The Journey to Cartems Donuterie

Everyone is talking about Cartems' donuts.  They're not your run of the mill donuts.  They're handmade by skilled pastry chefs and the ingredients are sourced locally.  Donuts are made daily - not frozen. Currently housed in the Gastown hood at 408 Carrall, this pop up donuterie had some serious traffic.  Pals, Mark Tagulao, Rajesh Narine and Jordan Cash will be updating us on the permanent location in the nearer future.

So, here is my journey to get my hands on these donuts:

9:00 am
Woke up a groggy mess

10:00 am
Finally got out of bed - still a groggy mess

11:15 am
Head over to the Gastown hood to meet Sally who tells me Cartems has already sold out of donuts.  They opened at 11:00 am!  The calvary will bring their reserves at 12:00 pm.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

11:30 am
I loiter around Gastown, hitting up a couple of vintage stores.

The window @ ArtSpeak

12:00 pm
Modest line up starts.  Anticipation is building.  Yes, I know, these are donuts, for crying out loud.  But I heard they are good.  Really good.

12:15 ish pm
Doors open, the crowd is happy, we're excited.  We want our donuts.

You can order online in advance and they deliver in the designated area

12:20 pm
Rajesh Narine apologizes and thank us for our patience - he's a nice dude.  I didn't have a mean bone in my body for these peeps.  I spot the much talked about Earl Grey donut and add them to my 1/2 dozen order.  Also included are the Camp Fire, 2 Carrot Cake, and Cinnamon Sugar donut.  There was a Slow Heat donut and they sold out of the Maple Bacon Donut.  Next time, my friends.  Next time.

These are so good.  Earl Grey Donuts - I call them my Crack Donuts.  They're addicting.  Dangerous.  Sigh.

And I'll have two of these, please.

12:30 pm
Grocery shopping and wanted to get home so badly to eat my donuts that I forgot to pick up miso paste.

1:00 pm
So, now it's me and this box of treasures.  Voila - let your eyes feast on these beaut's. 

Knock Knock

Hello, my pretties

I dig in for the Earl Grey.  Slightly euphoric. Delicious, slightly crispy on the outside.  Dense.  Fragrant.

Oh yes, you and me.

1:05 pm
There are voices coming from the box.  I open it.  I could have sworn the carrot cake donut winked at me.  I teach that damn thing a lesson and eat it.  Wonders if I should call a therapist.

1:10 pm
Making tea and the donut box is still open.  I am weak.  Hand is reaching into the box and it's beyond my control.  The Camp Fire donut disappears.  This is getting out of hand.

1:20 pm
*uck it.  See ya later 2nd Earl Grey donut.  Now decides to put the box with the remaining donuts at the top of my jacket closet - out of reach.  Closes closet.  I am safe, for now.

Turquoise, Teal, Aquarmine Home Decor

Every once in a while I toy with the idea of changing the colour scheme of my apartment.  Currently, the colours that fill my home are these:

But I've drooled over many turquoise, aquamarine, and teal coloured pieces that I've been tempted to change things up and bring in some pieces that change the vibe of my place up a bit.

Here's a little gallery of pretty turquoise items that have caught my eye:

Courtesy of Love the Hays

Courtesy of A La Mode

Courtesy of Core One

Courtesy of Crystal Cattle

Courtesy of Sunny Sunflower House

Courtesy of Retro Verigo Vintage

Some gorgeous rooms with a similar colour scheme:
 

Courtesy of Decor Pad

My Favourite - Jonathan Adler in Coco Cozy

Coming up soon - Faustine from C'est La Vie

Image courtesy of C'est La Vie

What I find most inspiring is people taking something old, typical, used, ugly, beautiful, odd or strange and making it their own.  A couch that would normally look bland and boring can be spruced up with a couple of fantastic pillows or an upholstery change and it will have a personality that matches the owner.

I feel the same way about clothing.  I have a good mixture of vintage and modern items and love the process and result of mixing it all up to create a look that expresses who I am at that given moment.

One my favourite spots is C'est La Vie, a vintage shop that also does consignment in the trendy Main Street hood of Vancouver.  I've been a consignor and a shopper for years.  The owner, Faustine, is what I call an Upper Crust Bohemian Parisian.  She's a bit different - from her clothing choices, her eclectic taste in music and her quirky ways.  She is passionate about vintage clothing and has a wealth of information to share.

So now that we're getting into spring cleaning mode, she'll certainly have some tips on what is hot for Spring and maybe even point us in the direction on some cool combos that we can try with what we have in our closet.

Stay tuned... Faustine and I are going to share some wine and chat, and you get to hear all about it.