Happy Birthday Yvonne! from Gillian Young on Vimeo.

A message from Rob…

Wow, where to start. I have been with this wonderful woman for over forty years, raised three exceptional children, lived in many apartments, owned four houses and are now living on another continent. Throughout all of this she has been a loving and supportive partner. I really can’t put into words how much she means to me. We have grown and changed together and are certainly not the same kids we were forty years ago, and yet we still are. The core of who we are and were as individuals and a couple is still there. Her affect on mine and many other lives is immeasurable .Yvonne is intelligent, stubborn, creative, whimsical, serious, loving and Irish. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays Yvonne, although we are miles apart. Je t’aime. Rob

A message from Mary…

Darling Yvonne

One can’t help but feel being “contaged” by the breath of life in your pixiesh smile. It embraces sensitivity, passion, adventure…and a free spirit that molds life shades into the language of the soul. That’s close to the God part of all of us. It’s poetry. It’s a gift.

Who else could see vase of wilting tulips…and squeeze just one more creative delight out of them?

Happy Birthday, my wonderful, creative friend. I’m thinking of you!

Big Hugs from M S-T!!

And here is a poem from my favourite special young poet, Mattie Stepanek who wrote this to his teacher when he was a mere 6 years old. He died at 13.

The people who like poetry are special.
They are the same people who hear
Lullabies and wind chimes
When the birds are noisy together.
They are the ones who see Star-gifts in every season -
Tree-stars in the fall, Snow-stars in the winter,
Dandelion-fairy-stars in the spring, and
Lightning-bug stars in the summer.
They are the ones who have
Favourite colours that are wonderful gifts
Like sunset or rainbow or treasure.
They are the ones who have
Songs in their hearts and
Words in their minds that
Come together and slip out
Into the air or onto paper as a gift
To someone else, or even themselves.
The people who like poetry are probably
The ones who really like life,
And who know how to celebrate
Even when things are sad or happy.
We remember that sometimes,
Even if we don’t understand why,
That the rain falls for a reason.
We remember how important it is
To play after a storm, just because
We need to keep playing and living.
And, we are the people who remember
To say thank You to God for our gifts.
- May, 1996

And a message from me…

Sweet maman.  I love you like crazy.  You have made me the woman I am today, so I made this list of some of the wonderful things you have taught me…

1. Life is hard.  But it is important to make the best of any situation. (Like when our car broke down in the middle of nowhere, and we laughed, called it an adventure, and made some great memories.)

2. A balanced diet is important.  And that includes eating what you enjoy. Also, potatoes in any form count as a meal.  You wild Irish woman you.

3. To take the time to stop and think. You taught me to always carry a notebook, say how I feel, and take the time to sit and figure my thoughts out.

4. Beauty is everywhere. In beautiful fabrics, colors, people and places.  You will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

5. Good friends are important. For laughing with, crying with, and sharing a good bottle of wine with.  You are my best friend.

6. Family comes first. And when someone in your family gets married, you pack your bags and get there as soon as you can.

7. Love is important. And it is important to embrace all of the wonderful people that come into your life and give a little back when you can.

8. Enjoy life as much as possible. You have taught me how important it is to travel and to surround myself with people and things that inspire me.

9.  To be curious. Sometimes I think you are my younger sister.  You are so open minded, open to new ideas and curious about this crazy world we live in.  You inspire me.

10. To dream. I always wonder who I would be without you as my mother.  You have taught me that there are no limits, no dreams too wild or ideas too whimsical.  Not only did you give me life, but you taught me how to live it.

Yesterday was soul food.

I’m still crawling into my own skin after dealing with heavy head and stomach nausea and many days in bed.

But yesterday was a good reminder that happiness is a choice and the small moments in life can make everything better.

My day started with breakfast with an old friend, and then John and I visited a Farmer’s market, a fashion market (see post below), and Queen Elizabeth Park, where we walked through exotic botanical gardens and enjoyed the view and a decadent snack at Seasons in the park.

By the time we got home in the early afternoon my head felt heavy again and I crawled under the covers for the rest of the day.  I snuck out of bed for Earth Hour and we heated up some soup and ate by flickering candlelight, something we intend to do more often.

Along with not feeling well I have not been feeling like myself lately.  Stress and life changes have made me feel like a bit of a worn out rag doll and I’m trying to pump the life back into me.

No matter how I feel, it is important for me to enjoy the small moments.  Years down the road I won’t remember the nausea, the heavy head, or the stress, I’ll remember a perfect day spent with someone I love, finished by dinner over candlelight.

Farmers Market




Queen Elizabeth Park



The Botanical Gardens






Seasons in the park

This squirrel practically crawled into my purse…

My tea

John’s Blue Mountain white wine

Crab and risotto cake with a honey, lemon vinaigrette and pea shoots

After days of feeling under the weather my energy started to pick up this morning.

Fueled by a savory crepe and plenty of tea, I took off to the Portobello West fashion and art market with John.

This is one of my favorite markets to visit in Vancouver as it houses some great local talent and one of a kind pieces.

But today was more important than any other day because I knew my friend Shirin would be there.

Of course, her stall was beautiful and so was she.  I was impressed to see that all of her pieces, especially the doucheBAGs, were even better looking in person.

All I can say is I’m a proud friend.  There is so much love put into her work and it shows.

The world’s a more wonderful place to live in because of creative women like this.

the beautiful creator

Don’t forget to enter our contest before April 4th!

I have been sick for the past few days but have been making an effort to enjoy the small moments.  Like loose leaf Chai tea from my cousin in San Fransisco, topped with warm frothed almond milk, cinnamon and thoughts about what’s to come.

My friend Shirin is much more than a clothing designer.

She’s a lovely, free spirited young woman with a wicked sense of humour.

The best part?  It comes out in her designs.  From her clever doucheBAG made out of shower curtains, to her Kate (Moss) Can’t Sleep - Eye Covers, it’s clear she’s not afraid to have fun with fashion.

The problem with mainstream fashion is that it often lacks personality.  It is mass produced to make money, and often created in poor working situations.

Shirin’s clothes and accessories are made by a young woman who sews in her living room because she knows it’s what she loves to do.

I grew up sewing with her and was always blown away by her creative energy and fun ideas.

Her clothes focus on comfort and playful designs.  She makes leggings look high fashion and sweatshirts look like works of art.

To share the love, we got together to do a giveaway.  You can win your very own personalized doucheBAG and eye cover with your choice of color and print!

To enter just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite piece is from Sukré’s Spring collection here.

For an additional entry link to this blog post through your twitter and/or blog!

DoucheBAGs

Shirin’s description of the doucheBAG:

Functional, Fashionable, Funny. My favorite F words.
This backpack is made from recycled shower curtains.
‘Shower’ = ‘Douche’ in French and Farsi.
Therefore, I call it a douchebag. Get it?
Made by hand from my own original design.
Features an adjustable rope strap, attached to the body of the bag with a shower curtain ring for decorative purposes.
The inside is lined with strong canvas and has a zipper pocket to keep your valuables safe and easily accessible.

Kate (Moss) Can’t Sleep - Eye Covers

Shirin’s description:

If you’re looking to brighten up your Spring wardrobe now is the time!

Shirin would also like to offer readers a 15% discount off the price of any items from Sukré or Naught Fashion.

You can shop for Sukré here or Naught Fashion here.

To get the discount just use the code: friendofgillian at the time of your purchase!  Enter the coupon code in the message to seller section during checkout and 15% will be refunded through paypal.

A few more reasons to love Shirin Handmade:

• Every piece is unique, unlike the cookie cutter pieces that are globally manufactured.
• It is not mass produced, but made with love and attention to detail.
• There is a story, and a face, behind the pieces.
• The quality shines through when someone is doing what they are passionate about.
• “The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil.”

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite piece is from Sukré’s Spring collection here.  For an additional entry link to this blog post through your twitter and/or blog!  Contest ends Sunday, April 4th!

The moment we walked in we were greeted by a big display of fruits and vegetables.

I looked at my boyfriend and smiled, “This place is made for me!”

Last night I had the pleasure of celebrating St.Patrick’s Day at a Healthy Chef Competition.  My boyfriend lovingly surprised me with tickets last minute and it sounded too good to be true.

We strolled into the dining room arm in arm and were handed some green rum punch, because even rum is healthy on St.Patrick’s Day, before checking out some of the different chef’s tables.

One end of the room was lined with tables from different culinary schools, hotels and restaurants who were challenged to put as much fresh produce into their entrées and desserts for the night as possible.

I am working on starting up a catering business in Vancouver and loved checking out all the creative presentations for inspiration.

I was especially struck by the Pacific Culinary Institute whose stand was like stepping into nature.  It was crawling with fresh flowers and branches, with fake snow made out of melted sugar.  Even more impressive were their dishes, beautifully plated with clean and fresh presentation.

When I looked up from the dishes, I saw a close friend of mine, and soon to be pastry chef of my catering business, standing in his chef whites in front of me.

“Gilly!” He yelped.  “I was just saying that that girl looked like my friend Gillian!”

I knew he had been working on a new dessert over the weekend but I didn’t know what for.  But there it was in front of me: a  delicate Lemon-Basil and Blueberry Mousse cake layered in Spring colours.

Once I got over my excitement of seeing him, and knowing he was taking part in the competition, we took our seats.

Each place setting had two envelopes letting us know where we could get our entrée and dessert from.  It was done in such a way that everyone would have a different dish than the person sitting next to them.

My boyfriend and I ended up switching entrées, since his was a vegetable trio involving all of my favorites and mine was roasted lamb.  The flavors were simple but the vegetables were immaculately carved out and stuffed with healthy ingredients.  I loved the beet stuffed with bulgur and onion stuffed with wild meat.

For dessert I managed to get my hands on the dessert card which would grant me my friend’s mousse and I eagerly went and grabbed one.

The verdict? Clean layers of fresh flavors.  It got better with every bite.  I was hit with each taste separately: the lemon, basil and blueberry.  A toasted nut covered in icing sugar on top added the perfect crunch.

The other desserts we sampled didn’t compare.  They all tried too hard, were too sweet or too bland, the flavors simple and expected.

After licking my plate clean I went over to congratulate my friend and hear the winners of the evening.

I wanted him to win.  His dessert was good.  Really good.  And after years of debating what he wanted to do with his life he bit the bullet and went to pastry school.  He listened to his heart.

And because passion speaks for itself, he won.  In his third month of pastry school, he won for the best dessert of the night amongst chefs who have been working in the industry for years.

I hooted, howled and cheered like a proud mother.  I’ve always believed in my friend and it was nice to see his hard work honored.

The icing on the cake: the pastry chef for my soon-to-be catering company is now an award winning pastry chef!

As if things couldn’t get any better, we left with a loot bag full of fruit and vegetables and another box of fresh produce.  It was like getting an adult goodie bag filled with my favorite things.

The culinary world is booming in Vancouver and freshness and health are always a generous component.

Tonight all the healthy food was balanced with great wine, good fun and a very sweet ending.

Girls from the casino handing out beads

Veggies galore!

Some of the entrees on display

Gourmet bacon and eggs: pork belly and quail eggs!

And desserts…

My beautiful dinner of stuffed vegetables

And boyfriend’s dinner of lamb with Israeli couscous

The judges

My friend Mitchell with his award for best dessert


His work of art that won first prize: Lemon-Basil and Blueberry Mousse cake

And some of the loot I got to take home!

In the name of St.Patrick’s Day I thought I’d share the video of my grandmother and I baking Irish soda bread together once more:

Here’s a fun little bit on Epicurious about Irish soda bread to check out as well!

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!

Recipes from my grandmother:

IRISH WHEATEN  BREAD

My friend Shirin has always had style.

She wore cowboy boots before cowboys did.  She wore a vintage emerald green dress at prom with gloves up to her elbows.  She  makes leggings look better than designer jeans.

And she’s here to share her style with the world with her newest creations and online store.

Her new collection Sukre is playful, fresh and fun.

I’ve already ordered a dress and a playful eye mask…and they wont be my last purchase.

Who can resist Kate Moss’s eyes printed on a silky eye mask?

If you’re looking to support a talented young designer, she’s the one.

Not only are her designs beautiful, they’re comfortable, easy to wear, eye-catching and reasonably priced.

Her blog is pretty damn cute too.

Not only do I love her, but I fully support and admire her.

Stay tuned for some great videos, giveaways and more from this fashion darling on my blog.

My dad said that if he won he would’ve said “Get to bed Gilly, it’s way past your bed time,” while holding his Oscar with pride.

I’ll never forget the year my dad was nominated for an Oscar.

He was up for best sound mixer for the movie Unforgiven.

It was the most glamourous I’d ever see my parents, and I still love to pull out the photo of my dad in an expensive tuxedo, my mom in a floor length gown with her hair in big loose curls.  I always thought they looked like movie stars.

My mom says I remember the pure unadulterated luxury of all, feeling as if Rob and I were in some extravagant Hollywood movie.

I saw him for a split second on the red carpet.  No one else saw it, but when we rewinded it to see it I was right.

Apparently their limousine didn’t arrive so Morgan Freeman invited them to share his.  My mom couldn’t stop smiling.  Freeman left the limo first and the crowd went wild.  They followed him up the red carpet with Jan Fonda just ahead, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins following behind.

My dad didn’t win that night, but he brought home a chocolate Oscar and was still a winner to us.  I remember bringing a piece of that chocolate Oscar to school wrapped up in saran wrap.

My mom says my dad was relieved he didn’t have to go on stage, and that he knew that simply being nominated by his peers at the Academy was honour enough.  She said he was happy to leave the glitz and the glamour and slip into his Berkinstocks.

My dad doing a radio interview in LA

That’s why I love my dad.  I grew up knowing he was good at what he did.  Every morning he would be up at the crack of dawn, his big work van filled with sound equipment warming up in the driveway while it was still dark outside.

He’d usually come back when I was already in bed.  But he would leave sweet treats under my pillow so that I knew he cared.  When he got off early one day he showed up to my gymnastics recital to surprise me.

I loved visiting him on film sets.  Cast and crew would always come up to me and tell me how much they loved my dad.  Even with the long hours he always had a good sense of humor and did his job well.

That year was his big break.  He didn’t need a gold Oscar to know how important it was, he’d already won.  He put in the time, effort and skill.

Tonight we got together at a friend’s house.  A feast was made and I made big bowls of gourmet popcorn, one salty, one sweet, and we took in the show.

My dad sat quietly, still humble, knowing how close he came but just as happy to be sitting comfortably with a home cooked meal surrounded by those who love him.