Looks Too Good to Eat

On Saturday I splurged on a gorgeous Nordic Ware cake pan from Cookstop in Vancouver. Here is the first of many little delights to come from this pan.

Cooking

I have a love/hate relationship with cooking. There are times when I just can't abide the idea of having to put another meal on the table. Especially when one member of the family detests things such as mushrooms, tomato "blobs", and basically any other item that imparts flavor to food. Another part of the hate side of cooking for me is that I have been on Weight Watchers all year long and have lost a total of 27 lbs to date. So I tend to stick with the same meals or variations on them because it makes planning easy. However.... there is the love side of this equation too. I love turning out freshly baked items such as bread, cakes, cookies etc. I love the satisfactory feeling of making a truly delicious meal that everyone thoroughly enjoys. And I love stumbling across inspirational food blogs that make me want to cook and bake to my heart's desire. I'll just have to watch the "points" values for these goodies.

Michelle Apres Coco

If I needed any more fuel for the recent fire I've got stoked for sewing seeing "Coco Avant Chanel" has really done the trick. First of all, the movie is fantastic from the story perspective, the film is shot so beautifully and the acting is superb. But the thing that really struck me the most was how secure Gabrielle Chanel was in her sense of style. I loved how she struck out from the accepted styles of the time which seemed to be overly stylized and frivolous. She seemed to know herself and what looked right on her (or felt right on her) and cared little for popular opinion. Seeing this film made me realize what freedom could be realized in being able to sew one's own wardrobe. Can you imagine wearing what you want to wear only because you love it - nothing to do at all with what is available to purchase, or for me in recent years what would fit off the hanger. I'm beginning to think that sewing for yourself may just be the ultimate in creative expression.

Seeing Red

If you haven't already spent several hours playing on Polyvore you really are in for a treat. Pick out all sorts of fun images online and put your own collage together. As you can see I'm having a blast.

Seeing Red by pinkrosecottage featuring Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry

Items in this set:
Keds shoes, $30
Kenneth Jay Lane ring, 42 GBP
Bbcgoodfood.com
Melbourne
Apparel Classic Clothing at..., $269

I'm a Winner!

On Halloween day I visited Urban Yarns in North Vancouver to pick up some yarn for a special gift for my sister. While paying for my purchase I noticed they were having a draw for a $50 gift certificate. So I popped my name in the entry container and when I got home there was a message on my machine that I'd won! Now what should I do with $50 worth of yarn - the choices are endless!

I Need to Learn to Sew

Why I Need to Learn to Sew by pinkrosecottage on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Vintagefashionlibrary.com, $16
Skirts at LAURA ASHLEY, 70 GBP
ADRIENNE - dramatic...
Historic Edwardian Gowns
The Vintage Connection

My Girl

I am a minority in my own home. Its true - I am the only female in a household with three men. Well, let me qualify that, I am the only female human. Willow is the other girl around here. She's my girl, well that is now since my older son is in Asia. She's always been mine, but before I had to share her. I got her a few years ago as a kitten and I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm her Mom. I never had a baby girl cat when I was little but I think if I had I would have dressed her up in a bonnet and pushed her around in a pram. Willow has gotten to the lazy stage in her life already where she sleeps probably 22 out of every 24 hours. About 7 of those hours are spent on my chair behind me as I work. We have a constant tussle over how much chair each one of us gets and if I am winning she extends one of her claws and gives me a little poke on the bottom to tell me to move up. And I do - she's got me wound around her little paw!