Olio By Marilyn

Ramen Crunch Salad

2026-04-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of an Instagram page called Maxi's Kitchen. I have tried several of Maxine’s recipes and they always seem to hit the mark. No hard to find ingredients, easy to assemble, and everything tastes good. When I recently needed a healthy, vegetable packed side dish, I decided to try her Ramen Crunch Salad. I could prepare all the veggies, the dressing, and the pan-roasted ramen noodles and almonds early, then finish assembling just before meal time. Perfect.

Honestly, this was super easy every step to pull together. If there is one thing to watch, it is toasting the ramen noodles and almonds. You can't really walk away or get distracted, as the mix can change from not toasted to over toasted quickly. You need to stir or toss the mixture regularly during the browning process.

The only change I would make next time is with the dressing. I enjoyed the flavor, but for my taste the salad needed either have just a tiny bit more dressing, or have an additional flavor note in the dressing to pull it all together. It was just a bit subtle for me. However, I would make this salad as written the first time as it might be perfect for you. Note - it would Lao be great with some leftover chicken/beef/pork tossed in.

Enjoy! And be sure to check out Maxi’s IG page. I believe this recipe also is included in her debut cookbook - Maxi's Kitchen - released in the last year.

= = = =

Ramen Crunch Salad

Salad -

2 tsp Sesame Oil

2 3.5 oz. Packets Chicken-Flavored Ramen Noodles, seasoning packet discarded

1/4 C Sliced Almonds (Could sub coarsely chopped cashews or peanuts)

3 C Thinly Sliced Napa Cabbage

2 C Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage

1 Medium Carrot, half lengthwise and then slice crosswise into thin slices

3 Scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 C Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped

1 T Sesame Seeds

Dressing -

3 T Sesame Oil

1/4 C White Vinegar

3 T Soy Sauce

2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions -

Break the ramen noodles into bite-size pieces by crunching them with your fingers in the packet. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the noodles and sliced almonds and toast, tossing and stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 5 mins. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, white vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic powder, and black pepper until the sugar dissolves. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Add the ramen-almond crunch just before serving and toss again so it stays crisp. Enjoy!

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten

2026-04-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

...an invitation to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail..."

Synopsis -

Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.

From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.

Review -

Memoirs are high on my must read list. I am always intrigued by unique journeys and Ina Garten definitely offered me that. While she had a tough childhood, she somehow managed to keep a strong sense of self, an unerring intuition that guided her, and a determination to follow it. Her marriage at a young age to husband Jeffrey was also key. Despite moments of doubt, he was her anchor and support - and she his. They always encouraged each other to reach for their dreams. They are a rare couple that were able to thrive even while living apart.

Interview on 60 Minutes

What stands out in her memoir is her courage. Always needing a challenge, she would leap into new projects with abandon. I have a tendency to do that too, but am often crippled by doubt as I deal with the fall-out. Garten, on the other hand, just dove in and worked hard, even through challenges that seemed daunting. Her willingness to dive into the deep end, strong determination to find a way around roadblocks, and a just a touch of luck are what has brought her to the level of success she has today.

Another thing that stands out for me is her passion to help others learn to cook and entertain easily without stress. Recipes she offers are chosen carefully - no long lists of hard to find and expensive ingredients - and each recipe is tested over and over to make sure home cooks will be able to recreate it. 14 successful cookbooks speak to her ability to achieve this. I now want to own at least one - but will need to look through them all carefully to see which to buy first. A great read.

Buy the Book: Amazon US ~ Amazon CA

Meet the Author -

Ina Garten is a renowned American author, Food Network host of Barefoot Contessa, and former White House nuclear policy analyst. She pivoted from a government career to purchase a Hamptons food store in 1978, and published her first best-selling cookbook in 1999. Garten's culinary style focuses on high-quality ingredients and straightforward recipes designed for entertaining. She has written over 14 best-selling cookbooks, and her Emmy-winning show, Barefoot Contessa, has aired on Food Network since 2002. She currently live in East Hampton, New York, with Jeffrey Garten, who us a frequent guest on her show.

Connect: Website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Youtube ~ Pinterest

Poetry - I Remember…

2026-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Wallpaper by samira713 from Wallpapers.com

I Remember
by Marilyn R. Wilson

I remember...

A slanted ceiling defining my small cocoon

A tall barricade buttressing one side.

My headboard fondly spooning against it.

Out of it's depths sprouted a reading light

With old fashioned metal pull chain

The pool of light it cast my guardian

When scary thoughts kept me awake

And my companion when I found myself

Lost between the covers of a great tome.

I remember...

The opposite was held up by a short bulwark.

Yes a bulwark - a defensive wall to keep me safe

Why? A hobbit door in it that led to darkness

Beyond lay the scary and disorganized attic

Who knew what creatures hid in there

From earthly beings such as spiders and mice

To dark evil denizens of the underworld

Seeking escape and to cause me harm.

Vivid imaginings haunted me each night.

I remember...

Triangles stood supporting the opposite sides.

Each offering the possibility of escape.

One held a door I rarely used at night

Peeking out, to the right, a portal to my brothers.

Inside, their shared bed spooned the same wall as mine.

Ahead a long wooden staircase descending into darkness

Front hall, living and dining room, my parent’s bedroom

It would take a night of sheer terror for me to flee downward

Into the dark, through the rooms, into their bed.

I remember...

On the opposite side of my room held a portal to the universe

A window, a screen, and then the roof adorning ourside porch.

In bed, I watched powerful night storms through it in awe

Blazing lightening and crashing waves of thunder.

An unexpected tear in the screen offered forbidden adventure

Silently I slipped out on daring, magical quests

Tiptoeing quietly, exploring the creaking rooftop

Or simply sitting entranced watching the world go by.

One day I was discovered and my wanderings ceased.

I remember…

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 Interview w/ Call & Response Clothing

2026-04-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Call & Response will be showing their latest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week on Friday, April 10th at 7:50. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Call and Response Clothing is an art-minded, music-influenced concept studio created by Catherine Robinson, Lori Marcuz, and Annie McDayter. Founded in Toronto, Canada in 2004, C&R quickly grew a following of musicians, creatives, and artists looking for the wild, the unrestrained, and the audacious. Together, the team craft pieces to blend texture, movement, and silhouette using unusual textiles and meticulous techniques.

Design is without boundaries, as music, art, and creation must be to flourish and thrive. Both architectural yet breathing: ebbing and flowing. Call and Response are designers for those who wish to be, those who are, and those who were, forever and always, personal and experimental: raw and refined.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back, were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

The three of us found our way into fashion through different entry points, but fell in love for the same reasons. A love of art, technique, and creation.

How did you learn your skills?

Cathy and Lori are both self taught, while Annie went to TMU for Fashion Designl.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

As we are three designers, we do have our own distinct voices and strengths. Cathy is a textile artist and experimental designer who creates mosaics out of material. Annie focuses on a dark, romantic opulence. Lori is technical and measured with her work. She often leans towards a tailored cool.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

The easiest part of our work is creation. There are always ideas. There is always the next thing to create.

The hardest part of our work is deciding what creation wins the final battle in the decision process.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is color to your design process?

We take a lot of inspiration from music and from fellow artists. When we were designing pieces for Prince, we used to listen to his influences for inspiration while we worked.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW26.

Our work is fluid and vibrant and purely influenced by our own design legacy. Because of this, its difficult to pick only one look

Where can readers purchase your designs?

Our pieces will be available for pre-order through our website at www.callandrepsonseclothing.com

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

We are always growing and adapting as designers. The big push for us right now is expansion into Europe and Asia. We are excited to see how these new markets react to our designs.

Links -

Website - www.callandresponseclothing.com
Instagram - @callandresponseclothing
Facebook - www.facebook.com/callandresponseclothing

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 Interview w/ Fashion Designer Nathalie Ravaoary of NATHEE RAV

2026-04-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Nathee Rav will be showing their collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week on Friday, April 10th at 5:30 p.m. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Nathalie Ravaoary is a Vancouver-based fashion designer originally from Madagascar whose work explores the emotional and psychological landscapes that shape human identity. Through her debut collection, ‘Unchained’, she blends fashion and art to create a powerful narrative of healing, resilience, and self-liberation.

Deeply inspired by personal experiences and the lasting imprint of memory, Nathalie’s designs reflect the invisible weight we carry throughout life. Layers of fabric symbolize the protective barriers we construct over time—shields that both conceal and safeguard our vulnerabilities. Organic, branch-like textures evoke the way trauma can take root and grow within us when left unaddressed, subtly influencing our sense of self. Striking red accents punctuate her work, representing the raw intensity and courage required to confront the past and reclaim one’s story.

For Nathalie, design is more than aesthetics; it is a deeply introspective and transformative process. Her work embodies the delicate balance between fragility and strength, illustrating how adversity can both burden and shape resilience. Each piece in Unchained tells a story of survival and evolution, emphasizing that healing is not linear, but a continuous journey of rediscovery and empowerment. Drawing from her multicultural background and lived experiences, Nathalie uses fashion as a medium for expression, reflection, and connection. Her work invites audiences to engage with their own narratives, encouraging a deeper understanding of vulnerability, growth, and the enduring power of transformation.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back,
were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

I grew up in Madagascar and initially worked in tourism. Fashion came into my life more
organically. I was always drawn to art, painting, and creative outlets, but then I started sewing
my own clothes using my sister’s old machine. She was actually the one with formal training in
fashion at the time, and watching her sparked something in me.

What began as curiosity soon became a passion. I took formal sewing and tailoring lessons. Sewing for myself quickly turned into sewing for friends and family, then clients, and then I launched my brand. Looking back, those early moments of creating with my hands were the first signs that fashion would become my path.

How did you learn your skills?

I was initially self-taught and learned through experimentation and practice. Over time, I pursued formal training in pattern making, sewing, and tailoring to strengthen my technical foundation. And, of course, I’ve watched thousands of hours of YouTube and Instagram videos!

After moving to Vancouver in 2023, I continued my education at Blanche MacDonald, graduating from their Fashion Design program. That combination of self-driven learning and structured training has really shaped my approach as a designer.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

I’m deeply drawn to structure, emotion, and storytelling. My aesthetic lives at the intersection of raw and refined often leaning into avant-garde, where garments feel sculptural yet remain wearable.

I design for individuals who are not afraid to express themselves, who see fashion as more than clothing, but as a form of identity and art. My brand is about freedom, pushing boundaries, and creating space for bold self-expression.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

What comes most naturally to me is translating emotion into form; taking a concept and turning it into something physical and tangible. The challenge is often balancing creativity with practicality. When it comes to production, I sometimes find it difficult to source the right materials, but that process also pushes me to experiment, adapt, and discover new ways of bringing my ideas to life.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is color to your design process?

I find inspiration in many places: emotions, movement, contrast, as well as both history, including my personal narrative and lived experience, and what’s happening in the present moment. I’m especially drawn to the tension between past and current narratives, and how that can be expressed through design.

Color plays a significant role in my process, as it acts as one of the key emotional storytelling elements. It helps shape the mood of a collection and brings depth to the overall vision.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW 26. Do you have a favorite look in this collection?

The collection I’m presenting explores the concept of being “unchained,” reflecting both the physical and emotional weight we carry over time. Through layered textiles, structured silhouettes, and contrasting textures, I explore how trauma can take root and quietly shape identity. Bold red accents punctuate the collection, symbolizing intensity, resilience, and courage—moments of release within the tension.

It’s difficult to choose a favorite look, but the final piece truly captures the essence of the collection. It brings together the shapes, textures, and the dialogue between constraint and liberation in a very raw, powerful way.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

Currently, my work is available through direct inquiries and private orders via my website and Instagram.

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

Right now, my focus is on continuing to build a strong identity for the brand and pushing the creative boundaries even further. I’m excited to expand into more refined collections, collaborations, and eventually a fully developed platform where the brand can live and evolve. This is just the beginning.

Links -

Website - www.natheerav.ca
Facebook - Nathee Rav
Instagram - @natheerav

Vancouver Fashion Week Interview w/ Designer Sophia Zarifopoulos of Sophia Chantal

2026-04-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sophia Chantel will be showing her latest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week on Friday, April 10th at 7:20 p.m. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Sophia Chantal Zarifopoulos is a Greek American designer from New York now based in Athens. She recently showcased her first collection “The Reigning Balkan Princess” at Athens Fashion Week where she won the Best New Designer Award. She thrifts vintage lace and table cloths known as “Semedakia” and “mandilakia” in Greek. She then upcycles them and infuses them with her love and with her whimsy. She gifts them a new life full of fun, movement, and Balkan maximalism.

Her second collection debuting at Vancouver Fashion Week is called “The Jungle Feveress”. It highlights theoretical main female protagonists that could be found in the jungle with a fashion fever. It’s messy, almost unfinished, torn, beautifully ruthless. It is fiercely female, showing how to take the fear out of being female, because once you do, the jungle is yours. Your scars, your flaws, your unfinished story, are all waiting to be claimed beautifully by you. Don’t hide them, strut IN them.

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back, were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

From as early as five years old I would beg my mom to let me pick out my clothes for the next day at school. Clothing was my first artistic medium, my first love. One of my greatest forever joys in life has been getting dressed and letting each outfit express a different feeling of mine. Fashion has always been my life. My past, my present, my future. It’s me. It’s what my life has always revolved around.

How did you learn your skills?

I took a couple sewing classes back in New York before moving to a small island in Greece to buckle down and perfect my skills. My sewing classes were ultimately unsuccessful until my mother’s neighbor gave me some private instruction. The rest was really self taught. I spent 6 months sewing for hours a day, just figuring it out. And I did. I had no pattern paper, no real scissors, no dress form, not even a full length mirror. I had a tiny pair of cosmetic scissors and a dream. I would cut fabric on my floor or my bed, I would wrap it around myself to measure. Complete chaos. Absolute anarchy. But it worked. Somehow. Someway. And that’s how I know magic is real.

Once I moved to my family home in Greece for a brief interim after my sewing sabbatical, I got some proper materials including a dress form. That’s where I discovered draping. My life changed from there on out. I was enamored. I then moved to Athens to (briefly) study fashion design (one semester) before realizing it wasn’t for me. I really just like doing it the way I want and hate all the rules and regulations that come along with school and “studying”. I like to learn, hate to study. I still have no idea how to do certain seams or stitches or whatever but I don’t care. I have my way and it works for me and I love what I make and how I make it.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

I’m not really a designer. I’m an artist who makes clothes. I’m a clothing maker. I don’t sketch, I don’t use a pattern (absolutely despise making them), I don’t conceptualize. I gather materials and I assemble them. I use draping and moulage. I’m rogue. My aesthetic I would say at the moment is Balkan Boho Chic. My customer is the girl who wants to stand out and feels neither fear nor shame doing so. She’s looking for one of a kind because that’s what she is. She knows exactly who she is. I don’t know if I exist as a brand yet. Just pieces of that makes sense. I’m all over the place right now and being a brand is too cohesive, too restrictive, I don’t wanna be in a box right now in my life. I’m still exploring my freedom as an artist. Afterall I only discovered I was one about 4 years ago. I’m still marinating.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

What comes easiest is the creation. What comes hardest is the dedication to finishing that creation. (I have ADHD)

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is color to your design process?

I have never been someone who finds inspiration outside of herself. It always comes from within somehow some way. From my life, my thoughts, my memories, my subconscious, I don’t know. Going to a museum tomorrow won’t make me make a dress based on my experience there the next day. When I need inspiration it’s just to inspire me to keep going, to feel alive and fulfilled, not to direct me towards what I should be creating. Color is something that either reveals itself as an important factor along the way or not, it chooses you. I never set out with the intention of, “oh let’s do color for this!”. It either happens naturally or it doesn’t. I let my hands guide the way, nothing is preplanned, it all just happens in a flow state. I am divinely guided.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW 26. Do you have a favorite look in this collection?

I’m just obsessed with the jungle. Things around me keep turning into one. My home, my environment, my style, my taste in music. I like messy, fierce, daring, rough, raw. There are hints of greens and browns, pinks and creams. Floral moments throughout. My favorite look is the first one I made that basically inspired the rest of the collection. It’s the Jungle Bride. You will see her I promise.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

Readers can purchase my designs directly through me at this time, on Vinted and Depop, or at a store in Athens called Piracy Vintage.

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

I have absolutely no freaking idea.

Links -

Instagram - @thereigningbalkanprincess ~ @sophiazarz

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 Interview w/ Fashion Designer Zhang Peng of Jumper Zhang

2026-04-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Jumper Zhang will be showing their latest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 on Sunday, April 12th at 8 p.m. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Zhang Peng, the founder and Art Director of JUMPER ZHANG, is a celebrated figure in the world of fashion design. With invitations to design for the prestigious Trands brand, Zhang has been recognized as China's Best Womenswear Designer and has received nominations for Best Menswear Designer. His talent and creativity have placed him among the Top Ten Fashion Designers in China, earning accolades such as the "Golden Scissors" awards in both Liaoning Province and Dalian City. Zhang's leadership extends to his roles as the Vice President of the Liaoning Province Fashion Designers Association and the Dalian City Fashion Designers Association, as well as a committee member of the China Fashion Designers Association Fashion Art Committee. His artistic prowess is not limited to fashion alone; Zhang is also a national champion in Tai Chi Quan and Tai Chi Sword at the National Martial Arts Championships.

In May 2023, Zhang expanded his influence by opening the JUMPER ZHANG Paris Studio. His designs have graced the pages of renowned fashion magazines like VOGUE, BAZZAR, ELLE, Fashion COSMO, Rayli, and Marie Claire. Zhang's cross-industry collaborations have spanned notable names such as China Resources Group's Grand Hyatt Hotels, Chow Tai Fook, Huawei, LVMH's Guerlain, VOSS, Queenlin Qilin, and Dayang Creation.

While skillfully blending Eastern aesthetics with contemporary haute couture, Zhang Peng opened a boutique in Vancouver in March 2024. This marks his first store in North America, signifying the international expansion and increased influence of his brand.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career.

In 2008, I embarked on my journey as a professional model, a career that spanned five years. This experience deepened my interest in fashion, leading me to a significant milestone in 2013 when I founded my own brand, JUMPER ZHANG. In the same breath of inspiration and ambition, I also established a haute couture workshop that year, marking the beginning of a new chapter in my creative endeavors.

How did you learn your skills?

During my youth, I was a professional martial artist and was fortunate enough to win the national championship in both Tai Chi and Tai Chi sword in 2003, achieving the rank of master athlete. The philosophy of Tai Chi, embodying the essence of Chinese classical scholarship with its emphasis on internal and external harmony, strength and flexibility, and the beautiful balance of yin and yang, later provided me with endless creative inspiration as a fashion designer.

My father was among the first to venture into business as a clothing merchant, and my mother was one of the first fashion models sent abroad by the government. Growing up in such an environment, I developed a deep love for the art of fashion. After retiring from professional sports in 2008, I became a model. During my time in modeling, I fell deeply in love with the field of fashion art, which inspired me to establish my own fashion brand, JUMPER ZHANG, in 2013.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

I design luxury fashions that pursue beauty and elegance with a simple, natural, and clean design, showcasing the beauty of urban elites through exquisite tailoring. My brand emphasizes ergonomics, harmony, and comfort in wear, featuring grand, meticulously crafted cuts with intricate details as its signature style.

Exposure to art during my time in France helped to establish my brand's French romantic flair. Handcrafted details with artistic depth, precious fabrics, and unique patterns convey Jumper Zhang's harmony, nature, and intelligence. Choosing the right materials is very important. I work with top-grade natural fabrics that reflect my brand's craftsmanship and bring a comfortable yet exquisite texture. My aim is to provide wearers with a sense of ease and comfort, presenting urban aesthetics in simplicity, uncovering the inner charm of high-net-worth individuals, and adhering to a philosophy of pleasing oneself and others.

My brand - JUMPER ZHANG - offers enduringly modern designs imbued with a spirit of romantic fashion. My work adheres to the philosophy that "life and dress are both forms of art," emphasizing a comfortable yet exquisite lifestyle, making life full of ceremonial sense and love, and promoting a lifestyle where "life and dress are both forms of art."

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

The easiest part is finding inspiration.

The hardest part is breaking through my own existing limitations to ensure that each new release is more spectacular than the last.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is colour to your design process?

This season's inspiration theme is "Circle," reflecting the beauty of all things in the circular realm. The "Circle" is derived from humanity's reverence and worship of the sun, making it one of the oldest abstract decorative patterns in China. The "I Ching" (Book of Changes) states, "From the Great Ultimate comes the Two Modes, from the Two Modes come the Four Forms, and from the Four Forms come the Eight Trigrams." As a national champion in both Tai Chi and Tai Chi sword, and a national master-level athlete, Zhang Peng is deeply influenced by Tai Chi in his designs. The "Zhouyi · Explanation of the Trigrams" records "Qian represents heaven and is circular," indicating that in the primitive Chinese cosmology, the circle was considered the shape most capable of change, perfectly embodying the unique aesthetic concept of the Chinese nation, hence possessing extremely vigorous vitality.

The color scheme should be harmonious and unified, suitable for both motion and stillness.

An Introduction to Jumper Zhang

Readers would love to know more about the FW26 collection you will be showing at VFW.

For FW26, we will be presenting Beyond the Archive Light, a collection rooted in couture craftsmanship, material development, and refined handwork. This season, we placed a strong emphasis on creating textiles in the atelier, which gave the collection a rich sense of texture, movement, and dimension. Hand beading, featherwork, frayed chiffon, and sculptural floral details are all woven throughout the collection. Overall, FW26 reflects our ongoing interest in balancing softness with structure and tradition with a more contemporary elegance.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

Readers are welcome to visit our boutique at 2207 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6H 4H7, which remains the primary way to experience and purchase our designs. We recommend booking an appointment in advance to ensure the best service and a more personalized experience. Our designs are also available through our website at www.jumperzhang.ca, and readers can reach out to us directly through social media - links below.

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

Throughout my career, I have always carried a sense of gratitude, adhered to industry rules, and never forgotten my original intentions. Along the way, I've received help from many people, and I hope that one day I can give back to society and the industry. I will do my utmost to advocate for Chinese designers.

Links -

Website - www.jumperzhang.ca
Facebook - JumperZhangCA
Instagram - @JumperZhangCA
Youtube - @JumperZhang
Twitter - @JumperZhangCA

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 Interview w/ Designer Naomi Narcisse of Another Coyote

2026-04-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Another Coyote will be showing their latest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week on Thursday, April 9th at 7:30 p.m. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Another Coyote: Indigenous Wearable Art for Everyone

Another Coyote specializes in stylish, ready-to-wear clothing that blends traditional teachings with contemporary design. Each piece tells a story, with symbols and colors representing leadership, love, power, traditional knowledge, and community. Another coyote shares ancestral knowledge through wearable Art.

My name is Naomi Narcisse my traditional name is Skel7áw̓s. I am an up and coming fashion designer while working on my PhD at the University of British Columbia as well as work at Simon Fraser University in the office of People Equity and Inclusion as a Director of Indigenous Initiatives.

I am St'at'imc & Secwépemc

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back, were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

I am St'at'imc & Secwépemc, My name is Naomi Narcisse my traditional name is Skel7áw̓s. I am an up and coming fashion designer while working on my PhD at the University of British Columbia as well as work at Simon Fraser University in the office of People Equity and Inclusion as a Director of Indigenous Initiatives.

As a child, I had a dream of becoming a fashion designer. My grandfather bought me my first sewing machine, and before I had the sewing machine I would sew clothes that were needing repair or I would remake my clothes into something different. I loved making my own regalia for powwows. I liked using unique patterns and trying different styles. It's something that I've always wanted to do as a child.

I am a single mother of three children, but now they are all young adults. Now that my children are grown up I feel that I can take the risk and jump into my dream of becoming a fashion designer, I want my children and Indigenous youth to see that no matter what you can always reach for the stars. I want to occupy spaces where my ancestors were once denied. I want to show Indigenous representation to inspire others and to share stories in my art as my ancestors have since time in memorial.

Interview -

How did you learn your skills?

I was self taught as a child, and took a textile class in high school and had my children at a young age so my dream of becoming a fashion designer was on hold as I had to work two minimum wage jobs then later went into higher education to pursue a career to provide for my young family. Fashion was put to the side as I went through university.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

Another Coyote specializes in clothing that blends traditional teachings with contemporary design. Each piece tells a story, with symbols and colors representing leadership, love, power, traditional knowledge, and community. Another coyote shares ancestral knowledge through wearable Art.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

As an Indigenous artist I let the fabric tell me what it wants to be. I create when I am in a good heart and good mind.

What is hardest? To remember to drink water and eat when I'm in the zone of creating, I love creating and seeing my visions come to life.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is color to your design process?

I love using colors that represent my Matriarchs, Stories, and sacred colors such as fire colors.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW 26.

My favorite creations come from natural materials such as buckskin, fur, bones and shell, just as my ancestors have used.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

On my website at www.anothercoyote.ca. Through Instagram atAnotherCoyote. At my Park Royal Mall West Vancouver Storefront, Another Coyote.

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

I will continue to create. This path has just begun and I am eager to continue to claim space and share stories.

Links -

Website www.anothercoyote.ca
Facebook - Another Coyote
Instagram: @anothercoyote

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 Interview w/ Fashion Designer Ainsley McPherson

2026-04-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ainsley McPherson will be showing her latest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 on Sunday, April 12th at 7:10 p.m. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Ainsley McPherson is a Canadian designer recognized for her reinterpretations of historical dress. Her work merges romantic silhouettes with a darker, contemporary edge, creating looks that explore the tension between delicate femininity and a rebellious punk rock sensibility. Continually drawing inspiration from past eras while embracing modern individuality, her designs evoke feelings of both nostalgia and youthful modernity. A graduate of the Blanche Macdonald Centre’s Fashion Design program, her work has been featured on album covers, in music videos, and in editorials alongside her fellow emerging Canadian artists. Following her debut at Vancouver Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025, McPherson returns to the runway for Fall/Winter 2026 with an elevated collection built on the evolution of her distinctive aesthetic.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back, were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

I’ve always been drawn to fashion, and considering that my sewing journey began at just six years old, the early signs were definitely there. As I grew older, fashion became a really important form of self-expression, but I often couldn’t find what I was looking for in stores. In high school, my interest in vintage and historical clothing really began, which ultimately brought me back full circle to my original love of sewing. I realized there was nothing stopping me from creating the pieces I felt most connected to, and that’s when pursuing fashion design began to look like a genuine path for my life and career!

How did you learn your skills?

My grandmother first started teaching me to sew when I was about six years old, so in a way I have her to thank for this whole journey. In high school I began to delve into the world of garment construction, and for many years I was purely self taught. Ultimately after graduating, I would come to Vancouver and begin studying Fashion Design at the Blanche MacDonald Centre! It was very important to me that I round out my skills and have some genuine training in patternmaking and construction. This was hugely impactful in elevating the quality of my work, and in confirming to me that fashion really is the world I am meant to be a part of.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

As a designer, I’m drawn to a sense of strength and resilience, often inspired by powerful women throughout history. My work is currently focused on womenswear, inspired by influential female figures—specifically Joan of Arc in this collection. I design for a woman who resonates with the energy that such characters exude: confident, self-assured, and unafraid of contradiction. Aesthetically, my work explores juxtaposition, blending romantic, traditionally feminine elements with more rugged, assertive details. Ainsley McPherson as a brand represents the embodiment of that duality. I aim to create pieces that feel empowering and expressive, building looks that truly allow the wearer to inhabit their own strength and confidence.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

I have come to realize that I tend to lean towards a more intuitive design process as opposed to a strict, pre-planned one. I really try to prioritize allowing my ideas to evolve organically throughout the process. From the initial concept sketch to the final piece, my looks can sometimes undergo some pretty major transformations. I have learned that I sometimes find my best work when I try not to adhere too rigidly to my own predetermined plans. Some of the concepts I am proudest of have come from that exploration and experimentation process.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is colour to your design process?

I find inspiration almost instinctively, it’s really quite impossible for me to move through the world without collecting references. I’m constantly drawing from a range of sources, from fashion history to music, film, and cultural history. Colour plays a deliberate role in refining my vision. Especially because I tend to utilize inspiration from vastly different places, I often work within a bit more of a restrained palette. For this collection, I’ve focused primarily on black, white, and silver, while the last centered on black, white, and red. I find that using limited colour can help me make a strong, cohesive statement with a collection.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW 26. Do you have a favorite look in this collection?

My Fall/Winter 2026 season collection is entitled Veil of Iron. It draws inspiration from the enduring mythos of Joan of Arc, informed by the defiant elegance of 1990s fashion and culture. The collection explores a dichotomy of sanctity and defiance, pairing elements of armour with feminine silhouettes. Chainmail textures, structured denim, delicate lace, and bridal references coexist in a palette of jet black and soft ivory. Exposed undergarments and 90s-inspired streetwear silhouettes are juxtaposed with romantic veils and sculptural corsetry. Forged by the duality of strength and softness, Veil of Iron presents a modern heroine—armoured, unapologetic, and completely self-defined.

It’s hard to say which look could be my favourite! I am extremely excited to see my chainmail pieces on the runway, as learning that technique was a big step that I am very proud of. As well, I am so looking forward to the world seeing my bridal look which is directly inspired by my own grandmother’s wedding dress.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

Readers can check out my website ainsleymcpherson.com to see the pieces available for styling pulls, and pieces for sale coming soon!

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

I’m mostly focused on continuing to refine and evolve my vision for the brand. Right now, that means developing future collections that allow me to continue the concepts I’m exploring, and building on the work I have already shared.

Links -
Website - www.ainsleymcpherson.com
Instagram - @ainsley.mcpherson
TikTok - @ainsley_mcpherson
Youtube - @ainsley.mcpherson

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 Interview w/ Fashion Designer Bomin Kim of Bluetamburin

2026-04-01T04:00:00.001-07:00

Bluetamburin will be showing their newest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week on Saturday, April 11th at 7 p.m. Purchase Tix HERE!

Blue Tamburin will be showcasing their Girls' Dreams project - BLTAM Entre - on the runway on Friday, April 10th at 7:10 p.m. Purchase Tix HERE!

Bio -

Bluetamburin is a social impact fashion brand and is also one of the first Korean brands in the fashion industry to be invited to all four major fashion weeks. The brand's philosophy is to “Support beauty in mind, reveal the beauty to the world,” as they aim to make a social impact on the fashion industry day by day. They launched at VFW 2021. Since then, Bluetamburin has showcased its unique design prowess and diverse social messages through fashion through eleven global fashion shows - receiving rave reviews from critics and the media for its elegant collections that blend Eastern and Western influences at New York, Paris, Milan, and London Fashion Weeks.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to choose a career in fashion? Where did you choose to study or, if self taught, how did you gain your skills?

I started my professional career in a Japanese fashion company in 1997 after graduating from university in Korea. When I returned back to my home country, Korea, in 1998, I launched a brand of haute couture dresses and the Robe Couture brand. Since that time I have been honored to be invited to showcase my collections at Seoul Fashion Week three times in a row as well as Vancouver Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week.

What inspired you to launch your own label and why did you decide to name it Bluetamburin? What has been your highest, happiest moment since launching your line?

“What if we add a social message to fashion?”

Bluetamburin started with the question above. The team at Bluetamburin wanted to present a kind of fashion with the message of ‘Against Every Discrimination’. They wanted to infuse the fashion design with a beautiful social mind.

The word ‘Blue’ has a dual meaning of being bright and refreshing, and at the same time being gloomy and depressed. ‘Tamburin (tambourine)’ is a musical instrument that anyone can easily play and that can entertain anyone. Both meanings combined are chosen to best present what our company wants to inspire in the lines of collection. Bluetamburin ambitiously intends to be the most beautiful and vibrant brand for those who wear its clothes.

How would you describe your label? What is the aesthetic? Who is the customer you design for?

Bluetamburin will present designs for those who want a beautiful and self-presenting persona. The collection aims to attract fashion people to show themselves in a way of beautiful and cool design.

Can you share something about the new SS26 collection you'll be showing casing at Vancouver Fashion Week? What was the inspiration? What fabrics and palette did you use?

At VFW FW 26, Bluetamburin will debut its latest collection, “Commanding Elegance.” Inspired by the persona of a Military Officer, the collection reinterprets the dignity and strength of leaders who navigate uncertain times with decisive responsibility. In the world of Bluetamburin, a Military Officer represents a leader who balances authority with courage and benevolence. A Military Officer look is designed to be more than a garment, it is an emblem of life's purpose, imbuing the wearer with the honor and duty to protect what is right.

“The FW26 collection is a tribute to professionals who lead with excellence in their fields, while simultaneously serving as a stage to champion the dreams of young girls who will lead our future,” said Bomin Kim. “We hope that Bluetamburin’s vision of ‘Fashion Infused with Social Value’ resonates deeply within the global market.”

A cornerstone of Bluetamburin’s social impact mission is the “Girls’ Dreams” project. This season, the brand highlights its Global Fashion Entrepreneurship initiative, where Bomin Kim has personally mentored four teenage designers (aged 10 to 13) to foster the next generation of fashion leaders.

Through this project, these young designers have translated their own social messages into fashion. Their collaborative work, refined under Kim’s mentorship, will be showcased to the international community. This initiative reinforces Blue Tamburin’s belief that fashion is a powerful tool for supporting dreams and expanding positive influence. The special collection, titled “BLTAM ENTRE,” will be presented on April 10th, separate from the main Blue Tamburin show. Here are the designers -

Jane Shine - Hello, everyone! I'm Jane from Korea. Today, I want to share my vision for Quality Education, the fourth UN Sustainable Development Goals, through the language of fashion. I chose this theme because I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up in a supportive environment with so many opportunities to learn. However, I am also deeply aware that not everyone is as lucky. Many children around the world don't have access to the same education that I’m so grateful for. That’s why I wanted to use my voice.

In this design, I put the 'white-collar' style and 'blue-collar' style together. By showing these two looks side by side, I wanted to say that Quality Education is important for everyone, no matter what they do. I hope my design shows how beautiful it is when different people and styles work together in harmony.

Jia Kim - Hello, my name is Jia Kim. I chose UN Sustainable Development Goal number 14, “Life Below Water,” as the theme of my design. I chose this topic because our oceans are becoming more and more polluted by trash and plastic that people throw away, and many marine animals are being harmed.

So in my design, I wanted to express hope for a clean and healthy ocean. Through this work, I hope people can feel how precious the ocean is and become more interested in protecting it.

Eunwoo Ji - Hi, I’m Eunwoo, and I’m 11 years old. Following my debut as a model last year, I am excited to introduce myself as a fashion designer today. I chose this path because I wanted a more powerful way to share my message through my own designs

My stage today is dedicated to 'Climate Action.' Through my work, I hope to show you the reality of our changing planet and the future we need to reclaim Designing model, Eunwoo. Please enjoy the show!

Jiyoon Lee - Hello, everyone! I’m Jiyoon Lee from South Korea I’ve chosen UN SDG Number 5: Gender Equality, because I believe fashion is a powerful tool for equality. Clothes shouldn't be a cage that limits us based on gender; they should be a canvas for self-expression.

Why do we still design for 'men' or 'women' when we could just design for 'people'? Through my collection, I want to tell the world: don’t dress to fit into a category—dress to be you. Fashion is about the courage to be yourself, no matter what society says

Where can readers find your garments? How can they purchase them?

The BlueTamburin collection will be available for purchase on the official website (www.bluetamburin.com). Any contacts regarding the collaboration or sales by global fashion partners who understand BlueTamburin’s philosophy and style are welcomed through e-mail.

What's next for your brand?

For over a decade, Creative Director Bomin Kim has been a mainstay at the world’s most prestigious fashion weeks—including New York, Paris, Milan, London, and Seoul. With Vancouver Fashion Week as a springboard, BLUETAMBURIN is actively seeking global partners who resonate with its philosophy. The brand aims to expand its influence into North America and beyond by collaborating with corporations, artists, and impact investors who seek to create social value through fashion.

Throughout Vancouver Fashion Week, BLUETAMBURIN will engage with local buyers and media representatives to share its innovative social impact business model and solidify its position as a global fashion leader.

Links -

Website - www.bluetamburin.com
Instagram - @bluetamburin
Facebook - www.facebook.com/Bluetamburin-101274665308024/
Email - info@rubicons.net / info@bluetamburin.com

Blue Tamburin - VFW SS26

Vancouver Fashion Week F/W 26 w/ Creative Director & Founder Richard Wei (Canada)

2026-03-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Fashion designer Richard Wei will show his latest collection on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week SS26 on Wednesday, April 8th at 6:50 p.m. Purchase tix HERE!

Bio -

Canadian designer Richard Wei, based in Vancouver, brings a distinctive sensibility shaped by artistry, cultural perspective, and a deep appreciation for modern living. His design language reflects a balance between sophistication and freedom, drawing inspiration from Vancouver’s unique landscape where mountains meet the ocean and urban life blends seamlessly with nature.

His work has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, and Harper’s Bazaar, gaining international attention for a refined aesthetic and a contemporary approach to lifestyle dressing.

Opening Vancouver Fashion Week FW26, Richard Wei will present this season’s theme, City Lights. Inspired by the glow and rhythm of the modern metropolis after dark, the collection explores the interplay between light and shadow, structure and movement. Tailored silhouettes, luminous textures, and layered contrasts evoke the atmosphere of a city illuminated at night—dynamic, confident, and endlessly alive.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back, were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

My journey into fashion design has been shaped by a long-standing appreciation for art, culture, and craftsmanship. Before entering the fashion industry, I was involved in the watch and jewelry business, where I developed a strong sensitivity to proportion, precision, and detail.

Working with fine materials and intricate construction trained me to value refinement and accuracy—qualities that naturally translated into my approach to fashion design. Looking back, I’ve always been drawn to visual expression. Over time, I realized that fashion could serve as a powerful medium to express not only beauty, but also lifestyle, identity, and cultural perspective.

How did you learn your skills?

My learning process has been shaped primarily through hands-on experience and continuous exploration. I believe I have a naturally observant eye, which has become the foundation of my design approach. Whether it is people, environments, or everyday details, these elements often transform into inspiration.

Before entering fashion, my experience in the watch and jewelry industry trained me to be highly sensitive to proportion, structure, and fine craftsmanship. At the same time, my family’s textile manufacturing background allowed me to understand materials and production from the source. These experiences gradually shaped my aesthetic and understanding of design.

As Creative Director, I am personally involved in every stage of the process—from concept development to final garment construction. I lead a team of designers and consultants across Canada and China, working together to refine each piece. Our garments are produced in our family-owned textile factory, where we oversee everything from fabric development to final production. This integrated system allows us to maintain a high standard of craftsmanship and detail, while ensuring that each creative concept is fully realized.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

As a designer, I focus on balance—between sophistication and freedom, structure and movement, precision and ease. My aesthetic is rooted in refined tailoring, clean lines, and fluid silhouettes. I design especially for independent, professional women—those who move confidently between different roles and environments, and who value both strength and elegance in how they present themselves.

The brand reflects a contemporary lifestyle: dynamic, versatile, and deeply connected to real life. It is about creating garments that support women in their daily rhythm—from work to social settings, and everything in between.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

What comes most naturally is translating an atmosphere into a tangible design language. I often begin with a mood or environment, and develop it through silhouette, proportion, fabric, and movement—building a cohesive visual narrative.

The most challenging aspect is achieving balance. My background in watch and jewelry design has trained me to pursue precision, but in fashion, that precision must coexist with comfort and wearability.

From tailoring accuracy and fabric performance to how a garment moves with the body, every detail requires refinement. Creating pieces that are both expressive and practical—while maintaining a strong design identity—is an ongoing process of discipline and evolution.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is color to your design process?

I draw inspiration from the relationship between urban life and nature—especially in Vancouver, where these elements coexist seamlessly. My multicultural background also plays an important role. Being influenced by both Eastern and Western perspectives allows me to explore contrasts—between tradition and modernity, structure and fluidity.

Color is essential in shaping mood and narrative. Whether through subtle tonal layering or bold contrasts, it plays a key role in defining the emotional tone of each collection.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW26. Do you have a favorite look in this collection?

For Vancouver Fashion Week FW26, I will present my collection City Lights, opening the season—continuing my close and ongoing collaboration with the platform. The collection is inspired by the rhythm and glow of the modern metropolis after dark—illuminated streets, reflections across glass architecture, and the movement of city life at night.

Through sharp tailoring and structured silhouettes, combined with luminous textures, I explore the interplay between light and shadow. The palette features deep tones, reflective materials, and layered contrasts, capturing both energy and elegance.

The collection represents different moments of modern living—from refined eveningwear to versatile everyday pieces. It also continues the narrative from my previous collection Sea to Sky, which explored the dialogue between city and nature.

It’s difficult for me to choose a single favorite piece, as each design is crafted with great care and dedication. Every look represents a part of my vision and creative process, so I prefer to leave that choice to the audience.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

My designs are currently available through private showroom appointments, salon events, and personalized consultations both online and in person. In addition, we offer bespoke services, allowing clients to personalize their garments and experience the craftsmanship behind the brand. I will also continue developing private salon experiences, offering clients a more intimate connection to the creative process and the brand’s philosophy. For more information, please visit the official website: www.richardwei.ca

.What’s next for you as a designer and your brand?

Looking ahead, I aim to expand the brand internationally while continuing to refine its identity.

My vision is to create fashion that balances luxury and accessibility—bringing high-quality design and craftsmanship into everyday life. I will continue presenting at major international fashion platforms, including New York Fashion Week this year, to share the Richard Wei aesthetic with a broader global audience.

At the same time, we are actively expanding our retail presence through collaborations with select boutiques in Downtown Vancouver and Richmond. Alongside this, we are continuing to strengthen our connection with the community through curated events, private client experiences, and community engagement—further deepening the relationship between the brand and its audience.

Links -

Website - www.richardwei.ca
Instagram - @richardwei.ca ~ @richsw

Vancouver Fashion Week FW 26 Interview w/ Fashion Designer Julia Van der Leij

2026-03-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Julia Van der Leij will be showing her latest collection on the runway at VFW on Friday, April 10th at 7 p.m. Tix purchase HERE!

Bio -

Julia Van der Leij is an Italian-Brazilian fashion designer based in Milano who loves experimenting with new materials and doing manual crafts from embroidery, to felting, to drawing. In her spare time she enjoys going to the cinema and museums. The designer is always trying to learn new things and improve her skills. She earned a BA from FAAP (Brazil) and is currently finishing an MA in Fashion design at Marangoni.

Interview -

Please share a bit about your journey to embrace fashion design as a career. Looking back, were there any early signs fashion would be your future?

I was born and raised in Brazil, growing up I always knew I was going to work in a creative area. Fashion was always a passion of mine, even when I was a kid I used to keep up with the latest runway shows online and flip through fashion magazine pages looking forward to the editorials. I still remember when the Devil wears Prada came out and how mesmerized by all of it I was. I decided to pursue a fashion education at the last moment of high school, it was a decision that seemed like it took a long time to figure out but was always in the back of my mind.

How did you learn your skills?

I did my Bachelor degree at FAAP, a Brazilian arts university where I studied Fashion. I started university right after I graduated high school in 2020, I had two years of online school and in that time I took the opportunity to take a few online courses with international artists that really helped me improve my abilities. I love manual work and always tried to push myself to learn new things. In 2024 I moved to Milan to continue studying. I enrolled in the Masters of Fashion Design (Womenswear/Menswear) program at Marangoni, presenting my thesis early this year.

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

I'm a maximalist at heart, more is more. I love embroidery, mixing different textures and colors and have a lot of fun with coming up with ideas for styling. I'd ultimately say my style is kitsch and dramatic, I love adding playful elements to my creations. I believe fashion should always be fun, thought provoking and a bit theatrical, but ultimately, a form of expressing yourself in bold unapologetic ways.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

As a small designer without a team or investment other than my own, it's hard to know when to stop, measuring what is actually possible to do. Conceptualizing is easy, the development part not so much, especially when it all depends on you and your limited budget. Time can really seem like it is against you.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is color to your design process?

I'd say inspiration can come from anywhere. From a movie that I've seen, a book I've read, images I've seen online or in real life, feelings I've had, art, design, history and fashion itself. I use color largely and unapologetically, it helps tell a narrative and it is responsible for unifying the collection.

Readers would love to know more about the collection you are showing at Vancouver Fashion Week FW 26. (Inspiration, fabrics, palette, etc.) Do you have a favorite look in this collection?

The inspiration from this collection came from the feeling of Anemoia. A feeling of nostalgia for a time and/or place you haven't lived. I wanted to emulate that feeling throughout my collection, especially with the felted pieces. The materials used in the creation of this collection came from various different places. Most from Brazil and Italy, but also Peru, France and the US. I really wanted to gather special fabrics that helped construct the narrative of this project.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

Unfortunately they can't yet. I'm working on future possibilities of made to measure pieces.

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

I’d love to keep growing as a designer, evolving with my style and techniques. I'd like to gain more work experience before fully opening my own brand.

Collaboration between the Brazilian sculptural jewelry designer Paola Vilas and the

Grammy-nominated American duo Sofi Tukker, for their third studio album "BREAD"

Links -

Instagram - @julia.vanderleij
Behance - www.behance.net/juliavanderleij

Vancouver Fashion Week FW26 - Vancouver Community College Fashion Design Grad Show 2026

2026-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Twelve VCC fashion design grad students will showcase their grad collections on the runway at VFW FW26 on Thursday, April 9th at 5:30 p.m. Purchase your Tix HERE!

About -

The collections presented by VCC’s Fashion Design & Production Diploma students draw on a wide range of influences, including Coast Salish, Colombian, Chinese, Filipino, and South Korean cultural heritages. Additional inspiration spans the unexpected, from marionettes to the anatomy of a blister, resulting in garments that are both conceptual and wearable. Sustainability and longevity are central to several collections, reflected in thoughtful material choices and responsible production practices.

“We are delighted to see our students showcase their hard work and talent at Vancouver Fashion Week,” said Sarah Murray, Fashion Program Coordinator at VCC. “These collections represent the culmination of two years of intensive, hands-on training. Presenting their designs on a professional runway provides invaluable real-world experience as they prepare to enter the fashion industry.”

2026 Designers -

Ana Júlia Veronka

ana.julia.veronka@gmail.com ~ @anajuliaveronka

The Marionettes translates a reflection on society and human behavior into fashion. Conceived as a five-look narrative, the collection explores power, control, vulnerability, and liberation, constructing a visual dialogue about the forces that shape identity. Each design embodies a character, forming a story that examines the tension between conformity and authenticity.

At its core, the collection questions how identity is influenced by social norms, authority, fear, and internalized expectations. It presents five symbolic figures. The Sheep represents passive conformity, following established norms without resistance. The Puppeteer stands for authority and the systems that orchestrate behavior. The Fearful recognizes injustice yet remains silent, choosing safety over confrontation. The Self-Oppressed internalizes pressure and suppresses individuality to meet accepted standards. In contrast, The Liberator rejects imposed expectations, embracing authenticity despite the discomfort or isolation that may follow. Through these archetypes, the collection explores how identity can be shaped, concealed, negotiated, or ultimately reclaimed.

Designed to embrace the body, the pieces adapt to a range of silhouettes without being confined to a specific gender. The construction respects natural curves, angles, softness, and strength, allowing the garments to contour and support rather than impose. By blending conventional sizing references and avoiding rigid categorization, the collection proposes clothing that responds to the body itself, not to predefined labels.

Materiality becomes the primary language of expression. Stretch sheer mesh and structured wire form the foundation of each piece, creating garments that both reveal and contour the body. The transparency of the mesh symbolizes exposure and honesty, transforming vulnerability into visual strength. What is often hidden becomes visible, reframing fragility as empowerment. The wire introduces structure, embracing and defining the silhouette while translating emotional tension into physical form. Rather than restricting movement, it supports and traces the body’s natural lines.

Constructed without traditional closures, the garments rely on elastic and wire for support. This technical decision reinforces the conceptual framework: instead of forcing the body to conform to clothing, the pieces adapt to it. Structure and flexibility coexist, mirroring the balance between control and freedom explored within the narrative. Lace appears as both ornament and symbol, juxtaposing delicacy with the rigidity of wire. This interplay reflects the emotional complexity embedded in each character: softness intertwined with strength, vulnerability coexisting with resilience.

Through minimal materials and experimental construction, The Marionettes invites reflection on the invisible strings that influence behavior and self-perception. More importantly, it proposes the possibility of transformation: that control can be questioned, that imposed structures can be reshaped, and that the same strings that once restrained us can become tools of self-expression.

Ana Maria Cilima
anamaria.cilima@gmail.com ~@anamariacilima

Ana Cilima is a fashion designer who views fashion as a language of the soul, a way to express strength, grace, and inner light through form, color, and movement. Rooted in her Colombian heritage, her work conveys warmth, rhythm, and emotional depth. She designs to honor women in their authenticity, creating pieces that illuminate the beauty and individuality of each woman, recognizing that true beauty lies in our hearts and in the confidence we embody when we feel comfortable in our own skin.

Her REFLEJO collection is inspired by the Spanish word “cielo,” which means both sky and heaven, a double meaning that reflects the connection between what is above us and what lives within us. When the sky is reflected in the water, watching it feels like taking a deep, calming breath, a reminder of the beautiful peace felt when we are reflections of God. In her designs, through the balance between clean lines and those full of movement, she seeks to reflect harmony and peace. Accompanied by fabrics that respond to light, the collection embodies the spiritual depth, serenity, and unique beauty that resides in every woman.

Bita Tazikeh

bitatazikeh@gmail.com

Uproar was born from a radical question: What would happen if clothing could function as a second body, one that can shift and transfer to adapt even more freely than your own? The Brands core innovation lies in the two parts. First is the solid foundation the garment, build to last with educational sourcing and prompt, craftsmanship and showing durability and longevity despite its transferable nature.

Charlene Yin

kwanyueyin315@gmail.com ~ @hicharlene_

My graduate collection begins with the cheongsam, not just as a traditional garment, but as something tied to memory and identity. Growing up within Chinese culture, I’ve always seen the cheongsam as more than clothing. It carries a quiet strength, a balance of femininity, restraint, and confidence. I don’t see it as something frozen in history, but as a form that can continue to evolve, just as culture does.

This collection sits between past and present. I deconstruct elements like the mandarin collar, diagonal fastening and fitted silhouette, softening and reshaping them through contemporary cuts and subtle reconstruction. By adjusting proportions and introducing layering, I aim to create pieces that feel lighter and more adaptable to modern life. It isn’t about recreating tradition exactly as it was, but allowing it to speak in a new way.

Fabric plays an important role in how I express this idea. I was inspired by the red brocade that carries traditional Chinese motifs and paired it with black satin to express both continuity and contemporary presence. The tactile sensation of fabric against skin, the drape and weight of cloth, the precision of each seam, these details form my language. Craft, for me, is an act of reverence.

Throughout the process, I’ve realized that structure and planning don’t limit creativity, they support it. Experimenting with pattern cutting and reconstruction has helped me understand how to reshape something familiar without losing its essence. The cheongsam itself has changed over time, reflecting shifts in society and identity. In many ways, this collection follows that same spirit of adaptation.

At its core, this work is about connection, between generations, between heritage and individuality, between memory and the present moment. I hope the wearer feels a sense of quiet confidence, rooted in history, but free to move forward.

Jess Dizon Ursua
Ursuajessica10@gmail.com

Sunaru27 is inspired by complex emotions, storytelling, and intersectional studies, encouraging customers to consider the cultural and historical significance of their choices. The brand offers customers an opportunity to relive, reflect on, or change past feelings through thoughtfully designed apparel. By utilizing block printing, natural dye methods, second-hand materials, quilting, and organic textiles, Sunaru27 produces clothing with sustainability and care in mind, from soil to skin.

“Veil of Identity” is a fashion collection that explores the unspoken fight against racial and gender hierarchies through laborious techniques and sculptural silhouettes. Influenced by Asian staples for frugality, the garments shed light on the model minority household objects – plastic-covered couches, kitchen tables, and TV remotes. The Textiles and materials used will be found in either Canada or the Philippines: wool, cotton, antler, abalone, and silk. Using such materials to play with the idea of conformity within Canada, but having threads from the Philippines that evoke memory.

Prabhdip Kaur
prabhdip2@gmail.com ~ @prabhdipkaurbatth & @prabhe_vancouver

Prabhdip Kaur is a Vancouver-based fashion designer whose work focuses on emotional storytelling, comfort, and conscious design. Her practice explores how clothing can express personal narratives while supporting freedom of movement and confidence.

The collection is inspired by Prabhdip’s own romantic poetry and examines the different stages of love. Through fabric manipulation, beadwork, and expressive textures, each garment represents a specific emotional moment- from the first glance and quiet longing to confession, joy, fracture, and the echo that remains after love has passed. Elemental imagery drawn from the sky, night, stars, soft light, and nature is woven throughout the collection, reflecting shifting moods and inner states.

Sustainability is central to her design approach. She works primarily with dead-stock, natural, and up-cycled fabrics, making thoughtful material choices that reduce waste while enhancing the narrative quality of each piece. While the exterior of each garment tells a story, the interior is designed to feel soft, comfortable, and supportive on the body.

Through her collection, Prabhdip aims to create fashion that balances responsibility with self-expression- garments that carry emotion, memory, and meaning beyond the moment they are worn.

Saffron Thomas

saffronht93@gmail.com ~ @saffron_harmony

As a Coast Salish designer, Saffron looks to the ocean as both a grounding force and a source of cultural connection. Ultimately, this collection is a ceremony of personal growth.

Deadstock and thrifted materials speak to the relics carried in by the tide, representing renewal and new purpose.

Elongated, column-like silhouettes move with the body like waves meeting sand. Sun-bleached shores inspire a beige and off-white palette. Translucent layers and restrained touches of colour reference the delicate beauty of shells.

Many of the materials used in this collection were gathered by Saffron through beachcombing Coast Salish land, while others were gifted by friends and family. This show is an offering back to the shores from which it came.

Like the ocean, this collection feels no need to prove that it’s Indigenous. It just is.

Samentha Burboz
samenthaburboz@gmail.com ~ @its_samentha_tist

Samantha Burboz is an emerging evening wear designer whose work blends sculptural silhouettes with emotional storytelling and refined craftsmanship. With a strong artistic background and a passion for handmade techniques, she approaches fashion as wearable art, carefully constructing each piece through detailed hand embellishment and thoughtful fabric manipulation. Her collection explores the balance between strength and softness through fluid black satin and rhythmic silver embellishments that move intentionally across the body. Though each look differs in structure and pattern, they are united by a cohesive material language and signature detailing, reflecting her vision of modern femininity that is bold, expressive, and elegantly powerful.

Sonja Ledoux

Smledoux@gmail.com

UNRESERVED is a love letter to the version of myself that was told she was "too much". Its a collection dedicated to the child who was too loud, the one who took up too much space, and the one whose "weirdness" was actually her greatest strength.

Growing up we are often taught to compartmentalize our joy--- to save our best clothes, our brightest colors, and our boldest expressions for a "special occasion" that may neve arrive. This collection rejects that patience. It is an exploration or indigenous futurism that refuses to wait to be seen.

Unreserved is about the radical act of being visible. Its about wearing your heritage, your heart, and your "best" clothes on a Tuesday morning just because you exist. This collection is for the loud kids--may we continue to take up all the space we deserve.

Tamara Whitford
@tamara_whitford

From a young age, I connected with fashion as a way to express myself and connect to my culture. As an Indigenous youth growing up in foster care, I often felt disconnected from my culture. Through fashion, I have been able to learn about traditional forms of textiles and build community with other Indigenous artists and designers.

This collection is inspired by the best part of going out: getting ready. A montage of different outfits, shoes, and clothes all over the floor, makeup scattered across the counter, music blasting, and the excitement and anticipation of a night out. It’s about having the freedom to choose who you want to be for the night and expressing it through fashion.

By playing with and incorporating Indigenous techniques and materials, I bring together tradition and contemporary style. This collection imagines a dream closet coming to life—playful, chaotic, messy, and full of magic. It celebrates creativity, identity, and the joy of self-expression, while also reflecting my journey of reconnecting with culture through fashion.

Veronica Pleskach
blisterproducts@gmail.com ~ @blistershoppe

What is a blister anyways? A Blister forms when repeated abrasion causes multiple layers of skin to separate, while the soft skin underneath prepares for battle. Once the Blister POPs, the affected area is stronger than ever before. The Blister Factory is a place that exists inside oneself where injury meets armour and turns to Glamour.

Vinnie Lee
E-mail: vinnie0lee@gmail.com ~ @vinnielee___

Vinnie Lee is a Seoul born fashion designer exploring fashion as a form of emotional and artistic expression. His work focuses on genderless silhouettes, refined construction and the relationship between body, space and feeling.

His graduation collection, Mediterranean Harmony, captures the quiet freedom and softness of coastal landscapes, blending resort ease with modern precision. Through his practice, he creates garments that offer both presence and liberation, inviting the wearer into a calm and immersive experience.

= = = =

About VCC -

VCC’s Fashion Design & Production Diploma mirrors the pace and expectations of the fashion industry. Students gain hands-on experience through a fast-paced production process while developing core technical skills and proficiency in industry-standard software, including Adobe Illustrator and Gerber CAD. At Vancouver Fashion Week, students present a self-directed final garment project that they design, draft and construct during the program. For more information, visit www.vcc.ca/fashion. Follow on IG at @vccfashion

Vancouver Community College (VCC) is one of British Columbia's largest and oldest public post-secondary institutions, offering over 140 programs across a wide range of disciplines, including health sciences, hospitality, trades, design, and the arts. With a focus on hands-on, industry-relevant learning, VCC is committed to providing students with real-world experience that leads to meaningful employment. Real learning for real change. For more information, visit www.vcc.ca/welcome.

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup (Stove top or Crockpot)

2026-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

I have shared a few recipes from my last big batch soup making spree. Of all the new ones I tried, I think this is my favorite. I found it on a site call Eat With Clarity. It is worth checking out. While it is dairy free, they used full fat coconut milk. I am trying to keep the fat down in my daily meals (I save it for splurge times with friends and family), so subbed in light coconut milk and it still had great flavor.

They made it on the stove top. As I as mentioned in other soup posts, when making 4-6 batches I do them on a sheet pan or in the crockpot. I chose the crockpot this time because of the lentils. Other than the coconut milk, I don't think I made any other changes. From first sip I was taken. I love pureed flavorful soups for lunch, and this one hit the mark absolutely. I do need to get a higher quality blender that is better at creating a smoother texture. Time to start looking at my options.

If you love soup as much as I do, this is definitely one your should try. Enjoy!

= = = =

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup

Ingredients -

2 C                  Red lentils
1                      Medium/large sweet onion, chopped
4                       Large cloves garlic, minced (can add whole to crockpot)
3 T              Olive oil (omit if using the crockpot)
1-3/4 C           Lite fat coconut milk
5 C          Vegetable or chicken broth
4 Large carrots (5 if smaller), chopped for stovetop or in large chunks for crockpot
4 T                  Tomato paste
1/2 tsp              Salt or more, to taste
1/4 tsp              Cinnamon
1/2 tsp         Turmeric
1/2 tsp              Cumin
1 tsp                  Paprika
1/4 tsp          Black Pepper

Stovetop Instructions -

Using a large pan, saute the onion and garlic in oil for about 5 minutes. Add in all of the spices, salt and chopped carrots. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add in the red lentils, tomato paste, coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to (very) low and let simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Transfer in smaller batches to a high speed blender and process until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Feel free to thin it out with extra vegetable broth if desired. Transfer back to the pot to heat.

Crockpot instructions -

All all ingredients except oil (omit that) to a large crockpot. Stir gently to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours, then let cool slightly. Process in small batchers in a high speed blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Feel free to thin it out with extra vegetable broth if desired. Transfer back to the pot to heat.

Optional - when serving you can garnish with chopped parsley, red pepper flakes and a few dollops of coconut yogurt.

A World That No Longer Exists

2026-03-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

"We were raised for a world that no longer exists. Societal norms, expectations, ways of being, they've all changed." - Tammy Ulrich, The Guiding Parent (not yet released)

I recently participated in an author's workshop run by Melody Owen of Author Nation. We were all asked to bring a piece of our work to read aloud, about 4-1/2 minutes max. The goal wasn't to be given feedback, it was simply to practice reading and use that experience to recognize parts of our why we wrote that didn't quite work. We were split into side rooms ( 2 writers in each ) and read our work to each other. When we came back together, we were given a time to do a little re-writing, and then repeated the process two more time with different partners.

Each author I listened to shared words that hit a chord for me. One talked of how hearing people talk about religion was a trigger (it is for me)p too). Another shared a part of her thesis - a myth on how women's perceptions of themselves are influenced by men. Then Tammy Ulrich of The Guiding Mindset shared an excerpt from the parenting book she was working on. The quote above gave me chills. This is a truth I had been pondering and sharing about from the time I had young kids.

History offers many times where the world shifted, bringing great change. War, the industrial revolution, pandemics, and shifting populations affected culture and politics, causing them to move in new directions. The first half of my life unfolded without any computers or internet. When you were away from home, you were out of touch unless you found a phone booth. Needed some information? You headed to the library to do research, or reached out to a person knowledgeable in that field.

Change began slowly. It started with how I worked, and then spread to how technology became a part of daily family life. As a young adult, there were some pre-computer devices I worked on at jobs, but the first real computers appeared when I was married and pregnant with my first. However we never had a home computer until my 3 kids were in elementary school. It was pretty basic. And the internet wasn't a solid place of research for students until my kids were in their early high school years. They also didn't have cell phones until high school. That was when they started getting stuck, unable to call, as phone booths begn to disappear. Cell phones became a necessity.

While the changes were slow at the start, in the last 2 decades the speed of change has increased remarkably. Old careers are disappearing and new careers arising at breakneck speed. I was told when my kids were still young that they would probably experience at least 4 careers in their lifetime. This meant they would need constant retraining and to keep upgrading of skills. And now automation of businesses may reduce the number of jobs available. House prices have soared to the point that home ownership is no longer a guarantee, and many I know are limiting or not having children in response to financial challenges.

I have come to believe that the individuals who are struggling the most with our changing world are the strong conservatives from all backgrounds. They were brought up, and continue to hold onto, the belief there is only one truth, one way of looking at things, and one way to live. One religion - theirs. One way to raise kids - theirs. One definition of marriage - theirs. One ethnicity that stands above - theirs. They find change and diversity threatening, and they cling to tradition strongly without question. This helps create the us and them divide we see in the world today. It is also why we find people justifying the mistreatment of "others" and blaming these same “others” for all their problems.

It's time to face the truth. Humanity is ever evolving. To stop moving forward is to become stagnant, which leads to regression. Diversity, new ideas, challenges and the ability to compromise are what one needs to successfully navigate the new world, the new future that is quickly becoming a reality. We need to expand our mind, open wide to understanding the changes that have already come, and anticipate the new changes still unfolding. We need to become not only comfortable with who we are, but comfortable with who others are that are different from us.

In all of this, I think of our children. We need to support them in their individuality, and encourage them to explore their world with an open mind. To demand they think like we do, believe like we do, and walk through life like we do is doing them a great disservice. They will end up feeling cheated when they discover the image you painted, the truth you offered, is of a world that no longer exists.

Breathe, release, open, imagine, accept, grow, change. Let go of old ideas of how things should look, and choose to be fully present in the real world as it is. Lead by example.

Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie w/ Cathleen Miller

2026-03-23T04:00:00.001-07:00

Published in 1997, Desert Flower became an international bestseller. It is published in over 50 licensed editions and has sold over 12 million copies to date

Synopsis -

Waris Dirie ran away from her oppressive life in the African desert when she was barely in her teens, illiterate and impoverished, with nothing to her name but a tattered shawl. She traveled alone across the dangerous Somali desert to Mogadishu—the first leg of a remarkable journey that would take her to London, where she worked as a house servant; then to nearly every corner of the globe as an internationally renowned fashion model; and ultimately to New York City, where she became a human rights ambassador for the U.N. Desert Flower is her extraordinary story.

Review -

While Desert Flower was first published in 1999, it is sadly still very relevant in today's world. Dirie's journey to flee all alone at the age of 13 across the desert, hitching rides which was never safe for a young teen, with no idea where she was going, how she would eat, or where she would end up is remarkable. That she landed with relatives in Mogadishu unharmed a blessing.

Her journey continued to be just that - both remarkable and blessed - and never easy. Each step along the way had her facing challenges that seemed formidable, road blocks that would have broken many, but she faced them down as best she could and kept moving forward. In the end she became not only a successful international fashion model, but an activist fight FGM, a UN ambassador, a wife, a mother and author.

Desert Flower shows us the beauty of the nomadic culture which built her strength and independence, the darkness in how women are treated in that culture, the joy of her childhood where she ran freely and was strongly connected to nature, and the reasons she had to leave. Then it shines a light on the difficult path immigrants face - work, passports, visas, legal recognition, abuse by those trying to take advantage, along with other barriers and challenges.

There were a one or two places a story shared wasn't quite fully told, so a leap to what happened next, but nothing crucial. I learned a lot about a culture I knew little of, and was led to a deeper understanding of the ignorance and challenges that immigrants deal with. A great read.

Buy the book: Amazon US ~ Amazon CA

Meet the Author -

Waris Dirie is an internationally renowned Somalian fashion model, author, and activist. She lives in New York with her son. The film rights to her story have been sold to Elton John's production company, Rocket Pictures.

Dirie was born Somalia to a nomadic tribe. At the age of five years, she suffered the inhumane procedure of female genital mutilation. At about age 13, she ran away from home to avoid an arranged marriage with a 60 year old man - embarking on a long and treacherous solo journey that took her through the desert to Mogadishu and, from there, eventually to London to serve as a maid in the home of an uncle who was beginning a term as an ambassador. When his tenure ended, Dirie decided to stay in London illegally.

From that moment her world began to change. She learned to read and write, worked at a McDonalds, then was drawn into the world of modelling. Her career exploded and she ended up travelling the world. Dirie is author of several books, an activist fighting against female circumcision, the UN Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, and the founder of the Desert Flower Foundation which raises awareness about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation.

Connect: Instagram~ Desert Flower Foundation ~ Facebook

Sheetpan Cashew Chicken w/ Broccoli

2026-03-20T04:00:00.001-07:00

I love easy and love sheet pan. When I need an interesting new recipe go down my social media feed, I always make a note somehow. This recipe from a site called Easy Family Recipes used a bit more commercial, bottled sauces than I like, but I was in a time crunch that day and had everything I needed to create it.

It was super easy to season the chicken, then spread out on a large sheet pan with the veggies. Usually when roasting veggies they are either tossed in a little oil or some is sprinkled on top and they didn't, so I added that. I also increased the amount of broccoli slightly. Lastly I found, as I cleaned up the prep area as soon as the pan was in the oven, I was really rushed to get the sauce made in time. So I moved making the sauce to the early prep stage in the instructions below.

The final dish had a nice flavor and just enough sauce. My husband who is not a foodie even gave it a thumbs up - very rare. If I could somehow create the sauce from all fresh ingredients so it had less sodium and other ingredients, I would prefer it, but that would take a lot of experimentation. I suspect I will continue to make this in the future as is. One note is the sesame oil has a strong taste, so if it isn't your favorite, you might want to reduce it a little.

Enjoy!

= = = =

Sheetpan Cashew Chicken w/ Broccoli

Serves 4

For the chicken -

1.5 lbs. Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 T Sesame oil

2 T                      Corn starch
1 tsp                  Salt
1 tsp                  Garlic powder
1/2 tsp              Paprika

For the veggies -

6oz. Small broccoli florets

1                       Red bell pepper, sliced or diced
1/2                  Sweet onion, coarsely diced
1 C                      Cashews (they left whole, I coarsely chopped)

For the Sauce

1/2 C              Hoisin sauce
1/4                      Low sodium Soy sauce (or Tamari or coconut aminos)
1 T                      Sriracha
2 T                  Brown sugar
1 Clove              Garlic, minced
1 tsp                  Fresh ginger, minced (I added more, about a tablespoon)

Garnish (optional) -

Green onion
Sesame seeds

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a large sheet pan with foil (for easy clean up), then coat with cooking spray, oil or grease. Make the sauce by whisking together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch bite-sized pieces. Add the sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Work the chicken until it is evenly coated with the mixture. Spread chicken in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Add the broccoli, red pepper, and onion (optional - you can sprinkle with oil or spray with cooking spray). Then sprinkle cashews over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Use tongs or a spatula to toss the chicken and veggies with the sauce. Return the sheet pan to the oven for 4-6 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.).

Optional. Garnish with your choice of sliced green onions and sesame seeds. I served this plated with some rice on the side. You could also serve with noodles. And you can serve the dish on top of the rice or noodles instead of side-by-side.

When Negative Thoughts Arise

2026-03-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have moments where negative thoughts arise unbidden. They could come from past trauma, memories of failing (especially as a young parent), a deep lack of confidence, worry about acceptance and fitting in, or misunderstandings. Sometimes dark thoughts are lured out of hiding by a situation that is similar to when they were first formed. Other times they burst out unexpectedly for no reason I can find.

For the most part I move through days without too a lot of problem now. I have worked very hard over the last decade to heal past traumas, forgive my failures and focus on being fully engaged in the present, but it is a never ending process. Our past never leaves us, so every now and then I find myself again needing release from unwelcome memories. It is a process that gets easier each time I do it. The snag is my dream world. In the wee hours lost to my unconscious, dark thoughts can still creep in that overwhelm me and take time to shake off once awake.

My struggle with self acceptance and confidence brings a kind of negative thoughts that need a different tactic. They sneak in when I have a conflict with another, or have to part ways with someone I have known a long time. These situations hit hard emotionally. It takes time for these feelings to quiet, but is only then that I can find a way to deal with the conflict, or come to a place of acceptance that this relationship no longer serves either of us.

Then there is the issue with feeling of not fitting in. Some places I go I feel like I'm coming home, I fit in easily. But there other situations I find challenging. Believe it or not, I feel out of sync at baby and wedding showers. I never was a girly girl, so feel awkward immersed in girlie style moments. Really posh events can be challenging, too. I grew up low income, so the experience of being surrounded by wealth can feel very foreign. I cope by being quieter and staying more in the background.

I have met super confident people that never appear to struggle with any of this, but I think most of us have our times where negative thoughts and feelings arise that are hard to handle. Recently I came upon a strategy for dealing with these thoughts from three unique sources. Each labeled the steps differently, but in the end the similarity was too great to ignore - right down to each having three steps.

Step one is simply being aware of the negative thoughts swirling in your head.

Observe your thoughts and how your body is feeling. Try to step back and do this as an outside observer looking in.
Use words that describe what you are experiencing - depression, sadness, shame, fear, etc.
Ask what has triggered this feeling at this time - a situation, a memory, something said to you, a lack of confidence.
Recognize what you are feeling and release any shame. Be kind and gentle to yourself.

Step two is to simply pause.

Meditation be very helpful as a focus in quieting the mind's chaos and the body's reactions to stress. Using positive mantras as you meditate can help change the narrative.
Deep breathing helps by releasing tension. Notice the feeling and sound of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Try different breathing patterns.
Turn your focus outward. I like to watch waves crashing on the shore, leaves blown by the wind, a candle flickering, or a sunset. Walking in natures is fabulous too. All help bring calm and focus.
Ground yourself by using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Quickly look around you and name 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 thing you smell, 1 thing you taste.

Step three is to change the narrative to one that is clear, truthful and leads to a positive perspective.

Ask if what triggered this feeling is 100% true? What are the facts? Do I really feel this way, or have I been told to feel this way.
Change your viewpoint. I actually went to therapy for the first time a year ago to help deal with my feelings of failure as a young mother. She helped look at my younger self with compassion and the failures through a different lens, one that looked at my life and influences. It helped.
Positive affirmations repeated daily - say when you wake up and before you fall asleep - can change your inner narrative. Replacing that negative voice with words offering compassion can shift your outlook.
MOVE! Walk, jog, do yoga, climb stairs, ride a bike, head to the gym, put on a great song and dance with abandon. You could also read a book or work on a hobby, but moving your body first helps you shed the tension held in your muscles.

If you are struggling with random negative thoughts, know you can take control and change how you view them. The more you practice these steps, the easier they become. You simply need to decide what works best for you in each of the 3 steps and then begin.

Important note - the above is about dealing with random negative thoughts that arise occasionally. If you are finding the dark thoughts are constant, overwhelming and rarely lift, then it is time to seek help from a professional who can provide the support you need.

Poetry - As It was, As It Is

2026-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Poetry - As It Was, As It Is

by Marilyn R. Wilson

The two lane road stretched out endlessly

Crisscrossing the expansive, rolling plains

Sometimes stern and utterly straight

Other times slithering like a large serpent

Turning, looping, rising, and falling,

Colliding abruptly into each horizon.

A single car travelled the road day after day

Shifting direction from one to the next

This day moving decisively toward the new

The next returning back the way they came

Others days looping - forward/back, forward/back

A chaotic cycle embedded in deep confusion

One way lead calmly from present to future

Where new experiences and possibilities awaited.

The other led backward, reliving past experiences

Memories carelessly scattered each side of the road

A few bright, bringing a smile and warmth,

But most unwelcome as they were dark and disturbing

Lured back by trauma’s powerful siren’s call

Caught in a harsh snare of darkest regrets

Reliving, repeating, regretting, deep loss

Harsh experiences and emotional wars arise

A dark and heavy burden loaded on in layers

Grief rose for a storybook past that never was.

One day the car stropped dead in its tracks

Idling in the present, a decision was made

Finished with looping between hoping and grieving.

A commitment was made to accept life as it is.

Moving slowly at first, then increasing its speed

Toward the promise of a future, soft and serene.

What happened, what didn't happen stays in the past.

Unchangeable, the only choice to simply let go.

Forgive what did happen, and grieve what did not

Every experience, every decision, both bright and dark

Are woven intimately into who we have become

As it was, as it is - are the heartbeats of our soul.

Interview with Marina Giokas, Certified DNA Consultant & Health Optimization Practitioner

2026-03-16T04:00:00.001-07:00

Can you share a little of the journey that led you to this moment? What different careers did you have before the one you now enjoy? Looking back, are there any signs this would be your future?

Like many people, my path was not linear. I spent many years working in business and entrepreneurial environments where I learned a lot about building systems, solving problems, and helping people move forward. Looking back, the common thread in everything I’ve done has been curiosity and a desire to understand how things work — especially when something doesn’t quite make sense.

When health challenges later entered my life, that same curiosity turned toward the human body. What started as a personal search for answers gradually evolved into the work I do today. In hindsight, I can see that the investigative side of my personality was always there — I just didn’t yet know where it would lead.

You have a very powerful story of a time in your life that appeared without warning and shifted your focus. Can you share briefly about that time?

Several years ago I began experiencing a noticeable decline in my health — persistent brain fog, fatigue, and a sense that my body simply wasn’t functioning the way it used to. During that same period I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and underwent number surgeries and extensive radiation treatments. It was obviously a difficult time, but it also forced me to start asking deeper questions about what might have been happening in my body long before that diagnosis.

One of the internal medicine specialists on my medical team explained that in my case the cancer was likely not the beginning of the problem, but rather the result of a body that had been under biological stress for quite some time. That was an eye opener and changed the direction of my curiosity and ultimately led me into the work I do today.

What led you to have DNA Health Testing and what was the first year like? What was the most crucial thing you learned about yourself that led to a better state of health?

I wanted to understand how my body actually functioned — not just what symptoms I was experiencing. DNA health testing looks at how the body processes nutrients, handles inflammation, detoxifies, and responds to stress. When I received my results, I began to see patterns that helped explain things I had struggled with for years. The most important realization was that my body wasn’t broken — it was simply responding to how it was designed. That insight shifted my perspective completely. Instead of guessing what might help, I could begin making changes that supported how my biology actually works.

Somewhere along the way you shifted from client to helping others. What led you to embrace this new career? What exactly is a Certified DNA Health Optimization Practitioner, and how do you get certified?

After receiving my own results I became deeply curious about the science behind them. I enrolled in a certification course to learn how to properly interpret DNA health data.

A Certified DNA Health Optimization Practitioner is someone trained to analyze genetic information related to how the body functions — things like nutrient metabolism, inflammation pathways, and recovery responses — and translate that information into practical lifestyle strategies.

At first I was simply applying what I learned to my own health and sharing insights with friends and family. Over time more people began asking for help in getting their own DNA for Health tested, and interpreting their results, that gradually grew into the work I do today.

Can you share about the process for anyone interested in pursuing DNA Health Teating. How long does it take to get your results, and what happens after they arrive? How costly is this?

The testing itself is simple — it’s a saliva sample that is sent to a laboratory for analysis. Results typically return within a 3-4 weeks. Once the results arrive, the important step is interpretation. The reports look at areas such as brain health, general health pathways, diet and nutrient metabolism, and fitness and recovery response. From there I review the results alongside a person’s intake information, lifestyle patterns, and health goals to create a personalized starting strategy.

It’s important to understand that this kind of work is an investment. The testing itself is typically several hundred dollars, and depending on the individual, supportive nutrition or lifestyle changes may involve additional costs. But for many people the value lies in having clearer information about how their body functions.

Readers would be interested in how you have found a way to create your own system of information to help you with your work, and to keep you updated on legitimate research findings from respected sources. What is this system and how does it help you with your work?

About three years ago I began developing what I often describe as the “engine” behind my work. The reason was simple — I needed more precision. First for myself, then for my family, and eventually for the clients, practitioners, and clinics I work with. Even after years of studying my own DNA and making meaningful lifestyle changes, I was still struggling with aspects of my health. That frustration became a powerful motivator. I wanted to understand more deeply how my genetics, daily habits, and health patterns interacted, and why progress sometimes felt inconsistent.

Rather than looking at each piece in isolation, I began developing a structured way to analyze several layers of information together — DNA results, detailed intake information, lifestyle patterns, family history, and in some cases additional testing such as inflammation balance markers. I often describe this framework as an analytical “engine.”

Its purpose is to translate complex biological information — together with lifestyle and supporting test data — into practical, highly personalized insights that people can actually apply in their everyday lives. It also helps keep my work grounded in credible research and evolving science so that the guidance I provide remains thoughtful and evidence-aware.

From this process I’m able to create structured reportsand guides, including our Signature Quick Start Guide and Precision Supplementation Guide, which translate the science into clear next steps for individuals and into actionable insights for the practitioners and clinics I collaborate with.

Anything else I didn't ask that you would like to share — where you see this heading in the future, thoughts on health, something new you have in the works?

What excites me most is the potential for this kind of biological insight to reach more people. I believe understanding how your body functions should become a foundational part of how we think about health — ideally starting much earlier in life. As this field continues to evolve, I’m excited to work with more practitioners and clinics so that more people have access to this kind of information and support.

What do you do outside of your career to help you find balance and support your own health journey?

Curiosity is really the thread that runs through everything I enjoy — whether that’s food, health and wellness, different cultures, or the technologies and systems that help people live and work better. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me close to the ocean. I love sailing and cruising — being on the water has a way of resetting everything and bringing a sense of perspective that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Movement is also a big part of my daily rhythm. Most mornings start with 20 minutes on my rebounder, fasted, just to get everything moving and set the tone for the day. I also enjoy kettlebell movements, resistance training, and getting out for long walks in the fresh sea air whenever I can.

Cooking is another passion of mine. I love discovering new recipes, sourcing great ingredients, and preparing everything carefully. The process of mise en place — organizing and preparing the ingredients before cooking — feels almost like meditation to me. Put on a little music and the whole process just flows.

Travel has always been a big source of inspiration as well. I’m less interested in being a tourist and more interested in experiencing places through the local culture — meeting people, exploring food traditions, and becoming part of the rhythm of a place for a while.

And of course, some of the best moments are the simplest ones — spending time with John, family, and friends, sharing a good meal or going for a walk together.

Is there anything else you'd like to share in closing?

When things start to feel heavy or overwhelming, that’s my signal to step away for a moment — take a breath, go for a walk, meet a friend for coffee. Those small pauses have a way of restoring clarity, and with clarity, everything feels possible again.

Link -

Instagram - @marinagiokas
Facebook - www.facebook.com/marina.giokas/
E-mail - 360HealthIntelligence@gmail.com
Linked - www.linkedin.com/in/marinagiokas/

A Hymn to Life: Shame has to Change Sides by Gisèle Pelicot (w/Judith Perrignon)

2026-03-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

The extraordinarily powerful memoir by a heroine of our times, whose story inspires change, compassion and courage.

Synopsis -

One November day, Gisèle Pelicot was called to a local police station and life as she knew it ended. Her husband of fifty years had been caught by a supermarket guard filming up women’s skirts. But on his computer was shattering evidence: for nearly a decade, he had been secretly drugging and raping her and inviting dozens of strangers into their home to abuse her.

Four years later, he and fifty other men were put on trial and Gisèle’s courage in waiving her right to anonymity made global headlines. ‘Shame must change sides,’ she declared, giving voice and hope to millions. Her words became a rallying cry and her decision marked a turning point in public feeling about sexual violence.

For the first time, and with unwavering honesty and grace, she describes a difficult childhood, first love, her career and motherhood. It is a life in determined search of happiness, both before and after her devastating discovery. She is an ordinary person who faces extraordinary catastrophe, whose example changes the world.

A Hymn to Life is an unforgettable testament and a promise. Its message is one of defiance and renewal – that victims have no reason to feel ashamed; that even after unimaginable betrayal we can go on; that the color can come back to life. Ultimately, Gisèle Pelicot emerges with a renewed passion and reverence for living, and for love.

Review -

Like the rest of the world, I was horrified when I heard of a French woman who was drugged by her husband who not filmed himself raping her, but other men as well. She had no idea this was happening. She was struggling with her memory, thinking she had a brain tumor, or was getting dementia. Her husband took her to countless doctors. Of course nothing was found. In the end, it was the knockout drugs and muscle relaxants her husband was dosing her with that were affecting her mind. When she found out, her world crumbled.

A Hymn to Life has several important steps to share. There is Pelicot's life journey leading up to this discovery. She had thought her marriage was a happy one. There is the terrible aftermath this discovery has on her and her children. Then there is the trauma of the trial which saw 50 men charged (all in the courtroom, each with their own lawyer) in addition to her husband. In a last minute brave move, she opened the trial up to the world. She decided it would be too hard to be alone in that room with all those rapists and their lawyers. The trial was as expected - a typical male style attack on her as a woman. Hundreds of videos of her rape were shown to all in attendance. Over and over to prove the prosecution had to prove she was knocked out and rapists aware. The men showed no remorse. The defense lawyers attacked her brutally.

Through it all Pelicot held tight to the belief that she would not let what happened and this trial turn her into a lifelong victim. One thing that helped make this possible was that she had been completely knocked out by drugs. She has no traumatic memories of the assaults to haunt her. In court she sat tall and spoke out with honesty and courage about her experience and the unfair treatment of women in trials like this.

This is a great story of taking control of the narrative, and of refusing to let go of life and love. Of being willing to stand up and make the guilty pay for their crimes despite the trauma inflicted in the process. She was very brave, yet doesn't consider herself strong or a hero. She believes herself simply as a woman who did what needed to be done - for herself and for others.

Note - I found out this bool was written with the help of Judith Perrignon, but she isn't acknowledged on the cover or in the book listings I saw. I would love to see that corrected.

Buy the Book: Amazon US ~ Amazon CA

Meet the Author -

Gisèle Pelicot is a French woman who became a feminist icon in 2024, when she waived her right to anonymity as the victim in the Pelicot rape case. Between 2011 and 2020, she had been drugged and raped by her husband Dominique and dozens of other men while she was unconscious, mostly in the couple's home in Mazan. She only became aware of the abuse in 2020, when Dominique was arrested for up-skirting women in a local supermarket and a police search of his computer equipment revealed images of her being raped.

The case attracted international media attention. Gisèle's courage and determination to speak out on behalf of all victims of sexual assault won her international support and admiration. She later appeared in the BBC's 2024 100 Women and the Financial Times list of the twenty‑five most influential women of the year. She was appointed a knight of the Legion of Honour on Bastille Day (14 July 2025). In February 2026, she published a co-written memoir.

WARNING: Pelicot does not have social media accounts. Information regarding her is managed by her legal team, publishers, and media entities, rather than her own social media accounts. X and Instagram profiles under the name of Gisèle Pelicot have been sharing and interacting with content as if it’s the French mass rape survivor herself. Additionally, a website exists in her name sharing articles about the Avignon trial, but it’s evidently AI-generated, with not one photo of the real Gisèle.

Interview w/ Forest Tomlin, Fashion Illustrator and Live Artist (Fashion Shows and Events)

2026-03-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Can you please share your journey from a young age to embracing a career as a fashion/event illustrator and live artist? Looking back at your younger self, were there any signs this would be your future?

Drawing was my main hobby as a child. I grew up as an only child, so I spent a lot of time alone. From a young age I was heavily inspired by anime shows like Sailor Moon and Cirque Du Soleil recordings that aired on TV in the 90s (I had a VHS recording of one I watched religiously). These really lead me to be inspired to create. As I grew older I thought I wanted to be a character concept artist for video games (in my early teens). I never really viewed a career in fashion illustration though. It was more of character design that happened to have outfit design as well.

Where did you learn your skills - self taught, internship, studies, other? What to you love most about being an illustrator? What comes hardest for you?

I would say I'm about 90% self taught. In university I took a fashion illustration class that really opened my eyes to different mediums and higher level illustration skills (Thank you Adrienne McKenzie at NCSU!) From there I started competing in different fashion illustration competitions inspired by Ru Paul's Drag Race online. You had to create your own character and illustrate them in unique runway theme outfits every week. These really pushed me to elevate my skills and techniques to keep up with my more talented competitors. It also made me master meeting a deadline every week.

After the combination of these competitions and that class. I started illustrating far more in my spare time. I just find myself happiest when I am illustrating. Not to be overly morbid, but the more I think about my mortality, I think about what I will leave behind. I'm doubtful I'll ever have kids, so I want to create something that will last longer than me. Which is my art.

The hardest thing for me when it comes to illustrating is committing to a style and mastering the fluidity I want my illustrations to exude. My favourite works from other artists are made with a minimal amount of brush strokes. And I haven't accomplished that for myself yet.

I would love you to share how you began creating live fashion illustrations at fashion weeks? How long did it take to learn to create images in seconds instead of hours?

My first experience doing this was at a SMOC (Society for the Museum of Original Costume) event in 2023. My friend Madison Prangnell invited me to an event where I illustrated some of the garments on display. There wasn't really a time limit. It was more to just experiment and understand the feel of drawing live. From there I was booked for an event at the Museum of Vancouver to illustrate guests of a SMOC garment exhibition. That was my first real experience having a time limit to create an illustration in the moment.

After that I realized I wanted to start marketing myself as a live event illustrator in Vancouver. So I reached out to Jamal at VFW (Vancouver Fashion Week) to pitch myself as a live illustrator during the shows. I had no real plan for what I was going to do. I looked at what others had done on Instagram at other fashion weeks and sort of combined different aspects of their work I liked into what would become my illustrations at VFW. The first night was a bit hectic, but once I had done the very first night, I had a plan for how to actually accomplish illustrating each collection.

To be honest I don't want to illustrate the full collection. I usually take a photo of one of the first 3 looks in a collection, then illustrate from that photo. I can get a photo of the illustration and the garment by the time the model walks in it at the end of the show. Most of the time I see maybe 10% of a collection because I am too focused on my illustration.

How did you transition from learning and growing as an artist, into being a paid professional? Do you remember your first paid job?

After VFW I booked a booth during two Car Free Days (RIP) and pitched myself on the street to people. Offering $15 quick illustrations. Apparently a woman I illustrated took my card, and later booked me to illustrate at her friend's birthday party. Which then I got booked for a halloween party from that birthday. Shortly after these though I made the move to Zürich Switzerland and had to start the entire process over. Making a new network, learning German, and pitching myself in a new city.

In 2023 you moved from Vancouver, BC, to Zurich, Switzerland. How did you approach starting over building your clientele in a whole new country...a whole new continent?

It was difficult. There was a language barrier obviously. And it seems a particular marketing agency sort of has a chokehold on live events in the area. They work as a middle man between clients and illustrators, but they don't pay the going rate for work like this. I took a few gigs with them for less than it was worth just to be seen really. I also got very lucky when a bride-to-be found my work on instagram and booked me for a 3 day illustration event near St. Moritz in the Alps.

Recently I was able to successfully pitch myself to Zürich Fashion Week through the same process I did for VFW. - just harassing whoever I could find via email until they gave me a chance to show some work examples and explain what I would be doing.

Can you share about some of your work included in your resume - European fashion weeks, brands such as Carolina Herrera and Chanel, L’Oréal, illustrating guests at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof?

Over the past two years I have had the opportunity to illustrate at London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Zürich Fashion week. London and Milan became a reality with the help of Jamal from VFW during his shows there. These are always unpaid events usually done to have a fun experience, meet people, give out business cards, film content and network.

Carolina Herrera reached out to me about illustrating at a perfume launch event last year where I would be illustrating the influencers in attendance. A lot of work like this is through getting lucky by being the first listing that comes up on google search, which was the case when I illustrated at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof. The bride found me on Instagram, I believe, and liked my work. She ended up booking me for 18 hours over 3 days. They put me and an assistant in a hotel in the alps over the weekend where I illustrated guests over the wedding weekend.

Events like this also come up by word of mouth. A lot of event organizers know one another, and when they have a good experience, they often will recommend you for another agency or company that is doing a similar event.

How do you source new business opportunities? When you book a new job, how do you approach organizing and preparing? Anything new on the horizon you'd like to share with readers?

Like I said above, oftentimes they come randomly when someone sees your work on instagram or you come up in a google search. As I was checking my email today I saw that someone wants to book me to go to Marrakech to illustrate at a wedding in April. Unfortunately I am unavailable on the date, but that's how it happens. You'll randomly have an email of someone asking if you can do some event a couple months in the future.

For a new job I always find out the duration of the event to plan the quantity of illustrations that are expected before the end of the event. I also always create custom stationary for the event. Custom stationary gives a special touch and makes the work seem more personal to the event organizer.

My next goal is to get into illustrating at retailers in Zürich. It's one thing to be booked for a wedding, but getting into illustrating at Hermes/YSL/Balenciaga at a collection launch is another. Those types of events happen throughout the year and aren't so seasonal. So I think this month I will be pitching myself (in German) to the local fashion brands that have stores in Zürich.

In closing I would love you know what insight you can share for anyone hoping to pursue a career in fashion illustration.

I guess for someone who wants to do this I'd tell them to just start contacting people who may be interested. Put together a couple examples of your work. Write a cold email, swap out the brand name, and send it to 10 companies that may show interest. The worst is you get a "No" or get ghosted. But maybe someone will be shocked that this even exists as an art form and will show interest. You'd be surprised how many people say "I've never seen this before but it would be perfect for my event!"

Links -

Website - www.foresttomlin.com
Instagram - @foresttomlinillustration

Turmeric Vegetable Soup with Cauliflower, Carrots & Celery

2026-03-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Every few months I make 4-6 big batches of soup over several days. All are mostly vegetables, although some have beans in them. And I am always looking for new recipes, especially ones where the vegetables can be baked on a sheet pan or cooked in the crockpot. Most recipes I double and after cooking puree. Creamy pureed soups hit the spot for me at lunch. I warm a large cup pf soup and enjoy it with half a sandwich, a small salad, or a rice cake with something on it.

At the end of the batch cooking I decide which soups won't be made again, and which will go into rotation. Sometimes that just depends on my mood that day, as when I think back I realize with a few taste adjustments, a recipe might shine the next time. All are packaged in those tall plastic freezer containers they use for soups sold in delis. They hold about 3.5 cups which is 2 lunches for me.

This turmeric flavored soup was inspired by a recipe from Maeve Taylor. I found it on a page called Mediterranean Diet & Recipes For Beginners. I of course made changes as I had a lot different veggies I wanted to use up. What you see below is what I put into this time, but it might be different next time depending what I have in my refrigerator that needs to be eaten. I did puree it this time, but I am sorry I did. Mea culpa. It would be best eaten as a more traditional soup so the seasoning of the broth can shine. I show her photo above as mine is of the pureed version which I didn't feel worked as well.

I doubled the recipe and made it in the crockpot for ease, but include instructions for stovetop and crockpot below. Enjoy!

= = = =

Turmeric Vegetable Soup with Cauliflower, Carrots & Celery

Ingredients:

1 T                      Olive oil (only for stove top or sheet pan, not crockpot)
1                           Sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves              Garlic (if you do sheet pan you could roast a whole head)
Fresh Ginger (optional ingredient I thought of but haven't tried yet). Try a small amount minced to start.

2 stalks              Celery, sliced
2                       Large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 C                  Cauliflower florets

1/2 Small container mushrooms, sliced

2 C                    Cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tsp              Ground turmeric
1/2 tsp              Ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water

Salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 C Chopped fresh parsley (I didn't add this - not my fav)

Note - to up the protein you could add a can of beans (well rinsed). I would choose one with a milder taste such as chickpeas, butter beans or lentils.

Crockpot -

Place all ingredients except the lemon and parsley in a large crockpot, stir gently until well combined. Cook on high 4 hours. Add lemon (and parsley if you want it)

Stove Top -

Saute the onion and garlic (and ginger if used) in the oil for a few minutes. Add the celery, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms and tomatoes. Continue to saute until softened (not mushy). Add the broth, water, turmeric, and cumin. If you want to add beans I would add them here.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, just long enough to combine flavors. Add lemon juice (and parsley if you want), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.

A Choice For Freedom

2026-03-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

"...freedom is about CHOICE - about choosing compassion, humor, optimism, intuition, curiosity, and self-expression....The only place where we can exercise our freedom of choice is in the present." - Dr. Edith Eva Eger, The Choice

I recently finished reading an amazing book call The Choice - book review HERE. It was one of those lucky coincidences. I saw something about it, was curious, found it in my local library as an e-book and dove in. I assumed it was just a story about someone's journey surviving the Holocaust. I was so wrong. While the author does share is her experience of survival, Eger then moves on to share the process of healing - both her personal healing and her work helping others come to terms with trauma, PTSD and difficult life challenges.

Once I hit the second half of the book, I found myself highlighting passage after passage. There was so many times what she wrote hit home, woke me up, or helped me look at my life through a different lens. I wanted to share my thoughts in an article, but even picking a quote to start it with was hard. I considered changing the opening quote constantly.

Over the last decade, as I worked on personal healing and growth, I found I was under a misconception. I believed that once I shone a light into the dark spaces, brought my fears into the open and faced my traumas, they would heal completely and then evaporate. I would never have to face them again. I would move on to the next thing that needed to heal. There were inklings here and there this wasn't the case, but I was initially blind to them.

Then about 14 months ago I was reading a book and found myself reacting strongly to a situation shared. I had to put the book away for a few days and sit with my anxiety. Where was it coming from? Why did that passage have a such a huge effect on me emotionally and physically. It seemed totally irrational. Talking with friend who had experienced trauma, and a brother about our shared childhood, helped provide some insight. The trauma wasn't gone-gone like I had hoped. It never would be, no matter how hard I tried. So where did that leave me? What did it mean to heal? I certainly didn't want to be caught in a loop, stuck reliving my past time and time again, never truly moving forward.

I have been working on answering those questions for awhile now. Lots of ideas arose, but it was taking some time to see clearly where this journey was taking me. I started reading The Choice at the right time. Here was a holocaust survivor as well as a highly trained, successful psychologist who has helped hundreds of people move from being trapped in past trauma to finding joy in the present. Yet even later in life she still has flashbacks from the dark traumas of her youth.

While I cannot come close to sharing all the ideas that leapt out at me from this book - I highly suggest you read it yourself - I think the knowledge that I have a choice over what I focus on was what I needed to hear the most. My life experiences will never leave me. But I can choose to forgive the past, have compassion for what I experienced, and allow myself to grieve the loss of what I wished my past had looked like. Then I can choose to turn my gaze to the life I have now and reach for it with curiosity and optimism. I can pay attention to what I have lost, or what I have gained. This way of looking at things feels like a good match for me.

Now when something triggers dark memories of the past, I don't have to be over concerned there is something buried I haven't healed. I can instead make a choice to walk through the process of forgiveness and grief again if I feel that is needed. If not, I will simply acknowledge the truth of my experiences, then turn my eyes forward. My life ahead is full of possibilities and mysteries. I will acknowledge my past, but reach for the future. I choose to follow my intuition and explore my passions. I choose freedom.

Note: "In The Choice, Dr. Edith Eger is not advocating for a "forgive and forget" approach to abusers. Instead, Dr. Eger defines forgiveness as a personal, internal act of self-care—a mechanism to release the victim from the grip of the past, not to absolve the perpetrator....In essence, Dr. Eger teaches that you can choose to move forward without being imprisoned by your history, which she calls a "self-caring" or "selfish" forgiveness—a gift to yourself"

The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger (eBook)

2026-03-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Choice is a life-changing book that will provide hope and comfort to generations of readers.

Synopsis -

At the age of sixteen, Edith Eger was sent to Auschwitz. Hours after her parents were killed, Nazi officer Dr. Josef Mengele, forced Edie to dance for his amusement and her survival. Edie was pulled from a pile of corpses when the American troops liberated the camps in 1945.

Edie spent decades struggling with flashbacks and survivor’s guilt, determined to stay silent and hide from the past. Thirty-five years after the war ended, she returned to Auschwitz and was finally able to fully heal and forgive the one person she’d been unable to forgive—herself.

Edie weaves her remarkable personal journey with the moving stories of those she has helped heal. She explores how we can be imprisoned in our own minds and shows us how to find the key to freedom

Review -

This book was unexpected in the best way. When I saw it, I assumed it would mostly focus on the author's story of surviving the Holocaust. While that is what she shares in the first half, and it is very hard to read, she shared it with a purpose. It is the background that, combined with her journey in the back in the real world, as well as the stories of some of her patients, helps readers understand how healing can be found even after experiencing trauma.

The first half lead me through the reality of concentration camps - hunger, long marches and trauma - but also offered the truth that small moments of kindness and joy can be found even while in dark places. It is amazing that she survived, especially as she was lying in a pile of bodies on the edge of death when the soldiers came. At first she couldn't even raise her hand to signal she was alive. Her road to recover physically was long, but her emotional healing took years.

My biggest take away is that our early traumas and the difficult challenges we go through are always with us. I thought healing meant they disappeared. Instead they are woven into fabric of our life story. Eger shares she continued to have flashbacks from her holocaust experiences her whole life. However, she also had a joyful life full of purpose. Freedom of choice is always there. Instead of living in the past and being tied to the trauma, we can chose to live in the present and focus on compassion, humor, optimism, intuition, curiosity, and self-expression.

I highly recommend The Choice for anyone who is struggling with the aftermath of trauma and/or loss and grief, but please note if your trauma involves physical abuse, it could be triggering.

Buy the Book: Amazon US ~ Amazon CA

Meet the Author -

Edith Eva Eger is a Hungarian American psychologist, a Holocaust survivor and a specialist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. A native of Hungary, Edith Eger was a teenager in 1944 when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz during the Second World War. Despite overwhelming odds, Edith survived the Holocaust and moved with her husband to the United States. Having worked in a factory while raising her young family, she went on to graduate with a PhD from the University of Texas and became an eminent psychologist. Today, she maintains a busy clinical practice and lectures around the world. Her memoir entitled The Choice: Embrace the Possible, published in 2017, became an international bestseller. Her second book, titled The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life was published in September 2020.

Connect: Website ~