SUMMER SAVINGS INTO FALL FAVORITES
The early mornings and evenings are getting chillier, the days are getting shorter, the road-side construction is lessening (or so we would've hoped!)... This only means one thing - fall is nearing! Now although I have loved the past few weeks of beautiful sun (definitely a change from the monsoon-like-season we had this past summer), fall is my most favorite fashion season! The sweaters, the leather, the boots and the leggings are just a few of the items I look forward to when planning a fall wardrobe.
Regardless, I'm pretty sure you ladies have that summer dress or skirt that has since resumed the position of your second child. Fear you not, for if the colour and pattern suit the season there is no need to part ways! Throw on a chunky sweater or cardigan (similar in colour) and a pair of opaque tights/nylons (usually contrasting in colour) and you're set. Be sure to retire those gladiator sandals and opt for a cute ankle boot! Here's one of my favorite looks, thanks to Lookbook!
A NEW STADIUM? AND POSSIBILITY OF NEW RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES? WHAT'S HOLDING US BACK?
Thanks to the Winnipeg Free Press, we have some more development on the "replacement" Canad Inns Stadium - a new home for the bombers (regardless of how they play)!
Bombers' moving day iffy
Retail slump could hold up stadium plan
By: Bartley Kives
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers may be forced to play two more seasons at aging Canad Inns Stadium, as the year-long recession has hampered future owner David Asper's plan to get a new University of Manitoba bowl built by 2011.
Back in April, when Asper's Creswin Properties secured $35 million in federal and provincial funding to build a new home for the Winnipeg Football Club, the deal was contingent upon the real-estate company securing retail tenants for the existing Canad Inns Stadium site, which the city of Winnipeg intends to sell Creswin at full market value.
On Monday, Asper said the recession has slowed the progress of the retail development but said he plans to reveal before the end of September what he has planned for Polo Park.
"What you're going to see is a jaw-dropping retail plan that is unlike anything within hundreds of miles of Winnipeg and is a massive destination," Asper said in an interview. "Progress continues to be made across the board. We are convinced and continue to be convinced the entirety of this project is going to happen."
The future Bomber owner said it's possible Creswin may not meet the retail-assembly timeline announced back in April, but "the value of what we're proposing is so potentially immense" that some delays will not hamper the project, he said.
The complexity of the deal, which involves retail negotiations, consultations with the city, province, Ottawa and the University of Manitoba, and plans for construction projects on either side of Winnipeg, has also proved more difficult than Creswin expected.
"It's ironic. If we had actually been able to do the very first proposal we made in January 2007, we would be playing in the new facility right now. Maybe we were overly optimistic about that proposal. As it morphed, it became more and more complex," Asper said.
"What's a bit frustrating is, measured against the original proposal, is we clearly ran into the worst recession since the Depression at a time when the entire economic engine (for the stadium deal) requires retailers."
While Winnipeg has escaped the worst of the recession, the U.S. retail industry has been hammered by a year of economic decline. Retail observers say Creswin's Polo Park development has been affected because they believe the Winnipeg real-estate company is pursuing high-end U.S. department-stoore chains.
Asper would not confirm this speculation, as he said the deal must be fleshed out before he goes public.
"In spite of the challenges with the U.S. recession, there's been very positive progress," he said. "We've made a commitment to the fans to do this right, and we must do this right once -- the first time."
Asper would not confirm the new stadium could no longer be built by 2011, but such a delay is likely if construction on the stadium does not begin as planned in February 2010, said Ken Hildahl, chairman of the Winnipeg Football Club's board of directors.
The cost of playing an additional year at Canad Inns Stadium "would not be astronomical" to the club, although some capital improvements must be made to the 56-year-old structure every year, Hildahl said.
"A delay of weeks or months on the stadium project would not affect Creswin's deal to purchase Polo Park land from the city or secure $20 million from the province. But a longer delay could affect the release of $15 million from Ottawa for new recreational and athletic facilities at the University of Manitoba, said Manitoba Premier Gary Doer.
"There is some federal money tied in the stimulus package to time, but I'd have to look at the timing of that time," the outgoing premier said.
A federal election may also complicate the issue. The Conservative minority government could fall as soon as the end of the week, as the opposition Liberals plan to defeat the Tories at the first opportunity.
-- With files from Bruce Owen
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
How development evolved
Steps toward the construction of a new home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers:
November 2006: Canwest executive David Asper says his real-estate company, Creswin Properties, is interested in buying the Winnipeg Football Club and building a new stadium at Polo Park. Asper seeks $80 million from Ottawa and Broadway.
February 2007: The football club launches a formal search for partners to build the new stadium.
May 2007: The club chooses Creswin's Polo Park plan over a rival Canad Inns hotel chain proposal for the Public Markets in St. Boniface.
June 2008: After Ottawa declines to fund a Polo Park stadium, Asper and Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz float a plan to build a new stadium in South Point Douglas. Asper reduces his ask from Ottawa and Broadway to $40 million.
September 2008: Creswin signs letter of understanding to build a football stadium at the University of Manitoba, refurbish University Stadium and build athletic facilities. The city agrees to sell Creswin the site of Canad Inns Stadium at full market value.
April 2009: Ottawa and Broadway agree to spend a combined $35 million on the stadium project, which will see a retail development at Polo Park fund the team and new U of M stadium.
September 2009: The retail marketing, leasing and financing for Creswin's Polo Park development is supposed to wrap up by the end of the month.
Spring 2010: Under the timelines laid out in the April deal, construction on new stadium is supposed to begin and Asper will assume control of the Winnipeg Football Club.
Fall 2010: Under the original timelines, Canad Inns Stadium was slated to be demolished at the end of the 2010 football season. This is now in doubt.
Summer 2011: Under the original timelines, the new U of M football stadium was slated to open in time for the 2011 season. Now, 2012 is looking more likely.
2011-2013: Retail components of new Creswin development at former stadium site at Polo Park slated to open.
-- Sources: Creswin, Winnipeg Football Club
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 15, 2009 A3
Labels: asper, blue bombers, polo park, retail, stadium, winnipeg
A WEEKEND IN NEED OF MAKEOVERS?
According to the MTV Music Video Awards, yes it was! The talented, rich, famous and obnoxious all gathered to celebrate each other's sweat and toil of work - or yet to critcize it. A few of the looks that happened to catch my eye are found below (thanks to the images from the fashion section of the MTV website.
Lauren Conrad, ex-star of The Hills, is always a favorite of mine - looking simple yet classy in a dress perfect for summer's end. Following to the right is Kanye West. For stealing Taylor Swift's moment I'd like to ask Why in the world did you bring a bottle of Hennessy on the red carpet? That is all. Moving to the bottom left is Lady Gaga, donning quite a get-up, once again. Generally, I myself would prefer something a little less extreme, but what I love about Lady Gaga is her ability to express her own style and rock it without a care. Lastly in the bottom right is The City star Whitney Port. Hailing from the US fashion capital, I assume that she is ahead of the trends? The runways are pouring with corset tops and cut-out dresses, and she definitely looks amazing. With the Winnipeg weather, however, this might be a little to risque. Let me know what you guys think!
In addition to makeovers, Orlando's main tourist attraction is getting a facelift! Take a read, thanks to The Associated Press.
Fantasyland facelift: Walt Disney World to embark on biggest overhaul in Magic Kingdom history
ORLANDO, Fla. - Disney executives are planning the largest expansion in the history of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in central Florida.
The development will nearly double the size of Fantasyland and include a new, lavish ride based on the Little Mermaid. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo made the announcement Saturday.
Analysts predict it will re-ignite travel to Orlando, which has lagged in the global recession.
Disney also plans to update Star Tours, the Star Wars-themed ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios. It will debut in 2011. The Fantasyland overhaul will be complete by 2013. Disney declined to say how much it will spend on the projects.
Disney's parks contribute about a third of the giant entertainment company's revenue.
Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com
Labels: Disney World, fashion, makeover, MTV, Video Awards
SALUTATIONS TO THE STYLE-INTERESTED AND THE NOT
The touch of a silk-cashmere blend running through your fingers, the comforting sight of neatly folded merchandise on a display table, the all-to familiar sound of the cash register drawer opening to consume your money - these happen to be the feelings and sounds that capture my life.
Whether you're interested in fashion or not, it is inevitable that style and fashion are a part of everyday life. I hope to take this opportunity to explore fashion trends of today, sharing fashion finds, and even discussing the fashion industry in the tough economic times of today.
Here is some last minute summer-dress tips, perfect when attending a summer's end bbq.
