Style.

Fall has arrived. I thoroughly enjoyed the final lazy hazy days of summer, hence the lack of blogging action, but now it is back to school and back to reality. I love this time of year! I find myself drawn towards freshly sharpened pencils, crisp notebooks, and September issues of fashion mags that weigh more than a newborn baby.

What are the must-haves of the season? Do I like the new trends? At the beginning of the summer all I can think about is getting a new swimsuit and when fall arrives I begin to obsess about getting a new pair of boots. No ifs, ands, buts, or maybes about it I'm getting new boots! We are off to Seattle for what I consider a weekend of shopping and what my boyfriend thinks is a weekend of football (the Seahawks season opener is Sunday and he is a diehard fan.)

Aside from the traditional boots, my only other must-have for this fall is the maxi-skirt. I love love long skirts and for the first time in a couple years I find myself liking the trends again. Alright, time to log off, I have to go shopping now... Happy Autumn!

Exlpore.

A view of downtown from the seawall...

Summer in Vancouver really is the best time of year in this beautiful city. There is so much to do, and most of the activities are free! To make up for the dreary rain the rest of the year August is typically hot and sunny (or I just have a selective memory...)


The fountain in the middle of Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park.

This past Sunday I decided to dust off my rollerblades and go for a skate around Stanley Park, with a jump in the ocean at Third Beach. It was glorious! Although I did get shat on by a seabird at one point, oh well "shit happens!" and I guess that just means I've got a little luck coming my way. The perimeter of the park, the seawall, is almost 10km in distance so no matter how you choose to get around it you get a workout.





The seawall around Stanley Park...




I have been trying to decide this summer which beach in Vancouver is my favourite? Not an easy task as they all have unique offerings: the nudists and hippies on Wreak Beach, the party/pick-up crowd over at Kits Beach, the family picnic/beach activities (volleyball, skimboarding, windsurfing) at Spanish Banks, English Bay the downtown beach ... But there is no doubt something special about Third Beach. I felt so relaxed there and like I was in on a secret or something. I guess Third Beach just has a certain "je ne sais quoi"; and you gotta love that!

Style.

I love fashion magazines for inspiring ideas on how to put together fun outfits from what I already have; as well as, finding out what new fashions I want to try on. However, lately, instead of shelling out a small fortune on fashion magazines I cruise the blogosphere for awesome street style sites the following are my faves:

Garance Dore
The Sartorialist
Who What Wear
Vanessa Jackman
In Style (not really a blog more of an online version of the magazine but I love their website's 'look of the day' feature)

You can even create your own personalized magazine by registering all your favourite blogs on bloglovin.com. Once you register bloglovin.com will provide you with updates as they come... Every morning I sit with my coffee and get outfit ideas from fashionistas around the world for free!

Eat.

My boyfriend's response to my oh so pretty salad...



Keep it simply delicious... Hack a head of iceburg lettuce into quarters, then stick a quarter on a plate, drizzle with blue cheese dressing and VOILA! Yum yum... Feel free to add cheese or some sprinkles of chopped veggies if you like but keeping it basic is the way to go.

Inspire.

I wonder if that boat is still there?


just a little swim hole to escape a busy day...

Eat.

Just the prettiest little big salad you ever did eat! Lately I have been loving this salad so much I make it just so it can be kept in the fridge and dove into whenever hunger strikes. My mom gave me the recipe which she pulled years ago from a magazine like Canadian Living, or McLean's or some such publication. Anyway, here's the scrum-diddly-umptious recipe:

Oriental Salad

1/2 head cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, julienned
1/2 red pepper, cut in slivers
1/2 green pepper, cut in slivers
8 ears baby corn, halved lengthwise
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dressing

Oriental Salad Dressing

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 1/2 cup sunflower oil

*mix together really well to dissolve sugar. I like to put it in a jar and jump around shaking it up like a mad woman... but that's just my technique.

*The dressing recipe makes about 3 cups of dressing which you can store in the fridge all summer long.

*I also like to add some sliced toasted almonds to the salad they are like nutty sprinkles on top, soooo delicious! Watch out when toasting almonds they burn really easily!

Explore.

Summer in the city! Keep your ear to the ground there are tons of fun free things going on around town all summer long. One of my faves are the free outdoor movie screenings in a park. I'm pretty sure every city has this going on. Simply Google: free movies in the park in [enter name of your city here]... If you live in L.A. (or you're just visiting) a must are the Cinespia screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Grab your beach blanket, a bottle of wine, some snacks, and cozy up in the fresh air cinema!

Inspire.

ahh summertime...

Explore.

Chinatown in Vancouver is really cleaning up and quickly becoming the new frontier for rad eating and drinking establishments. Move over Gastown! Check out Boa Bei for a modern take on old Chinese home cooking and afterword stroll down the street to The Keefer for a drink or two or three or four... Both spots have inspired design teams behind them and will make you feel like you have your finger on the pulse of what is happening in an often lamented as boring town.

Create.

Might I suggest painting in the park? Unleash your inner Van Goh, Picasso, or Monet. Grab some supplies from your local art store, pack a picnic (I suggest including a bottle of wine it helps lubricate your creativity and silence your inner critic) and head to the park. You might wind up with some custom artwork for your walls... It is a rather romantic idea isn't it.

Explore.

Affectionately monikered "Pleasantville" Veranda Beach on Osoyoos Lake in Eastern Washington is summer camp for adults. The sun shines and the lake glistens and the cocktails are always fresh, it is a little slice of heaven. Bocce, croquet, frisbee, beach volleyball, swimming (in either the pool or the lake, you choose), golf, hiking, shuffle board, beer pong, and wine drinking, are all on the activity list. The water trampoline has the enigmatic ability to lure any water wuss into the lake.
Check out www.verandabeach.com to find out how you can rent a cottage for yourself and really indulge in the joys of summer.

Eat.

The Vancouver Sun just did a great article on how much cheaper it is to grow your own herbs instead of buying them from the grocery store. Growing your own herbs is the best way to go, but if you are like me and live in an apartment with no outside space for gardening, this is tricky.

It has always bothered me that when you buy a bunch of parsley you get far more than you will be able to use before it goes bad in the fridge. Recently my mom shared with me a trick she learned from her foodie friend, who has taken cooking courses in Italy. There is a very simple and aesthetically pleasing way to keep your parsley alive longer. Take a bunch of parsley and give the stems a fresh cut, then place into a vase of water, and voila! You now have a beautiful green bouquet of fresh herbs.

Create.

I recently attended the screening of Isabelle Landry and Maritama Carlson’s first short film, So Called Friends. Izzy is a good friend of mine so I decided to interview her about the process of creating her first short.

C2: You collaborated with Maritama Carlson on this project. What prompted this creation?

Izzy: Maritama and I encountered one another frequently at auditions. We got to talking one day and decided to stop waiting for “them” to give us parts. We were going to make our own movie. Maritama had a concept she wanted to develop, so in 2004 we started getting together to write. Her concept was a spiritual one about the importance of friendships, and how much more difficult life is without good friends.

C2: When did you go to camera?

Izzy: We filmed the project in 2007. It usually doesn’t take this long to make a short but we hit a few bumps and roadblocks along the way, to put it mildly. Our director, Tony Mirza, made three final edits of the film which all were lost. The first edit, his computer crashed. The second edit, his computer was stolen out of his kitchen window. The third edit, his computer crashed again! Ultimately, Tony had to give up on editing the film himself. This led us to reach into our wallets and seek out hiring a professional editor. The first editor we hired was unable to complete the project because he was inundated with higher budget gigs, so we kept being put on the back burner. Then we found, Laurent Piche, and he was able to do a brilliant job. Oh my gosh, did I tell you we had a different director in the beginning?

C2: What? No!

Izzy: Yes, yes, we had a different director initially; but, unfortunately he didn’t work out. So two days before shooting we had to scrap everything and start over. This meant canceling extras, hair and make-up, locations, everything! Then we brought Tony on board and started over.

C2: What kept you moving forward in spite of all the setbacks?

Izzy: I have found that there are a lot of “talkers” out there: people who talk about doing things, but never follow through. Dealing with that was the most frustrating part of the process. And, ultimately, I do not want to be perceived by myself or anyone else as a “talker”. We had to finish what we started. And it worked out that whenever I was ready to give up, Maritama, would be like, “We have to keep going because I have made some headway in this area of production.” And vice versa, when she was ready to throw in the towel, I would be dragging us forward.

C2: What is the most positive thing you have gained from this experience?

Izzy: The value of perseverance and teamwork.

C2: What advice would you give to others embarking on the adventure of making a movie?

Izzy: Start small, like really small. I think we went too big for our first project. The final running time is 30min. We should have started with 5min and learned from there.

C2: So you’re saying, don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Izzy: Exactly.

C2: That’s so hard though if you are ambitious. I always bite off more than I can chew.

Izzy: I know me too! (laughing)

C2: Okay, now it is time for the stock questions portion of the interview. I need to know the following:

What is your favourite recipe?

Izzy: My home made salsa.

2 large tomatoes
2 stocks green onion
1tbsp ginger
1tsp honey
Juice of one lemon
salt and pepper

finely chop all ingredients. Add lemon, honey, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

What is your favourite restaurant in Vancouver?

Izzy: Oh tough one… are we judging on food or atmosphere? For food I have to say 3G on Cambie St. It’s a great place for vegetarian food.


What is your favourite cheap/free activity to do in Vancouver?

Izzy: The Blodell Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park. The entrance fee is about $4.50.

C2: Thank you for taking the time to allow me to interview ya Izzy! (Iz is currently working on her next screenplay.)

Inspire.

Style.

It is a dream of mine to master the rare art form of packing light. I am convinced only true perfectionists, those who have achieved an enviable low maintenance style, or people who don't care at all about fashion, can pull this off. In which case, it will undoubtedly remain a distant dream.

A dream dashed by the literal nightmare I experienced the one time I managed to "pack light" on a trip to Vegas. Of course my friends and I wound up with fabulous invites to glamorous parties, and I was rendered, with a healthy buzz, totally confused as to where all my fun fashionable outfits were hiding. I was especially missing a particular pair of shoes that had fallen victim to a last minute "cut" from the suitcase; which, since I was practicing "packing light" really only qualified as an oversize handbag, not a proper suitcase.

I remember being in the train station in Paris and in awe of the genetically stylish Parisian women, standing modelesque with tiny roller totes fully prepared for a European get away. On that very trip, the rule was we could bring whatever luggage we wanted but we had to be able to carry it ourselves. Suddenly, my spaghetti armed eighteen year old self, was able to heave a massive suitcase equal to my own weight all over Europe. There was also the trip to the Cayman Islands, where the security actually abandoned searching my bag considering his partner had already thoroughly searched through the rest of my family's luggage. (Note: if attempting to smuggle goods, simply over pack!)

They say the trick to packing light is neutral colours and interchangeable items. Also, only travel to warm destinations, summer clothes are naturally lighter than winter coats and boots. The appeal of not having to check your baggage, if you could fit everything into a carry-on, used to be very high. Now with all the anti-terrorist restrictions, barely allowing the lip gloss in your purse to get on the aircraft, only taking a carry-on is nearly impossible. The only things that restrain me from simply throwing my entire wardrobe into suitcases, are the extra fees for being over the luggage weight allowance or the more than one bag fee. These fees I affectionately call the over-packer tax.

Eat.

The Canucks are still in it!!! In celebration of game 6 tonight, I would love to share one of my favourite new finds in Vancouver. Lupo restaurant on the corner of Hamilton and Smithe (beside the fire station). This is a wonderful place to enjoy the game in classy surroundings, with delicious food. The food is melt in your mouth Italian. Personally, I am a big fan of the gnocchi. Set in an old heritage house, ask for a table upstairs where two large flat screens provide everyone with a great view of the game. The service is consistently brilliant, with fun and knowledgeable servers who don't feel the least bit intrusive or unattentive. And the cherry on top is the price point that is so wallet friendly you'll wonder why you ever bothered with the old Earls stand-by (a.k.a McDonalds for adults).

Lupo
869 Hamilton St.
Vancouver BC
(604)569-2535
open daily 5pm till late

Go Canucks Go!

Play.

Happy Mother's Day! Get out and play with your mom this weekend. You know what she loves to do, so grab mom and go do one of her favourite things this weekend. Or feel free to send her off to the spa and clean the house while she is there, I'm sure this will go over well. When I was little I always wondered why there was no such thing as Kid's Day? When I asked my dad he told me that, everyday is kid's day. At the time I begged to differ, but as an adult I recognize that statement is absolutely true.

You don't have to spend a lot of money, your time is free. Make a yummy brunch at home and be sure you clean up. Mom should not be in the kitchen on her day. If you live in Vancouver, YYoga is offering free yoga for mom's this weekend. If you don't live in the same city as your mom, at least take time out of your, oh so important hectic schedule, and call to catch up. This is the first Mother's Day in a couple years that I happen to be home so I understand the power of a phone call or a special letter.

Wishing everyone a weekend full of love, laughter, and play.

Inspire.

GUMPTION

initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness

courage; spunk; guts

common sense; shrewdness.

What a great word. Gumption is the word of the day today. It has, spunk, as a synonym!

I love that word. Someone with gumption is sassy, intelligent, and self-possessed. Those moments in life when you smile and really have respect for yourself are so fabulous. Whatever your day has in store for you, approach it with gumption. Get out there and go for it!

Eat.

Hola! Como estas? Happy Cinco de Mayo! My Spanish is definitely limited but I love any excuse for a margarita. In Vancouver a good Mexican joint is tough to find but here are a couple I really enjoy to help you celebrate. Both are always happening spots and offer up delicious margaritas!

Lolitas
(A small space great for late nights!)
1326 Davie St.
Vancouver BC
(604) 696-9996
open daily 11am to 2am

Las Margaritas
(One of the best patios in Vancouver!)
1999 W.4th Ave
Vancouver BC
(604) 734-7117
open from 1130am til around 10 or 11pm

And if you would rather serve up your own fiesta my new fave is the beer-garita!

Beer-garita

1 small can of limeade
4-6 oz (or more up to you!) Tequila
3 beers (Coronas are a great choice)
1 lime
ice
salt

Mix together the limeade, tequila, and beer. Salt the rim of your glass by rubbing a lime wedge around the lip of the glass, then dip the lip of the glass into some salt on a plate. Next step if you want your beer-garita blended is to place the mix in a blender with ice and blast off! Or you can simply pour the mix into your salted rim glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and party-on!