Seen Around

Today's edition of Seen Around will definitely shock some readers and raise some highbrows!

The first pictures were taken at Ogilvy's one of Montreal's fancy pants departement store...They were selling the $145 panettone for Xmas last year....

First ordinary hair clips, sparkly but it is a hair clip, right?

Yes you saw that right, $207 !!! $207 for a hair clip....For $207, I would buy a LOT of groceries,
make a car payment, buy 20 $10 long sleeve t-shirts, Xmas shop....But I will not buy a hair clip!

 One could also get small hair clips....

A steal at $27!!!

Now for the second batch of pictures... Lay's Canada have a yearly contest, where folks can dream up
chip flavors, we can try them , vote for them and the winner gets a piece of the profits of that flavor.

Brace yourselves, here are this year's offerings

                                          Jalapeno Mac'n'cheese

                                          Cinnamon Bun (????)

                                          Tzatziki

                                          Bacon poutine

Now I have no idea why someone would dream up cinnamon bun flavored chips....But if I find a small bag I'd be willing to try all 4. I bet Tzatziki is my fave!

Last year I tried Bacon Perogies and it was soooo salty, my hands looked like bouquets of sausages!

I can already see my Dad's face as he rolls his eyes...He always finds my love of strange flavors , well strange!

So good night and I don't want to hear that someone bought one of those hair clips! LOL

Boxing week deals

I hope everyone and a wonderful Xmas  and had the opportunity to rest a bit.

Today I'm happy to say that I rested and did stuff not related to the Holidays. Don't get me wrong!
I loooooovvvveeee Xmas but I find that I need more time to prepare joyfully.

We have been engaged  in a wintery marathon of shopping,working,baking,cooking,shovelling, de-icing, working,decorating and trying to stay thrifty and sane.

And even with all the running around the house was not as christmassy as I wanted it!

   

                                            Here is a little Xmas vignette in the hall
 

                                            Do you recognize Henry the Xmas Elf?

                                            Now this being Boxing week, I was curious to see what had happened
                                              to the $120 cookies! The glass jars were gone.....all of them
                                             But  spotted this                             

                                               This is the sibbling of he glass jar $120 also

                                              A bargain at $59.00

Now for that furry frend in your life....

 A steal at $49.00!!!

Now just down the road is Ogilvy's another luxury departement store....

It is as you remember the place where I saw the $145 pannetone. That was gone too!

But I saw something far better!

I give you the most cake (pannetone) I have ever seen

 

Your eyes are not deceiving yourself!

 

And it was sitting on this cake stand

 

And since the cake was so expensive, I for just a minute, thought that

the cake stand was included

But no

 

From $95 reduced to $66.50

 

YIKES!

 I got my cake stand for $3 in an flea market....

 

Makes you think!

 

I might get to thrift later this afternoon

 

Celebrate!

More signs that 'this the season!

Sorry about the lack of posts. We had a weird week full of surprises most of them not so good.

I was really glad that we had our first snow which wrecked havock on the roads....I lost my temporary crown and had to go back to the dentist. On the same day the train going home was 1 hour late....AAAAAGGGHHHH! And they never bother telling us anything.

We had to go to the vet, another urinary track infection (it's the food it seems) and had to emergengy gift shop.

But today we just stayed home and fiddled with stuff...Xmas lights...This year it's only old fashionned lights and blowmolds.  No pics yet.

Later this afternoon I made meat pies; one of my big Christmas traditions. I never remembered to buy little aluminum pie plats so of course I ran out!

Pyrex to the rescue!

In Pixie casseroles! How fab is that? I'm letting them cool as I write so I can wrap them in foil and freeze them for later!

Soooooo cute!

We have some for supper and it was delish as usual.

Xmas lights? Check!

Meat pies? Check!

Things are going smoothly!

The Ogilvy xmas window is up and running!

My parents would bring me and I would stare and point for what seems like forever.

This year it's called The Mill in the Forest. All the animals are Steiffel. My dad remembers it from when he was young.

The fogs are my favories. The image is fuzzy because they move.

I also have a soft spot for these baby deers.

I cannot help smile when I see people passing by and stopping to look at this beautiful window which has been part of Montreal's Xmas charm for more than 70 years.

Have a great night.

Gotta go wrap those meat pies.....

Retro Tuesday: Ogilvy's a Montreal landmark

Today in my lunch break, I took a walk and ended up on the corner of De La Montagne and Ste-Catherine street at Ogilvy's.

Ogilvy's is a unique department store. It was opened in 1866 by James A Ogilvy, it only had one counter and one clerck and was a linen shop.

It moved across the street from its present location in 1896. The construction of the present building was finished in 1912. It was declared the most modern store! One of the store's signature was their tartan; the owner being from Scotland.

This is the tartan I remember but I could be wrong....the 80's were hard! I'm sure my Dad will set me straight. Their shopping bag were of that tartan and their gift boxes too.

In 1928 a fifth floor was added including Tudor Hall, Montreal's first Music Hall. I've seen this room today and it's beautiful all in beautiful wood panelling.

Yep I was there today! Minus the chairs

All this for shoes? WOW!

Nice!

Thank god the McCord museum kept archives!

I tried to find a pic of the elevator operators from my childhood but didn't find any. Those young ladies were dressed in full scotish garb, kilt, sash, the little bag with the horse hair and a little beret...oh my I'm forgetting the white gloves! They would spend all day opening the doors, operating the elevators and announcing each floor (2nd floor women's wear, lingerie and thingamaggigs). My mom would take me there often, I found it soooo exotic! My favorite counter? The sweet counter of course! They sold little candy mice made of vanilla fondant then dipped in dark chocolate. Their tails were made of twine. Oh how I loved these mice! Since I was small my eyes were just at the right level to look at them real good. It was a big drama if I didn't get a mouse!  

Another must from that store? The Christmas animated window!

Since 1947 this window has fascinated kids of all ages for the holiday season.

Progress has changed my beloved Ogilvy in deep profound and not so good ways....long gone are the candy mice, but thank the lord the christmas window remains!

Not only I learned new things for my job today, I also learned that if you visit Ogilvy's between 12 and 1pm anyday you will get to hear a real live piper!

Yep I saw this today! I bet it's the same guy....

Now Ogilvy's is a space where designers and chichi products have their counters....Louis Vuitton, MAC make-up,Chanel, Longchamp (like the handbag Crazy Suburban Mom bought...did you win the loto Tracy? Ok I know none of my beeswax) you get the pic.

I saw scented candles by Dyptique, they smell great, really. I reached to see the price and I nearly fell in the display.....

This 8oz candle was....wait for it.....wait for it......72$. I think about it and I feel faint! Yankee Candle is actually a bargain! Have a great night ;)