Step Into my Day

Moved!

2011-06-16T18:59:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, I moved to www.stepintomyday.com
Kiss from the beach xox

Dawson College Illustration & Design : Alexandre Boyadjiev

2011-05-26T13:04:00.000-04:00

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Vernissage of Dawson's Illustration & Design graduates. One of the graduates, Alexandre Boyadjiev, is a friend of mine from high school and I feel very privileged every time I get an opportunity to see his work (previously posted here). His distinctive style continues to fascinate me, I wish him all the best and infinite success in animation next year!

Signature 2011 by Lena Saharov

2011-05-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

These amazing pictures were taken by my dear friend and photographer Lena Saharov during my graduation show.

Enjoy!

Signature 2011

2011-05-10T16:43:00.000-04:00

Last night, I graduated. As of this morning, I am officially a designer.

The past few days were full of emotion, excitement and joy. The Signature 2011 fashion show was held at the Olympic Stadium in front of an audience of 4000, showcasing the work of 92 graduates and thousands of hours of hard work. I had the pleasure and honour of coordinating the back-stage group alongside other coordinators and supervisors. Our entire back-stage team smoothly juggled the biggest and most important fashion show in Canada. I'm so proud of everyone who participated. Let vacation begin!

video via ModeMontrealTV

model T.K. and coordinator Anthony

hair and makeup

Mark-Antoine and I in our coordinator pose

interview before the show goes live on collegelasalle.com/signature2011

our gorgeous models, competing to get a contact with Montage model agency

line-up of graduates, ready to walk the runway at the end of the show

photos by T.K. Kubo and Amanda Moloney

Imadake

2011-04-15T11:41:00.004-04:00

What is sho...chu? Or oooo.....ko...no...mi...yaki?

This was me Tuesday night at Imadake, a new izakaya, Japanese pub food, opened on St-Catherine street accross from Alexis Nihon ealier this year. I have been meaning to go there since my japanese designer friend T.K. told me about it over lunch at Tokyo earlier in march. "That place is better than Kazu". I haven't been to Kazu, but I knew about the hype.

What caught my attention at first was the decor. I was mesmerized . "Very plateau" Monsieur said. "You don't see this a lot in Westmount". Yeah, I thought, it's about time.

The menu spikes your curiosity *, shochu turns out to be a date-alcoholic beverage (they were out of) and okonomiyaki is a seafood pancake, which I shall try next time. We decided on a handful of appetizers, all at 3-8$ each. The first plate (forgot the name, sorry, Imadake's website is still in the process of creation and my Japanese skills are ... inexistent!) was raw beef sprinkled with fresh black pepper and covered in a aroma-ful marinade, with green onions on top. This plate was a success, a perfect way to start our supper. Then came edamame, mushroom miso soup, karaage chicken (deep fried with a wasabi-mayo sauce on a bed of greens), vegetable tempura, chicken on skewers, shrimp tempura and black sesame ice cream. Everything was fantastic, the tempura was lightly-battered, the chicken was juicy and the ice cream blew my mind. They have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages and ramen noodles as "mains". The clientele was mainly asian, which is always a good sign. Next time, I'm going for takoyaki and okonomiyaki, perhaps with my japanese friend.

*if you're not Japanese

Queue de cheval

2011-04-09T22:28:00.001-04:00

For our 5th year anniversary, Monsieur and I went to Queue de Cheval.

Queue de Cheval is a posh New York-style steak house, and I was expecting it to be intimidating to say the least. As we entered, a hostess walked us to our table, taking our coats along the way. Then, seated, our waiters brought us to the table the daily's cuts: thick, prime, dry-aged USDA beef butchered in-house of various cuts, giant shrimp and crayfish lobster displayed on a rolling table. I was dazzled by the thickness of the meat. But I was set in mind before entering this place, I was going for the Lou's choice cut [20 oz]. At this point, cheating on lent was ... an understatement.

As a side I chose a Idaho style baked potato and Monsieur took garlic mashed. With red wine the mix was a delight. My "cut" was beyond any steak I've ever had = I see why this place costs an arm and a half. When we asked for the dessert menu, they brought a rolling display of all the desserts on the menu and we dived into a "Death by chocolate" cake. Death, indeed.

I left the place, roses in hand, impressed by the service (waiter to ourselves - check, bringing-your coat-for-you-at-the-end-of-your-meal - check, making you feel like you're on-top-of-the-world- check), meat-cravings satisfied... feeling like one hell of a lucky gal!

Chu Chai

2011-03-26T13:28:00.003-04:00

Last Friday night*, I made a huge gastronomical discovery. I went to Chu Chai.

Chu Chai is an award-winning gourmet Thai vegetarian restaurant located on St-Denis. Inside, the atmosphere is - in Quebec we say flyé. Upscale, really cool, very now-this-is-a-nice-place, so-glad-I-brought-my-people-here. I brought people there because Monsieur went there and swore it was amazing. Monsieur, who, at the mention of "it's tofu" stops eating, told me he wouldn't have known his duck was real meat or not, so much it was A-mazing.

Welcome to Chu Chai.

We started with their famous 5 flavour bites: a mix of grated coconut, ginger and other spices on a spinach leaf. The finger food is very interesting, perhaps the most experimental dish I've had of late. The mango salad had so much texture to it and the dumplings were heavenly. I stayed true to my coconut milk obsession and ordered the chicken in coconut milk, green curry and basil. It was fresh, tasted what I wanted and more. My dad's shrimp surprised me (prior to Chu Chai I imagined tofu ground beef, but tofu chicken? shrimp? duck?) - and what a great imitation of real shrimp it was! The noodle dish was very spicy, but I was warned. And now, the reason you must go to Chu Chai... the Ped Palo, also known as crispy duck. When you go, let me know if you think its tofu or real because Istillcan'tbelieveit'svegetarian.

Miam Kram: Bouchées 5 saveurs / 5 Flavour finger food, winner of best finger food among the top 50 chefs of Quebec in 2005

Yam Mamuang: mango salad

Kiao Satay: peanut sauce dumpling

Khiao Wan Gai: chicken in green curry, coconut milk and basil

Koung Himaparn: shrimp with cashew nuts and pineapple

Ped Kemow: rice noodles with duck, egg, chili and basil

Ped Palo: crispy duck, soya sauce and spinach

Lychee for dessert and green tea ice cream (not pictured)

*2 weeks ago, I had problems posting this

SOS Japan Fashion Show

2011-03-22T12:42:00.001-04:00

This upcoming Saturday, my dear friend and designer Takaaki Kubo is hosting a charity fashion show to raise money for Japan with Mode-Montréal. Taking place at the Holiday Inn select downtown, the show includes other participating designers. Dinh Bà, Anne de Shalla, Edwin & Peter and Jessica Simon will show pieces from their collections, alongside Stunn Men by Takaaki Kubo. Proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross. Please come and help us raise money for a truly great cause. Click here for more information.

Tokyo Sushi

2011-03-12T13:24:00.001-05:00

You know that a place is really good when half way through your meal your friend exclaims (her mouth full) : JULIA, YOUR CAMERA!

And there goes half of potential pictures, inmymouth. Ahhh...

Tokyo Sushi, located on St-Catherine, is fantastic for a all-you-can-eat lunch for a great deal. The extensive menu offers food for every eater. My soft spot here is the mango and green tea ice cream. Careful though, it disappears quickly!

On a side-note, don't come in a hurry and don't expect much from the waiters. At lunch time the place gets packed very quickly... come early and ask for a booth.

A Legal Affair Fashion Show

2011-03-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

The other day I had the chance to go to McGill's Faculty of Law fashion show (a fundraiser for a great cause- all the money raised went to the Dr Julien foundation, an organization that provides children in need with health care, hope, power and a chance to a better life). The designers showcased were (in order) French Connection, Obscur, Costa Blanca, Will Be, JVG Design*, Boutique Onze, Jaf, Buy the City*, Annie 50*, Jean-Paul Corbeil*, Valérie Dumaine*, Body Bag by Jude*, Cherry Berry handbags and Annie-Claude Cyr*. Here are some of the pictures I took:

* Montreal-based designers

Great job guys!

Be my Valentine

2011-02-14T07:17:00.000-05:00

I made this bustier during Fall 2009, and was desperate to wear it last Valentine's Day but ... it was picked out to be displayed in our school (alongside other very interesting bustiers) for a good part of 2010. Now that I have it back... I can wear it with my new pointy-toe kitten-heel Zara heels. Aren't they truly the combination of the kitten-heels Valentino and Prada did for Fall? I'm so so so in love with them, I can't wait for the snow to melt and spring to arrive so I can take them for a walk. In Montreal, this means the first week of May. I'm counting the days...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Guide to Valentine's Day in Montreal

2011-02-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

We're a day away from the sweetest holiday of the year. Here are some itineraries of activities you can do with your special someone, friends or family.

Option #1
- Go skating in the Old Port outdoor skating rink and admire the view of the Marché Bonsecours
- Grab a cupcake at Les Glaceurs (voted by my friends to be the best cupcake spot in Montreal)

Option #2
- Spend a few hours at Ceramic Cafe Studio and bring home (a week later) a self-painted souvenir!
- Head to Juliette & Chocolat on St-Denis (smaller then the St-Laurent location) to satisfy your sweet tooth for the year to come...

Option #3
- Stay at home and watch { Love actually / Valentine's Day / Moulin Rouge / The Notebook / Beauty and the Beast / Lady and the Tramp / Gone with the Wind... }
- Bake something delicious inspired by Bakerella (she has countless Valentine's Day recipes)

Option #4
- Go out to the most romantic restaurant* (that would be something French or Italian in my book) where the lights are dimmed and the music cheesy
- Take a little walk post-supper and enjoy the moment, simple. as. that.
*this would be the place you know better than me, which satisfies your most decadent craving and leaves you always with smiles

No matter what you end up doing, remember to wear red, send air kisses to everyone and end the day with a sugar overdose, happy Valentine's Day!

O'burger

2011-01-31T19:32:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday, Monsieur and I ventured to the hip club-music-playing burger spot O'burger located in the heart of Downtown Montreal. We both went for the 100% Angus beef O'burger burger : swiss cheese, crisp bacon, balsamic glazed onions, sautéed mushrooms and O'sauce, with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and onion on the side. I was frightened at first that aside from a couple in the corner, the somewhat (for Downtown Montreal) huge restaurant was empty, but Monsieur swore that during lunch-hour it's ultra-packed (we came on a January-freezing Tuesday night). The modern-50s décor was amusing and I can only imagine how fun this place becomes once it's full. My burger was very filling and I'm eyeing a chicken on ciabatta bread burger with roasted peppers and Tzatziki for next time... perhaps on a hot July evening on the terrace...

Maison Bulgogi

2011-01-31T19:00:00.001-05:00

On a -30℃ day like two Sundays ago, I love to find myself at Maison Bulgogi for a hot bowl of soup.

I discovered the location with a Chinese friend a year ago. I had the recommended Beef Soup and my companion had a Black Goat Soup. This time, I was determined to try their namesake, the Bulgogi. As it turns out, Bulgogi means barbecue in Korean.

Kim-chi (spicy pickled cabbage), soft potatoes, seaweed salad and bean sprouts are served before your meal, along with some tea. I am a fan of none of these things but my parents and sister attacked them delightfully.

My chicken Bulgogi came first (I also ordered shrimp, you need a minimum of two to cook it at your table). The waiter turned on the cooker under the table and we began to stir-fry the chicken. With the stir-fry you get lettuce leaves (to wrap your BBQ inside) (still today this seems to me as a genius idea)(will replicate at home). The marinate was very sweet, maybe too sweet, but it didn't stop us from finishing the plate in minutes. The shrimp Bulgogi was very good but what I really enjoy here is the Beef soup #8, especially on a cold day like that Sunday.

kimchi

seaweed salad

soft potatoes

bean sprouts

marinated Chicken Bulgogi

Black Goat Soup

Beef and Octopus Soup

#8 Beef Soup

marinated Shrimp Bulgogi

Mojito Clothing

2011-01-25T23:58:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been giving a lot of thought to what I wear. As consumers, every time we purchase we make a choice, a statement. And it's truly gratifying to wear something you know more about than the name of the label.

One brand that I'm greatly fond of (I wear it on a daily basis) is Mojito Clothing. It's locally designed and produced, here in Montreal, and the designer, the talented Elena Diatlova, whom I first met over a year ago, is such a sweetheart. With over twenty years of experience under her belt, she truly knows what she's doing and when you talk to her about the brand, it instantly shows there's nothing else she'd rather be doing.
Mojito is a line of quality jersey pieces : tops, dresses, cardigans, leggings... All the garments are comfortable every-day wear that could easily be transformed into evening-wear with a change of accessories. It's comfortable and the designs are a little bit sexy, a little bit classy and all very cool.

Some time before my trip to Mexico I've been invited to their showroom and their atelier. Here are some pictures I took that I've been meaning to share with you:

And you? What brands are you passionate about?

Juliette & Chocolat

2011-01-24T18:45:00.000-05:00

Juliette & Chocolat is sweet. Literally.

Every friend of mine has been there, or so it seems. I discovered the St-Laurent location a month ago, during my birthday celebrations, and was really glad to be back. This time it was T.K.'s birthday and as a group of 6, we ordered 3 Double Duo Chocolate Fondues. And Savvy had extra profiteroles. And I'm crying now because I didn't try them. See picture below.

Everything here leaves you wanting for more, more, more... And when you order a second time (convinced you didn't have enough) all you want is more... water. Because Juliette & Chocolat is the real deal. Their hot chocolate is the Mayan kind (I made this up- the Mexican Riviera must be still in my mind) is the traditional, rich, European kind (there's a whole menu to it- with alcohol or without- the chocolate comes from all over the world). Last time I tried a Fondant au chocolat nappé et au caramel salé : whatever it was it melted my heart. They also have non-sweet crêpes for the boyfriends who tag along lunch, or supper. The St-Laurent location is very big/ ideal for groups but maybe the Laurier & St-Denis ones offer more privacy? Can I scream VALENTINE'S DAYYY!!!

Chocolate Fondue comes in bitter/semi-sweet/milk and white chocolate

Pineapple, black berries, apples, pears, bananas, oranges, kiwi... but (this I don't get) no strawberries

Profiteroles... so. regretting. of. not. stealing. a. bite.

Birthday boy

So, see you there on Valentine's? I'll be in the corner finishing my seconds, asking for more water

Chez Rayan

2011-01-16T17:43:00.001-05:00

Before I begin- one thing must be said: my Mom is a zealous seafood lover. And that's how on the day of my parent's anniversary, I found myself with them at Poissonerie Chez Rayan (the food blogger in me had to tag along).

Chez Rayan is an Egyptian fish market. With fishing nets on the ceiling, there is no menu, and as you enter you proceed to the back where the freshest fish and seafood of the day are displayed laid out on ice. You order everything by weight, ask the chef how you want it cooked (fried or grilled or in a BBQ or garlic sauce depending on your sea animal of choice) and take a seat. We ordered bass, tilapia, calamari, shrimp, scallops, octopus, salad and rice.

The salad had lots of vinegar in it, but I was too hungry for the main dish to arrive. First, we were served the calamari and the fish. Everything was cooked to perfection but had too much salt for my taste (coming from the girl who only salts her water when boiling pasta and if not never). The disappointment only surged once: I was expecting marinara sauce with the calamari but got fish sauce and ketchup instead. Then the deliciousness arrived: the grilled octopus. May I emphasize that previous to this day, every octopus I tried tasted like unflavoured chewing gum. At Chez Rayan however, grilled octopus was heavenly... it had flavour and texture to it, bite after bite, it spoke to me. I'm absolutely coming back for more octopus.

At last, we were served the giant shrimp and the scallops in garlic sauce. In my mother's opinion, the shrimp were over-cooked but I didn't find them dry, they bathed in garlic sauce. Sprinkled in lemon juice, everything was mouth-watering. Seafood lovers: you must go!

My Dad and Mom and I left decided: next time we'll order lobster, mussels and a big, whole bass cooked juuuuuuuuust right...

fishing nets on the ceiling

tilapia, bass and calamari

grilled octopus

fried calamari

giant shrimp and scallops in garlic sauce

Mexico part 3

2011-01-16T16:59:00.000-05:00

My stay in Mexico was dreamy to say the least. We were lucky to have great weather and I would come back to that hotel any moment without a doubt. Although, as much as I can say I've been to Mexico, I haven't seen the real Mexico at all. Our resort, the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya was fabulous and I would recommend it to absolutely everyone, but I hope to discover more of the country and it's culture the next time I go.

{Tulum ruins}

{Xel-Ha: the world's largest natural aquarium}

{beach wedding}

{Brazil at the International night show}

I wish I were still there...

This set of pictures was taken by Monsieur and my friend Anna

Mexico part 2

2011-01-08T18:26:00.000-05:00

{Mediterranean restaurant}

{on Day 5, we discovered the Coffee shop. I could not leave}

{coffee with a Mayan sirup liquor}

Mexico

2011-01-08T17:58:00.000-05:00

{Tulum ruins}

{Christmas Eve}

{one tequila, two tequila, three tequila...}

{coffee with Baileys}

Datcha

2011-01-04T16:45:00.000-05:00

That's how we call the country-house in Russian, where you escape from the craziness of the city, remember? That's also where I found myself show-offing my tan post Mexico (so easy on the ski slopes)(I'll be posting pictures of my trip as soon as I get a hold of all the pictures- that's what happens when you travel with 3 cameras), and celebrating the new year with my family and Monsieur's family, Russian style.

S NOVIM GODOM!

Now that I'm finally back home, I have lots of blog catching up to do! I'll be posting so much more in 2011, I promise! To the new year xox

Birthday Recap

2010-12-20T20:18:00.000-05:00

You turn 20 and you forget about your blog. Ah, adulthood.

I'm just kidding. You turn 20 in the middle of Exam week (followed by Project week) (followed by two very intense days (this past week-end) of finishing curtains for your neighbours, cleaning your room (severely damaged by Exam week and Project week), making sure you ordered all your gifts on amazon and packing because Monday night you're leaving to Mexico (pronounce Méhhhico).

Yes, I'm SÜPER LUCKY. I'm also SÜPER NOT realizing that I'll be at the beach in 16 hours because all I can think of is I FINISHED (my) COLLECTION PROJECT! (Many stages of which I took pictures of, and I'll be posting them as soon as I get back from Méhhhico).

These past two weeks felt like a never-ending journey. Here's a recap of my birthday:

You can't spell Birthday without Spa day! I am the luckiest person in the world to share my birthday with my best friend, and every year we head to AuPremier Spa to remind ourselves that the 8th of December is our favourite day of the year!

AuPremier is the most relaxing place, a little gem located in the Monkland Village

Fries at java U for lunch- I know, you go to java U for j Ice, not fries, but my friend hooked me up on these last spring and that's the only reason I go to java U now. They come with three dipping sauces and remind me of Frites Alors...

my sister, who turns 15 exactly two weeks after my birthday

moules & frites at l'Académie, my choice of restaurant to celebrate the day

*these mussels were fantastic, cooked in white wine

potage du jour

a succulent salad, part of the table d'hôte

linguine with seafood

my duck and mushroom risotto

lamb shank

when you wear a crown, you get...

free chocolate-mousse-birthday cake!

which turned out to be the best mousse of my life (my 6 guests agreed), really rich, not too sweet... piece of advice-head to l'Académie wearing a crown

and some rocky road cheesecake

L'Académie is a great french/italian bring-your-own wine restaurant, for pasta and mussels&fries they offer great quality food for a good value.

Now, I'm off to decorate our Christmas tree with my family... before jetting off to the beach.

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays! See you in a week :)

Me 2.0

2010-12-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

As I'm writing this, in exactly 4 hours, 33 minutes, 12 seconds and 27 mili-seconds... I'm turning 20.

WOOOOOOOOOUHOUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, I'm not hysterical, in panic, mortified, scared, amused a little by what I'm writing. I'm so excited. Oh GOD. I think that a birthday is the most amazing day in the year because...

-everyone celebrates birthdays, no matter what religion you are or where you come from. It's not Christmas or Hanukah, or ... (insert really weird holiday here)

-When else can you make endless wish-lists, day dream for hours, recall what you got for your birthday when you were 5... or 8... or ... what time is it now?

-Make a loooooong resolution list and actually stick to it. A new year, a new start, a new, more skinny/ radiant/ relaxed/ joyful you... Well, there's always New Year's .... and I have precisely 24 days to re-apply my resolution.

-When else do you get Happy Birthday greeting from people you forgot you had on Facebook?

-When else does your Mom buy you your favourite cake, just because.

-When else can you shamelessly come into class and Ittttttttsssss MY Birthhhhhhhhhhhdayyyyyyyyy! so easy to kill a working vibe

-No matter what happens, those 24 hours belong to you. And so quickly, they disappear, and you're 20. Mature. Responsible. Adult.

When I was 5 years old, I firmly believed that the minute you turn 20, you get married and (a few seconds later) you have kids. And nothing else. Nothing in my 5-year old mind went beyond 20. And here I almost am.

I'm really looking forward to my twenties. I have a word for each year. At 16, it was bubbly, at 17, it was psychedelic, at 19 it was vampy. I still haven't came up with my 20-word but I'll let you know when I will. Right now, I'll go sew my way into my twenties... wishing for much much much more than a husband and kids.

Local design talent: Stunn Men by Takaaki Kubo

2010-12-05T15:08:00.001-05:00

T.K. is a star. Pick up a brochure about my school, and you'll find him on it. Aside from modelling for our fashion design program, he's a regular at Montreal Fashion Week. But most importantly, he designs avant-garde mens-wear pieces... Here's a taste of T.K.'s work:

all jackets are Stunn Men by Takaaki Kubo

On January 28, he will be presenting a few outfits of his own making at the SynesthASIA charity fashion show, taking place at the TELUS theatre. This fellow classmate of mine agreed to tell me about his inspirations and upcoming plans:

Hi T.K. Tell me about what made you interested in fashion?

First, when I was 15, I wanted to become a stylist. I've been in love with fashion all my life, but when I was at Lethbridge College in Alberta, I took a pattern and drawing class and started sewing on my own. Then I was set for LaSalle College.

What do you have in mind when you design?

I want my clothes to be different from everything you see. It has to "look cool". It can't be too crazy-it has to suit people, aim to be sellable... I want to create a lifestyle, for some people they wake up and they will think about food; I think about fashion. It's the content of my life.

What are your plans for the future?

I want to move back to Japan, maybe work for H&M or Abercrombie & Fitch. Work in Design, Marketing... And if I ever start my own line, it will be menswear... or unisex.

Any favourite designers?

Comme Ca ISM.

If you wish to contact T.K. about purchasing or information click here.

At School... Lu's puffer coat

2010-11-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

I was already in love with Lu's brogues... But when I saw her winter coat, I was not expecting this. Put your sunglasses on gals, Lu's coming through!