December 21, 2009

The last couple of years I’ve been – well – a bit lazy when it comes to wrapping Christmas gifts…. Most gifts from me found under the tree have been in gift bags. How quick is it to put a gift in a gift bag, artfully add some tissue paper – and voila! But I was totally inspired by the gift wrapping ideas in this month’s Real Simple magazine – perhaps it’s time to turn over a new leaf? A nicely wrapped gift is so much more fun to open. I like the idea of adding one unique object to finish the wrapping off – could even be just a simple item from around the home that was otherwise going to be thrown out, or an image from the front of a card. Better yet, if it’s a small box – how about using Christmas-y advertisements from magazines you’ve already read? Eco-friendly and inexpensive.

Posted by: Amy L.

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Tags: christmas wrapping

December 18, 2009

The W2 Community Media Arts Centre in Vancouver’s DTES will be open by spring 2010, and I can’t wait to check out some of their daily activities and workshops. It will be located in the Woodward’s redevelopment area and the Centre should be a great addition to the area’s revitalization. They’ll have a wide range of art and community service organizations with a focus on cross-cultural sharing, and artistic and social outcomes. You can read more about their objectives in this article, and if you’re excited about the Centre you can stay up to date on the latest news via their facebook page.

~Posted by: Amy

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Tags: art, Vancouver, W2, w2 community media arts center

December 10, 2009

I don’t know about you – but when I start thinking about the holidays, thoughts of sugarplums, candy canes, gingerbread and dozens of other lovely seasonal foods dance through my mind!

Toronto Naturopath, Dr. Mubina Jiwa has put together a tip sheet for staying healthy throughout the holiday season. I found it helpful to read, it’s good to plan ahead now to avoid some common holiday pitfalls!

Click here for all of Dr. Jiwa’s helpful holiday tips.

Visit Dr. Jiwa’s site for more on her practice.

~Posted by: Amy

~Article by: Dr. Mubina Jiwa

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Tags: Dr. Mubina Jiwa, holiday tips, Home Decor, mubina jiwa, Toronto, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

December 9, 2009

I was browsing for some new art on Etsy today and came across these two cool Portland artists.

I love Matteart’s mid-century aesthetic and truly unique titles, like: “Alfred,Louis and Francois after 12 years of preparation were surprised to find a cafe at the top of mount Everest.” Available on Etsy here.

And “Edwin and Rosemary upon arriving at Yosemite for their honeymoon were lucky enough to spot a rare green friendly soft tooth bear, 1927.” Available on Etsy here.

A graduate from Maine College of art, Julianna Swaney’s pencil and watercolor art is beyond beautiful. I really like the fine details and fairy tale feel of her work. Her animal work seems to have a mischievous quality to it. Those foxes are certainly up to no good! Available on Etsy here.

~Posted by: Christine

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Tags: art, matteart, oh my cavalier!, Portland

December 4, 2009

This charming novel is centered around Mr. Malik, a mild-mannered retired widower living in Nairobi. Each week he looks forward to the Tuesday morning bird walk of the East African Ornithological Society. While Mr. Malik does enjoy spotting African bulbuls and weaver birds, his excitement mainly stems from the leader of the walk- Rose Mbikwa. Mr. Malik resolves to ask her to the social event of the season in Nairobi, the Hunt Club Ball. But before he builds up the courage to invite Rose, Harry Kahn- a rival from his school days, resurfaces and begins to vie for her affections. To settle the matter, a friendly wager is made between Mr. Malik and Harry- whoever spots the most species of birds in a week may invite Rose to the ball. While Harry uses his charms and wealth to jet about the country tallying up godwits, puffbacks, flamingoes, hadadas, and African spoonbills, Mr. Malik gets caught up in complicated situations, politics, and even gunfights with Somali kidnappers….who will win Rose in the end?

Yes, I know what you’re thinking….’A Guide to the Birds of East Africa’ may sound a little strange, yet it’s an absolutely charming read. The characters are so well thought out and the story really comes together through Drayson’s fine writing. If you’re a little down with the dark, cold fall weather- pick up this book and you will undoubtedly find yourself cheering for Mr. Malik as he vies for Rose’s affection!

~ Posted by: Christine Davis

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Tags: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, book review, Drayson

November 26, 2009

Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, Mubina Jiwa, will be stopping by every week or two to share insights into healthy living, work life balance and other topics. We know that many of you lead busy lives, as do all of us here at Handmade Evolution – so we know that the tips from Dr. Jiwa will be really helpful to our overall health and well being! To learn more about Dr. Jiwa and her Toronto practice visit her website here.

This week’s article is Crack the Colour Code for Healthy Eating. I know that a lot of us (including me) think of colors more in terms of clothing, accessories and home decor. In her article Dr. Jiwa breaks down various foods by color group and their benefit to your health. Looks like from here on in I won’t be looking at my dinner plate exactly the same way!

Click here to read the full article.

~ Article by Dr. Jiwa
~ Posted by: Amy

Category: Lifestyle, Toronto | 1 Comment »
Tags: mubina jiwa, Toronto, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

November 18, 2009

It is cold, dreary, and windy here in Portland today and I am already reminiscing about summer trips to the farmers market. I loved wandering the market, while loading up on fresh produce and local products. I think it is a fun alternative to grocery shopping, but it usually seems like a spring and summer activity. Now that it is November, I have to remind myself that the only option for farm fresh produce is not just winter squash (I’m already getting a bit sick of squash though I am enjoying freshly toasted pumpkin seeds as I’m typing this). If you’re like me, don’t forget about the rest of the in-season produce, including hearty greens, potatoes, carrots, leeks, broccoli, and cauliflower; not to mention apples and pears. You can find all of these and more at winter farmers markets and special harvest and holiday market days. Round out your shopping trip by selecting locally baked goods, meat, and artesian cheeses.

Check our your local farmers market to see what they offer this time of year (many have great websites making it easy to research vendors and products as well as find directions and hours). Here in Portland, the PSU market is still open on Saturday’s until mid-December and the Eastbank market has a Thanksgiving reunion market on November 24 just in time for us to grab fresh, local ingredients for turkey day. In Toronto, there are 4 winter markets and 4 year-round markets, providing shopping options over the holidays. Finally, in Vancouver, winter markets occur twice a month. As a bonus, if you need a gift for someone, Eat Local has gift certificates for purchase online! And the Holiday Market on December 12th. This is the 14th year and there will be hot food, a raffle, and musicians. If you have a great summer farmers market that is closed for the season and doesn’t offer a harvest/holiday market, then it doesn’t hurt to e-mail or call the organizers and let them know you’d attend if they offered one!

~ Posted by: Lisa

Category: Events, Lifestyle, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver | 1 Comment »
Tags: Farmers Markets, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver

November 7, 2009

“An Education” is the new film starring Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead, Garden State, Boys Don’t Cry…) and newcomer Carey Mulligan. Mulligan, as Jenny, plays a bright, ambitious schoolgirl in early 60s Britain. Jenny’s parents expect her to go to Oxford to find a husband, yet she dreams of a brighter path. This is pre-Beatles era Britain and there is a palpable air of repression. Meeting David (Sarsgaard), who is almost twice her age, Jenny is drawn into his sophisticated world of music, art and trips to Paris. Enamored, Jenny lets her dreams slip….

Peter Sarsgaard has been one of my favorite actors for a while now, but he’s never got the credit he deserves. He deftly plays a Jewish Englishman- yet he’s neither Jewish nor British (an American, Sarsgaard is married to Maggie Gyllenhaal.) However, it is Carey Mulligan who is spectacular as a schoolgirl with dreams of Paris. She is deservedly getting Oscar buzz for this role. I saw “An Education” at the Vancouver film festival and the screening was packed. The actors give amazing performances and the 60s wardrobe was so inspiring, it made me wish everyone still dressed like that. See this film as soon as you can!

~ Posted by: Christine Davis

Category: Lifestyle | 13 Comments »
Tags: an education, movie review

November 4, 2009

You might think “anchovies- are you crazy?” but this recipe is amazing! Rosemary, anchovies and pancetta are a perfect combination of flavors with the asparagus…the anchovies melt away to leave a subtle taste, not salty or fishy at all. My tip for cooking asparagus….bend the stalks until they break naturally and keep the top portion.

I’m a big Jamie Oliver fan, every recipe I’ve tried works out well (yes, he uses anchovies a lot with fish- trust me here!) I also admire his efforts to get people to eat better and to learn to cook. Did anyone see Jamie’s School Dinners or Jamie’s Ministry of Food? I Tivo’d every episode! Visit his website here for the full recipe.

~ Posted by: Christine Davis

Category: Lifestyle | 7 Comments »
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