LA

Winnipeg >> Steinbach

Lola and I went on a little road trip to Landmark and Steinbach recently... I took Lola to the "beauty salon" ;) While she was being shaved, bathed and pampered at Waldenway, I drove 'into town' to Steinbach and had a nice date by myself. I had breakfast at a diner, went to the mall, played with animals at the pet store & picked out a new blonde-yellow collar for Lola, and visited the Canadian Tire to buy myself a sleeping bag. Everyone in Steinbach was super chummy (friends running into each other everywhere) and it was a nice little morning in a new place :) Lola is so velvety with her haircut, I love it!!

a Wagon & Winnipeg date

When we get a chance for a daytime date, Keith and I love heading downtown in the Wagon or Nova. We eat out, shop at cute stores or the flea market, visit my favorite trainyard and get lots of fun snacks! I'm smiling looking at photos from this day out in August... we had lots of fun!

Cakeology in the Exchange District is my favorite bakery! We love the cakettes and imperial cookies!

Then we visited my friends Stef & Erin at Oh So Lovely one block over. I tried on dresses and oooh'd and awe'd over their pretty displays and vintage stock! You might remember the Oh So Lovely trailer I visited this summer-- well, now they have brick & mortar and it's a-mazing! They're opening at a new location soon too and I can't wait to visit & shop!

Winnipeg is the Slurpee Capital of the world and for good reason, Winnipegers drink a lot of slurpees. I picked a strawberry limeade :)

I brought Bacon (my wagon) to the trainyard for the first time this year :) The trainyard is a my very favorite place in Winnipeg because there are lots of birds flying in romantic swaying clusters and the trains remind me of my childhood. I feel so happy and inspired when I'm there :) And then Keith took his shirt of and climbed on a train. I'm still not sure why but it was funny ;) I want to do a photoshoot for my blog banner with this wall, it always catches my eye :)

We headed to pick Tom up from Keith's parents and I wore Keith's hat :) He has an LA hat... and it's not because of the team ;) Super sweet boyfriend!
Starbucks on our way home, then we listened to the record we picked up that day and the dogs played together :) They always push the cushions off the couch ;) 
And these are the little things I bought while out shopping... the Everly Brothers record, a stamp that says "For", an old tag & pin and some photographs for scrapbooking :)

It was an awesome day! I love my boyfriend, car and city :)

On the last days of summer...

We drove a little out of town this week to find the perfect field for a clients blog design images (can't wait to show you the pix when the design is complete) and we took a few fun pictures of each other with my instax. I megascored the camera at a thriftstore for $6 two years ago and I buy the film refills for cheap on ebay. The weather was perfect and I soaked in the summer breeze to last me till it returns again next year. I love the Prairies :)

a little RV dress-up!

Elsie asked me to model the First Date dress from Red Velvet's Fall/Winter Collection and I was totally stoked on how well it fit (they now offer extended sizing) and I really love the mod style-- I'm lucky to have this in my dress collection and will wear it many ways!

The second RV dress collection is available tonight at 6pm via shopredvelvet.com :) And if you're a curvy hotty, check out the First Date dress and Sewing Kit dress for extended sizing options! Red Velvet for everyone!

Thanks for taking my pictures Keith! xo, Leigh-Ann

ps. See a few more pix and my feedback on the dress at A Beautiful Mess :) 

WPG Fave: Tea Story

Kyla, Holly and I recently visited Tea Story, a super cute restaurant in Osborne Village that sells Bubble Tea, Fruit Drinks, Special Teas and-- Waffle Sandwiches! I've been to Tea Story a few times since it opened up and was quickly attracted due to the retro egg chairs in the window and awesome name-- then the drinks and foods convinced me to be a regular :) It's a fun place for a datenite, lunch with your girlfriends, an offsite workplace for a change of pace (they have wifi!) and just a great place to nourish your tummy, eyes and soul :) Here are my Top 5 Fave Things about Tea Story :)

1. Fun furniture & awesome atmosphere.

2. Amazing drinks. (my fave is the Strawberry & Kiwi 'Real Fruit Blitz')

3. It's a pun name. 

4. Heart Shaped food.

5. Happy people.

Tea Story

222 Osborne St.

(204) 477-1102

Read about other Winnipeg activities, shops and restaurants I love & recommend :)

Strawberry Day, Year3

If you've read my blog for the last few years, you might remember that Strawberry Picking Day at Boonstra Farms is my very favorite day of the YEAR :) See my 2009 & 2010 berry glee. The Raspberries were my favorite this year and the day was extra fun because Mom, Amanda, Olivia & Kennedy and I drove to the farm in my station wagon (and had a picnic beside it).

I picked a basket of Strawberries and a basket of Raspberries... but I mostly enjoy the nibbling while picking and playing with Olivia and Kennedy throughout the day. We have strawberry fights with Grandma, do airplanes in the field (I lay on my back and fly them on my feet), compete to find the biggest berries, and play hide and seek in the raspberry rows. Better than the berries is the hobby farm and old fashioned playground...

The horse & donkey are in love with each other. The baby goats try eating your hair and O&K won't put the kittens down. Sadly, my mini-horse Peanut passed away earlier this year and I cried on the spot but understood he was born with a bad body and was in pain. The farm wasn't the same without him but I held a baby goat trying to find a mini-replacement. I have great memories of my Peanut and when I get a mini-horse someday, I'll name him or her Peanut :)

These are my favorite style strawberries, I like a white tip with seed clusters.... they're a little more sour and I love sour!!

Hope you're having a great summer full of berries and baby animals!

xoxo, LA

Oh So Lovely ladies

I took a short break this weekend to go shopping at the Fringe Festival, drink 3 lime-lemonades and meet my online friends, Stef & Erin! Their shop IS oh So Lovely and I gasped when I walked in-- so much juicy color, amazing vintage, beautiful displays and lots of heart!! I picked out a few necklaces, a tablecloth, vintage book called "Happy Days" and a journal! I totally recommend bookmarking their blog-- you'll love watching their business flourish, it's a constant inspiration and they have lots of wonderful posts! xo!!

Folk Fest & Tegan and Sara

//daytime stage & pic of Jill via LuneVintage  

Happy Canada Day!!

I'm proud to be Canadian and love living in here, born and raised!! My prairie home is in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a province in the middle of Canada (above North Dakota) and I love it here. We have hot summers, cold & snowy winters, flat land, lots of lakes and friendly, warm people :) So far, I've had opportunities to travel all the way "left" to Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and a little bit "right" to Ontario and Quebec. Someday, I want to also visit the Maritimes (all the way right) and the Northwest Territroies (up). Canada is my home and I feel really happy and fortunate to be Canadian! Today, it's time to celebrate that-- it's Canada Day!!!

One of my favorite life memories happened 3 years ago today, you can read it here :)

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians,

xo, Leigh-Ann

Visitor Pass: Winnipeg Thrifts [Dan Mitchell]

Hi folks! I’m Dan from Dan Mitchell Style. Before departing on her well deserved vacation, LA asked if I’d like to contribute a post and I’m very happy to do so! As a fellow Winnipegger, Leigh-Ann and I share a number of the same favourite’s shops, restaurants and other hot spots.

When it comes to my own home, I’m all about mixing and match different styles. I’m not afraid to mix bargains from my local big box stores with treasures from Goodwill and Salvation Army (or Sally Ann’s as my Grandma affectionately referred to it as). And while there are loads of thrift shops in the city of Winnipeg, I have a few favourites to tell you about...


I love this shop. Tucked off of Portage Avenue in an unassuming strip mall is the mother of all thrift stores. Being in an older neighbourhood this shop gets a lot of vintage finds and is home to a constantly evolving assortment of furniture, accessories and knick-knacks.

I’ve scored loads of awesome pieces from this shop over the years. Chests of drawers can be picked up from anywhere between $20.00-$50.00 and a majority of accessories can be found for under $5.00. My favourite find has to be a cute little black vase that I uncovered and took home for the princely sum of .69. I’ve yet to find a permanent home for it, but I love it none the less!


I’ve lived in Winnipeg for close to three years now so have had the chance to check out a bulk of the vintage furniture stores at least once or twice. Though I’ve seen some great shops, the Salvation Army on Empress Street has proven to be my favourite for great wood pieces.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this shop acquires a lot of estate assortments as I’m constantly walking in to see stunning antique dining sets-- we’re talking table, six to eight chairs and sideboard all for under $300.00. A lot of the pieces that come into the shop are great ‘project pieces’ and are in need of a bit of love, but hey, if I can hunt down a set of nightstands for $10.00 (still looking!) I’m game to invest some time and energy into making them look good!


Whenever I think about pawn shops, I typically think about nasty looking hole in the wall type places with stacks movies like Clueless and Varsity Blues on VHS. That my friends is not what AAA Pawn & Consignment is all about. This shop is a treasure-trove of vintage fun. From glassware and crystal to lamps, rugs, oil paintings and silver tea sets and then desks, headboards and china cabinets, this shop is a must visit.

I’ve scored countless pieces here including my writing desk (clutter container) for $15.00, assorted stemware, piles of picture frames and interesting vases. The best part about this shop – the owner is willing to cut ‘deals’ when you buy multiple pieces. Different from shops like the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Savers or Value Village where each item has a set price, you can wander around this shop with a stack of items and at the end of your adventure offer a lump sum. Yah can’t go wrong with policies like that!


As the name would have it, Antiques & Funk is jam packed to the ceiling with you guessed it – antiques and funk. I remember when I first moved to the city and discovered this gem of a shop. I didn’t know my way around the city, or have any ideas where the best shops were. Basically I’d hop in my truck and just drive until I found something that caught my eye. Rush hour traffic on Main Street Winnipeg and I’m braking to try and catch a second glance at the colourful window display. When I finally got off the busy street and into the store I was in awe with the quality of pieces on offer! (LA's found some great pieces here too!)

I’ve found a number of great small wares at this shop and they get a lot of great looking furniture pieces from some of Winnipeg’s finest homes. Don’t expect cute little vignettes and room scenes. This shop is all about digging through boxes, looking inside cabinets and checking to see what’s under tables. I found an occupied Japan china dog ornament for my Mom in an ice cream pail under a table-- my best find :)

And last, but not least the mother of all thrift stores. That’s right. I’m talking about--

We’re lucky in the sense that Winnipeg has five Value Village stores (same as "Savers" in the USA), so it’s a given that anytime you wander through the doors you’re going to find another treasure. My favourite location, on Pembina Highway, is a mecca of books, house wares, crafting supplies, art, accessories and anything else that you can think of. I could write three more posts to tell you about what I’ve found at Value Village. I’ve come across vintage one-of-a-kind treasures like the bags of old postcards for $1.99, paint by numbers in their original frames, serving ware and crystal at a fraction of the original retail and stack upon stack of books!

I don’t even know if would be possible to list my favourite Value Village discoveries – half of my possessions were uncovered on a Saturday afternoon at one of the city’s Value Village stores. So many trips, so many memories!

So there you have it! My favourite thrifting destinations around the city of Winnipeg. Visit my blog to see more about my love of vintage and DIY's on great scores :) Now let’s go hunt down some more treasures!!

XO, Dan