For more of an intense aroma, you can visit one of the various flower festivals across Ontario.  Of course, the most well known is The Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa which runs until May 21st but did you know there’s also a festival which pays homage to our boutique’s namesake, the lilac? Warkworth, Ontario (a small village 3.5 hours West of Ottawa), hosts an annual Lilac Festival and this year they are celebrating the French hybrid lilacs (from May 25th- June 3rd). So if you`re looking for something different to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, take a leisurely drive and stop to smell the roses lilacs!

Did you know lilac flowers are edible & that purple lilacs symbolize first love? Fore more fun facts on our favourite fleur violet check out our Lilac Love blog post!

Because we`re too excited to wait until September for our annual sale, we`ve decided to hold a pre-summer sale instead! From May 15th- June 15th, bras, panties, chemises, kimonos, (you name it) will be 25-50% off! What better time to start growing your lingerie collection, then after a spring cleaning, out with the old and in with the new! Time to exercise your nautical ensemble (one of the hottest spring trends!), and come visit us at the boutique as we SALE along together for a whole month!

-First Mate Emilia & the Lilac sale-ors

Their vision is powerful, to break the silence, break the cycle and save lives by educating, supporting and empowering.  Mobilize, raise your voice and speak out against domestic violence today!

To learn about how you can help and for informational resources, visit the Ontario Coalition to End Violence Against Women`s website.

Here are some of our daughter buying friendly options (because you probably don’t want to buy the woman who raised you, a sexy thong, but kimonos and chemises are an elegant and safe bet!)

Great Expectations kimono by Blush

Available in S/M or M/L

$117

Gypsy Rose kimono by La Fée Verte

Available in S-L

$156

Spree chemise by Elle Macpherson Intimates

Available in S-L

$124

Olive chemise by La Fée Verte

Available in XS-L

$124

Don’t know your Mom’s size? No worries-print off an online gift certificate or spend some quality time perusing our products page for something beautiful and then come visit our boutique for a mother-daughter shopping trip!

“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.”

(author unknown)

Whether you’re a garter belt, bra & panty set, babydoll or bustier kind of gal, Happy National Lingerie Day to you and your girls!

(we also share the day with pigs-in-a-blanket day, just in case you’ve always wanted to cook up little hot dogs in your sexy chemise… sounds pretty risqué to me!)

Q1: I’m nosy and love hearing the stories behind a concept- what does Ef stand for and what inspired you to start this online magazine?

Ef, an incredibly imaginative name, stands for eco-fashion. My best friend Ilona Khoyker and I came up with the name when brainstorming about the magazine. We wanted something simple, punchy and representative of its focus. Ef just stuck!

Inspiration to start the magazine came from a saying I once heard: do what you love, and you’ll never
work a day in your life. The thought of working on something you love really appealed to me and I shared this thought with Ilona. We both loved fashion magazines and were environmentally conscientious so we concluded that an eco-fashion magazine would be the best of both worlds.

Q2: On your contributor profile you state “Our wardrobes create just as much of an environmental and social impact as other aspects of modern life and so I have chosen it as my vehicle of change.”   How do you ensure that your wardrobe is sustainable? Where are your favourite places to shop in Ottawa?

If I had the funds to always buy new, I would shop online for sustainable fashion labels like Edun and
People Tree. However I love second-hand shopping and keep things simple by only buying at second-hand or consignment shops and participating in clothes swaps. I don’t have to worry about contributing to a brand that sustains unethical labour conditions and poor environmental practices because I’m recycling the clothing and keeping it out of a landfill. It’s cheaper too!

My favourite places to shop in Ottawa are AMH Style, Rikochet Resale, Victoire Boutique, Young Jane’s, St. Vincent de Paul’s and Green Tree Eco-fashion. Thankfully, other great boutiques are beginning to feature great Canadian lines that have adopted sustainable practices.

Q3: A few months ago we wrote a blog post on our eco-friendly thongs by Mary Green and joked that we’re saving the world one thong at a time.  If you could be known for anything it would be saving the world one _____ at a time?

One conscientious consumer at a time!

Q4: What does sustainable lingerie mean to you?

Sustainable is an umbrella for environmental, social and ethical sustainability so sustainable lingerie can be second-hand, handed down, made in Canada, made out of eco-friendly fabrics, the whole gamut.

Q5: To me, lingerie is________.

Meant to be taken off

Thanks Malorie for helping to make Ottawa a ‘greener’ place to live!

• Fashion & Style District (Lilac Lingerie will be there, need we say more?)
• Beauty & Wellness Zone
• Fitness, Leisure & Travel Zone
• All You Need is Cheese World of Taste Zone (mmm you had me at smoked gouda!)
• Business & Career Centre
• Home Reno Zone
• Healthy Green Living Zone (we do our part in saving the world, one thong at a time!)

Click here to print this coupon.

Whether you’re a student, mom, working professional, all of the above or simply a shopaholic, everyone deserves a girl’s day out! Hope to see you there!

But why lilacs? We thought it would be fun to spread some lilac love and share a few fun facts about the delicate species:

• Lilacs are native to Eastern Europe and Asia (that explains the enchanting Japanese flower garden pictures above)
• Lilac wood has traditionally been used for engraving, knife handles and musical instruments (I wish my Elementary School clarinet had been made out of lilac wood, then maybe my melodies would have sounded sweeter!)
• Lilac flowers are edible, you can crystalize them and use them as candied flowers on cookies, pies and cakes (these lilac cream crepes would be an elegant dish for a weekend brunch!)
• Rochester, NY is the lilac capital of the world (their lilac festival may be the most happening event they have all year, considering their claim to fame is ‘Flower City’!)
• Purple lilacs symbolize first love (maybe that’s why my High School sweetheart and I never worked out, he only gave me roses!)

Have any lilac facts you want to share? Want to learn more about this versatile bloom? Continue the conversation with us on twitter as we talk more about our love for lilacs!

The Easter Bunny hopped by our boutique and granted us a few days off (that is how it works isn’t it?) so we will be closed today on Good Friday (April 6th) & Easter Sunday (April 8th).

Happy Egg-Hunting!

As your favourite flower is in bloom, we’d like to invite you to celebrate your friendship at the Lilac boutique. Come explore our springtime arrivals and indulge in a day of laughing, chatting and shopping with your friends.

Come in twos, threes or more and receive 10% off* your purchases as a friendship gift from the Lilac ladies.

Our consultants are here to make sure that you and your ladies feel pampered, relaxed and sexy while trying on lingerie.  Check out these dos and don’t of shopping with your friends (including DO treat yourself and DON’T criticize) for the best experience possible.

We look forward to meeting you and your friends!

*offer valid from April 5th until April 25th, 2012