Hillside Cacti

It's a 2 for 1 post today, crochet and wine combined!
My man and I were invited last Tuesday night to my co-worker/super pal Daves house warming party. His cousin has just recently moved to the city and they both just scored this awesome new apartment literally across the ally from his old one, which is also conveniently one block away from my house. Their place is fantastic, full size fridge AND stove (ahhh the things in life you take for granted) more than enough space for 2 people, and a private little backyard patio, I had no hesitation of expressing my jealousy. The party was just what a good party should be, drinks, food, and awesome people. I had a great time, the drinks were especially well deserved cause earlier that day I clocked in about another 3 hours on my chest piece annnnnd it's a little sore - I cannot wait until it's done, it looks so amazing already!

But anyways back to Daves. I already knew I was going to bring him a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift but I felt like it needed a little more "Heather was here" kinda touch. So one afternoon I whipped out my crochet hook, dug through some bags of yarn and made him a happy little cacti. 

I assumed a plant was a pretty traditional house warming gift and I felt a handmade gift was WAY more thoughtful. It turned out so cute and perfect that I wanted to keep it for myself! Needless to say, Dave also loved it, and everyone else who saw it either smiled or laughed which is exactly what I wanted.

As for the wine, I had picked up this particular bottle a few weeks back as it was brand new to the store (Swirl). The man and I had finished half the bottle one night, then the next night after work I took the rest over to Daves. He expressed then how much he enjoyed it so I knew it would be perfect. 

Hillside Wineries signature white, 2011 Muscat Ottonel. Hillside's original owners Bohumir and Vera Klokocka from Czechoslovakia were the first BC winery to produce the grape. Most Eastern European countries used this varietal for dessert wines and some drier whites. That being said when we first opened up it had a wonderful flower bouquet nose. All I could think of was sitting in the grass in the sun on a super hot day, with a glass of this in my hand. The flavours were so light and fresh, citrus with a hint of spice at the end, it was just so lush and delicious! Apparently they only make about 700 cases, and I've already bought 2 bottles so that's like, only 8398 bottles left! This is also my staff pick at Swirl ($20 a pop) AND they just had the Naramata spring release tasting here in Vancouver (I should say New West) as well as a bunch other spring release tastings coming up, and I'm sure this wine will sell out fast!

Happy 4/20!

And in true stoner fashion this post comes 2 days after the actual 4/20

I got extra high and crafty last week and whipped up a couple cute marijuana pins that I wore when I went down town on Friday.

I think they came out great! And I had a awesome time! Every year at the VAG it gets bigger and bigger, and better and better, and this year was no exception. Aunty Jen babysat for the day so me and the man could have some time alone together, we both had the entire day/evening off which is SO rare for us, especially on a Friday. 

I love the whole marijuana culture, everything was super chill and there was lots to see and do, everyone just having a good time. Of course there's the backlash, especially now being a Mum I feel extra judgement sometimes from some people. But you know what? I'm not forcing it on you, I don't do it any where near my kid, and as for the "lazy stoner" stereotype, I am MOST productive when I'm baked, my creativity level's go through the roof, and I become WAY more focused and relaxed. I understand it doesn't have the same effect for everyone, and if it's not for you don't do it, but don't judge others. And besides, you have to admit that these pins are the cutest!

We finished up the day by all 3 of us having a wonderful dinner at one of my favourite vegetarian restaurants here in Vancouver - The Foundation. We got there world famous nachos AND the catered affair platter, which has a little taste of everything. I seriously died and went to heaven it was so darn delicious. I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in the area.

The Wise Men of Gotham

I love a wine that has a good story behind its name! This particular wine comes from Southern Australia, while the name originates from a small town called Gotham just outside Nottingham, England.  Most of the stories surrounding Gotham lead us to believe that the whole village was inhabited by idiots.

A certain more “digestible” story iterates that King John was suppose to move into the neighborhood worrying the villagers of  increasing taxes.  So, in order to fool King John, the inhabitants began acting like; well... fools. When some of the Kings men arrived to check the place out, they reported back with some strange stories. Apparently some of the villagers were attempting to drown an eel they claimed was killing their fish.  Others were moving carts of wood to the side of a barn to “shade it from the sun”.  Some were trying to build a fence around a cuckoo bird they’d heard in a bush thinking it would make springtime last longer. In case you were wondering... the bird flew away.  In the end King John decided to move elsewhere and was convinced the village was indeed full of fools. Problem solved! And so arose the names “The Fools of Gotham” or the “The Wise men of Gotham.” Taken from the story above, these guys call themselves "The Wine Men of Gotham." Haha. Get it!? 

Attracting me instantly to this wine was the fantastic label. The 3 men on the front pay homage to the pranksters of Gotham who acted mad to achieve their ends.  It is beautiful vintage-esque art done by John Jewell Design co.  who specialize in wine labels and also based out of Australia. 

Now, as for the wine itself, this was a 2008 Shiraz/Grenache, and spent 18 months in American oak. The colour was a light blueberry, yet a little more strawberry towards the outside edge. The nose was full of dark berries; blueberry, blackberry, black cherries, a bit of raspberry and a slight earthiness. Right away when it hit my mouth all I could think of was eating spoonfuls of warm homemade blackberry jam.  Velvety and smooth on the palate, all around the wine had a very lush taste and feel with dusty tannins. There was a slightly acidic finish but after letting the wine breathe for ½ an hour or so, it balanced out completely and was extremely enjoyable. And the last (or first) thing to love about this wine, it was like $15!  After hearing all that you would have to be a “fool” not to give this wine a try!

Button Button!

I’ve heard about this place from many people and I’ve even walked by it numerous times, but I knew it was going to be one of those places where the little craft hoarder inside me would break free and I’d be stuck eating nothing but bagels for the next week cause I just spent my entire paycheck on buttons. So I told myself that if I built up enough projects that required buttons that I’d venture in.

Well hallelujah today was that day! I planned everything out perfectly so my son fell asleep on the walk over and I had as much quiet time as I wanted to absorb the awesomness that is this store. The place was filled with every style, colour, and size of button you could imagine. From vintage to angry birds she had them all. I brought a few projects along with me to make it easier to find what I was looking for and also to keep myself in check of buying only what I need (budget budget at button button haha).

The lady that was there (I assume the owner) was incredibly sweet and helpful. She pulled out a little tray from one of the the tables where I laid out what I brought and I kind of explained what I was looking for. She left me to browse for awhile and when I came back to my stuff I noticed she had picked out a few buttons that she thought would look nice with my things - some I did end up taking home with me (thanks button lady!)

In the end my total came to $32 something something. I can just imagine the conversation with my other half when he comes home and asks about my day and I tell him I spent over $30 on buttons, even I think it sounds little crazy. But I'm extremely happy with what I found, a few that I did grab were the last ones she had in store, and I tried to choose more unique looking ones, not your average dress shirt buttons. If you’re ever in the city and looking for buttons, this be the place to go, 318 Homer Street - right around the corner from Dressew, how convenient ^-^

In need of a little Therapy?

One of the first wines that I came across that I completely fell in love with is from Therapy Vineyards located along the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. It was their 2008 Pinot Noir, I stress the 2008 because for me their last 2 vintages just didn’t have the same wow factor.

The label on most of their bottles have some form of a rorschach design on them, a few others - Freud's Ego, Super Ego, or the Pink Freud all have some other “Therapy” inspired picture. 

This particular wine had a beautiful deep ruby purple colour, the nose full of cherry and raspberry with hints of vanilla. The palate for the most part matches the nose but also has a bit of a leather taste. It’s pretty full bodied for a pinot, smooth with fine tannins and bright acidity.

I downed this bottle like nobody's business, which for a tiny girl such as myself meant by the end I was completely wasted. It wasn’t until maybe a year and half, almost 2 years later that I got into the habit of buying particular wines that I liked and saving them. It took me awhile to find this one again seeing how 2 more vintages had been released since my first encounter, but alas hidden behind some 2009’s I found one, and now I wait for the perfect day for my taste buds to reminisce in its deliciousness!