It's the life of my time that matters to me. - Melanie M.

Y’all know I love to indulge in a great meal out from time to time. Treating myself to the experience of enjoying delicious food and drink in a social atmosphere with friends has got to be one of my favourite guilty pleasures. For the next 7 days? Eating out in Halifax and Dartmouth actually benefits a fantastic cause thanks to Yelp! So get out for a meal or two or seven and enjoy it guilt-free. Here’s how: from September 23 – 29, dine at any of seven participating restaurants and drop your receipt in the official Yelp Eats box. For each receipt over $30 (before tax and tip), these restaurants will donate $10 to Feed Nova Scotia. All the details, including the list of participating restaurants are available here. You can even join Yelpers for group outings to the participating restaurants throughout the week. I can’t wait to check out Saege Bistro tonight.

Did you know Yelp Canada raised over $10,000 for local hunger relief organizations across the country last year? I am so lucky to be able to afford to eat out from time to time, especially when so many people in our city don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Events like this make me so happy and proud to be part of the Yelp community here in Halifax. All the participating restaurants deserve huge kudos for donating a big chunk of their bottom line this week. Just one more reason I love our city.

Have you ever attended a cash mob? I have. It’s an incredible experience. A mob of customers descends on an unsuspecting shop owner, each with a commitment to spend a minimum amount of cash. For the shop owner, it means so much: an unexpected influx of cash, a feeling of belonging in a community, and the added benefit of word of mouth business that will likely continue long past cash mob day. I can tell you first-hand – being a part of this type of movement is very special. Now’s your chance to get involved! Downtown Dartmouth is planning a cash mob for Saturday, September 1st at Fisher’s Stationary on Portland Street, Dartmouth.

Here are the deets, straight from Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission.

“Fisher’s Stationary has been on Portland Street in downtown Dartmouth for over 50 years, and many people remember it as the place they got their school supplies. Mrs. Fisher has stayed in business and continued to believe in Downtown Dartmouth. This is a great way for the community to thank her.” said Tim Rissesco, Executive Director of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission.

Everyone interested in participated is asked to meet at the Alderney Farmer’s Market at 10:45 am and to bring $10.00 to spend. The participants will leave Alderney Market and arrive at Fisher’s Stationary at 11:00 am.

Downtown Dartmouth will have prizes and give aways for everyone that participates in the Cash Mob and invites everyone to enjoy lunch in downtown Dartmouth and explore the other shops and services.

Follow @DT_Dartmouth on Twitter or like Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission on Facebook for more information. Be sure to keep your eye on the event hashtag: #DTDCashMob.

My Canada Day long weekend will be spent back home in Port Hood, a small but mighty fishing village along the coast of the scenic Ceilidh Trail in Cape Breton. For the first time I’m aware of, Port Hood will be hosting some Canada Day festivities. I’m told there will be a pig roast, fireworks, and of course – music. We like our music. Not only that, tomorrow the new ice cream bar opens up in the centre of town. This excites me greatly. You guys, it’s a good weekend to be in the ‘Hood.

I will also be bringing some Buttons ‘N Baubles pieces to the Chestico Museum gift shop for the summer. In addition to some cute bobby pins, button earrings, rings, and button hair elastics, I made a few necklaces using maps and satellite images of the area. I hope tourists and locals alike will enjoy these.

Anybody else venturing out of town this weekend?

I have been on a mission over the last few days to find the perfect spot to snap a panoramic photo that is uniquely Dartmouth. This photo (once it finds me) will be my blog banner image. My mission has taken me to many of my favourite outdoor destinations – Shubie Park, Graham’s Cove, Lake Banook, Sullivan’s Pond and the Dartmouth Waterfront. It’s a rough life I lead.

One of the best places to photograph Lake Banook is up on Sinclair Street. I snapped this pic earlier with my phone. I’ll head back another day with my camera. I’m curious. Do you have a favourite or secret spot to snag a uniquely Dartmouth photo? Let me know in the comments please!

I’ve had a few irons in the fire lately. One of these irons has kept much of my focus over the last six months, and today it flipped out of my hands and burned me in the process. I may have a permanent scar. Perhaps I’m slightly bitter melodramatic.

It’s the remaining irons I’m grateful for. Now that I have one less thing to obsess about, I can throw myself into some really exciting projects. I just completed the first major edit of my children’s book. It still needs a lot of work, and it’s really more a personal project than a commercial one. But, you guys? This is crazy exciting for me.

I’m happy to report some brand new Buttons ‘N Baubles pieces will be ready for the shop very soon – maybe later this week. Expect to see some Dartmouth love incorporated. Chestico Museum in Port Hood has agreed to carry some of my new items in the gift shop this summer. Tourists will be putty in my hands. I think. Maybe. We’ll see.

Most importantly, Summer of Street Meat has officially launched with stops at two food stands in Hubbards – we had a hit and a miss. More to come on this subject once we’ve had a few more visits (and lbs) under our belts.

So as it turns out, keeping busy is a family trait. Some of my talented cousins (Brennan, Gordie, Kelly Jean, and Mitch MacDonald) have started a band called Company Road. Their first song has been rolling around in my head all day, helping to soothe the burn.

Summer 2012 now has a theme. My friend Linds came up with the idea of heading off on drives around HRM and beyond in search of food trucks this summer. I am totally down with this. Exploring and eating? What’s not to love?

We’ve only just begun rounding up our list of destinations, but one of the first food trucks to catch my eye can be found right here in Dartmouth. Soups On The Move is Burnside’s more personable answer to the Soup Nazi. Well, one can only assume. If they have Lobster Bisque, I will park my car there and never leave.

Do you have a favourite food truck or street meat vendor in Nova Scotia? Let me know in the comments.

I have a little something up my sleeve and will be re-opening my Etsy shop soon. Some Dartmouth love will make its way to the shop, involving this:

I can’t divulge the details just yet. My first creation is a gift to a friend, and I would very much like it to remain a surprise. I’m just waiting on a few supplies to arrive before I get going. Last summer, Chestico Museum featured some of my jewelry and accessories in its gift shop. If they want more items again this year, some Port Hood love will be featured too!

Time to get crafty y’all.

For just over two memorable years, I lived in a character-filled cross section of ‘flower’ and ‘tree’ streets in Downtown Dartmouth. How could you not love living in a neighborhood surrounded by streets with names like Tulip, Dahlia, Maple, Pine, Beech, Thistle, Rose, and Myrtle? It’s my favourite area of HRM, and I hope to live there again.

For one, it’s perfect walking distance to so many awesome places. It’s just a short jaunt to lovely Sullivan’s Pond. I’ve spent many a sunny day there, playing frisbee, reading on a bench or blanket, or strolling from lilac bush to lilac bush. The smell of lilacs is my jam, and there’s no shortage here.

Birch Cove Beach on Lake Banook was my go-to spot after work on sunny summer afternoons for a quick swim and perhaps a fun game of water frisbee with a friend.

Saturday mornings often found me at the Alderney Farmer’s Market to leisurely browse the offerings and maybe treat myself to a pair of earrings, a brownie, fresh blueberries or whatever delights were up for grabs. A boutique NSLC shop is conveniently located here too, so often occasionally a bottle of wine was my treat of choice. Saturday evenings (and many weekday evenings too) were spent with good friends raising a glass at Celtic Corner. A cold beer and Maple Curry Chicken Penne will turn your day right around – guaranteed.

Sunday mornings used to be all about Ducky’s brunch. Sadly, Ducky’s on the Waterfront is no more, but Downtown Dartmouth brunch options have expanded since I moved out of the downtown area. Both MacAskill’s and Nectar serve delicious (and reasonably-priced) weekend brunch. Expect a post dedicated solely to Dartmouth brunch options in the near future – it is a topic near and dear to my heart.

Two if by Sea came on the scene just after my departure, but no post about Downtown Dartmouth is complete without mentioning this champion of the area. It almost hurts to think this amazing cafe with the best cappuccino in the city is a mere 3 minute walk from my former Downtown Dartmouth abode.

And as Haligonians like to point out, Downtown Dartmouth has an amazing view of… well… Halifax. I’m no Halifax hater (I heart you too, Halifax!), but I will admit to cringing when I hear this listed as Dartmouth’s best feature. It is, however,  quite an amazing feature.

I’ve only scratched the surface of my charming former Downtown Dartmouth neighborhood. I’ll come up with another post at some point to shine a spotlight on some of the lesser-known delights of this part of town. In the meantime, check out the recently revamped Downtown Dartmouth web presence.

My plan for this space is to highlight things I heart, things I observe, things I could live without, things I… well, you see where this is going.

I grew up in a rural Cape Breton village, for which I have great fondness. Port Hood will always be home to me. I first came to Halifax 19 years ago to attend university, and I’ve been here ever since. Over the years I’ve called many neighbourhoods home, from South End to Clayton Park to Spryfield. Dartmouth didn’t occur to me as an option until a good friend moved to a lovely flat just up the street from the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal. I found myself spending more and more time in the City of Lakes until it became clear I was meant to be a Dartmouthian. From the moment I moved across the harbour, Dartmouth captured my heart. The love affair has been going strong for close to 8 years.

While this blog won’t be all Dartmouth all the time, it will often serve as a love letter to my scrappy little city.