THE WHITE MONKEY

Why we like it:

Entering White Monkey is entering the funkiest of yesterdays. Bursting at the seams with a groovy selection of antique odds and ends, the store's wares are complimented by stark black and white wall stripes. For a gift for mom, dad, a friend, or a little something for yourself, White Monkey is fabulous, one of Capital Oh's favourite adventures yet. AND the owner has built a movie set for Tori Spelling. Tooo cooool. - S

I definitely think White Monkey was my favourite place so far. I could stay in there for hours and just get lost looking through everything. The place is an old house, and each room is just filled with stuff...lots and lots of stuff. There was even an old kitchen with retro appliances - it was perfect. The owner was great to talk to as well - he's been in the entertainment industry and uses a lot of his "stuff" for movie and stage sets (as S said - Tooo Coool!). I'm also slightly biased to love the store because of all the black and white goodness - best! - J

THE WHITE MONKEY

395 Gladstone Ave.
Ottawa, ON

613-321-4678

Open Thursday to Saturday: 10 - 5, Sunday: 12 - 5

Capital Oh hit up Ottawa's Dalhousie Street shopping night, with stops at some of our favourites - Milk, Victoire, Workshop, Canteen and today's feature, Young Janes. We had a friend with us too! Meghan (pictured above) joined us for the night of shopping, snacking and turban buying. Overall, great night!

YOUNG JANES

Why we love it:

Young Janes is a delectable vintage experience for the prim and proper with a wild side. Situated in Dalhousie's perfectly petit shopping district, it is always worth a visit. As well, anyone planning on buying me a perfectly petit Christmas gifty this year is thoroughly encouraged to do so at Ottawa's Young Janes. - S

The selection at Young Janes is very carefully selected, to ensure that each and every piece is special and unique. The accessories are my favourite part to look at, as I love shiny things...and gold. As S said, it is definitely worth a visit because there is always something to be found. - J

YOUNG JANES

203 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, ON

(613) 794-6452

http://youngjanes.blogspot.com/

SUITING FOR SUCCESS

Our friends need your help! The lovely owners of Funk Your Junk (a Capital Oh favourite) have been backing an initiative called "Suiting for Success" and we want to help them out. As the awesome Ottawa civilians we know you are, we know you can do it! They are looking for donations of items such as new socks, pantyhose/tights and ties to make for complete outfits. Suiting for Success has been collecting new and used blazers, skirts, pants and shirts for over a year to help out those who need to look extra sharp for things like job interviews or loan applications. Who said you had to spend a lot of money to look great? One man's trash is another's treasure, but you already knew that. So, let's do what we can to give back to those who need it - Capital Oh urges you to get in the holiday spirit and give back to the community. We definitely will! All donations can be dropped off to Funk Your Junk at 110 Parent Avenue in the Byward. The goal is to reach over 100 donations by the end of the month, which is already being greatly surpassed. Let's do it up! - J

For more info click here.

THE SASSY BEAD CO.

Why we love it:

This store made me all nostalgic for arts and crafts in my summer camp days. I was super excited about Sassy Bead. With two locations, Sassy is a local crafty's favourite. The selection is mystical and mesmerizing and each bead has a witty name too. Sassy also has fabulous jewelry and even CLASSES. What's not to love about Sassy Bead!? Also, sometimes people call me “Sassy”...or at least I wish they did -S

Sassy Bead is perfect for all your unique gift making needs - and just in time for the holidays. I mean, who doesn't love getting a homemade gift? I can seriously spend hours in here just looking at the different beads. I also love sparkly and shiny things, but again, who doesn't? The Sassy Bead will bring back memories of making friendship bracelets during recess, and promising to keep them on forever. But this is not just a store for kids - not at all! Sassy Bead is for everyone, from the jewelry aficionado to the girl who just wants a cute new necklace. - J

THE SASSY BEAD CO.

Byward Market

11 William Street

Ottawa, ON.

613-562-2812

Glebe

757 Bank Street

Ottawa, ON

613-567-7886

www.thesassybeadco.com

S took a much-needed study break on Sunday and ventured out in the freezing rain and blistering cold to Somerset Street, Ottawa's Chinatown for some craft sale-lovin.' Shanghai Restaurant was packed with incredible vendors from all over the city and Raw Sugar Cafe, just down the street, was also brimming with the most creative and talented of Ottawa folk. Birthdays were celebrated (I scored free cake!!!), carols were sung by Miss China Doll herself, and the map jewelery, cuckoo clocks, dirty diaries, and baked goodies certainly made their way on to MY Christmas list this year. I'd tell you what I got...however I may or may not have done some gift shopping--shhh!!  -S

image via ffffound.com

Studying making you feel like your head is going to explode? We know how you feel.

On behalf of both S and myself, I would just like to apologize to those of your who read our blog and have not found an update in a little while. I felt the need to let everyone know that we are currently experiencing the last week of the semester, aka, "The Week of Death", as I'm sure many other students are this time of year. SO, forgive us for the delays, but we promise to bring you more adventures soon...we've got tons of exciting locations in our repertoire that we can't wait to share. In the mean time, we will be spending most of our time on and around the Carleton campus, so if you're here too, here's a few of the places we like to study the most!

Rooster's - It's a cute little cafe, with comfy couches and internet access...Plus they have awesome pitas, and it's student run!

Pagebreak - It's located in the MacO Library and they serve Starbucks coffee, muffins, croissants, and other pastry goodies. They also have comfy seats and a dimmer, more relaxed atmosphere than your typical computer carrels.

Reader's Digest Centre - This media library in the basement of St. Pat's has tables and couches for quiet group or independent study, plus an array of magazines if you are one of the lucky ones who is finished your work and just want to relax and read.

Also, the Library is now open 24 hours! Which means all-nighters are bound to happen. So grab your coffees, energy drinks, candy, apples, or whatever else keeps you awake, and get studying! Good luck on the final week and on exams!

- J

HOORAY FOR BOOBIES: SLAYSH

Any event where there's cupcakes in the shape of boobies is my kind of event. In fact, any event where there's cupcakes period is my kind of event. Hooray for Boobies was a silent auction in support of the Keep ABreast Foundation. Local artists decorated casts of their breasts and they all looked incredible. Quite a few of them went for over $200! S, a starving student, could not unfortunately bid on a cast, however she did win a free sweater! Awesome night. ♥ U Slaysh. - S

FROU FROU/POM POM

Why we love it:

Pom Pom (or Frou Frou, depending on where you are) has a selection of shoes straight outta Tim Burton's closet, that is, if Tim Burton wore women's shoes...which I'm sure he does on occasion. They are whimsical plus wonderful plus “wow, I love these!” Go! Indulge! I insist! - S

Frou Frou is such a cute and eclectic store in the market (also, Pom Pom, in the Glebe) - I actually found my grade 12 graduation/prom dress here...Of course no one had it, which was awesome. I love coming in here just to check things out. There is a huge range of stuff - jewelry, dresses, hats, coats and of course, SHOES. So many shoes to choose from, and they are all so different and unique. The staff are always super friendly and helpful too! My last purchase here - the best coral, chunky knit hat you have ever seen, complete with a big Pom Pom (fitting, no?). - J

Frou Frou

11A William St.

Ottawa, ON

613.562.4581

www.froufrouboutique.ca

Pom Pom

732 Bank St.

Ottawa, ON

613.288.0593

www.pompomboutique.ca

Dans La Rue: Bank St.

Fall fashion is all about transitional clothing and these girls certianly got that right. We loved their ecclectic combinations of autumn hues, mixed prints, and summer/winter fabrics. They were also super enthusiastic about Capital Oh! and told us to check out nightlife at Babylon and Ritual for more Ottawa coolness. We will girls, we most certianly will!- S

[photos provided by the friendly staff at Slaysh]

Hooray for Boobies!

Last Friday, Sarah and I embarked on yet another day of explorations in this beautiful capital city of ours, and we came across a store called Slaysh. We noticed they had hand painted casts of multiple breasts in the window, so we decided to ask what they were all about.

Turns out, Slaysh will be holding an auction in support of Keep A Breast Foundation at their store on Bank Street, this Thursday starting at 8:00pm. The items up for auction? The painted breast casts, created by Canadian artists! These pieces of art are super cool, and you won't feel guilty for the purchase at all. Great art for a good cause, what could be better?

The evening will be filled with shopping, music by DJ Matt Tamblyn, Slaysh giveaways, refreshments, cupcakes and even boobie truffles - sweet! See you all there! - J

For more info on Keep A Breast Foundation, check out their website: www.keep-a-breast.org.

Fore more info on the event, contact:

Sarah Hyde

Slaysh

775 Bank St.(Between Second and Third Ave)

Ottawa, ON

613-667-5830

sarah@slaysh.com

Milk

Why we love it:

Got Milk? Ottawa sure does! Good party dresses, good accessories, good fun! Sarah van den Berg likes this. - S

Milk's got a great selection of girly accessories and really cute clothes. It's a cute little shop on Dalhousie - probably the best place to shop around the Byward. I scored a beautiful spring/fall trench-type coat here last year, and I still love it. Definitely take a look when you're in the market, you might find your perfect New Years dress. - J

Milk Clothing and Accessories

234 Dalhousie St.

Ottawa, ON

613-789-6455

iheartmilkshop@gmail.com

Dans la Rue: Elgin St.

Today was a very successful day for Capital Oh. We found some awesome spots, and met some stylish peeps, like Doe here. We loved the camel accent of her coat, and the red flats were perfect. - J

The French Baker

Why we love it:

The rich smell wafting out of Ottawa's The French Baker is enough to trigger an intense mouth-watering for baked goodies. With glistening crescents, delectable pastries, and an atmosphere that makes you suddenly feel all chic and Parisian, Julia and I immediately scheduled a breakfast date here in the very near future! - S

As soon as you walk in to The French Baker, you can smell the buttery goodness of the flaky croissants - The Baker's specialty (and Paula Deen would definitely approve). It is a quaint little pastry shop up front, and in the back there is the lovely Benny's Bistro, a perfect spot for breakfast/brunch/lunch. I loved the black and white tile, with primary colour accents - best! - J

The French Baker/Benny's Bistro

119 Murray St. (Byward Market) Ottawa, ON
www.bennysbistro.ca

Capital Oh! Presents: 

Dans La Rue

En route of their fabulous Capital Oh! adventures, J and S take on street fashion and style stalking. The first installment occured on a very sartorial sunday, as the Ottawa Vintage Sale attracted some stupendously stylish shoppers. Delicious! - S

Canteen

Why we love it:

I am keen on canteen! Every time I leave Ottawa's gallery/art shop I feel three inches cooler and get this sudden urge to explore my craft box. The art books are phenomenal: stuff you can't get anywhere else and they always have the greatest notebooks and stationaries. The local artwork featured in the gallery at the back is always worth a visit as well! Keep calm and carry on!!! - S

I love going into canteen and browsing through the great selection of books. I like to consider myself an "artsy" person sometimes, so this place definitely makes me feel at home. It's a small space with big ambitions, and it's a great support for local talent. The back gallery space changes often, and it's always nice to see what Ottawa's artists have to offer. I've also had my eye on a few prints for a while now - especially the Day of the Dead "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters. And since I have an odd obsession with notebooks, I managed to buy two, one of which was a great shade of fluorescent orange. Sweet! - J

Ottawa's 26th Annual Vintage Clothing Sale:

I love vintage. Shopping vintage is like shopping at a museum. It's fashion ancestry. And why I have never made the effort to attend Ottawa's annual vintage clothing sale before this year is beyond me. It was so incredibly mythical, magical, and coooool with a capital C that I intend to make an effort to go every single year for the rest of my life. The rest of my life. Seriously. Poor J had to work on Sunday, so I headed to the show alone, camera in hand, and a 20 in my wallet. Held in the luxurious ballroom of the Chateau Laurier, walking into the sale is a time-machine journey into an era of sequins and furs. There's so much to take in that I'm sort of glad I went alone as I wandered directionless for nearly two hours--I could have spent days in that ballroom! Days! With vendors from all over Canada, it's really hard to decided where to buy, as every booth is totally unique. One of my favourite finds of the sale (I really should of just gone for it..silly Sarah) was the armadillo purse. It was literally a real armadillo, hollowed out and made into a purse. WHAT?! A REAL ARMADILLO??!! Like, yeah... It even had a head. I perhaps would have felt a little guilty carrying around a real armadillo on my arm but it was just too cool. 1920's apparently. This event is un-missable. Even if you are a vintage lover who is not an O-towny, make the trip next November. -S