got a flat?

great for cruising around, Flat Bags garner alot of attention. pictured below is a happy customer with her new 'save the animals' print satchel. look out Olds, Alberta!

Flat Bags are designed and built in Nelson BC using reused bicycle tire tubes and rediscovered vinyl and fabrics.

shout out....

it is exciting and gratifying when people find our shop and make their first steps through the door. the typical reaction is one of surprise. "Where do you find these beautiful, unique products?" Stelton? Holmegard? Bicycles? Atlantico furniture? Finisterre outerwear? Fabulous artisan foods? "Your shop is amazing!"

in addition to great support from the Okotoks area, a number of our regular Clientele are from Calgary. they tell me they love the shop and are more than happy to head to the peace of small town shopping than fight the ever-growing traffic battle that has consumed the city over the last several years of rapid growth.

most recently I have had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people from Vancouver, Olds, Victoria, Edmonton, the UK, Denmark and several US origins as they made their way into the shop. we are also fortunate to enjoy a strong web-based presence with queries from North America, South America, Europe and Australia. we find ourselves shipping to interesting destinations on a weekly basis.

so in addition to surrounding myself with the luxuries of the products we offer for sale, i get to interact with some amazing human beings. the people really do make the difference.

a big shout out to everyone for your interest and support!

live.
work.
eat.
play.

from the 'hood

my neighbours Rich and Jan stopped by for a little shopping. Jan's parents were in town visiting from Victoria BC. everyone was rewarded with a little DCDuby Wild Sweets chocolate treat for their day's efforts.

life really is good!

morning ritual

i enjoy my mornings as a time of quiet reflection with a cup of tea. rarified sources high quality tea from Silk Road in Victoria, BC: we offer a range of black, green, semi-green, herbal and flowering varieties.

the Eva Solo Tea Maker is a brilliant design and provides a perfect cup of tea. a beautiful glass carafe showcases a stainless steel dripless insert with plunger - the mechanism stops the brewing process to allow for premium use of the tea leaves. the neoprene sleeve provides dual functionality as it protects the hand from the heat and keeps the tea warm - it also adds an edginess that tea does not normally get to express! Eva Solo also offers a Milk and Sugar Set with the same detailing.

enjoy your brew from a Timo thermal glass from Design House Stockholm to extend the experience.

Brompton World Championships

filmed in 2007, this brilliant video captures the cult-classic Brompton folding bike in full-on competitive action. elevates the whole deal from commuting to lifestyle.



the 3rd annual event will take place 28 September in the UK. it's not too late to get your Brompton and skin across the pond for some jolly good fun!

give us a shout at rarified for more info on getting set-up with a Brompton.

sinfully delicious

the movie Chocolat follows the delicious cocoa treat as it teaches of love, compassion and following one's heart. if you have not yet seen it, you should. be sure to have a DCDuby Wild Sweets treat on hand to add immeasurably to the experience!

DCDuby Wild Sweets elevates chocolate to a magical multi-sensory level. rarified regularly carries the the sumptuous artisan bars, exotic confit and delicious hot ganache drink mixes.

in addition to my regular order, Dominique and Cindy Duby sent me fresh confections this week. i am more than impressed - from the gorgeous packaging and presentation to the pure ingredients and extraordinary flavours - a truly luscious chocolate experience to delight the senses. these decadent fresh chocolates are available through our shop by special order.

Arome and Texture bars

roasted | spiced chocolate series ... exotic flavours

beautiful chocolates ....

decadent and delicious !

and yes, mom, i did share....

Jared McCollum, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine,
Healing Elements

chocolate is good for you!

Rocky Mountain high

nestled along the Sheep River, Okotoks is situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada - rarified is located in historic Olde Towne Okotoks. our local merchants association, in collaboration with the town, is working in partnership with the Province of Alberta to promote tourism in the region.

as a special promotion, the 'Fun in the Foothills' contest has been launched and we are a participating sponsor. you can register online to win great prizes - the link is through the Olde Towne Okotoks webpage.

good luck!

Vik approved

as noted in an earlier post, my friend Vik is very much into bicycles - he lives, rides, breathes bikes - he builds, services, repairs, customizes bikes - he researches, demos, trials bikes - he..... well, you get it. Vik posts his insights on his Lazy Randonneur blog and offered a low-down on his recent experience with the Batavus Personal Bike.

Photo courtesy of Vik.

the road to success ..... is an avenue!

The Calgary publication of Avenue magazine is a great resource for living in the area; monthly issues feature all things local and inspiring.

The August issue has a hit list of the 199 top shops and boutiques. The fine folks at Avenue have included rarified in the list - read about us featured on page 118!

Thanks Avenue!

Drop by the shop for your complimentary copy of Avenue.