Nuit Blanche 2015

Nuit Blanche will be taking place in Ottawa on September 19, 2015 (tonight!). From 7:19PM until 4:20AM, you will be able to admire the creative works of art throughout the city. 

The first stop I will be making will be Byward Market. Where will you be? And more importantly what will you wear?? What I will be wearing to Nuit Blanche tonight...

- Capital City Girl

Great Glebe Garage Sale Tips

Having just come back from my first Great Glebe Garage Sale, I'd thought I'd share my experience and a few tips.

My Experience

Many die hard fans will tell you that going early is a MUST. For me, this required waking up at 6 AM (on a Saturday, no less!) I hopped on the #1 OC Transpo bus which dropped me right off at Bank and Glebe. God forbid we drove down there. All the parking spots were already taken by 7AM!



According to the Weather Network, it was -2 degrees with the wind chill. Although it was chilly, I found that it would've been more enjoyable if I had a wide brimmed hat or baseball cap to shield my eyes from the sun.

At about 9 AM, there was noticeably more people.

After roaming around the Glebe for 2 hours, we came upon an ice cream truck. The best part? Ice cream was free! It was just what we needed for an extra energy boost.


After 3.5 hours of strolling up and down the streets of Glebe, we decided it was about time we called it a day.

My haul:

TIPS

So here are a few tips from what I learned after my first Great Glebe Garage Sale...

Before the event:

- The night before the big day, make sure you go to bed early because you're going to need all the energy you have to bargain hunt and haggle.
- Wake up EARLY to ensure that you arrive in the Glebe at 7 AM. Although the event doesn't officially start until 8 AM, plenty of houses will be set up and shoppers will already be in action by 7 AM.
- Eat breakfast! There will be plenty of food trucks at the sale, but who wants to eat a polish sausage for breakfast?
-Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly.

Transportation:

- Do NOT drive. I repeat, do NOT drive. Even if you're lucky enough to find a parking spot, I wish you luck driving out of the Glebe. You will likely be spending more time watching out for shoppes criss crossing across the streets while driving than you would if you were to take public transportation.
- The # 1, #4,  or #7 will take you right into the Glebe.

What to bring:

- Water bottle - because you WILL get dehydrated from all the walking, regardless of how low the temperature is.
- Backpack - This will keep your hands free and ensure a better shopping experience.
- Cash - An obvious one, but you will be surprised at how long the ATM lineups get. Save some time and bring some bills of lower denominations, and lots of coins! I went to the sale with a coin wallet full of quarters and loonies.
-Small snack - If you're a serious shopper and do not want to waste any time lining up for an overpriced hot dog, pack a granola bar or banana to get you through your journey.

What to wear:

- Comfy shoes - This is a given. You will be walking A LOT and comfortable shoes will make that a breeze.
- Sunglasses and hat - UV is especially harmful for your sensitive morning eyes. After 30 minutes, I was wishing I had a baseball cap and a pair of shades to shield my eyes from the sun.
- Weather appropriate clothes - This is pretty obvious but you will be surprised to how little attention some shoppers will pay to this tip. If it's going to rain, wear a water repellent jacket. If it's going to feel like 35 degrees, wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen. Simple as that.

And lastly... have FUN! Even if you're not looking for anything in particular, enjoy the live music and being part of such a great community.



Until next time!

-Capital City Girl

Sparks Street Poutine Fest Review

I went to the Poutine fest on Sparks street during the second day. I made sure to go in the afternoon to avoid the lunch rush.

The best decision I made all day was choosing the Lobster Bacon Poutine from Golden Fries. It had a generous amount of lobster and the portion sizewas just big enough to leave you feeling satisfied. I originally wanted to try Le Smokin BBQ but didn't think it would be a good idea to have too much meat.

The prices were not too bad. It was $15, including tax for the Lobster Bacon poutine. I also tried the Sweet Potato Poutine from the Double Decker Diner ($12). The sweetness of the sweet potato didn't go too well with the cheese and sauce.

Until next time,

Capital City Girl 

Poutine Fest on Sparks

The Poutine Fest will be happening again this weekend on Sparks street. I can't wait to try out all the different types of poutines. The first vendor I will be lining up for will be Le Smokin BBQ. Apparently they were so popular, they sold out during the first night last year. 

When: April 24-26, 2015

Where: Sparks Street, from Bank to Elgin

Hours: 11am-8pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am-6pm on Sunday

See you there!

Capital Eats: El Camino Review

I'm not going to lie. Prior to eating at El Camino, the closest thing I had to Mexican food was Taco Bell. And I am proud to say that I am never going back to fake Mexican food.

El Camino already had a long lineup outside the restaurant before they opened for dinner on a Thursday. I recommend going at least 15 minutes before they open for dinner to ensure a table.



I tried the Japanese Eggplant Taco ($4.5) and the Ox Tongue Taco ($6). Yum. Both had a hint of spiciness to it. When my food arrived, I thought I would have to order more, but it was just enough for me.



I had a bite of my friend's Wild Salmon Tostada ($14). It was super refreshing.

The menu:

The details:
El Camino
380 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M9
613-422-2800



- CapitalCityGirl

RBC Bluesfest

The RBC Bluesfest will be happening from July 8-19 this year at Lebreton Flats. Were you able to snag your tickets during the presale? If not, regular ticket sales will start on March 30 at NOON.

These are the artists performing this year:

I'm counting down the days already! Who are you looking forward to seeing?

Baroness Chocolate Bar Review

I had the chance to try out the Aiyaaaa! chocolate bar from Baroness Chocolate. As a Capital City Girl, I was happy to learn that Baroness Chocolate is not only Canadian, but they are also produced in Ottawa. Baroness Chocolates is the company that makes the famous gold wrapped chocolate bar. 

The Aiyaaaa is a dark milk chocolate with almonds, sea salt and butterscotch. It's made with organic fair trade ingredients. Guilt free chocolate, what more can you ask for?

Although the picture of the chocolate on the wrapper shows a chocolate bar with nuts and sea salt on top of the bar, these ingredients are actually enveloped by the chocolate. 

The chocolate bar itself is divided into rows that you can break apart, but I had a hard time breaking the pieces cleanly and ended up just biting into the whole bar instead (classy, right?). The chocolate bar had just the right enough amount of snap to it and the mix of milk and dark chocolate was just perfect.

Overall, the Baroness Aiyaaaa! chocolate bar is a high quality chocolate bar that is ranked pretty high in my books right now.

I recommend trying it out! 

Until next time,

~Capital City Girl

Monday Blues

The Monday after daylight savings is always the worse. I could barely crawl out of bed this morning. To brighten up the day, I added a little bling to a simple outfit. A little extra sparkle (and smile) can make the day better.

Italian Subs in Little Italy

I stopped by Luciano Foods on the recommendation of a friend. They do not have menus but they allow you to choose ANY meat you want. I  tried the Italian ham and spicy eggplant while the boyfriend had the spicy Italian cold-cut with extra meat (go figure). 

The sandwich was so thick I had to cut it into smaller pieces so I could fit it in my mouth. Check out the amount of meat in there.

The sandwich itself is $5, with the option of adding veggies or extra meat for $0.50. The details:

♥Capital City Girl

UPDATE: As of May 23, 2015, they have increased their prices by $1 and I noticed that the portion of deli meat is significantly smaller. 

Nordstrom Opening Day

The cold didn’t stop Ottawa fashionistas from checking out the much anticipated Nordstrom opening. The promise of food, fun and of course beauty surprises made it easy to wake up at the crack of dawn for the pre-opening beauty bash. 

The first 2000 people were given a commemorative Nordstrom tote with beauty samples. 

Preopening Beauty Bash at 7:30AM

Tables and tables of yummy danishes and premium juices welcomed bright eyed shoppers. Nothing like a free breakfast to have you feeling like a VIP. 

Snaps taken while browsing the store...

In case you're curious, the Nordstrom washroom...

Tired from shopping, why not grab a premium drink from the E-Bar? I tried the Almond Roca.. it was fantastic.. just the right amount of sweetness and caffeine to keep me energized ($4.10 for a small).

Wow, you don't see these often! A shoe shine station is situated in the Men's Shoe department. $2.50 to bring some life back in your leather shoes. 

Until next time, 

♥Capital City Girl