Bodacious Goings On...

Well...one event down, two more to go. We had our official launch party for our Bodacious label last night at the store and I must admit, it was a huge success. We had such a nice mixture of people, a few media peeps and everything and everyone looked so pretty! We had the night catered by some beautiful friends of ours who are starting their own event planning/catering company, Miss Tura. The food was absolutely delicious!!! Our lovely Jocelyn also made chocolate covered strawberries and cherries which were gobbled down appreciately. The picture you see is of a flower mannequin that our local florist, Sam (Buy the Bunch) created for us which I have to say left me speachless and brought tears to my eyes! 75 pink peonies, cabbage roses, lilies, orchids, oh my!!! A bit of a late night...we had to finish the punch which I have to say I'm regretting a little bit today:) Tomorrow is Main Day which will be another big event - from setting up at 8:00 am to the last band, Sister J's Soul Summit @ 5:00 pm, there will be thousands of people walking along Main Street and hopefully shopping! Always a fun time. And...Monday, we're going to be on Breakfast Television with Simi Sara. We will be doing a live interview and fashion show of some of the new spring/summer designs at Bodacious. Early morning for us but well worth it, I'm sure. Tuesday, Malcolm Parry from the Vancouver Sun will be coming to interview us for the Financial section. He attended our party last night and seemed to be impressed by the success of the store so that's great! If only I could get into the Province, my mom would be so pleased:)
And that's about it for the next few days... WHEW!
Now if only someone would mow my lawn, I'd be really happy!
Happy Weekend everyone.
Lorna

Pssssttt!

Pssst…….Can we talk??
Spring is finally here, in fact today it feels like summer all the way. What do you do to cool down? How are you going to stay comfortable? I want to talk about a dirty little secret all of us bodacious girls know and loathe. “Chub Rub”. You don’t have to be such a big girl to get it either. “Chub Rub” is when your upper thighs rub together and cause discomfort, rash, welts and even bleeding. How many times have you put on that cool summer dress or pretty skirt and then taken it off because you fear for your thighs? God forbid you have to walk anywhere for any length of time with your eyes watering and your tender thighs burning.
Some people use oils or cocoa butter to ease the friction, some go the other way with powders and talcs. I’ve tried both and find they work for a little while only and unless you can duck in somewhere private to re-apply you could be out of luck.
The only thing that I have found that works all the time and as long as I need are knickers.
Mitzylaneous Designs, one of our fabulous in-house designers make these lightweight bike short style knickers that come in black or white and are just heaven to wear. She uses a cool/dry type fabric that is designed for athletes because it wicks moisture away from the body and keeps everything comfy, dry and chafe free. Even more exciting? She has also designed a ¾ length legging in black that are trimmed in lace at the calf and made from the same lightweight fabric as the knickers.
Just say NO to “Chub Rub”!
xoBarb

What is a "Real" Woman?

It's my birthday today and being a young 42, I think it's a good time to reflect on what makes a "real" woman. What would make me feel like a "real" woman?
I keep seeing "real" women being defined by size. Being a size 16, 18 or 20 doesn't make me more real. If it did, would a size 2 or 28 woman be less real? What about the women who are even smaller or larger than those sizes? I know that when those terms are used, the intention is to sound more inclusive. I see it once again separating us as women - making a line to determine who rates and who doesn't.
When I think of "real" women, I think of women who are strong, independent, good mothers, good daughters, hard workers. Women who volunteer their time to a cause and donate money to charity. Women who speak out about injustice and continue to stand up even when it's scary. Having said that, let's also remember that a women who doesn't fit into any of those categories is just as real, just as valid, just as worthy as each of us deserves to know we are!
Let's stand together and celebrate our sameness, our uniqueness and our differences - as "REAL" women!

Check out Bodacious on CBC-TV - Vancouver Living

About a month ago, Margaret Gallagher from CBC-TV's Living Vancouver came into Bodacious with her camera crew and filmed a segment for the show. It aired this past Monday but if you missed it, you can still check out the full segment online at the above link. We're extremely happy with the result! ENJOY...
Lorna & Barb

Bodacious Ladies Meet Some Movers and Shakers!

Tonight we were treated to a wonderful night out at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs 5th Anniversary Gala by our lovely friend and mentor, Karin. They had a huge silent auction, lots of good wine and food and an amazing speaker named Rebecca MacDonald.

She is is one of the founders and current Chair of Energy Savings Income Fund, a Toronto based marketer of deregulated gas and electricity. Energy Savings currently supplies over 1,500,000 customers in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec, B.C. and Illinois having signed their first customer in 1997. Ms. MacDonald has been involved in the sale of deregulated natural gas for more than 15 years. Prior to forming Energy Savings in 1997, Rebecca was the President of EMI, another successful gas marketing company.

A very inspirational story of someone who came to Canada from Yugoslavia with very little money and a determination to succeed! Her company is now worth over a BILLION dollars!
There were so many successful and inspiring women at this event. It's always good to hear stories of how women create their success on their own terms in their own way! It really shows you that everyone has the potential to do well if they follow their heart & passion.
International Women's Day is coming up on March 8, 2007. Let's all remember to support, honour and celebrate what makes us all unique and beautiful beings.
bodaciously,
Lorna

Check out the Bodacious Gals on DarynKagan.com

Hey everyone! We've had an interesting year so far. Lots of exciting things coming up for spring. We just wanted to share this interview we did with Daryn Kagan for her feel-good website. We're pretty happy with the results and we had a good time answering her questions. Enjoy!
Lorna & Barb

Pay It Forward!

Just before Christmas, Barb and I saw an episode of Oprah all about "paying it forward". We loved the idea and the impact these acts can have on our community and ourselves. We thought about what we could do to make a difference for someone else - we've had a fantastic past year and wanted to give something back. We contacted the YWCA and were assigned a family - a single mom and her two daughters. The names came along with wish lists for each of them. We had such a great time shopping for these items and knowing that maybe we could help make someone's life a little bit easier. The week before Christmas, we went as a group to meet the family. You know, you really don't want to go into something like this with any expectations. The end result, however, was so much more than we could have expected. The expressions on their faces when we walked in with the bags full of wrapped gifts was so heartwarming and the hug we got from the mom as we were leaving...wow! I realize that this simple act isn't going to change the world but maybe it's a start. It certainly has changed mine! I highly recommend it!
Lorna

Dear Oprah,

I'm confused! You feature a "300 pound" woman on your show who's father says she's not ok the way she is. When she loses weight through gastric bypass surgery and comes back on your show, she earns a standing ovation and the love of her father. You never once let this woman know that she's beautiful, lovable and deserving of love before her weight loss. The following day after the weight loss show, you feature Crystal, a size 12 "plus-size" model who declares on your show that every woman should be represented in the fashion industry. You wholeheartedly agreed. I don't believe you. What I think you might have meant is that any woman who is a size 2 to a size 14 should be represented. You say that "size-ism" is the last acceptable form of discrimination. Oprah! Why perpetuate that discrimination when you have the power to change it. You challenge so many things but refuse to celebrate ALL women - as they are - right now!

respectfully,
Lorna Ketler

I Love Clothes

I love clothes.
I want the clothes I see other girls wearing, you know, smaller girls. I don’t want clothes to cover me up and make me disappear. Sometimes I want to show off my best assets too. I want the clothes that I see in the magazines, or on T.V. or some really confident beautiful woman on the street. I want clothes that fit me well and are soft or silky and tight in all the right places. I want clothes that skim my curves and help me feel at ease in my body. I want fun easy trendy clothes. I want classic pieces that I will treasure and wear for years because they never wear out or go out of style. I want clothes that I can pick up off of my bedroom floor, give a good shake and wear again. I want clothes that other people covet. I want clothes that go with shoes I love. I love shoes.
I want clothes that fit me!
Don’t you love clothes?
I love clothes.

xoxBarb

Welcome to our new Bodacious Blog!!!

Hello everyone - welcome to our new Blog site. Check back often - we'll keep you posted about what's happening with us and what's new here in the store. We'd love it if you used this space to share your feelings, experiences and what you're looking for.