Flying Solo - Week Thirteen

Hey Ghosts n Goblins!

Spooky greetings to you this Friday before Halloween.

I drove past a school on its lunch break today and got to see the kids in their costumes - it was really cute and made me smile.

Personally I'm kinda glad to say goodbye to October - the last few weeks have been eerily slow - not what a solo entrepreneur wants! I did have a session at the beginning of the week, made contact with a video game company, sent recordings from my studio and went to another Meetup group - but somehow all that didn't feel like "enough".

In my ideal world I want to be booking sessions and recording every day - but that isn't reality just yet. I'm trying to "keep the faith" as Bon Jovi would say, and remember that "the work of voice over is getting the work" as Harlan Hogan, prolific VO artist would say.

I know I need to be patient, but my little inner voice keeps asking: Why can't it all just be easy?? Do you ever think that?

Well, maybe one day, but right now I think a mini Oh Henry might be the one sure way to smile. That or a nap. Mmmmm....nap.

Have a great Halloween weekend mes amis - I'm gonna be dressing up like Where's Waldo with a bunch of peeps - see if you can find us!

Happy Haunting!
xo

A new twist on some old Tales

Having been an English Literature Major in University I read my fair share of classics (even though my mom could not believe I had never read Wuthering Heights, which I have now!). So when these new hybrid of books which are “collaborations” between Jane Austen and contemporary writers came along I was all over checking it out, especially after having read both Sense + Sensibility and Pride + Prejudice during my school days. Much like amusical “mash-up” these expanded texts combine material that at first seem to be complete opposites and somehow make it work.

While in the midst of a heart-to-heart Ms. Dashwood & Ms. Steele are accosted

by the dreaded fang beast

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy find love while slaying zombies

Both classic Jane Austen tales are given a twist with the introduction of additional text that adds to and oddly compliments the original text. Adventures involving Zombies and the butt-kicking Bennett sisters and Sea Monsters and the lovelorn Dashwood girls are seamlessly interwoven with Austen’s original material. Ben H. Winters adds the deadly aggressive sea monsters to Sense + Sensibility, and Seth Grahame Smith litters Pride + Prejudice with man eating zombies.

I recommend giving these a read whether you are familiar with the originals or not!

Wedding Wednesdays - On the Hunt for Bridal Accessories

Finding the perfect details to round out your bridal look for your big day can be a challenge. The search for the right pair of earrings, fascinator or clutch to compliment your appearance can become an arduous quest that you didn’t bargain for, especially when you’re in the midst of all the other wedding preparations. I would suggest finding the main piece to your bridal outfit first, THE DRESS! That is a hunt in itself and can set the tone not only for your look, but the wedding itself (this is a piece of clothing with some serious power and influence!). Unless you happen upon the necklace of your dreams and want to build your style around that piece, going the route of the dress first I think is the way to go. Your dress choice can then guide you in finding the right compliments, fitting both in style, i.e. vintage, glamour, eco-chic, and degree i.e. a highly embellished gown may not need a lot of accessories.

It’s always helpful to browse the bridal mags and blogs for ideas and signature styles that can help you figure out what compliments could work best. They often advertise local and online vendors that are selling accessories like jewelry, head pieces, shoes etc. There are numerous specialty stores in Greater Vancouver like Jeweliette, which has a collection of glamorous jewellry and accessories, and Blue Ruby Jewellry, whose seven retail locations in the Lower Mainland showcase international jewellry designers. Portobello West Fashion and Art Market and the One of Kind Show and Sale are also great locations to peruse. Many local bridal shops also have a selection of complimentary pieces from various suppliers which are worth a gander. Some great online vendors I’ve come across (ah, the beauty and ease of purchasing online!) include: Etsy.com, where you can find a marvelous myriad of handmade items from designers around the globe; Lo Boheme.com, which has some whimsical vintage inspired head gear from fascinators and head bands to custom made pieces; and By Ropena.com with an array of head piece designs from exotic to 19th century renaissance inspired.

When in doubt always get a family member or friend to help you in your search…and if they happen to have an eye for style even better! And if you’re creative and love DIY projects, an accessory designed and made by you or a loved one can make that bracelet or shawl hold extra special meaning.

Best of luck accessorizing you brides-to-be out there!

Pretty Blossoms for Autumn

If you've got a party coming up, or want to add a little springtime feel to your home through the dark days of Fall and Winter, try this paper project found on Apartment Therapy.

With some branches, tissue paper, scissors, tape, time (and maybe a bottle of wine) - you've got yourself a sweet centrepiece. I think this would be fun to do with friends - maybe throw yourselves an "it will be Spring again one day" party! Directions found here.

More trash than treasure

As mentioned by myself and Jenny C this weekend we ventured out to the Vancouver Flea market, but not before loading up on brunch at Timbre on Commercial Drive .We thought it would be fun to do a bit of a joint post, a mini-conversation of sorts. Here are some thoughts from each of us on our trip to the Flea Market:

Jenny: "For the most part I thought the flea market was dusty and scammy. Scammy meaning that prices at more than a few tables seemed inflated, and some vendors were definitely overstating the value of their wares. I didn't dig that. If you're looking for something specific though, have a pretty good idea of what its value is, and are prepared to barter - then go for it, but be ready to get a little dusty in your hunt to uncover some retro treasures."

Sonia: “I’m disappointed to say that I was rather unimpressed with the Vancouver Flea Market. Overall market presentation was very poor with many vendors having items piled high on top of each other making their wares uninviting to look through. It really looked like a bad garage sale on steroids! There were a few standout vendors that had their items well displayed and categorized, particularly vendors selling collectibles like video games, records and figurines. Prices also left much to be desired. Instead of the bargains I was anticipating, I found many items to be overpriced and very few vendors interested in actually making a sale. On the whole, market ambiance was dissatisfying with low lighting, unfriendly vendors, shady characters and little action, which paled to the vibrant market feel I was expecting. Recommended to die hard collectors who know what they’re looking for or handy technicians looking for used tools.”

Jess: “Ditto and ditto to what Jen and Sonia have said. My mine inspiration for wanting to go to the flea market is from other bloggers who showcase their amazing finds at their local flea markets, but Vancouver’s flea market had more trash than treasures. However, on a better note, despite a new waitress (who was obviously flustered and very nice and apologetic) and some under done eggs, Timbre was a good choice for brunch. I love their space with the loft like ceilings with the plants dripping down and my crab cake benny was very satisfying with a nice little kick of spice in it.”

Flying Solo - Week Twelve

Bonjour mes amis!

It's Friday, I'm streaming the new Kings of Leon album as I write this, and I've got a major audition this afternoon - happy days!

How's your Friday going? Any tantalizing plans for the weekend? A bunch of us gals are heading for an exploration of the Vancouver Flea Market on Saturday - so we'll let you know next week how that was & if it's worth checking out.

Another cool thing I tried for the first time this week is heading to a Meetup group. Meetup is a site that allows users to search, create and/or join groups of people that are meeting up for different reasons - from finding fellow scooter enthusiasts, or people that love brunch, to entrepreneurs looking to meet fellow business people. Try it out - you might find a fun group you'd like to join!

I went to a monthly meetup of the Vancouver Grassroots Business Association - they have a free meeting every month, with different speakers addressing all kinds of biz related topics. This month's speaker was Danielle Laporte, an evocative and inspiring woman. Danielle had a lot of great nuggets of wisdom for business people - and if you're interested, I encourage you to check out her site White Hot Truth.

Ok peeps time for me to get rehearsing. Please wish me luck for this audition - it's going down at 2:45 PST, so if you could send me some "knock-em-dead-with-your-awesomeness" vibes at that time, thank you!!

Have a quirky, cozy weekend!
xo

Sunshine + Kittens!

Some days you just wake up in a good mood (ok, maybe not right when you wake up and are still cursing your alarm but when those first few sips of coffee take affect then you’re in a good mood). I think that might be me today.

Remember a few weeks back when I was on the verge of tearing my hair out and possibly verbally or physically assaulting anyone who rubbed me the wrong way (yeah, that was fun), well the last couple of weeks have been better. And today is Thursday, which means tomorrow is Friday (mini fist pump) and the sun is shining.

You know what also makes me smile…. kittens! Happy Thursday everyone! Visit here for more amazing photos…

Sooo Chubby!

Downtown Farmers Market

This is such a novel idea! There really aren’t very many fresh produce locations in the downtown core, particularly in the business district around the Burrard, Georgia and Hastings Street areas. It really makes it convenient to do a little grocery shopping on your lunch break or to pick up some healthy snacks at an affordable price. Sponsored by the Bentall Centres and the YWCA, it’s really a move in the right direction, creating a market style environment and making freshly picked local food available to people who live and work downtown. I will definitely be checking it out tomorrow to see what it’s all about and what goodies they have to offer. I will report back!

Splendiferous Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt Cake or I Am Thankful for Maple Syrup

Bundt cake dripping with sweet bourbon syrup - heaven!

As Jessy mentioned yesterday Friends Thanksgiving on Saturday was awesome. There was a lot of love in the room and a feast of fabulous food. We shared guilty pleasures that we're thankful for, so I randomly said I am thankful for maple syrup. Some people laughed but think about... aren't you too? :)

But I digress.

Sweet Potatoes in a cake. Go with me here peeps - this cake tastes like warm and spicy autumn happiness. Take an afternoon, put on your favourite CD (my mom and I rocked out to Neil Diamond) and enjoy the process.

The recipe I followed is taken from Martha Stewart's site - click here for the cake recipe, and here for the bourbon syrup recipe. What can I say, I'm feeling like a lazy typer this morning - plus there's a cute video of Bundt master Dorothy Dalquist when you follow the link that's helpful too. After you print out the recipe - come back to this post because....

Here's my secret tweaks:

Numero Uno: Use a smaller bundt pan. The recipe calls for a 10-12 cup bundt pan. I have a 6 cup one, so I only put three-quaters of the batter in hoping to avoid over-flowing. Nope. Could've used the whole batter in the 6 cup bundt pan. Ah well bake and learn.

Numero Dos: Having an extra bit of batter led to unexpected awesomeness in the form of sweet potato bourbon cupcakes. Delicious! Note on baking time: these only take about 25-30 minutes to bake. Poke with a raw spaghetti noodle roughly 20 minutes in and see if it comes out clean. Keep checking till your happy.

Numero Tres: Pumpkin spice. The recipe calls for it, I didn't have it. So - improvise! I used 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cloves.

Numero Four: I used brown sugar in the bourbon syrup - which ended up tasting really maple syrupy. (As aforementioned, that's a good thing) It also gave the syrup a great caramel colour.

Numero Five: I didn't do this, but thought of it later to make things even more over the top... warm up the extra bourbon syrup a bit before serving. Mmmm

Happy Baking!!

Fashion Finds

NLA Sample Sale at the Fashion Exchange!!

I'm thankful for sprouts...even if you aren't!

So I realize that brussel sprouts are not loved by all but I believe I have converted many with my sprouts so there is hope for you yet. The key is…LOTS OF BACON! To me having brussel sprouts signifies that it is officially fall .

At our annual Thanksgiving dinner with my big group of amis I made my signature sprouts.

First, trim off the ends of the sprouts and cut a slight X into the base with a knife, as this is the toughest part of the sprout these cuts will help it cook faster (or so I have been told)

Toss sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and lemon juice. Wrap in tin foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for approximately 45 -50 minutes for average size sprouts.

While sprouts are roasting sauté chopped white onion until translucent, remove from pan and then sauté chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and place on paper towel to get rid of excess grease. Once sprouts are tender remove from oven and lightly sauté in pan with cooked onion, bacon and butter.

The lovely Jenny C enjoying all the good grub.

The entire dinner was beyond delicious and I am thankful for all my beautiful, talented and loving amis!

Van City Amore

Granville Island

A couple of weeks ago for work I was charged with traipsing around town to take pictures of various areas in the city. Although, it was for work I enjoyed the task and I was blessed with beautiful weather . What I got out of it was that there are some areas, sites and sounds in town that I really want to make an effort to explore more, and I keep saying that but now I’m actually going to challenge myself to go out and do it, explore the shops, try new restaurants and hopefully be able to share it all with you.

Gastown

Athlete's Village

First things on the list: Weekend adventure to the Vancouver flea market with my fellow amis!

Colourful Find

Mixed media/collage artist Brandi Strickland's work brings a shot of colour to this grey Vancouver day. Her work above is entitled "Crystal Lattice" - check out more of her art at her shop or on her website.

One day I imagine my house will be mostly white and clean but with colourful, odd and evocative art everywhere. What art do you want on your walls?

Found via Black Eiffel

Flying Solo - Week Ten

Holy Frijoles - ten weeks of writing the "flying solo" posts. Dang!

Bonjour mes amis!

Another Friday is upon us and yes, us Canadians are ready to celebrate Thanksgiving on Monday. So while "Flying Solo" is supposed to look back on the week past, it's very difficult to ignore all the yumminess and extra time with loved ones coming up this weekend.

Let's address the past week quickly so we can get back to turkey talk. This week I had 2 auditions for 2 great animated projects. I sent in my first auditions from home (there's something to be thankful for!). And my engineer friend weighed in and said my home studio sounds great. Woo hoo!

I can talk more about business, but who am I kidding - I really want to get back to Thanksgiving!

Every year our friends gather to celebrate Thanksgiving together (usually a week or so after the official day). It is one of my most cherished dinner with friends all year. We usually go around the table and say something that we're thankful for. I love this Thanksgiving tradition. What are your favourite Thanksgiving traditions?

This year "Friends Thanksgiving" will be celebrated on October 16th, so stay tuned for more photos, recipes and warm fuzzy thoughts on it!

If you're looking for dessert options for Thanksgiving or Autumn in general, the photo above is a Honey Crisp Apple Cake from Serious Eats, and there is a virtual "horn of plenty" of Thanksgiving desserts on MarthaStewart.com as well.

Have a great weekend everyone! Take a moment to share some gratitude!

xo

Fashion Finds

Shot of Portobello West Fashion + Art Market in action!

I am all about thrift and seeking out original apparel when it comes to adding to my wardrobe. It’s usually a fine balance between staying on budget, getting what I really need and trying to incorporate fun and fabulous locally or nationally designed pieces. So yes, it’s true that Winners is my shopping Mecca and meets my frugal shopping tendencies, but I also like to supplement this with a good dose of local boutiques, markets, outlets and sample sales whenever I get the chance. Some great fashion resources which I’ve come to enjoy here in Vancouver include:

Portobello West Fashion + Art Market

Local designer digs, exceptional jewelry and accessories selection, and artwork for every taste, this market has become a Vancouver go-to. It’s hosted on the last Sunday of every month from 12pm to 6pm from March to December at the Rocky Mountaineer Station, 1150 Station Street, Vancouver and only a $2 entry fee. Next up on Sunday October 31st.

One of a Kind Show + Sale

This is my new found fave market! With designers and artists from across North America supplying endless quantities of beautifully handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items, you will want to attend every day that it showcases. They not only have clothes, jewelry and accessories, but artwork, toys, décor and more. So far it only comes once a year, which is truly bitter sweet. This year it’s on from December 9th to 12th, and trust me it’s addictive, you’ll want to go more than once! Watch out for a show update in December!!

Lulu Lemon Factory Outlet

Lulu apparel is the quintessential Vancouver yoga/training/lounging uniform and it’s definitely nice when you can find this high quality sporting apparel at a fraction of the price at their new outlet store at #110-5560 Trapp Avenue in Burnaby.

I Love Sample Sales Website

A most wonderful friend introduced me to this great site and you do fall deeply in love with it and sample sales! At sample sales you tend to find items that are ahead of season, pieces that don’t even hit the shelves and typically at bargain prices. If you have a good sense of direction and some patience, as often the locations of these sales in the Lower Mainland can be tricky to find and merchandise displays can be a bit crude, then sample sales are a great option.

This road to fashion is definitely not for everyone, it can require a bit more time and often some some clear focus or else you can spend hours aimlessly wandering aisles of clothing, shoes, bags and accessories (which some people like me really enjoy!). It’s definitely worth going off the beaten shopping track once in a while to find something different, locally made and at a great price!

Happy fashion finding!

P.S. Stay tuned for another edition of local Fashion Finds…what fun and funky areas to shop at in our fair city!

A Denim Dream

Wearing Gap Denim Leggings in Faded Black, they make me jump for joy!

About five years ago I spent $200 on my first pair of skinny jeans…and they were uncomfortable from day one! They were too tight from the get-go but the size up was way too big so I opted to for the size down on the salesperson’s promise that they stretch out, didn’t happen. I have now found my perfect skinny. I think I’ve given up on the multi-hundred dollar jean, it’s all about the Gap.

I don’t think I had bought anything from the Gap in ten years until this summer on a whim I went in to try their new Jeggings…and then my life was changed. As a petite person these fit really well, no hemming required, they don’t stretch out too much but just enough and at $79.50 I think pretty reasonably priced. I became a “Spize” member and recently got to go to their 50% off sale on all new jeans, it was for three hours only and it was busy! But worth it as I came away with another pair of Jeggings and a pair of their Always Skinny fit. $40 each…take that overpriced jeans!

P.S. you probably won’t see many pose-y pictures of me on here because just taking these few in my courtyard I felt highly awkward!

Airy Kitchen and a Quick Dinner Recipe

(Image above: Sweetie Pie's Interior Infatuations) 

One day I will have an open airy kitchen like this. Le sigh! What does your dream kitchen look like? Mine definitely needs an island to gather around! And what to cook? 

Well to keep on the healthy kick ignited in me last week, I might make a bok choy and tofu stir fry. I made this recipe the other night, marking my first time cooking with tofu (what can I say? I found the stuff intimidating). Anyway, this recipe is quick, easy and healthy. And if you've got some extra rice kicking around - this supper gets whipped up in a snap!

Bok Choy and Tofu Stir-Fry

Prep Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Serves: 3

2 tsp canola oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp ginger, grated

4 cups bok choy, coarsely chopped

1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced (I used dried porcinis b/c that's what I had)

12 oz. firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/4 cup green onions, chopped (green tops only)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp siracha*  (optional: more for the heat lovers out there)

2 cups cooked rice

Coat a nonstick ok or skillet with oil, heat pan to medium-high. Add garlic, ginger, bok choy and mushrooms, stir-fry until bok choy is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add tofu cubes and brown for 5 minutes - give that tofu some colour!

Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, green onions and pepper. Heat through about 1 minute. Serve with some steamy rice. 

Panzerotti

Panzerotti are a traditional pasta from the area of Italy from which my mom was born, they are tasty little buddles of fresh pasta with a ricotta and fresh herb filling. They are melt in your mouth good. So simple, so delicious!

Here is a rough guide to making them, with a rough recipe. I use the word "rough" because this is something that has been passed down through generations, actual quanitities don't really exist, it's more a feel for whether you have it right...practice makes perfect!

Create a nest of flour and eggs, whisk briskly together

Knead dough

We've got the old hand crank pasta machine, feed through once on all five settings

Space evenly on the sheet of fresh pasta, run your finger with water along edge to seal

Lightly press down inbetween each ravioli

Press down on all edges with a fork to seal

Lay out to dry before placing in boiling water, then enjoy!

Pasta Dough:

Eggs

Flour

Pinch or Salt

Olive Oil

Filling:

Fresh Ricotta

Freshly chopped Basil and Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Eggs to bind

Flying Solo - Week Nine

Happy Friday mes amis!

Are you ready for the weekend?

I'm gonna have a semi-working one because I've got 2 auditions to submit for Monday morning. Good news this week is that my home studio is up and running! It's been a journey getting it to come together but by-golly-gosh we made it! Wish me luck on submitting 2 sound files that sound wicked awesome.

On a failure note - my inaugural voice over workshop is a bust. Not enough time to promote, no students. Boo. As I was telling my peep LC last night, I'm gonna take it as a learning experience - I think when working for yourself (and probably in most other areas of life) you need to know exactly why you're doing something, and then if you decide to go forward with it, you have to give it your full effort. I honestly didn't do that with this round of classes so it didn't work. Thanks universe - it was painful, but lesson learned!

Finalmont I read on the blog Freelance Switch that when an entrepreneur starts working for themselves they gain an average of 30 pounds in their first year. Did you hear that? That was the sound of me screaming "NOOOOOOO!" while falling to my knees and supplicating to the sky. 30 pounds!?! Well I'm telling ya that story scared the chocolate chip cookies right out of me! I promptly purged my fridge of (most) unhealthy stuff, and have firmly recommitted to working out more regularly. I will not be a statistic!  I was wondering though - since we're heading into Fall and Winter - what do you do to stay healthy? Any indoor workouts you love? Any tasty dishes in your arsenal that won't break the calorie bank? I'm all ears!

Next week I'll feature some of my healthy snacks and I'd love to include at least one of your recipes too!

Have a wonderful weekend y'all- enjoy that autumn air!
xo