Slowly going crazy....

Do you ever have those weeks where you feel like that mess of papers on your desk is just getting bigger instead of smaller, even though you’ve been working your little tush off all week??

That in a nut shell has been my week. I’ve had mini tantrums, large venting sessions, and almost crying breakdowns in the middle of the day.

BUT! I’m making a conscious effort to change my mind frame and my mood set, because my own crankiness is even irritating me. What better than a musical montage to make you smile, especially when it includes Jimmy Fallon AND Justin Timberlake. Thank you fellas….you’ve just turned my week around!

Click on this link to share in my enjoyment...

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - A History of Rap: Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake & The Roots - Video - NBC.com

Jen Being Random

Hi Mes Amis!

I've been thinking of trying a video post for a while, so here it is. It's in two parts because of its mega file size. I hope you enjoy it!






Links mentioned in the video:

Danny and Annie's story
Steve Job's commencement speech
Angela Ahrendts's commencement speech
TED Talks YouTube Channel

Happy Wednesday!
xo

What beauty...

There is so much beauty and wonder in the world we live in. Some times with routines, schedules, appointments and good ol’ faithful work the beauty that surrounds us goes unnoticed because we are so entrenched in our daily lives. It happens to all of us no doubt, as lives get busier and time seems to run faster, but I always find it refreshing, when in the middle of the chaos of the everyday something catches my eye (or nose, ears or skin!) that reminds me of the wonder we are living in. I am always so thankful for those moments because they make me feel alive, connected and living this history. Whether it’s watching a child at play, a breathtaking view, receiving a kind act from a stranger or realizing that you’re having fun, it’s those moments that seem to bring me down to earth again and remind me not only of this world’s awesomeness , but also to not take things for granted. I’m so grateful for the priceless simplicities and nuances of life…they are a beautiful gift.

Get Stuffed!

Who doesn’t love a great themed dinner!

This Sunday my family resurrected our annual tradition of having a stuffed theme dinner, yes, that means all food had to be stuffed (wrapped and rolled are considered stuffed as well). Everything was delicious and I think I am still thoroughly stuffed!

The Menu:

Stuffed mushrooms by my brother & Radicchio stuffed with fresh mozzarella and wrapped in prosciutto by Moi

Grape stuffed foccacia from my uncle

Panzerotti (homemade ravioli with ricotta stuffing) by my little mom, assisted by Moi

Stuffed peppers by my dad & chicken stuffed with artichoke, sundried tomatoe and proscuitto from my aunt

A variety of Italian Pastries all stuffed with sweet goodness brought by my cousins

Stuff "stuffed" in a bottle, Mango Tequila! Not as bad as it sounds, from my cousin (not pictured)

Now my Dad is the cook of the house about 95% of the time, but when my Mom does cook it is really, really good. Her specialty lies in fresh pasta. Keep an eye out for more photos and recipe of these delicate bundles of goodness!

Flying Solo - Week Eight

Let me preface this post with the following comment: The dog is ok.

It will make sense shortly, I promise.

Now down to business.... actually, this week held a little too little business for me. I was laid up with a monster cold that had me curled on my couch sipping cup-a-soups with a pained look on my face. (I'm a bit of a baby when I'm sick). You?

By mid-week I had pretty much recovered, so I decided to celebrate being able to go outside with a trip to get my nails painted. I hop in my car, pull out of my alley and as I'm completing the turn - BANG! - a huge something collides with my passenger side.

I'm thinking "What the heck was that?!?!" So I pull over, jump out of the car and a big and bashful dog comes over and licks my hand with a slightly stunned look on his face.

Yup. I was hit by a dog. As Mrs. Doubtfire would say: "it was a drive-by dogging!"

Turns out the dog was being walked by a friend of its owner, a 50-something guy who brought the dog out without a leash and was chatting with a neighbour (i.e. not watching the dog) when the dog decided to tear up the street on its own.

The poor dog is ok, but it left a $1200-$1500 dent in my car!! I spent the next day collecting quotes from body shops to get it fixed. The guy walking the dog was giving me the run around, and it looked like a $300 deductible claim was coming out of my pocket. Not happy!

Finally JZ (my guy), in a flash of brilliance suggested I go to Canadian Tire and pick up a giant suction-cup thing that pulls dents out. Its $7 price tag sounded much better than $300, so I gave it a go. After a few heaves with all his body weight JZ pulled the dent out! Now my car looks much better, with only a minor dent left to remind me of the dog incident.

My poor car has now been hit by two uninsured things: a dog, and last year - a cyclist (the biker fell off the sidewalk, his bike dented my hood, then he bounced back up and rode away). Awesome luck, right?? JZ suggested I watch out for pianos rolling down the street, but personally I'm hoping this is the last of these bizarre incidents!

Have you ever been hit by something weird? What else should I be on the lookout for?

Bon weekend everyone - keep it clean, and keep it safe!
xo

Never let me go....

“I keep thinking of this river somewhere, with the water moving too fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it’s just too much. The current is too strong. They’ve got to let go, drift apart. That’s how it is with us. It’s a shame, Kath, because we’ve loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can’t stay together forever” - Kazuo Ishiguro, Never let me go

“A page turner and a heartbreaker, a tour de force of knotted tension and buried anguish” - Time

I really enjoy comparing books to the movies they inspire, hence I took a really great film & literature class in my SFU days (the fact that they were doing The Virgin Suicides book and movie had me signed up immediately) I am always really interested to see how a film director adapts the story and characters, some people hate this and think that often their image of the book they loved is now ruined, I’ve never had that problem.

When I came across the movie trailer for Never Let Me Go I knew immediately that I HAD to read the book, and so glad I did. Kazuo Ishiguro, a British author of Japanese descent, has created such a subtly dynamic tale, at once a coming-of-age to romance, at once dramatic and tragic to thoughtful and insightful. I loved every page.

Is it sad? Yes, incredibly so, but it is beautiful. Although never explicitly explained, the lives of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, are planned out from the moment they were created. They grow up knowing their purpose yet not fully knowing and as they move from children to young adults the realization and acceptance of this is heartbreaking for them and us the reader. From what I have seen so far of the film adaption director Mark Romanek has captured the essence and feel of the novel perfectly, and the casting is on point.

It is a bit of a tear jerker in the end but sometimes you need a good cry.

(I promise I also read up-beat books with happy endings, despite my tendency towards the meloncholy!)

Shopping Destination: Old Faithful Shop

Have you ever walked down a block and been stopped in your tracks by a store you just passed?

This happened to me last Thursday walking by the Old Faithful Shop on Cordova St. in Gastown. After walking through the doors, I was entranced by the space.  I went up to one of the store's owners, wide-eyed like I had just wandered into Wonderland and whispered: "how long has this been here"? Ok, maybe I didn't whisper. Anyway he looked at me kindly (and maybe pityingly) and informed me that they've been open since May. I clearly need to walk around Gastown more often!

Old Faithful Shop is an open, airy and modern take on a general store with beautifully chosen merchandise. Don't you love when you can actually see all the products in a store, and really appreciate them? Me too!

This store does that to perfection, with simple sections of treasures ranging from plants, to cookware, from gifts for your man, to candles for your bath. If you're looking for a gift for someone special, or a treat for yourself or your home, I highly recommend stopping in and enjoying their refreshing take on retail.

Old Faithful Shop
320 W. Cordova St, Vancouver
778-327-9376

(P.S. The store even smells good! Currently they're carrying a Balsam Fir incense that smells like a woodsy hike through a provincial park.  It'll smell amazing in your house for cozy nights this winter. I know I picked me up a box!)

Hi, my name is Jessica....and I'm a book-o-holic!

When people ask why I took literature in university I always respond “Because I really like to read”, I do, I really do, and I like to re-read. My mom is a good example of someone who does not re-read and I am sure there are many of you out there like her, but me, I can re-read some of my favorite books on an annual basis and not get tired of them.

I love, love, love curling up and getting all comfy and just getting lost in a good story! I hope to have a book review for you this week but as a precursor here are the 5 books that I have probably read the most in my lifetime (in no particular order):

1. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides: This just may be my all-time favorite. I think it is so beautifully written, and such a haunting tale. I consider it a wonderful example of New American Gothic.

2. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: I enjoy this book for many of the same reasons as the previous. Twisting an unpleasant story and playing with your emotions. You should never feel sympathetic to Humbert Humbert but somehow you do!

3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling : Ok, so this is a bit of a cheat since it is seven books and not one, but really if I read them back to back to back…..(you get the point) it’s like one big book!

4. Little Women by Loiusa May Alcott: This and the next book are from my youth, I would read them every summer without fail. I had a real obsession with this book from the age of 9 probably into my pre-teens.

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett: Your own beautiful secret garden..hello?... What little girl would not fantasize about having their own!

Flying Solo - Week Seven

Happy Friday mes amis!

Can you believe it's the middle of September already? I'm aware of the cliche-ness of talking about how fast time passes, but seriously... what's up with that?!

I had a really busy week that included 2 sessions (thank you universe!), a total update of my website, and a day of postering my class descriptions around town. The postering did make me feel a bit shy - but confound that shyness, I did it anyway!

My class is now 3 weeks away and I'm really excited for it. I love teaching, and I'm so looking forward to geeking-out about all the different aspects of voice over with like-minded people. If you know anyone that might be interested, I've got 12 spaces to fill and I would sincerely love and appreciate your help getting the word out! The info is on the "workshops" page of my new-and-improved site.

Since it is Friday, I'm going to take a page out of talented photo-blogger Abby Powell Thompson's book (of Abby Try Again), and reflect on the week using the "five-senses friday" model. Basically you look back at your week and use the five senses to isolate five moments you experienced. Maybe you should try it too!

Seeing: The orange roses on my table burst into full-blown bloom.

Hearing: Two children under five learning to play the piano in the suite above me.

Feeling: Running my fingers through the new, short curly hair at the back of my head. Thanks Briar!

Tasting: Tart and refreshing Safeway Select (!!) pomegranate sorbet. So shockingly yummy!

Smelling: The conifer incense at an incredible new store in Gastown (more on it next week). Instant cosy fireplace vibe.

That's it for another week my friends. How are you liking the "Flying Solo" posts? Would you like me to focus more on anything in particular? Your comments are valued!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend - with a perfect balance of relaxing, and partying your pants off!

xo

May Contain Coarse Language...

Has someone done you wrong lately? Put this song on and turn it up....real loud! Now dance around like you own the place!

I love the old school vibe with the upbeat tempo paired with the lyrics, oh so catchy.

WEDDING WEDNESDAYS….Oh the Wedding Planning!

So after all the initial wonder and awe of getting engaged, receiving so much love and affection from your nearest and dearest, and gazing into your now fiancee’s eyes with more love and longing than you ever thought possible, you do come to the realization that you have a wedding to plan!!! This can seem overwhelming and very daunting at first, especially if you have no idea where to start and can’t envision every single detail in an all encompassing theme like some lucky visionaries can! But have no fear, for if you’re as lucky as I am to have such wonderful (and very resourceful and creative!) friends and family (who may come to pity you because you look like a deer in the headlights when asked what colours you’re thinking of) ideas, recommendations and magazine’s galore will come flooding your way. Another great resource to tap into I’ve found is the good ol’ internet with it’s plethora of oh so fabulous wedding blogs and websites. There are so many to peruse through boasting a spectrum of wedding themes from classic traditional to casual destination to eco chic to alternative and funky with lots of pretty little details in between. Some of my faves include the Style Me Pretty blog; if you want to see images of real live weddings with the most thoughtful details, pops of colour and the most romantic landscapes ever this is a great one. If you love everything chic and glamorous then the Wedluxe blog and website are to die for, and for something a little more practical check out Savoury Chef - Vancouver Venues it has a comprehensive list of venues in the Vancouver area with great pieces of info like dining capacity and rental prices. Some other fantastic, very detail oriented blogs are 100LayerCake (photo above from this trendy blog highlighting wedding planner vendor 'Chic Weddings' who specialize in destination weddings in Italy! Let me pause here for a second to sigh!) and Once Wed (who are highlighting wedding cakes this week, and what I need "how to make your own wedding cake"!). All have great links to vendors and other sites of wedding interest. It’s definitely easy to get lost in the world of wedding cyberspace I tell you so give yourself an afternoon on a lazy Sunday to give them a whirl and be ready to be inspired!

Happy Trails To You

Trail's "New Bridge" with the mighty Columbia River flowing underneath

Trail's "Old Bridge"

Why I never liked walking over the Old Bridge (!!)

Ah Cominco - the heart of the town and its eyesore

My grandparents were next door neighbours

Where I would mail long letters to my peeps with the Handy Store in the background

Mmmm Colanders...

Hi mes Amis!

So here it is at last - my hometown Trail, BC. Nestled in the heart of the Kootenays, Trail is a working class town with a beautiful soul. Trail experienced a big boom between the 1930s - 1950s, thanks mostly to Cominco, the lead smelter and ore refinery that employed just about everyone. Trail had/has a very large Italian population, and like many small towns, almost everyone knows your name.

Since its boom, Trail has been retreating into a sleepy old age like a lot of its residents. There isn't a tonne of opportunity there which is why I think it has a hard time keeping young people interested in staying. However, should you find yourself on the Number 3 Crowsnest highway, looking for a place to stay, try popping into Trail. It still has much to offer.

Personally I would stay at the Terra Nova hotel. It's the best hotel in town, and boasts a surprisingly awesome bar! When I walked into it on my last trip my jaw dropped - yours will too.

For eats you have to go to The Colander. Don't bother reading the menu - everyone orders the same thing "the special". The special is a classic Italian salad and bun to start, delicious pasta, meatballs, roast chicken and jojo potatoes. All as much as you can eat - for a ridiculously low price. Wear stretchy pants and be prepared to lug a hefty take-out bag home with you. MMM! I can't emphasize how flippin' awesome their sauce is, and no, they won't tell you what's in it, it's been a secret since Colander's opened! (If you go and have any idea though - please tell me - I will pay you!)

For me, Trail holds a million childhood memories: going to the Handy Store to buy Archie comics, getting a ride to Cominco Arena's library, writing letters to my peeps under my grandma's cherry tree and walking down to Gyro Park to play on the playground.

I'm not sure if Trail would be as interesting to someone who doesn't have all the memories of it that I do. But when I look at my pictures, I still see some hope for the old place, and a desire that more people should see its quiet beauty.

Wear Your Heart on Your Wall

So I actually did this last year over the course of a rainy weekend. I wish I could say that this pretty little nook always looks this neat and tidy! I got the idea for this little project
here, but as I don’t have a stack of polaroids lying around, I simply started collecting the photos of friends, family places that are special to me. I actually like the varying sizes better then the uniformity of the polaroids.

This is a good temporary wall art installation as the pictures are just taped on and therefore can also be changed out and if you have to move you don’t have a dozen or so little holes to patch!

P.S. I also re-finished that vanity table all on my own!

Flying Solo - Week Six

Hey Mes Amis - Happy Friday!!

Another week of TCOB (taking care of business). Three auditions this week - a talking football, Sarah Palin and an old Creole palm reader. For serious I love my job!!

Also my class description is coming along - yikes I gotta get it out there! By Monday I pledge to have it perfected and I will start promoting. That is my promise!

Are any of y'all "leave it till the last minute-ers"? How do you overcome those tendencies?

Also next week: Trail pictures!! I know you wanna see them! Right, right??

Bon weekend!

They make it look so easy....

Dang those Europeans! They have a style that is so casual yet impeccably put together, like they are not even trying!I stood in front of my closet for 10 minutes the other morning...just staring at the mess within thinking to myself "I have nothing to wear!!". My overflowing drawers and closet beg to differ.

Note to self: when on a self imposed shopping ban at least attempt to avoid fashion blogs.

images via thesartorialist

It's a bird, It's a plane, No it's a giant zucchini!

Pictured above: Zucchinius Enormous with penny comparison

What do you do with a zucchini the size of a brontosaurus thigh? Make zucchini bread of course! ...lots of zucchini bread. Half of the mama zucchini pictured above was enough for me to make 8 loaves of zucchini bread, and a dozen zucchini latkes. Yipes!

If you're facing a bountiful zucchini harvest - here's what I made:

Zucchini Bread
Recipe courtesy Paula Dean, tweaked by Jenny C

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 2 loaves

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tbsp lemon zest

*Optional add-ins:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1 cup whatever your pantry or imagination inspires

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl (or your Kitchenaid Mixer) beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, and lemon zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer (or uncooked spaghetti) inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing.

Zucchini Latkes
Recipe courtesy Mario Batali (via Serious Eats), tweaked by Jenny C

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-45 minutes
Yield: 24 latkes

*Note: I halved this recipe because I had about 3 cups of shredded zucchini left over from making zucchini bread and couldn't fathom shredding any more that day.

6 cups shredded zucchini, squeeze out excess moisture
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used canola oil)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

*Optional:
1/2 - 1 cup coarse breadcrumbs (I smashed up some croutons I had on hand). Add in if your mixture looks too wet.

In a medium bowl stir the zucchini, onion, eggs, scallions, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper together. Add bread crumbs if you like.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place golf ball sized handfuls of the zucchini mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side (about 2-3 minutes), turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

I hope you enjoy these recipes! Now, what to do with the other half and it's brethren in my Dad's garden?! Ideas?

In need of some new tunes!

This video made me remember how much I am itching for KOL to come out with a new album. Just the bits of the song that you hear in this clip sound just as good as their other stuff.

New song “Radioactive” hits the radio this Wednesday September 8th, album “Come around Sundown” to arrive October 19th. (www.kingsofleon.com).

Flying Solo - Week Five

So long week - helloooo long weekend!

My week started out rocking - I booked and recorded 3 sessions (yeehah!) and killed at an audition. The engineer at the audition was really positive, saying I take direction really well. I did a little happy dance inside.

Then... 2 former teachers of mine who I approached for some help with my voice over class refused. Eep! Basically I asked them to send out my class info to some of their former students who might be interested. One of them actually said "I approached a bunch of people teaching voice over when I first started to do the same thing, and they all said no to me, so..." So let's just keep the cycle of saying no going? Oh well... frankly I'm neither bummed nor worried, I just thought "really?" I'll just have to get the word out using other avenues.

Has anyone ever said no to you? Has it fuelled you to succeed even more?

Remember that saying "living a great life is the best revenge"? I say, let any negative nellies go, and let's just embrace being our awesome selves.

Enjoy your 3 day weekend mes amis! I'm heading to my home town of Trail, BC - I'll be sure to take some pics and introduce it to you next week.

Painting in the Raw

If you're feeling artfully inspired, want to sip a glass of wine and taste some delicious tapas all at the same time Raw Canvas in Yaletown (http://www.raw-canvas.com/) is the place to be! A restaurant and painting studio in one, Raw Canvas truly fulfills it's essence of both a venue for art and social gathering. Some good friends introduced me to Raw Canvas and what a night of great food and wine, painting and down right fun we had!! It's a fantastic place to get together with friends, have a special event, go on a date or spend a lazy afternoon sipping a rawjito and letting the creative juices take over...and if you're lucky you can enjoy some live world music with accompanying dancing on tables to keep you energized!

P.S. Attached is my piece of artwork from my evening at Raw Canvas..."Birkenhead at Dusk"

Inspire Me...

Since we are still in the early stages of Amis I thought it helpful to give you a further peek into what makes me who I am. Throughout the course of Amis I plan on frequently posting on things that inspire me from food, fashion, art and books and everything in between. So I thought it appropriate to start with my original inspiration.

My dear Dad, not only is my Dad one of the smartest people I know with a knowledge base that would serve you well if you needed a “phone a friend”, he is also the best cook! I have had the privilege of growing up with every type of food imaginable. In particular, considering my Dad’s heritage doesn’t lie in either, he still cooks Italian and Mexican food like no other.

My little Mom, coming in at only 4’ 11” you would maybe expect just a mouse of a lady but that doesn’t hold true for my mom. She is stubborn, intimidating at times, a chatter box, ambitious, an endless explorer, a risk taker, an artist in so many areas and one of the most creative people I know. My personal wall décor shop is her art studio, whatever she isn’t currently displaying on her walls I will display on mine.