Our Favourite Places: Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food

Our favourite place in St. John's for a casual lunch and chat? The Rocket! We fit in at least one meal a week at this bakery. Images by Lisa Moffat and Matt Jiggins.

A way to share our favourite places (shops, restaurants, hangouts, vacation spots etc.), I'll be posting images of the locations where we make (and have made) our favourite memories occasionally here on Horizontal Stripes.

What We're Reading: Fox in Socks

I can't say that I brought a love of Mr. Seuss into parenthood, but when Greg was given a box set of Dr. Seuss books for his last birthday (a kind, soon-you're-going-to-be-a-parent type gift from my brother and his girlfriend) I discovered how fun these books are! Now I love the fun rhymes and illustrations. It's hard not to get tongue-twisted though!

How to: Knock Down the Last Bowling Pin

As a kid, I took one informal bowling lesson, and this one tip has stuck with me forever. I guarantee it will improve your score! Want to hear? So, after your first (or second) ball, only 1 pin on the far right (or left) remains. To hit it, aim the ball towards dead centre, and launch it from the opposite corner. So if you want to hit the far right pin, release the ball in the far left corner of the beginning of the lane aimed towards the centre. It works every time! Image via Westheights.

Pipapo

Right now, this is Thomas' favourite clutching toy. I can't say enough good about it!

Monokini

Found: the perfect swimsuit for a new mom - forgiving and flattering, without looking too matronly. Saturday (yes in a snowstorm), I splurged on a Gossip monokini at Le Boudoir. Greg suggested I try it on (shock!) and surprisingly it was super flattering. It's perfect for when you want a little more coverage, but still want to be stylish.

Hairspirations

I'm getting my bangs cut next Thursday (whoo for excitement in the mundane), but have no other changes to my hairstyle planned in the short term. I haven't coloured my hair in almost 4 years (which still sounds odd because before then I'd been colouring it every few months (or less) since I was 13!) and I've been wearing it long with bangs (of some sort) for as long as I can remember. However, I'm loving Wit + Delight's Hairspirations for 2012. I second every single one.

Local Business

This building has been vacant in downtown St. John's for years (post-reno). I'm so curious why something hasn't opened in it yet. The space looks amazing and the facade is so much fun! Image via Rebfoto.

Speaking of local business, Greg and I daydream about all sorts of businesses that we'd love to see in St. John's such as:

• A casual and current men's clothing store that targets the young professional
• More restaurants with patios and ocean views
• A modern housewares and furniture store
• An antique shop focusing on mid-century modern pieces
  
• A true diner
• A blowout salon
  

Do you think about the same? What businesses would you like to see open in our community?