EDMONTON — It started out as such a simple idea.

“I designed the logo for our preschool and it had these cute little clip-art faces that we use, so the idea was to take these faces and put them on dishes and let the kids pick one that looks like them,” said Sarah Stickland.

With a little creativity, Stickland was able to take this simple idea and turn it into one of west Edmonton’s newest thriving home-businesses, CHILDish.

Background

Being a self-described go-getter, Stickland said it was only natural for her to take an active role in the fundraising process at her children’s daycare, Southside Mother’s Day Out.

“I did their fundraising for two years and as part of that, what I kept finding is that it was just chocolates and a bunch of junkie stuff,” said Stickland.

So in an effort to put some new life into fundraising, Stickland said she came up with the idea of putting cartoon faces on children’s dishes.  Over the next couple months, she was amazed at the sheer popularity of the dishes, as well as the amount of positive feedback she was getting from other parents.

“The moms kept saying ‘well you should do this as a business,’ “ said Stickland.  “And eventually I thought, ‘well why not?’ ”

So in January of this year, “CHILDish” was born.

The business

Stickland said the business started off kind of slow.  She spent the first three months really building up the companies’ name and reputation with the help of social media, word-of-mouth advertising and a number of give-a-ways.

“(I wanted) to create a little bit of a buzz,” said Stickland.  “Get samples out there and let people know what it’s about.”

From the beginning, Stickland was quite adamant about sticking strictly to dishes, but as she kept coming up with more and more ideas, she knew she had to expand.

Right now CHILDish sells four different products (dishes, lunchboxes, labels and tumblers) but Stickland said she has more than two-dozen product ideas currently in the experimentation stages.

“I want to do personalization with the faces, but I also want it to be high-quality, good products that I want to use,” said Stickland  “If I’m not going to buy it, I won’t sell it.”

With the back-to-school season upon us, Stickland said the CHILDish lunchboxes have become her most popular item, but she expects the dishes to make a return come Christmas.

She also mentioned that all of the products sold by CHILDish are BPA free, once again ensuring the top quality for her customers.

The future

Besides releasing more products and attending a number of tradeshows, Stickland said she isn’t sure what the future holds for CHILDish.  She said right now it’s a toss up as to whether or not the business will be able to sustain itself once her children start school full-time.

With a recent spot on “Cityline TV” and a feature in “Today’s Parent”, it would appear that CHILDish is well on its way.

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — For Megan Lawrence and Donna Tipper, good business is based on good taste, and good taste is based on intuition.

Since the mother-daughter duo opened their shop “Upperlane Living” in 2008, their uniquely personal approach has garnered continued success, even in tough economic times.

“We pick things [to stock] that we’re drawn to, that speak to us, that we have some emotional connection with,” Lawrence said.

Initially conceived as a home décor shop, Upperlane Living is now a diverse gift store, offering everything from home accessories, jewellery, scented oils and candles to baby gifts.

Background

Both women had always an affinity for décor, even though Lawrence’s background is in marketing and her mother was a dental receptionist.

“I think my husband pushed us to make it something tangible and open a store,” Lawrence said.  “He used to say, ‘you should do this full time, because you guys are good at it!’ ”

By the time Upperlane Living opened its doors, however, it was November and hot on the heels of the 2008 economic downturn. Tipper and Lawrence had to adapt on the fly.

“With the economy, people weren’t spending money on themselves anymore,” Tipper observed.  “They were spending money on that little gift for their friend.”

Within a few months, Tipper and Lawrence had broadened their focus while staying true to their inspiration.

“We still kept home décor because that’s where our passion is, but we’ve definitely gone more into the giftware side of things,” Lawrence said.

The Business

To Lawrence and Tipper, the strength of Upperlane Living is in their individuality.

“Honestly, it all comes back to our own tastes and our own preferences,” Lawrence said.  “If we believe in it, and we love it, and we would put it in our own home, we bring that enthusiasm to the sale.”

According to Tipper, the key is relating her own tastes with her customers.

“We would never bring something quality-wise or price-wise that we wouldn’t buy,” Tipper said.

One of Upperlane Living’s hottest giftware items right now is the Vinturi instant wine aerator, which eliminates the need to decant wine before enjoying it. Flame pots—decorative pieces that sustain a flame with fuel inside—are also a popular seller.

There is also a section of the store for baby gifts, of which Padraig slippers are immensely popular. These colourful slippers of sheepskin and wool are just for kids at the moment, but Lawrence says adult sizes are on the way.

“We’ve had so many people say, ‘if you get these in men’s and women’s sizes, I’m coming to buy some,’” Lawrence said.

The Future

In a business where trends are always in flux, Upperlane Living is always changing, even from week to week.

“Every time a customer comes in it looks different,” Lawrence said. “We try and keep it fresh and we’re always flipping it.”

The product line is also continually revolving: in addition to new décor lines arriving for the fall, a fashion section will be added to cater to the female clientele.

“Scarves, toques, mitts, shawls, handbags…just to bring something new and fresh in for people to see,” Lawrence said.

Tipper reinforces her daughter’s view that their unique sense of style will continue to set them apart.

“We’re always trying to stay different than everybody else,” Tipper said.  “So you can come into our store and say, ‘I like this, I haven’t seen it anywhere else.’ ”

Upperlane Living is located at 2508 Guardian Road.

RauschM5@mymail.macewan.ca

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Life changing.

That’s how Alek Marcoux describes his trip to Africa.  He just returned a few days ago but he’s already talking about going back.

“You feel the energy of love coming off them,” said Marcoux.

“Probably the happiest people I’ve meet in my life.  Even though they don’t have a lot, they have a lot culturally.”

The beginning

Marcoux’s journey started about a year ago when he was introduced to James Bekecs from the international organization, Youth For Christ.  After working with the group for a year he was invited on the annual trip.

“At first I was questioning whether I should go or not, because you’re traveling across the world,” said Marcoux.  “It’s not something you do everyday.”

But after speaking with different members of the organization and hearing just how remarkable a trip like this can be, Marcoux knew this was something he had to do.  Plus, being a photographer for the past four years, he knew this was something that would provide unbelievable photo possibilities.

“As a photographer you’re a really valuable tool in a group like this because a lot of these kids and a lot of the people there don’t have mirrors, they can’t afford them, so a lot of them don’t even know what they look like,” said Marcoux.

Carrying a backpack and camera, Marcoux hopped on a plane in Edmonton, and after a long flight, landed on a giant black tar mat in the middle of Burundi, Africa.

Burundi

“The second you get off (the plane) you can cut the air with a knife,” said Marcoux.  “It’s super super thick and it just hits your lungs.  It feels like there’s no air compared to here because it’s so dry in Alberta.”

After getting off the plane the group went through what Marcouz describes as a “sketchy” customs process at best.  They then made their way to the Rainbow Centre in Bujumbura – the capital of Burundi.

“Once you get into Burundi, there’s compounds everywhere,” said Marcoux.  “It isn’t like houses here, where there’s a driveway.  You have a six-to-seven foot wall and there’s glass that’s been broken on top, barb wire and big metal gates.”

After spending a night at the Rainbow Centre, the group traveled to Burundi’s most northern province, Ngozi, to help build clay huts in the B’Taou Village.

“Before they were in little circular mud huts with straw tops,” said Marcoux.  “For a village of 50 people who’d only seen six of these mud huts, you kind of realize they don’t have a lot to live in, so we were creating houses for them.”

After four days of working closely with the B’Taou Village, the group went south to an orphanage located in the Gitega province.  While there, Marcoux said they helped in any way possible, whether it was medically, spiritually or simply doing crafts with the children.  He said the love he felt from the people was like nothing he’s felt before.

“It’s so hard to explain because you kind of have to be there to feel the love that they give, but everyone loves you and they barely know you,” said Marcoux.  “It’s not just because you’re white.  You’re a visitor, someone who’s there to help and that’s why they’re so nice to you and that’s why they want to give back to you in anyway possible.”

Marcoux said if he had to pick one thing about the entire trip that was the most rewarding, it would be the fact that he could show people the pictures he was taking.

“There was one mom who I took a picture of her and her baby, and when I showed it to her, she started crying and was so thankful for me showing her that picture,” said Marcoux.

After spending just over a week in the Gitega province, the group made their way back to the Rainbow Centre, where they stayed for a couple days before coming home.  Marcoux said there wasn’t much sight seeing however.

“You shouldn’t really walk around town, just because you’re white and your nickname there is ‘money bags’ so if you go outside you’ll get swarmed by a bunch of people,” said Marcoux.

Listen to Alek’s story about a close encounter with one of the world’s deadliest snakes here:

SnakeStory by westedmontonlocal

Going back

Now that he’s home, Marcoux is already making arrangements to go back to Burundi.  He said he is hoping to build a safe haven for anyone in the country who needs it.

“It’s something I’m going to try and take day by day and step by step,” said Marcoux.  “I’m not going to try and do it in one giant leap because if I do that it’s not going to work.  How I plan on doing it, I have no idea.  It’s going to happen, but I have no idea how.”

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — An unusually small crowd made their way into the Haven Social Club Wednesday night for the August session of the Edmonton Story Slam Society.

Only seven out of a possible 10 writers braved the stage, in a night that had stories both morbid and hilarious.  Whether it was homicidal nurses from Winnipeg or waging a war against mosquitoes and garlic, there was no telling where the next story would take the audience.

For the majority of the first half Shilo Neveu held onto first place with a travel tale involving lava-shower water.  But right before the break, Liam Shaw took a commanding lead with a story about a man carrying an unfortunate last name.

Shaw came close to losing the lead when Adam Snider delivered the last story of the night – which was about a man who improperly disposed of porno – but Shaw held on by a margin of less than one point.

“This is the largest prize I’ve ever won,” said Shaw after accepting his $128 cash prize.  “For a guy that’s got the mice and the cockroaches in his apartment, shit man, that’s a lot of food.”

This is Shaw’s second time reading at the story slam, but he’s no stranger to the trade.  He started going to story and poetry slams years ago while living in Ireland.  He said he also recently came in second place during a story slam at the Blue Chair Cafe here in Edmonton.

Although he’s had one story published, Shaw by no means considers himself a professional writer.  He said he just does it for fun.

“I’ve been published once but I didn’t get paid for it, so it doesn’t completely count,” said Shaw.

Wednesday night’s winning story was called “My Struggle (Not in German)”, and although it may have seemed like a true story, Shaw said it wasn’t.  He did, however, use certain locations and aspects of his life in the story.

“I tried to make it as realistic as possible,” said Shaw.

Listen to Liam Shaw’s Story, My Struggle (Not in German)

AugustStorySlam by westedmontonlocal

Edmonton Story Slam

The Edmonton Story Slam Society is an organization that gives local writers a chance to share their work with a live audience.  The rules of the competition are as follows:

• Each writer has five minutes
• For every ten seconds over the limit, 0.5 points is deducted
• Story must be original and unpublished
• Five judges each give a score out of 10 and an average is taken from the middle three scores
• Contestants must be present when their name is called or they’re disqualified
• Contestants are gonged after seven minutes
• Audience members are asked to donate towards the first-place prize

The next story slam is scheduled for September 21.

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Three.  Two.  One.  Scream!

The World Waterpark at West Edmonton Mall unveiled three new slides Monday, each featuring the brand new aqua-launch system.

“We wanted to give guests a new experience,” said Matthew Elliott, assistant manager at the World Waterpark.  “The launch puts them in a totally different dimension.  Before you could kind of choose your own pace when you wanted to go down, but now you’re totally out of control.”

“When that door drops, you’re going whether you want to or not.”

The Cyclone stands at 25.9 metres high and is the first waterslide of its kind in Canada, as well as the first Aqualoop to be installed indoors throughout North America.

Thrill seekers are asked to step into a glass capsule, and after a quick countdown, the floor drops out and the slider plunges 17 metres straight down, reaching speeds up to 60 km/h.  The slide then twists into a near vertical loop before spitting the slider out the other end.

“It’s almost like a roller coaster,” said Elliott.

“A lot of the guests have tried the slide and I haven’t heard one bad review yet.”

The other two slides are actually a remake of a World Waterpark’ classic, the Sky Screamer Extreme.  The two new slides are essentially the same as the old two, but with the addition of the new aqua-launch system.

Whitewater West Industries, of Richmond, B.C., manufactured the three new slides, costing about $1.5 million.

The World Waterpark now features 13 different slides and attractions.

Cyclone facts:

• Height of slide – 25.9 metres (85 feet)
• Length of slide – 110 metres (361 feet)
• Manufacturer – Whitewater West Industries Inc.
• Force of gravity – 0 to 2.5 G in less than two seconds
• Minimum height to ride – 1.3 metres (4 foot 3 inches)
• Minimum weight to ride – 41 kg (90 lbs)

Skyscreamer facts:

• Height of slide – 23.47 metres (77 feet)
• Length of slide – 80.77 metres (265 feet)
• Manufacturer – Whitewater West Industries Inc.
• Force of gravity – More than 2 G
• Minimum height to ride – 1.3 metres (4 foot 3 inches)
• Minimum weight to ride – 41 kg (90 lbs)

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — Ask Nicola Doherty and she’ll tell you she’s not the kind of person who can just sit at home.  So when this mother of three found herself homebound for the foreseeable future, she knew she had to do something.

“I need to be busy,” said Doherty.  “And so I just thought this is something I can do from home and look after my kids at the same time.”

“You got to do what you know, and I know kids.”

In September 2010, Doherty started the home-based business, Sprogs.ca – a website that sells fun, but useful children’s products across Canada.

Background

For some, shopping for three children might seem like a bit of headache, but for Doherty, it was actually a source of inspiration.

“With having the three kids and just seeing what was useful and what wasn’t useful … a lot of the products out there are fluff,” said Doherty.

As if a light bulb had turned on, Doherty realized that there really is a need for reliable children’s products.  She started Sprogs to give parents a place where they could find exactly that.

The Business

Doherty quickly clued into the fact that the best products were not being produced by major corporations, but from people just like her.

“What I found was the products that were the most common sense and the most useful were all invented by parents, so what I’ve tried to do is source them out and get them all on one site,” said Doherty.

Sprogs.ca features hundreds of different children’s items, including everything from blankets and bibs to soothers and shoes.  Right now Doherty said one of her hottest items is the “Dripstick Ice Cream Holder” – an invention that’s preventing sticky fingers everywhere.

Another widely popular item is the Bibagogo – a locally made product which is essentially a bib, but with two hidden pockets for facecloths and a spoon. Doherty said promoting local products is something she takes very seriously.

“It’s so important because all these local people are finding something in the market that doesn’t exist and creating it to make other parents’ lives easier,” said Doherty.

With the companies’ one-year anniversary quickly approaching, Doherty said business has been good, especially the local support.  She said social media has been playing a major role in her success.

“There’s so many women that work from home for whatever reason and they’ve all been really supportive,” said Doherty.  “It’s been worth it just for that.  It’s been incredible.”

The Future

With all three of her children still age six and under, Doherty said that she plans on keeping the business just the way it is for the time being.

“My goal is slow, small steps and just keep finding more cool products,” said Doherty.  “More cool moms who are savvy business owners and try to help get their product out there.”

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca

EDMONTON — It may be two months late, but it looks like summer has finally arrived.  To celebrate, 124 Street has officially declared August “In Bloom.”  Joining in the festivities, d’Lish Urban Kitchen and Wine Bar (10418-124 St.) hosted the “Garden Party Fashion Show” to a small crowd Saturday afternoon.

“We just wanted to do something fun with people on the Avenue and get everyone together,” said Kirsta Franke, marketing maven at d’Lish.

“It’s a community so let’s pull together and show people that we’re supporting one another because we really are.”

While d’Lish was hosting the fashion show – showcasing summer and garden trends – next door the Daffodil Gallery was entertaining guests with refreshments and amazing paintings.

Those who chose to sit outside and enjoy the sun were treated to the musical stylings of “Evan the Hat” – a local pianist.

All the proceeds of the day, including the money made from auctioning a fresh painting by Karen Bishop from the Daffodil Gallery, is going to the Lois Hole Healing Garden Centre.

Franke said the choice for the donation was kind of a no-brainer, considering the theme of the event.

In addition to d’Lish and the Daffodil Gallery being involved, the models’ clothing was provided by Tread Hill, Sole Revival provided the shoes and the hats were from Headcase Hats.  The Arts of Macaroons also donated some macaroons.

WhiteM26@mymail.macewan.ca