Coco&Lowe » social media socialistas!

Our Night At The Drake For Winterlicious

01 February 2012, 16.38 | Tags events | Comments (8)

As most of you know, we kicked off Winterlicious with a fantastic dinner on Friday night with some of our girlfriends at The Drake. Chef Rose indulged us with a three-course meal that included sushi, short ribs, cornmeal crusted trout and the most delicious, soft and sexy grits. Yes, they’re actually called that, and we all agreed that we couldn’t possibly think of a better name – nommm nommm, so good!

Burbon balls! Strange yet surprisingly amazing

Winterlicious has been presented for the last ten years by American Express Canada and to celebrate the anniversary this year, Amex decided to take it up a notch by offering Cardmembers some amazing prizes. If you’re an American Express cardholder, head over to www.dinewithamex.ca to register your card and then check out two Winterlicious restaurants for a chance to win $2,000 worth of gift cards and a surprise concert experience with seven of your friends. Another way American Express is working hard to make Cardmembers feel extra special during this already super fun event.

On Friday, Mimi won tickets to see Bring It On – the musical, courtesy of Front Of The Line by American Express (she better bring me )

But if you didn’t get a chance to make it out this weekend, don’t forget that Winterlicious is still going on until Feb. 9, with many restaurants offering both lunch and dinner menus.

Don’t forget to join the conversation at #DineWithAmex on Twitter and check out their Facebook page for updates HERE.

xo,

coco

daily dose:

01 February 2012, 9.00 | Tags daily dose | No comments »

Travel: Road To Hana – it’s not the destination, it’s the journey

31 January 2012, 13.00 | Tags travel | Comments (6)

People say Hawaii is paradise. I’m here to second that emotion.

I was fortunate enough to visit Maui over the holidays and if waking up to majestic views and the lapping sounds of the ocean wasn’t enough, The Road To Hana sealed the deal and marked a place for Maui in my heart forever.

The Road To Hanna is a winding drive up a barely two lane roadway through the rainforest. It is said to take two and a half hours but with all of the stops we took, it was more like 6. We started in the quaint and beautiful town of Pai’a where we had an early lunch (and I bought the cutest bikini at best little bikini shop EVER – leave it to people who deem swimwear as appropriate clothing to know where it’s at, I LOVE MAUI)

I obviously can’t be in a new place more than 24hours without sampling some of their pizza…

The drive on the road to Hana was one of those experiences that is so true to life; it’s more about the getting there than the actual destination. Hana isn’t much but a tiny collection of houses, some food stands and an Inn, that if you weren’t paying great attention to, you would probably drive right past. The magic on this trip are all of the of stops you can make. Just pull your car to the side of the road and hike; sometimes short distances, others long, to see some incredible waterfalls and breathtaking beaches.

There are so many things to see and do in Maui, but this drive will stick with me forever. Winding and curvy, with serious peaks and beautiful valleys, The Road to Hana is just as much a lesson in life as it is a way to see nature at it’s purest.

xo,

coco

p.s. if you’re ever taking the trip, I highly recommend not wearing flip flops. Almost broke my ankle 100 times…. AND if you rent a car, stop at one of the local shops in Pai’a to get a CD that will give you a great historical background and directions.

Tuesday Tip : Home Decor & Architectural Salvage

31 January 2012, 11.00 | Tags design, Style | Comments (4)

I have been obsessing lately with the shabby chic possibilities of salvaged materials such as wood pallets. Not only is this a sustainable approach to furnishings, they add that unique eclectic, vintage vibe to your home. At IDS this past Sunday at the Trade Talks with Lynda Reeves + Marilyn Denis they shared my obsession of “Industrial Chic” citing it as one of this seasons trends in Interior Design. The following images were discovered on Home Designing.

Lynda Reeves’ of House&Home wrote up a round-up of stores that sell great reclaimed or used materials. Check out the following for authentic treasures like vintage doors, hardware, knobs and more, check out stores that specialize in salvaged materials from demolished homes and buildings. You can also search online using terms such as “architectural salvage” or “used building materials.

Lynda Reeves - House&Home

Vancouver Architectural Antiques
Vancouver, British Columbia
(604) 872-3131

Uniquities Architectural Antiques
Calgary, Alberta
(403) 228-9221

Salvage Supermarket
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 222-2248

Artefacts
St. Jacobs, Ontario
(519) 664-3760

The Door Store
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 863-1590

Post + Beam Reclamation
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 913-4243

The Salvage Shop
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 469-2557

Legacy Vintage Building Materials & Antiques
Cobourg, Ontario
(905) 373-0796

Balleycanoe & Co.
Mallorytown, Ontario
(613) 659-3874

Urban Recovery
Montreal, Quebec
(514) 789-0549

Renovators Resource
Halifax, Nova Scotia
(902) 429-3889

For a listing of resources in Canada and the U.S., check out the Guide to Architectural Antiques and Antique Lumber Companies, for sale at architecturalsalvagedirectory.com.

(via)

Salvaged Cofee Table - pinterest.com

pics via: tumblr, pinterest, design sponge, + here . .

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Habitat for Humanity ReStore (RE-Store) is a retail store concept that accepts donations of overstocked, seconds, used, discontinued items and salvageable building materials donated by manufacturers, stores, contractors and individuals. ReStore is like the Goodwill but for home renovation . Items can include new and gently used furniture, building materials, appliances, cabinetry, sinks, countertops, household and décor items. ReStore then sells those items to the public at a reduced cost, typically 50-80% percent off the original retail value. If you’re doing a renovation, and the things you are replacing are in good condition you can donate them to ReStore with the proceeds going directly to Habitat for Humanity. Everyone knows Habitat for Humanity is a great cause as they build houses for low income families using primarily volunteer labor. Habitat for Humanity Restore is worth a look before you make your way over to Home Depot, to see if you can get what you need on the cheap and help a needy family out at the same time. Or even if you’re doing renovation, give them a call to see if they want your old things.

Habitat for Humanity Toronto owns and operates four ReStore outlets in Toronto – Check them out here.

To Donate materials or inquire about the Habitat Toronto Restore: Call 416 755 7353 or Email: restore@torontohabitat.ca

Pavillion

If second hand furniture is not your sort of thing, there is a trendier alternative. Located at 739 Queen Street West, Pavillion is known as a destination for condo-dwellers. Their selection of furniture is tailored, with clean lines and rich wood finishes – perfect for those with small spaces that don’t have a square foot to spare. Amongst our Winy B expeditions we have made a stop at Pavillion, and we came across some beautiful pieces like dining room tables, coffee tables and end tables that are custom made in salvaged wood. Although Pavillion is on the pricier side, if this is your esthetic their quality of product is pretty much incomparable and I guarantee you will fall in love with at least one item in store.