burn a hole in my pocket

Bused my way downtown after work today to check out the Yaletown Summer Shopathon, hosted by the Style Spy. The first 250 attendees at the registration table received a free I Love Yaletown swag bag full of products and coupons and everyone gets a complimentary ticket for a free Thai Sangria cocktail at the new Charm Modern Thai. Participating retailers were also offering discounts for one day only, so of course, I had to go and get my shopping on!

The registration table where earlier in the day, hundreds of fashionistas were jostling for a free swag bag.

My friend arrived early, hoping to be one of the 250 attendees to get a free swag bag. However, they gave out the free swag bags about half an hour earlier and it was all gone before it even started. So my friend waited in line for 45 minutes in the blistering 40 degree heat for nothing! They didn't even give out bottled water for the people waiting in line! I thought that was a bit of a bummer for her. A bit of a mess for sure, on the part of the organizers.

However, I still managed to get my shopping on, and bought a few pieces of jewellery. Most notably a stack of silver bangles from Lola Home and Apparel that I've been eyeing for some time now, but now 15% off! Fine Finds always has good stuff and so does Atomic Model and Vasanji. If you're looking for one of a kind gifts for a friend (or for yourself!), these are the shops to go to.

About a block away, Yaletown was hosting Hot Heineken Fridays which featured a beer garden, a hot DJ from LA spinning the tracks for the night and a bar-tending contest at Goldfish Kitchen.

The beer garden about a block away from the shopathon. It's only 4PM and it's already full.

Some words of wisdom from the streets.