Reno 9-1-1

We bought our lovely little love nest back in October of 2008, right after we got engaged. It was the first place we looked at and we fell head over heels in love.

It was to be built Dec. 2009, but I was prepared for the wait. A loft style terrace home, it has gorgeous high ceilings, a huge entertainment worthy patio, a quaint kitchen, 2 bedrooms and (joy!) 2 bathrooms. I didn't even mind the trek up one floor...thought of it as my daily excersize :S (pls note that the images below are NOT of my place but that which makes up my thoughts and dreams).

After our wedding, I went full speed getting everything I wanted for our little place. I had moved so many times in my life, I had never done up my room just the way I wanted it...now I had my very own place and I wanted to get it over and done and just kick back and enjoy living in it!

We moved in Dec. 16, 2009 and, to me, it was a blank canvas just waiting to be done up!

Painting, wallpapering, furniture shopping, accessory shopping, lighting, rewiring...we had our ups and downs but in the end, I realized it will always be a work it progress...something that evolves along with us.

Here are some tips on renovating and redecorating with your partner, and enjoying every minute of it!

Talk, talk, discuss, talk, talk, discuss and repeat!

Reno-ing is something that you both need to live with, and although you may feel inclined to have everything your way...choose your battles. Even though it may seem as though he doesn't care, its his home too. And if you expect him to do most of the manual labour, let him have his say and help him make his dreams a reality!

Although I did everything else in the house exactly how I like it, Daanish got the bathroom and his 'man room' where he can do whatever he wanted. Okay, maybe not the bathroom so much, but its a guest bathroom :( But the manroom, I am proud to say, is floor to ceiling deep red, with his guitars hanging on the walls, a huge tv, and distinctly showcasing his interest (fine, our interest) in travel. In a house of crystal, silk and mother of pearl...it does stand out as completely his!

We agreed on it beforehand to avoid any future battles over it, so I had to actively try to keep my mouth shut on the decor of his man-room and let him handle the situation in whatever way it makes him happy!

Knowledge is Power

Do. your. research. It is so easy to go over budget or do your room up completely in one way only to find out something better (and more economical) the next day....you don't want to live with your regrets encompassing you within the walls!

Don't be Unrealistic in your Expectations

Know your timelines (factor in delays) and your budget. So you want the room exactly like they showed Jennifer Lopez's in Vanity Fair....well honey, then get that jelly growing and work on making them millions! If you don't have it, you don't have it....don't expect your partner to work another job or overtime because you just have to have custom Italian silk drapes.

And if you really want to have it just the way you want it, then expect delays. If you want to start sending out invites for fab dinner parties, don't make it so you both are scrambling to get things done. Be ALMOST done and then give yourself plenty of leeway so you're happy when you have people over. I'm pretty sure I'm still sleeping on a mattress on the floor of my bedroom because the bed is unreasonably back-ordered. Sh*t happens my friends, don't blame him or freak out over it!

You + Me + (We)= A Job Well Done

Face it, he's not gonna always see things your way and you're not always gonna get the painting right like he can. Separate tasks to keep your sanity....but if you can, do them together!

I can wallpaper and like it perfectly straight and even and like to put up all my wall accessories, my man is good at painting and finishing and putting everything up. So in the same room, we work together as a team but in our own separate ways so that we're not falling over each other (not in the good way). I cut wallpaper, he hangs it, I move it so that it lines up the way I want. He does wiring, after he moves out of the way I straighten and fret over the right lightbulb to give the right 'ambiance'. We can laugh with each other (mostly at each other) and do our own thing, but are able to help each other as we're in the same room.

BUT shop together....can't stress it enough! Whether or not you think he's not the type to have an opinion, if he's sharing the mortgage...respect him enough to get his opinion. Even if he's busy! I hated it, but I swear the people at stores thought I was crazy because I would buy and return like anything! Buy like 10 styles of curtains, take them home for him to see and then return the rest. I know its annoying but it'll make him happy :)

Be Happy

After its over and done, kick back and enjoy it together. Don't whine to him about how you WISH you did it like this or that. Its done....for now...until you move to your next house!

But bright, fresh cut flowers everywhere, decorate slowly and fill that home with love and laughter.

Have fun!

xox

-A-

Lost in Wakefield

We were running late this Sunday so we didn't get to get away until around 1 pm, but who cares...that's what lazy Sundays are all about!

Daan, always determined to stick to our traditions xo

As we were headed there, I was awed by how gorgeous the Gatineau Hills look in the spring (no seriously, go now). However, when we turned into Wakefield I saw the sign that said "Fair-Trade Village" and my eyes automatically started to roll. If you know me, you know how much I dislike Scenesters...they are the bane of my existence (see below for definition).

As I was saying, we then turned into the most quaint little village! Dotted with some treasure-chest-esque shops and delicious family owned places to eat, Wakefield QC is really the place to get away from city life.

Strolling around the strip, we wandered into little boutiques and bookstores that sold hand-made baubles and lots of organic herbs (fyi a great place to get all your natural beauty products ladies).

We stopped for lunch at our friends restaurant, Rutherford Bistro http://www.bistrorutherford.ca/, that had a great vibe: Art hanging on the wall, a patio overlooking the lake (time it right and you'll get to see the Steam Train pass by!) and right next to the legendary Black Sheep Inn.

Fact the best sweet potato fries EVER! omg the food was delicious and all from local suppliers (for all you whole food lovers). I got the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries and Daan got the Classic burger, and he swears that was the bestest, most juiciest burger ever (not his actual words...his was more like "mmmmishgoodmmm" ).

All in all, GO! If you can, stay overnight at Le Moulin Inn (http://www.wakefieldmill.com) which is apparently one of the most romantic places to stay in Quebec. FYI, the Spa looks fabulous! Try to go from Gatineau and take the evening steam train in the fall, it winds through the Gatineau hills and shows the full blast of fall colors!

Have fun! xox

-A-

Urban Dictionary.com states:

2.	scenester
	Person who models the abstract and later specific behavior of individuals trying to make a claim on certain media,i.e. literature, art, books, poetry, movies. A trend will then arise of "packaging", at which point, genres will mix into socially acceptable grab bags of media and somehow spawn a fashion, normally causing these disillusioned individuals to start resembling the traits of characters, band members, and each other because he or she likes this " underground" lifestyle and wants to be accepted by a discriminating crowd. In short, the sucker thinks these people have all the answers and conforms to some " be- yourself-but-be-us-subculture". Scenesters can range from genres of music such as Indie, emo, hardcore, nerd rock,(math rock), metal heads, ska kids( skankers,Moonstompers), ravers, club kids, goth kids, mod kids,space rock,concept artists,retro throwbacks, punk, pop punk, to Donnie Darko fans and other cult movies such as Heathers or Velvet Goldmine,poetry by Bukowski or Frost, cartoons such as Sponge Bob or shows like Nip/Tuck and The Simpsons, books such as Catcher in the Rye, The Virgin Suicides, Valley of the Dolls, Ask the Dust, and occasionally, The Communist Manifesto,as most scenesters are anti-war and unless straight edge, (refraining from sex or drugs of any kind) are heavily into drugs and alcohol,nomadic,anti-religious,poor with rich parents, and slumming.Essentially, they are their friends, although some people will like what they like and be accused of being scenesters by mistake. The smart scenester will say that is the case, because he or she knows it can't really be disproven except by baby pictures, second grade stories, and by God Himself. " Jennifer is a true disgusting little scenester now that she dyed her hair burgundy when she saw me doing it. I did it, because some girl on the Joan of Arc album had it that way, but that's because she copied the girl from Rainer Maria, and I told her after one of their shows that she should color it, so she did,and I thought'what the fuck? That was my idea.' So I'm boycotting them." " If you don't like Spoon, you should die." " If I had shaggy hair and wore eyeliner like your last boyfriend, you would love me more." " The way these people look is the way I feel inside. They understand. I want to be part of their scene

Sunday Brunch

About a month ago, Daan and I realized that although we are married and live together and even work together, we hardly ever really 'see' each other ( a la Avatar) or even communicate as much as we need too.

To remedy this traversty, he thought up a beautiful and brilliant idea: Why not try out the great brunch places in our sleepy little city of Ottawa and its surrounding towns/villages every Sunday!

Hubster usually makes a scrumptious breakfasts and lunches over the weekends and although I DID intially miss my super amazing Belgian Waffle Maker (ermigawd to wake up to fresh waffles, best.wedding.gift.ever!), so far its been so great.

We wake up and daisy-eyed seek out the places that have the best brunches in Ottawa....so great that we had to share it with you!

We don't limit ourselves to just Ottawa, but the quaint little villages and those 'hip' little towns and all those hole in the wall local sec

rets to find the best omelettes and hollandaise sauce around!

This past Sunday, we wanted to get our wandering on so we headed over to Ottawa's very chic Westboro area to grab brunch at Baker Street Cafe.

This little place was just so....quaint! It was like you walked into grandma's kitchen with fresh breads and the most mouthwatering, steaming, gooooooey, HUGE cinnamon buns you could imagine! Critics whine that its all run-down, the wait is long blah blah blah. Yea, be prepared for the wait, for a good breakfast, you're gonna have to wait. I'd recommend going for brunch as you can wander the shops for a bit then grab a relaxed bit to eat!

Anyways, back to the cinnamon buns! obviously, that's the first thing I got! And trust me, it was

as good as it sounds :) yum!

Daan gets what he always gets, my little eggs benedict connoisseur, he is super picky about it but now he swears by their smoked salmon benedict and has (thus far) named their hollandaise sauce "The Best". Personally, I think hollandaise is weird.

I got their swiss cheese and mushroom omelette, which was nothing wow-wow-wow....but still delicious....but I think nothing will top that cinnamon bun!

After that we spent the day perusing furniture, antiquing, people watching, having pulpatation attacks over the most gorgeous wallpaper I've ever seen and just strolling around and enjoying each others company.

If anything, grab your girls, grab your man and just down to

Westboro for a great morning out...you don't need to blow money but just check out all the art galleries and interesting and inspiring people...a great way to start off the week!

xox

-A-

Love through Food

I organized a little dinner with 6 of my darling friends. I like keeping dinner invitees at 6 max, as I am still getting used to cooking for large numbers…and that I usually go a little overboard on my menu! Some friends attending are huge fitness nuts + 1 and me huge foodies. Need to find balance :S

However, weather is gross raining and I will be cooking up a storm while purell-ing my hands/washing everything every second as to keep everything uncontaminated from a slight cold I have. May consider face-mask.

Menu for tonight:

Appetizer

-Chicken Samosa’s with a mint and coriander chutney

-Cheese and Herb fondue with garlic French baguette

-Hummus and baked pita chips

Dinner

-Start with Roasted Red Pepper soup

-Baked Tandoori Chicken stuffed with cheese, mushroom and spinach. Topped with spinach masala sauce.

-Asparagus (steamed), small potatoes and grape tomatoes flash fried in garlic, pepper, sea salt and pepper.

-Mediterranean 6 bean salad with grilled chicken pieces

Dessert

- Variety of teas

- Mousse chocolates

- Fruit jello topped with Vanilla ice-cream

Wish me luck!

xox

-A-

Post Dinner Update- SUCCESS!! Roasted Red Pepper Soup was delish and perfect to heat up a cold night!

The 7 Steps to a Successful Life: Starting now!

Get what you want, from now. I learned the hard way, so passing on my life lessons to you!

1. Believe in yourself and your abilities.

Everyone has advice and can support you and push you, but you need to stop relying on everyone and look into yourself. Create and support your own unwavering belief in yourself and confidence in your abilities, and make your mind a force to be reckoned with.

2. Define your dreams and goals.

Having vague goals is just selling yourself short and making room for excuses. Set them in stone in your mind. Instead of saying, "I'm going to lose weight for this summer". Tell yourself, out loud "I'm going to lose 15lbs by June so that I can wear that fabulous bikini to the pool". Visualize yourself basking in the glory of the flat stomach and all the jealous glances (and the admiring ones too!)

3. Don't fear failure or change

Sh*t happens my dears and sometimes it feels like the world is against you, but don't let that stop you from achieving what you want in life. One of my strongest beliefs is that we all gotta fall to get back up. Use your 'failures' as learning experiences and get yourself back up on that horse and learn from the past and try to avoid past mistakes. Don't give up. Change will happen, sometimes not all for the best, so you may think. But if you stick to your guns, and move forward with confidence, you can make things go your way...don't just hope it to!

Always remember that those success stories you hear are only about one in a hundered thousand or so. To be successful, in reality, it takes hard work and perseverance...and you must believe that you will prevail.

4. Get feedback

Healthy constructive criticism should be encouraged, not dismissed. Sometimes, we are unable to look from an objective stance and see other avenues to succeed in our goals.

Discuss your goals, and internalize the feedback people give you and reasearch it...do something about it. If your goal is your weight, maybe you are not doing it in the healthiest way. If the goal is succeeding in your business, maybe you are not aware of the real world clientele issues.

Sometimes people can be jealous and negative, spot those kinds of negativity they're projecting...but with all others, try to keep an open mind.

5. Get educated, but don't be afraid to move forward.

Research and think about and plan it all out. But if your research and prep is taking years and years, its likely that you're gonna miss the boat!

For your personal life and fitness goals, you can wait to act, but life isn't gonna wait for you.

For business, everyones got an idea, it's he who moves fastest garners first interest in their 'original' idea.

6. Reward yourself.

You lost the weight, you get that BCBG dress that hugs you in all the right places! Keep off from buying anything else and reward yourself according to steps towards your goal! A friend of mines goal is to lose like 40 lbs, and he doesn't allow himself cheat days, he rewards himself with a cheat meal as he hits every 10-15 lbs to his goal. And we'll all be there to celebrate with him :)

7. Keep on trucking

Move onwards and upwards. Keep your perspective and know when to back off and take a different approach, but always forward.

You're only as amazing as you think you are. Keep the faith.

xox

-A-

Oh, Mais Oui!

Today was Carbaholic day. After watching Julie and Julia, it sent my domesticated, cooking side into a frenzy! One line that stuck out was when Julia Child (pl

ayed by the ever fabulous Meryl Streep *what a woman!* ) said that everything tastes better with Butter! Eat all you can but go for a walk or something! Then after watching her and her husband gorge themselves on yummy French food and bread absolutely dripping with butter, the end concluded by saying that they lived to 92 and 91 respectively.

How is that even possible? Health nuts have been driving me nuts telling me that I’m going to die from eating fried, buttery food and these people lived until almost 100 eating French food and butter.

Yes, yes…something about things within reason or other.

Anyways, last night hubster craved Shrimp linguine, and linguine he got! It was scrumptious and as good as anything you would find dining out….okay fine, it was BETTER!

Takes no time at all and everyone will love it guaranteed! I tripled the recipe and added uncooked Calamari rings as I like my linguine with lots of sauce (and enough to dip garlic bread in).

NOTE: Want to try the recipes but don't know what to sub for alcohol? See here for a chart below to see a list of alcohol substitutes in recipes.

Shrimp and Spinach Linguine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 large onion chopped
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• rosemary & oregano
• 28 oz. can tomatoes chopped
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine (Non-alcoholic wine, chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water.)
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1 cup baby spinach
• cooked or raw shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops (whatever combination or just one - sometimes I buy the imitation crab)

Preparation:

In a skillet, heat butter and oil - sauté onion and garlic until golden.

Add wine or substitute; cook until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are golden.

Reduce heat; add tomatoes, spices, spinach, salt and pepper.

Add the seafood of your choice (scallops and raw shrimp take about 5 minutes to cook in sauce).

Side of Garlic Bread- Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 stick salted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped finely
• 1/2 sourdough baguette, sliced on the bias (on an angle)

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Add garlic and parsley and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Use a panini maker or a toaster to toast bread. Brush garlic butter generously on toasted bread

Enjoy! xox

-A-

New Carpet? What new carpet?

Black Coffee spilled on white carpet. Right after I sent out an email inviting my friends to dinner this Friday!

Tried everything to get it out, got me thinking “There goes my beautiful Saturday morning!”

Honestly its not like I care since the hubby spilled it....sooooo= HARDWOOD! gorgeous, fabulous, shiny hardwood! I'll spend Saturday shopping for it, I'm over the standard styles everyone else gets so will keep you in suspense for what I'm thinking!

BUT for the sake of pretending I care, and 'trying' How to get it out? Any ideas? See below if you're in the same 'predicament' as I am.

Well, coffee stains are common and although it may seem that your carpet is ruined, coffee stains can be removed from carpet with a little persistence.

1. Try and remove immediately: Carpet fibers will suction it right up and if it bleeds through to the underpadding, you run the risk of it spreading.

2. Clean excess liquid out with with a clean, white cloth. Always use a white cloth when cleaning a stain, as the dye in colored fabrics can bleed and cause more staining.

3. Next, use clean water with a clean cloth to blot away as much of the stain as possible. Remember to always blot a stain from the outside inward to ensure that you do not cause the stain to spread further. Never use a rubbing motion when cleaning a stain. Rubbing can cause the stain to spread and be pushed deeper into the carpet and padding. Rubbing can also cause excess wear to your carpet. For this reason, gentle blotting is the best way to safely remove a stain from your carpet.

4. If none of the above worked, try these:

a) Cover the stain with baking soda or salt and let it sit for at least half an hour. Then remove with a vacuum or with a clean cloth. The baking soda or salt can help absorb some of the coffee from the carpet.

b) Use club soda or ginger ale to help remove a coffee stain. Sprinkle evenly over the stain and let sit for a few seconds. Then use a clean cloth to blot the stain from the carpet. Use a clean cloth and water to rinse, and then blot dry.

c) Vinegar can also be used to remove coffee stains from carpet. Mix together 1/3 cup of white vinegar and 2/3 cup lukewarm water. With a clean cloth, blot the coffee stain with this solution until the stain has been fully lifted from the carpet. At this point, blot with clean water to remove the vinegar. Blot dry with a clean, dry cloth.

d) Bleach-free dish detergent can also be useful for removing coffee stains in carpet. Use a solution of one teaspoon dish detergent and one cup of lukewarm water. Use a clean cloth to blot the stain with this mixture until you have removed the stain from the carpet. Rinse by blotting with a clean cloth and water, and then blot with a clean cloth to dry the area