diva Trista Russell

Art lover? Then check out Sunset Arts Gallery in Grand Bend this summer! The first weekend in May was the grand opening for their 2013 season. Sunset Arts Gallery was also part of the annual Grand Bend Area Studio Tour called “Arts, Eats, & Beats” that was held on the same weekend. This tour had three different routes, and Sunset Arts was part of the Grand Bend Central route. The gallery is located at 63 River Road, which is right beside the Grand Bend marina. At the grand opening, Sunset offered an opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy refreshments and art demonstrations.

The gallery features the work of a dozen different artists, with a variety of paintings of landscapes and abstract art, as well as pottery, hand carved wooden boxes, and handmade jewellery.

Catherine Weber, an artist from South Huron, is the founder of Sunset Arts. It’s great to see local artists at work. Local art is unique, and you can be one of a select few to have these art pieces in your home!

Pottery on display by Nancy Marshall

Pottery on display by Nancy Marshall

Sunset Arts Gallery Hours:
May 4 to June 16: Saturday 11 – 6pm, Sunday 12 – 6pm
June 17 to September 3: Monday – Saturday 11 – 6pm, Sunday 12 – 6pm
September 7 to October 14: Saturday 11 – 6pm, Sunday 12 – 6pm

Sunset Arts Gallery
63 River Road
Grand Bend, Ontario
N0M 1T0

Telephone: 519-238-6914
www.sunsetarts.info

View of the Grand Bend Marina behind Sunset Arts

View of the Grand Bend Marina behind Sunset Arts

Rear entrance to Sunset Arts Gallery

Rear entrance to Sunset Arts Gallery

Beach landscapes on canvas by Martina Bruggerman

Beach landscapes on canvas by Martina Bruggerman

Artwork by Mary Lynn Smith

Artwork by Mary Lynn Smith

Live art demo at Sunset Arts Gallery

Live art demo at Sunset Arts Gallery

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Good, Fresh Food at a Great Price!

28 Mar
The Good Food Boxes ready for Delivery

The Good Food Boxes ready for Delivery

By Diva Trista Russell

Like most people, I buy the majority of my food at the grocery store. During the summer, I like to stop by the Exeter Farmer’s Market, but in the winter I find it hard to source locally grown produce. The local food movement is growing in popularity, and has attracted some attention in the news lately as the provincial government is reintroducing the Local Food Act.
Purchasing the Good Food Box is one way I can get local, fresh produce year-round. The Good Food Box is a community-based project which provides Huron County residents with local vegetables and fruits monthly. The best part is the Good Food Box is only $15. According to their website, buying a Good Food Box means you can save up to 40% off grocery store prices!
Fresh food items in this month's Good Food Box

Fresh food items in this month’s Good Food Box

Here’s what I got in my Good Food Box for the month of March: a bag of green beans, a cucumber, 2 heads of garlic, 3 pound bag of carrots, hearty bean chili mix (with recipe), 5 pounds of potatoes, a whole cabbage, 2 peppers (red/yellow), 4 oranges, and a bag of brussel sprouts. Included in the box is a handy newsletter with recipes using the box’s contents as well as nutritional information and tips.

I used a recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks (The Looneyspoons Collection) to make a healthy crustless quiche for dinner using the peppers, potatoes, and garlic from my box.
Delicious & Nutritious dinner made from items in my Good Food Box this month.

Delicious & Nutritious dinner made from items in my Good Food Box this month.

You can place an order at a neighbourhood host site by the first Friday of each month. The nearest host site for me is the Exeter Library. All orders must be pre-paid in cash at the time they are placed and orders can be picked up on the third Thursday of each month at the host site.

Check out the Good Food Box’s website or visit them on Facebook. Join the local food movement!

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Village Bookshop had their Grand Opening last Saturday

20 Mar
Jan 23 Book Brigade. Photo from Village Bookshop Facebook page

Jan 23 Book Brigade. Photo from Village Bookshop Facebook page

by Diva Karen

Back in January a corps of volunteers known as the Book Brigade helped move books from the former location on Catherine Street by forming a human chain for passing the boxes along to their new home at 24 Main Street, in the Village of Bayfield.

Mary Brown, owner of the Village Bookshop, held the grand opening Saturday night to thank the volunteers who so generously assisted with the move.

Music by Harpist Sharon Johnston and sweets made by the Happy Baker Chick added special touches to this special evening of fellowship at the Book Shop.    I was delighted to meet Miranda Hill, author of a short story collection Sleeping Funny as well as old friends Peter & Joan Karstens of Brentwood on the Beach.

Miranda Hill author of Sleeping Funny

Miranda Hill author of Sleeping Funny

Joan Karstens, Tony Eyamie of Patina Studio, Peter Karstens

Joan Karstens, Tony Eyamie of Patina Studio, Peter Karstens

Erin Bolger, the Happy Baker Chick ... watch for the grand opening of her new Bayfield Baker "Pink Flamingo"

Erin Bolger, the Happy Baker Chick … watch for the grand opening of her new Bayfield Baker “Pink Flamingo”

The  Village Bookshop still offers best sellers, new releases, children’s and regional titles. They also carry an excellent collection of Canadian Author books and hold Meet the author and book reading/signing events throughout the year.

Do drop in next time you’re in Bayfield.

Village Bookshop
24 Main Street
Bayfield, ON   N0M 1G0

on Facebook

Owner & Host Mary Brown

Owner & Host Mary Brown

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A unique market experience at Old 86 didn’t disappoint!

15 Mar
Welcome to Old 86 Farmer's Market

Welcome to Old 86 Farmer’s Market

by Diva Karen
Last Saturday was a beautiful day to go for a tour, so I loaded up the Torrent and set out to visit the Old 86 Farmer’s Market near Molesworth and see just what all the fuss was about.  I was delighted to find an impressive collection of local preserves and products including

  • relishes and salsas from MacGougan Manor in Seaforth
  • local maple syrup from the Drudge Family* next door
  • Green Meat Market & Abbatoir’s frozen meat products
  • Hayter Farm frozen turkey products
  • jams and vinegars from Glenn Farms of Listowel
  • goat cheese of Wroxeter and
  • packaged gluten free mixes and bean products from Full of Beans in Bornholm.
MacGougan Manors Zucchini Relish

MacGougan Manors’ Zucchini Relish

Kountry Kitchen's Garlic Dills

Kountry Kitchen’s Garlic Dills

I couldn’t resist buying some delicious local hand-made goat cheese and settled on a mild Gouda Chili from Gordon’s Goat Dairy operated by Gordon & Bethany Edgar of Wroxeter.  Their website indicates they are makers of hard-to-find unique cheeses which include nineteen unique flavourful brands of harvarti, gouda, cheddar and goatserella.

I had heard about Full of Beans from the owner who I met at a Food Symposium in Stratford last fall.  I try to stick with a gluten free diet so was delighted to find these products so close to home.    I’ll let you know in a future column how the Spicey Carrot Cake and the maple baked beans turned out.

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There were rooms full of Murals in Metal and Wall Art to explore

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hardware and everyday tools

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books for children and adults; toys and more

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water toys .. including a double seated float to tow behind your boat

2013-03-09 11.07.35

locally sourced soy candles

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giftware including hand-bags, jewellery, garden stakes and gnomes

These local farm fresh products were just a small part of the unique market experience at Old 86.  Bargain hunters beware … your trip to this Liquidation warehouse will delight all your senses.  Packed with a wide variety of new products including furniture, appliances, home decor, tools, clothing, sporting goods, giftware, bedding, seasonal goods, hunting accessories, toys and more.  There is, truly, something for everyone!

The variety is endless…drop in and see for yourself!

Old 86 Farmer’s Market

44229 Amberley Road
Wroxeter Ontario
N0G 2X0

*I visited the Drudge Family to purchase my maple syrup right from the source.  I’ll let you know more about that in an upcoming post too.

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Making the garden pretty

6 Jun

By Diva: Jenna Ujiye

While I was out last week I stopped in to Stonefield Garden Centre and Market LTD. (previously Te-Em Farms). I haven’t been in to a garden centre for quite a while, as my gardening abilities are quite lacking! I really wanted to grow some herbs and a couple of vegetables, so it made sense to take the quick trek to Bayfield and see what they had, especially since they had just opened!

This place has a huge variety of annuals, perennials, grasses, vegetable, herbs, water plants and of course nursery stock. The signage was really great, being a basic gardener I need the signs to tell me what plant it what! Now since I was looking for basil and dill I didn’t have any trouble finding it. I picked out what I wanted and started to leave, then I noticed some cool spikey grasses, so I picked them up as well!

If you are looking for a great garden centre with lots of options, friendly staff and gardening supplies, Stonefield Garden Centre is perfect for you! Oh and I forgot to mention… the fresh local produce part of their business! They sell Asparagus, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Sweet Corn, Gourds, Beans, Pumpkins and more. They had asparagus when I was there and mentioned that they will have strawberries, which is a huge delight as I had heard that many of the strawberry crops were almost wiped out due to the frost this spring!

More information:

Stonefield Garden Centre & Market Ltd.
77688 Orchard Line
Bayfield, Ontario
N0M 1G0

Spring Hours: Through to the start of Strawberry Season
Monday – Tuesday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Wednesday – Friday: 9:00am – 800pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am – 5:00pm

T: 519 482 3020
F: 519 482 1496
E: info@stonefieldgardencentre.ca

www.stonefieldgardencentre.ca

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Having fun at Davara Studio

9 May

by: A Couple of Coasters – Divas Cindy Fisher and Laurel Armstrong

If you are looking for a fun small group experience, try your hands at pottery with Dave Riach of Davara Studio in Blyth, Ontario.

Cindy and Dave star glazing

On a sunny spring morning, we arrived at his studio, ready to play in the clay.  He starts off by showing us samples of pottery products and glazes which have been created by him and his wife Tamara.  Once you see the realm of possibilities, we then moved into the workshop to become familiar with hand building and wheel work.

Cindy wanted to try throwing pottery on the wheel to make small serving pieces; Laurel wanted to try making beads and decorative jewelry pieces.  The great thing about Dave is that he lets you explore your own thing while providing clear guidance about the process for doing this in his studio – he is a good sharer!

Cindy discovered that throwing pottery on a wheel takes accurate pressure and speed – but even wonky bowls have their charm.  Laurel discovered that creating clay beads and pendants for necklaces was all about textures, shapes and glaze.

Laurel and the details

Once the clay art has been created, the timing of kiln drying and glazing will be worked out to fit the mutual schedules.

Laurel and Dave glazing

So if you are looking for creative learning fun, contact Dave at 519-523-4355 and talk about the options for his hands-on ‘playing with clay’ experiences.

results in transition

By the way, in addition to pottery and other decorative items for the table and garden, he also sells stained glass creations, and does commission work.

Oh – and he also does birthday party packages for the young and young at heart– how much fun would that be!?!

Oh – he also teaches Stained Glass if that catches your fancy.

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Looking for a fascinator? Marita’s has them!

6 May

By: Divas Jenna Ujiye and Maegan Reinhart

You just never know what you might find when shopping at Marita’s Fashion Boutique in Clinton. While on a quick shopping trip we thought we would check out the new stock at this great women’s clothing store. The front window was lit up with bright spring colours of red, orange, blue and white and we knew there was going to be something for us.

While looking at all the great fashions we found some great dresses and, the best part, beautiful fascinators! We have been looking for great head pieces for when we head to the live races at the Clinton Race track. Jenna ended up buying the whole outfit, she just couldn’t resist. The prices were excellent, the dress was $60.00 and the fascinator was $24.95.

We even found a little friend who like the fascinators as well and she modeled the white one for us! Maegan tried on a great dress and is still contemplating on whether to go back and buy it.

Just as we were about to leave we found these great spring jackets in blue and red… our favourite colours! They weren’t even out on display yet, but they allowed us to try them on. We didn’t buy them, but will likely return next week to get them, as they won’t be there for long!

If you are looking for a new piece to add to your wardrobe, Marita’s probably has it. They are located at 15 Victoria St, Clinton, ON.

Mon: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tue – Fri: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Sat: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Some great deals in Clinton!

4 May

by: Diva Jenna Ujiye and Maegan Reinhart

Last Saturday we (Maegan and Jenna) met Maegan in Clinton for breakfast. We had a delightful breakfast at Bartliff’s at a cost of around $6.00 each it was a great deal. We both had the breakfast special, but there are many other option available. They have many food choices for under $10 and the best part is the bakery. If you are looking for some sweet treats, this place has a variety of cookies, cakes, squares, bread and more! We then decided to do some exploring of downtown Clinton.

We had about two hours and thought that we would be able to go to every store downtown. Well were we ever wrong! We made it to four stores and due to our time constraints had to get going. This means we are heading back for more soon!

Our first stop was the Lion fountain and giant radar for a couple of photos.

The second stop was Per-fect Designs. This great flower shop with neat home decor accents was fun to just be in. The colours are so bright and cheery, especially the gurgle pots. If you don’t know what these are, make sure to google them, they are beverage pitchers that make a whimsical gurgle noise when pouring.

The second store we went in to was Marita’s Fashion Boutique, but we had so much fun and took so many photos we have written a completely seperate blog post about this great ladies clothing store! We also made stops at the Shipping Store, Rack N’Room and the Dollar Haven and Discount. We were trying to find deals for under $20.00 and we did find some great ones at the dollar store! Our favourite deal at the Shipping Store – T-box – shirts, underwear, dresses and more vacuum packed into tiny boxes, great for travel! Check out our photos below.

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Measuring Cups and Baby Dolls

7 Jan

By Diva Jenna Ujiye

A few weeks ago I went on a quick shopping spree with my friend Calleigh. She is 2.5 years old, so I knew I had to create an experience for her, that would make shopping fun for the both of us. Our first stop was to visit Sarah at Something Irresistible, where I typically don’t leave without a new dress or shirt! On this day, we left with chocolate kisses in our pockets!

Our next stop was to visit Kulpeppers. Right away Calleigh picked out some very colourful measuring cups, it was like she knew I needed new ones! All of the interesting items in the store made for a great trip. We picked out some awesome organic crackers (which I ended up leaving for Calleigh and her mom) and a pair of non-stick tongs.

Our next stop was Fincher’s and all of the wonderful toys and books! As soon as we walked to the basement Calleigh grabbed the mini grocery cart, a baby doll and baby carrier. She proceeded to walk around the store and rock the baby to sleep. I highly recommend visiting Fincher’s as the staff was great and I was able to pick up a few items without having a bored kid with me.

Our final stop was to get lunch. We stopped in to J’s Bistro for a nice chicken salad. Calleigh was only interested in the croustini that came with the dish, so I quickly ate knowing that Calleigh would still need to eat something when we got to her house. All in all this was a great morning of shopping and we made some great purchases.

For more information on any of the above businesses visit www.shopinhuron.ca

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A diva and her happy feet

15 Dec

By Diva Jenna Ujiye

While on my travels of Downtown Goderich I, of course, stopped in to Wuerth Shoes. This store has been around for as long as I can remember. Not only do they have great shoes, boots, slippers, purses and more, they have beautiful window displays.They put their pretty products on display and lure me in to the store every time I pass by.

On this trip I quickly visited with the ladies working and then spent some time exploring. Winter may not have arrived yet, but it will and if you are in need of warm and protective, yet fashionable boots Wuerth Shoes has them!

142 Court House Sq  Goderich, ON N7A 1M9, Canada – (519) 524-7432

Their current hours are:

Monday – Thursday 9am-6pm

Friday – 9am-8pm

Saturday – 9am – 5pm

Sunday – 11am – 3pm

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