Local Business Spotlight: Mixx Authentik (Or: A Great Vintage Shop in St-Henri That Was Opened By A Super Kick-Ass Lady).

Several weeks ago, when the temperature in Montreal warmed up enough to make long walks pleasurable again, my kids and I decided it was time to go to St-Henri. We live right on the other side of the tunnel that leads to St-Henri from the South West so it normally takes about ten minutes and we're there and this is one of the reasons my ex and I chose the flat. That said, the tunnel, named Le Tunnel St-Remi and built in 1951, underwent a massive overhaul that lasted what we thought was a very long time. For about a year, we were cut off from what seemed like the rest of the world. Major detours and the traffic they caused were the bane of our existence. Early this year, though, the tunnel finally reopened and the wee people and I decided to venture to the other side. 

Holy shit, has St-Henri ever changed in the last year!! We saw quite a few new businesses along the way to our final destination, the new Magasin Générale de St-Henri, where we bought some tasty, locally made goodies. A great new mens' clothing store-slash-coffee shop caught our eye (more on that soon!) but one place in particular stopped the three of us dead in our tracks and got my daughter to exclaim, "Whoa, Mom!" right as I was saying, "What is THIS?"

Why it's Mixx Authentik, is what is is! 

I immediately pulled my camera out and started snapping away at the storefront before heading in.

We were greeted by the super friendly and helpful Penny, who let me wander around and snap pictures to my heart's content (and boy, was my heart content!).

This store is a vintage lover's paradise: Tons of stock and at really reasonable prices, too. This collector has found new hunting grounds. 

If you're into vintage dishes and cookware, this place is loaded with amazing pieces!

I was super thrilled to come across this display, featuring Rocky B's rockabilly, two-tone and tattoo culture-inspired, hand-painted dishes!

I waited for the other customers in the shop to leave and chatted Penny up. Here she is in her favourite section of the store:

I asked her about the business and about its owner, a close personal friend of Penny's, Valérie Lalonde, who I later caught up with.

Valérie is a kick-ass, hard-working mom of three who started out studying business admin but then switched over to cabinetmaking. She loved the latter so much she actually started her own kitchen cabinet company. Something was still missing though and so she answered her calling when she heard it and opened Mixx Authentik. 

Here is Valérie, shot by Paul Brutal:

I sent her a Q & A, which she graciosuly answered:

Have you always lived in Montreal? What makes you stay in this city?

I was born in raised in Montréal, in Ville Emard, a 'hood' right beside St Henri and proud to have been! The thing I prefer is the access of variety that we have to people, culture, food... I can't imagine myself living anywhere else, but we never know. 

When did you open the shop and what inspired you to do so?

The shop opened April 20th, 2012. I was looking to open on the web but when I saw the empty store it was just calling me. I felt the the people needed a place like Mixx, I mean, not everyone as the time or inspiration to go and search for used furniture or decor. The goal of Mixx is the change the point of view that people had regarding ''used'' furniture and just show them the beauty in it. There are too many good, solid gorgeous pieces out there that just need a place to be seen 

What are some of the most interesting things that have passed through your shop doors?

It is hard to pick a piece. I just simply love everything in the shop. Ialways shop in a way that if I don't sell it, I will be more than happy to use it myself. I have to say that I love couches with bars in them, or really tacky lamps. Ok i have it-- I have a painting that lights up. It as been in the boutique for the longest time and I don't know why as it is such an original piece. It just might end up in my house and I love that idea. Lol.

Did you pick St-Henri because commercial rent is still pretty low compared to, say, Le Plateau, or was it something else about the hood?

I just love being in my area. The rent is not that cheap but it is worth it. I meet great people everyday and it is just wonderful to see a hood that was known to be ''ghetto'' kicking so much ass!!! Can't wait for Ville Emard to do the same.

Can you see yourself opening up at a second location one day?

Yes, I would love to open another one! Big things are coming this year for Mixx. I just partnered up with Orange Mecanique that as a wonderful collection of quality Vintage and Zip Zap that offers juke boxes, metal advertising signs and more... So we will start with that and see where it takes us but I have to say that the feeling is pretty good for the future

Faves:

What is currently your favourite item in the shop?

For now my favorite item is the black Bambi lamp and the ghetto blaster, but then again I could go on and on about what I love.

What is your favourite place to grab lunch in the hood?

Campanelli's sandwich is just paradise in my mouth. I try really hard to resist the poutine from Miracle. lol.  Atwater market is a great place for anything thing to eat and IGA always saves me cause it is close by. But there are still a lot of spots I need to try, the restaurants are  blooming and it makes my belly reaaaallly happy.  For dinner that's another thing and I have the say that the list is REALLY LONG.

Favourite place to grab a pint?

For a Pint here are my must go to: Drinkerie and Bar de Courcelle just have the best dj's that spins old school style with vinyls; jazz, funk, hip hop french, you name it. Those guys are amazing  One of them, Mathieu Coates is even helping me with my vinyl section at the shop.  In the summer one can't miss the terrace and shows at la brasserie St-Amboise.

If you could host a dinner party for any five people in the world, living or dead, who would you invite?

Just 5! That is not fair. lol. For sure I would go with my mom and my dad and my 3 kids, I would of love for them to meet my twins and my daughter would be more then happy to see them again,

Top five favourite albums to play in the shop:

Album's ... I would so love to pitch my boyfriends band on this one, but I just can play Fallstaf at the shop; it is a bit to metal lol. So I will go with anything from Kings of Leon , DJ Brace, any vinyl's that come in the shop, my favorite (Iknow it is not a album) but it is "Burning Down the House" by the Talking Heads:  It just primes me up. Any soul, funk is appreciated but anything that has a chill vibe!! I am actually trying to build a playlist for Mixx but I still have a lot of discovering to do 

***

What, people, is not to love about any of this? Go check 'em out!

Mixx Authentik's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MixxAuthentik?fref=ts 

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ZARA.COM Comes to Canada: My Top Picks for Women (Of all shapes)

From Prince Rupert to Assiniboia to Gatineau to Carbonear (I was going to pick Placentia but ended up doing a double-take, twitching and moving on) and all the places in between, we Canadians can shop at zara.com as of today. To commemorate this, I'm going to share my top picks from the web shop with you.

Trousers for slim women:
(The best shoes types to wear with these are already shown in the images)

Light wool trousers. $59.90

Pleated ankle-length trousers. $79.90

Trousers with zip on wait. $59.90

Tie-print trousers. $59.90

5 pocket skinny trouser. $54.90

Trousers for curvier women:

Remember that shorter pants make us look shorter and the curvier we are, the more this effect is amplified. Prints are also tricky. That said, most of the trousers zara.com are currently offering up seem to be short and/or printed. It's slim pickings (no pun intended) but this is what works.
Also note that all of these can be worn by slimmer women and look great, too!

Belted Trousers. $79.90
I'm starting with this one because it is my absolute favourite pair and I know from personal experience that this silhouette works really well)

Trousers with elastic waistband (good for that time of the month, too). $49.90

Jacquard palazzo trousers. $59.90

Skinny jacquard pants. $59.90

I know what I said about prints but this one is subtle and, as with everything else, it's all about how you wear it. Keep your top and accessories simple enough so that the ensemble isn't too busy and you'll be fine. 

Dresses and jumpers for the slim woman with an ample chest:
(Most of these will look good regardless of your bra size but I specify because the next section will be for slim women with a smaller bust)

Faux leather combination dress. $79.90

I'm not sure why they shot this on a woman with barely any breasts. It looks nice on her but the angles on this dress could create a wicked hourglass figure on someone with a larger chest. 

Striped combination jumpsuit. $79.90

I don't recommend this for anyone who has a lot of curves but, for the busty (or not) skinny woman, this is one of my favourite items on the site. 

Studio dress with tucks on the shoulder. $119.00

Dresses and jumpsuits for the slim woman with a smaller bra size:
(Let's be real. Some silhouettes just don't work when you have large breasts. Fabric doesn't hang the way it should, openings that shouldn't be wide are popping open, etc.)

Dungaree style jumpsuit. $79.90

Dress with cap sleeve. $79.90

Combined dress. $59.90

Dress with white stripe. $79.90

Striped dress. $99.90

If you're rocking curves, I recommend the following dresses from Zara.com:

High neck dress. $99.90
This is by far my favourite one for curvy women.

Dress with edging. $69.90

Studded crochet dress. $119.00

My top blouse picks:
Again, be careful with these, as the draped blouses can fit improperly if you have an ample chest!

Draped viscose blouse. $59.90

Striped crossover blouse. $69.90

Polka dot printed blouse. $49.90

Striped wrap blouse. $69.90

Silk lace blouse. $69.90

Check out the web store for tons more.

Up next, ZARA for men!

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25 Days of Etsy Christmas Gifts. Day Twenty-Five: Montréal, Part Five.

we have finally reached the twenty-fifth and last day of this series! i hope you have all enjoyed discovering new artisans and small businesses and that most of you have found gift ideas that appealed to you. 

please note that almost half of these shops had much more inventory when i first scouted them out and bookmarked them but we're lucky because a good portion of the shops i had fallen in love with are currently set on vacation mode so i can't share them with you at all!

today, the final ten etsy shop are all based in my hometown of montréal, québec. remember them throughout the year, too!

1. sara lagace offers up a wonderful mix of silver jewelry and accessories made with recycled fur. 

2. i love, love, love rocky b creations! i met barbara, or rocky b, at a craft fair a little over a year ago and immediately adored everything she'd painted. if you have anyone into rockabilly, tattoo, psychobilly, tiki, mod or pinup culture, you must check this shop out!

3. for super fun clothing in eye-catching prints, be sure to have a look at what kayleigh peddie has in her shop!

4. i've already featured not one but two items from purpose design but how could i not include julie's shop in this list?? if you have anyone who likes to bake or cook on your list, you must take a look at what's in stock here!

5. le chat clothing is another shop to check out for stylish designs from la belle province!

6. for your mini, four-legged friend, how about a warm, wee coat or even a rain coat from creations anne-claude?

7. how adorable are faux fauna's creations? 

8. josiane perron is definitely another local designer to keep an eye on. why not start this holiday season?

9. in addition to these original, wood and guitar string wedding bands, ebeniste offers up a lovely selection of handcrafted wooden jewelry. 

10. after seeing countless, "rippled" (or, er, warped) bowls made from old vinyl records, i'm really digging groove bowl's sleek, original design. i'm sure someone on your list will, too!

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