The 427, 000 sq. foot, three-story, super-structure is also being touted as Canada’s most sustainable IKEA store.  This, because it is designed to be 40% more efficient than IKEA’s last store, built in 2004.  In addition to its highly reflective rooftop aimed at reducing solar heating in the summer, Ottawa’s new IKEA will also feature a take-back recycling program for bulbs and batteries, parking spots for hybrid/fuel efficient cars, and improved waste management for both office and retail floors.

Last night, I was among more than 100 media representatives and bloggers invited for a sneak peak, an invitation I’d have been crazy to turn down.  Especially for this girlaboutOtown, who ain’t so great in crowds!  According to various reports, IKEA is expecting upwards of 13, 000 visitors on it’s opening day, complete with contingency traffic plans should things get out of control.  Sheesh.

Arriving in time for the last tour of three, I was fortunate to get plenty of face-time with the highly knowledgeable, super-enthused Ottawa Store Manager, Isabelle Auclair.   Here are a few things I learned while walking the winding 1.3 km trail:

• Canada’s largest IKEA replaces its smallest.  That’s right.  Our IKEA was the smallest space-wise, and only carried 4,500 of IKEA’s best selling products.  This explain the weekend lines.  Just not enough space for all the Ottawa folks buying IKEA stuff!
• Our new IKEA will now stock double the products, in every department.  Yup.  You can find 9,500 products, if you try.  (tee hee)   Oh, and IKEA’s internet site features only those products in their catalogue, which means the only place you’ll find everything is in store.  Very clever.
• Ottawa’s store has done very well in IKEA terms.  Apparently, we’re an ideal market.  IKEA faces very little competition from other retailers, and we offer a generous supply of their target customers – between 25 and 45, with families.
• The number of staff at the store has also risen, with more than 100 new employees added to the team.  That’s 340 people and more than one manager on duty at a time.  Per section.
• IKEA Canada remains landlord, so construction will continue over at its former property.  Apparently, the old store is being renovated to accommodate Sears.  Stay tuned…
• Assuming you find parking on ground level, the store is designed for customers to work their way down.  In other words, the showrooms (there are 54) are situated on the third floor, where no carts are necessary, with the marketplace and warehouse located  on the second.  This means you start on the third floor, check out on the second floor, and then head back downstairs with stuff in hand to load your car.  Isabelle assured me the 36 checkouts, four freight elevators, the escalator and staircase should be plenty to prevent a bottleneck.  I’m going to wait and see on the logistics, although I’m pretty sure the folks at IKEA have figured it all out.  They’re a pretty smart bunch.
•  Lastly, for those of us that note the important details, you may recall the old store had only 4 women’s washroom stalls.  I’m still waiting on a final count from IKEA officials, but I can assure you this store has many more!  No more desperate moments…

So.  What can I say?  Many thanks to IKEA for opening their big doors to provide little ol’ me a sneak peak.  It was definitely a treat.

And, my advice to you?  Treat your trips to the store more like a destination than a drop-in, and have loads of fun discovering all the delightful new things.  No doubt you’ll be doing so for a long time to come!

Maps courtesy of IKEA.  Top – showroom, Bottom – Market Hall

This girlaboutOtown never ceases to be amazed at the breadth and depth of blogging talent here in Ottawa.  It’s been awhile since I posted a blurb about a new blog, but I just couldn’t help myself with CapitalOh, a fabulous, fun and refreshing addition to Ottawa’s burgeoning blogging scene.

CapitalOh is the brainchild of  Carleton University students Julia Brucculieri and Sarah Van den Berg, who turned their tepid first impressions of Ottawa into a personal project.  Their mission? To uncover the ‘cool’ in Canada’s capital city and to pinpoint the positive about the place they’ve chosen as home for the next few years.

What’s great about CapitalOh?  Well for starters, Julia and Sarah have a solid concept.  They’ve also got a way with the camera, which they carry everywhere they go.  CapitalOh posts short, but punchy, and heavy on the visuals.  And, the CapitalOh girls make no promises.  They post only when they’ve got something to say.  Phew!  No filler.  No fluff.  Just a sassy little snippet whenever they can find the time, which makes for easy and enjoyable reading. For a couple of self-professed ‘beginners’ these two seem to have a lot figured out.  Smart!

Anyway, I recently received a lovely little note in my inbox from, this dynamic creative duo.  Just to say hello!  The next thing I knew, we were set to meet in person and swap stories about what life is really like behind the blogging scenes.  A couple of coffees and a BLT later, I knew for sure a ‘blogging Ottawa’ blurb was overdue!

So, without further adieu, here are Julia and Sarah’s answers to a few of my Q’s!

Julia – Where are you from, and why did you choose to come to Ottawa?

I’m from Stoney Creek (Hamilton) which is about five hours away by car. I came to Ottawa for school (Carleton), and I really needed to finally move out on my own!

Sarah – What about you? Why did you choose Ottawa?

Julia and I have similar stories. I’m from just outside Peterborough and I needed to switch it up. Ottawa wasn’t my first choice, but I’ve grown to love it.

 How did the two of you meet and what inspired you to start Capital Oh?

J - We met living on residence at school, and then discovered that we were in the same program.  The rest is history. I guess we just started talking about how we wish Ottawa was a little more exciting and had more stuff for us to do, and then we decided, “why not find the exciting things ourselves?”.   We figured even if no one read our blog, we would still have fun finding the “cool” in our capital city.

S - Exactly. We were in very similar situations, not really sure if Ottawa was right for us, and not really sure if our program was right for us.  So, we both agreed we needed to make the best of it somehow and Capital Oh saved us, really. It’s definitely changed our situation and blessed us with so many incredible opportunities. Who knew?!

How has writing Capital Oh influenced your perspective on life in Canada’s capital city?

J - Writing the blog has definitely helped me realize that Ottawa is actually pretty cool. There are tons and tons of great places and people that we’ve come across, and so many more that we haven’t seen. Writing the blog has also introduced us to a whole new crowd here in Ottawa, and it’s great to meet others who are interested in what we do, and who share similar interests. Ottawa is not as bad as I put it out to be when I first moved here, that’s for sure.

S -Ottawa is so interesting. It’s definitely aesthetically beautiful with the Hill and the parks and the market is so adorable, but initially I was like, “Is that all there is here?”.  You really have to look in Ottawa.  Like Dalhousie, for example, the shops further down Dalhousie are so unique, and yet so hidden! Which I guess is a part of what makes them special.  I think it’s kind of a work-in-progress as a city, the newer shopping districts like Wellington West and Dalhousie still seem to need a little bit more shops…restaurants…festivals—and no one knows about them—but I love where Ottawa is going.

Julia – How do you decide which Ottawa destination you’re going to explore next?

Sometimes we hear of events that we think would be great for our blog so we do our best to make ourselves present whenever we can. We also just browse the internet and read other blogs about the city. We currently have a list of places that we need to visit, and we’re slowly working on checking them all off.   Who knew there was so much to see here?

Sarah – Of all the stops you’ve made along the way, which place has left the biggest impression on you?

There have been quite a few! I think the really unexpected ones are my favourite. Usually Julia and I know where exactly we’re headed before we go there but when we find somewhere along the way that we hadn’t even planned on going to.  That’s my favourite.  June’s in Hintonburg, or Falldown Gallery were two places that I didn’t even know existed (well, Falldown had literally just opened at the time) and they were both so special. You’ll have to read the blog for more on those places!

Julia – You work at one of my very favourite places in Ottawa, Mags & Fags on Elgin Street. What is the best thing about working there?

Oh my goodness, it’s one of my favourite places too! (I may be slightly biased…but that’s besides the point!). I’m glad to hear you love it as much as me. I’d have to say working there is just so much fun. The staff rule, the owners (my bosses) are great, and we also have the best customers in the world. I suppose working on Elgin means dealing with quite a few characters, but I think that just adds to the whole atmosphere. Plus, I am probably one of the biggest collectors of magazines EVER, and working there is like my heaven. I have to use all of my will power to not spend every dime of my pay check on new glossies. I don’t think I could only love one part of it – I am so happy being able to work there. And, we have joined the Twitterverse, so that is always fun!

Sarah – Do you have any favourite magazines? What about them interests or attracts you?

Julia is the magazine expert. I feel like I don’t know half as much as she does about magazines. I think for me, I like magazines that use a more human approach to fashion. I follow trends, I see shows, but I think I’m most fascinated with how people relate to what they wear. I’m always interested in the way people feel in something, or any stories they have to share about a piece. I’m really into Worn lately, because that’s sort of what they do. It’s more of Journal, it’s articles verses photography spreads (not that I don’t love that, I’m saying all this while I have a stack of Vogue and Elle magazines in my room), but it’s a totally different approach to fashion. They seem to be more interested in a grassroots (I can’t believe I’m using that term, I’m such a university student) approach to fashion that I really respect.  *Cough, cough*–I also read Us Weekly religiously–*cough, cough*

Julia – How would you describe your personal style?

Right now, I am trying to go for a very cool yet classic look. I usually opt for a pair of skinnies with a button down – I don’t think you can ever go wrong with a button down. I also love trying out trends, and having fun with my clothes. For the most part, they are pretty simple and plain. I am really taking inspiration from brands like Chloe, Celine and Alexander Wang right now.

Sarah- Tell us a little bit about where you live. To what extent does it reflect your tastes & preferences?

I’ve always said that Ottawa is a city with a small-town feel, and as someone who essentially grew up in both Toronto and the country, the articulation of urban and rural has always been a huge part of my identity (all I ever listen to is classic country music and Kanye West). I kind of like that Ottawa has a market downtown, is greener than most cities and yet also welcomes a diverse population, embraces cultural differences and houses Canada’s big decision-makers at Parliament Hill. It’s definitely humbler than Toronto although, let’s be honest, some may call it dull at times.

 Julia – What about you? What has been the most surprising thing about living Ottawa so far?

I guess the most surprising thing about living in Ottawa for me has been…This is a tough one…Maybe the fact that Ottawa doesn’t have an H&M. What is up with that?!  Haha, I’m not really sure about this one though. I did think it would be a little more lively. It’s pretty surprising how early things seem to close.

 Sarah – How do you think the experience of writing Capital Oh will help you in the future?

It’s already helped me! I’ve received incredible job opportunities, I’ve networked like crazy, creating connections with people that I know I will benefit from once I start working, and I’ve been just overall so inspired. I’ve learned how to conduct interviews, how to use social media, plan events-I’m set! I’ve learned how accessible it is to create something wonderful that everyone can benefit from and that in itself, has me hopeful for the future.

Photos by Ming Wu.  Left-Julia Brucculieri (l) and Sarah Van den Berg (r) at Ottawa Fashion Week.  Right – Sarah Van den Berg (l) and Julia Brucculieri (r).  

Later today, this girlaboutOtown will be attending an event celebrating entrepreneurs in the National Capital Region, and I’m really looking forward to it!

Hosted by Lead To Win, and sponsored by Carleton University’s Technology Innovation Management Program (TIM), this late afternoon affair at Lago on Dow’s Lake will bring together Lead To Win founders, reviewers, presenters, TIM students, entrepreneurs and the organizations that support them to celebrate their successes.  The event is timed to coordinate with Global Entrepreneurship Week, an international initiative to encourage innovation, job creation, and cooperation through entrepreneurialism.

It was just a few short weeks ago that I learned of Lead To Win, when I was approached about a blog contribution, and what I have discovered since is downright inspiring!

To begin, Lead To Win is a strategic partnership between a variety of local players committed to regional economic development, including the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), City of Ottawa, City of Gatineau, and Carleton’s Technology Innovation Management  Program. Lead To Win, conceived by Carleton University professor Dr. Tony Bailetti, has been supporting start up businesses through bootcamp-style training and mentorship since 2002. Very cool.

Now get this!  In August, Lead to Win launched Lead To Win for Women, to help female entrepreneurs accelerate their businesses.  This mentorship program is open to women founded/owned firms in all sectors and offers access to the same ‘ecosystem’ of supporters that previous Lead To Win participants have enjoyed.  The program’s goal is to foster more female-led start ups, and to ensure that the Ottawa region is a great place for women to start a business!  It incorporates the bootcamp, a expert speaker series, and a blog dedicated to growing a community of like-minded businesswomen.  Also very cool.

The first Lead To Win for Women bootcamp kicked off October 25-27, and will conclude next week, November 22-24.   The six-day intensive bootcamp is intended to assist founders/owners ‘harden and strengthen’ their business opportunities, is application based, and free for accepted participants.  (Yup, FREE!) In addition to a full schedule of learning sessions – taught by some of the region’s most qualified and successful business experts – participants also pitch their ideas to  receive constructive feedback and advice.  And, from what I hear, the breadth and variety of ideas currently under scrutiny is pretty impressive!

Best news yet?  Lead To Win for Women has just opened up applications for another bootcamp, planned for early in the new year.  The deadline for applications is February 6, 2012 at 5pm EST, and qualified applicants will invited to interview Feb. 8th 2010.

Interested?  I thought you might be…

For more details, and to submit a bootcamp application, visit the Lead to Win for Women website here.

Image:  Bootcamp, October 2011. Courtesy of Lead To Win, via Flickr.

Lately, I’ve been voraciously consuming all manner of information sources, on any number of subjects, and I can’t seem to slow myself down.  The newspaper is now delivered to my door each day (yes – in  paper), I’ve got three books on the go, and several new magazines have recently entered my radar screen.  All of this, and my daily dose of internet derived insight.

First, let me state without shame that I am a junkie for game-changing ideas, and I am constantly on the look out to learn more about what great new things are happening in the world.  Everything from cutting-edge sustainable architecture and disruptive technological innovations to successful social-enterprises and groundbreaking artistic endeavours, these are the stories that inspire me because of their positive big-picture impact.

Interestingly, the lessons from these stories may have started to sink in.  It seems that in some areas, I’m sensing a shift underway on a personal level.  So, here are a few big-picture preoccupations that have motivated me to actually take action:

• Money.  Meltdowns.  My financial future.  If you don’t know that world markets have been on a wild ride lately, you must have been hiding under a rock.  But do you really understand what’s happening, or how it might affect you?  I’m not so sure I do.  And, now that I’m  self-employed, I’m hyper aware of the responsibility I bear for own financial security. I’m no longer in the enviable position of leaving my generous public sector pension on auto-pilot – I have to be proactive.  Plus – I’ve got some ambitious financial goals and a little girlaboutOtown who isn’t so little anymore, and will no doubt model my example.  Best it be a good one.  So, instead of surfing the web for the latest decorating trends, I’ve started to pay much closer attention to the financial news.  It’s an interesting perspective for someone who used to follow politics like a hawk, but I’m starting to appreciate the benefits of better financial literacy.  I’m also scrutinizing my investments, getting smart about tax stuff, and taking steps to shore up against risk.   And, I’ve been devouring biographies of interesting people – like Sir Richard Branson for instance – and planning practical ways to grow my business and shape a responsible, sustainable lifestyle.

• Citizenship.  Philanthropy.  Social change.  Many are motivated by the notion of  ‘making a difference’, and I’m the same.  Yet, there must be a million-and-one ways to do it, and finding the fight fit has proven to be a challenge for me.   I persisted for years in politics and the public service – all in the name of creating change – but felt frustrated by a seeming lack of impact.  Yes, in retrospect, it was important work, but I still believe it could have been done so much better.   I’ve sponsored a child for more than a decade, regularly donated money to many good causes, and volunteered my time.  I’ve even pledged 1% of this year’s Housters & Co. profits to help the homeless – all contributions I’m comfortable with – but I never have the feeling I’m helping enough.   I agree the actions of many add up, and I wholeheartedly believe we  as individuals can be the change we want to see, but I recently realized this ad hoc approach has been to way haphazard for me.  Bottom line?  I’d like to tackle change-making more strategically, and there are things I know I can do more directly.  So, it’s finally time to devote my energy.

• Wellness.  Health.  Aging gracefully.  Maybe it was my 40th birthday, or the aftermath of my face ache, but these last few months have brought about a significant behavioural change  for me.  No longer content to attribute my irritating little ailments to ‘getting old’, I sought out a naturopathic doctor this summer, who has truly helped me take charge of my health.  Together we identified a few simple steps to help me feel better – so much so that I’m starting to see what ‘preventive” really means.  Small alterations to my diet, more sleep, and a daily dose licorice tea have made an enormous difference in my day.   And, the incentive to turn old habits into new ones has become crystal  clear.  So, I’m no longer paying lip service to the saying ‘health is wealth’ – and instead, I’m doing things way different than I did before.

Anyway, call all of this some kind of mid-life crisis if you must, that’s fine.  Flashy cars don’t interest me!

• Last week was Financial Literacy Week in Canada.  For more information, click here.
• The Globe & Mail just concluded a fantastic week-long series on giving in Canada.  Read more here.
• To learn more about naturopathic medicine in Ontario, visit the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors website.

 Piggybank by Alan Cleaver, via Flickr

Today marks the start of Culture Days, a volunteer driven, Canada-wide celebration of arts & culture.  This three-day extravaganza features events  across the country, and is intended to promote awareness, appreciation and participation in the artistic and cultural life of communities.  From urban dance demos and glassblowing workshops to photography exhibits and jazz choir performances – Culture Days offers something for everyone.

I, for one, am pretty excited to be visiting the vaults at the Art Bank, home to the world’s largest collection Canadian contemporary art.  The Art Bank is administered by Canada Council for the Arts, and owns more than 17,000 works of art by 3,000 Canadian artists.  These works are rented to companies, institutions, and government departments – so you can bet you’ve probably seen an Art Bank piece before!

Anyway, the little girlaboutOtown and I plan to make a ‘girls night’ of our visit, and we’ll no doubt have a blast.  If you’re anything like me, the idea of perusing piles of valuable paintings is completely appealing!  Plus, if you’re interested, you can learn about art restoration, framing original works, and even have a personal piece appraised by an expert – “Antiques Roadshow” style!

The Art Bank will be opening it’s doors today,  Friday, September 30 (6-8 pm) and Saturday, October 1 (10 am-4 pm) only.  For more information about the open house, including location, click here.

And, if your culture kick extends beyond the weekend, why not check out “Keep the Car Running – Road Trip Polaroids By Maggie Knaus”, the latest fine art photography exhibit at The Exposure Gallery, on Wellington?  The fella and I crashed the vernissage just last night, and went away wanting one of these wonderful, colourful, nostalgic pieces.  You can also catch the artist in person this coming Wednesday, October 5.  Ms. Knauss will be leading a discussion about her work, but if you’re keen to see and hear, call ahead.  Seats are limited.

For more #culturedays  events taking place in Ottawa, click here.

Image: Untitled (Fawn) 2010, sculpture by Anna Williams, a recent acquisition of the Canada Council Art Bank.

Right now, I’m waiting for my IPhone to sync and download the 2768 photos  I’ve left sitting on it since my trip to Spain last April.  Now that I finally have the time to  ‘clear the decks’,  I’m struck by the strange parallel between my phone and my life.  Odd.

There are so many moments captured on my camera, and so many memories I want to share, yet in retrospect I don’t always want to stop to document everything I do in finite detail.  Instead, I’m inclined to keep going – to jam as much living as I can into the time I have – and to put off my efforts preserve everything for posterity.

But, when I finally do slow down to catch my breath, I solidify my recollections, savour the process of reflection, and ultimately – derive a great deal of gratitude and satisfaction for having benefited from the experience.  I chronicle.  That’s just the way I am.

So, I hope you will indulge me while I reminisce a bit about this past week.  It was an exceptionally wonderful one!  Here’s the rundown:

• Tuesday, I had the pleasure of meeting Angie, an esthetician and makeup-artist at the lovely little Only You Esthetics on Hawthorne Ave., just off Main St.  She introduced me to the marvels of all-natural Jane Iredale mineral make-up, and it’s unlikely I’ll use anything else from here on in.   This stuff is downright amazing, and worth every penny.  
• Wednesday, Krista and I stopped for a gab session/sweet treat at Blumen Studio on Parkdale – a fantastic flower studio/European coffee bar with some serious flair.  We had gluten- free cookies & cupcakes care of Auntie Loo’s, and caught up on all things personal and professional-related.  If you haven’t heard already, Krista is the prolific producer behind Ottawa’s Craft Co-op, the monthly Urban Craft Market (happening this coming Saturday, October 1), and alternative wedding show Wed By Hand coming up fast next February. Oh, and vendor applications are open right now.
• Thursday, I ventured further afield to meet a couple of old friends currently on maternity leave.  Would you believe these two walk to Wakefield for lunch once a week?? Yes, one of them lives along the river. I was invited to join them for soup and sandwiches on the porch at Cafe Molo.  Yum!
• Friday, the fella and I caught the 7 pm presentation of “10 Reasons To Love Animation” at Ottawa’s renowned International Animation Festival, then enjoyed a laid-back, late supper at The Black Tomato.
• Saturday, after a leisurely morning read, we suited up and headed out to see the documentary film “Ingredients” about the local food movement at legendary The Mayfair Theatre.  The show was part of “Cultivate: A Mini-Film Festival” a fundraiser for Heifer International presented by Heather Heagney the dedicated blogger behind After the Harvest.  I was so inspired, I actually made a meal plan for the week.  Good grief.

Anyway, I assure you between all these fun & friendly meet-ups,  I was working hard – but sometimes – being in business does have its advantages.  Besides, these are the experiences that make me most grateful.  Whether it’s a good gluten-free cookie, a new film at a familiar old theatre, or catching up with friends, I hope you too will squeeze in as much fun as possible!  Go!  Enjoy!  Your “to do’s” can wait until later…

Hipstamatic photos taken AND downloaded by me!

Funny how things are eh?  One day, you’re completely overwhelmed -  life is complicated and messy – and the next, you’re ready to kick-ass and take names.

Today is a kick-ass day for me.  But I’ll explain later.

For now, I’m just happy to be back after a self-imposed hiatus, and I’m really looking forward to blogging again.

I can’t say exactly how often I’ll get to it, or what exactly I’ll write about, but I’m pretty darn sure I’ve missed it.   A lot.

I’ve missed sharing the cool stuff and creative people I come across.  I’ve missed having a means to express.  I’ve missed having a reason to stop, reflect, and recount my (mis)adventures.  And, as difficult as it can be, I’ve also missed writing the way I do when I’m here.

Most of all, I’ve missed our connection.

So, I have a TON to tell you since the last time we spoke, but I won’t start today.

Today, I’m simply going to say hello again, send you a smile, and wish you a kick-ass day!

Image via We Love Art, Tumbler via Pinterest.

It’s been a few weeks since I posed my questions, and I’ve taken a fair bit of time to absorb your views, divine their meaning and –ultimately – to decide what to do.  As promised, here is what I discovered about you, my dear readers.

• You’re mostly women.  (92.9%!!)
• The majority of you are between 25-35, followed by the 36-45’s.
• A small majority of you are public sector employees, and have been living here in Ottawa quite awhile.
• For the most part, you are still new to girlaboutOtown, and haven’t been reading since the start.
• You’re happy with hearing from me once a week, but would definitely prefer more frequent posts.
• You appreciate my unique perspective, but love the local focus and are really most interested in hearing about events & happenings in advance.

Anyway, here goes.  I began this blog with no end in mind.  I wanted to stretch.  I needed a way to learn, to channel my productive energy, and to express my creativity.  It was a deliberate, determined effort to re-discover the city that has been home to me for most of my life, and to better understand my community.  I was curious too, about the supply of and demand for style.

I never optimized for the search engines, solicited sponsors or sought paid advertisers.  There really was no strategy.  Instead, I was learning a lot, processing what it actually meant to be publishing online, and dedicating a disproportionate amount of my time.  But somewhere along the way, it started to feel like I was performing a service.  And a valuable service indeed.

You are a unique segment of Ottawa’s market, and you are special.  You want fun & funky, stylish & sophisticated, and you want female-focused community-oriented news.  You want your information to be aggregated, filtered, and served up with savvy – and you want to be ‘in the know’.

Clearly, this is why my inbox has been overtaken by very good people trying to reach you, and why my blog now feels more like a conduit than a place for me to create.  I suppose this is also why I constantly find myself scrambling from behind, struggling with the sense I’m serving you poorly, and grappling with guilt for letting you down.

The survey simply confirmed what I already suspected.  You want what I can no longer give.  You deserve better.   And frankly, so do I.

So, yes.  It’s time to stop.  After some serious reflection, I’ve decided to let go of regular posts.  Maybe not forever, since I still own the domain, but at least for now.  No more short notes, long pauses or weak excuses.

My life is evolving, and so too must this blog.  It’s inevitable.

As you know, girlaboutOtown.com isn’t all I’ve got going on.  My business is finally beginning to make sense, and more than anything I’ve ever done before,  being an entrepreneur has engaged my creativity.   I now understand that helping people situate and create a comfortable, nurturing home is my ‘secret hidden talent’ and that sharing it is the best way for me to serve the world.

But, I also want to turn my ‘superpower’ into viable livelihood, so this is where I need to spend my time and energy.  If you are interested in what I’m up to, then  come on over and join me at Housters & Co where I will continue to write, create and connect with genuine passion – in my own quirky, personal way. If not, no hard feelings.

Now, I do understand many of you aren’t likely to follow along.  I also know you won’t find what you’re looking for at girlaboutOtown.com anymore.  Nevertheless,  I’ll be reorganizing the content on the site to make it easier to find the fun stuff, to learn more about living in style here in Canada’s capital, and to read the Courage City profiles of some of our most interesting community contributors & catalysts.  I’ll also be building on my blogroll, because I want to continue keeping up with the amazing new local blogs that seem to be starting almost every week.  And, from time to time, I may even post something of particular interest – but I make no promises.

That said, I don’t do goodbyes.  We have become very good friends you & I, and I’m confident we’ll  stay that way.  We’ll continue to share all we can about courage, commerce and creativity in the city,  and muse about what we’ve seen, heard or learned – but we’ll do it in different ways.  And in the meantime, I’ll still be here, so feel free to stop by and say “Hi!” anytime.

While you’ve been filling out my survey, I’ve been away skiing.  In beautiful British Columbia!  Anyway, there may be something to this “get out and enjoy the winter” thing after all.  Ahh…

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide your feedback, and for giving me some food for thought while away on my winter escape.   I’ll be back to OTown soon, and will fill you in on what I’ve learned by asking “what about you?”…

Photos by me, taken on my IPhone using Instagram.

In years, it’s been almost three.

Ever since the beginning,

You’ve been encouraging.

But, I don’t actually know,

Who really follows.

So, I hope you don’t mind –

I thought it was time - 

To get acquainted with you,

Sans grand hullabaloo.

I would  like to learn more,

So you won’t start to bore.

I’m not trying to snoop,

Just get enough poop,

To make some decisions,

About what I envision.

Please be so kind as to click,

and then answer super quick,

To help me sort through,

What I could or should do…

Many thanks

In advance!

*******************

Click here to fill out my very short survey. 

Comic via Toothpaste For Dinner