Thursday, September 30, 2010
My Tiffany's: Lüt Boutique + East is East
Ok, I'll admit it: I want it all and I want it now.
Food, Music, Glamour, please!
Being able to kill a few free-range-organically-fed-birds with one stone makes me very very happy, which is why Main street in Vancouver rarely disappoints. Much the same way a Tom Cat has his safely guarded collection of prowls in his back pocket, I have my meanderings on Main down to a science.
One of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon on this hip-strip is as follows:
First stop is Lüt Boutique. Besides the adorable moniker (who doesn't love an umlaut‽), Lüt Boutique's lures you in with it's spacious and uncluttered layout, and keeps you there with their selection of men and women's clothes from forward thinking designers. Other delightful features include original t-shirts, hard to resist jewelry and reworked leather bags.
This recent addition to Main street's string of awesome boutiques gets it right: hand picked pieces mean you will not end up with an H&M cookie-cutter look, and it will be next to impossible to show up at a party in the same dress as someone else (gasp!).
Yet another fabulous aspect of this establishment is the rotating art on display. Local artists are featured on a monthly basis, complete with proper opening parties where hours are extended and clothes are mostly cleared except for a few gorgeous pieces. I have a deep appreciation for community building events such as these that also serve to support Vancouver's wealth of talented artists.
Most recently, the work of Emily Miles is on display. Her paintings offer compelling images that celebrate beauty while subtly embracing dark side of life.
Her latest collection is a series of large canvases featuring impeccable little birds in luscious tones. Her work draws attention to the negative effects of urban sprawl on wildlife.
I have my eye on the little gangster Hermit Thrush. I will fight you for it. But who am I to be so greedy?: I'm already lucky enough to be the proud owner of a very large Emily Miles canvass from her flora series: deep aqua bleeding hearts that change colour as the sun moves across the sky.
My next destination a few blocks south is dinner at East is East. One of two locations, East is East appeals to the secret & polished gypsy heart that I harbour.
I simply adore the silk-road aesthetic and accompanying cuisine: rich yet simple. Every gourmet's dream.
The free refills of the talis, and complimentary samples of spicy chai (including a soy version for us lactose intolerant types) make the Recessionista in me swoon.
And oh! the food...fresh, sumptuous, with options to please everyone from a Vegan to the most Paleo of carnivores. I leave pleasantly full and excited to return again.
The gentle atmosphere is often uplifted with live music. Tablas meet classical guitars, and sitars make an appearance amid heartfelt vocals. Just because you are a Recessionista does not mean you are cheap, so give a little when the donation basket is passed around. Musicians, like most artists, are chronically undervalued.
Main Street, so full of My Tiffany's FTW!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Food Fetish: Chocolate
Welcome to the first in a series of photo shoots that capture women of Vancouver and their food fetishes.
We're starting things off with a BANG! a CACAO! with the beautiful and talented Miss Shauna Eve.
Her food fetish is chocolate and her favourite conduit for this ingredient is cake. A match made in heaven!
Chocolate cake conjures up memories of birthday parties, celebrations; sin and delight, all wrapped up in one gorgeous confection. Go on, have a piece.
Shauna Eve is a local artist whose penchant for all things aquatic manifests itself in her whimsical artwork. Delicate and thoughtful renditions of sea creatures dance lightly on water coloured canvasses, while sharks bleed red from their ancient perfect hearts.
Shauna appreciates the good things in life, as artists are wont to do. I spoke with her before the photo shoot to get the goods on how she squeezes the best out of life.
V: Why Chocolate?
SE: Chocolate resonates with me because it's as biting and naughty as it is sweet and playful. A non-essential, essential. Sometimes the best thing for you is the thing you want the most.
V: Fave restaurants?
SE: My favourite places to eat are The Foundation for their Satay Salad coupled with a nice red, and Gyoza King on Robson, because everything is more fun with chopsticks. Honestly, the venue doesn't matter as much as the company.
V: Fave thing to cook?
SE: The love of my life in the kitchen lately is quinoa, slightly braised bok choy & yellow tomatoes, and green curry. Oh, and anything with coconut milk! On blueberries and oats, when cooking rice, in waffle batter, coffee and shakes. But far be it for me to push coconut milk on friends.
V: Creative ways to stretch your dollar?
SE: Scrap the car and possibly even the gym membership. Walk, ride your bike, and swim instead. Do it alone, or with a friend.
Our photographer for the shoot was Trevor Adams, co-owner of Vancouver's youngest and freshest Visual Effects outfit Leviathan Studios.
I am grateful that he was able to take time out from his hectic schedule to help with this project, as his eye for photography is stunning.
P.S. Connoisseurs of chocolate know that Fair Trade varieties top the list of most desirable for quenching ones' penchant for the treat. Your fabulous lifestyle should never infringe on other beings' rights xo
SLAMMIN' CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 C granulated organic sugar
1/2 t sea salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 C unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
1/3 C oil (ex. grapeseed or sunflower)
1 T white vinegar
1 C cold water
BAD-ASS FROSTING
1/2 C non-hydrogenated margarine
3 C confectioners sugar
1/3 C unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
1 t vanilla or peppermint extract
3-4 T almond/hemp milk
We're starting things off with a BANG! a CACAO! with the beautiful and talented Miss Shauna Eve.
Her food fetish is chocolate and her favourite conduit for this ingredient is cake. A match made in heaven!
Chocolate cake conjures up memories of birthday parties, celebrations; sin and delight, all wrapped up in one gorgeous confection. Go on, have a piece.
Shauna Eve is a local artist whose penchant for all things aquatic manifests itself in her whimsical artwork. Delicate and thoughtful renditions of sea creatures dance lightly on water coloured canvasses, while sharks bleed red from their ancient perfect hearts.
Shauna appreciates the good things in life, as artists are wont to do. I spoke with her before the photo shoot to get the goods on how she squeezes the best out of life.
V: Why Chocolate?
SE: Chocolate resonates with me because it's as biting and naughty as it is sweet and playful. A non-essential, essential. Sometimes the best thing for you is the thing you want the most.
V: Fave restaurants?
SE: My favourite places to eat are The Foundation for their Satay Salad coupled with a nice red, and Gyoza King on Robson, because everything is more fun with chopsticks. Honestly, the venue doesn't matter as much as the company.
V: Fave thing to cook?
SE: The love of my life in the kitchen lately is quinoa, slightly braised bok choy & yellow tomatoes, and green curry. Oh, and anything with coconut milk! On blueberries and oats, when cooking rice, in waffle batter, coffee and shakes. But far be it for me to push coconut milk on friends.
V: Creative ways to stretch your dollar?
SE: Scrap the car and possibly even the gym membership. Walk, ride your bike, and swim instead. Do it alone, or with a friend.
Our photographer for the shoot was Trevor Adams, co-owner of Vancouver's youngest and freshest Visual Effects outfit Leviathan Studios.
I am grateful that he was able to take time out from his hectic schedule to help with this project, as his eye for photography is stunning.
P.S. Connoisseurs of chocolate know that Fair Trade varieties top the list of most desirable for quenching ones' penchant for the treat. Your fabulous lifestyle should never infringe on other beings' rights xo
SLAMMIN' CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 C granulated organic sugar
1/2 t sea salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 C unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
1/3 C oil (ex. grapeseed or sunflower)
1 T white vinegar
1 C cold water
BAD-ASS FROSTING
1/2 C non-hydrogenated margarine
3 C confectioners sugar
1/3 C unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
1 t vanilla or peppermint extract
3-4 T almond/hemp milk
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