Ottawa Street Style: Black & White with a dust of Pink for Fall

The weather has been cooling down these last few days, and finally I had an excuse to wear my new pink wool coat from Old Navy. I don’t see it online, so I apologize in advance 🙁 I guess it’s an in-store only item.

I felt pretty sharp and comfy going into work today, especially for a Monday morning! I only hope to be this inspired when I wake up tomorrow!

Outfit details

I wore a white shirt and black quilted joggers from H&M and my new Ecco kicks! My purse is from Danier (:( sad face because they are now closed) my shades are Bailey Nelson, and my necklace is from Canadian jewelry designer Biko, purchased at Vincent this weekend!

A big thank you to Alan Wainwright Photography for taking these pics!

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Cecilia Racicot: New Ottawa fashion designer for real girly girls

I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I love supporting local, especially when the business is run by a woman. This post is not just about any woman, it’s a new Fashion Designer in Ottawa, and you are going to love her! Not only is her work of utmost highest quality, she has fair prices, makes clothes to measure and her styles are going to blow each season out of the park! I present you Cecilia Racicot.

Cecilia Racicot designs are created by Ottawa cool girl, Megan Racicot.

CECILIA RACICOT was born out of a love for fashion and a desire to create. The brand offers an exclusive portfolio of the current trends of the season and tailor made one-of-a-kind apparel.

Launched in 2016 as the go-to for made-to-measure skirts, CECILIA RACICOT has expanded to include women’s vests, dresses and accessories.

Proudly designed and made in Canada, CECILIA RACICOT emerges as an affordable lifestyle brand for women of all shapes and sizes, embracing beauty and individuality.

If you are looking for fun, flirty pieces with an edge, I urge you to visit the site and spend all of next week’s pay. On my birthday a few weeks ago, I treated myself to the Ezra jacket, a fun floral quilted pattern that will add a zing to any boring outfit. You know, on those days that I am feeling less creative.

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Gorgeous quilted floral pattern.

Then… I ordered some more! I can’t wait to get the Rowan skirt soon!

Cecilia Racicot Rowan Skirt

I really wish Megan the best of luck in her work and hope she is here to stay. Now, I just have to convince her to design enough pieces for a fashion show… won’t you help me encourage her!

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#GotHummus? New Ottawa Restaurant Chickpeas sure does!

Chickpeas Ottawa just opened it’s doors and already they are getting slammed with crowds of Ottawan’s demanding all the chickpeas! If you’re looking for a healthy, made-from-scratch meal, that happens to be vegetarian, you may want to do yourself a favour and head over to Trainyards.

We had the chance to sample the multicoloured hummus tray, the falafel sandwich, the falafel bites and the piece de resistance… the falafel waffle!

The owner and head Chef, Omar, was telling me that he travelled to Lebanon on a quest to find the best authentic and made-from-scratch recipes. He worked with chefs and visited quaint restaurants that helped him develop his signature menu and learn the tricks of the trade. Omar also told me that he soaks fresh dried chickpeas every night and removes the skin off 15 Kilos of chickpeas every day to make the creamiest hummus in town!

Chickpeas is not a fancy restaurant. It’s a healthy, vegan/vegetarian friendly eatery with a simple, tasty and fresh menu. You can grab a quick bite to eat, bring the family or take your meal to go. I love that it’s located in Trainyards, only minutes away from my place. It’s nice to have a healthy take-out option in the area.

So here is what we ate…

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Gorgeous high ceilings and fresh decor.

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Here is the plate of hummus we were all dying to try! Beet, original, black bean, mango, avocado and red pepper. My fave was avocado!

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This is the signature BAKED falafel waffle. I absolutely loved it! The falafel batter is so fresh and delicious. It’s not too heavily spiced and super soft in texture.
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Delicious falafel bites!
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Yummy falafel sandwich. This falafel is particularly delicious because the falafel is fried. I love the fresh tomatoes in the sandwich that help to balance the salt in the dish. The falafel chips are perfect for the avohummus.
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#WhenInAndaz: New Ottawa Hotel in Byward Market puts the spotlight on the capital

Ottawan’s have been anticipating the opening of Andaz Hotel for quite some time, and finally we can all rest, because it’s open… and you’re going to love it!

I was invited to the grand opening party a few weeks ago, and had the opportunity to savour and soak in all the Ottawa details nestled in this new boutique hotel located in the heart of the Byward Market. Between the gastro dining experience at Feast + Revel and Copper Spirits and Sights, the famous rooftop patio and trendy cocktail lounge, Andaz is no hospitality rookie and knows how to welcome it’s guests.

The evening was filled with experiential entertainment, like the yummy gummy Squish candy bar, hummingbird chocolate and wine tasting and, my favourite, the pickle smorgasbord at the Walter’s dress-your-own caesar bar. On a side note, the Andaz caesar is getting quite the reputation for it’s ketchup chips and seaweed rimer, which I am a huge fan of! We can thank Executive Chef, Stephen La Salle for all his magical creations!

This past weekend, I was lucky to celebrate my birthday and organized a dinner with friends at F+R. We then headed to the rooftop patio for some cocktails, got cozy in a booth and stayed warm by the fire pit. This was exactly how I wanted to spend my birthday. The weather was perfection and the company was even better! On a surprise note, I was even crowned with a gorgeous tiara from Ottawa Royal Style by Maria Al-Masani herself! I mean… that’s quite the birthday gift!

A few things you may not know about Andaz Ottawa

  1. The first rooftop patio bar in a hotel in Ottawa that is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!!! Game changer here folks!
  2. The rooftop gives you an awesome view of the city
  3. The hotel only uses soap from Ottawa’s favourite natural product line company, Purple Urchin (p.s. I adore their soap bars!)
  4. Andaz is a boutique chain owned by the Hyatt
  5. Andaz Ottawa has 200 gorgeous guest rooms (although I have yet to see a room with my own eyes, but I hear they are spectacular)
  6. Andaz Ottawa has 4500 square feet of meeting and event space!

Ottawa views for days ?? thanks to @andazottawa What a gorgeous hotel. Can’t wait to loiter here ????? #wheninAndaz

A photo posted by Ottawa • Canadian Blogger (@chantsy) on

So, on your not-so-spare time, you can have a peak at some of the pictures from the Andaz opening event. These lovely photos were taken by Eric Vance, super talented (and handsome!) Ottawa photographer. These photos are protected by copyright and are not to be used without permission. Thanks!

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