It's warming up! Wishing you a delightful (& hopefully sunny) weekend.

Shop: Dress Me Dearly Shopping Party at American Apparel
Eat: Crepe Symphony on Rice Howard Way
Do: Fine Wines Annual Spring Fling (taste over 50 beers, spirits and wine for free)

Eat, Drink & Talk
Food in the City
What: Part-conference, part-celebration this event is all about one giant conversation about food and agriculture in Edmonton.
Why: A great keynote, engaging panel discussions and you can bet the food will be fabulous!
Where: Shaw Conference Centre (9797 Jasper Avenue)
When: Friday, May 25 (afternoon) and Saturday, May 26 (all day)

The Great Race
City Chase
What: An urban adventure where 2-person teams search the city for ChasePoints scattered in unknown locations throughout Edmonton. To take home the title, you’ll compete in a variety of physical, intellectual, adventurous and humorous challenges.
Why: Serious fun. Get motivated with these videos.
Where: All over the city! Teams can run, walk or use public transit. Register here - $150/team.
When: Saturday, May 26 at 10am. Takes 4-6 hours to complete.

Miniature City
Micropolis 2.0
What: Peer through a microscope to explore the relationships between between people and urban life.
Why: The silkscreen cutouts and digital prints convey a sense of wonder and awe.
Where: SNAP Gallery and Studio (10123 121 Street)
When: May 24 to June 30, 2012

Feel the Thunder
Rainmaker Rodeo
What: This semi-professional rodeo kicks off the summer rodeo and midway season.
Why: Feel the thunder with three days of yeehaw fun and great live music. 
Where: St. Albert Kinsmen Rainmaker Rodeo & Exhibition Grounds (Riel Drive and Rayborn Crescent)
When: May 25 to May 27

Melodies
Vocal Arts Festival
What: Vocal Arts Festival kicks off this weekend and one of the shows features promising vocal artists from the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Why: A lovely afternoon enjoying classical and musical theatre pieces. 
Where: U of A Convocation Hall, Old Arts Building
When:  Sunday, May 27. 2:30 pm.

Fresh Take
The City Market Downtown
What: The farm and the city collide at this urban gathering of farm-fresh produce, locally-raised meats, delicious baking, and breads so yummy they only last a few hours.
Why: It’s the first outdoor market of the year.
Where: Just north of Jasper Avenue on 104th Street. Here's a map to make sure you arrive.
When: Saturday, May 19 from 9am-3pm. Rain or shine, the 104^th Street Farmers’ Market is open from May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend.

Your Thursday nights are about to get grander! The 124 Street Grand Market is Edmonton’s newest market featuring 25 local producers and community artisans. Have dinner at one of the food trucks while you take in live entertainment and art, then shop for some fresh, local food to take home for the week!

When: Every Thursday from 5-9pm, May 24^th to October 4^th
Where: 108^th Avenue between 123^rd and 124^th Streets (across the street from Colonel Mustard’s and Café Tiramisu)

For more info and a listing of vendors visit 124grandmarket.com

We’re not really sure what we love most about these statement jewelry pieces: the mix of leather with semi-precious stones or the versatility of being both a bracelet and necklace. Regardless, these pieces are bold enough to change up any neckline and guaranteed to transform an ordinary jeans-and-tee combo into a stylish outfit.

All we really know – we’ve got a big crush on jewelry designer Cara Cotter, the creative mind behind the covetable So Pretty Jewelry collection.

These pieces are available online or locally at Coup Garment Boutique.

Happy Weekend! I’m starting the weekend off right with my bachelorette party on Saturday. A day of fun and wine with my favourite gals.

On Monday, my sister and I are boarding a flight to Leon, Mexico. It’s a work trip. Really. We’ve hired a translator and scheduled five days of meetings. Over cold drinks at night, we are going to think big and design our company with intention. To mix a little fun into our trip we carefully choose this hotel for its pool.

Have you ever been to Leon? It’s smack in the middle of Mexico just a few hours north of Mexico City. It sounds rather cool; Leon is one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in Latin America.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Here's some snapshots:

1. Cowboy Boots from Leon
2. Cathedral
3. Burro Pinata
4. International Hot Air Balloon Festival
5. Bike paths in Leon
Above: Mexican Party Banner

It’s May long weekend. Unofficially known as the ‘kick-off’ to summer and the go-ahead-plant-your-garden-we-think-the-snow-is-gone-til-winter.

Fashion: Fashion Forward at Hundred Bar | Kitchen
Do: Get dirty and eat bugs at City Chase
See: Tim Okamura "Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens"
Eat: Battista's Calzones

Get ready for these great upcoming events:

• Tickets: Edmonton International Jazz Festival
• Tickets: TEDxEdmonton 2012: Activating Ideas

Trucking Awesome
What the Truck?
What: A celebration of Edmonton’s food trucks! Eats by Eva Sweet (liege waffles), Drift (gourmet sandwiches), Fat Franks (hot dogs, smokies) and Nomad (crack n' cheese).
Why: Get your food before it rolls away.
Where: McIntyre Park, 8303 104 Street (just off Whyte Avenue)
When: Thursday, May 17 from 5pm-9pm
p.s. Can’t make the event? These food trucks have us all atwitter – follow on Twitter to discover their whereabouts.

Te Encanta Esa Ropa
Love Those Clothes
What: Bid on wearable art including clothing and accessories silkscreened by local artists and designers. Oh and did we mention how insanely talented the SNAP artists are?
Why: Celebrate Mexican style with Mexican eats and The Urban Monks spinning jams from the 60’s to the 2012s’.
Where: SNAP Gallery (10123 – 121 Street). Tickets $20 (members $15).
When: Saturday, May 19 from 8pm to late.

Fresh Take
The City Market Downtown
What: The farm and the city collide at this urban gathering of farm-fresh produce, locally-raised meats, delicious baking, and breads so yummy they only last a few hours.
Why: It’s the first outdoor market of the year.
Where: Just north of Jasper Avenue on 104th Street. Here's a map to make sure you arrive.
When: Saturday, May 19 from 9am-3pm. Rain or shine, the 104^th Street Farmers’ Market is open from May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend.

Declaration of Peace
Hip Hop in the Park
What: An entire day of emcees, bboys, songstresses, DJs, graffiti artists and much more. 
Why: Don’t worry if you lack rhythm or know-how – this event is everyone. Looking to leave the kiddies at home, go to Hip Hop in the DARK on Friday night.
Where: Louise McKinney Riverfront Park (9529 Grierson Hill)
When: Saturday, May 19 from 12pm-8pm. Complete schedule.

Blast from the Past
Fort Edmonton Park
What: Grand Opening Weekend of Edmonton’s most beloved historical park.
Why: Better than ever with the Aristocratic Games Contest, bannock making, old-fashioned games, live music, and fudge recipes and confectionaries to make you swoon.
Where: Fort Edmonton Park
When: Saturday, May 19 – Monday, May 21 from 10am-6pm

Artist Tim Okamura beautifully portrays the landscape of New York with portraits painted against the haunting urban landscapes found outside his studio in Bushwich, Brooklyn. The paintings convey a mix of photo-realism meets street-art and graffiti with a sublte nod to female empowerment.

The Edmonton-born artist, brings his most recent work to Douglas Udell Gallery for a viewing. The show presents life-sized works of portraits painted against the rawness of New York City. The exhibit titled “"Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens" explores the beauty and complexity of the soulful New York City woman while envisioning her transcendence to “royal” status. Each painting features the ‘queens’ of the boroughs. A bit of a play on words for the borough of Queens; the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.  

You will be transfixed by the paintings; Okamura is a man of talent. He has been selected nine times to appear in the BP Portrait Awards Exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery. His work has been featured in several films including “School of Rock” (Paramount), “Jersey Girls” (Miramax), and most prominently in “Prime” (Universal), a romantic comedy about a young New York painter starring Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep.

Tim Okamura’s paintings are on display May 12 through May 26 at Douglas Udell Gallery (10332 – 124 Street, 780.488.4445 ). To see or purchase Okamura’s art, go to timokamura.com.

My apologies for the blog being a bit “quiet” recently. Recently, life has been insane. Crazy in the way-too-busy-to-think-way – yet, I’m doing some seriously creative thinking. I am equal parts exhausted and exhilarated.

On Sunday, I spent the entire day shooting a video (with this talented crew). Making a video is hard work. For me, it was arduous to change outfits multiple times, perfect sound bites and exude enthusiasm for 8 hours straight. It’s amusing that ‘behind-the-scenes’ photos always make everything look so F-U-N, but really there are long periods of nothing: setting-up, sitting, waiting. Don’t get me wrong: I love the creative process of making a video – it’s just in a moment of honesty, I confess that it's not as awesome as we sometimes pretend. I am soooo excited to see the final product (and I promise to share with you!). It’s fair to say: this weekend, I discovered I am happy not to be a movie star.

Here are few snapshots of my weekend:

1. Student work on display at the Guru Gala Ten.
2. On set at Coup Boutique with Lazina.
3. Urban Video all set-up at to film.
4. Amazing old polaroid cameras spotted at Coup Boutique. 
5. Ready for a lunch break at Dauphine Bakery & Bistro.

Mother’s Day: Gift Guide
Mom’s Day: Brunch Reservations
Eat: Block 1912 (celebrate its 100^th birthday with free cake!)
Shop: Cerulean Boutique

Grand Opening Party
Startup Edmonton
What: After months of planning and renovations, Startup Edmonton is ready to showoff its new space atop the historic Mercer Warehouse.
Why: Drinks, DJs, great conversations, and tours all evening long!
Where: Mercer Warehouse (10363 – 104 Street (3^rd floor)). RSVP here.
When:  Thursday, May 10 at 7pm

Digital Beats
Gala Guru TEN
What: An event dedicated to all things digital media. Mingle with current students, alumni and the cool industry folks.
Why: A mind-blowing groundbreaking exhibition that is super top secret! But here’s a hint: a DJ + some crazy tech = wowzer!
Where: Art Gallery of Alberta (2 Sir Winston Churchill Square). Buy your tickets ($15-$30).
When: Friday, May 11 at 7pm. 

Handmade Revolution
Make It Edmonton
What: It’s party-vibe craft show with a DJ spinning and over 100 Canadian urban artists and designers. At Make It you will only find cool, innovative and stylish items that generally fall into the fashion, art, accessories, jewelry and home decor categories.
Where: Alberta Aviation Museum (11410 Kingsway Avenue), $5 at the door.
When: Friday, May 11 (4pm to 9pm), Saturday, May 12 (11am to 6pm), and Sunday, May 13 (11am to 5pm).

Art in the Annex II
Harcourt House Art Auction
What: An art auction to raise funds to deliver exhibitions and education programs to the community.
Why: Some artists’ studios will be open for public viewing plus cold drinks and tasty snacks!
Where: Annex Building (10211-112 Street). Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
When: Saturday, May 12 from 7:30pm to 10pm

Rock n’ Roll Ballet
Love Lies Bleeding
What: Alberta Ballet dances its way through 14 songs to tell the story of the life of Elton John.
Why: Explore the trials and sacrifices of achieving super stardom with an unforgettable story of rock ‘n’ roll, drama, passion, defeat and love.
Where: Jubilee Auditorium (11455 87 Avenue). Buy your tickets.
When: Friday, May 10 – Sunday, May 12.

Hello, Spring!
Bedding Plant Sale
What: The Muttart Conservatory’s Annual Bedding Plant Sale: planters, hanging baskets, Martha Washington Geraniums, grasses, flowers and vegetables are all on sale.
Why: The staff at the Muttart has lovingly tended to these plants to ensure you’ll get high quality, healthy, and robust plants for your garden this season. Plus, growers will be on hand to answer all your questions.
Where: Muttart Conservatory (9626 – 96A Street). Please go to the greenhouses at the rear of the Conservatory.
When: Thursday, May 10 from 4-9pm, Friday, May 11 (9am-4pm), and Saturday, May 12 (9am-4pm)

* top image via nordstrom

Mother’s Day is a perfect time to tell you about a little Edmonton gem that you and your mom will love – Wild Prairie Soap Company! This Whyte Avenue soaperie has been creating natural, environmentally friendly, and all around pleasing soaps and other personal care products since 2005.

The biggest selling feature is the ingredients (or lack thereof); the base of each soap is at least 50% olive oil, combined with coconut oil, palm oil, botanicals, and essential oils. Depending on the soap, you can find grain, flowers, and even coffee thrown into the mix! All soaps are vegetable based with no detergents, no harsh chemicals, and no animal byproducts.

One of our favorite new products we picked up when we stopped in to smell all the different soaps (there are approximately 30 kinds to try) was actually not a soap, but a lotion bar! For lack of a better explanation, this looks like a stick of deodorant but it’s a moisturizing lotion. PERFECT for throwing in a suitcase or beach bag – easy to pass through airport security and no greasy hands after applying.  They even have one called Sole Mate that is specially designed for dry, tired feet!

Everyone should stop in and see how wonderful a soaperie is to visit. If the soaps and lotion bars aren’t alluring enough, we can let you in on a little secret: The soap ends during production are saved to give to customers as samples! Anyone who comes in the store can have a sample to fall in love with at home.

Wild Prairie Soap Co. (10746 – 82 Avenue, 780.439.6640, wildprairiesoap.com)

One of our favourite dishes to pick up after a long day of work is the meatless meatloaf. Comfort food without the fat.

But with our work schedules as of late, the cost of doing so pushed us to make our own! So here is the link to our favourite of three recipes we tested.

We like to replace half the pinto beans with black beans to make it more like Planet Organic’s. You can use any combination of your favourite legumes.

What’s your favourite take-out item from Planet Organic’s deli section?