all is calm. all is bright.

christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,

everything is softer and more beautiful.

- norman vincent peale

this is the life...

Scotty's birthday berry pavlova. Easy peasy delicious! � Fries "a la cart" at Delux Burger Bar � Lobster prawn benedict on potato rosti at Edmonton's newest resto, The Makk � Must try: PC's salted caramel ice cream � My take on holiday attire � Working the camera at Simons with Nat & Ayesha � Some days require a major pop of colour AND leopard shoes � Rockin' sparkles and lace with Christine at our hubs' work shindig




Decking the halls at our house starts with a Costco wreath � When the sun's out, you'll find us in the river valley � Chestnuts are one of my fav seasonal treats. I'll be sad when they're gone �  Our Lucy is not too keen on being a model. She'd rather be chasing squirrels � A birthday kiss for my Scotty � Me and the dude at the awesome good Journey concert. Our first major concert in eleven years �  Cleanin' up holiday style � Our niece Raissa's Christmas concert night. Nothing gets me in the holiday spirit quite like little kids fa-la-la'ing �

I know that this is a crazy busy time for all of us, so I sincerely thank you for taking the time to stop by. It means a lot.

Dajana

You can find me on Instagram at allkindsoflovelyblog. See you there!

eat: butternut squash soup with thai gremolata

This Thai-inspired soup is SO good. It's comforting, flavourful, velvety in texture and easy to make (slow cooker!). The combo of lime and coconut is subtle and delicious, while the vibrant flavours (we`re talkin' lime, peanuts & cilantro) of the gremolata are the perfect finishing touch. Typically, gremolata is an Italian condiment of lemon zest, garlic and parsley but here it gets a fun, modern Thai twist. Whatever you do, please don't forget the gremolata. The soup won't be the same without it.

Here's what you need to make it...

2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1� pieces

2 cups chicken broth

1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

� cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon fish sauce or soya sauce

� -1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (Sriracha) or crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons lime juice

Thai Gremolata:

� cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro

� cup chopped peanuts

1 tablespoon finely shredded lime peel

• In a 3 � - or 4-quart slow cooker, stir together squash, broth, coconut milk, onions, brown sugar, fish sauce and Sriracha.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-2 � hours.
• Meanwhile, assemble the Thai Gremolata. Mix together basil, peanuts and lime peel. Set aside.
• Use an immersion or stand blender to carefully blend soup until completely smooth. (Or, transfer the mixture in batches to a food processor or blender; or use a potato masher to mash mixture nearly smooth.) Note: as with any hot soup, let it cool before processing in a blender or you might spray scalding soup all over you and your kitchen.
• Stir in lime juice. Ladle into bowls and top with Thai Gremolata. If desired, serve with lime wedges. 

The hubs is not a big fan of soups (say whaaat?), but even he happily dug into this one. Hope you like it just as much as we did!

Dajana

the eye(brows) have it

Having good eyebrows can transform the entire look of your face. I can�t tell you how many times I�ve seen a lovely lady who would be even lovelier if her eyebrows weren�t plucked into a sparse thin line.

I speak from experience. In my twenties, my eyebrows were really thin, too. I looked like a Latina gang member from South Central L.A. Over the years, I've stopped tweezing excessively, grown them in and also started getting them threaded (best decision ever!). Now, I�m the proud owner of two full, well-shaped eyebrows.

How does threading work? An aesthetician uses a doubled-up strand of cotton thread to twist around individual hairs, then pulls them out from the roots. The procedure is used mainly on the eyebrows and upper lip. It's been commonplace for centuries among women in India and the Middle East (Persian and Indian women really do have the best brows). I like the thread because it offers much more definition than waxing. It gets every little hair out.

The results are both drastic and subtle. One of those can't-quite-place-it changes that actually make a world of difference. Having my brows shaped always puts an extra pep in my step. (:

Cost is relatively cheap: it starts at about $15. After a professional threading job, you can maintain your new brow line on your own with tweezers.

My go-to place for threading is Esthetics and Hair Designs (101, 15503 � 87 Avenue) which has been around for almost 30 years. Design-wise, it�s a no-frills shop but the ladies are friendly and always do a great job on my brows.

Their number is 780-484-7255. Be sure to ask for Hamida or Mitra.

Happy threading!

this is the life...

These are some of my fav Instagram photos from the past few weeks. My friends Christine and Patrycia inspired me to start using IG again. I had signed up last summer but quickly abandoned it after taking only a couple of pictures.

Over 240 'grams later, I'm singing an entirely different ditty now. I love how easy it is to use, all of the fun filters and the inspiration I get from perusing all of the amazing photos (especially of food, fashion & decor). Plus, I've met so many cool and interesting people.

Can you say love at second sight?




My new winter hobby: feeding the chickadees at Buena Vista park � Bird whisperer � There's nothing quite like an Alberta sky � Lucy loves the snow more than anyone I know � Discovering these sunflowers with my friend Ayesha made my day � Getting pretty'd up at the Beauty Parlour � Latest scarf acquisition: comfy camo � Every girl needs a brightly hued winter coat, right? That's what I told myself when I bought this one (;




Tarte Chocolate Hazelnut. Nicely done, Bon Ton Bakery � Duchess' Mont Blanc Macaron: chestnut & almond deliciousness � Fentiman's makes my new fav soda. Find it here. � Finally opened the cookie butter we bought at Trader Joe's in NYC. Yum! � We had a ball at cutie pie Alice's 1st birthday party � Date night in: Tres Carnales pollo asado tacos, guacamole y totopos � This awesomeness happened after we finished our dodgeball game. Everyone got teary-eyed � Scotty and I had a chill date night people watching on Whyte Ave. I got to wear my new faux fur vest. Bon-jour! 

I'm going to attempt to do this post regularly, by know y'all probably know what a procrastinator I am, so we'll see how it goes.

Until then, you can find me on Instagram @allkindsoflovelyblog. See you there!

Dajana

 VALENTINE IS PLEASED TO PRESENT 

 NEW AND RECENT DRAWINGS BY 

DAVID HUMPHREY AND JAMES SIENA

 OPENING FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30 FROM 6-9

                WITH EVA SCHICKER AND LOIE HOLLOWELL IN THE SMALLER ROOMS

        GALLERY HOURS ARE FRIDAY-SUNDAY FROM 1-6

      THE EXHIBIT RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER 23

anthropologie: revisiting the whirligig dress

I haven�t worn this dress in a year. Strange because it�s perfect for those mornings when I want to pull on something easy, soft, comfy and cozy. Like today.

Really, it should be renamed the Pajama Dress.

{Anthropologie Whirligig dress & patterned tights, Joe Fresh cardi, H&M belt, Pegabo boots}

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends! Hope you�re having a comfy cozy day, too.

P.S. I'm seriously coveting this dress. He-llo! (;

i was on a reality tv show this summer. and survived.

Yep, it�s true! In July, I appeared on Come Dine With Me Canada, the Canadian version of the hit UK television show Come Dine With Me � a dinner party competition series.



The premise: each night for one week, our zany and wacky fivesome (more on them later) took turns cooking up our idea of the perfect evening � including the menu, cocktails, wine, entertainment and ambiance. After dinner, each of us would rate the host�s performance and at the end of the week, the host with most votes is crowned the winner and rewarded with the �ultimate dinner party host� title and a cash prize.

The week of filming was one of the most intense of my life. I felt as if I was living in some surreal crazy town. It was beyond anything I had ever experienced in my life. By the end of the five days, I was utterly exhausted and ready to never lay eyes on the other participants again (this has since changed). Heh.



I was the third of our fivesome to host. My menu consisted of an elderflower cocktail as the welcome drink, shrimp bruschetta and ogoniok as the appetizer, baked halibut with chimichurri as the main course, and a berry pavlova with double raspberry sauce for dessert.  I thought I did a fantastic job and was proud of my evening. God only knows what the others had to say. Yikes.

The others were the oddest group of dining companions; Brett, the 29-year-old liquor salesman/actor, 31-year-old Jana � a stay-at-home mom and tanning salon owner, 42-year-old Barbara � a communications manager of a non-profit organization and Philippe, the 48-year-old great grandson of the French painter Renoir. The hilarity that ensued with our zany quintet is a producer�s dream. Although, I saw things I can't unsee, I also can't remember the last time I laughed that hard.



You can watch the 5 back-to-back episodes on Monday, October 29 beginning at 8:30 p.m. MT (7:30 p.m. ET) on the W Network.  I'll be watching at an airing party (fancy schmancy!) with my family and friends plus the other participants and their peeps. Should be a riot!

Until the show airs, you can check out my audition video (& pics) on the Come Dine with Me Canada Facebook page.  Um, it�s real interesting. (;

Wondering why the heck I did this? This article in the Edmonton Journal does a good job explaining.

p.s. Scotty and I just got back from NYC. We had a blast and took over 1,000 pictures! Blog post to come later as soon as I get my act together. Thanks to everyone who suggested things for us to see and do. You guys rock!

"It was the best of times..."

New Paintings and Artifacts by Summer Wheat         

     �There is a woman who works at a trolley tour office. She sells paper tickets and does the accounting with a worn-down pencil. Her husband works two jobs, in factories, one at night and one in the daytime, and he steals a few hours at home between his labors. Every morning, this woman rises at 3:45 am, in the dark and draws a bath for her husband. When he arrives, she wraps his swollen feet in hot towels and he sinks into the bath � every day. This is a love story. We draw baths and tend wounds.

Opening Friday October 26 from 6-9

Valentine is open Friday through Sunday from 1-4 and by appointment

This exhibit runs through November 18

Valentinegallery.blogspot.com

new york bound!

We're going to New York, lovelies.

To say that I�m excited would be the understatement of the year. I can�t wait to wander the city that never sleeps with my beau.



Here are some of the places we�d like to visit.  If you have any other suggestions, I�d love to hear them!

+ Central Park (bike ride, anyone?)
+ MOMA & The Met
+ Madison Square Eats (foodie fest!)
+ Big Gay Ice Cream (I'm dying to try the Bea Arthur or Mexican affo�gay�to)
+ Momofuku (winner winner chicken dinner)
+ Red Rooster (hel-lo Harlem!)
+ Chelsea Market (more foodie fun)
+ Madewell, Uniqlo, Pippin and Anthro (a girl�s gotta shop, right?)
+ Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
+ Top of the Rock/Rainbow Room (both offer a lovely vantage point of the city)

We�ll be hoofing and subway�ing it throughout our stay � we�ve heard that the subway offers the BEST people-watching and more cultural immersion than the United Nations. (:

Wanna come along on our travels?  Join me on Instagram at allkindsoflovelyblog.

Ciao for now!

p.s. I've memorized this in anticipation of our trip.

eat: pumpkin pie roll ups

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving weekend with the ones you love!

We spent ours with family and friends (which included celebrating my niece Raissa's and friend Nat's birthdays and trying out Three Boars resto with our friends Kat & Gord), plus we ate a ton of turkey and even made time for �il dolce far niente� (the sweetness of doing nothing � didn't you see Eat Pray ... oh never mind, it was a crappy movie with the exception of Mr. Javier Bardem. ;)

One thing I didn't get to this long weekend (on account of 'il dolce far niente' and the beginnings of a pesky cold) was making these pumpkin pie fruit roll ups. So, I made 'em today (they're still in the oven filling our house with the loveliest smells).

Pumpkin makes everything better. Am I right, or am I right?!



Here's how to make them...

1. Preheat oven to 170F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with oil. I used parchment paper instead. It saves you a step at the end.

2. Whirl 1 cup pumpkin pur�e, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 tsp pumpkin-pie spice in a food processor until smooth.

3. Pour mixture on prepared sheet. Using a spatula, evenly spread very thinly to edges. Bake in centre of oven until dry, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

4. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Peel fruit leather from foil, roll in waxed paper and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Recipe and photo via Chatelaine.