dining in shangri-la

Warning - looking at these food pics may cause you to lick your computer screen or drool in hunger! Yesterday, I was treated by the hubby for an awesome lunch at Market at the the Shangri-La Hotel (the tallest building in Vancouver, FYI)... and it was oooooh soooo gooood. A little salmon sashimi with tomato and basil dressing to start, a brie topped truffle burger (sorry, my pic of it didn't turn out), and a summer berry sangria sorbet to finish.... oh yes, and all accompanied with an apricot mint mojito (hey it was our wedding anniversary weekend, so a little indulgence was called for). I am getting hungry just looking at these pics again and reminiscing after only one day... sigh.

ferry go round

Over the weekend, we ventured on the ferry over to Mayne Island for a friend's wedding (congrats Heather and Stefan!). I love taking the ferry on a sunny summer day... there is something very serene about the open air and calm waters. Even though it was only a 2 hour ride, for a few brief moments it felt like we were on a mini cruise (well, minus the buffets, entertainment, spas and shuffle board). Hmmm... I think the warm sea air really got to my head there.

mmmmmmm.... mmmufffins

Oh, so many great recipe ideas everyone has posted! Thanks! So, as you can see from the pictures, I decided to make classic blueberry muffins.... hmmm and it seemed to have not made much of a dent to the blueberry stockpile we picked on the weekend (I even put in more than the recipe called for). I think, I will have to make something else.... don't worry, this won't be turning into a blueberry cooking blog anytime soon.

true blue

Got back to some childhood roots this weekend and went blueberry picking. Although I must admit, as a child my harvesting wasn't very efficient (there was more eating going on than actual picking). Now that I have to crouch down to get to the berries, believe me, the harvesting went by a whole lot faster. Now I just have to figure out what to make with all these blue goodies... ideas?

good wood, bad tv

And so production for fall/winter merchandise begins. Yes, I know it is only August, but with the wee one running around now, I figure an early start this year is a must. I'm aiming to do three holiday shows this year, so to keep my sanity, I think an early start is key. Here is some progress so far, cutting out veneer for my wood gift tag sets. Hey, but it's not all just work and no play... I must admit I cut them while watching awful TV (multitasking makes me feel less guilty, especially when watching the Jersey Shore or MTV's Teen Mom... really bad, I know!).

in to the woods we go

Last weekend we headed into the Cariboo region to stay with some friends at their cabin at Deka Lake. A wee bit of a drive... (ie. if baby Jasper could talk, I am sure he would be asking "Are we there yet?" over and over again). It was a scenic drive nevertheless, with lots of winding rapids and wildflowers along the highway. We even saw deer and wolves along our journey... but alas, being on a highway going 100 km/hr, my trigger finger for snapping wildlife photos is not that fast. Now it's back to city life and the daily routine and daydreaming of our next little road adventure!

and we have a winner!

Ok, a little late posting today... sorry! But it let a few of you get your entries in the last minute...yay! There were so many great entries and so many reasons everyone is celebrating... fantastic! My little helper Jasper helped me with the random draw today. Apologies for the blurry photo, but he is getting to be a quick little guy. Ok, so cutting to the chase now.... the winner of the July giveaway - the set of Tiny Cub greeting cards is.... (drumroll please)... Suzanne aka Kiddo! And what is she celebrating?

"I'm celebrating because I just lost 15 pounds through Weight Watchers! I've still got a long way to go, but it's a start!"

Congrats on the win... and congrats on the 15 lbs too! Yipee!

Didn’t win this time? No worries... there will always be another giveaway around the corner soon... Happy Weekend!