things I did for my b-day - part 5

The fine fellow playing his guitar in the sun.

Brunch on the roof of the boat in the sun.

39th year is looking pretty good so far.

things I did for my b-day - part 4

I decided that one of my summer looks should be cute dresses (as always) and cowboy boots. After realizing how expensive these boots can be, ebay helped me out and I won me some serious sexy loveliness.

The first to arrive were the wonderful Frye's ...

that I am enjoying with a little cotton dress from H&M and a soft vintage crinoline.

Then these gorgeous red ones (which were are steal at 30 bucks) arrived last week ...

and they look great with this dress from Damzels and my favourite purple crinoline (they also look darling with the dress in my profile shot).

Then, just as I was giving up hope of getting them before my birthday, the butterfly boots showed up ...

and I am loving wearing them with this dress from Le Chateau which I think I bought in 1996 and gives it a whole new flavour!

Now I need to learn how to two-step!

things I did for my b-day - part 3

I recently discovered some amazing wheat-free, dairy-free sweet treats at Pulp Kitchen - it's across the street from the Damzels' store in Leslieville. 

Turns out they get their deserts from LPK's Culinary Groove where they make all kinds of gluten-free, vegan deliciousness!

I am officially in loooooove with their coconut cake with lime frosting - couldn't ask for a better birthday cake!! But what's that you're looking at Marcel?

Yes, those peonies you picked for me are simply amazing!!

And thank you for remembering how much I like to have flowers in the bedroom too!!

He's so thoughtful!

things I did for my b-day - part 2

The first dance I did as a child was highland dancing when I was 4 or 5. I'm not entirely sure why my mother chose Scottish dance since she's Irish as the day is long, but I would have to guess that it's because she loves kilts.

So when I heard they were doing the Highland Dance Championships down at Harbourfront, I was excited to see all the flinging and sword dancing that would go on.

And the kilts were flying!

I watched for about 3 hours - I really can watch hard working dancers accompanied by live bagpipes for a long time! Then I thought I'd go and find the Irish Famine Monument nearby. It's tucked away in a funny spot on the waterfront not far from where the boats from Ireland docked over 150 years ago.

This might not seem like the most uplifting thing to do, but I watched P.S. I Love You for the millionth time recently and a couple of the characters go to the Irish Hunger Monument in NYC with corned beef sandwiches to kinda show the ancestors that they were doing alright. I liked that idea.

The sculptures seem quite sad to me. They are called "The Arrival" and there is a series of figures in Dublin called "The Departure" by the same artist. I thought there was something very sweet about the flowers and coins left with them - are they wishes for the dead or the living?

But I didn't feel the need to leave anything. I came to say "you survived your hard journeys so that I could be here - and I sing and I dance and I smile with my Irish heart on my sleeve. I am grateful and all is well - be at peace, síochána."

things I did for my b-day - part 1

I spent a lovely day on the boat on the island with the fine fellow,

and fed Swanee, his lady love and their adorable 5 little cygnets!!

I just wanted to scoop them up and pet them!!

Happy Birthday to me!

from my sister Ceciley

The Flappettes return

I've been rehearsing for the past few weeks with my dance troupe The Flappettes.  We've been on a "haitus" for the last two years because 3 of the 9 members of the group got pregnant each within a month of each other and one of the other gals moved to europe.

This photo is from our last performance and there are two serious baby bumps going on there (the third was way to preggers to dance at this point).

We performed for Frankie Manning, the granddaddy of Lindy Hop when he was in Toronto teaching the real, old-school, original swing dance. He has always been our favourite audience member and is one of my biggest personal inspirations.

This was our low-impact "pregnancy" routine and you can see Frankie right at the very end with the wonderful smile that was always on his face. He died a year later, right before his 95th birthday.

Now swing dancing communities all over the world hold tributes and fund raisers to celebrate Frankie's amazing life, contributions and inspiration. So The Flappettes went back into the studio to revive one of our old numbers and we put on those gold dresses one more time on Saturday night.

Of course I tied eveyone else's costumes up nice and tight (I'm the troupe costume lady) and then mine comes undone! But it was so much fun to do this again and for a cause that is dear to my heart.

Here is my absolute favourite of our routines - Charleston -

which I co-choreographed.

To say that I miss doing this would be an understatement.

the week before

I turn 39 in about a week and it is at this time of year that I take some major inventory.

What am I doing with my life?

What would I rather be doing with my life?

What do I need to do to make that happen?

But I also spend some time being grateful.

Because I may not have my dream life, but this one ain't so bad.

cannes I make a clafoutis?

My lament over not being able to eat pain au chocolat (otherwise known as a chocolate croissant) at chabichou, lead me to thinking about the delicious delights I can no longer enjoy at yet another delightful French cafe: Clafouti.

And then it occurred to me that while a wheat-free croissant is probably not worth having even if it exists, a wheat-free clafoutis might be something I could actually make.

Et voila! Pattycake has a recipe for a wheat-free blueberry & fig clafoutis - what could be better?

The recipe seemed so easy ...

eggs, (almond) milk, honey, vanilla, corn flower ...

add lots of figs and blueberries and it should come out looking like the photo above.

Well, except when it doesn't.

 

So, yes I can make a clafoutis - but not a good one. My custard would not gel and in the end the entire thing was seriously overcooked. Not sure what the deal is with this, but if I've learned anything about baking it's that the second time I make something it usually comes out better ...

At least my hat still looks good and I'm planning to do some other French things with the fine fellow on the boat this lovely long-weekend ;) Joyeux May 24!!

the best chocolate croissant

I may no longer be able to eat wheat, but let me tell you before I made that discovery I was a serious croissant connoisseur. Chabichou has the best chocolate croissant in town and I don't just know this because it is literally up the street.

But I did love getting up late on a Saturday morning and knowing that they would still have some of their delectable, perfectly buttery & flaky, soft chocolate in the middle pastries because they open at the very civilized hour of 10 am.

Now I know it simply as a temple to all things I can no longer enjoy because in addition to their perfect pastries it is primarily a cheese shop.

Although I'm pretty sure I'm not allergic to French boys ...

Ah yes, but back to how I know that those three little darlings on the right are the best thing in town? Well chabichou is a fairly new addition to the world of croissants and I have been eating these anywhere and everywhere they make them in this town for many a year now.

Sometimes they are overdone, frequently they are soggy, often the chocolate is hard in the middle. These are none of those things - they are perfect. But all I can do is smell them and remember the bliss ...

So to cheer myself up I'm pretending to be in a Monet painting (since I'm still pretending to be in France) ... Bonne journee!

French lilacs

Are they really french?

Je ne sait pas.
But my walk home smells like heaven right now.

And since Marcel did ask for them ...

and I am still pretending ...

to be in Cannes ... pourquois pas?

can I go to Cannes please?

Perhaps I wouldn't really like to go during the festival, but these people sure do make it look like fun.

J'adore the south of France and would really like to practice my french, carry Marcel around in a cute panier,

and play boules while wearing an adorable hat.

I can pretend right?

Ten dollars at Forever21 says I can ... et je peut parler francais avec Marcel, non?