Enchanted Chameleon

#tbt :: heathers

Dear Netflix,

You know what I want.

Love
Suzanne 

thanksgiving! gifts & gluten free

I've taken a new position on at my store, it's kind of like a special project manager where I essentially manage holidays!  Fun!  It's been a little bit deco, a little bit talking foodie and a lot of troubleshooting as its a new position to take over the chaos that normally occurs before the holidays.  I've already been dreaming about turkey orders and I will not lie, I am spending the week mentally preparing myself for turkey and meal pickups this Saturday as we still have 6 days to go and already we have over 75 people coming in just to see me!  And we haven't even really been super busy taking orders yet!  The real 'fun' begins this week.  

In between the bumpers of the pinball machine that these first couple of weeks have been like I've managed to come up with a little love of Thanksgiving, my creative contribution to my little corner of the store.

Normally at this time the store kicks out the perk and has cider sampling on overdrive.  It's a tradition and our guests at the store look forward to it.  However, I didn't want to just be the apple cider sample table.  I wanted a segway to talking turkey and deco and food.  I put two and two together and I came up with a very well received idea for Hostess Gifts, especially if the dinner you are attending is a famly, with the Apple Cider and Mulled Spice gift pack.  As pictured above we have a giant jug of Jim's Apple Cider from BC apples tied up simply with a pack of reuseable muslin pot pourri/spice sacs and the incredible Mulling Spice Pack from Gathering Place Trading Company (please click that link and tell me you don't want to visit this family for Thanksgiving).  People are just in LOVE with this gift!  I recommend it over anything else this Thanksgiving.

Anything else but a pumpkin centrepiece!  If it isn't love with the cider gift, than it will be full on soul mates with the beautiful green pumpkin carved out, decorated with fushia, red and orange flowers!  Or a white pumpkin with luscious rich fall coloured flowers or a butternut squash vase with sunflowers or gerbera daisies in a rich red colour. Oh the possibilities!  Seriously, visit Pinterest for inspiration (just click, the search is there!) if you aren't feelin me on this cause a carved out pumpkin bouquet/centrepiece is just the most luscious, decadent, epitome of beauty and harvest at the Thanksgiving table (here's one I made a few years ago with a Moulin Rouge Sunflower and Mum's from our old garden plot at Maplewood Farms).

I figured that while we are on the topic of Thanksgiving, I mean, it's just a week away (!!!) I would include a link to my Gluten Free Xmas Dinner post that I wrote last Christmas as a part of the 12 Days of Traditions with Vancouver's Top Mommy Bloggers.  A lot of the info posted in there from stuffing to gravy and of course, pumpkin pies can be really useful this time of year, and I went into a little detail if you are new or just hosting a guest that is gluten free and how to best handle having a gluten free experience for them.  Hope you find a little something extra that you hadn't thought of before you head out this week on your holiday shop!  

XO.
SUzanne 

happiness is...

Mama's bedtime routine = Hot chocolate, Little House and lingerie

1.Vinyl Wall Wagon  2.Walnut Grove Tee  3.Ghost of Nellie Oleson Bib Necklace 

my summer drinking binge

I decided that if I wasn't going to be making my drinks this summer, having put the Juice Caboose on hiatus to be with my family in Ontario, I was going to be trying as many new drinks of everyone else's I could get in.  It was one of my big splurges and allowable treats that I put into an expanded summer budget.

This is what my drink menu looked like:

Perhaps you thought I meant alcoholic?  Yeah, I can't really handle my liquor, unless it's fermented!  Here's the list of my delicious and virgin cocktails from the summer.  Drinks from largest, clockwise:  1.Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar Drink with Honey;  2.GT Daves Raspberry Chia Kombucha;  3.Whole Foods Cold Pressed Juices;  4.Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial;  5.Blue Monkey Coconut Coffee Drink;  6.Rise Kombucha Blueberry Maple; 7.Rise Kombucha Rose Schizandra;  8.Liquid Nutrition Nutty Smoothie;  9.Rise Kombucha Mint Chlorophyll;  10.Volvic Water with fresh Mint, Lemon, Lime and Strawberries

Another great drink that didn't make the photo cut was Steaz Organic Green Tea with Coconut Water.  Very refreshing!

Overall these drinks were all quite delicious.  Some naturally stood out as favourites more than others for me.  My absolute favourites were the Rise Kombucha Mint Chlorophyll and the Blue Monkey Coconut Water Coffee Drink.  SO Yum!  Part of my interest in these drinks is being able to make my own varities.  I especially love coconut water and have been drinking it long before it became the canned drinking frenzie that it has become.  Mixing it with green teas and coffee sure have my senses going.  Also, kombucha has long been on my list of things to try making. My one friend Heather is a pro and has been offering me a free scobie for some time.  Perhaps there will be batches of my own in the near future.  

And just like that, my summer drinking binge is over!  I already whipped up a Pumpkin Pie Spice Smoothie recently as a treat to a few Whole Foodies to celebrate the impending fall.  Maybe we need to get that recipe up here sooner than later.

Made any exceptional yummy drink discoveries lately... do share with us here!  Let the drinking binge continue!

Cheers!
Suzanne 

EC Returns :: 37 by 38

Oh dear friends!  It is great to be back.  I feel the ground beneath my feet.  I feel the subtle ebb and flow of the earth and the directions that I should go.  I feel... better.  This year has been no picnic. I thought that this summer was going to be a great opportunity for me to catch up on my love of blogging, however, technology proved to foresee a different direction for my summer.   In the end, it was all just a great opportunity to really put EVERYTHING on hold, relax, feel, be with my family, recover, recouperate, rejuvenate, revive, repeat.  And that is just what I did.

Now that we're back, I bring you the long awaited, long overdue, drumrollllllll...... I bring you my 37 by 38 list of intentions for the next year!  This list of intentions was inspired by the women of A Beautiful Mess and her inspiration at Hula Seventy. (PS. I had a lovely birthday with great friends and great food.  I'm a lucky gal. Unfortunately it wasn't very blogable - I was moving my entire life into a 7 by 9 by 7 foot box.  A story for another time).

Without further ado:

1.  Unpack

Just kidding.

Without further ado:

1.  Take snowboarding lessons with C.

2.  Sell the Juice Caboose and settle its accounts.

3.  Get my long awaited tattoo.

4.  Do a cleanse.

5.  Finalize my separation.

6.  Save up living expenses for 3 months.

7.  Redesign the Enchanted Chameleon blog.

8.  Plan a trip to Disney World with family.

9.  Experiment with updating/refinishing old furniture.

10.  Attend a knitting circle.

11.  Write a book.

12.  Get myself into a cleaning routine.

13.  Create a chore chart for C.

14.  Experiment in the kitchen with low glycemic sugars and sweetners.

15.  Go on a date.

16.  Go out for dinner at Acorn.

17.  Set up a sewing kit for C.

18.  Buy a record player.

19.  Listen to more music.

20.  Create a beauty regimen for skin.

21.  Create a beauty regimen for hair.

22.  Get a bike.

23.  Start saving for a laptop.

24.  Restore trailer.

25.  Go camping.

26.  Take a weekend trip alone.

27.  Practice yoga.

28.  Watch the entire series of Little House on the Prairie.

29.  Clean my car.

30.  Go surfing.

31.  Take C to the CN Tower.

32.  Take C to Medieval Times.

33.  Write for Rhythm of the Home.

34.  Fill the house with plants.

35.  Don't let the above plants die.

36.  Watch less TV.

37.  Take a trip to Portland with C.

Looking at this list, I can't help but think about the year that has just passed.  Oh my goodness! In time I will share it all, but only as the wisdom of the experiences comes.  In case you are wondering how last years list went, you can see it here.  I'm hoping that there are less life changing events this year and more down time to just be and experience the little things.  That is what this list is to me:  the little things.

Oh I'm so glad to be back!  I can't wait to see where this goes!  

XO.  
Suzanne 

~ the herb quarterly ~

Sometimes when guests come through my lineups with magazines that I love I comment on my mutual love for them.  In particular, I love Living Etc.  Such a beautiful, urban decorating magazine. Sometimes I use this as an opportuity to introduce them to other intriguing and not so mainstream magazines that we carry in the store.  Mostly I refer to The Herb Quarterly.  Of course, it is completely unrelated to Living Etc. except that it is also a magazine.  Most guests don't share my enthusiasm.  But I believe I'll find one yet. 

In the meantime... I picked up my Winter 2012 Edition of The Herb Quarterly and thought I would share my love with you!  I am reading it as slowly as possible, savouring each page and picture, trying not to miss any tidbit that will make me one ounce wiser in making healing smoothies, healing foods or knowing the one random thing on a herb that could make someone feel better one day.  It is all utterly dreamy to me.  

And while I am still a far cry from a modern day medicine woman, this little treat of mine will hopefully last me till spring and help me concoct a simple potion or two of my own.  Maybe the next big thing for the Juice Caboose.  Maybe the next simple remedy for my loves at home. Maybe Etc.  Yum yum yum.  Dream dream dream.  XO.  S 

~ fall favourites ~

Here are some things that are keeping me cozy and comfortable now that the rain has set in around these parts.  Essentially my perfect rainy day combo is a 1 + 4 + 2 and 6.  I make myself a cup of 3 and snuggle under 5 to watch a little Community on Netflix.  What's your rainy day combo?  XO.  S  

~ little things :: a painted wall ~

Another little triumph last week.  Finally got some colour in this apartment.  We moved in 2 years ago and started many little home improvements and have yet to finish many of them, and so it goes when everyone in the house works exhausting jobs.  I'm grateful for the bursts of energy to complete these little tasks, one by one.  I am more grateful to be able to kick back this week, bunker down into lots of naps and sleep cause I need it and have a painted wall to look at, nearly complete, just in need of some molding now to stare back at me.  The world in this house is still spinning forward even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes.  A few more days like the one, and it will add up to a completely painted apartment.  Little things.  XO.  S    

~ little things :: bear books ~

I've decided to start putting more focus on the little things.  Those are the things that are the treasures and treats that make everything so worthwhile.  A little thrift shop score here, a completed project there.  It all adds up.  These are the things that are brightening my day or my week.  The things that I'm bubbling about and just want to share.

Today I'm super stoked about the awesome score of Berenstain Bear books this week at a couple of thrift shops.  One or two of the ones we still don't have in our collection is the usual score that I bring home but this week a whopping 9 is the ultimate score.  We love these books and are trying to find the entire collection, preferably through thrifting - the ultimate recycling program. XO.  S