The grass is green, the lilacs are looming, roadwork is everywhere, and this can only mean that spring is nigh and it’s therefore time for the Varscona Theatre Alliance to present our annual fundraising gala. The 5th Annual Crystal Ball will indeed take place on the evening of Saturday, May 19th and this year’s event returns to the Varscona Theatre itself. It’ll be a fun-filled night featuring great food, door prizes, a fantastic silent auction, and sparkling entertainment provided by a terrific line-up of favorite Varscona performers all in support of Shadow Theatre, Teatro La Quindicina, and the Varscona Theatre.
Hosted by Jeff Haslam, and Davina Stewart, the evening promises to be not only entertaining, but informative too. This year’s Crystal Ball patrons will be among the first to hear details of the Varscona Theatre’s exciting upcoming renovations, as we visit with the project’s architect, Allan Partridge of Group Two Architecture. And there’ll be a very special guest appearance by one of the Varscona’s biggest boosters, Mayor Stephen Mandel!
Also on the program are musical performances by Sheri Somerville, Andrea House, Kristi Hansen, Amber Bissonnette, and Shannon Blanchet, among others, with jazzman Josh Mellott presiding at the keyboard throughout the show. Other Shadow and Teatro luminaries on hand for the evening will be Leona Brausen, Coralie Cairns, Belinda Cornish, John Hudson, Stewart Lemoine, and Dame Judy Unwin.
In addition to the entertainment, there’ll be great food, provided by sponsors Packrat Louie, The Next Act, The New Asian Village, and Upper Crust Catering. The ever-popular Silent Auction will feature an amazing array of offerings including original artworks, wine and scotch tastings, spa sessions, restaurant and travel deals, and much, much more! And because not everyone enjoys spending money discreetly, we’ll be bringing back our always-enjoyable and often hair-raising Live Auction, featuring irresistible auctioneers Andrew MacDonald-Smith and Jana O’Connor.
The Crystal Ball 2012: Raising the Roof is on Saturday, May 19th at The Varscona Theatre (10329 83 Avenue). Doors open at 6:30, with the show commencing at 7:30. Food will be served prior to the show and at intermission, with dessert following the entertainment.
Admission is $85- with a tax receipt issued for a portion of each ticket. For reservations, please call Shadow Theatre at 780 434-5564 or you may book online or on the phone through Tix on the Square (780) 420-1757 or www.tixonthesquare.ca
“Desk Pain” Workshop
Working at a desk all day can bring on back, shoulder and neck pain. Come in and hear our exercise therapist, Crystal King, speak about flexibility training to reduce neck and back tension and exercises to balance your core. Bring your yoga mats for hands-on practice! Limited mats are available.
When: Wednesday May 23rd from 5:45-6:45 pm
Where: Suite 202-10518 82 Ave.
The Acupuncture Turning Point Ltd.
Cost: $5.00
Please RSVP to save a spot by calling 780-437-7723
or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Old Strathcona Businesses Treat Mom to Sumptuous Services and Pampering Products
It’s all about pampering this Mother’s Day – and Old Strathcona businesses are offering enticing one-of-a-kind products, pick-me-ups, and services to keep Mom feeling and looking fantastic.
At Lush Cosmetics (10624 Whyte Avenue), fresh handmade cosmetics and gift packages are plentiful. Emily Bourne, Assistant Store Manager explains the many great products they have on hand specifically for Mother’s Day: “We have several limited edition Mother’s Day gifts, like the Mama Mia gift package with products to pamper your mother in the shower.” The package includes shower gel, body conditioner, exfoliators, a moisturizing bar, and other fragrant and fabulous items.
The deliciously inviting store also features an assortment of bath products and moisturizers for pampering Mom. Included among these is Dream Cream. “It’s a beautiful body moisturizer with lavender,” says Bourne. “And it’s soothing for your skin.”
“We also have re-usable bubble bars, a solid bubble bath,” says Bourne. “They last over and over again. They’re fantastic. It doesn’t require preservatives or packaging so it’s environmentally friendly. And we have our new Phoenix Rising bath bomb. It’s a gold dusted apple cinnamon bomb and it smells like apple pie.”
Other products include the Dish Fairy – dish soap in the form of a pink fairy with green wings. It’s the store’s first and only household product and it does the double duty of cutting grease while softening hands.
Lush is also holding a special Mother’s Day party, on Saturday, May 12, from 12 to 5 pm. “There are complimentary foot treatments and facials, as well as give-aways, refreshments, and games,” says Bourne, who encourages people to come down to the store and experience its bright and uplifting atmosphere.
Aveda Academy (10636 Whyte Avenue) is a lifestyle salon ready to treat Mom to a Mother’s Day pampering she won’t forget. Store Manager, Amandeep Grewal, notes the many services awaiting Mom and daughters of all ages: “A lot of moms and daughters get their hair services done together, like highlights, cuts, and colour. We make daughter and mother feel really pretty.”
As well as having their hair done, moms and daughters – or, of course, just moms going solo – receive hand massages, a scalp massage and touch-ups on make-up. The young girls love to receive this special treatment while Mom is free to relax and soak up the pampering services. “All of our make-up is organic and Moms feel good about that,” says Grewal. “They love to bring their kids here.”
Aveda Academy spends half an hour with their guests in a lifestyle consultation in which they discover what services will best suit each guest. Dependent upon on how much time the individual guest has in their personal life for upkeep, Aveda staff then offer options for hair, make-up, cuts and colour.
Make-up artists can provide an entire make-over or simply touch-ups. A $55 make-up consultation offers guests the opportunity to be completely made-up as well as the option to bring home that same dollar value in make-up products at no extra charge. In addition, Aveda features luxurious skin and body care products for men and women.
In summary, Grewal encourages moms to swing by even simply for a mini-treatment on Mother’s Day: “Come in for a wash, style and scalp massage – and you’ve got your hair looking great for the whole day.”
This Mother’s Day, give your mother more than a gift. Treat her to an experience. Introduce her to some of the deeply relaxing charms of Edmonton’s famed historic Old Strathcona district.
Head to Healing Waters Spa (10740 Whyte Ave) and pick up a gift card – or “book an appointment so the two of you can share the day together,” says Carla Pichonsky, manager of Healing Waters Spa. And what a special day that will be! Carla suggests the Calming Water Package. “It’s a Pedicure, Facial and one hour massage,” she says. “It’s a four-hour treatment in total.”
Visiting the Healing Waters Spa is an extraordinary experience. Upon entering, you are transported into the warmth of the Mediterranean. It’s like taking a trip into the sublime beauty of Turkey, right here in Edmonton. While there, staff will pamper you into a blissful state of relaxation in your mind, body and soul.
Another fantastic way to pamper your mother is with the Beauty Bonding Experience offered by Wellness on Whyte in the Roots on Whyte building (303, 8135 102 Street). This is a gift that will affect your mother on the deepest, most profound heart level. Wellness on Whyte has created the Beauty Bonding Experience to be experienced by two people to relax and engage together through facials, body wraps and a classic sauna session. It also includes a complimentary signature scent. It’s a great way for couples to re-connect and enjoy life. Or it could be an equally rewarding way for your mother to bond with a dear female friend. Either way, the two people will leave feeling soothed and refreshed.
There are many other ways that your mom can pamper herself at Wellness on Whyte. They offer couples massages, an infra-red sauna (where the heat goes very deep into the body and relieves inflammatory conditions), and facial rejuvenation, which can improve muscle tone of the face and neck and minimize wrinkles. But “it’s not just about wrinkles,” says Geha Gonthier, B.A., LMT, ERYT, R.Ac., of Wellness on Whyte. “It’s about balancing the body. The face is an expression of the whole body.”
If you’d like to make Mother’s Day a weekend-long experience, take your mother to the Grand Opening of the Roots on Whyte Building this Saturday, May 12 from 11 to 5. At 3 pm, Wellness on Whyte will be offering demos in reflexology, shoulder/neck massages and tuning forks, which “tune the body back to harmony,” says Geha.
Here’s wishing you and your mother a most harmonious Mother’s Day indeed!
The Paint Spot is proud to present an exhibition of new works in the Naess Gallery by local artist Taryn Kneteman, tilted “No Name Place”. Artist reception will be held Thursday, May 17th from 5-7pm. These intriguing prints will be on display from May 4 – 30, 2012.
This series of prints explores the paradox of a moment or place that is both familiar and alienating at the same time. She then combines digital printing with screen printing. Through screen printing Taryn manipulate colours and layers as visual ruptures in the images to make more tangible the presence of the artificial in a familiar landscape.
Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (780) 432-0240 for more information regarding this or other upcoming exhibitions. The Paint Spot hours of operation are Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 6pm, Thursday until 9pm, and Sunday 12 - 5pm.
Friday, May 11
“Desk Pain” Workshop
Friday, May 11
Old Strathcona Businesses Treat Mom to Sumptuous Services and Pampering Products
