Sunday, July 31, 2011

Open for Business

We've been celebrating a fabulous long weekend in beautiful British Columbia. The beaches are hopping, the fire works are on and it's seems like every park in the city is celebrating some type of festival or another. We went over to the North Shore to play at John Lawson park and snack at one of our favorite coffee shops, Crema. We stumbled across a festival with live music, outdoor vendors of yummy food and local artisans selling their creations. 

In other news, I have finally launched RepoWear! Yippee! It's funny how in some ways it's a bit underwhelming. With an online shop you just hit the launch button and you're in business. There's no wining and dining customers. Although, there probably should be....

I tried to create a fancy little video segment where I announce the opening of RepoWear and show off some of my favorite pieces that will soon be in store. As it turns out, my strength is not in video blogging. I looked like I was in a coma, I lumbered around very slowly while speaking in a monotone and saying "um" a lot. Apparently I also roll my eyes when I talk. Not the best thing when you're saying, "Isn't this dress amazing," cue the eye roll. Pregnancy has also made me a heavy breather. It was not a pretty sight and clearly I need to hone my camera skills. 

So words it is. I'm open! Come by and visit RepoWear! Here's a little pic of my shop page; simple and easy to navigate. I'll be constantly updating RepoWear with new, pre-loved items. You can click on the links in this post or use the RepoWear button in the side bar to visit my shop. 



Hope you all had a lovely weekend full of love and sunshine!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Modern Mess

I've spent a lot of time trying to convince myself that I prefer modern minimalist home decor: Big, bright spaces, clutter free with sparse furniture. However, looking around my home it is clear that I gravitate to  a chaotic clutter, modern mess aesthetic. As a married lady I've always rented in old Vancouver character houses. Which, duh, have a lot of "character." It's a long standing joke for us to refer to five different types of flooring ("Look Levi, the ball rolls by itself!"), decrepit cupboards, and weird angles as "character." We're never working with a blank slate but it is a lot of fun to see what we can do with each space for little to no cost. 

Levi and I went to Chapters this morning so that I could indulge in flipping through design books while he cruised around the kid's section with a mini shopping cart filled with finger puppets (That's fun, right?). I came across a wicked design book which solidified my personal style type, Modern Vintage. I took phone pics of the decor from Modern Vintage Style by Emily Chalmers that reminded me of my own home (or at least what I would strive for). The last bedroom is crazy bananas but I couldn't resist a pic.











Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Dried Up

 I feel very discombobulated after our weekend away in Whistler. I thought I'd come back with loads of pictures but a pool, toddler and camera don't mix well. My creative juices dried up in the hot sun. Now that I'm home I'm trying to get back in the groove and there's no better way to do it then spending exorbitant amounts of time on Pinterest. Surfing the net for inspiration is one of my favorite things to do. Here are a few of my favorite finds to kick off the week

For image sources visit my Pinterest.

Friday, July 22, 2011

So Close

The launch of Repo Wear is just around the corner (I've been working hard to figure out boring details like shipping. Blah.) and I can't wait to showcase items from my shop on Elasticpantcity in a more formal fashion. I thought it would be fun to do it editorial style, pairing the item from Repo Wear with inspirations on how to style it.  I've already posted this dress on Elasticpantcity. Isn't it great that a pre-loved vintage piece can be so on trend with a style and color of the moment?! 


Hope everyone has a great weekend! We're off to Whistler!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Fixation

I was at a birthday party on Sunday where the hostess served me organic ginger ale. The drink had such a delicious tang, without the sugary sweetness of pop. I was instantly fixated on the idea of making homemade ginger ale. As a result our kitchen has turned into a little brewery. I've been experimenting with variations of this recipe and I'm still not 100% satisfied with the results. Natural ginger ale requires just the right amount of sweetness and carbonation. 

Ginger has great health benefits. It's supposed to help with migraine headaches and gas. I've been plagued with migraines the last couple weeks and I'm hoping my little ginger concoction helps. As for gas, let's just say I can shake the very foundations of our house with what's been coming out of me. I need a quick cure to save my marriage (Just joking. Sort of).

 It cracks me up that Levi loves this drink. The concentration of ginger gives it a real kick yet he still gulps it down. The other day the kid was eating raw onions. Strange or refined tastes, I'm not sure?

If anyone has attempted their own ginger ale recipe I'd love to hear it!

As I get less and less mobile with this pregnancy I'm having to find activities closer to the home for Levi and I. Sidewalk chalk is always a hit. FYI don't let your child use chalk on wood (like fences). It becomes semi-permanent graffiti. 

Levi and I also make regular trips to the neighborhood park. Today his daddy's side of the family came for a visit and he flew his first kite. Levi was a wee bit excited.

This is his, "kite-flying is serious business" face.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Hardcore

Last year I posted an interview with Janice Alida on her experience walking the Céline show during her first runway season. At the time Janice was engaged to a friend of mine and they just recently tied the knot, woot, woot! Since that interview Janice's career has taken off, propelling her to the forefront of today's fashion industry. She has been in so many shows and editorials that I've lost track. I'm never surprised to open a magazine and find Janice's face splashed across the pages. Janice and her hubby have a site where they post their happenings and Janice's work. That's where I came across this amazing spread for Interview Magazine. Can you say, diverse? This girl knows how to play the part of hardcore, high fashion street kid. Stunning, Janice. 



Interview June/July 2011
PURE REBELLION WHITE DENIM
Photos Robbie Fimmano
Styling Miguel Enamorado

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Parental Bliss


This weekend went by in a blur of early mornings, tantrums, kiddie birthday parties, x's and o's and
house work. I always have the intention of completing articles, working on launching my shop and taking pictures of exciting happenings around town. However, the nitty gritty of life is that I'm super duper prego, my ankles are swollen, my last pair of decent pants just stopped fitting and I'm tired. All the time. Even after a 2 1/2 hour nap. Crazy thing is, I still have two months to go. Two more months. God help me. And that is a heart felt prayer : )

Despite my general bodily discomfort, I'm able to find moments of parental bliss with my little dude. Here are five such moments:

1. Every morning we sit together and have tea in peaceful silence. Levi sips his rooibos like a wizened old man and I get my caffeine fix. Once in a while one of us will let out a contented, "Ahhhh."

2. When Levi hasn't seen me for a while he'll hunt me down and greet me with, "Hi sweetie pie!"

3. Levi loves the bagpipes. Today our neighbor pulled out his pipes at a birthday party and his little girls performed highland dancing. Levi spent the rest of the party doing his version of highland/break dancing with a special back roll finale.

4. Levi might be a genius : ) He holds a crayon like a pro and draws perfect little circles and lines. No scribbling (Parents, do you ever just want to shout, "Look at my child! He is amazing!")

5. Levi confines his tantrums to the home. Thank-you kiddo for saving face for us in front of the neighbors! They all think he is the perfect little angel. I hear from them all the time, "I've never ever seen him cry or scream." Really? REALLY?

I just love him.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Seeing Red

Regina Salomao Spring 2012 Campaign | Jacqueline Medeiros by Gustavo Marx via Fashion Gone Rogue

As I treasure hunt for Repo Wear I find myself gravitating towards brilliant reds. Red symbolizes extremes in emotion, from burning love to anger and power. Red appeals to my senses even though I don't think it reflects my personality - anymore. I used to have a short fuse but being a mom has mellowed me out. I don't know how to explain the transformation except to say that God used my baby to soften my rough edges. If anything, I see the world a little more through rose-colored lenses. 

The red pieces I've collected for Repo Wear are some of my favorites.

Repo Wear red shift dress
Man Repeller rocking red
Romwe Asymmetric Hems Red Tank Dress-$27.99 (Awesome deal right now: 10% off items of $30.00+)
Repo Wear red bib blouse
Repo Wear red blazer
Zara Kimono Style Blazer

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of sunshine and running through open fields (Sounds nice, right?)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Behind the Scenes

These lemon and ginger scones are the pride and joy of my baking accomplishments. I generally burn what I bake but I'm trying to learn from experience and persevere through my failures. This is not my first batch of scones. Yesterday I tried the same recipe, except I ignored instructions and substituted whole wheat flour for all purpose flour and decided homo milk was an okay substitute for buttermilk. You shouldn't and it's not. Modifying recipes is not for beginners. My first batch burned. Today I gave it another go and almost followed the recipe exactly (I really can't help myself). I added a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla for extra flavour and substituted yogurt for buttermilk. I also used fresh ginger instead of crystallized. I monitored these babies in the oven until they were perfect. Oh, and they were perfect. Maybe the best, not-quite healthy scones I've ever had. 

I love foodie blog pics but I've always wonder if it's all order and cleanliness behind the camera lens. For example, I have about five seconds to get a decent shot before this happens.

...And maybe a minute before my baking gets devoured.

Oh, and while I'm baking, chaos ensues. These are not props.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Carry On

I kick myself every time I forget to carry my canon with me ALL the time. Not only do great family moments occur but I also see loads of people I want to grab pictures of. For instance, today I was driving on Granville Island and saw a dad cruising by on a Harley Davidson Bicycle, baby stroller in tow. have you soon those things! That dad looked seriously hardcore and I loved it. Then last night I went to Theatre Under The Stars to review a performance of Bye Bye Birdie for Vancouver Mom and had my Canon but no memory card (and no memory of removing the card. My baby brain has gone to mush).

Thank God for my iphone camera. Otherwise I would have missed Levi's all star haircut where he was such a little gem and made the hairdresser fall in love with him. I'd also have no evidence that Ben and I had a fabulous date night out on the town! Bye Bye Birdie was phenomenal and I can't wait to finish my review. Watch for the link coming soon!



Sunday, July 10, 2011

Don't Have a Cow

This is a meaty tale. On Friday our neighbor upstairs informed us he would be having a BBQ Saturday evening. He is a part of a BBQing league (No joke) and takes his meat seriously. Did you know that Brisket is best BBQ'd for 18 hours, while carefully monitoring the temperature? Our dear neighbor put his hunk of meat on the grill at 2 AM and monitored it until 5 AM. Living in close quarters means that I was able to share the experience with him. I had the pleasure of being overwhelmed by the smell of roasting cow while lying in bed, listening to lead footed boys prepare their manly meal. 

I was in rough shape Saturday. Extremely tired and crabby/crappy feeling. I could complain more about my disrupted sleep but we were invited to said BBQ and I like my neighbor (Did I mention his wife was out of town? Men get up to strange things when women aren't around). 

The BBQ was great fun and apparently the Brisket was delicious. I left the meat for the boys. 

In order to get out of my funk on Saturday I had to focus on the little things I'm thankful for. 

I spotted these flowers at Capers and wanted to buy them but felt guilty for spending money frivolously. My sweet Ben saw I was torn and said, "I want to buy these flowers for you." Awww.


We've been living with a high-lighter yellow bathroom and mildew stained ceiling for the last year and a half. We finally got around to giving it a fresh coat of crisp white paint. Now we can do our business in a clean, bright space. Ben also built the vanity and replaced the gross linoleum with tile (Our landlord covered most of the cost). What an improvement!

A DIY project I'm actually making progress on. We found two patio chairs on the side of the road. The frames were black and the seat coverings were moldy, stained and falling apart. The frames are primed and I've almost completed sewing the first seat cover. I want to paint them either the light blue of the fabric or bright white. They're going to become indoor chairs for my work space. 


I'm so pleased with Romwe, the new shop I'm affiliated with. I'm especially a fan of this clutch, and the price, $22.99 (Holla!). It comes in multiple colors with either a thick or thin band. What a styling way to carry around a few diapers, wipes and onesies! 

Who gets rid of a pair of Bruno Magli pumps in near perfect condition?! Whoever you are, thank-you!



Ahhh, my garden. It gives me so many analogies for life. Remember when I was showing you pictures of a pile of manure?  

What a circular story, starting and ending with a cow : )