take a bow

One tradition at my dad's AND at my mom's is to stick as much ribbons and bows on and around our heads as we open presents. Wheeee!



This year, I had a lot of reasons to stick a bow on my head as I was spoiled rotten. ROTTEN!

I got a few lovely cards with some money inside (Thanks Dad, step-mom and grandma!)


Dad also gave me an OXO Good Grip garlic press and a Nano


Jérémy and Jessica gave me this awesome framed iron-on transfer. It's vintage and I want to marry it.


Andréanne from work gave me this ridiculously cool old record:


My mom gave me a super deluxe fitted sheet, a Koziol tape dispenser, a T-Fal non-stick frying pan, fancy chocolate bar and lavender hand wash. Bro gave me a kickass book about modern movie posters and step-mom gave me the OXO Good Grips spoon set.



Audrey brought me back some delicious looking vinegars from Germany and mom had some stamps made WITH A PICTURE OF ME AT THE FARNSWORTH HOUSE!!! Sorry for yelling, but she is deviously cool, that mom of mine.


Audrey also gave me cookies, hot chocolate mix and limoncello - ALL homemade. Yum.


And I rescued this creature from atop the Christmas bûche


But the biggest gifts of all were :

Spending one more Christmas with my grandmother...


Watching my dad smile as he opened his gifts...


Drinking expensive French champagne in kookoo cheap souvenir glasses (Hey, look at that, they are making more for 2010)


Cooking Au pied de cochon ragoût with mom



And watching a new generation enjoy the simple pleasures that being with family brings.


What did you enjoy the most this Christmas?

Happy Holidays!

Enjoy the music, the good cheer, the food and don't forget that potted poinsettias make a perfect hiding place for aunt Francine's fruitcake. These people would approve.

Merry Christmas!

A break, at last

I'm so tired, The last few weeks have been supercharged at work and as usual, I get to the Holidays feeling as energetic as that dog:



Bring on the Holiday break. Enjoy, everyone!

7 things you need if you are buying a house

Ever since I moved into my loft, my renter friends have started to talk about getting their own place. Some of them actually did, but if, like the ones who are thinking of taking the plunge, you are thinking about buying a home, read on. Because you need more than a good banker and a notary to make it happen, dear friend. Here's my list.

1- Money


So you have enough set aside for the down payment, welcome tax, movers and that new couch you've had your eye one. But that's only the beginning. Everyone wants your money now. Did you think about the school tax? Condo fees? Hike of condo fees? Lighting fixtures to replace all the lovely naked bulbs the builders installed in your new place? Electrician to install all those lighting fixtures? Paint? Did you plan those weekly trip to Ikea to buy five hangers or a shoe rack that will end up costing you $200 every time? Yeah.


2- A good set of tools


Now is not the time for dollar store tools. You don't want a square-tip screwdriver that will lose its edge while you are assembling your new Scandinavian étagère: Thor would not approve. Get the following tools in a reputable brand like Mastercraft: a good set of screwdrivers, a stud finder, a drill with bits, nails and screws in various sizes, a measuring tape, putty powder, a level, a utility knife, a hammer and pliers. Also get a nice, classic red toolbox to hold it all. The rest you can borrow from number 3. Which leads me to...


3- A friendly helper


Because you are not a super hero, there will come times when you need someone to help you with stuff like installing a lamp or shelves. So be sure to have a network of helpers ready to lend a hand. The rules? First try to do it yourself. If it doesn't work, ask nicely. Treat your friendly helpers with cupcakes and cookies from time to time. And if they need a hand, reciprocate.


4- A sense of humour


Shit will happen. Stay happy. On the first week of moving in my loft, my floor was badly scratched, I lost my camera, the breaker box had to be rewired and the apartment above mine leaked about 2425134 gallons of water into mine through the ceiling while I was away. I cried like a baby ("Why meeeeeeeee! Whyyyyyy!?) then I called my mom, bought flowers, drank a bottle of rosé with a friend and all was better.


5- Fearlessness


Paint that door canary yellow. Hang that painting of a monkey in a suit on your living room wall. You don't make mistakes if you never try anything. That's why primer and Polly-Filla were invented.


6- Good movers


I can't stress that enough. Don't go for the cheapest guys in the yellow pages; plan ahead and get names from friends and family. I used Déménagement Économique after getting rave reviews from friends and I will recommend them forever and ever. I've heard so many scary stories from people who used el-cheapo movers that I am now convinced that it's one of the best investment one can make. Saving 100 bucks is not worth having your stuff taken hostage by reformed criminals until you pay a "service fee" to each member of the crew. And yes, this actually happened to someone in my building.


7- Patience


You will live in a big old mess for a long time before feeling at home. Take it easy and enjoy the nesting aspect. When it comes to furnishing, buy only what you love even if it takes you time to find it. Do a little something for your place every week, even if it's just buying flowers or organizing your sock drawer. Enjoy the ride. You are home.

Lady in the night

My friend Josiane invited a few of us from work for wine and cheese last night. I could not resist taking a pic of her lovely tree, especially since it is surrounded by freakingly cool sculptures that are built directly on the archway. From the way it is set up, the thirties wood moulding and glass doors, her apartment looks like it used to be an office. The lady-sconces that pepper the place add a little bit of haute bourgoisie flair. I love it!

But I loved the cheese even more. Yum. 

Hip Haven rocks. Seriously.

In late October, I ordered a triple swivel metallic bullet lighting from Hip Haven to add the final touch to my laundry room. I will be installed in place of the big halo caused by the naked bulb seen here :

The look was cool, the price was right and I was very excited about finally finishing that room. Only it turned out to be more complicated than that. Everything that could go badly went badly: first, the wrong fixture was sent, then the right one they sent as a replacement got caught in a vortex of red tape at custom, then UPS mixed things up even further... ALL the ingredients of a bad online purchase were there, but you know what? It was everything but, because Hip Haven has some of the BEST customer service I've ever experience. Why?

- because they sent mew emails keeping me updated of what was happening, said "we're sorry" many times and kept a positive and understanding outlook
- because they were super nice in every communication they sent and always responded promptly
- because they offered many times to give me a refund, but at the same time did everything they could to get the fixture to me
- because in the end, they made it happen and I got what I ordered - and I didn't have to argue about who was at fault, who was going to pay for shipping, etc.

So I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart (thanks Kelley!), you guys are pros. I love, love, love my new lighting and will recommend Hip Haven to all of my friends - and to my readers!

But now I need to install it... Help?

Places I'll never shop at - Space Age Edition

Look for this store right next to the Tang Malt Shoppe and Neil Armstrong's House of Freeze-Dried Pancakes.

Of course

Is there a cat on earth who can resist hanging out under the tree at Christmas? I think not.

Corners of my home: stamped for approval

"Hello station one, station one, we are coming into orbit of Planet Stamp Holder. Satellites indicate URGENT, PAID IN FULL and TO BE FILED. Please advise course of action. Over."

Vintage stamp set: St-Michel flea market
Vintage Paris-Match magazine: gift from grandma

Shut up and take me

"Shut up and take me". This is how the title of the new serigraphy I bought at Souk at SAT translates. Ha! It's the work of Sweet Grognasse, a Montreal artist. She makes all sorts of pop-style prints that will give your home a boost of color.

If you missed her at the Souk, you can get some of her stuff at L'Usine 106 U and Bure and Linon, here in Montreal.



It's a step out from the animal theme I have going on in my bed room, but I think it will be very coquin in there, framed above my bed.

Holiday in Hochelaga

The shopping is half done and there's still cookies to be baked and ribbons to be tied. But at last, the decorating is done! My tree is artificial, but I have this kick-ass Crabtree & Evelyn "noël" spray that gives it a special Christmas smell. Yummy!







The Tron guy is guarding his present, I bet he can't wait to open it!


The sweet potato in my centerpiece is an hommage to my mother's random vegetable and fruit arrangements.




What are you guys doing this Christmas, deco-wise? Keeping it classic or going the modern way with big bowls of ornaments and a white plastic tree? Do tell!

A spicy makover

Fed up with mismatched bottles and tumbling bulk bags, I decided to give my spice pantry a makeover. I forgot to take a "before" picture, but believe me, it was a mess.



I headed to the dollar store, where I bought enough plain glass bottles to store all of the spices and herbs I have. A good wash and some funnel action later, I was ready to go.





I used the labeler at work to label everything clear and clean, then store everything back in. I kept the shelf on top for bigger items like Dean and Deluca tins.



And voilà! I really want to add a second shelf, but this will do really good for now.

Delicious!

I can't stop watching this delicious "Japanese Omelet how-to" clip on Vimeo.

The music is amazing, the edit is cool and that little "kick the dish" finger dance at the end cracks me up.


Japanese omelet from awyete on Vimeo.

We want treats!

I work as a copywriter in an ad agency here in Montreal. There are 7 of us in the space my desk is in, and since we are all girls and like our sweets, there is often a cake, some cookies or brownies on top of our low bookshelve to be shared by all. So I was thinking of taking this one step further and buying an Easy Bake Oven for the office. Did you have one when you were a kid? I sure did - until my brother baked tadpoles in the pan and the smell of burning future baby frogs could never be erased.



This commercial has a lesser video quality, but the jingle and whisper-soft voice of the announcer are mesmerizing.

A swell time

Last Saturday, I had abour 40 friends over for a fab shindig with a fifties mid-century cuisine theme. What a riot! Pat lend me some of his vintage dishes to add to my own and I bought a few more on eBay. I set up my Crosley turntable to play my old Hammond organ records and I invited the guests to participate by bringing a dish and wearing clothing that hinted to a fifties or ealry sixties style. Here are a few of the dishes my friends came up with and that made the night one for the books:

Cindy and Max's Flaming Cabbage Weiner roast. The fire comes from a fondue heater. They brought three, so it burned all night long.





Jessica's Mac & Cheese with snack cake "to go" packs. I had some leftovers (she made so many!) so I freezed the KD and will use it to make fried mac & cheese like I had at TGI Friday's in Chicago last summer..



Geneviève's savory "surprise bread", a layered miracle filled with hame, eggs and covered with cream cheese.




Julie and Christian's Rainbow Deviled Eggs, a fantasia of flavors!



Click on one of the pics above to see the full set!

Corners of my Home: Klaatu barada nikto

Hello, and welcome to The Metropolis Tourism Center. We will help you find all the travel information you need regarding cheap eats, oil change facilities, discount hotels, cybernetic landmark tours, tips and directions. Please enjoy a complementary charging at the station on your right. Have a nice stay! Bleep, blap, bloop, bloop.

Vintage AM radio: Hudson flea market
Vintage 1939 coloring book: gift from Patrickt
Gort figurine: Le valet de coeur

Places I'll never shop at - Pirate edition

"I want to see the manager about this here couch! Arrr! I demand a discount! PARLAY!"

Corners of my Home: When the Sun Darkens

"Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart "



Hang on little man! You'll find your Moon girl.

Lamp: flea market find
Lego man: childhood memento
Shelving unit: Expedit by Ikea