I'm on a boat

Just pretending.

I've actually been moving for the last few days and am still knee deep in boxes and crumpled up newspaper. No Internet access at the new place for two weeks. 

Here are a few snaps of what's been going on:

A new little den with a big mess

Flo discovered the new fireplace.

One never can be too safe.

Cheap shiraz moving boxes, one of Blake's illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy and Tilley

These were at the SPCA Thrift but I've decided they're a little too 'retro' for me

The wall color in the new place is disgusting. I think I'm opting for Benjamin Moore White Diamond - it has a blue undertone. Saving my pennies for the Saarinen Womb Chair. I want it in that color too.

First food stuffs on the deck.

Happy feet experiencing the first fresh air and sun of 2012

The new view

On Earth Day - from Nietzsche

We like to be out in nature so much because it has no opinion about us. Nietzsche 

Pacific Northwest Modern - Seattle

An insightful new documentary about mid-century northwest modern architecture, MODERN VIEWS illustrates how designers today can learn from sustainable and economic choices made as many as 50 years ago. Through the personal histories and insights of five prominent northwest modern architects, the film offers a deeper understanding of this unique style of architecture happening in the Pacific Northwest in a period that is often overlooked.

Wendell Lovett

From the Archives: 8 Tips for a Living Room Layout

Originally published October 18, 2008

1. The classic - useful in front of a picture or large window

2. For a long narrow space

3. The right angle creates its own domain in a small space

4. Practical for a larger living space

5. Smaller cocktail tables give a lighter look

6. Works well in large open plans or a fairly small room

7. An optional arrangement for smaller spaces

8. An arrangement for a room too small for a full sized sofa

If you enjoyed the post please pass it on.

Related Posts:

How To Make An Industrial Chic Table

How To Make A Cool Headboard

How To Make A Cool Floor Lamp

Quote of the Week - Eleanor Roosevelt

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

A little creepy

It's not just the turtelnecks that make this ad from the 80s creepy.

I was actually looking for the SNL parody of the Calvin Klein Obsession ad - the one with the male model in the pool with the dog but, unfortunately, NBC has removed all traces of it.

This one is for you - Dolce and Gabbana

If you're a frequent visitor to the Bijou Living FB page then you'll know the little commentary we have going on about Dolce & Gabbana (and Chloe) hanging out on my blog. I couldn't help but think of our Italian friends, and perhaps their next collection, when I watched Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in The Black Cat (1934) the other night.


images are screen shots © Universal Pictures

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

I adapted this recipe from Skinny Taste (being a 'skinny' blog I don't understand why she didn't use nonfat plain yogurt instead of mayo). A big tub of cornstarch wasn't really on my shopping list so I thought I could try subbing it for something else - which didn't work very well. I used Panko because it was the only thing in our cupboard. Use the cornstarch.

This recipe is delicious. I can't wait to make it again.

What you need:

• 1 lb large peeled, deveined prawns
• 1 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 3 tbsp Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha (to taste)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cups shredded ice berg lettuce
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 4 tbsp chopped scallions
• a large skillet

What you do:

• combine nonfat plain yogurt, chili sauce and Sriracha
• combine shredded lettuce and cabbage
• coat prawns with cornstarch and blend
• heat skillet and add oil when skillet is hot
• toss in prawns and chopped peanuts and cook for about three minutes
• remove from heat and combine prawns with the chili and Sriracha sauce
• spoon over shredded lettuce and cabbage

serve with a Phillips Hop Circle IPA

Quote of the Week - F. Scott Fitzgerald

My generation of radicals and breakers-down never found anything to take the place of the old virtues of work and courage and the old graces of courtesy and politeness.
(A letter to his daughter quoted in F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Biography by Andre Le Vot)

Vintage Honda Motorcycles

source

Vintage Honda Scooter fan page.

Vintage Honda motorbikes from the archives.

Last Weekend

Picked up this vintage silk screen for our washroom at the highly anticipated annual 

West Vancouver Seniors' Flea Market.

25¢ for a Kosta Boda Zoo owl.

I'm very happy with this score from the WVS Flea Market. The images were on opposite ends of the table, but I spotted them. Voila! A mountaintop panorama—and yes, they're real photos.

Wild Alaskan Halibut season has begun! We poached halibut with ginger and avocado and served coconut jasmine rice as a side. We paired it with a Pinot Blanc. 

More food goodness! The BCLDB released their Spring edition of Taste magazine. Who has picked this free magazine up? You know how good it is.

I first saw Bandit last Thursday night when we were walking home from dinner. He has the cutest sideways scamper. I was lucky enough to run into him and his pal taking a walk on Saturday afternoon. It turns out Bandit is paralyzed. He was trying to befriend a deer on Bowen Island when the deer stomped on his back, breaking it. That was four years ago. Bandit is eight. He can't move his back legs, so his paws drag, hence the booties. I hope to run into Bandit more in the neighbourhood. He has such a good spirit!

Bandit

vintage Pyrex percolator coffee pot and Pyrex glass teapot

If you've been reading Bijou Living for a while, you know how much I love my coffee and my coffee maker. Whenever I find these vintage Pyrex percolators, I have to buy them—just in case I break one of mine, I'll have a backup. I bought these two at a yard sale on Saturday. The teapot has such a great design. $20 for both.

Weekend listening. Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger, 1975. 

Favourite track? Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.

These two have been living in our neighbourhood for a few years now—actually, they live next door. Last summer, one scooped up a dog from the sea walk. On Thursday, I opened my curtains to see one dive bomb and fly off with an unsuspecting seagull from the building next door. It was not a sight I wanted to see. I've heard rumblings around the building within the last 24 hours that a dog may have been scooped up again last weekend. 

Great, now I'll have anxiety strolling the seawalk.