The road less travelled

So I was off for a week from work and decided to be Vegan. A little extreme perhaps? I have had a little push from Alicia Silverstone's new book "The Kind Diet" I watched "Food Inc" and I lasted as a vegan before, for about a year and a half. I have had a love hate relationship with dairy my whole life ( I like it, it does not reciprocate the feeling).

I have had a lot of ideas lately about my place in the world, my contribution to the planet etc. Just what will my legacy be. I think of myself as pretty level headed so for most people I have mentioned my decision to they are visibly shocked. Since when is a diet decision seen as extreme? I have seen it as a little self denial and sacrifice to help the entire world in a very little way, but something I can help with immediately.

I am not the kind of person who pushes my ideas or beliefs on others but i do think that everyone could help the world a little by not eating meat or dairy for one day a week. It really isn't that hard. I am not sure in what way my blog will take shape. I hope to share my love of food and fun with everyone, as well as my love for handmade items.

The first few days were tough. I felt nauseous but I realized at the beginning I was not getting enough protein for someone who had dairy or meat at pretty much every meal before. I added a little soy milk and a couple of soy products to my diet and I have been fine since. 

Supermarkets are a whole new experience for me. I have found that my choices are limited to about 10% of what is sold and that even alphaghetti contains cheese. If anything I am left questioning why cheese etc is needed in many products and I think I am understanding why it is so hard to lose weight on  a North American diet.   

Daisy Daisy give me your answer do

Spring time is here and summer days follow. To remind me of simpler times I recently added a daisy chain bracelet to my listings on etsy. It looks like I'm not the only etsy seller with daisy fever.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/36807354/sale-the-lady-and-the-daisy-5-x-7-fine

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/45675094/daisies-bookmark

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45367675/daisy-cuff-bracelet

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/45745033/summer-daisies

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45742485/snowy-white-alaska-shasta-daisy-seed

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45748404/gift-card-holder-in-orange-and-yellow

Finally my own new creation made from vintage daisy cabochons.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45745064/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not-vintage

Bathroom Vanity

I love spending time in the bathroom. I dream of a room devoted to my bathtub with lotions potions and soft fluffy towels. I have searched through Etsy to bring you a few vintage inspired "necessities". I hope you love them too.

Every day should be bath day but it's not good to wash your hair every day.

Keep it water free with this vintage inspired shower cap.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40975664

I have never seen such sumptuously packaged soap

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41424829

A pretty sign for your bathroom door

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35228423

I love this powder puff you could use it for talc or face powder

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35934261

Harkening back to Cleopatra with a milk bath

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37597610

A pretty Kimono for after your bath

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41543966

Luxurious hand and body lotion butter balm in a super cute tin.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40297012

This sweet little bottle can house your best kept beauty secrets.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30467724

The secret garden

How wonderful to have a little earth of your own inside a secret garden. Where you could plant what you chose and spend afternoons swinging in your little sanctuary. I was enchanted by the secret garden from Mary's description of life in India to the many secrets of Misselthwaite Manor.

As an homage to all things secret and wonderful in nature I created this elegant timeless necklace. If you love it stop by to my store http://www.etsy.com/shop/lunetmuse

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette

I loved Sophia Coppola's portrayal of Marie Antoinette. Especially the "I love Candy" montage. In honour of all things Marie I created a lovely sumptuous piece today. It's a pale blue, ribbon flanked, Mermaid cabochon bracelet that would make Marie smile.

strawberries and strawberry fever

I am having a strawberry relapse. I forgot how pretty they are seeing as we are in the depths of winter in Edmonton. Today I went to see avatar in IMAX 3D and it was a feast for the eyes. I accompanied this with a sakura bubble tea (strawberry and melon). I left feeling the need for more strawberries and found strawberry milk tea as a powder I can make at home hot or cold and an attempt at strawberry daifuku. I have never eaten fresh strawberry daifuku but it looks like I will have to attempt to make my own. Mochi, chocolate, strawberries it sounds like heaven. I have made mochi before but it was a little lumpy I just watched a youtube on making daifuku and I think I may give it a go. Here is the link if you would like to try too
http://www.tvlesson.com/video/25885_how-to-make-strawberry-daifuku.html

San Francisco - a city that has everything I need

If I had a green card you bet I'd be on the next plane to San Francisco. I just returned there from vacation and it has everything I love. Minutes from rocky beaches, the weather isn't too hot, a mix of the old and new, both a Japan town and china town minutes from each other, a great transit system, flowers in January. I wonder if the folks living San Fran realize just how lucky they are. Yes it was a little expensive and there are many disturbed individuals roaming around whispering or shouting profanities but I could live with that.

Staying around O'Farrel at the Hilton, you get a true picture of the poor and rich living in close proximity to one another. I have to admit I was uncomfortable when I ventured out after dark by myself but I only had one incident that was unnerving. I think if you keep your wits about you everything is fine. The cable cars were great fun and I love that they have reused old trams from around the world on the F line. In fact I was impressed with their transit and recycling programs. Fisherman's wharf is definitely a lot of fun as well as Pier 39.

Japan town is wonderful especially the large mall there. China town is definitely worth a visit as well as Yerba Buena gardens and the Museum of Modern art. I also spent a day in Monterey and Santa Cruz and drove along Highway 1 which well deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful drives in the world. I used Fodor's guide to plan my day trips which has great maps and advise. I also purchased a city passport or muni passport that got me in free to several attractions and had unlimited use of the muni transit system for 7 days.