Joelle's Blog

$40,000 Raised for the CIBC Breast Assessment Centre at Juravinski Hospital

2011-06-24T19:33:00.004-04:00

Click here to see all of the photos!

We are so thrilled to have donated $40,000 toward the Five Million Dollar Campaign for the CIBC Breast Assessment being planned for Juravinski Hospital! The campaign is underway - over half way there to make this happen. This Centre will revolutionize screening and diagnosis for women at high risk or with a breast abnormality. Designed to be the most comprehensive and advanced assessment centre in the region, the Centre will provide support to women in Brant, Burlington, Haldimand, Hamilton, Niagara and Norfolk.

The Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop Fashion Show Fundraiser for the CIBC Breast Assessment Centre at Juravinski Hospital was held at the Royal Botanical Gardens on Monday, June 6. Many thanks to the sponsors – Whalesongs Intelligent Communication, SONY (Rio-Can Centre, Oakville), The Body Shop, Desigual, Boehringer Ingleheim, Leggat Auto Group, MacDowell Insurance Brokers Limited, Throat Threads Apparel, Dr. Christopher and Bev Wojcicki as well as to Vogue Models and Talent Burlington, SNÖ of Sweden, Burlington Professional Firefighter’s Association, glamjulz, Foxy Originals, Brave Beltworks, Jackson Triggs, Eurostyle Flower Market, and Gunther Mele. With the help of the Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop staff and numerous volunteers, the event was a huge success.

Check out all the great photos taken by SONY that evening. You might spot yourself in the crowd shots! You will definitely want to buy tickets for this event early next year, as the word is out that it was really amazing!!!

Joelle Cooling awarded a Paul Harris Fellow award by The Four Rotary Clubs of Burlington

2011-05-05T10:52:00.000-04:00

Joelle Goddard-Cooling of Joelle's is pictured here with the corporate award winners Michael, Stephanie and Gavin of the family run business Corporate Autoworks.

Joelle Goddard-Cooling began her specialty retail career working for Elaine and Bernard Scrivener. Beyond the retail sales and marketing experience that the Scriveners offered Joelle, was a sense of community – a respect and a responsibility to give back.

Throughout the 14 years that she has owned her own successful retail operation, she has maintained the Scriveners’ philosophy.

In-store fundraisers and larger fashion shows have always been a part of the marketing plan at Joelle’s. Fashion Shows for Breast Cancer Support Services, and more recently for the Juravinski Cancer Centres, have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. Smaller events are always planned to support various charities throughout the year. Donating to silent auctions and sponsoring other organizations events are also important to Joelle. She is also a big supporter of education – placing co- op students in the store, speaking to career classes and supporting school fundraisers.

While the time dedicated to running a retail operation that is open seven days a week does not allow Joelle to do as much volunteer work as she would like to, she feels that donations and connecting people and businesses together are effective ways to help. Growing ones own business allows one to be able to contribute even more. Neil Young recently pointed this out in his acceptance speech for the Humanitarian Award he won at the JUNO Awards. He encouraged musicians to make their music first and then, “if you’re lucky and you have an opportunity, it’s a good thing to do, to go ahead and try to do something yourself.”

Joelle is an active part of the Burlington Downtown Business Association’s advertising and promotion committee. Nelson Youth Centres, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Carpenter Hospice, Lakeside Festival of Lights, Easter Seals, Halton Learning Foundation, Halton Food for Thought, Burlington Art Centre, The Performing Arts Centre and numerous other organizations have been contributed to. Currently, Joelle is excited about their involvement with the Cinderella and Prince Charming Project and her upcoming fashion show for the proposed CIBC Breast Assessment Centre at Juravinski Hospital.

“It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it”. Words to live by from Albert Einstein!

Joelle thanks the Rotary Clubs for the honour of this recognition!

Moms' Spring Wardrobe Questions Answered!

2011-04-26T23:20:00.000-04:00

Joelle enjoyed her time spent with the Mom’s Morning Out group at the Burlington Alliance Church in Burlington.

New moms have little time to think about fashion! We talked about the joy of leggings, the importance of a great pair of jeans, shorts, dresses, jean jackets and more!

Here are a list of fashion questions the Moms had for Joelle and Joelle's answers:

1. What is needed for the basic essentials for my wardrobe, black suit, white shirt??
If you need a business wardrobe, that is a good place to start. Think about all three pieces (jacket, pant and skirt) when you invest in the best black suit you can afford. White shirts look striking but do consider their maintenance. Dry cleaning keeps them looking crisp, or ironing is a must! Dressier knit tops and tanks are easier to maintain and to care for.
If it is not a working wardrobe you are trying to build, focus on a well fitting, dark pair of jeans in a cut that is most flattering to you. This will go a long way in your wardrobe. Layering tanks, black and white tshirts, black leggings, a cotton cargo pant, basic chino or short (depending on the season) and open cardigans all go a long way to mix and match your way to a good looking basic wardrobe.
2. How do I minimize my bum that isn't as tight as it should be?
Well fitting leggings with tunics that aren't tight but are also not too loose are a good way to camouflage. Proper fitting jeans are key - watch where the pocket sits as high pockets do not always work. Dresses are great - find your style and don't be afraid to wear them for day.
3. My calves are muscular and I am embarrased to wear anything that exposes them, but I do like to wear shorts in the Summer. What type of outfit will draw attention away from them?
Avoid ankle straps on your shoes. Don't avoid leggings - wear them with flats. Find a short that suits you - consider wearing it with a wedge heel. Wear cropped pants but again, you may have to find your lenght and stick to it.
4. What's the best way to get rid of clothes in my closet that have been there way to long. I've heard that if I haven't worn them in the last 6 months, get rid of them. That's really hard for me because I always tell myself I might wear them again.
If things are in poor repair or just don't fit, get rid of them - move on. I think 6 months is a bit harsh - usually I give it a year for trendy items and sometimes two years for classic pieces. Shapes change - sometimes that favourite thing really does become outdated, even if it is a classic.
5. What colours are coming in for Spring this year?

Navy is the new basic colour that everyone is loving. While bright yellow is showing up as a trend, it is a bit harder to wear - looks great if you can though! Peaches, khakis and white on white are also at the forefront.

6. How do you creatively tie/wear scarves? (something more than just looping them around your neck)
For some reason French women are born with the knowledge of how to wear a scarf. Robyn at Joelle's is our in house scarf tying expert - we all try to duplicate it, but we just can't. Personally, I just play around until I like how it looks - oftne it is not to creative but it works!

7. Are jean jackets still "in style"? If so, what length is best? Creative ideas on how to wear them?
I like jean jackets with everything except jeans. Buy it fitted enought that it looks great undone - you will rarely do it up. Look for a bit of stretch. There are even blazer styles. Wear them over cute summer dresses in the evening or with your tees and khakis to the park.

8. Are yoga pants JUST for the gym? Can you wear them casually? If so, how? If not, just settle the argument for me!
Ok - let's face it, Lululemon makes flattering pants. So wear them, just please don't wear them all the time. Switch it up - jeans, khakis, leggings. It will help you with your figure too - sometimes the yoga pants make it too easy!

9. I need some post-baby style help. What are good choices for clothes that are stylish but will also withstand baby spit up and the body changes?
Easy care items are a must! Avoid white for sure at this stage! Stick to the basics discussed in the first question and be sure to watch your care labels.

10. Could you offer some suggestions on different fashions that could hide problems in the tummy area?
I am all about the layering tank - you can get them in all different price points - there are even styles that really have the built in tummy tucking fabric (like Yummy Tummy or Spanx). That extra layer can really help to hold you in and avoid the "muffin top". I try to wear an open cardigan, a long necklace or a longer scarf - anything to take the attention away from that certain view, especially when you sit down!

11. I 'd like to know some good options for covering/hiding "muffin tops"! Also, what styles are best for those of us on the short side!
See above for the muffin top. We just got leggings in by Lisse that are amazing muffin top hiders! They literally make you lose a size! I am short too - avoid skirts below the knee ( you can wear long to the ground with flats if you want to catch that maxi skirt or dress trend this season), straight leg or boot cut jeans work best - always check your footwear to make sure the proportion is right. I have a really short waist - this causes lots of fashion challenges! I have to wear most tops untucked to creat an illusion of a longer waist. If your proportion is opposite, tuck shirts in to pants with a bit of a higher waist to create a longer leg. I love dresses and things with stretch!

12. What I am wondering is if your wardrobe is totally out of date and you can't afford to go out and buy a whole new one where is a good place to start?
For the summer, I suggest a few cute dresses that can take you from casual to dressy. And updated shoes and accessories can go a long way. Refer to the suggestions about basics and build from there!

13. How do I hide the love handels, jellie bellie and wigglie arms....besides putting on a mumu?!

We have talked about the belly - now - the infamous arms! Three quarter sleeves are great, but honestly, I feel really good about my arms when I take the time to to some simple weight lifting! Get some 5 lb weights and get started!

14. What about shorts lengths this year? How do you suggest young moms wear shorts....something doesn't feel good about trying to squish into the show your butt short shorts that the teens are wearing these days?
Whether you are a mom or a teen, no one looks good in shorts they are squished in to. On the flip side, if you look good in shorter lenghts, go for it! Look for shorts that have the option to roll down the cuffs - then, you can go short when you dare or keep them longer when you need to. Add wedge heels to a shorter short if you are on the fence about how your legs look. A knee length, clean, straigh legged short can go a long way for you - dress it up or down.

15. I like to wear pieces that are "different" looking but sometimes I feel like I might be crossing the line into "ugly". Any thoughts on knowing how to determine when you might be crossing the line and getting yourself onto the fashion police hit list?
Flip through magazines like InStyle, Lucky or Lou Lou. This gives you an idea of what is currently "in style". Different is not a bad thing. If you think it is ugly, well, chances are it might be. Ask a friend!

16. How can one stay stylish on a tight budget?
Buy your basics in the best quality that you can and add your really trendy pieces in at lower price points. Consider shoes and accessories as instant updates. Most importantly, find a personal style that you are comfortable with and work around it - make your look your own while at the same time, realizing that the timeless, classic items give you the most mileage!

Behind the Scenes: Gary Hills' and Joelle's Spring Photo Shoot at the Burlington Beach

2011-01-11T23:11:00.002-05:00

On this early August morning, I hoped for a beautiful sunrise as I headed to the Burlington Beach with Cassie and Heather from Vogue Models and Talent Burlington Toronto. We were meeting Gary Hills and two of his loyal pals to do a fun photo shoot of the January 2011 delivery of MICHAEL Michael Kors clothing. We did not get that sunrise, but we sure did get some great results! Thanks to Gary for feeling my vision. I wanted to give everyone a dose of the seasons to come on a cold January day!! Next time you drive by the beach, you can think of these pictures! Click on the photos for a larger view. We even had an audience! Watch for the results of the shoot in our ads.

Women Fully Clothed Coming to Hamilton Place

2011-01-05T08:22:00.008-05:00

I had the chance to see Women Fully Clothed in Huntsville this summer on my book club weekend - lots of laughs that we women could totally relate to. The most memorable skit to me was when the ladies were in a powerful business meeting - the side converstations covered everything from recipes to kids to beauty products - and the meeting ended up with positive results. At a luncheon with the ladies I sit on the Burlington Downtown Advertising and Promotion committee, I was reminded of this skit - we were all sharing our holiday wrapping tips (loved the one that Andrea from Joe Dogs shared about a family member that makes gift tags with old photos of the recipient on them), our favourite baking items and things to do with the kids and then turned around and talked about the future marketing initiatives of downtown and for our own successful businesses. Girl Power!!!

Women Fully Clothed is coming to Hamilton Place on January 28th and 29th. Definitely worth a girls' night out! www.bit.ly/gQ9QgR

Denise Dickie - Winner of the Fall MICHAEL Michael Kors Outfit

2010-12-02T20:08:00.005-05:00

You may recognize this beautiful lady from some of the Joelle's fashion shows of the past. Denise Dickie models for fun - hopefully she will come back for our big show this spring/summer! For the past 8 years, Denise has been an instructor at Mohawk College in Broadcasting and Television and Communication Media. Prior to this, Denise worked at CH Television in various functions of research, field production, writing and producing, publicity, and media and communications management. Denise has received several awards recognizing her community commitment and broadcast adchievement. We art thrilled that she won the MMK gift certificate at our fall trunk show.

Denise was kind enough to email me a photo of herself wearing one of her MICHAEL Michael Kors outfits! She stated that "compliments have ensued" with her new outfits!!!

Jenn Fenton at the Orlando Festival of Trees

2010-11-23T18:06:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I got to visit Jenn Fenton's beautiful holiday necklace that she donated to the Orlando Museum of Art's Festival of Trees. What an amazing fundraiser. Local businesses - small and large, donate numerous gems for this spectacular event - so festive!

Joelle's and glamjuzl at Shopapalooza

2010-11-18T12:40:00.011-05:00

The second annual Shopapalooza was held at the Burlington Art Centre this past Wednesday night. It was great to see a lot of the new Downtown Burlington businesses showcasing their clothing in the fashion show. We highlighted some of our holiday clothing. Keora Salon and Spa had an impressive presentaion and stations - so professional! I managed to pick up a few little hosetess gifts - a great flip flop bottle opener and wine bags from Dania Unique and some cool wine charms and towels from Fairhome Interiors. Also loved MAC jewellery at the Kula booth - designer Michelle Cox has a beautifully zen aesthetic that draws you to her jewels. And of course, the crowd found perfect pieces from glamjulz to accessorize their holiday outfits! I did manage to sneak a Kindfood cupcake - there were several Downtown Burlington restaurants sampling! The tomato soup and sliders from Catred Fare were definitely a hit - YUM!

A Break from it All including Kula Burlington Yoga!!

2010-11-09T00:13:00.003-05:00

I just have to tell you about this - a rare moment in time that the stars and the moon lined up and 10 out of 11 girls from my bookclub (sorry Tania - your daughter had chicken pox and now my son does!) got together at a Katie's cottage, near Deerhurst, for an absolute retreat. We made awesome meals from morning to night and had twenty hands to clean up! We power walked, really did read our books and magazines, saw a play (Women Fully Dressed), watched To Kill a Mockingbird (well, some of us mangaged to stay awake for it), drank some wine, did a bit of shopping and had great conversation! The highlight was this amazing Yoga moment, led by one of our members and Kula Burlington owner Tracy Ng! I know you are all jealous! Believe me, it is all a blur now, but what a great weekend!!!

A Dress For Everyone

2010-10-19T00:13:00.003-04:00

Brock Stacey's "A Dress for Everyone" fundraiser for the Juravinski Cancer Centres was held last Thursday night at Spencer's. What a great location!

I am pictured here with Janet Cockburn, a good friend and creator of the "Been a Boob" breast prosthesis and Janac masectomy sports bras. Janet is a two time Breast Cancer survivor and she was one of the amazing women that modeled our dresses and coats that evening.

MICHAEL Michael Kors Event

2010-10-06T14:48:00.004-04:00

MICHAEL Michael Kors was the feature last Thursday night as we had our fall trunk show and a mini fashion show for the Balance My Life Swanky September Soiree. Thanks to the models from Vogue Models and Talent (Burlington, Toronto)! Congratulations to Denise Dickie, the winner of a $500 MICHAEL Michael Kors gift certificate!

Desigual Launch at the Burlington Art Centre

2010-09-29T15:21:00.003-04:00

A great time was had by all as we launched the Desigual line as a fundraiser for the Burlington Art Centre!

Many thanks to entertainer Ginger St.James and the VMTBT models for puting on a great show! Pepperwood Catering, Adobo, and Sweetness Bakery sampled food, while Colio Estates sampled their Girls Night Out and Blended Fruit Wines.

Salon Teo did the models' hair and makeup.

Sno Of Sweden Jewellery Launch

2010-05-08T10:34:00.003-04:00

Our Sno of Sweden Diva Night fashion show held at Vogue Models and Talent last night was a lot of fun! The jewels rocked as the "divas" rushed back to the store to snatch them up right after the show. Be sure that you are on the Joelle's email list if you didn't make the show - we will be sending out highlights over the next few weeks!

Burlington Dowtown Fashion Week Show

2010-05-05T09:58:00.012-04:00

Last night's show at Honey West was a sold out success! We were one of several Burlington Dowtown retailers featured. The food was great and a good time was had by all. Jackie Orr gave some accessory tips and Mia Fine Lingerie stole the show - I saw guys gawking in the restaurant window just to sneak a peak! Congrats to Vogue Models and Talent for organizing the show. Funds were raised for Halton Women's Place, who spoke about the fact that they are housing a record number of children this year and are always in need of monetary and new item donations. Be sure to visit the Burlington Downtown Fashion Week blog for details on events and promotions downtown this week!

http://www.haltonwomensplace.com/

http://www.burlingtonfashionweek.blogspot.com/

MICHAEL Michael Kors Winner!

2010-05-05T09:38:00.007-04:00

Congratualtions to Dianne Rutty, the winner of our MICHAEL Michael Kors $500 shopping spree! Diane is a big fan of the line, so her dollars went quick!

A Great Success!

2010-04-21T13:52:00.007-04:00

The Inspirations of Spring Fashion Show and Silent Auction was a huge success, raising $65,000. for the Nelson Youth Centres. The event, for which I was a committee member, was held at the new Mercedes Benz dealership in Burlington, which is a spectacular building! Downtown Burlington fashion retailers participated in the show and many local restaurants had fabulous food stations. It was a great night!

Nurturing Your Whole Self - The Guests

2010-03-02T22:09:00.007-05:00

The Tread Powerfully Models Looked Great

2010-03-02T21:35:00.015-05:00

Here are some shots of our wonderful models - all members of Tread Powerfully who volunteered to get a wardrobe update from Robyn at Joelle's! They also got the "undercover" expertise of Barbara Watson of Mia Fine Lingerie as she showed them what a great bra can do!!
Thanks to all! It was a great night!

Tread Powerfully Nurturing Your Whole Self Event

2010-03-02T21:11:00.010-05:00

Joelle's hosted the second anual "Nurturting Your Whole Self" event for Tread Powerfully last Wednesday night, raising $1500 to purchase Fortino's Gift Cards for Compassion Society! It was a very special night filled with inspiration for mind, body and soul. Pictured here are Sue Abell and Lisa Wayland of Tread Powerfully after class the morning after the event.

It is always amazing to be able to cross promote with like minded businesses - those who believe in community and in spreading great energy and well-being.

The one hundred attendees received great loot bags which incuded a "Go Canada" toque compliments of LUG and in support of the upcoming Paralympics.

All of the participating businesses provided inspiring presentations and great loot!

Many thanks to Burlington Orthtics Centre, Fairhome Interiors, Saltridges, Mia Fine Lingerie, Robyn at Joelle's for dressing the models and Wild Seed Cafe and Juice Bar.

http://www.burlingtonorthotics.ca/

http://www.wildseedrestaurant.com/

http://www.saltridges.com/

http://www.fairhomeinteriors.ca/

http://www.compassionsociety.net/

http://www.treadpowerfully.com/

The Spirit of the Olympics

2010-03-02T20:45:00.005-05:00

May the spirit of the Olympics live on wihtin us! Back in December, it was a magical night when the Olympic torch passed through our downtown. I remember walking down with the kids and some close friends and literally running alongside the torch to City Hall. I have never seen such energy in our core - friends and neighbours slinked outside of their homes and businesses and lined the streets - it was a truly amazing feeling. I can only imagine how it felt to actually carry the torch! Uncle Jamie and Aunt Brenda gave the kids a book about the mascots and some cool Olympic tshirts way back in the summer - little did I know how much it would all mean to us as a family unit. As the schools embraced the sports and the spirit, the kids became elated at the concept of getting to be carried to bed on a few more than one night, because we were sharing in the excitement of a gold metal or an exciting hockey game. It is not often that I take the time to just sit and watch - they were moments to remember. We are definitely going to tune in to the Paralympics next week and keep the spirit going!

Blog Blitz!!

2010-03-02T16:25:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since I promised more blogging. I have decided to do a bit of a blog blitz after just spending the weekend with friend/photographer, Amy Montgomery, visiting our friend/jewellery designer, Jenn Fenton! These girls (we call ourselves the trifecta) inspire me with their extreme talent and creative energy. We did some shopping and eating, explored the farmer's market, watched a Chanel documentary and of course the Canadian hockey victory! We cherished our time with Jenn's daughter Marin, husband Greg and Prince the dog! Watch for our next photo pendant session coming to the store soon!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-02T09:47:00.003-05:00

Ok - it is always that time that we make our resolutions - one of mine is to try to blog more! So here is my first blog of the year, right from Jamaica! We brought in the New Year early in the night on our yearly family vacation . We hired this perfect band from the beach in Negril - "Fire and Ice".Then we invited all of the guests at our little resort to join us on our front porch! The ice cream man left us a big box of orange pineapple and it made for great family fun! Unfortunately we did not last til midnight - we all fell asleep before the fireworks!!!

Check out this great press about Jenn Fenton!

2009-11-11T08:50:00.004-05:00

Click here to read about Jenn in the Orlando Sentinel

Alex's Wedding

2009-10-24T16:24:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Alex and Jay on their beautiful wedding day! We all enjoyed the wedding and wish them all the best! Photographer Amy Montgomery captured the day, to see her beautiful photos visit her blog : http://amymontgomery.typepad.com/amy_montgomery_blog/2009/10/wedding-day-.html

MICHAEL Michael Kors Fashion Show with Sony Style

2009-10-07T13:25:00.010-04:00

Our MICHAEL Michael Kors Fashion Show was held on October first at Vogue Models and Talent - it was fantastic. We showcased the fall and holiday collections on the runway and then everyone headed back to the store to shop.

Many thanks to Sony Style who provided us with tvs, video and photos for the evening. Sony Style is located in the Rio Can Centre at Burloak - check out their digital photo frames with crystals ( I want one!).

Thanks also to Catered Fare at Waterstreet, The Waterstreet Cooker and Emma's Backporch for great food and beverages, as always.

Hair and makeup for the models was done by Art in Hair and Vaidosa Day Spa.

My fave boutique, Saltridges, was there with Lipstick Queen and perfume samples.

Joelle's in the Hamilton Spectator Part 2

2009-10-02T08:53:00.005-04:00

Once again, the Hamilton Spectator was kind enough to feature our clothing - this time from our Michael Michael Kors line.

Click the picture to view the large version.

Joelle's in the Hamilton Spectator

2009-10-02T08:50:00.003-04:00

Our boots were featured in the Hamilton Spectator recently.

Click the pic for a larger version!

SOLOMAG

2009-07-14T11:52:00.010-04:00

Burlington Native and long-time Joelle's fan Jacqueline Parker has started a fabulous new website called SOLOMAG. I was fortunate enough to attend the launch with Monica Graves from glamjulz and my good friend Monica who lives in Toronto. Designers Brenda Beddome and Jane Ip of Jeanne Lottie were also there! Please check out www.solomag.com and pass it on to your single friends!!! And see my appearance here: http://www.solomag.ca/career.html

Natalie Wins the Brenda Beddome Outfit and Glamjulz Necklace!

2009-06-01T13:08:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Natalie! She was the lucky winner of a Brenda Beddome bamboo outfit and a glamulz necklace from our Burlington Dowtown Fashion Week Draw! The outfit looks great!

Jenn Fenton Jewellery in The Spectator

2009-05-27T14:42:00.003-04:00

Joelle's and Jeff's Guyshop kick off Fashion Week at the Rude Native

2009-05-19T23:14:00.020-04:00

Our first Burlington Downtown Fashion Week Fashion Show was a big hit. The guests loved the intimate setting at the Rude Native. Thanks to all the loot bag donors - Body Language Esthetics, The Rude Native and Euro Style Flower Market! The models were from Vogue Models and Talent, their hair was done by Salon Red and all eyewear was provided by Specs on Pearl. Alex, Jeff, Aimee and Robyn did a great job styling the clothes for the show! And it was great to have Brenda Beddome and Monica Graves of glamjulz as our special guests. Congrats to Jess Harper who won the beautiful floral arrangement from Euro Style Flower Market on Brant Street! Watch for the June issue of Snap Burlington for great photos from the event!

Stoney Creek Furniture Fashion Show for the Cure

2009-05-17T18:44:00.011-04:00

The 5th annual Fashion Show for the Cure held on May 13th was once again a great success. This year’s theme was ‘All dressed up and somewhere to Go'. The Jeff's Guyshop scene had the guys dressed up ready to go to the golf course! The Joelle's scene focused on some of the trends of the season - the colour purple, linens, maxi skirts and dresses and bold prints. Jacqueline and Pamela were wonderful hosts and organzizers. Jackie started this event 5 years ago after losing a sister to Breast Cancer.

Ashley's Bridal Shower

2009-05-14T16:41:00.006-04:00

Lucky Ashley had her bridal shower at Joelle's! Aunt Dee Dee and Mom Debbie orgazanized a fun night and Ashley got to model and purchase items for her honeymoon! Best Wishes!

The Life With Kids Event Models

2009-05-14T16:15:00.016-04:00

Thanks to all of the volunteer models that braved the stage for the Life with Kids Show. Robyn did I great job outfitting them all as always!

Life With Kids Girls' Night at Joelle's

2009-05-13T16:39:00.032-04:00

Life with Kids hosted their Girl's Night out at Joelle's in April ( they also featured our great maternity and nursing wear on CH Morning Live!) We used real Mom's for models and had a lot of fun! Pampered Chef, Mary K Cosmetics, Aradia Fitness, Amy Montgomery and Jennifer Wilson and her Monsters were also featured. Be sure to visit http://www.lifewithkids.ca/ to get their newsletters!

Kelly's Private Shopping Night for the Carpenter Hospice

2009-05-13T16:22:00.007-04:00

Kelly bid on a Private Shopping Night for her and her friends at the Carpenter Hospice Gala! They had a great night of shopping and got some fashion tips from Robyn and Alex!

Joseph Brant Hospital Crystal Ball

2009-05-13T10:38:00.011-04:00

CRYSTAL BALL RAISES OVER $450,000 FOR JOSEPH BRANT
Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Ninth Annual Crystal Ball held on April 18 was a huge success. The fun MONOPOLY themed black-tie gala raised over $450,000 to support the purchase of the Patient Management System for the AIC Emergency Department. With funds raised this year, the Crystal Ball surpasses the $2 million mark!

Jeff and I were involved in a Live Auction Prize that included golfing with Jeff, Quagmire clothing and dinner and entertainment at Bob and Susan Busby’s, served by us! We also had jewellery designer Jenn Fenton design some Monopoly themed jewellery for the night!

We dressed Fareen Samji for the event – her business – Burlington Orthotics Centre – donated the Believe Safari trip to Kenya that was the grand raffle prize. Check out www.idreamofkenya.com !

Fashionable Cause

2009-04-08T19:01:00.005-04:00

by Aimee Gregor

Can you even believe it, hair today...

I can't praise Phil from Salon Teo enough. He was witty, fun, charming,extremely talented and did an absolutely fabulous job.

As he tied elastics around my hair, to section off the part that was being chopped off , his salon went quiet. Everyone watched with anticipation. He gripped the scissors and proceed to cut,cut and cut. Finally it was off. He held up my long thick pony tail, as if he had just killed the prize beast, and showed it to everyone. The cheers, the applause, which came from within the salon, was tremendous.
The energy was so positive. Strangers came to me to tell me how proud they were that I would give so selflessly. How strong and confident I must be to do such an act. It wasn't strength or courage , only the understanding of how self worth is sometimes hard to maintain, especially while dealing with an epidemic illness such as Cancer! This was my part to help in the fight!

It was a wonderful day, filled with laughter, smiles and of course a fashionable cause.

The Child's Voice Foundation provides cranial prostheses (Angel Hair Systems) free to kids and teens that are suffering from hair loss. To have a wig made for a child can cost a family $1,200.00 to $3,000.00. Angel Hair for Kids will help a child whose parents have little to no financial means to create a wig for their daughter or son. We cannot do it alone. Together, we can make a difference.

www.achildsvoicefoundation.ca
www.teohairandbody.com

'Accepting who we are, in the moment.' - unknown

2009-04-08T18:53:00.004-04:00

Nurturing Your Whole Self Event

2009-03-04T01:07:00.018-05:00

Last Wednesday night (Feb. 25th), Joelle's proudly hosted an evening of "Nurturing Your Whole Self" organized by Sue Abell for over 90 of her fabulous Tread Powerfully members. What a great group of women! All of the $10 ticket price went directly to Halton Food for Thought, an organization that Sue and I picked simultaneously. Just over $900 was raised!
It was a magical evening full of inspiration to eat better, set fitness goals, think organic and of course, try on some new clothes!
All of the organic nibbles were made by Sue, Lisa and Diane! Truly amazing - the recipes will be on the Tread Powerfully website. The organic veggies were donated by Plan B Organic Farms and Alvaro kindly came out to talk to us about the farm and veggie box deliveries - definitely worth doing for you and your family! The wine was from Frog Pond Farm, the only certified organic winery in Ontario! Tammy and Annalisa of Two Girls Cooking are up an coming holistic nutritionists who got us thinking about what goes in and what comes out!! Their gluten free crackers are amazing!!!! Contact them for details!
Thanks to the TP ladies who let Robyn suit them up in some fresh spring clothes - it was so much fun to see these wonderful women transform into fashionistas. We were asked to show clothes for every day life and addressed each model's clothing challenges individually. They did such a great job!
Next, with the help of our models, our T by Tension sales rep Dee Dee launched the new spring collection of our fave Canadian work out wear at Joelle's. (Lou Lou who???)
An action packed night that left everyone on a real high! Just what we needed to kick us in to gear for the new season to come.

Sign up for a race (walk or run) www.mercedes10k.com
Eat organic food and support the farmers www.planborganicfarms.ca
Drink organic wine www.frogpondfarm.ca
Wear Canadian made clothes to exercise in www.tbytension.com
Join the Tread Powerfully group www.treadpowerfully.com
Support a great charity - your donations would be much appreciated - read the statistics www.haltonfoodforthought.ca
Try a detox retreat contact twogirlscooking@hotmail.com

Pictures from the event are featured below:

The Crowd & Inspirations

2009-03-04T01:01:00.008-05:00

The Models

2009-03-04T00:55:00.013-05:00

T for Tension

2009-03-04T00:35:00.005-05:00

Back from New York

2009-01-30T12:33:00.002-05:00

Our New York trip was lots of fun!!! Here are some photos...we were staying in Times Square. Inauguration Day was a very hopeful day in the US - it was interesting to talk to our cab drivers and the hotel staff - everyone was celebrating!
We spent lots of time in Anthropologie. Robyn, Linda and I found a unique store in SOHO called Evolution, which had everything from Ostrich eggs to lollipops containing real bugs to human skeletons - it was extremely interesting. At Bloomingdales, we all tried on the new boyfriend jeans from Sevens (coming to Joelle's very soon) and loved them! I loved Henri Bendel, as always. Aimee spent lots of time checking out the men's stores. Just don't mention the word "martini" to her! Vicki won the most things packed for a three day trip award (although I think we all borrowed something from her). If you want to get coffee ratings for any of the restaurants we went to, just ask Linda. Alex could spend all day at Dylan's Candy Bar! A shout out to Larry at Spice Market - he made our delicious dinner lots of fun!It was a special time for the Joelle's girls to bond and get ready for the new season! Thanks to Jeff for staying back and working really hard to get the store back in shape. You will now enjoy our extra fitting room on busy Saturdays.

Back from New York - The Photos

2009-01-30T09:55:00.035-05:00

click on the photo for a larger version

Joelle's Girls Off to New York

2009-01-16T09:26:00.011-05:00

While Alex and I get to travel to New York a fair bit, the others get left behind! Jeff and I decided that we really needed to close the store for a few days to do some maintenance work like painting and fixing hooks and to do a small renovation to add another fitting room for busy Saturdays! Our past year end (last August) was one to celebrate, so the full time staff - Alex, Aimee, Robyn, Linda and Vicki (who has been on staff for a long time!) are going to New York for three days and then coming back to train on our new computer system. Because we are open 7 days a week, we don't ever get a chance like this!

Our trip starts on Monday, January 19th. We are heading to the W Hotel on Broadway. We will head up 5th avenue and check out Henri Bendel (my inspiration) and then meet close to Central Park to get on the Sex and the City Bus Tour. It is a great way to see the city from a fashionista's perspective. Dinner will be late at a place called Schiller's (Balthazar,Pastis owner) -casual atmosphere with generous, delicious cocktails and a fun dj on Monday nights.

Tuesday we will spend time at the Project trade show and then hit the streets of SOHO so the girls can see some of my fave spots for ideas and research (Anthropology, Olive and Bettes, Big Drop, The New York Look, Bloomingdales SOHO, Barney's Co op, Betsey Johnson, Lacoste, Tretorn and more!) Lunch might be at my fave Asian noodle soup spot Kelly and Ping. And I will definitely stop at Vosges chocolates for the most amazing hot chocolate!!!
For dinner we will head to the Meat Packing District and go to Spice Market, another favourite!

On Wednesday, Aimee and I will do a Maternity appointment at The New View Maternity showroom while the others recover from there night. Then, we will likely hit Barney's and Bloomingdales and head for the airport!

Who knows if that will be how it goes, but it is a start! Watch for photos upon our return.

Local Businesses Featured at our Holiday Fashion Show

2008-11-20T22:15:00.011-05:00

Our holiday fashion show was a huge success! Thanks to the attnendees, Vogue models, Le Chef Complet, Hey Cupcake, Vineyard Estates Wines, That Certain Something, glamjulz, CTS Host Sharon Caddy, Sue Abell, Whalesongs, and all of the staff at Joelle's for participating. It was a great night to promote some local businesses and to view the holiday fashions!

Capture Precious Moments

2008-10-29T17:28:00.003-04:00

You know how you meet someone and you just know that you could work together? That is exactly what happened when jewellery designer Jenn Fenton connected me with photographer, Amy Montgomery. Amy did a photo shoot of my children, which I absolutely loved and we instantly started our connection. An extreme perfectionist, Amy is an inspiration to me as she juggles this attention to detail while being a mother of two young children. Amy, Jenn and I have all teamed up to bring you the much sought after Jenn Fenton/Amy Montgomery Photo Pendant Necklaces. Every few months, we are so lucky to have Amy in the store to shoot photos of your children specifically for the Jenn Fenton Jewellery. Working with Amy and Jenn is such a pleasure, as we all juggle our businesses, creativity and wonderful families. I can email them at any hour and usually find them working too! Please visit Amy's website and blog to see what I am talking about! www.amymontgomery.com

My Inspiration for Fitness - Sue Abell

2008-10-29T09:44:00.008-04:00

For those of you who have followed my column, you will know that there was a time when exercise was just not something I had or made time for. Until I met Sue Abell at my book club. Sue quickly embraced my failure with gyms and my resistance to work out in front of others and respected my aching back. She inspired me through her personal training programme and she became a woman (a mother, a wife, a committee member, a doer in the community) whom I felt challenged by and connected to. When Sue started her Treadpowerfully Programme in downtown Burlington, I wanted to share it with all of my peers and my customers. Sue is a genuine inspiration to many - she pushes us to exceed our expectations and understands our everyday stresses. Please check out her website to learn more. I hope to see you in one of her classes. Believe me, you will feel so good to be among this group of amazing people! www.treadpowerfully.com