A Masters in Street Smarts and a PhD in Common Sense

I [We] have a strategic plan. It's called 'doing things'. Herb Kelleher

- the most frustrating thing when one switches from entrepreneur to corporate employee is just that. You don't need a committee and a task force for crying out loud, it's a verb. Faire - to make, to do!  

Now do it.


What are they teaching in MBA programs now?

From the Archives - The Striped Shirt

Originally published February 24, 2010

Coco Chanel - Audrey Hepburn

Bridgette Bardot - Marilyn Monroe

Kurt Cobain - James Dean

Elvis - Tyrone Power

a vintage Russian navy uniform - The Cure

Duran Duran

A 700 year old West Van McMansion

A 700-year-old community was destroyed 'by accident.'

The District of West Vancouver 'accidentally' mowed down a grove of ancient old growth trees to make way for a construction road. Good job guys. I wonder if it was the same crew that stripped Weston Park of its beauty (which coincidentally opened up a $1 million view for the home owner across the street).

If the humans aren't tearing down perfectly good homes in West Van to make way for McMansions they're tearing down trees to make way for McMansions.

A 100 year old tree:
has fixed about 2,500 kilograms of carbon from the atmosphere
has converted 9,100 kg of carbon dioxide and 3700 kg of water
has stored up to 23-million kilogram-calories (a calorific equivalent to 3,500 kg of coal)
has made 6,600 kg of oxygen, which is sufficient for one person to breathe for 20 years
has drawn from its roots up into its crown (against the force of gravity) and evaporated into the atmosphere at least 2,500 tonnes of water. Every tree continually recharges the atmosphere with water in this manner, and when cut down, that amount of water is lost. (source: Living Tree Educational Foundation)

Thanks to Todd Major of the North Shore News for the post inspiration.

Our New Bedroom Wall Colour

Benjamin Moore Simply White


The bedroom colour when we moved in.

Ever have a colour affect your mood? I'm serious - this taupe, or whatever it is colour, made me in a bad mood. Henceforth, we are in the middle of painting our entire apartment Simply White.

Do you receive my newsletter? It's a collection of tips, rants/adventures I don't post on the blog.

Quote of the Week - Elizabeth Taylor and the Head Crusher

I am my own commodity. Elizabeth Taylor

When I read that quote by Liz I automatically thought of Twitter and how those little avatars are just the perfect size - for the Head Crusher.

Currently Listening To

So, last night I was sitting in the fireplace room with one ear to CBC Radio 2 and one ear to YouTube when I heard what I thought was some new, bearded, Vancouver super group (CBC was airing a Canadian music show). Imagine my surprise - and relief, as super group is not in my vocabulary - that it was actually a single from the Beach Boy Dennis Wilson (the hot one, that drowned). River Song is off of Wilson's only solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, released in 1977 (yes, the same release year as Star Wars and 20 years before the release of Auto-Tune).

Go give a listen to 'the saddest three minutes in the history of pop music'.

Stuff We Did Not Leave Behind

Tip of the Week - In the Shower

My latest fix? Rubbing coconut oil all over myself in the shower. Seriously. Plop a big spoonful in a bowl, get in the hot shower, start at your feet and massage the oil into your skin all the way up to your face (you can even massage it in your hair if you want). The heat from the shower melts the oil as you're massaging. Don't use soap to wash it off - use it as soap! When you get out of the shower, your skin will be super soft and all that dead dry skin will wipe off. Guys - you can do this too. I told my Dad about the oil (he had super dry skin) and he swears by it.

*caution the tub will get slippery so be careful.

From the Archives - Vintage Honda Bikes

Originally published March 3, 2010

I was lucky enough to grow up in the country where we could bomb around on dirt bikes and ATVs. Now that I live in the city I'm thinking about finding a vintage bike to bomb around on. There's a guy in the West End that rides around on his Dad's 1970s Honda scooter I'll have to track him down and take a pic. Watch for him - the bike's yellow and he's a good guy that likes to chat.

via Steve's Vintage Bike Site

The Wall of My Studio Space

Stacy Reynaud

view here
may soon be converted into

Stacy Reynaud
seat covers for my dining room set.

Quote of the Week - Giovanni Brino

Furniture can be reproduced and so can photographs, but architecture is unique and once it is lost it is gone for good.

From Here to Architectural Eternity

Built Autumn 1954

From Architecture

Demolished Spring 2012
Made eternal by Google Maps Street View (2362 Haywood) I'm creating a Google map of the homes I've written about. Click the map link above, then click the the blue way finder for more info. There's a link you can click on in the box that pops up that will take you back to the Bijou Living post associated with it. If you have a link or address to a fine work of Pacific Northwest Modern architecture (1940s-1970s) please feel free to add it to the map.

A Snippet of Our Living Room

Stacy Reynaud

distressed leather sofa and pillows from an estate sale (the matching love seat is in the fireplace room), old growth slab table is an old thrift store favourite, Ingmar Relling Siesta chairs from a yard sale (you saw them first on FB), layered cotton rag rugs (try Etsy), indoor/outdoor banana fibre stools (IKEA). I took the blue damask rug back because with a red sofa the colour scheme was too Superman.

We're calling it Beach Chic.

Another West Vancouver Home Demo

Dundarave

One tree was saved.

Design Lover - Gucci Dinnerware

1996

How to Make Thai Noodles

This was good, easy and even better cold the next day.

What you need:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha or Sambal oelek or Tabasco (we used Sriracha)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp honey or brown sugar (we used honey)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 8 oz dry spaghetti or vermicelli (we used vermicelli)
• 2 cups sliced tofu
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 long English cucumber, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
• 1 red pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts (we used sesame seeds and peanuts)
• 1/4 cup cilantro to garnish (we skipped this as I detest cilantro)
• Food processor or blender
• large bowl
• a pot to cook the noodles
• frying pan to saute the tofu

What you do:

• Combine the first eight ingredients (peanut butter through sesame oil) in a blender or food processor
• Puree until smooth - add more water if it seems to thick
• Set aside
• Saute the tofu and set aside
• Cook the vermicelli until Al dente, drain, rinse and let cool
• Combine the vermicelli, tofu, peanuts and vegetables in a large bowl
• Pour half of the sauce over the top, toss to coat noodle mixture - add more sauce if desired
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro
• Serve in a deep bowl

Makes four servings

adapted from Angela Shellard's Romancing the Stove Column -  North Shore News

Come One Come All

The yard sale tables have turned!

1306 Bidwell Street (Vancouver's West End)

This Sunday - May 27

10-4

Dolce & Gabbana, you're invited too.

The Staples Residence - Another West Coast Modern Demolition - or not

Staples Residence image  Stacy reynaud Back in May 2009 I stumbled upon this home accidentally. Being in such a bad state, I thought it was abandoned.

stacy reynaud In October of 2011 I received an email, from a fellow Vancouverite and West Coast Modern lover - who, oddly enough, was also a real estate developer, informing me that this home was now for sale -    
stacy reynaud  for $3 million. The Staples Residence was designed in 1966 by Bruno Freschi for Erickson Massey Architects (Arthur Erickson and George Massey)


  Wanting to capture this iconic piece of Northwest Modern before it was torn down I got on the phone to one of my real estate agent colleagues. I want to make it clear that I wasn't just snooping, in West Vancouver standards, water front property for $3 million is a steal and I thought that perhaps I'd be able to wrangle up some fellow West Coast Modern lovers, buy the place and shoot a documentary of us bringing it back to all its former glory.

  My favourite area was the kitchen. A galley kitchen at its finest

   and 100% in its original state!

stacy reynaud  Original carpeting, single pane windows, electrical - you name it - even the leaks Erickson is synonymous with.

stacy reynaud

stacy reynaud

stacy reynaud  Built on the face of a cliff in Horseshoe Bay the home - surrounded by old growth trees and the buffer for Westerly winds - seems quite precarious.

stacy reynaud  Kitchen, dining room, living room and lounge encompass the first floor of the 2600 sf residence.

stacy reynaud

  Second floor hallway looking up from the living room.

  detail

  The second floor consists of two bedrooms a bath and a master bedroom with ensuite.

  Each of the smaller bedrooms has a sliding door leading out to a terrace at the front of the house.

  The master has a walk in area with enclosed closets - that I love.

Erickson Massey 1966 image stacy reynaud  It also has a southwest facing deck

   and amazing views.
Master Bedroom Staples Residence image stacy reynaud

  The 1966 back entrance to the living room.
images Stacy Reynaud
The back yard.   All in all I figure the home needs about $500,000 to $1 million in renos and upgrades. The home did sell sometime between last October and April. It is, however, for sale again - and no, I haven't found anyone willing to join me on the adventure of a life time yet. For more images please visit my Staples Residence set on Flickr.