One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale 2013

If you're looking for a feeling of Spring or something do to this long weekend - The One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale is the place to be! It's happening at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place in Toronto from March 27 - 30, 2013. More info here. Also, you can check out my last posting here - where I also gave away 10 pairs of tickets to the show.

I was invited this past Wednesday morning to a Media preview breakfast. Avery yummy and great looking food provided from Toben - food by design. After that, I got to walk around and checked out the show.

Lots to do, see, and buy. Check out some of the items that caught my eyes: from my favourite things, great packaging, cool/fun ideas, yummy food, great looking booth/presentation, and overall - inspiring artisans. I included the artisans' link. All photos below taken by me. Enjoy!

Nugs and Tricia O

 Marmalade and Whiteout Workshop

Cedar Mountain and Wilk Watchworks

Greg Voisin Pottery and Electrik Kidz

Tealish and Monkey Butter

For those who love one of a kind stuff - it's definitely worth checking out! Meet 450 Artisans, shop local and buy handmades! It's also a great place to be inspire - being a designer, I was! Happy shopping!

New to the show this year, Etsy section! and Nesslee Illustrations

Creation Li

One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale - Tickets Giveaway!

I know, eventhough Spring had arrived, it doesn't really feel like it out there. But maybe this will help. The One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale (OOAKS) will be happening next week from March 27-31 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Come and meet over 450 artisans, shop local and take home some very cool one of a kind handmade stuff! And for the very first time, Etsy had partnered with OOAKS and will showcase over 30 new and  emerging Etsy artisans in its own Etsy section. How cool is that?! The show would be such a great opportunity for them! For those who's not familliar with Etsy - they're an online marketplace where you can buy handmade or vintage items. I will definitely stop by and support my etsy community.

BTW, not sure if you guys know - I am pretty crafty myself and I do have my own creations: Hello! stuff. It's fun, cool graphic t-shirts & accessories. Go check out my etsy shop or even better, support and make a purchase! : )

Alright, it's giveaway time! The nice people from OOAKS have given me 10 pairs of tickets to give out = 10 winners! There TWO easy ways to enter, and 3 possible entries into the draw.

1. Facebook: Simply click "like" on the OOAKS tickets giveaway post at David Chiu Stuff. A bonus entry if you share it on your wall. While you're there, why not leave a comment too as to why you would like to attend the show: )

2. Leave a comment on the blog post below telling my why you would like to attend the show.

Rules: Open to readers in the GTA only. 10 readers will be randomly chosen, each will get a pair of tickets to attend the OOAKS. Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 26 at 6pm EST. Check back on my David Chiu Stuff Facebook page that evening to see if you're one of the winner. Good luck and happy shopping!

My Visit to Target in Toronto!

Yes, Target is finally in Canada! Me like many shoppers are jumping with joy : ) They are currently having "soft opening" which really means a test run to make sure everything goes smoothly and make last minute adjustments before the official grand openings happening in early April.

Being a fan and curious I went this morning and checked out the East York Town Centre location in Toronto. Another reason was to get my hands on some of the pieces from the Roots limited collection - Roots Outfitters, one of many brands Target partnered with. FYI - I ended picking up some sweats and tops.

The store was nice, bright, had 2 floors and fully staffed. There was a Starbuck at the front entrance. There was a nice grocery section. Overall, pretty much the same layout as what is in the states. It had great signage, easy to find what you're looking for. A little disappointed there wasn't the value (dollar) section. I also noticed a lot of sub-brands - i.e. Denizen from Levis, Trans from Jansport, Leo by Heys, etc. There was also a Fan Zone with some very nice merchandise for the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jays - which I thought was a nice idea to include. Other than that, there wasn't really any 'deals', but tons of selection at low prices = Expect More. Pay Less.

Check out some of my pics below. Looking forward to going back, next time with my Target REDcard! Where you can save 5% off your purchases - and who doesn't like more savings : )
Please comment below and share your thoughts. Happy Shopping!

Roots limited collection: Roots Outfitters

Some of the sub-brands (which I found interesting):

Trans for Jansport

Converse - One Star

Denizen from Levis

Leo by Heys

Umbra - Facepaper Contest Winner: Me!

I'm a big fan of umbra stuff. They're cool, modern, original, and affordable product for the home. I'm pretty sure you like me own something from umbra. Maybe a frame or two?

Well, umbra had a Facepaper Contest back in January where we can submit photos for a chance to be in an umbra frame sold worldwide. If that's not enough, the chosen ones also get a $50 umbra gift code to shop online. How cool, right? And guess who won? ME!!! lol

This was my kind of contest. People who knows me know that I LOVE taking pics and sharing them on instagram : ) Check out all of them here and please follow me.

I'm so happy! Umbra chose not just one but TWO of my photos!! That's right, look out for my winning photos in frames this fall! I'm super excited!

I was told that they sorted through hundreds of photos and picked a total of 10 winning shots. Check them out below - all very nice images! Congrats to all the winners!

My winning photo taken at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institue.

My second winning photo taken at this year's Interior Design Show.

Can't believe it, my photo will be 

in an umbra frame like these!

Here are the other winning photos.

Hickies - Elastic Lacing System

Have you heard about Hickies?

To be honest, I haven't either until they reached out to me. And I'm so glad they did since I love sneakers. After seeing my outfit postings, I guess they noticed the many sneakers I own. (FYI - If you're on instagram, follow @stardchiu and search #dchiuoutfit.)

They contacted me to asked if I would be interested to give Hickies a try, and without hesitation I said yes. Thank you so much Hickies! I tried and love them! Pics of them on my sneakers coming soon.

So, what exactly is Hickies? Hickies is an elastic lacing system that replaces traditional shoelaces and lets you easily slip in and out of your shoes while keeping them snug and secure. Never tie or untie your shoes again! What a great idea, right? Check out this video to see how to use Hickies.

And it comes in so many cool colours! You can get rid of the boring bow and customize your footwear! Be creative and stand out from the crowd. They're so simple and fun = they're great stuff!

To read all about Hickies, check out their website. While you're there, definitely go and order some too.

Please comment below, I would love to hear what you think of this idea/product. 

Stay tuned. Make sure you're following me on Twitter and 'Like' me on Facebook.....

Because, thanks to the kind people from Hickies, I will be doing a giveaway very soon. One reader will have a chance to win a pack of Hickies!!