BEWARE WOLFSBANE

Motivated by Halloween I was looking around work yesterday for something spooky to share with the masses. Other than a few pumpkins and some stunning, albeit wilting, black kangaroo paw (worth checking out if you ever have the opportunity) I was coming up with nothing. It wasn't until I looked in the far corner, surrounded by pink roses and Lisianthus did I spot the most unassuming of terrifying flowers. Monkshood or Aconitum is a tall graceful plant with soft, cloud-like clusters of flowers at the top of each stem, found mostly in shades of purple and blue, they are a welcome contrast to the fall palette. The only problem with Monkshood is that they happen to be fatally toxic.
A subject of folklore for centuries, Monkshood may be more recognized by its other name: Wolfsbane. The stories tell of Wolfsbane being used in everything from witches' poisons to vampire repellent to werewolf tranquillizer, this last one in fact being not far from the truth. Aconite, the poison derived from primarily the roots of the Aconitum plant works as a deadly sedative if ingested in too large a quantity. When taken internally (or supposedly in extreme cases externally) the poison slows the heart rate down to a point of death, but at the same time paralyses the respiratory system, meaning that as your heart is slowing to a pace that cannot support the body, your lungs are also unable to take in any air, which in fact causes death by suffocation before the heart rate stops.
In small doses, the herb can be medicinal, utilized even in traditional Chinese practices, but be forewarned: it has been documented that even so much as touching this plant to your lips or tongue can cause extreme distress to the body. These flowers are a staple in the floral industry and are one that I handle regularly this time of year and thus far I have no weariness (or mythological encounters) to report. However I cannot help glancing to my side as I type for there is a bouquet I brought home for myself of Monkshood, Rose hips, and Anemones and with each sentence another petal of the evil Wolfsbane heavily drops from the stem, scattering death all over my kitchen table. Perhaps staying home this Halloween isn't the safest option after all.

MRS. RABBIT

For the past few weeks I've been helping my friend Kim sew costumes for the Capital City Burlesque's Halloween show which happens at New City this Friday. I finished Marissa's Jessica Rabbit dress earlier this week and it's pretty damn fierce -- I never knew redheads with 40-29-43 measurements actually existed in real life.
Turns out making clothes which are designed for the sole purpose of coming off rather than staying on is a whole different ball of wax. Changing my mindset about the wearability of these garments has been oddly liberating, kindof like burlesque itself I would guess.
Of course, this doesn't mean I'll forgo zippers for snap tape in my own designs anytime soon.

ELISABETH BELLIVEAU

Beautiful artwork by Elisabeth Belliveau.

GETTING STARTED

I'd special-ordered a long blazer from Dace for fall which, sadly, never materialized. Boo-hoo, I shed a little tear, picked my sorry self up off the floor, then remembered I don't have any money to spend on clothes anyway so yippee!

But I still wanted a long blazer. Story of my life.

Lucky I know how to make one so that's what I did this Saturday & this is how it turned out:

And the nice thing about making your own blazer? You can totally give it a leather collar and line it with kasha for cool weather which makes it even more perfect for you than the one you had ordered in the first place. I'm so excited to finally be making things for myself again.

STAYING FOCUSED

{beautiful photos from saipua}

Having recently jumped back into the floral design profession, I find myself lacking the confidence I once had with arranging. It can be so easy to lose one's own sense of what is beautiful when constantly told it should be this way or that way. Now I once again have the freedom to prove myself and to please others and frankly I just can't focus on one idea at a time. Luckily there are plenty of florists posting their amazing pieces on the web, reminding me that I have something to aspire to.

GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS TODAY...

...It's new camera day! I'm going to go pick it up right now, well, ok, just as soon as I get out of bed.
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

OLDIES

UGH. Still no camera and it's driving me nuts.

Spent a portion of last night looking through old sketchbooks and found this beauty from the '90s! yo. It always amazes me how little my drawing style has changed in 10 years -- not necessarily a good thing, I know. It's called growth friends, I need to learn it.

Anyway, it was a nice way to waste time as I avoid the great closet clean-out of 2009. Seriously, the situation is out of hand. I need to get rid of at least 2/3rds of what I own to make my bedroom remotely liveable again. Am I wrong to believe that this will greatly improve my quality of life? After all, I've never been one to deal well when I have too many options - menus are my nemesis.

THE LIFE

{photos mostly from M O O D and viva vena cava}

CRAVINGS

{from top left: Juma shawl cardigan, Raquel Allegra top via Assembly, A Detacher charmeuse jumper via Creatures of Comfort, Complex Geometries wool tabard, Acne metropolitan heels via Gravity Pope, Thieves sweater}

The prairies have warmed a little lately, still I feel the cold creeping in and must prepare for coming months of winter + dark + forced hibernation. Already I'm finding reasons to not leave my house while endlessly fantasizing of escape from this great cruel north. I don't know how much longer I can pretend to be content here.
Earl Grey tea and Station to Station provide a little comfort. So does window shopping. I'm currently craving woolens and fancies and, with so little time left to wear them, completely impractical shoes. Dreaming helps make it through the long cold nights at home, be careful though, so does drinking.

ps. Cross yer fingers that my new camera arrives in store this week so I can finally start posting photos again.

SHADOWS AND TEXTURE

I took some photos on my lunch break the other day. The gallery where I work captures the feel of a hidden desert, or more so a little oasis, locked in time in a much different climate than Southern California. Everything in this small white room is brought down in scale to suit the houses and the offices of the Vancouver elite. It's the scale of all these plants that is now so interesting; each plant is family sized so to speak, but in the safety of the gallery, behind glass and doors, bathed in the warmth of the south-facing sun, one is able to quietly admire and inspect these organisms in a way otherwise quite unattainable in the wild. When you are this close, these species are no longer just unique, or beautiful, they are alive, they are threatening, majestic, unpredictable, and resistant, but ultimately fragile because they have been taken from where they belong and now they must live within these walls where it is clean and boring and safe. A much different silence than the desert.

THE RAIN

Dear Elizabeth,
I woke up to the pouring rain today. Everything is grey and I cannot see the mountains beyond the bay. There appears to be no end in sight; I am reminded of the final chapters of The Grapes of Wrath. All I can think is "Thank God for my wellies!" My Hunter boots were the single most important purchase I made before moving to Vancouver and I have been so thankful ever since. In a city such as this where any morning you can awaken to something from the Book of Genesis, you need a really solid boot you can rely on to keep your feet dry. Needless to say, being able to carelessly jump in puddles is an added bonus.

SIGNE CHANEL EPISODE 2

READY TO FALL

The leaves are finally starting to change colour here, although you have to look closely at times. The beauties in the maple family are an exception however, they are stunning. The remarkably elegant trees line my street, completely covered in solid glowing red leaves, ready to all drop any minute. With endless rain in the forecast, I plan to enjoy the leaves while I can.

SIGNE CHANEL EPISODE 1

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

{ann demeulemeester images from style.com}

Perhaps I speak only for myself when I say this, but there comes a time when "pretty" is about the last thing a girl wants to project. A point is reached when freedom from all that harmless frippery and the move to a meaner, streamlined & seductively mature look seems truly desirable. The draw of making an impact vs. getting lost in the crowd.

Currently I'm feeling hugely inspired by Ann Demeulemeesters Spring 2010 collection. I love her use of skin, both human and animal, and the interplay of natural imagery & form with decidedly man-made accessories and attitude. In fact I'm rather obsessed with her zippered leather cummerbunds and chain & feather body jewellery, perhaps I'll have to work on versions for myself.

Also excited about the exaggerated length. I'm telling ya, floor-sweeping hems are the new body-con, mark my words.

ps. Mary, it snowed yesterday. Yes, I live where it snows in the second week of October. Please send furs and vodka.

THE MORNING STILLNESS

Good morning! I hear it's a little chilly in certain North American cities right now, but where I am the weather is perfect. I just enjoyed an amazing breakfast on my balcony where the air was crisp and the sky was clear. It has been an unnaturally dry October so far in Vancouver (or so I believe) and I am not complaining. Nothing really compares to sitting outside on a fall morning and starting your day where you can just see your breath, looking out at a pale blue and yellow sky, mountains covered in shadows and low mist rolling off the ships sitting on the bay.

Last night I made my very basic granola while listening to Nick Cave's Abattoir Blues (which I highly recommend as listening material when it comes to granola making.) This morning I was able to enjoy it with vanilla yogurt, prune plums, dried blueberries, and Earl Grey tea. You should make this granola, it's so easy!

Here's my recipe, the roots of which come from a recipe by Smitten Kitchen:

Basic Granola, makes two large baking pans

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sweetened (I often use un-sweetened) flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/3 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup other chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts this time because they were on sale)
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon (my man loves cinnamon, you could use less or more, to your own taste)
a pinch salt
1/3 cup brown sugar (I often leave out the sugar, especially if I am using sweetened coconut)
3/4 - 1 cup light honey (I used a wildflower honey from the farmer's market that my man picked up and that smelled like heaven as soon as I opened the jar)
3/4 - 1 cup vegetable oil
2 - 4 cups mixed dried fruit (totally optional! I usually don't add any, that way I can customize my granola every morning)

Preheat oven to 375°F and line two large baking pans with parchment paper. Stir together, in a large bowl, all ingredients except the fruit. Spread the mixture evenly over the surfaces of your baking pans. Bake 15-30 minutes, stirring every five minutes and check often to avoid burning. Let cool for an hour or so before you add any dried fruit. My little tip is that after I remove the pans from the oven I like to press down on the granola with a wooden spoon before I let it cool, that way it sticks together and I can break it all apart into large delicious chunks.

I hope you have a fantastic Friday morning!

SACRED THINGS

The studio continues to improve as I find places for treasures old and new. I hope to start some patterns on Thursday, though finding the time to accomplish everything is beginning to pose a problem. Who knew unemployment could be so time-consuming?