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They heard me singing and they told me to stop…

Earlier this month I had a touch of the universe treating me so kindly.  My brother Tom’s birthday was on September 26th and earlier in the summer I knew I wanted to get the three of us Arcade Fire tickets for his 21st birthday.  However, they went on sale while we were on our honeymoon so I totally forgot about purchasing them and once we got back I heard that they sold out in 10 minutes or something crazy like that.  Anyways, a couple days later, my friend Malissa sends me an email saying that she has three tickets that I can have.  For free.  I was shocked and amazed at her generosity and started to wonder what kind of lovely and magical things are happening in the universe.  We brought her a nice bottle of wine from one of the wineries we visited in California as a thank you for the amazing tickets!

Tom was super stoked for the concert and since we all are sushi addicts, Byron and I took him out for an amazing dinner at Towa Sushi on 4th Street.  There was so much sushi that we couldn’t even finish so Tom took the leftovers home to Mom and Dad.  I am sure they went nuts for it too!  We even had to cancel our yam tempura order because there was no way to fit any more food into us.  However, I managed to eat a small popcorn at the concert but that is because I have no willpower.  Those fun cartoony popcorn boxes get me everytime.

The show was at the Stampede Corral, which we were all a little bummed out about, because it is not the greatest venue in Calgary.  But it does fit a lot of people and this was a sold out show.  The first band Calexico was amazing!  A little bit country and a little bit of Latin flavour made this performance incredible.  I will definitely be looking to purchasing their album in the near future.

Arcade Fire was AMAZING as expected.  We have been listening to their new album, The Suburbs non-stop for weeks and they played tons of stuff off the new album as well as all their prior hits.  I have never seen so many people in one band that have endless energy.  They were running back and forth, switching instruments, dancing, everything!  The visuals were incredible as well, looping video with lights and live footage.  It was perfect.  I only wish that we were closer to the stage and had room to dance without toppling down the bleachers!

We were too far away from the stage to get any really good photos, but check out Vanda’s (my great sister-in-law) blog here.  Her and her husband are huge music fans and have even guest-blogged on my other website, New Canadian Modern.  She is also an avid sewer and blogger so be sure to check out her other posts of her most recent projects!

The Birthday Boy and I at Towa Sushi.

Where All The Lights Are Bright

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKCnHWas3HQ&fs=1&hl=en_GB]

I entered a contest with the Calgary Downtown today to describe what my most stylish downtown experience would be to win a bunch of great prizes and experiences.  Pretty much one of my favourite songs since I was a kid, Petula Clark sings about how great downtown is.  Byron hates this song so I love singing it incessantly around him because it is so infectious, you can’t help but get it stuck in your head! Anyways, you can read my entry below and see what my materialistic dreams of downtown would be! 🙂

What could be my most stylish downtown experience?

As a downtown-girl by day and an uptown-girl by night, I mix and mingle between the two polars daily.  To spend an entire day downtown, not at work, but shopping, wining, and dining would be my ultimate stylish downtown experience.  I think I would probably start off the morning at my staple coffee shop deVille Luxury Coffee for something incredibly luxurious, like a velvety vanilla latte and maybe a dark chocolate cherry truffle for protein.  Next I would mosey on over to The Bay to check out their latest women’s designer collections and pick up several cute dresses for fun.  Heading in to The Core, I would browse and shop in some of my favourite shops including Club Monaco, Browns, Aritzia, The Gap, and Banana Republic.  Taking a break for lunch, I meet a girlfriend for the Indian Buffet at Mango Shiva complete with a Pomegranate Rose Martini and a chai tea and rice pudding for dessert.  Worried that I might be slightly too full to try on more clothes, I head over to Fashion Central to Volume Beauty Bar to get my hair blown out and to relax.  After a scalp massage and my hair feeling silky smooth, I walk straight to Murale to get a full beauty treatment and to pick up some new essentials.  After I feel entirely glamourous, inside and out, I head over to Holt Renfrew to finish off my shopping spree.  I get new skirts, jackets, shirts, and party dresses to fill closet (and my other closet too!) and hardly stop to try on a couple pairs of shoes and boots that will compliment each and every outfit.  I realize that I have been incredibly selfish today and I head off to the mens department to pick up my husband six Mad Men-esque suits with coordinating dress shirts and skinny ties, as well as some great weekend clothes like a classic merino wool cardigan and Ben Sherman jeans.  I look at the time and I am nearly late for my dinner date with the aforementioned, and I rush down the street to Murrieta’s to have a romantic dinner for two complete with a delicious wine and music.  Instead of cabbing home, we would back down to our uptown paradise and relish in the most stylish downtown Calgary experience of all!

downtown calgary

Do you believe in Magic?

Last Thursday, Byron and I got taken to KOOZA Cirque du Soleil by my good friend Denise and her lovely husband Mike.  Since we had just seen LOVE in Vegas, we were so excited to see another Cirque show.  We are so lucky — two Cirque shows in a month!  We started off the night with some delicious carnival popcorn and PINK champagne!  I was so happy to be drinking pink champagne and eating popcorn.  What a great combination.  We found our seats under the big top in Stampede Park and settled in to watch the show.  What I saw was mind-blowing.  It amazes me how every single performer in Cirque Du Soliel is so incredibly talented and make everything look so easy.  And then I start to think about how many Cirque shows are happening simultaneously!  Who knew that there was that many amazing people in the world who can contort unexplainably and have impeccable balance?  Anyways, it was a lovely autumn evening to hang out with two lovely people and see an amazing performance.  Byron and I are actually considering taking a Vegas Vacation on a weekend so that we can see another Cirque show, perhap O or Viva Elvis!

I took this photo as we were leaving the grounds.  What a beautiful night.

Pretty VS. Edgy: Design Dilemma

Can you mix pretty with edgy?

As you can see a couple entries below, I am selling my beloved 1950s sectional sofa.  It is time for a design change and I’m excited!  Our lease is up on this little lofty apartment in January and we will be looking for a new place, a bigger place.  Especially since the wedding and all of the amazing gifts we receieved, we have sort of outgrown the space.  Be that as it may, I am still trying to cut down on the amount of material items we possess.  Possessions can create emotional wear on a person and even though I am completely not minimalist in any sense and I always love to have pretty things surrounding me, there comes a time when you need to let things go to a new home.

Before we decided to move in together, Byron had bought a fabulous black vinyl couch from Nood here in Calgary.  It is a very slick design and we have recently decided to move from the more 50s style to a sexy 1960s vibe in our place.  We’ve also been very inspired by Roger Sterling’s office on Mad Men, black and white, everything.

Anyways, I am thinking lots of menswear inspired fabrics for all of the pillow forms I recently bought at IKEA.  Plaids and pinstripes, wools and flannels.  Crisp greys, blacks, and whites.  Maybe a bit of purple thrown in to maintain the feminity in the house.  It is pretty funny because we are going from supremely girly with pink and turquoise everywhere to something more monotone.  Now all I need to do is convince my parents to give me their Saarinen table!  I am worried though. How am I going to handle the lack of pink in my life?!  I don’t really wear pink in my wardrobe except in the summertime.  I guess a little pink lipstick might go far.  There is no doubt about it that I will lapse, especially once we move.  I’ll be tossin’ pink all over the new place.  Or will I?

Not my parent’s table but I LOVE this kitchen!

Boxwood 4-5789

Yesterday I went for a lovely lunch with my mentor and friend Patti at the new Boxwood Cafe located in the recently revamped Central Memorial Park in Calgary.  I have been awaiting the launch of this new restaurant for nearly a year now since the structure started going up and I heard news that it was owned by the same people of Princes Island Park’s River Cafe.  I think there is something particularly sweet about lunching or dining in a park so I couldn’t resist suggesting it when we made plans for lunch.  It just opened last week so I was eager to be one of the first to sample their lunch menu.

I arrived a bit early and got a chance to fully absorb the space.  Beautiful wood walls and beams, natural light shining in through the building-length skylight, and artfully picked chairs, tables, artwork, and print material.  Even their signage has a gorgeous hand-tooled woodsy feel to it that kind of just makes it feel like home.  Once Patti arrived, we looked over their delicious-looking menu and chose our selections.  Boxwood is completely cafe-style, where you order at the front counter next to the open kitchen and they will bring out your order to your table.  Patti ordered the Chickpea Fritters and Roasted Eggplant Sandwich ($10) on fresh ciabatta bread with an organic lemonade.  I ordered one of their great salads which had B.C. nectarines, arugala, and feta.  As a side, I thought I would try the Warm Creamy Cornmeal with Aged Sylvan Star Gouda ($6) and a delicious french-pressed coffee.  The salad was great with the nectarines, though on such a cold day I could have gone for something a bit heartier.  While the cornmeal was delicious, I don’t think I would order it again as it was a little too rich and sticky for my tasting.  You never know until you try. Patti thoroughly enjoyed her sandwich and I was supremely jealous that they didn’t have gluten free bread so I could give it a whirl.

The service at Boxwood was top-notch.  All of the servers were very friendly and helpful when explaining the menu and how to order.  I was  immediately greeted by the friendly chef when I entered the kitchen which was a nice surprise!  You sure don’t see that too often in the restarant biz.  I can’t wait to go back here for a romantic dinner with Byron followed by a walk through the park.  Have you seen the coloured fountain lights at night yet?  It is perfect.

Live Elegantly: Fabulous Dreamy 50s Sectional Sofa For Sale!

An advertisement from the late 50s for a very similar couch!

It is time that I must part with my beloved mint-condition vintage sofa!  This sofa is a dream piece, bound to make every living room SWOON! Beautiful turquoise textured upholstery with 3 sectional pieces and cushions.  Perfect for your vintage-inspired apartment!

$850 or best offer!

Miss Allison plays the part of a true 1950s partygirl on this glamourous sofa!

Byron fulfills his Mad Men daydreams on this great sofa!

Message me if you are interested and also if you want to come look at it!

xoxo

Kait [email protected]

San Francisco Treasures

I thought I would share some of the lovely treasures we found on our honeymoon.  These were actually all found in San Francisco, which happens to be a great city to shop in and find gifts for your friends and family.  Enjoy!

Got this great little City Lights Anthology for my parents.  A little piece of history.

Rat Fink Bobble Head for Dad, Anthology, and Decaf Beans from Blue Bottle Coffee Co. for Mom.

Santa Monica J Crew Map Tote bag, Anthropologie pink glass and floral hankerchief, Cityscape Stamp Set for Mom!

Close up of the Stamp Set.

Golden Canteen for Lauren!

Adorable children books from City Lights Bookstore for us!

things are good.

Byron’s reading material for the next little while:  back issues of Domino, DWELL, Blueprint, and ReadyMade.

Our dream fall line-up of concerts.  Going to be a lovely autumn.

My family blew up and framed this awesome picture of us from our engagement shoot.  They are the best! LOVE!

We tried out these new black rice soba noodles.  Don’t you just love the packaging design.  So beautiful!

Colourful meal.

To Glamp or to Camp - That is the Question

I have never been camping.  Yup. A total camping virgin here. I only just realized I had never taken part of that beloved Summer Ritual, where people huddle around a campfire telling ghost stories and sharing anecdotes about life and roasting weenies and marshmallows and sleeping on the cold damp ground underneath the stars. That’s right — I am nearing my 25th birthday and I have never been camping. Of course, I have experienced camp-like adventures such as going to band camp in junior high or setting up a campfire along the Bow River when I lived in Banff. But I have never “roughed it”. Ever. And I am both proud and ashamed of this. I live in one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. I live sixty minutes away from the Rocky Mountains and sprawling, un-teathered wilderness in which to explore and experience the wild.

I recently discovered the subculture calling “GLAMPING”, or otherwise known as Glamourous Camping. Sounds pretty much right up my alley. I found this website called Glamping Girl which features fabulous places to go glamping all over North America. Incredible places where you can sleep in an elegantly netted four poster bed in the middle of a luxe green forest with only the bright stars sparkling down on you. Where you can eat beautiful breakfasts with the rising sun and experience Native American cultures, such as Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump here in Alberta. It all sounds wonderful and they even include information about glamping in Africa and doing all sorts of amazing safaris and treks. While this all sounds fabulous and eye-opening while still experiencing a glamourous time, I am a little more old fashioned in my desires for on the road travel.

Oh yes, the Airstream Travel Trailer. I have been in love with this silver bullet of glamourous trailer travel since I first laid eyes on one. My parents always have had fabulous books lying around the house with all sorts of vintage paraphernalia and kitsch and of course an entire book on vintage travel and Airstreams was among that mix. I think I was 13 or 14 when I first saw an Airstream trailer in person. I was scrounging around the back lanes around my neighbourhood, you know, picking raspberries from people’s backyards and spying on the cute boys jumping on their much desired trampolines, when I came across the ultimate vintage dream for a nostalgic child like me (I’ve spent most of my life pretending I am Gidget). An Airstream parked in the back lane, gleaming in its aluminum goodness WITH, with, with —- a FOR SALE sign on it! I wrote down the number and rushed home to call about it. I guess I could have knocked on the door of the house it was parked at and inquired but I figured once they realized how old I was they would laugh and close the door. But on the phone, I could pretend to be anyone I wanted. Anyways, so I called and talked to Archie, the owner of this hunk of gasoline burnin’ love and found out he was selling it for $2, 000! Even as a young teenager with no money I knew that was a great deal and went to solicit my Mom and Dad to buy it and park it in our backyard for me to live in and have an art/craft studio in.

Even though an Airstream was something my parents dreamt about owning sometimes, they said no. It would be too much work and money to re-store it and you have to get a permit to park it in the alley let alone your backyard. I resigned my offer sadly and slowly, making sure to visit that dear trailer as often as possible to keep my 1950s daydream alive. One day it disappeared and I probably cried. I would NEVER live in an airstream now in my parents backyard, NEVER. I think I saw it again on the other side of the neighbourhood in someone elses back alley a couple years later and I looked at it wistfully like an old friend whom you have lost complete touch with and kept on walking.

I think the second time Airstream really caught my eye again was when Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie launched their new TV show called The Simple Life where they travelled the US attempting to live the so-called simple life that mid-Americans lived daily. And they travelled in style. A Barbie-pink pickup truck rigged with a shiny custom Airstream trailer complete with hot pink lanterns and accessories was their ride and boy, was I jealous!

It wasn’t soon after that I started reading in magazines like BUST and ReadyMade that there was a resort in Arizone where you could stay on themed Airstream Trailers. Kind of like a themed hotel, but again, trailers. Awesome. It is called the Shady Dell. There is so many beautiful trailers at this resort that I doubt that their website does any justice whatsover. But still click on it. It is definitely one of my favourite websites for anyone who wants to lose themself in vintage culture and life, take yourself back to a time where life was simple and the drinks were cheaper.

I love the classic Florida 1950s design of the Airstream Trailer. Palm trees, turquoise and seafoam colour scheme, flamingos and antique dishes and silverware. This trailer would definitely be at the top of my list of where I would stay at the Shady Dell.

The Tiki Bus is hard to beat as well. Staying in this sky blue vintage bus complete with a tiki bar, grass hut style kitchen, and lighting reminiscent of a luau — I would have nothing but sweet dreams in this trailer. The Shady Dell really does amazing things with their talents and skills restoring these vintage trailers and creating an atmosphere and experience that their guests will never forget. I can’t wait to stay there one day.

The more I think about it, the more I know exploring North America in an Airstream would be so much fun. We are buying a car this fall and getting some sort of trailer, whether it be a classic repro Tear Drop or an Airstream — it would be great to FINALLY go camping. I looked on the Airstream website and they are still producing that classic Airstream style. I have even picked out the one I would buy if we got one.

The Flying Cloud would be my pick It’s classic and slick and still has that ultra-retro feel that the authentically vintage Airstreams have. I would certainly deck it out in pinks and turquoises inside and have some sort of magical woodland creature theme happening. Lots of deers, of course.

So magical, the idea of taking off and its just you, your companion, and the world. Whether you camp, glamp, motel or hotel, vintage or new travel trailer, the world is your oyster! xo Kait

Honeymoon Diary: Day Thirteen

Honeymoon Diary: Day Thirteen

August 30, 2021

Today we went to Alcatraz!  Barb, Jerry, and Eva bought us tickets for our wedding which was so exciting because they knew how cool it would be for us!  I admit I got a little woozy on the five minute boat ride over to the island…what can I say?  It was certainly an eerie place to be but was kind of overshadowed by all of the construction they are doing on the island.  It was a little distracting.  Gorgeous views however.  Absolutely wonderful.