by Morri Mostow
L’Accent D’Ici, a Knowlton gift shop specializing in local and Canadian gift items, has turned yellow in time for Easter, with bright yellow walls and accessories. As part of the makeover, owner Heather Heath continues to make changes and innovations. She has just restocked her shelves with lots of toys and crafts, travel games, gift bags and wrapping paper. Bright yellow smiley-face pails, perfect for the beach, have just arrived.
Five shelves of small gift items like candles, cards, jewellery and pot pourris are now on permanent promotion: buy one, get one free. Until the ski hills close, skiers who show their ski pass get a 15% discount on all regularly priced merchandise.
L’Accent D’Ici’s new registry for children has proven a hit with parents. Dozens have already signed up their children in the shop’s Birthday Book. Just before their birthday, the shop sends the children a birthday card and gives them a 20% discount on toys during their birthday week.
L’Accent
D’Ici, 27 Lakeside, Knowlton. Tel: (450) 242-2982
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Virgo Catering has mastered the art of thematic menus. Its special Valentine’s Day menus were a big success, so now the shop is offering a special five-course Easter Lunch or Easter Dinner To Go. Lunch ($17.95 per person) features baked ham with scalloped potatoes, with an array of original appetizers; dinner ($25.95 per person) stars a spinach and herb cream-cheese stuffed chicken breast wrapped in puff pastry. Order now in time for Easter.
Want to create your own Easter baskets? The bright primary-coloured store is stocked with all the fixings, including baskets in Easter colours, multi-hued excelsior, chocolate eggs and gourmet treats.
In May, chefs Virgo Romano and Chris Marks will run an all-day sushi course. Participants need only bring a sharp knife and can take home all the sushi they haven’t eaten during the course.
Virgo Catering, 255 Knowlton Road, Knowlton. Tel.: (450)
243-0834.
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Art lovers should not miss the original and intriguing
collages by Brigitte De Souza, on display at AGUR until the end of April. Each
collage invites the viewer into a journey, where the artist has combined
different materials to create reliefs and depth. De Souza has matted and framed
each collage herself — the frame becoming an integral part of the piece — and
given them such apt titles as Rouge Désir, Gourmandises, Dans Le Lointain and Rencontres Essentielles. Prices
range from $95 to $320.
De Souza,
an educator and published poet, moved to Knowlton last year from Boston, where
she taught drama at the franco-american high school. She now offers theatre
workshops to primary students in Knowlton.
In addition to hanging exhibits by various artists throughout the year, AGUR studio-gallery permanently showcases the works of its owners: painting by master trompe-l’oeil artist Maddia Esquerre and Japanese-inspired furniture by her brother Jean-Yves.
AGUR Arts
& Décor, 294 Knowlton Road, Knowlton. Tel.: (450) 243-0620