There are obvious downsides to being 25 years old and moving back in with your parents. However, I am discovering the many upsides. These include a well stocked fridge, a newspaper subscription and non existent rent. Another advantage to living in the depths of a Vancouver suburb is discovering little gems like wine bar/fromagerie ‘gudrun.’
jenn wint photo
I had heard talk of this trendy little spot in Steveston and went to check it out with my friend Rebecca and her dog Marley. The rumors were true and the place is amazing. An intimate décor with the menu chalked right up on the wall and a delicious menu of fresh, locally sourced meats, cheeses, salads and breads. The extensive wine list includes local and imports and there are also options for no-winers.
My favorite feature besides Patrick, the delightfully chatty owner, is the communal outdoor table built around a massive tree trunk. I am finding Vancouver’s seating arrangements slightly anti-social (that’s another post) so this was a pleasant surprise. Rebecca and I had a wonderful evening of delicious wine and great chat (guaranteed). As a bonus, ‘gudrun’ was very dog friendly and had bar staff that were easy on the eyes… and Patrick assured me there were other delicious, fresh, locally produced staff on special other nights. I’m starting to think getting social in the suburbs might not be as devastating as I thought…
gudrun.ca
I haven’t been uploading photos of my favourite thrift store scores lately, but let me assure you there have been plenty of amazing finds! My latest obsession is vintage bags – it’s becoming a bit of an issue, as I’m running out of storage space in my studio to store empty luggage.
I must take a rare and brief moment to complain about the severe overpricing at all the Value Villages and Salvation Armys out there. The clothes stink more than an acceptable amount, and 99.99% of the items are grossly overpriced for such ragged condition. I’ll take the smaller stores with radder stuff at cheaper prices, where volunteers allow all the profits to go right back to the charity they were intended for, thanksverymuch. Steveston is one of my prime destinations – I try to go about once a week nowadays.
Cases in point… cowboy boots, exactly my size at 8.5, for a whopping $5:
And this lovely sweater jacket, which was a bit ugly as it had fringe along the bottom and at the ends of the ties, but I simply cut that off when I got home and now it’s spectacular – not bad for a $6 investment:
For all you kids out there who loved and appreciated the big clothing sale I did with Shallom from Stylefinds a couple months back, you’ll be happy to learn there is another event on the horizon. We’ve been stockpiling new goods, and saved all the great stuff that remained from the last sale. Stay tuned for more details, but expect a date in July sometime…looking forward to sharing our wealth of fine finds with you…
