Always Take A Banana To A Party

The 10th Doctor once told Rose Tyler to always take a banana to a party because bananas are good. I really enjoyed that episode, The Girl in the Fireplace. They managed to create such a believable connection between the Doctor and Reinette.

That's why, in the light of The Day of the Doctor being in TWO DAYS, I created two Banana Party 10th Doctor Tribute photographs (that you can see here)

FUN! I'm so freakin' excited. Who else is going to the cinema screening of the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who????

My own TARDIS key

This is the story of how I found the key to the TARDIS in my appartment.

On July 1st 2013, I was très ready to move out. Upon arriving, after taking down the 'sexy girl' calendars and beer pong posters left from the previous tenants, something stood out to me in the stark naked apartment. A single object left in the whole space: a small key, hanging from a coat hook in the entry way. [See the full series here]



Maybe it was the slight eerie feeling of being alone in an empty apartment, but I had one precise thought: the Doctor left me a key to the TARDIS because something's about to go amiss and I'll need it. Now, this may not be your personal immediate reaction, but it sure was mine.



Ok so turns out it's the key to our mailbox. Heh. But still, during that moment, the situation was perfectly conducive to having the Doctor show up and being involved in fighting intergalactic species that want to take over Earth for Who knows what reason this time.

Out of this moment FINALLY came a mini-series to represent MY key to the TARDIS. You can see it here.

Anyway, The Day of the Doctor (50th anniversary of Doctor Who)is coming up so soon - I can hardly contain anything. ANYTHING.

BROCCOLI STEM ALERT: Wholesome Vegan Fall Stir fry

There's a scent in the kitchen, they said. It's so fantastic, they said. And they turned their heads towards the stovetop to see a a fabulous kale, chickpea, kidney bean, quinoa, broccoli stem, clove and cinnamon tofu scramble ALL stir fried in a pumpkin+hoisin sauce, well, sauce.

For the tofu, just crumble cubed tofu into a bowl and add some oil, cinnamon and crushed cloves to taste (best to leave overnight)

For the pumpkin and hoisin sauce sauce you just need to...(wait for it...)

...

Combine pureed pumpkin and hoisin sauce to taste (ouf.)

Then I had made a sandwich spread (well ok, it was supposed to be hummus, but I didn't have enough tahini or patience so it became a sandwich spread) with tahini, cooked chickpeas, some ketchup, some hoisin sauce, some dijon mustard, some soy sauce, some garlic and some olive oil.

Then I made a bagel sandwich with it and included the rest of the stir fry that I didn't eat before TAH-DAH - nifty thrifty 2 meals in 1 combo.

And then yeah, this tends to happen a lot.

Ps. It's the reality of things that my recipes are at the summit of imprecise. I really want you to go with your gut (and if you don't have cooking instincts, the only way to develop them if to practice and try (and fail sometimes)) and then send me photos and stories of what you ended up with!!!

Photoshop Tilt-Shift Addiction

I'm finding a lot of photo manipulation addictions lately. First, it was the animated gifs now the fake tilt shift (a.k.a. tilt shift with photoshop rather than the tilt shift lens)

What's tilt shift?

Let's see what wikipedia has to say. "Tilt–shift photography is the use of camera movements on small- and medium-format cameras, and sometimes specifically refers to the use of tilt for selective focus, often for simulating a miniature scene."

Füssen, Germany

Füssen, Germany

Barcelona, Spain

Berlin, Germany

Kind of makes everything look miniature and cute. Much like everything I like.

Paris, France

Paris, France

Sentosa Beach, Singapore

I learnt this from Denise Lu's fantastically clear and simple tutorial on Mashable. Go check it out and post up your own photoshop tilt-shift photography!

Pumpkin Spice Latte FINALLY

Finally made a Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte after over a month of talking about it. I think I've got the hang of it that I can now make some for my housemates without killing them with disgust. Lol.

Ps. Scroll down for my animated gif dump of the day.


Amé Stabbin' Pumpkin Billy (a.k.a. pumpkin carving).


Me being possessed.


Err.. me drinking a latte and clearly feeling silly.

Ps. If you're looking for thin silver or gold rings - the one I'm wearing is great! Seriously, I never take it off. Except when I have to dig my hands into flaked tuna at Subway.... I got it at this shop and it was made by June Designs une designer québécoise.

Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes with YUMMY SECRET SAUCE

Hoi! After trying my first vegan pancake recipe, I knew i was ADDICTED to making them for two main reasons.

1. They're delicious and fluffy WITHOUT eggs or dairy

2. They're insanely easy to make and quick (once you get the hang of it (which is usually after one batch or less))

I decided to add some pumpkin purée to taste (or well, ok I confess, until the batter turned a fun shade of orange...) some cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Cause fall recipes!!! I'm going nuts on them.


 
I used this vegan recipe and modified it to my pumpkin fancies.
 
 

And then there was the SECRET SAUCE! And I'ma reveal this rich knowledge to you because I greatly appreciate your readership. 1:2 pumpkin purée / coconut milk from a can and sugaaaaar combined. It was fantastic and will be when you make it too, cause it's easy and there absolutely no reason for you not to.  

Oh yeah and the delicious looking brown coulis is melted Nutella. TENTENTEN.

Enjoy fall, go out and smell the leaves changing colour and the crisp air and take the time to bundle up (and catch up on Doctor Who, oh my Word 50th anniversary coming up sooo soon.)

Disamare: un plus pour le monde fabuleux des cyclistes

Après deux mois de déplacement avec des vélos empruntés (et mon vélo de montagne d'enfant!!!) je me suis FINALEMENT acheté une bicyclette qui a de l'allure. Je pense qu'il faudra que je fasse un article dédié à cet achat! Je suis plus qu'heureuse de l'avoir durant Puces POP car les petites commissions entre le bureaux et l'Église St-Michel prennent une minute!

Et voilà qu'à la foire se présente Disamare, une entreprise Montréalaise qui se spécialise dans la fabrication locale de casquettes de vélo! Quel bon timing avec mon récent (fabuleux!) achat (fais chez Bikurious en passant, je conseille fortement).

Vincent Tourigny et Morgane Duchêne Ramsay, les créateurs derrière Disamare, fabriquent les casquettes de A-Z ici! Ils impriment même les motifs du tissus! Né de leur amour du vélo et du travail manuel, Disamare est une compagnie bien d'ici.

Outre qu'à la foire, ils ont une boutique Etsy en ligne où vous pouvez vous procurer les casquettes. Ils ont par contre des imprimés d'art vraiment chouette qui n'y sont pas! En plus, c'est toujours plaisant de rencontrer les créateurs et de venir en personne.

Bref! Il n'y a pas de raison de se procurer une casquette de vélo ailleurs! Disamare vous permet d'encourager un produit local, fait individuellement avec soin. Venez faire un tour aujourd'hui et demain de 11h à 18h à l'Église St-Michel au 105 St-Viateur. Au plaisir de vous voir :) https://www.facebook.com/events/712224508793418/?fref=ts

Puces POP is heeeere!

Puces POP starts tomorrow!!! Until then... I've recently been working on a window display at Citizen Vintage in order to showcase some of Puces POP's crazy talented artists, artisans and designers. Actually, it's been up all of this month haha, but there are still a few days for you to put your name into the draw! You can also buy some on the fair's print artists' work right in the shop. Check out this post for the full list of participating vendors.

There's hundreds of dollars worth of stuff to be won and it's all goooorgeous. I'm really excited for this and honestly I wish I could just win the window myself but... it's against the law and all. So yeah, do it in my honour! Hop on over to Citizen Vintage (5330 boul. St-Laurent between Fairmount and St-Viateur) and enter - it's FREE!

Oh non! La binette du Ouistiti du *ouistitine est cachée! Allez la voir ici

Benoit Tardif Illustration 

This is what the raffle box looks like

So GO already! Before it's too late!!! Also come visit all of us at the fair:

26 au 29 septembre 2013

Église St-Michel - 105 St-Viateur Ouest

Jeudi : 16h à 20h (Party d’ouverture!)
Vendredi : 12h à 20h
Samedi : 11h à 18h
Dimanche : 11h à 18h

https://www.facebook.com/events/712224508793418/?fref=ts

Morning Light

The morning fell in interesting ways in my apartment today. I'm not sure what it was about it, but it made everything glow in kind of mysterious, enchanting ways. Really, I mean everything. It was pleasant. I tried to capture this in photography, hopefully it conveys even half of the experience.

I love food forever

I love food, homemade diners, cooking nights.... everything that has to do with food. Throw in some Grolsch beer and a ukulele and really, I'm set.

DIY Field Notebook

Sometimes I look at the one million Fabriano sketchbooks I needed in 1st year and never really filled in and I realize that not only do I hate (yes, hate.) spiral sketchbooks, but I also find that they are too big. So I cut them up and I'm making little Field Notes notebooks that I can tuck away in pockets and mini purses.

A Dane in Montreal

Things to do in Montreal when you are from Denmark: find a girl that works in a frozen yogurt place, tell her you're from Copenhagen - win a tour guide.