jan/feb 2015
STYLE WATCH
Fashion to weather the storm
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Trends for a blissful bathroom Shake up your smoothies
Get blending and mix it up!
Bring your living room to life Model Nathalie takes a stylish stroll on the Sidney pier
IN WITH THE NEW Revitalizing your fitness approach
storage WITH Style
Fun and functional ways to get organized
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Fitness Motivation For Him
living smart issue
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Jan/feb 2015
44 Bathroom Bliss
joshua lawrence
From statement lighting to sculptural bathtubs, YAM showcases five bathroom trends that really make a statement. BY athena mcKenzie
contents
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Bring Your Living Room to Life
Out With the Old, In With the New
Shake Up Your Smoothies
Designer tips for creating a stylishly inviting space — and avoiding those frustrating faux pas.
Forget restrictive diets and extreme workouts. What’s trending in health and fitness is balance and, yes, fun.
Delicious recipes and chef tips to turn this convenient standby into a nutritional powerhouse.
BY lana lounsbury
BY carolyn camilleri
BY athena mcKenzie
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YAM MAGAZINE
contents 8 EDITOR’S NOTE 11 CONTRIBUTORS 13 TOP OF MIND Pantone’s colour of the On the cover: Rainy day fashion
year, On Our Radar, Trends and Tastes and a Roy Orbison revival
74 BEHIND THE SCENES Open your mind to the unexpected art of yoga
FOOD + DRINK 24 GOOD EATS Kickstart your year with 10 local food trends for 2015 By Shelora Sheldan
26 DIVINE DRINKS A hard cider renaissance By Adem Tepedelen
HOME + GARDEN 28 LIVING SMART Get organized with these stylish storage solutions By Kerry Slavens
36 OUTSTANDING HOMES A stunning renovation transforms an oceanside home into an art-filled modern showcase By Athena McKenzie
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64 ART + CULTURE 20 TRAVEL Quito, Ecuador: Land of Eternal Spring By Andrew Findlay
62 IN PERSON Gillie Easdon of Every Step Counts By Jody Paterson
73 BOOKMARKS Great picks for your reading list
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By Carolyn Camilleri
FASHION + beauty 64 STYLE WATCH
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Rainy day fashion By Janine Metcalfe
68 JOE DANDY A fitness primer for the couch potato
YAM
loves
By David Alexander
71 BEAUTY Your beauty reboot for the new year By Erin Bradley
EDITOR’S NOTE By Kerry Slavens
Living Smart is Living Mindfully
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MARKET
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his issue of YAM is dedicated to living smart, which is really shorthand for making choices that move our lives in positive directions. Living smart can be as profound as deciding to go on a journey of selfdiscovery as Cheryl Strayed wrote about in her book Wild, or it can be as sensible as embracing healthier ways of eating, or as lighthearted as redecorating your home in colours that make you feel good. It’s about being awake to what helps us evolve. For me, the practice of living smart means many things, but it really comes down to two words: pay attention. These words are especially important to me because I am by nature an obsessive multi-tasker used to juggling 20 balls in the air at any given time. “How do you do it?” people would ask me — and the truth is, I was never sure I really was doing it. In fact, I spent a lot of time worrying about dropping those balls and ruining the entire illusion, because that’s all it was. I wasn’t living smart. I was in a decades-long cycle of busyness/burnout, but instead of finding time to regenerate, I just kept pushing through. Then, a couple of years ago, I had a wake-up call. Fortunately, it didn’t come in the form of a health scare, but as a delightful piece of serendipity. I had purchased a book of Alice Munro short stories at Russell Books and brought it home. After reading the first few stories, I turned the page one day and a note written on a torn piece of paper fell out. In neat cursive writing, it said: “Don’t live your life as though you are merely scanning the words in a novel. Pay attention so you know what it means by the time you get to the end of it.” I pondered that note over the next week or so, wondering who wrote it and who it was written for. Finally, I decided it was meant for me — because I needed to hear it. I can’t tell you my life miraculously changed overnight because of that note — I didn’t take up meditation, and probably never will — but slowly my approach to life transformed as I began to pay attention. As leadership coach Karen Kane says, “Paying attention means to be sufficiently present with a person, an idea or a situation so that you get the internal and external information you need to decide and act wisely.” Many self-help books talk about how much more time you’ll have when you begin to pay attention. But the most profound thing for me isn’t that I have more time for myself (which I do), but that time has actually slowed down for me. Weeks and months have stopped rushing by at the speed of light because I’ve created space to really appreciate things. I will often stop myself now and say, “Remember this because this moment won’t come again.” Living smart may mean something entirely different for you than it does for me, but whatever that is, I hope you discover what it is and honour it in yourself. Please consider this Editor’s Note as the passing on of that serendipitous message I discovered in my Alice Munro book. And if you like it, pass it on. Happy New Year,
Living smart is about being awake to what helps us evolve.
Kerry
E-mail me at kslavens@yammagazine.com YAM is on Facebook and tweets @YAMmagazine
ADVERTISING FEATURE
RENEWED LOVE a true story about healing relationships
S H AT T E R I N G T H E WA L L O F
addiction
Margot and Richard started out like any
great love story. They’d met three decades ago, in a steamy little all-night café near Fan Tan Alley that held jam sessions and poetry readings for university students. Margot was about to complete her undergrad in sociology; Richard was learning the ropes in an architectural firm. They clicked right away, became inseparable, laughed the nights away, and dreamed of creating a magical life together. Their courtship was filled with weekly parties and social events with many mutual friends. Within the year, they were married and expecting a child. By the time Joseph was three months old, Margot started noticing how things had changed. With a small baby to care for, she was confined to the house and had to pass on most social occasions. Richard had met a new group of friends, went out more frequently, came home later, and was often noticeably drunk. Although he’d always been a social beer drinker, Margot started to smell whiskey on his breath. He barely paid attention to Joseph, and Margot couldn’t remember the last time he’d danced her around the kitchen. It was as though she had become invisible to him; when they did speak, tension was thick, and furious arguments became the norm. Margot plunged herself into motherhood, putting all her energy into raising her son. She volunteered on several committees, worked part-time at a bookstore, and did anything to distract her from the misery she felt in her marriage. She carried on this way, depressed but in denial, for 23 long and painful years. But the day Joseph moved out of the house, one week after earning his teaching degree from UVIC, Margot found herself in a heap of tears on her bathroom floor. For the first time, she felt totally Non-fiction. Names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
alone. What had she been doing? How could she have wasted so much of her life? Frantically, Margot began researching addiction and marriage counselling services all over Vancouver Island. There were so many options, she didn’t know what to choose. Finally, a co-worker at the bookstore confided in her about a laser therapist who, she said, had cured her own alcohol addiction, and had saved her marriage. Margot made the call. Reaching out to Richard was the hardest part. It had been years since they’d spoken about anything significant. They had been living two separate lives, trying to ignore the Berlin Wall that had been erected between them. It was a wall that seemed impossible to destroy. One week after Margot had suggested that they visit the laser therapist, Richard came to her with his head hung low. He couldn’t meet her eyes, but he agreed to try. At the consultation, they sat virtually facing opposite sides of the room. There was a lot of repair work to be done, first to heal the addiction, then the love itself. The laser therapist started a series of laser treatments on specific acupressure points to replicate the high Richard felt when he drank; the feeling lasted for six weeks. Meanwhile, he took detox supplements to eliminate the toxins from his system. This process helped to break the physical addiction. At each of his eight visits that month, Richard received counselling; he became stronger, healthier, happier, and in control of his life again. He was proud of himself, and of his wife. Ultimately, they remembered the magic they had once created together, and learned new, healthy ways to communicate with each other. It’s been seven years since Richard completed his laser therapy. He still dances Margot around the kitchen every day. LASER CENTERS FOR HEALTH | 1.866.977.2737 | lasercentersforhealth.com
yam you and me
::
living smart
Publishers Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri Editor-in-chief Kerry Slavens
Creative and Technical Manager Jeffrey Bosdet
Production Manager Jennifer Kühtz
Editorial Designer Janice Hildybrant
Associate Editor Athena McKenzie
contributing Designer Jo-Ann Loro PROOFREADER Patrick Grace Contributing Writers David Alexander, Erin Bradley, Carolyn Camilleri, Andrew Findlay, David Lennam, Lana Lounsbury, Janine Metcalfe, Jody Paterson, Shelora Sheldan, Adem Tepedelen
Contributing Photographers Jeffrey Bosdet, Simon DesRochers, Derek Ford, Joshua Lawrence
Contributing Agencies Living4Media p.30; Masterfile p.50, 52, 71; Shutterstock p. 21, 24; ThinkStock p. 11, 20, 24, 51, 55, 56, 58, 60
Advertising Representatives Vicki Clark, Cynthia Hanischuk, Charlsey Sperl
Administrative Assistant Bev Madden-Knight
general inquiries info@yammagazine.com Letters to the editor letters@yammagazine.com To subscribe to YAM subscriptions@yammagazine.com Advertising Inquiries sales@yammagazine.com
Online www.yammagazine.com
Facebook YAM magazine – Victoria
Twitter twitter.com/YAMmagazine Cover Style Watch, page 64. Photographed by Jeffrey Bosdet/ YAM magazine
Published by Page one Publishing 580 Ardersier Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1C7 T 250-595-7243 info@pageonepublishing.ca www.pageonepublishing.ca Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing. Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #41295544 ADVERTISE IN YAM MAGAZINE YAM magazine is Victoria’s leading home and lifestyle magazine. Established in 2009, YAM was created for people who want to live well, live smart and make the most of their lifestyle. For advertising info, please call us at 250-595-7243 or email sales@yammagazine.com.
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YAM MAGAZINE
CONTRIBUTORS
Rethink your resolutions Your New Year’s resolutions are only limited by your imagination. As these writers testify, self-improvement isn’t all about restricting calories or hitting the gym. Let 2015 be the year you embrace your passion — success is almost guaranteed.
Great Beer, Good Intentions Adem Tepedelen, Divine Drinks (page 26)
Since I write about alcoholic beverages — and primarily craft beer — for a living, the resolution to “drink less” isn’t really an option on January 1. “Drink better” is a more realistic goal, especially in an era where there is so much fantastic craft beer available. “Try new beers” would be a good resolution, too, since it’s easy to fall back on those you already know you like — and there are constantly new breweries popping up in the province and new brews appearing on the shelves of private beer and wine shops. These resolutions may not make me a better person, but I’m sure I’ll have no trouble sticking to them.
EDIBLE ENDEAVOURS Lana Lounsbury, Bring Your Living Room to Life (page 30)
Chocolate-covered jujubes are my favourite food — not something to brag about. At LL Interiors, we ask our clients to be open to new ideas, so this year I want to take my own advice and be more open minded about that other kind of taste — taste buds! I mostly shy away from the exotic food presented at design events, product launches and dinner parties, but, in 2015 my resolution is to explore my epicurean side and find a new favourite food … one that isn’t made by a candy company!
TRUMP CARD David Lennam, City Culture (page 18)
For an annoyingly long time, I’ve been promising my pal Shawn Shepherd, who runs Polychrome Fine Art, that I’d dig out my old trumpet (sitting unused in its dusty case since high school) and relearn how to play it. I reckon if I make it my New Year’s resolution, I’ll either do it or end up in some atonal hell where they play nonstop Muzak at slightly below the speed it’s meant to be played. Besides, Shawn is already blowing his own horn (literally) and I don’t need to take any more stick from him.
YAM MAGAZINE
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fine wines
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With Pantone announcing Marsala as the colour of the year for 2015, it’s time to savour the rich, refined tones of deep reds. These robust hues add warmth and refinement to accessories, furnishings and fashion. 1 Layered glossy bulbs necklace (Charming Charlie, $20) 2 Cole & Son wallpapers (Design District Studio: Frontier Wisteria $190/roll; Point Stripe $294/roll; Florence, $208/ roll) 3 New Balance 420 suede sneakers (newbalance.ca, $99) 4 HGTV Home table lamp (McLaren Lighting, $325) 5 Guerlain Colour Lacquer in Vega (Pharmasave Broadmead, $27) 6 Kuka Y621 Chair (Scan Designs, $198) 7 Street Level mesh bucket bag (Plenty, $54) 8 Gabor boot (Head Over Heels, $369) 9 Face à Face Bocca Rock 1 sunglasses (Maycock Eyecare, $435)
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TOP OF MIND
ON OUR RADAR
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Into the Woods Victoria craftsman Oliver Scott harnesses the natural warmth and beauty of trees in his wood furniture, which is as beautiful as it is functional — as seen with his Balnahard desk. > caledoniasilva.ca, $2,067
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Feel the Beat
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Fitness Meets Fashion
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Setting the Tone
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Giving props
With free classes, intensive workshops, intimate in-studio performances and theatre shows, Dance Days is truly an all-access celebration of movement. This year’s extravaganza runs from January 23 to February 7. Proudly sponsored by YAM magazine. > dancevictoria.com
If your New Year’s resolutions include wearing a fitness tracker but you’re worried about the aesthetics, consider the more sophisticated options from the collaboration between designer Tory Burch and Fitbit. > fitbit.com
For a fresh approach to your dinnerware and serving pieces, look to natural materials with simple shapes and silhouettes. The options from Canvas Home are timeless in their design and useful in their purpose. > Pigeonhole Home Store
Planning to be mindful about meditation in the new year? A comfortable meditation cushion is just what you need. The flat, round Zafu gives extra height to support your “sit bones,” takes the pressure off your hip joints and looks great in your living room. > Good Planet Company, $76/each
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loves
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New Year, New Hair The new generation of “anti-shampoos” are actually detergent-free cleansing creams that don’t lather. In Purely Perfect, the cleansing comes from aloe vera and essential oils that rinse hair without stripping away its natural oils, resulting in smooth, frizz-free locks, no conditioner required. > Fish Hair Salon, $48
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Happy
Finishing Touch Looking to give a piece of old furniture a new life? Consider giving it an update with a coat of matte paint. Products like Fusion Mineral Paint (‘Renfrew Blue’ pictured here) are self-levelling, require minimal prep work, no topcoat, waxing or on-going maintenance. > French Vanilla Home and Garden, $20/pint
2015
Dr. Smith and staff at Clinic 805 wish you a new year filled with wonder, peace, and meaning.
Haute Tote Fashionable and oh-so practical, a classic shopping tote is a timeless must-have. Look to the minimalist appeal of British designer Timothy Outlon’s luxurious Severn tote. > Luxe Home Interiors, $290
Call to book a complimentary skincare consultation.
Structural Abstracts American artist Eli Bornstein is internationally recognized for his abstract relief and constructive media, which he refers to as “Structurist.” His Constructed Works: 1960s to Present will be showing at Winchester Modern through to the end of January.
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YAM MAGAZINE
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TRENDS & TASTES
Divine chef’s dinner celebrates Italian food and wine
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ambri’s and YAM magazine will host another special Chef’s Dinner on Tuesday, February 24 with Elisabetta Fagioli from Montresor Winery in Italy. The feature wine for the evening will be the 2008 Amarone Capitel della Crosara, a single vineyard Amarone. Chef Peter Zambri will pull out all the stops with a five-course dinner honouring five fantastic wines from this outstanding winemaker. “Montresor has been making wines in the Veneto for over 100 years,” says Sommelier Frances Sidhe of Zambri’s. “They were even mentioned by Edgar Alan Poe in The Cask of Amontillado. Their Amarone Capitel is considered one of the best available and this is a rare chance to taste it paired beautifully with the food of the region.” “At YAM, we love to celebrate living smart,” says publisher Lise Gyorkos, “and what’s smarter than great food, fine wine and the good company of a long-table dinner that Zambri’s does so well? This will be a night to remember.”
The Chef’s Dinners at Zambri’s are an entertaining “education” in the finer points of wine and cuisine.
Get started today!
30 Days $89!
photos: SIMON DESROCHERS
for only
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YAM MAGAZINE
The cost is $150 per person, not including tax or gratuity. To reserve your tickets, please contact frances@zambris.ca.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
aerwocal : theatre sKaM ReMixeD presents Ballet Victoria
VICToRIA FInDS ITS GRooVE
Class aCt Each year, Dance Victoria encourages these studios to open their doors and offer free beginner and intermediate adult classes in styles as varied as ballroom, belly-dance, ballet, jazz, flamenco, hip hop, and more. The complete schedule of classes is posted on DanceVictoria.com on January 10, so drop in and sample a class. There’s no longterm commitment required — it’s just a chance to see if that style of dance is right for you. Best in show Along with the classes, there are performances of dynamic new West Coast
dance works. Be sure to check out the Righteous Floater, created by two Iranian-Canadian brothers, Arash and Aryo Khakpour. It tests both territorial and emotional boundaries in a highly physical performance that reviewers call “a surprising and moving work that is in turns playful and deadpan to devastating emotional effect.” (Metro studio: January 31, 7 p.m.; February 1, 9 p.m. tickets $22.50 at DanceVictoria.com) Also playing at the Metro Studio in tandem with The Righteous Floater is Theatre SKAM’s presentation of Ballet Victoria in aerwacol. This year marks Theatre SKAM’s 20th anniversary and to celebrate they’ve embarked on a season called REMIXED to revisit some of their most popular works from the past and stage them in new ways. Aerwacol is a gritty work from 10 years ago that was originally performed under bridges and on train station platforms. This time around, it is a contemporary ballet created by Ballet Victoria’s Paul Destrooper. (Metro studio: January 31, 9 p.m.; February 1, 7 p.m. tickets $22.50 at DanceVictoria.com) exClusiVe PReMieRes Another feature performance is the world premiere of Made in China. Vancouver’s much loved dance artist Wen Wei Wang has created a deeply personal and insightful work with Gaoyan Jinzi, artistic director of Beijing Modern Dance. The performance includes live music by Qui Xia He of the Silk Road Music Ensemble and a video installation by Sammy Chien, a Vancouver-based interdisciplinary media artist. The four artists
Made in China : wen wei Dance (Vancouver) with Beijing Modern Dance
D
ance Days, which runs January 23 through February 7, is one of the fabulous festivals that makes Victoria such a great city. What distinguishes this event is its fantastic range of offerings. As well as free dance classes and intensive workshops, Dance Days is an all-access celebration of dance, with in-studio performances of new works, talks and discussions, parties, and a series of cuttingedge contemporary dance performances, including two world premieres. YAM magazine has been a proud sponsor of this annual event since Dance Victoria Producer Stephen White launched it six years ago. “I wanted to give light to the variety and sheer scope of dance in our region,” White says. “With more than 40 dance studios in the Greater Victoria area, there are literally thousands of kids and adults taking dance class.”
the Righteous Floater : the Biting school Performance (Vancouver)
heading into its sixth year, Dance Days celebrates the scope of dance in the city.
use the performance to reflect on their common experiences growing up in China during Mao’s cultural revolution. The work is infused with strong images that juxtapose communist-era propaganda with sweeping panoramas of the new China, creating a digital environment for explosive dance that pushes traditional form. (Metro studio; February 5 through 7 at 7:30 p.m. tickets $30 at DanceVictoria.com) There is so much to experience during Dance Days. All the information on classes, performances, and all the extras will be available on DanceVictoria.com by January 10.
TO P OF MIN D White+Warren
CITY CULTURE
Eileen Fisher
By David Lennam
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YAM MAGAZINE
Kasia Waissman-Coey
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The Lonely debuts on January 31 at the Mary Winspear Centre with some 30 songs from Roy Orbison’s celebrated catalogue.
Bringing Back “The Big O” “Roy Orbison moved into my house about two months ago,” Mike Demers tells me in the sort of confessional tone one might reserve for news of an untimely illness or the arrival of in-laws for an extended stay. “Yeah, we’re roommates,” he continues. “I don’t charge him any rent.” Then, when he should laugh, Demers does this thing where he just stares at you from behind his thick-rimmed glasses like a professor waiting for you to badump-ah the punchline. Only there isn’t one. Orbison’s ghost, or maybe just his wavering falsetto and signature prescription Wayfarers, has taken residence with Demers. In Demers, maybe. The Victoria singer/songwriter, with a voice you’ve probably heard in one of the multitude of bands he’s led (Nuvo Wavo, anyone?), is embarking on a Roy Orbison
tribute called The Lonely. He’s teaming with members of celebrated local outfits Bonehoof and Meatdraw: Benji Coey, Chris Lloyd, Stefan Bozenich and Jackie Wilde. YAM: Did you decide to do a Roy Orbison tribute band because you look like Roy? Demers: No. YAM: Don’t you think you look a bit like Orbison? Demers: (winces) Mmm, ahhh… there’s a couple of pictures where there’s a similarity, but then I used to get compared to the guy in the Barenaked Ladies and I don’t look at all like him.
For the Vulnerable The project grew out of a year of pingpong games between Demers, 56, and Coey, 37 — both huge Orbison fans, attracted by the complex musical structures and, what music critic Ken Emerson suggested was the apocalyptic romanticism, of his songs. Songs about men that were quiet, desperate and vulnerable. For Demers, Orbison was one of
Unlike Beatles knockoffs, the world is not teeming with Orbison tribute bands. the first musicians to give men a chance to express and explore deep emotions like love and failure and he gave men a chance to be comfortable singing about loss and dreams.
Creative Space Speaking quickly in his Northern English accent, Coey, the drummer, calls Orbison’s music challenging stuff, full of beats dropped in all over the place and constructed around huge, dramatic shifts where any two bars may veer from marches to Latin to rock. It’s percussive and orchestral and takes skill to pull off. “So if it’s played too tight it doesn’t have any feel,” says Coey. “With Roy, you have to drop out a lot. The silence — the space — is a large part of the music.” Given the nickname “The Big O” by an Australian radio show host referencing the singer’s trademark powerful finishing swells in all those dramatic ballads, the Texan was no mere mortal with a custom guitar and a bunch of “Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.” Orbison was, according to Elvis, the greatest and most distinctive singer he’d ever heard. “And it takes balls to stand up and emulate Roy Orbison,” assures Coey.
You Got It Demers was up to it. No stranger to the Orbison back catalogue, he figures he performed “Crying,” “In Dreams” and “You Got It” in front of 30,000 or 40,000 patrons this summer during a run of gigs at Shipstones on Salt Spring. From the crowd reaction, he knew he was onto something good and maybe a bit rare. Unlike Beatles knock-offs, the world is not teeming with Orbison tribute bands. There’s a niche to be explored. Perhaps a lucrative one. “When I play, I have men, heterosexual men,” he confides, “in their 60s coming up to me who still have the cassette tapes of Orbison. They’re saying, ‘Wow! I never get to hear this.’” The Lonely will present 30 or so Orbison songs in chronological order, from his start with Sun Records in the 50s to his work with the Traveling Wilburys and beyond. “I’ve never, ever wanted to do a tribute before,” says Coey, “but this is different. It’s a learning experience. We want to look the part, we want to play the part, we want to feel the part and be emotionally involved.” The Lonely debuts on January 31 at the Mary Winspear Centre. :: YAM MAGAZINE
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TRA V EL By Andrew Findlay
Quito, Ecuador
Land of Eternal Spring
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afeteria Modelo is a busy place. Dapper lawyers and business people come and go, bohemian artist types linger over lattes, and occasionally a tourist wanders in, hands gripping travel books as they sit and puzzle through a menu that features Ecuadorian specialties like empanadas de verde and quimbolitos. “For 50 years presidents used to come here for coffee,” says my guide, Rodriguo Correa, who coincidently happens to share the same last name with the country’s current president Rafael Correa. I have to admit, I’ve had a fraught relationship with Latin American metropolises and tend to avoid them like a claustrophobe avoids closets — loud, choked with air pollution, and sometimes dangerous are a few of the reasons why. The city of Quito was about to surprise me. This sprawling city of 2.2 million people perched at 2,850 metres against a backdrop of towering snowbound Andean volcanoes is the second-highest capital in the world. Known as the city of eternal spring, Quito’s year-round average daily temperatures rarely top 20 C. Though the colonial centre is a mere 13 kilometres from the equator, thanks to its lofty location, the city is spared the sweltering equatorial temperatures.
Above: Quito is located at the centre of the world. In the 18th century, a French geodesic mission took eight years to determine where the equatorial line crossed, and in 1836 built a monument there. Below: The interior of the Church of La Campana de Jesus, leafed in gold.
In 1978, UNESCO designated Quito a World Cultural Heritage Site. The city is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas, bursting with the beauty of Spain’s early colonial glory. True to form, when the Spanish conquered the Ecuadorian highlands in the mid-16th century, they destroyed the indigenous infrastructure and temples and rebuilt cities in the mold of Europe’s great cultural and political centres, vast monuments to wealth and God. I follow my guide Correa to one of the jewels of the old city, the Church of La Campana de Jesus, a Jesuit cathedral that was under construction continuously for almost 160 years after masons laid the first foundation stones in 1602. It’s estimated that the melange of classic, baroque and gothic architecture is leafed with more than 50 kilograms of gold, a quantity that would have made a conquistador’s mouth water. One of the cathedral’s most interesting features — and easy to miss for the untrained eye — are the fascinating examples of synchrotismo, the blending of colonial and indigenous art in architecture. Though the Spaniards could be brutal colonists, they 20
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A cultural tour de force
Quito’s Plaza Grande, also known as Independence Square, is an important gathering place where you’ll find superb examples of colonial architecture, including the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Municipal Palace.
realized that sometimes the way to win the hearts and minds of the subdued indigenous population was to incorporate aspects of preChristian beliefs. Correa directs my eye to the ceiling of the cathedral whose dome depicts the sun, reflecting the Inca civilization’s worship of the sun. The artistic detail and iconography in these colonial churches can be overwhelming to a secularist like me, so after absorbing as much information as is humanly possible in half an hour, I aim for the massive wooden doors.
Passion and Renewal In the Plaza Grande, adjacent to historic Hotel Plaza Grande, a trio of distinguished elderly men sits on a park bench deep in a passionate political discussion. Steps away, a love-struck couple is frozen in a sustained kiss of equal passion. We head for a car park at the foot of a steep hill called El Panecillo, which is topped by a gaudy statue of the Virgin Mary. Along the way, we wander through La Ronda, an historic enclave turned successful urban renewal effort. A few years ago, it was a derelict warren of abandoned buildings, drug dealers and prostitutes; now it’s a gentrified neighbourhood of boutiques, artist studios and cafés. With its whitewashed colonial manors and cobblestone streets, it recalls a little of the era when colonial Quito’s upper class would have descended to the streets to promenade, shop and gossip. Before returning to my hotel, I make one last old city stop at Republic del Cacao, a swank tribute to all things chocolate, and fill a bag with chocolate-covered coffee beans and a mickey of chocolate liqueur. YAM MAGAZINE
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Massage: [muh-sahzh,
Rising over the west side of Quito, the Volcán Pichincha has two main peaks: the slightly lower Rucu Pichincha and the higher Guagua Pichincha, an active volcano. Right: The bustling tourist centre of Plaza Foch.
wikipedia
The next morning, Correa drops me off at the base of the teleférico that whisks people from the edge of the city to a top terminal at more than 4,000 metres, on the flanks of Volcán Pichincha. This 4,790-metre volcano last erupted in 1999, enveloping the city in an ashen cloud, reminding all that Ecuador, with 25 active, dormant and extinct volcanoes over 3000 metres tall, crowned by the giant Chimborazo at 6,268 metres, is a hotbed of seismic activity. At the top, young Ecuadorian women in down jackets pose for photos. The brisk temperature is a dramatic contrast to the mild climate of Quito, which fills the valley below for as far as the eye can see, climbing both sides of the valley in layer-cake suburbs. I leave most of the tourists behind and take a wide trail that winds up onto a ridge, cutting across the paramo, the lofty treeless plateau that dominates the highlands of Ecuador. In an hour, the trail steepens where a crumbling ridge of black igneous rock descends from Pichincha’s summit. Snow falls as I switchback up a cone of slippery talus, before meeting a loud, goofy Missourian who asks me to film him running down the talus and seems happy to fit the obnoxious American tourist stereotype. “I may die doing this,” he says The summit is cold and inhospitable,
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Ascending the Volcano
shrouded in cloud and falling snow. I rest for five minutes then climb down on slippery stone from the summit knob back onto the talus slope below, where I can quickly bootski back to warmer elevations. The snow ends and once again it’s T-shirt temperature. Forty-five minutes later, I stroll into the teleférico top station for the trip back down the mountainside to the buzz of Quito. After my volcano climb, I stop at one of those homey little diners where everyone from lawyers to day labourers sits around
simple tables for a set meal. Soon I am diving into a Quito classic: seco de pollo, stewed chicken with rice and avocado slices, with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.
Quito By Night That evening, I make my way to Plaza Foch, in the heart of the Mariscal district, otherwise known as gringolandia. If the cathedrals and carefully restored colonial treasures of the old city garner praise from cultural historians at UNESCO, then the bars
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“Plaza Foch is loud, proud and brash, in brilliant contrast to the holy cathedrals of the old city.”
of Plaza Foch thumping with Reggaeton and featuring overpriced drinks and gringo-friendly spaghetti Bolognese are exactly the sort of crass distractions that might cause them to turn up their noses. But it sure is fun. Plaza Foch is loud, proud and brash, in brilliant contrast to the holy cathedrals of the old city. I flop into an outdoor deck seat for a happy hour mojito and listen to a grunge band out-competing the canned music from bars lining the boisterous square. The people watching is as popular with backpacking tourists as it is with Quito’s university and college students, who roam in libidinous packs. Later, I browse Confederate Books for second-hand reading material. The American at the till, with the requisite round wireframed glasses of the bookstore owner, gives me directions to La Bodeguita de Cuba, a few blocks away on Reina Victoria. When I arrive, a four-piece band is laying down some steamy salsa. I pull up a stool at the bar, a safe distance from the dance floor so as to hopefully avoid being forced into doing my awkward white North American male interpretation of salsa. A local sitting next to me points out a conspicuously gregarious woman and says, mischievously, “That’s the owner. You better be careful.” She glides around the bar in high heels and a sparkling mauve blouse, engaging customers and urging them onto the floor. Her face, layered in make-up, gives her a faded glory appearance, like an aging movie star who hasn’t lost her gusto. I sink a fork into a Caribbean specialty, ropa vieja (literally “old clothes”), shredded steak in tomato sauce, and nurse along my second mojito of the night. I’m feeling a little lightheaded; not sure if it’s the rum or the lofty altitude of this fascinating city reaching for the sun and just a few kilometres from 0 latitude. One thing is certain, I’ll never look at a Latin American metropolis the same way again. ::
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G OOD EATS By Shelora Sheldan
TOP 10 trends for eating well in 2015
Traditionally, the new year heralds new beginnings. Kickstart it with these inspirational culinary trends that are guaranteed to cleanse your palate and supercharge those resolutions with healthy deliciousness.
1 Keep it Whole
4 Apothecary Additions
7 Grist for the Mill
Whole grains are better for us. They take a bit longer to cook, but they’re more filling, and ultimately more satisfying, than their de-germed, stripped-down brethren. Wheat berries, a.k.a. farro, are popping up on menus, served alongside braised meats, or as vegetarian fare, stewed with earthy mushrooms or root vegetables. They’re delightfully chewy and are a snap to cook at home at a two-to-one ratio. Any cooked leftovers can be used in a salad or as a binder in meatloaf or veggie burgers.
Adding to their roster of housemade bitters, wild botanical tinctures and infusions, savvy barkeeps are shaking and stirring with a new set of ingredients. Algae-based spirulina and kelp, turmeric, ginger, cedar and even pine-needle-infused sugar syrups are being added to organic spirits, for innovative apothecary-inspired cocktails of the sort you’ll find on Be Love’s cocktail menu prepared by bartender/coowner Joe Cunliffe.
Beyond quinoa, you’ll find many unsung grainy heroes that are just as nutrientdense, but easier on the pocket book. Millet has a mildly sweet and nutty flavour and is wonderful in an herbaceous and lemony salad, or enjoyed in muffins and breads for added crunch. Bulgur and green freekeh, both high in fibre and protein but low in fat and calories, are being served in soups, salads and stews. They are great with Green freekeh any kind of seasoning, from Italian to North African.
5 Wild Thing
From Victoria to Tofino, Islanders are being enticed into the wild to forage for The “buy local” ethos edible ingredients. From continues into 2015, perfect for this foraged, nutrientpassionate Island locavores. rich and edible salad bar Beyond produce, a handful of awaits everything from exotic intrepid farmers are digging Nettles mushrooms and nettles to fern deeper and planting grains. shoots and Douglas fir tips, to Saanichton’s Bryce Rashleigh grows red dandelion greens and miner’s lettuce. Home lentils, chickpeas, whole-wheat berries and offers freshly-milled hard red spring wheat, cooks and chefs are pickling and infusing, making any 100-mile diet even more varied. serving these foods raw or stuffing them into ravioli. First-time foragers: consult a 3 Spice is Nice knowledgeable guide. Chefs are looking to exotic spice mixes from North Africa and the Middle East for a 6 Vegetables in the Spotlight creative spark. Sumac, a burgundy-coloured Vegetables are being ground berry, adds tart, fruity flavours celebrated as standand bright acidity to foods. (It’s delicious alone fare — not just as sprinkled over braised greens.) Za’atar, side dishes. Vegetariana savoury blend of sesame seeds, thyme focused mains are and sumac, traditionally sprinkled over increasingly creative and grilled flatbreads, is also great on chicken, nuanced. Many people in fresh sausages or simply sprinkled over have adopted the once-arice. Harissa, a Tunisian spice paste of week meatless Monday roasted red peppers and chili, is weaving Kohlrabi concept, an initiative its flavourful magic as an addition to yogurt to improve health. So, marinades, vinaigrettes, lamb marinades, carnivore or vegetarian, crackers and even foams. (I keep a squeeze go forth and try kohlrabi, tube on hand when making couscous and eggplant or some collard chickpea stews.) In Victoria, you’ll find greens. Your body will love you for it. versions at Fishhook, Roast and Camille’s.
2 Buying Local is Best
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8 Seeds Hailed as superfoods, seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch. From amaranth and chia to hemp hearts and flax, popped, toasted or sprouted, they’re finding their way into salads, breads, crackers and smoothies.
9 Get Cheeky With chefs embracing nose-to-tail cookery, the home cook has better access to more unusual cuts through their local butcher. Cheeks, from beef and pork, are lean and take to marinades very well. And when cooked at a slow braise (resolve to get out that slow cooker!), they become meltingly tender.
10 Put a Pickle on It The popularity of pickling vegetables continues, as does fermenting — a process touted for its probiotic and enzyme goodness and as an immune system booster. If you’re not making your own, find them on savvy charcuterie Pickled or tasting platters around goodness Victoria, or at health-food stores. ::
jeffrey bosdet/yam magazine
Evan Buchner (on the left) and Scott Wilson milling wheat berries on the Bulldog Fanning Mill, which dates from the 1920s, at Bryce Rashleigh’s Saanichton Farm.
D I V INE DRINK S By Adem Tepedelen
Like the apples it’s made from, artisan hard cider may keep the doctor away — but it’s also delightfully easy on the palate.
jeffrey bosdet/yam magazine
A HARD CIDER RENAISSANCE
Sea Cider, a farm-based cidery located on the Saanich Peninsula, crafts traditionally fermented ciders, such as this Wild English cider, from organically grown apples.
H
ard cider is having its moment in using it judiciously to add interesting North America. Over in the Old aromatics and a nice dry bite on the finish. World it’s been a part of drinking Hard ciders are also being aged in barrels culture for thousands of years, dating for additional depth and complexity, and back to when clean water was scarce and some pretty interesting ingredients, such fermented beverages such as beer and as habañero pepper, are being used to play hard cider were a way to hydrate sanitarily. with the balance between cider’s sweet/ Though it was brought to the New World tart dynamic. by European settlers — and there are One thing that hard cider has on craft literally hundreds of different apple beer, though, is that it’s naturally glutenvarieties grown here — hard cider never free. And considering the growing number gained the traction as a common, popular of people who are gluten intolerant, those beverage here. Until now. looking for a craft beer alternative are The recent rise in artisan ciders can more frequently seeking artisan ciders, probably be attributed to two things: the rather than gluten-free beers, which growing popularity of craft beer and the typically don’t taste very beer-like. acknowledged health benefits of drinking A Cider For Any Occasion hard cider. You’ve heard that red wine is In addition to being very good for full of healthy antioxidants, of course, but you, apples are a versatile basis for adult it may surprise you to find out that hard beverages. Depending upon how the juice cider is too. There really is something to is fermented, they can satisfy both the that old chestnut, “An apple a day keeps ardent wine-drinker, the craft beer fan the doctor away,” because apples and hard looking for something a little fruitier and cider (in moderation, of course) are darn the diehard cider lover. Some are dry, some good for you. are a little sweet. Craft beer, the way it There’s probably a is made and marketed, Adem’s Top 3 hard cider to suit every has proven to be a big Hard Cider Picks palate, from the crisp, inspiration to artisan cider Isastegi Sidra fresh-tasting kind readily makers. Where cideries may Naturala (Spain) available in cans and have once positioned their Bone dry and featuring bottles at most liquor products more toward wine funky notes of wild yeast stores, to effervescent drinkers, they’ve found and tart apple, this is a versions made like a good traction with those traditional Basque cider sparkling wine. And the who enjoy a cold, flavourful that pairs well with food, ridiculous number of beverage that isn’t too high especially tapas. different cider apple (and in alcohol. Additionally, Schilling Dry-Hopped pear) varieties being grown much of the packaging and Cider (Seattle) in North America provides the fermenting (and aging) Dry-hopping is basically lots of unique flavours. processes are geared to adding a “teabag” of resonate with the craft beer hops to the fermented A New wave of drinker. hops to imbue it with
Where the Twain Meet
some aromatics and exotic juicy notes, not bitterness. This is slightly sweet with wonderful fruit notes.
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creativity
A new frontier of possibilities has been Creativity has been a opened by the creativity hallmark of the craft beer demonstrated by the new renaissance. Where we once wave of artisan cideries. had a meager selection of Sea Cider Rumrunner Hard cider may have beer styles and flavours (Saanich) originated in the Old to choose from in the This 12.5% ABV rum World, but it’s being given liquor store, now there barrel-aged sipper will make you rethink any a New World makeover, are dozens. Beers today opinions you may have with delicious results. are brewed with so many held about hard cider. It’s Our local favourites, unique ingredients and aged robust with rich notes of Merridale and Sea in different kinds of spirit caramelized apples and Cider, were ahead of the barrels. Even the four basic brown sugar. curve on this and their ingredients — hops, malted products can be found at barley, water and yeast — local independent liquor are used in interesting ways. stores, along with newcomers like Tod Hard cider makers, seeing a receptive Creek Craft Cider. Plenty of imports from audience, have followed suit. Washington and Oregon continue to pour In the hop-crazy Northwest U.S. (where into the province, as well. It seems like a large portion of the world’s hops are, hard cider’s moment is likely to last. :: in fact, grown) artisan cider makers are
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LI V IN G SMART By Kerry Slavens
Storage should be functional but it definitely doesn’t have to be boring, as these imaginative shelves, credenzas and sideboards show so well — they are conversation pieces that add artful interest to your rooms.
The Domino credenza is comprised of an array of rectangular modules (Gabriel Ross, $4,419)
Herman Miller Nelson miniature chest (Gabriel Ross, $2,849)
STORAGE WITH STYLE Goddard’s credenza of walnut veneer and steel is an example of the custom work at Arostegui Studio (request quote at arosteguistudio.com)
This Juliet display unit with tempered glass and two display lights combines the airiness of glass with structural strength (Luxe Home Furnishings, starts at $1,275)
This Flat Edge cabinet is part of the Pine Beetle Collection by Judson Beaumont (straightlinedesigns.com, starts at $2,000)
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The Denizen Storage Tower is both functional and artful, with open and closed storage space (Graphic Office, starts at $5,500)
The Laurence shelf unit in steel and leather is sleek and sophisticated (Parc Modern, $729)
The Calligans Seattle entertainment unit marries the warmth of wood with the sleekness of glass (Studio Y Design, starts at $1,369.95)
This Funky Tree Design shelf brings whimsy into your living space (Scan Designs, $1,098)
This clean-lined Magnolia shelf unit is part of the Classic Bamboo series (Scan Designs, $1,028)
The Sorrento Live Edge buffet evokes images of distant horizons (Parc Modern, $2,659 to $3,079)
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Bring Your
Living Room to Life By Lana Lounsbury
A centre table adds height diversity and divides the two seating spaces, creating intimate groupings for conversations.
This room is arranged so traffic flows around, not through, the furniture which means people feel more comfortable and secure in their space.
John M. Hall/living4media
Area rugs that contrast with the floor help define seating areas and add visual interest.
Differences in height are essential for breaking up the monotony of a room.
The way you arrange your living room furniture sets the tone for how you interact with this important room. YAM explores how to set up traffic patterns, how to scale pieces for maximum effect, how to bring “form” to your space — and what to do about that TV.
T
A mix of smooth and rough textures brings visual interest which engages the eye. We subconsciously enjoy the contrasts.
he living room is the one room in the house where style gets to take the stage over function — and it’s one of the few spaces in the home that has more to do with being and resting than with doing. That said, there are a few components most of us like to have in our living rooms: a fireplace, a TV, room for entertaining and a quiet space for reading or gaming. The way we set up these components actually tells people how to behave and how to feel in that room. With this powerful information in your hands, you’ll learn how to arrange your furniture so people feel welcomed and intuitively understand the space.
The “Pie Crust” Living Room It’s funny, but many people arrange their furniture like a pie crust: just on the perimeter of the room, all one height and all one colour. While pie crusts may be delicious, they don’t make good décor models. First, let’s deal with perimeter furniture. People often line their furniture up around the outside edges of the room and put a small coffee table in front of the sofa. This leads to a strange feeling of unease because the furniture creates a ring around any person who walks into the room, making them the focal point. It’s really hard for most people to comfortably step into the centre of a circle — so don’t do this to your friends and family. < There’s a great deal of psychology at work in this arrangement of living room furnishings. The biggest lesson is to create a good balance of diversity in texture, in colour and in the height of your furniture.
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muse interiors
W I S D O M + W E A LT H
To combat the perimeter furniture problem, you often have to get rid of something … or many things. Mismatched tables or furniture from a relative you feel obligated to keep are all good candidates for UsedVictoria. Once the superfluous clutter is cleared, your remaining furniture can be pulled away from the walls and grouped. Create groupings by pulling your furniture closer to a fireplace and away from a wall, or by breaking off a pair of chairs to set under a window while the main grouping of sofas is centralized. Often, people think that they need to be able to access the sofa from anywhere, but that’s simply not true. One entry point into a furniture grouping is sufficient for small rooms, two for large rooms and three or more for rooms over 25 feet in length with more than three groupings. You only need a few inches between arms of chairs or sofas that are grouped together — they can even touch — but you do need at least 18" around the back of a sofa for someone to be able to walk behind it, and 30 to 40" to create a hallway that will direct traffic flow. For instance, if your living room is between the entry and the kitchen, you’ll need to pull your sofa 40" off the wall to 32
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This classic furniture arrangement makes the fireplace the focal point of the room. Although many of the furnishings are neutral, the dark wood of the piano, the pedestals near the windows and the dark swirls of the abstract painting above the fireplace effectively alleviate any sense of monotony. The result is calming but never boring.
create a walk way behind the sofa. And finally, the flow of your room should be around your furniture groupings, not through them. This will help to create conversation areas and a sense of privacy for people. After all, if your hallway runs through your furniture grouping it can subconsciously feel like you are going to be trampled.
Meeting in the Middle The second symptom of The Pie Crust is having furniture that is all one height. This may not seem like a big deal, but it leads to a brain-deadening blandness that no amount of feature wall colour will let you escape. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so bad about blandness? The problem is that boring spaces drive people away! People will actually leave your living room to seek somewhere more pleasant and
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visually stimulating. If you’re wondering why no one ever congregates, relaxes or reads in your living room, it may be because it’s bland. The good news is that single-height blandness is easy to combat: low foot stools, pouf ottomans and abnormally low coffee tables all create a new dimension of space around the floor. End tables that are 3" lower or higher than the arms of the chairs and sofas are an easy way to stagger the midline. And a grandfather clock (painted of course!), a torchière lamp or pair of high back chairs all draw your eye and your attention to the upper space.
The third symptom of The Pie Crust living room is monochromatic colour. I have nothing against a monochromatic colour scheme that is intentional, where interest is created with texture. However, when the wood floor blends with the legs of the furniture, which is also the stain colour of the end tables, and the same smooth texture of the upholstery and the walls ... you get the point. Singularity of colour can create confusion and boredom all at once. It isn’t easy for your guest’s subconscious mind to locate the seating if the sofa, walls and floor are the same colour and texture. In fact, in design for Elder Care there are specific guidelines around the change in pattern and depth of colour between floors and walls, and floors and seating so that the visually impaired can easily find their way. The best way to break the monotony is with a patterned or light-coloured area rug. In a small room, you can get away without one if the legs of your furniture and tables contrast with the floor. In a large room an area rug is a must. It defines the seating area, directs traffic flow, adds contrast between furniture and floor and softens the acoustic properties of the room.
spacecrafting photography
A Room with Distinction
Most area carpet stores will let you try the rugs in your home before you buy, some will even bring them out to you to try. Just remember to buy one that contrasts with the floor! Another simple way to add interest and finish a room is with throw pillows. It’s trendy right now when pillows don’t match Using custom built-ins with sliding panelled doors over the entertainment unit is one stylish way to conceal a television and can give the room a cozy librarylike feel.
anything in the room but themselves and are arranged in a riotous bouquet of colour, texture, pattern and scale. You can even remove the back cushions of your chairs or sofa and replace them with custom pillows for a more casual look. Custom made, down-filled pillows can change the entire feel of your room without changing your furniture. However, they cost approximately $150 to $300 each; in general, cushions for a fully decorated room cost about as much as a new sofa. You can also find assortments of pillows at Home Sense and local furniture showrooms where ready-made pillows cost about $40 to $75 each. Your choice is more limited, but it can be fun to hunt them down. A good interior designer will do both to bring you the best value.
The TV conundrum
eag studio
So where does the TV fit in? Personally I really like a TV in a living room — sacrilegious for an interior designer to say, I know! I like it because it adds function and brings people together.
Axor Urquiola Awakening your Senses
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The sofa placement in this room offers a visual break from the kitchen. Two stools in front of the fireplace create additional seating without crowding the main seating area. The chairs by the French doors and the greenery and flower displays on the coffee table break up the colour scheme nicely, as do the complementary (but not perfectly matched) throw cushions.
My ideal space for a TV is tucked beside the fireplace in a built-in cabinet — concealed but accessible. It should not be the focal point (that’s what media rooms are for) and in an average size room it should not be more than 30". Built-in cabinets do dual purpose for display and storage. Imagine, a place to hide all those cords! In general, don’t put a TV above a fireplace unless it is concealed because it takes away from the serenity of the fireplace and is a bad viewing angle for the TV. Most modern gas fireplaces run too hot to have electronics safely near them anyway. Remember, the most vibrant and interesting thing you can add to your living room is people. By creating a space that is visually and intellectually stimulating, easy to access and cozy you will draw them there instinctively. I hope these tips help you shake up your living room so you can start using it for what it was meant for — living! ::
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OUTSTANDING HOMES Text: Athena McKenzie Photography: Joshua Lawrence
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State of the Art
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An oceanside home in Fairfield is transformed into a dazzling, airy space to showcase the ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eclectic collection of art. YAM MAGAZINE
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here’s no doubt that a judiciously chosen accent colour can really make a statement, as evidenced by the modern kitchen in this renovated home on Gonzales Beach. It’s even more satisfying when there’s a story behind the choice. In this case, blue is one of the homeowner’s favourite colours and she really wanted a particular shade she had seen on a Toyota car. When she tracked down the automotive colour formula, Jason Good of Jason Good Custom Cabinets used it on the kitchen island and cabinets inserts, creating a striking focal point in the room and adding an unexpected dose of drama. “It actually has an incandescent finish, so it looks like a car,” says Claire Reimann, associate kitchen and bath designer at Jason Good Custom Cabinets. While the homeowners were primarily looking to upgrade their kitchen, they also wanted to remove the internal walls on the main floor, to open the space up and better exhibit their art — and the gorgeous view of Gonzales Beach. Working with Tony Aindow of Goodison Construction, and Jason Good and Claire Reimann, the homeowners embarked on a seven-month refurbishment of their main and upper floors, creating a contemporary home that feels refined and refreshingly down to earth. And one of the best parts, according to Aindow? “Standing in the kitchen admiring a beautiful space with Gonzales Beach as a backdrop — it’s stunning,” he says.
Above and previous Page: The reflective white surfaces of the acrylic cabinets and quartz counters give the kitchen a fresh, contemporary look. The pendant lights, desk lamp and knobs on the cooktop add a touch of red to play off the blue. The design embraces symmetry, which can be seen on either side of the window and island. < The entryway tile, Rox by Campogalliano in Dust, leads to the stairwell, done in Kentwood’s Snohomish White Oak and finished with stainless steel nosings. The clean lines of the stairwell act as the perfect backdrop for the eclectic mix of art on display.
Black Vase $295 | Charleston Love Seat $595 | Pillows $35 (other pieces available by request)
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WINTER CLEARANCE
< Symmetry is also an important design element in the built-ins in the living room. The shelves around the fireplace light up to illuminate the curated array of art and objects. A painting by Victoria artist Margo Cooper hangs over the fireplace. The brick wall is one of the features retained from the original layout of the house.
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< Snohomish White Oak flooring is found throughout the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main floor, giving it a warm, appealing feel. Notable artwork includes the painting over the credenza by Shuvinai Ashoona of Cape Dorset, and the sculpture of a standing man in a boat by Ted Gall of California.
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Distinctive artwork can also be found in the bathrooms, such as this print by Luke Anguhadluq of Baker Lake. The vanity features spalted maple with a live edge and a quartz counter.
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589 BAYSTREET |
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A rosewood vanity adds an element of warmth to the large powder room, providing a nice juxtaposition to the cool tones of the Caesarstone Blizzard quartz countertop and the porcelain tiles.
Specializing in homeS throughout greater Victoria
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Built-in book shelves in the master bedroom create an inviting and comfortable ambience. The shelves are home to an eclectic yet skillfully organized arrangement of books and art pieces.
RESOURCES General contractor: Goodison Construction Ltd. Interior design: Homeowners and Claire Reimann of Jason Good Custom Cabinets Cabinets and millwork: Jason Good of Jason Good Custom Cabinets Quartz countertops: Stone Age Marble & Granite Furniture: Gabriel Ross Tile: Loki Tiling Oak flooring: Houriganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flooring
Give your home a Booster shot with CrEativE DEstruCtion from a friEnDly hanD
Flooring install: Cherry Point Hardwood Floors Light fixtures: Mclaren Lighting Plumbing fixtures and door hardware: Victoria Speciality Hardware & Plumbing Interior painting: Arne Andersson
Call us for your next projeCt
250.589.3273
Email: dbw@dbwcontracting.com | dbwcontracting.com
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Bathroom
bliss
This serene retreat by Maximilian Huxley Construction and Jenny Martin Design won a 2014 CARE Gold Award for Best Bathroom (New or Renovated) under 100 sq. ft. The custom mirror frame was made by layering multiple frames to create a dramatic statement piece.
joshua lawrence
5 trends that really Make a Style Statement
While your bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms in your house, there’s no denying it’s also one of the most important. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to fill this space with stylish elements that are as functional as they are stunning. If you’re looking to inject some flair into your ensuite, consider one of these popular bathroom trends — all of which will have enduring appeal.
1 Surface matters
Designer Jenny Martin knows how to make an impression with her bathroom designs. Recently, she won a Gold Care Award with Maximilian Huxley Construction in the category “Best Bathroom Under 100 square feet.” The space used a lot of Bianco Carrara marble, illustrating one of the trends that Martin embraces. “Marble and natural materials are making a big comeback, but in more modern ways,” she says. “Showers done in whole slab pieces as opposed to tile. Even other materials, like quartz reproducing a marble look — some of them are getting really good.” The options for using natural materials are quite varied. Large-scale use of marble on the walls can create a becoming wallpaper effect and is a striking statement piece in itself. It can also be used on the floor for a seamless feel. Countertops are an obvious choice for these natural elements. For a more economical option, Martin points to a newer material, porcelain slabs, which come in big sheets like countertops, but are thin like tile and available in a range of looks and patterns. “It can be used to do showers or built up to do countertops,” she says. “You can do all sorts of really neat things with it.”
2
joshua lawrence
Singing in the Rain The materials used are not the only way to make a statement with your shower. Jennifer Pacheco, an interior designer at MAC Renovations, says that a lot of people are removing tubs and putting in big walk-in showers, over five feet long and three feet wide. “People don’t even want doors,” Pacheco says. “They want to be able to just walk
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through it. So, we’re doing single panels of glass coming across and then leaving it open on the end. It gives it a much sleeker look and it is obviously much easier to keep clean, as you have no door or hinges or anything else.” Along with the ever-popular steam and rain-heads for an indulgent shower experience, a new trend is to put in a combination of heads, with a jetted showerhead for washing hair and additional body sprays. “If you’re going with all the bells and whistles, turning it into a steam shower that you can sit in is nice,” says Elissa Tucker, showroom manager at Kitchen & Bath Classics. “We see a lot of the built-in seats that are done in tile or the teak, fold-down seats.”
3
Soak Your Troubles Away
Of course, as Pacheco says, if you’re a bath person, then you’re a bath person, and people do love their soaker tubs, whether they go for the free-standing or drop-in option. “We do lots of drop-in tub and shower combinations,” Pacheco says. “The tub deck runs into the shower and acts as a bench in the shower. It’s all one piece, so it looks really lovely when we have the space for it.” If there is enough negative space in the bathroom, Martin encourages putting in a
Oversize walk-in showers, like this one from Harbour City Kitchens and GT Mann Construction are a popular addition to an ensuite bath.
freestanding tub. A modern, organic–shaped bathtub can create an anchoring point in the room. “Even the more modern ones with clean lines can work in a traditional space, as well as a contemporary space,” Martin says. Alisha Kelly, manager at Victoria Speciality Hardware, recommends a composite freestanding tub, which is made of ground stone and resin.
“It allows for a wider range of shapes and designs,” Kelly says. “It also retains the heat quite a bit better than the other materials. It has function and design aesthetics to it.”
4
Light Effects
Both Pacheco and Martin describe statement lighting in the bathroom as a dramatic finishing touch.
LOCALLY HANDCRAFTED DESIGNER KITCHENS DREAM KITCHENS REALLY DO COME TRUE
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The Napoli tub from Victoria + Albert, a line carried at Victoria Speciality Hardware, offers an on-trend sculptural shape and a low step-in height.
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“Picking light fixtures is probably my favourite thing to do,” says Pacheco. “I always think of the light fixture as that piece of jewelry you wear on your outfit. It does that for a room.” From elegant crystal chandeliers to modern art-like pieces, lighting is a sure-fire way to make an impression. “We’re also doing pendant lights often,” Martin says. “If you have a single sink, doing a single dramatic pendant over the sink and close to the wall can create a really neat effect.” She also points to architectural lighting, such as recessed and indirect lighting, as a way to play and create drama. “Whether it’s a back-lit mirror, or a mirror with strip lighting on the sides, you get a mirror that looks like it’s glowing,” Martin says.
5
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www.westwindhardwood.com
Vanity Fair
The vanity is another area of the bathroom where one can express their sense of style. A popular choice is the furniturelike option.
your natural resource “ ” This Fairmont vanity from Kitchen & Bath Classics has the look of an artfully repurposed piece of furniture.
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Finishing Touches
Consider design details like coloured accents on faucets, towel bars and tubfillers, such as this Rubinet R10 Floor Mount Tub Filler. (Kitchen & Bath Classics, $2,400).
Love warm, fluffy towels? A mounted towel warmer, such as this Kontour Linear model, ensures towels dry quickly and adds a lovely touch of comfort. (Flush Bathroom Essentials, $270 to $340)
“They have decorative legs and hold their own as a piece of furniture,” says Tucker of the vanities carried at Kitchen & Bath Classics. “People like the look that they’ve picked something up from a shop somewhere and turned it into their vanity.” Kelly sees a number of customers who are actually finding antiques and repurposing them into vanities. “They will often come to us looking for the sink or countertop for it,” she says. Other ways to up-style a vanity include switching up the hardware, pulls and knobs. “It’s a nice way to pull a room together,” Kelly says. “Glass knobs are quite popular and we have a few lines of modern glass knobs, so this doesn’t have to be limited to the traditional look.” Whatever look you’re aspiring to, let these trends inspire you to start rethinking your bathroom design and décor. “It’s how all the little elements come together that create the impact, with layers upon layers of detail,” says Martin. “But it is nice to have a couple different focal points that stand out when you walk into the room.” So, whether it’s with that stunning soaker tub, an inviting marble walk-in shower or an eye-catching chandelier, transform your bathroom into a welcoming and stylish retreat. ::
Hello, I’m Margaret; no-nonsense-minimumfuss-maximum-care.
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CAMOSUN 4440 Chatterton Way Victoria BC mleck@shaw.ca 250.413.7171 margaretleck.com
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Out with the old
in with the new If you haven’t changed up your fitness and diet plan in a while, it’s time to refresh your knowledge about what’s healthy and what’s not — and revitalize your approach.
T
here’s a revolution happening in health and fitness. No, I’m not talking about upside-down yoga or the cabbage diet (which seems to be a comeback from the early 80s). I’m talking about sound, safe and sensible approaches that yield healthy results in healthy ways. “We need to learn how to be nice to ourselves,” says Michele Shorter of BDHQ Body Dynamics, “and to nourish our beautiful bodies with all kinds of exercise and movement and also lovely food instead of being so mean to ourselves and always having to be on a diet or go on a cleanse.” To help you find the healthiest approach for your lifestyle, YAM looks at outdated health and fitness approaches to showcase new, healthier concepts.
Then: Extreme Diets Now: Balance is Back As a nutritionist, Danielle Van Schaick of Dani Health and Nutrition Services has seen a lot of crazy diets, including diets that limit 50
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MASTERFILE
By Carolyn Camilleri
the kinds of foods you can eat and severely restrict calories, which can deprive you of key nutrients and lead to digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome. “Any diet that has you taking in low calories will do more harm than good,” she says. “Taking in less than your body needs each day will cause you to lose weight but, at the same time, slows your metabolism and causes you to lose muscle. With a slower metabolism, your body doesn’t need as many calories. So, you’re in a worse position than you were before you started the diet.” And then there are cleanses. “If one of my clients tells me they are doing a cleanse, I will then restrict their access to the gym,” says Narina Prokosch of Victoria Wellness Professionals. “I don’t want someone trying to exercise with low blood sugar.” The new thinking about diet is a welcome move toward a comprehensive wellness plan. “My thinking is that we always need to be
eating well and try not to make ourselves suffer through it,” says Shorter. “It is perfectly awesome to nourish our bodies.” Shorter says a well-balanced diet is one that works not only if you are trying to lose weight or build muscle, but also if you are diabetic or pregnant. Plus, you should be able to follow the same plan for everyone in your family. Pay attention to things like water, protein, greens and vegetables, says Shorter. “Reduce the sugar and eat closer to the earth and pay attention to your animal proteins and if they have been fed hormones — I think that is far more dangerous than gluten for most people.”
Then: Fat is Evil Now: Good Fat is Good After decades, the low-fat nightmare is truly over. “Everything used to be low fat, low fat, low fat but when we actually look at those low fat foods, they’re chock full of sugar,” says Kristal Anderson, a faculty
member in the department of exercise science at Camosun College. But it’s more than just the sugar that has ended the low-fat era. Turns out, fat is actually really good for us. “It’s still a new trend even though, for a lot of us on this side of things, it’s not a new thing anymore,” says Carmine Sparanese, general manager at Lifestyle Markets. But of key importance, he notes, is that you eat non-GMO and organic fats. What kind of fat? Avocado, eggs, butter. ... Butter? “Without a doubt,” he says. “It’s the highquality butter from organically raised cows that have seen lots of grass or mainly grass. That kind of butter.” But wait a minute — those are saturated fats. And that’s good? Yes, absolutely. The new thinking around fat is the focus
of The Big Fat Surprise, the 2014 book written by journalist Nina Teicholz, which looks at how we have been misled into thinking fats are bad. Another big player on the saturated-fat team is Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of Sweet Deception and Take Control of Your Health, as well as the article “Why I Believe Over Half of Your Diet Should Be Made Up of Saturated Fats.” The Bulletproof Diet, by Dave Asprey, just released in December, also supports the idea that saturated fats are healthy. One of the benefits of bringing fat back into our diets is that it helps us reduce body fat — yes, you read that right. “It takes fat to burn fat,” says Sparanese. And you can stop counting calories. “Eating a high-fat program, calories are one of the last things that you’re thinking about,” says Sparanese. “You’re looking at more
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Smooth and Sculpt unwanted fat cellS Smartlipo™ Smartlipo™ is the most widely used laser-assisted liposuction system available today. It has been shown to involve less pain, less bruising and swelling and provide a faster recovery time than traditional liposuction contributing to a smoother shape and tightened skin.
MASTERFILE
CAll tO BOOk A CONSUltAtION tOdAy
satiation and fueling the body and watching it run like a Ferrari rather than restricting calories, watching all the body systems shut down and try to compensate.” BEFORE
Then: Fitness is Work Now: Fitness Should be Fun Shorter is seeing a growth in cross training — changing things up to keep fitness fresh and, most importantly, fun. At BDHQ , one of the most popular programs is The Drill, which uses ropes, tires, monkey bars and other pieces of equipment in an almost nightclub-like atmosphere with a live DJ. “Minus the alcohol,” laughs Shorter. “We call it our ‘happy hour.’”
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Garmin Vivosmart, Basis Peak, Microsoft Band, Moov — these are just a few of the higher-rated wearable fitness trackers out there. And if you don’t fancy wearing your tracker, you can download an app into your smartphone instead: Argus, Coach Alba, Cyclemeter, Digifit iCardio and Endomondo Sports Tracker are a few getting good reviews. What they do is count everything: steps taken, hours slept, food eaten, cups of coffee, and intensity, time and duration of
“We may think we are eating enough fruit and vegetables or getting enough exercise, but when we actually start to record it, we may discover we are not doing so well after all.” exercise — in order to increase awareness and indicate red flags. “We may think we are eating enough fruit and vegetables or getting enough exercise, but when we actually start to record it, we may discover we are not doing so well after all,” Anderson says. Often, these devices do more than count: information can be downloaded, graphed and shared with coaches. Some of the apps are also connected to social media, allowing users to communicate and post tips. Using trackers and apps is something that Anderson teaches in a class on change psychology and how to help individuals alter behaviours. “Whether we’re a strength and conditioning coach or we’re working in more
TECH SUPPORT Fitness and diet apps and wearable devices have taken the wellness world by storm and are a great way to track progress and red-flag areas that need attention.
of a chronic disease capacity, whatever the capacity, we’re helping them change a behaviour.” Finding the right tracker or app for you takes some homework. “They’re coming out all the time,” says Anderson, adding that everyone has individual preferences and that many of the apps have free versions available for pilot testing. She also recommends reading the reviews first. “Generally, when something comes out, I would even wait a little bit because sometimes it takes a few weeks or even a while longer for some of the kinks to be worked out.” One of the apps she recommends is called Lift (www.lift.do), a support system you use with your smartphone that allows you to choose the habit you want to change. Maybe you want to walk every morning, compete in the next Good Life marathon, meditate twice a week or cut back on TV watching. The idea behind Lift is that you sign up for a challenge and through its coaching, supportive community and tracking results, you are encouraged to reach your goal. You can start free and upgrade if you like it.
yam
MAGAZINE
presents
A Chef’s Dinner by Zambri’s
+
The Wines of Montresor Tuesday, February 24 6pm at Zambri’s 820 Yates St
Savour the tastes of Italy with a menu by Chef Peter Zambri and the wines of Montresor. Join us for an unforgettable evening as Chef Peter Zambri creates a sumptuous menu for an outstanding Italian culinary experience! This fabulous multi-course dinner will be paired with an amazing selection of Montresor wines, including their outstanding 2008 Amarone Capitel della Crosara.
$150 (plus tax and gratuity) Tickets: frances@zambris.ca zambris.ca
Then: The Long, Slow Burn Now: High Intensity, Shorter Bursts HIIT — High Intensity Interval Training — has been around for a while but continues to be a very strong trend for a number of reasons. “I think the busier we get, the more stressful our fast-paced life, the more there will be a need for this short, sharp, intense work out,” says Anderson. “I think it’s got a lot of benefits. For some people, it’s fun because it can be very social; the time flies by.” Anderson describes it as “a lot of oxygensucking exercises” that are great for weight loss, and because people see results, they see changes in body composition. Doing too much too soon can cause injury and Anderson stresses the importance of allowing time for recovery and paying attention to progressions — gradually increasing the frequency and time. YAM MAGAZINE
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joshua lawrence
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL Small group training sessions, like those at BDHQ Body Dynamics, don’t overwhelm you with too many people, but they do provide the energy and motivation of working out with others.
The trick, she says, is finding a good instructor, and she thinks the options in Victoria are very good.
Then: Alone or Lost in the Crowd Now: Small Group Training “People want to learn how to use muscles and they want to get personal training but they want to be able to afford it,” says Shorter of BDHQ Body Dynamics, who travels the country looking at fitness trends. With small group training, you get the benefits of close work with a trainer combined with the energy that comes from working with three to six other people, all at a more affordable price. And that makes fitness sustainable.
Then: Blame the Glands Now: Manage Adrenal and Cortisol Levels
Let us help you reach your personal best Personal Training Small Group Fitness Corporate Health + Wellness corepersonalfitness.ca • 778-265-7865
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Years ago, people might have blamed weight problems on “glands” and left it at that. Now, we are taking control of our hormonal health by monitoring our cortisol and adrenal levels. “Those are the main, let’s say, drivers of a lot of hormonal imbalancing, which, of course, leads to mid-section fat which is the worst kind of fat,” says Sparanese. “If you have a high-cortisol, adrenally challenged lifestyle, then eating a higher fat diet automatically improves things,” he says, referring to his earlier comments about high-quality fats in our diets. The other key component is getting enough good-quality sleep, says Sparanese.
“That alone helps people lose fat.” Next, he suggests Vitamin D because it helps to balance hormones, which, in turn, helps the body manage fat efficiently. The third consideration is probiotics. “We are so misbalanced or unbalanced in our gut microbiota or gut flora, that we have no ability to maintain proper probiotic balance,” he says. “Everything we eat is so processed.” Then he gets into the fat burners; for example, Fucoidan — a Japanese brown seaweed extract that has a natural thermogenic — which increases the body’s ability to burn fat without raising one’s heart rate. FucoTHIN, Lean Energy, Ortho-Adapt,
Lean Plus and Anti-Stress are a few other products that may help some people. “But with products like these — I like to call them adaptogens — those are the kinds of things to help build you back up,” says Sparanese, explaining that they are intended to help people as they learn to live their lives in a better way and that they are not intended to be taken forever. While health and fitness approaches are definitely getting smarter and the options available are clearly more balanced and sensible, there is one thing that remains unchanged: you have to make a change and stick with it. ::
HELEN & BRIAN Chronic sleep deprivation messes up your body’s cortisol secretion, causing it to elevate which may increase the likelihood of diabetes and obesity, which can then lead to a host of other problems.
Then: Diet Pills Now: The Natural Approach “Diet pills that have stimulants like Ephedra — those are not the way to burn fat,” says Sparanese, explaining that these pills increase the heart rate — exactly what someone with adrenal challenges doesn’t need. “Going back to that poor adrenally challenged person again — when they take these fat loss pills that have Ephedra and other stimulants that may increase heart rate, it’s just a double whammy.” While there are supplements that address fat that may help some people, there is not a one-size-fits-all remedy — it depends on each body’s unique needs. Before recommending products, Sparanese says he first looks at some other issues that may be inhibiting fat loss. Liver health is his first consideration. For efficient weight loss, and especially if you are following a diet higher in fats, the liver needs to be healthy. Sparanese suggests milk thistle or liver health formulas that include milk thistle to help stimulate the liver. “[The liver] actually regenerates itself — it’s beautiful — it’s quite the organ,” he says.
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Shake up your
Smoothies
Turn this convenient standby into a nutritional powerhouse
W
hether you’re looking for a breakfast on the go, a pre-workout boost or a quick and easy meal in a glass, a homemade smoothie can be a convenient and healthy option. They are also a great way to get in some extra helpings of fruit and vegetables. Perhaps most importantly, a smoothie is the perfect vehicle for many of the “superfoods,” those naturally nutrient dense and calorically low wonder foods. From cacao to coconut oil, and chia seeds to spirulina, your options to give your smoothie that healthful burst are endless. By Athena McKenzie
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Building Blocks Part of the beauty of smoothies is that they are easy to make and can be tweaked and tailored to suit your own tastes. According to Chef Erin Holm, co-author of the LifeDiet cookbooks, once you’ve made a few, you’ll get a feel for how you individually prefer them to taste — and look. Appearance and texture can be as important as the nutrients inside; after all, what’s the point if no one enjoys drinking it? “When considering actual likes and dislikes, people can be turned off by colour,” Holm says. “When you’re mixing different ingredients together they can end up looking muddy or dark, which might be a turn-off, especially for kids. “And texture is a big thing for people. Some like them thick, like a milkshake, where you can almost eat them with a spoon, and others like them more liquefied or drinkable. Temperature is also a consideration.” To make your smoothie into a balanced meal, you need a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Then you can add those superfoods and ingredients to achieve your desired flavour profile. Truly, your smoothie is only limited by your imagination.
of pear or apple, lemon or lime juice. The better choice for veggies — rather than beets, carrots or sweet potato, which Holm says are harder to blend, are higher in sugar, and harder to get a good flavour profile with — are things like cucumber, celery, sprouts, pea shoots, and leafy greens like kale, spinach, Swiss chard and arugula. “You can also add herbs like parsley, which are really good for you because of their micronutrients,” she says.
Protein Power
If you’ve used Greek yogurt or a nut milk or seed milk as your base, those can also serve as your protein. You can also use a protein powder, but use sparingly and be aware of what it contains. Sometimes protein powders have fillers and sweeteners and extra ingredients you might not want to be ingesting. “There are some good protein powders [Vega, pumpkin seed and hemp seed powders] out on the marketplace but even the good ones shouldn’t be ingested every day,” Holm says. “If you are going to add protein powder to your smoothie once in a while, which is perfectly fine, it may have a form of sweetener, so compensate by not adding other sweet things. They are also a powdered form of nutrition, not a whole Building a Healthy Base food form of nutrition. There are other pure forms of protein and it’s better to According to Holm, all smoothies have the real thing in your should start with a liquid smoothie.” base, so “things blend up Best Blenders Options include seeds well.” She recommends and nut butters, and, using: The Powerhouse depending on your blender, Some • nut or seed milks even whole nuts. smoothie • water • coconut water • green juice • fresh-pressed apple or orange juice • cold green or matcha tea • unsweetened Greek yogurt • coconut yogurt or kefir Another tip from Holm is to avoid relying on a lot of fruit juices as your base, as it adds a lot of unnecessary sugars and can spike the calories.
Mind Your Carbohydrates “Your carbohydrates are usually your fruits or veggies,” Holm says. “The best things are any kind of berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, acai or cranberries). And pomegranate seeds or a bit
ingredients may strain the capabilities of your standard household blender, but the Vitamix 300 Series Professional high performance motor and hardened stainless steel blade are great to purée leafy greens, hard veggies and ice. > Cook Culture, $709
Personal Touch The NutriBullet is also powerful and allows you to make your smoothie and drink it out of the same vessel — making for easy cleanup. > London Drugs, $99
Fat Matters Some people don’t think about adding fat to their smoothies, but it can aid in digestion. If you’ve added nuts, seeds or nut butters to your smoothie, you’re covered, but if not, add a bit of avocado, some Udo’s oil or coconut oil.
Our showroom has moved to the newly expanded BARBARA’S BOUTIQUE on Beacon Avenue. If you are planning a cruise, or wanting a unique outfit as Mother of the Bride, or simply looking forward to a special event, please visit us. We would love to show you our extensive selection and help you find the perfect piece!
Fun with Superfoods Holm refers to the superfoods as the “fun” part of the smoothie assembly, but she does give a caveat: “The thing about superfoods is that you should be careful about how much you add,” she says. “If you are concerned, especially about what you are giving your children,
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check with a doctor or naturopath first.” Superfoods to add to your smoothie include: • cacao • bee pollen • camu camu (very high in Vitamin C) • chlorophyll • spirulina • blue/green algae • any coconut products If you do need a little a bit of sweetener, Holm recommends adding a little bit of raw honey, a piece of banana or a dried date to naturally sweeten it up. Some people also use Stevia because it doesn’t affect your blood sugar.
Chew on This When it comes to the ingestion and digestion of smoothies, there are a couple trains of thought. It is believed that when you chew your food, you secrete enzymes in your saliva to help with the proper breakdown and digestion of the food in your system. “When you’re blending everything up, you’re taking it one step closer to digestion, but you still want to activate the release of those digestive enzymes for your stomach,” Holm says. “So, you don’t want to chug back your smoothie really quickly. You might want to swish it around your mouth a little bit, at first. Sometimes, people will pour their smoothie in a bowl and sprinkle a bit of granola, nuts or cereal [like Holy Crap] and, because you are chewing the nuts or cereal, it gets the digestion going.” Holm says it’s important to realize the fibre of the fruits and vegetables does get broken down when you put it through the blender. You can’t get all your vegetables through juicing and smoothies, although smoothies are better than juice for fibre. For the best health results, you need a variety of fruits and veggies, raw, cooked or steamed.
Super Smoothie Recipes Included here are a few of the recipes from the upcoming book LifeDiet by Holm and Rita Thomas. Ranging from a fruity blueberry option, to a greenpacked powerhouse, to a cacao-infused chocolatety delight, they are sure to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. If you don’t have all the ingredients, don’t be afraid to experiment and make substitutions. You should also have fun with creating your smoothies with the building blocks detailed above. Don’t get into the boring routine of making the same old smoothie every day — get blending and mix it up! 58
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Super Smoothie recipes courtesy of Chef Erin Holm
Pure Green Smoothie Serves 2 • 1/2 cup coconut water • 1/2 cup water • ice cubes (optional) • 1 cup chopped fresh kale or mixed baby greens like spinach, beet greens or Swiss chard • 1/4 cup fresh parsley • 1/2 avocado • 1 stalk celery • 1/4 cup cucumber • Juice of 1 lemon • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger • 1 heaping tablespoon chia seeds • 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (optional) • 1 teaspoon coconut oil • 1 teaspoon chlorella or spirulina powder (optional) • 1 teaspoon raw honey to sweeten (optional) Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend on high for two minutes until smooth and serve. Add water to your desired consistency.
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie Serves 2 • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
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Choco-Nut Butter Smoothie Serves 2 • 1 banana • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk • 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
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• 2 dates, pits removed and roughly chopped • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
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• 2 heaping tablespoons favourite nut butter: almond or cashew • 1 scoop protein powder (optional) • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/3 cup ice Blend all ingredients together.
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RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. © RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 2014. All rights reserved.
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Green Tea Antioxidant Smoothie Serves 2 • 1/2 cup brewed green tea (chilled or at room temperature) • 1/2 cup coconut water or water • 1 small beet (if you don’t have a Vitamix blender, the beet should be chopped up first) • 1/2 avocado • 1 tablespoon chia seeds • 1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen • 1 lemon, juiced • 2-3 mint leaves • 1 scant teaspoon of fresh grated ginger • 1 teaspoon coconut oil • 1 scoop protein powder (optional) • 1 teaspoon raw honey (or a little green apple) for sweetness (optional) Combine all the ingredients in a highspeed blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until smooth and serve. Add water to your desired consistency. ::
I N P ER SO N By Jody Paterson
In Her Shoes
photos: simon desrochers
During one of the darkest times Gillie Easdon had ever known, she took up running and it changed her life. Today, as program coordinator of Every Step Counts, she is running with others who are also trying to change their lives, one step at a time.
How challenging her beliefs changed her life > In 2008, Gillie Easdon decided to volunteer with Project Connect, a service and information fair where people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty could come to receive a barbecue lunch and services, from care packs to medical attention and pet care. “I went there to challenge my contempt for people on the street who had pets,” she recalls. “I was pretty educated and travelled a lot, but I just couldn’t get past that. Then, on my way there, I ran into a guy who seemed like he was living on the street … he looked up at me with this look of hope and anguish and said, ‘Do you think they’ll have food for my cat?’” I was a dog owner and I looked at him and thought, Oh, my god, he is me. I connected to him because we were both people who loved our pets. I got it — I understood.” How she found light in the darkness > “I got into running because, 15 years ago, my fiancé died in an accident,” says Easdon. “… I was in a pretty dark place, and my girlfriend invited me to run. I couldn’t think of a reason not to, so I did. It felt so good to be in the air, outdoors, feeling the rhythm. I ran every day after that, and it got me out of a very big depression.” So when the ad to create a running/ walking program for people who selfidentify as having mental-health, addiction and poverty issues popped up on Craigslist in 2009, Eason knew she “had to have that job.” She was hired as the coordinator for Every Step Counts, a program that began as a Victoria Foundation idea and later became a Victoria Cool Aid Society program. She recalls her first run with the program: “There were four volunteers and four participants on an incredibly beautiful day. We had been hashing out all the details before that, but it was a lot like theatre — we still weren’t sure how it was going to fly in the end. Then we went out for our run and came back all lit up, beaming. We all knew then that it was going to be amazing.” Why every step really does count > Every Step Counts is self-referred so it’s open to anyone, says Easdon. “There are two groups and each go out for two run/ walks a week. We go out, come back and stretch, eat together, clean up together, 90 minutes total. “While poverty affects the majority of people in our group, not everyone [in the program] is poor,” she adds. “Some have houses and cars, but use this program as a piece of their healthy lifestyle. Some come
out of detox and use it for five months. For they get a brand new pair of running shoes others, it’s forever … It’s pretty special in from Frontrunners where owner Rob Reid our group that people are consciously doing is a long-time patron of the program. something good for themselves. “For probably 70 per cent of [the runners], “For myself and people who didn’t grow that will be the first pair of new shoes up in poverty, they’ve ever had,” mental health and Easdon says. And “It’s good to have a place Canoe Brewpub addiction were things dealt with where you can just come provides everyone behind closed with a sandwich out and be you, without doors,” she says. or equally the labels.” “When I was nourishing meal going through my after each run. depression, for instance, I would not have “It’s really good food that says to people, gone to a group. I think that was shame that ‘You matter. This tastes good,’” she adds. kept me from [dealing with it openly]. I’ve learned so much and it is humbling.” Why granola counts too > Every Step Counts More than 680 people have now been is embarking into the world of social through the program. “With two of my enterprise this January with the launch of volunteers, I’ve created a template of how Granola That Counts, their own yogurt and to do this in other cities,” says Easdon, “so it granola line. can be replicated. Nova Scotia, for instance, “I get a lot of compliments on my wants to do a similar group for teenagers granola,” Easdon says. “Now Truffles Group with addictions.” has taken an interest and has had one of their chefs tweak it with me. We’ve got donated Why high-fives matter > packaging from Victoria Box “When people come Wake-up call: and Paper, we will be getting for their run, they are “I heard a woman our ingredients through encouraged not to get into tell a story of being Canoe Brewpub and using what’s going on in their a scared child running Truffles’ facilities to make lives,” Easdon says. for her mother during a the granola. McAllister “Every Step Counts is hurricane. The mother Marketing is also helping. all about not talking about told her, ‘Go make Plus four of our program your personal stuff. It’s yourself useful.’ That participants will help make more about ‘Hey, it’s nice resonated with me the granola, which gives to see you.’ If you can’t as, ‘If you are able to them something for their talk about your stuff, you help then go and help, resumés.” will connect with what is wherever that is.’” happening that day.” The granola will be She says this is sold for $9.99 a pound Street wisdom: particularly important throughout January “I don’t give money to because it allows people by Thrifty Foods who panhandlers. But I’ll to get away from the selfgenerously agreed to do an say hi and make eye labelling or labelling of 11-store blitz. All of the net contact and let them mental illness. “It’s good proceeds will go to fund know where to find to have a place where you Every Step Counts. services. I see other can just be you, without people’s eyes looking Her dreams for the future > the labels.” away from them. Easdon, who is the mother And if you’re going to A lot of it is fear.” of four-and-a-half-yearbe in the program, Easdon old Felix, currently has a says, you have to do the children’s book and a short high-fives. “Sure, it’s Uncomfortable Truth: story being considered by cheesy, but that’s what we “The death of publishers. She hopes to do do here, and you just have my fiancé made me a more writing in the future. to do it. It’s like a practical better person although “But as a single mom, mindfulness.” of course I’d rather working with Every Step In their shoes > Every Step he was still alive.” Counts in a job that is four Counts participants get a days a week and really pair of gently used running matters — well, that’s a Favourite shoes when they begin place to run: pretty great job. Where the program. If they keep “Dallas Road. Totally.” do you go from work like coming for 15 sessions, this?” :: YAM MAGAZINE
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STYLE WATCH Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe
Whether you’re strolling through a light mist or a dramatic downpour, bring a touch of flair to our grey, coastal days with this season’s wet-weather looks from Canadian and eco-friendly designers.
Walk
in the
Rain
BLACK + WHITE Gabriel Conroy of Shawnigan Lake is the designer of Hemp and Company Originals and also designs his own line, Gabriel. His Eco Raincoat in 100% recycled waterproof polyester is Island made (Hemp and Company, $495); Rain hat by Baronesse Ashley of Vancouver (Roberta’s Hats, $45); Lulu Guinness umbrella (Hudson’s Bay, $35) On the cover: Dress by Ruelle (Not Just Pretty, $130); Ralph Lauren gloves (Hudson’s Bay, $52); Kamik black shine rain boots (Footloose Shoes, $65); Jak’s Purse (Heart and Sole, $80)
COZY COAST Be Sweet eco-friendly mohair tube collar shawl, knit in South Africa ($139) and Shauna top in gunmetal ($119), both available at Leka Boutique; Velvet by Graham & Spencer grey jeans (Tulipe Noire, $190); Rains Mac coat (Rainbird Boutique, $125) Kamik rain boots (Footloose Shoes, $58)
BRIGHT SPOT Fay dress (museclothingcompany.com, $199); Hatley Red and Blue Polkadot rain coat (Hatley, $169); Ralph Lauren knit gloves (Hudsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay, $52); Smartwool socks ($25) and Kamik rain boots ($58), both available at Footloose Shoes; Fulton Contessa umbrella (Hudsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay, $35)
NAUTICAL NUANCE Velvet by Graham & Spencer striped shirt ($158); Velvet by Graham & Spencer grey jeans ($190); Palpo red leather belt ($63); Echo scarf ($96), all available at Tulipe Noire; Yarmouth yellow rain jacket by Helly Hansen (Capital Iron, $89); Kamik black shine rain boots (Footloose Shoes, $65) On page 6: Recycled polyester rain “poncho” by Nau design (Hemp & Company, $379); Fulton birdcage umbrella (Rainbird Boutique, $30); Ralph Lauren gloves (Hudson’s Bay, $52)
Photography: Jeffrey Bosdet/ YAM magazine Hair/Makeup: Erin Bradley Model: Nathalie, Lizbell Agency Styling Assistant: Brooklyn Koenig Thanks to the town of Sidney, Donna Petrie of Distinctly Sidney, Pier Bistro and Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa
J OE DANDY By David Alexander
Fitness Motivation for the Male Psyche
photos: jeffrey bosdet/yam magazine
You ate and drank your way through December and practically wore out your sofa watching Netflix. Now it’s time to get up and at ‘em. While Joe Dandy’s fitness advice is not as rough as any boot camp, it is maddeningly motivating.
Tim Cormode, Executive Director of Power to Be and an avid mountain biker, is pictured here on the connector path to the Shock Treatment trail at Mount Work-Hartland.
Guys on the Go
D
ear readers, if we were women, this is the time of year we would search out articles about creating a “new you.” Luckily, Joe Dandy thinks you men are mostly fine the way you are (other than that one time you wore a white belt). While the new year does make for a nice fresh start, it will not miraculously bring in a brand new you. A little attention is required to look good. Being stylish means choosing the right clothes, tying a mean bow tie, being bold in your sock choices and never wearing white belts (even ironically). It also means feeling positive about your body so that you look and feel good in your clothes. That doesn’t mean you need to get mean, lean and muscled up. I’m actually talking feeling good about your health and body — whatever that means to you. So, shake off the Christmas excess, put down the turkey drumstick and get moving.
Timing is Everything One of the first challenges with exercise is time, so here are some tips to help you fit in a winter workout: Start slowly. You don’t need to do it all immediately. Once a week soon morphs into twice a week. Before you know it, you have a routine. Schedule it. Block off time in your calendar to exercise, just as you would schedule a meeting. Whether it’s serious gym time or a Sunday afternoon to hike — commit to it. Do something you like. If you hate getting up early and loathe running, how successful do you think you’ll be getting up at 5 a.m. every morning to run with the dog? Yeah, I’m thinking the same thing. Choose exercises you like and set realistic expectations. Soak up the sun. We’re lucky in this part of the world; we usually have decent winters. Getting out in the sun with all that Vitamin D helps motivation levels — and that helps you get the oomph you need to exercise. Get fit with a friend. If you’ve made a promise to go to the gym with a buddy, you are much likelier to keep that promise. Fill those free moments. We’re all busy. Sometimes far too busy. So, schedule exercise in those free moments — maybe a quick trip to the gym during lunch or run to work instead of driving. Accept failure. And move on. If you end up missing a day or fall off the wagon, that’s fine; pick yourself up and get going. Backsliding is totally acceptable as long as you don’t use it as an excuse to give up.
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Some very busy Victoria guys share their fitness routines and motivations with Joe Dandy:
“
I am an avid mountain biker, surfer, paddle boarder and skier and I’m currently on a 29-day yoga challenge. Being outside and in this environment inspires me.” — Tim Cormode, Executive Director, Power To Be
“
I spend time on the erg (indoor rowing machine), and I walk a lot and do light weights. I get terribly bored by routine, so one day might be TRX, another day on a machine, another day on a bike … but mostly I am a desk jockey with a guilt complex.” — Tom Benson, Chief Experience Officer, WildPlay
“
I like to sail and play golf regularly and spend time practicing yoga a couple of times a week. For me, exercise is all about clearing the mind and being in the moment.” — Peter Ciceri, CEO, Oak Bay Marine Group
Mental Conditioning As you get out and start your routine, or refresh your existing routine, a word of caution — don’t believe everything you read about exercise. None of these things will happen immediately: obtaining your ideal weight, getting abs of steel, running a marathon or building huge biceps. It all takes time, hard work and probably some really good motivational monologues when it is cold and raining sideways and you just want to sit on the couch and order pizza. Here are some other sobering facts: • A pill will not help you get in shape. Shocking, no? Maybe if that pill is 50 pounds
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4
Easy Ways to Get Active in the Winter
1 do Hot Yoga. It’s cold outside, the yoga is hot — sounds like a match made in heaven. Moksha Yoga, Hudson Yoga and a number of other yoga studios offer classes for people of all fitness levels.
2 Snowshoe. Get out and experience what winter is like everywhere else in the country. If the idea of snow, alpine meadows and forests doesn’t appeal, then remember that skiing is a killer lower body workout. Mt. Washington is just a drive away.
3 Kayak. Get yourself ready for the spring with a kayak course. The ocean is pretty cold in January, so hit Crystal Pool instead and learn the basics. City of Victoria Parks, Recreation and Culture has some great courses for all levels. You can also try Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club, Ocean River Sports or another of the numerous kayaking businesses in and around Victoria.
4 Hike. Yeah, it rains from January to April here, but put on some Gore-Tex, grab the dog and find a hill to climb. Check out CRD Regional Parks & Trails for trails near you.
and you are using it to work on your biceps. Otherwise, save your money. • Working out doesn’t have to hurt. Actually, if it does hurt, you’re probably doing something wrong. • More is not better. In order for you to become stronger or faster your body needs recovery time. Take a day off, or switch things up — the gym one day, a run the next. • Crunches alone will not give you amazing abs. Crunches are OK if they are part of an overall exercise regime, but you need a whole body fitness plan.
The Perfect “You” As you sneak a peek at your girlfriend or mom’s latest magazine touting 2015 as the year you will lose weight, gain muscles, make friends, be successful and win a Nobel Peace Prize, remember it’s really OK to just be you. If you are starting a new routine, make sure it is something that will work just as well in June as it will in January. If you simply decide to refresh your old routine instead of totally changing your life, good on you. Let this column be both the kick in the butt and the congratulatory slap on the back you need to start you off right. :: 70
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© ableimages/Masterfile
BEAUT Y By Erin Bradley
Beauty Reboot Is your beauty routine a bit tired? Wake it up with our beauty expert’s fresh and fabulous beauty ideas to start the new year right.
N
ow that the busy holiday season is done, it’s time to put away your glittery makeup, simplify your routine and get back to some beauty basics. The best way to put a fresh face forward for the year ahead is to pamper your face with an updated beauty routine that will leave you looking and feeling healthy and rejuvenated.
Exfoliate for Extra Glow Start by taking a serious look at your skincare regime. If there’s one area where most of us are letting our skin down (and should consider giving it some extra TLC) it’s with exfoliation. Our skin produces billions of new cells each day and often needs some help to shed the old ones. Yet many of us aren’t using the right products or performing this important beauty treatment often enough to avoid clogged pores, dryness and dull skin. Try using a new product like MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator — my go-to. I use a small dab once or twice a week in the shower and I’m never disappointed with the results. It leaves my skin soft and glowing. You can also take a little extra pampering time to make your own exfoliator. My friend and eco-beauty expert Melodie Reynolds
MAKEUP BAG makeover
MAC Dual Fibre #159 Brush
Stila Convertible Colour in Peony
MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation
Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss in Nude Vinyl
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makes a wonderfully simple facial scrub. Grind one tablespoon of rice in a clean coffee grinder, add water to make a paste and voila! You can also add jojoba oil and five drops of carrot seed essential oil if you have dry skin. And don’t forget to exfoliate your lips! Trust me, your skin will thank you for this — and any makeup you apply over your smoother skin will look amazing.
THE NEXT GENERATION IS HERE.
Refresh Your Makeup Bag
And because we believe in them and we believe they can change the world, they deserve an education that lives up to their promise. Meet the next generation here at SMUS.
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F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N A N D T O R E G I S T E R :
www.smus.ca/open 72
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JOB # SMUS-16463 CLIENT: SMUS INSERTION DATE: NOV/DEC ISSUE, 2014 PUBLICATION: YAM MAGAZINE SIZE: 4.94" x 9.58"
This is the time of year when I also recommend you take a good hard look at your go-to makeup products. I’ll bet there are a few you just buy out of habit, not thinking about whether they are actually doing the job. This is a good time to replace them with something that really works for you. Don’t forget about your mascara — even if you love the one you own, if you can’t remember when you bought it, it’s probably past it’s due date, so replace it for the health of your eyes. If you haven’t updated your foundation in a while, you will be amazed if you switch to a lightweight beauty balm or my favourite, Make Up For Ever HD foundation. It provides light to medium coverage and blends well on skin of all ages. Apply with your fingers or a sponge or get a more airbrushed look by using a great foundation brush like the MAC dual fibre #159. Finish off the look with an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. It comes in six shades and blends effortlessly to create a beautifully soft finish. When it comes to colour, I like to go with a neutral makeup palette at the beginning of each year. Colour is essential for your lips and cheeks during the winter months when most of us feel our skin is a little pale and dull from spending more time indoors. Stick with muted tones like browns and nudes with a hint of pink or mauve. Choose products that offer staying power and a flawless finish at a time of year when our skin is at its driest. Stila Convertible Colour is a fabulous cream blush that looks so good when applied with a regular blush brush. Try a pinky brown like Peony to create a healthy luminescent glow. You can also use it as a light stain on your lips. For more colour and some shine, try Stila’s Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss. You only need a little and it wears beautifully — no stickiness or gloss line around your lips. Try Nude Vinyl for an understated look that suits everyone.
Simple and Stylish To enjoy your beauty reboot to the fullest, keep it simple and have fun! With these tips, you’ll greet the new year with a fresh face, ready to take on those resolutions. ::
BOOKM ARKS
By Carolyn Camilleri
Will Starling By Ian Weir Goose Lane Editions | 483 pages
I love this book. I love everything about it. The setting: the filthy, stinking, noisy, crowded streets of 1816 London. The way the times are brought to life with first-person narration and the clever weaving of fact into fiction. The characters with their gory and ribald humour, foul mouths, raw personalities and sweet moments of tenderness as they struggle to survive in this hellish city, where grave diggers supply surgeons with mostly dead bodies to study. But best of all, I love Will Starling — “Your Wery Umble Narrator” — the self-deprecating, street-wise, slightly criminal, 19-year-old foundling-turned-surgeon’s-assistant, just returned from five years on the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars with Alec Comrie, the father-figure surgeon who hired him. Will is on a mission to expose surgeon Dionysus Atherton as the evildoer he suspects him to be. It is a thrilling tale of adventure, misdeed and mystery. Two centuries disappeared and I felt like I was right there beside Will the whole time. And I learned a lot — this is the history of surgery brought to life in all its grim, bloody and well-researched details. Even poet John Keats makes an appearance as a medical student at Guy’s Hospital. I am already reading it for the second time.
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution By Walter Isaacson Simon and Schuster | 542 pages
Walter Isaacson — the man who wrote the bestselling biographies of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein — delivers another stellar peek into brilliance. While essentially a collection of bios — because the digital revolution was such a team effort, a point Isaacson makes throughout — he organizes the book into defining chapters: The Computer, Programming, The Transistor, all the way through to Software and The Web, giving readers the goods on the people involved in each stage; including visionaries like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Page, Robert Noyce, Doug Engelbart and Steve Wozniak. There is one exception in Ada Lovelace — Lord Byron’s daughter — who gets her own chapter as her role in the digital revolution is largely unknown but very important. With this book, Isaacson has created a great examination of innovation and collaboration.
Vancouver Island Imagine
nonfiction must readS
Sweetland By Michael Crummey Doubleday Canada | 322 pages
Michael Crummey’s latest novel is set on an island called Sweetland off the coast of Newfoundland, where 69-year-old Moses Sweetland lives, along with a wonderfully rich cast of characters. This heartening and heartwrenching novel is an immersion course in Newfoundland culture — or perhaps “smallisland-off-Newfoundland” culture. With fishing closed, the lighthouse automated and most of the younger people at jobs in other parts of the country, there is little economy, and the story begins with all but three residents agreeing to a government buyout to leave the island. As the pressure to get the final signatures increases, Moses thinks back on his life and why he needs to stay. A funny, touching story, Sweetland belongs on your must-read list.
MacIntyre Purcell Publishing 128 pages
Renowned photographer Boomer Jerritt and writer Peter Grant have collaborated in this beautiful tribute to the Island we all love. Full of history and geographical details, as well as personal glimpses into Island people and culture — farms and food, work and fun — all illustrated with page after page of stunning photography, Vancouver Island Imagine is a grand tour from a deeply insider perspective that really drives home the unique character and precious beauty all Islanders cherish. It’s a book to keep and a book to give to others, if only to make them jealous.
The Broken Hours By Jacqueline Baker Harper Collins Canada | 256 pages
Edmonton writer Jacqueline Baker has written a creepy but literary ghost story about horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. It’s 1936 and Arthor Crandle, the book’s narrator, is hired to be Lovecraft’s personal assistant. Crandle has his own troubles and hopes this job is the path forward. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. There are ghosts, weird happenings and hints of sinister goings-on, and Crandle is drawn into the mystery of H.P. Lovecraft, who is an ailing recluse and not exactly forthcoming. The other lodger in the house — an actress between roles — becomes Crandle’s friend but knows even less about the house and its owner. Without giving anything away, let’s just say this is a well-crafted, Edgar Allan Poe-like tale with a good measure of suspense. YAM MAGAZINE
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BEHIND THE SCENES
Yoga teacher Katie Thacker demonstrates an inverted eagle pose at Madrona Gallery.
Find Your Balance
derek ford
Yoga is about more than striking a pose. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an art we can perform, engage with and transform ourselves with. The 3rd annual Victoria Yoga Conference, from January 30 to February 1 is the perfect venue for getting inspired and learning more about the benefits of yoga. Attend yoga practice, go to workshops or stroll the marketplace â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who knows what unexpected places your practice will take you?
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YAM MAGAZINE
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PRESENTING SPONSOR
Free Dance Classes
January – February 10 Days of FREE Classes. Hard to Walk Away From! Complete schedule at DanceVictoria.com, January 10
Performances • On Sale Now! THE BITING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE (Vancouver) The Righteous Floater + The Melon Project
Saturday • January 31 • 7:00 pm Sunday • February 1 • 9:00 pm
Two Iranian-Canadian brothers, Arash and Aryo Khakpour, create a dangerous world where boundaries are constantly being defined. “surprising and moving…in turns playful and deadpan to devastating emotional effect.” – The Dance Current
Tickets $22.50 Theatre SKAM Remixed presents
BALLET VICTORIA
Aerwacol • WORLD PREMIERE!
Saturday • January 31 • 9:00 pm Sunday • February 1 • 7:00 pm Ballet Victoria’s Paul Destrooper transforms a gritty work of outdoor theatre — originally produced by Theatre SKAM — into contemporary ballet. Tickets $22.50
WEN WEI DANCE (Vancouver) in collaboration with BEIJING MODERN DANCE
Made in China • WORLD PREMIERE!
Thursday – Saturday • February 5 – 7 • 7:30 pm Dancers Wen Wei Wang and Gaoyan Jinzi perform to live music by Qui Xia He (Silk Road Ensemble) and video artist Sammy Chien. Together the ensemble reflects on life in China during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Tickets $30
All performances at the Metro Studio Theatre (Quadra at Johnson) McPherson Box Office: 250-386-6121 Plus: Workshops, forums, studio showings and more! Everything online DanceVictoria.com SEASON SPONSOR
PUBLIC SECTOR
ut Ask aboival t the Fes ood G Pass. l 3 for al shows!