Hazel Goblindancer
The Edmonton Fringe Festival starts today and runs until August 21st in Old Strathcona. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Festival and what better way to celebrate that accomplishment then by giving out free underwear! That’s right; Derks Menswear will be at the Fringe Festival on Saturday August 13 and August 20, giving away Bjorn Borg underwear! Here’s the catch: to receive the underwear you will have to change into the underwear in our portable change rooms and model them for our camera. The pair that you model for us will be yours to keep! For those of you that are too shy to bare all we will also be passing out $10 off coupons for Bjorn Borg Underwear sold at our Southside location. To participate or receive a coupon, look for the models wearing “I Love Bjorn Borg” t-shirts at the festival. See you there….in your underwear!
In addition to getting $10 off Bjorn Borg Underwear, the coupon also entitles you to an extra 10% off all items on sale at the Derks Menswear Southside location! We have some amazing brands on sale including Sand, J - Lindeberg, Stenstrom, and many more. Don’t miss out!
Hazel Goblindancer
Suzanne Davis, Notables Owner with a customized “25th Birthday” party napkin.
For all the big moments in our lives, many of us have turned to Notables Stationers Inc. for wedding invites, birthday cards and birth announcements. But on Tuesday, June 21st, we lit birthday candles for Notables as the store celebrated 25 years in business. And yes, there was a cake . . . a quite delightfully looking one actually, made by The Art of Cake.
To help celebrate and congratulate the owner of Notables, Suzanne Davis . . . our Bridal Fantasy socialites Heidi & Nicole stopped by with flowers for Suzanne from Swish Flowers. And not only was there cake, the Queen of Rationalization was there too! Take a look at a picture that Heidi & Nicole took with her . . .
Nicole (left) & Heidi (right)
By the end of the party, Notables ended up raising over $3,200 for the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation by donating a portion of their sales during their birthday celebration. The foundation supports young children, often in vulnerable situations, through early learning and full‐day Kindergarten programs. As well, it prepares children with the essentials to help them take up pen and paper and be successful in school. “We are strong supporters of literacy initiatives, so this charity is a natural fit for us,” said Davis.
Looking back on their history, they have truly achieved much success as Notables is now one of the most popular independent stationery stores in Edmonton. After opening their doors on 124 Street in 1986, in 2005, they expanded to their current location in High Street. Also, in addition to quality stationery, Notables carries a large selection of leather journals and hand‐made photo albums, fine writing instruments and Pandora and Thomas Sabo jewelry.
For more information on Notables, visit www.notables.ca
Columbine Rainbowwand
After looking at yesterday’s photos, I’m sure that your anticipation levels are at an all-time high right now, but no need to stress . . . here is Part 2 of yesterday’s blog ‘Wonderfully Lost in Wonderland’. These following photos are more up-close and detailed shots from the shoot . . . enjoy fellow BF Blog readers!
Photographer’s inspiration for the shoot:
“I wanted to do a photo shoot that had a really fun theme, and I started thinking about it and somewhere along the way I decided to do a Disney themed photo shoot. So in total we had 7 themes, originally we had 6 based on the princesses, but since Alice in Wonderland is my favourite, I had to do another photo shoot that had an Alice theme. We were thinking multicoloured and whimsical with a hint of crazy. I wanted this photo-shoot to be more glam oriented, and look a little dramatic. There were a bunch of wedding vendors from over the city that contributed and helped make the photo shoot look perfect!”
Justine Milton
At the age of just 20, Justine Milton is not only a University of Alberta student, she’s been mastering the art of photography for 4 years now. She always tries to have fun while she’s out shooting, and she likes to make sure that everyone involved is having a good time, as she thinks this makes for more natural photographs.
Justine loves photography as an art form and truly capturing the moment . . . polaroids are her favourite! Milton Photography is a company that she started when she was 19, and with it’s current success, she is really excited to see where it can go from here.
She continues to grow as an artist and as she continues to learns new things about photography, she loves applying them to her photos.
Credits for the Shoot:
Photography: Justine Milton from Milton Photography
Flowers: Off Whyte Floral Studio
Cupcakes: Fuss Cupcakes
Makeup: Lydia Yapp from Edmonton Makeup Artists
Hair: Jamie Williams of Dandy Salon Spa
Linens: A Chair to Remember
Décor: Special Event Rentals
Stationary: iBride Invitations
Design & Co-ordination: Jacquelyn Schafer - WPICC Owner/Lead Planner of Hitched Wedding Design
Set-Up: Brianna Miniaci from Cherish Planning
Models: Kevin Saccuci & Ashley Park
Clothing: Kevin’s outfit is compliments of Derks and Ashley is wearing the Isadora Anne by Maggie Sottero
Columbine Rainbowwand
It never ceases to astonish me when a group of amazingly talented and creative people can get together and literally make fairy tales and dreams come to life. Justine Milton from Milton Photography and numerous collaborators [Off Whyte Floral Studio (flowers), Fuss Cupcakes (cupcakes), Jamie Williams from Dandy Salon Spa (hair), Lydia Yapp from Edmonton Makeup Artists (make-up), A Chair to Remember (linens), Special Event Rentals (décor), iBride Invitations (stationary), Jacquelyn Schafer - WPICC Owner/Lead Planner of Hitched Wedding Design (design & co-ordination), and Brianna Miniaci of Cherish Planning (set up)] all got together and with the combination of their talents, resources, and imaginations they put together an Alice in Wonderland themed photo-shoot! And from just looking at the photos she sent me, I can honestly say that the shoot was more than just a success . . . the photos are enchanting!
I know that you are all dying to see the photos now, but because there were so many, we decided that it would be best enjoyed in a two part series . . . so stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog where we’ll be posting the rest of the photos that were sent from the shoot. But for now . . . enjoy these Alice in Wonderland shoot faves:
And that’s the end . . . for now! Make sure to check back tomorrow for more photos from the shoot. We hoped you enjoyed them as much as we did. Well we’ll see you all tomorrow!
Additional Credits:
Models: Kevin Saccuci & Ashley Park
Kevin’s outfit is compliments of Derks and Ashley is wearing the Isadora Anne by Maggie Sottero
Bracken Goblinshimmer
Buying a home for the first time can be really intimidating and confusing with all the different factors that you have to take into account. Especially if you are also buying your new home amidst of your busy wedding planning schedule, sometimes it is just easier and more beneficial to ask for help, professional help. Michelle Derk from RE/MAX was kind enough to give us information for today’s blog topic: Why Hire a Real Estate Agent? Thanks Michelle!
Special Guest Author: Michelle Derk
1. Education & Experience
You don’t need to know everything about buying and selling real estate if you hire a real estate professional who does. Henry Ford once said that when you hire people who are smarter than you are, it proves you are smarter than they are. The trick is to find the right person. For the most part, they all cost about the same. Why not hire a person with more education and experience than you? We’re all looking for more precious time in our lives, and hiring pros gives us that time.
2. Agents are Buffers
Agents take the spam out of your property showings and visits. If you’re a buyer of new homes, your agent will whip out her sword and keep the builder’s agents at bay, preventing them from biting or nipping at your heels. If you’re a seller, your agent will filter all those phone calls that lead to nowhere from lookie loos and try to induce serious buyers to immediately write an offer.
3. Neighbourhood Knowledge
Agents either possess intimate knowledge or they know where to find the industry buzz about your neighbourhood. They can identify comparable sales and hand these facts to you, in addition to pointing you in the direction where you can find more data on schools, crime or demographics. For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $350,000, but an agent will know it had upgrades and sold at $285,000 after 65 days on the market and after twice falling out of escrow.
4. Price Guidance
Contrary to what some people believe, agents do not select prices for sellers or buyers. However, an agent will help to guide clients to make the right choices for themselves. If a listing is at 7%, for example, an agent has a 7% vested interest in the sale, but the client has a 93% interest. Selling agents will ask buyers to weigh all the data supplied to them and to choose a price. Then based on market supply, demand and the conditions, the agent will devise a negotiation strategy.
5. Market Conditions Information
Real estate agents can disclose market conditions, which will govern your selling or buying process. Many factors determine how you will proceed. Data such as the average per square foot cost of similar homes, median and average sales prices, average days on market and ratios of list-to-sold prices, among other criteria, will have a huge bearing on what you ultimately decide to do.
6. Professional Networking
Real estate agents network with other professionals, many of whom provide services that you will need to buy or sell. Due to legal liability, many agents will hesitate to recommend a certain individual or company over another, but they do know which vendors have a reputation for efficiency, competency and competitive pricing. Agents can, however, give you a list of references with whom they have worked and provide background information to help you make a wise selection.
7. Negotiation Skills & Confidentiality
Top producing agents negotiate well because, unlike most buyers and sellers, they can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction and because they are skilled. It’s part of their job description. Good agents are not messengers, delivering buyer’s offers to sellers and vice versa. They are professionals who are trained to present their client’s case in the best light and agree to hold client information confidential from competing interests.
8. Handling Volumes of Paperwork
One-page deposit receipts were prevalent in the early 1970s. Today’s purchase agreements run 10 pages or more. That does not include the federal- and state-mandated disclosures nor disclosures dictated by local custom. Most real estate files average thicknesses from one to three inches of paper. One tiny mistake or omission could land you in court or cost you thousands.
9. Answer Questions After Closing
Even the smoothest transactions that close without complications can come back to haunt. For example, taxing authorities that collect property tax assessments, doc stamps or transfer tax can fall months behind and mix up invoices, but one call to your agent can straighten out the confusion. Many questions can pop up that were overlooked in the excitement of closing. Good agents stand by ready to assist. Worthy and honest agents don’t leave you in the dust to fend for yourself.
10. Develop Relationships for Future Business
The basis for an agent’s success and continued career in real estate is referrals. Few agents would survive if their livelihood was dependent on consistently drumming up new business. This emphasis gives agents strong incentives to make certain clients are happy and satisfied. It also means that an agent who stays in the business will be there for you when you need to hire an agent again. Many will periodically mail market updates to you to keep you informed and to stay in touch.
