Forever, Matryoshka

be the goodness

2012-02-16T11:31:00.001-07:00

This morning as I doled out my daily vitamins I reflected upon my care practice and how strenuous it has become. Every morning I have hot water, lemon, apple cider vinegar, and grapefruit seed extract followed by a litre of water, I make breakfast every single morning (hot oats, pancakes, or eggs) and take 10+ vitamins just at breakfast alone. Eating and maintaining balance takes more time than doing my hair or picking out an outfit and I can't tell you how many times a day I pee; I lose count after 6 (and that's before noon). I couldn't help but wonder "when did taking care of ourselves become an optional hobby or pastime instead of our full time job?"

Without proper nutrition and care we can't function - sleep for 5 hours, pound coffee, eat processed food, sit all day, stare at a computer, go home, go out. Drive yourself into the ground and feel like shit day in, day out. Been there/done that/have the postcard blah blah blah I'm watching my skin clear itself and glow again, my eyes brighten, my body feel stronger and lighter - I have energy to do anything and everything and then some. I can listen to exactly what my body needs and what it doesn't like - not just "my belly hurts" but can figure out WHY and avoid making those same errors in the future. There's no reason to live with belly discomfort because of our own actions - stop making war with your guts!

I'm not gloating from health mountain, far from it, I'm not perfect nor claiming to be. However, watching friends and loved ones completely disregard their health and the potential to be healthy is heartbreaking. It's hard, it's time consuming, and you have to start small. I've affectionately named my diet the "chop and chew" diet as I literally have to cut and thoroughly chew everything I make- this sounds stupid like DUH ANDREA of course you chew your food but if you pay attention you'll notice that you probably don't. Eat a piece of broccoli or kale...still chewing? That's what I thought. (I'll also warn you, you'll need to spend more time doing the dishes too). Work hard to take care of yourself so your body work for YOU so YOU can do everything and anything YOU want to. Try, fail, learn, regroup, look for support but do it and do it for the one person that matters the most...YOU.

Let's be ALIVE together.

xo
your mom

pour les garcons

2012-02-03T21:03:00.002-07:00

my answer to your friday night text of "what are you doing?" will always be "not you."

xo

feed me. and deal with my feelings.

2012-01-27T11:51:00.001-07:00

Uh so remember when I talked about food ALL the time? Well, after a bit of a lifestyle restructure I don't have as much to talk about. I'm exclusively eating a whole/clean food diet until I say when. Basically, much like my current approach to boys, I'm asking my food "Are you good enough to be inside of me?" because I need quality, not quantity, thanks. Today marks 12 days of being alcohol, soy, and refined sugar free and eating very little gluten (oh, and loser dick free) How do I feel? Pretty good- although the arrival of my period sent my life into a tizzy and had me frantically googling " flourless sugarless low fat chocolate cake" from my bed yesterday. I did find this recipe for a chocolate cake using quinoa that I might just make once I feel like I've actually earned it. I found a far superior recipe that was vegan and far more appealing but of course, now I can't find it. I also have to be prepared for the fact that I will probably eat the entire fucking thing. In my bed. Alone. While watching something that has to with Ryan Gosling.

However, I did make this morrocan chickpea and zucchini stew the other night. While not chocolate it was still pretty good after I basically remade the recipe which, if you had followed the OG directions would leave you with soup. So chef's choice, but here's mine

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/4-1/2c raisins (golden would be delightful)
3+ sliced turkish apricots
1/4c+ fresh grated ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
2+ tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablepoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
1 19oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 1/2 c salt free canned diced tomatoes (a big can is around 28oz, I scooped most of the 'matoes out and left most of the liquid behind)

Saute the first 4 ingredients in medium heat until softish (technical term, yes). Add in the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, cover, simmer, eat. If you let this sit for a day, the flavors get extra flavory. Best served with a dollop of greek yougurt, a squeeze of lemon, chutney or freshly chopped apple and mint, and some toasted almonds or crushed pistachios on top. Serve with red quinoa, couscous is gross and not good enough to be in you!

Then get Mr. Gosling to do your dishes

ps : I really fucking love Amelia Aspen, I remember the day when I was 17 and went up to her bad ass self in psych 104 and said "are you Motorjoan?" and she came and sat with me. Then we were pals. She wrote this post in her blog and it made me sob because as someone who was bullied her whole fucking life, who has the most fucked up body image and self esteem issues ever, and who daily hates and despises her body I needed that slap in the face. I do the best to deal with her but it's a long drawn out battle. Some days I love this body and what it can and has done and other days, especially when I see shit like this I want to never leave my bed. So then I looked at other bellies and felt like a female human again but most importantly, like a woman. So basically, lets run around in our underpants, eat like we've never eaten before and dance like everyone's watching. Because they can't take their fucking eyes off of us.

xfuckingo

i am a bitch.

2012-01-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I hear what comes out of my mouth and how. I am a bitch. A mean girl with a burn book that lives inside of her heart. Even though I promised myself to live open, quiet the judgements, and foster acceptance I am still a bitch.

Blame it on the uterus, blame it on a Monday.

Today, I didn't even like myself.

solamente en mis sueños

2012-01-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

oh, you...john k samson

2012-01-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

I no longer care for your sounds but your lyrics will forever foray into my life.

If I could devote myself the way I do to picking out the perfect shoes I would have had another degree and a masters by now.

All that is gold does not glitter
not all those who wander are lost
the old that is strong does not wither
deep roots are not reached by the frost

Right.

I have no idea what moon is where or what goddess doth shine down upon on us but this life's worth the living.

fool me once...twice... third time's a charm?

2012-01-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ok Black Keys, I hear you're coming back to play Edmonton on May 12. This will be the 3rd time in just over a year that I've had the opportunity to see you. You were an EPIC disappointment the first two times.

El Camino comes off as pretty hot shit. It's a departure from your very stripped down minimalist dirty rock but it still contains the elements that make me want to strut around while whipping my hair and shaking my ass. Simultaneously, it's very repetitive in the "wait, is that song the same as this one" which may seem genius to some but annoying to those familiar with your catalogue.

However, do I really want to stand in Rexal with the myriads of douchebags that think your first album was Brothers? (YA BRO!) Am I interested in feeling like I'm wearing wool underwear while trying to dance because Mr. Auerbach is making me feel so uncomfortable as he clearly can't wait to get off the stage? Or paying way too much for a way too short show. Hell No.

Last time I saw you I promised that we were going to be secret lovers in the darkness of my below ground suite where I could have you any way I wanted you (preferably without pants on). I just don't think I can muster this one.

xo
your secret lover

string fingers

2012-01-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

a good reminder

auld lang syne

2011-12-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

Au revoir 2011, bonjour 2012.

It was a beautiful year with big love, big adventure, and so many learnings.

I'm grateful for my friends, my family, my health and lately my amazing yoga instructors and the ability to practice on a daily basis.

To come... reflections. After doing much living this year (read : drinking, partying, dancing, quitting, starting, changing) this upcoming year begs for reflection and attention to internal dialogues and details.

I could write : lose 5 pounds, go to the gym, do 25 push ups a day, stop eating bread, eat more greens etc but these things are not essential to the happiness of myself and those around me. I could also write lists of the best songs, favorite moments, worst dates (so many!!!) but I'll keep them in my heart where they'll live forever. Instead I'll enjoy the squishy bits, marvel at the muscly bits, blush when I think of the embarrassing bits and focus my attention on being a better person to myself and those I love. Listening, giving my time when needed, never asking for, or expecting anything in return and giving time to myself - to learn, to experience, to reflect...to wholeheartedly live within an experience.

Breathe deep, shine your heart forward

Happy New Year.

xo

Friday Favorites on a Wednesday Afternoon : Heartlines edition

2011-11-30T10:57:00.002-07:00

In light of having a backwards week - worked all weekend, went out like it was a Saturday on a Sunday (and to Hudson's none the less) here's some favorites which make you feel all lovely and squishy and holiday cheery inside. Am I blushing? No. Shutup. There's no reason for that...what. SHHHHH.

To start... this is of note

Jeudi : Coup is hosting their second annual Holiday Soiree. Go drink the drinks, try on fabulously beautiful clothes and make your wishlist. Then hope you've made the good list and your picks show up under your tree this year. Note: Gentleman/lovers/partners : your night is December 8th to make all our dreams come true! Anna and Nga will help you shop for the lady in your life, give you 15% off wishlist items and even gift wrap your purchases. C'est tres facile!

Vendredi : Gezzelig
Things I like : drinking, art, and supporting local artists (in this case starving artist students). VASA (Visual Arts Student Association) is having their year end auction and sale which means affordable art made by fresh talent. Not sure if you were aware but art does make excellent Christmas gifts and unlike plants (I really hate poinsettias and the pronunciation of them as well) it won't die and will keep on giving all year round.

Samedi : The Fine Art of Schmoozy
Oh look, more art and drinking. See a theme yet? Tickets are a bit steep at $30/$35 but the profits and the silent auction all support the place that kept me drunk on a rooftop the entire summer. And that, my friends, is priceless. There will be yummy eats and fat beats to keep your schmoozy going strong all night long, (All this art talk is clearly turning me into a poet).

Juste parce que ou Dimanche : If you haven't gone and checked out the AGA exhibits, go. Right now it's member's week so you can bring a guest for free but wait! There's more! If they buy a membership during the visit they save admission off the price of a membership (aren't you a nice friend for sharing your membership perks, pat yourself on the back xo.) I LOVED Arlene Waslynchuk's Saltus Illuminati (she's also speaking tomorrow). I took a photo, I know I know breaking the law breaking the law but it was so magical. I wanted to be able to walk through the trees and maybe have a little area to sit down and be surrounded by their beauty. I also loved Ragnar Kjartansson’s installation, The End (part of UP NORTH) for that, wish I could have lay on the ground while having my auditory senses delighted. The 19th century French photographs were really lovely as well...feeling cute? Read the descriptions en francais to your date in ridiculous accents or practice your franglais (je/j'ai like is good). We were supposed to head to Zinc afterwards (members save 10%, oui!) but the menu didn't really appeal. Brunch does however; banana bread french toast. OUI OUI OUI all the way home. Maybe save this for Dimanche when you'll need a break from being all fancy and drunk. Wait, who am I kidding - there's no brunch without mimosas.

And to close
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;I x&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

xoxoxo cold nose kisses

2011-10-19T00:04:00.000-06:00

I will always prefer,

a night in,

alone

a bottle of wine

and the radio as my lover

education des adultes

2011-10-14T14:11:00.000-06:00

The problem with going back to school after living a life is that I no longer see the world in black and white. There are no solid lines, lots of maybes, and a need for more information and clarity. This basic psychology course which, as always, is a prerequisite to everything else takes away my multitonal palette and gives me two "colors" to play with and one instruction : stay within the lines.

well wishes to you, wheat

2011-10-07T09:59:00.000-06:00

It's unconfirmed medically but the rashes and gut explosions have led me to believe that wheat and I do not get along. So long, farewell.

seamless transitions

2011-09-20T09:02:00.000-06:00

quietly getting colder but keeping it warm where it counts

dilemma//delerium

2011-09-18T22:16:00.004-06:00

the commercials, anthems and pop culture saturation is eminent.

The BB's guide to Penticton

2011-08-31T11:20:00.003-06:00

My bestie and I flew to Penticton for 6 days of sun and sun and sun and fun, of course. Here's our highlights and recommendations for your future trips there.

.
Shop/eat : The Saturday Market
This was an interesting one; the first block is basically crap imported from china and india that's over priced. Get passed that and you'll be greeted with 2 blocks of fruit and vegetables. SHOP AROUND! I've never seen gouging at a market like this place... I paid $2.50 each for a huge bundle of beets and swiss chard and other places were charging $8. Tomatoes ranged from $3/basket to $7 just depending on the vendor (not including organic designation). If you're nice, maybe the cute dude will throw in a lemon cucumber (ps: you're dreamy, I'd totally let you steal me away to be your homestead wife). I also brought home this amazing Fig and Fire balsamic reduction from Edible Gardens that I've been putting on everything.

Pick up dudes : Canadian Tire aka floaty capital
Going for a float? Oh, us too. How convenient. See next point.

Not remember your name, first or last : Channel
We bought an amazing floater with a cooler in the middle. We packed it full of 8 strongbow tall cans, ice, and goodies. Best $70 we've both ever spent and we even took it home with us on the plane. If you rent tubes, they make you get off at the half way point which is a BUMMER as there's still 2+ hours of floating ahead of you. Beware of beer pirates, the beer bong boys, and ducks that try to eat your toes! Big up's to Uncle Steve for dropping and picking us up each time!

To see : Relvis
If you need a snack or aren't big on peeing in the channel, head on over to the Rez-taurant for some Indian tacos and hopefully a glance at the famed Relvis. He loves requests, impromptu dance parties, and will graciously honor your request for photos. Especially if you're in a bathing suit (duh).

Eat : Isshin Sushi Bar
This place had amazing veggie sushi - my dining date agreed that it was some of the best fish they've had in a while as well. Good prices, lovely staff. Afterwards you can go stroll down the beach...don't forget your rattan! No one likes sand in those areas.

If you like it hot : Skaha Beach

If you want quiet : Purple Basil Beach
*located right in front of Waves of Art hair salon (do NOT go there!)

Stay away from : Dudes named J-rad.

Party : The Barking Parrot
If you weren't sure about that dress you bought being too short, wear it here. It won't be, I promise. You might even feel like you're wearing too much clothing. Warning: drinks not on special are RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Boys: Don't forget your axe body spray, Girls: Don't forget your mace

3 am mermaiding : Peninsula
Feel like stripping down and frolicking in the water? Head out to the Peninsula for fun times where you won't get spanked for being a public nuisance. Extra points for wrapping your pants around your head and if you can do 12 cartwheels in a row through the sprinklers.

And, if and when you ever get bored : Learn how to play crib with your best friend completely drunk out of your mind on white wine that isn't yours. And win.

Try not to cry when you leave. xo

endless summer

2011-08-18T09:40:00.000-06:00

In an attempt to keep my tan and sanity, my best lady pal and I are picking up and heading to Penticton (Penturkleton) for a week. I'll be home for a day, then off the Canmore. Then, exciting news when I get back.

xox

monday night :: sow wild

2011-08-16T10:34:00.000-06:00

My 30 minute rest after work turned into a 2 hour long nap so there was no way I could abide by my usual in bed before midnight rule. What's a girl to do up late on a monday night? Turn on the BBC and make scones.

I was at my mum's place on Sunday and picked their sour cherry trees clean.

I used this recipe for Scottish Oat Scones but subbed almond "milk" for milk and used 1/2c of cherries and another 1/4c of raspberries instead of currants. I wish I had lemons or oranges in the house; the addition of citrus would have been perfect.

I ate mine with butter and blueberry preseves hot out of the oven while listening to the going ons of the world.

My coworkers enjoyed the rest this morning.

Friday Favorites : River Queen

2011-08-12T09:17:00.000-06:00

This week we're going to play zig zag back and forth over the river. Ready? GO!

North : the amazingly talented Michale Rault plays TONIGHT at the Artery. Go! Wear your dancing shoes! If they're blue and suede, I'll buy you a shot.

South : One of my very favorite movies/plays of all time comes back to life. I first saw Hedwig back in Grade 11 and fell in loooooove to the point where I knew all the words to all the songs. Bring your other half or maybe hope to find them there.

North : I sincerely hope you're taking advantage of Edmonton's best market - I picked up some of the nicest basil and tomatoes ever last week (for only $3) plus a HUGE bag of chard, beets, and onions. I am always too late for dolmades...this time, it will be my first stop.

South : Catch up on your knitting and whiskey drinking with the Awesomehots from 4-6 at the Black Dog.

North : Back we go for Arts 4 the Alley, put on by MADE. It all gets underway at 1 with musical performances starting at 8 (including the BAYONETS! Bryan Blake Blake Bryan Bryan Blake Rosey!) and film starting at 930. Bring yer own chair!

North : I still haven't seen the Traffic exhibit at the AGA, I'm keeping this on my "just in case if starts to fucking rain again" list. Edmonton weather has been all over the place lately. 2 says ago we had a projection of 29 degrees for Sunday and it's wavered between rain and hot hot sun ever since. Who knows.

If it's nice (finger crossed!) we're also going to go to Queen E pool (bonus points if you spot the silver haired strutting fox) or Pembina.

I think that sounds like the most perfect weekend ever, non?

xoxo
dumpling

diptych//dyad

2011-08-08T09:01:00.000-06:00

big G's

2011-08-05T09:50:00.000-06:00

I've decided to go back to school which means GRE prep and applications. Here goes nothing...well, except my pride (if I don't get in) and hundreds of dollars in application fees. Wish me luck.

Friday Favorites : Easy on the eyes

2011-07-22T09:35:00.000-06:00

Things I could look at all day long

::your beard makes my heartbeat ::

Amazing tumblr collection of men/fashion/beards. Now, if you really want to get beard pervy check out facial awareness.

::love over yonder::

Ross (and his lovely lady Sally) also writes the fashion blog Louder Than Silence and are just the cutest little dreamboats from the other side of the pond.

:: fleurs et plantes::

The ever busy Mary Hudson takes on yet another project and blogs about all things "leafy — or prickly"

::pretty lovelies::

I love Laurel Westlund's aesthetic. Bold and striking simplicity based on past tense heritage with a strong sense of geometrics. She's ridiculously talented and sold her wares at Royal Bison this past May, I'm still kicking myself for not picking up one of her beautiful necklaces! Laurel, you need an etsy store already! The masses want your items.

::i want everything ::

Alexandra Grecco makes me want to max out my credit card forever. Absolute favorites: scalloped short, pleated meringue blouse, heart dress and pickford onesie

And finally, a song to carry in your heart as you dive head first into the weekend.

xo

Queen Alexandra :: Curated

2011-07-21T10:31:00.000-06:00

One day I hope my life is always full of dinner parties. Until then I'll make etsy treasury lists of all the things I want but can't afford or have no room for : Neighborhood Dining

Last week:: flat bread and antipasto, red romaine salad with persian cucumbers, basil, white onion, asparagus, with lemon/pepper/olive oil dressing.

Main :: pasta, roasted peppers and onions with homemade pesto

This week :: Communal pizza party

Jules (my dinner party partner in crime and gracious host of said dinner parties) bought frozen dough from the italian center and we decked it out to the nines (after thawing it in the sun). We had a green pizza with spinach, pesto, green peppers, zucchini, purple onions, roasted tomatoes, feta and fresh mozza. And then got a little crazy... we sauteed some purple cabbage with peppers, onions, and left over roasted garlic from last week and piled it high. There was also a meat pizza but I have no idea what was on it. We also ripped off Little Caesars with our version of crazy bread : roasted garlic, olive oil and pecorino. Ours was way better. I have no photos of our creations because we devoured them almost instantly.

I upped the ante on my end and bought an ice cream maker and have been churning out sorbet non stop. I made lemon and raspberry blackberry ... More on that later.

My brain is fog from the complete and utter food hangover I'm still experiencing.

xo

Sounds of Sunday : Brunch Edition

2011-07-17T10:41:00.000-06:00

Good Morning!

Start your day off right with some brunch! If you need some help, especially when it comes to proper mimosa ratios, check out the following.

Next, onto some perfectly brunch worthy listening.

Have a beautiful day!

xoxox

Friday Favorites : your constant buzzing in my ear

2011-07-15T07:53:00.002-06:00

Up first : things to do + things to do

Despite the horrible 'squitos and shitty weather we've had, the rooftop has been a weekly highlight. I had the pleasure of dancing for interVivos event last Thursday and the July 28th installment will be hosted by Duchess Bakeshop and Coup. Apparently there's rumor of Jasmine Champagne as their special drink...Keep your fingers crossed that this happens. Oh, and Coup is having huge sale right now so you can look extra good.

The delightful OAK+FORT is having their grand opening party this Saturday as well. They're offering 10% off purchases and $25 t-shirts (regularly $42). Edmonton just gets better looking on the daily. Personally I love their paperboy pants and they have some super sweet dresses in right now.

Have you ever want to get your tease n' strip on? Capital City Burlesque is holding auditions on July 24th! Ps: I was one of the original members...hot!

In other news : goodness

A friend played me Rhiannon by the Langley Schools Music Project from the late 70's. This blew my mind, how hauntingly precious and one of my all time favorite songs. This is how music in school should be taught : click here

As a gal who spent YEARS in choirs it's needless to say this absolutely must be added to my record collection.

These 3 products have been saving my life for the last couple of months. Summer has been too much fun, bring on the late nights.

Prep+Prime Highlighter- You only slept for 2 hours but need to look like a pulled together grown up? Swipe, blend, done. Faking good mornings all over the place.
Lustre drops - Because it takes a lot outta a gal to glow all the time, sometimes you gotta fake it
Melba Blush - Like the toast but better.

I love them so much I even wrote a haiku:

Pallid death princess
Deprived of essentials
Lustre be thy grace

Ok, I'm done wasting your time - get back to work.

xox

yes, plz and a lil extra on the side too!

2011-07-13T00:20:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Golden Girl

2011-07-09T11:04:00.001-06:00

My beautiful wonderful mama turns 50 today. I'm sure she's mortified that I'm telling you this.

She answered the phone this morning doing a Kathleen Hepburn impression...and I wonder where I get it from...

LOVE!YOU!

xoxo

ps: today marks the 9th year that I've been a vegetarian, in celebration i'm going to eat a steak. kidding.

Queen Alexandra :: Mercredi

2011-07-09T10:35:00.000-06:00

Roasted red baby potato salad

Toss potato's with olive oil+smoked paprika+pepper+2-4 cloves crushed garlic

roast until golden brown but not crunchy

Dressing

red wine vinegar+dijon deli mustard+oil+fresh ground pepper+smoked paprika+a hit of freshly squeezed lemon

Add: chives+chive flowers+green onions+baby arugula+goat/sheep feta

Best served with boys+dude beer

And men with pipes.

Queen Alexandra :: A Tuesday Night Special

2011-07-01T11:46:00.002-06:00


Quiche : Artichokes, peppered tomatoes, white and red onions, broccoli, parmesan, pecorino Salad : Arugula, green onions, orange, blueberries, chevre/lemon/maple agave dressing

Sinful chocolate tart from Duchess

PS: Save the fruit from your Sangria and eat it the next day. Delicious and a nice little way to get over your hangover hump.

PPS: Goodbye June...Hello July! Off to the mountains <3

How do like your keys?

2011-06-30T09:25:00.001-06:00

I'll take mine in my basement, on vinyl, in my underpants please and thank you!

An unfortunate replication of the show I saw at Coachella but longer by maybe 6 songs (I think they played 8 at Coachella). Super rushed bang 'em out as fast as possible so we can get the fuck out of here. "We have a couple more songs, we'll come back soon, this is our last song" a constant reminder that it was ENDING and the sooner, the better. Total running time was just over an hour with a 2 song encore. I just don't get it. They have such an amazing library to choose from and we were given a weird mash sampling heavy on Brothers (of course) and dudes who just don't seemed stoked to be doing it.

Sorry Black Keys, we're staying in from now on. That way I can have you when I want you, where I want you, how I want you.

xo

Sled Island : Recap

2011-06-29T11:38:00.001-06:00

Did you hear? Did you know? Did you go? If you didn't you truly missed out. I've never been to Sled Island so I have no comparison but for a first timer it was an absolute wet dream of a weekend. Here comes some highlights!

You know a band is good when my non show going non dancing pal Stephanie starts dancing. We caught The Donkeys at the Ship and Anchor on Friday afternoon which was just the ticket to shaking away our day after groggies. They were highly enjoyable and even came with a bonus dance off at the end. We all ended up at Tubby Dog afterwards and they're some really rad dudes - as if the tie dye wasn't indicative enough. I ended up buying both their records which I played as soon as I got home (this speaks volumes).

Ps: I'm 87% more likely to buy your records if there's a digital download, I really appreciate it.

Untitled from Andrea Why on Vimeo.

Despite some yucky sound and feedback issues, BRAIDS were as beautiful as ever. I'm sad I missed the Wednesday night evening show in the Church (perfect venue for the perfect band) but nonetheless I snuck my way in to the the Marquee (at capacity) and snuggled in to sway for the next hour. I'm really excited for their next release - good things only in store for these ridiculously talented folks.

After a super long lineup to get into the legion on Friday night we abandoned Kurt Vile/Cursive and headed to a tiny after party with hot dogs in a chaffing dish (?!?) where we were rocked by Demon's Claws. So good. Our plan for Saturday fell through when we couldn't get into Broken City for Thee Oh Sees so we headed to the legion. You know those nights where Plan A falls through so you go with Plan B and it ends up being the better plan in the first place? Yeah, this was it. We caught Bare Wires at Vern's and then made our way to the Legion for a bit of Dead Ghosts and round two of Demon's Claws. HOLYROCKBALLS. The upstairs floor of the legion was shaking and we felt like we were being boiled alive and gassed as the temperature reached scorchy levels releasing years of brew, sweat, vomit and only god knows what else from their rank carpeted floor. This was about the time I noticed I was definitely going to be missing some hearing when I returned home.

This is where Plan B really gets hot and becomes the absolute highlight of the festival for me. After the Demon's Claws I came downstairs to find 4 babely chicks known as Wild Flag rocking out. I moved closer and noticed that I KNOW those babely chicks as in those are my teen dream crushes Carrie and Janet from Sleater Kinney. I just about DIED. But wait, there's more dying to be had. I was waiting for the elevator and as it stopped on my floor and opened can you guess who was inside? (I feel like this would be an appropriate OMG STFU NO WAY moment) The band and a whole bunch of gear. I instantly became a 15 year old girl as I gushed "amazing! so good! thank you so much" as they fended off my grrrrl crush squealing with a cool thank you as the elevator door closed and whisked them away upstairs. God, I should have just yelled "put a bird on it" or something. ohhiimanidiot. Their album comes out in September and they'll be touring starting in October with a stop in Vancouver on November 12; anyone up for a little road trip? Rolga?

Wild Flag @ The Rock Shop 3.5.2011 from Jessica Amaya on Vimeo.

Here's a complete list of the acts I caught, * denotes the favorites.

Thursday
Zola Jesus
Lee Ranaldo (who we also shared an elevator with, nbd)
*Dinosaur Feathers
*Crocodiles
Soft Pack
Dum Dum Girls

Friday
*The Donkeys
*Braids
*Demon's Claws

Saturday
*The Greenhornes
Hunx and his Punx
Raveonettes
Dandy Warhols
*Bare Wires
Dead Ghosts
*Demon's claws
*Wild Flag

Other points of interest : For the best breakfast, hit Red's; babely servers, really good food, and excellent mimosas. And if you're a total starfucker, stay at the Fairmont Palliser...ride the elevators and hang out in the lobby, you won't be disappointed and for $109/night, neither will your wallet.

I'm going to go take a nap under my desk now.
xo

c'est l'age d'or

2011-06-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

Bicycles + Twizzlers + Lady Friend + Midnight in Paris + Jameson...nuit parfaite

Heaven for girl who loves memorabilia, nostalgia, and Owen Wilson's crooked nose.

I'm definitely wearing lipstick and a dress this morning, there was no other option. And perhaps making plans to go to Paris sooner rather than later. Swept up in a dream? Ou es la baguette?

xo

Sounds of Sunday : Je ne comprends pas

2011-06-19T16:46:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for stuff like this - I can't understand it, I don't know what it means but it's like heaven to my ears especially with this psuedo Vancouver weather. Thanks to jy for this one.

My all. time. favorite. I know almost all the "words." Most people haven't seen the whole video and only know the short clip from Ghost World. Hey Edmonton, can we have a masked party SOON, please? Consider this my personal offer to choreograph a masked dance number. SvonRad, ya hear me? PS: Excuse the douchey ad at the beginning, sorry! PPS: Check out this comparison video - swoon

The Blue Comets : extra special. They were the only Japanese band ever to be on the Ed Sullivan show, which is where I first heard them - watching a special feature documentary or something years ago.

One day I'll run away with a mariachi boy. Until then I'll just dream of hammocks, caipirinha's, and papaya. And desperately attempt to get a tan...in Canada.

xo

ps: Happy Father's Day!

Liberty or Death!

2011-06-07T09:35:00.001-06:00

This weekend the annual Firefly Theatre cabaret "Let There be Height" will be flying at La Cite Francophone. Flying girls, mind boggling bendy bodies, and feats of unparalleled strength will all be featured to a 1920's theme. This year the show will take place not once, but twice! That's right folks, you heard right! TWO SHOWS! That means you can definitely make it for sure no excuse just get your darn ticket already and go! I know this weekend is stacked with amazing events and it's PRIDE but you don't want to miss this one. I'm involved with 2 numbers this year (yay!) on the silks and on the trapeze. It's made for many extra bruises but they're worth it.

Tickets are $28 and available at Tix on the Square but there might be some available at the door as well. This is also a fundraiser so bring extra dollars and get ready to bid bid bid!

If you needed a little extra convincing (and if you have a stocking fetish), here's one thanks to my fellow silk performers...we're the hottest suffragettes you'll ever see!

:: 100 ::

2011-06-05T10:44:00.002-06:00

Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.

I've written 100 of these things? Whoa...

Last night : AGA Refinery Party, the party where you wait in lines for 2/3's of your evening until you give up and just hit the dance floor. Unfortunately I can't say that waiting made anything more exciting in this case though, sorry Mr. Warhol.

As great as it is to walk through the exhibits half cut in fancy duds, I always have to make a second trip to view them without beer goggles and 8 people in front, behind and beside me at any given time. I was bad and snapped a photo of one of the screen tests being projected...oops. Couldn't resist, so pretty and great eyebrows.

I'm afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning.

What I desperately wanted to take a photo of was Andy's hairpieces, they were so phenomenal. I love personal artifacts locked up in glass boxes which beg you to press your nose up against, desperately trying to get closer.

The projects they had running sounded great but sadly I missed out on most of them. My saucy little date and I had our photo taken at the end of the exhibit though - look! A real photo (that I had to take a digital photo of) and then we went to the fourth floor in hopes of being part of the screen test but after waiting for 20 minutes we were informed that the camera had to charge. WHAT - bring an extra battery pack and make it happen. That was just before midnight but they'd be back at 1230, uh sorry, my line waiting patience has run out by then.


I am a deeply superficial person

More waiting for drink tickets followed by some of the longest most ridiculous lines for said drinks (you need at least 4 more bartenders AGA!). I tried both the Pear Whiskey and the Grape something or other which were ridiculously sweet but hopeful little spring cocktails. Food is always promised at Refinery but it's like a blue lobster, rare and hard to find. So then we danced. The problem with era specific dj's is that it will always be the same : Mod Club and Transmission offer these tunes to us on a regular basis so while it was fun, my ears were looking for something a little more unusual or maybe a long forgotten tune that isn't always played but is familiar enough that it would make the dance floor lose their shit.

Refinery: you have so much potential but you're still working out the kinks.
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

Oh sorry, this just turned into me complaining for the entire post. I did have fun, I always do. My fifteen minutes have passed, time to go outside.
xo

My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person.

Welcome to June : I am hideous

2011-06-01T16:51:00.004-06:00

In my last post about the Bison recap I mentioned waiting for my Smokey Johnson portrait. Well, I've got it...here's how it all went.

I've always liked Nick's work and I've gifted his magnet sets to a couple of friends who loved them just the same. So on Sunday I boldly handed over $30 and Nick snapped a couple of photos of me with his phone. Originally I gave him the photos that Gravy took of me in the headdress as I wanted it incorporated somehow but the angles weren't quite right. I was hoping the piece would be done by the time the fair was over but apparently everyone wanted these hideous creations of themselves so I had to wait. I got word that my piece was ready on Monday and stopped by his place on Tuesday.

Nick answered the door holding my portrait to his body, we made small chat but I really wanted to see what he had done. He pulled it away, glanced down at it and commented "I had a lot of fun with it" and almost reluctantly turned it over to me. I really didn't know what to say, it was, as promised, hideous. I laughed and made a comment along the lines of "wow, that IS totally hideous" but felt that weird lurch feeling as you descend in an elevator... which was my ego deflating. On a 5X7 piece of wood, Nick had captured every insecurity I have about myself: a big forehead (the 5+1 finger forehead), strong jaw, big lips (affectionately redrawn as meat mouth) and cheeks that squish my eyes into oblivion when I smile and BAM - there I was looking back at me. It was the way you feel when you look in the mirror at the wrong angle on an ugly day, make a strange face that's captured in a photo, or after a night (or nights) of too much too many. I didn't know how to feel about what I had willingly subjected to myself.

Not knowing Nick well and after some playful ribbing on facebook where I warned a girlfriend to take some extra self esteem pills before she gets her portrait, we had a chat. His intent was clear - to make an unattractive portrait of the subject. He explained that he "wanted to really DIG IN THERE" as his (female) subjects tend to be attractive so he wants to push the boundaries. When it comes to our insecurities, all we (ladies) want is to be polished, pretty and perfect, to be anything less than isn't accepted by our image and appearance obsessed society. To have every characteristic amplified and made into extremes is a difficult pill to swallow - it's what we HOPE we don't look like and it's not. As Nick explained that he found himself really getting into the over exaggeration and extremes instead of just being satisfied with a goofy caricature. So, here she is/ I am in all our GLORY with an actual photo of me for reference.

So I'm learning to love my ape face and will put her up on my wall, proudly. She makes me laugh and roll my eyes at myself when I'm feeling ugly or unattractive - it's me. A $30 purchase has provided more insight into my own personal image and esteem issues than any therapist ever could or would be able to. The message to take home at the end of the day : get over it and get over yourself!

Let's also not forget the fact that Nick's really good at what he does and is fucking brilliant; the idea that started all of this was the Fish Griwkowsky/Sean Borchert birthday party duet.

Now, are you brave enough?

xo
lumpy bumpy face

Treasures of the Plains

2011-05-30T16:56:00.001-06:00

It's done! The Bison has stampeded through the city once again. I have to say that it was probably the smallest Bison I've ever attended or vended at but nonetheless, quality goods and people present and in attendance. Also, Sunday was non stop busy and I managed to SELL OUT at 4:30, I can't believe I sold over 250 cupcakes - mind boggling. Thank you to everyone who bought a cupcake or six or even twelve, stopped by to visit, or promoted the hell out of my cupcakes. An extra special thanks to my helpers who did dishes, taste tested, brought me lunch, kept me company/sane, or watched Nova...all without being asked. BIG LOVE! (Jessica, Graham, Heather, The Galbraiths and Larissa)

Along with selling, I (of course) had to buy. Here were some of my favorites that came home with me.

Tompson Gir l - Gorgeous jewelery. Mainly necklaces but she had some lovely rings too. I died for the Alberta necklaces - made from the top of little souvenir spoons and took one home.

Keri V Leatherworks - Vintage lace and leather never looked better. In my quest to never wear purses (unless absolutely necessary) I bought a clutch and wallet.

Sarah Jackson/JAM - I had the absolute pleasure to sit beside my dear friend for the full two days, an extra delight when we haven't seen each other since January! She is all things wonderful and lovely as is her work.

Karen Campos - I couldn't pass up her Edmonton poster - plus she's rad as hell for accepting payment in the form of cupcakes.

And other pretties for my walls from Natasha Lawyer, 1000 polarbears and I <3 Edmonton/Stephanie Medford

Smokey Johnson - Was offering "while you wait - hideous portraits" I was the MOST excited for my creation but time constraints didn't allow it to happen. So I'm waiting on pins and needles for it. YEOW!

Big Ups to Victoria, Josh, and Jeanie who have kept herding the beast since Raymond Bieseinger took off to Montreal. I snapped this photo of Jeanie at her table right before we packed up...I love when she comes back to Edmonton - she's the queen of lighting up hearts and makes really amazing jewelery.

And, a special mention to Sarah Patterson and Sean Borchert who kept the tunes going all weekend and Culina who kept our bellies happy! Much appreciated!

xoxo forever

Friday Favorites : I am Insane

2011-05-27T08:53:00.001-06:00

Between today and 8am tomorrow morning I will make and frost 300 cupcakes.

Why?

For the love of the Bison.

I'm offering Rose Pistachio, Lemon, and Chocolate...all vegan (and soy free)and all made with love. If you don't want my love, don't worry...you can scrape it off or ask for it on the side.

$2 each or 6 for $10. I don't want any leftovers so bring your elastic waist pants and don't share, you NEED 6 cupcakes all to yourself, k?

Current kitchen sounds

xox
delirious

Friday Favorites : Breathe deep & fly fast

2011-05-20T09:31:00.003-06:00

My parents fixed this Iverson up for me and I'm in love with it (what, do you really think I have any sort of fixing up skills? NONE - I belong in the kitchen). Between the wobbly front wheel, brakes that barely work, and sore fanny (either one, your choice) from Edmonton's potholes nothing satisfies my hipster needs and desires like this bike.

Look! I curated an Etsy treasury, all bike themed of course : Breathe deep and fly fast

And here's some favorites to keep you company as you peddle as fast as your little legs will go!

Cordially yours,
Matryoshka

Friday Favorites : Spring Porn

2011-05-13T11:57:00.000-06:00

Spring is in my hair! Thanks to the ever amazing Sarah Cameron at Fluid Hair for the new do. Inspired by changing seasons and wanting something different we stripped the dark queen from my hair and lightened it up. It's a lovely blond/caramel/light brown mix and the best part is that my hair isn't totally fried as her products are so much gentler than other salons and you can feel the love she infuses into your hair.

I stopped into OAK + FORT and just about died. EDMONTON, there is no excuse to look bad ever again, such affordable price points and really flattering cuts. This place will be the death of my wallet and is definitely helping to fill the big hole that Nokomis left when they closed. There was a gorgeous Grecian inspired dress that dropped my jaw to the floor...maybe it's still there. It would be the PERFECT dress to wear to...

The AGA Refinery Factory Party: This will sell out so fast (tickets for the gp go on sale Monday May 16, if you're a member you can purchase them now). Don't delay, between Warhol, Edmonton's finest dressed, the heady feeling of spring, and the abundance of activities this night is sure to please. If you're feeling creative, they have a Superstar contest going on and you could win 4 tickets and limo service to the event.

Can we also talk about the trifecta of musical perfection coming up? Now that there's not the fear of having your band van freeze to the ground or go sliding off a highway to your death our ears are filled with sound. You already know about Sharon Jones and Sleigh Bells/Neon Indian (duh, we've talked about this and you have gone out and bought your tickets) but also add Timber Timbre on May 29th at the Avenue Theatre. I'm going but don't have a date...wanna come with? Sorry, I don't put out.

How's your karma balance? Go do some good! Black and Bold is offering you 20% off accessories (and they carry Tokyo Milk - my favorite) if you donate clothing; as little as one piece but they're take as much as you're willing to part with. Donations are going to the CHIMO youth retreat (this is close to my heart as I often do workshops with the CHIMO youth).

Now, kids, I'm gonna go all mama on you. Yes it's spring and you're feeling mighty fine with all this sunshine and less clothing but remember to keep things in moderation. I know the patios are calling and your lustful heart is thumping but insert a pint of water between your brews, take your vitamins, make you're getting enough sleep and puh-lease keep IT wrapped up. The last thing you need is an infection or a February arrival. Just a reminder, because I love you.

Forever yours
xo

If you knew

2011-05-12T18:21:00.001-06:00

Dear The Provincial Archive,

I'm writing you to let you know that I'm proud to live in the city where you reside, that Edmonton gets to call you its own. You make magical music that's filled with so much detail and depth. I had the pleasure to sit and watch you at the Horowitz theater where you impressed me and my guest to such a level that we had a hard time watching the other performances. (Although Wool on Wolves "easy on the eyes" factor helped with our attention span lapse). You're incredibly talented beyond many "musicians" hopes and dreams; in one song a member played the melodian, shaker, and the bass, sometimes two instruments at once! The fact that you are about to embark on a tour playing the provincial archives is so so so rad and I'm excited for you. It's obvious how cool and clever the whole thing is but sometimes you have to reiterate it. The name, the music you play, and the venues you are about to play in are perfect for each other; you'll give those walls something to talk about for years to come.

I look forward to your show tomorrow and wish that I could have seen you play in our Provincial Archives but I missed out, big time. So, dear readers there's no excuse... now you know, so go!

Sincerely,

Matryoshka

El Día de la Madre

2011-05-09T10:51:00.002-06:00

In celebration of mi madre I got to work in the kitchen to make her a mexi-feast. Even nicer? I did all the prep at my house so I wasn't messing up her kitchen. We blended up some delicious margaritas and I made baked burritos, mango salsa, and a salad. Nothing too tricky but oh sooo yummy.

snuggles.

Baked burritos
Spanish rice
Onions, yellow and orange bell peppers
Black beans
Chipotle
Top with: Salsa verde and Oaxaca (or mozza) and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Mango Salsa
1 mango cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4c white onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced (remove seeds for less heat)
Juice of half a lemon and lime
1/4c chopped cilantro

So I suck at taking food pictures - and I'm not one for food arranging. By the time everything's done I just want to eat so you get sloppy food photos.

Next year I'll bring a pinata too.

Te amo!

Sadness is a blessing

2011-05-07T11:53:00.000-06:00

Feeling like you're at the bottom of the barrel but little life crises bring all the girls and boys to the yard. For every friend that got on their bike, out on foot and hollered for the little princess to come home. Thank you. That means more to me than I'll ever be able to express to you.

You are true blue.

True but not always easy

2011-05-04T17:45:00.002-06:00

2011-05-03T14:44:00.000-06:00

A severe lady warning, honey!

2011-05-02T09:04:00.000-06:00

Dear Little Dumpling,

No matter what kind of lady uterus aching oh my god I need chocolate now cravings you are having NEVER EVER stoop to this level. They won't make you feel better, they won't be the amazing cream cheese/chevre with ganache topped brownies you want them to be and no matter how much you hope, they ain't gonna hit the spot you want them to, k? DO JUST DON'T DO IT!

They taste like cardboard because the cocoa is cardboard and the recipe sucks. BLECH to the MAX. Yes, to the max and you know what else? GRODY. (Props to my mamaLG for that one)

If you are really going to punish your body like that, make it good and spoil yourself with the best. If it's good, it will be so much more worth it and easier to forgive yourself when your cheeks taste like butter for the next three days.

Does anyone want some brownies? These are going in the trash.

Love,

Mother Matryoshka

The re-read is always a bitch

2011-05-01T23:28:00.000-06:00

< ?self%examination*>

.... < / >

Slow dance with the devil

2011-04-29T22:19:00.000-06:00

It's Friday, but I'm not your favorite : Oh Spring

2011-04-29T11:22:00.002-06:00

As snow melts and the earth thaws it seems as if the armor that kept me safe all winter long diminishes. The beauty that comes along with spring only masks the ugly revolt of years gone by but those feelings are drudged up daily. In 2 years I've collected more celebrations, rememberings, and dates of grieving then I'd care to list or face on acknowledge. It's easier to skim them by as I desperately attempt to avoid the cavities. Facebook is notorious for "lookback heart attacks" (Thanks Amelia) and you basically need to be on a pace maker to deal with the shit that pops up in those little side windows. Why don't we friend suggest someone to you who's dead, or your ex, or your ex's new girlfriend. YES PLEASE! If I'm a piece of cheese, facebook is a sharp, rusty grater.

You know how sometimes people post those 100 things about themselves. I have no interest in writing one but I went over some things in my head if I were to. For example, what's the stupidest thing I've ever done? For some reason, I thought it would be cool to pierce my back when I was 18. I had my piercer boyfriend at the time put 5, 12g pieces of metal that looked like staples through my back so it looked like a star. That lasted for almost a month and guess what? I have pain on the left side of my back constantly; I can feel it tingling right now. STUPIDEST IDEA EVER. So, potential one day daughter (I'm talking to you, eggs in my ovary's), sure I'll take you to get your nose and ears pierced but think twice before you fuck up that pretty little body of yours. And if you're going to anyways, get an epic full back piece tattoo or something. No tiny fairies or maple leaves; that shit's for chumps.

Oh, I really like this song right now.

Seeing The Kills at Coachella was one of the highlights. I don't really feel like talking about it though. The other night someone said "so tell me about Coachella" I replied with "it was so much fun" because it was, but it's over, and because I was there and you weren't I don't understand how it will be satisfying to you in any way shape or form, to listen to me explain how weird, epic, fun, and strange it was. Snobby? Not intended to be but I'd rather have the memories and feelings live in my heart rather then try to trivialize them into words and list them off day by day and band by band because I don't think I'll do a very good job of it whatsoever.

I've done a bunch of driving lately too... besides being barren and desolate, the prairies sure are beautiful. Especially when you use your hipstamatic; whoa this moment is great and all but what really made it special is how we captured it with a hipstamatic print! Smarmy central.

I'll be by the water cooler, secretly filling it with vodka.
-m

Adieu...

2011-04-26T10:13:00.001-06:00

So many things, people, and places to say goodbye to. A humble reminder to cherish the now and those around you. Often it's when we're faced with a permanent loss we find those special words and gestures. Try to find them earlier and be lavish with your love.

God speed, typewriters.
In less than 20 years, though, that number dropped to fewer than 800. There's still a market, albeit a (very) small one. And we're not enough to sustain an industry.

See you down the road, Poly
Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard but I think oh bondage up yours!

Happy trails, Hazel
Bluegrass singer, miners' advocate and authentic voice of America's working class

Hello hello hello

2011-04-20T15:43:00.000-06:00

My Grampy is 80 years old today!

Mnohaja Lita!

xox

Sounds of Sunday : Get to it

2011-04-10T10:29:00.000-06:00

Good Morning, today has been brought to you by 8 am dog runs, smoothies full of spinach, and a dance party. I don't feel like writing anything, I just want to go outside and play. Enjoy the tunes, plan to go to the show in May, etc etc. Have a nice day babies! xox

Playing at...duh, do I really need to say it?

Friday Favorites : Countdown to Coachella

2011-04-08T10:21:00.001-06:00

In less than a week me and my lady life partner will hop on a plane and fly to warmer places to dance dance dance in beautiful warm weather. So let's get excited about the sights we're about to see and the sounds we're about to hear.

Everyone's favorite person to hate or love or love to hate. Oh Kanye, you are so ridiculous and good. I remember when an ex boyfriend bought me a Kanye cd...I was like WHAT?...OH!!!!!!! I love the performance from SNL - unison clapping, ladies in body suits, the lighting and set up. It was basically a choreographers/dancers wet dream (or mine, anyways - I love that shit). Yes Kanye, I'd wear a body suit and clap for you, with pleasure even.

Dance party! I'm polishing off my sweet 80's spins and hair tosses for this one.

Hand claps!

Oh hi Tame Impala...Thanks for flying your dreamy selves all the way from Perth for some sweet lady rock boner satisfaction. Ps: I'll bring you back a shirt van Keeken, I promise xo

More cute overload

Jenny and Johnny "Big Wave" from PEDESTRIAN.TV on Vimeo.

And a dirty, dirty guilty pleasure

part II coming next friday. so excited! xoxo

Brunchosaurus Quiche

2011-04-05T14:54:00.000-06:00

For good mornings and even better afternoons, make this lovely quiche! I love quiche as it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and served hot, warm, or cold; it's a true BLD HWC certificate holder. It's also ridiculously easy and you can change out any of the ingredients to suit your palette (note: always make sure you cook down any watery vegetables so it sets properly)

8 eggs
6 sheets phyllo
3 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups spinach, chopped and wilted
2 roasted red pepper segments, chopped
1/4c chopped onions
Lemon pepper chevre

Work quick with the phyllo to prevent it from drying out. Brush the glass pie plate with oil and layer the phyllo, brushing each piece with oil and spooning a layer of pesto in between each. Fold up the over hang, to make a nice crust ring, put some oil and water on your hands to make this easier and prevent the phyllo from crumbling.

OPTIONAL: Bake the phyllo crust for about 10 minutes at 325c. I baked it so it would be a bit crunchier and firm on the bottom. If you choose not to do this, pour in the egg mixture and fold the overhang on top of the mixture.

Beat eggs and combine with spinach, onions, red peppers, and chevre. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into the crust and bake for 30 minutes at 325 or until the egg is set.

I served this with fresh tomatoes and dill on top with fruit salad of minneola's, oranges, pineapple, strawberries with lemon zest on the side (seriously, the lemon zest makes a HUGE difference!)

Forever and ever
xo

Sounds of Sunday : Only the best

2011-04-03T14:25:00.001-06:00

Last night provided some cute!times! My heart is so happy with spring and sunshine and melting and the greenery that will (hopefully) start to peek out. Ok, the greenery wish is a little pre-emptive but it's backed with good intentions.

My suggestion for today; put on a really rad pair of shades, put some Best Coast in your iPod and go for a walk. There's no way you can't be absolutely shit grin happy right now.

xox

Friday Favorites

2011-04-01T10:15:00.001-06:00

For this Friday Favorites you'll need to gather up your internet dollars as we're going on a trip to the magical land of Etsy!

Single Ladies

I don't really love this song but I love the parody on SNL with Paul Rudd and the fact that Edmonton's own Be Arthurs covered this at the recent Firefly cabaret, complete with dance moves. Now you can practice with your handy poster to guide you. Uh oh oh!

Ada Coat by Little Houses
This jacket makes me want to stomp around in rain boots and hold hands and drink chai tea. I hate the fact that it's wool which makes for an itchy matryoshka but it's mind over matter, right? RIGHT? ! Plus, look at those boots! WANT!

Forget putting birds on things, just add antlers!
I've added this to my shopping cart numerous times only to get creeped out and remove it again. I'd probably hang her in my living room but I'm worried I'll always feel like she was watching me...

Stack me up from maybe to YES in less than 3 seconds by Macha Jewelery. I love stackable add on jewelery and LOVE that gold has made such an epic comeback. I really dislike silver jewelery and love the warmth of gold...plus black diamonds? So many pretties.

Babooshka Turbans! Now I can prance around like Little Edie and rock the ultimate in Slavik girl accessories. Thank goodness!

Come run the hidden pine trails... in these super cute shoes. I don't think I'll ever get over my Pocahontas obsession, sorry just not in the cards. In the mean time I'll prance around in these super cute shoes and desperately attempt to grow my hair.

And finally, after waiting for years (I shit you not), Mr. Raymond Biesinger ex-Edmontonian has finally reprinted his Edmonton Crest posters. I've owned this on a T-shirt and sticker but have been waiting for it to grace my walls. As soon as this arrives in the mail, I'll be complete.

Happy April Fools! Don't be an asshole.
xox

I'll be your Sunshine Girl...if you'll be my Sunny Boy

2011-03-31T09:38:00.000-06:00

The sun came out! The sun came out! I grabbed Nova and took her for an hour and a half sunshine filled trot through the river valley only to be assaulted by rain 2 blocks from home. There's nothing quite like stomping through puddles in rubber boots with your little trotsky by your side. There's just got to be a way that I can stay home, walk my dog, visit with friends and bake/cook all the time...non?

I've had a bag of Sunny Boy kicking around for a while so I turned out some muffins with it. I'm not a big breakfast girl to begin with so I often have boxes of cereal around forever. I took the original Sunny Boy muffin recipe and made some changes to suit my pallet.

Original:

1 egg (beaten)
¾ cup (185 ml) milk
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
½ cup (125 ml) Sunny Boy Cereal
1 ½ cups (375 ml) Sunny Boy Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
⅔ cup sugar
1 ½ tbsp (22 ml) baking powder
raisins if desired

Preheat the oven to 375°C. Soak the Sunny Boy Cereal in milk for 15 to 20 minutes, or overnight in the fridge for a softer texture.
Combine the liquid ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then add them to the liquid ingredients. Mix well.
Turn the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Allow the muffins to cool, and then enjoy.

And the Matryoshka Way:

Note: I ground the cereal to a finer texture by putting it in my food processor and would strongly suggest soaking the cereal for longer (ie: overnight suggestion is awesome). If not, be prepared for slightly crunchy muffins which are still delicious but might not be everyone's cup o' tea! Also, these really only need about 20 minutes to bake to perfection. Also also I subbed out milk for almond milk in both recipes. And finally, either spray your liners or just grease the pan well and forgo the liners - these babies stick like crazy (molasses to blame.)

Batch #1 - I subbed out 1/3c sugar for 1/3c of molasses, added a tbsp of cinnamon and cardamom, used half the oil and topped them with chopped apple. If you don't have a food processor already, get one. Or find one of the many people who find them cumbersome (because they haven't figured out how AMAZING they are) and steal it from them. It makes life so much easier, I do love myself a good chop and dice but when you want to change the texture or have a whole bunch of choppin' to do, there's nothing like a strong machine to take care of business (that's what she said...)

Batch #2 - Once again, I subbed half the sugar for molasses and used half the oil. I added half a cup of chopped apple, a handful each of thompson raisins and walnuts and used orange juice in place of the (almond) milk.

My dear friend and kitchen goddess, Anastasia gifted me with some orange creamsicle jelly (gelatin free and she made her very own pectin) which made these heavenly.

And just about everything goes better with daffodils... (merci beaucoup)

xox
Welcome to spring, cuties

ps: This is the last post for March! See you tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

Mais oui, mon amor

2011-03-28T10:30:00.001-06:00

In a well thought out bribe to get a girlfriend to help me with some sewing I made Vegan Tourtiere. Years ago a lovely friend made this for dinner and for someone who never ate meat pie (even when I wasn't veg) I couldn't believe how filling and delicious it was, totally satisfying.

Notes/modifications/oopsies: I didn't have Tamari on hand so I used soy sauce, to lower sodium levels even further I would use Braggs next time; the veg stock, while totally necessary also added a whole load of sodium too. I love me some salt but found it, at times, to be over powering. I used a tsp of cayenne (instead of a pinch) and also added cumin. I definitely think hazelnuts would be a most excellent addition with the sunflower seeds (use unsalted!)

I was too lazy to make my own pie crusts and used bought ones but for next time I definitely would make my own! I ended up with a crumbly mess of a top shell.I like my food to look pretty and even though it tasted so!good! it looked ugly.

I wanted to add a little extra but don't normally stock the required items for a regular brown gravy so in an act inspired desperation I whipped up some tahini gravy which was 1/2c tahini, 1/4c water, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp of ginger and salt to taste. Heat 'er up on medium heat and add more water if it gets too thick. It was delicious and went perfectly with the meal.

On the side was a hopeful summer salad of arugula, blueberries, persian cucumbers, dill, basil, chevre and a lemon dressing.

So, when are you coming over for dinner? The invitation is on the table...

xo

Sounds of Sunday : Sukiyaki

2011-03-27T13:48:00.000-06:00

Last night I entertained my guest with my sparse but ridiculous record collection. After Martin Denny's Exotica, I pulled out Kyu Sakamoto's Sukiyaki (and other Japanese Hits...with orchestra even!)

To my delight my guest had never heard the brilliance that is Sakamoto...Recorded in 1963 when he was only 22, "Sukiyaki has been selling like chop suey all over the country. Listeners have been eating it up" reads the back of the record. Sadly, Sakamoto died in the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash in 1985.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Suki&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

And, of course, this song was also recorded in english - so dreamy and cute.

Forever and ever
xo

Friday Favorite : You're an acquired taste, babe

2011-03-25T11:06:00.000-06:00

One of the highlights of my week was watching Grey Gardens (finally) last night. I put on my best woolly socks and toque and curled up in my bunker to await the arrival of spring.

I can't wait to watch the original 1975 documentary, these women were completely fascinating; their very privileged public lives collapsed into squalor and self imposed captivity and they fed each others inability to continue on and move forward. Yet they maintained their extravagant lifestyle (admist racoons, cats, and shit), hopes, and dreams which saw Edie perform her cabaret act on stage at the age of 60.

Things I learned

I need to buy a turban immediately
My costume jewellery is doing me no good sitting in storage
Always carry lipstick in your pocket, you never know when Jacqueline O. will show up
That I'll never stop dancing and making up silly songs or playing dress up...

I wish you sunshine, darlings.
xo

Mother Courage

2011-03-23T13:02:00.000-06:00

"I fell off my pink cloud with a thud"

So long beautiful

xox

Kyphosis

2011-03-23T11:59:00.000-06:00

I usually come home from the theatre excited, inspired, and with so much to say. This time it's different...last night I ventured out to see Hunchback at the Citadel (Catalyst Theatre had been commissioned by the Citadel and this was the world premier). Settled in our seats and chatting with friends the play starts with the house lights on which caught most people off guard. The audience was then barraged by aggressive loud ensemble singing in which the words were completely undecipherable. Visually, the set, props and costumes were incredibly textural and were a treat to look at; I loved the set with its great looming arches that provided many a locations for the characters and were instantly transformed with precision and imaginative lighting. The musical accompaniment was well thought out and added integrity to the production but at times, especially when used as a segway between short scenes, became incredibly repetitive and instead of adding suspense, just weighed the production down. The lyrics to the songs, as mentioned, were incredibly difficult to interpret or hear - often, when a character would break into song it detracted from the performance with the exception of two moments; the introduction of La Esmeralda and during one of Scott Walters (who played Claude Frollo) solo's -which literally, reverberated in my bones.

The production started rocky and never really recovered, I never really felt that the audience was INTO the play, it never swept them away yet there was still a standing ovation at the end. While I was left unsatisfied (and reluctant to go back into the theatre after the intermission) I have to clarify that the actors did their duty, the cast was made up of very talented actors, many whom I admire greatly, this was a case in which the parts were far greater than the sum of the product.What they were given to work with wasn't quite there; It felt like a High School production that had a big budget and a big imagination but lacked in creating a cohesive and polished production.

To leave things on a lighter note, the announcement of the Citadel's 2011/2012 season this morning negated some of the bitterness left from last night; Rocky Horror and Death of a Salesman...yes please!

Sounds of Sunday : Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

2011-03-20T10:25:00.000-06:00

YES! Thank you somewhere out there for listening and delivering the sweet soul shaking sounds of Ms. Jones back to Edmonton. I missed her the last two times she was here (IDIOT) and you better believe I went out and grabbed tickets on Friday. I love that this woman, at 54, can out sing and out rock most of us in our 20's/30's. The noise that comes out of her mouth and body is earth shattering.

In celebration I dusted off my "Dap Dippin" album and had a celebratory dance party in my living room. Secret secret, I take voice lessons and it's always been my dream to have someone announce me like she is ... "soul brothers and sisters from coast to coast get up to get down whenever her records are played....ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about 110 pounds of soul excitement (although we'd have to adjust the weight)..."

I know May 24th is a long ways away, so here's some favorites to tide you over

Booty shakin' hip twistin' - favorite part "work it out!"

In case you're feeling a little low in the move department, this guy will help you out

Slow grooves - I highly suggest you work on some epic "spin your gal and then pull her in real close" moves

And for those super chill days or hey... sunday mornings! perfect!

Now, to find the perfect dress and shoes to groove in.
xox
Soultryoshka

Saturday's Girl

2011-03-19T14:12:00.002-06:00

Petite Dejeuner :: I'm a creature of habit; I like making the same type of foods with the same flavour palates and spices. I find so much comfort in warm rich spices and flavours like all spice, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, citrus, and molasses. After I took Nova for a looong walk all I wanted was a hearty muffin. I scouted through my cookbooks and then turned to the majestic interweb. I found this recipe for molasses muffins and got to work; it met all the craving criteria and isn't the worse thing in the world for you. I've posted the recipe below and followed everything but the nutmeg (and I added orange zest) I can't deal with nutmeg. I think it's because my mama would put it on vegetables and potatoes when I was young. It tastes like dry bitter sand to me. I also tried to get pretty with the toppings but basically FAILED on all of them except the walnuts and turbinado. Note: This would be a great base recipe to also try with zucchini or pumpkin and would make a really nice loaf as well.

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/3 tsp nutmeg

2 eggs

2/3 cup unsulphured molasses

1 apple, peeled and grated

1 carrot, grated

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup oil

Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners, and preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix with a wire whisk.

Stir the eggs, molasses, apple, carrot, walnuts, and oil together in a medium bowl, then pour into the flour mixture.

Stir gently with a wooden spoon until mixed, then divide among muffin tins and bake for about 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Have a nice weekend, see you tomorrow for Sounds of Sunday!
xox

La Fav

2011-03-18T09:56:00.000-06:00

It's been quiet over here; not a lot of blogging going on as ms. nova has been taking up my extra time with walks and snuggles and listening to me say OFF over and over again.

But! Despite old man winter balls hanging around for way too long, Edmonton has managed to keep the love affair going.

I headed to the Muttart last weeked and soothed the winter blues with lush greenery and a delicious brunch from Culina. I had the Huevos Rancheros which were to die for with their layers of beans and guacamole an a fresh made tortilla.

Michael Rault is playing the Artery tomorrow with the Colleen Brown band backing him. It's been a good long time since I've seen Mr Rault and my dancing shoes couldn't be happier. It's only $10 and the Artery serves Crabbies! YAY!

Reminder : The AwesomeHots are releasing their EP on Saturday! REAL LIVE HOWLING!

I'm currently in love with Vesuvius. Laurie Brown played it on The Signal the other night daring listeners to "sing along..." I chose to dance along instead.

It got me thinking, Sufjan Steven has unconsciously provided a soundtrack to my life, more than once. His music always seems to be woven intricately to important moments in my life; every time I hear his music a flood of very clear poignant memories come back.

Ok, that's all for now. Maybe next week will be a bit more exciting.
xo

Friday Favorites

2011-03-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone has these on their face

Thank you xo! Now if only mother nature could figure out that it's March and it's time to stop this frigid business!

Sometimes, you just have a bad case of the

This weekend will be brought to you by copious amounts of ginger beer. Dear Sherbrooke, thank you.

Your lingering

Made by the fabulous Madame Scodioli. I requested 6 mini samples for trying. I bought Smoke & Mirrors(Rosemary + Patchouli), Dust Shaker(Mahogany + Sandalwood), Clofullia (Jasmine, Patchouli + Orange, Elyria(Earl Grey + Lavender), Cloven(Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla + Cedar) Ill Repute(Mandarin, Pennyroyal + Clove). My favorite are Elyria and Smoke & Mirrors. The rest I found to be too sweet and piercing for my personal wearing but still really like the smell.

I'll be up in my

The amazingly talented Fridget is opening up her studio on Saturday from 10-4 for a spring sale. Joining her will be cinder+smoke, snaggle, as well as mystery girl. I absolutely love cinder+smoke, Janna makes some of the best fitting and tailored dresses in the city.

Sometimes I feel so

Releasing their ep on Saturday March 19th. I'm telling you about this a week early so you make sure you go. If you do, you'll be rewarded with real live howling.

Someday you will find me, caught beneath the landslid, in a champagne super

This is my Nova. I love her. I adopted her on Saturday from NASAP. If you're ever thinking about getting an animal, please consider rescue organizations first. Currently she's really into barking and peeing on things. AWESOME.

Love you

xox

Sounds of Sunday : Take my problems to the United Nations

2011-03-06T12:30:00.001-07:00

I'm a month late to provide a real review on PJ Harvey's Let England Shake but it's all I want to listen to right now as I nurse my epic hangover from the AGA Refinery Party. Which, as I had suspected, didn't live up to the magic that occurred at the last one in November. I think most would agree that music can make or break an event and Junior Brown just wasn't doing it for me. I wanted fun dance music but instead was assaulted by electronic bass heavy noise. If you want the people to dance you have to give them tunes worthy of tush shaking - there was far too much standing around and blah blahing. Not to mention that they served drinks in plastic cups... gee, nothing makes me feel more refined then drinking my wine out of a party cup.

Anyways, back to Miss Harvey. About 6 years ago I worked in a cute little shop and a fellow employee would play PJH quite often; one day a lovely woman asked who we were playing and when we answered she responded with "Oh, I just love the PEEEJ" and you know what? I love The Peeej too and she'll be playing at Coachella!

xox

Friday Favorites : Hiatus

2011-03-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no Friday Favorites this week. I don't really like anything and I've been at home sick the entire week.

Cough

Sneeze

Hack

Sniffle

Whine

Cry

xo

PS: Tonight! Go to this and support our lovely local designers and my dear friend, Heather Emily. I'll be there with my hot date and sniffles galore.

Malade

2011-03-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sick. ew. And the weather has been shit. Double ew. And last night Yann Tiersen canceled his show because his vehicle was frozen in Saskatchewan. I'd like a triple shot of ew.

So instead, I made Mary's delicious Tortilla Soup - damn! Does it ever do a good job of chasing away the chills and open up your sinuses. These photos are all hers, she did such a lovely job that I really don't think I could make it look as pretty; though I tried.

Notes: I didn't use chicken (veg stock only) and I added 2 tbsp of tomato paste and 2 chopped tomatoes to the red peppers before adding the stock.

Instead of seeing Monsieur Tiersen I played his music and did crafts on my living room floor and then curled up into a little ball of sniffles on the couch.

Sounds of Sunday

2011-02-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, hi there. Welcome to Sounds of Sunday. Looking for something to soothe your hangover? Maybe you need something to motivate you to get up off your ass and clean that messy homestead of yours. It's my pleasure to provide such sounds for you.

For our first installment I'd like to introduce Ms. Janice Whaley who took on the monstrous task of recording the entire Smiths catalog without instruments; using layers of her (beautiful) voice only. She started a page on Kickstarter to fund the project and within the first week had raised the $3500 it cost to cover the licensing of the songs. Last night, she tweeted that all the costs have been covered! Check our her blog and have a listen but wait, time is running out! As of March 1, the price goes up and any extras (downloads, signed posters, etc) will be gone. For $60 you get an immediate download of the project and an advanced copy of the box set... oh, and helping someone succeed at their lifetime dream ain't too shabby either.

Happy Sunday - hope it's filled with sunbeams (...all we have here is snow)
Forever yours,
Matryoshka

thirty-six

2011-02-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

This week, we pay homage to my favorite, The Black Keys. Why? Because I've loved them since High School, so much that I printed a photo of them off on heat transfer paper and ironed it onto a white t-shirt and wore it until it faded. Because I've listened to them for the last how many years of my life and they've been a constant soundtrack. Because I'm finally going to see them live; not once but twice...Coachella in April and here in Edmonton in June. Are either venue's ideal? Hell no, far from it. I would rather see them in a beautiful theatre as most of their shows are but that's for another adventure. I've waited too long for this and my pants can no longer contain the lady boner rock bulge they give me. So, here's one hell of a long Black Keys wank.

The Big Come Up
Favorites : Heavy Soul and I love the first guitar wail in 240 Years Before Our Time

Thickfreakness
I find that Everywhere I Go is reminiscent and heavily inspired by their Kimbrough cover of Keep Your Hands Off Her. As much as I love hair whipping and strutting around, when the boys take it down a notch it's like butter...or really good whiskey.

Rubber Factory
Favorites : When the Lights go out, The Lengths, Act Nice and Gentle

Magic Potion
One of my favorite albums to listen to in whole; nothing really turns me off or makes me want to skip the track. A note on the video: A little foot porn never hurt anyone...right? RIGHT?

Attack and Release
Favorites : All You Ever Wanted, Strange Times, Psychotic Girl

Brothers
Favorites : She's Long Gone, The Only One, These Days
Honorable mentions to Next Girl and Tighten Up for ridiculously fabulous videos. This album was, for many, the first connection to the Black Keys as they were receiving major radio airplay. It's a perfectly balanced album with sweet melodies that you can't help but singing along to and the same dirty grit that's come to be expected, Brothers doesn't disappoint.
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Special Mention : Chulahoma
One of my absolute favorites, an album of Junior Kimbrough covers. Haunting tracks that seems to go hand in hand with rain filled stormy nights, drinking in solitude, or really long road trips. Chulahoma gets two mentions because it truly is one of my absolute favorites (yes, I know that's redundant) and really made me fall in love with this band.

There's more, I could keep going but I'll refrain and save them for a future post...I promise it will be titillating... Now please, dear readers, try to keep it in your pants.
xox

My grandmothers scrawl

2011-02-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Everytime I visit my Mum I find myself coming home with more family artifacts or discovering treasures that tug at my nostalgic heartstrings (remember, I'm a sucker for this shit).

I asked my Mum for some of my favorite dutch recipes and we dug through her massive collection. We found recipe cards my grandma had written years and years ago. I'll probably cherish these more than anything else...

Je t'aime Dirt City

2011-02-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Edmonton,

Today's Friday Favorites are devoted to you...your choice to plunge us back into shitty cold weather means that no one wants to sit beside you on the bus. You tease us with Spring, we stupidly take off our jackets, then you laugh at us as you layer us with a nice thick blanket of snow and frost.

Here's some lovely indoor things to do while we wait for this deep freeze to thaw and to bide our time as we wait for sweet spring to return...and look! So many links to click on!

Saturday February 19th - Up to Here - La Cite Francophone
I've already posted about this but really, you should go. These people are amazing and you might even think they poses skills beyond regular mortals! Do you know how pretty circus girls are? Creme de la creme! Ps there is a post circus party happening afterwards that I'm dj'ing...just saying!

Saturday February 19th - Pale Moon Lights - The Artery
If pretty flying girls aren't your thing go here. You'll love it, I promise.

Friday Saturday 25 - Mod Club - Halo
It's not the same as it used to be but it's still cute and fun.

Saturday February 26 - The Tiff Hall band and Samara Von Rad- Brooklyn's Lounge
To say that Samara is Rad, as her last name implies, would be an understatement. She's a circus flying stunt girl hulahooper, ukelele playing sweetheart. Go show her some love.

Tuesday March 1 - Yann Tiersen - Starlite Room
Basically you get to pretend you are living in Amelie for a couple of hours. Bring someone you love and hold their hand and don't be afraid to slow dance. It's the one time you'll probably be able to get away with touching a stranger in public and not get punched out.

Friday March 4 - Edmonton Spring Classic
So I'm super stoked about this because my lovely talented wife, Heather Emily will be competing. It's been a pleasure to watch her grow and evolve from her first fashion show at Edmonton Fashion week 2 years ago (in which I strutted down the runway). Also, Tiffany Jackson is hosting...that girl brings me to the yard...just saying xo

Saturday March 5 - Refinery Late Night Party- AGA
Just go, do it. Look at the art, look at the pretty people, dance your well dressed ass off. Dirt City really knows how to clean up for these and hey, it's only $25 dollaros! I'm not sure if they're be able to top the last one...Fish Grikowsky+Sideponytail+Black Balloons+Joy Division= meilleur. You might even end up on here...worst photo EVER.

Also, if you haven't heard of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, you really should. I missed his show on Saturday (for the stupidest reason ever - a boy) and I really wish I would have gone. He's from Calgary (oooOOOOooooh) but he's still a prairie boy so I'll let it slide...this time.

and my current favorite

xox
Frozen Forever

Ps: Postcards are going out this weekend you cuties!

Pps: I have twitter and still don't know how I feel about it...

Keep your heart

2011-02-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I have a teenage girl dear diary breakdown on my blog

....there, that's better.

/emotional internet slut

Dining Dainty III

2011-02-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

~Menu~

~St. Germain and Prosseco cocktails made by Darrah

~Bruschetta with sundried tomato ciabatta

~Spring mix salad with blackberries, baby cucumbers, dill, green onions and a maple dijon vinagrette

~Roasted vegetable and chevre phyllo strudel

~Savory lemon tart with raspberry coulis

~Apple, strawberry and blueberry fruit crumble

~Extra special offerings~

XXX Jug Wine

Broken plates

xox
chef matryoshka

It's oh so quiet

2011-02-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

This week has been a bit quiet for me but that just means there's more time to enjoy the small things.

Nothing soothes the soul like a good herbivore session with a dear pal; on Sunday we picked up some plants, rummaged through value village for pots and plantwear and made a huge mess in my living room. I rescued a couple of plants from work that had been left by a co-worker and were overgrowing their pots, when I took the Sansevieria out of it's pot there was hardly any soil left...it was all roots - poor baby. My plants also like to be fancy so I adorned them with some dino's and mustaches, they said they like it.

I was treated to some fresh scones from Duchess, which were amazingly delightful. We had the Blueberry Lemon Glazed and Raspberry White Chocolate. If you don't like scones it's probably because the ones you were eating were shit (read: from safeway), go try one from Duchess and then tell me you still don't like scones, I dare you.

Have you checked out VeeKeeWorkshop? I bought her postcards at the last Royal Bison and sent out a couple the other day. I love the bright colors and how substantial the cardstock she printed it on is. Oh, she's also adorable. PS: I love sending and receiving mail... send me your address in the comments (don't worry no one can see them unless I publish them and I won't) and you'll find something in your mailbox! I promise.

Finally, you should really go see Deep Dark Woods + Wool on Wolves + The Provincial Archive playing TONIGHT! For ONE NIGHT ONLY! They're playing at the Horowitz...start your Valentines weekend off right with some prairie love.

Like I said...feeling quiet and doing some more hibernating. There are so many things to do this weekend but I've gathered up my girls and am nesting...I have a whole bunch of prep to do for Dining Dainty on Sunday as I'm making everything from scratch and I've never made any of it before.

More on Monday...

xox

Go fly a kite!

2011-02-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Review : CIRCA - January 29 - Arden Theatre

This hour long spectacle took my breath away. From the moment the first male performer entered the stage and began to twist and contort, flip and flair with the utmost grace I was entranced. When joined by the other four members the cacophany of body parts was tantalizing; an expression of utmost emotion ranging from lusciously sexual to concrete masculine strength. My favorite acts were ones that featured Freyja Edney as she based one of the male performers and he stood on her shoulder and extended arm. Another moment that almost brought me to tears was a woman walking on the hands of a male performer as he rolled on the floor, you can see it in this clip around 4m30s. I was left in utter awe and amazement.It was a reminder that our bodies CAN do what we ask them too if we work with them. Yes, there are limitations (I didn't start circus when I was 8) but let's get uncomfortable and push those boundaries...a little extra stretch and bend never hurt anyone.

Wunderkammer (5 minute version) from Circa on Vimeo.

Recommendation : UP TO HERE - February 19 - La Cite Francophone

Firefly Theatre's annual cabaret. If you've always wanted to see the circus, here's your chance. I am truly honored to call these people my instructors, mentors, and some of them, friends! The circus freaks are alive and well in Edmonton; come out and support.

Gong Xi Fa Cai ::: Gong Hey Fat Choy

2011-02-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Roxie Vizcarra

To MOST vegans and vegetarians in Edmonton, Padmanadi is a staple and favorite. There's nothing quite like filling your gut with gluten and turning into a zombie in need of a 3 hour nap. I've now been there 5 times; the first 3 were for dinner and I didn't like anything that was ordered, even when I went with "omg I love Pad's so much" people and let them order for me. This could be chalked up to the fact that I'm not a huge mock meat person or maybe just wasn't in the mood? I have no idea...Anyway, this all changed last weekend when I went for brunch and had their Thai Eggs Benny. In real life, I hate eggs benedict; I don't like yoklk I don't like hollandaise sauce. But here, where eggs=steamed tofu and yolk=squash and instead of the regular hollandaise sauce there is peanut sauce. Served alongside was root vegetables which were so much more satisfying than hashbrowns will ever be. Add their delicious chai latte to the mix and I was in heaven.

Officially making its way into my good books and in celebration of Chinese New Year, I headed down to Padmanadi for their buffet; what a perfect opportunity to sample everything and really give it a chance. The buffet was SO GOOD. My only critique would be the lack of vegetables, because really, there is only so much gluten and soy one can eat. I'm not the worlds biggest fan of mock meat to begin with but they definitely do it justice. My favorites were the eggplant, curry chicken, and beef and broccoli. For desert a lovely rice pudding was served along with mini chocolate (good) and vanilla cupcakes (not so good) which were overly iced for my liking. The price was just as nice, I left in my beautiful state of gluten glutton gut all for $20.

I always wanted to like you, Padmanadi, I'm so glad we were able to work through this.

Love to love you

2011-02-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

This week, Friday Favorites pays homage to one of my true loves: CBC radio. Thanks for being there on the drive to and from work, when I'm baking, sitting in my bath tub, and just hanging out....you're one hell of a pal. I'm awfully fond of The Signal with Laurie Brown from 10pm- midnight, George Stromboulopoulous's (affectionately known as stromboloopdiloops at my my house) Strombo show, and Radio 2 Drive (ps: I love the way Rich Terfry says his last name, not in a crushy way but in a "your enunciation is so hot right now" kind of way). I present you with my favorites from the last little while heard as heard on CBC radio.

xox

Jenn Grant - Getcha Good

A.A. Bondy - Mightiest of Guns

Sweet Thing - Lazy Susan

The Go! Team - Grip like a vice

Jason Collett - Love is a dirty word

No, not a sweet girl

2011-02-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Cold weather snaps send me into a flurry of cooking and baking. I also like to make the same things over and over trying different recipes; I don't have a favorite yet but these are definitely the comfort dishes as of late.

I'm not a girl who likes really sweet things and I find that sugar in the morning makes for a ca-ra-zay Matryoshka for the rest of the day. So I made my own granola; I used 3c oats, sliced almonds, cinnamon, ground cardamom, ginger, cloves and combined it with 1/3c molasses, a bit of oil, and vanilla. What came out of my oven was a rich, warm, full flavored granola. Perfect when served with Greek yogurt, blueberries, apricots, prunes, and stewed strawberries.
PS: I love toppings

Speaking of molasses, it's one of my favorite things. I'd rather have a spoonful of molasses than an icing covered spatula. I love the way the container of molasses looks and how it ALWAYS leaks and ALWAYS dribbles. It's so endearing. I made the Blackstrap Gingersnaps from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar a lovely birthday gift from RizzaRazz. - these are the bomb. They pretty much blow the other ones I made in December out of the water! I put chopped apricots in half of the batch and it was delicious-city.

On Monday we were hit with -35c temperatures I made my go to dish of chana masala using a recipe from Smitten Kitten. My variations were: 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of cumin, 2 tsp garam masala, 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes, 1 19oz can of chickpeas and 2 large red and orange peppers chopped and cooked with the onions. The lemon juice is essential!

Finally, my dear (circus freak) friend Jen and I headed over to Packrat Louie the other night to indulge as she had picked up the recent groupon which basically means we could be drunk little piggies. Everything was delicious but I need to be a little snobby: if you're making a veg pizza you have to deal with the veg. You can't just exuberantly load the crust up without cooking some of them down to reduce the liquid. Unfortunately my Giardino pizza was WET on the bottom and swimming in veggie juice. I like a crisp crust and this was all kinds of soggy to the point that the toppings were sliding off my pizza. Consider me bummed. BUT ANYWAYS what's really important here is the lemon and lime meringue with a gingersnap crust. The desert menu was stamped on our table and we quickly negotiated room with our brimming stomachs. It was plate licking good.

xox
Nom-tryoshka

Hey! There's no ice in here!

2011-01-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

So, I went to Freezing Man. I was pretty excited when I heard about it in November mainly because of Dragonette and Kaskade but Chromeo, Broken Social Scene, and K-Os didn't hurt either. I wondered about the whole set up though; I'm not used to attending festivals indoors in concrete boxes, this is foreign to me.

Sadly we missed Shout Out because we were napping; I heard they were amazing as always and expected. We zipped over on the train and waited about 25 minutes to check our coats, then another 20 minutes to actually enter. Not horrible by any means but it would have been nice if this could have moved a bit faster. The whole "outside indoors" only got weirder as we saw girls with little to no clothing on but once you stopped dancing, it was quite cold. This is where the ball drops, we find out that Kaskade was not playing due to illness. THIS. BLOWS. But, as an organizer what can you do, really - nothing. Of course the FM facebook page is littered with refund demands but really? Did you not dance your half clothed booty's off anyway? You can't really say "OMG liiike I only came cuz of kAskAde and then, like, they din't show so give me my money back" Sorry babe, that ticket price was for the whole she-bang from 3pm-2am, it sucked but was made up for as best they could. Remember, this is Edmonton: the city of disappointment.

We got in just in time to see Dragonette play which was absolutely delightful although I'm still having issues being in a cement cave at 6pm - so weird. I really wish they could have played longer and I think I need a sequin jacket to add to my closet, just saying. Between sets dj's would play at the opposite end of the hall which kept everyone dancing, or you could go wait for over half an hour for an over priced beverage, or maybe 45 minutes for the grossest pizza you'll ever eat. Obviously the Agricom is no place for a foody but my god, my gut is still churning in the worst way possible.

Next was K-OS, Stars, and Broken Social Scene . This is where things get snoozy for me. K-OS started off ok but then just fizzled out - I wanted the dance party from Dragonette to keep going but his sexist banter and high horse diva 'tude got tiresome after starting and stopping a couple of songs. I don't mind Stars but when you're wanting a dance party, soft melodies and pretty lyrics aren't really going to cut it. Broken Social Scene was amazing - I watched it from the side and swayed along. While these bands have merit (and special places in my music heart) it just wasn't what I wanted in my dance party at the moment. I also got a little over stimulated from the lights and bumping bass lines but with no room to hang out and chill we were left with one option: rides, which were fueled by french fry oil as part of "Sustainival." We flew and spun through the air feeling like five year olds and then pushed to the front to wait for Chromeo which, in my opinion, was the best part of the festival. The dance party that we dreamed of had finally arrived, it seemed like everyone was having so much fun! I wish they could have played for half an hour longer - it was so tight and as already mentioned, so much fun!

Left feeling like it was Christmas morning we were excited for Major Lazer but that quickly dissipated into exhaustion and hunger. Our coats were in our hands in less than 3 minutes (yay!), we jumped in a cab after some flashy hailing by yours truly and headed to the mecca of late night eating...Garden Bakery.

Would I go again? Maybe... but the seventy something dollars I paid could have gone into the Coachella fund. It all depends on the line up, I would have rather paid just to see Chromeo at Starlight or something...I'm not all that upset about the food or drinks (always expect over priced nonsense), the lines weren't THAT long (more so just really annoying), and yeah it sucks that Kaskade couldn't make it but there were other bands that made up for it but overall it was lacking- there just wasn't a momentum. Freezing Man, I really wanted to feel your frost bite but you were lukewarm.

xox

Hartelijk gefeliciteerd met uw verjaardag!

2011-01-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Or, Happy Birthday Grandma.

C'est Vendredi

2011-01-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

The last days of Nokomis. I do not like this and it's not my favorite. Actually, it made and makes me cry. If you haven't, go scrounge around for deals and say au revoir. Their hours are Friday 28th 11-7, Saturday 29th 10-6, Sunday 30th 12-5. I stopped in last night for the last last last time...I of course, left with a dress and a blazer. Sigh!

My sister - she's leaving on a jet plane to Hawaii. Follow her amazing fruit filled journey here: The Joy of Raw

Even though this is from last week, I love it so much...
You Should Date An Illiterate Girl
" A girl who reads perceives the difference between a parenthetical moment of anger and the entrenched habits of someone whose bitter cynicism will run on, run on well past any point of reason, or purpose, run on far after she has packed a suitcase and said a reluctant goodbye and she has decided that I am an ellipsis and not a period and run on and run on."

Nouvelle Vague: the cutest delights from Paris. This was staple background music during circus camp. There's really nothing like a sweet voiced honey singing "Too drunk to fuck" followed by "I melt with you." They instantly put you in the best mood ever.

Dear Diary. I started reading VICE magazine years ago and always loved Lesley Arfin's columns. I didn't pick up the book when it first came out but when completing an AA order I noticed it was on sale for $5. It was worth all 500 pennies. If you were a diary girl you need to read this for that teenage girl that's still alive somewhere in you.

Also: Mod club, Freezing Man, and post dance party epic pancakes.

Also also: I bought my Coachella tickets on Wednesday around 11 am and the same day they sold out. Thank you Coachella karma.I simply can't wait, especially excited for: Black Keys, The National, Tame Impala, Crystal Castles, Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Empire of the Sun and everything else.

La favorite,
Mtryshka

ALSO ALSO ALSO - In celebration of my favorite person rejoining the world and coming out of hibernation, I present you with....

Now, turn it up, rejoice that it's Friday and go shake a tail feather!

Let's share nice thoughts and say nice things

2011-01-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

Friday Favorites

2011-01-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Packages from Montreal. This is not a "look at what I bought" this is a "look at how talented Genevieve Savard is" shout out. This is getting worn to my dear friend, Janelle's birthday party tonight! I never want to take it off, it's so ridiculously soft. I love its cocktail dress counterpart but perhaps that would be too much...or maybe not. Also, can I just say how much I love little details and surprises...GS packs her items in a silk screened tote bag and sends along a photo of the design AND then she sent me one of her pins! My golden pony boy <3

Making shit! YES! Time to break out the sewing machine and jewelery wire. I've got the drawings and I'm picking up the supplies. Mod Podge parties are also resuming.

The Bands Visit. I started watching this in Mexico and finally finished it.

Mini pizza's (seriously, does the pizza party ever end?). Bottom of crust brushed with basil olive oil, sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper and oregano. Topped with pesto, spinach, feta, fresh basil, more pepper. Squeeze some lemon on there and maybe add fresh tomatoes on top. To. Die. For

B100 and B12...I finally feel somewhat alive again. Thank god.

To my husband "Playlist Traditions: On most days of the week, no one may break up another’s dance party, but on Sundays let’s just put on “Soul Hangover”, eat eggs, and let Otis heal our livers."

And some snip snappy music to get the weekend rolling.

xox
your favorite matryoshka

ps: Coachella...duh!

Let's get excited!

2011-01-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Operation Eva-sion - January 21-23 - Timms Second Playing space
Part of the Canoe Festival; The amazing Annie Duggan is at it again marrying a beautiful story line with aerial arts and movement.

CIRCA - January 28th - Arden

There are literally 3 seats left in the entire theatre for this - it will be phenomenal! There is also a Family Series showing twice on Saturday.

Acro-Yoga - On going - Lion's Breath Yoga and Pheonix Gym
I can't even contain how stoked I am for this! At circus camp there was a couple of girls who have been working together for quite some time and were really impressive. My dear friend, Larissa and I are going to pair up and become the ultimate bendy duo! YES!

Just one of those Saturdays

2011-01-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Square Roots and a Tour D'Edmonton

2011-01-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Having a birthday in January is tricky, having a birthday 3 days after New Years is trickier. Luckily I have friends who were willing to keep the party train going (on a Monday to boot!)

My favorite picked me up and announced that we were heading to the antique mall for hats and furs! YES! I'm pretty sure we tried on almost every hat there. I left with a gorgeous dark mink hat and was gifted a pink feather and netting number. HM bought a stunning blue number with netting (I was/am jealous).

Our next stop (after delicious crepes from Crepeworks) was Nokomis. I wasn't in town for boxing day so things were starting to get picked over but I did snag a beautiful necklace and toodlebunny bracelet. Once leaving the store I immediately burst into tears over what was my last purchase from my favorite store. Tears dry, we raced home to get ready for dinner at the Blue Plate where my favorite ladies and one outstanding gentleman awaited us.

I've never once had a bad meal at the Blue Plate; it's always delicious and they have the cutest and sweetest staff there ever. We filled our bellies, took some photo's, and headed to the leg grounds for some magical adventures amongst the lights.

Onto Black Dog for some pints and then home again to eat (and have a cake fight with) the cake we forgot to bring (double chocolate truffle from La Favorite!). I fell asleep in my party dress around 2:30...clearly a successful 25th.

It was a lovely day filled with some of my favorite places in Edmonton and my absolute FAVORITE people.

Now to wait for that quarter century life crisis to kick in...yes!

xox
M-m-m-m-m-matryoshka!

PS: My grandma is the best!

Snowed in

2011-01-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

And chilled to the bones I made a chick pea curry and cucumber/cilantro salad. I used the recipe from Vegan with a vengeance but modified it; my warning to my dinner guest was "ok, I've made this before but I'm going to change it so we may be eating at New Asian Village tonight." I got rid of the spinach, added a yellow pepper, threw in some tumeric, and upped the curry powder, cumin, and garlic. Next time I make this I'm going to use butter or ghee instead of oil. Also, new lesson learned: the dice matters! If it says 1/4" do what it says!

The next day I invited the Ukrainian side of the family over for pizza. Yes! Two delicious meals made for guests and I've ventured out of my house exactly zero times! Pizza one: tomato basil sauce, green peppers, spinach, mushrooms, feta and mozzarella. Pizza two: sundried tomato pesto, corn, pineapple, red pepper, hot peppers, mozza and chevre.

Matryoshka's kitchen: 2
Snow: 0

winner!

PS: HM gifted these Matryoshka measuring cups to me for Christmas! SO CUTE!

Bandwagon!

2011-01-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

I can't prioritize, alphabetize, chronologicalize (non word!) or follow any theme very well so here's what I listened to a big great deal in the past year (there are no rules!).

Karkwa - Les chemins de verre

One of my favorite albums to fall asleep to or listen to while I'm busy being still.

Favorite track: 28 jours

Junip - Fields

This album goes lovely with hot toddies and late nights. It also accompanied me on a beautiful road trip to Banff

Favorite track: TIE between To the Grain and In Every Direction

The xx - xx

Good morning music! A favorite of my dear friend, Heather. I tend to listen to this album when I'm writing.

Favorite track: Islands

Caribou - Swim

Multi faceted and functional, dance party, bum boppin' while doing the dishes, and background goodness.

Favorite track: Odessa,

Santogold (Santigold) - Santogold

Another album that's loved by both me and the Heather. And a woman who is pretty damn badass.

Favorite track: Superman, Starstruck, I'm a Lady

Black Keys - Brothers

Could it really get any better than this? I remember the first time I heard the Black Keys in high school and immediately fell in love. I love their music when I'm making a mess in the kitchen, having a dance party or for background music.

Favorite track: This is hard; every single one is DY-NO-MITE. But I've got a thing for Next Girl, The Only One, and These Days.

There's more, I could go on forever but let's call it a night and leave it at that.

xoxo
'ryoshka

But you live on a glittering stage

2011-01-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

You're in between twenty and thirty
a very desirable age...

xox
birthday matryoshka

This one time, at circus camp...

2011-01-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Went flying on a swinging trapeze! (video to come)
Dj'd New Years Eve and NYE Part 2 with fellow circus freak Sarah Jackson and made some epic dance parties
Leveled the score against spanish web and the swinging ladder
Made crazy pyramids, did hand to hand balancing, and generally had my face or someone elses face near the crotch area
Made 18 amazing and wonderful friends
Performed my first solo on the dance trapeze (video hopefully to come!)
Learned a new combination on the silks
Hung out with pirates, wenches, rougues and the like who were at the Centre for a stage combat workshop and reconnected with circus freaks from last year
Created my first song on my tiny accordion for Emmy's birthday and played twice in the show
Laughed and smiled until my cheeks hurt. I am now covered in bruises and want to sleep for a week...amazing <3

Down the road!

xoxox,

cirque du matryoshka

Falling, falling, falling

2010-12-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

And finally, the best part of the holiday season...spending the rest of it in Banff upside down, 30 feet in the air, and flying at Circus Camp. This is my second year attending and there will be swingin trapeze! YES! So glad I watched the Trapeze in preparation a couple weeks ago.

xoxo
Flying Matryoshka

Starlight, starbright

2010-12-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

December 25th will be here so quick and my quarter century birthday follows on January 3rd! So, what does this Matryoshka wish for? More Matryoshka, of course!

Babushka pillowcases

Babushka Plates

Matryosh-cups

Matryoshka and pug print (this almost killed me...I used to have a pug! I've also been regularly browsing rescue dog sites...will there be a new addition in the New Year? Ooooo stay tuned!)

Stamps!

I can barely contain my love for these little dumpling dolls.

Night winds whisper to me

2010-12-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the mood for something sweet, spicy, and festive (and being a sucker for molasses) I whipped up some gingersnap cookies. As a serious spice addict, I added 2 tbsp of fresh grated ginger, an extra tsp of cinnamon, and doubled the cardamon and pepper. Alas they still were not spicy enough for me; I wanted them to really SNAP and create a blaze of spice. I would suggest baking these at 325 for about 8-10 minutes max. Get them out of there while they're still super soft and almost wet looking to ensure you have the chewiest cookie ever!

Prepare and nibble on with some tea and some Patsy.

Stay warm you cuties! xoxo Matroyshka

In a blink of an eye the sand turned to snow

2010-12-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

I made it back on to the plane (kicking and screaming) and brought back a fury of snow with me.

Hi-lights of the trip

Surfing at Cerritos. I got up on my first try and about 80% of the time. It was amazing
Non stop dance parties
Fresh guacamole and salsa
Beach volleyball
Bus adventures into San Jose
Ocean!Ocean!Ocean!
Amazing books

I brought along Fargo Rock City and Downtown Owl (Klosterman), and Skinny Legs and All (Tom Robbins). I ripped through Klosterman and am halfway through Robbins.

Fargo Rock City: Constantly made me want to grab a tape, shove it in a boom box, and whip my hair around. It made me long to be alive when everything was happening.

Downtown Owl: I could have read this book for 300 more pages - I wasn't necessarily let down at the end but it pissed me off enough to throw the book in the sand.

Note from my travel companion: Don't bring Margret Atwood on a vacation (duh!)

See you on the 14!

2010-12-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'm trading hot toddies for pina colada's and heading off to Cabo for a week!

Credit: Genevieve Simms

Here's a little something to keep you warm in the meantime.

We live half at night

2010-12-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I checked out Mile Zero's "Boom" at the Catalyst Theatre. Described as "...about expression. Expanding our inner world, breaking down boundaries to encompass more space, more freedom in how we receive and perceive our inner experience of the world around us..."

Hilights of the salon were

The music that was played before the show and at intermission. We kept trying to Shazam the tunes but to no avail.
Ted Kerr. This man is brilliant; I had an opportunity to work with him several years ago and serve on a board with him. He makes me shut up, listen, think, and then act.
Mazowita. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire time they played. They opened with "We are Mazowita and this is our first and last show. But not in a bad way, in a special way" and then proceeded to make something more than music. Which, I think, is what happens anytime you have 5 drummers on one stage.
Zachery Ayotte. Stunning visuals.
Unkle Sam. Who created a collaborative beatbox experience with the audience.
Permaculture/Dustin Bajer. Have you heard about permaculture? But really HEARD about it and LISTENED? Dustin is an amazing person doing amazing things.

Boom, you were all about expression and I left feeling all kinds of inspired.

Whoa, girl

2010-12-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Seriously? Amazing. Rattle my soul.

Buckaroo Stew

2010-11-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Punk weekend has spilled into the week as I reached for my Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook (from the Post Punk Kitchen) to make something warm, filling, and spicy. I decided on the Chipotle, corn, and black bean stew which I renamed the Buckaroo stew. I can't repost it but you should just go buy the cookbook, it's full of amazing recipes that will make your mouth smile and belly sing!

If you do make this, I would suggest using a touch less water - recipe calls for 3 cups but I would say 2.5 is more than enough and definitely let this sit for at least an hour. It makes the flavours meld together so much better. If you love heat (aka scorching your mouth), use an extra chipotle or two. I doubled the garlic (6 cloves instead of 3) as well.

I topped mine with Oaxaca cheese (which I found at the Italian Market), cilantro, avocado, green onions, and a squeeze of lime. I served it with some whole wheat crusty bread...Oh, and a shot of tequila. OLE!

Prepare and eat while listening to the Black Keys "The Big Come Up" album (favorite track: Busted - so dirty)