Perfect Potluck: A Lasagna Bar!

Hey Mes Amis!

Jenny C here.... Sorry I've been M.I.A. this week - but my world has finally gotten busy again. Huzzah! But enough about me, it's your weekend and you want to have friends over... or you'd love to host a dinner party but feel overwhelmed at the idea of executing a menu.

Solution? A "Build Your Own Lasagna Bar"!

The amis and I tried it out last week. Everyone brought a couple ingredients, we laid them out and let each other go to town building perfect personal lasagnas.

Brilliant, non?

We had the following ingredients in our bar: lasagna sheets (obvi), tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, ground sausage, mozza, parmesan, smoked cheddar, roast veggies and spinach. The possibilities are endless, make a list, have your friends forage for ingredients and have a great time!

Bon Weekend!
Jenny C

5 things...that I am going to try and get done this weekend!

Happy Friday! Did the four day stretch leading up to this glorious day feel as long to you as it did to me?

I feel that recently I haven't been making the most of my weekends, while I love the opportunity to lay about and really do nothing, I am starting to feel pangs of guilt for not being more productive. I have things that I have been meaning to get done, errands on my list, that when the time comes Ms. Lazy Bones takes over and I get sucked into multiple reruns of Grey's Anatomy. So I am giving myself some goals and I hope to return to you on Monday with goals accomplished.

Here are 5 things I am going to accomplish this weekend (I'm starting small):

1. I've been saying for weeks, nay months, that Amis Are We should have a Facebook page, time to buckle down and do it.

2. Remember those two ratty old chairs I bought, well they are still sitting in my parent's basement looking just as ratty, much to my Mom's displeasure. Time to make some headway on those.

3. Get the ole camera out and take some random pics!

4. Catch up with old acquaintances.

5. Create a back log of some quality posts, I feel like I've been throwing them together lately, today's post is further proving this point.

Cheers to the frickin weekend, lets drink to that!

xo J

WEDDING WEDNESDAYS....Paloma Blanca

In my search for a wedding dress I have come across a spectacular Canadian designer, Paloma Blanca. Based in Toronto, and serving the bridal industry since 1937, this family owned business designs and produces their exquisite bridal gowns and accessories on home soil (way to keep it Canadian!). As the photos that I’ve included allude to their dresses are romantic, dreamy and original; the materials used are simply superb and feel absolutely amazing on (oh the lace!); and the style and finish is absolute perfection. The bridal accessories, including veils, boleros and brooches, are show stoppers in themselves and really add to a well put together bridal look.

Paloma Blanca dresses and accessories can be found in town at Isabelle’s Bridal in North Vancouver, and their price point starts at $1400. I recently heard that Paloma Blanca is the only Canadian designer sold at Kleinfeld’s in New York and has even been featured on their oh-so-fabulous wedding dress reality show “Say Yes to the Dress”. I know of a few brides who have decided on a Paloma Blanca wedding dress for their nuptials this year and they are beyond ecstatic with their dress choice! You can definitely trust this made-in-Canada designer to make you feel like the most beautiful bride on your big day.

And the Oscar goes to...

...well we don't know that yet, but we now know who might get one. Oscar nominations were announced this morning and most were fairly predictable but it is still fun to start speculating on who will actually take the big prize. I am rooting for The King's Speech to take best picture!

My aunt is bringing back her annual Oscar party this year which I am pretty excited about. She makes tons of yummy snack food and the entire family meanders around the house to the different TV’s all tuned in to the Oscars, oh yes and we drink a lot of wine. Do you have any favorite Oscar moments from over the years? I think these are some of mine…

When Billy Crystal hosted, he was one of my faves and he was hilarious.

Anna Paquin winning Best Supporting Actress, she was so young, so cute and so excited.


Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, won best original song for "Falling Slowly" from the Movie Once, when the music cut their acceptance speech short, after the commercial break host Jon Stewart insisted they return to the stage to allow Irglova a chance to speak.


In memoriam, it is always sad to remember those that have passed but it always offers a moment to look back to remember some great talent, Patrick Swayze broke my heart.

Katheryn Bigelow became the first woman to recieve the top award for directing for The Hurt Locker, and she won it over her pompous ex-husband, James Cameron, to boot. Now that is what I call karma.

To see a full list of this years nominees:
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/83/nominees.html

xo J

Asparagus wrapped in goodness!

Do you ever see something at a restaurant and think I could totally make that, and I could make twice as much for half the cost. Well thats what I did...sort of. My dad has been making this quick and easy appetizer for years and I made it last weekend and I coincidentally noticed it on a menu of a local (trendy) restaurant that charges $4.00 for a measly three proscuitto wrapped asparagus...three! I think I made over thirty for $10.00!

If you ever are in need of a quick, easy and inexpensive appetizer give this one a try. It can be made a couple hours ahead of time and served chilled or in the summer time grill the asparagus for extra flavor.

After cutting off the tough bottoms, boil or steam asparagus until tender

Make a quick aioli by mixing some garlic, lemon juice and fresh ground pepper into mayonnaise

Spread a bit of the aioli on to a thin slice of proscuitto before wrapping it around the asparagus

ENJOY! xo J

WEDDING WEDNESDAYS……DIY Weddings!

For a craftier, budget-conscious wedding with lots of personal touches and eco-chicness think DIY!! I know I am for a number of my wedding details. It allows you to be more hands on and have more control over your wedding plans and your budget. And DIY is definitely not only for the frugal, but also for those who really want to personalize their wedding with details that really show off who you and your partner really are.

A more do-it-yourself wedding can include organizing your wedding without a wedding planner, creating your own decorations or making your invitations. It can be the small details (putting together your favours) or the larger ones (decorating your reception space), and it’s also a great way to involve friends and family and make it a part of the pre-wedding festivities. Arranging your own centre pieces never sounded so fun when you can get your girlfriends to help you out (add some vino, appies and some music and you got yourself a party)!

And there are a ton of great DIY wedding resources out there with lovely ideas for inspiration and sourcing materials. Online, in magazines and on the bookshelves at your local bookstore, DIY is all the rage right now so there is a lot of knowledge and info to draw from. Some great online resources I’ve stumbled upon include 100 Layer Cake, Ruffled Blog, Style Me Pretty, My DIY Wedding and of course from the woman who made DIY trendy again Martha Stewart Weddings.

DIY is definitely not for everyone especially when it comes to your wedding, but for those who want to be more hands on in the creative process or just want to add a personal detail or two, doing it yourself can really add that special touch and keep your budget in check too!

Ricky Gervais - Bloody Hilarious

Yes, Hollywood may be a bit uptight about Ricky Gervais' hosting of the Golden Globes, but I thought he was absolutely hilarious! What did you think?

If you're craving some more of the funny man you have to watch or listen to The Ricky Gervais Show. It began as an audio comedy show in the UK, and later was turned into an animated program for HBO. His round headed buddy Karl Pilkington's thoughts are jumping off points for all kinds of hilarity. You can catch some clips of it on YouTube - click here to see for yourself.

Ricky's laugh is about the best laugh EVER.

Enjoy!
Jenny C

Take me to the Movies

The Golden Globes were last night and I happily planted myself on the couch with a glass of wine and a plate of pasta to enjoy all the glamour and fun. While I love the build-up and hoopla of the Oscars, the Globes are always my favorite because they are always a bit more unexpected, I mean, how can they not be when you have the hilarious Ricky Gervais charmingly insulting everyone in the room.

But as a true movie fan I am already looking ahead to what movies will be on my list to see for 2011, here are JUST a few, because I could go on too long:

HANNA
Starring the impressive Saoirse Ronan as a young girl raised by her father (Eric Bana) in the wilderness of Finland to be the perfect assassin, with Cate Blanchett playing a ruthless operatives agent who is tracking down the young assassin. The trailer is kick-as*!

Tree of Life
The long awaited film from Terence Malick starring Brad Pitt, visually it looks beautiful, as is expected from Malick.

Jane Eyre
This is the English major in me coming out, I love the haunting and mysterious story of young Ms. Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Also, Mia Wasikowska, is proving, like Ms. Ronan, to be a young force to be reckoned with on the big screen.

Paul
From the fellows who brought us Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz so it’s going to be funny. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back and this time they stumble across Paul, voiced by Seth Rogan, he’s not your average alien.

Rango
He’s a weird looking green gecko…and he is voiced by Johnny Depp! I’m already sold.

Go to www.apple.com/trailers to view all the trailers!

"Blue Valentine" is Blue but Good for Some

Hey Peeps,

Welcome to the weekend! I hope that you all had a great week.

I just went to see Blue Valentine starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams with Jessy and some of our friends. It's a gritty movie that looks at one relationship at the beginning and end. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give very moving performances - with moments of charm and moments of total heart-rending tension. This movie certainly gives you a lot to chew on and isn't the easiest to watch - but if you're into movies that are a collision of rawness and grace, love and pain then this is a good one for you.

I've reviewed it in video form below - hope you enjoy it and hope you have a lively weekend. What are your plans?

xo
Jenny C

ps. Ryan Gosling knows how to wear a hoodie. Wowza!

Simply Yummy

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is having breakfast for dinner, pancakes, a homemade breakfast sandwich, hash browns, they work all day long! That thought in mind I was truly inspired by Jennifer Causey’s blog Simply Breakfast . Yeah…all it is are wonderfully composed photographs of her tasty little breakfasts. It is genius in its simplicity! Now I feel like having breakfast every meal of the day.

Go check it out!...Well, maybe no if you don't want to be hungry afterwards.

Images via Simply Breakfast

illee PAPERGOODS...For the love of paper!

Beautifully designed paper has always tugged at my heart strings, and the lovely hand crafted pieces of Seattle based ilee PAPERGOODS definitely fulfill my heart’s desire! The artist behind ilee PAPERGOODS, Ja Teuber, crafts paper with a delightful, whimsical style of letter press imprints and hand painted illustrations. Her colourful notecards, invitations, labels and calendars of floral, nature based images and vintage inspired calligraphy are simply charming. I came across ilee at the Circle Craft Fair in Vancouver where Ja has become one of the most sought after vendors. Ja’s paperworks can also be found at Etsy.com and you can get in contact with her directly for custom design work and large orders.

Oh how I love pretty paper!! Enjoy ilee PAPERGOODS all you fellow paper fanatics!

Happy, Shiny Tuesday Song by Guster

Hey Peeps!

Hope your Tuesday is going splendiferously! If it is or if it's not, I hope the following song makes you smile. It's a boppy tune from Guster called "Do You Love Me". Think Paul Simon, meets Romantic Comedy, meets Christmas bells. Or don't think at all and just enjoy.

xo
Jenny C

Live! From New York....

...it's Saturday Night! or at least everything you want to know about Saturday Night Live. I realized last night that I haven't given you a peak in to my bookshelfs in awhile and as usual as soon as I finish one book I immediately pick up another, I feel somewhat incomplete when I don't have a book to read. I actually read this book awhile ago but I think it is a good one to share.




Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told by its Stars, Writers and Guests is a great read for anyone who has fond memories of this iconic show. Compiled of testimonials from cast, writers, producers and guest stars this is a treasure trove of backstage gossip, sex, drugs and rock & roll spanning the first 30 years of the shows existence. Ever wonder the back story behind your favorite skit? Well the story is in this book! Would you be surprised to know that the most hated guest host (and former cast member) is Chevy Chase? I was!



While you will definitely find yourself laughing about some of the antics described, you will also be touched and saddened by the memories of John Belushi, Gilda Raydnor and Chris Farley as described by this tight knit group of people. The book some times gets bogged down in the politics of television but if you can get past those drier parts then your in for a fun and easy read, you will want to run to your local video store to rent your favorite seasons now that you know all the secrets behind them!


"I think he picked the right profession because he gets to lord over people who want to kneel at his feet and he doesn't acknowledge them - which makes them work harder" - Jane Curtin on Lorne Michaels

xo J

King's Speech is the bee's knees

Happy New Year mes amis! I hope you had a great holiday with friends and family. I spent some good quality time with my friends, and one of the great things we did was take in the movie "The King's Speech" starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

The movie retells the true story of King George VI (Firth) - who after his father's death and his party-loving brother's adbication must overcome his debiliating stammer and lead his nation which is on the brink of war.

You must go see this movie. I could end the blog post there, but if you need to know why, basically the acting is superb - really, really superb. The story of friendship, love and overcoming adversity plays on classic themes, but delivers them in a compelling and deftly crafted way. This was a really easy movie to watch - no need to overlook gaps in storyline, or so-so performances. It was top to bottom a pleasure and a great way to spend the afternoon.

Can you tell I liked it?

Also if you are an actor, or ever took a voice class you'll get an extra kick out of the "unusual" methods taken by King George's speech therapist Lionel Logue. Yup, not unusual at all. I'm pretty sure I've done every one of those vocal exercises - hey, they work!

If you want to test your elocution try saying the following phrase 3 times fast:
"I'm a mother pheasant plucker. I pluck mother pheasants. I'm the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker to ever pluck a mother pheasant"

Pardon me? Don't say anything rude now ;)

xo
Jenny C

FASHION FINDS...Freedman Shoes Outlet

Happy New Year to all & all the best! Sorry I’ve been so MIA, things have been hectic, but I’m back!! I hope everyone had a great Holidays!

So….my Fashion Find of the decade!! While perusing the boxing week sales last week I was tipped off about a little piece of shoe heaven on 4th Avenue in Vancouver (between Burrard Street & Cypress Street)…the Freedman Shoes Outlet store!! Where has this been all my life?! So many amazing shoes and boots for a fraction of their original price and an additional 30% off during boxing week!! (I’m sure you’ve picked up by now that I love a shopping bargain!). When I left the store with my purchase I felt like the woman in that Ikea commercial who yells at her hubby as she leaves the store to “start the car”! The sale prices are so fantastic she thinks she’s been undercharged and is going to ride out in her getaway car as fast as possible! The sales at the Freedman Shoes Outlet store are really that good.

Freedman Shoes is a Vancouver based shoe mecca with 11 stores throughout the Lower Mainland and their motto is “Quality, Fashion, Comfort and Fit”, and the shoes they have at their outlet store may be last seasons, but they are no exception. They have a range of brands, Franco Sarto, Merrell, Lucky Brand, Steve Madden, Geox, BCBGirls, Stuart Weitzman, Born, Nine West, Robert Vianni, Josef Seibel, Frye Boots, Sam Edelman and many more! In terms of shoe styles, they have a wide variety from flats to ankle boots to sneakers, so there is a pair for every taste and in every size. And this find is not just for the ladies, there is men’s footwear as well! Like any outlet store you need to be prepared to do some sifting and trying on, so you need some time and patience, and be aware that these are last season’s trends, but the gems you can find for 50% to 75% off are totally worth it!! Happy shoe hunting in 2011!

Out with the old & in with the new

I hope the first few days of 2011 have treated you all well. I am basking in my final day of holiday before getting back to the daily grind tomorrow.

I haven't made any new years resolutions, haven't for many years now, I prefer new years reaffirmations, reminders of how I want to live my life for the next year, rather than to try and drastically change one aspect of my life:

1. To embrace turning 30 in a couple months, age ain't nothin but a number after all.

2. To continue to kick P90X ass.

3. To maintain my "glass half full" outlook on life.

4. To travel somewhere new.

5. And as always, cheesy as it may sound, to appreciate all that I have rather than fixate on what I don't have.

xo J