New Love Nest location is sassy and classy

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This article was published 25/05/2015 (4124 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOVE NEST: See the heat waves rising above 1580 Taylor Ave.? River Heights suddenly got a lot sexier.

A large Love Nest sex shop quietly opened five days before its grand-opening bash on May 22 — and people arrived from all over the city. “We’d been giving postcards about the move to our customers at our Portage Avenue and St. Anne’s (Road) location since December — around 9,000 of them went out,” says owner Linda Proulx.

She closed those two locations when she turned 65 in order to create her masterpiece store.

“We opened the doors here the first day, and had more people than we’ve ever had on a Valentine’s Day — always our biggest day of the year,” Proulx says.

Although Proulx has had difficulty in the past finding locations that were OK with having a sex shop next door, she said 1580 Taylor Ave. has welcomed her classy offering with open arms. “I even got hugs from people with businesses in the mall on opening day.”

Diane Houston still operates a busy Love Nest franchise on Main Street.

“I wonder how the next 27 years will go with Love Nest!” Proulx says enthusiastically.

 

WINNIPEG’S FIFTH SEASON: That’d be garage-sale season. It’s now upon us, and it’s more dependable than spring itself.

Want the lowdown on the best sales? Every Saturday morning in June, radio DJ Stu Reid of CKUW 95.9 FM hosts Garageland, mixing music with live reports from on-location reporters, scoping out the best sales from all over the city.

His show runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. — prime garage-sale hours.

“Find out where the grooviest bargains in town can be found,” says Reid, who says that between reports, the show’s music runs from “country to roots to dumb old rock ‘n’ roll.”

Every year the StuDome, Reid’s hacienda at 1025 Grosvenor Ave., hosts Stu and Kathy’s Big Ass Garage Sale.

“Some people think our signs are rude, but they attract more people than they repel,” he says.

Stu’s garage sale will be June 13 this year, unless there’s a big rainstorm or a tornado.

His sale is loaded with music collectibles, and a whole assortment of regular stuff. His motto: “If Keith Richards worked at Walmart, it would be like this garage sale.”

 

BIG APPLE IN ST. VITAL: Buried in Vista Place Mall, with dark windows and a little red neon “open” sign, is Santa Ana Pizzeria & Bistro. Despite the restaurant’s low profile, you can’t get a weekend reservation there for three months.

Polish-born owner Darek Wozny says he could possibly squeeze a party into his 49-seat European hideaway at 1631 St. Mary’s Rd. from Monday to Thursday with only a month’s warning.

“But we have nothing on Fridays until the beginning of August right now.” The trick? “Some people just book us ahead every two weeks all year.”

Winnipeg foodies will know Wozny from his time at Calabria Market, Pizzeria and Wine Store in Whyte Ridge and Calabria Pizzeria in Island Lakes.

Santa Ana makes up for its lack of seating other ways.

“Sixty-five per cent of the business is catering — we start that at 5 a.m. every day — and another 25 per cent is takeout. Only 10 per cent of the business is the restaurant,” Wozny explains.

The final piece of the puzzle is visibly happy workers. “Everyone is equal here,” says hostess Paige Mills. “Darek makes it a happy place, and everybody knows he cares about them. I actually have five cousins working here!”

 

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HATS: Winnipeg artist Karen Robb is off to Mason City, Iowa, on Wednesday, with her collection of paintings that showcase architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s most dramatic buildings.

She transforms buildings such as New York’s famous Guggenheim Museum into hats that grace the heads of 11 famous movie stars, including Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Audrey Hepburn and Vivien Leigh in Robb’s portraits.

Robb has enchanted the Mason City folk, who love the architect’s famous buildings — the city is home to Wright on the Park hotel, where Robb will stay for the May 28-30 festivities that include her art show.

Robb says Mason City, about 220 kilometres south of Minneapolis, is a mecca for those who love notable buildings and Wright’s architecture, most of which were built early in the 20th century.

You can buy Robb’s abstract expressionist artwork through Birchwood Art Gallery at 1170 Taylor Ave.

 

WALKING ON WATER AT PADDLEFEST! OK, you’re not quite walking at Paddlefest. Instead, you’ll be standing upright on a paddleboard, taking part in the biggest water sports rage to hit Manitoba in years.

Mountain Equipment Co-op is organizing the Paddlefest event at FortWhyte Alive (1961 McCreary Rd.), on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that’s free to the public.

Visitors can see professional paddling demonstrations, take part in workshops on land and water and swap gear.

“In just two short years, this festival has grown to be the largest gathering of the non-competitive paddling community in the province,” says co-ordinator Jamie Hilland.

Some workshops have a $5 entry fee, and advance registration is available online at events.mec.ca/node/51906.

Just want to enjoy the fun vicariously? Don’t miss members of the Manitoba Whitewater Club shooting down the toboggan slide into the water.

 

Got tips, events, special events going on? Call the tip line at 204-474-1116 or write Maureen Scurfield c/o Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave. Winnipeg, Mb. R2X 3B6.