Thursday, February 18, 2010

Olympic Fever

The Olympics have come to Vancouver, and I have never seen anything like it in my entire life.
As cynical as I am about the Olympics, I figure that we locals are paying for it and might as well try to enjoy it. One really cool thing that I've noted so far is just how nice everyone is being to each other! Strangers strike up conversations on the sky train, and everyone is being very polite to one another. The streets are packed with revellers, and everyone is excited for gold.


These lights have been up since Christmas, and I thought they were beautiful.

These weirdos have a picture of pinhead on the back of their truck. They were being very, very obnoxious, yelling things out their windows and blasting their music. At least they were having fun.


Crazy crowds on Robson Street



The CTV News station on Robson Street
Free hugs on Valentine's Day? Why not?


All the skyscrapers that belong to the sponsors have these massive images on the sides. So cool!


Robson and Granville, the epicenter of craziness.

The Zip line that allows people to soar above the crowds!

The indoor skating rink on Robson and Granville. I heard that they had to put fake ice down in order to skate...its very warm here for February at the moment.


Floral art on the Vancouver Art Gallery



A random eagle carving

Home!

The Media Center

The Olympic Rings on Coal Harbor, North Vancouver in the Background.



Close-up of the rings



More crazy crowds

A random globe

The Olympic Cauldron, prior to Vancouver Organizers moving the gate and cutting a panel out of it to make picture taking easier.





I'll be heading down there again tomorrow...for my Birthday Party! More pics of Olympic madness coming soon! Hope you're all having a fabulous week,
Love,
Ashley

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Purple Sparkles

Today I was playing with my makeup (as I tend to do everyday), and decided to snap a few pictures of it. Its nothing super-duper fancy, but its very sparkly and dramatic. I actually just noticed that it matches my banner, which has happened more than one...I am obsessed with purple!



I don't know if you can see it, but my eyeliner has red sparkles in it!




My eyebrows could have been better. It's annoying because ever since one of my cats fell on my face (long story), part of this eyebrow hasn't really grown back. Oh wells.







What did I use?

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Fyrinnae Pixey Epoxy
Aromaleigh Rocks! 'Lady Stardust' (On most of lid)
Aromaleigh 'Air and Light' (over top Lady Stardust on inner corners)
Any ol' black matte eyeshadow for the crease (I used Coastal Scents)
Archetype Cosmetics, 'Unwrap Me' used as a liner
L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara (I hated this when I first got it, but its grown on me)

Face:
Purely Cosmetics Pure Mineral Foundation in Fair Maiden
True Blush Loose Mineral Blusher from Coastal Scents

Lips:
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre 'Hearts and Stars'
I highly recommend Fyrinnae's Pixey Epoxy. It's my secret weapon!!!
Till next time,
XOXO
Ashley

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Yummiest 'Diet' Ever.





When it comes to diets, I usually the last person in the world to jump on board. Those popular eating plans and cleanses - South Beach, No Carbs, Master Cleanse, etc - always seemed to be a 'quick-fix' way to lose weight that involve restricting your diet in one way or another (although some people do make it work). For myself, when it comes to food I'm very passionate. I cannot live without Pasta (fettuccine alfredo), desserts, and carbs; theirs no way I could ever give those goodies up in the name of losing weight.


Fettucine Alfredo




Over the period of eight months, I noticed myself getting lazy with my food. Being a vegetarian, my options are somewhat limited. I found myself dining out a lot, and eating a lot of junky food. After Christmas, I decided to make some changes. Going to the bookstore, I found this pretty little book titled The Gorgeously Green Diet by Sophie Uliano. I flipped through the book, and decided on a whim to buy it.


It was one of the best decisions I've made in awhile.


Why? Well, my eating habits have changed for the better. I no longer buy fast food and expensive cafeteria meals. My clothes feel more comfortable, and don't cling tightly in all the wrong places. My energy levels are much higher, and stay that way all day. I've also noticed an improvement in my focus levels in school.


Pretty fruit salad



Basically, I feel that this book is more of a lifestyle than a diet. It's suited for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.


Here's a brief breakdown of the book:

Chapters 1-3: Uliano introduces her topic, and then goes on to discuss the eco-impacts of our food, and why we deserve to eat real, yummy, fresh, and filling food.

Chapters 4-6: My favourite part of the book, and the pages I flip to the most. Uliano goes into detail about the pesticides that go on our food. She talks about what we should by organic, and discusses the main food groups. Chapter 5 is the meal plans! I love these, as they break down everything you will be eating in two weeks. These really are fantastic.

The rest of the book deals with purging your pantry, excersize, beauty, more about organic food, recycling and recipes. Most of the recipes are really easy to make, and actually taste pretty darn good.


Vegetable korma curry with pilaf


Pros:

*Each day is broken up into six meals/snacks. Every day starts with a glass of lemon water, and then goes on to breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, and then dinner.

*It gets your metabolism going! You will eat a lot. You may think you will gain weight, but actually, it speeds up your metabolism and helps your system burn fat.

*You will never be hungry on this diet.

*You will bring really delicious things with you to work and school to munch on.

*It teaches you how to snack properly

*It gives you three diet-plan options. "Light Green" for starting out, "Bright Green" for already healthy eaters/environmentally friendly people, and "Dark Green" to go full-on eco-friendly.

*The recipes include curries, salads, shakes, desserts, soups, casseroles, and more.

*You get to eat lots of rich, full-fat food (my favourite part) in moderation.

*Their is no compromise on flavour.

*The quality of food you eat will increase tenfold.

*You will actually get your 4-5 servings of fruit/veggies a day, but they will all taste great the way Uliano suggests you prepare them.

*You will lessen you eco-footprint.

*You will save money on food after the first few weeks on the diet.

*You will help stop bad farming practices, and will aid in animal welfare.

*You will have so much energy!!!



mozzarella en carrozza


Cons:

*Sometimes the meal plans can feel scattered. For instance, in one meal she will have a vegan suggestion, and in the other she won't.

*Some of the chapters feel a little airy-fairy, but it still makes for a good read.

*She includes the shopping lists after each diet plan, but I don't suggest you use them unless you are following the diet exactly (for instance, I didn't eat the lamb chops since I'm a Veg, and I ended up buying fresh rosemary that I didn't use).

*She doesn't mention that the first few weeks will be expensive. The reason for this is, you need to buy all the ingredients to make this stuff. whether its tahini, sundried tomatoes, or almond butter, it adds up on the bill, but lasts a long time in your fridge. Eating this way does get cheaper as the weeks go on.


All in all, I think this book is a fantastic read. Even if you already eat pretty healthy, you will probably learn a thing or two from it, even if its just a really good curry or some quick snacking ideas. I think the best part of this whole 'diet' is that it's not restrictive at all. I can still treat myself with a cupcake from the little shop down the street, and I get to eat all the decadent food I want. Of course, moderation is the answer to eating all these rich foods.

You can also check out Sophie Uliano's website here.
Thanks for reading, have a fantastic night my dears!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Hellz Yeah Pink BOots!!!

I quit smoking just over a year ago...and for my reward, I bought myself a these gorgeous pink boots! They are so pretty, I could sleep in them! I don't want to take them off!



Drool!


On New Years Day I was feeling blah, so I decided to colour my hair dark brown. It's a change for me, who has had blonde hair my entire life, changing it only last year to red for the first time ever.


In zee corner with a pouty face!! I'm wearing Aromaleigh eyeshadows. I <3>

Look! A lurking kitteh!


Love Always,

Ashley

Oh, The Vancouver Olympics. One Month Away.

This mural was painted in makeshift art gallery in Vancouver's Downtown East Side. It was painted over by city workers, but later reappeared in the same spot. It's very symbolic of how many people feel about the Vancouver Olympics Games.



Unless you don't watch any news programs, you are probably aware by now that the 2010 Winter Olympics are coming up pretty quickly. The games begin in one month, and are basically in my back yard. What does this mean for Vancouver and the surrounding areas?

I know for sure it means:

*Big, fat road closures
*People overload in public transit
*A massive provincial debt
*An insane police presence
*Hopefully some snow!

Oh yes, that's right. We have had not even a single flake of snow in the area...its been nothing but rain, which has made me question why we are hosting the winter games in the first place.

Their are many people who believe that the games will be an immense opportunity for business, tourism, and the economy. On the other hand, their are many who see the games in a totally different light, which I would like to discuss.

For one, the Olympics seem to be about 95% business and 5% sports. From what I have seen in the past ten years, the Olympics seem to be more about corporate greed and control than sportsmanship and integrity.

- For example, VANOC (Vancouver Organizing Committee) have been over zealous about words and images reminiscent of the Olympics being used by businesses who are not official sponsors. VANOC went so far as to attempt a name change of the 20+ year old 'Olympic Pizza' Restaurant in 2006. The restaurant fought the court order, and won. They got to keep their logo and name.

- While on the topic of what I like to call 'supposed word ownership,' VANOC refused to listen to a song written by Canadian musician Nicole Scoffield (which is about the Olympics), unless she gives up "ownership and royalties [of the song]" to VANOC (CBC News).

- VANOC wants protesters to be silenced . Last year it was reported that the police would enter the homes of people without a warrant to seize any suspected anti-Olympic signs. This was later refuted by VANOC, but still left a very bad taste in my mouth. They have since said that they will kindly provide us *sarcasm* with designated protest areas.

- Despite the money being thrown at the Olympics, British Columbia has seen huge health care and education cuts . Also, publicly funded parks and destinations have been under scrutiny for being too much money to run , and have been set to close down.

- A law was almost passed that would let the police forcibly remove homeless people from the streets into shelters, for 'their own sake' if the weather was treacherous. Me thinks VANOC just doesn't want Vancouver's homeless to be visible during the games. Source here.

- Unfortunately, BC has the highest homeless rate and more notably, the highest child poverty rate in Canada. If the Provincial Government took these issues as seriously as the Olympics, we might see an end to these problems.

Photo taken from this site


Because of the VANOC machine's attempts at squashing Olympic dissent, I now have a different view of the games. Canada is not and should never be a police state, and I wonder how long the Olympics will be around considering the cost and extravagance that they demand.

Despite the circus the Olympics have created in my city, I will make an attempt at checking out some of the designated Olympic sites. Apparently their are some free events around the city. If it's not too busy their (yeah right), I will post some pictures of the madness!

Theirs no stopping the Olympic train now, for better or worse. They are coming and I might as well try to have some fun, though I am not so secretly opposed to the corporate side of it. I truly do hope that they will help to get BC out of the economic slump. We shall see, won't we?

Oh, and some snow would be nice.

Love Always,
Ashley