Friends are the Bacon Bits in the Salad Bowl of Life

Although its true that my culinary skills are still far from boast-worthy, I do want to provide you all with a recipe!

-- A recipe for the Best Girls Night-in Ever! --

(This is where you all breath in a sigh of relief that I am not going to spend the rest of my blog explaining how to make PB&J sandwiches and juice-- When making a meal for guests my roommates put me in charge of the juice! Its a big responsibility but I'm pretty much a pro now!)
Ingredients:

1) For the main dish: A Chick Flick


We chose Definetly, Maybe.. but feel free to substitute with Sleepless in Seattle, or the Proposal.

2) Side Dishes: Pizza and S'mores


In order for true bonding to occur, there must be ample amounts of delicious food! We chose Pizza, Doritos and S'mores!



Now the secret to this recipe is all in the presentation. A fire is necessary for atmosphere and make sure everything is served wearing-- what else?!-- but the comfiest of Onesies!!




Finally, the absolute most important ingredient -- the only one you actually need-- is a best friend to share it all with!! (awwwwww!!)

Love you Brynnie!!

-B

JC, How I love thee!!

I had originally intended to make one giant blog cataloging all of the ridiculous and gorgeous shoes I have come across this past year. But when I actually sat down to write it I realized, "What the heck do you write about in a shoe blog?". Other than listing picture after picture of shoes, I didn't know what to do. Instead, I have decided to separate the pictures into smaller entries.

Now the ONLY place any shoe blog can start is with Jeffrey Campbell.
Last summer I was browsing shoes on Modcloth.com and came across the most beautiful pair of white flats. I basically stared at them for two months, didn't buy them and now that I can no longer find them, I really wish I had bought them in the first place. Ever since then, Jeffrey Campbell has been a tease. Very few of his shoes I can actually see myself wearing, but I still continue to dream. He is like that unattainable boy you secretly know isn't right for you but you just can't help but wish it could magically work out. ... yes I am still talking about shoes!

These are the JC boots that I am currently craving! They are the kind of shoes that you change your wardrobe for!


Wedges, clogs, platforms and boots are favourites of the Jeffrey Campbell name. He is known for unique details and chunky heels.


Wedges!


These are the ever so popular Lita platforms


Hello Boots!


This one is called the Unicorn Princess Heel
One day I will be brave enough--- rich enough-- to incorporate these gorgeous works of art into my everyday!

Hope you enjoyed a sneak peak into my Jeffrey Campbell love affair!
-B

Havana Cafe

A couple days ago, I spent the morning working at a brand new cafe on Bank St. called Havana Cafe and Catering. This was my very first time in a work setting that was a kitchen environment and I loved it--- I realize that most of you reading this are thinking that it was one of my first times in any kitchen, or at least one without a microwave! I was only at the store for a few hours; I ran errands, helped prepare sandwiches and gave samples out to people walking by on the street. I worked all morning with the chef, who is a super sweet, talented Cuban man that makes hilarious jokes in the same tone as if he were just telling me to pass him the salt-- they are so subtle and unexpected that they catch you off guard and make you laugh even harder! He introduced me to each of the items on the menu--- translation I spent the entire shift eating delicious Cuban food!! Seriously I was stuffed for the rest of the day!

We started with what he calls Mojito Lemonade, which is lemonade that I ground mint leaves into, leaving the lemonade with a minty kick. Then we put together some beef sandwiches, which I worried would be too hot for me when I added spicy peppers but somehow it just added delicious flavour without being painful for me to eat. It was fun making them. He asked me if I had ever made a sandwich before, and I wasnt sure how to answer. Sure I have made PB&J sandwiches before, but somehow I don't think that's what he meant! Embarrassingly later on, I had to ask how to cut the buns properly--- I know how I would cut a bun, but I was worried my bun cutting skills wouldn't meet his standards so I figured I should ask first before making a fool out of myself by doing it wrong.. I think what I realized is that I made a fool out of myself either way!
I went outside for part of the day to give out samples of Yuca. Yuca is from the potato family, it is cut up into strips like French fries and deep fried. It comes with a garlic/lime sauce. It was fun getting people to try it out on the street because most people, including myself, had never heard of it before.

I have a serious thing for fries-- french fries, sweet potato fries, you name it and I'm hooked.. well Yuca fries are at the top of my current list!

I also gave out samples of the Classic Cuban sandwich, which is my favourite! It is served grilled and the pickle gives it great flavour-- my mouth is watering just thinking about it.. I've been continuously craving it ever since!


Lastly, I tried a beef, vegetable and rice soup. The soup was really good but sadly I am the wimpiest of Canadians when it comes to spicy foods! My eyes started watering and I couldnt stop coughing! Try explaining to a Cuban that something is too spicy! He kept saying over and over, 'Its not too spicy'.. I am sure he is right for about 99% of the population but lets be honest, too much pepper is spicy for me!!

In a lot of ways, putting me and kitchen in a sentence feels like an oxymoron-- knives freak me out, I seem to burn myself at every opportunity and I'm not lying when I admit that I had to ask someone a few months ago how to use a kettle. On the other hand, there is something very empowering and creative about making food. As I watched the chef meticulously arrange things on the plate, it was obvious that he looks at food almost as an art. He is proud of what he has made.. and believe me I've tasted it, he should be proud! Who knows, maybe if I put some time and effort into it- or my microwave suddenly breaks- I will find my inner chef!

-B

P.S.
Havana Cafe
1200 Bank St.
Mon-Fri 10am-7pm
Sat 10am-5pm
Seriously go check it out-- Prices are just as good as the food!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Ottawa Fashion Week

Anyone who spent much time with me in the past couple weeks knows about the excitement- bordering on obsession- that I had with Fashion Week. First of all, the fact that Ottawa has such an event in the first place is exciting and shows how far the city has come in the fashion world, even just over the past few years. Not to mention the fact that it was held at the National Gallery-- hello glitz and glam! The Gallery itself is an architectural masterpiece and the catwalk looked amazing surrounded by windows on all sides showing the Ottawa river and parliament in the distance. This seasons show was especially exciting because my fabulously talented boss, Alison Hughes, was chosen as head stylist for the event-- what an honour!! She is amazing at everything she does and has a great eye for styling, so naturally I knew the end result of the show couldn't fail to impress!
The show started a week earlier for me this year because Ali asked me to help out at the model fitting the weekend before. Picture a hundred models, designers and clothes all piled into the LOFT hair salon downtown-- it was craziness! Fittings for each of the shows were going on simultaneously. The volunteers were amazing at making sure each of the models was in the right place at the right time! I spent most of the morning with a camera taking head shots of the models and then photographing models in the outfits we had chosen for them. I also helped fit models, which basically involves going through the runway outfits and choosing which ones go on which models, making sure they fit and look good. Before the end of the day I helped manage the male model casting call--- hello hot male models! All in all the day was so much fun and as an added bonus I got a sneak peak at all the clothes before they hit the runway!
After the fitting, Friday couldn't come fast enough as I was even more excited for all of the fashion shows. Since HUSH sponsored Fashion week this year, the HUSH girls were all given VIP seats, along with awesome swag bags that night!! We had front row seats for the shows that night and oooeh and awwed at gorgeous jewellery pieces by Micalla, and the awesome animal-inspired hair for the Goldenfish swimwear show. It was so much fun getting dressed up and as an added bonus Ali gave us a sneak peak of backstage.

Me and Jared-- Front Row! woo!

For me, the absolute best part of the night came right at the end. Leading up to Fashion week I was most excited about Adrian Wu showing his line. For those who don't know, Adrian Wu is a 20 year old genius designer from Toronto who is wonderfully talented and is on the verge of making it super big! Anyways, as we were chatting with Ali backstage, Adrian Wu, in a fabulous knitted floor length Camel-coloured dress, walked up. I seriously need to work on my tact. In situations like these you always hope that you will act cool and collected just as if you were meeting anyone else. Unfortunately, this is me we are talking about, I turn red at the drop of a hat. This instance was no exception, and the calm cool exterior I so desperately wanted, I failed at considerably. I was so surprised/shocked/excited to see him that the first thing I said (picture this in a 'he is dreamy' kind of tone) was "Oh! Adrian Wu". I'm really hoping he didn't hear that part, although I dont think its physically possible to stand 3 feet away from someone and not hear them exclaim your name! Anyways, Ali introduced us, I turned bright red and giggled uncontrollably (Remembering this is both making me very happy and horribly embarrassed all at the same time), we shook hands and I walked on air for the rest of the night!!
Now, if this were my Work Bestie's blog, I would tell you all about how amazing Saturday was because I got to hang out with Jessica Biffi and Adrian Wu all day by helping with their fittings. Sadly for me, that was Thea's day and not mine. Jared and I did go to a couple shows that night though and luckily I had my camera! Jana Hanzel's designs were flawless and were right in step with the 'ladylike ultra feminine' trend that is popular right now. My favourite part of her show were the gorgeous hats that I wish I was brave enough to wear in the spring time. (I'm really tall and feel like hats, especially big statement hats, just make me look like the Statue of Liberty!)




Judy Designs line was edgy and raw. The part of me that is obsessed with studs and motorcycle boots loved every minute of it!


Right before Judy Designs show, Adrian Wu and Jessica Biffi showed up at the end of the runway. Spurred on by Jared I went and asked to have my picture taken with Adrian! Seriously that man makes my heart beat soo fast-- I'll let you decide whether I'm talking about Jared or Adrian! ;)



All in all Ottawa Fashion Week was everything I hoped for and more! I had so much fun dressing up and checking out other peoples outfits! I think I could have gone by myself and entertained myself people watching the whole time! Whoever says that Ottawa Fashion doesn't exist seriously needs to rethink their stance.. we are a growing force and after the success of this years Fashion Week putting us on the map, it can only keep getting bigger and better!

Spins and Needles

Attention all thrift store junkies and craftionistas (ya I'm pretty sure I made that one up!) On Friday night I went to an Ottawa event called Spins and Needles and absolutely had a blast because it combines two things I love--- shopping for clothes and altering clothes!

Basically the event is a huge clothing swap, where everyone brings at least one bag full of clothes and gets to go through huge piles in search of a new item that they will wear! I went with a co-worker and a few of her friends. We spent the first 45mins or so going through the huge piles, trying stuff on and socializing with other people. It was a little overwhelming because there were tons of people all trying to get at the same things at the same time--- luckily there were no fights (I really thought there would be)! I tended to shy away from the big crowds. If you think of lions eating a carcass, I was more like the bird that comes and takes a few bites and runs away. It was a little intimidating, I felt bad since no matter where you are, you are always in someones way! I spent quite a bit of the time telling people what I thought of the outfits they had created, or whether or not the shirt they had found fit-- basically it was like working but not getting paid. Those who know me know that I love my job so obviously I loved every second of it! I found an amazing Beaver vest (and by Beaver think little boy scouts rather than actual Beaver fur). The problem was that it was for a 10 year old boy and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it to work on me. I tried to convince a smaller girl how cool it was but she didn't seem quite convinced! During the whole night there was a live DJ, hence the 'spins' part of the title, so it created a fun atmosphere!

This picture does not do the crowd justice because this is much later in the night when it had died down considerably.

After the swapping had died down a bit (I say a bit because people continued to arrive throughout the night so there were always piles of clothes and people going through them), tables were laid out with sewing machines, beads, fabric, stenciling supplies- you name it!- for people to use to alter their clothing. I spent the next two hours sewing on sequins and fake pearls to the shoulder of a purple turtleneck that I had scored from the pile. Seriously I have a new found respect for any type of beading or sequins on clothing because it was so tedious and time consuming. I had originally planned on sewing both shoulders but given how long it takes, I settled for an asymmetrical look instead.
Throughout the night I met lots of new really nice and cool people. Everyone was extremely open to meeting new people and I even had a few people recognize me from HUSH. The girls I went with all stenciled awesome designs onto shirts they had found. By the end I think people were going through the clothing pile just looking for anything that they could tear apart and alter!
Clive Doucet, who is running for mayor, even made an appearance which impressed me, even though he didnt seem too interested in going through the mens pile and sewing a couple buttons.

This is the girls (Rachel, Emma and Ruby) getting their stencils ready! Ruby even made me a shirt with a bright pink bulldozer on it!
All in all I really had a great time and am looking forward to the next night, scheduled for the end of November!! Let me know if anyone wants to join!
-B

OK here it GOes again!

Friday Night. Capital Music Hall. OK GO.

Ok Go is a band known for their ridiculous costumes/outfits worn to awards ceremonies-- does anyone remember the wallpaper/carpet suits they wore to the 2008 Grammy awards?


--they're also well known for their music videos. My two personal favourites are the video for their song 'A Million Ways', where they choreographed a whole dance routine in someones back yard, it has a homemade going back to youtubes roots vibe to it. Plus I'm not going to lie Angela (my old roommate) and I spent hours practicing that dance, we are just that cool- it was a blast! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbdbVhBGETQ
My other favourite has become a cult classic on youtube because even if they hadnt performed the song 'Here it goes again' in the background, the video itself stands alone as really impressive. In fact it won a Grammy in 2007 for Best Short-Form Music Video! The guys choreographed a dance on treadmills!! Enough said, go watch it!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

Two bands opened up for Ok Go. Erica and I got seats on the upper floor of the club so we were excited that we'd be able to see really well. The first was a Californian band called Summer Darling. Maybe it was because just prior to the start of the set a girl jumped in front of me and stole my awesome spot so I couldn't see that well, but I wasn't overly impressed with Summer Darling. They had a good sound, but their songs felt like they were hours long and the lead singer jumped around erratically with his mouth open, even when he wasn't singing! Anyways it just wasn't anything I was really surprised and excited about.

The second band is from Chicago and is called Company of Thieves. They have a female lead singer with an amazing voice! She really got into the music -- she was kind of insane-- and was extremely entertaining to watch. I was very impressed with their songs and loved listening. I sometimes write notes on my phone as if I was really a reporter so I dont forget details, this is what I came up with that night-- "Ok Go ahead and call me cheesy but Company of Thieves stole the show. They put the others out of business." get it cause its a company!.. of thieves! .... I realize I'm the only one that thinks I'm clever! :)



I originally went to the concert with all of the Ok Go pop culture symbols in my head, hoping the bands music would live up to that status. Seriously, they didn't fail to entertain. Not only do they have a great sound, catchy music, an amazing lead singer (did I mention gorgeous lead singer?!) but they also made the show their own. True to form, they added lots of details to make the show as Ok Go worthy as possible! They put cameras on their microphones so that the backdrop could show up close shots of each of them throughout the concert, they recorded the entire concert so that people could by it on a usb afterwards, they put up a phone number for people to text to get a free music download, the lead singer, Damian, jumped into the middle of the crowd to play a song and they even played one song entirely with hand bells!

This was so unexpected at a concert-- soo well done!

Possibly the coolest thing about the show was the 3D!! At the beginning of the concert each person was given free 3D glasses as they were going into the hall. Halfway through the concert the band announces that they recently made one of their music videos 3D and that we would be the first people in the world to get to see it!!! So everyone threw on their glasses and watched the video on a giant screen! The video itself was dancing mixed with choreographed dogs doing tricks-- the dogs were pretty impressive!

They played the video just after Damian had sung in the middle of the crowd. This is him announcing the 3D video!
Erica and I decked out in our 3D shades!

For their encore, the band ran back out on stage with jackets on that could show words on the back of them -- I really dont know how to explain that better.. think of those huge belts that have words running across them like a sign -- a moving sign? Anyways I hope that makes sense! Throughout the song different things showed up on their jackets as well as lazer beams coming out of their guitars into the audience!! It was pretty wicked!
These are the back of the jackets, you can kinda see their legs out the bottom!


Lazer beams coming off of guitars.. What What!


I know I say this every time I go to a concert, in fact I'm starting to think its the only thing I want from a concert, but I'm sure Damian and I had a moment! Mind you he jumped into the crowd so he quite literally had a moment with every other person in the audience, but where he stood in the crowd was right in front of Erica and I! He looked up to talk to all of us on the top floor and sang to us! If you watch the first couple seconds of this video, you can take part in that special second in time that we shared!! ;)


"Here it goes again"-- the Real Deal!


-B