There is something so innately pleasurable in buying — and even just seeing and touching — handmade products. I like to see the tool marks… #Handmade #Manitoba #ShopSmall #ManitobaShopping #Winnipeg #WinnipegShopping

Osborne Village was voted the best neighborhood in Canada by over 200,000 Canadians in the 2012 Canadian Institute of Planners poll and the mixed-use urban neighborhood certainly lives up to the hype. It’s packed with great restaurants, historic buildings and unique shops. It’s also one of the few Winnipeg neighborhoods where the stores are open on Sundays — an important selling point when you’re an American in town for the weekend — so I set out for a tour of some of my favo

The next time you find yourself in Winnipeg, check out Baked Expectations, a charming little bakery and restaurant in the Osborne Village neighborhood. Baked Expectations features many of my favorite things — late night hours, all-day breakfast, delicious french bread and astounding desserts — all in one cozy, slightly retro package. Derrick opted for a triple decker grilled cheese sandwich and I got an omelette. Both were excellent and the portion sizes were generous. Then w

I’m writing this post on a winter afternoon, when the light on the northern plains is an almost ethereal blue-gray. It reminds me so much of these photos I took in Winnipeg last month. I shot from the outdoor observation deck at The Forks Market, adjacent to The Forks historical site that sites at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.  We were in the middle of the city, but everything was icy and serene. The area where The Forks Market now stands was once home to tw

Derrick and I spent a few relaxing days in Winnipeg for The Red Hot Chili Peppers show a few days ago and here’s what I learned: 1. When sightseeing in winter, concentrate on one neighborhood at a time — with plenty of stops to warm up — or you risk freezing your feet off. 2. I take way too many photos. (Check back for a ton of Winnipeg shopping info after the holidays!) In the meantime, here’s a look at a wintry Winnipeg neighborhood. Our home base, The Marlborough Hotel, wa