I grew up in a predominantly vegetarian home, so my cooking experience is pretty much limited to tofu & vegetables. No complaints.... but every now and then I do love to eat fish, and until recently I had no idea how to cook it. This recipe is amazingly easy and unbelievably tasty. I use it every time I make salmon... ok it's the only salmon recipe I know, but honestly, it's the only one I need!
LeAF is a new eco fashion company by Marie-Helene Gauthier and Debra Kellner. Their beautiful, relaxed pieces are made from fair trade, organic cotton. Leaf's mission, according to their website, is "to marry sublime simplicity and style with sustainability". I like the sound of that. The collection will be available at Barney's in New York this April.
Do you know the Australian brother-sister duo Angus and Julia Stone? They're lovely.
Their new album was released in North America today. If you've never seen their website, it's absolutely gorgeous and totally worth a visit.
Here's a song from the new album if you want a quick listen...
Did you read this book? I did, and I loved it. For months after reading it all I could think of was packing up my busy life and going to live in an Ashram in northern India.
I'm leaving for the UK on Thursday evening for 10 days. I'm so excited to explore Dublin and Cardiff (the 2 cities I have family in)... and I'm daydreaming about doing my exploring in this outfit...
Marc by Marc Jacobs dress & charms, D&G jacket, Christian Louboutin wedges, Kate Spade bag, bracelet & ring, Burberry silk scarf, Michael Kors aviator sunglasses. (This outfit is totally in my price range too, of course!)
I love these designs by Josh Jakus (Berkeley, California). How cute is this "girl" chalkboard and this "boy" cork board! Josh Jakus' product designs are eco-friendly too. He uses recycled rubber, factory excess felt & scrap materials and turns them into gorgeous, clean and functional products.
So I've been a little reluctant to give She & Him a proper chance. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because Zooey Deschanel is already a great actress (and how many actresses these days try to become songstresses as well... but sound horribly unoriginal and manufactured)... or maybe it's because she's so darn pretty... and she's married to the lead singer from Death Cab For Cutie/The Postal Service.... she couldn't possibly be a good musician as well... right?!?!
Well, I admit it, I was wrong. Volume Two by She & Him is really good, and it totally establishes them as serious artists (Not that M.Ward wasn't a serious artist already... it was the "she" part of She & Him that I had my guard up against!).
So I've been listening to Volume Two constantly lately, and must admit that I'm now a fully converted She & Him fan.
Yesterday I took my friend Bri out for a birthday brunch at Montreal's trendy breakfast restaurant, The Sparrow. Despite the long line, it did not disappoint. Both our meals were amazing; She ordered the french toast and I had the baked eggs & oyster mushrooms.
We'll definitely be going back to try more.
The restaurant does not have a website, they don't even have a sign outside... except for small wooden sparrow head to identify the place. I think they're going for that obscure, trendy feel... which is totally working for them, given the huge line up at 10am.
My husband & I ate dinner by candlelight last night during Earth Hour. When 9:30pm rolled around I didn't even feel like turning on the lights anymore... and when we did, they seemed so bright and offensive. Did anyone else feel like that?
Brrrrrrrrrrrr, it is so cold today in Montreal! The sun is shining brightly, but it's below freezing outside. All I want to do is curl up on the couch and wrap myself in a huge handmade quilt, like Winona Ryder in How to Make an American Quilt.
These gorgeous handmade quilts from lmkquilts on Etsy would work perfectly!
The new Laura Marling album "I Speak Because I can" is out, and I can't wait to have time to listen to the whole thing straight through. I just love her soft voice (accents always get me!). See her website here. Here's a gorgeous song off the new album: Laura Marling - Rambling Man Official Video
Last night I made macarons. I've wanted to try this for a long time, but was hesitant. Well, let me tell you, these are so much fun to make! Watching them form their cute little domes in the oven, and then assembling them into their adorable bundles... it's all so satisfying and quaint. Plus I had Edith Piaf playing in the background, which really set the Parisian mood. And guess what, they tasted delicious too. Oh-la-la!
(I used this David Lebovitz recipe)
This eco shoe company is too cool!
They recycle used tires to make the soles of their stylish sandals and boots. I love it!
Visit the Greenbees website to see more.
Ok, so this picture was taken from an ordinary point & shoot digital camera attached to a helium balloon! Ever wondered how far up a helium balloon will fly before popping? Well the answer is pretty high! The camera was equipped with a GPS tracking system, so that when the balloon eventually popped & floated back down to earth with its mini camera parachute, the owner could find it again. Unbelievable!
Read the whole story over at TreeHugger
Spring is the perfect time of year for cleansing. This morning cleanser is a refreshing and healthy way to start your day.
Mix the juice of half a lemon in a glass of warm water. Drop a few pieces of freshly cut ginger into the bottom of the cup. You can add a spoonful of honey if the sourness bothers you.
Take 3 minutes out of your busy morning to sit quietly while sipping your cleanser. Concentrate only on your breathing and just be still. This exercise (even without the cleanser) will change your entire day!
I'm in love with the lyrics to this Great Lake Swimmer song. It came out a year ago, and I'm still not sick of it (which is amazing, because I've listened to it a lot!). The Great Lake Swimmers, if you don't already know them, are a beautiful music group out of Toronto. You should definitely check them out. Here are the gorgeous lyrics to their song, Still:
I'm still tuning myself to the great key, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still mining for light in the dark wells, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a frequency swaying, a leaf in the wind, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still searching for whispers in between yells, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still swimming in harmony, I'm still dreaming of flight
I'm still lost in the waves, night after night
I'm sill an arrow unshot, fixed in a bow, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a fire unlit, ready to go, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still loaded and waiting, with anticipation to fly
I'm still studying the patterns in the night sky
I'm still a note that's unplayed, ink on a page, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a cry in the night, lonesome and high, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still tuned to an instrument of greater and unknown design
I'm still looking for direction, some kind of sign
I'm still tuning myself to the great key, I'm still, I'm still
I stumbled upon these adorable knitted coffee sleeves from ManoaRoadCafe on Etsy. They are handmade by Jane O, and very reasonably priced. Perfect for an undeniable coffee addict like me.
See her blog here and her Etsy store here.
Making your own chocolate covered espresso beans sounds easy enough... just dip the roasted beans in melted chocolate, right? Well let me tell you, it was a highly tedious and messy project... Imagine dipping each individual bean in chocolate and carefully placing it on a tray to harden, over and over and over again. Even though they tasted delicious, I doubt I'd ever go through this hassle again!
I visited the Tiffany Glass exhibit at the Montreal Fine Arts Museum this weekend. The detailed glasswork was definitely impressive, and the colour and light effects were beautiful. Here are a few of my favourites...
