Bluebird Coffee

For not even being a whole four months old yet, Bluebird Coffee definitely seems to be off to a good start.  Located on Dalhouse (right around some of our other favourite places!), this not-so-little coffee shop is the perfect place to cozy up with a warm drink while you watch the snow fall outside.  They impressively brew their own beans so the coffee is always fresh and delicious.  They also offer free wi-fi, which is a huge bonus, especially during exam season.  And, if you plan on spending a while there, they have paninis and soups too, so you won't have to rely on muffins to keep you full . S and I are definitely fans - maybe we'll see you there sometime!  -J

*On a side note, our photos seemed to have gotten much bigger and on some screens, they may be wonky - bear with us as we try to fix!*

 

Dans La Rue: Winter Wears

Resisting the temptation to go the puffy parka-route in the winter time (and don't get me wrong, considering Ottawa's sometimes-artic temperatures, the puffy-parka is often the most logical option) is very difficult. Despite our best attempts, it becomes more and more of a challenge to be chic when you're so chilly your nose has been running for the past half hour and you were too cold to even notice. Somehow, these ladies were able to emulate some impeccably stylish winter-looks regardless of low temperatures, and for that, I commend them. They make stylish winter wear look like a piece of cake. Layer* cake, that is...considering their....you know, layers. -S

Capital Oh-So-Cute

Puppies! All the puppies! Put your pawz up for these friday-furballs. - S

Why We Love It: Melt 

I strongly believe that any meal is made 1000x better if you melt cheese on it, unless of course you're lactose-intolerant, in which case I strongly apologize for the following post. Considering my love for all things melted cheese-related, I was obviously pretty pumped to visit Ottawa's Melt, a gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich shop located just off Rideau Street that opened in the summer. This place is fantastic: you pick your bread, your toppings, your cheese, and then you watch it get grilled into gooey deliciousness right before your eyes! I had spicy eggplant and caramelized onions, while J had bacon, avocadoes and tomato. Both choices left us convinced that we'll no doubt be back soon. - S

As S said, any meal is instantly improved with the addition of gooey, melted cheese.  And, with a wide selection of toppings and delicious sides, Melt is sure to have something you will thoroughly enjoy. They even have yummy dessert options too, like the Sweet Tooth and The Campfire (Nutella, marshmallow and graham cookies...mmmmmm).  Another good thing about Melt is their prices - super affordable, which is perfect for us students.  (It is a small place though, so don't plan on a sit down meal) Once S and I got our sandwiches, we couldn't even hold off long enough to take photos of them.  Too much cheesy goodness, that needed to be eaten immediately!  - J

Hello friends!  It's time for some shameless self-promotion right about now, so please, bear with me.  I. J, have been selected as one of the Top 10 candidates in the Joe Fresh #FRESHSTYLE Challenge with Campus Perks.  I really need your support to help me win (help a sister out)!  I can get $1000 for my volleyball team at school, which means we can enter more tournaments!  Hooray!  All you gotta do is click here or HERE, and then hit support on the page.  All your support is GREATLY appreciated!  - J

Dans La Rue: Part 2

In more transitional-weather dress for the warmer fall days, these O-towners show us how it's done. - S

Dans La Rue: Fashion Week Edition. 

Furs, leopard prints, jumpsuits, and painfully cute kids stole the show at Ottawa Fashion Week earlier this month. Although the runways brought a variety of new trends to our attention, its always Fashion week-goers who take the cake for the most innovative personal style. - S

Ottawa Fashion Week: Spring/Summer 2013

This past weekend marked the eighth season of Ottawa Fashion Week here in the capital city.  This year, the event took place in Little Italy's Sala San Marco centre - a much more intimate setting than the Convention Centre.  Saturday evening was probably the most lively and exciting of the bunch, mainly because it featured some oiled up man-bodies covered in glittery gold dust (thank you Andrew Nguyen of Y!D.N.A. !).  Homegrown model extrodinaire, Herieth Paul, also made some appearances on the runway.  We even made some new fashion friends - hooray!  Plus, we started a delicious tradition of eating pastries between breaks, because even fashion people need to eat.  AND, we managed to get ourselves into both the front row and the VIP Lounge on day three - basically we rule!  I'd say it was a weekend well spent for us Capital Oh girls; we made friends, started traditions and even had our photos taken.  We saw some great (and not-so-great) shows, but the overall atmosphere of the weekend was really fun.  So until next season, stay classy friends! - J

Dans la Rue: Part 1

Transitional weather-times are always an exciting period for fashion (hello fun layering!). Last Saturday when J and I met up in the market for a grilled-cheesey sandwich date (stay tuned for a post on that.....Mmmmm.), we were pleasantly pleased (it's 2 am, I'm feeling really silly...) to find that unique style is alive and well in Ottawa this October. Greys, stripes, and light layers seem to be the way to go for these charming O-towners, who evidently have fall-dressing down to a science. I approve! - S 

Last weekend, Ottawa hosted its very own version of the crazy cool art show/festival thing (it's really hard to classify exactly what it is...don't judge me) Nuit Blanche.  From 6:22pm to 4:23am, people were able to roam around our capital city and participate in plenty of interactive art events.  Considering this was Ottawa's first time hosting the event, I'll be extra nice and give the city the benefit of the doubt here - I really expecting a lot more excitement!  I mean, walking through galleries at 4am could have been so cool, but I while I was out I just kind of felt that the excitement for the night had already passed.  That being said, there were some pretty cool things to be seen - elephant sculptures in the courtyard, drawing rooms with paint for everyone to join in,  a chalk wall expressing life goals, and a colourful series of vigil paintings around the fountain.   Since this was only Ottawa's first time, we really couldn't know what to expect.  But things will only get better - looking forward to the next one! - J