? my favourite things ?

Happy Friday, friends!  I'm happy as a lark because I'm beginning the weekend with lyrics from the Sound of Music in my head. I realize that not everyone may find this appealing.

I saw the musical at the Citadel Theatre yesterday with a few of my favourite ladies: my mama Rada, my mom-in-law Joan and my friends Charity, Nathalie and Nat's daughter Arianna. We had a super time humming to all of the great songs. Some of us hummed silently in our heads, while others hummed loudly (me!).

Since last night, I've been singing, "The hills are alive with the sound of music..." non-stop in a faux semi-operatic style at the top of my lungs. My workmates are nonplussed. (;

This weekend, I'll be taking my singing outside while putting my green thumb to work in our backyard.

On that note, happy weekend'ing! And a happy long weekend to all of my American friends! I visited your lovely country last weekend and am excited to tell you about it.

Ciao for now!

Dajana

Cathy Nan Quinlan and Kurt Hoffman

eat: fruit salad with lime-ginger drizzle

I first made this easy peasy recipe from Chatelaine (one of my fav mags) for Mama's Day brunch last Sunday and then, because our mamas liked it so much, I made it again later that same day (we had friends over for a bbq). The second time around, I zhouzhed it up by serving it alongside angel food cake and whipping cream. Scrumptious!

This minty-gingery goodness is a fantastic way to enliven fruit salad. Frankly, I think this syrup would be lovely in a cocktail, too. Let me know if you do end up trying it. I made a double batch yesterday to enjoy throughout this long weekend.

Speaking of which.... Happy Victoria Day weekend to my Canadian peeps! I hope it's a good'er.

Dajana

Ingredients

• 1 lime
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple (I also used Cara Cara oranges)

1. Finely grate 1 tsp peel and squeeze 1 tbsp juice from a lime (Disclosure: I used the peel & juice of an entire lime with no ill consequences). Peel, then thinly slice, a 1 inch piece of ginger. Place ginger, 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, lime peel and juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered, without stirring, until syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain, then cool at room temperature or in refrigerator.

2.  Prepare 6 cups fresh cut fruit, such as pineapple, raspberries and strawberries. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with a handful of blueberries. Drizzle about 3 tbsp syrup over fruit just before serving.

Make-Ahead Tip:
Refrigerate syrup in a sealed jar for up to 1 week. Prepare fruit up to 1 day ahead and store in the refrigerator in separate resealable plastic bags. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Image via.

downward dog days

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. ~ Unknown

Hey peeps! How y'all been? I know it's been a week since my last post but I've been joie de vivre'ing again (it's kinda my favourite thing to do). I find it tr�s difficile to sit at the computer when it's lovely out and there are so many fun things to do. And last weekend was SO fun: I visited this amazing place with a friend I haven't seen in years (we re-connected through Facebook) and then later the boyfriend and I attended a friend's surprise birthday par-tay (how much fun are those!). On Sunday, we hosted Mama's Day brunch at our house and later that same day, we had a bbq for friends who are new parents (they left the babe at home so it was parents night out). I just love weekends that include family, friends and good food!

Now, moving along to the yoga portion of this post...

As predicted, my mama and I had an amazing time at our yoga retreat weekend. It was two days filled with heaps of love, laughter, yoga (over 8 hours!) and good food. I'm lookin' at you turkey sliders and watermelon feta salad. My ladyfriend, Jenn sure knows how to put on a wonderful retreat including a goody bag filled with a CD of our retreat music, a Saturday movie night (Yoga Woman) and an organic wine and cheese welcome mixer.  The lady is detail-oriented. In a really fantastic way.

Jenn is also a fantastic teacher (her instruction has a lovely lyrical quality to it 'cause she's a writer). Her poetic eloquence takes you on a meditative journey.

Here she is is making this bad boy pose look easy (trust me, it's not).


Check me out holding the crow pose long enough for a picture to be taken. I think I surprised myself.





A deer stopped to take in our evening yin yoga class. Such a magical moment. She made another appearance the next day during our reiki session. The super moon shot was taken by a fellow yogi who stayed up later than the rest of us sleepyheads.





Bonding with my mama was priceless. And splendid.



The food was spectacular! Pictured: vegan cream cheese cupcakes, pear and brie flatbread laced with basil, honeyed orange salad and fennel, spinach and mascarpone tart. Nom nom nom!



Here's our entire group. Happy, relaxed and blissed out on yoga love.



Jenn's retreat gave us time to catch our breath, recharge, restore and remember. Suffice to say, I left with confidence in my ability, a stronger body, new friends and some lovely memories.

I'm already looking forward to the next one in November. Maybe I'll see you there.

Happy Thursday, friends! The long weekend is almost here. Hooray!

Dajana (:

shop talk: pottery barn is coming to edmonton!

Our fair city is becoming quite the retail magnet: Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, J. Crew, Simons, Target and now Pottery Barn. Yup, PB (and its kitchenware sister Williams Sonoma) are set to open in West Edmonton Mall this fall.

According to the Edmonton Journal, the new PB will be 15,000 square feet chockfull of upscale home decor heaven.  The Williams-Sonoma store will be about half that size and carry everything a cooking aficionado would ever need or want.

I like to pop in to PB whenever I visit Chinook Centre in Calgary. On my last trip, I picked up this handsome guy. My favourite glass pitcher had recently cracked (boo!) and I needed a replacement. The handsome guy's classic clean lines appealed to me and at just $30, my pocketbook didn't turn itself inside out when I went to pay. He'll be put to very good use this summer when I make this delish drink.

So, I guess this news means road trips to Calgary will be no more. Ha! Who am I kidding? There�ll always be a reason to hit up Calgary for some retail therapy.

Happy Wednesday, friends! Yoga retreat pics will be up tomorrow.

Dajana (:

p.s. I'm really diggin' this ikat dot organic sheet set. What's on your PB wishlist?

yoga getaway!

Happy Friday, friends! I'm especially joyful because I'm off on a two-day yoga retreat at the cozy and serene River Lodge. My friend Jenn (last seen here) is hosting the *spring* edition of her lovely Soul Yoga Retreats. My mom and I had such a fantastic time at the last retreat, we decided we HAD to go again.



For me, this weekend is all about winding down, re-energizing and chillin' with my mama. And eating good food, of course! Just take a gander at the menu prepared by chef Sally Vaughan-Johnston. Italian Hazelnut Ginger Cake with Vanilla Bean Gelato? Yes, please!



I hope your weekend is just as relaxing, friends. 

Dajana

Images via Jenn Parks and Ashley Fulks.

living with ms.daisy

Daisy is our four-legged houseguest. Isn't she the cutest little beagle you ever did see?

She's staying with us while her family vacations in Mexico.

Random fact: she likes to lick toes. Quirky, right?

Lucy and Daisy have, what is best described as, a big/little sisterdog relationship.

In typical sister fashion, Lucy gets annoyed with Daisy's youthful antics but secretly loves having her around.

They also stick up for each other. While on one of our evening walks, Scotty had to scold Lucy for trying to run across the street after a rabbit. Daisy realized her big sis was in trouble and started to bay at him (she has the funniest smile-inducing howl). 

And when Daisy dug a hole in our backyard, Lucy barked at Scotty letting him know he was not to yell at her little sis. 

Isn't that sweet?

Today is our last day with our beagle friend and we're going to miss her sweet face. 

Maybe even her toe-lickin' ways. (;

Dajana