It’s officially the last week of summer before our fall routines set in, so why not enjoy a little shopping time at Raffinalla’s Summer Sale. Lucky you, because Raffinalla (Le Groupe Raffinati), the well-known well-made Montreal label is having an end of season sale.

Save big on Spring & Summer Fashions.  Summer & Fall samples and overstock (all sizes available), #PerfectFitPant also available in plus & petite sizes, Comfort Fit Leggings, sportswear, coats, belts & scarves.

Each product from the Raffinalla line is conceived, cut, sewn, tested and inspected in the brand’s headquarters – it doesn’t get more local than that. Raffinalla carefully chooses fabrics imported from all over the world.

It is quite satisfying when you can buy these masterly constructed and designed garments on sale. Women love the timelessness of their designs, so they can keep collecting pieces to build wardrobes.

Head out and take advantage of this end of season sale offering quality stylish apparel at fantastic savings.

Location: 9200 Meilleur, suite 400
corner: Chabanel
Phone: 514-327-4477, 514-979-4764
Dates: Tues – Fri, Aug 28-31, 2018
Hours: 10-5
Private appointments welcome.
Metro: Station Cremazie, Bus 146
raffinalla.com

The South Shore University Women’s Club will be holding their 44th Annual Book Sale. All funds from this sale will provide scholarships for women pursuing higher education.

This is a good moment to clear your shelves and cupboards of unwanted books and give them to a good cause. It’s also a great time to start a library or find inexpensive summer reading. There are thousands of books to choose from in English and French. They’re nearly new and used.

Location: St. Barnabas Church, 95 Lorne Ave, Saint Lambert J4P 2G7
Phone: 450- 672-9315
Dates and Times: Wed-Fri Aug 15 -Aug 17: 5-9, Sat Aug 18: 9-3
www.ssuwc.ca

You’ve got boxes  or shelves of books (or CD’s or vinyl) and don’t know what to do with them. You don’t have the heart to throw them out.  There are places you can donate them, and one is McGill University. Every Fall, McGill University has a gi-normous book fair to raise money for projects in the school. This year it will be held on Oct 16-18.

If you have books, CD’s or vinyl in good condition, they want them and need them. And if you are in the West Island and don’t want to fight the orange cones to get downtown, you can easily drop them off nearby. You can call or e-mail to find out where.

Tel: 514-421-0804
e-mail: bookfair.alumni@mcgill.ca
Dates of Fair: Oct 16-18

Wallpaper has become so trendy again. It’s really hard to find stores that still sell it. Empire Wallpaper and Paint has been the one-stop shop for all your interior decorating needs for over 50 years. If you are planning to spruce up your home for the holidays, this would be a good time to tackle a wallpaper project.  Even if you are on a tight budget, you can peruse their 2 for 1 wallpaper section with a lot of new patterns as low as $9.99 per double roll.

Wallpaper brands: Arte, Candice Olsen, Carl Robinson, Casadeco, Caselio, Cole & Son, Eijffinger, Elitis, Hohenberger, Joanne Fabrics, Kenneth James, Omexco, Ralph Lauren, Ronald Redding, Sanderson UK, Thibaut, Tres Tintas, Zoffany

Blinds: Applause honeycomb shades, Design Studio Roman shades, Designer roller shades and screen shades, Duette Architella honeycomb shades, Hunter Douglas Blind Collection, Luminette Modern Draperies and privacy Sheers, Nantucket window shadings, Natural Elements blinds, Parkland Genuine wood blinds, Pirouette window shadings, Provenance woven wood vertical drapery and woven wood shades, Reveal with MagnaView,

Follow their facebook page for other upcoming promotions for the Holidays.

I came across a display of Crypton Home Fabric at Cameo. Every fiber is permanently bonded with stain repellency, easy soil release and odor resistance (to keep fabrics fresh) – which won’t wash or wear away. There’s an amazing array of colors, textures and patterns. It’s so easy-to-clean and is still soft and durable with enhanced abrasion resistance so it can stand up to your everyday live.

Crypton is also eco-conscious so it is free of harmful levels of PFOs, PFOA, formaldehyde, heavy metals, phenols, phthalates, and odor and skin sensitizers.

For more than 20 years, it was the choice of designers for heavy-traffic, heavy- use areas as in hotels, hospitals and restaurants. It’s now available for home decorating. Go to  www.cameo-sofa.com and click on the image of Crypton to see a video of the science behind the fabric as well as the liquid repellent feature.  Tuck this somewhere for the future.

www.cameo-sofa.com
www.crypton.com
http://crypton.com/for-home/   –  to see photo of wine just bubbling up on it

If you drive down this industrial street, you will find a sparkling treasure trove tucked away in a nondescript building and up a flight of stairs. With bridal showers and wedding season starting up, this is the place to head to get more bang for your buck.

The glitter of crystal (Badash, Waterford) like Swarovski (even jewelry), china (Lenox, Kate Spade, Royal Doulton, Minton, Herend, Royal Crown Derby, Noritake, Vera Wang, Villeroy & Boch, Wedgewood, Monique Lhuillier) and figurines await you. Look for giftware and serving pieces by Herend, Beatriz Ball, Michael Aran (cocktail accessories too), Momo Panache‘s brightly colored serving pieces and Julia Knight‘s cake plates, colored glassware and vases. The showroom is chock full of merchandise, and the prices are right.

Location: 2795 rue Bates, suite 101, Ville Mont-Royal
corner: Darlington
Tel: 514-731-1656
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-2, Sun 10-4

Bed and Breakfast, now playing at the Centaur Theatre, was cleverly written by Toronto playwright/actor Mark Crawford, and covers the gamut of gay existence in a bitingly funny face-paced play. The best part of this production is that playwright Mark Crawford gets to be actor Mark Crawford in this gay-partner duo, along with his real life partner actor/playwright Paul Dunn. What a powerhouse these two are.

The couple are thrust into small town Canada as gay pioneers when Crawford, as Brett, inherits his Aunt Maggie’s house. With their design and hospitality industry skills, they decide to turn it into a B & B. Chameleons Crawford and Dunn re-make themselves brilliantly and surprisingly not confusingly into 22 local characters. Dunn, as Drew, manages to twist himself into characters so well that no explanations are needed as he switches back and forth instantly from one person to another.

Set and costume designer Dana Osborne performed miracles with the most minimal of sets – one platform bed with a magician’s worth of drawers and storage. As for costumes, I don’t think I’ve seen so many combinations of pants, shirts and sweaters taken on and off since my last girlfriends’ shopping spree.

The story flings through everything from homophobia to hate crimes to anonymous phone calls, to coming out, to gay teens and relationship with parents, along with latte orders, choosing bathroom tiles and Santa Claus parades. Loved the line about how impossible it was to organize gay parades in Toronto since gays will never “line up straight”.

Location: 453 St-Francois Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: til May 21
Prices $39-51 (deals for students and seniors)
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes

You need to know where to go when it’s that special time for communion, confirmation or baptism. Lingerie Pina & Carmelo Sacco has been the go to place for generations.

If you have a wedding planned this year, the Mother of the Bride could find an outfit, the bridal party too and you can even get bonbonnieres made-to-order and wrapped.  They offer a Bridal Registry and there are gifts galore.

The name  clearly does not define this family business as you’ll find and housewares galore: silverware, china, toasters and meat slicers. If you are looking for ecological cookware, they sell Cool Kitchen which has no PTFE, no PFOA and can be used for induction cooking. The Italian community knows to come here for Pizzel machines for cookies and Cavetelli machines for gnocchi, Those who like collectibles will find: Precious Moments, Walt Disney Collection and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Designers are here to help you with curtains (free installation), and they have the exclusive Hunter Douglas Alustra line with copper and chrome headers. If you need them, there’s carpet runners by the yard.

Do you know where else to buy  housecoats or cotton handkerchiefs?

Location: 8365 boul. Viau, St-Leonard QC H1R 2T6
corner: boul. Robert
Tel: 514-323-0427
Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7:30, Sat 9-5. Open Sunday 10-5 from Labor Day – June 1st

JRC toy warehouse is still open to the public today from 10-3 with deals of up to 70% off on all kinds of toys.

Name brands from Alex Toys, Barbie, Crayola, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Hot Wheels, Leap Frog, Lego, Little Tikes, Mattel, Mega Bloks, Melissa & Doug, Playskool, Spinmaster, Step 2, The Orb Factory and VTech.

Books are only $1 & up.

They accept debit, Visa Mastercard, but no cheques. There will be no exchanges or refunds, as all sales are final.

Location: 5589 Royalmount
corner: Chemin Devonshire
Metro: Station de la Savanne
Google Map: http://bit.ly/1RUJlsh
Tel: 514-342-6979
Times: Christmas Eve 10-3
www.jrctoys.com
email: info@jrctoys.com

Head way downtown to the St. Henri area for Tiger Distribution’s clearance sale which features awesome clothes for awesome guys and girls.

The brands to get you excited: Brixton, Poler, Penfield, Deus are for the guys and the girls in shirts, pants, jeans, accessories, hats, caps, beanies, backpacks and totes.

Location: 1001 rue Lenoir, D220
corner: St-Antoine ouest
Dates: Dec 1-3
Time: noon-8