Music you MUST download

Music I'm currently obsessed with. Lykanthea (Lakshmi) is so talented. Go get it here. 

Inspiration for my new house

Thanks to Wanda (cat saviour who adopted my dear Desi) for sending me this link to a video on House & Home. It's an older home with lots of wood work that was painted out by designer Meredith Heron. YES, PAINTED OUT. :)

Café My House

Saturday night I forced my husband to accompany me to a vegan restaurant here in Ottawa that recently opened on Wellington St. (formerly located on Bank St). I had never been to Café My House and was eager to give it a try because I often wish I was vegetarian (vegan is a little much for me), and want to eat less meat...but my husband does the cooking so I'm pretty much shit out of luck. That and their Instagram photos had me mesmerized. 

(I forgot to take a photo of the outside so I stole this off of their FB account - taken by the lovely Ottawa Vélo Vogue - another local IG fav)

The weather was GORGEOUS so we opted to sit on the back patio aka jungle. It was beautiful and we got to watch a squirrel going to town on an apple growing on their apple tree. (Sorry for crap iPhone pics - my Fuji X10 was at work) 

They have a REALLY cool cocktail menu - Jeff had the Smoky Red Pepper (Tequila. red pepper juice. Chipotle pepper. lime. bitters.) and I had the Ginger Mojito (Dillons Gin. bitters. mint. lime. cucumber. ginger beer.) OMG it was GOOD!

A little amuse bouche - zucchini with dill oil

I had the Butternut Squash Cakes (Butternut squash cakes. rosemary and pistachio pesto. roasted apples.). LOVED this. 

Jeff had the Maple & Miso Roasted Brussel Sprouts (Roasted brussel sprouts. crispy tempeh. Coriander peanut sauce. mung bean salad.) This is where to my shock and amazement that he proclaimed he loved tempeh. 

We both had the Yam & Sage Gnocchi (Gnocchi. beet merlot reduction. dried cherries. roasted beets. walnuts.). DAMN the sauce was GOOD. (Photo taken after I dumped my mushrooms on Jeff's plate - I detest mushrooms)

We then had the Dessert Sharing Plate (I think it was butternut squash cheesecake, key lime cheesecake, coconut tiramisu, carrot cake and strawberry basil cheesecake). All fabulous. And we had it with coffee that Jeff adored, made in a Hario ceramic drip coffee maker that he now wants to buy. 

Awesome meal, for those into vegan food and those that aren't. :-) 

Anthropologie love

Am I ever glad Anthropologie doesn't ship furniture to Canada and charges duty etc. for the items they do (meaning I will never order online). Here are several reasons why....

GenWoo's tissue garland

We have a new advertiser on the blog, Genie of Etsy shop GenWoo, and she lives here in Ottawa! She makes the cutest tissue garland (or as mobiles, among other things) and they are so adorable. Perfect to use for decorations at a party, or for no reason at all! The one below is my favourite colour combo. I would love that to decorate the library nook on my third floor that doesn't exist yet. ;)