Debbie King

personally……this is the best souvenir

Leafing through the pages of this gorgeous book brings home the diversity of Vancouver and makes me appreciate it more.

Whether you live in Vancouver or are here just visiting, this stunningly photographed coffee table book by Claude Duke will remind you of all the good things that Vancouver has to offer.

Of course there’s the natural scenic beauty but the book also showcases the talent of local fashion designers and our multi-cultural foodies. It even comes with 24 detachable postcards. It would make a great gift.

Claude’s event (he is originally from Chile) was held at the Art Institute of Vancouver on Wednesday evening and it was totally multi-cultural and absolutely Fabulous. A generous number of consulates (Canada, U.S., Chile, Equador) were there to take part in the festivities.

Sexy Samba Dancers

Cuban band Brisas Palmar with Flamenco Dancer/Singer

Indoor/Outdoor event at *The Art Institute

There was an abundance of food, wine, entertainment, fashion show and of course….books!

The man – Claude Duke & me

*The Art Institute of Vancouver is one of The Art Institutes, a system of over 45 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, event management, fashion and culinary arts.

JQi & Katelen (visiting from São Paulo)

Individual Ceviches with mango.

marvelous macaroons

to purchase: http://www.claudeduke.com/

Delicious desserts

Books make great memories. Whenever I travel I always bring home a book whether it be something culinary from the specific area or on design, etc.

How about you – do you do the same?

FUN

beauty biz – RETINOL really!

Getting older is natural, looking older is not!

So you want to delay getting a facelift for as long as possible or even avoid it (like me) entirely. So here’s what you need to do – use retinol. Here’s why: this one ingredient boosts collagen, softens skin, evens texture, and fades dark spots. The data is clear (we hope whoever is controlling the data is clear on this) that women who regularly use retinoids age better than women who don’t. Here are a few key things to know before getting started:

You don’t have to use it every night. Start with twice weekly and follow up immediately with you regular moisturizer or face oil. After a few weeks, step it up to three times a week.

It should be an “at bedtime-only” thing. Retinoids are photolabile, meaning they break down in the presence of sunlight.

A little irritation is OK. Redness and flaking are signs that the active form of retinol, a compound called retinoic acid, is working in the skin to make more collagen. Just give your skin a few days to recover between applications. I recommend trying RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream if you’re not sure or you experience burning or stinging. Fyi – I have sensitive skin and I was using the regular Roc with retinol night cream, then followed up with face oil after waiting a few minutes for it to sink in. I took a long break so I’ll have to start using it again.

Have patience – it takes at least a few months to work. Your patience will be rewarded. I just found out that even if it doesn’t look like the retinol is doing anything, it’s building collagen stores in the skin that will help as you get older.

TIP: do an at-home peel a few days before starting retinol. This will get rid of dead skin cells allowing the retinol to penetrate faster and the fresh, new cells to benefit most from the ingredient. I like the Vica-C exfoliating peel by Mica Beauty.

What you don’t know about Retinol:

It doesn’t work by exfoliating. Even though they can make skin flaky (at first) they work by increasing the activity of enzymes in the skin that make more collagen.

It doesn’t make skin more sun-sensitive. Your skin might become more heat-sensitive, but that means it may feel hotter and look a bit redder if you go outside on a hot day, but that’s not burning. That said, don’t forget to apply sun protection for the obvious reasons. My favourite sunscreen is La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted SPF 50. It does the trick and gives a healthy glow.

You can use it around your eyes. This is where your skin really needs the collagen boost. Try not to get it in your eyes but if you do, don’t freak out. It won’t do any harm, just rinse your eyes with water. RoC makes a specific one for eyes.

Mica Beauty Vita-C Exfoliating Peel
available at:

http://www.intrigueimports.com/product_info.php?products_id=132

There are other skin creams available with Retinol. Go to the beauty counter or do some research yourself. Maybe you can pick up a few samples somewhere like “Sephora” to try out a few and decide which works best for you.

Have you tried any? What do you recommend?

STYLE

Style – Beach Bombshell

Swim where?

Victorians never swam – they went into the water, covered head-to-toe, and called it “bathing.”

Hence the term “bathing beauties” Here are some:
This summer the hottest look on the beach will be vintage, so girls….get ready to embrace Retro pin-up style! I’ve found some fine examples from years past. So it’s not a perfect world and we’re not built like Marilyn or look like Farrah (remember the poster every boy had?) but these are flattering and let’s face it, more figure forgiving. Of course, all these women had gorgeous hourglass figures, but the brilliant part about a vintage-style swimsuit is that you don’t have to.

Marisa Tomei

These styles that cover more flesh have been seen on everyone from Megan Fox and Taylor Swift to Lindsay Lohan, Meg Ryan, and Marisa Tomei (if you need this kind of assurance). Breath a sign of relief that you don’t have to suck in your gut now. The hottest looks right now come right out of the old Hollywood glamour of the ‘40s and ’50s, when pin-ups really took off. Some history:

Lindsay Lohan

In the year 2000 a platinum-haired R&B singer named Sisqó proclaimed his obsession with thong underwear, and suddenly, it got much more difficult to find bikini bottoms that actually covered the bottom. Swimwear, particularly for women, had shrunk to the smallest possible piece of fabric that retailers could justify selling as clothing. “Let it all Hang Out” bikinis were seen everywhere but not all of us look our best by letting it all hang out if you know what I mean. Remember every year around March, magazines began to scream about getting “bikini ready” for the summer. Would it ever end? Who would save us?

Believe it or not: One of the girls from Sex and the City – but the least suspecting of the bunch – Miranda (I would have guessed Charlotte). In 2008, Cynthia Nixon’s “Sex And The City” character appeared on the big screen in a stunning, red ruched one-piece swimsuit, with a halter strap and a sweetheart neckline, that hugged her curves and covered her bum. Women rushed to the stores to snatch up the Mio swimsuit designed by Norma Kamali (who, by the way still designs killer swimsuits).

This is probably the first time in ~~100~~

years that the trend has reversed from showing more skin. Interesting, right? Enjoy it! There are lotsa rappers out there so ya neva know when the trend will revert back.

Looks good on plus-sized women – a few of the plusses!

Check out my VINTAGE board on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/intrigueimports/v-i-n-t-a-g-e/

For the GUYS: Spring Break “Thong Song” by Sisqo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oai1V7kaFBk

FUN

Simply DIY – recipes for making green household cleaning products

Let’s take a break from cooking (but just this time) to get our house in order.

A lot of cleaning products as you already know, are very toxic and natural ones usually cost quite a bit more. Have you ever tried making your own that work just as well but are better for the environment and your lungs?

You won’t believe how easy these are to make and how effective they are at replacing your regular ones. You may never buy another household cleaning product ever again. And most of these items you already have in your fridge/pantry. Go to a dollar store and buy a few spray bottles. Try them and let me know what you think.

Glass and Tile Cleaner:

¼ cup white vinegar

1 quart water

Mix together, pour into a spray bottle. Works just like Windex.

Liquid Laundry Soap:

1 cup of grated Ivory soap

½ cup *washing soda

½ cup Borax

2 Tbsp. Glycerin (buy at your local pharmacy)

2 Gallons of water (NOTE: this recipe originally called for 2 cups water). Also, feel free to add a few drops of essential oil like lavender for a fresh scent.

Mix first three ingredients together. Add glycerin and water. Use ½ – ¾ cup per load. Best when used with cold or warm (not too hot) water.

Scouring Powder for Stainless Steel:

1 part salt

1 part baking soda

Mix together and pour into a jar with a sprinkle top.

Carpet Stain Cleaner:

Put 1 part white vinegar mixed with 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for 5 minutes or so, then clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.

Drain Cleaner:

1 cup baking soda

1 cup salt

1 quart boiling water

Blend soda and salt together and pour down the drain followed by boiling water. Let set several hours or overnight.

Oven Cleaner:

3 parts baking soda

1 part water

Nylon scrubber

Combine baking soda and water and use like a paste with the scrubber and your elbow grease. For the hard parts mix half baking soda, half salt to increase abrasiveness. Keep baking soda off the heating element.

Homemade Furniture Polish:

Cooking oil (no need to waste the good stuff on this, cheap unhealthy stuff will do fine)

Lemon juice

2 rags

1 container to hold the mixture

In your container, mix a few tablespoons of oil with a dash of lemon juice. Stir or shake well. Dip your rag into a tiny bit of the oil-lemon mixture. Rub thoroughly over the wooden surface, adding more liquid as needed. When completed, the wood should be dirt free and glistening. Use the second cloth to rub down the furniture so no oil remains on top, so the furniture is not slippery or prone to giving oil stains. Note: This works on faux wood as well as real wood.

*WASHING SODA (see liquid laundry soap above), also known as soda ash or sodium carbonate has many uses, from acting as a pH stabilizer in pools to acting as a water softener to removing calcification in water heaters to making lye pretzels. Washing soda is a beneficial item to have around the house, especially if you want to make homemade laundry detergent, as it is one of the main ingredients. However it is not so easy to come across. Fortunately it is very easy to make. One ingredient needed: baking soda. Here’s what you do: 1. Fill a wide baking dish with baking soda. 2. Heat in the oven at 400 degrees until all the baking soda becomes washing soda. Occasionally mix it so that this process happens faster and more uniformly. 3. Use as needed!

How to know when it’s done: Washing soda is grainy, baking soda is powdery. Washing soda is dull and opaque, baking soda is crystalized like salt and reflects light, i.e. it is semi shiny. Washing soda is separate grains, baking soda clumps together.

A bit about Borax (in case you’re as confused as I was):

WHAT IS BORAX? Borax is very effective, versatile, affordable, and eco-friendly compared to petroleum-based ingredients in conventional cleaning products.

Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a boron mineral and alkaline salt that’s mined directly from the ground. Borax is not boric acid. Borax and boric acid are found together in many places, especially volcanic areas where the borax has naturally reacted with sulfur. You can also find both compounds in seawater. It’s a naturally occurring element but even things from nature can be harmful (like asbestos or mercury).

Bottom line: While it may be listed as “poison” on the box, it’s only toxic at very, very high levels. (Like salt, baking soda, and even water is.) Here’s one more bit of info for you: Boron is an essential mineral that the body needs for bone building, immune function, and brain function. Plants need it to grow. But, like anything, it’s needed in small moderation. Much like salt. Boron is found aplenty in borax. People even take borax as a supplement and swear by it (I am NOT recommending you do this). That’s a little extreme, but use it as a gauge as to how harmful borax really is.

It is not harmful to the environment. In fact, the largest borax (borate) mine in the world – found in Boron, California – is considered by many to be the most ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable mine in the United States. This is also the mine where 20 Mule Team comes from.

Not unlike conventional cleaning products, homemade or store bought green cleaning solutions should be stored safely away from children and pets. When handled with respect, borax is a great addition to your cleaning arsenal. Mix solutions in your kitchen, away from food and clearly label your finished product.

Source: The David Suzuki Foundation

Art & Culture

CLAYZONE – Ceramics finds its place in the art-world mainstream

CLAY: a common material with an ancient history…

WAYNE NGAN sculpts the most striking creations

Versatile, sensuous, malleable, as basic as mud and as old as art itself, clay is increasingly emerging as a material of choice for a wide range of contemporary artists.

Ann Agee’s installation Super Imposition (2010), at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, presents the artist’s factory-like castings of rococo-style vessels in a re-created period room.

Ceramic art, referring specifically to American ceramic art, has finally come out of the closet, kicking and disentangling itself from domestic servitude and minor-arts status—perhaps for good. Over the past year, New York has seen, in major venues, a spate of clay-based art. There was the much-lauded Ken Price retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as his exhibitions at Franklin Parrasch Gallery and the Drawing Center. Once known as a ceramist, Price is now considered a sculptor, one who has contributed significantly to the perception of ceramics as fine art.

Populist as well as elitist, its inclusive nature might be one reason for its current appeal. It has infinite versatility, from the purely formal to the functional. It is a substance every child has played with,

Clayzone Ceramics, Vancouver

and it is responsive to the primal instinct to make things by hand. Clay allows the artist to create form in spontaneous and direct ways that other mediums do not.

What do the Artists have to say?

Arlene Shechet, Sculptor: “I’m not a ceramic artist,” Shechet insists. “I’m an artist who works in clay. I like working in clay because it is very direct experience. I like the resistance of clay. It’s a physical enterprise, and you can make anything out of it. It doesn’t have a character until you give it one.”

Julia Kunin, Sculptor: “Clay,” she says, “gives me the freedom to create something intense, raw, over the top.”

Sculptor Julia Kunin creates baroquely grotesque animal forms, such as Double Portrait, 2010. D. James Dee — Sculptor **Julia Kunin** creates baroquely grotesque animal forms, such as Double Portrait, 2010. D. James Dee

It has allowed me to pile things up, break things down, play, and make mistakes.” Kunin loves the immediacy of a material that is “as basic as mud,” she points out. “I am addicted to the unpredictability and iridescence of the glazes I’m using as well as the range of their colors and their psychedelic qualities.”

As these artists and many others, frequently women, wrestle with a material deeply embedded in rules, craft, and tradition, they are widening its trajectories, spinning it into the art-world mainstream, into blue-chip desirability. They are waiting for the day, as Cherubini says, when clay—no longer synonymous with the counterculture, with hippies and vegans—is just a material like any other, and those who use it are not ghettoized as ceramic artists.

Lilly Wei is a New York–based art critic, independent curator, and a contributing editor of ARTnews.

RIP Beth!

FUN

Words and Tweets: of Maya Angelou

“All Great Achievements Require Time”

photo from NY Daily News

Maya Angelou’s last tweet left the world in quiet reflection: “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”

Maya Angelou’s inspirational words were full of strength and have resonated with her audiences for years. The poet, author, and civil rights activist — who died Wednesday at the age of 86 — had a way of saying the simplest of things in the most eloquent of ways. Her first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, published in 1969, resulted in international recognition and led to six more autobiographies and a number of poetry anthologies.

A few of my favourite quotes from her works:

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

“Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.”

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“You may not control all of the events that happen to you but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

“While Maya’s day may be done, we take comfort in knowing that her song will continue, ‘flung up to heaven’ — and we celebrate the dawn that Maya Angelou helped bring.” RIP

FUN

Health MATTERS: Stinging Nettle is nothing to sneeze at!

I’m always on the lookout for a good natural solution to my problem.

Stinging Nettle

Of all the health problems that summer and spring can bring, hay fever can be amongst the most debilitating and annoying. The constant interruptions to your life brought on by uncontrollable sneezing and irritated eyes is enough to drive most people crazy. It’s driving me crazy right now!

It may surprise you then to realize that the same garden which is largely responsible for your current predicament is also home to the solution to your problems.

One study on humans of nettle leaf for the treatment of hay fever found that this herb works 58 percent of the time on reducing itching and sneezing. Researchers believe that nettle is able to reduce the amount of histamine in people with allergies. By naturally reducing the level of histamine in the body as a result of allergens, you increase your resilience to those same allergens.

Doctors recommend taking nettle long before allergy season begins. They also suggest using freeze-dried leaves, however taking supplements will also work. It has been found that hay fever sufferers can start out taking two nettle supplements, three times a day until symptoms are under control and then reduce their intake after that.

Stinging nettle tea is also available from most health food stores.

Did you know? Stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia.

Have you tried it?

Also, **Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America. Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health

FUN

Personally…I don’t want to become a TANorexic!

Summer is just around the corner (it started earlier than usual in Vancouver) and some of us are feeling that we look a tad too pale. What’s a white girl to do?

Fake it, of course – what else?

Start to shake up the St. Tropez self-tanning mousse and start slathering. Then somebody you know happens to comment that you’re looking really tan. You say “thank you” and they say “no, I mean like reeaally tanned” and then you’re feeling not so sure that it’s a nice compliment – like you overdid it with the bottle.

You try to cut back but it is really difficult especially once you start to see results (George Hamilton comes to mind). You must repeat this on a daily basis until you obtain the color you want (which is the “perfect” fake tan) but the lines become blurred because you never can tell if you’re tan enough. It’s a tough circle.

A Tanorexic is similar to an Anorexic in the sense that the person isn’t aware of how “tan” they really are, even if another person tells them they are. Is there a 12-step program to deal with this?

I thought I was the first person to come up with this term but it turns out that Wikipedia already has a description (which I added to):

Tanning addiction (see photos below for poor examples) is a rare syndrome where an individual appears to have a physical or psychological addiction to sunbathing or the use of tanning beds and/or spray tans – usually resulting in an overly orange or dark complexion and body color. This may or may not include a strange scented body odor although now you can find some sprays/lotions that don’t smell too bad (stop that!).

you don't want to do this — you don’t want to do this

Come on….who else is guilty?

It doesn’t really have to be this way!

FUN

Beauty biz – does Boots #7 live up to all the hype?

Remember when the original Protect and Perfect was hailed as the next anti aging breakthrough in Great Britain? When it hit the shelves in the United States it sold out in days.

In a recent Boots No7 review, BBC reported a clinical study that showed Boots No. 7′s Protect & Perfect to be as almost as effective as prescription products. Wow, big claim! Is it true?

Gwyneth Paltrow says she is a user of Boots No7 skin cream which adds further credibility to the line. (After all, she should know).

In 2011, Multiple Boots No7 Products Receive Good Housekeeping’s First Annual Anti-Aging Awards.

Boots No7 has been featured and reviewed by a bunch of influential magazines. NBC claimed the serum was scientifically proven to repair collagen. The primary ingredient that is known to repair collagen is oligopeptide. But is this ingredient in a high enough dosage to repair collagen? Our first reaction is that Boots No7 represents good value for money. When you compare Boots No7 to premium products, the formula is actually quite effective. The concentration of oligopeptide is reasonable for the cost of the product and we feel it represents good value for money. The Dermatology Review.

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum has been tested like no other cosmetic anti aging product in an independent 12 month trial. The findings clearly show that it has genuine, long term anti aging benefits. Contains Pro Retinol (I will blog about the importance of Retinol in my next post), concentrated levels of Boots unique antioxidant complex to protect from environmental damage and a skin-firming peptide complex to boost and maintain skin’s elasticity.

The serum does include Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide, two very effective anti-aging ingredients. Unfortunately, the peptides are the two LAST ingredients in a lengthy list of 31 ingredients. This means there are only enough peptides to allow Boots to list them which makes you wonder about the overall effectiveness. All in all, it feels silky on the skin and seems to work as well as many pricier serums. Only time will tell. Worth a try in my opinion.

Boots No7 is available at Target, QVC, Ulta, Walgreens, and Beauty.com. In Canada you can find them at Shoppers Drug Mart & London Drugs – priced between $20 and $40. It can also be purchased online through Boots USA.

I haven’t tried any of their other products – have you? Any comments?

STYLE

style & substance – the great WHITE T

A great all around basic.

Glam it up a little with a tulle skirt! Chriselle Lim, via The Chriselle Factor

It doesn’t get cooler than wearing a simple white T-shirt and most people own at least a few of these closet classics.

Not only is the T endlessly versatile and effortlessly wearable, but it also happens to be super comfy and available at every possible price point.

Let your tee stand in for your go-to button-up the next time you wear a pantsuit. Natalie Suarez, via Natalie Off Duty — Let your tee **stand in** for your go-to button-up the next time you wear a pantsuit.
Natalie Suarez, via Natalie Off Duty

Tuck it into a pair of white jeans—wide-leg, boyfriend, skinny or otherwise—for a super-sleek look that fakes the effect of a jumpsuit. Emily Schuman, via Cupcakes & Cashmere — **Tuck it into a pair of white jeans**—wide-leg, boyfriend, skinny or otherwise—for a super-sleek look that fakes the effect of a jumpsuit. Emily Schuman, via Cupcakes & Cashmere

Knot the hem of your tee for an abbreviated top with major throwback appeal. Karla Deras, via Karla's Closet — **Knot the hem** of your tee for an abbreviated top with major throwback appeal.
Karla Deras, via Karla’s Closet

There’s nothing wrong with wearing Hanes but if you’re looking for something more luxe, then The Row’s got a tissue-thin version you’re guaranteed to love but it will set you back a few hundred. They’re useful all year long. In winter wear one as a layering piece under something like a flannel shirt which you can remove if it gets too warm.

Dial down the formality of a precious jacket—beaded, fringe-trimmed or otherwise embellished—with your casual tee. Julie Sariñara, via Sincerely Jules — **Dial down the formality of a precious jacket**—beaded, fringe-trimmed or otherwise embellished—with your casual tee.
Julie Sariñara, via Sincerely Jules

When paired with a tucked-in white tee, sequins suddenly feel far more wearable. Leandra Medine, via Instagram/@manrepeller — When **paired with a tucked-in white tee**, **sequins** suddenly feel far more wearable.
Leandra Medine, via Instagram/@manrepeller

Whiteout! Make your tee part of a completely monochromatic look—and prepare to be mistaken for a fashion editor. Camille Charrière, via Camille Over the Rainbow — **Whiteout**! Make your tee part of a completely **monochromatic** look—and prepare to be mistaken for a fashion editor. Camille Charrière, via Camille Over the Rainbow

Now that it’s officially spring—and with summer on the horizon—the white tee is more important than ever. It’s the perfect complement to your favorite cutoffs, sure, but it can also anchor a playful print or be repurposed as an of-the-moment crop top. Looking for some fun, fresh ways to wear your favorite white T-shirt this season? Here are some T-based looks that are sure to inspire you!