12 More Sleeps till Maui!

I am gettin' giddy! Less than two weeks to go until island bliss. This will be like a second Christmas for me, only on a sunny sandy beach instead of a chilly snow-covered yard. I am too excited to sleep! Feeding my frenzy is my story in this month's Avenue magazine, Paradise Found. Truly, that sums up Maui. And I can't wait to get back. Just look at this shot of the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua, Maui. Need I say more?

Maui on Motorcycle

The countdown is officially on for my hubby and me to make our way back to the wonderful island of Maui. We go at the end of January, and while I am anxious about the new airport security fracas (no carry-on?!?), I can't wait to get back and enjoy the Hawaiian island living.

Last time we went, we took the Road to Hana by Harley and it was ridiculously fun. See more in my story for up!, WestJet's inflight magazine. This time, we're hoping for a replay, but given that it will still be rainy season, we'll have to see what's possible.

Regardless, I have no doubt it will be an amazing time. After all, Hawaii has yet to disappoint.

Aloha!

New Year, New Start!

Well it's officially 2010 and what better way to kick off the New Year than to clear your energy and start fresh. Yes, I said, clear your energy. Energy clearing is part of the whole feng shui discipline for directing the energy in your space and ultimately, your life. Find out more in the story I did a while back for Canwest on the househounting.ca site when I had Geli Hamilton, a feng shui consultant come work her magic at my then new home. Here's to a fabulous new year with positive intentions! Namaste.

Way Better than a Slap Chop!

This month, check out Alberta Venture and City Palate magazines and get the scoop on self-proclaimed "chief knife nerd" Kevin Kent. Kevin owns Knifewear, a funky Hamono-ya (knife shop) in Calgary filled with everything you could imagine in Japanese knives. He actually let me manhandle a $900 knife that I nicked my finger with as soon as I picked it up. (For those familiar with my cooking skills, or lack thereof, this is unsurprising.) But the dang thing was so wickedly sharp that it really did no damage. It's true, the sharper the knife, the safer it is.

So, you really should invest in a good knife. Or buy one for a loved one this Christmas. You can shop in-store or online at Knifewear. Here's the advice I write in my Palate sidebar:
Tips for gifting a knife
It’s believed if you give a knife as a gift, you could sever the relationship. So, put a coin in the box with the knife. That way, the giftee can give you back the coin so the knife is no longer a gift.

When selecting a knife for a gift, Kent says “it has to be really pretty so when you open the box, you’re like ‘wow.’ Or, you have to really know what the person would like and use it for. A knife that makes me sweat isn’t exactly everyone’s version of beauty.”

The best plan is to let people choose for themselves. That way, they can get the perfect fit. Plus, it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon—slicing and dicing!

Hossan, chop!

Dirty men; what's not to love?

The other day I was watching one of my favourite shows, The Hour, and it was fantastic because two of my favourite men were on. George, of course, (who doesn't love George?) was there, and he was interviewing Viggo Mortensen, whom I also love. Actually, to be totally accurate, it's not so much Viggo I'm into, it's Aragorn. Oh yes, the oh-so-rugged King Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Ruff!

(Photo from LordoftheRings.net)

It reminded me of one of my kookier stories that I'd written for Elle Canada that sprung out of a conversation I had with two of my BFFs. I confessed I like dirty men and needless to say, that required some 'splaining.

Basically, it was all rooted in my love for Aragorn.

The story wound up running as a featured story on the homepage of msn.ca for a while (when msn was still partnered with sympatico) and it created quite the stir! Have a boo and decide for yourself. Ladies, I'm sure you'll agree that dirty men got it going on!

Calgary's Top 40 under 40

This past Thursday night, Avenue magazine unveiled their Top 40 under 40 list with a party at Calgary's new Gasoline Alley Museum at Heritage Park. Though I was not on the list (I've heard ample outrage about this! :P), I did profile several of the folks who did. And there are some pretty impressive folks on this list. One fellow, Corey Marshall, has taken his family's travel business from $2.2 million to $23 million in just four years. Did I mention he's only 30? Another, Dan Balaban, is on his third successful multimillion-dollar business, now leading the charge for wind energy in Alberta. Still another, Eric Sit, is what I call a Boy Wonder, excelling in areas as varied as IT, ballroom dancing, photography, singing and being a dad. Geeta Tucker shows us that balancing the books isn't enough; you have to also advance the business and do so with integrity. She was named a CMA Fellow--their highest honor. Finally, Vivian Hill helps at-risk kids get important eye care to avoid preventable blindness. That's just a taste of who's a mover and shaker in town.

No Monkeying Around

A while back, I had the opportunity to meet with University of Calgary archaeologist and researcher Julio Mercader to discuss his work on ancient chimpanzee sites in Africa. I have to admit, I had no idea that such sites even existed nor what they meant, but Dr. Mercader was able to shed some light on how such research helps us to understand the evolution process of great apes, but also ourselves. His findings force us to re-examine the definition of humanity. Given that 2009 is the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birthday and the 150th anniversary of his seminal book On the Origin of Species, the timing could not be more fitting. Read more in my article for the Canada Foundation for Innovation.