Nail Art

If you've been paying attention to my Twitter feed lately (and instagram too), you've probably seen my sudden interest in nail art.

The one that I've gotten the most talk about are my Aztec nails, as seen on Honestly...WTF.

The biggest question I've gotten: how do you make the lines??!

Easy! I use Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens!

The first time I did Aztec nails I did more of a pastel palette, and this time I used darker colours. I have to say, I prefer the pastels, but the jade green and red really worked well with the pink lines.

I love the more intricate designs

The first time I did this I did my right and left hands. But since I'm so not ambidextrous, this time I opted for a single colour on my right hand.

Florence for Foodies: Part 2

In case you missed them, read about my love affair with Italian food and part 1 of great places to eat in Florence.

I think the oddest and best thing about eating somewhere like Italy is the lack of pretence. The food is so simple and the ingredients so fresh that it really is just about the food. Plus the prices are so reasonable - the price of food is not something I complain about when in Italy. The perfect example?

Lunch at San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale.

Mercato Centrale is the massive building in the middle of the San Lorenzo market. Mercato Centrale is full of fresh produce, cheese, meat, bread, the best balsamic vinegars and olive oils, and food vendors. Silly me forgot to get the name of the restaurant, but you can't miss it - just follow the heaps of people with plates and the long line. The restaurant was full of locals - with one father having to buy more food (a sandwich) for his son, after he'd scarfed down an entire bowl of risotto and some of his father's meal.

The bruschetta I had was amazing. The bread was crisp and the tomatoes and basil were freshly chopped. The best part? The olive oil it was smothered in was so great, softening up the bread just enough.

bruschetta 

The bolognese I had wasn't the best I would have on the trip, but it was a good pre-Bologna bolognese to compare. I seriously love the way Italians cook their pasta. It's probably like that because it's fresh - I have not been able to replicate it with the dried pasta we have here.

bolognese

 I'm not entirely sure what kind of soup we had. I think it was vegetarian. Needless to say, it was delicious. It was a bit saltier than I prefer, but at this point in the trip my palette had adjusted so it was barely noticeable.

zuppa

Overall: A really fantastic place for lunch. Super quick and a great price.

Gusta Pizza

Via Maggio, 46R

Ok, so for all you Vancouverites, I haven't been to Nicli Pizza. And for all you New Yorkers, yes, I've been to Grimaldi's.

Pizza in Italy is the BEST. Sorry, but it is. I love the size of the pies and going back to what I said earlier, the ingredients are FRESH.

Gusta Pizza is located on the South side of the Arno, on the same street as Pitti Palace. It's pretty much an institution. There are communal tables, no services/self service, and it is CHEAP. We ate for 13 Euros total (for dinner).

tomatoes, arugula & cheese pizza

FRESH. look at that huge parmesan chunk

Overall: GO. STAT.

Trattoria la Casalinga
Via dei Michelozzi, 9R

Located literally around the corner from Gusta Pizza was Trattoria la Casalinga. We had our last Italian dinner here and the staff pretty much had to roll us out of the restaurant.

proscuitto crudo and buffalo mozzarella

pesto spaghetti

beef carpaccio with arugula and parmesan

It was weird to have carpaccio as an entree-type dish - in Vancouver it's usually an appetizer. And it was much thicker than I'm used to - which is why I thought that I could easily finish it. Instead it was thickly cut, like roast beef. But with the parmesan and arugula....yum.

Overall: Not the best meal we had - but still good. And cheap.

Stand Tall with Standing Armed

Meet Standing Armed, a brand new line of womenswear straight from the 604. Designer Lindsay Walsh is a Vancouver native and is debuting her inaugural collection for Fall/Winter 2011.

While Westcoast fashion is typically.....lacking, Walsh's designs are anything but. The pieces are feminine and flattering. They are dressier and more structured than other Vancouver designers, but they don't feel out of place. In fact, there's a slight Westcoast meets Eastcoast aesthetic about them.

Standing Armed is also a semi-finalist in the Mercedes-Benz Startup competition.

Here are a few shots of the F/W11 collection:

Standing Armed is available across Canada and online.

Follow Standing Armed on Twitter or Facebook.

For media inquires, please contact Social Chair Public Relations.

Sabai Thai Spa - West Vancouver

Sabai Thai Spa recently opened up their 3rd location in West Vancouver. After the lovely time I had at their Coal Harbour location, how could I possibly say no when Sandra of Middle Child Marketing invited me to try out the West Van spot?

The West Van location, located on the super cute part of Marine Drive, has a totally different vibe than the Coal Harbour location. It's much more sleek looking but still has the same welcoming and tranquil feeling. I don't know what it is, but Sabai Thai just oozes this warmth when you're there.

I really wanted to try one of Sabai Thai's traditional Thai services, which is what they're known for, especially since I tried the Deep Pressure Anti-Stress Massage last time. I went for the Traditional Thai Massage, or Nuad Boran:

Thai massage is a unique massage experience that will facilitate deep relaxation while wiping away your daily stresses. Your Treatment is enjoyed comfortably in loose fitted traditional Thai clothing that we provide for you here. Thai Massage techniques incorporate stretching and pressure points over the entire body, releasing blocked energy and increases awareness and well-being.

My masseuse, Anong, couldn't have been taller than 5'2" and was so adorable. She usually works at Coal Harbour - go see her!

The massage itself was definitely unlike any other massage I had ever had. I was concerned that it wasn't going to be as relaxing as other types of massage with the stretches involved, but once I got used to it, it was quite pleasant. I did tense up a bit during the leg part of the massage, but that was expected.

Overall, the massage was great (not as deep as I prefer, but it worked my tight areas (shoulders and legs)) and the service and staff at Sabai Thai are professional and delightful.

Sabai Thai Spa Coal Harbour 
604.568.6227
571 Cardero Street
Vancouver, BC
 
Sabai Thai Spa North Vancouver
 604.985.8896
987 Marine Drive
North Vancouver, BC

Sabai Thai Spa West Vancouver

604.925.1074

1867 Marine Drive

West Vancouver, BC

FabFind Finally Hits Vancouver!

FabFind, the premier Canadian social commerce site, finally makes it's way to the West (and Best!) Coast! And what better way to christen the city than by having a week long celebration of free deals! FabFind offers a limited quantity of deeply discounted certificates - ranging from 50-100% off - to some of the best places in the city.

However, for its Vancouver launch, FabFind is offering freebies to some of the hottest spots in Vancouver.

Also, if you register for FabFind's Save-it-Forward program, you can earn 5% of what your friends and family spend on the site over the course of a year. Seems, like a win-win situation to me.

So, head over to FabFind and check your inbox daily to see what fabulous find they're offering you today.

How Man-Repeller Can I Be?

On Friday I hit up Yaletown with my friend Ashley in what may be one of my most favourite outfits. Ironically, it's probably also one of my most man-repeller-y/eccentric.

I apologize for the picture quality - it doesn't quite capture the full effect.

 

Tank: American Apparel, Pants: Vintage Sequin Harems, Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: F21, Watch: ASOS, Cuff: from Boudoir, Turband: DIY 

Yes, you read correctly, Vintage SEQUIN harems. WITH pockets. They truly epitomize the meaning of Man-Repeller. But I think they are seriously amazing. Besides, we were meant to be together. It's rare that you see something in a vintage store and you go back a few weeks later and not only is it still there, but also marked down and fits perfectly.

 I felt like such a jerk dressed like this when I was at home in Burnaby, but once I got downtown, it was no big deal. In fact, everyone - women AND men - loved my pants. They were a huge hit! I can't wait to wear them again.

Florence for Foodies: Part 1

Osteria Pepo'
Via Rosina, 4/6r

The first restaurant we went to in Florence. Fairly easy to find (thanks to a map) and close to our hotel. Restaurants in Italy never look as inviting on the outside as they do in North America. Sometimes I have to check myself when I find myself judging the book (or restaurant) by its cover.

We arrived fairly early by Italian standards (7:00ish) and even though the waitress gave us stink eye for not having a reservation, we were able to get a seat. When we left, the place was packed and there was a queue outside.

I had wanted to go here because I had read about one of their appetizers - coccoli prosciutto e stracchino...or fried bread with prociutto and soft cheese.

coccoli proscuitto e stracchino

In Italy the meat and pasta dishes are served just as that - a la carte. But with my love of pasta, I could never order just the meat entree. So needless to say, it was carb-loaded few days.

 

pappardelle al cinghiale

spaghetti del pepo'

I found the sauces to be quite salty. And while I know that salt adds flavour, it was almost too much for me to handle. But the pasta....oh, the pasta. Perfectly al dente. It made me realize how much we over-cook our pasta here.


Overall: Definitely not the best meal we had, but it was a good start.


Osteria tripperia il Magazzino
Piazza della Passera 2/3 (fu' via Sapiti)

This place was a bit harder to find on the map. Mostly because I was trying to find via Sapiti (which is small) rather than looking for the Piazza name. Located on the South side of the Arno River (the same side as Pitti Palace), the restaurant was located in an adorably tiny piazza...coincidentally in the same piazza as one of the many gelato places I hunted down.

 Again, we were one of the first people at the restaurant (at around 7pm), but there was no queue when we left.

There was one soul reason I wanted to eat here: pistachio pesto.

add pistachios to your pesto in lieu of pine nuts!

Again, the pasta was wonderfully al dente*. The sauce was great. I expected a bit more pistachio flavour though. I also prefer my pesto to have more garlic...but overall, the switch from pine nuts to pistachios was a winner.

We also had the coccoli prosciutto e stracchino again.

coccoli prosciutto e stracchino

 And another pasta dish with either boar or buffalo (I forget which) that is no longer showing on the website.

For dessert we had the pannacotta with berries. Such a disappointment, I mean, just look at it.

looks store bought

Overall: Decent meal. Primi and secondi were good, but the dolce was a disappointment. Kind of a theme I noticed though.


*Al dente in Italy means undercooked to North Americans. Either that or the pasta there is just exponentially better that it doesn't go super soft and soggy. Don't complain to me that your pasta is undercooked - that's how it's supposed to be!

Eataly

It may have been awhile since I was in Florence, but I can still taste the food. I certainly won't be winning any awards for being the most adventurous food lover, so if that's what you're looking for, you're in the wrong place. I just love food. I actually create food memories and remember how eating a particular dish or meal made me feel. I remember the moment.

So, Florence. My second go around in the city, this time with a fairly specific goal: Eat as much delicious food as you can. I think I accomplished that.

There are 3 levels of restaurants in Italy: Ristorantes (more formal dining), Osterias (casual dining) and Trattorias (mid-level dining - a cross between the others). To get a better idea, Osterias and Trattorias don't have "haute cuisine" but rather focus on maintaining clientele and home-cooked style food.

Stay tuned for a series of posts about my Italian culinary adventures!

London Calling

I'm heading to London in a couple weeks to visit my BFF and aside from deciding what delicious places I want to eat at (ffiona's for breakfast, Jamie's Italian, the Camden street vendors), I'm also trying to figure out what I will need to buy!

I have a couple few FOUR weddings to go to this summer, so I'm going to need a dress. And maybe some heels. And definitely some summer sandals.

Right now I'm loving the citrus-y colours on Miss Selfridges. Some of my favourite items:

If you have any recommendations of places I absolutely must visit while I'm in London, let me know!

Dove Visibly Smooth Challenge: The Results

Ok, so it's been more than 30 days since I started the Visibly Smooth Challenge.

The results?

My underarm hair was definitely changed. I can't really say whether the LOOK of my hair decreased, but I can certainly say that the FEEL of it did.

I can also say that the Dove Visibly Smooth products made shaving a lot easier - there was no need to go back and forth over the area a couple times - once was enough.

I still found it hard to remember to apply it nightly - which it why I went over the 30 day trial period - I wanted to make sure that I did indeed, use it for 30 days.

So, would I recommend it to a friend?

Sure, why not. It's not a miracle product, but it helps to ease shaving, so I would hope that would lead to less razorburn and other irritations. I fairly happy with the product, but I'm not sure that I would continue using it - only because I can get quite lazy and forgetful with daily application.