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It's been a while since we've had a neighbour and I have missed popping next door for a little friday afternoon treat.  So it's with great pleasure that I can announce that The Makk on 124 is open for business!

So far I've only tried the lobster bisque and if that was any indication of the rest of the menu then we are in for a treat.  I'm pretty sure I'll be satisfying my late nite cravings with the Bacon Date Brochette pretty soon!  

I met Stephen and Matt and Chef Kasiran when they were renovating and I think we're going to get along great.  We're already sharing some of our art with them and hopefully we'll see some space sharing ideas as they get busier and more well-known.  Already they've made quite a splash on the street and it's great to see another restaurant opening up and serving quality local food.

The Makk on 124 has it's Grand Opening this Thursday, November 15th which happens to coincide with the opening of Anne  McCartney's solo exhibit Layers of Alberta.  Not to add to their stress we've opted to have our evening catered by the equally fabulous folks from The Dish and the Runaway Spoon who begin their  movie nights again really soon and my table is booked for Love Actually!

124th street is a great place to be for small independent businesses.  From restaurants to boutiques to hair salons to furniture stores and art galleries there is a whole bunch of passionate folks wanting to share that passion with you.  If you haven't been down lately you should!  Who needs the mall when you can shop 124th street and support your friends and neighbours?

Have a great week - and see you at the openings!

Karen







 
 
Isn't that a song?  

An appropriate opening line courtesy of the Jacob Hoggard and the band Hedley for a rather self-reflective blog post.

The Daffodil has been open for just over 3 months and for 3 months before that Rick and I spent many hours renovating and visioning.  For about 10 months before that we spent even more hours developing our business plan, visiting other galleries, talking about how this would work and all the things we needed to do in order to live out this dream.

It's hard to put into words what this journey has been like for me.  At times the highs have been off the charts - think back to opening night and 400 people coming out to offer their support.  At other times I have struggled with the added additional responsibility of running a business.  It's not that I didn't know what it would mean, and it's not that I don't love it, but it can be hard to find the balance between being a mum, an artist, a friend, a business owner and sometimes just Karen.  It will come, but my nature is not to be patient so I wish it would hurry up!

I've made a few mistakes.  I know I could have done things a little differently many times and would probably have had a better result.  C'est la vie.  

One of the most beautiful things about this journey is the support I have received from my business partner, Rick, and his family, the wonderful group of artists we have on board and my good friends.  These people genuinely want the Gallery to succeed and, despite the odd bump in the road, it will!

I may not be perfect, I'm not even that sure I care to be, but  I do care and I am willing to keep trying.  Thanks for all the love this past 3 months!

Have a great weekend