Hush Puppies

 Last spring I had the true delight of working on some lifestyle images for Hush Puppies. They contacted me and were inspired by my Manly Hipster Calendar, and it was, obviously, an honor to pair my illustrations with their shoes! I do love menswear, sometimes even more then women's fashion. (I secretly buy the GQ a couple times a year, I cannot help myself.) 

 It was a fun process, to sort of pin point at some great trends / styles in menswear to match with three different versions of a new shoe coming out this fall. You can see more about this collection here. 

 And now some of my - read, woman - favorite shoes from their recent collections. That cute motorcycle-ish boot is coming my way via mail soon!! Can't wait for fresher weather to be able to even *think* about wearing fall clothes. Fall is my utmost favorite season, and summer my least one, so this is a time of the year when I can get so so so impatient for that shift to happen. It has been particularly warm here this weekend, and... I'm ready. 

I want to cuddle puppies and wear cute fall outfits too!! 

PLAY. EAT. NAP. 

Amen!!

Our Capital... And Joe Fresh

 Here... I'll say it fast... I like Ottawa. A lot. Every time I go, I find new things to love. Maybe this is not so so popular on my side of the province border...But I say, whatev. Last week we did a little overnight trip to Gatineau / Ottawa to visit Guillaume's sister. She took us out to one of her favorite restaurant, that we had been dying (no, really, we talked about it often) to try. Whalesbone, on Bank St. This place is teeny-tiny, rsv is a must. Even for a party of 3, on a thursday, at 6pm. It's busy but not loud, pricy but not outrageous. And seriously... when the food arrives, you don't regret any penny. Our expectations were met, big time! I had the hanger steak, and the boyfriend had walleye fish. (Fish is their specialty, and it's also an oyster house. But I had eaten a lot of those recently so I felt like a change!) I heard the menu is always changing, with what is fresh from the market each day, I love that! 

 Speaking of love, here's something I wore for brunch on Sunday. JOE. FRESH. My new lover. I like to buy quality over quantity when it comes to shoes (ie: Pretty Ballerina flats, were pricy, but this is the fourth summer they see. Who can say as much about their A*#do flats?), purses (whether it's from a store or a flea market, I buy real leather purses, that will age nicely with time, instead of burst at the seems if you carry too much in it, which we ALL do.) 

Top and jeans: Joe Fresh

Purse: Garage sale find. 

Shoes: Pretty Ballerina

Scarf: Gift from a friend, I believe it was HnM. 

Mardis Manger : Ramen Soup

 Okay, okay... I know most of you are thinking... Mr Noodles? Really??... Cup O' Soup?.. And while I can't say I did not enjoy those (dry, and shaken with the powder!) in grade school, this is not what I'm talking about here. I'm thinking, good, if not home-made, definitely home-pimped Ramen. Yes, caps. Because...

 Since we came back from Virginia, the temps here in Montreal have been... perfect! Still summer, but much fresher at night, and sometimes almost chilly! It just feels so *right* to bring a little sweater or jacket along for the night.. Or just using blankets again! So, last week I was craving Ramen. And this is a week night standard for me. A go-to, almost ALWAYS delicious meal. Super simple, extra cheap and comforting. 

 Here it goes! 

 I'm usually throwing whatever I have left in the fridge in. But some personal favorites are cabbages of all sorts (baby bok choy!), shrimps, fish cakes, rice cakes... Just use what you have, and add to the boiling broth according to the time of cooking it will need. (ex: chicken goes first because I want to be sure it's cooked through before the other ingredients go in.) Cook your noodles last and for a while, this is no time for al dente. These are good super soft. 

 I fried my fresh beans in sesame oil, with coarse salt and fresh pepper. I use those as toppings, so they stay crunchy. Get out any kind of toppings you like.. anything spicy, pickled, tart or sweet and sour will do. It's all good! I love chinese radish preserves, their flavor is intense, but it mixes super well with the broth. 

A Girly Post : Shoes

 I know, for a fact, that most women can identify to this. That moment when, you KNOW, you deserve some new shoes. You KNOW it will make everything feel right, and that somehow you did something to earn this. The right to go and buy yourself some awesome new shoes. Either for fall, or for summer, or for no reason at all... Sometimes you just need new pretty things to put on your feet and walk around with. 

 For me, that time had come. I know that buying ballerines and sandals, when fall is just around the corner, might not seem very clever... But! But! Is it me or summer kind of stretches a bit further every year now? It will be warm, and even later, I will love those new flats with jeans, jackets, when the weather chills out. And! I think those Dr Marten wedges are going to look terrific with dark socks, or opaque tights. :) 

I saw these cute Reef flats in Virginia, but they did not have my size. Montreal Magic. Period.

 I pretty much never wear heels. I'm always scared I'll be uncomfortable and will want to walk bare-foot all the way home. So I don't buy shoes I'm not likely to wear, ever. But lately, I've been wanting some sort of feminine alternative to everyday sandals. Something high*er* but not so high that I don't feel natural in it. Those are seriously sooooo comfy. The plastic sole makes them really bouncy, and the arch is not too pronounced. Feels manageable! I hope I'll wear them A LOT. 

Back

 And... We're back. This was an amazing week.. Finding ourselves disconnected from... Well pretty much everything (who lives without internet connection now days!?) felt very good. We knew we could have had wifi at the island's McDonalds.. but really, that was just out of the plan. The weather was cloudy for most of the week, which had me bummed out a bit at first, but it did not actually rain. We have been able to swim-swim-swim in the ocean without worrying too much about sunburns, or sun-excaustion. Just making small plans for each day, one day at the time, was very relaxing. Spending quality time with my family is always so much fun, and makes me realize how lucky I am. :) We ate SO MUCH seafood. The price is really reasonable, and the produce also was cheap and so good. (Hello fresh ripe peaches!?) 

 The long drive is so, so worth it. We decided to cut the drive back in two, and stayed in Cape May NJ on sunday. Cape May is beautiful. It always strikes me. When I was 5, 7, 25.. now. And even though it was a super fun afternoon and night; the waves were very strong (even bigger - taller then the ones in Chincoteague, that can still flip a grown man upside down!), we swam for almost 2 hours straight, then enjoyed a restaurant me and my parents loved from our vacations 20 or so years ago (The Lobster House, on the marina - was hectic but worth it!)... We realized just how much we love our small beach town. It's so much more quiet... There is just less people. And the vacationers are more laid back, they really all seam to be tuned to the same relax beat. Cape May kept making us think... Jersey, in a negative connotation way. (not in the awesome lush nature beautiful state kind of way.) So yes, it's still worth it to go all the way south to our tranquil - less urban getaway. The refuge is so... untouched. And it feels much better to the soul.

 I feel there is so many things I could say about this awesome vacation... Swimming in the crushing waves and feeling all salty, seeing groups of dolphins having fun in the waves too in the distance . Feeling like rockstars on the beach with our new Hudson Bay Company towels, cooking live blue crab! Tasting Virginia wines, enjoying out favorite beach food at Woody's Eatery, scratching mosquito bites... I could go on and on. I still have some more photos, taken on roll (!!) That I'll get, and share, later this week. I'm thinking that maybe next year I'll have to work on a vacation city guide, to show my appreciation to this area. Until then... 

I'll be by the beach, if you need me.

The things I cherish the most about beach vacations: 

+ Family time, 

+ Collecting many more freckles,

+ Catching up on a good book(s),

+ The week goes by with mostly leggings and sun dresses over bathing suits,

+ You kind of don't need to wash your hair, ever,

+ The incredible amount of sea food and white wine,

+ Still finding tiny grains of sand in your house weeks later.

I'll be spending the week in Chincoteague, VA, one of my favorite places on earth. 

Take care, and I'll see you next week! 

A Girly Post

 Like, hum, pretty much every body who is of female gender, I have been in love with the ombré look for most of 2012. I love how it applies to so many things right now; furniture, fabric, HAIR, clothes, ect. I just gave myself a bit of ombré love via those nails! (Please ignore my atrocious cuticles and short-short nails.) 

 To get the look: Use a semi opaque nail polish. I'm using Essie Poppy-Razzi in Camera. You basically make three layers, starting a bit under the middle of your nail. Then going up for each coat. Using a top-coat once it's dry is a must, since it will unify your three coats, and smooth out the difference in thickness that you might have from each layer. 

 I love how fun it looks, and it's really not that hard / painful to do. Even your right hand will look decent, since you don't need to be 'that' precise. Have fun! 

July

those earrings, instagrams, and photos that, sadly, lead to nowhere from pinterest. 

 A little thought to that waaaarm and summery month that just passed. I turned 27. Went on plenty of weekend day trips. Learnt to slow down a little. And got plenty of love from this amazing man, my family, that cute/bratsy dog of mine, and dear, dear friends. 

Mardis Manger* : Watermelon Iced Tea

 Whenever I have guests over for dinner, during the summer, I like to have some sort of homemade refreshment for them. This lemonade** is a old favorite, and always goes by pretty quick.  I wanted to try something new this time... more like a fresh - fruity - sweet-tea. 

 We had bought a whole watermelon the previous week, and since it was super ripe, and there was only so much watermelon we could stuff ourselves with, I froze some of it. (In cubes. If you have the patience, freeze them on a pan first, so you can use them as ice-cubes! Otherwise, freeze them in a tupperware like a normal person.) So here it is; Homemade watermelon sweet iced tea! 

 Use whatever black tea you have at home. I used Darjeeling, but otherwise Earl Grey, Lady Grey, or Rose tea would be great options. This is the right time to sweeten your tea. Go according to taste, depending on if you want a really sweet southern kind of sweet-tea, or more of a fruity-subtle drink. 

 This recipe was so fresh, I'd have enjoyed it any time in the day, so if you feel like making it 'virgin' go ahead. You can always mix your alcohol in later if you want to make it as a drink. 

Any flavored vodka (I had green apple and grapefruit at home), or white rhum, would be perfect. 

Add as much citrus juice as you want, and some water to taste. The puree tends to unmix from the tea and water. Keep a spoon out to stir before you serve each glass. 

*I am aware this is not something to manger, but it's still something you'll drink!? With food.. maybe? Is it okay?

**Do try the Rosemary Fizz, it is so so so good. The rosemary simple sirup is not as complicated to make as it may seem, and it's super practical and yummy to have in your fridge all summer long! I would not post this recipe here, since it is not mine. :) 

Janvier :: Sketch

 Here is my sketch for the month of January! Youpi for calendar 2013'. This time around, for color inspiration, I decided I was going pick my palettes out of some of my favorite instagrams of each given month. ( I am guilty, I do love instagram like your average hipster.) 

 This is a picture I took last january, and does it really get better then slow cooked oats, homemade jam that was given to you, and a cappuccino made by your man? It does feel silly to talk about such wintery things.. But you gotta do what you gotta do! 

Sauvez les meubles!!

This is Vanessa, a pretty dang cool woman I have been working with, on some illustration work for her blog. She has worked so hard for this, and I am really happy for her! So proud!!

Mardis Manger : Pâté Chinois au BBQ!

 For a couple of weeks now I have been obsessed with this one idea: Making a summery Shepherd's Pie on the BBQ. (I know, you're raising the eyebrow.) I was craving this flavor combination that I love during the winter, but not so much the idea of turning on the oven. I finally tried it, and it was GREAT. We seriously wished we could have had seconds.. So I thought i'd share! 

 This is some of my favorite flavors to pair with beef. But feel free to use whatever marinade you like. I use a big ziplock bag and have it sit on the counter while I prep other stuff. Having the meat come to room temperature before you cook it is a great tip.  

 Double up the aluminum foil, and make sure it's nice and tight and does not let any air in or out. If you want to ad some finely chopped onions, feel free! I just did not have any this day, but I usually put some in the mix. Use a mix of olive oil and butter. Salt and pepper GENEROUSLY. 

 I personally only swear by charcoal BBQ. So I need a bit of time / patience to get my charcoals to be really hot. If you have a gaz BBQ get it to the right temperature. (I can't help you here ;))

 I start with my potatoes right on the really warm section (over my charcoals) and have them there alone for 10 minutes. The sound of the butter sizzling is a pretty good indication that they are good and comfy. Then, I move them over and leave the spot for the corn cobs, turning them a couple of times. We eat our steak pretty rare, so I just grill it 1-2 minutes on each sides right in the really hot spot. But this really is to your liking, and depending on the type of cut you have. I used some left over filet mignons that were frozen, so I know it's really fresh. Otherwise I would have used bavette; hanger steak, from the butcher.  If you are a vegetarian, thick slices of marinated tofu will do just fine, and be just as tasty!

I'm using a mezzaluna blade, because it's very precise and fast. 

Use what works well for you.

**Ketchup is a must. Otherwise, a bit of Sriracha would add some kick! Enjoy!! xx

DIY Dinning Chairs

The boyfriend and I decided to re-upholster those two chairs we have. They are the "visit extra" chairs in our dinning area. We wanted to brighten up the room with a light yellow stripe. I need to hang this awesome birthday gift too :) 

It's that time of year...

 And high time to come up with a new calendar!! I've been brewing this in my head for a while, and the first image is actually from weeks ago. But even if it might be more... dynamic in terms of composition, it was further away from what I had in mind from the start. I drew again, and now it's getting closer. I'll try to refine and get exactly the effect I want when I draw the cleaner sketches. 

Mardis Manger : Betteraves dans le vinaigre.

 Oh! Look! I am actually blogging!! I have taken the resolution to try to post more... More drawings of course, but also, just more. More about myself and my everyday life. What inspires me, and moves me, and makes me want to be a better person. (I am aware that this is the purpose of most blogs out there, but I find myself always guilting over how I wish I'd post more here... So this is an attempt! Read on, or don't if you find that I bore you!!) I'll try to categorize things in weekly posts, and will *try* keep to it!

 A thing that brings me joy daily is cooking. Last week I made some pickled beets to have as a fresh summer condiment, and I thought I'd share my simple recipe here. 

 My mother in law gave me some of her homegrown beets. They are a sweet funky stripy kind I had never seen in the market before. I also used some of my homegrown sage. I love fresh sage with roasts, stews and squashes in the fall, but never think about using it in the summer. 

* Peeling beets is super duper easy once they are fully cooked. You can remove the skin with your fingers (once they have cooled off!!) I like beets al dente though, so I blanch them very quickly and therefore, have to peel them like potatoes. But it's so worth the crunch! 

 This is a recipe I also use for parsnip and other root veggies. But it's the best with beets!! I usually keep the cooking water for watercolour purposes, it gives a nice delicate shade of lilac. This time around, I kept it to try to dye some knits or fabric, we'll see if I have to courage to try it!

Mid-Summer Charm

It's the middle of Summer, and we're taking it easy. I'm really happy to say that some of my personal fabric designs are for sale on Spoonflower.com! I've had a blast making them, and now hope that they might make some people happy, and be part of awesome DIY and sewing projects. 

Enjoy!

Lately

Choses récentes, comme ma nouvelle passion pour le bleu "oeuf de merle". Ou, Robin's egg blue. 

Big news, since the last post... Hum... I MOVED TO THE SUBURBS. It's obviously quite a change, but so far has been a forecast of good things to come. I've been working on tiny "What I wore today" drawings. Took this one a bit further. I was trying to experiment on new ways of colouring. Did not end up much different! I'll keep at it. ;) 

Noé

Bonne Fête Noémie-didididiii! 

Noemiah.etsy.com

Those lovely earrings..