Keira-anne.com

I don’t know who Kim Kardashian is. I don’t know why she’s famous. I do, however, admit to indulging in celebrity gossip sites (mainly People and The Superficial), so I see my fair share of paparazzi shots. I also know that, for whatever reason, Kim Kardashian is constantly accused of donning butt padding.

I would like to present photographic evidence in an effort to refute those claims…

June 11, 2008

Photo: Goff/INF for People

August 1, 2008

Photo: Flynet via The Superficial

August 14, 2008

Photo: PRJ/Fame Pictures for People

Yes, I am very, very bored today.

I can’t hold it against the girl though. I love me some ice cream too. A lot, actually.

I can’t stop looking at this. Every time I’ve toggled to that page this morning while sitting at my desk, I’ve died a little on the inside.

I hate you, Internet Explorer. Everytime I blog with you, you squish my pictures and make me look schmucky. I should basically just always use my laptop, me thinks. (Translation: click each picture to see it in my Flickr stream, not looking schmucky.) Safari FTW.

Okay, so Lady Phae wanted to treat yours truly to a divine dinner at my absolute favourite spot. The first time I went to Boneta was on my birthday last year and I have been back a handful of times since.

We let the amazing men of Boneta pick wine for us, and so we had some Italian red vino. My friend Toni claims to be Italian red wine but I am not sure he’s as drinkable.

We had cheese. And crustinis. And cheese.

Normally I’m pretty lush-ous when drinking red wine, but for whatever reason I managed to remain pretty sober. The same cannot be said for my hot date. She’s charming.

“Boneta loves you.” It’s written all over their restaurant, literally and figuratively. We were treated like royalty, and at one point, one of the owners actually stabbed at one of the fresh, local strawberries with my fork and fed it to me.

Being that Jack popped my Pimm’s cherry on my birthday at Boneta, I decided Phaedra needed to do the same, so we capped off the evening with a Pimm’s-based cocktail of our own. Needless to say, it was a hit.

Just yesterday, Duane wrote a blog post that touched down on customer service. I agreed with his points in that I feel as though it’s largely a lost art. I am rather adept in the kitchen and know very well how to pick out a good bottle of wine to tote home, so when I go out for dinner, it’s the service and experience I am paying for.

At Boneta, phenomenal food, killer wine and service to knock your stillettos off are all guaranteed, all the time. Why else would my darling and I have gone two times already?

Thanks for a truly stellar date, Phaedra…

Allow me to be completely honest with you for a moment. I love meat. I love steaks, I love ribs, sometimes I love chicken and I have a new found love for fish and chips. Proscuitto is fantastic and salami often makes a sandwich. I also love cooking meat. With countless recipes designed to create and tantalize, it’s hard for me to stay out of the kitchen.

Photo: Another Pint Please… on Flickr

Here’s my problem: how do I go cruelty-free? The truth of the matter is that I am not able, nor do I want, to go completely vegetarian. I, personally, take no issue with the consumption of meat as a food source. I do, however, take huge issue with the ways in which animals are treated before being prepared as food. As an animal lover, I am becoming more and more aware of the absolute importance of humane treatment. I also don’t want to become one of those pretentious, selective eaters.

It’s becoming a gray area for me. One can go so far as to say: “well what about leather handbags and shoes?” That’s an extremely valid point. What about them? How is the source of that leather traceable?

I refuse to rely on PETA’s website because I would presume that everything there would have to be read with a fantastically large grain of salt. I’d find it hard to believe their facts and information wouldn’t be largely biased. This is where you, my readers, come in.

I’ll not lie to you though…giving up McDonald’s and Chinese food will be no easy feat for this chica.

Over to you…

It’s my dirty little secret, but I love Pamela Anderson. She is what she is and makes no excuses for it, and that’s an attitude I can admire in people. Pamela is also my hometown girl, being that we both grew up in Comox and attended Highland Secondary School. I am quite sure there is still a yearbook photo of her on our library wall, brunette tresses and boobless.

Much to my disappointment, I missed the chance at shakin’ the lady’s hand. She was photographed outside of the KFC on Davie Street - half a block from my apartment - on Monday. Pamela was appearing on behalf of PETA, trying out the new “faux chicken sandwich.”

Photo: George Pimintel/WireImage for People

No word on whether the faux meat was finger lickin’ good or not.

P.S. It’s my dirty little secret, but I love Kentucky Fried Chicken.

My plan for today: lay in the sunshine on the beach, endlessly, clad in my true blue bikini and coconut oil with Charley at my side. Mother Nature’s plan for today: sprinkling rain and chilly air. Can’t no weather hold me down. I showered, dressed and headed into town instead and met up with my oldest friend in the world, Kortney. First stop: Atlas Cafe for tasty eats.

I almost always order the baked bean burrito with tofu. And yes, it is as good as it looks. The price tag? A mere $6.

Kortney’s two days out of surgery and hopped up on a serious dosage of Demerol. As if it wasn’t obvious.

After a good meal, I also need a little “something-something” that’s sweet. Call it taking the edge off, if you will. Upon her suggestion, we headed to the Tin Town area of Courtenay to hit up the Freakin’ Coffee Shop. Yes, that’s what it’s called. Opened in recent years, Freakin’ is a Wonderland of eclectic finds, retro furniture and vintage lamps in an industrial setting.

They’ve got a pretty decent selection of bites to nibble, organic fair trade coffees, teas and my new favourite: London Fog. Their website is fairly new, but updated content and the events schedule are constantly being added to, so check it out. The shop is hoping to welcome more live acts in the coming months and I, for one, will be heading back there next time I’m in the Comox Valley. It’s just one of those places I feel super comfy in.

My fingers, toes and legs are crossed in hopes that tomorrow brings a bit of sunshine and warmth. I need colour, beach time and relaxation in the sun, and I have a feeling I just might be in luck.

Considering the amount of rain Vancouver’s had lately, the trip I was to make with friends today to Playland was subsequently cancelled, leaving us all to make other plans. My buddy Duane is headed to California in the morning for a week of sun and fun, and his closet was desperately depleted of cargo shorts. When he suggested hitting up the mall, I was definitely game. Being that I want to save most of my cash for my Tofino surf trip in July, I was very good when it came to spending. Aside from picking up a few Bumble items (which I am dying to use), I came home mostly empty-handed.

Neither of us had eaten prior to meeting up, and I’d been wanting to check out the new Cactus Club in Vancouver’s business district. We sat on the patio with cold drinks and while I ate my chicken fajitas, Duane consumed what he considers to be “breakfast.”

It was bigger than it looks. Yum.

…AND THE FEELING’S RIGHT

Yesterday was Friday, and it was a Friday that four women had been particularly looking forward to. It was Ladies’ Night, and Rebecca and I were headed for Boneta in Gastown with our respective moms. It was an awesome time for the mother-daughter teams, rich in memories of cocktails, silly photo-taking lessons, tasty meals, tenderly sweet desserts, laughter and, of course, lots of pictures!

In mere moments, we’re headed to Radha in Chinatown for some early morning Hidden Language yoga, followed by a scrumptious Gastown brunch and an afternoon chasing after screaming 6-year-olds hopped up on sugar at Lilah’s 6th birthday party. Can anyone say “Gong Show?” More pictures to come, quite obviously…

The fabulous West Coast has been blessed with amazing sunshine over the last three days, and I couldn’t be more in love with it. I don’t think I’ve worn anything with sleeves since Friday morning on my way to work. Island times have been very good (which goes without saying when I’m with my family and Charley). Yesterday I spent the majority of my time with my aunt and managed to pick up a few things I needed - like a fully stocked first aid kit!

This morning I woke to find the sun pouring directly onto my face through the window, which was much appreciated being that I had plans to visit Kitty Coleman’s Woodland Gardens today for their annual Art & Bloom festival.

Of course I had to bring my little Wiggle Bum with me for the adventure. The sights, sounds, smells and herds of other dogs proved to be a bit overwhelming for her, but I know she had a lot of fun.

I’ve long wished to be a collector of pottery, but for some reason, was always deterred by sticker shock. However, today I found this really beautiful piece to kick off my collection, crafted by a Qualicum Beach-area potter by the name of Darrel Hancock. His claywork is exactly the kind I want to accumulate: simple designs, smooth lines and finishes in the blue and sand colours of the beach. Another plus - his pieces are totally affordable.

After some downtime, my mom and I met up with my aunt at The Timber Room, one of the two dining rooms at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community.

The view was to die for, the warm air was scrumptious on my skin, my cold water shrimp and coconut curry Kohoku rice bowl tasted oh-so-good (and was wonderfully paired with my first glass of chardonnay of the summer season) and the desserts speak for themselves.

The service, on the other hand, left something to be desired.

I’ll let you decide what’s richer: the strawberry-doused New York cheesecake or the gold fire hydrants.

It’s up and at ‘em early tomorrow for your humble narrator. Vancouver is awaiting my return, as are two wonderful puppies. My mom will be joining me for a few days in the city this week, so though my posting will probably be less consistent, expect a log jam of photos from yours truly.

As I sit here awkwardly and gently typing, I am happy to say that my hand is much more neatly bandaged this evening. While I would’ve preferred to avoid a visit to the walk-in clinic, and the potential of stitches altogether, upon arriving at the office this morning, my boss insisted I have the gash taken care of right away. He even gave me money for breakfast and coffee.

I skipped a block down Burrard Street to the Stein Medical Clinic in Bentall 5 and was absolutely impressed. The wait was short and the staff was entirely professional and proficient. My doctor, a sweet woman with what I think to be a South African accent, was on the ball and definitely knew what she was doing. Due to the location and type of gash, actual stitches would’ve been next to impossible. So instead, I was given a thorough wound cleaning, butterfly stitch bandages, a topical antibacterial cream, a protective gauze bandage, extra dressings to last me a week (the duration for which my hand must remain bandaged) and a tetanus shot on my way out the door.

That being said, next time you require medical attention, I most definitely recommend this clinic. I may even dare to say that the experience was better and more thorough than a visit to my regular GP.

That took care of problem number one. Problem number two involved having the door and handle to the apartment fixed. Thankfully, I heard from Jack as soon as he regained consciousness, and it was the first time during either ordeal that I actually started to cry. He was totally awesome, told me not to worry and that he’d take care of everything. Aside from having his mom and best friend call to keep an eye on me and make sure I had whatever I needed, he made a couple phone calls to ensure that everything would be fixed by the time I got home from work. And wouldn’t you know it, but Dave was just finishing sanding down the top of the door as I entered the building.

I’m blown away at how awesome everyone’s been. I can handle my own in a crisis situation, but I’d really prefer not to. Knowing how bummed out the events of the last 24 hours left me, it was Becky to the rescue!

I adore flowers, and ironically enough, she brought me narcissists. Really, that’s what they’re called. We both had a chuckle over that one.

I added them to my slowly-dying bouquet of pink tulips.

Being that we were hungry girls, we ordered Indian food and I really did pick it up this time. She had the butter chicken, and I finally got to savour my lamb roganjosh.

And of course, what impromptu girls’ evening would be complete without perfect puppy pics?

Someone had his eyes on Becky’s samosas.

If Casey isn’t playing with his football, he’s waiting for it to be thrown for him.

And so now, with my tummy full of Indian food, perhaps I can finally make the pajama-clad crawl into bed with the puppies and Deadwood.

Goodnight, and good luck.

On Friday I told you that I live for weekends, and the last two days are exemplary proof of that. Saturday’s sunrise walk and yoga practice were the perfect way to begin my day, and everything only got better from there (including the Skinny Peaches from Jugo Juice that Jennifer and I grabbed on the way home).

Saturday

After cleaning up and showering, I headed out to meet up with Amy, Peanut, Casey and Benji before heading to Crab Park. I can’t think of a better way in which we could have enjoyed the warm sun rays.

Amy made me pose.

Casey had a blast chasing his favourite rubber bone. He even managed to sucker a lady into throwing the bone for him for a solid half hour.

Original Photo: Amelia Burrows on Flickr

Classic pose, everytime.

Photo: Amelia Burrows on Flickr

One of my favourite reasons for going to Crab Park is meeting interesting people. We came across a backpacker from the east coast and his dog, Cuddles. Apparently she’s a very unfriendly 13-year-old pup, but she seemed to take to Peanut like a fish to water.

Original Photo: Amelia Burrows on Flickr

Since they spend most of their time cooped up in an apartment, I love seeing how thrilled Benji and Casey become when they’ve got endless green turf to run around on while they play and laugh in their special doggy laughs. Also, being that he’s not terribly fond of other dogs, it’s a rare occurrence that Benji actually likes Peanut, so Amy and I are encouraging as many playdates as possible.

Video: Amelia Burrows on Flickr

After the park, Amy and I went to one of my favourite little gems in Gastown, Farfalla, on East Cordova. Each of the tea tables was adorned with a little lilac blossom and the scent was heavenly.

Following a hearty meal from McDonald’s, I spent Saturday evening watching ‘The Kite Runner,’ a beautiful film based on a popular, best-selling book. The story chronicles two young boys and best friends in Afghanistan in the late 1970s, one from privilege and the other being the son of a servant. As the Russians invade, the privileged boy and his father flee to Pakistan and eventually the United States. Twenty-two years later he receives an unnerving call from his childhood friend and subsequently embarks on a journey back to his homeland. All I can do is encourage you to see this film.

Sunday

On Sunday morning I woke early to pillage the shelves at Urban Fare in preparation of a birthday feast. Being that Sequoyah was the birthday boy, I told him he could have whatever he wanted for dinner. His request was simply: “lasagna, extra cheesy…and a chocolate football cake!”

I set out making the cake first.

Any chance I get to bust out my pink measuring cups and cocoa is not one I’ll pass up.

The football cake in all its candle-lit glory.

I found what was supposed to be a fantastic lasagna recipe that uses three different cheeses (in order to fulfill the birthday boy’s request). It got a big thumbs up…

Cooking in layers is a fun experience.

The ricotta cheese wasn’t suppose to contain spinach, but what fun is cooking if you can’t deviate from the recipe a little bit?

Lilah called it “scrumptious!” I’m pretty sure I haven’t heard that word, or a variation thereof, since the last time I watched ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.’

Sequoyah wasn’t the only one celebrating a birthday this weekend. The Bee turned four yesterday!

It was Sequoyah’s lasagna, so he got the honour of cutting it.

After all the birthday festivities, the littlest pup was all tuckered out and fell asleep nicely on my knee.

Today brings another work week and I’m already in the thick of things but have so much more fun to look forward to (like ‘Juno’ on DVD, Army & Navy’s shoe sale and Tequila Kitchen with friends).