the dutch

have a lovely weekend... we are going to victoria for the weekend to spend time with family and bring back my in-laws for the last few days of their holiday before they head home to the netherlands.

from stefan via facebook, sorry don't know exact source

flower magic

when i came across this set design in blog world i immediately thought it was beautiful.  breathtaking, actually.  someone (dior's new creative director) envisioned - then achieved! - this magical installation of flowers.  each room contains thousands of flowers from floor to ceiling: peonies, dahlias, carnations, roses, and so on!  wow!  flowers can certainly immerse you into instant happiness.  you can view the making of... here.  enjoy! 

 

stunning green

sorry for the absence yesterday.  instead of writing this post, i fell asleep with kai after an impromptu-ish outing for ice cream with our neighbours. 

i love the pops of nature throughout this home. and that looooong table is spectacular, yes?  quite the spectacular house too, wouldn't you say?

the photos are from the website coffeeklatch, where 'creative chitchat' happens with interesting entrepreneurs in their homes or daily working environments.  it's a great site, do visit to explore other awesome people and their spaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

weekend pics

i embraced the weekend alone. 

i went for a run, worked out at the gym, and attended a spin class.  my body aches but in that good way, you know.

i have a bit of a magazine habit and spent some time sorting through my heap of magazines.  but it didn't stop me from picking up the new martha stewart living and living etc. out right now :-)

i strolled along west 4th ave, referred to as kitsalano.  it is a great neighbourhood just blocks from the beach and there is a plethora of shops and restaurants.  on this particular day 10 blocks of streets were closed off for a free music festival.  shops were having sidewalk sales, restaurants spilled out onto the streets, and fun activities were taking place.  it was an amazing scene.  i discovered a couple of musicians that perhaps you will like too - kathyrn calder and redgy blackout were all sorts of awesomeness. 
 
i watched two movies.  the artist was so satisfying to watch. it transports you away as a movie should, definitely worthy of its awards.  friends with kids was funny and entertaining. 

i had the ipad all to myself (a rarity in my house) and before stefan left he kindly downloaded kinfolk volume 3 for me which i read cover to cover in one sitting.  one sitting!  it was fabulous.  the magazine is fabulous too.  it deserves a post all of it's own.

i ended the weekend at pink lime, a yaletown spa, for a manicure, pedicure, and a massage (taking advantage of the groupon i bought last year).  and a lovely white navajo print tunic followed me home from here (pink lime's neighbour).

a few minutes after i arrived home, my boys arrived too!  i swear kai looks older.  visit stefan's blog to read about their camping adventure.

 

redgy blackout





kathryn calder



 

  

 

 

 

   

   

  

  

 



jude usually hangs out with the boys but i think he was content with me



popsicle outtakes

my boys are off on a camping trip leaving me with a whole weekend to myself.  so much i want to do but i don't know what to actually do.  i feel pressure to make the most of it.  i do know one thing though -  i am going to miss my boys. 

have a lovely weekend.  we'll see what kind of mischief i can get myself into...

my work

i love my job, providing counselling to women in crisis. i am often asked, 'how can you do this work?'  i think to myself, 'how can i not?' 

 

image from here

a crisis can shine a bright light on a women's life.  it challenges her to explore everything - her hopes, her relationships, her career, her plans, her family, her beliefs.  it can be a transformational experience.  she gets to choose the path she walks - for the better.  standing by women in this process is a privilege.  it's amazing.

sometimes someone comes along and her story touches me in a way i do not expect.  i am overwhelmed by her pain and sadness.  i want to 'fix' what's wrong but i know i can't.  sometimes life happens to her that prevents her from choosing her own path.  it's difficult.

needless to say, it's been an emotional couple of days at work.  i want to give a shout out to the awesome women i work with.  i am grateful to be doing work i love and to be doing it with you.



alfresco summer dining

stefan and i attended a wonderful outdoor dining experience exactly one week ago.  instead of farm to table, eric pateman from edible canada took the table to the farm.  it was a celebration of food and bringing people together.  the fun part was that we didn't actually know where we were going until about a week before the event - it was a surprise location! 

it took place at hazelmere organic farm where we really got to see where the food we were eating was grown and met the farmer too.  with wine glass in hand, we listened to naty king as she explained the philosophy of using local organic produce in the kitchen.  she is a passionate farmer who believes food is not just to eat to stay alive but to feel alive.  she impressed upon us the importance of a healthy lifestyle that local and/or organic foods can provide.  you can look for the nutritious food she grows at whole foods, she's one of their suppliers and had only good things to say about their commitment to local products.

edible canada chef, tom lee, made an amazing meal using local and seasonal ingredients - actually each of the dishes on the menu included produce grown by naty.  each course was perfect, delicious (even the steak!), and paired with local wines as well.  it was a lovely evening of eating good food (see menu here) and meeting new people.  splendid!

 

 

 

 

 

  

 



 

   



  



 

 

 
driving up the lane toward the house was deja vu for stefan and i.  we both thought we had been to this particular farm before and we were right!  it took awhile but we quickly figured out that in february of 2006 we attended another foodie event on the farm hosted by naty's husband gary (he passed away in 2009). each dish was prepared by a different local chef featuring winter harvest ingredients from the farm.  it seems i only took pictures of kai on that particular day - he was 2.5 years old (so little!) and i remember he didn't care about the rain, happily jumping in the puddles and soaking his shoes...