I met with Nik Palmer of Palmer & Sons to talk leather luggage and he showed me around the workshop where all bespoke bag making happens. Below sits the top-selling Gladstone (left) and a new prototype rucksack (right).

All the tools of his handmade trade. While they are few, the time it takes is great. Each individual rivet requires five separate operations. 

The metal stamps used to impress bags with a number name and edition (as seen here on the laptop bag prototype) are circa 1915 and come from India. The small amount of hand-stitching on this particular tote takes two hours.

In this case, they do make 'em like they used to, and it's a beautiful thing to behold.

Last night the city's fashion community gathered at the Opus for an event thrown by Alexandra Suhner Isenberg of Searching for Style.

Guest speaker Imran Amed, editor of the Business of Fashion, chatted about the digital revolution, fashion's out-of-sync seasons and the power of bloggers.

Who say's fashion isn't serious business?

Inspired by British explorers who set out to climb Mount Everest in the 1920s, the fall collection is a mix of their trademark military with plenty of tweed, plaid and knits. The leather-trimmed grey and plaid poncho was one of my favourite pieces of the night. 

    

                           

 

Guests included designer Paul Hardy and fashion writer Rita Sirignano, who looked fabulous in her Rag & Bone shirtdress posing here with Wainwright.

I on the other hand felt a bit like Olivia Palermo in an episode of The City where she’s reprimanded for not wearing Guess to a Guess by Marciano party after Neville asked me where my Rag & Bone was. All was forgiven I think, after I gushed about how much I love his wife, makeup artist Gucci Westman.

 

 

After talking cameras with Wainwright (I have the Canon G9, he has the G10; I want the G11, he doesn’t because it doesn’t feel like a real camera should; I often use the flash, he prefers not to) we finally snapped a photo.

 

What's more proper than an afternoon tea? Tonya, Joy and I spent a leisurely lunch hour at Urban Tea Merchant practicing our best "pinky in the air" poses and nibbling on delectable treats.

There was a tea sommelier (who knew?)on hand to guide us through the subtle flavours and blends. Here's Tonya taking in the scents of The Ô Dor, a luxurious brand of tea from France (exclusive to Urban Tea Merchant). The lime and green tins would look very chic displayed on a kitchen countertop.The food was almost too adorable to eat. (I said almost.)

 

I have a confession to make. I missed a week of Booty Camp. But I had my reasons, and they're best summed up in a snapshot of the seaside patio at Sonora Resort. Can you blame me? 

To make up for my idle days, I did hike the Stawamus Chief.

And went dancing... in da club counts, right? Shimmying low is just like lunges, only sexier.

Now I'm back at camp, hoping to kick more butt (my own, obviously). From when I started till now I see improvement. It takes more to get me winded and I can do twice as many push-ups, among other things. But there's no rest for the workout weary who want to whip themselves into serious shape. Maren, my instructor, keeps pushing and encouraging to go farther and harder, and that's where these arm bands come in. On Tuesday, the crew conquered its hardest circuit yet. They might as well have been Medusa's deadly dreadlocks the way they had my biceps feeling the burn. All the better to turn meager muscle to strong stone, my dear.

We'll skip the pirate jokes (What's a pirate's favourite instrument? A guitaaaaaarrrr) and go for a pirate's lunch instead. A B.C. classic, White Spot's Pirate Pak is available for adults on August 18! And you can indulge for a good cause: $2 from each adult and kid pirate pak will go to Zajac Ranch for Children.

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says "did you know you have a steering wheel down the front of your pants?"
The pirate replies "Yes and it's driving me nuts!"

Sorry, we couldn't resist.

www.whitespot.ca

Native Shoes threw a bash at the home of brand partner Scott Hawthorn and both the cute plastic sneaks and slick surroundings had us drooling. Ogle away at the entryway and artwork.

Recognize those stools the colourful kicks are sitting on? If you've ever gotten your Judas Goat on, you've parked your fanny on one.

We'll take the shoes and the space, please.

Here's a pair of recently created paper creations made by Meaghan Kennedy of Your Piñata. Can you venture a guess who they're inspired by? Hint: The height difference is intentional and the two host a little show called Urban Rush. 

And those Flo-Jo nails Meaghan rocks while she works we mentioned, check 'em out. I think it takes serious skill to wield wet paper with those tips.

When Wendy's offered to drop off a sampling of their new salad menu, we couldn't resist (to be honest, we were hoping they'd be delivered by a red-headed tyke with pigtails and freckles). Alas the "real Wendy" didn't make an appearance, but we dove into the cleverly deconstructed ingredients basket (pecans, blue cheese and apples) and noshed on the warm chicken caesar.

This works perfectly with our healthy eating plan (read: only eating fast food burgers when in a hungover emergency state). 

Let me float an idea by you. Suspend a dining room over water with empty pop bottles, add high-end decor, haute cuisine, 12 seats and 60 days. That's the concept behind the School of Fish Plastic Dining Room and we were lucky enough to be one of the very first diners.

This is me, about to tuck into sustainable talapia and fish roe (course 3 of 6) just as the magic hour arrived.

Spot prawn sunomono salad—delish!

Nautical decor by The Cross was simple and elegant, much like the food.

Founder Shannon is the gracious host of every dinner and a pleasure to know.

All in all a wonderful night.

 
To book your exclusive seats ($215/pp, open August and September only), visit www.schooloffishfoundation.org