The Toque Girls

As you read this, I’m somewhere on the Big Island of Hawaii. The next few days will likely be spent sleeping, swimming, hanging on the beach, hiking, biking, surfing and sleeping some more.

I put together an outfit for a fun afternoon of wandering around Hawaii. Let me warn you: I spent a good part of my 20s living on a hilltop over looking a Mediterranean beach. I used to have to trudge down a banana hill to get to the beach. Those walks in 40+ heat left a mark on my beach style, which is comfortable, practical and not terribly girlish.

First, the bikini. I love this one from Shoshanna. It reminds me of one of my early faves, a black number from Top Shop:

Then, I always love worn-in denim shorts. Mine are from Abercrombie:

On the top, I wear an old white men’s button-down, wore to light summery perfection. This one from J. Crew would work perfectly:

For shoes, sorry, girls, I’m going practical. I expect my beach afternoons will involve clamoring over rocks to explore as much as possible. Let me introduce the shoe that’s carried me miles and miles and miles, the Birkenstock Ramses (did I just hear a groan from every stylist I know?) :

I’ve found Old Navy is a treasure trove of affordable beach bags. I like this cross-body striped number:

And to keep my freckles from popping out, I wear a hat similar to this Melissa Obadash panana hat:

We’ll talk sunglasses later on this week! Have a great Monday, lovelies.

~Chris

I rarely paint my nails. Not because I don’t love the look, but because I’m lazy.

So, whenever I have the opportunity to have a manicure, I feel supremely pampered. I felt that way last weekend at Urban Venus, where my mom kindly treated us to manicures.

Just walking into Urban Venus’s downtown location makes me happy. The decor is clean and bright, the girls are friendly and the place smells great. (The smell is thanks to their custom moisturizers; I chose the Pina Colada scent.)

Choosing nail polish colours — especially from such a great collection of OPI shades — is always a difficult task. The last few years, I’ve been drawn to dark, deep colours; my staple shades are Lincoln Park After Dark and Dark Cherry Chutney.

But, when Emily, my blogging style icon over at Cupcakes and Cashmere, showcased her sparkly nails in a recent post, I thought they looked fantastic. And when the girl doing my nails at Urban Venus said they’d done sparkly nails on all of the performers they took care of at last year’s MuchMusic Video Awards, I was sold on the idea. (I’m no performer, but I do like trying new things.)

We used two colours: Black Onyx as a base, at left in the picture below, and then Mad As a Hatter, at right.

The end result was different than what I’m used to — and that’s why I loved the manicure so much.

I felt like I had jewelry for nails, which was fun, but probably not ideal for wearing to work. The next time I bust out a glam manicure, I’ll have to ensure I have a glam week to match.

~Michelle

Both my sister and sister-in-law are pregnant and due within the next few months. Neither can zip her winter coat up over her growing belly. Neither wants to fork out dollars for a super-sized jacket that only fits for a few months.

With five weeks left to go, my sister’s belly is big. On days when it’s -20 and colder, she pulls on her husband’s puffy parka — pretty funny as her husband is well over six feet. But on warmer winter days, Nicole pulls on a super stylish knitted shawl, scarf and toque combo from Pieces, a Danish company with a few outposts in eastern Canada. Her husband picked it up the set for her on a recent trip to the Netherlands. It’s perfect for keeping the cold away from her belly.

Check out this stylish pregnant lady:

So you can get a sense of the baby bump that she’s covering, here she is shawl-less. Looks lovely, don’t you think?

This is my favourite shot. It looks like she’s saying, “Oh my! I think I’m going to have a baby!”

*Photos courtesy of Martin Zacharias

~Chris

I first met and wrote about Morgan Mallett, the jewelry designer genius behind Design + Conquer, in 2009 — not long after she founded her company and began creating gorgeous pieces out of flexible plastic polymer.

Since then, big things have happened. Morgan and her creations been featured in all kinds of publications. Sook Yin-Lee wore Mallet’s Tron earrings at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. Refinery29, the famous fashion website, featured Design + Conquer in its “Hot New Products” feature. And, recently, Morgan has a new email pen pal: Perez Hilton.

Morgan heard that Perez is looking to feature young fashion designers on his new site, Coco Perez, so she sent him a video with her work. He replied and has asked to see another, more personalized, video, which he suggested should be “fun, fruit and cute.” Morgan will be submitting that soon, and we’re, of course, rooting for her; the exposure she’d receive would be fantastic.

In the midst of juggling her daytime job (graphic design for the University of Calgary), planning the video for Perez and designing, cutting and hand-making every piece of D + C jewelry, she squeezed in a coffee date with me last Sunday. Read on for 5 Questions with Morgan Mallett.

But first, here is the lovely Morgan herself, as photographed by Calgary photog Noah Fallis:

What’s your spring/summer collection for 2011 all about?

I was really inspired by Expo ’67. I was fascinated by the graphic design, the architecture and the grandeur of the event itself. I later found out both my parents attended and thought that was pretty neat. It was huge, and a unifying event for Canada.

How does that play out in your designs?

I never like to be literal, like, hey, here’s a flower! It’s more the shapes I’ve seen, and maybe not in Expo ’67 even, but in that era. I repeat them and arrange them differently. And the colours, too. They’re modern, but they’re also taken from that time, like the oranges and greens from textile patterns.

**On that note, check out Morgan’s Lounge Earrings, which were photographed by Greg Swales:

And her Radio-Canada Earrings, which I adore:

 Many of your pieces are bold. How do you suggest women wear them?

 I’ve got a variety of sizes. There are larger, more statement earrings and there are smaller ones, which are more stereotypical, for every day wear. It really depends on the person. I have a client in New York who received a pair of big earrings but was disappointed they weren’t even bigger, so she asked me to make a custom pair. I think a lot of people, like me, don’t find exactly what they’re looking for in stores. [With my pieces], you’re making a statement by wearing an accessory that really reflects you and that no one else has. That’s one of my goals.

What’s a typical Saturday like for you in the YYC?

I usually get up around 9, workout, have breakfast, walk the cats outside and then I’ll get to work, emailing different designers and clients. I sketch, listen to music, make a pair of earrings. If I had a really set schedule, I don’t think I’d be as creative. And then I try to get out with friends. You can only stay so long in your design lair, hatching and scheming plans. You’ve got to get out there.

You exercise, you’re a vegetarian, you support animal causes. What’s your guiltiest pleasure, food or otherwise?

Let’s see, here. Where do I begin? I will buy the odd tabloid magazine and enjoy the suffering of others. (laughs) No, no. I definitely like a healthy lifestyle. I’m not big into partying but I do enjoy going out once in a while. But that’s not the goal for me. I love designing and that’s what I’m here for.

You can buy Morgan’s pieces online or at AG Silver Boutique in Calgary’s Fashion Central.

Once I decide which pair of earrings I must have, I’ll be placing an order, myself.

~ Michelle

This post could also be called Why You Should Live Close To Your Mom.

I created my own winter boot camp this weekend. The boy and I had a glorious snowy day of skiing at Lake Louise on Friday. I followed that up with a super long run Saturday, thanks to sunny skies and a new running watch (thanks, Santa). On Sunday — which was supposed to be my recovery day — we set off on a leg-busting cross-country ski around Pocaterra Trails in Kananaskis. Here’s a photo from Trail Peaks:

By the time we got back to Calgary, we were sweaty, sore and starving — and just in time for Sunday dinner at my parents. My wise mom (knowing we’d be starving) made moussaka for dinner. If you’ve never had it, it’s like a Greek lasagna but instead of cheese, pasta and tomatoes, it’s made with creamy bechemel, eggplant and potatoes. In other words, it’s precisely the type of hearty comfort food that’s needed after a day of skiing.

Like much Greek fare, moussaka recipes differ based on region. Some chefs use potatoes, some don’t. Some make it with beef, others prefer lamb. My family relies a Cypriot recipe with optional potatoes, optional zucchini and lamb. It comes from a small cookbook called The Taste of Cyprus, by Gilli Davis, that my mom, sisters and I own and love.

Ingredients

• 2 lb (1kg) aubergines or courgettes or a mixtures of both, trimmed and sliced lengthwise in thick slices
• 2 large potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced (optional)
• 1/2 glass/100 mL olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 lb (450) minced beef or lamb
• 2 large tomatoes, grated or 1 -400 g tn of tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 stick cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 glass/100 mL of red wine
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the White Sauce:

• 3 oz/75  butter
• 4 level tablespoons flour
• 1 pint warm milk
• ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 glass/2 oz grated cheese — halloumi, kefalotiri or tasty cheddar

1. Immerse the aubergine slices in lightly salted water for 30 minutes, and then rise and squeeze them gently, pat dry with a kitchen towel. The courgettes need no attention.

2. Fry the aubergine or courgette slices in 3/4 of the oil, turned the slices so that they brown but don’t cook through. Leave them to drain on kitchen paper.

3. In another pan, fry the onions till soft in the rest of the oil, then add the meat and stir to break it up. Add the tomatoes, herbs, spices, seasoning and wine and continue to cook for 25 minutes when the liquid should be absorbed.

4. For the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and then add the warm milk gradually, whisking hard to remove any lumps. Take the saucepan away from the heat and stir in the seasoning, spices and cheese. Make sure that the sauce has cooled before adding the eggs.

To assemble the moussaka

Either use a 10″ x 10″ baking dish or six individual pots and line the base with slices of cooked aubergine or courgette. Add a layer of cooked potato if you are using it.

Now spread the meat in a layer over the aubergine and cover with the remainder of the aubergine and potato.

Cover the top of the moussaka with the white sauce and bake in a moderate oven, 350 F for about 50 minutes until the top is a good crusty brown.

Pour glass of wine. Enjoy.

PS – Those who know me well are sure to comment about the fact that I posted a recipe with potatoes as I have a lifelong hatred of potatoes. Of course, I didn’t eat the potatoes. S. ate them on my behalf.