THE TIN PALACE

Posted by kait / March 4, 2014

How does a place become a landmark? How does it grow a loyal gathering of local regulars? How do you ensure that after a devastating flood you get back on your feet and re-open to a full house for the entire day? The answer is to just be good. Make good food, have good staff and make your place so good-looking that no one would ever want to leave. And that is exactly what Earl’s Tin Palace in Mission has done. After a brief hiatus from feel-good food and raucous good times (due to that nasty flood), Earl’s is back and with a fresh new look.

Last week, I got a chance to sit down with a great group of local bloggers and some of the wonderful people who work behind the scenes at Earl’s. The new look is gorgeous. Bright and open, filled with original Canadian artwork (and not the cheesy kind involving bronze statues of forest animals), the dining room is beautiful with gorgeous light fixtures and mid-century modern inspired booths. My favourite piece in the restaurant is this incredible installation wall piece by Vancouver artist Ricky Alvarez (above). He calls it a topo map and shows where the Bow and Elbow Rivers converge. Absolutely beautiful. The patina will change over time since people won’t be able to keep their hands off of this tactile artwork.

With an inspired new cocktail menu and all of the classics dishes that people have come to know and love, Earl’s has also thrown in some incredible new eats like this dim sum style appetizers including steamed pork buns and these delightful little sushi soy wrapped cones.

An institution for over 20 years, this Tin Palace (as it is affectionately known) won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Earl’s Tin Palace

Calgary, AB

THE PIN PROJECT NO. 11

Posted by kait / March 3, 2014

Lana Del Ray with sky high hair and a make-up palette to die for. A Berlin-based lingerie haus‘ brand identity. Pasta for days. If just reading this is making you want to up and change your life to something a bit more glamourous, you are not alone. As busy as life gets, sometimes I forget about those simple pleasures like making pasta for a whole afternoon with my husband. Or spending time at the home-spa, pampering myself (or trying achieve the perfect Lana-via-Priscilla ‘do). With hibernation happening at top speed over here (the coldest it has been all winter – luckily with an end in sight, this weekend!) why not spend the weekend’s doing something new or something you used to really enjoy and take a break from the usual busy-busy.

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SAVE THE DATE FOR NORDSTROM

Posted by kait / February 27, 2014

It is time to start socking away a bit of spending money each month because Nordstrom just announced their opening date in Calgary! They will celebrate the opening of the first Canadian store at Chinook Centre in Calgary with a gala on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. The event will benefit Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and United Way of Calgary and Area. Nordstrom Chinook Centre officially opens Friday, September 19, 2014 at 10 a.m.!

Gala attendees will be among the first to preview the new 140,000 square-foot store while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, dinner and desserts, cocktails, live entertainment, a fall fashion presentation and the opportunity to shop. Tickets are $100 and will go on sale in July. The event is completely underwritten by Nordstrom and 100% of ticket sales will be split between both organizations. It is going to be a fabulous event so be sure to mark your calendar now so we can party together!

For now as they finish building this amazing Calgary store!

6 BEST RESOURCES FOR CREATIVES

Posted by kait / February 25, 2014

Just like having a kid, there is no one manual or guide for starting your own freelance business. This can be incredibly daunting to anyone considering making the big move to pursue their work full-time, especially for folks who are incessant planners. If you are like me and you just jumped into freelance life with both feet and not much planning, you probably found that you had to get organized – and quick! Luckily, if you are like me and you are just getting started in the world of freelancing I have already done some of the legwork for you. I have pulled together my top six tools or resources that I use that make my life THAT much easier. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

FreshBooks: Math isn’t my strongest suit so I quickly found out that trying to do my own accounting via Excel spreadsheets wasn’t going to work for me. I came across an ad for Freshbooks on the Swiss Miss site, did a little bit of research and realized that it was a Canadian company. I signed up for the free trial and the rest is history. It is by far the most intuitive cloud-based software I have ever used. I send all of my invoices and estimates through it, track GST and report on income. It tells me when my clients log-in to check the invoices which means no more invoices getting lost in inboxes. I can even track my monthly business expenses! Let’s just say, it makes tax season a lot easier for me.

unsplash: Writing takes a lot of my daylight hours so I don’t always get to go out and shoot as many photos as I would like to. unsplash saves the day when I need a compelling (yet vague) photograph to use for an upcoming blog post. Basically, a small database of GREAT images that you can use for whatever you want, for free. The photo above? From unsplash. Not only will you save a bit of money from buying stock images, you’ll have a fantastic image to go with your words.

Stocksy: In some cases, however, stock photography is an absolute godsend! I was so happy when Stocksy launched last year. Curated with only the best photographers in mind, this stock photography site weeds out the crap that many other sites leave in. What you are left with is stunning images that will only enhance your storytelling.

Contently: I am totally new to Contently but I am already quite happy with it’s easy to use format and visual representation of a writer’s CV. It quickly aggregates any online content you’ve written which you can then edit down to your best work. You can also add PDFs of publications that are not online – making it easy to show what you are all about in one link. I love seeing how it tallies up the social shares as well – great to see ways you can improve on your numbers.

Adobe Creative Cloud: The Creative Cloud is kind of a lifesaver for anyone who needs to use the Adobe Creative Suite for work. I use Photoshop and Illustrator on the daily so being able to access all of my files and any of the programs anywhere/anytime is a massive convenience for me. It works on a subscription basis meaning you pay a monthly fee to use the service as opposed to shelling out thousands of dollars for the full creative suite software. The best part is? When the programs update you don’t have to worry about buying an upgrade – it is all included in your membership.

Skillshare: Continuous education is the best way to keep your ideas fresh and your mind youthful. While going back to school full-time might not be for everyone, there are so many ways you can pick up new skills or improve on existing ones whenever you have time. My favourite resource is Skillshare. I have recently taken writing and social media classes on there, amongst other fantastic workshops. The greatest part? Most classes are under $20 making it super affordable to learn something new.

photo via unsplash

THE PIN PROJECT NO. 10

Posted by kait / February 24, 2014

Happy Monday! Glad to be back at my desk chair after taking an unscheduled week off from blogging. I got super sick over the long weekend and was still recuperating by Wednesday. With a to-do list of freelance work that was as long as my leg, the blog was the last thing on my list. It happens. It felt good to take a break (despite feeling like shit) and re-evaluate some creative writing projects I am working on.

Anyways…

Something about those pinks mixed with a dark earthy green or brown is just SO good. I feel like I am being whisked away into an old motel in Palm Springs or visiting some beautiful 77-year old on her birthday and we are celebrating with the most beautiful long and skinny candlesticks and eating all sorts of treats from her youth. Just diggin’ that palette…

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100 Scoopsies

Posted by kait / February 20, 2014

I am so excited to share a super yummy ice cream recipe (hello, white chocolate raspberry lavender?!) + Q&A with Chloe Jankowitz, the writer and ice cream queen behind the 100 Scoopsies blog. I loved reading through challenge of creating 100 original ice cream recipes in only a year. Everything looks absolutely delicious! It is so inspiring to see her create such masterpieces and I cannot wait to see what she does next! Summer is coming so get scoopin’.

White Chocolate Raspberry Lavender Ice Cream - (yields 1 quart)

White Chocolate Lavender Base:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbl dried lavender
3 egg yolks
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped

Raspberry Swirl:
1/2 cup raspberry puree
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp vodka

Directions:

1. Combine milk, cream, sugar and lavender in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently until mixture simmers.
2. In the meantime whisk egg yolks in a medium sized bowl.
3. When the cream and milk mixture starts to simmer, take about 1/8 cup of the batter and pour it into the bowl with the egg yolks to warm them up. Whisk quickly. Slowly add a few more spoonfuls of the heated mixture to the egg yolks, whisking the entire time.
4. Pour the heated egg yolks into the rest of the cream and milk batter and continue to stir. Remove from heat.
5. Add in finely chopped white chocolate pieces and stir until the batter is smooth and thick.
6. Let the batter cool to room temperature and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least eight hours.
7. To make the raspberry swirl: mash up raspberries with a fork or a whisk in a small bowl. Don’t crush the raspberries completely–leave a few bigger chunks! Pour in the sugar and vodka and mix thoroughly. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
8. When the base has chilled for at least eight hours, take it out of the fridge, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
9. Take a container and put in a layer of the freshly churned ice cream. Put a layer of the raspberry swirl on top. Continue layering the ice cream and raspberry swirl until you’ve used all of the ice cream.
10. Bon appetit!

Chloe, tell me a bit about what you do.

I run a blog called “Scoopsies.” I just finished a challenge to make 100 ice cream flavors in a year and now I’m working on launching a homemade ice cream brand in Boston, MA. I’m always coming out with new ice cream flavors–the possibilities are endless!

When/why did you decide to follow your dream and do this ice cream challenge?

Soon after I bought my first ice cream maker, I was feeling a little unfulfilled making flavors every so often. I knew I eventually wanted to open up my own ice cream shop one day, but I had so much to learn. So I thought up a challenge that would allow me to experiment like crazy over the course of one year. That’s how “100 Scoopsies” came about!

What is your favourite place to get inspired for new flavours?

More than anything, I love frequenting the loose herb and spice section at the “Naturals” store around the corner from my house. That’s actually where I got the idea to make the White Chocolate Raspberry Lavender flavour.

What city have you travelled to that has inspired you exponentially?

I have to say Paris! I love that there are desserts everywhere you go in the city. Crêpe carts, gelato shops, pastries in every window–that’s the way it should be in every city. Just thinking about Paris makes me want to bake all day!

What is your favourite way to spend a Saturday?

I love spending my Saturday afternoons alone, with a cup of black coffee, music, and my beloved ice cream machine!

Where can people follow you?

You can follow along on the journey at: www.100scoopsies.com! My Instagram () is updated every day with scrumptious ice cream photos, as is my Facebook: . I also share flavors and take suggestions through my Twitter ().

photos via Chloe Jankowitz

GETTING FRENCHED WITH JOE FRESH

Posted by kait / February 14, 2014

It is no secret that I LOVE Anna Karina. The first time I watched “A Woman is a Woman” by Jean-Luc Godard (and starring Karina) I was blown away by her cool Parisian style – a wardrobe chockful of stripey boatnecks, ruffled blouses, feminine knee length dresses – all in a perfect navy, black, white and red palette. Lady-like separates such as these are fairly hard to find. I was more than excited to see Joe Fresh‘s Spring ’14 collection which features stunning trompe l’oeil pieces, scalloped edged tops and classic striped tops and dresses. I can’t wait to head to Superstore and pick up a couple of these treasures!

WORK LIFE: THE SWEET ESCAPE

Posted by kait / February 12, 2014

Sharing a bit of love today for one of my sidebar sponsors, Melissa DiRenzo of the blog, The Sweet Escape and blogger workshop series, Happy Blogger Studio. Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, she is a multi-faceted creative that is working hard to foster a sense of community amongst Toronto’s design bloggers. I almost met Melissa in real life in San Francisco last summer when we both attended Alt Summit SF. I was asking one of the keynote speakers whether he thought you could stay in Canada and be successful as a blogger or not, and Melissa hollered out “Yay, Canada!”. I never found her that day but I made sure to track her down on social media! Excited to share this little Q&A with her about inspiring other bloggers, working for herself and travelling the world!

Tell me a bit about what you do.

Sometimes I wish this was a simpler answer, it would be easier at parties. I’m a art director, graphic designer, blogger & dabbling stylist. I currently take freelance jobs in all these areas as well as use all these skills and more to run my blog, www.thesweetescape.ca, which is updated 5 days a week.

When/why did you decide to follow your dream and go freelance?

I started the blog just under a year ago and took the leap of faith 6 months ago. It definitely wasn’t an easy decision. I was earning a great salary, had full benefits, 5 weeks vacation and rarely worked past 5pm. But the reality was that I was extremely unhappy (and unhealthy) and I knew there was no opportunity for change or growth in that role. I have tiny moments where I miss some of those positive elements but have never regretted the decision. Ironically I am working wayyyyy harder than I did even though I’m not making even a fraction of the income.

What is your favourite place to get inspired in Toronto?

I love Toronto. If you live here long enough and really get to know the neighbourhoods, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with at least a couple of them. It’s no coincidence that after almost 15 years of living here I now live in one of my favourite areas, Kensington Market. It’s really a unique little pocket in the city. It’s full of character and characters. There’s lots of coffee shops & restaurants, a ton of vintage shops, great food and the streets are busting with eclectic arts & music in the summer. Every Sunday from May – September they close the streets to cars so it’s a real pedestrian market.

What city have you travelled to that has inspired you exponentially?

This is tough because I’ve done a bunch of traveling (24 countries and counting!) but I can think of three cities that had this creative ‘vibe’ that just really inspired me and I could envision myself living there. Amsterdam for the classy-cool factor, New York for it’s creative buzz, and San Francisco for it’s creative and entrepreneurial “anything is possible” vibe.

What is your favourite way to spend a Saturday in Toronto?

I don’t have routines, it’s just not in my DNA so there’s no such thing as a typical Saturday for me. But I would say one of my favourite activities is to go hunting for treasures, either garage sales, vintage shops or even the odd estate sale. It’s a bit of an addiction.

What is Happy Blogger? How can people get involved?

The Happy Blogger studio is a side project I started to give bloggers or creative small biz owners who manage their own websites/blogs the creative skills (think photography, design, styling, etc) to make their sites look beautiful & professional. Being a designer puts me at an advantage in that department but not everyone has those skills. They have great ideas but may struggle to bring them to life visually. We just had our first successful photography workshop and I really felt great about people walking away feeling way more comfortable with their DSLR cameras.

We really want to offer workshops that people want and would love any feedback – even if you don’t live in Toronto. We would be super grateful if you took a few minutes to fill out this short survey and if you are in Toronto you can get a discount promo code for your next Happy Blogger studio workshop.

Where can people follow you?

You can follow our website, www.HappyBloggerStudio.com, or check in on () or or if you’re not really active on social media you can sign up for our newsletter for updates on upcoming workshops.

BEET SPICE DONUTS

Posted by kait / February 12, 2014

I was inspired a couple of weeks to go bake with beets after seeing a gorgeous red velvet cake in a magazine that used beets instead of food colouring. I had a bag of beets begging to eaten in the fridge so I decided to go forth and try making beet donuts. I used a gluten-free donut recipe I’ve baked with in the past which worked perfectly with the beets. They are cake-y and delicious and reminiscent of other spice cakes like pumpkin loaf.

Beet Spice Donuts + Sugar Glaze topped with Walnuts

1.5 cup: all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 cup: sugar
1.25 tsp: gluten-free baking powder
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon + nutmeg
pinch cayenne
1 cup: chopped, roasted beets
1/2 cup: almond milk
1 tbsp: vanilla
2 egg
1 tsp: unsalted butter

Glaze
1/2 cup: powdered sugar
1 tbsp: almond milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a donut baking pan with baking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cayenne.

In a small food processor or blender, blend the cooked beets with the milk. It won’t be smooth. Mix into the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla, eggs and unsalted butter. Divide between donut forms. Bake for 15 minutes or until the donuts spring back when touched. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool before icing. Once cool, dip the donuts in the sugar glaze and then sprinkle with walnuts.

Ta da! Enjoy these deliciously spiced donuts with a chai latte on a cool winter’s day.

HOME SWEET GNOME + GIVEAWAY

Posted by kait / February 11, 2014

It’s that time of year again! With warmer weather (hopefully) approaching, it is time to start making your to-do list for fixing up the house and gathering inspiration for your summer 2014 garden. The Calgary Home + Garden Show is coming up at the end of the month from February 27 – March 2. It is the most trusted resource for every home improvement project, inside and out. With big names like HGTV’s Bryan Baeulmer, Tommy Smythe and other top authorities, plus more than 650 exhibitors and a slew of new, exciting features, there’s real advice, real inspiration and real experts at every turn.

I was so excited when they asked me to be a part of their Better Gnomes and Gardens feature. Local bloggers including myself took on the challenge of painting a gnome for an awesome charity auction happening at the Home Show. All proceeds from the sale of the gnomes are going to support Grow Calgary, a very worthy, local charity and Canada’s largest urban agricultural farm that produces food for the Interfaith food bank to ensure that all Calgarians’ have access to healthy local food. This is my little gnome, inspired by the late great Mary Blair, a designer and artist for Disney during the 1940s-70s. I just love him – he is so cute!

I hope you’ll make it down to the show to check out the gnomes as well as all of the amazing exhibitors and booths! Scroll down for your chance to win tickets to the show!

✚ GET YOUR TICKETS:

calgaryhomeshow.com

✚ FOLLOW THEM HERE:

✚ A GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited to be teaming up with the Calgary Home + Garden Show and my favourite local floral designer, Joanna Tzavaras from Lil Pink Daisy Florals for this fabulous Calgary giveaway! We are offering up a FOUR tickets to the Calgary Home + Garden Show (Feb 27 – March 2) plus this gorgeous floral arrangement designed by Joanna and I to one lucky winner! Total value: $160 CAD.

HOW TO ENTER:

✚ 1. ‘like’ and on instagram and repost the image above on your instagram with the hashtag #vintagegardenYYC

✚ 2. for an extra entry, leave a comment on this post letting us know you’ve completed the above and include a link to your own instagram photo.

This content is open to Instagram users in Calgary, AB. Only users who DO NOT have a private Instagram account will be eligible to enter. One winner will be chosen at random using the hashtag #vintagegardenYYC on Friday, February 14 at 10am MST! Winner must email + arrange pick-up locally in Calgary by February 15. Good luck!