Ensemble

Last night, Mr. Dashing and I decided to go out for dinner. In itself, not a big deal, but dinner out together usually means more than one stop. We like to restaurant hop, which allows us to try out a few different restaurants and atmospheres throughout the evening, Sort of like bar hopping, but much swankier.

We decide to take the train downtown, since we agreed there would most likely be bubbles and neither of us wanted to drive. Besides, parking in Vancouver costa a small fortune.

We started at Ensemble, which is the focus of this posting. Ensemble is the brain child of Top Chef Canada winner Dale Mackay. We sat at the bar and swapped stories with the bartender and sipped on muddled cocktails. With these we enjoyed a honey beet salad, as well as buffalo mozzarella with watermelon and balsamic reduction. Oh, and crab cakes. All three plates were very good and nicely executed, but it was the cheese / melon / balsamic that really stood out for us. The sweetness of the watermelon off set with the tang of the balsamic was a little bit of bliss. The buffalo mozzarella helped ensure each bite was something different; some smooth with just a hint of sweetness, others creaminess with the bite of the balsamic.

There is a mixture of lounge-y bar atmosphere alongside sit down dining; giving the room an overall warmth. Or maybe it’s just because it’s a small room on the corner of Thurlow and Haro. Or that Mr. Dashing was rather amorous and flirty. Either way, it was a great way to start off our evening, and we intend to return soon to try more of Chef Mackay’s dishes.

Afterwards, we went to Coast for oysters and bubbles (well, Mr. Dashing had the oysters, we both had the bubbles), then to Gyoza King for ….gyoza, ebi mayo and sake, to Cin Cin for dessert and more bubbles. Finally, a little stop in at Thierry for macarons before heading home.

So $300.00 lighter, the evening was a big success. Until I broke one of the heels on my favourite pair of boots on the way home. First world problems, I know.

 
Looking forward to our next night out.

Boots for a Fall Friday

It may be September, and the weather may still be warm . . but oh, how I crave these GORGEOUS boots from Rene Caovilla !

. .like pumpkin and spice and everything nice about fall !

September is for Sapphires !

I am a Diamond girl. That is to say, I was born in April, thus making my birthstone Diamond. Which really, I have no complaints about. However, if I were to choose a gemstone to pair with my diamonds, it would have to be the wonderfully hued Sapphire, the birthstone for September. This regal corundum mineral is generally thought of as the truest of blue in gemstones. Hence the phrase “Sapphire Blue”. But sapphires can be nearly any color except red (since those are called rubies, which are chemically and structurally the same). Sapphire is also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Taurus the Bull. (which, being a Taurus, I can appreciate)

The Logan Sapphire from Sri Lanka (above left) is one of the largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphires in the world, weighing 422.99 carats. It is currently on display at the Natural Museum of Natural History.

The Hall Sapphire Necklace (right) was designed by Harry Winston, Inc., and features thirty six matched Ceylon sapphires from Sri Lanka, surrounded by four hundred and thirty five white diamonds. That's right . . . four hundred and thirty five. The Hall Sapphire Necklace is on display at the Smithsonian Institution's American Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.

Sapphires from Sri Lanka and India are well known, and excellent examples are also found in Tanzania and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. In addition, sapphires are found in many places throughout the world, including North Carolina, Montana, Brazil, and China. 

But I think the best place to find them should be in my jewelry box . . .

Sapphire is also the traditional gift for a 5th or 45th wedding anniversary. (my advice? instead of celebrating a 25th anniversary with paltry silver, opt to celebrate five times your 5th and receive five sapphires) If somehow you make it to your 65th wedding anniversary, then the traditional gift is the rare and pleasantly peculiar star sapphire (left).

Of the four classic gemstones (diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire), these beauties are the most sophisticated, and yet the most understated. They don't scream "look at me, look how flashy I am." like emeralds or rubies tend to do. No, sapphires are content to sit back, hang out with their pals the diamonds and let people be drawn into them. They are not attention seekers, yet gain much admiration whenever they are worn. Like a high bred lady of society, they don't shout out their wealth, yet everybody in the room instinctively knows who they are and what they are worth.

And that is what I find makes them so intriguing.

Paraiba Green Sapphire

More Shoes 2

Like a pair of figure flattering corsets, these Rene Caovilla shoes were made to gently hug and caress your feet. Mmmmmm, shoe porn anyone?

Delicate and Pretty . . .take 2

Pom Pom Party

These gorgeous flower-like pom-poms look intricate and difficult to make, but they are actually fairly simple. However, they do require an ounce of patience (see step 6). With adult supervision, they would be a fantastic project of a little gal’s birthday party; a beautiful memento for the young princesses to take home and hang in their own palace. Have a bunch of boys? Switch to using bright primary colors along with black and have the tykes create their own far away galaxy of planets.

Made in smaller sizes and hung at a variety of heights, a group of these would make a great mobile for a child’s room or nursery. Make them in a bride’s wedding colors for her bridal shower or in soft pastel colors for a baby shower. Create themes based on the season; black and orange for Hallowe’en or red, white and green for Christmas.

Martha Stewart Weddings

Below are the instructions to get you started

Supplies:

• Tissue paper (20 inches x 30 inches). Choose one to three colors in similar shades of the same color to keep things from looking like an acid circus. Unless that’s the look you’re going for. Local dollar stores usually have a good selection.

• Scissors, either plain ol’ straight edged or a more decorative scalloped or waved edge.

• Monofilament fishing line

• Thin floral wire, white if you can find it.

Here's how:

1. Stack four to eight the sheets of paper on top of one another, depending on how full n’ puffy you want them to be.

2. Now, fold the sheets into 1.5-inch accordion folds, all the way across. Be sure to keep the folds even.

3. Prune the ends of the tissue into round or pointed shapes to give them a petal-like look.

4. Cut about a foot and a half length of floral wire.

5. Wrap the wire around the center of the folded tissue and secure it by twisting. Trim the excess wire.

6. Now the fun part! Pull apart each layer, separating it from the center one piece at a time (here’s where that patience comes in handy).

7. Measure the length you'd like to hang your pom pom from and cut a piece of monofilament accordingly.

8. Knot the monofilament to the floral wire and hang!

9. Try varying the size of the tissue paper and the cut edge to create an array of effects. Repeat until you've created a pom-pom fantasyland. The more, the merrier!

Not in a crafty mood or short on time? (hey, it happens) . . . PomLove, Fiesta Pom Pom and orangekisses all have a spectacular selection of ready to ship pom-poms in a variety of sizes, as well as a custom order option for your special occasion or color pallet.

August is for Peridot . . .

I think I’ve mentioned a couple times that I’m lucky to be a diamond girl. That is, I’m an April baby; making my birthstone diamonds. But this does not mean I can’t appreciate other gemstones just as much.

Peridot is the birthstone for August. It is one of the few gemstones that occur only in one colour . . . green. The intensity and tint of the green is dependent on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure. This is why some peridot gemstones are a pale apple green while others approach a darker olive brownish – green. The darker the colour, the more prized the peridot. I personally prefer a fresh, summer leaf colour for my peridot.

Peridot mainly comes from mines in Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Burma, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. In North America, it is found in North Carolina, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico. Peridots have also been discovered in meteorites. The largest cut peridot is a 310 carat specimen in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.

Peridot is considered by Egyptians to be a symbol of the sun. Historians have speculated that the fabled emeralds worn by Cleopatra were in fact peridots. Sorry Liz Taylor.

Peridot is the 16^th anniversary gemstone. It is believed by some to protect against nervousness and help alleviate spiritual fear. It is thought to aid in heeling hurt feelings and bruised egos, incur strength and physical vitality, deliver a positive emotional outlook and help with liver and adrenal gland function. It is often worn to bring the wearer success, peace, good luck and to help his or her dreams come true.

I just think it looks pretty.